Lessons on Storytelling: There is always a villain
Breaking down storytelling lessons learned from professional wrestling
All good stories have a villain. Everyone remembers Cruella de Vil. Superman had Lex Luthor. Batman had the Joker and the Penguin (and many more!) Luke Skywalker had Darth Vader. Black Panther? Erik Killmonger. Wonder Woman? Cheetah.
In some cases, the protagonist doesn’t rise to the occasion without the help of his or her villain. Villains are the antagonist, the one that stretches the hero to be better, bolder, stronger, and more heroic.
Pro Wrestling lays out these storylines with excellence. Here is a lesson in storytelling from the world of professional wrestling. The following lesson was originally published at my website, Copyflight.com.
In professional wrestling, there is always a villain. In the pro wrestling lexicon it is called a “heel.” Dr. Seuss even talked about a heel when he described the Grinch. Everyone knows about a heel.
In life, we have an adversary. The adversary is often what we are trying to overcome. In wrestling, that is a person.
One of the best-ever in professional wrestling was The Nature Boy Ric Flair. He was often was called “The dirtiest player in the game.”
No one could bend the rules, cheat, and pull one over another wrestler or referee better than Flair. As a result, he has won a record 16 (21 according to him) heavyweight championships.
He took on the persona of the ultimate playboy, with the most famous lines being,
“I’m Ric Flair! The Stylin’, profilin’, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ n’ dealin’ son of a gun!”
He was also fond of saying, “In order to be the man, you have to beat the man.”
These catchphrases were hallmarks of his character and his career. Flair transcended pro wrestling and into the conversations in our culture.
Another one of his signature phrases was “Wooooo!”
He had the signature phrases, the signature moves, the signature mannerisms and so much more. He exhibited amazing charisma for someone who was a “heel” most of his career.
He may have been one of the first pro wrestlers to be loved as a heel. It happens regularly now, but before Flair, it was unheard of.
Flair was a frequent rival of two of my favorite wrestlers, Dusty Rhodes and Sting. They had legendary feuds and remain friends to the end.
We experience adversity, an antagonist, or a villain in our every day life. Perhaps it is some sort of health issue we are dealing with. Maybe it is an actual villain, a person, who makes our lives a living nightmare.
It’s funny, really, how the hero and the villain need each other. Without the other, they cannot reach their full potential. Without Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes is not who he became. Without Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair will never be the 16X heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer.
This unique dynamic often helps us see out struggles a bit differently.
What is your villain? How has your villain help make you a stronger person?