History Main / TheSociopath

The Sociopath is a character with a marked LackOfEmpathy, a [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered disposition]], a disregard for social norms and ethics, a propensity for using [[TheCharmer charm]], [[ConsummateLiar lies]], [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]] or [[BloodKnight outright violence]] to get his way, a reckless and impulsive streak, and [[ForTheEvulz a heart black as pitch]]. They show no remorse and can describe gruesome events in a nonchalant manner that many find creepy. The TropeNamer is an old edition of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders DSM]] which used the term to refer to a personality disorder now known as [[UsefulNotes/PersonalityDisorders Anti-Social Personality disorder]].

Sociopaths are frequently candidates for CompleteMonster, as by definition they have no remorse or even the capability for it. They are sometimes given a FreudianExcuse, usually involving [[AbusiveParents horrific abuse]] that conditions them to believe that HumansAreBastards. From a psychological perspective, however, sociopathy does not have any better reason to be there than any other sickness (although negative experiences with other human beings will change the way it manifests). See UsefulNotes.LackOfEmpathy and Analysis.TheSociopath for more detailed information.

The Sociopath is a character with a marked LackOfEmpathy, a [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered disposition]], a disregard for social norms and ethics, a propensity for using [[TheCharmer charm]], [[ConsummateLiar lies]], [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]] or [[BloodKnight outright violence]] to get his way, a reckless and impulsive streak, and [[ForTheEvulz a heart black as pitch]]. They show no remorse and can describe gruesome events in a nonchalant manner that many find creepy. The TropeNamer is an old edition of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders DSM]] which used the term to refer to a personality disorder now known as [[PersonalityDisorders Anti-Social Personality disorder]].

The Sociopath is a character with a marked LackOfEmpathy, a [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered disposition]], a disregard for social norms and ethics, a propensity for using [[TheCharmer charm]], [[ConsummateLiar lies]], [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]] or [[BloodKnight outright violence]] to get his way, a reckless and impulsive streak, and [[ForTheEvulz a heart black as pitch]]. They show no remorse and can describe gruesome events in a nonchalant manner that many find creepy. The TropeNamer is an old edition of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders DSM]] which used the term to refer to a personality disorder now known as [[HollywoodPersonalityDisorders Anti-Social Personality disorder]].

TheSociopath is a character with a marked LackOfEmpathy, a [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered disposition]], a disregard for social norms and ethics, a propensity for using [[TheCharmer charm]], [[ConsummateLiar lies]], [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]] or [[BloodKnight outright violence]] to get his way, a reckless and impulsive streak, and [[ForTheEvulz a heart black as pitch]]. They show no remorse and can describe gruesome events in a nonchalant manner that many find creepy. The TropeNamer is an old edition of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders DSM]] which used the term to refer to a personality disorder now known as [[HollywoodPersonalityDisorders Anti-Social Personality disorder]].

Sociopaths are frequently candidates for CompleteMonster, as by definition they have no remorse or even the capability for it. They are sometimes given a FreudianExcuse, usually involving [[AbusiveParents horrific abuse]] that conditions them to believe that HumansAreBastards. From a psychological perspective, however, sociopathy does not have any better reason to be there than any other sickness (although negative experiences with other human beings will change the way it manifests). See UsefulNotes.LackOfEmpathy for more detailed information.

->''"Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."''
-->--'''Alfred Pennyworth''' on TheJoker, '''TheDarkKnight'''

!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Seishirou Sakurazuka[[spoiler: mori]] from TokyoBabylon. Although he may or may not have managed to fall in love with Subaru.
* Johan Liebert, [[{{Anime/Monster}} the eponymous Monster]]. [[CompleteMonster The title suits him.]]
* Michio Yuki from ''{{MW}}'', who was the prototype for Johan.
* Yami Bakura and Yami Marik from ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh}}''.
* ''DarkerThanBlack'': The Contractors are this in theory (and popular belief in-universe), but Hei at least is proof this isn't necessarily the case. Then again, Hei [[spoiler:isn't a true Contractor]], and he's arguably more sociopathic than most, since his most pronounced character difference seems to be that he can become angry.
* {{Akagi}} has some sociopathic qualities. He has no regard for his own life, can't be threatened, doesn't care about rules, will cheat if he can and generally doesn't really care about other human beings. He isn't really malevolent, however, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4yvpoh78_M#t=3m15s unless you manage to piss him off.]]
* Dilandau Albatou from ''VisionOfEscaflowne'', although he was more psychotic than sociopathic. [[spoiler: Also, remember that he was originally a she. ...And that's the nicest thing about what was done to him/her by the BigBad of the series]].
* Light Yagami, the VillainProtagonist of ''DeathNote'', becomes one as the series progresses and his ego expands. By the time [[spoiler: his father dies, Light is more upset that his father failed to do what Light wanted of him than the fact that he's dead!]]
** Mello's also a strong candidate, given his aggression, tendency to put himself and others in danger, and superficial charm. On the other hand, the author has pointed out that he doesn't think Mello was an inherently bad person, because he shows genuine empathy for his accomplice Matt. While he has strong aggressive personality disorders, he probably isn't a full sociopath.
* Sakyou from ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' is a textbook example. As a child, he lived a normal life and had loving parents and siblings...whom he ''detested'' for no reason. He later got a job in a pet store, abusing and even killing animals for the hell of it. Then he became a gambler, and then a crime lord, and by the time of the series, has plans to open a portal linking Demon World to the human realm just because "life would be more interesting" that way.
* Azusa from ''HotGimmick''. Some have said that Ryoki qualifies as one, but he seems to be more of a Borderline, or perhaps Narcissistic Personality. Hatsumi, meanwhile, seems to have some traits of Dependent Personality Disorder. Actually, most of the characters are probably diagnosable with some sort of mental illness or personality disorder.
* Due to brain damage suffered in infancy, Kazuo Kiriyama of ''BattleRoyale'' cannot form meaningful connections to ''anything'' (a condition known as pseudopsychopathy in real life). The manga shows him mastering painting and the violin... and immediately throwing out both his artwork and his instrument when he's finished with them. He only associates with his "friends" because they won a coin toss; when they lose a second coin toss on the island, he slaughters them.
** Interestingly, he is VERY self-aware that he is a sociopath. One of his lines, is that he sometimes gets 'confused' on right and wrong. When he slaughters his friends, he takes no pleasure in it. It is just something he has to do. Afterwards, however, he becomes a {{Determinator}}, dedicated to winning, with few lines.
* ''LetDai'': Dai doesn't understand empathy or why Jaehee cares about anyone other than Dai and himself.
* [[GreenEyedMonster Envy]], [[MisanthropeSupreme Zolf J. Kimbley]], [[CreepyChild Wrath]], [[SmugSnake Frank Archer]], and [[ItsAllAboutMe Dante]] from ''FullMetalAlchemist'' are all examples of this. Envy, Kimbley, and Wrath are excellent examples of low-functioning sociopathy, while Archer and [[TheChessmaster Dante]] lean towards the high-functioning end of things.
** In the manga, Shou Tucker and Kimbley are both clear-cut examples, with this Kimbley being an extremely intelligent, extremely self-aware psychopath in the vein of Hannibal Lecter, masking his lunacy beneath a FauxAffablyEvil facade and a [[BlueAndOrangeMorality bizarre code of honor]].
