History Main / SoftSpokenSadist

* ''TheThiefOfBaghdad'' has Jaffar, an EvilVizier and EvilSorcerer who raises his voice once, in order to cast a spell at sea. It sort of gets rid of the common "who would trust ''that'' guy" FridgeLogic about more ObviouslyEvil viziers: he sounds extremely trustworthy. Too bad [[{{Understatement}} he isn't]].

See also AffablyEvil, DissonantSerenity, and CreepyMonotone and compare WickedCultured. Note that, if and when they eventually drop this soft-spoken demeanor, then that's a surefire sign things are going to get worse.

* Frieza from ''DragonBall''.

* The Reaper from ''{{Criminal Minds}}''. He's condescendingly soothing while stabbing Hotch in 'Faceless, Nameless'. And in '100', he uses such a cool, conversational tone to taunt Hotch on speakerphone while calmly playing toy soldiers with Hotch's son. He even covers the kid's ears and spells out D-I-E-S. This is seconds before he [[spoiler: murders Hotch's wife while he listens]]. He plays it so well, the kid isn't even sure if he's a bad guy.

* [[DragonBall Frieza]]
* Since when were you under the impression that [[{{Bleach}} Aizen Sosuke]] wasn't the ''king'' of this trope?
* [[MagnificentBastard Yuri]] from [[CommandAndConquer Command and Conquer Red Alert 2]] is probably the second best example.

** Kaa from {{Disney}}'s Disney/TheJungleBook (also played by Jim Cummings who also the similar voice for WinnieThePooh), practically defines this, especially in the first movie where, despite having the gentle voice of an genial old man, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRASn4tcXFE&feature=related is menacing enough to scare]] ''[[PapaWolf Bagheera]].'' Later, he uses that soft quality in his voice to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSVkY-01r5o&feature=related "convince" Mowgli to trust him]].
** In TheTwilightZone episode "What's in the Box" he plays a mysterious but malevolent television repairman who he acts the role of the friendly old blue-collar worker, who gives an exasperated man some extra perks in his cable, and then gets to watch, smile, and subtly gloat as his "product" ruins two lives, never dropping the benign facade.

** Most villains from TheXFiles, actually, but in particular the death fetishist who kidnapped Agent Scully in season 2.

* In {{Supernatural}}, Lucifer is very calm, collected, and acts in a casual and gentle manner. He also tortures and kills anyone to get what he wants.

* [[HarryPotter Snape's]] outward SadistTeacher personality is described as managing to keep the whole class at attention without going much louder than a whisper in the first book, and even though his speech often contains contempt and sardonicism, he rarely ever does anything but speak softly - which serves to make the times he does outwardly show his rage all the more significant.

* The [[PuppeteerParasite Goa'uld]] Tanith in ''StargateSG1''. Politely wiped out an entire civilization.

* The Goa'uld Tanith in ''StargateSG1''. Politely wiped out an entire civilization.

* The Goa'uld Tanith in StargateSG1. Politely wiped out an entire civilization.

* [[CompleteMonster Johan]] from the manga/anime ''{{Anime/Monster}}''. Somewhere between this and CreepyMonotone, all part of his DissonantSerenity.

[[Bong milk is good for the brain.:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/werewolf_9693_8856.jpg]]

Not every villain has to sound like one. Perhaps, instead of having a malevolent rasp, a gloating shrill, or a booming baritone, the villain's voice is instead light and low. They don't yell or intimidate, and might not even be impolite - instead they speak with a soft tone that seems unassuming, meek or even kind, with a soft chuckle and a sort of warm energy... hiding the menace within. The end result is something dissonant and creepy, a monster who might describe just how horribly he's going to mangle you, while speaking in a voice that's anything but monstrous.

See also AffablyEvil, DissonantSerenity, and CreepyMonotone and compare WickedCultured. Note that, if and when they eventually drop this soft-spoken demeanor, then that's a surefire sign things are going to get worse.
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!!Examples:

