History Main / VillainousBreakdown

** ''Umineko'': [[spoiler:Bernkastel]]went through it several times.

* All of the villains from the ''PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' games. The expressions on their faces as you [[PullTheThread gradually tear apart their arguments and prove their guilt as the true murderers]] is part of the reward, as is their final breakdown and subsequent MotiveRant.

* In ColdCase, George Marks, the SmugSnake/CompleteMonster serial killer undergoes this in the season 2 finale. Lilly refuses to let George get to him, and after confronting him with his mother's crime she rips apart his god complex saying that all George is is a scared little boy who's mommy never loved him. George proceeds to loose his cool and screams at Lilly to shut up repeatedly. After watching him walk away in a previous episode, witnessing him loose his cool was kind of satisfying. In the season 1 finale, the villian Jim Larkin (another CompleteMonster) keeps his cool until they reveal that they have dna evidence linking him to the crime, at which point he completely drops the facade and screams about how both of his targets were supposed to have died that night. John Smith also experiences this twice; first when his target avoids being broken, and the second when the detectives figure out where his victim is being held in time to save her.

** And he has another one when he learns that Himmler, his most trusted underling, has betrayed him to the Allies by offering to negotiate a peace settlement... and then when Herman Goering says that if he doesn't get a reply by 2200 hours (10 pm), he'll assume Hitler incapacitated and take over? Let's just say that in the week leading up to his death, Hitler has a ''lot'' of breakdowns.

** And he has another one when he learns that Himmler, his most trusted underling, has betrayed him to the Allies by offering to negotiate a peace settlement. In fact, let's just say that in the week leading up to his death, Hitler has a ''lot'' of breakdowns.

* In ''SouthPark'', the guy-with-no-life Jenkins in "Make Love, Not Warcraft" does the "shutting down" version when his character is finally killed in ''WorldOfWarcraft''. We don't get to see what he does after those first few seconds, as he's only ever shown in-game and in brief flashes sitting in front of his computer, ''almost'' reacting to what happens there. Being defeated makes him... flinch. When Cartman learns that he murdered his own father he simply stares in empty shock and doesn't even resist when Scott rams his head into a chilli bowl.
** Note that, it being Cartman, the cause of his BSOD is [[spoiler: the discovery that he's actually part ginger.]]

* At the end of Disney's animated ''TheGreatMouseDetective'', Ratigan goes from being a smarmy, smug intellectual to a feral, crazed rat, savagely attacking Basil. Although he does have quick seconds of losing his cool throughout the film, he is just as quickly able to recollect himself as calm and collective. Until the end, of course.

* General Adams from Killzone has one when one of his lieutenants informs him that the player's squad has destroyed an important bridge, leveled a supply base and killed an entire platoon. He then introduces the lieutenants head to his desk. Repeatedly. And not very subtle.

*Although there isn't much room for it in the [[Metroid]] series (outside of possibly Prime's Pirate logs), the 1994 Super Metroid comic features one of these later on, when Ridley is informed of Samus's progress. He actually leaves the planet and abandons his command, telling his informant that they should all just listen to Mother Brain instead.

**** Kinda subverted in Investigations case. I can't be the only one expecting great freak-outs, only to get the 1 1/2 semi-decent ones we got. [[spoiler: Zinc's was the other one besides Alba. I only count that as half since he's not a real bad guy, just a jerk]]

** And in chapter 298, Fate, who's normally coldly [[TheStoic Stoic]] visibly trembles with wrath and looks upset when Negi declares that he will prevent the future in which the magical collapses from happening.

[[AceAttorney http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/RichardWDiscoversTvTropes_4694.PNG]]
[[caption-width:384: You don't look so good, Mr. Wellington.]]

A VillainousBreakdown is usually a sign that the villain having one is ''not'' a MagnificentBastard, but even the MagnificentBastard may succumb to one if their plans suffer a particularly [[SpannerInTheWorks impressive implosion]]. (See: [[Comicbook/{{Spider-Man}} Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin]], [[DeathNote Light Yagami]], pictured above, or [[ResidentEvil Albert Wesker]]). If they do suffer one, chances are it'll be even ''bigger'' than a typical villain's breakdown (As the old saying goes, "The bigger you are, the harder you fall").

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[[caption-width:639:Poor Light. Things have really gone downhill for him. [[IronicEcho MATSUDA YOU IDIOT!!!]]]]