* PsychoForHire Ali al-Saachez, and siblings Michael and Nena Trinity of ''Gundam00''.
** The same goes for Yazan Gable of ''ZetaGundam'', whom Ali is arguably an {{expy}} of.
** And Decil Galette of ''GundamAGE'', who combines the worst traits of both Ali and Yazan with EnfanteTerrible.
* [[JerkJock Agon Kongo]] of ''{{Eyeshield 21}}'' is this, along with having ''every single'' trait that characterizes antisocial personality disorder. Fortunately, with the series' scope being limited to high school football and a shonen jump title, most of his truly horrendous acts are stopped before they could follow through.
* [[BigBad Grings]] [[CompleteMonster Kodai]] from ''PokemonZoroarkMasterOfIllusions''. He fits all of the above criteria plus is one of the most sadistic monsters in {{Pokemon}} history.
** [[PsychoforHire Pokemon Hunter J]] also qualifies.
* Lloyd from ''CodeGeass'' cheerfully refers to himself as a sociopath. An odd version in that he's not really a villainous character; he's very indifferent to all the fighting, manipulating, and killing that goes on around him, but really all he wants to do is fiddle around with the latest high-tech gizmos ForScience.
** Of course, this is a case of YouKeepUsingThatWord, as many have pointed out, he fits the bill for Asperger's Syndrome much better than outright sociopathy. It's even implied that his indifference is just a coping mechanism, and he buries himself in his work to avoid sinking into depression (both from the millions of people who died at the hands of weapons he designed, and from him ''knowing'' that people think he's crazy). So presenting himself as a sociopath is more of a cover than anything.
** A ''true'' sociopathic character from the same anime is Brittanian knight [[PsychoForHire Lucciano Bradley.]]
* Muruta Azrael of ''{{Gundam Seed}}''. He's smug, arrogant, condescending, [[HeManWomanHater misognynistic]], [[HairTriggerTemper loses his temper at the drop of a hat]], finds the very idea that he could lose to be inconcievable, and views his subordinates as [[WeHaveReserves expendable pawns]] in his [[FantasticRacism personal vendetta]] against the [[DesignerBabies Coordinators]]. His [[FauxAffablyEvil superficial charm]] cannot cover his [[CompleteMonster inner monstrousness]] for long, with continued exposure to him alienating even his staunchest supporters, and while he's bright, he has a definite inability to learn from experience. Even his bravery--he does after all, lead the assault on ZAFT from the front--stems from his [[SmugSnake arrogance]], and he's far more afraid of ''[[SoreLoser losing]]'' than he is of dying.
** In ''GundamSeedDestiny'', Azrael's successor, Lord Djibril, is a classic example of a low-functioning sociopath. He's short-sighted, has an [[HairTriggerTemper explosive temper]] and NoIndoorVoice, and his first reaction to any sort of rebellion or insubordination is to deploy WeaponsOfMassDestruction against the target. He's also a GeneralFailure and DirtyCoward who leaves his subordinates to clean up his messes, and generally has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
* ''WolfGuyWolfenCrest'' features quite a few examples, such as Yandere NightmareFetishist Ryuuko Kounuma, the KnifeNut Kuroda brothers, and ''[[CompleteMonster especially]]'' Haguro Dou.
* From ''{{Naruto}}'' we have Sasuke Uchiha who exhibits all the trademarks of a sociopath after his training with [[CompleteMonster Orochimaru]] and constant [[MindRape mind rapes]] by his [[BigBad Madara Uchiha]], both of whom also fit the bill perfectly.
* Frieza from ''DragonBallZ'' fits most of this to a T. As does Cell for that matter (maybe he inherited it from Frieza's cells!)
* BigBad Naraku from ''{{Inuyasha}}''.
* An aversion to the normal presentation of TheSociopath occurs in ''TheMelancholyOfSuzumiyaHaruhi'', in which the title character Haruhi has all the symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder except animal cruelty. She's harmless to society in general and played sympathetically, just extremely impulsive, domineering, and an eternal source of exacerbation for [[TheHero Kyon]].
* ''MedakaBox'': A lot of the characters are sociopaths to some degree (the title character narrowly escaped becoming one herself), but [[spoiler: Ajimu]] takes the cake: not only does [[spoiler: she]] regard people as things [[spoiler: she]]'s basically a ''PhysicalGod''. There's also Shiranui, who pitted her friends against an Irish wolfhound (a giant dog that [[CaptainObvious was used to hunt wolves in Ireland]]) [[ForTheEvulz because it was funny]].
* ''FullMetalPanic'': Gauron is a CombatSadomasochist and DeathSeeker with a HairTriggerTemper, NoSenseOfPersonalSpace, NoSocialSkills, an utter LackOfEmpathy, and [[StalkerWithACrush an obsession]] with [[FoeYay the hero]] that borders on the ephebophiliac. His successor as BigBad, Mr. Gates, is worse, being an example of psychopathy at its purest. Like Gauron he's a BadBoss with a ridiculously exagerated HairTriggerTemper, and a total LackOfEmpathy. He's also a LargeHam and a sexual predator who is implied to have slept with two teenage girls, jacks off to images of squirrels and kittens, talks about the many, many uses for [[ILoveTheDead a dead body]], and takes a completely [[AxeCrazy insane]] delight in causing as much damage as humanly possible; he's also oddly unconcerned about his own death in the TSR finale. Averted by his replacement, [[SmugSnake Leonard Tesstarossa]] who's more of a {{Narcissist}} than this.
* In the first couple of episodes of ''Manga/BlackCat'' many of Train's assigned targets seem to posses sociopathic traits.
** BigBad Creed Diskenth has many of the characteristics of Antisocial Personality Disorder; it hurts him rather than helping him as he is totally oblivious to his underlings' opinions of him.
* Arguably, [[{{Troll}} Izaya]] [[{{Jerkass}} Orihara]] of ''{{Durarara}}'', who has absolutely no FreudianExcuse for the crap he pulls. Upon first introduction in the novels, he organizes a fake suicide group and talks to two suicidal girls about why they want to kill themselves with a big ol' smile on his face, mocks them for wanting to end their lives, and he's even taken aback when one of them tells him that he's wrong. He then ''drugs them, stuffs them into suitcases'' and asks his courier to "plop them on a park bench somewhere". It's outright stated that this is nowhere near an isolated incident and implied that he's even sold his past victims to loan companies. This scene isn't much better in the anime, where he orchestrates a girl's kidnap and rescue, mocks her thoroughly, holds her over the edge of a building, then watches from the sidelines with a gleeful smirk when she decides to jump (thankfully, someone cared about her safety a little more). It's also likely that he's the one who sent her photos of her father with another woman, which caused the start of her angst in the first place. Throughout the course of the series, he [[ManipulativeBastard manipulates humans and supernatural beings]] ForTheEvulz, [[BreakTheCutie breaks many a cutie]], orders hits on his [[FoeYay enemy]], manipulates a ''ten year old {{Yakuza}} [[MafiaPrincess princess]] into [[spoiler: attempting to kill said enemy]]'', [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking stomps on a girl's cellphone while laughing like a maniac]] and generally [[EvilGloating hurting]] [[BigBrotherBully and]] [[AGodAmI using]] [[PoisonousFriend anyone]] [[TheChessmaster and]] [[DisproportionateRetribution every]][[BatmanGambit one]] [[DiabolicalMastermind who]] [[GreenEyedMonster comes]] [[KickTheDog in]] [[GuineaPigFamily contact]] [[PsychopathicManchild with]] [[PoisonousFriend him]] [[LackOfEmpathy and not even giving a shit about who gets hurt]] [[ItAmusedMe and sadistically enjoys every minute of it]].
