Conviction, Chaos, and the Cost of Change

There’s something about villains who don’t start off villainous that makes them infinitely more compelling. The ones who really believed they were doing the right thing. The ones who didn’t wake up one morning and decide to destroy the world, but rather… tried to save it. In their own twisted way.

And that’s what gives them depth.

Because sometimes the line between hero and villain isn’t a matter of good vs. evil, it’s about the choices you're willing to make. What makes a villain a villain is often that they’re willing to cross lines that others won’t. Or can’t. Or shouldn’t. Lines that most people shy away from because they’re messy, brutal, and hard to come back from.

But here’s the thing: real change—world-shifting, power-disrupting, irreversible change—doesn’t usually come from the soft-hearted. It requires conviction. Commitment. A level of obsession that pushes past comfort zones and moral hesitation. The kind of mindset we often associate with villains, not heroes.

And sometimes what they believe is “right” isn’t. Sometimes it’s a lie they told themselves to cope. Sometimes it’s justice warped into vengeance. Sometimes it's just... easier than admitting they lost control.

But that gray space between idealism and destruction; that’s where the most interesting characters live. And I think that’s why this quote hit the way it did. Because no one thinks they’re the villain at the beginning. They’re just someone who’s tired of losing, tired of being ignored, tired of being powerless. And they decide to do something about it. At any cost.

Happy writing! 💛