TV & Film Villains involvment in the known plot

[Destructive_demigod]

Hey, so in an attempt to be more social on social media, i am posting a question. Do you guys like when a show, book, or manga shows what the villain is doing?

Personally, i prefer to be left in the dark about such things, only finding out once the main character(s) do(es). However, when it is reveiled to the consumer/ veiwer/ reader/ whatever you call them, it can add a layer of tension and excitement and also make the story feel better fleshed out.

So tell me and discuss in the comments the importance of this, and your personal opinion on it.

 

[Destructive_demigod]

Ps: is this in the right catagory?

 

[BriiAngelic]

I’m of the personal opinion that it should be shown but not overtly stated. I like the style that PLL did actually where there are hints to *what they are doing* but that the identity of said villain stays a mystery until one of the protagonists know it. Also seeing them set something into motion is far more entertaining to me than someone laying out their plans via a strategy meeting or monologue.

 

[The Mad Queen]

When it's done well, this can be pretty amazing. When done well being the key words.
Dramatic Irony (when the audience knows something the characters don't) is one of those tools that can either help or hinder any story.

 

[Idea]

After seeing this thread, I had to walk around for a bit to really think about it. What IS the right balance, is there any general rule to begin with? The conclusion I came to is that ultimately, there are too many narrative factors to what the right moment to display your villain and how much involvement they should have, for me to state as "catch all" rule of thumb. Things like the villain's plan, their relationship with the main cast if any, how intelligent they are, how much time they can spare from their plans etc... Really makes all the difference and it comes in all shapes and sizes.

And something similar goes for my tastes: The exact methods of the villain, their place in the narrative and their personality play a big role in how much I want to see of the villain. I would say I tend for the side of more involvement of the villain a good chunk of the time, though not to the extreme of seeing the villain all the time. I am often a fan of media focusing more on the side cast because I often find those side characters so much more interesting/cute/awesome/... That said, there is one extreme that has yet to disappoint me and that is when the villain IS the main character. 101% involvement. Things like Death Note and Overlord and to an extent Code Geass though it is arguable whether Lelouch even qualifies for a villain.

 

[Destructive_demigod]

These are all really good points, thanks to everyone for responding. I think, villain involvement is dependant on weather or not its been thought out and planned ahead by the story writers. For instance, when a show has an arc to be completed in one or two episodes, then it need more involvment so the veiwer know what the plans of the villain are and so a sort of suspense for the main characters can be had. However, with a more intricate and longer story or arc, the villains plains are a bit smarter and more elaborate. What ive noticed is showing the vilains plans hapoen less in this tyoe of arc. I think its so a dramatic reveil can take place.
the heroes land on a planet where all the known operations from the vilain point to. They conquored thr planets moon. Where its main export it, and all the heavy food importers too. The heroes come here since the logical step to conquering a major force is to weeken it. But when they arrive, its proven to actually be a trap, and the villains main focus is elsewhere.

I think this is a poorly written version of a good example, but i know very little about what im tlaking about

 

[PhoenixMire]

I love it if I love the villains. Tbh, if a villain is interesting to me, then I tend to have a huge soft spot for villain characters. (And not typically in a "they're so misunderstood!!" way, but more of a "they're so fascinating" way? Hard to explain.) So, if I'm really interested in the villains, then yes, I want them to have as much "screen" time as possible lol

For example, I personally like some of the villains in My Hero Academia, mainly Dabi and Shigaraki - so whenever the manga shows what they're doing, I'm super interested. But in the Fire Emblem games I've played thus far (only Awakening and Echoes haha) I'm always kinda bored when the game cuts to the villains. I don't find them too interesting and I'm way more interested about the adventures of my main characters.

And, as some others have stated, it really depends on the series itself. Sometimes it's far more interesting to keep the actions of the villains a secret, and sometimes that isn't necessarily true. It's so varied that it's hard to say what's best.