History Main / PlotIrrelevantVillain

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* In the movie ''FiredUp'', the [[TheCheerleader stereotypical evil cheerleader captain]] of the OpposingSportsTeam is introduced as a big villain... and does nothing in her five minutes total screen time other than badmouth the good team a couple of times and have sex with the female lead's {{Jerkass}} boyfriend (who the audience knows is sleeping around, so this role could be filled by any random girl).

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

* The Jabberwock in the 1985 Irwin Allen version of ''Alice in Wonderland'' is an unnecessary addition to the 'Through the Looking Glass' portion of the film. In the original book, the Jabberwock never appeared outside the poem "Jabberwocky". Irwin Allen, however, believed the story needed an equivalent to the Boogeyman, so he made the Jabberwock appear and scare Alice when she reads the poem, and then turn up again twice later (once at the end of the Humpty Dumpty scene, the second during the climax). But really it contributes nothing to the story, aside from allowing the producers to put in a climax somewhat more comprehensable than the book's [[GainaxEnding rather bewildering finale]].

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

* In the ''{{Spider-Man}}'' games, Shocker qualifies. Almost every other villain has an important role in the story to some extent. Shocker is just there to get his ass whupped and not make a single contribution to the story.

** Overlaps with ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything, considering there's at least two dozen of them.

----

* Seymour Guado in FinalFantasyX becomes this after his plans get thwarted at Bevelle, only appearing to challenge the party in impossible attempts to take back Yuna so that he can become the next Sin. Not even the characters take him all that seriously by the end.

* Draco Malfoy is this most of the time in the early ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books, where he spends his time being Harry's JerkAss nemesis at Hogwarts while his father takes on plot-relevent villainy stuff. He only really starts to dovetail with the actual villains in [[HarryPotter/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix book 5]], and even that was a role that wasn't needed for the book, especially since he at last got a true plot relevent role in the [[HarryPotter/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince following book.]]

* To an extent, ''BatmanArkhamAsylum'' has Bane: he shows up once to fight Batman and gets taken down immediately, unlike the other villains who all come back at least once. His indirect role in the plot, however, is much greater: [[spoiler:Joker plans to use a deriative of the [[PsychoSerum Venom]] formula in his blood to make rampaging monsters out of all of Gotham.]]

* From ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'', Gary Oak in the first season. He's a {{Jerkass}} antagonist to Ash for absolutely no reason, and continually antagonizes him in ways that never add anything to the story.

* Draco Malfoy is this most of the time in the early ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books. He only really starts to dovetail with the actual villains in [[HarryPotter/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix book 5]].

** [[TerribleTrio Team Rocket]] also fall into this sometimes. Sometimes only showing up to keep up appearances.

** Overlaps with ThePiratesWhoDoNothing, considering there's at least two dozen of them.

* From ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'', Gary Oak in the first season. He's a {{Jerkass}} antagonist to Ash for absolutely no reason, and continually antagonizes him in ways that never add anything to the story. In his defense, the anime was originally only going to last through this first season before the franchise became such a phenomenon, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen and the original ending had Ash vs. Gary as the final battle]], so if that had happened, his previous antagonism would have actually been building the rivalry up so that the story's climax was more satisfying.

** This is more of a subversion than a straight example. Jonas Miller seems to be there just to make some anvilicious anticorporate point, but it's Dr. Miller's (attempted) theft of the Dorothy concept and Dr. Harding's anger at it that ultimately pulls him back into the stormchasing team.

* From ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'', Gary Oak in the first season. He's a {{Jerkass}} antagonist to Ash for absolutely no reason, and continually antagonizes him in ways that never add anything to the story.

* The insane simulant in the ''RedDwarf'' episode 'Justice': Aside from providing an excuse for reaching the space station, he had no purpose other than to tack on an (admittedly funny) action sequence after the plot proper was resolved.

In other words, Joe is a [=~Villain Who Doesn't Do Anything~=]. He has been shoehorned into the narrative for little reason beside the conventional wisdom that all narratives need a clear bad guy. For this reason he's an especially common addition to adaptations intended to reach a [[ViewersAreMorons wider audience]] than in his original form.

* From {{Anime/Pokemon}}, Gary Oak in the first season. He's a {{Jerkass}} antagonist to Ash for absolutely no reason, and continually antagonizes him in ways that never add anything to the story.
** Team Rocket also fall into this sometimes. Sometimes only showing up to keep up appearances.

* Seymour from ''FinalFantasyX'' was advertised as the game's BigBad but he's actually a fairly minor character who only adds some needless complications to an already over-complicated story.

