| 1 | %% |
| 2 | %% |
| 3 | %% |
| 4 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
| 5 | %% |
| 6 | %% Note that just a name is NOT sufficient context. |
| 7 | %% |
| 8 | %% Also, Shakespeare goes in the Theatre section, not here. |
| 9 | %% |
| 10 | %% |
| 11 | [[WMG:[[center: [- ''Big Bad'' \ |
| 12 | Medias: [[BigBad/AnimeAndManga Anime & Manga]] - [[BigBad/ComicBooks Comic Books]] - [[BigBad/FanWorks Fan Works]] - [[BigBad/AnimatedFilms Animated Films]] - [[BigBad/LiveActionFilms Live-Action Films]] - '''Literature''' - [[BigBad/LiveActionTV Live-Action TV]] - [[BigBad/ProWrestling Pro Wrestling]] - [[BigBad/TabletopGames Tabletop Games]] - [[BigBad/VideoGames Video Games]] - [[BigBad/VisualNovels Visual Novels]] - [[BigBad/{{Webcomics}} Webcomics]] - [[BigBad/WebOriginal Web Original]] - [[BigBad/WesternAnimation Western Animation]] - [[BigBad/OtherMedia others]] \ |
| 13 | -] ]]]] |
| 14 | "The ultimate villain of the story, who's causing the problem the heroes must solve." |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Note that BigBad is not a catch-all trope for the biggest and ugliest villain of any given story. |
| 17 | [[index]] |
| 18 | * ''BigBad/JamesBond'' |
| 19 | * ''BigBad/StarWars'' |
| 20 | [[/index]] |
| 21 | ---- |
| 22 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 23 | |
| 24 | %%[[folder:#]] |
| 25 | %%ZCE* ''Literature/The39Clues'': [[spoiler:Isabel Kabra]] in the first series, Vesper One in the second. |
| 26 | %%[[/folder]] |
| 27 | |
| 28 | [[folder:A]] |
| 29 | * ''[[https://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/adeptus-mechanicum-ebook.html Adeptus Mechanicus]]'' by [[https://www.blacklibrary.com/authors/rob-sanders Rob Sanders]]: [[spoiler: Idriss Krendl, a warsmith of the [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosMarines Iron Warriors]], who [[TheChessmaster manipulates]] the [[Characters/Warhammer40000Mechanicus Adeptus Mechanicus]] of Satzica Secundus and the [[Warhammer40000ForcesOfChaos Dark Mechanicum]] of Velchanos Magna to claim both sides' forge worlds.]] |
| 30 | * ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfStrongVanya'': Grand Duke Dimitri's ploy to take over the throne by forcing the Tsarevna to marry him prompts the Tsar to demand an EngagementChallenge as simultaneously looking for someone who is able to undertake the ImpossibleTask. When Vanya appears clad in the Armor of the Tsar Ivan Vasilievich, Dimitri attempts to murder him by any means: poison, fire... |
| 31 | * The ''Literature/AgeOfFire'' series has a different antagonist per book: |
| 32 | ** ''Dragon Champion'': [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Wrimere the Wrymmaster]] is the leader of a [[FantasticRacism human supremacist]] organization that is enslaving dragons in order to use them against the other hominid races. This also makes him the GreaterScopeVillain for the next two books, as they take place [[SimultaneousArcs simultaneously]] and also feature the presence of his minions. |
| 33 | ** ''Dragon Avenger'': A BigBadEnsemble between dueling {{Evil Overlord}}s Thane Hammar and King Fangbreaker, who between the two of them are most responsible for the deaths of the dragon protagonists' parents, and every other bad thing that happens to Wistala in the book. |
| 34 | ** ''Dragon Outcast'': The Lavadome [[RoyallyScrewedUp Imperial Line]] is full of [[DecadentCourt backstabbing schemers]], but [[spoiler: [[ObfuscatingStupidity SiMevolant]]]] is the only outright antagonist, as he schemes and assassinates his way to power in order to act as TheQuisling to the Wrymmaster's forces. |
| 35 | ** ''Dragon Strike'': [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen The Red Queen]] is the rule of [[TheEmpire Ghioz]], and is seeking to conquer the known world, bringing her into conflict with the dragons. |
| 36 | ** ''Dragon Rule'': [[WeUsedToBeFriends NiVom]] [[UnholyMatrimony and]] [[ManipulativeBitch Infamnia]] [[spoiler: (later revealed to be [[DemonicPossession possessed by the Red Queen]] at the time)]] are behind the political scheming that is meant to undermine [=RuGaard's=] rule of the Dragon Empire. |
| 37 | ** ''Dragon Fate'': A BigBadDuumvirate of [[spoiler: [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Infamnia/Red Queen]] and [[MadDoctor Rayg]]]] are responsible for all the problem plaguing the Dragon Empire and threatening the safety of the dragon species. |
| 38 | * The ''Literature/AgentPendergast'' series has one in each novel: |
| 39 | %%** ''[[Literature/TheRelic Relic]]'': Mbwun |
| 40 | %%** ''{{Literature/Reliquary}}'': [[spoiler: Dr. Frock]] |
| 41 | %%** ''Literature/TheCabinetOfCuriosities'': [[spoiler: Anthony Fairhaven]] |
| 42 | %%** ''Literature/StillLifeWithCrows'': [[spoiler: Job]] |
| 43 | %%** ''{{Literature/Brimstone}}'': [[spoiler: Count Fosco]] |
| 44 | %%** ''Literature/DanceOfDeath'' and ''Literature/BookOfTheDead2006'': Diogenes Pendergast |
| 45 | %%** ''Literature/TheWheelOfDarkness'': [[spoiler: Scott Blackburn]] is technically the major antagonist in the novel, but for the last third or so of it he's overshadowed by [[spoiler: Captain Carol Mason]]. |
| 46 | %%** ''Literature/CemeteryDance'': [[spoiler: Alexander Esteban]] |
| 47 | ** The Helen Trilogy: The overall Big Bad is [[spoiler: Wulf Konrad Fischer]], though each book [[ArcVillain has it's own major villain]]. |
| 48 | %%*** ''Literature/FeverDream'': [[spoiler: Charles Slade]]. |
| 49 | *** ''Literature/ColdVengeance'': [[spoiler: Judson Esterhazy forms a BigBadDuumvirate with Klaus Falkoner before Esterhazy [[RedemptionEqualsDeath switches sides]]]]. |
| 50 | *** ''Literature/TwoGraves'': [[spoiler: Although Fischer is technically the Big Bad, his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Alban, Pendergast's son, acts as TheHeavy and is Pendergast's main opponent.]] |
| 51 | ** ''Literature/WhiteFire'': Duties are split between [[spoiler: Ted Roman,]] the arsonist attacking the town of Roaring Fork and the corrupt Betty Brown Kermode [[spoiler: who's trying to hide the fact that the ski resort the novel takes place in was tainted with mercury.]] |
| 52 | %%** ''Literature/BlueLabyrinth'': [[spoiler: John Barbeaux]] |
| 53 | ** ''Literature/CrimsonShore'': [[spoiler: The Dunwoody brothers, though they come off as [[BigBadWannabe Big Bad Wannabes]] especially after the DiabolusExMachina HalfwayPlotSwitch. It's implied that the plot was [[HijackedByGanon Hijacked By Diogenes]].]] |
| 54 | %%* ''{{Literature/Airframe}}'': [[spoiler:[[BigBadDuumvirate John Marder and Bob Richman]]]] |
| 55 | * The ''Literature/AlexRider'' books have a big bad in each one. Four of them - the Big Bads of ''Scorpia'', ''Snakehead'', ''Scorpia Rising'' and ''Never Say Die'' - are members of SCORPIA, a NebulousEvilOrganisation which is effectively the BigBad of the entire series (they are also later revealed to be TheManBehindTheMan for the events of ''Stormbreaker'', and play a major role in the {{Prequel}} ''Russian Roulette'', which also makes them culpable for most of the series' backstory). The individual Big Bads are: |
| 56 | ** ''Stormbreaker'': [[spoiler:[[CorruptCorporateExecutive Herod Sayle]], an evil billionaire who wants to kill all of Britain's children via a computer virus he has placed in free computers he's given out.]] |
| 57 | ** ''Point Blanc'': [[MadScientist Dr.]] [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Huo Grief]], a white supremacist doctor who uses clones to replace children in rich families to slowly take over the world. |
| 58 | ** ''Skeleton Key'': [[RenegadeRussian General Alexei Sarov ]], a Russian General who wants to restore Communism with a nuclear bomb. |
| 59 | ** ''Eagle Strike'': [[spoiler: [[KnightTemplar Damian]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist Cray]], who intends on launching a nuclear strike on several drug supplying areas around the world to stop productions of illegal drugs.]] |
| 60 | ** ''Scorpia'': [[TheBaroness Julia Rothman]], an executive board member of Scorpia who infects the children of London with nanites containing cyanide and threatens to kill them all if her demands aren't met. |
| 61 | ** ''Ark Angel'': [[spoiler: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Nikolei Drevin]], who plans to blow up Ark Angel over Washington, D.C. and destroy the city, in order to both commit InsuranceFraud and get rid of the CIA's evidence of his criminal activity.]] |
| 62 | %%** ''Snakehead'': [[DragonInChief Major Winston Yu]] |
| 63 | %%** ''Crocodile Tears'': [[spoiler: [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Desmond]] [[ScaryBlackMan McCain]]]] |
| 64 | %%** ''Scorpia Rising'': [[spoiler: [[TheSociopath Abdul-Aziz al-Razim]], or [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname "Razim"]]]] |
| 65 | %%** ''Russian Roulette'': [[spoiler: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Vladimir Sharkovsky]]]]. |
| 66 | %%** ''Never Say Die'': [[spoiler:[[IHaveYourWife Giovanni and Eduardo Grimaldi]]]] |
| 67 | %%* ''Literature/AlienHunters'' has one in each book: |
| 68 | %%** ''Alien Hunters'': [[PsychoSupporter Lord]] [[CardCarryingVillain Skrum]]. |
| 69 | %%** ''Alien Sky'': [[AIIsACrapshoot The Singularity]]. |
| 70 | %%** ''Alien Shadows'': [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen]] [[DarkIsEvil Yurei]]. |
| 71 | * ''[[Literature/AllTheLightWeCannotSee All the Light We Cannot See]]'': Sergeant Major [[ImmortalitySeeker Reinhold von Rumpel]] is a Nazi gemologist who is in pursuit of the Sea of Flames, a diamond that is rumored to give its owner immortality. He is a recurring character throughout the book and is responsible for much of the conflict in the third act. [[spoiler: He harasses the blind Marie-Laure Leblanc in an attempt to find out whether she has the Sea of Flames. Later, during the Battle of Saint-Malo, von Rumpel breaks into Marie-Laure's house to find the Sea of Flames, forcing Marie-Laure to hide in the attic with it.]] |
| 72 | * The ''{{Literature/Alterien}}'' series: |
| 73 | ** Alterien: Once Was Lost - The Big Bad of this story turns out to be another superhuman named Theseus Spencer, who tells Oberon they are both Alteriens. |
| 74 | ** Alterien: Shadows of the Past - Oberon's former teammate, Ulysses River aka The Leopard. Oberon has to stop him from killing his sister. |
| 75 | ** Alterien: Path of Redemption - There are actually two Big Bads in this story. One of them is Helena Velazquez, who reveals a startling secret of her own. The other is Theseus Spencer again in another plot that could drive two countries to war. |
| 76 | ** Alterien: The Ghost Men - A team of mercenaries who are capable of passing through walls. |
| 77 | ** Alterien: Return of the Light - An enhanced man from Oberon's past, Ustaz Mamur. He's determined to get revenge for a botched SABER operation that left many of his people dead. |
| 78 | ** Alterien: The Orion Directive - Recurring terrorist group, Al-Dhi'ban. |
| 79 | * ''Literature/AmericanPsycho'': Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street yuppie and Serial Killer. |
| 80 | * ''Literature/AnnoDracula'' by Creator/KimNewman: {{Dracula}}, who has taken control of the United Kingdom as Prince Consort by seducing, marrying, and turning [[UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria Queen Victoria]] and is increasingly turning the country into an authoritarian state. While he is an OrcusOnHisThrone for most of the book, the story chilling portrays his mere presence as a poison spreading through Britain's body politic, regressing society into a bloodier and more primitive throwback, warping individuals into monsters, and creating a shockwave whose ripples are shattered lives. |
| 81 | * [[https://sharonkaypenman.com/ Sharon Kay Penman's]] ''[[https://sharonkaypenman.com/books-by-sharon-kay-penman/the-angevin-novels/ The Angevin Novels]]'', being [[ShownTheirWork scrupulously researched]] HistoricalFiction novels, have plenty of antagonists but not necessarily [[BigBad Big Bads]] since real life doesn't unfold according to narrative conventions, but two of them ''do'' end up having them because that's essentially how it worked out historically: |
| 82 | ** The first book, ''[[https://sharonkaypenman.com/books/when-christ-and-his-saints-slept/ When Christ and His Saints Slept]]'', has [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy King Stephen]], a genuinely NiceGuy who nevertheless [[TheUsurper usurps the throne]] from the true heir Maude, plunging England into a devastating civil war when she and her son [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfPlantagenet Henry]] naturally try to claim their inheritance. Making things worse is that, while he's an able general, Stephen's a poor ruler, indecisive, easily influenced, and too softhearted to be firm when necessary, which further contributes to England's deteriorating condition. |
| 83 | ** The final book, ''[[https://sharonkaypenman.com/books/a-kings-ransom/ A King's Ransom]]'', has a BigBadEnsemble. One is [[UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire Holy Roman Emperor]] Heinrich, an [[TheSociopath amoral]] power-hungry tyrant who captures [[UsefulNotes/RichardTheLionheart King Richard]] to exploit his royal hostage to acquire as much wealth and political advantage as possible while also periodically [[{{Sadist}} reminding the English king how precarious his physical and mental well-being whilst in his hands is]]. The other is [[UsefulNotes/LetatCestMoi Philippe, king of France,]] who's obsessed with restoring genuine (as opposed to nominal) royal authority over the French lands of Richard's Angevin Empire, and with whom Richard has an [[{{ArchEnemy}} intense mutual hatred]] that only grows as the conflict between the two continues. |
