History Main / AvengingTheVillain

*** Later Averted with the ''VideoGame/Borderlands3'' character Zane Flynt - he's Captain Flynt's but perfectly willing to work alongside the Vault Hunters who killed him.

*** Corlis Stenja, the older brother of Orlis Stenja, a corrupted Gjallarhorn officr, goes after Tekkadan for killing his younger brother.

* Inverted in ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger''. New Sorrowful Knight Icerondo mortally wounded his predecessor, Sorrowful Knight Aigaron. After helping Aigaron pass on by releasing his soul from his armor, Ian Yorkland/Kyoryu Black, the Ranger who had every reason in the world to hate Aigaron, decided to avenge his enemy, even using Aigaron's [[AnAxeToGrind Tohohawk]] to deliver the final blow to Icerondo.

* In ''VideoGame/DeadRising2OffTheRecord'', Frank meets Evan [=MacIntyre=], a harmless (albeit annoying) ice cream vendor clown who quickly becomes enraged when he discovers he's talking to Frank West, who fought Evan's brother, [[MonsterClown Adam]] (who also was a clown), with the altercation leading to the latter's death. [[CallBack This results in Frank once again battling a homicidal clown.]]

* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'': Baron Helmut Zemo tries to avenge his father Baron Heinrich Zemo's death by trying to kill.

->''"He was the only man capable of saving these fools from their wretched existence... And you... You murdered him!!! You shall pay! No...not just you... The whole world shall pay!"''

* Baron Helmut Zemo tries to avenge his father Baron Heinrich Zemo's death by trying to kill Comicbook/CaptainAmerica.

* ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'': The Daltons started with [[VillainCred villain-worshiping their cousins and desiring to become equal to them in notoriety]]. They mistakenly thought that the best way to do this would be by offing the one who brought the other Daltons down: Lucky Luke. Their grudge became more personal with time however.
* Elizabeth Hawkesmoore in ''Comicbook/NikolaiDante'' joined the Russian army for the chance to kill Dante after he killed her father, Sir Richard Hawkesmoore.

* Prometheus has a similar backstory to Franchise/{{Batman}} except [[FreudianExcuse his criminal parents were shot by the police]].

* ComicBook/RedSonja is hired to dispatch evil wizard Kalas-ra and succeeds within a single issue. Two more issues are devoted to his brother Katharas-ra's quest for vengeance on her and her allies.
* This happens to Franchise/SpiderMan fairly often.
** Since Kraven the Hunter died, several previously unknown sons (both legitimate and illegitimate), and more recently a daughter, have shown up seeking revenge. This is especially ironic as Kraven, [[NothingLeftToDoButDie having nothing else to live for after he defeated his ultimate foe]], '''[[ComicBook/KravensLastHunt killed himself]]'''! Spider-Man really [[SubvertedTrope was]] innocent.
** Harry Osborn became the Green Goblin to avenge [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn his father]]'s death at Spider-Man's hands. In the alternate future in ''ComicBook/SpiderGirl'', ''his'' son does the same, but Spidey's daughter manages to talk him down and break the CycleOfRevenge.
* ''ComicBook/{{Starman}}'': Nash vows that she'll destroy everything Jack Knight holds dear and him after Jack kills Nash's brother Kyle (who in turn had killed Jack's brother David). Nash believes that because she let Jack go, she's an "accomplice" in her brother's murder (while ignoring the fact that she did the exact same thing for David Knight's murder). Nash then becomes the second Mist and goes completely AxCrazy, becoming her father's equal in villainy. But she tops it when she rapes Jack, gets pregnant with his child, and literally tells Jack that she's going to raise their child to ''despise'' Jack utterly.

* The ComicBook/TeenTitans make an enemy of ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} because the HIVE hired Deathstroke's son, the first Ravager, to capture/kill the Titans. Ravager died in the process, leading Deathstroke to take up his son's contract with intent to fulfill it. Of course, that later led to the events of ''ComicBook/TheJudasContract'' and the ''rest'' of Deathstroke's family becoming allied with the Titans.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* A hallucination of ComicBook/NormanOsborn rather strongly insists upon this in ''Film/SpiderMan2''. ''Film/Spider-Man3'' than sees Harry taking his chance to avenge his father and become the New Goblin.

* A hallucination of ComicBook/NormanOsborn rather strongly insists upon this in ''Film/SpiderMan2''.