** However, it becomes [[spoiler: {{Subverted}} when we learn about his past and realize that there is at least [[MoralityPet one person]] he cares for - Shinra. It's so extreme that he's more or less {{Yandere}} for him (though not in the romantic sense) to the point that he's basically stalking the man who hurt Shinra and setting him up for two huge crimes even though he realizes that he could get into trouble too. He even gets close to breaking down at the thought that he might have to betray his only friend to advance in his own goal]].
** It's also worth noting that Izaya's never said that he is [[spoiler: ''unable'' to love]], just that he [[spoiler: [[LoveIsAWeakness simply has no ''desire'' to]]]].
* Sosuke Aizen from ''{{Bleach}}'' He [[BitchInSheepsClothing puts on an affable façade]], is ''the'' [[XanatosRoulette most manipulative character in the manga]] (with the possible exception of Kisuke Urahara), sees people as little more than pawns and tosses them aside once they've [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived their uselessness]], harms people just because he can [[spoiler:([[MoralEventHorizon just look]] at what he made Hitsugaya [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice do to Momo]])]], and tortured and killed who knows how many shinigami in order to create the Hogyoku, just so he could 'stand in Heaven'. Not to mention he's responsible for the creation and near-execution of the Vizards, and came pretty close to destroying Soul Society itself. [[MadScientist Mayuri]] has sociopathic tendencies as well, given the lengths he goes to in the name of 'research'.
** And now it looks like Aizen has a contender in the equally AffablyEvil and manipulative [[spoiler:Shukuro Tsukishima.]]
** Incredibly, another contender has come along, with none of the AffablyEvil of either, yet the AGodAmI mentality of Aizen: [[spoiler:Giriko Kutsuzawa. He kills his wife to '''test his ability'''.]]
* TheCaligula Delphine Eraclea from ''LastExile'' is a [[TheHedonist decadent aristocrat]] with [[LackofEmpathy zero empathy]] and manipulates everyone around her for her own amusement.
* MadScientist Akihiro Kurata from ''DigimonSavers''.
* The {{Unreliable Narrator}} and {{Villain Protagonist}} Itsuki (Boku) Kamiyama from ''Manga/{{Goth}}''.
* [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Gihren]] [[SocialDarwinist Zabi]], ''de facto'' BigBad of the original ''MobileSuitGundam'' is an EvilPrince with a LackOfEmpathy so severe it's almost awe-inspiring. [[ItsAllAboutMe Caring nothing for others]], Gihren turns his brother's funeral into a political rally, condescends to his other siblings, isolates his father while plotting to [[{{Patricide}} steal his position]], and uses WeaponsOfMassDestruction to lethal effect. [[AmbitionIsEvil Ambitious]], [[SmugSnake overconfident]], [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]], and a [[RousingSpeech brilliant orator]] Gihren lacks the sadism and ForTheEvulz motivation of many psychopaths and sociopaths, but nevertheless profiles as a charismatic, Machiavellian personality taken to such an extreme that there really is no other word for it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* TheJoker, ArchEnemy of {{Batman}}.
** The DCUniverse also has Kid Karnevil, an adolescent TortureTechnician first introduced in ''Shadowpact''. He claims to emulate the Joker and ultimately wants to kill him. Old Greenhair is unimpressed.
* Max in ''SamAndMax'' is described repeatedly in story as a sociopath, but ''The Devil's Playhouse'' {{Retcon}}s him into having a conscience ([[GhostInTheMachine who is highly repressed]] and [[DrivenToSuicide suicidal]]).
** Even before that, his behavior doesn't quite fit; he's more like a violent psychotic with psychopathic tendencies.
* CompleteMonster Gideon Graves of ScottPilgrim.
* Alfie O'Meagan from ''ComicBook/NthManTheUltimateNinja'' is a textbook example: he tortures small animals, shamelessly lies and shifts the blame to others, has sudden outbursts of anger and arrogance, and lacks any sympathy or empathy for others. Problem is, he's also a RealityWarper and the most powerful being on Earth.
* ''SinCity'' has Senator Roark and his SerialKiller son as probably the best examples of sociopaths. There are plenty of crazy people but they show at least some remorse or have emotional attachments here or there.
* The ''{{Transmetropolitan}}'' MythArc features the protagonist squaring off against a sociopath who [[PresidentEvil got himself elected President of the United States]] just so he could exercise his every sadistic whim unimpeded.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* ''AmericanPsycho'': Patrick Bateman. A perfect example. On the starpulse.com article about the most believable sociopaths in film, Bateman scored higher on the APD/sociopathy checklist than [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]] and [[TheDarkKnightSaga the Joker]].
* ''{{Heathers}}'' features Jason Dean, who is originally seen as simply TroubledButCute before revealing himself as one of these.
* The Scorpio Killer from ''DirtyHarry''.
* As you later [[MoralEventHorizon find]] [[CompleteMonster out]] in the film ''{{Chinatown}}'', [[spoiler:Noah Cross]].
* Peter and Paul, the CompleteMonster protagonists from the film ''FunnyGames''.
* Aaron Stampler from the film ''PrimalFear''.
* Frederick "Junior" Frenger from the film ''Miami Blues'' is a textbook example.
* Catherine Tramell of the ''BasicInstinct'' series is a rare example of a female sociopath in popular culture. A charismatic, seductive, [[TheNarcissist narcissistic]] author, FemmeFatale, pathological liar and SerialKiller, she manipulates and causes the deaths of nearly everyone in the story, including many of her lovers and even her own parents, largely for her own personal gain, amusement and to inspire her novels with no real remorse whatsoever. She is even described as such by multiple characters in the films.
* Geaer Grimsrud from the film ''{{Fargo}}''. A mute, nearly emotionless man with a love of pancakes, he reveals his true colors when he murders a police officer and several innocent people nonchalantly, and later [[spoiler: kills an innocent woman for simply making too much noise and shoves his partner into a wood chipper for mouthing off to him]]. He does all of this [[DissonantSerenity without changing his emotionless demeanor whatsoever]].
* [[ThereWillBeBlood Daniel Plainview]] is gradually revealed to be one as the film progresses.
* Anton Chigurh from ''NoCountryForOldMen''. He seems to view people much like cattle, and shows absolutely no remorse or consideration for any of the [[CompleteMonster horrible deeds]] he performs throughout the movie.
--> "What's this guy supposed to be, the ultimate badass?"
--> "I don't think that's how I'd describe him."
--> "Well, how ''would'' you describe him?"
--> "I guess I'd say he...doesn't have a sense of humor."
* Waldo Lydecker from 1944's ''Laura''.
* Emperor Palpatine from StarWars certainly qualifies. LackOfEmpathy ? Check. Manipulates people like chesspieces and only emitting shallow emotions? Check. Experiences extreme rage and is uplifted when hurting enemies? Check. That's just in the movies. The expanded universe has him being a sociopath even when he was a kid (including [[SelfMadeOrphan murdering his parents and siblings]]), and is incapable of feeling regret when committing heinous actions and various misdemeanors (including manslaughter when driving like a maniac). His cloning attempts only make his sociopathy even worse.
