Dr. Universe: I read an Ayn Rand novel.
An Evil Genius is a villainous archetype that adds generous helpings of intelligence to a base of misdeeds and objectionable morals.
Pretty straightforward, right? Well, this fellow's plans are probably not so much; because the Evil Genius is likely to be the brains behind the Evil Plan. Wanna build a Wave-Motion Gun? Ship nukes to a country? Resurrect/repair the Lost Super Weapon? Get an N.G.O. Superpower? Don't know how to use a MacGuffin? The Evil Genius is your answer. You can bet they are a planner of some sort, a specialist in a particular field, a fixer of some variety, (or a combination of the above. No matter what, this villain's forte is their intellect. Therefore making them the Science Hero's Evil Counterpart.
It must be noted this doesn't always translate into political savviness, business acumen, or leadership abilities; which rely more on street smarts, social skills, or charisma. Their chances of being Badass Bookworms are likewise fairly low but not entirely rare. Anyway, when the Evil Genius's more developed trait is intelligence, it's not rare for them to realize being The Creon is a lot more secure and less stressful than being the top dog. Which also makes them a manifestation of Brains Versus Brawn.
If they are the Big Bad, then it's usually a case of Weak Boss, Strong Underlings or Non-Action Big Bad. And, if they do reunite other traits to complement their intelligence, then you have a Chessmaster, a Manipulative Bastard, or a Diabolical Mastermind. On the other side of the coin, when much lower in the hierarchy, their effectiveness decreases accordingly. If in a team, either a Big Bad Duumvirate or a Quirky Miniboss Squad, they fit the role of The Smart Guy.
The Evil Genius's personality and physical description can make them overlap with any trope on the Intelligence Tropes index.
Sub-tropes of Evil Genius include:
- Emperor Scientist
- Evil Nerd
- Mad Scientist
- Maker of Monsters
- Master Computer
- Morally Ambiguous Doctorate
Not to be confused with the Diabolical Mastermind simulation game Evil Genius, nor the books by Catherine Jinks, which involve an Academy of Evil aimed at creating Evil Geniuses, or the Creator/Netflix series about one of the most infamous bank heists in history.
