History Main / SlidingScaleOfVillainEffectiveness

* MagnificentBastard, TheChessmaster (when evil), CorruptCorporateExecutive, the {{MIB}} (when evil), CompleteMonster, ManipulativeBastard (when evil), MonsterClown

* {{Eldritch Abomination}} (esp. in stories where you can't [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch them out]]), {{Hero Killer}}, {{Cosmic Horror Story}}, {{God is Evil}}, {{The Bad Guy Wins}}, {{You Cant Fight Fate}}, {{Rage Against The Heavens}}, {{Downer Ending}}, VillainSue, {{Diabolus Ex Machina}}.

'''[[color:green:Low:]]''' The villain can be safely allowed to [[VillainBall foil their own scheme.]]

* ''Examples'': Many, many horror stories where the protagonists die or suffer a fate worse than death. {{Final Destination}}. HPLovecraft, NineteenEightyFour.

* ''Examples:'' The ''LeagueOfSuperEvil'', Swiper from ''DoraTheExplorer'', [[{{Pokemon}} Team Rocket]] Professor Chaos of SouthPark.

* ''Examples:'' The ''LeagueOfSuperEvil'', Swiper from ''DoraTheExplorer'', [[{{Pokeman}} Team Rocket]] Professor Chaos of SouthPark.

* ''Examples:'' The ''LeagueOfSuperEvil'', Swiper from ''DoraTheExplorer'', Professor Chaos of SouthPark.

* ''Examples:'' Ming the Merciless from ''FlashGordon'', The Empire from ''StarWars'', [[{{Transformers}} The Decepticons]] (Occasionally highly effective). [[PhineasAndFerb Doofenshmirtz]] is usually here, though he slips into other territories at times. The typical villains from PowerRangers / SuperSentai also fall into this category.

* ''Examples:'' David Xanatos from ''{{Gargoyles}}'', Most ''{{DragonBall}}'' villains, DoctorDoom, foe of the ''FantasticFour'', [[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon Alma Wade]], [[DeathNote Light Yagami]], [[ChroniclesOfThomasCovenant Lord Foul]], Shego from ''KimPossible'', Megatron from BeastWars, most of the villains in AvatarTheLastAirbender, most villains from {{Gundam}}, [[FinalFantasyVI Kefka Palazzo]], [[BlazBlue Hazama, aka Terumi Yuuki,]] is approaching Infinite levels.

* HarmlessVillain, MinionWithAnFInEvil, TheBooRadley, CrazyCatLady, PeekABogeyman, the most agreeable examples of AndItWorked

* ''Examples:'' The ''LeagueOfSuperEvil'', Swiper from ''DoraTheExplorer'', Dr. Chaos of SouthPark.

* ''Examples:'' The ''LeagueOfSuperEvil'', Swiper from ''DoraTheExplorer''.

* ''Examples:'' David Xanatos from ''{{Gargoyles}}'', Most ''{{DragonBall}}'' villains, DoctorDoom, foe of the ''FantasticFour'', [[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon Alma Wade]], [[DeathNote Light Yagami]], [[ChroniclesOfThomasCovenant Lord Foul]], Shego from ''KimPossible'', Megatron from [[BeastWars]], most of the villains in [[AvatarTheLastAirbender]], most villains from {{Gundam}}, [[FinalFantasyVI Kefka Palazzo]], [[BlazBlue Hazama, aka Terumi Yuuki,]] is approaching Infinite levels.

* ''Examples:'' David Xanatos from ''{{Gargoyles}}'', Most ''{{DragonBall}}'' villains, DoctorDoom, foe of the ''FantasticFour'', [[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon Alma Wade]], [[DeathNote Light Yagami]], [[ChroniclesOfThomasCovenant Lord Foul]], Shego from ''KimPossible'', most villains from {{Gundam}}, [[FinalFantasyVI Kefka Palazzo]], [[BlazBlue Hazama, aka Terumi Yuuki,]] is approaching Infinite levels.

* ''Examples:'' David Xanatos from ''{{Gargoyles}}'', Most ''{{DragonBall}}'' villains, DoctorDoom, foe of the ''FantasticFour'', [[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon Alma Wade]], [[DeathNote Light Yagami]], [[ChroniclesOfThomasCovenant Lord Foul]], Shego from ''KimPossible'', most villains from {{Gundam}}.

