Torturers are villains who either commit the crime of torture regularly or are shown committing torture in their appearance (if a one-shot villain). Torture can be classified as either emotional/psychological torture (cruelty designed to harm the mind or spirit) or physical torture (cruelty that involves physical harm but not instant death such as subjecting the victim to beatings or even sexual torture).

Although not necessarily true for all torturers, many are sadistic and enjoy their work, though some simply perform their grisly deeds out of a sense of duty or twisted morals. In others cases, torturers torture their victims in order to get information out of them. Villains who torture for fun more often than not have crossed the Moral Event Horizon and may be Pure Evil.