| 84 | %%* ''Literature/AnimalFarm'': [[TyrantTakesTheHelm Napoleon]], who becomes the ruthless dictator of the animal farm following the death of Old Major. |
| 85 | * ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': Visser Three. Where there are two Vissers and the Council of Thirteen above him in the Yeerk hierarchy, Visser Three is the leader of the Earth invasion and ArchEnemy of the Animorphs. [[spoiler:Further solidified when he is ultimately promoted to Visser One and becomes commander-in-chief of the entire Yeerk forces.]] |
| 86 | * ''[[https://www.christophergolden.com/copy-of-the-pandora-room Ararat]]'' by [[https://www.christophergolden.com/ Christopher Golden]]: The [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon Shamdon]], trapped for thousands of years on Noah's [[TheArk ark]] after his body was killed. He torments and kills members of the archaeological team studying the ark [[ForTheEvulz for fun]] and ultimately seeks to leave the mountain Ararat for the wider world by [[DemonicPossession possessing]] one of team. |
| 87 | %%* Each book in the ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' series has a big bad. The first book has the titular character as the big bad. |
| 88 | %%** ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': [[VillainProtagonist Artemis Fowl]], though the ''antagonist'' is [[KnightTemplar Briar Cudgeon]] |
| 89 | %%** ''The Arctic Incident'': [[BigBadDuumvirate Briar Cudgeon and Opal Koboi]] |
| 90 | %%** ''The Eternity Code'': [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Jon Spiro]] |
| 91 | %%** ''The Opal Deception'': [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge Opal Koboi]] |
| 92 | %%** ''The Lost Colony'': [[spoiler: [[EvilOverlord Leon Abbot]]]] |
| 93 | %%** ''The Time Paradox'':[[spoiler: [[TheManBehindTheMan Opal Koboi]]]] |
| 94 | %%** ''The Atlantis Complex'': [[spoiler: [[DiabolicalMastermind Turnball Root]]]] |
| 95 | %%** ''The Last Guardian'': [[spoiler: Opal Koboi]] |
| 96 | * Creator/IsaacAsimov: |
| 97 | ** ''Literature/TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': |
| 98 | *** The Sirian government is the biggest threat faced by Lucky, and fought only indirectly until the final {{novel}}. The second book reveals that the events of the first book may have been encouraged by the Sirians because they are still attempting to use the [[SpacePirates asteroid pirates]] to encourage war within the Sol system. Sirian robots appear in the fourth and fifth books, while ''Literature/LuckyStarrAndTheRingsOfSaturn'' is the last book, so Lucky is finally able to confront them directly. |
| 99 | *** ''Literature/DavidStarrSpaceRanger'': Benson, the Martian agrarian scientist, is the one behind the poisoning scheme, and the one ordering Hennes to do his dirty work, like killing the nosy "Williams". |
| 100 | *** ''Literature/LuckyStarrAndThePiratesOfTheAsteroids'': The pirate crew know that Captain Aton takes orders from a mysterious "Boss". What they don't know is that their boss is in contact with Sirians, planning for a war against Earth, and [[spoiler:that he's Hansen, the hermit]]. |
| 101 | ** ''Literature/FoundationSeries''' "Literature/TheMule": The Mule manipulates people around him with PsychicPowers, turning entire planets to despondency and fear. While on Kalgan, Bayta and Toren manage to rescue his jester, Magnifico Giganticus, only to learn that the Mule [[BatmanGambit had wanted them to do so]]. Twice they barely escape as the Mule's fleet [[CurbStompBattle brutally conquers]] the planet they're on. His fleet of ships conquers the entire First Foundation. In "Part Two", the protagonists head to Trantor because figuring out where the Second Foundation is will be their only chance to stop him. Bayta realizes, just in time, that [[spoiler:Magnifico [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter is the Mule]], and that's how he's been one step ahead of them this whole time]]. Despite being defeated here, his efforts to conquer the Foundation [[VillainousLegacy leave a lasting impact on the series]]. |
| 102 | %%* The ''Literature/AstralDawn'' series: |
| 103 | %%** Astral Dawn: The End of Paradise - Captain Ciaran Devlyn |
| 104 | %%** Astral Dawn: The Moment of Creation - The Chinese goddess of drought, Nu-Ba, and a team of Defilers. |
| 105 | %%** Astral Dawn: Design of Destiny - Devlyn |
| 106 | %%** Astral Dawn: Records of Nazyra - Dark Awakening - Set |
| 107 | %%** Astral Dawn: Records of Nazyra - Hell Under Siege - Veyothiel |
| 108 | %%** Astral Dawn: The Maganu Saga - Genesis of Maganu - Ominus |
| 109 | %%** Astral Dawn: The Maganu Saga - Divinity of Maganu - Tiamat |
| 110 | %%** Astral Dawn: The Maganu Saga - The Fall of Maganu - The Aash Ra |
| 111 | [[/folder]] |
| 112 | |
| 113 | [[folder:B]] |
| 114 | * ''Literature/TheBFG'': The Fleshlumpeater, the leader of the human-eating giants. |
| 115 | * ''Literature/TheBalancedSword'': It initially seems that the Big Bad is Kerlamion Blackstar, the King of All Hells, who is enacting a scheme to take over the world. Later it turns out that the underling who came up with the scheme for him, called Viedraverion, is a DragonWithAnAgenda and the real threat. |
| 116 | * ''Literature/{{Baltimore}}'': The Vampire Lord whom Baltimore calls "The Red King" is the mastermind behind the plagues. |
| 117 | * ''Literature/TheBarbarianAndTheSorceress'': Barnabus, an evil sorcerer planning to sacrifice Rom in a ritual, is the villain of the story. |
| 118 | * ''Literature/BattleRoyale'': The Supervisor, who's in charge of the Battle Royale Program. |
| 119 | * ''Literature/BazilBroketail'': |
| 120 | ** The Blunt Doom of Tummuz Orgmeen in the first novel. It is Thrembode's direct superior and supreme commander of Padmasan forces that Bazil and his comrades face. |
| 121 | ** Heruta. As ruler of Padmasa, the main antagonistic faction, he plays this role until the end of the fourth book when he gets replaced once Waakzaam, basically the SatanicArchetype of the universe, returns (with them reduced to his minions). In the first book, the Blunt Doom of Tummuz Orgmeen serves as this, who's the Padmasan overlord there. |
| 122 | * ''[[https://www.harpercollins.com/products/beijing-payback-daniel-nieh?variant=32205485572130 Beijing Payback]]'' by [[https://www.danielnieh.net/about Daniel Nieh]]: There's a BigBadDuumvirate between Ouyang and Zhao Chongyang, two of the four bosses of the [[TheSyndicate Chinese crime syndicate]] known as Happy Year Co. Ltd, who are orchestrating an operation to smuggle something called "Ice" into the U.S. [[spoiler: Ice turns out to be human organs that can be sold to wealthy ineligible recipients in America. In an interesting wrinkle, they turn out to ''not'' be responsible for the death of protagonist Victor Li's father, Li Renyan, who was actually one of the four bosses too. Whether the actual murderer, Victor's pseudo-foster brother Sun Jianshui, counts as a [[BigBadEnsemble third Big Bad]] is a complicated question, as Sun is both the one who executes the plan to take down Ouyang and Zhao, which was originally Li Renyan's plan, and has [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal reasons for the murder]].]] |
| 123 | * ''Literature/TheBeginningAfterTheEnd'' : |
| 124 | ** Agrona and his Vritra clan who serve him are a FallenAngel s. Agrona is determined to rise above everyone else by experminting on, interbreeding with and using the Lesser races with Vritra blood from Alacrya and Dicathen as Canon Fodder against Kezess Indrath making him a case of GreaterScopeVillain. [[spoiler: Agrona is responsible for many tragedies that ravaged Dicathen and killed so many of [[BigGood Arthur Leywin]]'s loved ones turning Arthur into his greatest mortal enemy. Later Agrona's madness drive [[BigGood Seris Vritra]] into rebelling against Agrona by allying herself with Arthur Leywin knowing that Agrona will burn Alacrya and Dicathen to the ground in his war against Kezess Indrath and the other Asura clans]]. |
| 125 | ** [[spoiler: Later it is revealed that kezess Indrath is a ruling tyrant no better than Agrona as Kezess is responsible for Agrona's StartOfDarkness when Agrona attempted to reveal the truth about the Dijnn genocide regarding aether out of jealousy. Kezess exiled Agrona which in return drove Agrona to madness making Kezess Indrath another BigBad like Agrona Vritra. Later Kezess orders his subordinate Aldir to use the World Eater Technique to prevent Agrona from summoning the legacy but the attempt failed and drove the Elves into near extinction making a case of BigBadEnsemble. Later Kezess's actions drive Aldir becoming a DefectorFromDecadance and depart his service altogether.]] |
| 126 | * ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': [[GodEmperor Kal Torak]], the god of Agnarak determined to be god over the whole world. Torak is the primary tool of the Dark Prophecy, and Garion's ultimate adversary. |
| 127 | ** ''Literature/TheMalloreon'': [[VainSorceress Zandramas]], the new Child of Dark following Torak's death. Although near the end, she gets [[GreaterScopeVillain overshadowed]] by [[spoiler:[[ArtifactOfDoom Cthrag Sardius]], the EvilCounterpart of the Orb of Aldur waiting for the Child of Dark to touch it so it may end the world.]] |
| 128 | * ''Literature/TheFragilityOfBodies'': Juan Garcia TheDon of TheCartel is the main antagonist of the story. He's a corrupt businessman and politician that controls all sorts of criminal schemes all over Argentina, such as smuggling operations and illegal gambling rings. The railway GameOfChicken's scheme that Verónica investigates is just one of his many businesses. |
| 129 | * ''Literature/BigLittleLies'' has micro-managing business-mum Renata and abusive husband Perry in a BigBadEnsemble. [[spoiler: Over time, Renata is portrayed more sympathetically and her involvement in the plot dissipates. The role of Big Bad is fully inherited by Perry when it's revealed that not only does he hit his wife, but he cheated on her with a close friend, abused her both physically and emotionally during sex and left her a struggling single mother.]] |
| 130 | * ''Literature/TheBlackArrow'': Sir Daniel Brackley murdered the protagonist's father, pretends to be his legal guardian and well-meaning friend as plotting to steal his inheritance, and tries to get him assassinated when Dick discovers the truth. |
| 131 | * ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'' cycles through several over the course of the series. The Dominator in the books of the North, Longshadow in the books of the south, then [[spoiler: Soulcatcher]] and finally Kina in the Books of Glittering Stone. All save the one with spoiler tags are eventually dispatched by the Company, often at great cost. |
| 132 | * ''[[https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/708214/black-mouth-by-ronald-malfi/ Black Mouth]]'' by Ronald Malfi: The Magician, a mysterious man who entered the life of [[TheProtagonist Jamie Warren]] and friends during their childhood, displayed supernatural abilities, [[spoiler: and is revealed to be an illusionist who made a [[DealWithTheDevil deal]] with a [[GreaterScopeVillain powerful, mavelovent entity]] to [[BackFromTheDead return to life]] in exchange for collecting the souls of children to create a [[PocketDimension world]] for the entity to dwell in.]] |
| 133 | %%** ''Literature/BleakHouse'': Mr Tulkinghorn |
| 134 | * ''Literature/TheBoneSeason'': Nashira Sargas. A nearly immortal [[TheFairFolk Rephaim]], she captures rare magic users known as voyants and kills them, forcing them to become her "fallen angels" which protect her eternally and from which she draws all her powers. |
| 135 | * ''Literature/TheBraidedPath'' has [[EvilSorcerer the Weavers]], who are led initially by Weave-lord Vyrrch and later by Weave-lord Kakre. [[spoiler: However, the Weavers themselves are only to tools of the ultimate antagonist, the evil god Aricarat, who controls them through their enchanted masks]]. |
| 136 | * ''Literature/BrimstoneAngels'' has [[spoiler: Bryseis Kakistos]], heroine Farideh's ancestor who manipulates her descendants lives as part of a decades-spanning plot to avenge herself on [[SatanicArchetype Asmodeus]], regardless of who else gets hurt in the process. |
| 137 | * ''Literature/BrothersOfTheSnake'' has an unnamed [[TheFairFolk Dark Eldar]] Archon who orchestrates several incidents in order to bring ruin to the Reef Worlds. |
| 138 | * ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'': [[spoiler: Kij Porter, and her whole family]], who are behind literally ''every'' problem the protagonists encounter, even those that seem totally unconnected, like the problem of getting everyone in the family to agree to marry Jerin. Oh, and they ''also'' [[spoiler: [[YouKilledMyFather killed the princesses' father.]] ]] |
| 139 | * Creator/DanBrown is fond of making it seem like a huge, shadowy conspiracy is going on, when actually it's all plotted by a Big Bad -- always a character who is already relevant to the plot before TheReveal -- some underlings, pawns and a lot of theatricality. |
| 140 | %%** [[spoiler:Trevor Strathmore]] in ''Literature/DigitalFortress''. |
| 141 | %%** [[spoiler:Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca]] in ''Literature/AngelsAndDemons''. |
