History KnightOfCerebus / Film

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[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresInZambezia'' gives us a ruthless [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent Monitor Lizard]] named Budzo who loves the taste of [[ChildEater bird's eggs]] and is perfectly willing to betray anyone who helps him. In the past, he tore off Sekhuru's wing and he also killed the main character's mother, one of the founders of the Hurricanes. There isn't a single funny moment whenever he's on screen.
* The final ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' film ''WesternAnimation/AladdinAndTheKingOfThieves'' gives us a BigBad known as Sa'Luk. While he may not have any magic powers like Jafar, he's ''still'' almost as threatening. He's a ruthless, violent, and rather impatient brute with little if any tolerance for those he deems weak. He is big boisterous, has a [[WolverineClaws knuckle duster with bronze claws on his fist]] for ripping his foes to shreds, '''survives''' falling off a cliff into the sea and ''kills a shark with his bare hands'', and the film takes a much darker turn when he sets his plot in motion.
* While Franchise/CareBears is arguably a trope codifier for VileVillainSaccharineShow, most of the villains of the series have elements to tone down their menace such as comical minions. Not so for the Spirit of the Book from ''WesternAnimation/TheCareBearsMovie'' throws all of that away and the film becomes noticeably darker when she's involved, with acts like releasing an entity that repeatedly ''attacks'' the bears and attempts to turn the world into an anarchistic, chaotic hellhole rather than just making everyone uncaring jerks.
* While the villain of the first ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' film is an arrogant and obnoxious green racecar, [[WesternAnimation/Cars2 the sequel's]] villains are an organization of evil, beaten-up cars led by a German microcar [[spoiler:and a malfunctioning British SUV]] who commit multiple on-screen murders and attempt terrorism.
* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTalesTheMovieTreasureOfTheLostLamp'': Though the movie does sort of play as an extended episode of the show, it's clear that Merlock poses a far darker and more serious threat to Scrooge and his nephews than any other enemy has in the past. In his past life, he resorted to causing both the sinking of Atlantis and the destruction of Pompeii, which makes him the only villain in the franchise with a body count. Unlike other examples of the trope, this doesn't stop Merlock from being a ChewToy until the climax of the film (he gets physically abused several times, including getting swatted as a rat and stepped on as a roach).
* ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon2'' has [[BigBad Drago Bludivist]]. Unlike [[spoiler:the Red Death]], Drago is a human being that is fully aware of his actions, and manages to rapidly push the film into DarkerAndEdgier territory, even taking the BigBad of the previous film into account. His introduction via flashback involves him burning down a hall full of Viking chiefs and killing them, with only Stoick surviving. Two major characters die, one on screen, as a result of his actions. Nothing about him is remotely funny, even his LargeHam tendencies, and the mere ''mention'' of his name causes the goofy, heartwarming side of things to stop more or less instantly.
* Soto from ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' causes comedy to disappear and the film’s tone to become rather dark. Oh, and his motivation is to ''kill a baby'' in an act of petty revenge, not to mention that he nearly kills Diego.
** Cretaceous and Maelstrom from the second film, who kill a character onscreen and generally feel like they’d be more in place in a horror film.
* Lord Shen from ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2''. While the first film featured slapstick kung fu fighting, BloodlessCarnage, and a BigBad more interested in a title than anything else, the sequel ''opens'' with Shen ordering a mass genocide, and then a few scenes later he rolls out his new invention, the ''cannon'', and murders a legendary kung fu master.
* [[EnthrallingSiren The Dazzlings]] from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'' could be seen as such for the Equestria Girls series, despite their occasionally comical dialogues. The first movie's villain, Sunset Shimmer, spent most of the movie as an AlphaBitch and was not able to do much more than picking on Twilight. She [[OneWingedAngel turned into a demon]] at the end, but lasted all of five minutes and accomplished almost nothing before being nailed by the Elements of Harmony. Come the second movie, we get this trio who immediately start out armed with insidious magical powers and only keep growing stronger throughout the movie. In addition, their leader Adagio is by far more competent and cunning than Sunset ever was in the first movie. Within hours, the Dazzlings manage to essentially turn the school on itself, feasting on the resulting hostilities. Within days, they manage to strain the Mane Six' friendship to a borderline breaking point despite the fact that they could not affect them directly with their CompellingVoice. When finally comes the time to confront them, they put up a far better fight than Sunset Shimmer had, too.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheProphet'': The Commandant. Unlike the other soldiers there is no humanizing or comedic aspects to him and the film's narrative darkens significantly with his introduction.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheRugratsMovie'': The biggest and most deadly threat the babies ever encounter comes in the hungry and DeadSerious form of Scar Snout, the Wolf. He stalks the babies with the single-minded intention of eating them essentially. He'd do the Shark from ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' proud. He’s made even worse by the fact that this is a shared universe with ''WesternAnimation/TheWildThornberrys'' where [[FridgeHorror most animals are sentient and aware of humans]].
