History Main / SlidingScaleOfAntagonistVileness

** {{Absolute Xenophobe}}

** ForTheEvulz must be here or below.

** EvillyAffable tops out around here.

* Possible MoralEventHorizon candidates

** SerialKiller

** {{Social Darwinist}}s that want to put extermination camps or "all versus all" absolute savagery into system.

** {{Social Darwinist}}s that want to put extermination camps or "all versus all" into system.

** {{Social Darwinist}}s

** TheMengele - would be folded into CompleteMonster (since human experimentation for the lulz is always an automatic MEH) except that they also have a tendency for being played for ''very'' dark laughs... making them a tiny bit more sympathetic.

* The DesignatedVillain can fit anywhere on this scale, as he's more defined by a lack of characterization and/or plot development.
** Likewise, a DesignatedHero (when compared to this scale) can fall anywhere from being a AntiHero or HeroWithAnFInGood to a CompleteMonster [[VillainWithGoodPublicity with]] ''[[VillainWithGoodPublicity very]]'' [[VillainWithGoodPublicity good publicity]].

** {{Darwinist}}s

** CowboyCop hovers around this level in shows that don't approve of these characters; going further makes them a less sympathetic {{Rabid Cop}}.

** Any instances of {{Karma Houdini}} below this point run a huge risk of accidentally transforming a 'normal' villain into someone despised as a {{Complete Monster}}.

* {{Villain Decay}}, if especially humiliating or prolonged, will slowly cause a villain to float up to {{Harmless Villain}} if left unchecked; particularly powerful instances of this trope have even [[{{Badass Decay}} wimpified]] {{Complete Monster}}s such as [[{{Eight Bit Theatre}} Black Mage]] and [[{{Silence of the Lambs}} Hannibal Lecter]].

** KnightTemplar

** EvillyAffable

** {{Ultimate Evil}} needs to be at or below this point to be taken credibly as a source of all evil (unless they're on a {{Sugar Bowl}} or such where 'all evil' means that they want [[{{Poke the Poodle}} to cancel Christmas]]), though because of their tendency of being an {{Orcus on His Throne}} even the reality-destroying {{Eldritch Abomination}} might come across LESS vile than the...

* {{Resuscitate the Dog}}, {{Villainous BSOD}}, and {{My God What Have I Done}} can pull a villain upwards on the scale, though obviously more evil villains tend to be more immune to these effects--though even someone who has crossed the {{Moral Event Horizon}} can be redeemed by those tropes if they're ''really'' sincere about their guilt and atonement.

* Fitting a villain with a skintight pair of [[{{Draco in Leather Pants}} leather pants]] will push them upwards; there are even instances of {{Complete Monster}}s being 'rescued' by this trope.
** Likewise, an anti-villain stung with {{Ron the Death Eater}} can experience the reverse.

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* {{Villain Decay}}, if especially humiliating or prolonged, will slowly cause a villain to float up to {{Harmless Villain}} if left unchecked; particularly powerful instances of this trope have even [[{{Badass Decay}} wimpified]] {{Complete Monster}}s such as [[{{Eight Bit Theatre}} Black Mage]] and [[{{Silence of the Lambs}} Hannibal]].

* {{Villain Decay}}, if especially humiliating or prolonged, will slowly cause a villain to float up to {{Harmless Villain}} if left unchecked; particularly powerful instances of this trope have even [[{{Badass Decay}} wimpified]] {{Complete Monster}}s such as [[{{8 Bit Theater}} Black Mage]] and [[{{Silence of the Lambs}} Hannibal]].

* A villain that is a {{General Failure}}, {{Pointy Haired Boss}}, and/or a {{Stupid Boss}} makes weaksauce villains more vile and more blackhearted villains less so -- malicious stupidity reduces your sympathy but also reduces your threat.
* Fitting a villain with a skintight pair of [[{{Draco in Leather Pants}} leather pants]] will push them upwards; there are even instances of {{Complete Monsters}} being 'rescued' by this trope.
* The {{Rival Sports Team}} can be anywhere from the very top to the very bottom, though it's rare for them to go below {{Smug Snake}} status in less comedic stories.

* {{Villain Decay}}, if especially humiliating or prolonged, will slowly cause a villain to float up to {{Harmless Villain}} if left unchecked; particularly powerful instances of this trope have even [[{{Badass Decay}} wimpified]] {{Complete Monsters}} such as [[{{8-Bit Theater}} Black Mage]] and [[{{Silence of the Lambs}} Hannibal]].

** PutThemAllOutOfMyMisery usually settles about here

* EvenEvilHasStandards can pull upwards on the scale.

* Given that the MagnificentBastard is more about style, Magnificent Bastards can fall anywhere above the MoralEventHorizon on this scale, although, again, since he's all about style, the Bastard in question is probably a bit higher on the scale than he would otherwise be.

!![[FateStayNight Shinji Matou]]

!!Least Sympathetic

** AloofAlly
** JerkWithAHeartOfGold