| 142 | %%** [[spoiler:William Pickering]] in ''Literature/DeceptionPoint''. |
| 143 | %%** [[spoiler:Sir Leigh Teabing]] in ''Literature/TheDaVinciCode''. |
| 144 | %%** [[spoiler:Zachary Solomon]] in ''Literature/TheLostSymbol''. |
| 145 | * ''Literature/BubbleWorld'' has Todd Piloski, CEO of Bubble World. He emotionally manipulates both Freesia and her mom, and is only in it for the money. When Bubble World is retooled, he retains control of a military base to develop war games, which is what he wanted to do in the first place. |
| 146 | [[/folder]] |
| 147 | |
| 148 | [[folder:C]] |
| 149 | * ''Literature/TheCampHalfBloodSeries'' |
| 150 | ** ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'': Kronos the Titan King. His goal is to be resurrected, and the demigods and gods have to stop him because it would mean the fall of civilization. %%Each book has its own Big Bad as well: |
| 151 | %%*** ''The Lightning Thief'': The traitor [[spoiler:Luke Castellan]], who steals both Zeus's Master Bolt and Hades's Helm of Darkness in an attempt to start a war between the gods. |
| 152 | %%*** ''The Sea of Monsters'': A BigBadEnsemble of Polyphemus and [[spoiler:Luke again]]. |
| 153 | %%*** ''The Titan's Curse'': [[spoiler:Atlas the titan]]. |
| 154 | %%*** ''Battle of the Labyrinth'': King Minos and [[spoiler:Kronos, once he is freed.]] |
| 155 | %%*** ''The Last Olympian'': [[spoiler:Kronos himself.]] |
| 156 | %%** Gaea the earth goddess in ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus''. |
| 157 | %%** The Triumvirate (made up of [[spoiler: Nero, Commodus, and Caligula]]), along with [[spoiler: the ancient dragon Python]], who form a BigBadDuumvirate in ''Literature/TheTrialsOfApollo''. |
| 158 | %%* ''Castaways of the Flying Dutchman'': |
| 159 | %%** Obadiah Smithers in ''Castaways of the Flying Dutchman'' with Percival Bowe as GreaterScopeVillain. |
| 160 | %%** Captain Redjack Teal in the first part of ''Angel's Command'' and Maguda Razan in the second part. |
| 161 | %%** Al Misurata in ''Voyage of Slaves''. |
| 162 | %%* Ezekiel Bloor in the ''Literature/ChildrenOfTheRedKing'' series. |
| 163 | %%** Count Harken Badlock became DragonInChief at the end of the last book. |
| 164 | * ''Literature/TheCaseFilesOfIbrahimHelsing'': |
| 165 | ** Mason Frogg and [[TheDragon his bride]] in ''The Vampyre Apostles'' |
| 166 | ** Pater Zutter, Frater Felix and Soror Kaitlyn in ''The Miskatonic Affair'' |
| 167 | |
| 168 | * ''Literature/TheChaosCycle:'' The main villain of both books is the demon Abaddon who has been manipulating people into killing young girls as part of a twisted eons old revenge. |
| 169 | * In ''Literature/ChasingShadows'', Kortha, a snake-like death god, accepts "deliveries" of the dead from agents like Wiry and is always keeping Corey just out of Holly's reach. [[spoiler:Ends up subverted as he's not real.]] |
| 170 | * ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfDorsa'': The unnamed undatai, who is a Prince of Shadows. He, or it, is the most powerful type among the {{living shadow}}s, working to possess many people so that his kind can live in the mortal realm, not just the Shadowlands, with the goal of ruling the world eventually. Several lesser villains in the story turn out to be his minions. |
| 171 | * ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'': |
| 172 | ** ''Literature/TheMagiciansNephew'' and ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'': Queen Jadis the White Witch, who froze Narnia in the Hundred Years Winter and has the land under her oppressive rule. |
| 173 | ** ''Literature/TheHorseAndHisBoy'': The Tisroc of Calormen, who is plotting to invade Narnia. Although his son [[DragonInChief Rabadash]] gets more pagetime. |
| 174 | ** ''Literature/PrinceCaspian'': Miraz, the ruler of the Telmarine regime that has overrun Narnia and took Caspian's rightful place on the throne. That is until his CoDragons Glozelle and Sospesian decide to [[TheStarscream betray him]], murdering him during his duel with Peter and becoming a BigBadDuumvirate for the final battle. |
| 175 | ** ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'' has no one Big Bad, though there are individual villains encountered at various stops along the titular voyage. |
| 176 | ** ''Literature/TheSilverChair'': The Lady of the Green Kirtle, the ruler of Underland who kidnapped Caspian's son and plans on invading Narnia. |
| 177 | ** ''Literature/TheLastBattle'': [[{{Satan}} Tash]], the Calormene GodOfEvil and overall GreaterScopeVillain of the series. |
| 178 | * ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'' has several Big Bads. Really, there is a single Big Bad, Arawn Death-Lord, and a bunch of others trying to usurp his position. |
| 179 | ** ''The Book of Three'' has [[EvilOverLord Arawn Death-Lord]], ruler of the land of Annuvin, and the ultimate antagonist that the Companions have to defeat. Queen Achren, former ruler of Prydain until Arawn took over, could also be considered to be in a BigBadEnsemble with Arawn in this book. |
| 180 | ** ''The Black Cauldron'' has a BigBadEnsemble between Arawn and [[spoiler:King Morgant]], and both want the titular Black Cauldron (Arawn had it in ''The Book of Three'', only to lose it before this book began). |
| 181 | ** ''The Castle of Llyr'' has Queen Achren returning, now trying to make a comeback with Magg as her [[TheDragon Dragon]]. |
| 182 | ** ''Taran Wanderer'' has a BigBadEnsemble between Morda, an evil sorcerer and enemy of the Fair Folk, and Dorath, the AxCrazy leader of a group that wants whatever's at Lake Llunet, though they don't serve as Big Bad at the same time. |
| 183 | ** ''The High King'' has Arawn return as the Big Bad with [[spoiler:King Pryderi]] as a BigBadWannabe. Dorath also returns to make a BigBadEnsemble in this book. |
| 184 | * ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfThomasCovenant'' has [[GodOfEvil Lord Foul the Despiser]] as the main antagonist of the entire series. His role is somewhat different in each arc: |
| 185 | ** In the First Chronicles, Foul is initially TheManBehindTheMan to [[StarterVillain Drool Rockworm]]. After [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness arranging Drool's defeat]], Foul comes out of the shadows as an archetypal EvilOverlord for the remainder of the arc. |
| 186 | ** In the Second Chronicles, Foul takes a more subtle approach, using the power of the Sunbane to turn the Land into a DeathWorld and then setting up [[PathOfInspiration the Clave]] to rule it as his proxies. Ordinary people (and most initiates of the Clave) are unaware of his involvement in these events. |
| 187 | ** In the Last Chronicles, Foul forms a BigBadDuumvirate with [[MadGod Kastenessen]], between them setting in motion a number of events intended to culminate in [[ApocalypseHow the utter destruction of the Land]]. Because Foul is both the smarter and the more completely evil of the pair, he remains the greater threat, even if Kastenessen's actions tend to be a bit more... [[AxCrazy obvious]]. |
| 188 | * The ''Literature/ChaosGods'' series has Rising Chaos, a long-imprisoned god which is struggling to break free so it can destroy the Four Realms and eradicate all life |
| 189 | %%* ''Literature/CHERUBSeries'': |
| 190 | %%** ''The Recruit'': [[WesternTerrorists Brian "Bungle" Evans]] |
| 191 | %%** ''Class A'': [[WhiteGangBangers Keith Moore]] |
| 192 | %%** ''Maximum Security'': [[ArmsDealer Jane Oxford]] |
| 193 | %%** ''The Killing'': [[BigBadWannabe Leon Tarasov]] |
| 194 | %%** ''Divine Madness'': [[ChurchOfHappyology Susie Regan]] |
| 195 | %%** ''Man vs. Beast'': [[AnimalWrongsGroup Rhiannon Carter]] |
| 196 | %%** ''The Fall'': [[DirtyCommunists Denis Obidin]] |
| 197 | %%** ''Mad Dogs'': [[WhiteGangBangers Sasha Thompson]] [[BigBadEnsemble and]] [[TheYardies DeShawn "Major Dee" Andrews]] |
| 198 | %%** ''The Sleepwalker'': [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Hassam bin Hassam]] |
| 199 | %%** ''The General'': NoAntagonist |
| 200 | %%** ''Brigands M.C.'': [[ThoseWackyNazis Ralph "The Fuhrer" Donnington]] |
| 201 | %%** ''Shadow Wave'': [[CorruptPolitician Tan Abdullah]] |
| 202 | %%** ''Aramov'': [[EvilUncle Leonid Aramov]] |
| 203 | * ''Literature/ChungKuo'': Howard [=DeVore=], the RebelLeader who manipulates the T'ang and Chung Kuo civilizations into war with each other so he can KillAllHumans and replace them with his perfect race, "The Inheritors". |
| 204 | * ''Literature/CiaphasCain'': Not every novel or short story has a BigBad leading the antagonists, but many do. |
| 205 | ** "Fight or Flight:" The BigBad is a [[InsectoidAliens tyranid]] hive tyrant leading the attack on the Valhallan 12th Field Artillery's fire support base. |
| 206 | ** ''For the Emperor'': [[spoiler: Grice, the governor of Gravalax, a world at a flashpoint between the [[TheEmpire Imperium of Man]] and the [[TheAlliance T'au Empire]]. He's actually a [[NonhumanHumanoidHybrid genestealer]] patriarch who's trying to provoke a war between the two powers to leave the planet a weak and easy picking for a tyranid [[HiveMind hive fleet]].]] |
| 207 | ** "The Beguiling": [[spoiler: [[ArchEnemy Emeli Duboir]], a [[EvilSorcerer sorceress]] and [[EvilPrincipal headmistress]] of the planet Slawkenburg's [[SchoolForScheming Saint Trynia Academy for the Daughters of Gentlefolk]], which is actually a cult of [[TheHedonist Slaanesh]]. While attempting to lure some rival cultists to the academy to [[VampiricDraining drain]] them, she ends up ensnaring Cain, Jurgen, and two other [[RedShirt Imperial Guardsmen]] instead.]] |
| 208 | ** ''The Traitor's Hand'': [[spoiler: Emeli again, [[DemonOfHumanOrigin now]] [[OurDemonsAreDifferent a daemon]] of Slaanesh, who's orchestrating events to turn the planet Adumbria into a [[HellOnEarth daemon world]]]]. |
| 209 | ** ''Death or Glory'': [[GalacticConqueror Warboss]] Gargash Korbul, leader of the [[SpaceOrcs ork]] [[TheHorde Waaagh!]] trying to conquer Perlia. |
| 210 | ** ''Duty Calls'': The [[BigBadEnsemble two major antagonists]] are the tyranid hive fleet targeting the world Periremunda as its [[ExtremeOmnivore next meal]] and the mastermind behind the local [[ChaosIsEvil Chaos]] [[ReligionOfEvil cult]]. [[spoiler: The latter turns out to be Ernst Stavros Killian, an [[StateSec inquisitor]] recklessly experimenting with a [[ArtifactOfDoom Chaos artifact]] called the Shadowlight to create an army of [[PsychicPowers psykers]] that the Imperium could use to [[WellIntentionedExtremist destroy Chaos]].]] |
| 211 | ** ''Cain's Last Stand'': Varan the Undefeatable, a psyker and Chaos warmaster who leads an invasion of Perlia to seize the Shadowlight for his master [[GreaterScopeVillain Abaddon the Despoiler]]. |
| 212 | ** ''The Greater Good'': A tyranid hive fleet threatening the worlds of the Damocles Gulf [[spoiler: [[BigBadEnsemble and]] [[ManipulativeBastard El'hassai]], the t'au ambassador who alerts the Imperium to the hive fleet's presence, gambling that the Imperium's Battlefleet Damocles will be destroyed in the confrontation with the tyranids and therefore leave half of the Imperial systems in the area helpless to t'au annexation.]] |
| 213 | ** ''Choose Your Enemies'': [[spoiler: Cain's old enemy Emeli, who's pulling strings to allow her to be summoned onto the material plane after having been banished from said plane]]. |
| 214 | * ''Literature/{{Circleverse}}'': Some of the books have NoAntagonist, but the ones that do... |
| 215 | ** ''[[Literature/CircleOfMagic Tris's Book]]'': Queen Pauha and her mage brother Enahar, a nasty pair of type 1 {{Pirate}}s who takes advantage of the earthquake damage from the first book to attack Winding Circle and its treasures, [[spoiler:enslaving Aymery and nearly ensnaring the Circle kids as their slaves too]]. They cause a lot of death and destruction as well as a loss of innocence when Tris in particular gets blood on her hands to drive them away. |
| 216 | ** ''[[Literature/TheCircleOpens Street Magic]]'': [[RichBitch Lady Zenadia]]. She "adopts" a street gang to use as her personal toy because her retirement's a bit dull. She orchestrates their battles with other gangs and tries to abduct Evvy because she thinks a stone mage would be a good asset. |
| 217 | ** ''Literature/TheWillOfTheEmpress'': Empress Berenene. Unlike other antagonists, as a ruler she has many strong qualities. However, she financially squeezes Ambros in an effort to make Sandry return so Berenene can have her married off to one of the suitors she's chosen, so she can have access to the Landreg wealth. She starts this with a charm offensive on Sandry and her friends, but the claws come out when Sandry decides to leave after one kidnapping too many. |
| 218 | ** ''Literature/BattleMagic'': Emperor Weishu. He's a ruthless tyrant who has been conquering his neighbors already in a bid to seize Gyongxe so he can claim to own the land of the gods. Briar, Rosethorn, and Evvy all leave with [=PTSD=] thanks to his atrocities. |
| 219 | * ''City of Victory'' trilogy by [[http://www.adriangoldsworthy.com/author.htm Adrian Goldsworthy]]: |
| 220 | ** ''[[http://www.adriangoldsworthy.com/romanfictionbk4.htm The Fort]]'': [[NobleDemon Brasus]], a young chieftain of the [[UsefulNotes/{{Romania}} Dacians]] leading a vanguard of the Dacian army to seize the Roman fort Piroboridava. He's supplanted in this role when the main force arrives under the command of the generals [[OldSoldier Rholes]] [[BigBadDuumvirate and]] [[GeneralFailure Diegis]], but reclaims the position when Rholes dies and Diegis presses on to battle advancing Roman legions. |
