Which one do you think is cooler
Quick context is that he does have the equipment to drain someone’s magic from them and theoretically give it to someone else
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I think “magic is bad” would be the most realistic villain philosophy. If a villain thinks that magic only creates immense suffering, then an ends-justify-the-means sort of approach to dealing with it would make a lot more sense. I could totally see a wizard commit mass killings to get rid of magic. Plus, “magic needs to be destroyed” is one of those philosophies that you can justify in-universe. If you do it well, your audience will think that the villain, although evil, kind of has a point.
Examples of “magic is bad” villains done well:
“Magic should only be given to morally good people” also works, but I don’t like it as much. I feel like it’s a lot harder to justify villainous actions with that philosophy. Mainly because it requires the villain to truly believe that the actions they take are morally good. However, with “magic is bad,” the villain can acknowledge that they are doing evil things as long as they believe those actions will ultimately create better outcomes. Additionally, “magic for me but not for thee” just feels like a weaker position that wouldn’t inspire as much ambition as “magic must be destroyed.”
Examples of “magic for good people” villains done well:
“Magic should only be for hard workers” is, in my opinion, the weakest position. Mainly because any hero that is an equal match to the villain would have to work hard to get there. So, by definition, the villain should support anyone who threatens the villain. It doesn’t really make sense. It also carries some problems from the “magic for good people” philosophy, mainly that it doesn’t inspire as much ambition as “magic needs to be destroyed.” However, one pro with this is that you can really get into the politics of your world with this. If the villain believes the magic government are weak and decadent, you can show how the general public reflect the villains sentiment and that the villain is really a product of the social conditions of the fictional society.
Examples of “magic for hard workers” villains done well:
“Magic for everyone” could work, but I don’t really see how you could make a plot out of it. Does the villain just hand out magic wands to civilians? I don’t have much to say about this one because how well it does solely depends on how your villain goes about achieving their goals.
Example of “magic for everyone” villains done well:
Magical political compass
you might have to elaborate when you say ‘morally good’
imo it doesn’t really make sense if a villain had a philosophy for ‘everyone should have magic’ if he’s taking their magic away and/or giving it to others
you would have to do a bit of thinking as to why he thinks magic is a stain to humanity, but it works pretty well as a philosophy.
alternatively, he could be taking others powers away because he believes in a twisted version of natural selection, or like he’s a ‘chosen one’ or the hero of the human race.
Amon from legend of korra