History Analysis / KarmaHoudini

* EasilyForgiven: It's all well and good for a villain to see the light and change sides, but once that switch is flipped it's all too easy to forget about all the mayhem they caused before that moment (especially if the victims weren't named characters). Even if RedemptionEqualsDeath, one heroic act at the end isn't enough to make up for a long career of dog football.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The SortingAlgorithmOfEvil, and the story, has left the villain behind, and a much larger threat has taken over. Once the heroes have dealt with [[OmnicidalManiac Entropus the Destroyer of Worlds]], sometimes the story forgets that there's still an [[EvilOverlord Evil Emperor]] ruling his [[TheEmpire kingdom]] with an iron fist.

* Slipped the SequelHook: The writer may have [[PutOnABus left the villain alone so that they could return to cause more mayhem in a future sequel]] (and hopefully receive their just desserts then). But sometimes the sequel never gets made, for [[DiedDuringProduction any]] [[OrphanedSeries number]] [[ScrewedByTheNetwork of reasons]]...

* Slipped the SequelHook: The writer may have [[PutOnABus left the villain alone so that they could return to cause more mayhem in a future sequel]] (and hopefully recieve their just desserts then). But sometimes the sequel never gets made, for [[DiedDuringProduction any]] [[OrphanedSeries number]] [[ScrewedByTheNetwork of reasons]]...

VILLAINS:

* TheBadGuyWins - They’ve achieved his goals and struck down all who could oppose them. It would feel cheap to resolve the situation with a [[DeusExMachina random heart attack]] after that.
* EasilyForgiven - It's all well and good for a villain to see the light and change sides, but once that switch is flipped it's all too easy to forget about all the mayhem they caused before that moment (especially if the victims weren't named characters). Even if RedemptionEqualsDeath, one heroic act at the end isn't enough to make up for a long career of dog football.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse - The SortingAlgorithmOfEvil, and the story, has left the villain behind, and a much larger threat has taken over. Once the heroes have dealt with [[OmnicidalManiac Entropus the Destroyer of Worlds]], sometimes the story forgets that there's still an [[EvilOverlord Evil Emperor]] ruling his [[TheEmpire kingdom]] with an iron fist.
* BasedOnATrueStory - The story is based on a true story, where the antagonists were never brought to justice. If the writers care at all about historical accuracy, the villain will be a KarmaHoudini by default.
** AuthorTract - Sometimes, the author is intentionally making some kind of social or political point and wants to direct some of that anger at a related problem in the real world. The idea is to sublimate the anger at the story's Karma Houdini towards people in the real world perceived to be Karma Houdinis.
* ExecutiveMeddling - In some very rare cases, the author/filmmaker does write an appropriately grim death scene for the villainous character, but Executive Meddling determines that it's too gruesome, hurts the flow of the narrative, makes the movie run on too long, and so forth.
* Slipped the SequelHook - The writer may have [[PutOnABus left the villain alone so that they could return to cause more mayhem in a future sequel]] (and hopefully recieve their just desserts then). But sometimes the sequel never gets made, for [[DiedDuringProduction any]] [[OrphanedSeries number]] [[ScrewedByTheNetwork of reasons]]...
* VillainBasedFranchise - ...Or the villain paid the piper in the previous outing. However, now they’re back for the sequel, or another author or franchise has decided to bring them back for more.
* DoomedByCanon - Even if the villain was defeated in the first outing, the creation of a prequel means that the villain [[ForegoneConclusion has to survive]] the events of the prequel. And many times, the situation at the start of the original implies that the antagonist will win...
* InvincibleVillain - The villain is simply too powerful for the heroes to handle. This tends to be the case in stories where the heroes are simply ordinary people thrown into a bad situation beyond their control; the best they can do is survive the story.
* ThePunishmentIsTheCrime - In rare cases, the villain is so [[EvilIsPetty petty]] and [[NeverMyFault completely impervious to reason]] that the writer (and sometimes the other characters) determine that merely being the villain and as such suffering from a terminal lack of self-awareness is a punishment enough for their deeds that giving them a further punishment would just be redundant, since it wouldn’t convince them to change their ways. And if the villain had abused the hero, then the hero just [[NotAfraidOfYouAnymore not being afraid of them anymore]] and demonstrating by their actions that they are the better person is sufficient for a moral victory, even without the villain actually suffering.

