Thread:LucidPigeons/@comment-25209034-20160423222045/@comment-26205772-20160423235415

Grizzhly's summed it up. Penguin doesn't count.

For cowardice and having a sense of humor... it depends. On the subject of cowardice, no, being a coward isn't usually a mitigating factor and can serve to make a villain even more reprehensible if they combine that with betrayal (think pre-Metal Face Mumkhar). However, if a villain is more cowardly than he is actively malicious, they usually won't count. Dylan Gould sold out all humanity to the Decipticons but engaged in virtually none of the dirty deeds directly and only acted to save his own skin. He's a despicable snake, but compared to the characters actually doing the mass murder (especially in comparison to the actual human Monster, Harold Attinger) he fails to quality. There's also Carter Burke, who's willing to let his own allies die and Ripley get impregnated by a facehugger to make a profit. Again, despicable snake, but compare him to Mason Wren, who's a lot more aggressive and proactive as to how he makes a profit, and Burke falls short once again.

For a sense of humor, ask yourself this; does the villain's sense of humor go hand-in-hand with their villainy? Does it punctuate their crimes rather than detract from how seriously the villain is played? If it's a character like the Joker - who's monstrosity revolves around how depraved his sense of humor is - or Uprising!Hades, who mixes in a faux-affable wit with complete callousness, it won't detract and they can count. If it's a villain like Aku, who's comedic moments or sillier moments detract from how seriously they're consistent played, they often won't count. Having a sense of humor is alright, but it usually has to be a sort of black humor at best that goes with their deeds and doesn't take away from how seriously they're played.