History Main / Bigbad

TheBigBadWolf is probably the most well known TropeNamer.

[[folder:Radio]]
* ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' has a few of its own.
** The villains for the Eighth Doctor's stories before the Divergent Universe Arc [[spoiler:are the Neverpeople, then Rassilon]]. The villain for the Divergent Universe arc seem to be the Divergents, working through the Kro'ka. [[spoiler:However by the finale it turns out the Divergents have died and Rassilon is really the Kro'ka's boss.]]
** The Headhunter in the "New Eighth Doctor Adventures" Series 1, though [[spoiler:Mr Hulbert, who hired her, could be considered this.]]
** The Meddling Monk in the ''New Eighth Doctor Adventures'' Series 4, though at the end he is eclipsed by the Daleks, led by the Dalek Time Controller.
** Then the Dalek Time Controller becomes this for "Dark Eyes", though Kotris may hold this role.
** In "Dark Eyes 2" the Eminence, who are so dangerous the Doctor even works with [[EnemyMine the Dalek Time Controller]] against them. [[spoiler:However the Master could also be considered this.]]
[[/folder]]

* ''WebAnimation/GamingAllStars'': ''The Ultimate Crossover'' has one between [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Dr. Eggman]], [[VideoGame/HalfLife G-Man]], and [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot Dr. Neo Cortext]]]], though the latter doesn't have much influence on the plot until near the end. ''Remastered'', on the other hand, changes the lineup to Eggman (Who has more screentime and more overall impact on the plot) and [[VideoGame/{{Killzone}} Colonel Mael Radec]], who appears far less often in-series but is given more promotion by the series trailer and [[spoiler: ultimately outlives Eggman, only being ousted by the GreaterScopeVillain once he thinks everything is going his way]].

[[folder:Pinballs]]

The term "Big Bad" was popularized in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. It was characteristic of Buffy's Big Bads for their identity or nature, or even the fact that they are the Big Bad at all, to remain unclear for a considerable time. Occasionally, characters would even refer to themselves as "the Big Bad". Whether or not they were, though, this is a BigBadWannabe. The structure of Buffy placed the Big Bad as being crucial to the HalfArcSeason, half the episodes are {{filler}} dealing with unrelated enemies while the other half involved the ongoing MythArc with the BigBad. Each season can easily be defined by who the Big Bad was.

It is one of the most well-known tropes on the TV Tropes community, being the first to have over [[OverdosedTropes fifty thousand wicks]], and [[StealthPun is the most wicked trope]]. This is probably because it's incredibly common.

It is one of the most well-known tropes on the TV Tropes community, being the first to have over [[OverdosedTropes fifty thousand wicks]], and is the most wicked trope. This is probably because it's incredibly common.

* ''WebAnimation/TheMostEpicStoryEverToldInAllOfHumanHistory'': Ridiculously Epic, who [[DetonationMoon destroys the moon]] AND [[StarKilling the sun]] in the series trailer alone.

[[caption-width-right:310:[-[[GambitIndex Everything that has transpired in this trope]] has done so according to [[Characters/StarWarsEmperorPalpatine my]] design.]]-] ]]

[[caption-width-right:310:[-[[GambitIndex Everything that has transpired in this trope has done so according to my design.]]-] ]]

[[/folder]] /fanworks/ninjasquad blaze

[[/folder]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Volume 1 introduces petty villain Roman Torchwick who has begun stealing Dust from the city for unknown reasons, although he is the initial villain that Team RWBY clashes with, he is being controlled by [[TheHeavy Cinder Fall]], who is introduced properly in Volume 2. The first three volumes consist of the heroes trying to uncover what the villains are up to but being thoroughly unprepared for the truth. [[spoiler:When [[ExtranormalInstitute Beacon Academy]] is destroyed in the Volume 3, climax, the BigBad of the show is introduced as [[TheDreaded Salem]], a woman who controls and even shares the [[MonstrousHumanoid inhuman appearance]] of the world's [[AnimalisticAbomination Creatures of Grimm]] and who has a very personal grudge against Beacon Academy's headmaster, [[BigGood Professor Ozpin]]. It's not until Volume 4 that the heroes learn Salem even exists and Volume 5 is when they learn about a SecretWar that [[CompleteImmortality Salem]] and [[ResurrectiveImmortality Ozpin]] have been engaged in for [[ForeverWar thousands of years]]; she is trying to obtain four ancient [[ArtifactOfPower Relics]] that the Gods left in the world and which are being protected by the four Academies. Only in Volume 6, after confronting Ozpin about the secrets he's keeping, do the heroes learn the AwfulTruth about why Salem and Ozpin are enemies, why they're both immortal... and that Salem is impossible to kill.]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Volume 1 introduces petty villain Roman Torchwick who has begun stealing Dust from the city for unknown reasons, although he is the initial villain that Team RWBY clashes with, he is being controlled by Cinder, who is introduced properly in Volume 2. The first three volumes consist of the heroes trying to uncover what the villains are up to but being thoroughly unprepared for the truth. [[spoiler:When [[ExtranormalInstitute Beacon Academy]] is destroyed in the Volume 3, climax, the BigBad of the show is introduced as Salem, a woman who controls and even shares the [[MonstrousHumanoid inhuman appearance]] of the world's [[AnimalisticAbomination Creatures of Grimm]] and who has a very personal grudge against Beacon Academy's headmaster, [[BigGood Professor Ozpin]]. It's not until Volume 4 that the heroes learn Salem even exists and Volume 5 is when they learn about a SecretWar that [[CompleteImmortality Salem]] and [[ResurrectiveImmortality Ozpin]] have been engaged in for [[ForeverWar thousands of years]]; she is trying to obtain four ancient [[ArtifactOfPower Relics]] that the Gods left in the world and which are being protected by the four Academies. Only in Volume 6, after confronting Ozpin about the secrets he's keeping, do the heroes learn the AwfulTruth about why Salem and Ozpin are enemies, why they're both immortal... and that Salem is impossible to kill.]]

