History PlayingWith / TheExtremistWasRight

** TheEmpire at first seems to be what justified Emperor Evulz's actions, but it soon becomes increasingly clear that his {{Utopia}} is a hollow one built on far too much blood, and far too many little problems that Evulz overlooked, having assumed that TheEndsJustifyTheMeans. All of the people he conquered are extremely mixed on his actions, leading to constant conflicts between those who support him and those who oppose him. Evulz' fixation on the bigger picture causes him to ignore how his extreme methods only papered over the original problems of the world before without actually addressing any of the actual issues, thus ensuring that if left unchecked or unnoticed, they'll just return to rot the utopia from the inside out. And finally, Evulz' extremism only ends up alienating the people who he sought to create the utopia for, [[MeaninglessVillainVictory leaving the whole thing feeling like a hollow success.]]

* '''Parodied''': Evulz destroys 90% of the Earth's population so that those remaining won't have to worry about resources. Everyone cheers because it worked.

* The land in question had been lawless for some time, and so the only way to get anyone to listen was to smack some heads.
* The issue Evulz wishes to eliminate [[InherentInTheSystem is so fundamental to the current status quo that only a truly radical change could possibly eliminate it.]]

* '''Justified''': The land in question had been lawless for some time, and so the only way to get anyone to listen was to smack some heads.

** The real heroes show Evulz that there were other ways to build a utopia, and prove it by building an even better utopia than him. Also, his actions began catching up to him, his utopia falls apart, and finally realizes that his methods were unnecessary and has made him into a villain.

* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': In a sense, this dynamic makes Evulz an example of GoodIsNotNice; his methods are ruthless and brutal, but nobody can argue with the results. This then leads into another question: [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans Is it]] [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill worth it?]]

%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
%%
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???

* '''Invoked''': "If I make everyone hate me like this, they'll [[ZeroApprovalGambit have a common hatred, and work together]!"

%%* '''Implied''': ???

** It looks like his intentions are good, but he eventually goes powermad.
** It looks like he was doing bad things, but it turns out all those supposed off-screen 'deaths' or 'ColdBloodedTorture sessions' were faked.
** Malvolio looks at what he would have to do to accomplish his goals, and, after much deliberation, decides the consequences are too great.
** While Malvolio was right about the problem his extreme measures were the opposite of helpful to the problem resulting in a murderous equivalent of SenselessSacrifice.

** ...But Malvolio [[XanatosSpeedChess can account for that]].
** ...Which was a further ploy to make it ''even better''.
** ...Except this was just his final ploy to cement his {{Utopia}}.
** ...Benvolio, on the other hand, [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans believes otherwise]].
* '''Parodied''': Malvolio destroys 90% of the Earth's population so that those remaining won't have to worry about resources. But everyone cheers because it worked!

** Malvolio decides the costs are too great, then changes his mind. But he means well--except he doesn't! Oh, wait, that was the final step in his [[EvilPlan master plan]]. And then someone threw a SpannerInTheWorks. But he got around it. Now the world's a {{Utopia}}! Except he was lying, and went through all this trouble to become an EvilOverlord. Then he wants to do good, but the general populace is so fed up with his [[LampshadeHanging mood swings]] that they stop him from doing it.
** Malvolio's plan, though full of puppy-kicking, does indeed work and get things fixed... though it certainly wasn't the best, and demonstrably not the ''only'' way of going about fixing things.

* '''Implied''': Post-Apocalypse by a third part the descendants of forces that were under Malvolio's domain outnumber those of the hero implying that either 'order' approach actually did save more people long-term or attracted more followers.
* '''Invoked''': "If I make everyone hate me like this, they'll have a common hatred, and work together!"
* '''Exploited''': One of Malvolio's detractors plays up his extremist measures, while drawing attention away from the good that comes later, and the fact that when you get right down to it, Mal's got a point.

* '''Discussed''': "So...Malvolio. You're about to explain how your plans saved the world?" "Don't have to. Look around."
* '''Conversed''': "Think Bob's plan is gonna work?" "Hope so. I'd hate for all that puppy-kicking not to mean anything."

** Even though it ended up being a {{Utopia}} for a little while, ultimately the methods he used to get there were too much for the public to swallow, and he is overthrown...only just that the utopia falls back into a dystopia again.
** The means turned out to be too great for Malevolio to swallow. Guilt ridden, he kills himself.
** The hero had suffered from so much pain and loss due to Malvolio's actions and wants to stop him from harming anymore people, but after seeing what the world had become because of said actions, the hero has a mental breakdown, feeling justice was robbed from him and that Malvolio wasn't properly punished. The broken hero [[FaceHeelTurn soon becomes a villain and now wants to destroy the "utopia" that Malvolio created]], seeing it as the ultimate revenge.
** The real heroes show Malvolio that there were other ways to build a utopia, and prove it by building an even better utopia than Malvolio's. Also, Malvolio's actions began catching up to him, his utopia falls apart, and finally realizes that his methods were unnecessary and has made him into a villain.

