History PlayingWith / EvilOverlord

** Alternatively, Evulz is an FeudalOverlord that rules over an small area with iron fist, but otherwise is an absolutely mundane tyrant that doesn't seek to expand his borders.

** He calls himself Emperor Evulz, rules the Dark Kingdom, wears a black cloak and armor with horns and spikes, decorates everything in black and red with skull motifs, employs an army of orcs and trolls... but he's actually a fair ruler and a pretty nice guy, and the orcs and trolls get along fine with everyone else.

** Evulz rules over his dark kingdom with an iron fist... but he's ''[[TheMole pretending to be]]'' one of the allies of the Heroes, and ''is'' that interested in conquest.

* '''Straight''': [[BigBad Emperor Evulz]] rules over his dark kingdom with an iron fist and plans to TakeOverTheWorld.

* '''Reconstructed''': Being evil and ruling with an iron fist does not mean [[StupidEvil Evulz behaves like an idiot tyrant]] who [[ShootTheMessenger kills every messenger]] for kicks. He displays {{Magnificent Bastard}}ry, VillainWithGoodPublicity and some GenreSavvy via the EvilOverlordList.

* '''Reconstructed''': Being evil and ruling with an iron fist does not mean [[StupidEvil Evulz behaves like an idiot tyrant]] who [[ShootTheMessenger kills every messenger]] for kicks. He displays {{Magnificent Bastard}}ry, VillainWithGoodPublicity and some DangerouslyGenreSavvy via the EvilOverlordList.

** Evulz is so mind-bogglingly evil that he [[EnemyToAllLivingThings kills surrounding plants with his mere presence]] and [[AStormIsComing lightning follows him wherever he goes]]. He drinks from the skull of a human infant and has a literal ZeroPercentApprovalRating.

** Emperor Evulz [[OmnicidalManiac attempts to destroy the world]] every time someone within his kingdom engages in criminal activity.

* '''Exaggerated''': Evulz is so mind-bogglingly evil that he [[EnemyToAllLivingThings kills surrounding plants with his mere presence]] and [[AStormIsComing lightning follows him wherever he goes]]. He drinks from the skull of a human infant and has a literal ZeroPercentApprovalRating.

* '''Justified''': Evulz rules with an iron fist, [[NecessarilyEvil but only because it's the only way he can get this Crapsack Nation of his to function]]. Were it not for him, war and famine would have destroyed the country.

* '''Downplayed''': [[BigBad Emperor Evulz]] is a NobleDemon who plans to TakeOverTheWorld but [[EvenEvilHasStandards has many things he won't do to achieve this goal.]]

* '''Inverted''': He's a [[BigGood Good Overlord]]. He rules with a soft, comfy fist[[hottip:*:Bring...the comfy chair!]] and [[TastesLikeDiabetes puppies and rainbows follow him.]]

* '''Implied''': While Evulz is dark and has an ObviouslyEvil name plus appearance, he's never seen doing anything evil and we only have the rumors that he might be evil.

* '''Played For Drama''': Evulz is so powerful, evil and has such a huge army, that TheHero starts to doubt that there's any concevable way he could be defeated.
* '''While Evulz is dark and has an ObviouslyEvil name plus appearance, he's never seen doing anything evil and we only have the word0of-mouth and rumours that he might be evil.

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** Evulz is indeed a nice guy, but he's still [[AffablyEvil evil.]]

* '''Exploited''': ???

* '''Discussed''': ???

%%* '''Implied''': ???
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???

** See Exaggerated and [[CrossesTheLineTwice cross the line twice with it]].

* '''Double Subverted''': Evulz rules over his dark kingdom with an iron fist... but he's ''[[TheMole pretending to be]]'' one of the allies of the Heroes, and ''is'' that interested in conquest.

* '''Downplayed''': [[BigBad Emperor Evulz]] is a NobleDemon who plans to TakeOverTheWorld but [[EvenEvilHasStandard has many things he won't do to achieve this goal]]

* '''Downplayed''': ???