It is one of the most well-known tropes on the TV Tropes community, being the first to have over [[OverdosedTropes fifty thousand wicks]] as of December 2019, and is the most wicked trope. This is probably because it's incredibly common.

It is one of the most well-known tropes on the TV Tropes community, being the first to have over [[OverdosedTropes fifty thousand wicks]], and is the most wicked trope. This is probably because it's incredibly common.

[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]

[[folder:Pinball]]

* BigBad/FanFiction
* [[BigBad/AnimatedFilms Film — Animated]]
* [[BigBad/LiveActionFilms Film — Live-Action]]

* BigBad/ProfessionalWrestling

* BigBad/WebAnimation
* BigBad/{{Webcomics}}

--->"Little Toa, you have not yet begun to see even the barest outlines of my plans. I have schemes within schemes that would boggle your feeble mind. You may counter one, but there are a thousand more of which you know nothing. Even my ... setbacks ... are planned for, and so I shall win in the end."

It is one of the most well-known tropes on the TV Tropes community, being the first to have over forty [[OverdosedTropes thousand wicks]], and is the most wicked trope. This is probably because it's incredibly common.

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* Each ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' game is split up into multiple cases, so there often isn’t a single villain behind everything, but each game’s [[TheRival prosecutor]] usually acts as the closest thing to a main antagonist to [[TheHero Phoenix]] and Co. [[spoiler:in addition to a mastermind who is often [[ManBehindTheMan behind]] [[DiscOneFinalBoss them]] and the [[FinalBoss last culprit]]]].
** Two of the games in the ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' trilogy have their own Big Bad, with the second game not having an overarching antagonist.
*** In the first game, Miles Edgeworth is a ruthless and legendary [[RedBaron “Demon Prosecutor”]] who will do anything for a guilty verdict, bringing him into conflict with [[CrusadingLawyer Phoenix Wright]], [[spoiler:but it is his mentor, Manfred von Karma, who essentially set the entire series into motion with the murder of Edgeworth's father. A murder in the present that was orchestrated by him to get back at Edgeworth ultimately results in his comeuppance]].
*** [[spoiler:[[DirtyCop Police Chief Damon Gant]]]] is revealed as the true murderer of Bruce Goodman [[spoiler:and Neil Marshall]] in [[MarathonLevel the bonus case]], ''Rise From The Ashes'', from the first ''Ace Attorney''. [[spoiler:Gant]] eventually admits to being responsible for [[spoiler:controlling Lana Skye, the High Prosecutor]] who in turn was responsible for "helping" Edgeworth with cases, which resulted in [[spoiler:the rumors of Edgeworth's backhanded deals and forgeries that DIDN'T already come about from Edgeworth's already established relationship with Manfred von Karma]].
*** [[DaddysLittleVillain Franziska]] [[TheBaroness von Karma]] is the main enemy of most of the cases in ''Justice for All'', and her motive is revenge that would be achieved by defeating Phoenix Wright [[spoiler:because she blamed Phoenix for causing Miles Edgeworth to disappear even though the real culprit for that was Damon Gant, and she planned to achieve her vengeance by defeating the lawyer that Miles Edgeworth was unable to defeat]]. This motive, rather than prosecuting for justice, makes her a villain. [[spoiler:However, she is [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains displaced as the main villain]] in the final case by Matt Engarde, a famous actor who paid [[ProfessionalKiller Shelly de Killer]] to kill Juan Corrida, his rival, to preserve his image. He’s also ''Phoenix’s client'' who has [[TheWatson Maya]] kidnapped to force the lawyer to defend him.]]
*** The third game has Godot (aka [[spoiler:Diego Armando]]), a mysterious, [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white-haired]], [[MalevolentMaskedMen masked]] new prosecutor. His main motive for going up against Phoenix is to get revenge on him [[spoiler:because he blames Phoenix for the murder of Mia Fey]] rather than for justice and [[spoiler:is the game’s [[FinalBoss final culprit]]. However, the one who poisoned him, both literally and [[StartOfDarkness metaphorically]], is Dahlia Hawthorne, who on top of essentially being Morgan Fey's DragonInChief during the final case [[DragonWithAnAgenda for her own purposes]], is the Big Bad for the game as a whole because of all the murders she conducted that had to be cleaned up by the end of the game, resulting in finally facing her spirit in court]].
** ''VisualNovel/{{Apollo Justice|Ace Attorney}}'' faces off against Klavier Gavin in court, but he’s a NiceGuy and HeroAntagonist who is friends with Apollo. Instead the Big Bad is [[spoiler:his brother Kristoph Gavin, who uses every trick in the book, from forged evidence to outright murder, to take down Phoenix Wright and keep everyone quiet about it. He's even convicted of murder in the game's first episode, but the full extent of his crimes aren't revealed until the final episode]].
** ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth'' has Edgeworth pursuing the Yatagarasu, rumored to be head of an international [[TheSyndicate crime syndicate/smuggling ring]]. It turns out to be [[spoiler:Calisto Yew, TheMole [[CollectiveIdentity in the otherwise heroic Yatagarasu trio]], but she is working for [[AssInAmbassador Ambassador of Allebhast]] [[DiplomaticImmunity Quercus Alba]]]], who is quite possibly the first ever Ace Attorney villain to be the TheManBehindTheMan to nearly all the other murderers in the game. The lone exception is [[spoiler:the culprit of the third case, and even then it's the criminal's father who has a connection to Alba's syndicate]].
** ''Ace Attorney Investigations 2'' has the distinction of having both a BigBadEnsemble and a GreaterScopeVillain. The latter is [[spoiler:the Fake President of Zheng Fa and his minions, who controlled both Zheng Fa and the prison and legal systems of Japan/USA]]. The former are the Conductor/[[spoiler:Blaise Debeste, the chief prosecutor, who is behind much of the series events and sends Courtney and Sebastian to obstruct Edgeworth, preventing him from uncovering his crimes]], and the Mastermind/[[spoiler:Simon Keyes, who killed his former best friend and the aforementioned president for personal reasons, tricked the president's cohorts into committing murder to get them imprisoned, and is the FinalBoss of the game [[OutGambitted after effortlessly out-gambiting]] [[SmugSnake Blaise]]]].
** ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' has the phantom, the man who bombed the space center seven years ago [[spoiler:and again during the game]], among other things brought on by trying to keep these crimes hidden, and plunged the courts into the Dark Age of the Law by [[spoiler:getting an innocent convicted in his place]]. His identity was unknown for a while, but eventually, a man named Simon Blackquill is caught and convicted for it. Unfortunately, [[RecruitingTheCriminal he’s the game’s prosecutor]]. [[spoiler:Also unfortunately (but also fortunately), he’s not the phantom- [[DarkIsNotEvil he was the guy framed for it]]. The real phantom is impersonating Detective Bobby Fullbright after killing him a year before the game, trying to lead the case away from himself. Even though he is arrested, his true identity remains [[TheUnreveal unknown]] [[ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis even to himself]].]]
** ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]'' has, for its overarching plot, [[BigBadEnsemble several candidates]] who seem to be responsible for the corruption of the Kingdom of Khura’in: Prosecutor Nahuyta Sahdmahi, a KnightTemplar who hates defense attorneys and antagonizes the heroes; Dhurke, shadowy leader of the [[LaResistance Defiant Dragons]]; Inga Karkhuul Khura’in, the Justice Minister who enforces the [[DystopianEdict DC Act]] that criminalizes defense attorneys; and eventually [[spoiler:Queen Amara Sigatar Khura’in]]. In the end, the one that comes out on top is [[spoiler:''none of them''. Nahuyta was ForcedIntoEvil, Dhurke is GoodAllAlong, Inga is killed by the real villain, and Amara was TakingTheHeat. The true mastermind is [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Ga'ran Sigatar Khura’in]], who staged a fake assassination attempt on her sister which resulted in the death of Apollo's father and the disgrace of Dhurke. She would later hold her sister's daughter Reyfa hostage while raising Reyfa as her own and would later kill two of the victims in the final case. She was also responsible for the DC Act that killed and imprisoned so many lawyers. Her husband Inga comes close, being behind the villains of 6-1, 6-3, and the beginning of 6-5, as well as killing another of the victims in the final case, but is ultimately killed by Ga'ran when discovered]].
** ''VisualNovel/DaiGyakutenSaibanNaruhodouRyuunosukeNoBouken'' has a BigBadEnsemble. [[spoiler:On one side, you have Cosney Megundal and Rubert Crogley leaking top secret British governmental information. On the other, you have Hart Vortex's machinations and schemes that have placed him in power as Chief Justice of London and spread the rumor of the "curse" of the "Death Bringer", Barok van Zieks.]]
* ''VisualNovel/AtlachNacha'' has Hatsune Hirasaka as a VillainProtagonist, having infiltrated Yaesaka High School for the purpose of eating/raping the [[GirlsLove female]] students to replenish her strength and prepare herself to battle her nemesis Shirogane. However, Hatsune can be played as a NominalHero, [[spoiler:[[DiscOneFinalBoss and it turns out]] Shirogane himself is actually the true Big Bad, who not only makes his presence known at the end of the game, but is ''responsible'' for turning Hatsune into what she is now]].
* ''VisualNovel/CorpseParty'': In ''Blood Covered'' and ''Book Of Shadows'', Yoshikazu Yanagihori, once a beloved elementary school teacher, [[SanitySlippage went insane]] and [[EvilTeacher became known as the murderer]] of [[WouldHurtAChild three children]] in an incident from Heavenly Host elementary’s past. After his death, he haunted the school looking for more victims, and the children’s killer is now the master of the AlternateDimension school keeping everyone trapped inside. [[spoiler:The ''real'' killer, that is: [[DiscOneFinalBoss Yoshikazu was framed for the crime]] by Sachiko the Girl in Red, who is the [[EnemyWithout incarnation of Sachiko Shinozaki’s hatred after being killed horribly]]]].
