Who is Your Favorite Antagonist and Why? Mine is Ted Lasso.

Of all your favorite books, shows and movies: who is your favorite Antagonist and why?

I know for some of you that this is like asking you to play favorites amongst your babies, but just pick the one that is striking you at the moment.

For me, my favorite Antagonist at the moment is Ted from Ted Lasso. I know some of you might be saying "what? Ted's not the Antagonist?" But from my definition: the one who forces others to grow the most, I believe he is.

Ted's ruthless optimism, kindness (even in the face of monstrous behavior), and commitment to creating a true team in every sense of the word, forces all those around him to change for the better. And they do so, kicking and screaming, or in the case of Roy often feeling the need to shout out "fuuuuuuuuucccck".

Yes, Ted is also a Protagonist of sorts. He has his own emotional arc to deal with. He's a great leader, but nobody taught him how to be vulnerable or ask for help, and he has to learn that in order to fully be who he wants to be, and to not be a hypocrite to his own expectations. But even in that case, Ted is mostly his own Antagonist, pushing himself and forcing growth from within. (Which as a side note would make Ted Lasso fall more into the category of a Heroine's Journey - but more on that at another time).

Why is Ted my favorite? Because I can relate to him. I understand his mission and the way he chooses to go about it. In fact I find myself feeling protective over him for all the ways he's misunderstood and underestimated because his quirky, smiley nature is not what many in today's world would define as powerful or "smart". Yet isn't he quite powerful?

I share my love of Ted Lasso to remind everyone that Antagonist's fall into a very wide spectrum - all the way from Ted to Hannibal Lecter and everything in between. So with that in mind, I ask again: who is your favorite Antagonist and why?

Would genuinely love to hear from all of you. The writer's life is lonely without feedback.

**If you'd like support developing your own Antagonists, we will be hosting a virtual weekend writing retreat, Embracing Your Villains and you are invited. Click HERE to sign up.