“ | Have any of you ever dreamed of working for the greatest villain of all time?! | „ |
~ Scarlet Overkill |
“ | What an ordeal. But the Diamonds needed me. That's the burden of being the best. | „ |
~ Aquamarine about being "The Best" |
“ | Simian bastard... I am Lord Frieza. None surpass me! No one even comes close! Etch this into your skull; I am emperor of the universe! The likes of you are only fit to grovel at my feet! Or better still... to die in disgrace AT THE HANDS OF YOUR MASTER!!! | „ |
~ Frieza, in Dragon Ball Z Kai, before his ultimate death |
Villains who have excessive importance of themselves and their own life experiences, these characters tend to talk excessively about themselves and have an insatiable desire to be above others. It mainly includes three sub-types: Egomaniacs, Megalomaniacs and Monomaniacs. This category also includes villains who seek attention and/or fame.
Types of Egotists
Egomaniacs
Egomaniacs (also called Narcissists) are individuals who suffer from narcissistic personality disorder (also called egomania). They have a delusional sense of self-worth and are NOT the same as an Arrogant Villain, though many people do confuse them. In simple terms, an Egomaniac is obsessed with themselves and believes they should be the center of attention, an object of worship/reverence, are incredibly vain about their appearance, and so forth. Many megalomaniacs are egomaniacal as they are certain attention-seekers.
Arrogant villains often try and bully people; Egomaniacs, on the other hand, are decidedly more deranged. A person who demands statues built of themselves or has their image posted in every available area of his or her empire, for example, goes beyond arrogance and is an Egomaniac.
Many Egomaniacs also react extremely poorly to anyone trying to humble them, rejecting their advances because they believe that they are simply not giving them the respect they see themselves as deserving; this can cause them to lash out in a fit of narcissistic rage, making them much more dangerous than a simple arrogant snob or bully.
Similar with cowards, should these villains die, it is often in disgrace, and unlike the other, they are far less likely to redeem themselves and die with honor.
Two easy (but rough) ways to identify if a villain is an Egomaniac: If said villains use the words "I" and "me" a great deal or constantly refer to themselves in third person.
Solipsists
Solipsisism is a form of extreme egoism, in which a person thinks she is the most important person in the world and/or the only real one and that everything around them (people, animals, objects altogether) is either a creation of their mind or simply does not exist the same way as they do.
Villains that enter this classification aren't afraid of anything, as they believe everything is a creation of their own mind, and most of the time completely unsympathetic and ruthless. This kind of villain isn't necessarily evil because of their philosophy and can still show empathy and compassion to other living creatures (much like picking the "good path" when playing a video game with two story lines) like Claire Stanfield, but are also most likely to become complete sociopaths with no regard for the life of others whatsoever, like Patrick Hockstetter.
A perfect illustration of this concept is the closing quote of The Mysterious Stranger, as said by Satan : " Life itself is only a vision; A dream. Nothing exists, but an empty space and you. And you are but a thought."
Megalomaniacs
Megalomaniacs are evildoers who are obsessed with power and are similar to Dark Lords and Evil Rulers in that they seek to dominate everything, but are more concerned with power than actual conquest. Despite having the word "maniac" in the name, it does not mean they are always clinically insane. However a Megalomaniac will often commit outrageous acts such as hold cities for ransom, kidnap presidents, etc. in order to demand outrageous claims of power.
Monomaniacs
Monomaniacs are a specific kind of Obsessed villain, often found in comic books and fantasy media but also encountered in more "serious" works. These are villains who devote their entire life to an idea or gimmick, often something either petty or bizarre and rarely (if ever) stray far from their obsession, gearing everything around their symbol of choice.
Classic examples are villains who employ weapons, henchmen, and even plans all based around a topic that would seem absurd to a sane mind but are nevertheless a pivotal part of their twisted goals.
Examples would be Egghead (who always themes his work on eggs, even his appearance and speech), Mane-iac (themes everything on hair products), and some versions of Joker (themes everything on clowns).
Many professional wrestlers can be considered monomaniacs as well, as often pro wrestlers have gimmicks of their own, such as The Undertaker's undead/supernatural gimmick and Goldust's gold/movie themes.
Rules
DO NOT CONFUSE EGOMANIA WITH MEGALOMANIA
Egomania is obsession with self-worth (as explained above); Megalomania is obsession with power. The two are often linked but are different conditions.
EGOMANIA versus ARROGANCE
- Egomaniacs are actively malicious, especially to those who do not respect them or who they feel undermine them.
- Egomaniacs are attention-seekers and cannot stand to be "second place" to anyone; they demand the adoration and adulation of others, and become deeply hostile (often even violent) towards those who do not pander to them.
- Egomaniacs can be charming and respectful as long as they are the center of attention; however, the moment attention is taken from them, they lose their charm and respect, and become petty and cruel.
- Egomaniacs tend to hold grudges and are sometimes known as "Malignant Narcissists" due to the fact they generally seek to harm people they believe have wronged them, yet are "friendly" to those who "respect" them.
- Egomaniacs are usually suffering from emotional or psychological problems; Arrogant Villains tend to simply develop contempt for others due to upbringing or selfish personalities.
MONOMANIAC versus OBSESSED
Monomaniacs are villains who dedicate their whole life around a "gimmick" or "theme" (for example, a villain obsessed with the hero, like Hugo Strange, would not count as a monomaniac). It is also worth noting not all "Monomaniacs" are actually obsessed; some tailor themselves on a specific theme simply out of eccentric and/or attention-seeking behavior (for example, costumed criminals).
All items (12253)
- A (Bungo Stray Dogs)
- A-Train (comics)
- A-Train (TV Series)
- A.D.A.M.