** In the original [[VideoGame/CorpsePartyPC98 PC-98 game]], [[spoiler:Sachiko is also the antagonist, although her backstory differs somewhat]].
** Yoshikazu [[spoiler:or rather, Sachiko]] takes a back seat in ''2U'', leaving [[spoiler:[[DragonAscendant Yuuya Kizami]]]] to take the position. [[spoiler:He antagonizes the other students throughout in many ways, including attempting to sabotage the cooking competition and stealing the [[TomeOfEldritchLore Book of Eibon]] to hijack Heavenly Host]].
** The spin-off manga ''Another Child'' has Saki Akagiri, the ghost girl messing with Heavenly Host and murdering Tamaki’s friends (who are [[AssholeVictim mean bullies]]) as part of her [[BullyHunter supernatural crusade against bullies]].
** ''[[GrandFinale Blood Drive]]'' introduces Misuto Kiriya as this, as he aims to control Heavenly Host for himself [[spoiler:and take revenge on humanity]], [[BigBadEnsemble as well as Sachi]], Sachiko’s [[CainAndAbel unborn and jealous sister]] who is the new master of HH. [[spoiler:[[DiscOneFinalBoss Then]] Misuto is killed, and Sachi revealed to be a mostly-mindless puppet; the real threat is, [[HijackedByGanon once again]], the [[GeniusLoci Heavely Host/Nirvana herself]], and “Red Sachiko” [[DemonicPossesion is basically an avatar for its will]], the Witch Queen, who serves as the FinalBoss]].
* ''VisualNovel/ChaosHead'': The mysterious old man in a wheelchair, known only as 'Shogun/The General', is the one stalking and haunting [[TheProtagonist Takumi Nishijou]], and is using the Demon Girl to perpetrate the New Gen murders gripping Shibuya, all for some hidden purpose. [[spoiler:[[DiscOneFinalBoss Except]] their malevolence is all in Takumi’s head. Both [[LoveInterest Rimi]] and [[BigGood Shogun]] are innocent, and trying to train Takumi to fight the real villain- Genichi Norose, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive president]] of the [[MegaCorp NOZOMI group]] who created the superpowered gigalomaniacs (through MindRape) and used them to power [[DoomsdayDevice Noah II]]. He masterminded the murders with the goal of psychologically tormenting Takumi into awakening as a gigalomaniac, then extracting his CODE sample to perfect Noah II and use it to essentially [[TakeOverTheWorld control the world]] through MassHypnosis.]]
* The ''Franchise/DanganRonpa'' series has Monokuma/Monobear, also known as The Ultimate Despair and The Mastermind, who is the [[HopeCrusher despair-obsessed]], self-appointed headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy and the one who traps the students in a DeadlyGame. He is also a [[BearsAreBadNews little black-and-white teddy bear]] [[spoiler:[[ManBehindTheMan who is being controlled by]] Ultimate Fashionista Junko Enoshima]].
* ''VisualNovel/DeathRoom'': [[MultipleEndings Depending on the route]], [[spoiler:Dominic, Evie,]] and/or [[VillainProtagonist You]] will end up trying to kill everyone else to escape the room. The captors, on the other hand, are [[TheUnreveal never revealed]], making them a GreaterScopeVillain.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Demonbane}}'' has Master Therion. He is the founder and leader of the [[TheSyndicate Black Lodge]], the Beast of the Antichrist, and happens to be the [[WorldsStrongestMan world’s most powerful]] [[EvilSorceror sorcerer]]. [[spoiler:[[DiscOneFinalBoss Except he turns out to be a pawn]] of [[ManBehindTheMan Nya]], AKA [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Nyarlathotep]]]].
* ''VisualNovel/DiviDead'': [[spoiler:The PE teacher Sano-sensei, aka the real Nishizaki,]] is [[TheReveal revealed to be]] the leader of the cult operating in Asao Private School, with the goal of [[spoiler:reviving the “divine child” via a HumanSacrifice]].
* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'': [[spoiler:The club president Monika]] does her damndest to [[{{Yandere}} steal the player’s affection]] and keep him away from the other love interests; to that end, she is responsible for [[spoiler:the other club member's deaths, all so she can have the Player ([[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYoh the player themselves]] [[PlayerAndProtagonisgIntegration instead of the player character]]) to herself. The DownerEnding reveals that the game itself corrupts whoever becomes President of the Literature Club, giving them the knowledge they're in a game and making them fall in love with the player]].
* ''VisualNovel/EienNoAselia'' has Akitsuki Shun, TheRival to [[TheHero Yuuto]] and the man who (though not the official leader) controls the [[TheEmpire Sargios Empire]], enemy of the [[TheGoodKingdom Rakios Kingdom]]. He is also the wielder of Oath, the weapon that Yuuto, with his sword Desire, must destroy, and the game’s FinalBoss. And he’s [[{{Yandere}} obsessed]] with taking Kaori for himself. [[spoiler:[[DiscOneFinalBoss However]], it is actually his sword, Oath, that is controlling him, making him violent. And then there is Temuorin, Matriarch of the Law Eternals. She is not the actual final fight, or the most powerful enemy faced, either, but she is the one who was in charge all along, as she engineered the whole plot of the story.]]
* ''VisualNovel/HerTearsWereMyLight'' has Nil, the dark entity/[[spoiler:personification of nothingness]] that seeks to separate [[MoeAnthropomorphism Space and Time]]. She [[spoiler:[[DarkIsNotEvl isn’t doing it to be evil]], however, but to make Time remember her, as [[LiteralSplitPersonality she is the version of Space that has burned out]], making her a rare example of a non-evil main antagonist]].
