This week’s Friend or Foe Friday is a little different from previous posts. Some of you may know that I’ve been writing a book that will be part of a series. I don’t want to spoil anything with the book, but there is one particular villain I would love to share with all of you, and it’s very obvious he’s a villain right from the beginning.

Lian Arleigh

Lian is the King of a very sheltered, yet technologically advanced society. He governs over his people with very strict rules. He has salt and pepper, short cropped hair, blue-gray eyes, and is six foot tall. He’s stubborn, and has a strong dislike for change. He’s forty-six years old and has four children. He’s harsh, quick to judge, and has no problem inflicting pain on others. He’s very selfish, and not opened to new ideas whatsoever. He fears the unexplained. He fears change. He fears power that can conquer him. The citizens are taught to obey him. They live such hard, structured lives, and their opinions don’t necessarily matter. A world divided between the privileged and unprivileged. Where music is only heard by the rare few. Lian, along with his council, also chooses what each and every citizen will do with the rest of their lives. One form of punishment inflicted on the people is called public humiliation in which a council member, normally the Gerent, announces their crimes before the offender is publicly whipped and the entire formality is broadcast. He’s very hard on his children and rarely shows them any sign of affection. He is cold, cunning, and without mercy. Lian Arleigh, my friends, is pure villain.

Excerpt on Lian Arleigh:

My scientists still search for a way to end the Hetnac disease. So far there is no cure. My niece was euthanized as the more she cried the more her symptoms progressed. Nurses and doctors that came within feet of her were choked to death. I can’t risk lives for one, I can’t. Moriena begged me not to, but I couldn’t continue risking the lives of others just so that my niece can be normal again. The scientists who observed my nieces behavior have made a miraculous discovery. Strong emotions are what triggered her symptoms. There may be a way to place strong emotions on others in order to force their symptoms to be prominent.

Then I can hunt down the diseased…

…and kill each and every one of them. 

                                                                ~The Diary of Lian Arleigh

Lian Arleigh: is DEFINITELY a Foe

Instead of asking questions to determine why he’s a villain or what makes him a villain, today I would rather simply tell you about him and why he’s one of my favorites I’ve ever created. Lian Arleigh kills without a thought. He has no mercy. He doesn’t feel guilty about his poor actions. He’s dishonest and does not have good intent. Lian Arleigh will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. The end justifies the means. But…. Lian Arleigh is very regal. And he’s a man that truly believes that what he’s doing is the right thing. That he’s protecting his citizens. For every horrible action he commits, he justifies it by believing he’s helping, not making things worse. There are villains that walk that fine line, teetering on the edges of good, knowing that what they are doing is wrong. Then there’s the villains that act out for revenge. Someone or something has hurt them in the past, and they want to in return do anything necessary to hurt and destroy the person or thing that inflicted the turmoil in the first place. Then you have villains like Lian Arleigh, that truly believe that what they are doing is right. There is no changing a character like that. There are things that happen to Lian in the story that may have caused an extreme reaction in him, to force his hand to do some of the evil he does. But he was always on that path for darkness, these events that happened to him just sped up the process, added fuel to his dark flames.

I’ve written quite a few villains for my story, but to me, he’s one of my favorites. Lian Arleigh sort of wrote himself the more I wrote the story. He became this unchangeable character. He became so set in his ways, so stubborn, so angry… and yet, every action he made he believed it was for the better. He BELIEVES in what he does…. and that makes him a very terrible, very horrifying adversary.

What do you think of Lian Arleigh?

“But why can’t everyone have the memories? I think it would seem a little easier if the memories were shared. You and I wouldn’t have to bear so much by ourselves, if everybody took a part.”

The Giver sighed. “You’re right,” he said. “But then everyone would be burdened and pained. They don’t want that. And that’s the real reason The Receiver is so vital to them, and so honored. They selected me – and you – to lift that burden from themselves.” 
― Lois Lowry, The Giver

The Giver is an Elder of the community and quite mysterious in the beginning. He shares little of his own past, just stating that he once had a designated wife and child. As he gives more and more memories to Jonas, we see that he can be very kind and wise.

Burdened by the memories of good and bad, he uses these memories to advise the Elders on important  issues that the Elders may have no knowledge of. His decisions sometimes lead to bad consequences when performed by the community and he feels responsible for bringing back their true humanity.

Though the Giver is described as an old man with the same bright eyes as Jonas, he hints that he is not quite as old as he is believed to be. This suggests that by being the Receiver of Memory, it has aged him many years.

