History VillainousBreakdown / Literature

* In ''TheHungerGames'', when Katniss destroys a stockpile of food and supplies belonging to the "Career" tributes that had given them a nigh-unbeatable edge, their leader, Cato, has a thrashing, screaming meltdown -- Katniss, who manages to hide in the bushes just before he makes it back, marvels in a frightened way that people really can snap like that -- and finally [[spoiler:''kills'' the engineer he'd had working for him]], which obviously doesn't help his odds.

* When Vicar Zhaspahr Clyntahn, Grand Inquisitor of the ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' series' CorruptChurch, is finally brought down and captured, he maintains a high level of arrogance throughout his trial, confident that when he's executed he'll have a place at the Archangels' side for all he did in their names. He even shows contempt for his enemies for not having the conviction to use the same methods of ColdBloodedTorture ''he'' had employed many times over. That changes when Merlin Athrawes and Nimue Chwaeriau visit him in his cell. During the visit they gone him proof even he can't deny proves that the church he committed atrocities for was never anything but a man-made made PathOfInspiration. The revelation ''shatters'' Clyntahn, leaving him a gibbering wreck who can only manage to sputter out that all of it wasn't his fault because he'd been lied to.

* ''Literature/TheGirlFromTheMiraclesDistrict'': whem the ArcVillain from the second book sees that Nikita's coming for him, he's reduced to tears and can't even beg for his life properly.

** Arianna Ortega experiences this in ''Literature/{{Changes}}''. Throughout the book she's been a SmugSnake, and the fact that she plans to murder a little girl purely for selfish reasons only adds to this. Eventually she faces [[spoiler:the father of her would be victim in single combat and ultimately looses badly, getting impaled by numerous ice spears (including one as thick as a man's fist.)]] As Harry stands over her she simply looses her cool and first says "no no no" over and over again before telling Dresden that he is cattle. He replies "[[PreMortemOneLiner Moo]]," and blows her head off.

** [[spoiler: Ser Gregor Clegane]], as he fights Oberyn Martell, gets progressively more enraged. A combination of his exceptionally dim wits and the realization that he is being publicly accused of his crimes in front of the entire court leads to him screaming "[[StopSayingThat SHUT UP!]]" at Oberyn again and again. This ends with him [[StupidEvil loudly declaring his guilt in front of a large crowd]], although he was probably past caring at that point. Even ''[[spoiler:killing]]'' Oberyn doesn't help, because the spear that Oberyn wounded him with during the fight is coated in poison, leaving [[spoiler:Clegane]] to die, slowly and painfully, over the course of days.

* In the ''Literature/HorusHeresy'' novels, Erebus snaps when Horus starts playing his own games rather than just following Erebus's plan, loses his cool and begins yelling at Horus - a far cry from the smooth manipulator of the Horus Rising trilogy. It doesn't get him killed, sadly, but Horus does peel off Erebus's face and keep it as a trophy.

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** In Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix, [[TyrantTakesTheHelm Dolroes Umbridge]] has one at the end. First [[spoiler:after she used up Snape's fake veritaserum, and he tells her making more will take a month]] Again, when she is [[spoiler:is tricked into going into the forest and is attacked by a herd of angry centaurs]], trying to hex them and calling them filthy half-breeds and ordering them to unhand her.

* Several from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. Unfortunately, most of them come from minor villains, though, in due course, we hope to add several more ([[KarmaHoudini though we are not holding our breath]]):
** [[spoiler: Viserys Targaryen]], after it becomes clear that he will get a rather different "crown": "You cannot touch me, I am the dragon!"

