History VideoGame / OverlordI

* LesCollaborateurs: When Kahn takes over the first village you conquered, most of the peasants switch sides in a hurry. Mostly because the dude is twice your size and you're big to begin with. Once you've beaten back the invading forces, it's up to you what to do with them...

* DoomyDoomsOfDoom: In the Evernight Abyss, you can find a mold for the 'Mace Of Doom'. Gnarl cheerfully comments that he hasn't seen an 'Of Doom' weapon in years, before explaining its powers.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Paraphrased by Gnarl when describing the poor hygiene of green minions.

* ExtremeOmnivore: Melvin in the first game, who is even implied to [[ImAHumanitarian have a taste for humans]]
** Note that in his particular case this isn't actually cannibalism, since he is a halfling.

%%*** Yes, but what kind of ''spreadsheets''.
%%*** On the other hand she ends up pregnant in the expansion pack...

* KarmaHoudini: The Jester gets away scot-free for betraying the Overlord twice. Although considering that he's replaced in the sequel, he may have gotten his comeuppance offscreen.
* KickTheDog: If you want to achieve 100% Corruption, you'll have to kick a LOT of dogs.
** Committing an entire race to extinction for a bag of gold? Done. Wrecking every house in the peaceful farming village? Check. Killing hundreds and hundreds of innocent civilians? On it. Stealing the uber-holy Statue of the Mother-Goddess from the Tombs of the Elvish Warriors just 'cuz it'd look good in your foyer? Been there, done that.

* [[NoCanonForTheWicked No Canon for the Really Wicked]]: The Overlord canonically chooses Rose and spares the lives of the Elven Race. It seems you did not take the corrupt route.
** Or at least not 100% corruption. You can get up to 80% without contradicting the sequel.

* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: [[spoiler:Used verbatim by your former 'comrades' during a flashback, after you fell off a cliff.]]

* ThePlan: The Wizard and your predecessor, [[spoiler:who are one and the same have pulled off a truly impressive gambit.]]

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper''.

* UnusableEnemyEquipment: Your minions can pick up the things of whatever they kill, but you can't. Justified in that you, as an Evil Overlord, deserve better than old steal-me-downs. Besides, you're an Extra Ominously Large and your foes range from Small to Medium (and then skip right to colossal).

** VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Try this on any of the tower females, mistresses or servants though...

** VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Try this on any of the tower females, mistresses or servants [[{{ArmorPiercingSlap}} though...]]

* AnAxeToGrind: Your first weapon is a battleaxe, rather than a sword or mace.

You've just been awakened from your dark slumber by a handful of loyal minions, and find - to your chagrin - that when your predecessor fell to a group of do-gooder "heroes", they ransacked your Dark Tower, stole most of the magic objects, emptied the armoury AND treasury, and generally made a mess of things. Well, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get up to some serious evil! Rebuild your Dark Tower, recruit a fresh army of suicidally-loyal Minions, regain your magical powers, forge new equipment imbued with the lifeforce of mortals, terrorize the peasantry, slay the heroes that thus inconvenienced you, and [[TakeOverTheWorld CONQUER THE WORLD]]!

* BigBad: The Wizard, [[spoiler:who is possessed by the previous Overlord]].

* NobleDemon: An uncorrupted Overlord might actually qualify in the first game, with all the former heroes corrupted by one of the SevenDeadlySins.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/15214_overlord_old_full.png]]
A 2007 third-person ActionAdventure video game, ''Overlord'' is about, as its name implies, an EvilOverlord.

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* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the fantasy genre. The former heroes, having nothing left to fight for after defeating an Overlord, go back to their homes and become complicit in their fame and power as they have little else to live for, causing them to easily become corrupted. Meanwhile the generic EvilOverlord the player controls can manage to prove much more likable than them after their fall because of his PragmaticVillainy. [[InvertedTrope It's essentially the fantasy genre turned on its head]].

* [[EvilCounterpart (Even More) Evil Counterpart]]: [[spoiler:The Wizard, the Overlord you're technically usurping]] gets his own brand of Minions, darker and meaner than your own. Being attacked by hostile Blues is kinda sad, though.

--> '''Gnarl:''' And so the Evil Overlord defeated [[spoiler:the other Evil Overlord.]] And the land rejoiced...

* EvilVersusEvil: The ending epilogue lampshades this.
--> '''Gnarl:'''And so the Evil Overlord defeated [[spoiler:the other Evil Overlord.]] And the land rejoiced...

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Um, when you barge in on that succubus cult, [[BestialityIsDepraved why is there a sheep in there?]]

* OurElvesAreBetter: No they're not. They return in the second game as a bunch of hippies trying to protect the magical beasts from the Empire.

