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Every sufficiently clever villain is Nyarlathotep

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BLT Since: Dec, 1969
#1: Nov 23rd 2010 at 6:16:13 PM

Inspired by this: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=7s6u65f8gpyrwrya2j74ztty&page=0

After reading that, I got to thinking: What if EVERY particularly sinister villain is an avatar of Nyarlathotep? It explains so much!

Anton from No Country for Old Men? NYARLATHOTEP. The Joker from The Dark Night? NYARLATHOTEP. Hitler? NYARLATHOTEP. Stalin? NYARLATHOTEP. Even... Slender Man? NYARLATHOTEP.

This simultaneously makes the world a better and more terrible place!

Seamus Another Perfect Day from the Quantum Savanna Since: Jul, 2009
Another Perfect Day
#2: Nov 23rd 2010 at 6:26:38 PM

This simultaneously makes the world a better and more terrible place!
Yeah! There's only one bad guy and we know who he is!

...But we can't kill him.

I've got two guns pointed west and a broken compass.
ironwolf56 Since: Nov, 2010
#3: Nov 23rd 2010 at 11:50:56 PM

I wholeheartedly support starting this trend if for no other reason than I'm getting so tired of seeing WM Gs about Light Yagami and Time Lords.

ironwolf56 Since: Nov, 2010
#4: Nov 23rd 2010 at 11:59:07 PM

Oh and I've actually seen the Slender Man=Nyarlathotep theory somewhere before. Also notice how the Joker ends up running Arkham (asylum) a lot hmmmm.... Perhaps not the man himself but one of his top cultists?

monstermistress Since: Jun, 2011
#5: Jun 20th 2011 at 2:36:59 PM

one thing i have to say

HAIL Nyarlathotep

WHO IS HECTOR MOINA AND WHY DO THEY KEEP SENDING ME HIS JUNK MAIL
flygon250 SOPA? Lol wut? U Mad US? from Versailles, UK. Oh, wait Since: Dec, 2010
SOPA? Lol wut? U Mad US?
#6: Jun 22nd 2011 at 2:47:44 PM

You know, Nyarlathotep as Kyuubey makes a surprising amount of sense, considering that Urobuchi Gen loves to put Lovecraftian themes into his works. By, extension this means that Mephistopheles is also Nyarlathotep.

My standard Anime Theme song game variant rules: [Censored by ACTA]
memememememe Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: Betrayed by Delilah
#7: Apr 7th 2012 at 3:05:04 AM

"Hitler? NYARLATHOTEP"

Well duh.

All tropes ultimately come from Real Life. So Real Life should be troped as well.
Carciofus Is that cake frosting? from Alpha Tucanae I Since: May, 2010
Is that cake frosting?
#8: Apr 7th 2012 at 3:34:03 AM

I dunno. Nyarlathotep is a inhuman, terrifying intelligence from far beyond the understandable universe. Hitler, on the other hand, was some dude with seriously messed up opinions and some talent for rabble-rousing who happened to end up at the wrong time in the wrong place.

Perhaps he could be a cultist or a pawn of Nyarlathotep: but he certainly was not the Crawling Chaos itself.

edited 7th Apr '12 3:35:27 AM by Carciofus

But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.
Bookyangel2438 from New York City Since: Jul, 2011
#9: Apr 7th 2012 at 12:51:29 PM

[up]In Persona 2: Innocent Sin he was a form of Nyarlathotep. smile

So is Nyarlathotep also Nyarlathotep?

edited 7th Apr '12 12:51:56 PM by Bookyangel2438

Alt account of Angeldog 2437.
destructorn Since: May, 2013
#10: Oct 1st 2013 at 3:42:49 PM

What about Tzeench? Same general abilities and "personalities" that I can see.

justanid Since: Jan, 2010
#11: Oct 19th 2013 at 10:33:32 PM

What about all the not-so-clever semi-villains?

