Villains are a part of a great deal of fiction. Not every story has to have one, of course, but the action/adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres tend to rely on the presence of evil-minded characters pretty heavily (and even romance can have a trouble-making rival).

But what are our options when it comes to the villains ending? Having created these fascinating and unpleasant characters, what do we do with them?

Have them win. As rare as this is, we could actually have them succeed in their plot and get the happy ending they so richly don’t deserve. I usually see this in a series, as the villain gains the upper hand, temporarily, and the heroes retreat, licking their wounds, but you could write a story where the villain achieves ultimate victory. I’m just not sure how popular it would be (but I’m sure it could be done, and done…