it is okay to have two?

[007 fan]

I've always heard 'protagonist' and 'antagonist' as singular.  I actually have two antagonists in my current WIP.  Is that gonna be a problem for me?

Both are bad, related by blood, and key to the story and the MC.



 

[gckatz]

No problem.  If they're very similar and can function as a pair, you've got a dual antagonist, which is very easy to keep track of.  If they're not, odds are one is more important than the other (at any rate, one will be faced last), and you've got a primary and secondary antagonist.

Coincidentally, my antagonists are sisters.

[007 fan]

No problem.  If they're very similar and can function as a pair, you've got a dual antagonist, which is very easy to keep track of.  If they're not, odds are one is more important than the other (at any rate, one will be faced last), and you've got a primary and secondary antagonist.

It's an evil chief and his son who both hate my MC...does that make them duel?

Coincidentally, my antagonists are sisters.  <In the WWII story? 

[Pandean]

Two antagonists is not a problem.


And if these antagonists work together, they're dual antagonists. If they have different goals, then whoever is "badder" is the primary and the other is the secondary.

But yeah--two antagonists isn't any big deal. If anything it makes the story more interesting.

[gckatz]

Those are dual antagonists, almost certainly the Big Bad and the Dragon.  Father-son villain pairs are actually a pretty common story element themselves.  Your plot probably follows this general pattern: The father is the Big Bad (likely to be physically weaker but smarter than the son), the son works/fights on behalf of the father, the protagonists have to face the son first and kill/defeat/befriend him at the end of the second act (the arc climax), and then they face the father (the main climax).

But don't get hung up on whether your story fits a certain pattern or not.  If it works, it works.

(Yes, the WWII story.  And that is an example where the dual antagonists are secondary antagonists: It being a war story, the main conflict is man vs society.)

[Falthor]

totally fine to have more than one antagonist...

  My story has 2...   Each actually has a different purpose and target, but each have a hand in disrupting the main storyline to achieve their goals....  The best part is my secondary antagonist is actually looking for Payback on my main Antagonist, as well as one of the 3 mains in my love triangle.

[007 fan]

Those are dual antagonists, almost certainly the Big Bad and the Dragon.  Father-son villain pairs are actually a pretty common story element themselves.  Your plot probably follows this general pattern: The father is the Big Bad (likely to be physically weaker but smarter than the son), the son works/fights on behalf of the father, the protagonists have to face the son first and kill/defeat/befriend him at the end of the second act (the arc climax), and then they face the father (the main climax).

But don't get hung up on whether your story fits a certain pattern or not.  If it works, it works.  Whew!  Glad my two antagonists aren't fitting the general pattern you state.   

(Yes, the WWII story.  And that is an example where the dual antagonists are secondary antagonists: It being a war story, the main conflict is man vs society.)  BTW, I told my husband about your story....and he LOVES it.  As I do, he thinks it's super original.  Being a fan of WWII stories, if we ever learn on these forums that it is being published, he wants to buy a copy. 

[gckatz]

BTW, I told my husband about your story....and he LOVES it.  As I do, he thinks it's super original.  Being a fan of WWII stories, if we ever learn on these forums that it is being published, he wants to buy a copy. 

Aw, thanks.  It's not having any luck, though.

[Hrothmeir]

Those are dual antagonists, almost certainly the Big Bad and the Dragon.  Father-son villain pairs are actually a pretty common story element themselves. 

I'm surprised this is the first TVTropes link I've seen thus far...

[slightlysmall]

TV Tropes links are dangerous. I clicked on that one and lost the next hour of my life. 

[benjj]

I hope it's OK, especially since I have three in mine along with two protags. Thank heavens for 3rd POV narrator voice.

[Sarah Ahiers (Falen)]

I'm a huge fan of multiple antagonists and you'll almost always find them in my writing.