While the easiest way to sum up this trope is "useless character", that's more objective as what's going on here. Gollum from ''LordOfTheRings'', for example, may technically be "useless" in that the narrative proper can be related without him, but he's an important character for helping to establish the debilitating psychological effects of [[ArtifactOfDoom the Ring]]. By contrast, Oogie Boogie from ''TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'', awesome though he may be, is motivated purely by ForTheEvulz, causes trouble only after the {{denouement}}, and has little if anything to do with the main plot of how Halloweentown takes over Christmas.

* Seymour from Final Fantasy X. He looks vaguely like Sephiroth so he was advertised as the game's BigBad but he's actually fairly minor to the story. I suppose he's there to show that the Worshippers of Yevon are a CorruptChurch, except he's evil in a completely different way than the rest of them are, and once the other church leaders realize he's an OmnicidalManiac they excommunicate him and pardon your party. Except then your party goes against the church anyway since they're the bad guys, meaning that the entire Seymour plot just added some needless complications to an already over-complicated story. And even if you still think that his early appearances were important, there's no way his last few appearances (where he's just a recurring boss who shows up in random places for no real reason) are at all story-relevant.

** Plus, Jack fighting a bag of bugs and his contraptions is arguably [[RuleOfCool a lot cooler]] than just a talk with [[strike: Sandy Claws]] SantaClaus.
** Interestingly, in the alternative ending, with Oogie Boogie [[spoiler: being ''[[MadScientist Dr. Finklestein]]'']], the FinalBattle ''would'' have caused resolution for [[spoiler: the love triangle ([[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation sort]] [[IncestIsRelative of]]) between Jack, Sally, and Dr. Finklestein]].
** Actually, without Oogie Boogie, [[FridgeBrilliance there would be something missing]]: Jack's redemption. By saving Santa and Sally from Oogie, Jack is setting things right, therefore redeeming himself in both Santa's and the audiences' eyes.
** Redemption for Jack is clearly Oogie Boogie's purpose. The problem is that Jack shouldn't need an external villain to achieve redemption in the first place.
* Rasputin in the DonBluth film ''{{Anastasia}}''. It could have been a touching story about love and family ''without'' a mystical undead dude trying to kill the princess, and since the movie's (loosely) based on history, it probably would have been better that way.
** YourMileageMayVary. While Rasputin's effectiveness as a villain can certainly be questioned, it's also hardly untrue that he "does nothing" and has no effect on the plot: the destroyed train leads to the heroes having to take the slower bus, thus allowing time for [[MyFairLady Anya's princess training]], the nightmare sequence underscores Anya's lost memories ([[StatusQuoIsGod though not jogging them]]) and gives Dmitri his first clue she might be the real deal, and the climax of the film allows Dmitri to be a hero (thus redeeming him in Anya's eyes) and it could even be said helps her decide for certain about her royal status. Of course all of these things could have been accomplished differently, including without a villain. Another thing to keep in mind, though, is that Don Bluth admitted he was aping the Disney formula, and since Disney movies always have a villain... On the other hand Rasputin did have style, and in the end the movie ''was'' still a touching story about love and family.

** There is an argumentation that Draco Malfoy ‘s plot function in the first book is being a ThresholdGuardians for Harry.

** So just like the comics, then?

* Transfer (and his boss, Sullivan) in ''AroundTheWorldWithWillyFog'': Transfer sets up a lot of obstacles for the heroes, yes, but in [[AroundTheWorldInEightyDays the original book]] those obstacles arose just fine without anybody trying to sabotage the trip.
* Parodied in the ''AmericanDad'' episode "Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth", where Roger is riding Stan in a horse race ([[ItMakesSenseInContext Stan's mind is temporarily in a horse's body]]). Roger mentions his regret that he doesn't have a rival to race against and make it more exciting, so when Stan points out that it isn't too late, Roger ''deliberately'' picks a fight with another jockey just to create a rival.

** Plus, Jack fighting a bag of bugs and his contraptions is arguably [[RuleOfCool a lot cooler]] then just a talk with [[strike: Sandy Claws]] SantaClaus.

* Humma Kavula from the ''[[{{Film/ptitlejg38r3xwzu8c}} Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' movie. Oh yes. He's given little {{backstory}}, his motives are only hinted at, and seems to exist only to push for the inclusion of the MacGuffin used to save the day at the end. No doubt if sequels were made he'd have a larger role, but sequels seem unlikely at this point. And the most aggravating point is that the movie already ''had'' villains! Do the Vogons chasing Zaphod for kidnapping the President (himself) and stealing a ship not count?