* Since when were you under the impression that [[{{Bleach}} Aizen Sosuke]] wasn't the ''king'' of this trope?
* [[MagnificentBastard Yuri]] from [[CommandAndConquer Command and Conquer Red Alert 2]] is probably the second best example.
* Sterling Holloway is especially good at this, and it's enhanced thanks to his voice also [[WinnieThePooh being famous for much lighter roles]].
** Kaa from {{Disney}}'s Disney/TheJungleBook (also played by Jim Cummings who also the similar voice for WinnieThePooh), practically defines this, especially in the first movie where, despite having the gentle voice of an genial old man, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRASn4tcXFE&feature=related is menacing enough to scare]] ''[[PapaWolf Bagheera]].'' Later, he uses that soft quality in his voice to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSVkY-01r5o&feature=related "convince" Mowgli to trust him]].
** In TheTwilightZone episode "What's in the Box" he plays a mysterious but malevolent television repairman who he acts the role of the friendly old blue-collar worker, who gives an exasperated man some extra perks in his cable, and then gets to watch, smile, and subtly gloat as his "product" ruins two lives, never dropping the benign facade.
* Xellos from {{Slayers}}.
* In ''TheXFiles'', the Cigarette-Smoking Man has a pleasant, avuncular New England accent. (Except for the times he has a pleasant, avuncular [[OohMeAccentsSlipping Canadian accent]].)
** Most villains from TheXFiles, actually, but in particular the death fetishist who kidnapped Agent Scully in season 2.
* In the ''StarTrekTOS'' episode "Wolf in the Fold," John Fiedler played a serial-killing alien, and he spoke in the same tremorous, timid voice he used when he was playing [[TheAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh Piglet.]]
* [[CompleteMonster Johan]] from the manga/anime ''{{Anime/Monster}}''. Somewhere between this and CreepyMonotone, all part of his DissonantSerenity.
* From the Harold Pinter play ''One For The Road'', Nicholas is an extremely genial person who happens to be in charge of torture for his government.
* Roose Bolton from ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' is mild mannered, courteous, and speaks so softly that others have to listen closely to hear anything he says. House Bolton also has a flayed man as their sigil, and has a legendary reputation for torture.
* [[YuYuHakusho Itsuki's]] smooth, mellow voice tends to hide his [[PsychoSupporter inner crazy]].
** Also, YuYuHakusho also has a heroic example in Kurama. He's always polite and charming, even though he's just as willing to brutally kill or maim (or both) his enemies as Hiei, [[{{Foil}} who generally fights with a sort of controlled anger instead.]]
* Mister Teatime in the adaptation of [[{{Discworld}} Hogfather]].
* [[HarryPotter Snape's]] outward SadistTeacher personality is described as managing to keep the whole class at attention without going much louder than a whisper in the first book, and even though his speech often contains contempt and sardonicism, he rarely ever does anything but speak softly - which serves to make the times he does outwardly show his rage all the more significant.
* Nurse Ratched in ''OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest''.
* In {{Vernor Vinge}}'s ''Fire upon the Deep'', Flenser is described as having a voice like this.
* [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]]
* [[InglouriousBasterds Col. Hans Landa]], sometimes.
* Mr. Blonde from ''ReservoirDogs'' is a very cool-headed, soft-spoken individual who always exudes a casual aura. This makes it all the more unnerving when [[AxCrazy he slaughters an entire store's worth of people after the alarm goes off]], or when he calmly describes to a captured cop [[PsychoForHire how much he will enjoy]] [[CompleteMonster giving him a slow, painful death]].
* Quentin Tarantino apparently likes this trope. His character Richie in ''FromDuskTillDawn'' is a sadistic rapist with a soft, calm voice.
* Anton Chigurh from ''NoCountryForOldMen'' embodies this trope to a [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel disturbing]] degree.
* Gaear Grimsrud from ''{{Fargo}}'', when he is not [[AxCrazy snapping]] randomly.
* Adelai Niska, ''{{Firefly}}'s'' resident psychotic crimelord, can be very soft-spoken in the tone of a kindly old man. The fact that he does this while he's [[ElectricTorture zapping the living daylights out of you]], [[ColdBloodedTorture cutting off your ear]], or [[CompleteMonster even worse things]] makes him ''utterly fucking creepy''.
* Marlo Stanfield from ''{{TheWire}}''. He's very soft spoken and almost never raises his voice- even when ordering the murder of a man and his family.
* ''TheThiefOfBaghdad'' has Jaffar, an EvilVizier and EvilSorcerer who raises his voice once, in order to cast a spell at sea. It sort of gets rid of the common "who would trust ''that'' guy" FridgeLogic about more ObviouslyEvil viziers: he sounds extremely trustworthy. Too bad [[{{Understatement}} he isn't]].
* [[{{Hamlet}} CLAUDIUS]]. Dear God, Claudius.
* [[{{DeathNote}} Light Yagami]], who stays cool and calm even while delivering his judgments face-to-face. Poor Naomi Misora.
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See also AffablyEvil, DissonantSerenity, and CreepyMonotone and compare WickedCultured. Note that, if and when they eventually drop this softspoken demeanor, then that's a surefire sign things are going to get worse.

* Sterling Holloway is especially good at this, and it's enhanced thanks to his voice also [[WinnieThePooh being famous for much less dark roles.]]
** Kaa from Disney's {{Disney}}/TheJungleBook (also played by Jim Cummings who also the similar voice for WinnieThePooh), practically defines this, especially in the first movie where, despite having the gentle voice of an genial old man, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRASn4tcXFE&feature=related is menacing enough to scare]] ''[[PapaWolf Bagheera]].'' Later, he uses that soft quality in his voice to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSVkY-01r5o&feature=related "convince" Mowgli to trust him]].
** In TheTwilightZone episode "What's In The Box" he plays a mysterious but malevolent television repairman who he acts the role of the friendly old blue-collar worker, who gives an exasperated man some extra perks in his cable, and then gets to watch, smile, and subtly gloat as his "product" ruins two lives, never dropping the benign facade.

* In the ''StarTrekTOS'' episode "Wolf in the Fold", John Fiedler played a serial-killing alien, and he spoke in the same tremorous, timid voice he used when he was playing [[TheAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh Piglet.]]

* Quentin Tarantino apparently likes this trope. His character, Richie, in "From Dusk Till Dawn" is a sadistic rapist with a soft, calm voice.

* ''TheThiefOfBaghdad'' has Jaffar, an EvilVizier and EvilSorcerer who raises his voice once, in order to cast a spell at sea. It sort of gets rid of the common "who would trust ''that'' guy" FridgeLogic about more ObviouslyEvil viziers: he sounds extremely trustworthy. Too bad [[{{Understatement}} he isn't.]]
* [[{{Hamlet}} CLAUDIUS]]. Dear god, Claudius.

See also AffablyEvil, DissonantSerenity, and CreepyMonotone and compare WickedCultured. Note that, if and when they eventually drop this softspoken demeanor, then that's a surefire sign things are going to get bad.

* [[CompleteMonster Johan]] from the manga/anime ''{{Monster}}''. Somewhere between this and CreepyMonotone, all part of his DissonantSerenity.

* In ''TheXFiles'', the Cigarette-Smoking Man has a pleasant, avuncular New England accent. Except for the times he has a pleasant, avuncular [[{{ptitleyj6phryk}} Canadian accent]]