** [[spoiler: Janos Slynt]], the captain of the King's Landing city watch who deliberately betrayed Ned Stark, causing Ned Stark's death, when Ned was about to end the whole Lannister conspiracy in the first book, gets two. First, when Tyrion promptly strips him of all the rewards his betrayal of Ned Stark got him and sends him to the Night's Watch, and then when [[spoiler:he refuses to obey orders multiple times from the Night's Watch's newly elected Commander [[AChildShallLeadThem Jon Snow]]. Though Jon gives him multiple chances, Janos intends to do what he pleases and keeps refusing his orders. Jon explains that he'll be executed, but Slynt still doesn't take him seriously. Then he's dragged to the block and realizes Jon actually intends to go through with it, with Jon following the moral code his father instilled in him to do it himself. Janos starts pathetically begging for his life. It doesn't help.]] The latter is one of the series's most satisfying moments.
** Only seen in backstory, but Aerys Targaryen, the Mad King, was all set to [[spoiler: burn all of King's Landing to the ground with strategic stores of [[GreekFire wildfire]], spending his last hours just saying "Burn them all" over and over again]]. Then Jaime happened.
* Having a breakdown is the last thing that the usually stoic King Haggard does in Creator/PeterSBeagle's ''Literature/TheLastUnicorn'' when he realizes Lady Amalthea is actually a unicorn.

** [[spoiler: Ser Jaime Lannister]] remains his usual composed, snarky, debonair, and uncaring self despite being defeated in battle and imprisoned. But when [[spoiler: he loses his sword hand]], he goes completely to pieces, and [[DeathSeeker loses the will to live]]. He gets better thankfully fast, with a little help, which leads directly to a HeelFaceTurn.

** [[spoiler: Janos Slynt]], the captain of the King's Landing city watch who betrayed Ned Stark when he was about to end the whole Lannister conspiracy in the first book, gets two. First, when Tyrion promptly strips him of all the rewards his betrayal got him and sends him to the Night's Watch, and then when [[spoiler:he refuses to obey a minor order from the Night's Watch's newly elected Commander Jon Snow. Jon declares that he'll be executed, but Slynt still doesn't take him seriously. Then he's dragged to the block and realizes Jon actually intends to go through with it, and starts pathetically begging for his life. It doesn't help.]] The latter is one of the series's most satisfying moments.

* Having a breakdown is the last thing that the usually stoic King Haggard does in Creator/PeterSBeagle's ''Literature/TheLastUnicorn''.

** According to WordOfGod, the Denarian leader Nicodemus hasn't been the same since Harry nearly killed him by strangling him with the Iscariot's Noose. The DangerouslyGenreSavvy XanatosSpeedChess[[{{Chessmaster}} master]] is "quite and thoroughly frightened of Harry at this point."

* [[Literature/TheElenium The Tamuli]], by Creator/DavidEddings, has [[spoiler:Zalasta]]. He starts as TheChessmaster to such a degree that a total list of his manipulations takes twenty pages and covers centuries of history. The gradual loss of everything he cared about, his growing contempt for his son, coming into too-close contact with an EldritchAbomination, [[spoiler:trying and failing to kill Sephrenia]], and his plans coming crashing down around his ears multiple times, all contribute to making him a furious psychotic avenger by the end of the series.

* Emperor Jigang goes through one in ''[[SwordOfTruth Pillars of Creation]]'' when, upon arriving at the Confessor's Palace in the Midlands capital, he finds [[spoiler:the head of his friend and mentor, stuck on a pike in front of the palace, perfectly preserved by a magic spell until he approaches it, whereupon it decomposes in seconds.]]

** [[spoiler: Ser Gregor Clegane]], as he fights Oberyn Martell, gets progressively more enraged. A combination of his exceptionally dim wits and the realization that he is being publicly accused of his crimes in front of the entire court leads to him screaming "[[StopSayingThat SHUT UP!]]" at Oberyn again and again. This leads to him [[StupidEvil loudly roaring a confession of his most notorious crime in public]]. Even ''[[spoiler:killing]]'' Oberyn doesn't help, because the spear that Oberyn wounded him with during the fight is coated in poison, leaving [[spoiler:Clegane]] to die, slowly and painfully, over the course of days.

** [[spoiler: Ser Gregor Clegane]], as he fights Oberyn Martell, gets progressively more enraged. A combination of his exceptionally dim wits and the realization that he is being publicly accused of his crimes in front of the entire court leads to him screaming "SHUT UP!" at Oberyn again and again. Even ''[[spoiler:killing]]'' Oberyn doesn't help, because the spear that Oberyn wounded him with during the fight is coated in poison, leaving [[spoiler:Clegane]] to die, slowly and painfully, over the course of days.