** However, the public eventually was persuaded that the methods Malvolio used justified {{Utopia}}, and so they either restore Malvolio to power or install a replacement, and they return being to a {{Utopia}}.
** Malvolio felt guilty about his plans but no one else did. They make him into a Messiah figure after his suicide.
** A little [[WarriorTherapist warrior therapy]] is all the hero needs for a HeelRealization. He becomes Mavolio's [[TheLancer second in command]].
** Upon closer inspection, it turns out the "perfect world" the heroes created was nothing more than a FalseUtopia, a pale copy of the real deal just as corrupt as the old system, only better at hiding it. While Malvolio's vision is far from perfect, it's still a preferable alternative to the Heroes' solution and the [[StatusQuoIsGod old Status Quo]]. Likely to exist in a CrapsackWorld story.
* '''Played For Laughs''': Mally pokes some poodles, and makes the world better.
* '''Played For Drama''':While Malvolio has genuinely improved the world for the better, for the rest of his life he is constantly tormented with the question of whether or not it was worth it.

I came to this wiki and found a barren wasteland. It was then, I decided: no more second chances. No more forgiveness. I enslaved thousands, murdered millions, and kicked untold billions of puppies...[[{{The Extremist Was Right}} and it worked.]]

* '''Straight''': [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Malvolio]] [[KickTheDog kicks an inordinate amount of puppies]]...but [[ShootTheDog it]] actually accomplished his [[{{Utopia}} end goal]].
* '''Exaggerated''': Malvolio seems to be doing things {{For The Evulz}}, but somehow the world is a better place for it.
* '''Downplayed''': Malvolio is more willing to ShootTheDog than the heroes.
* '''Justified''': The land in question had been lawless for some time, the only way to get anyone to listen was to smack some heads.

** WellIntentionedExtremist
** Malvolio does good things, but ultimately his plan is to become an EvilOverlord... [[OhCrap And it worked]].

** It looks like Malvolio's plan is going to work, but someone throws a wrench in it at the last second.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Malvolio decides the costs are too great, then changes his mind. But he means well--except he doesn't! Oh, wait, that was the final step in his [[EvilPlan master plan]]. And then someone threw a SpannerInTheWorks. But he got around it. Now the world's a {{Utopia}}! Except he was lying, and went through all this trouble to become an EvilOverlord. Then he wants to do good, but the general populace is so fed up with his [[LampshadeHanging mood swings]] that they stop him from doing it.

** The hero had suffered from so much pain and loss due to Malvolio's actions and wants to stop him from harming anymore people, but after seeing what the world had become because of said actions, the hero has a mental breakdown, feeling justice was robbed from him and that Malvolio wasn't properly punished. The broken hero soon becomes a villain and now wants to destroy the "utopia" that Malvolio created, seeing it as the ultimate revenge.

* '''Exploited''': ???

* '''Downplayed''': ???

* '''Inverted''': WellIntentionedExtremist
** Malvolio does good things, but ultimately his plan is to become an EvilOverlord...[[OhCrap and it worked]].
* '''Subverted''': It looks like Malvolio's plan is going to work, but someone throws a wrench in it at the last second.

* '''Double Subverted''': ...But Malvolio [[XanatosSpeedChess can account for that]].

* '''Deconstructed''': Even though it ended up being a {{Utopia}} for a little while, ultimately the methods he used to get there were too much for the public to swallow, and he is overthrown...only just that the utopia falls back into a dystopia again.
** The means turned out to be too great for Malevolio to swallow. Guilt ridden, he kills himself.
** The hero had suffered from so much pain and loss due to Malvolio's actions and wants to stop him from harming anymore people, but after seeing what the world had become because of said actions, the hero has a mental breakdown, feeling justice was robbed from him and that Malvolio wasn't properly punished. The broken hero soon becomes a villain and now wants to destroy the "utopia" that Malvolio created, seeing it as the ultimate revenge.
** The real heroes show Malvolio that there were other ways to build a utopia, and prove it by building an even better utopia than Malvolio's. Also, Malvolio's actions began catching up to him, his utopia falls apart, and finally realizes that his methods were unnecessary and has made him into a villain.
* '''Reconstructed''': However, the public eventually was persuaded that the methods Malvolio used justified {{Utopia}}, and so they either restore Malvolio to power or install a replacement, and they return being to a {{Utopia}}.
** Malvolio felt guilty about his plans but no one else did. They make him into a Messiah figure after his suicide.
** A little [[WarriorTherapist warrior therapy]] is all the hero needs for a HeelRealization. He becomes Mavolio's [[TheLancer second in command]].

* '''Averted''': Nothing particularly evil is required to accomplish a {{Utopia}}.
** No one tries for a {{Utopia}}.

----

* '''Exaggerated''': Malvolio is a {{Complete Monster}} who seems to be doing things {{For The Evulz}}, but somehow the world is a better place for it.

** The real heroes show Malvolio that there were other ways to build a utopia, and prove it by building an even better utopia than Malvolio's. Also, Malvolio's actions began catching up to him, his utopia falls apart, and finally realizes that he's more of a villain than a hero.

* '''Double Subverted''': ...But Malvolio [[XanatosSpeedChess can account]] [[XanatosGambit for that]].

** The hero had suffered from so much pain and loss due to Malvolio's actions and wants to stop him from harming anymore people, but after seeing what the world had become because of said actions, the hero has a mental breakdown, feeling justice was robbed from him and that Malvolio wasn't properly punished. The broken hero soon becomes a villain and now wants to destroy the world that Malvolio created, seeing it as the ultimate revenge.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Malvolio decides the costs are too great, then changes his mind. But he means well--except he doesn't! Oh, wait, that was the final step in his [[XanatosGambit master plan]]. And then someone threw a SpannerInTheWorks. But he got around it. Now the world's a {{Utopia}}! Except he was lying, and went through all this trouble to become an EvilOverlord. Then he wants to do good, but the general populace is so fed up with his [[LampshadeHanging mood swings]] that they stop him from doing it.