History Main / EvilHero

* Most of the "superheroes" in ''ComicBook/TheBoys'' are anything but heroes. The most notable are The Seven (who are [[CorruptedCharacterCopy twisted parodies]] of the ''Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}}''), who are all a bunch of self-centered hedonistic assholes. The Boys themselves aren't the most pleasant bunch themselves, ranging from cynical burn-outs with a score to settle to [[BloodKnight just in it because they like violence]] and want a guilt-free outlet, but are still [[BlackAndGrayMorality the closest thing the comic has to the good guys]] because the bar for "least awful people in the superheroics business" is just that low.

Sometimes, the bad guy comes in the form of a familiar friendly face, one that people are meant to see without any worry and think that they are safe, [[BeneaththeMask until they get a closer look]].

This is what happens when NominalHero [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] VillainWithGoodPublicity: a definite bad guy works as a [[DirtyCop cop]] or even a so called [[PyroManiac "firefighter"]], and, despite their [[DevilinPlainSight actions]], whether due to ignorance on TheGovernment's [[NiceJobBreakingItHero part]], or the fact that they simply didn't get fired or resign yet, or haven't been [[KarmaHoudini caught yet]], still qualify as such. In short, a bad guy with a "good guy" job.

* Most of the superheroes in ''ComicBook/TheBoys'' are anything but heroes. The most notable are The Seven (who are [[CorruptedCharacterCopy twisted parodies]] of the ''Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}}''), who are all a bunch of self-centered hedonistic assholes. The Boys themselves aren't the most pleasant bunch themselves, ranging from cynical burn-outs with a score to settle to [[BloodKnight just in it because they like violence]] and want a guilt-free outlet, but are still the closest thing the comic has to the good guys because the bar for "least awful people in the superheroics business" is just that low.

This is what happens when NominalHero [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] VillainWithGoodPublicity: a definite bad guy works as a [[PrisonRape cop]] or even a so called [[PyroManiac "firefighter"]], and, despite their [[DevilinPlainSight actions]], whether due to ignorance on TheGovernment's [[NiceJobBreakingItHero part]], or the fact that they simply didn't get fired or resign yet, or haven't been [[KarmaHoudini caught yet]], still qualify as such. In short, a bad guy with a "good guy" job.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': The Marines are generally considered a 'good' organization, given that their job involves stopping dangerous pirates from wreaking havoc (and for every generally harmless crew like the Straw Hats, there's a dozen villainous ones), but in practice, there's a lot of them that don't live up to it, though there are also genuinely heroic marines. This is also the organization that runs [[TheAlcatraz Impel Down]] (a prison where torturing inmates is routine) and lets [[AristocratsAreEvil the World Nobles]] do whatever they want, after all.

* ''Manga/GoGoLoserRanger'': The Dragon Keepers, a ''Franchise/PowerRangers''-esque organization of heroes who fight to repel an alien invasion. At least that’s what they’ve set things up to look like. The truth is that the Invaders were [[spoiler:supposedly]] long defeated and the Keepers are now just milking the fame by keeping the remaining and harmless Dusters as slaves for them to continue beating every Sunday and still be seen as heroes in the eyes of their fans, with the facade having been held up for over a decade. Any Duster that refuses to play along or breaks the Keepers’ rules are obliterated by their Divine Tools. The worst out of the Keepers is their leader Red, who is sociopathic enough to not be above killing even his own protégé over any kind of slight.

* Like [[ComicBook/TheBoys the comic it's based on]], ''Series/TheBoys'' stars super "heroes" who tend to be at best corrupt self-serving assholes and at worst sociopathic serial killers and [[ThoseWackyNazis actual, literal Nazis]]. Even the two nicest and genuinely well-intentioned heroes are Queen Maeve, a [[BrokenBird broken, condescending asshole who's given up on ever being a real hero]], and Starlight, who despite doing ''nothing'' but trying to do the right thing still manages to have innocent blood on her hands. At the other end of the spectrum are The Boys, the titular group who is actively resisting the "heroes" but still consists of complete assholes, criminals, murderers, and [[TokenGoodTeammate Hughie]], and pretty much the only nice thing you can say about them is they're trying to stop the crimes of the "heroes".