* Lots-o-Huggin' Bear from ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', despite his name, strawberry scent, and BearyFriendly appearance, isn't what you would expect him to be. He's the leader of Sunnyside Daycare, a fun place by day...that is also a CrapsaccharineWorld by night. From the previous films, aside from the point of view of sentient toys, Sid was a [[KidsAreCruel violent brat]], Scud was a dog and therefore amoral, Al was a FatBastard, and Stinky Pete was a WellIntentionedExtremist. But Lotso is a downright sociopathic monster who brings an aura of sheer brutality and menace never before seen in the series, and it's the confrontation with him at the dumpster that paves the way for one of the series' darkest scenes when he leaves the toys to get burnt to death in the incinerator after Woody and Buzz risked their lives to save him. Even Bonnie's toys are aware of his atrocities.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/JamesBond'':
** Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the nefarious leader of [[NebulousEvilOrganization SPECTRE]], has proven to be the number one ArchEnemy Bond has faced so far, showing a willingness to condemn the entire world if he doesn’t what he wants, a [[BadBoss tendency to kill]] minions for the slightest of mistakes (with a peculiar preference [[BlofeldPloy for playing mind games with those]] he's about to make into an example for the rest), and getting his hands dirty if cornered. He even does the most notorious KickTheDog moment in the franchise in ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'', when he personally kills Bond’s wife Tracy on their honeymoon, all to spite 007 for foiling his EvilPlan.
** For Roger Moore's last Bond film, ''Film/AViewToAKill'', we see Bond facing Max Zorin, the psychotic CorruptCorporateExecutive who, in one scene, [[MoralEventHorizon sets off a bomb inside a mine with hundreds of his own workers still inside]], and then [[PutTheLaughterInSlaughter shoots down those trying to escape all while laughing his head off]]. The LighterAndSofter Moore era was over, indeed.
** In ''Film/LicenceToKill'' we meet the overly ruthless drug lord Franz Sanchez, who beats his girlfriend with a whip and has her secret lover's heart ripped out. After being captured by Bond and Felix in the opening, he later escapes from jail, maims Felix and murders his wife, setting up Bond's RoaringRampageOfRevenge. Throughout the movie, as Bond starts getting under Sanchez' skin, the villain starts killing his own henchmen in some rather gory methods like making one explode in a decompression chamber and impaling another on a forklift. Even compared to the Daniel Craig movies, ''Licence'' is arguably the darkest Bond flick of all.
** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' took it UpToEleven with [[BigBad Franz Oberhauser]] [[spoiler:AKA [[HijackedByGanon Ernst]] [[CanonCharacterAllAlong Stavro Blofeld]]]] not only being revealed as [[GreaterScopeVillain the mastermind behind everything]] since ''Casino Royale'', but [[spoiler:also Bond's [[BigBrotherBully estranged foster]] [[CainAndAbel brother]] who committed {{Patricide}} out of pure envy and jealousy for the time his father spent with Bond]], drills holes into Bond's head out of pure sadism, and forces him into a SadisticChoice in which [[spoiler:Bond has to save Madeleine from the former [=MI6=] building in three minutes before it blows up]]. Disturbingly enough, [[spoiler:[[AdaptationalVillainy he is the darkest version of Blofeld]]]], and possibly one of the vilest villains in the franchise, as he's a far more brutal and ruthless madman. And the ways in which he does ColdBloodedTorture shows the extremely insane nature of this psychopathic monster, [[ForTheEvulz as he's only doing it to get a sick kick at 007's expense]], all the while gleefully enjoying it regardless of the manner he does it.
* ''Maleficent'' duology:
** ''Film/{{Maleficent}}'': King Stefan becomes a pretty dark villain throughout the film. Maleficent casts the spell on his daughter Aurora because Stefan took advantage of their childhood bond in order to [[spoiler:cut off her wings]], he [[SanitySlippage loses his mind throughout the movie]] with every passing second until eventually snapping completely and trying to brutally kill Maleficent. By this point, he's either convinced Aurora is forever cursed or he's completely written her out of his mind.
** ''Film/MaleficentMistressOfEvil'': Queen Ingrith turns out to be a cruel witch who makes Stefan look tame in comparison. Seeking to annihilate all fairies because of an extreme distrust and prejudice toward them, Ingrith [[spoiler:curses her husband the same way Maleficent had cursed Princess Aurora (eternal sleep)]] in order to not only get him out of the way, but to also [[FrameUp frame Maleficent]] and incite a war against fairies where she gleefully has [[spoiler:numerous innocents killed with a poisonous red powder]]. Fairies are also targeted for extermination in a church too and Ingrith even tries to kill Aurora in order to save her own skin in the end.
* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'':
** Hector Barbossa had shades of this in the first film with his very blunt and uncompromising tactics. He eventually underwent HeelFaceRevolvingDoor though.
** The series became significantly darker in its [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest second film]] with the introduction of [[BigBad Lord]] [[SmugSnake Cutler]] [[ManipulativeBastard Beckett]].
%%** Davy Jones
%%** Blackbeard
%%** Salazar
* So far every villain in the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' reboot movies have been this.
