: Re: How to make the villain relatable/human without making the hero seem like a monster for killing him? I have a story I'm writing which has a villain that, in order to make him more human/developed,

@Debbie451

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Just because you can understand how the villain got that way doesn't mean you have to agree with the villain's actions.

Most people can understand how Black Panther's Erik Killmonger turned out the way he did. (More of that discussion in my answer to this question.) That doesn't mean that the viewer has to agree that his solution is the right one. We can accept that Erik has a point without endorsing his plan as the only correct response.

Also, if your villain has a point, but your hero has to kill the villain anyway, I think that's good moral shading which you should carry into the next books. That's something your hero should wrestle with. "Was I right? Did Villain have a point? Did Villain really deserve to die?"

Your villain can be evil and understandable. His death can be both necessary and a tragedy.

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