** Evulz is StupidEvil and believes that "ruling over his dark kingdom with an iron fist" entails wearing an outrageously oversized metal gauntlet and standing at the top of his EvilTowerOfOminousness with his gloved arm outstretched.

* '''Deconstructed''':
** Evulz takes the throne, but his reckless taxation wrecks the economy of a nearby kingdom, which immediately declares war. Another nearby kingdom is overly idealistic, and declares a war of liberation of the people. The downtrodden (i. e. disarmed) masses in Evulz's kingdom are [[RedShirt horribly incompetent fighters]] even when conscripted and given weapons, and anyway as soon as they realize they're going to lose their combat tactics become "find the idealistic kingdom's army and surrender to them, they treat prisoners better than our ruler treats us". The overlord is overthrown before he's ruled for six months.
* '''Reconstructed''': Being evil and ruling with an iron fist does not mean [[StupidEvil Evulz behaves like an idiot tyrant]] who [[ShootTheMessenger kills every messenger]] for kicks. He displays {{Magnificent Bastard}}ry, VillainWithGoodPublicity and some DangerouslyGenreSavvy via the EvilOverlordList.

* '''Lampshaded''': General briefing the heros about Evulz: "He's your fairly standard Evil Overlord."

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* '''Inverted''': He's a [[BigGood Good Overlord]]. He rules with a soft, comfy fist[[hottip:*:Bring...the comfy chair!]] and puppies and rainbows follow him.

** '''Reconstructed''': Being evil and ruling with an iron fist does not mean [[StupidEvil Evulz behaves like an idiot tyrant]] who [[ShootTheMessenger kills every messenger]] for kicks. He displays {{Magnificent Bastard}}ry, VillainWithGoodPublicity and some DangerouslyGenreSavvy via the EvilOverlordList.

* '''Subverted''': Evulz rules over his dark kingdom with an iron fist... but he's one of the allies of the Heroes, and isn't that interested in conquest.

* '''Parodied''': Evulz rules over his dark kingdom with an iron fist... and he uses that iron fist to PokeThePoodle.

* '''Deconstructed''': Evulz takes the throne, but his reckless taxation wrecks the economy of a nearby kingdom, which immediately declares war. Another nearby kingdom is overly idealistic, and declares a war of liberation of the people. The downtrodden (i. e. disarmed) masses in Evulz's kingdom are [[RedShirt horribly incompetent fighters]] even when conscripted and given weapons, and anyway as soon as they realize they're going to lose their combat tactics become "find the idealistic kingdom's army and surrender to them, they treat prisoners better than our ruler treats us". The overlord is overthrown before he's ruled for six months.

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<<|PlayingWithWiki|>>

** '''Reconstructed''': Being evil and ruling with an iron fist does not mean [[StupidEvil Evulz behaves like an idiot tyrant]] who [[ShootTheMeesenger kills every messenger]] for kicks. He displays {{Magnificent Bastard}}ry, VillainWithGoodPublicity and some DangerouslyGenreSavvy via the EvilOverlordList.

'''Basic Trope''': The generic BigBad who rules over his dark kingdom with an iron fist.
* '''Straight''': The Dark Lord rules over his dark kingdom with an iron fist, and seeks to [[TakeOverTheWorld conquer the entire known world]].
* '''Exaggerated''': The Dark Lord is so mind-bogglingly ''eeeeeeviil'' that he [[EnemyToAllLivingThings kills surrounding plants with his mere presence]] and [[AStormIsComing lightning follows him wherever he goes]]. He drinks from the skull of a human infant and has a literal ZeroPercentApprovalRating.
* '''Justified''': The Dark Lord rules with an iron fist, [[NecessarilyEvil but only because it's the only way he can get this Crapsack Nation of his to function]]. Were it not for him, war and famine would have destroyed the country.

