Every villain seems to be willing to go to great lengths for what they want whether selfish, misguided, or driven by madness. But does your villain have a line he doesn’t cross or morals he abides by? Perhaps a brutal shogun who slaughters dissenters refuses however to use double agents because he finds that betrayal is the ultimate crime. Perhaps an intergalactic business woman who manipulates less developed nations into becoming forge planets in long and grueling contracts never uses violence to make them sign over, after all, she’s above that. Perhaps a brutal king allows for dissenting viewpoints and for any to speak their mind because he believes in free speech and its uses but the war he’s puppeteering makes it politically impossible to depose him. Now for extra points... what would make your villain cross that line?