| 221 | ** ''[[http://www.adriangoldsworthy.com/romanfictionbk5.htm The City]]'': Memnon is this by default as the senior ''strategos'', or magistrate invested with civil and military authority, of Nicopolis, the city the Romans, including [[TheProtagonist Flavius Ferox]], are besieging, though his page time is scant and he's not actually "bad," simply the enemy. |
| 222 | ** ''[[http://www.adriangoldsworthy.com/romanfictionbk6.htm The Wall]]'': The [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname Wolf]], a brilliant, ruthless, and vengeful Brittonic war leader leading a [[HitAndRunTactics guerilla campaign]] to destabilize and ultimately end the Roman presence in Britain, [[spoiler: culminating in an attempt to assassinate the emperor [[UsefulNotes/{{Hadrian}} Hadrian]].]] |
| 223 | * Short story "Literature/ClockpunkAndTheVitalizer" features The Vitalizer, a semi-telekinetic powerhouse hell-bent on retrieving an unseen superweapon known as the Bull. |
| 224 | * ''Literature/CodexAlera'' plays with this one. In the first book we're introduced to [[TheChessmaster High Lord Aquitainus Attis]] and his wife [[LadyMacbeth Invidia]], who are the masterminds of several schemes against the Realm, aren't defeated or even directly confronted by the heroes, and keep up their role as main villains in the subsequent books. The catch -- neither is the Big Bad. That would be [[spoiler: the Vord Queen]], a monster TheHero wakes up during a SideQuest early on, and is gradually revealed to be not the mindless creature she initially appeared, but an incredibly powerful and cunning adversary far more dangerous than either Aquitaine could ever hope to be. [[spoiler: Meanwhile, Lord Aquitainus got CharacterDevelopment moving him more towards AntiVillain territory, culminating in RedemptionEqualsDeath mixed with AlasPoorVillain, while Invidia was pressed into service by the Vord Queen as TheDragon and died in that role]]. |
| 225 | * ''Literature/CompanionsQuartet'': Kullervo, a shapeshifter that wants to wipe out humanity. |
| 226 | * ''[[https://www.michaelsheaauthor.com/books/the-color-out-of-time/ The Color Out of Time]]'' by Michael Shea, the BigBad is what the protagonists dub the [[EldritchAbomination "Enemy,"]] the [[spoiler:eponymous [[LightIsNotGood color]] from [[Creator/HPLovecraft Lovecraft's]] "Literature/TheColourOutOfSpace," specifically the fragment/offspring left behind at the climax of that short story.]] It gruesomely feeds on the [[VampiricDraining life]] and the [[EmotionEater negative emotions]] of the victims that visit the reservoir it dwells within to gain enough energy to leave the planet, and for its [[{{Sadist}} sadistic amusement]]. |
| 227 | * ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'': [[EvilSorcerer Thoth-Amon]], a powerful and ambitious sorcerer who worships the GodOfEvil [[GreaterScopeVillain Set]], is the most prominent villain in the franchise. [[BigBadEnsemble In addition to]] Thoth-Amon, [[TheEmperor King Yezdigerd]], the despotic ruler of Turan, is also a repeated source of trouble for Conan. Yezdigerd mostly serves as [[TheGhost an unseen]] GreaterScopeVillain, but appears as a visible secondary antagonist in the pastiche novel ''The Return of Conan'', [[spoiler: during which he meets his demise at Conan's hands.]] |
| 228 | ** ''Conan of Venarium'': Count Stercus, an Aquilonian nobleman invading Cimmeria. |
| 229 | ** ''Conan the Bold'': Taharka, an outlaw leader responsible for the deaths of a family Conan befriended. |
| 230 | ** ''Legions of the Dead'': [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Vammatar]], who controls an undead army, which she used to capture victims for her to claim as slaves, [[spoiler:including Conan himself.]]. |
| 231 | ** ''The Thing in the Crypt'': The undead corpse that attacks Conan after he disturbs its tomb. |
| 232 | ** ''Conan the Defiant'': [[{{Necromancer}} Neg the Malefic]], a necromancer who seeks to use the Source of Light to create an undead army. |
| 233 | ** ''Conan the Indomitable'': A BigBadEnsemble of Katamey Rey, Chuntha, and the Harskeel. Katamey Rey and Chuntha are feuding [[SorcerousOverlord Sorcerous Overlords]]. The Harskeel is a [[FusionDance fusion of two lovers]], who seek to use Conan's sword and blood to undo their fusion. |
| 234 | ** ''Conan the Formidable'': A BigBadEnsemble of Dake, a RepulsiveRingmaster who kidnaps victims for his freak show, and Raseri, a giant who captures Conan for experiments. Although he joins into an EnemyMine with the heroes to rescue his daughter from Dake, he plans on [[HeKnowsTooMuch killing them afterwards to keep his village hidden]]. |
| 235 | ** ''Literature/TheTowerOfTheElephant'': [[EvilSorcerer Yara]], a sorcerer who enslaved his mentor Yag-kosha to gain more power. |
| 236 | ** ''Conan and the Sorcerer'': [[EvilSorcerer Hissar Zul]], a sorcerer who [[YourSoulIsMine steals Conan's soul]]. |
| 237 | ** ''Conan the Mercenary'': [[AristocratsAreEvil Sabaninus]], who attemps to marry Queen Ialamis of Khauran so that he can annex her land into Koth. |
| 238 | ** ''The Sword of Skelos'': a BigBadEnsemble between [[TheCaligula Akter Khan]], the tyrannical ruler of Zamboula, and his TreacherousAdvisor [[EvilSorcerer Zafra]], who manipulates Akter into turning on Conan. |
| 239 | ** ''Conan the Magnificent'': Basrakan Imalla, a priest who seeks to gain control over a group of dragons and Kezankian Mountain tribes to fight against the people of Zamora and Brythunia. |
| 240 | ** ''Conan the Invincible'': [[EvilSorcerer Amanar]], a rogue member of Thoth-Amon's group of sorcerers, who now serves [[GodOfEvil Morath-Aminee]], the [[YourSoulIsMine Eater of Souls]], who orchestrates the theft of a group of set of pendants, [[spoiler:one of which protects him from Morath-Aminee.]] When his minions also kidnap the girls who were with the pendants, Amanar decides to used them as [[HumanSacrifice sacrifices]]. |
| 241 | ** ''The Hall of the Dead'': Averted, there is no central antagonist for Conan to deal with. Instead, there is a monster that Conan encouters in the city, a group of undead who guard the city's treasure, and a magistrate who confronts Conan after his adventure. Nestor, who was leading a group of soldiers in pursuit of Conan at the beginning of the story, quickly abandons his mission to join Conan in finding the city's treasure. |
| 242 | ** ''Literature/TheGodInTheBowl'': The murderer of Kallian Publico, [[spoiler:who turns out to be the titular serpent, which was]] intended by [[GreaterScopeVillain Thoth-Amon]] to murder one of his enemies. |
| 243 | ** ''Conan the Warlord'': Lar, the leader of a Set-worshipping cult terrorizing Nemedia. |
| 244 | ** ''Literature/RoguesInTheHouse'': Thak, an [[KillerGorilla ape-like being]] who imprisons his master [[EvilChancellor Nabonidus]], and also labors to imprison or kill any intruders to Nabonidus' mansion, including Conan. |
| 245 | ** ''Conan the Victorious'': [[EvilSorcerer Naipal]], a wizard who seeks to take over Vendhya by installing a PuppetKing. |
| 246 | ** ''Conan the Unconquered'': [[{{Necromancer}} Jhandar]], a cult leader seeking to become the ShadowDictator of Turan. |
| 247 | ** ''The Hand of Nergal'': Munthassem Khan, a rebellious satrap who was corrupted by the Hand of Nergal. |
| 248 | ** ''The City of Skulls'': Jalung Thongpa, the ruler of Meru who [[MadeASlave enslaves Conan and his friend Juma]], and plans to [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe force Princess Zosara to marry him]]. |
| 249 | ** ''Conan the Hero'': A BigBadEnsemble of General Abolhassan, who is plotting to usurp the Turanian throne from Yildiz, and Mojourna, the leader of the Hwong rebels. |
| 250 | ** ''The People of the Summit'': The leader of the People of the Summit, who plans to use Shanya Karaz as a BreedingSlave. |
| 251 | ** ''The Curse of the Monolith'': Duke Feng, who tries to sabatoge a treaty between Turan and Kusan. |
| 252 | ** ''Conan and the Spider God'': Feridun, the high priest of Zath, who kidnapped Jamilah, and plans to take over Zamora. |
| 253 | ** ''The Blood-Stained God'': Keraspa, the Kezankian chief trying to kill Conan. |
| 254 | ** ''Conan the Valorous'': A BigBadEnsemble between the Stygian sorceress Hathor-Ka and the Vendhyan sorcerer Jaganath, who both seek to use the Great Summoning the Powers to become the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Meanwhile, series antagonist Thoth-Amon is the GreaterScopeVillain who obstensibly offers to aid Hathor-Ka in exchange for becoming equal through the Great Summoning, [[spoiler:but in reality sabatoges her by giving her false intstuctions to perform the Great Summoning, as Thoth-Amon knows better than to tamper with the powers that Hathor-Ka and Jaganath are, and instead seeks to use their feud to rid himself of rival sorcerers.]] |
| 255 | ** ''Literature/TheFrostGiantsDaughter'': [[AnIcePerson Atali]], a Frost Giant who attempts to lure Conan to his death at the hands of her brothers. |
| 256 | ** ''The Lair of the Ice Worm'': The Remora, an ice worm responsible for the death of the Hyperborean woman Ilga. |
| 257 | ** ''Conan the Savage'': Ninga, a malevolent goddess who becomes worshipped by the Brythunians under the reign of [[TheHeavy Tamsin]], a witch who becomes the SorcerousOverlord of Brythunia. |
| 258 | ** ''Conan the Defender'': [[EvilSorcerer Cantaro Albanus]], a wizard plotting against the King of Nemedia. |
| 259 | ** ''Conan the Triumphant'': [[EvilSorceress Synelle]], a sorceress who seeks to conquer Ophir with the aid of the demon [[SealedEvilInaCan Al’Kiir]], who she plans to unleash. |
| 260 | ** ''Conan the Rebel'': [[EvilSorcerer Tothapis]], a Stygian sorcerer trying to deal with the threat posed by Conan and Bêlit after being warned about them by his deity [[GreaterScopeVillain Set]]. |
| 261 | ** ''Literature/QueenOfTheBlackCoast'': A [[WingedHumanoid winged ape]] responsible for attacking the ''Tigress'''s crew. |
| 262 | ** ''Conan at the Demon's Gate'': Lysenius, a sorcerer who allies with a faction of Picts under the leadership of Vurag Yan and plans to reanimate a statue via HumanSacrifice in order to wage war against the Bossonian Marchers to avenge his wife. |
| 263 | ** ''Literature/TheValeOfLostWomen'': Initially the main antagonist is Bajujh, a tribal leader responsible for the imprisonment of Livia and the murder of her brother. After [[DiscOneFinalBoss Bajujh is killed]], he is replaced by a bat-like EldritchAbomination to intends to claim Livia as a HumanSacrifice offered to him by the women of the Vale. |
| 264 | ** ''The Castle of Terror'': A myriad of souls haunting a castle, which merge into a monster killing anyone in it's path. |
| 265 | ** ''The Snout in the Dark'': Tuthmes, a nobleman who orchestrated the murder of a commander, and tried to pin the blame on Tanada. |
| 266 | ** ''Hawks Over Shem'': [[TheCaligula King Akhirom]], the insane ruler of Pelishti who harbors Conan's [[StarterVillain enemy]] [[TreacheryIsASpecialKindOfEvil Othbaal]], [[HeadInTheSandManagement ignores the infighting between his generals]], sponsors religious persecution, and [[AGodAmI has himself declared a god]]. |
| 267 | ** ''Literature/BlackColossus'': [[EvilSorcerer Natohk]]/[[spoiler:Thugra Khotan]], a sorcerer who leads [[TheHorde a horde]] to invade the kingdom of Khoraja [[VillainousCrush and make]] its Princess Yasmela his bride. |
| 268 | ** ''Shadows in the Dark'': [[spoiler:[[TheMole Rhazes]], who is planning to help the Kothians deliver [[DistressedDude King Khossus]] to [[GreaterScopeVillain Strabonus]] without paying off Moranthes of Ophir, the man holding Khossus prisoner.]] |
| 269 | ** ''The Road of Kings'': Initially it is King Rimanendo, the ruler Conan and his allies are rebelling against. After his death, his replacement [[BigBadSlippage Mordermi]] [[FullCircleRevolution becomes a tyrant]]. However, Callidios, who is his Prime Minister, [[DragonInChief is in control of the Final Guard]]. |
| 270 | ** ''Conan the Renegade'': Prince Ivor, who betrays several of the mercenaries under his employ, including the mercenary group Conan joins, after making peace with the tyrannical Kothian ruler [[GreaterScopeVillain Strabonus]]. |
| 271 | ** ''Literature/IronShadowsInTheMoon'': A BigBadEnsemble between a [[FrazettaMan man-ape]] attacking Conan and Olivia, and a pirate crew who imprison Conan for killing their captain Sergius, with one of Sergius' [[DragonAscendant former lieutenants]], Aratus, pushing to have him killed. At the end of the story, [[TakenForGranite a group of warriors who were turned into statues]] are [[{{Lunacy}} animated by the moonlight]] and start killing the pirates, including [[KilledOffscreen Aratus]], forcing Conan, Olivia, and the remaining pirates to escape the island together. |
| 272 | ** ''Conan of the Red Brotherhood'': [[TheEmperor Emperor Yildiz]], the ruler of Turan who seeks with eliminate Amra (a.k.a. Conan) and his followers. He also greenlights the plans of his son Prince Yezdigerd to increase Turan's naval power by holding a contest to recruit brilliant minds to innovate more useful ships for Turan's navy, and Yildiz later orders these experimental ships developed for the contest to be used against Amra. |
| 273 | ** ''The Road of the Eagles'': Artaban, a Turanian general who earns Conan's ire after attacking him and his pirate crew, forcing him to land. Artaban also seeks to overthrow [[GreaterScopeVillain King Yildiz]] of Turan and replace him with his brother Teyaspa. |
