Some villains are addicted to substances or even certain activities and behaviors. Villains who are Addicts can thus be considered Tragic because most addictions are beyond their control. However, they can become much less sympathetic if their addictive behavior disproportionately harms others and they willingly refuse treatment to the point of becoming Pure Evil at worst.

Mental illnesses are worsened by drug abuse which is one of the reasons for these villains to be violent and sometimes psychotic if coupled with dissociations and/or schizophrenic disorders. Likewise, prolonged use can cause illnesses to manifest as well as the obvious dangers of chemical addictions (which in the case of alcohol is known as alcoholism).

Despite the fact that addiction is classed as an illness, it is stigmatized in societies with many seeing Addicts as drunkards or low-lives who bring misery upon themselves; some use this as justification to abuse and/or kill such individuals as Social Darwinist and/or Harbinger for Rebirth ideals, some Serial Killers specifically targeting such people in order to "purify" the worlds they live in; this makes Addicts a complicated matter for Heroes and societies as a whole with varying degrees of sympathy being put forth depending on factors. Due to this, many works generally show that regardless of what they are addicted to, they still must help themselves before expecting others to help them.