Inside the Mind of Robin Hobb: Wearing Your Villain Like a Coat

At Dragonsteel Nexus, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down for a spontaneous interview with Robin Hobb, the legendary author of The Realm of the Elderlings series. After her panel with Fonda Lee and Brian McClellan on writing compelling characters, Robin and I sat down for a brief chat to dive deeper into some of her thoughts during that discussion. Specifically, we broke down her approach to crafting an antagonist and how that ties into her organic method of character development.

Like many of you, Hobb’s inventive and wild magic weaving through her stories has inspired me for years. The Farseer Trilogy, in particular, stands out as a significantly influential arc in modern fantasy. It’s described as an introspective epic fantasy and I think that sets us up nicely for the following conversation.

Now I Believe Everything You Believe

When I asked Hobb about crafting interesting antagonists, she shared a piece of age-old wisdom. “They don’t think of themselves as the villain,” she said. Now, you may have heard that in your college creative writing class (easier said than done, right?), but Hobb followed it up with something that felt fresh and, dare I say, graspable, saying: “They simply have something they want to get done, and it is more important to them than anything your protagonist wants to do.”

Hobb emphasized the importance of fully embodying a villain’s perspective: “You have to put it on like a coat and say, ‘Now I believe everything you believe.’ You have to love them just as much as any other character and make an effort to paint them as fully as anyone else.” In this, her villains are not caricatures of evil. They’re nuanced individuals whose motivations feel authentic, and even relatable—no matter their actions. 

WARNING: Minor spoilers for The Farseer Trilogy ahead! If you want to avoid them, skip to the next section.

She cited Regal, a character from her Farseer Trilogy, as an example. Regal’s actions stem from his desire to actualize a self-image shaped by his upbringing—an ambition that, while understandable, sets him on a collision course with the protagonist. “You could take that whole trilogy and rewrite it from his point of view, and he would be a tragic hero,” Hobb said.

Throughout his life, Regal believes that he is more entitled to power than the other characters because of his royal bloodline. His mother is the one driving this idea into his head, so from an early age, he’s created this image of himself as the rightful heir to the throne. And, in that framing of his self-image, his actions make perfect sense. Hobb wears Regal’s perspective like a coat and embodies the mindset so well that throughout the trilogy, you sympathize with Regal. When that happens, that’s when you know you’ve written a villain well.

Writing as a Road Trip

Hobb’s approach to storytelling is deeply organic, with characters often leading the way. “I just wander around following the character who I think of as the protagonist,” she explained. Conflict arises naturally when the protagonist’s journey intersects with someone whose goals oppose theirs. This hit on a question I had—does Hobb meet her villain first or does she know what the conflict is and then the antagonist is revealed? Sounds like it’s the former, with Hobb meeting her antagonist via exploring her outline with her main character.

Speaking of, while Hobb acknowledged the utility of outlines, she views them as flexible guides rather than rigid blueprints. “It’s like planning a road trip,” she said. “You can outline your whole route, but sometimes the bridge is out, or there’s a bad accident. You have to adjust.” This openness to change allows her stories to evolve organically.

The Books That Shaped Her

This is a selfish question, really. I ask all the authors I talk to for this blog what their favorite books are. I find it so interesting to learn about the stories that shaped our favorite storytellers. 

When I asked about her favorite books, Hobb’s eyes lit up. She mentioned Rudyard Kipling—not just The Jungle Book, but lesser-known works like The Light That Failed. Hobb had touched on The Jungle Book when a fan at her Nexus panel on character development asked about how to craft realistic non-human characters. She expanded on the book, saying that the characters from The Jungle Book were absolutely transformative for her in early years as a reader. 

However, like so many epic fantasy writers, it was J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings that had the most profound impact on her as a writer. “It changed my whole viewpoint on what you can do with fantasy,” she said. Tolkien’s richly detailed world and the interconnectedness of his characters’ actions inspired Hobb to reimagine the possibilities of the genre.

Villains Worth Wearing

Robin Hobb’s talent for creating characters that feel as real as your closest friends—or fiercest enemies—is extraordinary. Hearing her talk about “wearing the villain like a coat” made me reflect on her characters in a new light. What about you? Who’s your favorite Hobb villain, and why? Let’s chat in the comments.