Is using real, capital cities as code names for antagonists a good idea?

georgelee5786

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Example: The villains who are powerful, but aren't the most powerful would have code names like Rome, Ankara, Vienna, and Canberra. Is this a good idea or not?
 

Cipiteca396

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Assuming the story is set on Earth, it's probably fine. The only risk is that you imply the people of those cities are villains.

If it's not set on Earth, it would be rather immersion breaking. So no.
 
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Example: The villains who are powerful, but aren't the most powerful would have code names like Rome, Ankara, Vienna, and Canberra. Is this a good idea or not?
Depends. Maybe not Rome or Vienna -certain names may already be popularly used in fiction. I remember there was something some watched once - Hetalia and was different countries, a few tiny ones were maybe cities.

But it honestly depends on how you want to portray it and how people will take it. Are the villains named after certain cities for a political reason or to resemble something people may disagree with? Could this cause a town or city to have a bad rep despite not actually having anything like that -like say its the town that your horror story is settled on and now people whisper maybe its true what the real life city/town has? Is it a long dead ancient city/town that has hundreds of years of history that can be told at multiple angles or is it a very modern new and existing city?

Personally, would avoid real city names just in case though for situations like this for villains. Come up with something similar or made up name.
Just like how story character's names can can tarnish or polish a name in the real world.
 
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Kilolo

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nobody stopping you to do that if that's what you wanted.

but honestly? in my opinion that's just a dumb idea.

you said it yourself, it's a codename for the villain. which means it supposed to be represent something
i mean, what the heck does it means by codename Rome anyway, if you want to named the villain with a codename after a certain location, then at least named it after a river, or a hill, or something else. like Tibir river for example. because it's a river that connect between busy area and cathedral, it's impying that this guy hold the power on the country religious figure in the shadow.

that's how you supposed to use a villain codename so the reader could feels relate to it. not just giving a random name just because you think it's goddamnit cool and edgy. people will forget about it in a few seconds that way.

but then again, like i said earlier. nobody stopping you if you wanted to do that, you do you.
 
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