This is a type of villain who (while they fight on the side of evil) still has at least some honorable traits. As such, they usually treat their foes and minions with respect and demonstrate some extent of mercy or fair play regardless of the outcome. They usually do not resort cheating to win, they may avoid fighting people that are weaker, they may suppress their own power and they may keep their end of a bargain that they promise to keep if they lose or if the hero does something they ask. However, some of these villains have their own version of honor that would clash with others'.

Numerous times, these traits often result in the villain redeeming themselves. Many Honorable characters have a common theme of finding a "worthy opponent" and thus want the hero they fight to be strong or get stronger.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Pure Evil villains can NEVER qualify as they are never presented in a positive way. The "honor" they show is only due to their good manners and not out of genuine respect. That said, there are examples of Pure Evil villains who used to be honorable before shedding their nobler traits overtime. If so they should go under the Faux Affably Evil, Sophisticated, Lawful Evil, Deal Makers and/or Enforcer categories instead (e.g. Demise, Joker, Emperor Palpatine, Frieza, Judge Claude Frollo, Drago Bludvist, King Boo, Andross, Griffith, Shang Tsung, Utrom Shredder, and Koba), the same applies to villains whose "honor" they show is only out of their own self-serving needs and not out of genuine respect, even if they are not Pure Evil (e.g. Ercole Visconti).

• However, some of them can still be psychopaths if their code of honor is based on personal values rather than empathy (e.g. Solf J. Kimblee, Hisoka Morow, Rattlesnake Jake, Cad Bane, SCP-076-2, Beverly Hofstadter, Jack Welker, Vincent, Kirei Kotomine, Bill Sykes, Victor Zsasz (Gotham), Rico Delgado, William Birkin, Jordi Chin and Cooler).

It is also near-impossible for Chaotic Evil characters to be honorable as the very core of Chaotic Evils is a lack of honor, Neutral Evil characters are also unlikely to have honor (though not impossible), however, rare exceptions can exist for both alignments if villains from said alignments have some sort of honor code they are not willing to break. Lawful Evil and Lawful Neutral are by far the alignments most associated with honor (even if it is often for pragmatic reasons). Chaotic Neutrals, on the other hand, are shown to follow their own personal code without a care for others and are shown to be selfish. However, some may genuinely care for others and can have a sense of honor as well, though it may also be for pragmatic reasons much like a Lawful Evil character and a Lawful Neutral character.