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We’ve all encountered stories that fall flat because of characters that aren’t compelling. Whether we’re not connecting with the hero or the villain, the presence of a boring character has the potential to kill a story. It’s important that, as we craft characters, we keep in mind the key qualities of heroes and villains. Arthur Doweyko, award-winning author and scientist, explains the necessity of the incredible abilities in a superhero story. Would you consider Sherlock Holmes a superhero? Doweyko believes that he is. While it’s important for our heroes to be flawed and relatable, it’s also important that they be extraordinary in some way if they are to be deemed “super”. Sherlock Holmes is set apart by his extraordinary intellect and can be classified as a superhero for that reason. However, just as it’s important that heroes have extraordinary abilities, it’s vital that villains are created with their own set of incredible powers. These powers need to be in equal opposition to our heroes’ qualities in order to test them in some way. Listen to the clip below as Doweyko explains the anatomy of fantastic superhero and supervillain stories.