Cowards

Cowards are villains who are very prone to run away from a fight, confrontation and/or even their own problems. These villains are also the ones whom pick on those who they know are weaker or who have less authority. (I.e. It usually goes after kids because they don't know any better than adults and because they are easier prey.)

They usually beg the hero to not kill them when overpowered by them and will try to kill them if they let their guard down, or are desperate to take the hero with them if they know that they are about to be defeated or killed (Scar and Gaston LeGume are excellent examples of this). More often than not, they would also threaten to kill the hero's loved ones or use them as hostages to stop the hero from attacking them, rather than fighting the hero themselves (Agnus and Sanctus are good examples for this). A coward could also act smug (arrogant) when the odds are in their favor, or even go so far as to be Thrill-Seekers (e.g. Agatha Trunchbull who always looks for an opponent to challenge), but when they are in actual personal danger, they may start panicking or retreating (e.g. Samuel Norton, Joffrey Baratheon, Alonzo Harris, Janos Slynt, A-Train, Andy Evans, and Mr. Millet).

Sometimes, being a coward motivates evil as they will do anything to save only their own hides and do not care if others get hurt (providing they don't get harmed themselves); other times, it serves as a comedic relief and/or incompetent side while at still other times, it simply makes a villain unlikable and/or weak in the eyes of a viewer or protagonist (and sometimes other villains as well). Often, they will even go as far as to abandon their fellow villains.

They will also not hesitate to use cheap and dirty tactics if they deem it necessary to win a battle. Due to the fact that most cowards will try to run away if they are in danger or even surrender entirely, they are rarely the leading antagonist (though exceptions do exist), tending instead to be bumbling sidekicks or minions. In addition, should these villains die, it is often disgraceful, unless they redeem themselves to die with honor (Kokichi Oma is an example). However, some villains can be feared if they will be defeated or otherwise their plans will be ruined.

Please note, however, that some cowards are often extremely dangerous, powerful, or intelligent characters who have fear as a fatal flaw, because despite them being cowards they still have the guts to kill someone without hesitation, as opposed to a basic personality trait (for examples, Napoleon is a coward, but is nonetheless a serious threat to the other animals, since he is constantly making plans and revising the Seven Commandments, Hadrian is a coward as well, but was still able to rig the Games into an excruciating torturing method for his own sadistic pleasure, Beatrice is a coward, but she has become a massive threat within Kivotos, leaving an indelible trauma on Arius students. and there's also Samuel Norton, who despite being a coward, made the prisoners lives at Shawshank miserable, even committing suicide when he was caught in the act). Not to also mention, it can also make them seem even more heinous, considering they might just escape saving themselves and betray others (e.g. Peter Pettigrew was James and Lily Potter's secret-keeper, but he revealed their location to Lord Voldemort, resulting in their deaths and even murdered 12 people with a single spell to frame Sirius for it and his own treason, Scorpio did not hesitate brandishing a gun against an unarmed man or threatening defenseless people but when Harry beats him, he instantly called his lawyer, and Bogs Diamond and his Sisters gang are cowards, but are also a group of depraved serial rapists who prey on the weak).

Cowards are the polar opposite of nihilists as cowards greatly value their life while nihilists don’t care. This means those two categories are completely different and a villain cannot be both, however, a coward CAN be suicidal in the event where they know they are in a situation that they have no power or control over, hence them weaseling their own way out by taking their own lives as a very last resort (e.g. Viktor Zakhaev, Anck-Su-Namun). Also, cowards can never be one-man armies because they will only fight if they feel they have a significant advantage or know the other is weaker (Alessi makes his opponents younger because children are easier to defeat and Tighten only fights with people who are weaker than him).

NOTE: Even Pure Evil villains can be cowards, despite their shared statuses as threats and/or menaces (e.g. Lady Van Tassel, Scar, Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear, Shang Tsung, Chucky, Art the Clown, Sir Miles Axlerod, Dick Hardly, Sentinel Prime, Dolores Umbridge, Lord Voldemort, Frank Tenpenny, Light Yagami, Mahito, Jang Deok-su, Adam Sutler, Steve Cobs and Mephiles the Dark).

Non-Coward examples[]

• Just because a villain is scared a few times doesn't automatically mean they're a coward (e.g. William Afton, Randall Boggs, Emperor Palpatine, Hopper, Dr. Facilier, Bill Cipher, All For One, Ant King, Hikaru Kamiki, Emperor Belos, Dimentio, Judge Claude Frollo, The Dark Lord, Professor Ratigan, Super Buu, Mojo Jojo, Yoshikage Kira, Katz, Captain Vidal, Turbo, Megabyte and Diavolo). In some cases, they react reasonably to being faced with a genuine threat or are placed in a life or death situation (such as being dragged to Hell, facing damnation, being erased from existence, falling to their death, getting eaten alive, being attacked or confronted by a much more dangerous foe they know they can't take on, being left to die or having their personality be erased) rather than them just being scared because they are easily scared. They may even have moments showing them to be fairly brave otherwise.
• Villains who run away from a battle they can't win or remain unready for to fight another day (e.g. Bowser, General Grievous, Aku, Burger-Beard, Brûz the Chopper, Red Skull, Dr. Eggman, Queen Grimhilde, The Intruder, Captain Poison, Khotun Khan, Homelander, Megatron and many versions of the Joker) also do not count as cowardly as they try to avoid being submitted or killed by the enemies with little or no fear.
• Villains who were originally afraid of something or even many things but managed to overcome them (e.g. Walter White, Scar, Dr. Eggman, Infinite, Frieza, Bertolt Hoover, Pesci, Lex Luthor, Dru Gru and Arnim Zola) don't count as cowardly as well and should not be added here either.

See Also[]

• Cowards on the Heroes Wiki