* ''VisualNovel/TheLetter'' has The Ghost aka the Anslem Butcher, a StringyHairedGhostGirl SerialKiller who haunts the [[HauntedHouse Ermengarde Mansion]] and is said to kill anyone who reads the titular letter. All seven of the playable characters have to fight her off in their respective chapters. [[spoiler:She is actually the [[MentalFusion fused]] spirit of Takako, a Japanese slave-turned-{{Meido}}, and Charlotte Ermengarde, the noble who rescued her, then tormented her until she had her [[BurnTheWitch executed as a witch]]. Takako came back and haunted Charlotte into [[DrivenToSuicide suicide]], wherein their spirits fused and became the terror of the main story.]]
* Most Franchise/{{Nasuverse}} works have one.
** ''Literature/AngelNotes'', the very first work in the Franchise and its overarching story about the struggle of humanity in the multiverse, has the Aristoteles/Ultimate Ones, {{Eldritch Abomination}}s out to kill humanity. The story also introduces [[MotherNature Gaia, the spirit that embodies Earth]], as the OverarchingVillain. Because humanity is growing out of their "nursery", so to speak, [[MyBelovedSmother Mother Earth]], who can't stand that Alaya (embodiment of humanity) becomes independent from her, [[GaiasVengeance does her best to destroy humanity's progress]]. In the actual story, she continues to do so despite being effectively dead by summoning her "siblings", the Aristoteles/Ultimate Ones, to aid her, making her more of a GreaterScopeVillain.
** Araya Souren in ''LightNovel/KaraNoKyoukai'' manipulated all the other villains and is responsible for every single conflict Shiki faces, all in an attempt to reach the Origin so he can end the world [[WellIntentionedExtremist and all its meaningless deaths]]. Notably, he was confronted about halfway through the series and taken out, leaving [[spoiler:Lio Shirazumi]] as the FinalBoss though Araya ''did'' [[spoiler:drive Lio insane by awakening his Origin]].
** The vampire SerialKiller who targets the city in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}''. At first, Shiki thinks it’s the Dead Apostle Nrvnsqr/Nero Chaos (or [[spoiler:his [[FaceHeelTurn friend-turned-vampire]] Sacchin]] in the Far Side Routes), [[DiscOneFinalBoss but]] Nero is TheDragon to the real killer, the ancient FallenHero Michael Roa Valdamjong [[spoiler:[[DemonicPossesion and]] SHIKI, the real Shiki Tohno (whoever is dominant at the time)]]. In the Far Side Routes, [[spoiler:Yumizuka Satsuki/Sacchin was turned into a vampire by SHIKI but as it turns out ''Kohaku'', Akiha’s maid and the final LoveInterest, is the real mastermind of the Far Side routes. The central focus of Far Side is Kohaku's plans to get revenge on the Tohno family for the abuse they heaped on her for years. Roa is killed rather quickly in these routes and it turns out SHIKI was largely controlled by Kohaku the entire time]].
** The sequel ''Kagetsu Tohya'' has Shiki Nanaya, Shiki Tohno’s SuperpoweredEvilSide that attempts to [[SplitPersonalityTakeover take over]] in his dream. [[spoiler:He is eventually killed by Shiki’s concept of death, who manifests as Kouma Kishima, the one who massacred Shiki’s family; however, it is more of a GreaterScopeVillain as it is not really sentient like Nanaya.]]
** ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'':
*** [[EldritchAbomination The Night of Wallachia/TATARI]] in the first game. The [[ThirteenIsUnlucky thirteenth Dead Apostle Ancestor]], he exists as a living embodiment of rumors and haunts the city.
*** In the second, [[LightIsNotGood White]] [[HornyDevils Len]], Len’s EvilCounterpart formed from TATARI, traps everyone in a dream world, [[spoiler:although [[GreaterScopeVillain Aoko Aozaki]] created her]].
*** The Dust of Osiris takes the position in ''Actress Again''. As [[spoiler:a future TATARI-fied Sion]], she wishes to convert all life into data and store it in her supercomputer, [[WellIntentionedExtremist allowing it to remain forever]]. [[spoiler:Though Archetype:Earth, Arcueid’s SuperpoweredEvilSide, takes over as FinalBoss in her mode after defeating Dust, leaving Arceuid to stop her.]]
** ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' and ''LightNovel/FateZero'' initially have a BigBadEnsemble between the three deadliest competitors of the Holy Grail War ([[EnfanteTerrible Illyasviel von Einzbern]], [[SmugSnake Shinji Matou]], and [[EvilSorcerer Caster]] [[spoiler:Theatre/{{Medea}}]] in the former, [[SerialKiller Ryuunosuke Uryuu]], Literature/{{Bluebeard}}[=/=][[spoiler:[[UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc Gilles de Rais]]]], and [[TheAce Tokiomi Tohsaka]] in the latter) but [[SinisterMinister Kirei]] [[CardCarryingVillain Kotomine]] and [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh Gilgamesh]] are the organizers of the War and thus the real villains (they didn't start everything, but are lying in wait), and their enemy [[EvilOldFolks Zouken Matou]] is also working out a plan of his own. Gilgamesh, Kotomine, and Zouken are all working towards the same basic goal- while Kotomine is allied with Gilgamesh, Zouken is not. [[spoiler:Said goal is unleashing Angra Mainyu. Kotomine simply wants to watch the world burn, Gilgamesh is helping Kotomine so that he can rule over those strong