An antagonist (from Greek ἀνταγωνιστής - antagonistes, "opponent, competitor, rival") is a character, group of characters, or an institution, who represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend. In other words, 'A person, or a group of people who oppose the main character, or the main characters.' In the classic style of story wherein the action consists of a hero fighting a villain, the two can be regarded as protagonist and antagonist, respectively.

Writers have also created more complex situations. In some instances, a story is told from the villain's point of view, and any hero trying to stop the villain can be regarded as an antagonist. In the film K-19: The Widowmaker, an American film about a Soviet Cold War submarine crew, the crew, enemies of the United States, are depicted as protagonists, creating something of a paradox — as very often the American film industry tends to depict the forces of the United States as the people that fight for "good" and "justice", in opposition to Russia (especially the former Soviet Union) being the antagonists, who often have maniacal and/or malicious intentions (e.g. world domination). Such antagonists are usually police officers, or other law enforcement officials. Sometimes, antagonists and protagonists may overlap, depending on what their ultimate objectives are considered to be.

Modern examples

Various examples from modern films, video messages, and television shows.

Antagonist(s)	Protagonist(s)	Source(s)
Stewie Griffin	Peter Griffin, Lois Griffin, Meg Griffin, Chris Griffin, Brian Griffin	Family Guy
Sauron, Gollum, Saruman	Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Aragorn, Gandalf	Lord of the Rings
The Joker and The Penguin	Batman and Robin	Batman
Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine	Luke Skywalker	Star Wars IV,Star Wars V, and Star Wars VI
Lord Voldemort	Harry Potter	Harry Potter
Evil Queen	Snow White	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Sheldon Plankton	SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, Squidward Tentacles and Eugene Krabs	SpongeBob SquarePants
Green Goblin	Spider-Man	Marvel Comics
Nero and his crew	James T Kirk, Spock	Star Trek
Mojo Jojo	The PowerPuff Girls	The PowerPuff Girls
Charles Lee "Chucky" Ray, Tiffany "Tiff" Ray, and Glen Tilly-Ray	Andy Barclay	Child's Play, Child's Play 2, Child's Play 3, Bride of Chucky, and Seed of Chucky
Dr. Claw and The MAD Agents	Inspector Gadget, Penny, and Brain the Dog	Inspector Gadget
Lucius the seven, and Sammy	Jimmy, Beezy, and Heloies	Jimmy Two-Shoes
Denzel Crocker, Vicky, Norm, Pixies, Anti-fairies	Timmy Turner, Cosmo and Wanda, Poof	The Fairly Odd Parents
Judge Doom and the Toon Patrol	Roger Rabbit,Eddie Valiant,and Jessica Rabbit	Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Sasuke and Orochimaru	Naruto Uzumaki,Sakura Haruno and Kakashi Hatake	Naruto, and Naruto Shippuden
LeChuck	Guybrush Threepwood Elaine Marley	Monkey Island
The Shredder and the Foot Clan	Splinter, Leonardo , Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Eric Cartman, Butters Stotch, Shelly Marsh	Kyle Brofloski, Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick	South Park
Dante, Homunculi, Scar	Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Winry Rockbell, Roy Mustang	Fullmetal Alchemist
Light Yagami, Misa Amane, Teru Mikami	L, Kira Investigation Team, Near	Death Note

See also

• Agon
• Protagonist
• False protagonist

References

1. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=antagonist&searchmode=none Online Etymology Dictionary]
2. About.com, Literature: Contemporary "Antagonist." Online. October 18, 2007.
3. The antagonist may not always be a person or persons. In some cases an antagonist may be a force, such as a tidal wave that destroyed a city, or a storm that is causing havoc, or even the conditions in a certain area that is causing a problem. An antagonist also may or may not create obstacles for the protagonist. See: The Elements of Literature