An antagonistic force is a basic element of any plot; it is not a story without conflict. Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey monomyth supports the longstanding necessity of an antagonist in The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Classic literature provides a foundation of villainous traits from Iago, Big Brother, Count Dracula, Sauron, and many others. Pop culture’s fascination with villains has deepened from decades of larger-than-life, unpredictable antagonists in books and cinema: Hannibal Lecter, Voldemort, Annie Wilkes, Cruella de Vil, and Thanos. Villains like these often corner the market on psychological complexity, especially if they struggle with their own “badness.”

That particular fight—abiding by one’s inherent goodness versus succumbing to one’s “dark side”—is immortalized by Darth Vader’s character arc throughout the Star Wars saga. Anakin Skywalker’s fierce self-imposed obligation to protect those he loves—combined with his emotional impulsivity, his distrust and disappointment in the Jedi, and an increasing Sith influence—contribute to his downfall from righteousness and transformed identity as Darth Vader in the film Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Vader then opposes the Rebellion heroes in Episodes IV, V, and VI, though he summons enough goodness to save his son in a final act of self-sacrifice before his death.

Marie Lu cited the Star Wars series in giving her protagonist a collection of villainous traits: “The Young Elites was inspired by my love for villains and wanting to write a Darth Vader-esque villain who was a teenage girl” (Lu, Marie. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Marie Lu). Adelina’s dark, embittered side intensifies throughout the novel until she questions her identity: “I can feel myself losing […] The darkness seeps in a little more every day. What have I done? How can I be like this?” (341). Her struggle, like Vader’s, is a complex mix of hard-to-control emotions and powers, bitter disillusionment with society, and outward influence from evil-minded others. This will continue across the series, paralleling and intersecting with Adelina’s external conflicts until, like Vader’s, her ongoing fight ultimately resolves in self-sacrifice.

Other central figures who resist and/or succumb to their own “dark side” include Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Tolkien’s Sméagol/Gollum. These classic characters have complex villainous traits and show that Adelina is not alone in possessing an internal good-versus-evil struggle, as many authors focus on this specific character arc.