What makes a good villain?

[meoryn]

I was watching an interview with Terry Goodkind the other night and he said something about villains that got me thinking.

What do you consider are the qualities of a "good" villain in a story?

Comments

[farasha]

I think the best villains are the ones that you find yourself liking - and then feel utterly squeamish about liking. Or, if you can't like them (some villains just aren't likable) then they have to be able to command respect.

It's good if the villain has a motivation that they find logical and is consistent with their own beliefs. It's better if your reader finds themselves attracted to or agreeing with their motivation, if not their methods. When your reader can say, "He/she gives me the willies, but I can understand where he/she is coming from," that is when you have a good villain.