* WholeCostumeReference: Guess what the Overlords' armor is based on. But [[OurLawyersAdvisedThisTrope for legal reasons]], you can't say it out loud.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler: It's never explained what happened to The Jewel, Rose or Velvet (based on whoever is rejected as Mistress by the player), and Jewel]].

-->'''Gnarl:'''[[spoiler:"All hail the return of the Overlord. The one true Evil... Oh no, not you. The ''real'' Overlord."]]

* WholeCostumeReference: Guess what the Overlords' armor is based on. But [[OurLawyersAdvisedThisTrope for legal reasons]], you can't say it out loud.

* TheBerserker: Khan, the Fallen Hero of Wrath.

** And also (humorously enough) to ''Franchise/StarTrek'', what with the ''[[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan Wrath of Khan]]''...

* HulkSpeak: Kahn the Warrior drops into this whenever he gets angry. Which is most of the time, since he's an embodiment of the Sin of Wrath. His accent makes it sound absolutely ridiculous, but given the tone of the rest of this game, that's probably intentional.

* JabbaTableManners: Melvin's eating habits [[EvenEvilHasStandards disgust even ]]''[[EvenEvilHasStandards your minions]]'', who are pretty crude themselves.

** There is quite a bit of references to Creator/JRRTolkien in the game. The developers didn't even try to hide the fact that the halflings' home village is based on [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings the Shire]], and with the human town next door being called Spree, it gets even more obvious.

* UnusableEnemyEquipment: Your minions can pick up the things of whatever they kill, but you can't. Justified in that you, as an Evil Overlord, deserve better than old steal-me-downs. Besides, you're an Extra Ominously Large and your foes range from Small to Medium (and then skip right to collosal).

* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: The Overlords preferred method of expanding his Dark Realm is to roll in, find whoever is in charge, and kill them stone dead. [[spoiler:This is also how he became the Overlord in the first place.]]

* BlackAndGrayMorality: If you go down the AntiVillain path the game becomes this, as the Overlord is a villain in name only mainly fighting genuinely evil and psychotic [[FallenHero Fallen Heros]]. For reference the latter are so bad the peasants will initially ''cheer you on'' when you fight them [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter and consider you a hero]].

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[spoiler:The Jester is a textbook case. In the main game he starts worshipping the Wizard within seconds of his arrival, then he conspires to free the Forgotten God in the [[VideoGame/OverlordRaisingHell expansion]].]]

* DoomyDoomsOfDoom: In the Evernight Abyss, you can find a mold for the 'Mace Of Doom'. Your adviser cheerfully comments that he hasn't seen an 'Of Doom' weapon in years, before explaining its powers.
* ElvesVsDwarves: Following your previous 'fall', and prior to your awakening, the Dwarves attacked the elven forest of Evernight out of sheer greed, nearly annihilated the entire elven race, and took the last survivors as slaves.

A 2007 third-person ActionAdventure video game, ''Overlord'' is about, as it's name implies, an EvilOverlord.

* LetsPlay: The LetsPlay/FreelanceAstronauts did a pretty good LP of this. They abused the soundbites a little too much...

* [[NoCanonForTheWicked No Canon For The Really Wicked]]: The Overlord canonically chooses Rose and spares the lives of the Elven Race. It seems you did not take the corrupt route.

** There is quite a bit of references to Creator/JRRTolkien in the game. The developers didn't even try to hide the fact that the halflings' home village is based on [[LordOfTheRings the Shire]], and with the human town next door being called Spree, it gets even more obvious.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/third_overlord_minion_army.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Overlord, with his minions]]

* FearMySquad: In the beginning at least, a full Minion squad is ''much'' more deadly than the Overlord himself.

* AmnesiacDissonance: [[spoiler: Your character is actually one of the heroes that slew the previous Overlord, but got left for dead by his comrades, and lost his memory.]]

* AntiVillain: The player villain, especially if you follow the "Less Evil" path. Given that he turns out [[spoiler: to have been the Eighth Hero and the one who destroyed the previous Overlord by a HeroicSacrifice]], his actions in the game could be seen as a willingness to use evil to fight evil, turning the resources of the Dark Tower against the Fallen Heroes, which would technically make him an AntiHero. It's mainly the fact that he doesn't give up his position and control over the Minion Horde after he defeats all of the Seven that slots him into AntiVillain.

* BigBad: The Wizard, [[spoiler: who is possessed by the previous Overlord]].

--> '''Gnarl:'''And so the Evil Overlord defeated [[spoiler: the other Evil Overlord.]] And the land rejoiced...

