History Main / VilerNewVillain

A LikableVillain can be fun, either because [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans they have a good goal]], [[AffablyEvil are pleasant]] or otherwise relatable. But sometimes you want a more straight villain, [[HateSink someone to be hated for their evil]]. Maybe the likable villain used to fill that role, but since they TookALevelInKindness that role needs filling. Perhaps there needs to be a worse villain for the nicer villain to have a plausible EnemyMine situation with the hero, or have a HeelFaceTurn [[EvilVersusEvil to oppose them]]. The darker shade of black contrasts the nicer by lacking their nobler intentions, [[EvenEvilHasStandards standards]], attachments and geniality. If the likable villain isn't a KnightOfCerebus, this villain might be. That, and/or they function as a HateSink, though sometimes they can take the role of [[LoveToHate being enjoyed for their heinousness]] in a way the nicer villain can not. Usually they're an [[EvilCounterpart even eviller counterpart]] or {{Foil}} to the honorable villain to make the point clear. Expect them to provoke EvenEvilHasStandards from the other villains. This gets {{exaggerated|Trope}} if the previous villain was {{harmless|Villain}}, while the new one is a CompleteMonster, and it may overlap with VileVillainSaccharineShow as well.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': The comical Ice King was the closest thing Finn had to a "nemesis" during the beginning of the show, but even before the full extent of his tragic past was revealed, the roots of Ice King's villainy were his loneliness coupled with his rampant insanity which prevented him from realizing his actions were wrong. Then the season two finale introduced the Lich, a sadistic undead abomination who was always played seriously and desired nothing less than the extermination of all life.

* The ''VideoGame/MarySkelter'' series has [[spoiler:Yuto Gato, the main antagonist of ''Finale''. Snark in ''Nightmares'', while definitely cruel, was a WellIntentionedExtremist who wanted to recreate his homeworld. The Mysterious Nightmare in the second game, despite being a grave threat to everyone, is a TragicMonster who transformed and went on a rampage after apparently losing the boy she loved. Both of them also had someone they still cared about deeply that played a role in their motives (Snark had his missing wife, while the Mysterious Nightmare had Jack). Gato, on the other hand, is an OmnicidalManiac [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum who wants to destroy the world]] because of his FantasticRacism towards anything that isn't human and anyone sympathetic to them, has none of the sympathetic and redeeming qualities of the previous antagonists, is completely indiscriminate in the lives he ruins, and has absolutely no he cares about, even going so far as to kill his only remaining family because she isn't human and called him brother.]]

* ''Anime/CrossAnge'': [[BigBad Embryo]] was this to Julio, sharing his [[PsychopathicManchild loathsome traits]] with ever viler [[OmnicidalManiac goals]] and [[SerialRapist pastimes]] while having the [[PhysicalGod power]] and intelligence to be far more capable of realizing such and threatening the heroes. Any style, charm, moral intrigue or depth Embryo displayed is ultimately subverted made worse by [[BitchInSheepsClothing using it]] to corrupt many heroines to his side as pawns and toys ultimately to discard them along with any pretenses of care and [[AttemptedRape attempts to force himself]] on the one he couldn't seduce.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'': While Tuco Salamanca always was crazy, he doesn't hold a candle to the meticulous and conniving Gus Fring. By the end of the series, actual nazis make Jessie's life hell. His protagonist nature blurs the line, but Walter White's slow but certain descent into villainy makes him an example compared to the initial small fries.

* ''ComicBook/{{Xmen}}'': Magneto's slow reformation under Chris Claremont meant that they needed another potential archenemy for the team. As such, Louise and Walter Simonson created Apocalypse. He was designed around Darwinian principles and without any of Magneto's redeeming qualities.

* ''ComicBook/Xmen'': Magneto's slow reformation under Chris Claremont meant that they needed another potential archenemy for the team. As such, Louise and Walter Simonson created Apocalypse. He was designed around Darwinian principles and without any of Magneto's redeeming qualities.