NON-VILLAINS:

* ProtagonistCenteredMorality - The character in question was never an enemy of the heroes. No matter what reprehensible things they might have done in the past, they have no reason to punish them for those.
* [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie The Dark Hero Wins]] - If the "good guys" are crossing the MoralEventHorizon, then we're either dealing with a VillainProtagonist or a [[BlackAndGrayMorality very dark]] [[CrapsackWorld setting]] where the protagonist is no better than the foes he opposes. For [[KarmaMeter games which allow you to]] [[KickTheDog behave evilly]], sometimes the PC ends up being a Karma Houdini because the alternative means {{Railroading}}, ButThouMust, or even NoCanonForTheWicked which many players find even more frustrating than this trope. Some games get around this with [[VideogameCrueltyPunishment a gameplay]] or [[ItsAWonderfulFailure storyline]] punishment, if they give the player the option of being a villain when they're expected to be a hero.
* ValuesDissonance - The protagonist sees nothing wrong with their actions, and neither does the author. Values Dissonance caused by time or an author with a skewed code of ethics have turned a heroic figure of yesteryear into a dark AntiHero or outright VillainProtagonist today.
* OffstageVillainy - The character may have done all sorts of horrible things in the past, but they’re not doing them ''now'', are they? [[RuleOfPerception If the audience doesn't see an event happen, it's all too easy to forget]]. The RetiredMonster often falls under this.
* RuleOfFunny:

** YouCanPanicNow - Sometimes, the author is [[AuthorTract intentionally making some kind of social or political point]] and wants to direct some of that anger at a related problem in the real world. The idea is to sublimate the anger at the story's Karma Houdini towards people in the real world perceived to be Karma Houdinis.

* Slipped the SequelHook - The writer may have [[PutOnABus left the villain alone so that they could return to cause more mayhem in a future sequel]] (and hopefully recieve their just desserts then). But sometimes the sequel never gets made, for [[AuthorExistenceFailure any]] [[OrphanedSeries number]] [[ScrewedByTheNetwork of reasons]]...

* ThePunishmentIsTheCrime - In rare cases, the villain is so [[EvilIsPetty petty]] and [[NeverMyFault completely impervious to reason]] that the writer (and sometimes the other characters) determine that merely being the villain and as such suffering from a terminal lack of self-awareness is a punishment enough for their deeds that giving them a further punishment would just be redundant, since it wouldn’t convince them to change their ways.

* ThePunishmentIsTheCrime - In rare cases, the villain is so [[EvilIsPetty petty]] and [[NeverMyFault completely impervious to reason]] that the writer (and sometimes the other characters) determine that merely being the villain and as such suffering from a terminal lack of self-awareness is a punishment enough for their deeds that giving them a further punishment would just be redundant.

In fiction, like in RealLife, people don't always get what they deserve. So how does a KarmaHoudini happen? How does such a black-hearted scoundrel, or hero who has gone a little too [[MoralEventHorizon close to the edge]], get away with it all? There could be a number of reasons.

* [[EasilyForgiven Redemption Is Cheap]] - It's all well and good for a villain to see the light and change sides, but once that switch is flipped it's all too easy to forget about all the mayhem they caused before that moment (especially if the victims weren't named characters). Even if RedemptionEqualsDeath, one heroic act at the end isn't enough to make up for a long career of dog football.
* [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse But What About That Guy?]] - The SortingAlgorithmOfEvil, and the story, has left the villain behind, and a much larger threat has taken over. Once the heroes have dealt with [[OmnicidalManiac Entropus the Destroyer of Worlds]], sometimes the story forgets that there's still an [[EvilOverlord Evil Emperor]] ruling his [[TheEmpire kingdom]] with an iron fist.
* [[BasedOnATrueStory Horrible History]] - The story is based on a true story, where the antagonists were never brought to justice. If the writers care at all about historical accuracy, the villain will be a KarmaHoudini by default.
** [[YouCanPanicNow Motivating the Audience]] - Sometimes, the author is [[AuthorTract intentionally making some kind of social or political point]] and wants to direct some of that anger at a related problem in the real world. The idea is to sublimate the anger at the story's Karma Houdini towards real-world Karma Houdinis.

* [[VillainBasedFranchise Sequel Blues]] - ...Or the villain paid the piper in the previous outing. However, now they’re back for the sequel, or another author or franchise has decided to bring them back for more.
* [[DoomedByCanon Prequel Blues]] - Even if the villain was defeated in the first outing, the creation of a prequel means that the villain [[ForegoneConclusion has to survive]] the events of the prequel. And many times, the situation at the start of the original implies that the antagonist will win...

* [[ProtagonistCenteredMorality Not My Enemy, Not My Problem]] - The character in question was never an enemy of the heroes. No matter what reprehensible things they might have done in the past, they have no reason to punish them for those.

