The Hidden Opponent is the person who can relentlessly attack the Hero’s flaws, but remain hidden until the Climax/Battle.
Whether the genre is Drama, Action, Romance, Thriller, etc., it is the writer’s job to craft a Hero who fights (physically, emotionally, psychologically) against the Opponent to reach his Goal. This Punch-Counterpunch of Hero and Opponents is part of the spine of the story and also is crucial for Narrative Drive, which propels the action/conflict of the story forward.
The Hero devises a plan to confront the Opponent while trying to get to his Goal. It’s frustrating and demoralizing for the Hero because he doesn’t know who or how the Hidden Opponent is attacking him.
Oftentimes, the Hidden Opponent is wealthy and powerful. This gives credence to the belief that the Hidden Opponent can control the other Opponents in the story. A good flip on the “wealthy and powerful” Opponent would be a character who is the polar opposite, yet wields remarkable power.
In any case, writers need to craft the Hidden Opponent with as much care as the Hero of their story. There are, of course, other Opponents that need to be crafted as well. The Hidden Opponent is at odds with a second Opponent, who is at odds with a third Opponent, who’s at odds with a fourth Opponent.
Each Opponent is unique, but united in their Desire Line to block the Hero and win the Desire/Goal. A lawyer uses legal means, a boxer uses brawn, an assassin uses his craft, a techie person manipulates data, the head of a company hires hitmen, etc.
Key Point: The greater the Opposition, the greater the conflict. Audiences love to be on the edge of their seats. No matter what genre you’re working with, without Opponents, there simply is no story!!