What Are All The Types Of Villains You Can Think Of?

[Spacescifi]

Sometimes it is really obvious. Other times not so much.

Want an example of the not so obvious? War. Two sides fighting... I am sure there are respectable guys on both sides who in their normal life hold the door open for others and pay their bills on time. The only thing that makes them fight each other is their leaders.


Want an example where the difference between villainy and heroism is super obvious?

The hero more or less tells the villain to care about others and not to drop them to their deaths ("Don't do it Gobby!")

The villain, if he wanted to be sarcastic and chew the scenery more he could have replied, "Why? This is all your fault and you know it. You wanted to play hero so play!"

I think there are many key differences that separate villains from heroes, so that there is no one size that will fit all villains so to speak.

There are immoral villains like the Green Goblin who think they are accountable to no one, which leads them into battle against the hero who naturally will hold them accountable.

There are also villains who are just doing their job, because it is their duty and that is all they feel. It's not personal.

Any other villain types I may have missed?

 

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by Spacescifi

[SunlitZelkova]

There are no heroes or villains. Only victims.

IMO of course. This is a very opinionated matter, asking for a definitive answer is problematic.

[Spacescifi]

7 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

There are no heroes or villains. Only victims.

IMO of course. This is a very opinionated matter, asking for a definitive answer is problematic.

 

Explain?

I presume you think nature vs nurture makes us all victims so that is the reason for both heroism and villainy?

I think the potential for both lies in equal measure for anyone.

To be evil just do not resist evil impulses or the urge to do what you feel is wrong. The more one does anything the more it becomes less a mask and more a part of them.

I think heroism lies in resisting the impulse to do wrong, as well as obviously doing what you know is the right thing to do.

 

Recognizing we are accountable versus I can do whatever I want attitude.

Villains end up being forced to recognize their accountability, but heroes do this willingly.

 

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by Spacescifi

[SunlitZelkova]

15 hours ago, Spacescifi said:

 

Explain?

I presume you think nature vs nurture makes us all victims so that is the reason for both heroism and villainy?

I think the potential for both lies in equal measure for anyone.

To be evil just do not resist evil impulses or the urge to do what you feel is wrong. The more one does anything the more it becomes less a mask and more a part of them.

I think heroism lies in resisting the impulse to do wrong, as well as obviously doing what you know is the right thing to do.

 

Recognizing we are accountable versus I can do whatever I want attitude.

Villains end up being forced to recognize their accountability, but heroes do this willingly.

 

 

At the end of the day everyone is just trying to live in the world.

The world is a tough place and incomprehensible damages can be inflicted upon a person.

If the early days of tribes of humans battling for resources to protect and nourish their offspring has escalated into empires clashing over continents, can either be called heroic or villainous? Each has identical motives.

Can someone really be said to have made a choice to rob a bank if they were plunged into an environment where that is acceptable from birth? Or if they were so neglected, alienated, and mentally damaged that that became (in their eyes) their only option?

Accountability is relative. There is no real “authority” in the world, only who has greater power over others. Right now that is humans over other humans but a day may come when nature completely washes such mental constructs away.

If Lex Luthor became the ruler of the land does that make Superman the one acting as though he is “unaccountable”? To say that Superman is automatically heroic even if the whole of humanity has adapted so that Superman’s actions are now outside the norm of “right” is a fallacy, IMO.

In fact going by the logic of “the former present”, of say, the 1600s, we are all “villainous” at the moment, for a variety of reasons, according to the “authority” that we should recognize ourselves as being “accountable” to. Of course, this isn’t the case, if a brave man had not acted “unaccountable” we would still be believing the Sun orbits the Earth.

“Pure villainy” only exists in fiction. “Villains” in reality or in more realistic fiction are damaged individuals or groups who never even had the chance to choose to do the right thing, as they never were even aware of its existence or importance. This is of no fault of their own, nor anyone else’s, it is simply the seemingly cruel nature of the world.

I would say heroes are victims as they are forced into tragic combat as a result of such a situation. Lex Luthor and Superman should be best friends combining Superman’s public image and Lex’s engineering skills* to improve the world, not trying to rip each other’s throats out while accumulating massive mental trauma from the fighting.

There are also those who see themselves as heroes, and are told they are heroes, only to end up committing the very acts they thought they had sworn to prevent.

*Not a fan of DC (or any comics for that matter), may not an accurate description lol

[Spacescifi]

10 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

At the end of the day everyone is just trying to live in the world.

The world is a tough place and incomprehensible damages can be inflicted upon a person.

If the early days of tribes of humans battling for resources to protect and nourish their offspring has escalated into empires clashing over continents, can either be called heroic or villainous? Each has identical motives.