* Momonga the Dark Hero in ''LightNovel/Overlord2012'' is hailed as the greatest warrior adventurer in the vicinity of the city of E-Rantel, and possibly the whole Re-Estize kingdom, rivaling warrior-captain Gazef Stronoff in [[OneManArmy power]] and [[KnightInShiningArmor virtue]]... And it's all a lie, as he's actually [[VillainProtagonist Ainz Ooal Gown]], [[OurLichesAreDifferent Elder Lich]] and {{Evil|Overlord}} SorcerousOverlord of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, who's using the alias as a convenient way to gather intel on the New World, [[VillainWithGoodPublicity garner glory and public trust]], getting people [[DealWithTheDevil to owe him one]], and stretch his legs, all without attracting too much attention towards his true self.

* CZW also had Drew Gulak, an evil public relations manager who was concerned with correcting the Combat Zone's GarbageWrestler, LowestCommonDenominator, NoBudget, WretchedHive reputation. While this at first seemed like a well meaning, if misguided effort, time made it clear Gulak cared first and foremost about taking over, with the PR campaign about making himself look like something [[VisionaryVillain greater than the overlord of a low class wasteland]]. And he'd destroy anyone, be it their reputation or their physical body, be they with, against or indifferent to him, to take control.[[/folder]]

* In ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'', it's revealed that Saturos and Menardi, the villains of [[VideoGame/GoldenSun the first game]], were actually on a quest to save not only their home town but also the entire world. The key thing that keeps them firmly as villains, even when this is revealed, is that they're such [[KickTheDog Dog-Kicking]] {{Card Carrying Villain}}s who gleefully do needlessly evil or cruel things things for no reason other than ForTheEvulz or because [[ItAmusedMe it amused them]]. Even the Elder of Prox, who sent them on their journey, is completely understanding of Issac and his allies for killing them, and even implies the only reason he sent them is because they were the two most powerful warriors Prox had to offer and [[GodzillaThreshold they were the only ones who could reasonably pull it off]].

** ''TabletopGame/HunterTheVigil'': While primarily about humans taking harms to fight the various monsters of the game who prey on mankind in the dark, the game makes a major point of showing that just because you fight monsters ''doesn't'', in fact, makes you the good guy:

* Most of the superheroes in ''ComicBook/TheBoys'' are anything but heroes. The most notable are The Seven (who are twisted parodies of the ''Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}}''), who are all a bunch of self-centered hedonistic assholes. The Boys themselves aren't the most pleasant bunch themselves, ranging from cynical burn-outs with a score to settle to [[BloodKnight just in it because they like violence]] and want a guilt-free outlet, but are still the closest thing the comic has to the good guys because the bar for "least awful people in the superheroics business" is just that low.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Part of the setting's theme is that there are no real heroes; just evil factions that are ''capable'' of goodness, as opposed to the AlwaysChaoticEvil ones (Chaos is a ReligionOfEvil, the Necrons are TheSoulless, and Orks are hard-wired to fight everything in sight and most things that aren't). The Imperium of Man is the most common protagonist faction because they're human, but they're also a horribly brutal and xenophobic blend of the worst cultures in human history. The Craftworld Eldar fight Chaos and for the most part just want their DyingRace to survive, but they're even more racist than the Imperium and have a superiority complex the size of the Eye of Terror- they're more likely to ally with the Dark Eldar (Probably ''the'' worst faction in the game, and considering the competition ''that's saying something!'') than they are with the other 'reasonable' factions. The Tau are generally the most diplomatic and least violent race, but they also make widespread use of forced sterilizations and BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood.