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* Although he hasn't been the most composed guy over the course of the book, Grevane in seventh book in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' Dead Beat by Jim Butcher has a Villainous Breakdown that saves Harry's (or maybe Ramirez') life - right at the instant of his death. The entire time he's been trying to fight Harry he's been continuing a major necromantic working, and when Ramirez strikes the killing blow, his mind snaps and refuses to accept that he's dead. As a result, he keeps trying to finish the spell, instead of casting a Death Curse that would take Harry with him.

*** [[spoiler: In ''Literature/SkinGame'', he breaks completely after Harry kept rubbing it in about how he, by his own hand, sacrificed his own loyal daughter for power. When he fails kill Harry, he goes after the Carpenter family. There, he brings about circumstances to reforge the broken Sword of Faith before his cult of mortal followers, making him flee in terror and shattering the faith his cult had in him]].
** Arianna Ortega experiences this in book 12. Throughout the book she's been a SmugSnake, and the fact that she plans to murder a little girl purely for selfish reasons only adds to this. Eventually she faces [[spoiler:the father of her would be victim in single combat and ultimately looses badly, getting impaled by numerous ice spears (including one as thick as a man's fist.)]] As Harry stands over her she simply looses her cool and first says "no no no" over and over again before telling Dresden that he is cattle. He replies "[[PreMortemOneLiner Moo]]," and blows her head off.

* Prince Xizor in the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse novel ''Literature/ShadowsOfTheEmpire''. At numerous earlier points in the novel, Xizor is shown to consider himself superior to "mere humans" because his cold-blooded nature leaves him incapable of going into an uncontrollable rage. Turns out it's not that he can't, just that it takes a lot longer. As his palace collapses underneath him and Darth Vader lets him know that he's quite aware of Xizor's attempt to kill Vader's son, he starts to get a little... antsy.
** Tarkin has a very brief one at the end of ''Literature/DeathStar'', when he is simply refusing to accept that his prized station has a weakness even when Luke has ''fired the [[UnusualEuphemism kriffing]] torpedoes through it''. Essentially, it boiled down to "Unthinkable. Unthinkable - " Kaboom.
** A very, very minor one in Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy. Grand Admiral Thrawn was able to anticipate and counter almost anything the Rebellion and anyone else did. ''[[SpannerInTheWorks Almost]]''. His reaction when those things he hadn't anticipated all came together to thwart him was to get maybe a little flustered, a little distracted, enough so that he didn't see the BodyguardBetrayal until it was too late. Though, to his credit, after being stabbed he [[GoOutWithASmile smiled]] and said "[[FamousLastWords But... it was so artistically done.]]"

--->'''C'baoth''': [[{{ILLKILLYOU}} You will die for that]], Mara Jade. Slowly, and in ''great pain''.

** The real bad guys, at least for the characters in the main plotline, of the ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology are the [[BigBadDuumvirate Big Bad Triumvirate]] of Moff Disra, Major Grodin Tierce, and the ConMan Flim. They work to [[DeadPersonImpersonation make it look]] as if Thrawn has come BackFromTheDead. When Pellaeon [[BigDamnHeroes exposes their whole plot at a crucial moment]], Tierce has an incredibly sudden, violent breakdown/MotiveRant [[spoiler:where it's revealed that not only is he secretly a clone, but a clone with a bit of Thrawn engineered into his brain.]] If you read carefully there are hints of this, like the way he very slowly changes over the course of the novel and the way he comes up with tactics becomes creepy.
** Happens to [[ManipulativeBastard Ysanne Isard]] in slow motion during ''[[Franchise/XWingSeries The Bacta War]]''. She's out of her seat of power, her XanatosGambit hasn't gone ''quite'' to plan, then someone breaks out of her [[TheAlcatraz secret prison]], "defiling" it, and she starts letting things get personal. As the Rogues continue to accumulate victories, parts of her empire start splintering off, and one of her Star Destroyer captains sends her a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech explaining why he's defecting to the New Republic. TheDragon notices her changing, and ''she'' notices it too. She claims to have recovered by ''Isard's Revenge'', but even then she's still quietly obsessing over her defeat, letting her enemies predict her ultimate goal and stop her for good.
** Zsinj's breakdown in ''[[Franchise/XWingSeries Solo Command]]'', when he learns that the Wraiths have not only evaded the deathtrap he set for them, but have taken a key person alive. ''He goes absolutely [[PardonMyKlingon kriffing]] berserk'', destroying everything in his office on ''Iron Fist'', [[SubvertedTrope except for]] [[BearerOfBadNews the messenger who brought the bad news in the first place]].

