History EvilIsCool / Literature

%% ** Rasconza, the scene-stealing [[TheStarscream Starscream]] in ''Pearls of Lutra'', ''especially'' when compared to the foppish and hilariously inept Ublaz Mad Eyes.

%% ** Say what you will about the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]] and the [[TheClan Bloody Talons]]...there is no denying that they are ''awesome''.

* ''Literature/GoodOmens':

** The Demon Crowley tries to invoke it as well, with his CoolShades, expensive black CoolCar, fashionable apartment, an attitude ' so laid back you could put a carpet on it' and [[ChainOfHarm modernized approach to spreading sin]]. However, it's clear that he's not nearly as [[NobleDemon evil]] or as [[BrokenAce cool]] as he likes to act.

%% ** And Crowley

%% * Literature/{{Discworld}} has some examples, including [[Discworld/WitchesAbroad Lady Lilith]], [[Discworld/{{Hogfather}} Mr. Teatime]], [[Discworld/NightWatch Carcer Dun]] and [[MurderInc the entire Assassins' Guild]].

One of the most renowned bad guys is [[TheDragon Gohvis]], aka [[RedBaron The Monster of the East]], aka [[TheDreaded The Black Scourge]]. One of the feats he is known for is [[PersonOfMassDestruction punching a volcano and making it erupt]].

* In ''[[Literature/TheZombieKnight The Zombie Knight Saga]]'', one of the most renowned bad guys is [[TheDragon Gohvis]], aka [[RedBaron The Monster of the East]], aka [[TheDreaded The Black Scourge]]. One of the feats he is known for is [[PersonOfMassDestruction punching a volcano and making it erupt]].

** However, as of writing this, [[spoiler:it is still somewhat in question as to whether Gohvis truly is evil or not]].

* ''Literature/NightfallSeries'': Myra struggles with this when she arrives in the Palace. All vampires she meets are undeniably evil, but for the first time she has access to theater, opera, balls, and huge libraries.
* Averted in ''Literature/ProtectorOfTheSmall'', quite deliberately. Kel is disappointed that [[EvilGenius Blayce]] is ''not'' some grand wizard, and instead, just a short and ugly wimp. [[TheBrute His muscle]] isn't too impressive either.
* Subverted in ''Literature/TheScrewtapeLetters''. Devils are bureaucratic, cranky, selfish killjoys who actively try and reduce the pleasure sinning gives people. Of course, they have an ''interest'' in making sin look cool, but in the end the "creature" will sin more and more while enjoying it less and less.
** Creator/CSLewis appears to have been very well aware of what happened to Milton and to have deliberately gone out of his way to avoid it; in much of his fiction, the good guys are ''far'' cooler than the evil ones, who are almost universally shallow and petty. In ''Literature/{{Perelandra}}'', for example, Satan is depicted as being perfectly willing to sit around saying Ransom's name over and over again until he finally asks what Satan wants, and then saying "Nothing." For days on end.

* [[Literature/InterviewWithTheVampire Lestat]].
* The (extremely fangirled) [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white haired]] Pollution in Creator/TerryPratchett and Creator/NeilGaiman's book ''Literature/GoodOmens'' is VERY MUCH Evil Is Cool. And [[EvilIsSexy hot]].
** And Crowley

* ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'': Although you wouldn't know it from reading the actual book, where he is hideous, disgusting, and creepy, Dracula is essentially responsible for the entire western world's vampire obsession.

* Dante's ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' is split up into three poems, detailing the narrator's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. Guess which one is the best known. Similarly, while everyone knows about the SevenDeadlySins, not too many people are familiar with [[GoodCounterpart the Seven Cardinal Virtues]] (Humility, Generosity, Chastity, Meekness, Temperance, Brotherly Love, and Diligence).

** Rasconza, the scene-stealing [[TheStarscream Starscream]] in ''Pearls of Lutra'', ''especially'' when compared to the foppish and hilariously inept Ublaz Mad Eyes.

* Although determining who is "evil" in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' can get quite difficult, there are some characters who simply exude cool. [[EvilOverlord Tywin Lannister]], especially when he puts on his [[BlingOfWar golden lion battle armour]], his [[AntiHero son Jaime]], the [[WeirdTradeUnion Faceless Men]], the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil White Walkers]], [[CainAndAbel both Cleganes]], [[MagnificentBastard Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish]], [[TheChessmaster Varys "the Spider"]], [[BadassBookworm Prince Rhaegar Targaryen]], [[NeverMessWithGranny Olenna "Queen of Thorns" Tyrell]], [[NobleTopEnforcer Kevan Lannister]], [[SoftSpokenSadist Roose Bolton]], and [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Euron "Crow's Eye" Greyjoy]].
** Gerold "Darkstar" Dayne on the other hand [[InvokedTrope tries very hard to invoke this]], but is [[TheScrappy not regarded as cool at all by the majority of the fans]], to MemeticLoser levels.
* Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium:
** Smaug from ''Literature/TheHobbit''. It helps that he's a badass dragon.
** Sauron and Saruman from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', plus the Nazgûl.
* Literature/{{Discworld}} has some examples, including [[Discworld/WitchesAbroad Lady Lilith]], [[Discworld/{{Hogfather}} Mr. Teatime]], [[Discworld/NightWatch Carcer Dun]] and [[MurderInc the entire Assassins' Guild]]. Subverted in that the coolest characters are generally considered to be [[DaChief Vimes]], [[NeverMessWithGranny Granny Weatherwax]] and [[MagnificentBastard Lord Vetinari]]. The first two are GoodIsNotNice and the last is at worst an AntiVillain.
* ''Literature/TheFirstDwarfKing'': Say what you will about the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]] and the [[TheClan Bloody Talons]]...there is no denying that they are ''awesome''.

