Discussion Why CN novels suffers from Horrible Antagonists?

I believe in a novel an Antagonist is as important as the Protagonist without a likable, relatable and interesting Villain it just makes the whole story feels kinda shallow and boring.

-I have read a lot of CN novels like CD, BTTH, MGA, ATG, HJC, ISSTH, GOS, TMW, MW etc. All these novels suffers from arrogant egostic one liner antagonists who gets offended over every little thing it could be because you are more talented and handsome than him or either he is simply jealous of your women eventually he gets his arse kicked over by the Hero in the next few chapters then *rinse and repeat* for the next arc. I get it people usually read CN novels for the stereotypical Alpha bonafide badarse Male lead or it is just guilty pleasure because of all the massacre of clans, their heads which gets your blood boiling and the giant harem behind the hero, but eventually you will get tired of such trope after some time, right?

 

Xianxia is literally a wish fulfillment kind of novel ( thats why its popular) and beating people who is RICH, ARROGANT, HANDSOME, ETC. will give you the most satisfaction than a villain that is slimy as a snake.

 

But that is the thing, in most CN novels the antagonist is EXACTLY the same as the protagonist. There is no difference between the two, just you happen to be reading from the point of one young master over another.

Not to mention since they are paid to write per chapter, it's easier when all chars have 1 personality.

 

You said everything.

 

cuz~ it easier to write such kind of enemy~
no need too much thinking process compared full blown capable enemy~
hey it easy to write woman A women B and man A man B~
beside fast food is delicious as snack~
not as meal~

 

I kinda agree that CN novels do have some terrible antagonists, but have you gotten far into CD or ISSTH because although they have that type of antagonists early on, they only exist to give the mc a purpose to get stronger until the storyline unfolds and the main antagonists come out to play.

 

I shal seal the heavens has a mix of good and bad antagonists.

Cultivation chat group has absolutely amazing antagonists.

 

In my opinion, the major enemies in HJC are better than the standard in CN novels. the minor antagonists who rarely appear, yeah they're cliche.

 

thats why my favorite now is kr novel since it has more story than useless antagonist

 

Really I feel there's not too many memorable villains in any webnovels. For CN ones I believe it is the combination of the the powerleveling making it so the villains cannot keep up, The fact everything is decided by who is stronger so there's not too much depth between the MC and the villain, the murderhoboness of the world, and just the fact that the series are usually extremely protagonist focused (not very good love interests and side-characters either).

 

Not really same though. Usually CN Protagonists have a huge amount of plot armors and lady luck whoring behind him.

 

I found the final antagonists to CD and ISSTH quite interesting, or that just me?

 

IKR, all the CN novels are usually one time read only. As soon as you are done with, you move on to next time with the same cultivation and ranks divided into 9 or 10 levels.

 

You can't have xianxia without your young master antagonist and protagonist becoming a young master or immortal.
You can't have isekai without your noble antagonists and protagonist later becoming a noble and becoming denser from each girl being added to their harem.
The only difference is whether you get hit by a truck or your enemy is chanting "Trash" or "You're courting death" or "You have eyes but do not see Mt. Tai" religiously.

 

RTW's antagonist aren't bad, each one had their own personalities and objectives.

 

Chinese cultivation novels make it out that almost everyone in power is stupid in the way they act like little kids. Also they make beauty of the MC's girl so good that it becomes an abstract concept. And it pisses me off. But it's easy that way for the author and since most authors do the same thing it becomes acceptable I guesss.

It's also hard to make a good antagonist just to kill him off a few chapters later as the MC's power increase at a fast speed. Usually the selling point of cultivation novels is that the MC has something that makes him standout compared to others so it's hard to make an antagonist that keeps up with him. And it would be boring to some extent if you have to read to a few chapters worth of background for each guy the MC will kill.

It's just the draw back of the genre. Though some authors find a way to get around it. The same way can't be applied to all novels.

 

If you are talking about that two same Sovereign twist in CD. Yea, that was acceptable, but then you have MC keeps on cultivating for 5000 to 10000 years to master all elemental laws into one every time whenever Linely suffers from bottleneck kinda ruins it, lol

 

I read your topic title, and I think to myself... isn't that the norm for CN?

 

Something that pisses me off is when people ask if they dare kill them. DUDE TOU ARE TRYING TO KILL THE OTHER PARTY OF Course THEY WILL WANT TO KILL YOU.

 

Eh I guess I didn't really mind as CD was my first CN and will always hold a special place in my heart. Also what did you think of ISSTH's final antagonist?