"No' to Smith. Minor mitigating factors aside, Jim is far more heinous and is worse than Smith in all factors.

I disagree that PEs should be disqualified if they show very basic "care" for close relatives or friends, even Hitler "loved" his dog.. the fact is an absolutely evil monstrosity of a character can still have basic comfort from a select few.. otherwise they are just one-dimensional, drooling idiots.. psychopaths of the highest degree can have people they "care" for (or at least won't torture as much as others).

this is my main beef with PE / CM as a trope, completely unrealistic.. even Alan Yates had some level of concern / affection for his girlfriend.. the fact is he still abandoned her in the end.

I think PE can show a degree of concern / affection for select individuals as long as it doesn't detract from the fact they are still horrible entities.. sure you may love your daughter or spouse or that guy at the bar you get drinks for and find a "friend" but it sure as hell doesn't make you any less of a monster if you also have a basement full of starving orphans you like to saw in half after your done.. if you are caring to some but horrendous to everyone else I'd argue it shows you as a far more disturbing and fearful entity than a "always chaotic evil" / "don't care for anyone ever" stereotype.

a being incapable of love / affection is scary.. a being who can show some degree of affection to others while also being able to inflict unspeakable horrors on others is TERRIFYING.

just my opinions.

Um no they can't. Not even a lil. In Alan Yates' case the fact that he abandoned her shows no real care. Remember, PURE as in COMPLETELY evil. If they "care" it has to be shown as possessive or conditional, like evil dictators being angry at the deaths of their henchmen due to the fact that they have no advantage after loosing their army, like Shan-Yu. He never loved his army in an affectionate way, he just saw them as a useful force.

no, they can care as long as it doesn't change what they do nor that they will sacrifice people they care about - they will still feel somewhat bad about it but the fact they'll do it anyway should be enough..

let's say someone is a mass-murderer and terrorist yet has a friend they don't like to see get hurt, said friend is with them and in the end they don't want to hurt them but ultimately said friend gets in the way or they have no option, so they kill said friend regardless of caring for them.. that shows far more actual evil than a guy who values nothing.. because if you don't give a crap about anyone else then what makes you any different than a billion other stereotypical "I'm eviler than you" bad guys out there?

if you can show care for others yet still be willing to kill them (albeit with reluctance) you are far more terrifying beast than any of the "always about me" types.

that's why PE / CM as stands is rather flawed, it depends on the idea that to be purely evil one must have zero care for anything or anyone - that's cartoon style evil at best, true evil is when you can care for others but still sacrifice them regardless if need be.