If you had the chance to create your own tragic villain, what qualities would you add and why?

I'm not saying this for help. I just wanted to know how others would write them.

Hm.

Well, Clockwork Relativity in the fic "all the time in the world" isn't really a villain, but an anti-hero.

He's bastard born, thanks to Luna being raped by Sombra. Celestia in this continuity doesn't like Clockwork, and banishes him from Luna's household. Everypony is afraid of Clockwork because he can see the future.

Being left out of a society that worships Friendship can drive one to villainy...

7685741
Circumstances led to them to be the villain, and that is really all you need. Maybe they feel bad about the things they must do. I believe Tempest Shadow is a good example from the cartoon. Heck, even Sprout is a good example too, but not so much. Nightmare Moon is another good example. Luna wanted the ponies to see her night, but they slept through it and that drove her to try and make an eternal night out of sorrow. She's not entirely blameless, but it's not like ponies could do anything about it and the situation kind of developed on its own. And that is why I think she's one of the best villains in the series.

I think it's important with tragic villains that you make sure to still remember that what really makes them a villain is that they chose it. Circumstances might have driven them 99% of the way, sure, but when they were standing at the border of doing wrong and doing right, they chose wrong.

7685741
First of all, in order for them to be tragic that would have to do with more than why but also how. In The Lunar Guardsman where I use such a concept, Raegdan was shaped into what he was by being forced into extreme situations where he made villain decisions. It is important however that he DID choose to make them, and that even the why and how he was forced into these situations has the root in himself.

But origin and shaping is less than half the work. What is vitally important is that the tragic villain figure I use keeps making similar decisions that don't bring him positive results and slowly alienate his loved ones, a descent into a tragic spiral that is of his own creation. As a tragic villain all he has to do to get a happy ending is to stop, but it is a culmination of who he is and why that keeps him entrapped; to stop would be to admit that everything he did before was for nothing; that he has to face the scale of his wrongs for real; that the fault is entirely his own. The tragedy is the prison of his own making as he can't bring himself to admit to give up. This time is has to work, this time he will be right, this time he won't have to run. The right course is right in front of him and he is unable to see it or accept it.

A tragic villain is not "oh, what a poor guy, he became a villain for the wrong reasons." A tragic villain is one who is defined by tragedy beyond his past and formation, but the actions and choices he performs along the story and the results/fate he receives.

7685741
I would add exactly the qualities the story calls for.
Without knowing what the story entails, it's impossible to be more specific.

I would just write about you, OP.
After all these topics you started, you definitely qualify as one.

7685741

1: Have something happen to them that led to their path of villainy. This is what I'd be most likely to do, and is what MLP did with a bunch of its reformed villains.

Alternatively, I could 2: have them be living on false beliefs that, in truth, make them a villain, but he/she doesn't think it due to the false beliefs. This option would be more situational and may or may not even make them "tragic", but it would be a more valid choice if the story would need it. As a "third option," I might be able to combine the two. Why would I do any of the choices? It would depend on the story, so it's not something I would slap on just for the sake of it.

Those are the only generic qualities I can think of right now that I would use.

7685741
He lost toy train

7685741
The tragedy of my tragic villain would be that they had no tragedy to make them a villain. The utter humiliation they would feel for lacking tragic backstory unlike all the cool villains everyone loves so much these days. But then they realize that true villainy isn't about conforming to expectations of others but being honest with themselves.

7686136
The real villainy is the friends we made along the way

7686062
You mean like 2nd Dimension Doofenshmirtz?

7686434
Yes. Most tragic super villain back story ever

7685741
Define tragic villain.

7687037
A villain who's not evil by choice, but by circumstances that are usually beyond their control. They're also someone who doesn't want to be evil, but feel as though they have no choice, especially after everything they've done.

7687206
Define "being evil". From inner perspective, people always try to do what they think is right, at least right enough to do this and not something other. And they also try explain to themselves why this was right should a doubt occur. If a person thinks everything they do is wrong, they should visit a psychologist. This is another common knowledge of sympathetic villain characters though.

7685741
When it comes to creating a tragic villain, I would have the character strive to be someone who's his or her own. In this case, ensure that the character isn't some sort of tool for an ulterior plan, as well as incorporate a sense of self-motivation and personality.