History Characters / TwentyFourPresidents

* DynamicCharacter: He starts as an ineffective but good guy, then he becomes a villainous (albeit well intentioned) character, then he tries to redeem himself and do the right thing, and lastly, he becomes an even worse villain than before,only concerned with his own interests.

* ArchEnemy: To Jack Bauer. He, Cheng Zhi, and [[TheMole Nina Myers]] all share this role for the series, though Logan appears most frequently and is the actual BigBad much more than Cheng. It's taken UpToEleven in the SeriesFinale, when Logan shows just how much he HATES Jack Bauer by [[DrivenToSuicide trying to commit suicide]] [[TakingYouWithMe just to make sure Jack Bauer dies along with him]]. Of course, this final act fails as both survive, though [[FateWorseThanDeath Logan probably wished he hadn't]].

* MirrorCharacter: To Jack, of all people. They have both gone through a lot of suffering; both have a dark side and a ruthless streak, are prone to a lot of IDidWhatIHadToDo and they both believe what they do is for the best. They are also willing to give up their lifes for what they believe in. But Jack has more self doubt about his more ruthless actions, carries a lot of regret and guilt, is honest and won't bullshit his actions, and would never harm an innocent if he could avoid it. Meanwhile, Logan would bullshit everyone, [[BelievingTheirOwnLives even himself]], is willing to sacrifice anyone for his goals, and, while he does seem to have some guilt for his actions, he brushes it off.

* TheManBehindTheMan: Oh. Dear. Golly. Anton Beresch, the ringleader of the Russian terrorist group attacking the airport, is merely an underling of terrorist leader Ivan Erwich, who is himself an underling of the group's true mastermind, Vladimir Bierko. Bierko is merely the pawn of Christopher Henderson, who is himself Logan's Dragon. Logan also [[HijackedByGanon hijacks the Russian government]] by blackmailing them and manipulates Taylor into throwing away her beliefs in order to try and repair his image. He manages to do all of this despite initially having nothing to do with the season.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: His appearance, awkwardness, criminal activities, and foreign policy success (i.e. the Russian treaty) all mark him as an Expy of UsefulNotes/RichardNixon.

* PetTheDog: When he prays with Mike before the attack on the Russian convoy where Martha was. For all his evil, that is perhaps one of his most sincere moments of vulnerability he displays. Even Mike acknosledges this.

* ThenLetMeBeEvil: Getting stabbed by his ex-wife while he was trying to atone for his actions shifted him from being a WellIntentionedExtremist: into a straight up evil bastard.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: In Day 5. He genuinely believes he is doing the right thing (his willingness to kill himself lend proof of that). Not so much in Day 8. While he still possesses some shades of it, like genuinely helping to sign the treaty, his self preservation and hatred of Jack take over him.

Vice President after Charles Logan became President following the attack on Air Force One that incapacited John Keeler.

* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: When he becomes President.

* OverarchingVillain: The signature one of the series. While he only serves as a major villain during Days 5 and 8, seasons he appears in but doesn't play a major antagonistic role (Days 4 and 6) often see him making actions that still have major repurcussions, to the point that those repurcussions often hit hardest in seasons he's absent from (Days 7 and 9) as a result.

* DynamicCharacter: Logan is one of the most dynamic characters in the show. He goes from being an out of his depth vice president, to a conniving and deadly president, to a regretful and atoning old man, and to being a complete selfish cretin.

* [[BaldBlackLeaderGuy Black Leader Guy]]: He's the president; he's the ultimate leader guy.

%%* BaldOfAwesome

* NotSoDifferent: Tough as nails, honorable but ruthless, a quick and decisive decision-maker, is mentioned to have "the patience of Job" and struggles to juggle his personal life and being a good father. Jack or David?

