History Literature / VillainsByNecessity

* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Or at least the Good crowd thinks it does, if it's even occurred to them that not everything they do is automatically right in the first place.

* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: The very premise of the novel: with good running things on a path that will destroy the world, villains are needed to restore the balance. The Druids understood this, but did the right thing the wrong way by siding with whoever was the underdog.
** Also somewhat deconstructed: if the world keeps its precise balance too long, it will be locked in stasis for all eternity. Periodic fluctuations in balance are just as vital as making sure neither side gets the upper hand for long.

* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: The very premise of the novel, with a small twist: if the world remains precisely balanced too long, it will be locked in stasis for all eternity. Periodic fluctuations in balance are just as vital as making sure neither side gets the upper hand for long.

* CoolPet: Kaylana, a druid, has a wildcat who's described as larger than a man (possibly more like a mountain lion) who lives with her in her forest home as a harmless companion (to her at least) because of her powers.

* {{Druid}}: Kaylana, who's the [[LastOfHisKind last one left]]. There used to be thousands more, but they were all killed. Most of their traits are typical ([[SpeaksFluentAnimal speaking with]]/[[FriendToAllLivingThings caring for]] animals, having a CoolPet, using nature-based magic, rare VoluntaryShapeshifting and being very LongLived), though the book adds that they also believe in keeping the {{balance between good and evil}} (to the point of pure stupidity -- this is what killed the others).

* NecessarilyEvil: The book title lampshades that these villains have taken on the task of

** The villains who team up together do so and keep together through a pragmatic alliance: they aren't idealistic heroes, but they know better than to backstab each other and wipe each other out.

* Main/NecessarilyEvil: The book title lampshades that these villains have taken on the task of

* GoodNeedsEvil: The book's central theme. With either only Good or Evil, the world will be destroyed.

* ChessMotifs: "In chess, someone has to take the black pieces."

** Barigans are stand-ins for hobbits, with Arcie going so far as to lampshade this.
** The Nathauan also seem like ones for dark elves/drow, given their attributes, and one theory is even that "they were elves once".
** On a more parodic level, the Gnifty Gnomes are thinly-disguised Smurfs.

* PlotCoupon: The fragments of the Spectrum Key.

* BilingualBonus: Valerie "enchants" an amulet to protect Robin from [[{{Claustrophobia}} the walls closing in on him]]. The incantation includes the word "placebo". Blackmail finds this quite funny.

* MyNameIsInigoMontoya: Sam, during the climax. [[spoiler:Mizzamir raped his mother, conceiving him and indirectly putting Sam on the path to becoming an assassin. This leads to Mizzamir's death at his hand in the end.]]

* BalefulPolymorph: It's {{implied}} that [[spoiler:Blackmail's horse is actually his brother, transformed into a horse by Mizzamir.]]

* CruelMercy: Mizzamir's punishments on his enemies are ultimately this. He does everything ''but'' kill people who defy his rule but he'll do just about anything else. His dealings with criminals include [[BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood Whitewashing,]] [[TakenForGranite turning them to stone,]] and [[spoiler:[[BalefulPolymorph turning evil-doers into horses.]]]] As pointed out by the villains multiple times, many would prefer ''anything'' to what Mizzamir would do to them.

* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler:Sir Pryse, in the guise of the black knight Blackmail]], joins the "villains" when Mizzamir's KnightTemplar vision of "good" becomes apparent [[spoiler:with Mizzamir, it is implied, having [[BalefulPolymorph transformed Sir Pryse's brother into a horse]].]]

* TakenForGranite: Mizzamir inflicts this on Sam after a brief encounter, planning to come back and Whitewash him once he recovers from an injury. Valerie remarks that this is typical behavior for a "good" mage; transform criminals to stone, then leave them there until he decides what's to be done with them. Her personal opinion is that a BalefulPolymorph is more useful if you need to keep an enemy alive for a while -- frogs and newts are a lot easier to transport than several hundred pounds of stone, and don't attract attention if one suddenly appears in the middle of the street.

* GoodIsBoring: The book starts on a description of how Good beat Evil when they won the [[GreatOffscreenWar final great war]], after which the source for Evil was sealed off from the world. Afterward, the Evil remaining was slowly destroyed by the Good guys, with the world steadily becoming nicer and more peaceful, but also quite boring to the few villains left. "Boring!" is the first dialogue spoken in the book, as Sam shouts this in annoyance once the prologue ends (he's an assassin with no call for his work anymore). This is his grievance at first with the forces of Good who now rule (alongside them hunting down everyone like him to be [[HeelFaceBrainwashing "whitewashed" into being Good too]]. It soon transpires however that ''far'' more [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is at stake]] if Good [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil takes over entirely]]. It soon transpires, however, that ''far'' more [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is at stake]] if Good [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil takes over entirely]].

