History AlasPoorVillain / LiveActionTV

** Zig-zagged with Gul Dukat. When the Federation retake the station and his daughter ends up shot dead in the chaos, Dukat [[VillainousBSOD completely falls apart]], and it's hard not to pity him. This looks like his last appearance in the series, not actually ''dead'' yet but clearly a broken man and no longer a threat to anyone. But he comes back, and ends up playing a major role in the final episode before dying... by which time he's lost any audience sympathy he might have had left multiple times over.

%%* ''Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs'':
%%** The ''Liopleurodon'' getting beached in "Cruel Sea". Though it's not exactly a villain, just a predator.
%%** The ''Postosuchus'''s death in "New Blood" is also quite depressing.

%%* ''Series/{{LOST}}'': The Man In Black. Once you learn his tragic backstory and motive, you can't help but feel sorry for the guy.

* ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'' had a truly heartbreaking one for Aigaron. After months of being one of the Three Chevaliers, he finds himself suddenly replaced with New Chevalier of Sorrow Icerondo. Then, overhearing a plot to kill [[LoveInterest Candelila]], he takes her and Luckyuro and flees the Frozen Castle. While fleeing Icerondo, he encounters the Kyoryugers and begs them to save Candelila and Luckyuro, only to learn a harsh truth: He'd been dead ever since the middle of the series, when his emotions burst forth. It was only his armor being so thick that kept him going all that time. Then, Icerondo decides to twist the knife by killing Candelila, only for Aigaron to end up TakingTheBullet. At this point, he is so pitiable that even Ian, who had sworn to kill him, gives him a MercyKill before using his own ax to finish off Icerondo.

** Hector ”Tio” Salamanca and Gus Fring in "[[Recap/BreakingBadS4E13FaceOff Face Off]]". Sure, they both were very evil people with the latter even threatening to kill the main protagonist’s entire family (including his infant daughter) and the former going so far as having a history of abusing his own nephews. But Gus ultimately became a villain due to the death of his partner at the hands of Tio, and all of Tio’s family members were killed at that point, most of whom were at the hands of Gus, making him dying completely alone.

* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': Valerie 23 from the episode of the same name. She's a RobotGirl designed for love, then goes on a jealous rampage when she thinks that another human is taking the object of her affection away from her. When she's destroyed she acknowledges that she fears death, which the protagonist had earlier deemed is what makes something truly alive.

** One was Apollo (yes, [[Myth/ClassicalMythology that Apollo]]), who spent the episode trying to coerce and cajole the landing party into worshipping him so [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly he could survive]], all to no avail because Kirk and co. have OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions and so, he fades away in a moment of [[TheWoobie Woobie]]-ness...

** Another was Dr. Richard Daystrom, whose MotiveRant about being laughed at behind his back and underestimated is legitimately heartbreaking. The fact that Daystrom is portrayed by William Marshall - an amazingly talented black actor who was undoubtedly kept out of roles by racism - adds an excruciating RealitySubtext.
** Flint from "[[Recap/StarTrekS3E19RequiemForMethuselah Requiem For Methuselah]]", was not totally a villain but he has become somewhat misanthropic after 6000 years of life. To his credit, he was once Solomon, Alexander, Lazarus, Leonardo, Merlin, and Brahms. He has met Moses, Socrates, Jesus, and Shakespeare. He used Kirk's obvious attraction for Rayna in the hope that Rayna (an android he created) would transfer the resulting feelings she experienced to him. This failed miserably and she was torn between her love for the young, handsome captain, and her love for the kind old man Flint whom she considered like a father. This lead to her eventual death by short circuit. Throughout the encounter, Flint interfered with the Enterprise's mission to acquire a much needed cure for a plague, threatened the Enterprise crew, and tried to take them hostage. In retrospect, Kirk, emphasized with Flint who, while having shunned humankind, only wanted the company of someone who was his intellectual equal, even if he had to build her. Kirk, on the other hand, was far too easily attracted to Rayna and thus manipulated by Flint, which did say something about him as well. Kirk summed it up: "An old and lonely man...and a young and lonely man."

