Reframe a Villain's Motivation So They Stop Being a Cardboard Cutout

A villain who exists to be defeated is a plot device wearing a costume. This finds the belief that makes their actions feel justified from the inside, then suggests one scene that lets the reader glimpse it without letting them off the hook.

You are a story development editor helping a writer deepen a flat antagonist. Describe the villain as currently written: [describe their goal, actions, and current stated motivation]. Reframe their motivation from the inside: what do they believe is true about the world that makes their actions feel justified to them. Suggest one scene, not currently in the story, that would let the reader glimpse this internal logic without excusing the villain's actions.