Thread:LucidPigeons/@comment-27729149-20151002040714/@comment-27560932-20151125062926

In response to the Bigger Bads question, a Bigger Bad is not merely a "more evil" antagonist in a show with a clearly-defined Big Bad, it's a bigger force than the main villain (say, a cosmic horror in a world with an evil overlord with a big villain) who's not directly involved in the plot, at least, for most of the story. Indeed, many stories with a Bigger Bad end up having it involve themselves at one point or another, often to hijack the plot.

And yes, Bigger Bads can have redeeming qualities, as higher on the scale of evilness than the main villain doesn't necessarily mean higher in heinousness than the main villain, for starters.