* In the original ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' campaign the Marines are portrayed as evil [[MeleeATrois despite also being enemies of the Xen aliens]]. In ''Opposing Force'' you [[PerspectiveFlip play as one of the Marines]], who are humanized a lot more than before and shown to mostly be [[PunchClockVillain Punch-Clock Villains]] ''at worst''. As the creators still wanted an evil human faction for Sheppard and the Marines to fight, they added the Black Ops, who are statistically the same as the NPC Marines from the first game, but are portrayed as a lot more inhuman and scary, as they all [[EvilWearsBlack wear black from head to toe, including face masks,]] and hardly ever talk (and when they do, it's invariably about some evil plan such as how they [[spoiler: plan to nuke Black Mesa]].

* ''Film/TransformersRiseOfTheBeasts'': The [[BigBadDuuvirate Decepticons Shatter and Dropkick]] in ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'' were vicious and cruel, but at least had some sense of camaraderie between them. Scourage of the Terrocons on the other hand is a psychopath in service of [[GreaterScopeVillain Unicron]] who takes pleasure in wiping out civilizations for his master while preparing planets for him to feast on, hunting down survivors and making them suffer before killing them.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':

* ''Manga/DrStone'': First villain Tsukasa was a WellIntentionedExtremist that wished to keep the Stone World free from scientific advancements in order to prevent war and bloodshed. His Dragon Hyoga had a similar ideal, but with a far stricter "survival of the fittest" mantra, resulting in him allowing Tsukasa's other warriors to die in a poison gas cloud, which Tsukasa would have never done. Then it's revealed he merely went along with Tsukasa so he can find his weakness and kill him, even going after his younger (revived) sister to do so. But even Hyoga is downright charming compared to the next villain, Minister Ibara, the brutal dictator of the Petrification Kingdom who claimshis orders came from the island's Master, when in reality he petrified the Master long ago and destroyed his face (effectively killing him). When any of the girls he brings onto his harem discover this truth, he murders them without a second thought, including his attempt to kill Ginro. Anyone that questions him is petrified, even his closest associates. Made worse in that he's clever too, managing to out-maneuver several of Senku's gambits.

* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'': Akihiko Kayaba was no saint, but he had his [[MoralSociopathy own moral code]] and [[FairPlayVillain stuck to it to the end]]. The Fairy Dance arc brings in Nobuyuki Sugou, who has none of Kayaba's AffablyEvil traits and is just an amoral, greedy, perverted {{Jerkass}} who commits such horrifying atrocities as trapping 300 SAO survivors for the sake of performing mind control experiments, trying to rape Asuna while making Kirito watch, and then trying to kill Kazuto IRL. And while Kayaba had VillainousValour, was a good fighter even without admin privileges, and ultimately [[GracefulLoser took his defeat well]], Sugou is a DirtyCoward who knows he doesn't stand a chance against Kirito without GameMaster powers and [[InelegantBlubbering wimps out]] when the tables turn on him.

* ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'' had as their first antagonists rather some assholes (and later also {{asshole victim}}s) who have maltreated Liliruca. The sequel ''Sword Oratoria'', on the other hand, had an evil adventurer and contract killer working for a [[ManEatingPlant malicious plant monster]].

* ''LightNovel/Overlord2012'': Ainz is stuck babysitting a bunch of murderous psychopaths (essentially a bunch of [[OriginalCharacter Original Characters]] created by people in full edgelord phase) united only in their unwavering faith and devotion in Ainz as their PhysicalGod and their hatred of humans. Because Ainz still thinks like a human, he's unaware of their more troublesome quirks like Demiurge running a vast vivisection operation on beastmen or Lupusregina interpreting Ainz's orders to guard a human as "don't kill him yourself", even as he's trying to run a kingdom where different races can live in peace.