* James Moriarty is portrayed as such in Film/SherlockHolmes: A Game Of Shadows. People are just pawns to him, employment termination involves life termination ("No loose ends"), has a ginormous ego, has superficial charm, and is completely ruthless.
** Holmes lampshades this by diagnosing him with "moral insanity", a dated term for ASPD.
* From {{The Lion King}}: The two main villains, Scar and Zira, qualify. They also show great contrast between High Functioning and Low Functioning sociopathy, with the more [[TheChessmaster calculating]] Scar being the more high-functioning and the [[AxCrazy deranged]] Zira being more low-functioning.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Kevin Katchadurian, the eponymous character of ''WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin''. A teenage school shooter and torturer, he has been a CompleteMonster ever since he was a young child. Kevin has a severe case of APD/sociopathy; his disorder results in him never relating to other people and finding ''everything'' to be dreary, pointless and uninteresting. Every day of his life. By the time he is a teenager, he exists in a constant state of AndIMustScream.
* ''{{Discworld}}'' has Jonathan Teatime in ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}''. According to the book, he "sees things differently from other people, in that he sees other people as things."
* Roose Bolton from ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' is possibly one. Capable of extreme cruelty and betrayal, while never wavering from his DissonantSerenity. Although his lack of emotions and total detachment from other humans is actually more indicative of a psychotic/schizoid mental disorder, while his son Ramsay (who is a sadistic serial killer) is more of a typical sociopath.
** '''Gregor Clegane'''. Case-in-point: he burned and scarred his little brother's face ''over a toy''.
* Somerled from JulietMarillier's ''Wolfskin''. He commits genocide, fratricide and rape, has no empathy, and his only reaction to human pain and sufering is mild curiosity. He also thinks DespotismJustifiesTheMeans
* [[HarryPotter Lord Voldemort]] is pretty much a textbook sociopath. In his younger days before he became ObviouslyEvil, he was a canny manipulator brimming with superficial charm. He [[EvilCannotComprehendGood does not understand love]], viewing other people - including his own followers - as merely tools to serve his ends. Also, the "persistent killing" part fits him pretty well.
** The book posits a reason for his sociopathy. His mother seduced a Muggle with a love potion, and it was a completely loveless union. Riddle Sr. did not ''truly'' love Merope back, diplaying affection only under the influence of the potion. This absence of love in Voldemort's conception was the reason for his complete inability to love. Dumbledore also believes that had his mother not lost the will to live and died in childbirth, but instead raised Voldemort and loved him, his sociopathic tendencies might have been avoided.
** Bellatrix Lestrange definitely falls under this category as well. She definitely ''does'' have emotions, but she is unable to extend any of these emotions to anyone outside her own social circle of bigoted murderers. It is questionable whether Dolores Umbridge is also a sociopath (albeit to a slightly lesser extent), but since she completely lacks a conscience and only displays kindness to people to win them over so that she can use them for her cause, she probably is.
* Alex from ''AClockworkOrange'' (both the book and the movie). Although considering the CrapsackWorld he lived in, the general deconstruction of human morality, and Alex's own status as an UnreliableNarrator, it is debatable exactly where he falls on the in-universe scale of ChaoticEvil.
* [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Some interpretations]] of SherlockHolmes. Another, probably much straighter example is Sherlock's EvilCounterpart Moriarty.
* Though many of the supernatural creatures in ''TheDresdenFiles'' exhibit elements of sociopathy (notably vampires who fully embrace their predatory nature and many of the nastier Winter Court sidhe), the most obvious example is the all-too-human Nicodemus, a man so thoroughly and unapologetically (and yet [[AffablyEvil often politely]]) evil that a ''FallenAngel'' works with him as a ''genuine partner''. Nick's wife Tessa and daughter Deirdre are also candidates.
* Henry Bowers in ''{{IT}}'' by Stephen King is a prime example of a sociopath, as he matures from a schoolyard bully to a murderer. Had he not been institutionalized, he likely would have ended up eventually going on a shooting spree.
** In the same book, Patrick Hockstetter is explicitly described as a sociopath, with no grasp of the fact that others are in fact real, and at five years old killed his baby brother for disrupting household routine.
* In the gruesome flashback scenes in the InspectorLynley novel ''This Body of Death'', one of the three boys shows most of the listed traits. As an adult and [[spoiler:one of the murder suspects, he turns out to be innocent and eventually [[RedemptionEqualsDeath dies redeeming himself]].]] Since the author has a degree in psychology, this may well be intentional.
* Count Olaf of ''ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents''. He burns down ''a hospital'' to cover his tracks, kills at least one person per book to further his agenda, seems to view violence as rather entertaining, is extremely narcissistic, has a sense of entitlement to a fortune that isn't his and is able to manipulate and charm [[AdultsAreUseless pretty much anyone but the children]]. Oh, and he's perfectly willing to kill children. Definitely falls into the CompleteMonster stereotype as well.
** Subverted in book 13 when we find out [[spoiler:he loved Kit Snicket]] and he [[spoiler:he saves her life and is shocked that the Baudelaires would even think that he would hurt their parents.]] Also, he has a Freudian excuse - [[spoiler:it's implied that the Baudelaire parents killed his parents with poison darts.]]
* [[EvilAlbino Ivar]] [[EvilCripple Ragnarson]] of ''TheLastLightOfTheSun''. He doesn't see people as people, murdered his sister for laughing at him, sheds no tears over his dead brother, has to keep reminding himself to speak to people as ''though'' they were equals, and loses his temper when irritated. At one point he murders a captured earl just to make sure the mercenaries he's hired won't think of just ransoming him and going home; Ivar has lots more ForTheEvulz murder and mayhem planned for them. [[CaptainObvious He's the bad guy]].
* Caine from ''{{Gone}}'' is confirmed by WordOfGod to be a sociopath. His LackOfEmpathy becomes clear early on, but his status as this is confirmed when he tells a pack of mutated coyotes that they can feed on young (some daycare-age) children because . . . there was no reason ''not'' to. He actually manages to be a nuanced character, though; the ''real'' complete monster is his {{Dragon}}, Drake.
* ''TheSilenceOfTheLambs'': Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a SerialKiller and an EvilGenius, and perhaps one of the most famous examples of the inhumanly charismatic and exceptionally intelligent "[[MagnificentBastard elite psychopath]]" popularized by Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer.
** Though Dr. Chilton's diagnosis ("Oh, he's a [[CompleteMonster monster"]]) is likely more accurate, it's hardly a clinical diagnosis.
* ''TheTalentedMrRipley''.
** The movie's central plot essentially is the interplay of two sociopaths. Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) is a rich kid whose bumming around Europe on his plutocrat father's dime. Tom Ripley is a young blue collar musician willing to impersonate a fellow Princeton grad, defraud Dickie's father of a rather nice expense account to "convince" Dickie to come back, then play Dickie off his father to bum around Europe. Both display a great deal of superficial charm, little remorse about lying and manipulating others, quick tempers, a willingness to lash out violently when it suits them, and no qualms with defrauding the old man. Dickie has no problem blowing off a young Italian girl he impregnated, and when she is DrivenToSuicide, he seems more upset at how this affects him. Tom lies his way into high society and is willing to lie, steal, and murder to stay there. Marge, Dickie's girlfriend, describes how when Dickie takes note of you it's like being in the sun. This is a common trait among sociopaths. Tom has a similar trait and facility for lying. The few moments where either shows an emotion similar to remorse may seem to break the mold, but even real sociopaths are not ''completely'' inhuman. Sociopathy exists on a sliding scale.
