Which literary term means the person opposing the protagonist?

The literary term for the person opposing the protagonist is “antagonist.” The antagonist creates conflict by resisting the protagonist’s goals, choices, or progress in the story.

The word comes from the ancient Greek agon, meaning a contest, struggle, or conflict. In classical drama, the protagonist was the leading participant in the central struggle, while the antagonist stood against that character. The terms later became standard parts of literary and dramatic vocabulary.

An antagonist is often a villain, such as Lord Voldemort opposing Harry Potter, but the two ideas are not identical. An antagonist does not have to be evil: a law, society, nature, fate, or even a morally decent person can oppose the protagonist. In Les Misérables, Javert functions as an antagonist because his rigid enforcement of the law conflicts with Jean Valjean’s life and choices.

A common mix-up is confusing antagonist with antihero. An antihero is a protagonist who lacks traditional heroic qualities, whereas an antagonist is defined by opposition to the protagonist. A story may also have several antagonistic forces rather than one opposing person.