** Nero from the [[Film/StarTrek2009 first reboot movie]]. His arrival prompts the Federation to become [[DarkerAndEdgier significantly more heavily armed]] the full ramifications of which are hinted at in the first film and ''heavily'' featured in the second.
** John Harrison/[[spoiler:Khan]] from ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness''. If you thought Nero was nasty, he pales compared to this guy.
** Krall from ''Film/StarTrekBeyond''. He's perhaps the darkest villain in this timeline thus far. Even Khan had his DeadpanSnarker tendencies, while there's ''nothing'' funny about Krall.
* While Frank [=D'Amico=] of ''Film/KickAss''; is responsible for the serious [[MoodWhiplash shifts in tone]] throughout the first movie, his son Chris is played more seriously in ''Kick-Ass 2'' and D'Amico's brother Uncle Ralph D'Amico is far worse than either one.
* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'' is particularly dark, but things become extremely bleak once our heroes arrive at the titular temple and face Mola Ram, who may well be the most evil villain throughout the whole ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' franchise, which is quite the accomplishment in a franchise that features Nazis and ''Adolf Hitler himself''. It's pretty telling that he's the only villain who dies by Indy's direct doing, instead of having a KarmicDeath like the others.
* While ''Film/DieHard2'' was a serious movie to begin with, Col. Stuart causes a planeful of people and children to crash and burn and he even manages to deliver a brutal NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to [=McClane=] in the climax.
* ''Film/TheHangoverPartIII'': Marshall is a drug dealer with a grudge against Chow for stealing half of his gold from a heist. Though Kingsley had shades of this in ''Film/TheHangoverPartII'' ([[spoiler:it turns out he was an Interpol agent after Chow the whole time and never actually a threat]]), Marshall is shown killing a name character onscreen and constantly and bluntly threatening the Wolfpack to a point that it's clear there's a DeadSerious threat established like there wasn't really before. That said, he's shown to actually be [[EvenEvilHasStandards willing to honor deals and agreements]] and only turns on them when he thinks he's been betrayed.
* [[GreaterScopeVillain Thanos]] is easily considered to be the [[KnightOfCerebus darkest and most threatening villain]] in the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]] to date. He has entire planets and nations who fear his power, both [[TheTrickster Loki]] and [[TheXenophile Ronan]] were visibly frightened by him, even telling the latter he would 'bathe the starways in his blood' if he failed him and not to mention he's considered the most powerful being in the universe and immortal by certain people. He is absolutely dreaded and hated by his daughter Gamora and Nebula [[spoiler: who he would make fight each other everyday and when Gamora won, Thanos would take apart Nebula and replace her flesh and blood with machines to make her less 'weak'.]] By the time he became the BigBad in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', [[spoiler: Thanos succeeds in his goal to kill half the universe, which includes half of the Avengers and most of the Guardians of the Galaxy]].
* ''Film/ReturnToOz'' was already [[DarkerAndEdgier a dark film]], but when the [[BigBad Nome King]] finally made his appearance, the film gets even darker as the Nome King raised the stakes for Dorothy and her friends and even ([[spoiler: briefly]]) managed to capture most of Dorothy's friends in his deadly game. Mombi was pretty bad herself, especially with the infamous "head scene," but she doesn't quite match the Nome King in terms of evilness.
* The titular Evil Dead in ''Film/EvilDead2013'' is definitely more serious then the demon in the previous ones.
* Due to this entry being DarkerAndEdgier, Mick from ''Film/SuddenImpact'' is a more depraved and sadistic threat then the previous [[BigBad Big Bads]] and the later one in [[Film/TheDeadPool the next film]].
* In comparison to previous dinosaur antagonists, the Indominus Rex from ''Film/JurassicWorld'' is the most threatening, homicidal, intelligent, depraved, and frightening. [[spoiler: She also had managed to kill Hammond [[{{Expy}} expy]] Simon Masrani, who only wants to delight the visitors much like Hammond and dies trying to stop this dino from going on a rampage, which shows how much a dangerous threat she is that not even the park owner can stop her and dies trying to.]]
** In turn, ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'' brings us the absolute worst of the human antagonists: the greedy Eli Mills who plots to capture all the remaining species of dinosaurs and no matter how dangerous sell them off to the highest bidders AKA international terrorists and criminals.
* Boris from ''Film/MenInBlack3'' is FAR WORSE than Edgar and Serleena, who were both pretty nasty, since [[spoiler: he's Agent J's father's murderer and Agent K's in the modified '69.]]
** Serleena and Boris are more or less equal in evilness, since both engage in on-and off-screen multiple planetary genocide.
* Immortan Joe from ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' is easily the darkest of the ''Film/MadMax'' villains. While the villains in the first two were just motorcycle gangs and the villain of the third was trying to run a town with order, here, he is a downright sadistic dictator who rules over the Citadel and farms people for their blood and milk, even owning a group of sex slaves and will stop at nothing to get them back when they escape from his clutches.
%% * In spite of his surface-thin goofy demeanor, Lex Luthor from ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' manages to be '''worse''' than [[GeneralRipper Zod]]. [[spoiler: Blowing up the Senate hearing firmly establishes him as this.]]
* ''Bourne'' film series:
** Eric Byer from ''Film/TheBourneLegacy'' is the one who created all the technical on the programs and despite some occasional moments of humanity, demonstrates a cold, calculated detachment when he has operatives and anyone whose involvement threatens to publically expose any of their work, killed in manners varying from setting up a suicide, drugging a scientist so he commits a mass shooting, sending assassins meds that poison them and sending an assassin whose been chemically enhanced to have no empathy.
** CIA Director Robert Dewey from ''Film/JasonBourne'' turns up the seriousness of the film, and while the Asset [[TheHeavy does most of the heavy lifting]], he is [[DragonInChief operating under Dewey's command]]. The fact that Dewey is responsible for the events of the series also turns up the seriousness. He also goes even further than [[Film/TheBourneIdentity Conklin]], [[Film/TheBourneSupremacy Abbott]], or [[Film/TheBourneUltimatum Vosen]] in terms of ruthlessness, such as killing off agents as he goes along.
** The Asset himself is a far more villainous than other henchmen Bourne took down in previous films; he cold-bloodedly murders multiple civilians and even CIA officers who stand in his way to do Dewey's dirty work.
* Among the ''Franchise/{{Rocky}}'' antagonists, [[Film/RockyIV Ivan Drago]] leaves the darkest impact -- namely, [[HeroKiller Apollo's death]] and [[TheHero Rocky]]'s CareerEndingInjury.
* This trope is actually {{Inverted}} in ''Film/PowerRangers2017''. Once the {{Kaiju}} Goldar appears, the movie's tone goes from a somber teenage angst flick to the cheesy, over-the-top action that ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' is known for. That said, Rita Repulsa in this version is still significantly darker and far, far less LaughablyEvil than her TV counterpart with the numerous killings she commits leading up to the climax.
* Given ''Film/PatriotGames'' to be DarkerAndEdgier then the other ''Literature/JackRyan'' features, amongst the terrorist antagonists, the IRA and AxCrazy Miller are the most darkest, violent and brutal villains in the film series, especially Miller, the IRA cell's RevengeBeforeReason-driven PsychoForHire.
* ''Film/MissionImpossibleFilmSeries'':
** ''Film/MissionImpossibleIII'' has Owen Davian, a ruthless ArmsDealer who's made it [[ItsPersonal personal]] to hurt Ethan in the most painful way possible, later fulfilling his promise when he kidnaps and tortures both Ethan and his wife Julia, and even going as far to [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown physically beat the crap out of Ethan]] in the climax.
** ''Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation'' has Solomon Lane, another personal foe of Ethan who is also one of the most dangerous characters in the entire series. When he returned in ''Film/MissionImpossibleFallout'', he's just as dangerous as he appeared in the previous film, but also [[MotiveDecay abandoned all his previous motives]] and became a RevengeBeforeReason-filled DeathSeeker trying to hurt Ethan again, and even brutally fights with Ilsa and Benji in the climax, [[HeroKiller nearly killing the latter]].
** Also in ''Fallout'' was ArmsDealer John Lark, [[spoiler: a.k.a. August Walker. He's the first villain in the series to actually kill an IMF secretary, namely, Alan Hunley.]]
* ''Film/ThePredator'' is hardly a comedy, but there's at least a few laughs and bonding moments with the Loonies. Things get much grimmer when the [[BigBad Ultimate Predator]] shows up, particularly during the climax when it announces [[spoiler: it's going to hunt and kill the Loonies and Stargazer guys alike.]]
* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'' has [[BigBad King Ghidorah]]. It's definitely no exaggeration, as while the other Titans are natural disasters, Ghidorah himself is a ''living extinction event'' and genuinely the most evil of all the monsters.
* ''Franchise/{{Rambo}}'':
** Major Pa Tee Tint from ''Film/RamboIV'' is more brutal, sadistic, psychotic and noticeably disturbing than the previous [[BigBad Big Bads]] or previous kinds of villains all together. The graphic outcomes of the atrocities he committed are absolutely played for horror and makes the past villains' sins pale in comparison. He's the complete 180 degree contrast to Teasle if comparing Tint's large amount of KickTheDog acts to Teasle's large amount of PetTheDog acts.
** Unlike the other villains, Hugo Martinez from ''Film/RamboLastBlood'' not only finds out about Rambo after stealing his driver's license, but he's also the first villain to hurt Rambo personally [[spoiler: by kidnapping and killing Gabriela.]]
[[/folder]]
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* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresInZambezia'' gives us a ruthless [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent Monitor Lizard]] named Budzo who loves the taste of [[ChildEater bird's eggs]] and is perfectly willing to betray anyone who helps him. In the past, he tore of Sekhuru's wing and he also killed the main character's mother, one of the founders of the Hurricanes. There isn't a single funny moment whenever he's on screen.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** The Emperor/[[spoiler:Darth Sidious]] not only brought it full circle in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' and the first two entries of the prequel trilogy (as did Darth Maul and Count Dooku), but brought it UpToEleven in the third entry, ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''. Though Vader is the one who does all the heavy lifting, Palpatine planned everything out by putting himself in office as Chancellor, inciting the Clone War to distract everyone, seducing [[spoiler:Anakin Skywalker]] to become Vader and then ordering all the Jedi be wiped out and murdered.
** Kylo Ren, General Hux and Supreme Leader Snoke all apply as well as the sequel trilogy only gets as dark as it does because of them and Kylo being way more complex and tortured ([[spoiler:and killing his own father Han Solo]]) takes things to a place no one has seen before.