* PsychoForHire Anton Chigurh from ''NoCountryForOldMen'' is a particularly [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel potent]] example.
* In the Literature/{{RCN}} series, Adele Mundy's assistant/bodyguard Tovera is a complete sociopathic monster who knows she needs Adele to act as her conscience to keep her functioning in society, and enjoys, as much as she can be said to, serving Adele (and by extension, Daniel Leary) because it gives her plenty of opportunity for authorized mayhem. For her part, Adele is very scrupulous in ''not'' asking Tovera what she does in her free time for amusement when she disappears into the city's slums.
* [[IAmNotASerialKiller John]] [[MrMonster Wayne]] [[IDontWantToKillYou Cleaver]] is a deconstruction of a sociopath: he's completely aware that he is nothing less than a nascent serial killer who has yet to kill anyone, but is also every bit as aware that acting out his fantasies of killing would ultimately lead to his arrest and execution. [[spoiler:Having to kill someone to save his mother's life at the end of the first book ''seriously fucks him up'', and leads into the plots of the other two.]]
* In the ''RedDwarf'' novel "Last Human", [[spoiler:the alternate Lister]] is a full-fledged sociopath, nicely outlined in his psych profile.
* [[AbusiveDad Richard]] [[TheAlcoholic Lopez]] of ''ShipBreaker'' is a drug-addicted, AxeCrazy, ArchnemesisDad who suffers from massive mood swings and a severe inability to connect to other people. He has no qualms about threatening to maim his son, or cut out a girl's eyes, and eventually tries to sell [[DistressedDamsel Nita]]'s organs on the black market. His attitude towards his son, Nailer, is especially volatile, shifting from almost fatherly affection to an attempt at OffingTheOffspring at the drop of a pin. He kills without remorse, and no one, not even Nailer, is sad when he dies.
* In the ''Privilege'' series, Kaitlynn Nottingham is this. [[spoiler:She kills her best friend's dad, who happens to be her lover, and has no qualms with killing one of her classmates so she can get into a secret society. The protagonist, Ariana Osgood, arguably counts as this, since she kills at least 3 people in the book and only feels remorse about one of them.]]
* John Dread of ''{{Otherland}}'' is explicitly described as a sociopath, complete with a psychologist telling the police how he was the scariest person he'd ever attempted to treat, because he could tell that Dread did not see him as a person, but merely an object, to be evaluated on his usefulness and killed without a second thought if he became too inconvenient. Dread is given the FreudianExcuse of a drug-addled prostitute mother who brutally abused him in order to turn him into a weapon against the world she hated. It worked.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''{{Dexter}}'': The eponymous Dexter Morgan, the most famous SociopathicHero and SerialKillerKiller on TV.
** The Ice Truck Killer, [[spoiler:Miguel Prado]], Trinity and Lilah also count.
** Dexter claims to be a sociopath, but he actually doesn't fit the bill all that well. He's not sadistic, he's capable of extraordinary self discipline and long term planning, he's capable of lying and manipulating people, but usually only does this to his targets (i.e. murderers) or [[HeroAntagonist people who are trying to hunt him down]] or in order to protect his secret identity. He is also repeatedly shown to be capable of guilt love and empathy. Dexter is actually more of a secret schizoid (albeit with a compulsive urge to kill) than a sociopath, and the show probably wouldn't be nearly as watchable if he was an actual sociopath.
*** Well, he is actually sadistic, or he wouldn't torture and murder people. Also, he initially gets into a relationship with Rita entirely as a disguise, so he is a bit more manipulative and callous than the above paragraph makes him.
* ''{{Profit}}'': Jim Profit
* Around half of the cast of ''{{Oz}}'', most notable with Simon Adebisi and Chris Keller.
* Serial killer Hoyt from ''RizzoliAndIsles''.
* ''CriminalMinds'' encounters a "pure psychopath" about once a season. Interestingly, despite the hundreds of cases the BAU have investigated, only 9 characters have been listed as genuinely sociopathic/psychopathic. They are [[MadBomber Adrian Bale]], Nathan Harris (who was not actually a criminal), [[SmugSnake Frank Breitkopf]], [[ItsAllAboutMe The Boston Reaper]], Ray Campion, [[UnholyMatrimony Raymond Donovan and Sydney Manning]], [[EnfanteTerrible Danny Murphy]], and [[StalkerWithACrush Greg Phinney]]. Of these, The Reaper is probably the worst, being an utterly amoral psycho who killed people for no better reason than a desire for fame, and went after the police when they dared to try and stop him. One could arguably make a case for [[EvilCripple Mason]] [[EvilGenius Turner]], who viewed the subjects in his [[MadDoctor experiments]] as nothing more than fodder, ruthlessly manipulated his brother, and believed that his victims should be happy that they were getting to be a part of something that was so much bigger than themselves.
** Jeremy from the Season 6 episode, ''Safe Haven'' is a [[TeensAreMonsters 13-year old]] "budding psychopath", with severe attention deficit problems and antisocial tendencies. He can't pay attention to anything for more than a few minutes, has a serious lack of impulse control, lies complusively and convincingly, killed his neighbour's dog, regularly tortures his little sister, and tried to poison his entire family with rat poison in the Thanksgiving turkey. After being abandoned by his mom he goes on a crosscountry killing spree as he attempts to return home and murder her, killing entire families and torturing the mothers. He has no real emotions (as is repeatedly demonstrated), but fakes them incredibly well, and at one point expresses a very creepy sexual interest in a girl who can't be much more than ten. Rossi suggests that they should keep him on file for a reason.
* Mr. Rabbit on ''The Kill Point'', who manages to be the TokenEvilTeammate of a ''bank robbing crew''. He beats the hostages unprovoked, psychologically tortures one of them for no particular reason, carries around the severed ear of an Iraqi soldier he previously tortured to death, and tells Captain Cali that he considers the hostages "cattle" and "sheep being led to the slaughter." He ends up [[spoiler:getting beaten to death by the leader of the team]], because EvenEvilHasStandards.
* ''ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Every character is a sociopath. They're frequently doing things that are unethical if not illegal, stabbing each other in the back, and no one in the gang is able to stick to a plan.
* ''{{Smallville}}'': If we are to believe [[ArchnemesisDad Lionel Luthor]], his BastardBastard Lucas is one of these. Lionel himself, and his son, Lex, both display traits of the disorder as well, but not enough to qualify. A much better example is probably [[AlternateUniverse Earth-2]]'s [[EvilTwin Clark Luthor]] aka Ultraman. A promiscous [[CareerKillers Career Killer]] and PsychoForHire, he lies like a dog to everyone he meets, has a violent, HairTriggerTemper, and switches between moods quickly enough to give you whiplash. His adoptive father, Earth-2 Lionel is likely an example as well, with a LackOfEmpathy that runs so deep it's almost frightening. The same goes for SerialKiller and TortureTechnician Desaad.
** Lx-3, Lex's clone and ShadowArchetype from Season 10's "Lazarus" is a solid example. He spends all his time on-screen committing mass murder, has a HairTriggerTemper and a sadistic streak, seems to actively enjoy murder for its own sake, and hates everyone. He literally tries to kill every person he meets.
* ''[[{{Series/Heroes}} Heroes]]'' has a few among its villains, notably Arthur and Sylar . Elle Bishop was actually diagnosed as a sociopath and displays extreme aggression coupled with no empathy.