'''[[color:blue:None:]]''' The villain succeeded in his evil scheme, but it wasn't destroying the world at all, it was... [[PokeThePoodle to plant a flower?!?]] Or alternatively, there's no villain at all.

'''[[color:blue:None:]]''' The villain succeeded in his evil scheme, but it wasn't destroying the world at all, it was... [[PokeThePoodle to plant a flower?!?]]

'''[[color:red:High:]]''' Almost always succeed when not thwarted by a hero, and have a decent number of victories under their belt, expect them to [[YouCantThwartStageOne get a secondary goal completed]] even when they lose.

* MagnificentBastard, TheChessmaster (when evil), CorruptCorporateExecutive, the {{MIB}} (when evil), CompleteMonster, MonsterClown

'''[[color:red:High:]]''' Almost always succeed when not thwarted by a hero, expect them to [[YouCantThwartStageOne get a secondary goal completed]] even then.

* HarmlessVillain, MinionWithAnFInEvil, TheBooRadley, CrazyCatLady

'''[[color:black:Infinite:]]''' The villain will always win, and the heroes will always lose, even if the heroes should by all rights win. This may be due to the villain being truly all powerful, or the heroes were utterly incapable of confronting them in the first place, let alone stopping them. At best, the heroes could delay or annoy the villain, but the villain will triumph in the end regardless and the heroes must evade or escape the villain now that it's goals are met.

** At least until the 4th game of the main series (after the 2nd and before the 3rd), the villains in the HouseOfTheDead have been at this level overall.
** FinalFantasyVI, until the beginning of the World of Ruin.

* ''Examples:'' David Xanatos from ''{{Gargoyles}}'', Most ''{{DragonBall}}'' villains, DoctorDoom, foe of the ''FantasticFour'', [[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon Alma Wade]], [[DeathNote Light Yagami]], [[ChroniclesOfThomasCovenant Lord Foul]], Shego from ''KimPossible.''

* ''Examples:'' Ming the Merciless from ''FlashGordon'', The Empire from ''StarWars'', [[{{Transformers}} The Decepticons]] (Occasionally highly effective). [[PhineasAndFerb Doofenshmirtz]] is usually here, though he slips into other territories at times.

* {{Eldritch Abomination}} (esp. in stories where you can't [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch them out]]), {{Hero Killer}}, {{Cosmic Horror Story}}, {{God is Evil}}, {{The Bad Guy Wins}}, {{You Cant Fight Fate}}, {{Rage Against The Heavens}}, {{Downer Ending}}, VillainSue, {{Boring Invincible Villain}}, {{Diabolus Ex Machina}}.

* ''Examples:'' Dr. Drakken from ''KimPossible'', ''InvaderZim'', many villains written by {{Dean Koontz}}.

* ''Examples:'' Ming the Merciless from ''FlashGordon'', The Empire from ''StarWars'', [[{{Transformers}} The Decepticons]](Occasionally highly effective). [[PhineasAndFerb Doofenshmirtz]] is usually here, though he slips into other territories at times.

* ''Examples:'' Ming the Merciless from ''FlashGordon'', The Empire from ''StarWars'', [[{{Transformers}} The Decepticons]]. [[PhineasAndFerb Doofenshmirtz]] is usually here, though he slips into other territories at times.

'''[[color:black:Infinite:]]''' The villain will always win, and the heroes will always lose, even if the heroes should by all rights win. This may be due to the villain being truly all powerful, or the heroes were utterly incapable of confronting them in the first place, let alone stopping them. At best, the heroes could delay or annoy the villain, but the villain will triumph in the end regardless.

* ''Examples:'' David Xanatos from ''{{Gargoyles}}'', DoctorDoom, foe of the ''FantasticFour'', [[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon Alma Wade]], [[DeathNote Light Yagami]], [[ChroniclesOfThomasCovenant Lord Foul]], Shego from ''KimPossible.''

* ''Examples:'' Ming the Merciless from ''FlashGordon'', The Empire from ''StarWars''. [[PhineasAndFerb Doofenshmirtz]] is usually here, though he slips into other territories at times.

* {{Eldritch Abomination}}, {{Hero Killer}}, {{Cosmic Horror Story}}, {{God is Evil}}, {{The Bad Guy Wins}}, {{You Cant Fight Fate}}, {{Rage Against The Heavens}}, {{Downer Ending}}, VillainSue, {{Boring Invincible Villain}}, {{Diabolus Ex Machina}}.