* While the villain of the first ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' film is an arrogant and obnoxious green racecar, [[WesternAnimation/Cars2 the sequel's]] villains are an organization of evil, beaten-up cars led by a German microcar [[spoiler: and a malfunctioning British SUV.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRugratsMovie'': The biggest and most deadly threat the babies ever encounter comes in the hungry and DeadSerious form of Scar Snout, the Wolf. He stalks the babies with the single-minded intention of eating them essentially. He'd do the Shark from ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' proud. He’s made even worse by the fact that this is a shared universe with ''WesternAnimation/TheWildThornberrys'' where [[FridgeHorror most animals are sentient and aware of humans]].
* Lord Shen from ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2''. While the first film featured slapstick kung fu fighting, BloodlessCarnage, and a BigBad more interested in a title than anything else, the sequel ''opens'' with Shen ordering a mass genocide, and then a few scenes later he rolls out his new invention, the ''cannon'', and murders a legendary kung fu master.
* While the villain of the first ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' film is an arrogant and obnoxious green racecar, the sequel's villains are an organization of evil, beaten-up cars led by a German microcar [[spoiler: and a malfunctioning British SUV.]]
* Lots-o-Huggin' Bear from ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', despite his name, strawberry scent, and BearyFriendly appearance, isn't what you would expect him to be. He's the leader of Sunnyside Daycare, a fun place by day...that is also a CrapsaccharineWorld by night. From the previous films, aside from the point of view of sentient toys, Sid was a [[KidsAreCruel violent brat]], Scud was a dog and therefore amoral, Al was a FatBastard, and Stinky Pete was a WellIntentionedExtremist. But Lotso is a downright sociopathic monster who brings an aura of sheer brutality and menace never before seen in the series, and it's the confrontation with him at the dumpster that paves the way for one of the series' darkest scenes when he leaves the toys to get burnt to death in the incinerator after Woody and Buzz risked their lives to save him. Even Bonnie's toys are aware of his atrocities.