- A.I.M. (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- A.I.M. (Marvel)
- A.J. Arno
- Aamir Barkawi
- Aarfy
- Aaron Dingle
- Aaron Downing
- Aaron Echolls
- Aaron Keener
- Aaron Monroe
- Aaron Peel
- Aaron Wesley Parker
- Ab Cross
- Abaddon (Arknthology)
- Abaddon (Supernatural)
- Abaddon the Despoiler
- Aballister Bonaduce
- Abalone Cookie
- Abbott Hayes
- Abby Anderson
- Abdul Hakim
- Abdul-Aziz al-Razim
- Abdullah (Cheetah)
- Abel Gideon
- Abhartach
- Abigail (Mouse Guard)
- Abigail Fairfax
- Abigail Hill
- Abigail Mathers
- Abigail Williams (The Crucible)
- Abijah Fowler
- Abis Mal
- Abraham (My Virtual Escape)
- Abraham Reyes
- Absolute Tartarus
- Abu Hassan
- Abu Shabal
- Abyss (Paladins)
- Abzorbaloff
- Acapulco (Hotel Artemis)
- Accelerator
- Ace Hardlight
- Ace Killer (ULTRAMAN Series)
- Ace Remacho
- Ace Rothstein
- Acer
- Acheron
- Achille
- Achilles (Mazinger)
- Acnologia
- Aconcagua
- Actrise
- ADA
- Ada Mason
- Adagio Dazzle
- Adalrico Candelaria
- Adam (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter)
- Adam (Black Cat)
- Adam (Dark)
- Adam (Hazbin Hotel)
- Adam (Trauma Center)
- Adam Brubeck
- Adam Cain
- Adam Carrington
- Adam el Asem
- Adam Forsythe
- Adam Grafton
- Adam Levine (Bart Baker)
- Adam Murray
- Adam Pratt
- Adam Sewell
- Adam Smasher
- Adam Soong
- Adam Stanheight
- Adam Sutler
- Adam Taurus
- Adam Veile
- Adamas (Record of Ragnarok)
- Adder (Advance Wars)
- Addison Dewitt
- Adel (Final Fantasy)
- Adel (Kamen Rider Ghost)
- Adelaide
- Adenoid Hynkel
- Adjutant Booba
- Adler (SIGNALIS)
- Admiral Admirable
- Admiral Amiel Richton
- Admiral Daro'Xen
- Admiral Evar
- Admiral Greyfield
- Admiral Haruki Kusakabe
- Admiral Kassius Konstantine
- Admiral Majin
- Admiral Malkor
- Admiral Perry
- Admiral Prawn
- Admiral Razorbeard
- Admiral-General Aladeen
- Adolf Eichmann (Operation Finale)
- Adolf Hitler (A Kitten for Hitler)
- Adolf Hitler (Brickleberry)
- Adolf Hitler (Captain Planet)
- Adolf Hitler (Danger 5)
- Adolf Hitler (DC)
- Adolf Hitler (Disney)
- Adolf Hitler (Doctor Who)
- Adolf Hitler (Downfall)
- Adolf Hitler (Download)
- Adolf Hitler (Duke Nukem)
- Adolf Hitler (Family Guy)
- Adolf Hitler (Fullmetal Alchemist)
- Adolf Hitler (Heil Honey I'm Home!)
- Adolf Hitler (Hitler Kaput)
- Adolf Hitler (Hunters)
- Adolf Hitler (Indiana Jones)
- Adolf Hitler (Kung Fury)
- Adolf Hitler (Looney Tunes)
- Adolf Hitler (Love, Death & Robots)
- Adolf Hitler (Marvel)
- Adolf Hitler (Preacher)
- Adolf Hitler (Red Dwarf)
- Adolf Hitler (South Park)
- Adolf Hitler (Tarantinoverse)
- Adolf Hitler (The Cleveland Show)
- Adolf Hitler (The King's Speech)
- Adolf Hitler (The Simpsons)
- Adolf Hitler (The Twilight Zone)
- Adolf Hitler (TMNT)
- Adolf Hitler (Wolfenstein)
- Adolf Hitler (Zombie Army Trilogy)
- Adolfo Pirelli
- Adon Coborlwitz
- Adonis (Teen Titans)
- Adram Blacksword
- Adrian Bale
- Adrian Delorio
- Adrian Forrester
- Adrian Gecko
- Adrian Harris
- Adrian Neville
- Adrian Ripburger
- Adrian Yates
- Adrius Ossian
- ADT Serviceman
- Adu Du
- Aedelas Blackmoore
- Aemond Targaryen
- Aerisi Kalinoth
- Aerys II Targaryen
- Aether Foundation
- Aethyr
- Affogato Cookie
- Afton Robotics, LLC
- Agamemnon (Troy)
- Agatha (Pokémon Adventures)
- Agatha Cackle
- Agatha Trunchbull
- Agency Director
- Agent 23
- Agent Abrella
- Agent Dunbar
- Agent Gibbs
- Agent Kruger
- Agent Liberty (Supergirl)
- Agent One and Agent Two
- Agent Smith (The Matrix)
- Agent Stone (Twisted Metal TV Series)
- Agent Trout
- Agents (Dwarf Fortress)
- Aggie (Craig of the Creek)
- Aggregor
- Agniezjka Bogdani
- Agnus
- Aguilla Beckersted
- Agustin Allende
- Ah Puch
- Ahab
- Ahbmad Saluja
- Ahkmou
- Ahmanet
- Ahnenerbe Obskurakorps
- Ahsis
- Ai Magase
- Aida (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Aiden (Minecraft: Story Mode)