: Keep in mind that "Antagonist" and "Villain" are not the same thing. Antagonist elements are those that the hero must fight in order to achieve his/her goals in the plot

@LarsenBagley300

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Keep in mind that "Antagonist" and "Villain" are not the same thing. Antagonist elements are those that the hero must fight in order to achieve his/her goals in the plot and must directly oppose the hero. A villain is an evil character who's actions motivate the plot of the story. I like to use this example, because it demonstrates so well the difference, but in Disney's animated film "Mulan" the villain is clearly the Hun leader Shan Yu. His actions motivate the plot. However, he is not Mulan's antagonist. Rather, the thing that keeps her from goal of defeating Shan Yu, isn't Shan Yu himself (he's unaware of her existance and takes only one action in the climax directly targeting her). Rather, Mulan's antagonists is her own society's gender norms and customs, which stop Mulan from being who she is (Her "I want Song" is "Reflections" where she wants the person in the mirror to reflect who she feels she is in her heart. Contrast with the closest we get to a "villain song" which was the opening number of "Please Bring Honor to Us All" which explains the rules society imposes on Mulan that are opposing her goals voiced in Reflection. She wants to bring honor to her family, symbolized by serving the Emperor in exchange for protection from the Huns, but the only way society will accept her service is if she starts a family and has a son, who can bear arms). Shan Yu expects no such conformity from Mulan and when he finally learns of her and what she's done to stop him, his first response is telling: "The Soldier from the Mountain". In effect, he turns to attack her because she dropped a mountain on his men. He's not upset for being beaten by a woman... he's recognizing the real threat right in front of him. While Shan Yu is probably notable for how forgettable he is for a 90s era Disney Villain and following on the heels of Hades and Frollo who were both big show stealers in their respective movies. But Mulan is still an amazing film because Shan Yu is not the Antagonist.
For me, a good Villain Antagonist (and yes, you can have Heroic Antagonists. Walter White's most enduring Antagonist is Hank Schrader, who, despite his flaws, is still a heroic figure to Walt's villiany) is someone who acts and behaves in such a way that he believes himself to be the Hero. Consider Frollo (Disney), who believes he is following the path of a rightous and holy God-fearing man, and sees corruption everywhere, compared with Quasimodo, who was raised by Frollo and yet is able to see Beauty and Joy in almost all things. It's also why the resolution of his relationship with Esmerelda is important. It's not that she chose to go with the traditionally handsome man... it's that Quasimodo was man enough to let her choose someone else compared to Frollo handling her romantic rejections of him.
A good antagonist, when personofied, will always justify his actions for a greater good. They may even admit that they know what they are doing is wrong, but it's more wrong to not do it. This is why I loved Thanos in Infinity War... here's a man who sees a problem with overpopulation and realizes that the only solution... mass depopulation... is never taken because it is so horredous. Yet he watched his people go extinct because they couldn't stomach killing 1/2 of themselves randomly and equally... so he vows that so no one will ever have to suffer that choice, he'll suffer it for everyone... no matter the costs and they are high (he is one of two survivors of his adopted family through the direct actions in achieving this goal). He will bear this pain so no one esle will have to ever again. It counters Tony Stark who has always struggled with Liberty vs. Security as it's the ultimate form of that question and Captain America, who could have solved the film's issue, but for the fact that "we do not trade lives." The resolution also shows Cap that what he says was not entirely true... He does trade in lives... but only when it is his own life to give, something he thinks Stark would never do... but does to finally stop Thanos. A good antagonist will philosophically challenge your heroes resolve to commit to the actions that will make them a hero. Often they will give the Hero a last temptation: Abandon what you believe in... and you will be safe. Ultimately the hero has to see the one way out that will defeat the villain and refuse his principles. In Star Wars, Luke defeats the Emperor not by killing him, but by refusing to continue the cycle of hate by killing his own father (and in turn showing Vader that all his conflict was for the safety of his family, turning him against the Emperor). In Mulan, she could have stopped when she was discovered to be a woman... but she would know she never truly served the Emperor. And in Infinity War, they could have killed Vision to stop Thanos... but they would be no better than he was.

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