Basic Trope: The Hero has a more personal connection to (and grudge against) The Dragon than the Big Bad.
- Straight: Bob has more of a grudge against Dracone than Emperor Evulz.
- Exaggerated:
- Bob acts like he doesn't know Evulz is there; all that matters is Dracone.
- It's Personal With The Brute: Bob doesn't even bother with Evulz or Dracone, he's actually here for Clay. Try as they might, absolutely nobody can hold Bob back as he personally tears through the empire just to get to Clay, and he leaves a gargantuan pile of bodies in his wake. By the time Bob gets to Clay, the entire empire has been reduced to smoldering ashes.
- It's Personal With The Mook: Bob doesn't even bother with anyone high ranking in the empire, all he wants is the head of that one mook who keeps escaping him on a silver platter, and the whole empire cannot even slow him down because he hates that mook so damn much.
- Downplayed:
- Bob is interested in taking down both Evulz and Dracone, but he has slightly more focus on Dracone.
- Bob is interested in taking down Dracone, who appears to be the Big Bad... until Evulz shows up at the very, very end.
- Justified:
- Emperor Evulz doesn't isn't really interested in Bob personally and has less of an effect on his life; Dracone makes it his business to make Bob miserable, and so is more of a problem.
- Evulz may be scum, but Dracone was the one who destroyed Bob's home against Evulz's orders. The worst Evulz did to Bob was not punishing Dracone for it.
- Dracone was the one who killed Bob's parents in front of him before working for Evulz. Bob is aware that Evulz is the bigger threat, but personally hates Dracone more.
- Inverted: Emperor Evulz has more of a grudge against Lance, than Bob himself.
- Subverted: Sure, Dracone was the one who killed Bob's dog and burned down his Doomed Hometown, but Evulz ordered it, so Bob is cutting out the middleman.
- Double Subverted: Yet after he kills Evulz, he feels unsatisfied... and throws a fit when he realizes Dracone has left the scene.
- Parodied:
- Bob and Dracone are so busy having their required duel that Evulz decides to grab some popcorn and watch.
- Evulz thinks he's Bob's arch-nemesis, and is rather put out that Bob is there for Dracone instead.
Evulz: So, Bob! We finally meet after all these years!
Bob: Uh... hi? [to Dracone] Who is this guy? Friend of yours? - Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted: Dracone was out of town on another job. Evulz torched Bob's hometown himself.
- Enforced: Evulz is being Saved for the Sequel, so he has to get away. But they still need a satisfying end, so Dracone serves as the necessary obstacle to defeat.
- Lampshaded: "Sure, you were behind the whole thing, but Dracone made the choice to shoot my dog himself!"
- Invoked:
- Emperor Evulz instructs Dracone to attack Bob specifically, baiting him into focusing on Dracone at the expense of his crusade against Evulz and his plans.
- Evulz has been looking for a new dragon. Bob has all the right makings, but not proper motivation. Evulz then decides to "motivate" Bob, then offer a chance to hand Dracone to him on a silver platter if he agrees to be the replacement.
- Exploited: Emperor Evulz sees that Bob has more of a grudge against Dracone and so sends him on missions specifically to distract Bob and make sure he's not at his best while Evulz puts other parts of his plan into motion.
- Defied:
- Bob, knowing Dracone is just Evulz's glorified flunky, ignores him entirely and charges Evulz.
- Evulz makes a point of keeping an ear out for any kind of scuttlebutt regarding his minions and executing the ones that are beginning to become too notorious. He does this in the hope that 1) he will keep minions from becoming too big for their britches and getting more and more ambitious, 2) prevent his organization from drawing too much heat and 3) by denying other people the target of their vengeance they may (admittedly, it's a big "may") take their ball and go home and not interfere.
- Discussed:
- "I know you're really after Dracone, Bob. He was the one who burned your town and kicked your puppy. Now, if you choose to side with me, I could make you my new dragon."
- "Heck no! I know how guys like you operate. Guys like Dracone do your dirty work so you can pretend to be the better guy, and I can get myself killed going up against him instead of gunning for you for giving that order."
- Conversed:
- Implied: Bob tells Charlie to take Evulz while he deals with Dracone.
- Deconstructed: Bob is so obsessed by his personal grudge against Dracone that he leaves the heroes once he's defeated, not caring that Evulz can go commit more atrocities.
- Reconstructed: Then Bob discovers that Dracone is being used as a martyr by Evulz's army, so he extends his grudge to all of them.
- Played For Laughs: Evulz dramatically confronts Bob in his lair with a villainous speech, eagerly anticipating their epic battle. Bob interrupts him and asks if he can lead him to Dracone. Evulz acts personally hurt that Bob doesn't hate him as much as his minion.
We know you're more interested in this page, but eventually you might want to return to It's Personal with the Dragon.
