Sadists

Sadists are people who feel joy at seeing their victims suffer, either physically or mentally. This kind of cruelty is also known as "schadenfreude" (from "schaden" = "injury"; "freude" = "joy"), though that term generally refers to cases where the sadist derives pleasure from pain inflicted by something other than themselves.

These villains can be delusional, for example, if they convince themselves that their enemies must suffer and take enjoyment in doing so.

While it's common for many Pure Evil villains to be sadists, it is not always the case. It is not a requirement for a villain to take pleasure in the pain and misery of others to be Pure Evil. Although sadism is an important factor to consider, it is not a mandatory criteria. If anything, it can make their actions more disturbing, because they have nothing pleasant to gain from them. Ego, Lord Cutler Beckett, Sir Miles Axlerod, Shou Tucker, Gihren Zabi, Stanley Poole and Sofia Lamb are examples of not sadistic characters who are purely evils.

Being a Sadist does not always mean that the character is Chaotic Evil.

It is an opposite of merciful heroes.