There are times when not everything in a story should be categorized, especially when it comes to complicated things like good and evil. There are, after all, rarely any humans that fully adhere to their own moral code, and to label them as such is almost certainly oversimplifying things. This is especially true when we’re writing our villains. Sometimes, it takes the form of a tragic backstory, while at other times, character development that makes the villain seem more human.

But why would we want to do this? Why should we feel sorry for our antagonists, even though they’re supposed to be torturing our heroes? And more importantly, how can this sympathy improve our stories? 

Creates Drama

By allowing the antagonist to have actual human emotions, your readers may become more engaged with the story. It helps them become enamored with the details, all the while bringing more and more tension into the story and curiosity as to how the author will resolve this tension. For instance, in The Hobbit, Bilbo decides to take pity on Gollum, as do Frodo and Sam, who know how heavy a burden it is to carry the famed ring. Another example is from the TV show Supernatural, in which the Devil, of all people, is portrayed as a rather quirky character who suffers from the same problems we do. In both cases, it forces the reader to reconsider.

Adds Depth 

Rarely is anything at all black and white. Despite all our attempts to paint our enemies as horrific creatures, that just isn’t the case. This very element adds a level of realism to our characters, and shapes the plot in a way that’s constructive. For instance, in Stephen King’s It, one of the characters, Mike, empathizes with Henry Bowers simply because he understands what it’s like growing up with a burdensome parent. In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, Harry ends up saving Draco’s life because he saw how trapped Draco was in his father’s schemes. These examples help bring the antagonist and protagonist together, breaking any boundary good and evil might have otherwise placed on them.

Fosters Character Development

Because the sympathy for the devil ploy adds depth to the characters, it forces them to become aware of people’s perspectives other than their own. As such, they have the potential to be more open-minded. For instance, in the anime Death Parade, the protagonist is about to push a character to kill someone, but his assistant jumps in to try to stop the tragedy from happening. Even after she failed, the protagonist is left wondering if the afterlife means more than the facts presented to him, that in the end, supernatural beings are just as human as the creatures they toyed with.

The sympathy for the devil trope is a detail in literature that showcases the duality of the world. It reminds us that though someone might appear evil to us, they also have their own morals. They have dreams and fears, as well as loved ones that they more than likely would do everything to protect. Though it’s a childish reminder, we still need it.