-->'''Elle:''' The shrinks diagnosed me as a sociopath with paranoid delusions, but they were just out to get me because I threatened to kill them.
** It's also heavily implied that she wasn't naturally a sociopath so much as driven insane after her father had used her in various experiments relating to her power. She seemed to be growing out of it but never got the chance for redemption.
*** Bob Bishop most likely is one. Letting a sociopath raise a child to become a sociopath...
** Sylar's own father is a case. When asked why he murdered Sylar's mother and sold him to another family, he replies that he doesn't even remember because "it didn't matter to me."
* [[BigBad Servalan]] of BlakesSeven is another rare female example.
* Francis from ''MalcolmInTheMiddle'' qualifies. Early on in his life he deliberately set a teddy bear of his on fire by dousing it with lighter fluid. During his childhood, after Reese and Malcolm were born, he frequently tortured them, stole their toys, locked them in a closet, and presumably scarred Reese on the shoulder with a bayonette. Probably one of his greater joys is tormenting his own mom. During his teen years, he also frequently made destructive revolts for no reason outside of just for the heck of it or simply to spite his mother. One instance of this is his stealing a neighbors car and then proceeding to total it. He also frequently smoked, did drugs, and slept around, also getting four nose pierces just to spite his mom, who said that she'd put him in military school if he goes so far as to get one. He seemed to become more sane when he joined a Dude ranch, but he then reverted back after he was fired, and it was implied in the season finale that the reason why he got a steady job and wanted to keep it a secret was to further anguish his mother about being jobless for his own entertainment.
* Nora Dershlit from ''{{iCarly}}''. The only thing she cares about is [[IJustWantToHaveFriends to make friends]], but her perception of what counts as "friends" is so horrifically skewed that she believes ''locking the iCarly gang in her basement against their will'' qualifies, ignoring their repeated expressions of the fact they don't even like her, believing she can ''force'' people to be her friends. She has absolutely no remorse for holding people against their will and outright tries to ''murder'' Gibby when he comes to save the iCarly gang. In her second appearence, she once more holds them against their will by ''holding Spenser hostage'' and torturing him on a giant wheel to keep the iCarly gang under control, even implying she can and will ''kill him'' if it comes to it. She also shows the ManipulativeBitch qualities of the trope, feigning remorse for her actions to trick the iCarly gang into agreeing to release her from prison and luring them into her trap again. She's also confirmed to be a sociopath InUniverse, even referring to herself as one.
-->'''Carly''': Nora... You're a ''nutcase!''
-->'''Nora''': The correct term is disturbed, lonely sociopath.
** The largest example of this trope would be Sam Puckett. She fits most of the signs without the torturing animals part.
* On ''DarkOracle'', Omen appears to be one of these initially, but his genuine liking of Cally and slow development of human emotion keeps him from falling fully into the trope. VillainOfTheWeek Claudia, who believes "if it feels good, do it," might well be a low-functioning sociopath. And then there's the comic book characters, Blaze (a [[HairTriggerTemper hot-tempered]] JerkAss who has no qualms about breaking a fellow student's arm), Violet (a ManipulativeBitch who enjoys scaring the crap out of her victims), and [[EvilTwin comic!Sage]] (who plays mindgames with Lance, screws around, and tries to off several girls with a poisonous snake).
* The eponymous Sherlock Holmes of {{The BBC}}'s ''{{Sherlock}}'' certainly plays with the trope a lot. [[LackOfEmpathy He doesn't care at all about the people who bring him his cases]], [[ItsAllAboutMe only solves them to keep himself from getting bored]], and then [[TheCharmer charms]], [[ConsummateLiar lies to]] and [[ManipulativeBastard manipulates]] everyone involved to solve the mysteries. Ends up being a subversion though, since despite having all the other traits of a sociopath, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold he's missing the black heart]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Moriarty:''']] If you don't stop prying, I will burn you. I will burn the ''heart'' out of you.
-->'''Sherlock:''' I have been reliably informed that I don't have one.
-->[[spoiler:'''Moriarty:''']] But we both know that's not quite true.
** Of course, [[CompleteMonster Moriarty]] is as usual an actual one, and [[EvilCounterpart just as brilliant as Sherlock]].
* Charlie Harper from ''TwoAndAHalfMen'' probably qualifies as a sociopath. For starters, he often shamelessly sleeps around and manipulates women (and the only time he doesn't try to sleep with a woman is if that woman is married, although sleeping unknowingly with a married woman happens as well) and some of the instances possibly could also qualify as statuatory rape or require him by law to get registered as a sex offender had it been real life, and he doesn't seem to have any remorse for what he did. He's also extremely dispicable around those near him.
* [[DoctorWho The Master]], along with a generous helping of [[AGodAmI megalomania]].
* There's a good chance that Mordred from ''Series/{{Merlin}}'' is one of these. He is a rather unemotional child, seems quite apt at manipulating the adults around him, shows no remorse when he kills several armed men, and responds with anger rather than grief when his father his executed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* In ''[[TrinityUniverse Trinity]]'', this is the dirty secret of the main branch of the vitakinetic order. Their powers make them intimately aware of the physical and mental health of people in close proximity to them. Quite a few of these healers find being surrounded by so much pain and decay so overwhelming that they voluntarily undergo a process that turns them into sociopaths, just so they can get on with their jobs without being constantly crippled by empathy with their patients.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Morinth in ''MassEffect2''. The mission overview after Samara's loyalty mission even says that her biotic powers would make her an excellent addition to the squad...if her "sociopathic tendencies were mitigated." [[spoiler:Though you can kill Samara and recruit her anyway.]]
* Kefka Palazzo of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', is a particularly over the top example of this.
* Likewise, the jester Dimentio from ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario''.
* The ''{{Suikoden}}'' series has a few, with the most exemplary examples being [[SuikodenII Luca Blight]] and [[SuikodenV Childerich]].
* One of the more unstable versions of this trope is Albedo Piazolla from the ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' series, particularly in [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Episode 1]].
* [[spoiler:Tohru Adachi]] in {{Persona 4}}, [[spoiler:who initially hides behind the mask of a NiceGuy, though when revealed shows himself as a sadistic manchild who finds entertainment in ruining the lives of others with a tendency to violently lashing out at women who spurn his advances]].
* Vanitas in ''KingdomHearts'' ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth By Sleep]]''. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that [[spoiler:[[LiteralSplitPersonality he's Ven's personified]] [[MadeOfEvil darkness]]. Makes you wonder what he'd be like if he were the darkness of someone less nice than [[CuteShotaroBoy Ven]]...]]
** Nobodies are by their very nature sociopaths, since they lack the hearts required to form bonds or experience true emotions. The members of Organization XIII function at varying levels, with the exceptions of Roxas and Xion, the former of which [[spoiler: actually does have a heart; the heart of the aforementioned Ven]] and the latter of which [[spoiler: isn't even a Nobody.]] Another member, Axel, does gain emotional care for Roxas and Xion after hanging out with them, but it's ''only'' for them; he is still a sociopath in regards to anyone else.
* {{Complete Monster}}s [[BigBad Irenicus]] and [[TheDragon Bodhi]] from ''[[BaldursGate Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn]]''. In their case, it's a magically caused condition, though from what we hear, they weren't exactly nice people before.
* [[spoiler:The real Alex Mercer]] from ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}''. [[spoiler:After all, he "wasn't paid to feel."]]