* NotSoDifferent: To Jack, of all people. They have both gone through a lot of suffering; both have a dark side and a ruthless streak, are prone to a lot of IDidWhatIHadToDo and they both believe what they do is for the best. They are also willing to give up their lifes for what they believe in. But Jack has more self doubt about his more ruthless actions, carries a lot of regret and guilt, is honest and won't bullshit his actions, and would never harm an innocent if he could avoid it. Meanwhile, Logan would bullshit everyone, [[BelievingTheirOwnLives even himself]], is willing to sacrifice anyone for his goals, and, while he does seem to have some guilt for his actions, he brushes it off.

* ObfuscatingStupidity: Before his role in Day 5 was revealed, he came across as ineffective and unsuited to his office. Kiefer Sutherland confirmed in an interview that this was mostly an act. Itzin, on the other hand, claims that it was EnforcedMethodActing: he played Logan as a well-meaning, if bumbling, good guy, because he did not know he ''was'' a bad guy until receiving the script with TheReveal in it.

* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Tries to delay the rescue operation after the White House is captured, ostensibly because of the risk involved. His aide congratulates him on taking the "smart" move to ensure Taylor gets killed or incapacitated, though Hayworth quickly rebukes him.

* RightForTheWrongReasons: Had he actually authorized the rescue attempt that Larry Moss wanted to make, odds are Juma and his men would have slaughtered most, if not all of the hostages they held, possibly including President Taylor depending on how quickly Hayworth authorized it. However, his reason for not making this decision is at best because he's just incredibly indecisive, and at worst because he was waiting for Juma to kill Taylor and thus make him the new president.

->'''Played By:''' William Devane

* ArchEnemy: To Jack Bauer. He and [[TheMole Nina Myers]] share this role for the series, though Logan appears more frequently and is the actual BigBad. It's taken UpToEleven in the SeriesFinale, when Logan shows just how much he HATES Jack Bauer by [[DrivenToSuicide trying to commit suicide]] [[TakingYouWithMe just to make sure Jack Bauer dies along with him]]. Of course, this final act fails as both survive, though [[FateWorseThanDeath Logan probably wished he hadn't]].
** It is telling that the only villain in the series Jack has as much hatred as he has for Nina is Logan. They have both wrecked Jack's personal life, they both have been involved in conspiracies. But Logan's influence's and power far outrank Nina, and his actions have shaped the show more far than her's.

* BrokenPedestal: Winds up becoming this to Ethan Kanin, which is why he makes his exit. To Jack as well since it's the final straw that kicks off his rampage, but he does regain some respect for her after learning what she did in the finale.

* It'SPersonal: Ethan suggests her obsession with achieving peace has a lot to do with the destruction of her family. And he is right

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: He taught Logan how to be a president and handled the Mahwan situation. The result is that Logan becomes more decisive, more ruthless and gains tons of political capital allowing him to set horrifying things in motion.

* Foil/NotSoDifferent: To Jack, of all people. Their differences are there, but they also have similitudes. They have both gone through a lot of sufferment; both have a dark side and a ruthless strike, and prone to a lot of I Did What I Had To Do, and they both believe what they do is for the best. They are also willing to give up their lifes for what they believe in. But Jack has more self doubt about his more ruthless actions, carries a lot of regret and guilt, is honest and won't bullshit his actions, and would never harm an innocent if he can avoid it. Meanwhile, Logan would bullshit everyone, even himself, is willing to sacrifice anyone for his goals, and, while he does seem to have some guilt for his actions, he brushes it off.
** Jack actions are usually focused in the concrete good. He is always trying to save as many human lifes as he can, and is willing to compromise and take responsibility for his actions. He is not an ideologue. On the other hand, Logan's actions are about the general best interests of the United States, or well, what he believes are. But he always deals in shadows, does not acknowledge responsibility (save for season 6), and is far more selfish and self centered than Jack.

* LoveToHate: Logan is a smarmy, deceitful, selfish and cowardly bastard. And the show's best villain.

* EvilChancellor: To Allison Taylor.

%%* TookALevelInKindness: By the time of ''Redemption''.

* BreakTheCutie: The end of Day 7; she's forced to have her daughter arrested, and her husband divorces her as a result.

%%* IronLady

* TheChessmaster.