Category:Scapegoat

"Why must every 11 minutes of my life be filled with misery?"

- Squidward Tentacles

A Scapegoat is a villain that is punished much more than he/she would actually deserve. It is the opposite of a Karma Houdini, although certain villains can apply for both -- particularly those who get away with most their actions but are otherwise punished constantly; especially if a villain becomes more sympathetic due to Flanderization. Sometimes a villain's karma reaches to a point where its no longer escapable (ie: Meg Griffin and Eric Cartman). Whether one or both can apply depends on how often a villain is punished (if a villain is punished more often than not, they are solely this category).

Just being a "bad guy" and having bad intentions is never enough to suffer a punishment, which must be given according to acts. Some villains, however, are submitted to a retribution that can be very harsh, even unfair, thus winning over the audience's sympathy. Even some Complete Monsters can qualify if their fate is horrid enough. Scapegoats can include:
 * Incompetent villains, whose recurring defeats are often humiliating (Disney's Captain Hook, Doofenshmirtz, or Angelica Pickles).
 * Comic villains who are defeated / punished in a slapstick manner (many Looney Tunes villains, and Eddy from Ed, Edd n Eddy).
 * A villain that has a horrible life that almost never improves or even gets worse (Al Bundy and Squidward Tentacles).
 * Minions that are often unfairly abused or killed by their master either for failure or because they've outlived their usefullness (Lefou by Gaston, or the leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems by Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vadar).
 * A tragic villain who, in the end, suffered more than he made suffer (Gollum or Rameses)
 * Villains who are constantly revived and killed over again (Lifty and Shifty or Mustafa)
 * Anti-villains who intends to do good but just goes about it the wrong way (Brain from Pinky and the Brain).
 * Or simply a villain whose fate would almost make the audience feel pity (Barty Crouch Jr. suffering the kiss of the Dementor, a fate worse than death)
 * Karma limit: The villain has reached the limit of his/her karma and is now suffering bad luck(This referring to Karma Houdinis that no longer get away with their actions).