Thread:LucidPigeons/@comment-366087-20160207021355/@comment-26205772-20160207030331

We use the "spoilers" template to mark any villain that could, well, present spoilers. This includes the manner of plot twists and "hidden villains." The spoiler template is generally most importantly used for popular media which has a medium-to-large size fanbase.

In considering how long the spoiler template should stay on, timezones, and varying release dates, the simplest way the community has apparently rectified this is to leave the spoiler template on the top of the page until a good amount of time has passed from the original release date (generally accepted as around six months to a year), which leaves good flexbility for the general population and fanbase to all see the work in question and for said work to see release to all audiences and all regions. The Winter Soldier shouldn't be much of a spoiler nowadays considering the wide release of the film and how many people of seen it, but the upcoming villain of Zootopia (for safety, I will not link them, although they've been leaked well ahead of time) should be handled with utmost care.

Exceptions can be made for, in terms of regional release spoilers, when the work is released to other regions much later than the region of release (take for example the Pokemon and Monster Hunter franchises, which often have localizations released outside Japan not until at least a year, or in the latter's case, as much as half a year). The spoiler template should be kept on for longer in those occasions and people should be made aware of it.

To cap, for villains who concerned spoilers, especially in ongoing series like RWBY? The spoiler template should be on for a good while until it can be comfortably believed the majority of people have gotten the chance to see it. People should naturally be expectant of spoilers, anyhow.

Potential spoilers is also a major reason why we now forbid villains from upcoming media.