* ''Manga/DrStone'': First villain Tsukasa was a WellIntentionedExtremist that wished to keep the Stone World free from scientific advancements in order to prevent war and bloodshed. His Dragon Hyoga had a similar ideal, but with a far stricter "survival of the fittest" mantra, resulting in him allowing Tsukasa's other warriors to die in a poison gas cloud, which Tsukasa would have never done. Then it's revealed he merely went along with Tsukasa so he can find his weakness and kill him, even going after his younger (revived) sister to do so. But even Hyoga is downright charming compared to the next villain, Minister Ibara. The brutal dictator of the Petrification Kingdom, claiming his orders came from the island's Master, when in reality he petrified the Master long ago and destroyed his face (effectively killing him). When any of the girls he brings onto his harem discover this truth, he murders them without a second thought. Including his attempt to kill Ginro. Anyone that questions him is petrified, even his closest associates. Made worse in that he's clever too, managing to out-maneuver several of Senku's gambits.

* ''{{ComicBook/Spawn}}'': With the Redeemer being an anti-villain with hime becoming an ally of Spawn and a member of the Scorched,The Forsaken aka Dark Redeemer takes over his old role being the first Redeemer but more Agressive and vengeful than the other Redeemers.

* In the ''Grand Theft Auto Online'' expansion of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', [[spoiler:Avon Hertz in the ''Doomsday Heist'' scenario turns out to be one, being a CorruptCorporateExecutive with his even more OmnicidalManiac aims, backstabbing the player and his ally while using his CloneArmy and robots to plot a genocide on the human race. While there are villains which are just as powerful and dangerous as him (even the preceding [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Devin Weston]] and [[DirtyCop Steve Haines]] who were the BigBadDuumvirate in the main game), none of them have the genocidal intentions as him]].

* ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'' features [[spoiler:Specimen ID-F86, better known as Fecto Forgo]], by far one of the cruelest villains in the otherwise fluffy ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' franchise alongside the ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' version of [[VideoGame/KirbysAdventure Nightmare]]. Most prior villains were AffablyEvil and/or Punch-Clock Villains, were [[AntiVillain Anti-Villains]] with noble traits and goals that were the only things making them evil, [[TragicVillain had tragic backstories that drove them to villainy and/or insanity]], were simply [[BrainwashedAndCrazy possessed and/or brainwashed]] into doing things [[NotHimself out of character and/or against their own will]], were simply MadeOfEvil, or were simply {{Generic Doomsday Villain}}s. [[spoiler:Fecto, on the other hand, is a despicable monster that delights in ruining the lives of others [[ForTheEvulz just because they can]], tried to subjugate the new world and its ecosystems, [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil enslaves hundreds of cute and innocent Waddle Dees]], brainwashes the Beast Pack and King Dedede into carrying out their evil deeds as their puppets, [[UngratefulBastard assimilates several members including their leader Leongar]], and [[ColonyDrop tries to make Planet Popstar and the Forgotten Land collide with each other and kill everybody in both worlds]] just because of a petty grudge against Kirby. In the postgame, Fecto even shatters Leon's soul and possesses him in their attempt to keep themselves alive.]]

** ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'' features [[spoiler:THE END, who is easily the most heinous and least sympathetic villain in the game, and one of the darkest in the series due it to attempting to destroy everything for [[ForTheEvulz seemingly no reason whatsoever]]; being exceedingly arrogant, boastful, [[EvilIsPetty petty]], and a {{Narcissist}} with a LackOfEmpathy; and seemingly going out of its way just to drive species to extinction, to the point where it chases the Ancients to kill the remaining few left after they flee from their planet's destruction. Dr. Eggman is shown to have plenty of sympathetic qualities in ''Frontiers'' [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes such as his love for Sage]] and Sage herself is also an AntiVillain who wants to keep THE END sealed from Cyberspace due to the damage it'll cause, and holds no ill will towards Sonic and wants a family relationship with Dr. Eggman]].

** ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'' features [[spoiler:The End, who is easily the most heinous and least sympathetic villain in the game, and one of the darkest in the series due to attempting to destroy everything for [[ForTheEvulz seemingly no reason whatsoever]]; being exceedingly arrogant, boastful, [[EvilIsPetty petty]] and a {{Narcissist}} with a LackOfEmpathy; and seemingly going out of its way just to drive species to extinction, to the point where it chases the Ancients to kill the remaining few left after they flee from their planet's destruction. Dr. Eggman is shown to have plenty of sympathetic qualities in ''Frontiers'' [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes such as his love for Sage]] and Sage herself is also an AntiVillain who wants to keep The End sealed from Cyberspace due to the damage it'll cause, and holds no ill-will towards Sonic and wants a family relationship with Dr. Eggman]].

* ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'': The GreaterScopeVillain of the [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} original game]] and the BigBad of its [[VideoGame/Bayonetta2 second]] is Loptr, an order-obsessed wicked god who [[spoiler:instigates the bloody Witch Hunts, corrupts the noble Masked Lumen into becoming the tyrannical Father Balder and seeks to rule over the world as its sole god]]. But come ''Bayonetta 3'', Singularity, an [[spoiler:''ArtificialHuman created from an artificial body parts plant'', took it way further by blowing up more than '''two thousand universes''' (through killing their Arch-Eves, usually a Bayonetta) and turning them into one singularity where he rules over.]] Loptr might be an egostical tyrant of a god, but [[spoiler:he's not an AxCrazy SerialKiller wiping out life on an omniversal scale.]]

* ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'': The GreaterScopeVillain of the [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} original game]] and the BigBad of its [[VideoGame/Bayonetta2 second]] is Loptr, an order-obsessed wicked god who [[spoiler:instigates the bloody Witch Hunts, corrupts the noble Masked Lumen into becoming the tyrannical Father Balder and seeks to rule over the world as its sole god]]. But come ''Bayonetta 3'', Singularity, an [[spoiler:''ArtificialHuman created from an artificial body parts plant'', took it way further by blowing up more than '''two thousand universes''' (through killing their Arch-Eves, usually a Bayonetta) and turning them into one Singularity where he rules over.]]