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'' always has Voldemort close to the edge but somehow maintaining his cool... until ''Deathly Hallows'' at least, where Voldemort has so completely ripped his soul apart from his repeated killing and use of Horcruxes that he completely loses it on several occasions, at one point [[ShootTheMessenger killing everyone in the room]] because a helpless goblin [[BearerOfBadNews delivered some bad news]]. Even when he BSOD's during the final fight against Harry he transfers the shock of that into rage and denial.
** Also, Bellatrix, too. Though she was insane to begin with, throughout the series, she just loses it, especially in the final battle. [[spoiler:Especially taunting Mrs. Weasley, who was living on grief and adrenaline, producing the ever-famous "NOT MY DAUGHTER, BITCH!!!" reaction.]]

* In ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'', Szeth suffers an absolutely epic one when he discovers that the Knights Radiant actually ''are'' returning, which means he is not Truthless, which means that he could have refused his masters' orders, which means that the literally millions of deaths on his hands are absolutely and unequivocally ''his fault.''

* The climax of PiersAnthony's ''[[Literature/ApprenticeAdept Blue Adept]]'' sees Stile, in order to win his [[TournamentArc Great Game match]] against Adept Red (A dance competition in which Red was demolishing Stile due to Stile's wrecked knees) throws himself into [[AssPull a self-induced trance]] to see Red as his true love, Lady Blue. Red, who had just confessed that she DoesNotLikeMen, completely loses it over his show of affection and goes into an UnstoppableRage right on stage.

** Only seen in backstory, but Aerys Targaryen, the Mad King, was all set to [[spoiler: burn all of King's Landing to the ground with strategic stores of wildfire, spending his last hours just saying "Burn them all" over and over again]]. Then Jaime happened.

** Tsarmina in ''Mossflower'' also does this. Granted she's being driven insane by a constant dripping noise and the fact that everything she tries to destroy the resistance fails.

*** [[spoiler: In Skin Game, he breaks completely after Harry kept rubbing it in about how he sacrificed his own loyal daughter for power. When he can't kill Harry, he goes after the Carpenter family.]]
** Arianna Ortega experiences this in book 12. Throughout the book she's been a SmugSnake, and the fact that she plans to murder a little girl purely for selfish reasons only adds to this. Eventually she faces the father of her would be victim in single combat and ultimately looses badly, getting impaled by numerous ice spears (including one as thick as a man's fist.) As Harry stands over her she simply looses her cool and first says "no no no" over and over again before telling Dresden that he is cattle. He replies "[[PreMortemOneLiner Moo]]," and blows her head off.

* KerryGreenwood's Literature/PhryneFisher sometimes has to cope with these.

* [[Literature/TheElenium The Tamuli]], by DavidEddings, has [[spoiler:Zalasta]]. He starts as TheChessmaster to such a degree that a total list of his manipulations takes twenty pages and covers centuries of history. The gradual loss of everything he cared about, his growing contempt for his son, coming into too-close contact with an EldritchAbomination, [[spoiler:trying and failing to kill Sephrenia]], and his plans coming crashing down around his ears multiple times, all contribute to making him a furious psychotic avenger by the end of the series.

* In the ''Literature/{{Relativity}}'' story "Master Blankard's Pawn", Blankard's henchman Rasmas (acting alone) has spent the entire story setting up an elaborate deathtrap for the heroes, only to spring it while standing inside it with them.