Darkiplier

"For the people depicting Darkiplier as my favorite character… I don't know who Darkiplier is. He's not a character. I don't know when you even starting calling him by that name. You made him real, And he's coming for you. Why did you do this...?"

- Markiplier acknowledging the existence of Darkiplier. "I've been waiting."

- Darkiplier's catchphrase.

Darkiplier is the main antagonist of the famous YouTuber's channel Markiplier. He is what fans call Markiplier when he is acting differently from his usual behavior, instead having a more dark, creepy, eerie personality and is trying to scare the fanbase.

He has appeared in many Markiplier videos and, as of late, he is now recognized by the fanbase as a separate being rather than a personality. He is the darker, more evil version of Markiplier and was created by the actual fanbase according to Markiplier.

Characteristics
Darkiplier is often depicted with light shining below him, creepily smiling towards the camera with his head turned sideways, and his eyes up. This is to emphasize the fear factor. He is a much darker version of Markiplier as he often scares the audience. The scares are effective especially when the video itself is horrific in nature (example: a really good horror game). On multiple occasions, Darkiplier has told the viewers that there is something behind them (a possible reference to a jumpscare) and that there would be dire consequences if they turned around. Other times Markiplier (as Darkiplier) would acknowledge that he is being creepy/strange in cases such as when Markiplier was playing Pizza Delivery 2.0 he was looking straight into the webcam making a scary face and turns back to focus on the screen to focus more on the game but looks back at the webcam from time to time. As time passed on the fanbase relized that Darkiplier is a separate entity and resulted in him making several appearences in Mark's videos.

Markiplier...My Name is...Mark
In the fan game "Markiplier...My Name is...Mark", Darkiplier is the main antagonist of the game being responsible for all events that occur in Markiplier's dream. He is seen in Chapter 3 where he confronts him and tells Mark that he is like Ying and Yang, complete opposites (Markiplier nice and upbeat and Darkiplier dark and cruel) but are unable to survive without each other. He is then forced to retreat after he is affected by a cross and then pushes Markiplier into a pool waking him up.

A Date With Markiplier
He also appears as an antagonist in the interactive game. Depending on what play is chosen, Darkiplier appears. After talking for a while, he gives the date 'a choice'. The 'player' can choose to continue the date, which will lead to Markiplier attacking Dark. After some wrestling, the 'player' must decide to shoot the man standing to the left or the right. The choice decides if the 'player' chooses the good or the bad ending.

Don't Play This Game
In "Don't Play This Game", Dark is portrayed without eyeliner, unlike "A Date With Markiplier". Markiplier begins to talk with the voice in the game, eventually staring straight into the camera, and switching from "reading" the lines to "acting" them, until the video glitches, and it focuses on the face cam, blocking out the cryptic game entirely. The screen then goes black after he recites the message again, and he speaks directly to the audience. "Do you understand me?" He says. "...Nobody does." and cuts back to Mark. During the outro, the screen turns back to Darkiplier just as Mark says his usual, "Buh-bye!"

Markiplier TV
In "Markiplier TV", what appeared to be Willford Warfstache`s project, Darkiplier is one of the leaders of Mark`s alter egos at the conference, discussing said project (along with Willford, according to Mark). He is shown concerned about their main goal (which is to take back control), but respects and appreciates Warfstache, even calling him Will in rather friendly manner. Dark seems to be the most intellegent and pragmatical among other personalities, his opinion was final to convince Warfstache to leave his idea.

Appearance
Darkiplier appears the same as Mark. "A Date With Markiplier" and "Relax" both show Darkiplier with black eye-liner on; presumably to differentiate him from Mark himself and reinforce his status as a villain.

Lately, in "A Date With Markiplier" and "Don't Play This Game" The difference between Mark and Dark is seen in the video effects, such as video glitches, RGB shift, and monochrome. Darkiplier's voice is portrayed as Mark's, but layered.

Personality
Darkiplier is the evil version of Markiplier. He is dark, cruel, creepy and uses fear to scare the audience and the fanbase. In fan art he is seen as a psychotic/demonic killer as he has killed people such as Nurse from Surgeon Simulator, Yammimash from Youtube (one of Mark's friends) and even Slender Man.

Other fan arts include Darkiplier confronting Markiplier and ranges from scaring him to locking him in a computer and killing anyone he sees.

The concept of Darkiplier has changed with the passing of time. In Mark's "February 2017 Charity Livestream" he revealed that, contrary to how he was portrayed in earlier years, Darkiplier is suave and intelligent. He's a separate entity from Mark, and admires his accomplishments. The fans often write and draw him as a romantic figure, while Markiplier says that Dark is "not your friend... he's here to use you." Darkiplier is puppeting a mask, trying to convince the viewer that they can trust him, acting calm and seductive to allure them into believing him. Sometimes, his "shell cracks"- a result of his anger and hate breaking through.

Trivia

 * In Raspy Hill gameplay video where Darkiplier first made his appearance, he is seen at the end announcing that he will make the people of Raspy Hill "feel right at home" making it a possibility that Darkiplier is the psychotic ruler of the region.
 * For a long time it was assumed that Darkiplier and The Author/The Host from "Danger in Fiction" are the same personality. It was proved to be wrong in "Markiplier TV", where The Host appeared together with other Markiplier`s alter egos, including Darkiplier.
 * According to Markiplier the fanbase (Markiplites) are the ones who created Darkiplier in the first place (making him a Tulpa).
 * Alike Wilford Warfstache, Darkiplier doesn't obey the laws of physics.
 * He can be considered the Big Bad of Markiplier's videos.
 * Mark has said that Darkiplier is "not human".