* {{BlazBlue}}'s own [[ArchnemesisDad Relius Clover]]. In what can only be considered a seriously messed up logical extreme of the page quote, he even turned both his daughter and his wife into puppets! Completely unapologetically. ForScience. And then attempted to [[OffingTheOffspring kill his son]] when he got in the way. Relius' sociopathy puts him in [[RedOniBlueOni nice contrast]] to BlazBlue's [[BigBadDuumvirate other]] BigBad, [[CompleteMonster Hazama]]/[[AxCrazy Terumi]] [[{{Troll}} Yuuki]], who is fully aware of the difference between "things" and "people", and greatly enjoys the misery innocent furniture cannot feel, but innocent humans can.
* {{Hitman}}'s protagonist, Agent 47, is a sociopathic clone who is also the best assassin the ICA, Agent 47's employer, has at its disposal. He tries to avoid unnecessary deaths, but that is only out of professional pride and a desire to avert suspicion; he will murder anybody who inconveniences him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* {{MAG ISA}} -- All the villains of MAG-ISA are pretty much this personality type. The higher up the ladder you go, the more evil you are. [[http://mag-isa.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/119829 (1)]] [[http://mag-isa.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/119816 (2)]]
* ''OrderOfTheStick'': Xykon, even before he became an undead abomination.
** And Belkar, of the Comedic sort.
** Tarquin is quite the sociopath himself -- while his fans like to paint him as [[DracoInLeatherPants leather pants-wearing]] NobleDemon, that doesn't change the fact that the lives of others mean very little to him. Just look at how he "[[ColdBloodedTorture convinces]]" his wives to marry him, or how he forced Gannji and Enor to fight to the death because he thought Elan would enjoy it (and seemed confused when Elan wasn't thrilled with the idea). He's also got LackOfEmpathy down, as he basically told Malack (his supposed friend, mind you) to stop whining about his dead children and ordered him to work with Nale (who killed said children).
* Angel, the VillainProtagonist of ''TheGoodWitch'', remorselessly torments and ruins the lives of her friends, family, and anybody unfortunate enough to cross her path with her newfound magic powers. There are hints she is a "made sociopath," not originally being so cruel and self-centered but gradually cracking under an intense amount of bullying, but any sympathy that might have been gifted to her has long since passed; for God's sake, she turns people into articles of clothing, and ''keeps them sentient'' so that they can desperately try to find anyone to help them and eternally despair over their predicament!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''SurvivalOfTheFittest'' villains can quite frequently be sociopaths, with characters like J.R. Rizzolo and Jacob Starr being prominent examples of these traits. In spin-off ''The Program'', Brigadier General David Adams has all the hallmarks of being one, given he doesn't seem to care at all about the imminent deaths of the students.
* TheNostalgiaChick, especially with the "not understanding boundaries" thing. What's wrong with installing cameras in your friend's bedroom?
* IN MSFHighForums, Seram Rosenbyme is meant to be one. Whether or not she can stay written as one of these, when she is engaged, is an interesting conflict for the player, and is likely to cause severe character drama in the future.
** She does not possess the lack of long-term planning, but DEFINITELY lacks empathy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Princess Azula, and her father Ozai even moreso - Azula [[spoiler:has at least some humanizing qualities, though she mostly tries to bury them due to both her father's influence and her mistaken beliefs about her mother's love]]. Ozai, by contrast, doesn't seem to feel anything for anybody but himself. Not his son Zuko, his daughter Azula, his brother Iroh... he doesn't even bat an eyelid when admitting he [[spoiler:framed and banished his own wife]]! The saddest part is that he didn't ''used'' to be this way, but the desire for power he had corrupted him completely and irreversably, which led to all the pain the rest of his family had to go through.
* [[JerkAss Eric Cartman]] in ''SouthPark''. Let's see, he has no conscience, he's incredibly racist, oh, and he *deep breath* [[spoiler: tried to restart the Nazi movement, joined the Special Olympics and pretended to have Tourette's for personal gain, put a classmate in a ''Saw''-inspired trap, infected one of his friends with AIDS somehow, oh and turned a kid's parents into chili and fed it to him.]]
** He hates Jews and idolises AdolfHitler. However he does not idolise Hitler because he hated Jews; he does so because Hitler was one of the greatest manipulators that history has ever known and Cartman is also a manipulator; thus he mimicks Hitler's hatred of minorities. Cartman just doesn't get that Hitler was also a CompleteMonster.
** In the episode "Toilet Paper", Stan and Kyle confess to doing something bad, for which Butters had unfairly been blamed. Cartman literally [[EvilCannotComprehendGood could not understand]] Stan and Kyle's guilt. In the end, he's the one who ends up confessing though... because he realized that he'd get off with a lighter punishment for confessing, not because he felt any guilt.
* Kevin 11 from ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'', and when the TimeSkip sequel shows had him become good, first Kevin's EvilCounterpart Darkstar and then the evil alien Aggregor came around to fill the void.
** Ultimately, it's [[AuthorsSavingThrow revealed]] that for Osmosians like Kevin and Aggregor, using their powers to absorb energy (which Kevin did as a kid, and Aggregor still does) induces [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity a sociopathy-like state]]. Kevin stopped absorbing energy before ''Alien Force'' began, which was what allowed him to regain his sanity.
* [[spoiler:Lotso]] from ''ToyStory 3'' [[UsedToBeASweetKid used to be a good toy]] until a tragic incident caused him to "snap," and now he no longer believes in the concept of love or the bond between a child and a toy; WordOfGod even describes him as now permanently believing the love his own owner had for him was nothing but an illusion, which he even yells out at one point ("She never loved me!")
* BigBad Slade from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''. He admits as much in "The End: Part 2".
* WordOfGod describes the villains Jackal and Hyena from ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' as sociopaths.
* The Ice King from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' is a rare sympathetic example, as his sociopathy [[JerkassWoobie NEVER works out in his favor]]. Then it's learned [[spoiler: he used to be a normal person who went insanely sociopathic against his will because of the power of his magic crown]]. Even all the show's ''characters'' show pity for the poor guy after this...his LackOfEmpathy is just a sad, sad case.
** The Ice King is more of a Narcissist than a Sociopath: he's self-centered, but his main obsession is with getting other people to praise him and acknowledge how great he is. Unfortunately, the only way he can think of making people like him is to force them to. The Ice King is also genuinely embarrassed when he appears foolish in front of prospective brides, something a sociopath wouldn't really care about. Really...a sociopath would have forced himself on a princess long ago. As a Narcissist, the Ice King kidnaps princesses...so that he can force them to socialize with him at his castle, "interrogating" them about inane little details about their likes and dislikes.
* ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' has King Julien. He lies, he manipulates people, he treats people as objects, he often loses his temper, he lays claim to a job he's clearly not qualified for, and of course he never admits that he has a problem with any of those things. All this is covered by wit and charm and hilarious antics.
** However, he also saves Skipper's life, proved more then once that his "subjects" are the most important things to him, and has mustered up some empathy on several occasions, proving that not all sociopaths are monsters.
* Mozenrath from {{Aladdin}} the series.