* A lot of the villains in ''Literature/WarriorCats'' have large followings due to their cool looks and villainous personalities. Mapleshade, Tigerstar, and Scourge are the main examples.

* Among the ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' fandom, the AlwaysChaoticEvil vermin tend to be more well-liked than the AlwaysLawfulGood woodlanders.

* Subverted in ''Literature/TheScrewtapeLetters''. Devils are bureaucratic, cranky, selfish killjoys who actively try and reduce the pleasure sinning gives people.

* [[BigBad Bobby Cross]] of ''Literature/GhostRoads'', despite being an irredeemable and thoroughly evil villain is extremely [[FauxAffablyEvil charismatic]] and [[TheCharmer charming]]. Bobby oozes style with much gusto and for an added bonus, Bobby has a classic and cool car which he drives around in for his plans.

** The Lowry Cabal, from ''Tricks for Free'', for being a gang of [[EvilSorcerer evil sorcerers]] with a cool range of abilities and powers that prove them formidable opponents.
* ''Literature/{{Angelmaker}}'': [[DiabolicalMastermind Shem Shem Tsiem]] aka the Opium Khan is a sadistic monster but damn if he isn't still a total badass. Shem Shem Tsiem is wickedly intelligent, highly charismatic and to top it all off, hes perfectly fine with fighting toe to toe with someone just on his own.

* ''Literature/{{Angelmaker}}'': [[DiabolcialMastermind Shem Shem Tsiem]] aka the Opium Khan is a sadistic monster but damn if he isn't still a total badass. Shem Shem Tsiem is wickedly intelligent, highly charismatic and to top it all off, hes perfectly fine with fighting toe to toe with someone just on his own.

* ''Literature/{{Angelmaker}}'': [[Diabolcial Mastermind Shem Shem Tsiem]] aka the Opium Khan is a sadistic monster but damn if he isn't still a total badass. Shem Shem Tsiem is wickedly intelligent, highly charismatic and to top it all off, hes perfectly fine with fighting toe to toe with someone just on his own.

* Literature/{{Discworld}} has some examples, including [[Discworld/WitchesAbroad Lady Lilith]], [[Discworld/{{Hogfather}} Mr. Teatime]], and [[MurderInc the entire Assassins' Guild]]. Subverted in that the coolest characters are generally considered to be [[DaChief Vimes]], [[NeverMessWithGranny Granny Weatherwax]] and [[MagnificentBastard Lord Vetinari]]. The first two are GoodIsNotNice and the last is at worst an AntiVillain.

--->'''Garovel''': ‘...You did hear the part about genocide and him being a member of Abolish, right?’
--->'''Hector''': ‘Oh, yeah... F--k, man, why couldn’t he be a good guy?’

* Smaug from ''Literature/TheHobbit''. It helps that he's a badass dragon.
** Sauron and Saruman from ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'', plus the Nazgûl.

* This has notoriously been the biggest problem with Creator/JohnMilton's ''Literature/ParadiseLost.'' Satan is, in fact, so much more interesting to read about than God or Christ (except when the latter [[KungFuJesus gets into His chariot]]) that Creator/WilliamBlake thought Milton was "of the Devil's party without knowing it." The immense MisaimedFandom hasn't helped. Even though what looked like it was going to be an awesome battle scene over Earth turned into Satan running away after realizing that ''he's not cool anymore'', which the sneering angels already knew, and the rest of the story after that shows him being humiliated worse until he wins with Eve and the narrative loses interest in him, for the most part. He's still falling the whole time. But who gets past the first couple of books, anyway?

* In ''[[Literature/TheZombieKnight The Zombie Knight Saga]]'', one of the most renowned bad guys is [[TheDragon Gohvis]], aka [[TheRedBaron The Monster of the East]], aka [[TheDreaded The Black Scourge]]. One of the feats he is known for is [[PersonOfMassDestruction punching a volcano and making it erupt]].

* In [[Literature/TheZombieKnight The Zombie Knight Saga]], one of the most renowned bad guys is [[TheDragon Gohvis]], aka [[TheRedBaron The Monster of the East]], aka [[TheDreaded The Black Scourge]]. One of the feats he is known for is [[PersonOfMassDestruction punching a volcano and making it erupt]].

* The (extremely fangirled) WhiteHairedAndBlackHearted Pollution in Creator/TerryPratchett and Creator/NeilGaiman's book ''Literature/GoodOmens'' is VERY MUCH Evil Is Cool. And [[EvilIsSexy hot]].

* [[InterviewWithAVampire Lestat]].

* This has notoriously been the biggest problem with Creator/JohnMilton's ''Literature/ParadiseLost.'' Satan is, in fact, so much more interesting to read about than God or Christ (except when the latter [[KungFuJesus gets into His chariot]]) that Creator/WilliamBlake thought Milton was "of the Devil's party without knowing it." The immense MisaimedFandom hasn't helped. Even though what looked like was going to be an awesome battle scene over Earth turned into Satan running away after realizing that ''he's not cool anymore'', which the sneering angels already knew, and the rest of the story after that shows him being humiliated worse until he wins with Eve and the narrative loses interest in him, for the most part. He's still falling the whole time. But who gets past the first couple of books, anyway?