* [[ValuesDissonance What Did I Do?]] - The protagonist sees nothing wrong with their actions, and neither does the author. Values Dissonance caused by time or an author with a skewed code of ethics have turned a heroic figure of yesteryear into a dark AntiHero or outright VillainProtagonist today.
* [[OffstageVillainy Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind]] - The character may have done all sorts of horrible things in the past, but they’re not doing them ''now'', are they? [[RuleOfPerception If the audience doesn't see an event happen, it's all too easy to forget]]. The RetiredMonster often falls under this.
* [[RuleOfFunny It's just funnier that way]]:

* [[RuleofFunny It's just funnier that way]]:

* TheBadGuyWins - He's achieved his goals and struck down all who could oppose him. It would feel cheap to resolve the situation with a [[DeusExMachina random heart attack]] after that.
* [[EasilyForgiven Redemption Is Cheap]] - It's all well and good for a villain to see the light and change sides, but once that switch is flipped it's all too easy to forget about all the mayhem he caused before that moment (especially if the victims weren't named characters). Even if RedemptionEqualsDeath, one heroic act at the end isn't enough to make up for a long career of dog football.
* [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse But What About That Guy?]] - The SortingAlgorithmOfEvil, and the story, has left the villain behind, and a much larger threat has taken over. Once the heroes have dealt with Entropus the Destroyer of Worlds, sometimes the story forgets that there's still an Evil Emperor ruling his kingdom with an iron fist.

* Slipped the SequelHook - The writer may have [[PutOnABus left the villain alone so that he could return to cause more mayhem in a future sequel]] (and hopefully recieve his just desserts then). But sometimes the sequel never gets made, for [[AuthorExistenceFailure any]] [[OrphanedSeries number]] [[ScrewedByTheNetwork of reasons]]...
* [[VillainBasedFranchise Sequel Blues]] - ...Or the villain paid the piper in the previous outing. However, now he's back for the sequel, or another author or franchise has decided to bring him back for more.

* [[ProtagonistCenteredMorality Not My Enemy, Not My Problem]] - The character in question was never an enemy of the heroes. No matter what reprehensible things they might have done in the past, they have no reason to punish him for those.

* [[ValuesDissonance What Did I Do?]] - The protagonist sees nothing wrong with their actions, and neither does the author. Values Dissonance caused by time or an author with a skewed code of ethics have turned a heroic figure of yesteryear into a dark AntiHero today.
* [[OffstageVillainy Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind]] - The character may have done all sorts of horrible things in the past, but he's not doing them ''now'', is he? [[RuleOfPerception If the audience doesn't see an event happen, it's all too easy to forget]]. The RetiredMonster often falls under this.

** Alternatively, it's can be seen as a subversion of story conventions; rather than the asshole getting punished for their behavior, it can be funnier if they get away with it whereas more moral characters get mistreated for their attempts at doing good (or tend to do damage in their attempts to help).

* [[RuleofFunny It's just funnier that way]]: A more subjective reason for the prevalence of this trope. A character that gets away with everything can add to their charm and comedic value in tandem with their assholishness rather than simply getting punished for everything they do.

* [[RuleofFunny It's just funnier that way]]: A more subjective reason for the prevalence of this trope. A character that gets away with everything can add to their charm and comedic value in tandem with their assholishness rather than simply getting punished for everything they do.

* [[OffstageVillainy Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind]] - The character may have done all sorts of horrible things in the past, but he's not doing them ''now'', is he? [[RuleOfPerception If the audience doesn't see an event happen, it's all too easy to forget]]. The RetiredMonster often falls under this.

* Slipped the SequelHook - The writer may have left the villain alone so that he could return to cause more mayhem in a future sequel (and hopefully recieve his just desserts then). But sometimes the sequel never gets made, for [[AuthorExistenceFailure any]] [[OrphanedSeries number]] [[ScrewedByTheNetwork of reasons]]...

* [[OffstageVillainy Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind]] - The character may have done all sorts of horrible things in the past, but he's not doing them ''now'', is he? If the audience doesn't see an event happen, it's all too easy to forget. The RetiredMonster often falls under this.

* The Untouchable - The villain is simply too powerful for the heroes to handle. This tends to be the case in stories where the heroes are simply ordinary people thrown into a bad situation beyond their control; the best they can do is survive the story.

* [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie Your PC is the Karma Houdini]] - For [[KarmaMeter games which allow you to]] [[KickTheDog behave evilly]], sometimes the PC has to end up being a Karma Houdini because the alternative means {{Railroading}}, ButThouMust, or even NoCanonForTheWicked which many players find even more frustrating than this trope. Some games get around this with [[VideogameCrueltyPunishment a gameplay]] or [[ItsAWonderfulFailure storyline]] punishment but if the game lets the player get away with too much villainy on the way to perdition then no punishment will really be proportionate.

* The Dark Hero Wins - If the "good guys" are crossing the MoralEventHorizon, then we're either dealing with a VillainProtagonist or a [[BlackAndGrayMorality very dark]] [[CrapsackWorld setting]] where the protagonist is no better than the foes he opposes. At this point, their victory would make them a KarmaHoudini by definition.

* The Untouchable - The villain is simply too powerful for the heroes to handle. This tends to be the case in stories where the heroes are simply ordinary people thrown into a bad situation beyond their control; the best they can do is survive the story.

* [[ValuesDissonance What Did I Do?]] - The protagonist sees [[MoralDissonance nothing wrong with their actions]], and neither does the author. Values Dissonance caused by time or an author with a skewed code of ethics have turned a heroic figure of yesteryear into a dark AntiHero today.