Does the character do things that cause good consequences or bad consequences?

The Giver desires for his people to connect with their emotions and remember the past. By doing so, he plans for Jonas to leave, which is very dangerous. His plans would also drive their community into chaos at first, initially causing bad consequences.

Do they do perform acts for personal gain or to help others?

Looking deeper into The Giver, we see that his actions are to help others. In some ways, however, by making the decision to give people back the past, he is relieving himself of the pain of remembering and making people similar to him. He also plans to be their guide and helper with these new emotions, essentially making him their leader.

Are their personality traits noble and with good intent?

The Giver is burdened by pain and suffering of the past. Throughout the book, Jonas is dismissed from his teachings when The Giver is too overwhelmed. He is therefore a solemn character that eventually grows to love Jonas as a son and shows kindness to him.

Is the character dishonest?

The irony of this question is that ‘the receiver of memory’ has a rule that he is able to lie. By this, The Giver lies to many people in the community but expresses that he has not once lied to Jonas.

Does the character only consider their own interests?

The Giver considers the interests of Jonas and his daughter Rosemary. He wished to spare the pain of both apprentices he had.

Does the character fight for the opposing side?

Essentially yes. The Giver ‘fights’ against the ways of the community and plots to effect them all with his plot, therefore going against the wishes of ‘the Elders’.

Did the character feel guilty about his poor actions?

The Giver feels guilt for bringing pain to both Jonas and his daughter, and also feels responsible for her death. He tries to redeem himself by planning to bring emotion back to the community.

Does the character kill without thought or reason?

No, The Giver is the only one who really understands death at all and he feels incredibly responsible to stop the bad things happening in the community.

My Thoughts:

The Giver is a complicated character. In the beginning you are weary of him and later become very sympathetic towards his situation. He technically a good character with good intentions but he is also a leader of the community, one that is quoted to be the most honored, and did nothing most of his life to stop the ‘releases’ from happening. It is when his daughter is released that he changes his decision and decides to do something about it.  He eventually wishes to join Rosemary in the afterlife.

Let us know your opinion…

This was his soul made flesh, the truth of him laid bare in the blazing sun, shorn of mystery and shadow. This was the truth behind the handsome face and the miraculous powers, the truth that was the dead and empty space between the stars, a wasteland peopled by frightened monsters.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone

The Darkling is a character from The Grisha Trilogy. The books include Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising.
He is described as being very handsome .  He looks like a young man in spite of his advanced age.  He claims to be 120 years old.  He has inky black hair, quartz gray eyes, and sharp features.  He is the leader of the grisha, a group of Ravkans with magical abilities.  He always dresses in black

He is power hungry ,manipulative, vicious, ruthless, and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Years ago he was known as the Black Heretic.  He created the fold to use against his enemies, but in doing so he also created the volcra, who are capable of killing all humans including The Darkling.  The fold is total darkness and no one dares go there, not even The Darkling.

The Darkling comes across a young grisha, Alina, just coming into her powers.  She appears to be a sun summoner and he will use her to get control of the fold and use it as he intended.

Now we ask the question: Hero or a Villian?

Does the character do things that cause good consequences or bad consequences?

Whatever The Darkling does it usually causes bad consequences.  He has dark magic and he tried to use it to create a darkness that he could use against his enemies.  The darkness tuned all the people in the area into volcra, flying monsters.  The darkness is now called the shadow fold and no one can enter it and survive.

Does the character intend to make good or bad consequences?

He doesn’t care as long as he gets what he wants.  He will do anything to increase his power.

Do they do perform acts for personal gain or to help others?

He only performs for personal gain.  He is proud, arrogant, and thinks he should rule the world.

Are their personality traits noble and with good intent?

Absolutely not!  The Darkling is very self centered, arrogant, proud, ruthless, and manipulative.

Is the character dishonest?

If he needs to be to further his goals.

Does the character only consider their own interests?

All the time.  That is all that he considers.

Does the character permit selfless acts?

He would only perform a selfless act if it would further his goals, which would make it not selfless.  So the answer is no!

Did the character feel guilty about his poor actions?

No, he never feels guilty!

Does the character kill without thought or reason?

Yes he does.  He will do anything to further his goals.

Does the character do things out of revenge?

Of course!  If you get in his way he will squash you.

My Thoughts:

I think The Darkling is a total villain.  He is one of my favorite characters to hate.  If you haven’t read The Grisha Trilogy, you should.  It is very good!

What do you think?