* The final ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' film ''WesternAnimation/AladdinAndTheKingOfThieves'' gives us a BigBad known as Sa'Luk. While he may not have any magic powers like Jafar, he's ''still'' almost as threatening. He's a ruthless, violent, and rather impatient brute with little if any tolerance for those he deems weak. He is big boisterous, has a [[WolverineClaws knuckle duster with bronze claws on his fist]] for ripping his foes to shreds, '''survives''' falling off a cliff into the sea and ''kills a shark with his bare hands'', and the film takes a much darker turn when he sets his plot in motion.
* While Franchise/CareBears is arguably a trope codifier for VileVillainSaccharineShow, most of the villains of the series have elements to tone down their menace such as comical minions. Not so for the Spirit of the Book from ''WesternAnimation/TheCareBearsMovie'' throws all of that away and the film becomes noticeably darker when she's involved, with acts like releasing an entity that repeatedly ''attacks'' the bears and attempts to turn the world into an anarchistic, chaotic hellhole rather than just making everyone uncaring jerks.

* Soto from ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' causes comedy to disappear and the film’s tone to become rather dark. Oh, and his motivation is to ''kill a baby'' in an act of petty revenge, not to mention that he nearly kills Diego.
** Cretaceous and Maelstrom from the second film, who kill a character onscreen and generally feel like they’d be more in place in a horror film.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** The Emperor/[[spoiler:Darth Sidious]] not only brought it full circle in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' and the first two entries of the prequel trilogy (as did Darth Maul and Count Dooku), but brought it UpToEleven in the third entry, ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''. Though Vader is the one who does all the heavy lifting, Palpatine planned everything out by putting himself in office as Chancellor, inciting the Clone War to distract everyone, seducing [[spoiler:Anakin Skywalker]] to become Vader and then ordering all the Jedi be wiped out and murdered.
** Kylo Ren, General Hux and Supreme Leader Snoke all apply as well as the sequel trilogy only gets as dark as it does because of them and Kylo being way more complex and tortured ([[spoiler:and killing his own father Han Solo]]) takes things to a place no one has seen before.

* ''Film/JamesBond'':
** Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the nefarious leader of [[NebulousEvilOrganization SPECTRE]], has proven to be the number one ArchEnemy Bond has faced so far, showing a willingness to condemn the entire world if he doesn’t what he wants, a [[BadBoss tendency to kill]] minions for the slightest of mistakes (with a peculiar preference [[BlofeldPloy for playing mind games with those]] he's about to make into an example for the rest), and getting his hands dirty if cornered. He even does the most notorious KickTheDog moment in the franchise in ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'', when he personally kills Bond’s wife Tracy on their honeymoon, all to spite 007 for foiling his EvilPlan.
** For Roger Moore's last Bond film, ''Film/AViewToAKill'', we see Bond facing Max Zorin, the psychotic CorruptCorporateExecutive who, in one scene, [[MoralEventHorizon sets off a bomb inside a mine with hundreds of his own workers still inside]], and then [[PutTheLaughterInSlaughter shoots down those trying to escape all while laughing his head off]]. The LighterAndSofter Moore era was over, indeed.
** In ''Film/LicenceToKill'' we meet the overly ruthless drug lord Franz Sanchez, who beats his girlfriend with a whip and has her secret lover's heart ripped out. After being captured by Bond and Felix in the opening, he later escapes from jail, maims Felix and murders his wife, setting up Bond's RoaringRampageOfRevenge. Throughout the movie, as Bond starts getting under Sanchez' skin, the villain starts killing his own henchmen in some rather gory methods like making one explode in a decompression chamber and impaling another on a forklift. Even compared to the Daniel Craig movies, ''Licence'' is arguably the darkest Bond flick of all.
** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' took it UpToEleven with [[BigBad Franz Oberhauser]] [[spoiler:AKA [[HijackedByGanon Ernst]] [[CanonCharacterAllAlong Stavro Blofeld]]]] not only being revealed as [[GreaterScopeVillain the mastermind behind everything]] since ''Casino Royale'', but [[spoiler:also Bond's [[BigBrotherBully estranged foster]] [[CainAndAbel brother]] who committed {{Patricide}} out of pure envy and jealousy for the time his father spent with Bond]], drills holes into Bond's head out of pure sadism, and forces him into a SadisticChoice in which [[spoiler:Bond has to save Madeleine from the former [=MI6=] building in three minutes before it blows up]]. Disturbingly enough, [[spoiler:[[AdaptationalVillainy he is the darkest version of Blofeld]]]], and possibly one of the vilest villains in the franchise, as he's a far more brutal and ruthless madman. And the ways in which he does ColdBloodedTorture shows the extremely insane nature of this psychopathic monster, [[ForTheEvulz as he's only doing it to get a sick kick at 007's expense]], all the while gleefully enjoying it regardless of the manner he does it.

