Lately, I've been thinking about what makes a great character rivalry, and I think part of the answer lies in the antagonist/protagonist relationship. Not only their relationship with each other, but how these characters make crucial decisions about their lives involving others around them.
I think an interesting example of a complex yet, believable hero/villain relationship can be found in the show Sons of Anarchy. In the show, the enemy is always changing for the motorcycle club. However, for the hero of the story, Jax Teller, his biggest enemy is right under his nose! Gemma Teller, his own mother, plays an integral role in both the motorcycle club and Jax's life. She is a master manipulator, and will do whatever it takes to remain top Ol' Lady in the MC.
From the very first episode, when she talks privately to Clay about how he needs to keep Jax in line, make him "follow in right the father's footsteps", we can see she's willing to swear allegiance to Clay, the president of the club, and Jax's step-father. Although we can see that she has self-seeking motives, it quickly becomes clear that she has not had an easy life up to this point.
I'm of the opinion that every great villain has a tragic back story. I think this is the main reason that in some narratives, villains are not as relatable as the heroes. It's simply because the villain character is not fully developed, or as fully developed as the protagonist. Of course, villains are not usually the focal point of the story. That's what makes Sons of Anarchy such a unique show! The antagonist and protagonist are essentially on the same team, and in the same family which makes for some very interesting opportunities for sabotage and deceit.
I've noticed the show is centered around fear as a motivator. Fear motivates people to make mistakes. Fear makes people move hastily. Fear moves everyone. It is refreshing to see that the club uses this fear to motivator their adversaries, but they are by no means immune to it themselves. We see the club face off in a gun fight with machine guns, we see them survive bombs and kidnappings. The club is strong, but they are subject to just as much pain as they can inflict.
Gemma can dish out hurt with the best of them, so it makes sense that she, too, experiences extreme fear when she's been gang raped. She fits the role of a tragic villain. Although in some situations, you may feel she gets what she deserves, Gemma has suffered terrible losses. She lost her son, Thomas, as well as her husband, John. She also has a large scar across her chest from an open-heart surgery surely, to intensify her tough façade. She is a fighter, a survivor.
No matter how much she may have suffered, since she's been immersed in this life of violence with the MC from such a young age, is difficult to sympathize with her at times. Especially when she's skillfully breaking bitch's noses with a skateboard! She has made the Sons part of her very identity. Gemma has so many secrets with so many different people, it makes me think that she knows the most about what's going on at any given time. And the one time she doesn't have all the information is when she makes her most fatal mistake.
Oh Gemma, how I love to hate your twisted mind.