* '''Subverted''': The Dark Lord rules over his dark kingdom with an iron fist... but he's one of the allies of the Heroes, and isn't that interested in conquest.
** He calls himself the Dark Lord, rules the Dark Kingdom, wears a black cloak and armor with horns and spikes, decorates everything in black and red with skull motifs, employs an army of orcs and trolls... but he's actually a fair ruler and a pretty nice guy, and the orcs and trolls get along fine with everyone else.
* '''Double Subverted''': The Dark Lord rules over his dark kingdom with an iron fist... but he's ''[[TheMole pretending to be]]'' one of the allies of the Heroes, and ''is'' that interested in conquest.
* '''Parodied''': The Dark Lord rules over his dark kingdom with an iron fist... and he uses that iron fist to PokeThePoodle.
** The Dark Lord is StupidEvil and believes that "ruling over his dark kingdom with an iron fist" entails wearing an outrageously oversized metal gauntlet and standing at the top of his EvilTowerOfOminousness with his gloved arm outstretched. He always was a bit literal-minded...

* '''Deconstructed''': The Evil Overlord takes the throne, but his reckless taxation wrecks the economy of a nearby kingdom, which immediately declares war. Another nearby kingdom is overly idealistic, and declares a war of liberation of the people. The downtrodden (i. e. disarmed) masses in the Evil Overlord's kingdom are [[RedShirt horribly incompetent fighters]] even when conscripted and given weapons, and anyway as soon as they realize they're going to lose their combat tactics become "find the idealistic kingdom's army and surrender to them, they treat prisoners better than our ruler treats us". The overlord is overthrown before he's ruled for six months.
* '''Reconstructed''': Remember when the Big Bad always used to actually be ''evil'', and not some [[AntiVillain misunderstood ball of wangst and]] {{Freudian Excuse}}s? Let's go back to that! After all, [[EvilIsCool evil]] ''[[EvilIsCool is]]'' [[EvilIsCool supposed to be cool]].
** Alternatively, being evil and ruling with an iron fist does not mean [[StupidEvil you have to behave like an idiot tyrant who'll kill every messenger for the lulz]]. Let's see some {{Magnificent Bastard}}ry, VillainWithGoodPublicity and some DangerouslyGenreSavvy via the EvilOverlordList.
* '''Zig Zagged''': The Dark Lord isn't ''always'' evil, but only when he needs to be or feels like it. He has Legions of Doom...all members of which have good pay and health insurance. He strictly controls all information media...but gives the population access to them for free. As a result, his kingdom is a toss-up between {{Utopia}} and {{Dystopia}} with some things being okay and others awful. And he wears the horned helmet because he just likes the look of it.

* '''Enforced''': "We need to make the villain a plausible threat, so we're going for the whole Dark Lord look."
* '''Lampshaded''': Military guy briefing the protagonists about the BigBad: "He's your fairly standard Evil Overlord."
* '''Invoked''': The evil overlord is a political pragmatist who doesn't like drama but knows his job ruling the empire will be easier if he takes the name Dred the Menacing of Thunderous Wrath and periodically oppresses the populace.
* '''Defied''': A military dictator takes over the kingdom, and his first act is to make a list titled "[[EvilOverlordList how to become an Evil Overlord]]". He proceeds to deliberately avoid everything on that list, because "everyone knows the Evil Overlord always gets overthrown".
* '''Discussed''': In a science fiction setting: "Jeez, don't these warlords ever read the EvilOverlordList? The only thing they're missing is a wheezing breathing machine and James Earl Jones."
* '''Conversed''': "So... I'm assuming the character with horns, spikes, a black cloak, and a harsh voice is the head bad guy."

Back to EvilOverlord.

** He calls himself the Dark Lord, rules the Dark Kingdom, wears a black cloak and armor with horns and spikes, and decorates everything in black and red with skull motifs... but he's actually a fair ruler and a pretty nice guy.

* '''Reconstructed''': Remember when the Big Bad always used to actually be ''evil'', and not some [[AntiVillain misunderstood ball of wangst and]] {{Freudian Excuse}}s? Let's go back to that!