* So far every villain in the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' reboot movies have been this.
** Nero from the [[Film/StarTrek2009 first reboot movie]]. His arrival prompts the Federation to become [[DarkerAndEdgier significantly more heavily armed]] the full ramifications of which are hinted at in the first film and ''heavily'' featured in the second.
** John Harrison/[[spoiler:Khan]] from ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness''. If you thought Nero was nasty, he pales compared to this guy.
** Krall from ''Film/StarTrekBeyond''. He's perhaps the darkest villain in this timeline thus far. Even Khan had his DeadpanSnarker tendencies, while there's ''nothing'' funny about Krall.

* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' became significantly darker in its [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest second film]] with the introduction of [[BigBad Lord]] [[SmugSnake Cutler]] [[ManipulativeBastard Beckett]].

* Eric Byer from ''Film/TheBourneLegacy'' is the one who created all the technical on the programs and despite some occasional moments of humanity, demonstrates a cold, calculated detachment when he has operatives and anyone whose involvement threatens to publically expose any of their work, killed in manners varying from setting up a suicide, drugging a scientist so he commits a mass shooting, sending assassins meds that poison them and sending an assassin whose been chemically enhanced to have no empathy.

* ''Film/MaleficentMistressOfEvil'': Queen Ingrith turns out to be a cruel witch who makes Stefan look tame in comparison. Seeking to annihilate all fairies because of an extreme distrust and prejudice toward them, Ingrith [[spoiler:curses her husband the same way Maleficent had cursed Princess Aurora (eternal sleep)]] in order to not only get him out of the way, but to also [[FrameUp frame Maleficent]] and incite a war against fairies where she gleefully has [[spoiler:numerous innocents killed with a poisonous red powder]]. Fairies are also targeted for extermination in a church too and Ingrith even tries to kill Aurora in order to save her own skin in the end.

* The final ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' film ''Disney/AladdinAndTheKingOfThieves'' gives us a BigBad known as Sa'Luk. While he may not have any magic powers like Jafar, he's ''still'' almost as threatening. He's a ruthless, violent, and rather impatient brute with little if any tolerance for those he deems weak. He is big boisterous, has a [[WolverineClaws knuckle duster with bronze claws on his fist]] for ripping his foes to shreds, '''survives''' falling off a cliff into the sea and ''kills a shark with his bare hands'', and the film takes a much darker turn when he sets his plot in motion.

* ''Maleficent'' duology:
** ''Film/Maleficent'': King Stefan, compared to both the Maleficent from the animated ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'' and his animated counterpart (a clear good guy), is a darker character and this time, a clear cut antagonist. After Maleficent casts the spell because Stefan took advantage of their childhood bond in order to [[spoiler:cut off her wings]], he loses his mind throughout the movie with every passing second until eventually snapping completely and trying to brutally kill Maleficent.
** ''Film/MaleficentMistressOfEvil'': Queen Ingrith turns out to be a cruel witch who makes Stefan look tame in comparison. Seeking to annihilate all fairies because of an extreme distrust and prejudice toward them, Ingrith [[spoiler:curses her husband the same way Maleficent had cursed Princess Aurora (eternal sleep)]] in order to not only get him out of the way, but to also [[FrameUp frame Maleficent]] and incite a war against fairies where she gleefully has [[spoiler:numerous innocents killed with a poisonous red powder]]. Fairies are also targeted for extermination in a church too and Ingrith even tries to kill Aurora in order to save her own skin in the end.

* ''Film/TheFlintstones'': Cliff Vandercave is a CorruptCorporateExecutive at Slate Co. who after framing Fred for embezzlement, kidnaps Pebbles and Bam-Bam and then threatens to kill them in a rock crushing machines in order to take possession of the Dictabird, the one witness against him. Then he tries to kill the kids anyway.
* Frank [=D'Amico=] of ''Film/KickAss''; is responsible for the serious [[MoodWhiplash shifts in tone]] throughout the movie. He is also responsible for the origin of Big Daddy and Hit Girl. If that's not enough [[spoiler: he has Kick Ass and Big Daddy tortured live on TV and has Big Daddy burned alive, and killed.]]
** His son Chris also is played more seriously in ''Kick-Ass 2'' and D'Amico's brother Uncle Ralph D'Amico is far worse than either one.

* [[GreaterScopeVillain Thanos]] is easily considered to be the [[KnightOfCerebus darkest and most threatening villain]] in the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]] to date. He has entire planets and nations who fear his power, both [[TheTrickster Loki]] and [[TheXenophile Ronan]] were visibly frightened by him, even telling the latter he would 'bathe the starways in his blood' if he failed him and not to mention he's considered the most powerful being in the universe and immortal by certain people. He is absolutely dread and hated by his daughter Gamora and Nebula [[spoiler: who he would make fight each other everyday and when Gamora won, Thanos would take apart Nebula and replace her flesh and blood with machines to make her less 'weak'.]] By the time he became the BigBad in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', [[spoiler: Thanos succeeds in his goal to kill half the universe, which includes half of the Avengers and most of the Guardians of the Galaxy]].