* GoodIsBoring: The book starts on a description of how Good beat Evil when they won the [[GreatOffscreenWar final great war]], after which the source for Evil was sealed off from the world. Afterward, the Evil remaining was slowly destroyed by the Good guys, with the world steadily becoming nicer and more peaceful, but also quite boring to the few villains left. "Boring!" is the first dialogue spoken in the book, as Sam shouts this in annoyance once the prologue ends (he's an assassin with no call for his work anymore). This is his motivation, initially, to undo the Victory and release evil back into the world. It soon transpires, however, that ''far'' more [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is at stake]] if Good [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil takes over entirely]].

* GoodIsBoring: The book starts on a description of how Good beat Evil when they won the [[GreatOffscreenWar final great war]], after which the source for Evil was sealed off from the world. Afterward, the Evil remaining was slowly destroyed by the Good guys, with the world steadily becoming nicer and more peaceful, but also quite boring to the few villains left. "Boring!" is the first dialogue spoken in the book, as Sam shouts this in annoyance once the prologue ends (he's an assassin with no call for his work anymore. This is his motivation initially to undo the Victory and release evil back into the world. It soon transpires however that ''far'' more [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is at stake]] if Good [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil takes over entirely]].

* SugarBowl: The world is slowly turning into this, with the brainless whitewashed populace only growing, the sun staying out for longer, and the night becoming brighter. The villains notice several times on their travels how sickeningly wholesome and sweet many of the landscapes they traverse are. [[spoiler:It's taken UpToEleven toward the end of the book as the world inches closer and closer to the end. The world has literally no shadows, even inside of people's mouths, and even the black clothing of our protagonists become bright, cheery colors. Nightshade, a raven, turns a bright blue.]]

* TwoHalvesMakeAPlot: This trope is taken {{up to eleven}}, as the protagonists need the ''six'' pieces of the Spectrum Key for saving the world.

* FantasticFruitsAndVegetables: Kaylana gets a number of plants gathered as a gift from Sam which have magical properties and together she used for a TimeStop spell at a crucial time.

* DeadlyDodging: Sam dodges a charging unicorn while there's a tree right behind him, which ends up with its horn stuck once Kaylan causes the tree's bark to grow closed around it. Robin then protests the villains' plan of taking advantage of the unicorn's helplessness to behead it. They don't as Valerie notes that {{unicorns are sacred}} to Good folk and they would rain down vengeance if he was killed.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Although the final Victory of Good over Evil was over a hundred and fifty years ago, there were still enough monsters, brigands and general badness going on to keep multiple generations of heroes occupied. It’s only very recently that evil as a concept has been almost eradicated.

** When Sam says his full name is "Samalander" Kaylana asks if he means "Salamandar", but he insists that it's correct.

* ItsForABook: After suffering through intense ClothingDamage throughout the adventure, Sam is forced to have his Assassin's Guild uniform mended by a tailor. When the conspicuously villainous outfit naturally attracts questions, he claims it's a costume for a play (specifically this world's version of ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}})''.

* LadyOfBlackMagic: Valeriana fits this trope to a tee, though unlike many she's straight up villainous. Her magic is largely offensive, though she can do other kinds in a pinch. Also it's weaker than in most cases, as Dark magic is fading from the world.

** When Sam runs into one of his old mentors, who was known as Black Fox then, the man introduces himself as Reynardin now. This is related to "Renard" the word for "fox" in French. In Medieval legend "Reynard the Fox" was a popular character too, a trickster and audacious criminal, with Sam mentally recounting some of his past exploits which make clear this fits him very well.

** At one point, Sam attempts to play off his assassin's garb as the costume for a play, "The Tragedy of Oswald, Prince of Volinar". Sam describes the plot as [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} "The one where the fellow's uncle kills his father and marries his mother."]] He later even mentally quotes "To thine own self be true", ascribed as coming from an "ancient play".

** Arcie has most of the hobbit or halfling characteristics, though his people are still humans, simply smaller ones from the north (with Scottish accents), being a short, hairy and mischievous man. He is a thief and a black sheep, as the others are said to be honest, more down to earth folks. In fairness though, Tolkien stated hobbits were just pigmy humans too originally.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Although the final Victory of Good over Evil was over a hundred and fifty years ago, there were still enough monsters, brigands and general badness going on to keep multiple generations of heroes occupied. It’s only very recently that evil as a concept has been almost eradicated.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Sam's full name turns out to be Samalander, though it's only said a couple times. Most other people didn't even know about it until he disclosed this.

* MagicRing: Mizzamir has one he uses to teleport himself early on.

* {{Deconstruction}}: This the book's goal in regards to fantasy fiction, turning the most basic idea -- good versus evil -- on its head. Some readers feel it fails though, since the "villains" are not so bad, with the "heroes" having very nasty sides in some cases.

* ChildByRape: [[spoiler:It turns out that Sam is one, via Mizzamir]].

* LivingWeapon: Truelight, Slayer of Darkness, Fenwick's magical longsword, is sapient with a Good alignment. Sam is able to sense its anger for him after he picks it up, since he's a villain. It still works when he wields the sword though.