enough to survive Angra Mainyu's apocalypse, and Zouken wants to use the Grail to become immortal. Angra Mainyu wants to be resurrected by any means necessary, even attempting to use Gilgamesh as a host in Unlimited Blade Works after Shinji is rescued before its revival can be completed.]] Each one, in turn, is the focus of one route:
*** Despite introducing himself as a [[CombatReferee neutral overseer]] in ''Fate'', Kirei emerges as the story’s main antagonist upon revealing he has secretly been [[TheChessmaster using the Masters as pawns]] to realize his own apocalyptic agenda since the beginning of the Grail War. However, despite being the mastermind behind the story's driving source of conflict, he doesn't take center stage until the final act, while Illya is the DiscOneFinalBoss. [[spoiler:Once all but one of the Masters are defeated, he unleashes both his Servants on Shirou and Saber before brutally assaulting Tohsaka and abducting Illya to unleash the Grail's cursed contents on the world.]]
*** In ''Unlimited Blade Works'', Caster is the initial antagonist, but her and Kirei’s role in the Grail War is largely overshadowed by his partner Gilgamesh. [[spoiler:Ultimately, he dies before the story’s climax, thereby allowing Gilgamesh to emerge as the undisputed Big Bad]].
*** In ''Heaven's Feel'', Zouken Matou, [[ShrinkingViolet Sakura]]’s abusive grandfather, is directly or indirectly responsible for everything bad that happens in the ''entire'' route, although both Kotomine and (eventually) [[spoiler:Dark Sakura]] could also be seen as this. [[spoiler:By pressuring Sakura to [[FaceHeelTurn embrace her darkest impulses]] and [[EnemyMine briefly joining forces with Shirou]], Kirei ultimately [[OutGambitted out-gambits]] Zouken to become the FinalBoss of the story's climax.]]
** In ''VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia'', Shirou initially believes Caren Hortensia [[spoiler:[[DaddysLittleVillain Kotomine]]]] to be the one who trapped him and everyone else in a GroundhogDayLoop, [[spoiler:but the true culprit is Avenger, previously the GreaterScopeVillain, who has [[DemonicPossesion possessed]] Shirou and trapped him. Then his master Bazett [[TheStarscream betrays him]] and takes control of his clones, leaving her as the last opponent]].
** In ''VideoGame/FateExtra'' it's [[spoiler: Twice H. Pieceman who has been conducting the War in order to realize his goal of a ForeverWar to strengthen humanity]]
*** In ''CCC'', the derailment of the War is primarily [[spoiler: Kiara Sesshouin's fault, whose aim is to trap everything in an eternal LotusEaterMachine of her orgasmic pleasure]].
*** ''Anime/FateExtraLastEncore'' is an AlternateTimeline where [[spoiler:Kishinami loses to Pieceman, but Twice's despair at the ForeverWar failing corrupts him to the point where only a shadow of himself remains, who opts [[OmnicidialManiac to destroy all sentient life in every timeline]] from the belief that humanity will never meaningfully grow.]]
** [[spoiler: Archimedes]] for ''VideoGame/FateExtella'', though he's working on behalf of the true enemy, [[spoiler: the Velber; the alien invaders that previously attempted to conquer the Solar System thousands of years ago]].
** Karl der Große for ''VideoGame/FateExtellaLink'' as a WellIntentionedExtremist who wishes to create a utopia for all through an AssimilationPlot.
** The first arc of ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' has [[spoiler: Beast I, Goetia]] as the entity responsible for the time distortion that is threatening humanity’s future.
* In both of the ''VisualNovel/RomanceDetective'' novels, the culprit behind the [[LoveIsInTheAir love brainwashing]]. [[spoiler:Though initially hinted to be Rosemary, the old friend/lab co-worker of Rose’s mom, who developed a formula for this purpose, the real culprit turns out to be her daughter, [[ChekhovsGunman the artist Leandre]], who wants to [[WellIntentionedExtremist create a world of love]]... except she herself is a pawn of [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Venus]], the LoveGoddess, who wants everyone to worship her again.]]
* ''Secret Game: Killer Queen'': In Ep 1, the Game Master who runs the DeadlyGame that the characters are trapped in is [[spoiler:Mayumi Gouda, the businesswoman who was encountered at the beginning of the episode]]. In Ep 2, this role is [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains taken over]] by the mysterious person who is killling the other characters, who turns out to be [[spoiler:Shikijou Yuuki, the little girl who Soichi was protecting]].
* ''VisualNovel/ShiningSongStarnova'' has Kamijou, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Chief Executive Producer of the Quasar idol group and heir to Golden Calf Productions]], who takes it upon himself to humiliate and destroy the much smaller and less-experienced idol group Starnova after learning that several of its personnel used to work for Golden Calf.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Sunrider}}'': The [[EvilOverlord leader]] of [[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny PACT]], Veniczar S. Arcadius, aims to [[GalacticConqueror conquer the galaxy]]. His first order of business is [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe capturing and marrying the Princess of Ryuvia]] to gain access to Ryuvia’s secrets. His true identity is [[spoiler: a HiveMind of [[SamusIsAGirl female]] {{Artificial Human}}s known as the Prototypes, led by what’s currently shaping up to be a BigBadDuumvirate between [[DragonWithAnAgenda Alice Ashada]], [[HiveQueen Alpha]], and, [[TheDogWasTheMastermind of all people]], ''[[TheMole Claude]] [[JerkassGods Treillo]]'']].