| 274 | ** ''Literature/AWitchShallBeBorn'': [[EvilSorcerer Salome]], a witch who [[TheUsurper usurps]] the throne of Khauran by imprisoning and [[FakeKing impersonating]] her sister [[TheHighQueen Taramis]] with the aid of the mercenary leader [[TheSociopath Constantius the Falcon]]. |
| 275 | ** ''Black Tears'': A demoness who rules over the city of Akhlat. However, Conan ended up in Ahklat in the first place because he was in pursuit of a man named Vardanes, who betrayed him to [[GreaterScopeVillain Yezdigerd]]. However, Vardanes is captured halfway through the story by people who intend to use him as a HumanSacrifice to the demoness. |
| 276 | ** ''Conan and the Manhunters'': A BigBadEnsemble of Torgut Khan (A cruel viceroy who under the rule of the [[GreaterScopeVillain king of Turan]] (who is Yezdigerd according to the William Galen Gray chronology)), Sagobol (Torgut Khan's treacherous underling, and the employer of the titular manhunters), and the Priests of Ahriman (Tragthan, Shosq, and Nikas, who seek to restore the evil god Ahriman and become "lords of his new creation"). |
| 277 | ** ''Literature/ManEatersOfZamboula'': [[EvilSorcerer Totrasmek]], a priest responsible for driving [[spoiler:Jungir Khan, the satrap of Zamboula]] insane. |
| 278 | ** ''Conan the Raider'': Horaspes, the chancellor of Abaddrah [[spoiler:who plans to create an empire of undead.]] |
| 279 | ** ''The Star of Khorala'': [[AristocratsAreEvil Count Rigello]], who has turned his cousin King Moranthes II into his [[PuppetKing puppet]], becoming the de facto ruler of Ophr, and is planning to [[TheUsurper usurp him outright]]. |
| 280 | ** ''Conan and the Death Lord of Thanza'': Initially [[AristocratsAreEvil Baron Grolin]], who seeks the Soul of Thanza to gain power over the death. However, he is later DemotedToDragon by an EvilSorcerer, who also seeks the Soul of Thanza. Towards the end of the story [[spoiler:Grolin regains his position as the top villain by becoming a Death Lord and [[TheStarscream killing the sorcerer]].]] |
| 281 | ** ''Literature/TheDevilInIron'': A BigBadEnsemble of [[HumanoidAbomination Khosatral Khel]] and [[AntagonisticGovernor Jehungir Agha]]. Khel is a demon who rules as GodEmperor of Dagon, and pursues Conan and Octavia when they enter his city. Agha is a Turanian noble in the service of [[GreaterScopeVillain Yezdigerd]]. |
| 282 | ** ''The Flame Knife'': The Magus, a cult leader behind the attempted assassination of Kobad Shah, who [[MisBlamed blames Conan]] for the attempt. However, The Magus' ally, the Tiger, [[spoiler:a.k.a. Olgerd Vladislav]], who [[DragonInChief holds enough sway]] that the Magus feels the need to wait for the Tiger's assent when making decisions, [[ItsPersonalWithTheDragon is a more personal adversary]] for Conan, [[spoiler:seeking revenge against Conan for [[Literature/AWitchShallBeBorn betraying him]] and becoming Conan's final adversary after the Magus is killed.]] |
| 283 | ** ''Literature/ThePeopleOfTheBlackCircle'': [[EvilSorcerer The Master of Yimsha]], the leader of a group of sorcerers who assassinate King Bunda Chand on behalf of [[GreaterScopeVillain King Yezdigerd]], who seeks to take over Vendhya. However, the Master of Yimsha later decides to discontinue his alliance with Yezdigerd and [[MadeASlave make Devi Yasmina his slave]], against Yezdigerd's own desire to force Yasmina into his own seraglio. |
| 284 | ** ''Conan the Maruader'': A BigBadEnsemble of [[EvilSorcerer Khondemir]] (A wizard who seeks to seize the Turanian throne from Yezdigerd), Bartatua (A Hyrkanian warlord who seeks to TakeOverTheWorld, although Conan himself is Bartatua's [[TheDragon henchman]] for a large part of the story. Bartatua does temporarily become antagonistic towards Conan after he is deceived by Lakhme's FalseRapeAccusation against Conan, but ends this antagonism after Conan exposes Lakhme's treachery), and Lakhme (Who seeks to TakeOverTheWorld herself by manipulatiing Khondemir and Bartatua). |
| 285 | ** ''Literature/XuthalOfTheDusk'': a BigBadEnsemble between [[EldritchAbomination Thog]], a demon terrorozing the city of Xuthal, and [[FemmeFatale Thalis]], a Stygian witch who wishes make Conan her lover and [[MurderTheHypotenuse sacrifice his companion Natala]] to [[EldritchAbomination Thog]]. [[spoiler:Thog ends up killing Thalis and becoming the FinalBoss.]] |
| 286 | ** ''Drums of Tombalku'': Zehbeh, the treacherous co-ruler of Tombalku. |
| 287 | ** ''The Gem in the Tower'': The winged creature slaughtering the pirates raiding [[EvilSorcerer Siptah]]'s tower. |
| 288 | ** ''Conan and the Grim Grey God'': A BigBadEnsemble between Thoth-Amon, Tevek Thul, and Jade, who all seek the titular ArtifactOfDoom. |
| 289 | ** ''Literature/ThePoolOfTheBlackOne'': The group of black humanoids who kidnap Conan's crew. However, the humanoid adorning a jeweled headband is the most prominent one of them. |
| 290 | ** ''Conan the Buccaneer'': [[AristocratsAreEvil Duke Villagro]], a noble who seeks the throne of Zingara, enlisting the aid of Thoth-Amon to do so. [[spoiler:Towards the end of the story, Thoth-Amon betrays Villagro and attempts to claim the thrones of Zingara for himself.]] |
| 291 | ** ''Literature/RedNails'': [[VainSorceress Tascela]], who plans to kill Valeria to restore her youth, and overpowers her husband [[BigBadWannabe Olmec]] when [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty his own designs for Valeria]] contrast with hers. During the climax of the story, the sorcerer Tolkemec starts attacking Tascela and her followers, forcing her into a brief EnemyMine with Conan, although she attempts to claim the wand for herself once Tolkemec is killed. |
| 292 | ** ''Conan and the Gods of the Mountain'': Chabano, the Paramount Chief of the Kwanyi, a group of people who are at war with another group known as the Ichirubu (who Conan and Valeria befriend). |
| 293 | ** ''Literature/TheServantsOfBitYakin'': Gwarunga, a Keshan priest conspiring with the Stygian [[GreaterScopeVillain Thutmekri]] to con his fellow Keshanites into giving the Teeth of Gwahlur to Thutmekri. |
| 294 | ** ''The Ivory Goddess'': Thutmekri, who seeks to manipulate the King of Punt into helping him fight the Keshans. |
| 295 | ** ''Conan, Lord of the Black River'': Zeriti, a witch who is [[OurZombiesAreDifferent zombifying]] the people of Baalur. |
| 296 | ** ''Literature/BeyondTheBlackRiver'': [[EvilSorcerer Zogar Sag]], a Pictish sorcerer terrorizing Aquilonian settlers. |
| 297 | ** ''Moon of Blood'': Sagyetha, a Pictish shaman who bribed the Aquilonian General [[TheMole Lucian]] into helping him take over Schohira. |
| 298 | ** ''Literature/TheBlackStranger'': [[spoiler: The demon pursuing Count Valenso.]] de Camp's version of the story, ''The Treasure of Tranicos'', has Thoth-Amon, who riles up the Picts against Valenso and his allies, and sends a demon to kill Valenso. |
| 299 | ** ''Wolves Beyond the Border'': Lord Valerian, who conspires with the Pict Tenayoga to unite the Pictish tribes in order to wage war against the Aquilonian Province of Schohira. |
| 300 | ** ''Conan the Liberator'': [[TheCaligula King Numedides]], the tyrannical ruler of Aquilonia, is nominally the main antagonist. However, his advisor, [[EvilSorcerer Thulandra Thuu]], takes a [[TheHeavy more active role in plotting against the rebels]], and proves to be [[DragonInChief more powerful]] than his [[PuppetKing supposed master]]. |
| 301 | ** ''Literature/ThePhoenixOnTheSword'': A BigBadEnsemble between the Rebel Four, Ascalante, and Thoth-Amon. The Rebel Four, consisting of their leader [[TheUsurper Dion]], Gromel, Volmana, and Rinaldo, seek to depose Conan from the throne of Aquilonia and install Dion in his place. To this end, the four enlist the aid of the outlaw [[TheChessmaster Ascalante]], who secretly plans to [[TheStarscream betray the Rebel Four]] and claim the Aquilonian throne for himself. However, Ascalante's own slave, the sorcerer [[EvilSorcerer Thoth-Amon]], proves to be the most dangerous villain of the story. He murders Dion to reclaim the Serpent Ring of Set, regaining his powers as a sorcerer and summoning a demon to kill Ascalante and anyone else present. Gromel, Volmana, Rinaldo, and Ascalante continue their plan to assasinate Conan. However, Conan succeeds in killing the former three before Thoth-Amon's demon kills Ascalante, becoming Conan's [[FinalBoss final opponent]] in the story. |
| 302 | ** ''Literature/TheScarletCitadel'': King Strabonus, [[TurnCoat King Amalrus]], and their DragonInChief [[EvilSorcerer Tsotha-lanti]], who seek to replace Conan as King of Aquilonia with their [[PuppetKing puppet Arpello]]. |
| 303 | ** ''Literature/TheHourOfTheDragon'': [[EvilSorcerer Xaltotun]], a sorcerer who seeks to revive the ancient country of [[TheEmpire Acheron]], [[DemotedToDragon reducing]] Amalric, Tarascus, and Valerius (the conspirators who [[EvilIsNotAToy tried to use him for their own power grabs]]) to being [[CoDragons his underlings]]. |
| 304 | ** ''The Return of Conan'': A BigBadEnsemble of [[EvilSorcerer Yah Chieng]], a sorcerer behind the kidnapping of Conan's wife Zenobia, and [[TheEmperor King Yezdigerd]], the ruler of Turan who spends the first two-thirds of the story seeking to bring down his longtime adversary Conan. |
| 305 | ** ''Conan the Great'': Kthantos, a demon plotting who spread his worship by fanning the flames of confict between nations, tempting their rulers, including Conan himself, with promises of power. He is also responsible to the death of Yasmela, of which Conan and a rival ruler Armiro blame each other for. |
| 306 | ** ''The Witch of the Mists'': Thoth-Amon and Louhi, who are behind the kidnapping of Conan's son Conn in order to lay a trap for him. |
| 307 | ** ''Black Sphinx of Nebthu'': Thoth-Amon, the leader of a group of sorcerers known as the Black Ring, plans to kill Conan and cripple Aquilonia's military might when Conan leads a military force into Stygia. |
| 308 | ** ''Red Moon of Zembabwei'': [[TheUsurper King Nenaunir]], the SorcerousOverlord harboring Thoth-Amon. He captures Conan and Crom and attempts to sacrifice them to to [[GodOfEvil Set/Damballah]], who he summons into the mortal plane of existence. |
| 309 | ** ''Shadows in the Skull'': Initially Queen Lilit, the ruler of the serpent-folk who Thoth-Amon has taken refuge with. Thoth-Amon is [[DemotedToDragon initially forced to act subservient to Lelit]], [[spoiler:but once she is abruptly killed]], Thoth-Amon makes his LastVillainStand against Conan, revealing his intentions to kill him in the hopes that Cimmerian's death will allow him regain the favor of [[GodOfEvil Set]]. |
| 310 | ** ''Conan of the Isles'': [[EldritchAbomination Xotli]], a demon god who consumes the life force of [[HumanSacrifice human sacrifices]] abducted for him by the Red Shadows cast by his priests, although the priests' leader, the Hierarch of the Seven Mysteries of Xotli, is the one who actually rules over the Xotli-worshipping Antillians. |
| 311 | * ''Literature/{{Coraline}}'': The Beldam/the [[FauxAffablyEvil Other Mother]], who lures Coraline into the Other World with the intention of trapping her there forever. |
| 312 | * ''Literature/TheCosmere'': |
| 313 | ** From the ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' trilogy, [[EvilOverlord the Lord Ruler]] is set up like this [[spoiler: in the first book, until he's killed at the end. Later books reveal he was a WellIntentionedExtremist, and the real Big Bad was Ruin, the dark god he'd been keeping imprisoned]]. |
| 314 | ** ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' has [[spoiler:Odium]]. He ''might'' not be the Big Bad himself, but there's definitely one somewhere, and he's a pretty good candidate, considering he [[spoiler: killed Honor. Word Of God also states he's responsible for the death/destruction of the shards Devotion and Dominion, and is actively interested in hunting down Ambition]]. |
| 315 | * ''Literature/ACourtOfThornsAndRoses'': |
| 316 | ** The King is Hybern is the main antagonist of the whole series. |
| 317 | ** Amarantha is the main antagonist of ''A Court of Thorns and Roses''. |
| 318 | * ''Literature/CraftSequence'': |
| 319 | ** ''Literature/ThreePartsDead'': The [[spoiler: [[HateSink loathsome]] [[EvilSorcerer Alexander Denovo]], an influential professor of the [[WizardingSchool Hidden Schools]] who is the true mastermind behind [[GodIsGood Kos]] [[PlayingWithFire Everburning's]] [[GodIsDead death]] and is carefully [[ManipulativeBastard manipulating events and the various parties involved]] to [[AGodAmI literally take Kos' place as a god]].]] |
| 320 | ** ''Literature/TwoSerpentsRise'': [[spoiler: [[TheChessmaster Alaxic]], former priest and chairman of Hearthstone,]] comes up with the plan [[spoiler: to harness the [[SnakesAreSinister Twin Serpents]] while simultaneously neutering [[TheNecrocracy Red King Consolidated]]'s ability to fight back, but Alaxic is not the one who ends up wielding the serpents' power, deliberately offing himself as part of an attempt to kill the remaining [[{{Mayincatec}} Quechal]] priests to ensure [[HumanSacrifice ritual sacrifice]] cannot be used to put the beasts back to sleep. He leaves it to his [[DragonAscendant successor]] [[DarkActionGirl Malina "Mal" Kekapania]] to carry out his plan, which is to launch a violent revolution with the Twin Serpents' power, wiping the slate clean and ushering in a new truly Quechal society to replace Dresediel Lex.]] |
