History Main / AvengingTheVillain

* ''WebOriginal/WithinLapenko'': Zakhar, season three's BigBad, wants to avenge the previous season's BigBad and his lover Natella by killing Grigoriy, who is responsible for her death.

* This happens in ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' fairly often.
** Since [[Characters/MarvelComicsKravenTheHunter 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 [[RevengeMyopia really was innocent]].

* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'': The Jedi Knight PC's first ArcVillain, Darth Angral, starts pursuing them across the galaxy after the Knight kills his son Lord Tarnis in the line of duty, with Angral watching over VideoPhone--[[MoralMyopia after goading Tarnis himself to kill the Knight]].

** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'': Rey Za Burrel's [[CloningBlues older brother]], Rau Le Creuset, was a DeathSeeker and WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds who died while [[SuicidalCosmicTempertantrum trying to take everyone else with him]]. Rey -- a WellIntentionedExtremist who wants to make sure that no one ever lives a life like Rau did -- spends much of ''SEED Destiny'' trying to off Kira Yamato, the one who killed Rau, typically ranting about how he ''is'' Rau while doing so. It would seem that avenging the villain plays at least some role in Rey's motivations.

** Sheik Ali Faisal, a MiddleEasternTerrorist from Season 8's "Thunderhawk", lost his father after UsefulNotes/{{NATO}} took out one of his chemical plants and his been in the market for a nuclear weapon capable of wiping out the country.

* A frequent occurrence in ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'', where the VillainOfTheWeek is essentially avenging their friends and/or loved ones after they are either killed or imprisoned.

* In ''{{Manga/Naruto}}'', [[spoiler:Kabuto]] swears to do this to [[spoiler:Sasuke]] for "killing" [[spoiler:Orochimaru]].

* Elizabeth Hawkesmoore from ''Comicbook/NikolaiDante'' joined the Russian army for the chance to kill Dante after he killed her father, Sir Richard Hawkesmoore.

* In ''Fanfic/TheLionKingAdventures'', LoonyFan Mtumwa becomes [[TookALevelInBadass quite different]] and attempts to avenge [[spoiler: Scar after his death in Series One]].

-->'''Sparky Flynt:''' My dad was an asshole, but that doesn't mean you had to kill him! Now DIE!

* A frequent occurrence in ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'', where the VillainOfTheWeek is essentially avenging their loved one after they are either killed or imprisoned.

* ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'': Inverted. 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 tohohawk to deliver the final blow to Icerondo.

* Two of the {{Big Bad}}s of ''{{Anime/Slayers}}'' are avenging the deaths of their masters.

* In the DVD-bonus episodes of ''{{LightNovel/Baccano}}'', Graham Spector arrives in New York to avenge Ladd Russo's defeat from the 1931 story arc.

* In volume 9 of ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'', the titular character finds himself under assault by the brother of the ogre he killed way back in volume 1.

* The sole motivation of evil vampire Victoria during the second and third books of the ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'' series is to avenge the death of her boyfriend, James. Victoria believes that since Edward killed the person she most cared about (James), she should get even with Edward by killing the person he most cares about (Bella). Ironically, it isn't actually Edward who kills James in either the book or the film adaptation. It's some of the other members of the Cullen coven.

* The sole motivation of evil vampire Victoria during the second and third books of the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' series is to avenge the death of her boyfriend, James. Victoria believes that since Edward killed the person she most cared about (James), she should get even with Edward by killing the person he most cares about (Bella). Ironically, it isn't actually Edward who kills James in either the book or the film adaptation. It's some of the other members of the Cullen coven.

* ''Film/{{Scream 2}}'''s main villain was revealed to be the mother of Billy Loomis, the killer in the [[Film/Scream1996 first film]]. Notably, she doesn't care that her son was a serial killer and only wants revenge for his death.
* ''Film/ScreamVI'', expanding on the above, has all the villains being related to one of the killers in [[Film/Scream2022 the previous movie]] (his brother and sister as Ghostface and their DirtyCop father helping it all), wanting revenge while framing the one who killed him.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'': [[spoiler:[[AxCrazy The Cousins]] come up to Albuquerque to kill Walter in revenge for killing Tuco]].

* ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'': This is [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation another way]] of looking at the Wicked Witch of the West. If somebody smashed your sister with a house, wouldn't ''you'' want to kill them and their little dog too? See ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}''. Of course, Dorothy didn't make the house move but was merely inside it, though her swiping the witch's sister's shoes after apparently murdering her certainly didn't help.

* [[BonusBoss Piastol]] from ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia''; she thinks Vyse [[YouKilledMyFather killed her father and sister]] and tries to kill him in return. [[spoiler:The party luckily manages to explain the real events to her, but since her arc was added to the remake, she never joins you to go defeat the real killer, who is the final boss.]]

** Since [[Characters/MarvelComicsKravenTheHunter 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 [[SubvertedTrope really was innocent]].

* ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'':[[spoiler: The Hanged Man, the victim whsoe murder you're investigating, is revealed to have been the leading officer of the [[PrivateMilitaryContractor Krenel mercenaries]] stationed in Martinaise. Aware of their colonel's rotting body hanging on a tree, the group began to organize a "tribunal" ([[DeadlyEuphemism read: a bloody and brutal reprise]]) against the people of the city over the death of their leader]].

** ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'': 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/StardustCrusaders'':

** ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'': A rare heroic version regarding [[spoiler:Okuyasu Niijumura]] for [[spoiler:his BigBrotherBully Keicho after he was killed by Akira Otoishi's Stand; Red Hot Chili Pepper]]. Though in this case, while Okuyasu is angry and wants to take down Otoishi partially out of vengeance, he is aware that Otoshi only got his powers because of Keicho recklessly firing the Stand Arrow at people in hope of finding a Stand User capable of MercyKilling their mutated father.
** ''Manga/GoldenWind'': The Execution Team wanted to take over Passione and corner the drug trade, but the deaths of Sorbet and Gelato were the triggering instance that fully turned them against The Boss.
** ''Manga/StoneOcean'': Part of Pucci's motivation for his plan to obtaining Heaven is to avenge the death of DIO.
** ''Manga/JoJolion'': Tamaki Damo targeted the Higashikatas as he believed they were responsible for the disappearances of his Rock Human acquaintances that were members of [[spoiler:Damo's [[MacGuffin Locacaca]]-smuggling cartel.]]

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

* ''ComicBook/JLA1997'': Prometheus has a similar backstory to ComicBook/{{Batman}}, except [[FreudianExcuse his criminal parents were shot by the police]].

** 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 [[SubvertedTrope really was innocent]].

** In ''ComicBook/WhoIsSuperwoman'', the titular villain dies when attempting to kill ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, prompting her father Sam Lane to seek revenge against the Maid of Might.
* ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'': The Titans make an enemy of Deathstroke because H.I.V.E. 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.

* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'': [[EnemyWithout Satan Girl]] attempts to kill ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} to avenge her lover [[EvilSorcerer Mordru]]. The Girl of Steel kills her evil duplicate in self-defense, and later on, Satan Girl's son Nemesis intends to avenge her mother's death by killing Supergirl.

* Invoked in ''Fanfic/KaraOfRokyn'' when ComicBook/LexLuthor dies in the course of his final attempt to murder Franchise/{{Superman}}, and one of his minions wishes that Luthor's son avenges his father when he grows up.

* ''Film/DjangoUnchained'': [[spoiler:After Schultz kills Candie and gets himself also killed in the process, Stephen and Candie's sister get to work devising a suitable scheme to punish Django for his death.]]

* ''Film/{{Scream 2}}'''s 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.

* A hallucination of ComicBook/NormanOsborn rather strongly insists upon this in ''Film/SpiderMan2''. ''Film/SpiderMan3'' than sees Harry taking his chance to avenge his father and become the New Goblin.

* Literature/WhateleyUniverse: Maxine Granger is the loving daughter of a {{Mook}} who was killed by a superhero; as Ironmonger, she joined up with four other supervillains in order to get her revenge. When this goes sour, she escapes and renames herself 'Lodestone', under which codename she attends Whateley Academy and plots her renewed vengeance.

* ''Series/AlexRider'': [[spoiler:Duplicate!Alex travels to London, intending to destroy Alex's life for ruining Dr. Greif's plan and getting him arrested.]]

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': [[Arrow/SeasonFive Season 5]] BigBad Prometheus is eventually revealed to be the son of a VillainOfTheWeek whom Oliver killed back during the timeframe of [[Arrow/SeasonOne Season 1]], with his whole motivation being to destroy Oliver's life as revenge. Later on, it turns out he's working with ComicBook/TaliaAlGhul, daughter of [[Arrow/SeasonThree Season 3]] BigBad ComicBook/RasAlGhul, whom Oliver killed in their FinalBattle; like Prometheus, she wants to destroy Oliver for this.
* ''Series/BreakingBad'': [[spoiler:[[AxCrazy The Cousins]] come up to Albuquerque to kill Walter in revenge for killing Tuco.]]

* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'': The episode "[[Recap/RevolutionS1E3NoQuarter No Quarter]]" has [[Creator/MichaelMosley Private Richards]] hell-bent on getting revenge for his dead best friend, [[Creator/MichaelDuisenberg Templeton]]. Templeton is the soldier that [[Creator/GrahamRogers Danny Matheson]] is blamed for killing back "[[RevolutionS1E1Pilot Pilot]]". Despite getting a beating from the private, Danny repays the guy by strangling him with his chains, threatening to kill him if he ever lays hands on him again, and then lets him go.

* ''Series/TomicaHeroRescueForce'': AvertedTrope, because when the BigBad Daen does a HeelFaceTurn, and thinks that RedemptionEqualsDeath, his "daughter" Maen (really a sentient computer program who resembles him) awakes. But in reality, his daughter is [[spoiler:a millions-years-old super-advanced Nanocomputer capable of shapeshifting. It's actually the one who turned Daen evil in the first place, wanting to use him to eradicate humanity, because it calculated that humanity would be a threat to Earth.]]

* ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'':[[spoiler: The Hanged Man, the victim whsoe murder you're investigating, is revealed to have been the leading officer of the [[PrivateMilitaryContractor Krenel mercenaries]] stationed in Martinaise. Aware of their colonel's rotting body hanging on a tree, the group began to organize a "tribunal" ([[DeadlyEuphemism read: a bloody and brutal reprise]]) against the people of the city over the death of their leader.]]
* At the end of ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'', [[spoiler:Dennis’s father vows to avenge his son’s death at the hands of Dr. Mosely/Zeta.]]

** At the end of the "Firefighters" quest, [[spoiler:if Ryder screws up and gets the well-meaning but dramatically misguided Knight killed, her son Alain takes this to mean that Ryder's been corrupted by SAM, and vows to fight them in her name, taking on the identity "Paladin".]]