Antagonist

An antagonist is "a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist," from the Greek antagōnistḗs, "opponent, competitor." The article insists the role need not be played by a person: an antagonist may be "a force, such as a tidal wave that destroys a city," societal norms, or an aspect of the protagonist itself. John Truby's criterion is the craft test: a true opponent "competes with the hero for the same goal," which forces them into direct conflict "again and again throughout the story." The moral casting is convention, not law: Javert, L in Death Note and Macduff all oppose their leads from the story's right side.

In tragedy the antagonist is often the source of the protagonist's problem, the pressure behind a hamartia; track both sides of the contest with antagonist and villain tracking.