History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E22SkinOfEvil

** The cast themselves (as in Johnathan Frakes) spoke candidly about what a vile monster he is. In one encyclopaedia he discusses being pissed at how Starfleet woe show Armus mercy, and even used a PrecisionFStrike to express his feelings.

* ThePowerOfHate: {{Subverted}}: Being a creature literally MadeOfEvil, the audience expects negative emotions to fuel Armus's power, however being forced to confront and feel his own rage and hate instead of suppressing it makes Armus ''weaker''. Picard fully uses this to his advantage in escaping him. See TalkingTheMonsterToDeath above.

* ThePowerOfHate: {{Subverted}}: Being a creature literally MadeOfEvil, the audience expects negative emotions to fuel Armus's power, however being forced to confront and feel his own rage and hate instead of suppressing it makes Armus ''weaker''. Picard fully uses this to his advantage in escaping him. See TheReasonYouSuckSpeech below.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Picard utterly [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath breaks, crushes and obliterates]] Armus's spirit with one.

-->'''Picard''': That's your real fear. [[WhoWantsToLiveForever Never to die.]] Never again to be reunited witht hose who left you here.

-->'''Picard''': But you will still be here! In this place. [[AndIMustScream Forever. Alone! ''Immortal!'']]

-->'''Armus''': That's your real fear. [[WhoWantsToLiveForever Never to die.]] Never to be reunited witht hose who left you.

-->'''Picard''': But you will still be here! In this place. [[AndIMustScream Forever. Alone!]] ''[[WhoWantsToLiveForever Immortal!]]''

-->'''Armus''': I will kill you, and those in the shuttle!

-->'''Picard''': But you will still be here! In this place. [[AndIMustScream Forever. Alone!]] [[WhoWantsToLiveForever ''Immortal!'']]

* StupidEvil: Armus. He tortures the Enterprise away team for fun and then expects them to transport him off world, using threats of more violence as his sole bargaining chip.
* ThePowerOfHate: {{Subverted}}: being forced to confront and feel his own rage and hate instead of suppressing it makes Armus ''weaker''. Picard fully uses this to his advantage in escaping him. See TheReasonYouSuckSpeech below.

* ThePowerOfHate: Subverted: being forced to confront and feel his own rage and hate instead of suppressing it makes Armus ''weaker''. Picard fully uses this to his advantage in escaping him. See TheReasonYouSuckSpeech below.

* ThePowerOfHate: Subverted in the extreme: being forced to confront and feel his own rage and hate instead of suppressing it makes Armus ''weaker''. Picard fully uses this to his advantage in escaping him. See TheReasonYouSuckSpeech below.

!Tropes

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Armus has [[CompleteMonster zero redeeming qualities]]. He kills because he thinks it will amuse him. He tortures, physically and psychologically for the same reason. He is literally a black tar pit of hate that was cast off long ago.

* HeroicSpirit: Picard says that true evil is not Armus himself, but the resignation of submitting to him.

* BreakThemByTalking: Picard's way of defeating Armus; possibly the only way, as he is NighInvulnerable to the point where a direct photon torpedo strike wasn't expected to kill him, only to destroy the downed shuttle.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Picard utterly breaks, crushes and obliterates Armus's spirit with one.

* VideoWills: Tasha leaves a tearjerking one on the holodeck for the rest of the crew.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Picard utterly breaks, crushes and obliterates Armus's spirit with one.

* TheReasonYouSuchSpeech: Picard utterly breaks, crushes and obliterates Armus's spirit with one.

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Tasha Yar]]

* Always Chaotic Evil: Armus has [[CompleteMonster zero redeeming qualities]]. He kills because he thinks it will amuse him. He tortures, physically and psychologically for the same reason. He is literally a black tar pit of hate that was cast off long ago.

* CompleteMonster: Armus has zero redeeming qualities. He kills because he thinks it will amuse him. He tortures, physically and psychologically for the same reason. He is literally a black tar pit of hate that was cast off long ago.

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoil:Tasha Yar]]

An evil, tar-like creature holds Troi hostage on an alien world. During the rescue mission, one of the Enterprise crew is killed.