Characters who sometimes act as villains and sometimes they don't. Typically, this means that they "switch sides" (i.e. go back and forth) more than twice. Many of these villains also may be anti-heroes.

Note

• These villains can never be redeemed, as On & Off villains still have tendencies to switch sides and commit evil actions. However, they can be redeemed if they finally stop switching sides or were explicit out of self-serving needs (e.g. Lock, Shock, and Barrel). If a previously On & Off villain makes a decisive choice to turn good (e.g. Heinz Doofenshmirtz), they can no longer be in this category.
• None of these characters are Pure Evil, because there are no breaks in a Pure Evil's villainy.
  • However, some On & Off villains can still be psychopaths if their villainous acts are horrible enough and show significant ruthlessness, even crossing the Moral Event Horizon at times. Good examples of such villains are Eric Cartman, Hisoka Morow, Chris McLean, Preston Northwest and Captain Turner.
• In addition, villains who have joined or temporarily join the heroes' side out of PRAGMATIC and SELF-SERVING needs but still retain their villainous way can NEVER count. Either some of them have already returned into evil or these kinds of villains will drop their hero facade ways once their needs and/or wants are fulfilled (e.g. Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Boom), Shang Tsung, Sōsuke Aizen, Caesar Clown, Makuta Teridax, Eobard Thawne, Dr. Robotnik (Archie Comics), Slade, Vilgax, Albert Wesker, Prince Killmonger, Frieza, Jabba the Hutt, Alpha, Lucifer, Reed Richards, Kirei Kotomine, General Hux, Micah Bell, Luther Nevrakis, Kazuya Mishima, Kavaxas, Dark Meta Knight and Byron Hadley). Likewise, certain villains who join the heroes to stop greater threats but are only in non-canonical appearances should also not be added to this category (e.g. Ridley, Ganondorf, Dark Samus, Sephiroth)