“ | Friends, why have you sold your soul to the devil!? | „ |
~ The Livemen on their friends joining Great Professor Bias. |
“ | He was a good friend once. I trusted him with my life. But the Joker got to him, and I wasn't there to stop it. I lost my friend Clark. And I've missed him ever since. | „ |
~ Batman on Superman. |
Though not as dramatic as being related to heroes, villains being one of a hero’s former friends is a recurring trait in stories. This is because the idea of people the hero trusted as friends turning on them can have a psychological effect on the heroes and make them reluctant to stand against those people or in some cases, make them sneak revenge on the friend who used them or even worse, murdered anyone else who was close to them.
The friend frequently joins the side of evil because of being brainwashed and/or possessed so as to be used against the hero which makes the hero even more reluctant to go up in a fight with them. These characters can also be in an on & off status, changing between good and evil at random times (e.g. Duncan, New Goblin, Bryce Walker, Kevin Levin and Mr. Krabs). In these examples when the friends of the heroes are not busy being villains, they can get along rather well with the heroes and are as likely to help them out as they are to oppose them.
On the flip side, these villains' betrayals or other acts can otherwise make the heroes despise and want nothing more than to dispose of their old friends.
This can also count for redeemed villains who actually become friends with the heroes they fought (e.g. Namaari, Tohru, Ian Hawke, Jack Frost, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon) and remorseful villains if they still feel friendship towards any heroes, but consider themselves too far gone (e.g. most versions of Magneto).
IMPORTANT: This is only for villains who were (or still are) genuine friends with any heroes (e.g. Scuttlebutt, Doug Judy, Plankton, Ernesto de la Cruz, Randall Boggs, Carface Carruthers, Darth Vader, most versions of Doctor Doom and Alec Trevelyan). Villains who fake friendship for manipulation, pragmatism and achieving goals DO NOT qualify (i.e. Emperor Palpatine, Lord Voldemort, The Beldam, Dick Hardly, Bill Cipher, Judge Claude Frollo, Jafar, Chucky, Utrom Shredder, Ego, Sir Miles Axlerod, Dimitri Rascalov, William Afton, Leo Kasper, Samuel Norton, Evil Spirit, Janson, Gary Smith, Cozy Glow, Micah Bell, General Lunaris, Newtralizer, Rumpelstiltskin, Griffin and Dr. Robotnik); those should go under Faux Affably Evil, Charismatic, Liars, Master Manipulator, Trickster and/or Sophisticated instead.
However, even Pure Evil villains can qualify if they were once true friends of the heroes (i.e. Donald Love, Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear, Commodus, Tenjuro Banno, Doctor Doom, Koba, Dr. Robotnik (SATAM), Isaac Ray Peram Westcott, Griffith, Mysterio, Cobra Commander, Makuta Teridax, Yuuki Terumi, King Runeard, Albert Wesker, Zhan Tiri, Commander Rourke, Alpha, Porky Minch, Taurus Bulba, General Dreykov, and the Dark Lord).
All items (7283)
- A
- A Pimp Named Slickback
- A.M.I.
- A.O. Neville (Rabbit-Proof Fence)
- AAARRRGGHH!!!