[[folder:Light Novels]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/ConanTheBarbarian'': Conan will frequently go from [[AssholeVictim administering well-deserved violence unto a reprehensible example of humanity]] at the start of a story to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punching out Cthulhu]] by the end.
** ''Literature/ThePhoenixOnTheSword'': The conspirators attempting to assassinate King Conan and usurp his throne are not nice people, but EvilSorcerer [[BreakoutVillain Thoth-Amon]] and the demon he summons with his Serpent Ring of Set are so nasty a long-dead adversary of Set is forced to give Conan mystical assistance from beyond the grave (the titular Phoenix) to stop them.
** ''Literature/XuthalOfTheDusk'': Thalis is the primary antagonist for much of the story, intending to sacrifice Conan's GirlOfTheWeek to [[EldritchAbomination Thog]] so she can have Conan all to herself. She's eaten ([[NothingIsScarier or something]]) by Thog, leaving Conan to lay the smackdown upon the "god."
** ''Literature/TheValeOfLostWomen'': Conan leads his tribe of warriors to slaughter the tribe they'd come to parley with (who Conan knew full well would betray them the first chance they got) to rescue the fair maiden the other tribe had captured. In a panic, said fair maiden flees into the titular Vale, home to a "[[EldritchAbomination Demon of the Outer Dark]]," which Conan sends packing with his trusty sword.
* ''Literature/MorganvilleVampires'' features the vampire [[IceQueen Amelie]] and her father Bishop. Amelie as leader of the Morganville vampires can be ruthless and perfectly willing to kill people if it means that vampires are able to survive as she feels its for the good of her people. That said she does everything with the [[WellIntentionedExtremist best of intentions]] and is also [[AffablyEvil genuinely friendly]] and even views the series heroine Claire Danvers as a surrogate daughter of sorts. In contrast her father, Bishop who is introduced later in the series is a ruthless sociopath who would bring about the extinction of all other vampires but him if it meant he got to rule and is far more prone to violence and bloodshed. Every ounce of politeness or apparently kind thought that comes from Bishop is [[FauxAffablyEvil fake]].
* ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'':
** Valentine Morgenstern was a racist [[FantasticRacism who had despised the humans and]] [[FantasyKitchenSink downwoldlers]], and wanted a world in which there are only [[{{Nephilim}} shadowhunters]]. After he was defeated, and Sebastian Morgenstern became the next BigBad, it turned out that he was much more evil and wanted to turn the whole world into a hotbed of demons.
** [[TheFairFolk Fairies]] are generally considered [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon beautiful, but also vicious]]. First, only the fairies from Seelie Court are shown, and many of them are really prone to be evil. But the sequel ''Literature/TheDarkArtifices'' shows the Unseelie Court. And the fairies there are even more cruel.
* Luke from ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' is an anti-villain who has at least a legitimate reason to rebel against the gods, even if that does not excuse many of his actions. But the sequel ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' shows Gaia, who is a very powerful and very evil goddess and wants to destroy the world. Even minor villains like Octavian are far more vicious than Luke was.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] with Roose and Ramsay Bolton in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. Roose Bolton is a [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] [[AristocratsAreEvil lord]] that starts as the TokenEvilTeammate for House Stark, [[TheStarscream before betraying them]] in the Red Wedding. While bad, he tries to promote order. His [[BastardBastard bastard son]] Ramsay is a wild sadist who openly tortures and kills people, much to his father's frustration. However, Roose is almost sadistic as his son beneath his MaskOfSanity and opposes Ramsay's naked cruelty [[PragmaticVillainy because it's bad PR rather than any morality]]. However he does have one distinct standard above Ramsay, that being even he wouldn't kill his own kin despite how StupidEvil his bastard is, while Ramsay is heavily implied to have murdered his legitimate half-brother to become Roose's heir.
** Balon Greyjoy is far, far from a saint, being an {{abusive parent|s}} to his last living son and a ruler who desires to bring back the old ways of the Ironborn, raping and pillaging as they please. Still, he has certain standards that come with the Ironborn culture, loves his daughter and at least one of his brothers and is generally too incompetent to do too much lasting damage, only indirectly ruining House Stark's chance to win the war. After he is killed off, Euron Greyjoy, his not-so-loved brother, comes into the picture and takes the Seastone Chair. Euron by contrast has no sense of honor, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality Ironborn]] or otherwise, no love for anyone and is sadistic for the the sake of sadism. Euron manages to be evil by real-world standards, common Westerosi standards, and even ''Ironborn'' standards. This coupled with his extremely high competence as a military leader and politician, and possible use of dark magic make him a much more dangerous, serious and despicable contender for the Throne than Balon ever was.
* ''Literature/TheseWordsAreTrueAndFaithful'': Ernie, the VillainProtagonist, has standards but sometimes grants himself a dispensation because he lets his heart (or other body parts) rule him. His affair with Danny, who turns out to be an amoral leech, causes him to reconsider what he's done.
* ''Literature/{{Zodiac|1988}}'': [[spoiler:Aquarius is a WellIntentionedExtremist who genuinely believed in what he was doing, and didn't even want to do it at first. Which amounts for a lot more when you compare him to [[BitchInSheepsClothing Blaze]] and [[HeroKiller Aryll]]]].
[[/folder]]

* While Edgar Ross and Micah Bell III are the main HateSink antagonists of the respective ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'' games, Micah is this trope to Edgar. [[spoiler: Edgar Ross is a DirtyCop who, despite his good intentions, uses his lawman job for his personal gain, eventually managed to betray John Marshton and killing him with his army of sieges. Micah in [[VideoGame/RedDeadRedemptionII the prequel]] is TheSociopath [[TheMole Mole]] who sells out his entire Van der Linde gang to the PinkertonDetective for his personal gain and even later commit RapePillageAndBurn.]]