History Main / AfterActionVillainAnalysis

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}':

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' has Ichigo deliver one about Aizen.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

-->Plague! Don't get too close, my lord.
-->'''King Priam:''' What happened here?
-->They desecrated the temple of the gods, and Apollo desecrated their flesh.
-->They thought they could sack this city in a day. Now look at them... fleeing across the Aegean.
* The film (and comic) version of ''Film/SinCity'' has a scene in which Cardinal Roarke explains to Marv why his adopted son ate people [[spoiler: and subsequently admitted to joining in.]]
* ''Film/{{Predator}}'' (1987).
-->'''Mac, to Dillon, describing the encounter with the Predator''': Those eyes...disappeared. But I know one thing, Major... (pause) I drew down and fired right at it. Capped-off two hundred rounds and then the Mini-gun; the full pack. Nothin'...nothin' on this earth could have lived...not at that range.
-->[Later]
-->'''Schaefer''': He uses the trees.
* ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' has an expository scene with the surviving marines hypothesising about the life cycle of the aliens and that there has to be a queen laying the eggs. They're right.

* Happens frequently in the ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' stories.

* In ''LightNovel/AnotherNote'', Mello does this for Beyond Birthday, saying he could understand ''why'' [[NotSoDifferentRemark B did what he did]].

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Film/ItConqueredTheWorld.'' "He learned almost too late that man is a feeling creature, and because of it, the greatest in the universe..." A catchphrase of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''. Doubles also as a PatrickStewartSpeech.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': After [[spoiler:trying and executing Littlefinger for treason]] in Season 7, Sansa and Arya stand on the battlements of Winterfell and discuss him, with Sansa admitting he did have some redeeming qualities.

* In the postgame in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Pokemon Platinum]]'', you come across an old man who explains why Cyrus was after a world without emotion. Of course, the old man (probably) doesn't know that you're the one who defeated Cyrus, or even that you ever met him. He's just a [[CryForTheDevil grieving grandfather]] who blames himself for his grandson turning out [[KnightTemplar like that]].
* Subverted towards the end of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'': After Link defeats Ganondorf's first form, Zelda's CrystalPrison slowly moves towards the roof and dissipates, and Zelda looks at [[spoiler:Ganondorf's body and says ''"Ganondorf, pitiful man. Without a strong, righteous mind, he could not control the power of the gods."'' Then they realize the place is collapsing, that Ganondorf is using his "last breath" to bury Link and Zelda in the remains of the castle...of course, after they escape, it turns out Link has to fight another of Ganondorf's forms, confirming that Zelda's earlier line isn't really an AFTER action villain analysis]].

* ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault'': After beating the final boss, Fox pauses before making his escape to calmly muse on what the enemy was trying to accomplish and how it couldn't have worked.

* In ''LightNovel/AnotherNote'', Mello does this for Beyond Birthday, saying he could understand ''why'' [[NotSoDifferent B did what he did]].

* In ''Disney/TheLionKingIISimbasPride''.

* ''VideoGame/Injustice2'': After Regime Superman was defeated [[VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs in the previous game]], Batman reflects on his StartOfDarkness in the opening, mainly the fact that the Joker, who is usually Batman's ArchEnemy, tricked the Man of Steel into killing his own wife Lois Lane and nuking Metropolis [[ForTheEvulz out of pure sadism]]. Batman may be sympathetic to Superman's plight, but [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse doesn't feel it excuses]] whatever crimes he committed in Lois's sake.

Compare KirkSummation, which is addressed to the actual villain. See also YoureInsane.

* Perhaps most famously (if lamely) in the Creator/AlfredHitchcock film, ''Film/{{Psycho}}''.

* In ''LightNovel/AnotherNote'', Mello does this for Beyond Birthday, saying [[UnintentionallySympathetic he could understand]] ''why'' [[NotSoDifferent B did what he did]].