| 321 | ** ''Literature/FullFathomFive'': [[spoiler: [[WellIntentionedExtremist Jason "Jace" Kol]], the head of the [[TheChurch Sacerdotal Order of Kavekana]]. Discovering that some of the idols the Order have created have apparently started awakening as gods,[[note]]there's actually just one newborn goddess, and each idol is her attempt to create a sort of avatar to interact with others with[[/note]] he leads a conspiracy to quietly snuff out the new divine life and ensure that nobody learns of their existence. The idols are essentially meant to serve as tax havens for [[LifeEnergy soulstuff]], a service that only Kavekana can provide, and thus key, Jace believes, to ensuring the small country's independence in a world of expansionist great powers. If the service the Order provides is compromised, so is Kavekana's leverage.]] |
| 322 | ** ''Literature/LastFirstSnow'': There are [[BigBadEnsemble two figures]] who are deliberating stoking tensions between [[OurLichesAreDifferent Kopil]], the [[TheNecrocracy King in Red]], and the [[PowderKegCrowd Skittersill protesters]]. [[spoiler: The first is [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Tan Batac]], whose Citizens Coalition owns the majority of the Skittersill real estate and who has been forced into a compromise deal that will require him to pay extremely high insurance premiums and limit his ability to redevelop the neighborhood. On the other hand, if Kopil were to raze Skittersill in a clash with rioters at a moment when there just so happens to be a gap in insurance coverage, his insurer Aberforth and Duncan could be held liable for damages, Citizens Coalition won't have to pay high premiums, and there's plenty of now vacant land to develop. The second is the previously mentioned Alaxic (still alive as ''Last First Snow'' is a [[{{Prequel}} prequel]]), who wants to force [[WarriorMonk Temoc Almotil]] to lead a revolution against Kopil.]] In the end, Kopil himself becomes a BigBad. Despite learning that the conflict has been instigated by others for their own ends, his [[BloodKnight bloodthirstiness]], [[NayTheist hatred of gods and theists]], and [[KnightTemplar moral certainty]] ultimately goads him into taking [[DisproportionateRetribution disproportionately brutal action]]. |
| 323 | ** ''Literature/FourRoadsCross'': [[AboveGoodAndEvil Madeline Ramp]], the Craftswoman who leads the suit against Kos and [[TheSacredDarkness Seril]], arguing that former's support of the latter is an off-the-books liability that represents undisclosed risks to those who do business with the [[TheChurch Church of Kos Everburning]]. Winning this suit would give the plaintiffs license to destroy and rebuild Seril, and perhaps even Kos, as their own tools. [[spoiler: But Ramp's ''primary'' goal is to steal the skull of previous BigBad Alexander Denovo during the chaos of the trial, which would allow her to tap into Denovo's vast knowledge, networks, and experiments to [[VisionaryVillain free humanity, or rather the brilliant talented few, from the world that the Craft is steadily destroying]].]] |
| 324 | ** ''Literature/RuinOfAngels'': [[spoiler: There's a BigBadDuumvirate in [[MadArtist Alethea Vane]] and the unnamed [[EldritchAbomination Iskari Lord of Agdel Lex]]. The former is the [[VisionaryVillain visionary]] but [[LackOfEmpahty sociopathic]] co-creator of what is essentially a {{Magitek}} telecommunications satellite that interconnects human minds into a network guided by a "seed soul" to create a [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve consensus reality]]. The latter is the one that will be the "seed soul" and will enforce belief in Agdel Lex and in doing so permanently seal off the extremely dangerous tear in reality known as the Wound. Unfortunately, this means that anyone who does not buy into the reality of Agdel Lex will end up in the Wound, and the old previous city of Alikand's history and heritage will be lost forever.]] |
| 325 | * ''[[https://www.candicefox.org/book-inner-ted-amanda Crimson Lake]]'' series by [[https://www.candicefox.org/about Candice Fox]]: |
| 326 | ** In ''Crimson Lake'', it's [[spoiler: [[SelfMadeOrphan Harrison Scully]]]] who's responsible for the death of Jake Scully, [[spoiler: furious at his father's attempts to break up his relationship with his girlfriend Zoe Miller. In addition, [[DirtyCop crooked cops]] Lou Damford [[BigBadDuumvirate and]] Steven Hench are [[BigBadEnsemble Big Bads as well]] rather than "just" recurring threats unconnected to the larger plot. It turns out that they're running a twisted blackmail operation that led to [[{{Deuteragonist}} Amanda Pharrell's]] apparently senseless act of murder all those years ago and are concerned that [[TheProtagonist Ted Conkaffey's]] partnering with her could expose them.]] |
| 327 | * ''Literature/TheCrimsonShadow'': King Greensparrow, an evil wizard who rules Avon, Eriador and the islands nearby, is the main villain. |
| 328 | * Cthulhu in the ''Franchise/CthulhuMythos'' series and adaptions but in the original mythos, there were a whole ''[[BigBadEnsemble load]]'' of {{Eldritch Abomination}}s with their own agendas, and Cthulhu was one of the less powerful. The reason why it's called Franchise/CthulhuMythos is that he's the closes to Mankind - other Old Ones are living on other planets or dimensions, Cthulhu sleeps a few miles off the Atlantic Coast. There are some hints that Azathoth might be somehow controlling all or many of the others ([[MadGod even if he doesn't know it]]) so if there's a Big Bad at all it's more likely to be him. |
| 329 | * In [[https://www.rebeccacoffindaffer.com/home Rebecca Coffindaffer's]] ''[[https://www.rebeccacoffindaffer.com/crownchasers Crownchasers]]'' [[https://www.rebeccacoffindaffer.com/thronebreakers duology]], the BigBad is [[spoiler: [[SinisterMinister Enkindler]] Ilysium Wythe, the scheming [[RegentForLife regent]] of the [[TheFederation United Sovereign Empire]] who turns out to the leader of a [[RenegadeSplinterFaction fanatical sect]] of the [[TheChurch Solari religion]] and has been [[TheChessmaster moving behind the scenes]] to place himself in charge of the empire and enforce Solari [[TheFundamentalist fundamentalism]] and cultural supremacy.]] |
| 330 | %%* Creator/CliveCussler's novels typically have at least one. |
| 331 | %%** ''Literature/DirkPittAdventures'': |
| 332 | %%*** ''The Mediterranean Caper'': Bruno von Till |
| 333 | %%*** ''Iceberg'': Oskar Rondheim |
| 334 | %%*** ''Literature/RaiseTheTitanic'': Andre Prevlov |
| 335 | %%*** ''Vixen 03'': Pieter de Vaal |
| 336 | %%*** ''Night Probe'': Henri Villon is nominally the Big Bad but he's mostly overshadowed by Foss Gly. |
| 337 | %%*** ''Pacific Vortex'': Delphi Moran |
| 338 | [[/folder]] |
| 339 | |
| 340 | [[folder:D]] |
| 341 | * ''[[https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765319111/darkharvest Dark Harvest]]'' by Norman Patridge: The [[PumpkinPerson October Boy]] [[spoiler: turns out to ''not'' be the BigBad. The actual foe is [[DirtyCop Jerry Ricks]], the enforcer for the local cult that each year sacrifices the teenage boy that kills the October Boy and turns him into next year's October Boy, a ritual that ensures the [[TownWithADarkSecret small town's]] prosperity.]] |
| 342 | %%* ''Literature/TheDarkSeaAnnals'': [[CainAndAbel Morlan]]. |
| 343 | %%* ''Literature/DavidCopperfield'': Uriah Heep |
| 344 | * ''Literature/TheDayOfTheJackal'' by [[Creator/FrederickForsyth Frederick Forsyth]]: The eponymous [[ProfessionalKiller Jackal]], who's hired to assassinate [[UsefulNotes/CharlesDeGaulle Charles de Gaulle]] by the [[WesternTerrorists OAS]]. While it's the [[GreaterScopeVillain OAS leader Marc Rodin]] who conceives of the idea of hiring an outside assassin to kill de Gaulle, the actual execution of the plan is almost entirely the Jackal's and it's his actions that drive the conflict. Once the Jackal is dealt with, the OAS, a spent force at this point, no longer poses a threat. |
| 345 | * ''[[https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711752/dead-eleven-by-jimmy-juliano/ Dead Eleven]]'' by [[https://www.jimmyjuliano.com/ Jimmy Juliano]]: [[spoiler: The First One, an [[TimeAbyss unfathomably old]] [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]] dwelling beneath [[TownWithADarkSecret Clifford Island]] who, if it fully awakens, will wipe out the island's populace and potentially move to the mainland.]] |
| 346 | * ''Literature/TheDeadZone'': Greg Stillson, an up-and-coming politician whose election will result in a nuclear apocalypse. |
| 347 | * ''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle'' initially appears to have [[SorcerousOverlord Lord Xar]] as Big Bad, though he is played with a good deal of sympathy and the main character is his [[TheDragon Dragon]], [[HeelFaceTurn at first]]. However, further books complicate matters by creating a BigBadEnsemble with [[{{Necromancer}} Kleitus]] and [[KnightTemplar Samah]] in the mix as well, and ''then'' [[TheHeartless the Serpents]] show up about halfway through and blow everyone else out of the water in terns of sheer power and evil. |
| 348 | * The ''[[spoiler: [[TheFairFolk dubheasa]]]]'' in Alma Katsu's ''[[https://www.almakatsubooks.com/books/the-deep/ The Deep]]''. [[spoiler: She gives suicide Lillian Notting another chance at life by placing her soul in the body of another suicide, the [[TomatoInTheMirror protagonist Annie Hebley]], so she can [[{{Yandere}} reclaim the man she's obssessively in love with]], Mark Fletcher, at the price of her daughter Ondine.]] |
| 349 | * The dactyl demon Bestesbulzibar in RA Salvatore's ''Demon Wars Saga''. Rather unusually, he's defeated in his physical body at the climax of the first book; he spends most of the saga as a disembodied spirit influencing other villains, who believe ''they're'' the Big Bad. |
| 350 | * ''Literature/DevilsAndThieves'' has Darek is the cause of all the bad events in the story, from Michael Medici's death in the backstory to the disappearance of several characters in the main story. The ending solution requires taking him down. |
| 351 | * Lazarus in ''Literature/DisAcedia'', a malevolent god abducting people to the titular maze so as to play with them. |
| 352 | * The ''Literature/{{Divergent}}'' series: |
| 353 | ** Jeanie the leader of Erudite, the rival of Tris's old faction. She's the driving force behind the feud between Erudite and Abnegation, and orders the attack on Abnegation in ''Divergent''. In ''Insurgent'', she continues to hunt down Divergent for her evil plans. |
| 354 | ** ''Allegiant'': [[spoiler:Evelyn, the leader of the factionless who wants to establish an oppressive government of her own, |
| 355 | [[BigBadEnsemble and]] David, the head of the Bureau For Genetic |
| 356 | * The ''Series/DoctorWho'' [[Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]] has managed a few: |
| 357 | ** ''[[Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures The New Adventures]]'': The Timewyrm tetralogy has [[AntagonistTitle the Timewyrm]]. The Alternate Universe Cycle has the Meddling Monk. The Psi Powers arc has the Brotherhood, ultimately led by the Grandmaster. |
| 358 | ** ''Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures'': The Faction Paradox storyline has Grandfather Paradox, although he's more of a GreaterScopeVillain. The Compassion arc has [[KnightTemplar Romana]] of all people, seeking to capture Compassion in order to improve the Time Lords' TARDIS technology. The Sabbath arc has the Council of Eight, especially Octan. |
| 359 | ** Crossovers: The ''New Adventure'' "Blood Harvest" sets up Lord Yarven as the Big Bad of the first ''[[Literature/DoctorWhoMissingAdventures Missing Adventure]]'' "Goth Opera". The ''Missing Adventure'' "The Scales of Injustice" and the ''[[Literature/PastDoctorAdventures Past Doctor Adventure]]'' "Business Unusual" have Martin Townsend (AKA "the pale man") as the Big Bad. |
| 360 | * ''Literature/TheDogsOfWar'' by [[Creator/FrederickForsyth Frederick Forsyth]]: Jean Kimba, the [[TheCaligula brutal and insane]] [[PresidentEvil dictator]] of [[{{Bulungi}} Zangaro]] who's the target of the [[PrivateMilitaryContractors mercenary]] [[AntiHero protagonists]], [[BigBadEnsemble and]] the mercenaries' employer, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive mining magnate Sir James Manson]], who's [[WarForFunAndProfit sponsoring the coup in order to place an equally brutal man in office in exchange for mineral rights to a massive deposit of platinum]]. |
| 361 | * The ''Literature/DoraWilkSeries'' has Raphael in the first three books. Then he's one-upped by GreaterScopeVillain [[spoiler: Ibrahim]], who's then overshadowed by ''yet'' another GreaterScopeVillain, [[spoiler: Iris]], who turns out to be behind this all. |
| 362 | * ''Literature/{{Dragoncharm}}'': Wraith wants to keep Charm from disappearing from the world. The Charm appears to be dying, which is scaring most of the Charmed dragons along with making them sick, [[spoiler: but in truth it isn't dying, only going into a dormant state which it will wake up from in a few aeons - so long as the Seed of Charm gets planted. Wraith knows all this, but wants to keep the Seed and use its power for himself.]] To do this he [[spoiler: orders the capture of at least one community of Natural dragons plus a group of pacifist Charmed dragons who want to stop him,]] sends selected acolytes of his to [[spoiler: trigger deadly magical booby-traps]], and [[spoiler: murders Halcyon, the leader of the Charmed]]. |
