As writers, we want to ensure that our characters are not one-sided. Even fantasy villains and horror monsters have some redeeming quality tucked away somewhere, or a tragic backstory that explains their heinous choices.
Here’s an extreme example of a person who saved millions of lives before turning his genius to weapons of war.
In 1909, German scientist Fritz Haber created a process for making ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizer made from nitrogen and hydrogen. His discovery allowed for enough ammonia to be produced to replenish soil worldwide, effectively preventing mass famine due to nitrogen deficient soil.
However, during World War I, Haber’s lab created a process to weaponize chlorine gas, and killed several German troops during testing. After he perfected his process, Haber was shocked to hear that Army officials found the weapon repulsive. Haber himself joined the German lines in Ypres when the first chlorine gas attacks were launched against Allied troops, killing more than 10,000 soldiers within minutes. By the end of the war, mustard gas was responsible for some 90,000 deaths.
Consider Haber the next time you want to craft a complicated villain for your novel. No one would suggest that Haber’s positive inventions outweighed his war crimes, but think about how your villain’s genius, creations, or plotting could produce a side benefit to the very people they are intending to harm.