* ''VisualNovel/{{Policenauts}}'': There is a BigBadDuumvirate of [[DirtyCop Gates Becker]] and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Joseph Sadaki Tokugawa]].
* ''VisualNovel/SayaNoUta'' has [[spoiler:the [[VillainProtagonist titular female protagonist]] [[MysteriousWaif Saya]]]], an [[EldritchAbomination extradimensional being]] whose appearance is apparently so horrifying that anyone who looks at it will go insane. [[spoiler:Saya]] spends the game killing, [[ToServeMan eating]], and [[MadScientist experimenting on]] innocent people, and has the mission of [[spoiler:transforming all of humanity into members of her species. [[PlayerCharacter Fuminori Sakisaka]] sees her as a normal girl due to his [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness extreme agnosia]] and grows to love her, though whether he [[FaceHeelTurn chooses to stay by her side]] and [[ProtagonistJourneyToVillain grow more depraved over time]] depends on the player's choice, and if he does they form a BigBadDuumvirate, working together to accomplish her horrific goal]].
* ''VisualNovel/War13thDay'': King Barium is the leader of the clan of the Vi, a mysterious clan who appeared and has essentially taken over Virgo Island. Wildfire, one of the main heroines, plots to overthrow the Vi, putting her in conflict with him. [[spoiler:Of course, the Barium seen here is a part of Wildfire’s DyingDream, putting into question how malevolent he really is. The true villain for the immediate story could be considered Wildfire’s murderer, aka ''[[TheKillerInMe the player]]''.]]
* ''Franchise/WhenTheyCry'':
** ''{{VisualNovel/Higurashi|WhenTheyCry}}'': The cause of the HatePlague is identified as the curse of the guardian deity Oyashiro-sama, who is worshiped by the local ReligionOfEvil in Hinamizawa; although it is ambiguous if he is really a god of a human mastermind pretending to be one. His true identity is[[spoiler: -- well, there's ''two'' of them. Hanyuu Furude is the true one, but [[TheScapegoat she's innocent]]; while [[HospitalHottie Nurse]] [[TheDogWasTheMastermind Miyo Takano]] is revealed to be using the name as an alias to cover up the fact that she’s the true mastermind behind Rika's murder as well as the one orchestrating the Great Hinamizawa Disaster in what is a MilkmanConspiracy. Her plan is to [[AGodAmI actually become a god]]]].
** ''{{VisualNovel/Umineko|WhenTheyCry}}'': The culprit behind the storm surrounding the Rokkenjima Manor, and the murders, claims to be Beatrice the Golden Witch, whom the patriarch Kinzo made a {{deal|WithTheDevil}} with. Battler insists that she is a mundane human using tricks, and sets out to expose her true self, which turns out to be [[spoiler:Sayo Yasuda/Lion Ushiromiya. [[DiscOneFinalBoss However]], once she dies at the end of the first half, she is usurped by [[BigBadDuumvirate Bernkastel and Lambdadelta]], [[ManBehindTheMan the ones who turned her into a witch in the first place]], for the second half. Because of this, Bernkastel is now a RogueProtagonist and FallenHero, since she is the amalgamation of all the dead Rika Furudes from Higurashi, while Lambdadelta is implied to be [[GreaterScopeVillain the one who granted Miyo Takano’s wish to become a god]], and possibly [[HijackedByGanon Takano herself]] [[AlternateSelf in some form]]]].
** ''Manga/HiganbanaNoSakuYoruNi'': While each story has it’s own antagonist, Higanbana herself is the most recurring one, being the third-ranked Youkai who manipulates the students into despair to consume their souls. [[spoiler:[[DiscOneFinalBoss However]], Reiko Osumi/Sumire, the seventh ranked youkai,]] turns out to be responsible for the mass bullying, and by extension the storylines that surface from it. She’s also the one who [[spoiler:[[StartOfDarkness made Higanbana into a cruel Youkai]]]].
** ''VisualNovel/RoseGunsDays'': Rather than a single main antagonist, the greatest threats to City 23 and Club Primavera are the [[EvilVersusEvil dueling]] [[TheDon mob bosses]], each of whom is fought [[ArcVillain in succession of each other]]. By season:
*** Season 1 has [[AxCrazy “Crazy”]] [[StarterVillain Alfred Akagi]], a mob boss that extorts the Primavera club for money.
*** Season 2/1957 arc has Father Caleb Souhei [[spoiler:Keireiji]], leader of the Caleb Family who seeks to gather 100 million Japanese dollars for the American occupying forces [[WellIntentionedExtremist to help his people]]- and kills people, squeezing every last money out of them, and antagonizes Primavera, to get the money.
*** Season 3/1948 has [[YellowPeril Blue Dragon Wang Yuanhong]], a leader of the Golden Dragon Society, who competes with Primavera to control the spice trade, and also plots on behalf of [[GreaterScopeVillain his superiors]], the Elder Council, to unseat the young emperor of the Golden Dragons.
*** Season 4/1949 and (indirectly) 1950 has [[spoiler:[[KnightTemplar Major Gabriel]] [[WhiteHairBlackHeart Kaburaya]] of the GHQ, who turns the other villains into his pawns and [[KillEmAll starts killing everyone]] to engineer a gang war between Primavera and Golden Dragon as revenge for [[FreudianExcuse his family being killed by yakuza]]. In 1950, he controls [[FaceHeelTurn Richard]] and installs him as the direct threat, but is still the FinalBoss]].
* ''VisualNovel/{{YoJinBo}}'' has Harumoto, upstart clan-leader wannabe and would-be murderer of Hatsuhime.
