Antagonist

A character who creates issues for the protagonist and characters related to them. In most cases, these actions are conscious as the character knows that they are causing problems for others, but some antagonistic roles might either not be aware of their misdeeds or stand in the way of the protagonists without any intent of causing real harm. In adventurous franchises, the most important antagonist is the Villain, the greatest threat to the Hero and their team if a Conflict is not present. In non-adventurous franchises, the title of "main antagonist" may become somewhat harder to define as it could belong to the most recurrent or powerful antagonist like a Rival or Company Head respectively. Generally, antagonists are more powerful than protagonists, both on an individual and group level, yet they tend to lose more often as Good Always Prevails.

Just like any protagonist or neutragonist, the quality of an antagonist is based on their originality and believability. An antagonist who desires World Domination because Evil's Gotta Evil is more likely to be trashed by audiences than one who personally seeks the Hero out after they Broke The Vase. Antagonists who can emotionally affect the audience on an intimate level, such as by being relatable or not necessarily being evil, last longer in their memories and are held to higher regard.