| 363 | * ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'':The [[GodOfEvil dark goddess]] Takhisis is usually the Big Bad, though at various points of the timeline, she's been overshadowed by [[EldritchAbomination Chaos]], the dragon overlord Malystryx, and once nearly by [[MagnificentBastard Raistlin]]. |
| 364 | * In the ''Literature/DreadEmpire'' series, [[SorcerousOverlord the Princes Thaumaturge]] initially seem to be a BigBadEnsemble - until they're [[DiscOneFinalBoss killed off]], that is. [[AncientConspiracy The Pracchia]] then emerges as the collective chessmasters behind the titular empire's civil war and subsequent wars of expansion [[spoiler: and their leader is eventually revealed to be the Star Rider, who has been pulling everyone's strings for time immemorial and is firmly established as the overarching Big Bad of the entire saga]]. |
| 365 | %%* ''The Dreamers'': [[HiveQueen The Vlagh]] |
| 366 | * Most individual books in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' have one of these. |
| 367 | ** ''Literature/{{Storm Front|DresdenFiles}}'': [[EvilSorcerer Victor Sells]] is "The Shadowman" behind the murders Harry is investigating. |
| 368 | ** ''Literature/FoolMoon'': [[spoiler:[[SavageWolves Agent Denton]]]] is a KnightTemplar who is hunting down criminals that have escaped justice. |
| 369 | ** ''Literature/GravePeril'': [[OurGhostsAreDifferent The Nightmare]], the ghost of sorcerer Leonid Kravos, antagonizes Harry and the cops who killed him on behalf of [[EvilIsPetty Margravine Bianca St. Claire]], whose plans to get revenge on Dresden initiates a magical war between the White Council wizards and the Red Court vampires. |
| 370 | ** ''Literature/SummerKnight'': [[spoiler:[[DarkMessiah Lady Aurora]]]] is the one behind the murder of the Summer Knight, in an effort to give his power to Winter to disrupt the balance between the Winter and Summer Fae Courts. |
| 371 | ** ''Literature/DeathMasks'': [[TheChessmaster Nicodemus Archleone]] wants to use the Shroud Of Turin in order to spread a plague across the entire world. |
| 372 | ** ''Literature/BloodRites'': [[SuccubiAndIncubi Lord Raith]] is the driving force of the plot, being the one behind the murder of Arturo's workers as well as planning on killing Harry and Thomas to regain his lost glory and power. |
| 373 | ** ''Literature/DeadBeat'': [[EvilCounterpart Cowl]] is the leader of the three [[BastardUnderstudy heirs of Kemmler]], including Grevane and Corpsetaker, and plans to consume the souls of thousands in order to make himself all-powerful. |
| 374 | ** ''Literature/ProvenGuilty'': The Scarecrow is the eldest of the fetch wraiths being unleashed across the city. It's not quite clear ''who'' sent those wraiths, but the running theory is either [[TheVamp Maeve]] or [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Mab]]. |
| 375 | ** ''Literature/WhiteNight'': [[SerialKiller Vittorio Malvora]] is TheHeavy for Cowl, the two serving as the architects behind a plot to overthrow the Wraith family ruling the White Court. |
| 376 | ** ''Literature/SmallFavor'': [[NoNonsenseNemesis Nicodemus Archleone]] returns here and plans on kidnapping the Archive to turn her into a Denarian. |
| 377 | ** ''Literature/TurnCoat'': [[SkinWalker "Shagnasty"]] is a skinwalker brought in by the Black Council to cover for their spy on the White Council, [[spoiler:[[TheDogWasTheMastermind Samuel Peabody]].]] |
| 378 | ** ''Literature/{{Changes}}'': [[PhysicalGod Kukulcan, the Red King]] plots to cause the death of the entire Dresden family line by murdering [[spoiler:Dresden's daughter]]. That being said, his daughter [[BitchInSheepsClothing Duchess Ariana Ortega]] is TheHeavy who set most of the plot off by kidnapping [[spoiler:Dresden's daughter]] in the first place. |
| 379 | ** ''Literature/GhostStory'': [[spoiler: [[GrandTheftMe Corpsetaker]]]] aka The Grey Ghost is the driving force of the novel, and intends to bring herself back to life through any means necessary including torture, MindRape, and murder. |
| 380 | ** ''Literature/ColdDays'': [[spoiler: [[TheVamp Maeve]]]], who intends on unleashing the various evils and monsters [[SealedEvilInACan contained]] in the magical prison Demonreach upon the world. Though ultimately she was being influenced by the unseen GreaterScopeVillain, [[spoiler:[[TheCorruption Nemesis]]]]. |
| 381 | ** ''Literature/SkinGame'': [[KnightOfCerebus Nicodemus Archleone]] returns again and plans on stealing various items from Hades' vault situated in the underworld. |
| 382 | ** ''Literature/PeaceTalks'': [[spoiler: Ethniu the Last Titan]], who is revealed to be TheManBehindTheMan to the Fomor, and who arranges the titular PeaceConference only as an excuse to give a JoinOrDie speech to all the supernatural nations before declaring war on the whole world. |
| 383 | ** ''Literature/{{Battle Ground|2020}}'': [[TwoPartEpisode Continuing from the previous book]], [[spoiler: Ethniu]] continues to serve as the main antagonist, spearheading the Fomor's invasion of Chicago. [[spoiler: Near the end of the book, however, it's discovered that [[TheManBehindTheMan the true mastermind]] was actually [[BigBadFriend Justine]], possessed by [[EldritchAbomination Nemesis aka He Who Walks Beside]], who manipulated Ethniu's invasion as part of a larger plan.]] |
| 384 | ** That said, the driving force behind everything is the [[spoiler:[[GreaterScopeVillain Black Council]], which is believed to have been involved in setting up many of these Big Bads. Cowl is known to be a member. Nicodemus gets an honorable mention for being a non-Black Council recurring Big Bad in his own right.]] ''Cold Days'' further complicates matters by introducing [[spoiler: Nemesis, a form of quasi-intelligent magical infection which takes people over and causes them to act on behalf of [[EldritchAbomination the Outsiders]] and is implied to be behind most of the various bad happenings in the series. Nemesis and its tools may or may not be the same thing as the Black Council]]. |
| 385 | * With a blatant disregard for history, Creator/AlexandreDumas makes [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu]] the Big Bad of ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers''. And he does it again with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_de%27_Medici Catherine de' Medici]] in ''[[Literature/LaReineMargot Queen Margot]]''! |
| 386 | * The ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'' universe has several big bads over the series. |
| 387 | ** The original ''Literature/{{Dune}}'' has the infamous Baron Harkonnen, leader of House Harkonnen and driving force behind the plot against House Atreides. Technically he's doing it at the behest of TheEmperor, but the Baron also has his own personal ambitions to get rid of the Atreides and bolster House Harkonnen's power. |
| 388 | ** ''Literature/DuneMessiah'' introduces the Tleilaxu as the ones primarily opposing Paul Atreides and his new empire, with the Bene Gesserit and Spacing Guild as allies. |
| 389 | ** ''Literature/ChildrenOfDune'' sets up the remnants of House Corrino to be this, but the ultimate threat is really [[spoiler:a Baron Harkonnen-possessed Alia]]. |
| 390 | ** ''Literature/GodEmperorOfDune'' has Ix as the greatest threat to Leto II's Golden Path. They send both Malky and Hwi Noree to probe him for weaknesses, both tailored to seduce him and break his discipline. It is also Ix that posed the threat of the AI Hunter-Seekers of Leto's vision. Though Ix doesn't have a role in his death, his death actually furthers his plan. |
| 391 | ** ''Literature/HereticsOfDune'' introduces the Honored Matres, who emerge as the biggest threats to the universe post-Golden Path. |
| 392 | ** ''Literature/ChapterhouseDune'' continues the Honored Matre threat, now personified by Dama the 'Spider Queen', however it turns out the Honored Matres are themselves fleeing a greater threat, which may or may not be the mysterious Daniel and Marty. |
| 393 | %%** The ''Literature/LegendsOfDune'' prequels have the thinking machines. |
| 394 | |
| 395 | * ''Literature/DustDevils'': The main antagonist of the novel is King Vampire Adam Price, who's wreaking havoc across the Old West and is being hunted by hero, Cody. |
| 396 | [[/folder]] |
| 397 | |
| 398 | [[folder:E]] |
| 399 | * ''Literature/TheElenium'': [[EldritchAbomination Azash]], the evil Elder God of Styricum who was emasculated and sealed inside a clay idol. He's the main villain behind the events of the first trilogy and eventually the final enemy. |
| 400 | ** ''Literature/TheTamuli'': Several villains vie for the role, but in the end [[spoiler: it's Klael, TheUltimateEvil of the setting, and EvilCounterpart to Behelliom.]] |
| 401 | * The ''Literature/{{Emberverse}}'' books have [[EvilOverlord Norman Arminger]] in the original trilogy, and the Prophet (leader of the [[ReligionOfEvil Church Universal and Triumphant]]) in the later books. |
| 402 | * ''Literature/EmpireFromTheAshes'': Corien harbors a deep hatred for humanity, especially the Saints due to their deception cutting off his kin's physicality. He uses Rielle's own fears and desires to seduce her to his side, that way he can have the most powerful being aid him in his quest for vengeance. He puts himself at the top of a new rule, the Undying Empire, and- after Rielle's death- makes it so that humanity will live in constant fear and paranoia if they don't join in his regime, or obedient adoration if they do. Despite living centuries apart, both Rielle and Eliana are forced to fight against him in their own ways. |
| 403 | ** Book 1, ''Mutineers' Moon'', has Anu, the leader of the mutiny, who is a depraved power-hungry lunatic who has been manipulating Earth's society for millennia. |
| 404 | ** Book 2, ''The Armageddon Inheritance'', reveals that the setting's Big Bad as a whole is [[spoiler:the Achuultani MasterComputer, which enslaved the species and has been sending out the genocidal waves to perpetuate a state of emergency which allows it to keep itself in power due to a loophole in its programming.]] |
| 405 | ** Book 3, ''Heirs of Empire'', has [[spoiler:Lawrence Jefferson]], aka "Mister X", who has been working for decades on a plot to usurp the throne of the Fifth Imperium. |
| 406 | * ''Literature/TheEmpiriumTrilogy'': Corien harbors a deep hatred for humanity, especially the Saints due to their deception cutting off his kin's physicality. He uses Rielle's own fears and desires to seduce her to his side, that way he can have the most powerful being aid him in his quest for vengeance. He puts himself at the top of a new rule, the Undying Empire, and- after Rielle's death- makes it so that humanity will live in constant fear and paranoia if they don't join in his regime, or obedient adoration if they do. Despite living centuries apart, both Rielle and Eliana are forced to fight against him in their own ways. |
| 407 | * The Essalieyan Saga (''The Sacred Hunt'' duology, ''Literature/TheSunSword'' series and the ''House War'' series) has [[GodOfEvil Allasakar]], Lord of the Hells, whose return to the mortal world and plans to [[HellOnEarth absorb it into his domain]] drives the overarching MythArc of the connected series. |
| 408 | * ''Literature/TheExorcist'': Pazuzu, the [[FallenAngel demon]] [[DemonicPossession possessing]] Regan [=McNeil=] in order to triumph over [[GoodShepherd Father]] [[ArchEnemy Lankester Merrin]] by resisting exorcism and destroying the girl before his eyes. |
| 409 | ** The sequel, ''[[https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765327130/legion Legion]]'', has [[spoiler: James Vennamun]], a [[spoiler: [[BackFromTheDead formerly deceased]]]] SerialKiller [[spoiler: in the body of the prequel's protagonist, Father Damien Karras,]] who is responsible for a series of brutal murders in Washington, D.C. [[spoiler: The previous BigBad, Pazuzu, is the [[GreaterScopeVillain one behind]] Vennamun's return, and chose Karras' body and some of Vennamun's targets in [[{{Revenge}} revenge]] for being exorcised.]] |
| 410 | [[/folder]] |
| 411 | |
| 412 | [[folder:F]] |
| 413 | * ''Literature/{{Fablehaven}}'' has [[spoiler: [[TheChessmaster the Sphinx]], who posed as a friend of the heroes until his real position as the leader of the Society of the Evening Star was revealed]]. Followed, briefly, by [[spoiler: [[SealedEvilInACan the demons of Zzyzx]], and Graulas and Nagi Luna]]. |
| 414 | * In the first ''Literature/FaeriesOfDreamdark'' book, it's [[NamesToRunAwayFrom/{{Colors}} the Blackbringer]]. The next book features [[spoiler: Dusk, an old friend of Magpie's]] and to a lesser extent, Ethiag. Ethiag is the general (and mind-controller... person) of a huge horde of other demons, but he's still only second in command. |
| 415 | * ''Literature/FirebirdTrilogy'': |
| 416 | ** ''Firebird'': Phoena Angelo is the sponsor of Dr. Cleary's biological weapons research and thus the driving force behind the invasion of Veroh, which resulted in Veroh being rendered open-air uninhabitable, the disappearance of several merchant ships, the Netaian resistence against the Federacy, and the need for Brennen Caldwell and Firebird Angelo to infiltrate and partially destroy Hunter Heights, which got them both nearly killed (by Phoena) and Brennen court-marshalled and dismissed. |
| 417 | ** ''Fusion Fire'': Eshdeth Shirak, as the leader of the Shuhr, is the mastermind behind the Sunton massacre (utter destruction of a residential town), the attack on the Sentinel College, the deaths of the two child princesses of Netaia, Phoena's departure to the Shuhr and her imprisonment by them, Brennen's captivity after he tries to rescue Pheona on the Federacy's orders, and the plan to kill Firebird to break Brennen. |