* A variant is done in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' trials. While Phoenix pieces together the actions of the guilty party to the court as the trial proceeds, it's usually not until the very end of the trial that all the pieces come together and the full motives of the killer are figured out. One notable case that plays this straight is Case 5-2, in which, following [[spoiler:Le'Belle's freak out]], Simon Blackquill revives him long enough to get his testimony offscreen. He then reports to the courtroom that [[spoiler:Le'Belle's criminal activities were motivated by being bankrupt, something which hadn't been revealed before then (while the goal of Le'Belle was determined, ''why'' he did it all exactly was not).]]

* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'': Tim often reflects on the circumstances which led to the villain he fought in the issue to a criminal lifestyle. He's often sympathetic to their plight but never feels it excuses whatever they did to bring them to his attention.

* Many a ComicBook/{{Batman}} story ends on this note. In LighterAndSofter stories of past generations, he's more likely to shake his head at the villain's wasted potential as a benefactor of humanity. In DarkerAndEdgier modern stories, he's more likely to reflect on how the villain is a ShadowArchetype and reflection of what he could've become had just one thing gone wrong.

** Occasionally subverted, when it is revealed that the main villain is actually present in the room, and is ''not'' the person who just got taken into custody, died, or played along with the detective so to catch the true culprit off guard. Examples include ''[[spoiler:CardsOnTheTable]]'' and ''[[spoiler:At Bertram's Hotel]]''.

* When she defeats Kefka one final time in ''DissidiaFinalFantasy'', Terra reflects on his [[OmnicidalManiac lust for destruction]] and concludes that he was trying to fill the void left by his broken heart.

* ''Film/ItConqueredTheWorld.'' "He learned almost too late that man is a feeling creature, and because of it, the greatest in the universe..." A catchphrase of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''. Doubles also as a PiccardSpeech.

* ''Film/ItConqueredTheWorld.'' "He learned almost too late that man is a feeling creature, and because of it, the greatest in the universe..." A catchphrase of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

->''"Burns became consumed by greed, he'd steal from anyone...and when he tried to steal our sunlight, he crossed the line from everyday villainy into CartoonishSupervillainy!"''

-->-- '''Smithers'''[[note]]after mistakenly believing himself to be the one who shot Burns[[/note]], ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsWhoShotMrBurns Who Shot Mr. Burns, Part 2]]"

[[folder:Film]]
* Perhaps most famously (if lamely) in the Creator/AlfredHitchcock film, ''Film/{{Psycho}}''.

* ''{{Troy}}'': The Trojan priest says this when they find the beach abandoned. ([[TrojanHorse It's a Trap]].)
-->Plague! Don't get too close, my lord.
-->'''King Priam:''' What happened here?
-->They desecrated the temple of the gods, and Apollo desecrated their flesh.
-->They thought they could sack this city in a day. Now look at them... fleeing across the Aegean.

* The film (and comic) version of ''SinCity'' has a scene in which Cardinal Roarke explains to Marv why his adopted son ate people [[spoiler: and subsequently admitted to joining in.]]
* ''Predator'' (1987).
-->'''Mac, to Dillon, describing the encounter with the Predator''': Those eyes...disappeared. But I know one thing, Major... (pause) I drew down and fired right at it. Capped-off two hundred rounds and then the Mini-gun; the full pack. Nothin'...nothin' on this earth could have lived...not at that range.
-->[Later]
-->'''Schaefer''': He uses the trees.

-->-- '''Smithers'''[[note]]after mistakenly believing himself to be the one who shot Burns[[/note]], ''TheSimpsons'', "Who Shot Mr. Burns, Part 2"

->''"Burns became consumed by greed, he'd steal from anyone . . .\\
and when he tried to steal our sunlight, he crossed the line from everyday villainy into CartoonishSupervillainy!"''

* A variant is done in the ''AceAttorney'' trials. While Phoenix pieces together the actions of the guilty party to the court as the trial proceeds, it's usually not until the very end of the trial that all the pieces come together and the full motives of the killer are figured out. One notable case that plays this straight is Case 5-2, in which, following [[spoiler:Le'Belle's freak out]], Simon Blackquill revives him long enough to get his testimony offscreen. He then reports to the courtroom that [[spoiler:Le'Belle's criminal activities were motivated by being bankrupt, something which hadn't been revealed before then (while the goal of Le'Belle was determined, ''why'' he did it all exactly was not.]]