** [[BigBad Jafar]] from the movie was described as "Senior Psychopath" by the Genie, and with good reason too.
* Most of the bad guys in XMenEvolution have shades of this. The Brotherhood is primarily filled with narcissistic and amoral mutants who, despite often been said to be more 'sympathetic' than normal, they're anything but when you take a good look at it. Pietro was self caring and allowed a train of bystanders be derailed and let it crash into one filled with fuel. Blob kidnapped Jean and showed incredibly creepy, rapist vibes, as well as other violent behaviour. Toad was amoral, selfish, vulgar, and cruel, with his attraction to Wanda being his only redeeming quality. Avalanche was aggressive and violent, and while he looked rather sympathetic in the second season, a number of things made it look like he was faking the nice guy persona he had during that season. Of the Acolytes, Pyro and Sabretooth are the closest we get to text book Sociopaths in a show for kids; the two attempted murder, [[ForTheEvulz enjoyed their work]], and are pretty much the definition of why mutants ''may'' be a risk. Averted with Colossus and Gambit; the former a good guy forced to work for bad people, the latter a [[IncrediblyLamePun Card Carrying]] [[CardCarryingVillain Villain]].
* The BigBad of Season 1 of WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}, Prince Phobos.
* Jeff, Quagmire's sister's abusive boyfriend from one episode of ''FamilyGuy''. As if beating his girlfriend over the smallest things wasn't monsterous enough. The gang has had enough of him and decide to take him to the woods to kill him, but he turns the tables on them, [[ShooOutTheClowns knocks out Peter and Joe,]] and [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beats Quagmire within an inch of his life, seemingly choking him to death]]. [[spoiler: Then it turns out Quagmire survived [[ChekhovsGun (since he chokes himself for sexual pleasure)]], and rams Jeff into a tree, killing him.]]
* Starscream from ''{{TransformersPrime}}''.
* [[FutureMeScaresMe Dark Danny]] from ''DannyPhantom'' ''definitely'' counts as this. He feels no emotion, single-handedly caused an apocalypse, and [[BatmanGambit ruthlessly manipulated all the people who loved his past self]], to their ''[[StuffBlowingUp horrible deaths]]'' to ensure he would exist as he did.
* Discord, the villain from the first two episodes of season two of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. He loves to [[BreakTheCutie break ponies]] ForTheEvulz, [[LackOfEmpathy feels no empathy]], finds anything [[GoodIsBoring non-chaotic boring]], [[ManipulativeBastard is very good at controlling everypony]], and cares only about himself and his own amusement, and is also suppose to be the perfect opposite of harmony. It's a shock they not only got a villain this scary, but [[VileVillainSaccharineShow such a graphic example of a Sociopath in a TV-Y show that looks very sugary at a glance]].
* Despite heavy censorship, ''SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' still managed to make their version of Cletus Kasady, aka Carnage, into a bonafide psychopath, portraying him as a LaughingMad [[MadBomber Bomber]], who cackles with glee at the possibility of vaporising an entire city block--himself included--in his first appearance. He shows no remorse for his actions, and after becoming Carnage is downright eager to get back in action and start stealing souls for Dormammu (an OmnicidalManiac who will consume the souls of everyone in the world if he is unleashed). He displays no regard for human life (least of all his own) and goes out of his way to injure anyone who tries to help him, including his psychiatrist, Anne Kafka.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]] (''NOTE: Must be actually professionally diagnosed with sociopathy''.)
* Ted Bundy. He raped, tortured and murdered women for several years, including 2 12-year-old girls, while appearing to lead an exemplary life. Yes, this sadistic SerialKiller was a member of the Crime Prevention Council, a political staffer, and a volunteer at a suicide hotline. If Ted hadn't done "those things," today he'd probably be holding elective office.
* Hermann Göring, the Reich Marshal of NaziGermany and the initial second-in-command to AdolfHitler. Also the founder of the [[SecretPolice Gestapo]]. He was diagnosed as a narcissistic sociopath, and found to have the highest IQ among the Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials. Cruel, corrupt and self-indulgent, he amassed enormous wealth at the expense of his country, during wartime. Neither did he give two shits about any National Socialist ideals - when they asked him why he joined the Nazi movement in the first place, his explanation pretty much boiled down to "I did it ForTheEvulz."
** And yet Goring also [[PetTheDog rescued several Jews and Jewish families from the Nazis]], making sure they were able to get out of Germany, mostly because they'd showed him some kindness when he was poor or otherwise in a bad way. And by all accounts he really did love his daughter. His brother was an opponent of the Nazi's who used Hermann's name to smuggle Jews out of Germany- Hermann knew about this, and turned a blind eye.
*** Not to mention, his first wife Carin -- enough that he maintained a shrine in her honor after she died.
* Robert Hare estimates that around 1% of the population is made up of psychopaths. Other Psychologists have gone even higher, some going as high as 5% of the population (1 in 20 people). Either way, chances are high that you've run into one today. Or worse: you might be living with one. Or be one.
** It should be noted that those percentages mostly account for 'functioning sociopaths', meaning people such as grifters, con artists, and shady used car dealers because they're unempathic enough to not be bothered by swindling people but are still affected by stronger social/moral conventions like 'murder is bad'. Violent sociopaths, like Bundy and Dahmer, are much more rare, sitting at perhaps .5% of the population.
[[/folder]]

The Sociopath is far from your ordinary criminal or villain. Combine a willingness to cross the MoralEventHorizon without a shred of guilt, a keen sense of other people's mental and emotional fault lines, and a LackOfEmpathy, and you have the consummate evildoer. To put it briefly, the Sociopath is like a {{predator|sAreMean}} while [[MisanthropeSupreme everyone else]] is prey to them.

#''' [[TheHedonist Pathological Need for Stimulation]]''': The Sociopath's ''raison d'etre'' (i.e.: [[MotivationIndex an overriding goal which serves as one's "reason for existence"]]). Due to their [[LackOfEmpathy inability to empathize or even care for those around them]], sociopaths largely view their existence as [[StrawNihilist boring or meaningless]] and therefore feel compelled to [[ItAmusedMe engage in "thrill-seeking" activities to alleviate their restlessness]]. How this manifests depends largely on the sociopath's personality. It can be as ''relatively'' benign as binging on video games, compulsively gambling, or leading [[TheCasanova highly promiscuous lifestyles]]. Far more dangerous examples are prone to satiate their lust for thrills by partaking in criminal enterprises, becoming {{serial rapist}}s and/or [[SerialKiller killers]], or (if they are [[BunnyEarsLawyer unusually high-functioning]]) accumulating vast [[{{Greed}} wealth]] and/or [[VillainWithGoodPublicity influence]] for the sole purpose of [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans dominating as many people as they can for their own amusement]]. Due to their obsession with indulging their insatiable appetites ''however'' they want ''whenever'' they want, sociopaths have a '''very''' low tolerance for inconvenience or irritation, which, in turn, leads them to have a pronounced lack of impulse control. Because of this, many of them are AxCrazy, have a HairTriggerTemper, and/or are {{Mood Swinger}}s.

Under such circumstances, high-functioning examples will [[PragmaticVillainy obey social norms to the extent necessary to sustain their hedonistic lifestyle]] while more low-functioning examples will react with unrestrained hostility towards anything resembling a challenge to their "freedom". Likewise, sociopaths are [[NeverMyFault incapable of acknowledging personal responsibility for]] ''[[NeverMyFault any]]'' [[NeverMyFault failures or disappointments they encounter]] (i.e: events which they automatically attribute to [[TheManIsKeepingUsDown those out to "keep them down"]] or [[YouCantFightFate unfortunate twists of fate entirely beyond their control]]).