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[spoiler: The Jester is a textbook case. In the main game he starts worshipping the Wizard within seconds of his arrival, then he conspires to free the Forgotten God in the [[VideoGame/OverlordRaisingHell expansion]].]]
* LesCollaborateurs: when Kahn takes over the first village you conquered, most of the peasants switch sides in a hurry. Mostly because the dude is twice your size, and you're big to begin with. Once you've beaten back the invading forces, it's up to you what to do with them...

* TheDragon: In the first game, [[spoiler: the playable Overlord serves as the unwitting Dragon to the Old Overlord.]]
* DoomyDoomsOfDoom: in the Evernight Abyss, you can find a mold for the 'Mace Of Doom'. Your adviser cheerfully comments that he hasn't seen an 'Of Doom' weapon in years, before explaining its powers.

* EnemyWithin: [[spoiler: The Wizard was possessed by the evil spirit of your predecessor, and was slowly taken over by him. By the time you face him, The Wizard is long gone, and the True Overlord basically just wears his body 'till he can find something better.]]

* FaceHeelTurn: All of the heroes who defeated the original Evil Overlord. Including [[spoiler: yourself]].
* FallenHero: Worth special note, as an very unusual example of [[spoiler:an TomatoSurprise, with you being one of the original heroes who lost his memory. Also see AmnesiacDissonance.]]

* IKEAErotica: of the visual kind, up to the point where the scene with Rose suggests your tower is merely shaking from a headache or something. The implications were there, but the visuals didn't carry it - and the orgasmic 'pincer maneuver' was unadulterated {{Narm}}.

*** Compare her sister, who just says it's time to get you out of your armor. Rose spends the whole time ''going over spreadsheets''.
*** Yes, but what kind of ''spreadsheets''.
*** On the other hand she ends up pregnant in the expansion pack...

* KarmaMeter: depending on your choices, your Overlord can range from [[AntiVillain Benevolent Tyrant]] to Incarnation Of Pure Hatred. Overlord II ranges from Domination to [[OmnicidalManiac Destruction]].

* KickTheDog: if you want to achieve 100% Corruption, you'll have to kick a LOT of dogs.

* LadyMacbeth: both of the possible Mistresses fit the trope, each in their own way.

* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: [[spoiler: used verbatim by your former 'comrades' during a flashback, after you fell off a cliff.]]

* ThePlan: The Wizard and your predecessor, [[spoiler: who are one and the same have pulled off a truly impressive gambit.]]

* PragmaticVillainy: Gnarl justifies the good choices as such (feeding a village for regular sheep for more minions,staying faithful to Rose to exploit her planning abilities, etc.). This is also Rose's whole schtick, to the point that most of her relationship scenes (including the consumation scene) involve going over spreadsheets or otherwise discussing resource effeciency off-camera.
* SealedEvilInACan: Could describe you, prior to your awakening at the start of the game. [[spoiler: Or so it would seem...]]

** {{Pride}}: [[spoiler: The wizard/old overlord, and the player character with 100% corruption]].

* SpikesOfVillainy: you actually grow more and bigger spikes as you do evil things, as does your Dark Tower.

* TragicHero: All of the villains to some extent [[spoiler: except the Wizard]], but [[spoiler: Oberon]] really fits this trope. Unlike the rest, he still tries to act for a good cause, but commits evil because he's not entirely in control of himself. He is also the only one to realize how his selfishness has destroyed him, while the others revel in their fatal flaws. This makes him the only antagonist that is [[SympatheticPOV portrayed sympathetically]].

* UnholyMatrimony: [[spoiler: Having a Mistress doesn't just help you decorate your Dark Tower in various stylish ways... she'll also help you by upgrading your Minions, thus making you stronger, and towards the end whichever Mistress you chose will save your life when the one you scorned helps The Wizard ambush you and drain all your powers.]]

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You can kick your court jester in the face. Repeatedly. Oh so therapeutic.

* WelcomeBackTraitor: Humorously inverted by Gnarl who, [[spoiler: in the act of betraying you, calmly states that he'll gladly take you back if you beat the old Overlord]].
* WelcomeToCorneria: If the player lets the battle drag on long enough, the FinalBoss of all people does this, [[spoiler: spending the entire fight incessantly saying the same exact story about how he corrupted the 7 heroes over and over again and nothing else.]]

-->'''Gnarl:'''[[spoiler: "All hail the return of the Overlord. The one true Evil...Oh no, not you. The ''real'' Overlord."]]
* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: The Overlords preferred method of expanding his Dark Realm is to roll in, find whoever is in charge, and kill them stone dead. [[spoiler: This is also how he became the Overlord in the first place.]]

* LesCollaborateurs: when Kahn takes over the first village you conquered, most of the peasants switch sides in a hurry. Mostly because the dude is twice your size, and you're big to begin with. Once you've beaten back the invading forces, it's up to you what to do with them...