Can someone really be said to have made a choice to rob a bank if they were plunged into an environment where that is acceptable from birth? Or if they were so neglected, alienated, and mentally damaged that that became (in their eyes) their only option?

Accountability is relative. There is no real “authority” in the world, only who has greater power over others. Right now that is humans over other humans but a day may come when nature completely washes such mental constructs away.

If Lex Luthor became the ruler of the land does that make Superman the one acting as though he is “unaccountable”? To say that Superman is automatically heroic even if the whole of humanity has adapted so that Superman’s actions are now outside the norm of “right” is a fallacy, IMO.

In fact going by the logic of “the former present”, of say, the 1600s, we are all “villainous” at the moment, for a variety of reasons, according to the “authority” that we should recognize ourselves as being “accountable” to. Of course, this isn’t the case, if a brave man had not acted “unaccountable” we would still be believing the Sun orbits the Earth.

“Pure villainy” only exists in fiction. “Villains” in reality or in more realistic fiction are damaged individuals or groups who never even had the chance to choose to do the right thing, as they never were even aware of its existence or importance. This is of no fault of their own, nor anyone else’s, it is simply the seemingly cruel nature of the world.

I would say heroes are victims as they are forced into tragic combat as a result of such a situation. Lex Luthor and Superman should be best friends combining Superman’s public image and Lex’s engineering skills* to improve the world, not trying to rip each other’s throats out while accumulating massive mental trauma from the fighting.

There are also those who see themselves as heroes, and are told they are heroes, only to end up committing the very acts they thought they had sworn to prevent.

*Not a fan of DC (or any comics for that matter), may not an accurate description lol

 

Well... I do not agree that all are villains because of matters out of their control.

Your reasoning mirrors that of the Merovingian, but even with everything going against a person they can push against it and do the opposite of what all the social contructs and enviromental restraints would impose and suggest upon them.

 

Neo actually proved it, not even doing what others before him had done despite the pressure of losing it all in the balance.

 

 

[kerbiloid]

Which Merovingians are more villain? Austrasian or Neistrian ones?

[adsii1970]

I am a villain.  I teach university history classes and am told each year how evil I am. In the past 18 years, I have been accused of:

• Not having a heart.
• Not having a soul.
• Incapable of showing compassion.
• Wanting an offering of small animals or firstborn children.
• Making classes so hard even (insert your favorite religious figure here) could pass the course.

[Just Jim]

My favorite villain is one I created myself: Thompberry Kerman

Thompberry is one of my favorite Emiko Station characters, and over time evolved from a jealous Kerbal into something much, much worse... and then came back full circle to become a sort of anti-hero character. 
I had all sorts of fun developing him from chapter to chapter, and getting to really build him into a sort of Kerbal super-villain instead of just throwing him into the story and saying "He's evil". 
Thompberry is the kind of villain that started out just kind of bad and evolved into being really evil.

Edited September 10, 2022 by Just Jim

[SunlitZelkova]

5 hours ago, Spacescifi said:

Well... I do not agree that all are villains because of matters out of their control.

I enthusiastically unilaterally agree to disagree 

This is very much a thing of opinion, even if what each believes, they believe as fact or law.

[Spacescifi]

1 hour ago, Just Jim said:

My favorite villain is one I created myself: Thompberry Kerman

Thompberry is one of my favorite Emiko Station characters, and over time evolved from a jealous Kerbal into something much, much worse... and then came back full circle to become a sort of anti-hero character. 
I had all sorts of fun developing him from chapter to chapter, and getting to really build him into a sort of Kerbal super-villain instead of just throwing him into the story and saying "He's evil". 
Thompberry is the kind of villain that started out just kind of bad and evolved into being really evil.

 

So Breaking Bad for Kerbals?

[kerbiloid]

3 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

9 hours ago, Spacescifi said:

Well... I do not agree that all are villains because of matters out of their control.

I enthusiastically unilaterally agree to disagree 

This is very much a thing of opinion, even if what each believes, they believe as fact or law.

Various bad people grew up in absolutely friendly and careful environment which dodn't firce them do something bad.

I know a good example of that. The evil tendencies were visible since 2 yo and just became stronger.  And it's hereditary in this case.
(And no, not alco or drugs. Absolutely intelligent origin,)

Edited September 10, 2022 by kerbiloid

[SunlitZelkova]

On 9/9/2022 at 8:59 PM, kerbiloid said:

Various bad people grew up in absolutely friendly and careful environment which dodn't firce them do something bad.

I know a good example of that. The evil tendencies were visible since 2 yo and just became stronger.  And it's hereditary in this case.
(And no, not alco or drugs. Absolutely intelligent origin,)

Yes.

I actually completely forgot about such instances. My general belief remains the same but it definitely needs some reworking.