User blog:AustinDR/Favorite Villain Tropes

Complete Monster: This trope refers to a villain who is simply pure unadulterated evil. These kind of villains lack redeeming qualities and ultimately do not feel remorse for their actions. They are the most heinous individuals in their respective series, and they are played seriously at all times. I like this trope because of the concept. It's fun whenever the creator of a work inserts a villain in his or her work that you absolutely despise and want to see punished for their crimes. However, this trope is very subjective, because people tend to add villains to the trope that don't even meet all of the qualifications for the trope. They may just toss that category in willy-nilly without even knowing what qualifies as pure evil. Overall, this trope is one of my favorites, and deserves the number one spot on my list.

Examples of this trope:

The Lich from Adventure Time, Medusa Gorgon from Soul Eater, Ragyo Kiryuin from Kill La Kill, Katz from Courage the Cowardly Dog, Aunt Ruth from The Girl Next Door, Eddy's Brother from Ed, Edd n Eddy, Frieza, Cell, and Super Buu from Dragon Ball Z, Disney's version of Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Johan Liebert from Monster, Koba from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,  Fire Lord Ozai and Unalaq from the Avatar series, Pazuzu from The Exorcist, Lots-O Huggin' Bear from Toy Story 3, Nihilus from The Story Keepers, most versions of the Joker from the Batman franchise, etc.

Knight of Cerebus and the Vile Villain, Saccharine Show tropes: The Knight Of Cerebus trope is most likely the most controversial category that we have on this wiki (namely because of over-use). The Knight of Cerebus trope refers to a villain appearing in a setting that was primarily lighthearted before their arrival. The name derives from Cerebus Syndrome which refers to a primarily lighthearted show slowly going into a more serious tone. The Vile Villain, Saccharine Show trope may overlap with the knight of cerebus trope.

Examples: Sharptooth from the first Land Before Time film, Turbo/King Candy from Wreck-It Ralph, Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Dag from Barnyard, etc.

Magnificent Bastard: This trope refers to villains who are skilled manipulators or very intelligent. Some may even manage to outsmart the heroes.

Examples: Azula and Amon from the Avatar series, Lex Luthor from the Superman comics, Kyuubey from the Puella Magi Madoka series, etc.

Well-Intentioned Extremist: This trope refers to people who have their heart in the right place, but the methods in which they try to achieve a goal could be seen as morally wrong. This trope shouldn't be confused with the Knight Templar tropes.

Examples: Most of the antagonists from the Pokemon video games, anime, and movies, Zod from the Man of Steel, Satsuki Kiryuin (though calling her a villain is a bit of a stretch) from Kill La Kill, etc.

What are your favorite villain-related tropes?