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had a few of these (in keeping with its avoidance of actually evil villains). ** One was Apollo (yes, [[Myth/ClassicalMythology that Apollo]]), who spent the episode trying to coerce and cajole the landing party into worshipping him so [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly he could survive]], all to no avail because Kirk and co. have OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions and so, he fades away in a moment of [[TheWoobie Woobie]]-ness...

* ''Series/ControlZ'': After being expelled and becoming wanted by the police, Season 2 intends to make us feel sorry for Gerry as his life has now become miserable for murdering Luis and spent most of the time regretting it, wishing that things were different if he hadn't been so mean to him. His JerkToNiceGuyPlot is really impressive to the point of making us realize that Gerry deserves a second chance. We are even given a backstory that reveals Gerry's FreudianExcuse, the catalyst of events that led him to become TheBully in the first place.

** In ''Series/KamenRiderKabuto'', we get the RichIdiotWithNoDayJob Tsurugi, who has thoroughly become a lovable comic relief character... until it's discovered he's really the Scorpio Worm. The real Tsurugi's over-the-top personality had over-riden the Worm's, essentially BecomingTheMask. While it seems like Tsurugi has betrayed humanity, even his potential love interest, it's actually all a part of a gambit to lead the Worms to ruin by following his orders. And it succeeds. Every Worm is defeated. Every . Worm.

** Heart, and basically all of the [[KillerRobot Roidmudes]] in ''Series/KamenRiderDrive''. They were abused and corrupted by their creator as a way of spiting his former partner. Towards the end of the series they wind up being forced to serve under that very same creator to help him achieve his mad narcissist ambitions, all while their numbers dwindle as they have no means to make more of their kind. Although destroying all of the Roidmudes was Shinnosuke's goal for most of the series, at the end when the last of the Roidmudes (Heart, who spent the entire series trying to create a peaceful world for his kind) dies, he can't take any satisfaction in it at all.

** Flint from ''Requiem For Methuselah'', was not totally a villain but he has become somewhat misanthropic after 6000 years of life. To his credit, he was once Solomon, Alexander, Lazarus, Leonardo, Merlin, and Brahms. He has met Moses, Socrates, Jesus, and Shakespeare. He used Kirk's obvious attraction for Rayna in the hope that Rayna (an android he created) would transfer the resulting feelings she experienced to him. This failed miserably and she was torn between her love for the young, handsome captain, and her love for the kind old man Flint whom she considered like a father. This lead to her eventual death by short circuit. Throughout the encounter, Flint interfered with the Enterprise's mission to acquire a much needed cure for a plague, threatened the Enterprise crew, and tried to take them hostage. In retrospect, Kirk, emphasized with Flint who, while having shunned humankind, only wanted the company of someone who was his intellectual equal, even if he had to build her. Kirk, on the other hand, was far too easily attracted to Rayna and thus manipulated by Flint, which did say something about him as well. Kirk summed it up: "An old and lonely man...and a young and lonely man."

** Heart, and basically all of the [[KillerRobot Roidmudes]] in ''Series/KamenRiderDrive''. They were abused and corrupted by their creator as a way of spiting his former partner. Towards the end of the series they wind up being forced to serve under that very same creator to help him achieve his mad narcissist ambitions, all while their numbers dwindle as they have no means to make more of their kind. Although destroying all of the Roidmudes was his goal for most of the series, at the end when the last of the Roidmudes (Heart, who spent the entire series trying to create a peaceful world for his kind) dies, he can't take any satisfaction in it at all.

** [[TheBrute Danny Crowe]] of all people gets a send-off like this. While his death itself is meant to be BlackComedy, tripping and stabbing himself through the throat while trying to kill Raylan, the minutes before that, where he's mourning over the body of his dead dog, Chelsea, and tearfully recounting how he rescued him from a puppy mill, does a lot to humanize a man who had otherwise been a [[EvilIsDumb stupid]], [[AxeCrazy psychotic]] [[{{Jerkass}} asshole]].