* The ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape'' trilogy has, in each game, nine people kidnapped and forced to play a DeadlyGame by a mysterious person calling themselves Zero. Each game has a different Zero, and the Big Bad often turns out to be [[TheMole hiding among the group]].
** ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'' plays with this in a surprising way. The current [[DeadlyGame Nonary Game]] is being run by a mysterious person in a GasMaskLongcoat getup known as Zero/[[spoiler:[[SamusIsAGirl June]]/[[LoveInterestTraitor Akane]] and [[TheDragon her secretary]] [[WhiteHairBlackHeart Santa]]]]. As it turns out, they are actually [[spoiler:{{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s]] trying to [[spoiler:punish the four men responsible for the first game and to get Junpei to save June's life. Time travel loops and all that]]. So [[spoiler:the [[EvilerThanThou actual]]/[[BigBadEnsemble other]] Big Bad]] ends up being [[spoiler:Ace, or rather, Gentarou Hongou, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive CEO of Cradle Pharmaceuticals]], creator of the original Nonary Game and murderer of Past!Akane]] as the person who set everything into motion.
** ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward'' plays with it again. This time, the game is being controlled by Zero III/Zero Jr./[[spoiler:Lagomorph]], a [[KillerRabbit little bunny]] [[AIIsACrapshoot AI]] that controls the warehouse, but he makes it clear his creator, Zero Sr., is the real mastermind. Said person is [[spoiler:[[TomatoInTheMirror Sigma himself]], and K, Sigma’s future self/clone, but [[MemoryGambit neither know it at the time]]; and [[HijackedByGanon Akane]], the one who actually planned the game, is absent for most of it, and she is once again usurped by the true Big Bad. And both of them want to [[SavingTheWorld save the world]], albeit through [[WellIntentionedExtremist questionable methods]]. Instead the [[EvilerThanThou true]]/[[BigBadEnsemble other]] Big Bad is Dio/Left, the [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]] {{Jerkass}} who is a high-ranking terrorist leader sent to stop the project and ensure the world’s destruction, and the one who killed Akane and planted bombs around the warehouse to ensure his mission’s completion. Stopping him from killing Akane turns out to be the goal of the game]].
** ''VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma'': The role is taken by Zero (specifically [[PlagueDoctor Zero II]]) once again. And this time, it doesn't look like he's one of the players. He is also this for the entire trilogy, as he’s [[spoiler:Brother, leader of [[ReligionOfEvil Free The Soul]], the boss of Ace and Dio, and the one who unleashed the Radical-6 virus catastrophe that the main characters are trying to stop]]. His true identity is [[spoiler:[[EvilOldFolks Delta]], Diana and Sigma's time-displaced son, who wishes to close the StableTimeLoop resulting in his birth and [[StealthMentor train the group]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist to prevent a nuclear war]] without resorting to Radical-6. He was actually the "leader" of Q-Team and the only character known as "Q" (the boy with the helmet was actually known as "Sean" and was not once called "Q" throughout the game), but was intentionally hidden from view until the dramatic reveal]]. [[MetaTwist Unlike previous games]], [[spoiler:Akane [[NotMeThisTime is not behind him]], and he remains the BigBad to the end, although a GreaterScopeVillain exists in a religious fanatic [[AMillionIsAStatistic he hoped to kill with Radical-6]] before said fanatic nuked humanity]]. Interestingly, [[spoiler:he actually [[TheBadGuyWins wins in the end]], but in doing so [[TheExtremistWasRight created a timeline where nobody dies]], and is understanding enough to let one of the protagonists [[PleaseKillMeIfItSatifiesYou shoot him dead]]]].
[[/folder]]

* ''Pinball/JunkYard'' has Crazy Bob, the owner of the titular junk yard, who repeatedly attempts to stop the player from sneaking in and causing havoc.

%%[[folder:Pinball]]
%%* The titular ''Pinball/BlackKnight''.
%%* ''Pinball/CirqusVoltaire'' has the lead Ringmaster, Voltaire [[spoiler:(who's really [[SamusIsAGirl Madame Voltaire]])]]
%%* Craig, the "Keeper of the Wall" from ''VideoGame/CrueBall''. [[spoiler:And the ManBehindTheMan is Mr. Gore, the Spirit of Anti-Metal.]]
%%* The Kingpin in Creator/{{Capcom}}'s unreleased ''Pinball/{{Kingpin}}'' is the Big Bad of the city's mob.

%%* Mafiasaurus Rex from ''Pinball/PoliceForce''

%%* ''Pinball/{{Junkyard}}'' has Crazy Bob.

%%[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* ''Podcast/{{Sequinox}}'' has the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Sky/Night Queen]], who rules the stars and has exterminated all other life in the galaxy. She sends her stars and constellations out across the galaxy to do so, and when they arrive on Earth, they meet resistance in the form of the titular MagicalGirlWarrior team, Sequinox.