History Main / ExBigBad

* [[SatanicArchetype Giratina]] would definitely qualify in all of its appearances [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondandPearl since debut]] prior to [[spoiler: ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'']], where it was a genuinely malevolent Pokemon who plotted to get revenge on Arceus and destroy the entire Pokemon world together with [[spoiler: Volo's]] help, making its more benevolent characterization in other games a ForegoneConclusion once it has been finally defeated.

** Piccolo is the final BigBad of the ''Manga/DragonBall'' anime, but in the SequelSeries, ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', he reforms under Son Goku's and Son Gohan's influence and joins the good guys full-time, fighting a slew of new Big Bads alongside them.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': Because Luffy tends to leave the {{Big Bad}}s of each arc alive but severely beaten, all arc Big Bads in the series are this. Some of them are given a side story to show what they do with their lives after their defeat (Wapol, Lucci and the [=CP9=], Buggy, Enel), while some others are imprisoned and punished (Buggy, again, and Crocodile (through they escape just in time for the {{War Arc}}), Hody, Doflamingo) or at least implied to be as such (Arlong), and yet others are unknown.
* Mewtwo from ''Anime/PokemontheSeries'' is introduced as the BigBad of ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie'' (and its CGI remake ''Anime/MewtwoStrikesBackEvolution''), where it plots world domination to get revenge on mankind after being abused by Team Rocket's leader Giovanni, who ordered its creation by scientists in the first place, but eventually performs a HeelFaceTurn, and relocates to Johto in ''Anime/PokemonMewtwoReturns'', where Ash and friends encounter it again and try to defend it from Giovanni and the rest of Team Rocket, who are still going after it. Mewtwo then appears again in ''Anime/PokemonJourneystheSeries'', where Ash and Goh battle it, only to be defeated, and Mewtwo reveals itself to be the caretaker of various Pokemon rescued from abusive trainers.

* In the post-TV show ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' comics, [[spoiler:genocidal megalomaniac ex-Fire Lord Ozai is imprisoned but still trying to manipulate and corrupt his son and successor Zuko.]]

* Sunset Shimmer was [[HerosEvilPredecessor Twilight's predecessor]] and the BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls1''. In its sequel, ''Rainbow Rocks'', she transitioned to [[TheAtoner an atoning]] {{Deuteragonist}} and became their last minute [[TheHero Hero]]. By ''Friendship Games'', she has become TheLeader of the Equestria Girls and more or less the HeroProtagonist of the spin-off series.

* Malcolm Merlyn in ''Series/{{Arrow}}''. While he was the BigBad of the first season, he remains around after his initial defeat. In the second season, he only has a handful of appearances, and in the third, he instigates the conflict with Ra's, but is soon forced to ally with Oliver over his fear of the man. He develops back to a full-time villain by season 4's end, but doesn't regain his footing as Big Bad, having to ally with Team Arrow in the finale again (on Arrow, anyway; he's part of the BigBadDuumvirate in Season 2 of ''Legends of Tomorrow''). At the end of Season 5, he returns to help the heroes against new Big Bad Prometheus and goes out in a Heroic Sacrifice to save Thea during the season finale.

* Yokai/Callaghan in [[WesternAnimation/BigHero6theSeries Big Hero 6: The Series]], where he is still shown in prison in one episode, and having regretted his actions in the movie the show spun off from.

* Yokai/Callaghan in ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6theSeries'', where he is still shown in prison in one episode, and having regretted his actions in the movie the show spun off from.

* [[GreenandMean Chick Hicks]] is revealed to have become a sports commentator and talk show host during the events of ''WesternAnimation/Cars3''.

** In the very first game, Sagat was the BigBad and Ryu's final challenge. In his subsequent appearances, he becomes a part of Shadaloo to take revenge on Ryu, but then grows disinterested in revenge and then becomes a regular fighter.

''Note Bene'': In order to keep this trope from decaying into "{{Big Bad}}s Who Lose But Don't Die", the Ex Big Bad must be shown or at least referred to as being no longer a BigBad during a future point of an ongoing series. Villains who lose the status at the end of a story don't count, but if they appear in a sequel or a later season, they do.

'''Razputin:''' Yeah, like three days old.

* ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'': The same Geese Howard above was the BigBad of 2 of the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' games, while his half-brother Wolfgang Krauser was also the BigBad in one ''FF'' game. In ''KOF 96'', they appear together as Bosses Team along with Mr. Big; they aren't the masterminds of the story (that'd be Goenitz), but they do act as mid-bosses who try to get their hands on the power of the Orochi. In ''KOF XIV'' Geese reappears, now along with his 2 henchmen as the participants for the tournament that year.

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': After [[Characters/RickAndMortyEvilMorty Evil Morty]] left the Central Finite Curve in "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS5E10RickamuraiJack Rickmurai Jack]]", Rick Prime--Main Rick's nemesis who murdered his wife--was set up as the new BigBad for the series. Now, in episode "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS7E5Unmortricken Unmortricken]]" though, Rick Prime gets majorly OutGambitted by Evil Morty--who returns and forms an EnemyMine with Rick and Morty out of self-preservation--and is [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beaten to death by Rick]]. Evil Morty, meanwhile, steals Rick Prime's schematics for the Omega Weapon, but mostly as a deterrent against Rick to prevent him from coming after him, mainly wanting to be left to his own devices. While it does leave him as the biggest overarching threat in the series, for now he has no interest in directly antagonizing the heroes any further.

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': After [[Characters/RickAndMortyEvilMorty Evil Morty]] left the Central Finite Curve in "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS5E10RickamuraiJack Rickmurai Jack]]", Rick Prime--Main Rick's nemesis who murdered his wife--was set up as the new BigBad for the series. Now, in episode "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS7E5Unmortricken Unmortricken]]" though, Rick Prime gets majorly OutGambitted by Evil Morty--who returns and forms an EnemyMine with Rick and Morty out of self-preservation--and is [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beaten to death by Rick]]. Evil Morty, meanwhile, steals Rick Prime's schematics for the Omega Weapon, and while he mostly just wants to be left to his own devices and is merely taking them as a deterrent. While it does leave him as the biggest overarching threat in the series, for now he has no interest in directly antagonizing the heroes any further.