* On ''Series/{{The 100}}'', Anya led the Grounder warriors who tried to massacre the 100. Despite this, Clarke is rather upset to see her unceremoniously gunned down (it helps that, mere minutes before, [[EnemyMine Anya had agreed to ally with Clarke against their common enemy in Mount Weather]]).

* ''Series/{{Angel}}''

* ''Series/BreakingBad''

-->'''Stan:''' (''Crying'') C-can we go around one more time?\\

'''Vincent:''' (''Last words'') Forgive me.

* Livia, the EvilMatriarch of ''Series/IClaudius'' was so pitiable on her deathbed that even Claudius, who knew her murderous nature well, was touched. [[TheCaligula Caligula]] on the other hand...
-->'''Caligula:''' And what makes you think that a filthy smelly old woman like you could become a goddess?

** All the villains of ''Series/IClaudius'' qualify: Tiberius dies asking for lamb cutlets before being smothered by a Guard while his even more horrible [[EvilNephew great-nephew Caligula]] watches, Messalina frantically begs the soldiers sent to kill her not to take her head, and Sejanus (possibly the most despicable villain in the whole series) asks what has become of his children (both dead, and his daughter raped first because it was against Roman law to execute a virgin).

* ''Franchise/KamenRider''

--> '''Jiiya''': Master!\\
'''Tsurugi''': Hey, Jiiya?\\
'''Jiiya''': What is it?\\
'''Tsurugi''': Is it okay for me to dream?\\
'''Jiiya''': Yes! Don't worry about anything. Jiiya will always be by your side.\\
'''Tsurugi''': Thank you, Jiiya.

* ''Series/MrRobot'': In season 2, there is Ray Heyworth, a corrupt prison warden who owns a huge black market ring and sex slave business, but it is later revealed that the only reason he has it is because his wife, who died, founded and used to rule the business, and upon being discovered by [[TheHero Elliot]] and getting arrested, Ray accepts defeat and even lets Elliot go away before the police come and raid the office.

* In the ''Series/{{PrimevalNewWorld}}'' episode "Undone", after the female Lycaenops is accidentally killed, the male Lycaenops has a VillainousBSOD and growls quietly as he nudges her body with his muzzle. And then Mac coldly guns him down like he were just a rabid dog.

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}''

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had a few of these (in keeping with its avoidance of actually evil villains). One was Apollo (yes, [[Myth/ClassicalMythology that Apollo]]), who spent the episode trying to coerce and cajole the landing party into worshipping him so [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly he could survive]], all to no avail because Kirk and co. have OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions and so, he fades away in a moment of [[TheWoobie Woobie]]-ness...
-->'''[=McCoy=]:''' I wish we hadn't [[IDidWhatIHadToDo had to do this]].\\

* He's a certainly a lot less antagonistic than the other villains in the series, but Sano/Imperer's death in ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'' is no less heartbreaking. In summary, Sano had finally attained a semblance of the happiness he'd always wanted, only to be betrayed by a man he thought was his friend and left to dissolve in the Mirror World with no hope of returning home. "I only wanted to be happy", indeed.
* In ''Series/KamenRiderKabuto'', we get the RichIdiotWithNoDayJob Tsurugi, who has thoroughly become a lovable comic relief character... until it's discovered he's really the Scorpio Worm. The real Tsurugi's over-the-top personality had over-riden the Worm's, essentially BecomingTheMask. While it seems like Tsurugi has betrayed humanity, even his potential love interest, it's actually all a part of a gambit to lead the Worms to ruin by following his orders. And it succeeds. Every Worm is defeated. Every . Worm.

** Viserys' death, which is treated as rather pathetic and sad after the character's sneering villainy through most of the show.

** Despite being ''the'' go-to character for KickTheDog, Joffrey's death early in Season 4 is very poignant, especially the case of Cersei's reaction. Margaery also feels bad about the nature of his death.
--->'''Margaery:''' Clawing at his own throat... looking to his mother to make it stop... it was horrible.