* ''VideoGame/ApexLegends'': Playable Legend Valkyrie is the daughter of Viper, an Apex Predator merc killed by playable character Jack Cooper in ''VideoGame/Titanfall2''. Played with in that she tried to go after her father's former commander Blisk instead of Jack, but ended up being talked down after Blisk points out how she'd be left with nothing if she killed him. They ended up parting on peaceful terms after she took Blisk's invitation to join the Apex Games.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'' DLC ''Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt'', which canonically takes place after the end of the main game, has the main antagonist Professor Nakayama wishing to avenge the death of Handsome Jack, to whom he was fanatically devoted to the point of infatuation.

** In Mokuba's first appearance in [[Anime/YuGiOh the anime]], he has his classmates kidnap Yugi so he can challenge him to a duel, cheat, win, and avenge his brother's loss in Duel Monsters.

* All over the place in ''Manga/AkameGaKill'':

* Princess Senjyu in ''{{Manga/Basara}}'' tries to murder Tatara to avenge her husband but fails. Tatara's friends advise him to kill her with her unborn child so she can't raise it to [[YouKilledMyFather avenge his father]]. She gets spared and only held captive. [[spoiler:When Tatara delivers the baby and her husband's men fight alongside the rebels, she ceases her hatred and names her child not [[DeadGuyJunior Shido]] but Motomichi, [[MeaningfulName which basically means "find your own path"]].]]

* ''Manga/InuYasha'':

* In ''Comicbook/ThePunisherCircleOfBlood'', Frank's pursued by the son of a mobster he killed; unlike his father, he committed no crimes and has no illegal ambitions beyond avenging his dad (not to mention that he was pretty much browbeaten to take that path). Frank manages to talk him down at the very end of the arc.

* Nash from James Robinson's ''{{Comicbook/Starman}}'' vows that she'll destroy everything Jack Knight holds dear and him after Jack kills Nash's brother Kyle (who in turn had killed Jack's brother David). Nash believes that because she let Jack go, she's an "accomplice" in her brother's murder (while ignoring the fact that she did the exact same thing for David Knight's murder). Nash then becomes the second Mist and goes completely AxCrazy, becoming her father's equal in villainy. But she tops it when she rapes Jack, gets pregnant with his child, and literally tells Jack that she's going to raise their child to ''despise'' Jack utterly.

* At the climax of the ''FanFic/PonyPOVSeries'' [[BadFuture Dark World]] arc, [[spoiler:this is [[DaddysLittleVillain Fluttercruel's]] reason for becoming the DragonAscendant -- to avenge Discord's mortal wounding by Rancor]]. However, it's also a case of MisplacedRetribution, as due to her [[VillainousBreakdown insanity]], [[spoiler:she blames the Elements of Harmony rather than Rancor]].

* ''Anime/{{Digimon}}'': After Etemon suffers his final defeat ([[spoiler:he'd later return as Metal Etemon, but people didn't know that back then]]), two of his followers briefly discuss this trope but agree they didn't like him to the point of trying to avenge him.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* In ''{{Manga/Bleach}}'', this happens when Zommari comes to avenge [[spoiler:Aaroniero's death by Rukia]].
* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'': After Etemon suffers his final defeat ([[spoiler:he'd later return as Metal Etemon, but people didn't know that back then]]), two of his followers briefly discuss this trope but agree they didn't like him to the point of trying to avenge him.

** ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' 2003 anime: Wrath attacks Lust in a rage after [[spoiler:she helps the Elrics cripple Sloth, who he thinks is his mother. The two fight, and Wrath inevitably kills Lust.]]

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'':
** In ''Stardust Crusaders'', [[EvilOldFolks Enya the Hag]] tries to kill both Polnareff and Hol Horse for their part in her son J. Geil's death (Polnareff for killing J. Geil to avenge his sister's murder, and Hol Horse for seemingly leaving his former partner to die.
** A rare heroic version regarding [[spoiler: Okuyasu Niijumura]] from ''Diamond is Unbreakable'' to [[spoiler:his BigBrotherBully Keicho after he was killed by the Stand Red Hot Chili Pepper]]. Though in this case, [[spoiler:while Okuyasu is angry and wants to take down the Stand User partially out of vengeance, he is aware that the User only got his power because of Keicho recklessly firing the Stand Arrow at people in hope of finding a Stand User capable of [[MercyKill Mercy Killing]] their mutated father]].
** In ''Stone Ocean'', [[spoiler:part of Pucci's motivation for his plan is to avenge the death of DIO in part 3]].
** In ''[=JoJolion=]'', [[spoiler: Tamaki Damo targeted the Higashikatas as he believed they were responsible for the disappearance of four of his acquaintances (read: rock human fellows that were members of Damo's [[MacGuffin Locacaca]]-smuggling cartel).]]

