Once you’re done with a villain for the moment, start thinking: what is the next use for him?
If a villain is not dead, than something can still be done with it. He can escape and plot his revenge, or he can start a new life entirely. Either option is fully compatible with the villain being crippled, for what better reason is better for revenge than loosing a limb? Alternatively, someone who went from 8th world wonder to legless wonder in 5 seconds flat might want to consider a career that does not require legs. It’s best if a villain keeps his power, or obtains a new power. That way, they can be stronger for the next encounter with the hero, making it more heroic when they loose (presuming the hero wins). Alternatively, the villain can go into hiding and start a totally legit business- like if a mighty warrior opened a fighting school when his evil overlord was defeated, or a mad scientist spent the rest of his life researching lamas. A villain can turn good, like the woman who used to be a witch now makes medicine in a small village. As in the case of the sand siblings, the villain can go even as far as joining former enemies.
If the villain is dead…..are they really dead, or did it just look like they died? After all, everybody saw Boba Fett go into the jaws of the Sarlacc. We all thought that killed him. But no. He realized that another captive was psychologically connected to the Sarlacc, and convinced him to contract the creature’s muscles around his jetpack. The explosion blasted him out of the belly of the beast, but it (combined with the stomach acid) almost killed him. He had to nursed back to health by fellow bounty hunter Dengar, but he did survive the ordeal, and even met his opponents (Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo) again. What was the point of all that? Some villains are harder to kill than others.
If the villain is confirmed dead, they still have potential. They can still wander the earth as an angry spirit, or haunt the hero in their dreams. Relatives of the villain can seek out the hero in revenge. They may even be resurrected from the dead to fight again. Better yet, the hero can fight them in the afterlife. To make it the ultimate cage match, the winner gets a second chance at life.