LeithSol Myself from California Since: Jul, 2011
Myself
#12: Oct 23rd 2013 at 2:05:12 AM

Nyarlathotep is the dark side of the unconscious. Being Nyarlathotep is not about being clever, but about being an unfettered nihilistic monster.

edited 23rd Oct '13 2:05:47 AM by LeithSol

Frishman Sinful Saint from Baton Rouge, LA Since: Sep, 2013 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Sinful Saint
#13: Oct 23rd 2013 at 6:59:47 AM

[up]Only in Persona. In the original mythos he was the Mouth of the Outer Gods.

It works in the mythos as well, as Nyarlathotep has many names. The Crawling Chaos, The Black Man, The God of a Thousand Forms, the Haunter in Darkness, More of a Dick than Gendo Ikari...

He is the only Mythos being who actually exhibits cruel intentions towards humanity, apparently for his own amusement. I could see him being Hitler just to troll us.

If you meet me have some courtesy, have some sympathy, have some taste. Use all your well-learned politesse or I'll lay your soul to waste.
LeithSol Myself from California Since: Jul, 2011
Myself
#14: Nov 6th 2013 at 6:49:57 PM

[up]It seems that I garbed the right end of the wrong stick.

Still rather then being every sufficiently clever villain, I feel that Nyarlathotep is The Antichrist. That might be obvious, but I think that there is no better way to describe him.

TheDragonLich Since: Nov, 2013
#15: Jan 16th 2014 at 9:56:36 AM

So, that's what N's name stands for in Pokemon...

OmegaShadowcry Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man from The Arena Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man
#16: Feb 17th 2014 at 2:06:50 PM

Are you suggesting that I'm Nyarlathotep?

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous
HaerntheWatcher from Here Since: Jul, 2013 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#17: Feb 22nd 2014 at 7:34:32 AM

I wouldn't say that the Joker from Dark Knight is Nyarlathotep himself, but I would say that he's at least a cultist of his. Same with pretty much every thing beyond human understanding-Nyarlathotep can't be all of them, but he can be at the very least the Big Bad to end all Big Bads

OmegaShadowcry Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man from The Arena Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man
#18: Feb 22nd 2014 at 8:33:41 AM

Then who WAS PHONE...

Oh wait... -looks at title- Okay, I see your point. So, who's Megatron? Or is Nyarlathotep going by the name of Shockwave in that series?

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous
ProfessorDetective Since: Jan, 2013
#19: Jan 20th 2017 at 5:42:34 PM

He's Unicron, obviously.

CharlesIX Since: Feb, 2017
#20: Feb 25th 2017 at 7:16:10 AM

Hydra is an extension of Nythrlathoep's will.

edited 25th Feb '17 7:17:02 AM by CharlesIX

ReynTheLord Monster Eater Champion from In the Dungeon (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Gone fishin'
Monster Eater Champion
#21: Jun 6th 2019 at 11:59:42 AM

Aku?

Edited by ReynTheLord on Jun 6th 2019 at 1:00:43 PM

ancientone3 Mr E from in the wrong reality, don't know which? Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Mr E
#22: Jun 27th 2019 at 12:11:05 PM

Stormbringer?

Questioning my reality
KJsixteen BORK from The Alola Region Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Singularity
vjoi from The South. Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: Mu
#24: Mar 10th 2021 at 5:28:46 PM

But then what's going on with searies'es that have villains plotting against eachother, like Sidious and pleagus at the spoiler scene of the darth pleagus audioook?

Cornelius, but do not waste in useless pity the few moments left in which to escape from the hands of the enemy.
TheOneWhoTropes Dread Sorcerer of Auchtermuchty from Newton-le-willows, quaint town Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Dread Sorcerer of Auchtermuchty
#25: May 24th 2021 at 3:19:01 AM

some Masks of Nyarlathotep plot against other Masks of Nyarlathotep according to the Call of Cthulhu rulebook. This may be to maintain their character or so their followers do not get suspicious of their ulterior motives.

Keeper of The Celestial Flame
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