: Re: Antagonist motivation help My (A)ntagonist (or antagonizing force) in my novel causes a nuclear disaster in a remote nuclear facility. I've decided on certain circumstantial plot points, such as

@Lee1909368

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Let me reach for that resource and hope I don't sink in the process...

For The Evulz - he's a destructive force, a person who "likes to watch the world burn". No deeper reasons, no hate, no revenge. Simple love for destruction.
One I can't find the trope for, "Burn down a national park to steal a bag of french fries": the disaster and resulting chaos was an opportunity to perform a job: steal some radioactives, force people to vacate the nearby area (e.g. because there's something significantly more dangerous there), distract authorities and draw away forces from a distant area of a heist, engage rescue forces while an even more serious disaster is being prepared.
Disproportionate Retribution - Whatever reason. He learned he's about to get fired. He lost something precious - say, wife left him. He's really tired with life. Let's go with a bang.
A mystery never explained.
Baptism of fire. People realize the value of their lives when these lives hang on a thread. People live to the fullest when they live as heroes. The daily dreary of work and boredom is the ultimate nightmare. Let's give them an opportunity to shine.
Well-Intentioned Extremist. It's a remote nuclear facility with an inherent security flaw. There are quite a few such facilities in densely populated locations. Only the disaster will force a global shutdown of the insecure facilities.
Hostages/Blackmail. There are other antagonists: terrorists, agencies, whatever. They forced the hand of the one we know.

There are many more options...

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