Basic Trope: A villainous or unsympathetic person claims victimhood to avoid responsibility.
- Straight: When the heroes corner him after he's destroyed Bob's hometown, Emperor Evulz moans dramatically about being a lonely orphan during his childhood.
- Exaggerated: When the heroes corner him after he's almost caused The End of the World as We Know It, Evulz sobs about how when he was little, one of his siblings stole a cookie from him.
- Downplayed: Emperor Evulz takes only a sliver of responsibility for destroying Bob's hometown, but he mostly blames his destruction on his Freudian Excuse.
- Justified: It is revealed that Emperor Evulz did experience a difficult and traumatic childhood, which had a significant impact on his development and led to his villainous actions. This doesn't absolve him of responsibility, but it provides context and understanding for his behavior.
- Inverted:
- Evulz has a completely valid grievance and response, and people still think he's playing the victim.
- Evulz takes all the pride and responsibility for their evil acts of crime.
- The Hero has a Guilt Complex for failing to save innocent people.
- Subverted:
- When the heroes corner him after he's destroyed Bob's hometown, Bob wonders aloud about what could cause a person to do something so horrible. Evulz' eyes brim with tears and...he laughs in his face, saying he just enjoys being evil and was never a victim.
- Emperor Evulz burns down Bob's hometown and then moans about being a lonely orphan. ...Whose parents were lynched by the people of Bob's hometown, who then proceeded to violently abuse him throughout his childhood before trying to lynch him too. Bob grudgingly admits his hometown had it coming.
- Double Subverted: Emperor Evulz' parents were hardly innocent, repeatedly committing crimes and getting away with them until the town's citizens took justice into their own hands. They were willing to forgive Evulz due to his youth, but he quickly showed himself to be just as bad as his parents.
- Parodied: Emperor Evulz, in an exaggerated and over-the-top manner, claims victimhood for the most absurd and trivial reasons, such as losing a game or having his favorite TV show canceled. The heroes can't help but burst into laughter at his ridiculous attempts to avoid responsibility.
- Zig Zagged: Throughout the story, Emperor Evulz initially tries to claim victimhood to avoid responsibility, but as the plot progresses, it is revealed that he actually did endure some hardships. However, it becomes clear that his actions far outweigh any justification he may have had, and he is ultimately held accountable.
- Averted: The question of whether Evulz has a Freudian Excuse goes undiscussed.
- Enforced: The author originally didn't write Evulz as trying to claim victimhood to excuse himself, but the editor thought that a manipulative person like Evulz would at least try this tactic.
- Lampshaded:Bob: You think I'll let you off the hook for everything just because of your tragic past?
- Invoked: Bob, knowing Emperor Evulz's tendency to play the victim, purposefully provoke him into a situation where he feels justified in claiming victimhood. He use this as an opportunity to expose his manipulative tactics and bring him to justice.
- Exploited: Emperor Evulz has been keeping everyone in line by forcing them to be a Proud Warrior Race Guy, with those who don't comply being executed for "weakness". By showing them their leader trying to get out of trouble by claiming victimhood, the heroes shatter any loyalty that his underlings have towards him.
- Defied: Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse
- Discussed: Bob and Alice engage in a conversation about the manipulative nature of some individuals who exploit victimhood to evade responsibility and gain sympathy.
- Conversed: Bob and Alice discuss the trope of villains playing the victim in a completely unrelated situation, such as during a casual chat while waiting for the bus.
- Deconstructed: Pretending to be a victim is makes Evulz look weak, in contrast to the image of a mighty Emperor he tries to portray himself as.
- Reconstructed: Evulz not only receives sympathy for being a "victim", he is also praised for "overcoming the victimhood".
Well, if this subpage has any egregious errors, remember that it was created and left at the mercy of warring tropers. You couldn't possibly blame it for any red links it created...[sob]