* Brocken Jr., of ''{{Manga/Kinnikuman}}'' infamy, originally sought revenge against Ramenman for the death of his father, Brockenman. This is despite the fact that both Junior and Ramenman were "faces" and Brockenman a "heel". Brocken Jr.'s ImageSong even has him acknowledge that his father was a cheap fighter who got what he deserved, but he intends vengeance all the same. He changes his mind [[DefeatMeansFriendship after Ramenman defeats him]]. Funnily enough, when Ramenman fought Brockenman, he himself was a monstrously brutal "heel". Not only did he needlessly kill Brockenman (in the manga, Ramenman ripped Brockenman's body ''in half''), he ''made him into noodles and ate him'', too. You can't blame a guy for wanting to beat the piss out of the man who murdered and ate his father for laughs, [[JustifiedTrope justifying]] a desire for revenge.

*** This is subverted in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork6CybeastGregarAndCybeastFalzar Cybeast Gregar]]'' with the character of Ann Zap, the wife of Count Zap, whom Lan defeated way back in [[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork1 the first game]]. She doesn't know who Lan is when she meets him, but when she figures it out, she actually ''thanks'' Lan for sending him to jail to pay for his crimes and get his life back together.

** Bowser Jr. in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine''.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* The ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' book ''How To Kill A Monster'' ends with the heroes captured by the monster, even after their attempts at killing it by making it fall through the stairs and poisoning it. [[spoiler:Said monster is allergic to humans, and keels over dead after merely licking one. Unfortunately, the monster's friends are pissed off after this.]] Cue the horror, as the book ends with the heroes alone, far away from town, [[spoiler:and in a marsh filled with these hungry, soon-to-awaken creatures. Hopefully the other monsters are allergic to humans too.]]

* ''Film/{{Scream 2}}'' main villain was revealed to be the mother of Billy Loomis, the killer in the [[Film/{{Scream}} first film]]. Notably, she doesn't care that her son was a serial killer and only wants revenge for his death.

** Demon King Piccolo producing his son, Piccolo Jr. (whom we now know as "Piccolo"), in ''Manga/DragonBall'', just seconds before dying, to have him get his revenge on Goku. Subverted in the ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' saga, where Piccolo Jr. and Goku team up in the first few episodes, and he becomes an invaluable part of his team for the rest of the show.

** ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'': Wrath attacks Lust in a rage after [[spoiler:she helps the Elrics cripple Sloth, who he thinks is his mother. The two fight, and Wrath inevitably kills Lust.]]

* The plot of ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' is because [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce]] "let Ducard/Ra's die" in ''Film/BatmanBegins''. Bane and Talia, who used to have a rather strained relationship with her father prior to that, then seeks to accomplish his visions.

* In ''VideoGame/DeadRising2OffTheRecord'', Frank meets Evan [=MacIntyre=], a harmless (albeit annoying) ice cream vendor clown who quickly becomes enraged when he discovers he's talking to Frank West, who fought Evan's brother, [[MonsterClown Adam]] (who also was a clown), with the altercation leading to the latter's death. This results in Frank once again fighting a clown.

** In ''Stardust Crusaders'', Enya the Hag tries to kill both Polnareff and Hol Horse for their part in her son J. Geil's death (Polnareff for killing J. Geil to avenge his sister's murder, and Hol Horse for seemingly leaving his former partner to die.
** A rare heroic version regarding [[spoiler: Okuyasu Niijumura]] from ''Diamond is Unbreakable'' to [[spoiler:his BigBrotherBully Keicho after he was killed by the Stand Red Hot Chilly Pepper]]. Though in this case, [[spoiler:while Okuyasu is angry and wants to take down the Stand User partially out of vengeance, he is aware that the User only got his power because of Keicho recklessly firing the Stand Arrow at people in hope of finding a Stand User capable of killing their mutated father]].

* At the end of ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework, [[spoiler:Dennis’s father vows to avenge his son’s death at the hands of Dr. Mosely/Zeta.]]