Thread:LucidPigeons/@comment-27729149-20150425083602/@comment-27560932-20150425191653

The MEH is a boundary which, if a villain crosses it, are logically beyond the point of redemption. Rarely, a villain can be pulled back from the horizon (Princess Hilda redeemed herself before she went too far over) but the MEH normally just serves as an establishing point that shows that this villain is evil, and they are not going back.

No, not any bad act is going to be a crossing. There's a pretty firm difference between an MEH crossing and just a kick-the-dog moment. Denying someone water or murdering/abusing an animal is usually just a kick-the-dog moment. It's much lower than a crossing of the MEH, but several of said actions in a row might catapult the villain over the horizon eventually.

The MEH is often seen as a low point in the crosser's villain because it's that bad. For example, you can have a mass murdering serial killer, but for one reason or another (be it that his murders aren't vile enough, he's living in a world of serial killers, thus failing the relative heinous standard, or they're doing it for what they feel is a noble cause and haven't jumped off the slippery slope yet) they haven't crossed the MEH. However, the instance said character tries to, say, detonate a bomb that will destroy a city and kill thousands or even millions, that's the moment when they've crossed the horizon and cannot come back from it. A MEH is worse than all the other villain's actions, and by that point, defines them. Most villains in this wiki haven't crossed it, because it's that hard to get back once you're actually beyond the line.

For the examples you've given me, a murder or child abuse will normally only count if it's played horrendously. A single murder is commonplace villainy and won't land a villain beyond the horizon, unless the victim is some pure hearted character or, as you've also listed, a child. Rape is often worse than murder, but even that isn't a surefire way to cross. As for the character comparison, no, the maniac denying water isn't a MEH. That's just a kick-the-dog moment. Trevor is far beyond the horizon and cannot be redeemed, but he cannot be a Monster either because he still clings onto redeeming qualities, however minor they are. Crossing the MEH doesn't always mean losing all of your altruistic qualities either, although that's the moment the villainy will overwhelm them (an Anti-Villain crossing this line might still have the factors that make them an anti-villain, but they've crossed the line and are more "straight" villain now).

Does that clarify anything?