* In ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'' it's revealed that Saturos and Menardi, the villains of [[VideoGame/GoldenSun the first game]], were actually on a quest to save not only their home town but also the entire world. The key thing that keeps them firmly as villains even when this is revealed is that they're such [[KickTheDog Dog-Kicking]] {{Card Carrying Villain}}s who gleefully do needlessly evil or cruel things things for no reason other than ForTheEvulz or because [[ItAmusedMe it amused them]]. Even the Elder of Prox, who sent them on their journey, is completely understanding of Issac and his allies for killing them and even implies the only reason he sent them is because they were the two most powerful warriors Prox had to offer and [[GodzillaThreshold they were the only ones who could reasonably pull it off]].

* Most of the superheroes in ''ComicBook/TheBoys'' are anything but heroes. The most notable are The Seven (who are twisted parodies of the ''Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}}''), who are all a bunch of self-centered hedonistic assholes. The Boys themselves are not actually saints, either.

* The Lovely Angels in ''LightNovel/DirtyPair'' are considered heroic in their own reality (and their constant claim that [[CatchPhrase "It's not our fault!"]] is readily believed) despite the fact that they've committed ''planet-wide genocide'' multiple times. (The series CrossesTheLineTwice rather often.)

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Unfortunately, this allows them to do their evil behind the scenes, disgracing the name of the position they wear, and either people don't notice, or they can't do anything about it. It is during these times that people wait for and cheer when [[IdealHero a true hero]], [[KidHero of whatever size]], comes to the rescue, demonstrating how a hero [[IncorruptiblePurePureness REALLY does it]], the right way.

* A variant occurs in the ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' episode, where the name possibly [[TropeNamer originates]]: when Judai/Jaden became DrunkOnTheDarkSide, the evil that affected him also affected his deck, turning his [=Elemental HEROes=] into, literally, [=Evil HEROes=], basically the same [=Elemental HEROes=], now with [[EvilCounterpart darker and deadlier appearances and powers]]. in the dub, Axel even expresses shock that "two good guys equal one ''bad'' guy", which in a nutshell, is what Judai does to summon them.

*** [[AristocratsAreEvil the Ashwood Abbey]] are a bunch of depraved bored rich people and aristocrats who essentially use WhatMeasureIsANonHuman as an excuse to freely fulfill all their depraved fantasies with monsters, including murder, torture, and rape. Even others hunters generally look down to them as a bunch of sickos.
*** [[MegaCorp the Cheiron Group]] are {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s and {{Mad Scientist}}s with little regard for human rights and extreme BadBoss tendencies who capture supernaturals so they can [[TheyWouldCutYouUp dissect them]] and make medical products out of their organs. Which, by the way, they aren't doing out of kindness; they are OnlyInItForTheMoney.

*** fan-made supplement ''TabletopGame/HunterTheVigilDarkAndLight'' has the Magisters of Economie, a Hunter Conspiracy of rich benevolent businessmen with magical powers who fight to protect humanity from the many monsters in the setting. They also happen to get their powers from a ''really'' [[PoweredByAForsakenChild disturbing source]]: they are kidnapping [[TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful Princesses]] (the ''one'' type of supernatural in this setting to be unambiguously good) to trap them inside a LotusEaterMachine through a Rite and steal their abilities, essentially keeping their Comatose body as a batteries. They are also using this Rite to ''brainwash regular humans'' into their slaves, since they believe in TheEvilsOfFreeWill. Oh, and the way they acquired this Rite? By [[DealWithTheDevil bargaining with the Wardens]], beings who happens to literally be agents of [[TheDarkSide the Darkness]].

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* ''Film/TheSuicideSquad’s'' Peacemaker is dedicated to peace at any cost, whether that be justice or even innocent lives. He’s still delusional that he’s a hero even after being thrown in jail and put on the titular Squad with other homicidal maniacs, and even ''they'' are disgusted by his behavior.

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