- Aarfy
- Aaron Burr
- Aaron Hallam
- AARP (South Park)
- Aarti Kaushik
- Abbas Sofian
- Abby (Let Me In)
- Abby Anderson
- Abby Russell
- Abeloth
- Abhorash
- Abi Branning
- Abigail Gregory
- Abigail Hill
- Abigail Hobbs
- Abigail Walker
- Abigor (Ghost Rider)
- Abominable Snow Monster
- Abomination (2010 Marvel Animated Universe)
- Abomination (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Abraham
- Abraham Langstrom
- Abraham Reyes
- Absorbing Man (Marvel)
- Abu Nazir
- Accelerator
- Accord
- Achilles Davenport
- Achmed the Dead Terrorist
- Acidicus
- Acqua of the Back
- Acro
- Adalind Schade
- Adam (Black Cat)
- Adam (Dark)
- Adam (Hunt Down the Freeman)
- Adam (Kamen Rider Dragon Knight)
- Adam Clarke
- Adam Forsythe
- Adam Hart
- Adam Jones
- Adam Knight
- Adam Mitchell
- Adam Monroe
- Adam Smith
- Adam Stanheight
- Adam Taurus
- Adda
- Adelaide Wilson
- Adina
- Admiral Belleza
- Admiral Gregorio
- Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema
- Adolf Hitler (Jojo Rabbit)
- Adolfo Pirelli
- Adrestian Empire
- Adrian Ripburger
- Adrian Țofei
- Adu Du
- Adéwalé
- Aelfric Dahlman
- Aeon Calcos
- Aerys II Targaryen
- Agatha (Pokémon)
- Agent 23
- Agent 47
- Agent Dunbar
- Agent Gibbs
- Agent Jack Burns
- Agent Johnson (K.C. Undercover)
- Agent Kallus
- Agent Ohlm
- Agent Whiskey
- Agents Schiff and Calderon
- Aggie (Craig of the Creek)
- Agnes Skinner
- Agnese Sanctis
- Agnus
- Agâh Beyoglu
- Ahab (Marvel)
- Ahem
- Ahkmou
- Ai (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
- Aichi Sendou
- Aida
- Aidan Critchley
- Aidan Maguire
- Aiden (Beyond: Two Souls)
- Aiden (Minecraft: Story Mode)
- Aileen Rao
- Aina Sahalin
- Ainz Ooal Gown
- Air Man
- Airy
- Aji Min
- Akakamakiri
- Akane Hiyama
- Akasha (Dragalia Lost)
- Akasha Shishidou (Corpse Princess)
- Aki Sawada
- Akihiko Kayaba
- Akira Mado
- Akira Nishikiyama
- Akito Hyuga
- Akito Sohma
- Akiyasu Kurahashi
- Akuma (Street Fighter)
- Akura-Ou
- Akutagawa Ryuunosuke
- Al Mualim
- Al-G Rhythm
- Aladdin (Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier)
- Alain
- Alain Magnan
- Alakshmi Verma
- Alamein
- Alan (Daisy Brown)
- Alan and Ann
- Alan Bradley
- Alan Richard
- Alan Santini
- Alana Bloom
- Alana Fitzgerald
- Alaric Saltzman
- Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)
- Albert Maverick
- Albert Simon
- Albert Wesker (2021)
- Albert Wesker (Resident Evil)
- Alberto Alburquerque
- Alberto Clemente
- Albion Alabaster
- Aldia
- Aldrich Killian (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Alec Trevelyan
- Alejandro Gutierrez
- Alejandro Sosa
- Alejandro Sosa (Scarface: The World Is Yours)
- Aleksei Zvonariov
- Alema Rar
- Alessa Gillespie
- Alex (Bad Influence)
- Alex (Control Z)
- Alex (Dragalia Lost)
- Alex (Golden Sun)
- Alex Bourne
- Alex Dupré
- Alex Forrest
- Alex Grey
- Alex Hopkins
- Alex Kralie
- Alex Mercer
- Alex Murphy
- Alex Rinaldo
- Alex Wright
- Alexander Davidson
- Alexander DuBrow
- Alexander Minion
- Alexander Molokov
- Alexander of Brennenburg
- Alexander Pierce (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Alexander Romanov
- Alexandra Springer
- Alexandria Quarry
- Alexei Volkoff
- Alexis (We Summon the Darkness)
- Alexis Hall
- Alexis Luthor
- Alexis Reeves
- Alfred Drevis
- Alfred Vint Svent
- Algernon
- Alice (Arrowverse)
- Alice (DC)
- Alice (Transformers)
- Alice Morgan
- Alicia Baker
- Aliens (The Faculty)
- Alisa Jones (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Alison DiLaurentis (Television)
- Alistair Fitz
- Alistair Krei
- Alister Azimuth
- Alito
- Allen (Happiness)
- Allen (The Walking Dead)
- Allen Avadonia