* ''Film/Shazam2019'':
** {{Inverted}} with the titular hero. The DCEU has largely taken a grounded approach to the source material with a more realistic setting and somber atmosphere. However, the moment Billy Batson gains the power to turn into an adult superhero, he goes from an angsty teen to a playful, friendly manchild.
** Played straight with the demonically-enhanced Dr. Sivana. The PunchCatch he performs on Billy in their first encounter signals that shit is about to gets real following Billy's goofy antics. His very presence turns the movie from a wacky coming-of-age comedy into a supernatural horror movie.

** Art Galt from ''Film/FirstBlood'' fulfilled this role of sorts due to being more vile and lawless than Teasle through his cruelty towards Rambo and then his attempt to kill him in retribution for assaulting him after Galt tormented him. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsjiRaVJK3A music]] that plays during his intense scene when he tries to shoot Rambo in cold blood before meeting his death reflects on this trope Galt borders on and can feel like it came straight out of a horror film.

** Major Pa Tee Tint from ''Film/RamboIV'' is more brutal, sadistic, psychotic and noticeably disturbing than the previous [[BigBad Big Bads]] or previous kinds of villains all together. The graphic outcomes of the atrocities he committed are absolutely played for horror and makes the past villains' sins pale in comparison. He's the complete 180 degree contrast to Teasle if comparing Tint's large amount of KickThe Dog acts to Teasle's large amount of PetTheDog acts.

** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' took it UpToEleven with [[BigBad Franz Oberhauser]] [[spoiler:AKA [[HijackedByGanon Ernst]] [[CanonCharacterAllAlong Stavro Blofeld]]]] not only being revealed as [[GreaterScopeVillain the mastermind behind everything]] since ''Casino Royale'', but [[spoiler:also Bond's [[BigBrotherBully estranged foster]] [[CainAndAbel brother]] who committed {{Patricide}} out of pure envy and jealousy for the time his father spent with Bond]], drills holes into Bond's head out of pure sadism, and forces him into a SadisticChoice in which [[spoiler:Bond has to save Madeleine from the former MI6 building in three minutes before it blows up]]. Disturbingly enough, [[spoiler:[[AdaptationalVillainy he is the darkest version of Blofeld]]]], and possibly one of the vilest villains in the franchise, as he's a far more brutal and ruthless madman. And the ways in which he does ColdBloodedTorture shows the extremely insane nature of this psychopathic monster, [[ForTheEvulz as he's only doing it to get a sick kick at 007's expense]], all the while gleefully enjoying it regardless of the manner he does it.

** ''Film/Maleficent'': King Stefan, compared to both the Maleficent from the animated ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'' and his animated counterpart (a clear good guy), is a darker character and this time, a clear cut antagonist. After Maleficent casts the spell because Stefan took advantage of their childhood bond in order to [[spoiler:cut off her wings]], he loses his mind throughout the movie with every passing second until eventually snapping completely by the end of the movie.

** ''Film/Maleficent'': King Steffan, compared to both the Maleficent from the animated ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'' and his animated counterpart (a clear good guy), is a darker character and this time, a clear cut antagonist. After Maleficent casts the spell because Steffan took advantage of their childhood bond in order to [[spoiler:cut off her wings]], he loses his mind throughout the movie with every passing second until eventually snapping completely by the end of the movie.
** ''Film/MaleficentMistressOfEvil'': Queen Ingrith turns out to be a cruel witch who makes Steffan look tame in comparison. Seeking to annihilate all fairies because of an extreme distrust and prejudice toward them, Ingrith [[spoiler:curses her husband the same way Maleficent had cursed Princess Aurora (eternal sleep)]] in order to not only get him out of the way, but to also [[FrameUp frame Maleficent]] and incite a war against fairies where she gleefully has [[spoiler:numerous innocents killed with a poisonous red powder]]. Fairies are also targeted for extermination in a church too and Ingrith even tries to kill Aurora in order to save her own skin in the end.

* ''Film/Maleficent'': King Steffan, compared to both the Maleficent from the animated ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'' and his animated counterpart (a clear good guy), is a darker character and this time, a clear cut antagonist. After Maleficent casts the spell because Steffan took advantage of their childhood bond in order to [[spoiler:cut off her wings]], he loses his mind throughout the movie with every passing second until eventually snapping completely by the end of the movie.