| 418 | ** ''Crown of Fire'': Modabah Shirak, Eshdeth's son, takes over where his father left off. He orchestrates a number of plans within plans in an attempt to re-capture Brennen, including taking over the Netaian government from the shadows and several attempts on Firebird's life. |
| 419 | ** ''Wind and Shadow'': This book features two Big Bads, one for each thread of the story. |
| 420 | *** The Shadow possessing Tamím Bar'Baror kidnaps Kiel Caldwell, thinking him the Boh-Dabar[[note]]a long-expected spiritual leader who was supposed to restore all people and remake the world[[/note]], in an attempt to corrupt him and causes or encourages a number of destructive events, including the destruction of the planet Three Zed. |
| 421 | *** Jahana is the leader of the neo-Shuhr group and is a cruel but powerful woman. She is responsible for a number of deaths and disappearances and intends to take over the galaxy through a combination of reviving ancient technology, bringing the Shuhr policies of unlimited use of telepathy back into play, and posing Kinnor Caldwell as Boh-Dabar and using him as her spokesman. |
| 422 | ** ''Daystar'': Piper Gambrel, along with the Shadow possessing him (a different Shadow than the above), is determined to wipe out the Sentinels. To this end, he manufacture fear and persecution of the Sentinels, forcing them all to take refuge on their sanctuary world. Once he has them thus isolated, he comes up with a way to introduce a virus which will kill them and only them, plus he has several back-up plans in place in case that fails. |
| 423 | * Judge Craven in ''Literature/{{Flawed}}'' is the cause of all of Celestine's problems, [[spoiler:from her multiple undeserved brandings, to getting rid of anyone that might support her in her plight.]] |
| 424 | * In ''Literature/FlawedDogs'', Cassius is single-handedly responsible for getting Sam disowned and kicked out of the house, starting the conflict. |
| 425 | * ''Literature/TheFlyingBoy'' has Dr. Paigne, a mad scientist who wants to take over the world. |
| 426 | %%* In Creator/FrancisEDec's rants, the Worldwide Mad Deadly Communist Gangster Computer God, whose name tells you all you need to know about it. |
| 427 | * ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'': [[FrankensteinsMonster The creature]], who's responsible for most of the damage in the novel in his pursuit of vengeance against his creator. |
| 428 | [[/folder]] |
| 429 | |
| 430 | [[folder:G]] |
| 431 | * ''Literature/Gameknight999'': Herobrine is this for the second and third series, controlling huge armies of monsters to destroy the Minecraft world and threaten the safety of the real world. [[spoiler:He also turns out to have been [[TheManBehindTheMan behind the villains]] of the first book]]. |
| 432 | * ''Literature/TheGauntlet2017'': The game is ruled over by The Architect, who decides what challenges the players face, and keeps those who fail trapped in the game permanently. |
| 433 | * ''Literature/GhostRoads'': [[ImmortalityImmorality Bobby Cross]] is an evil immortal who prolongs his life by killing people with his car and then consuming their ghosts. He also stands as heroine Rose Marshall's ArchEnemy and main opponent due to his relentless pursuit of her as the victim that got away. |
| 434 | * In ''Literature/TheGirlFromTheMiraclesDistrict'', Ture turns out to be behind most the threats and kidnappings that's been plaguing Nikita in recent days. |
| 435 | * ''Literature/{{Gone}}'': [[EldritchAbomination The Gaiaphage/Darkness]], the being responsible for the FAYZ who attempts to escape it and assimilate all of humanity. |
| 436 | * ''[[https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/47367/a-good-and-happy-child-by-justin-evans/ A Good and Happy Child]]'' by Justin Evans: [[TheProtagonist George Davies']] "Friend," a demon seeking to destroy him and those around him. |
| 437 | * ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'': |
| 438 | ** ''Literature/WelcomeToDeadHouse'': [[TheNecrocracy Compton Dawes]], the one most responsible for luring new victims in his role as Estate agent, and thus keeping the town active for so long. |
| 439 | ** ''Literature/StayOutOfTheBasement'': [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters Dr. Brewer's Clone]], who wants to replace the original Brewster. |
| 440 | ** ''Literature/MonsterBlood'': [[WickedWitch Sarabeth]], the Blood's original creator. |
| 441 | ** ''Literature/TheCurseOfTheMummysTomb'': Ahmed, who murders those who intrude upon the temple and turns them into mummies in order to apease his ancestors' curse. |
| 442 | ** ''Literature/NightOfTheLivingDummy'': Mr. Wally Wood, a dummy brought to life who torments his owners and threatens their loved ones. [[BreakoutVillain Slappy the Dummy]] is the main villain of the sequels, wanting to enslave his owners, as well as the rest of the family. |
| 443 | ** ''Literature/TheGirlWhoCriedMonster'': Eugene Mortman, a monster disguised as a human who attempts to eat Lucy after she discovers his secret. |
| 444 | ** ''Literature/WelcomeToCampNightmare'': [[DrillSergeantNasty Uncle Al]], the director of Camp Nightmoon, and thus the one most responsible for the horrible events that occur on its grounds. |
| 445 | ** ''Literature/TheHauntedMask'': [[TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday The Shopkeeper]], who created the masks and has a bad habit of letting them fall into the hands of children. |
| 446 | ** ''Literature/BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor'': [[LiteralGenie Clarissa]], who carries out Samantha and Judith's destructive wishes. |
| 447 | ** ''Literature/PianoLessonsCanBeMurder'': [[MadScientist Mr.]] [[SerialKiller Toggle]], who finds people with beautiful hands and chops them off to be converted into machines. |
| 448 | ** ''Literature/DeepTrouble'': [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Alexander [=DuBrow=]]], who kidnaps the mermaid with the intent of selling her. |
| 449 | ** ''Literature/ReturnOfTheMummy'': [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Princess Nila]], a thousands year old Egyptian princess who hopes to use the Hassad family as a means to resurrect her brother. |
| 450 | ** ''Literature/AttackOfTheMutant'': The Masked Mutant, a comic book villain who travels to the real world And attempts to murder his biggest fan. |
| 451 | ** ''Literature/ItCameFromBeneathTheSink'': [[ClingyMacGuffin The Grool]], a sponge-like creature that bestows bad luck on anyone who comes into possession of it - and death to anyone who tries to get rid of it. |
| 452 | ** ''Literature/TheBarkingGhost'': The Ghost Dogs, humans cursed to roam the woods as undead dogs who seek to use the Changing Room to switch bodies with the protagonists to free themselves from the curse. |
| 453 | ** ''Literature/TheHorrorAtCampJellyjam'': [[BlobMonster King Jellyjam]], the mascot of the titular camp who forces the campers to constantly bathe him, lest they be eaten. |
| 454 | ** ''Literature/EggMonstersFromMars'': Doctor Gray, who imprisons Dana and the egg monsters from Mars in his lab in order to experiment on them. |
| 455 | ** ''Literature/TheBeastFromTheEast'': Fleg, the leader of the group of Beasts encountered by Ginger and her brothers. |
| 456 | ** ''Literature/CallingAllCreeps'': The Creep Commander, eventually known as [[spoiler:[[ThenLetMeBeEvil Ricky Beamer]]]], who plans on turning the entire school into Creeps. |
| 457 | ** ''Literature/TheHeadlessGhost'': The Sea Captain, whose actions before the story were what created the Headless Ghost and turned Hill House into a place of tragedy. |
| 458 | ** ''Literature/BewareTheSnowman'': The titular snowman, who terrorizes the mountain village of Sherpia. |
| 459 | ** ''Literature/ChickenChicken'': [[WickedWitch Vanessa]], a witch who curses Crystal and Cole to slowly, and painfully, transform into chickens [[DisproportionateRetribution because they made her drop her groceries by accident]]. |
| 460 | ** ''Literature/InvasionOfTheBodySqueezers'': The[[AliensAreBastards Body Squeezers]], alien invaders who can take over human beings by hugging and then crawling into their bodies. |
| 461 | ** ''Literature/HeadlessHalloween'': [[VillainProtagonist Brandon]] [[TeensAreMonsters Plush.]] His sadistic pranks and morbid sense of humor put everyone in danger, and he [[BreakTheHaughty winds up being put through hell]] to undo them. |
| 462 | ** ''Literature/TheHauntedCar'': Becka, whose soul is trapped within the titular car, who wants to kill Mitchell so she'll have someone to ride alongside her. |
| 463 | ** ''Literature/FullMoonFever'': Mrs. Eakens, who turns Robbie and Alesha into monsters. |
| 464 | * ''Literature/GreatExpectations'': The deceptive and equally cruel Compeyson. He ruins Miss Havisham by pretending to love her, inheriting a lot of money from her (which was his goal the entire time) and then abandoning her before their supposed marriage and running away with the money. |
| 465 | %%* ''Literature/GuardiansOfGaHoole'' has first [[spoiler:Kludd]], and then later, Nyra. The first book had Skench and Spoorn, but they don't stick around. |
| 466 | * ''Literature/GulliversTravels'': The people of Blefuscu who are at war with the good Lilliputians. |
| 467 | * ''Literature/TheGunsOfTheSouth'': Andries Rhoodie, the head of the AWB, who hopes to prolong slavery and racism by giving AK-47s to the Confederacy [[spoiler: only to turn on them and try to kill Robert E. Lee.]] |
| 468 | [[/folder]] |
| 469 | |
| 470 | [[folder:H]] |
| 471 | * ''Literature/HaloShadowOfIntent'': The most active villain is the Prelate attacking peaceful colonies, but he works for the Minister of Preparation, who turns out to not be entirely truthful to his own soldiers and [[FinalSolution has his own plans for his enemies]]. |
| 472 | * ''Literature/HarryPotter'': [[TheDreaded Lord Voldemort]], aka [[EvilCounterpart Tom Marvolo Riddle]]. Each book also has its own main villain, but with the exception of the fifth, all of them trace back to or are acting under the orders of Voldemort. In order: |
| 473 | ** Philosopher's Stone: [[spoiler: [[TheDogWasTheMastermind Professor Quirinius Quirrell]]]], who is attempting to steal the titular stone in order to revive Voldemort. |
| 474 | ** Chamber of Secrets: [[spoiler: the memory of [[EvilCounterpart Tom Riddle]], uses [[BasiliskAndCockatrice Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk]] to attack the Muggle-Borns in Hogwarts. Later, Riddle kidnaps Ginny Weasley in order to drain her life force to create a body of himself. The story also has [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Lucius Malfoy]], who awakened the duo by arranging for the Diary Horcrux to be smuggled into Hogwarts - though we discover much later on that he wasn't aware of the book's true power at the time]]. |
| 475 | ** Prisoner of Azkaban: The [[EmotionEater Dementors]] [[spoiler: and [[{{Slimeball}} Peter Pettigrew]]]]. The former are prison guards meant to guard the school from the wanted fugitive Sirius Black, but in practice are a threat to the students as well. [[spoiler: The latter is the EvilFormerFriend of James, Sirius, and Lupin, having betrayed James and Lily Potter to Voldemort and framing Sirius for it, before murdering several Muggles in order to [[FakingTheDeath fake his own death]] and incriminate Sirius further, leading to Sirius's imprisonment in Azkaban. After being exposed, Pettigrew flees, ensuring that Sirius is unable to [[ClearMyName clear his name]].]] |
| 476 | ** Goblet of Fire: [[spoiler: [[PsychoSupporter Bartemius "Barty" Crouch, Jr]]. who is posing as Professor Alastor Moody as part of a scheme to help revive Voldemort with Harry's blood.]] |
| 477 | ** Order of the Phoenix: [[TyrantTakesTheHelm Dolores Umbridge]], who attempts to control the teachers and students of Hogwarts with an iron fist and undermines any attempt to teach defensive magic to students. While she's loyal to ObstructiveBureaucrat [[HeadInTheSandManagement Minister Cornelius Fudge]], most of her actions (notably [[spoiler: sending Dementors to kill Harry]]) are done entirely on her own initiative without his knowledge or approval. |
| 478 | ** Half-Blood Prince: [[RivalTurnedEvil Draco Malfoy]], who spends the year attempting to kill Albus Dumbledore on Voldemort's orders, [[spoiler: as well as repairing the Vanishing Cabinet, which he uses to let Death Eaters into Hogwarts.]] |
| 479 | ** Dealthly Hallows: [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Lord Voldemort]] himself, who takes over the Ministry of Magic and systematically begins hunting down Muggle-Borns and other individuals deemed "Undesirable", with Harry himself at the top of that list. |
| 480 | %%* Rhona Thyll from ''Literature/AHarvestOfWar'' is a straight example. |
| 481 | * ''Literature/TheHeavenCycle'': The ultimate Big Bad of the series is [[spoiler:the original Chayne Summers, who kickstarts the Heaven Cycle to begin with as part of a LongGame to create a paradise for her and her daughter -- at the expense of the rest of reality.]] |
| 482 | ** ''Literature/FromHeavensDoor'': The Director, the head of the amoral organization Red Clover. [[spoiler: Except he's being used as a figurehead; the masterminds are [[MisanthropeSupreme Chayne Summers]] and [[AxCrazy Ashton Sharpe]] forming a BigBadDuumvirate.]] |
| 483 | ** ''Literature/BeforeHeaven'': [[spoiler: Alice, Mint's original personality.]] |
| 484 | ** ''Literature/TheTouchOfHeaven'': Jango Marley, the leader of the raiders. [[spoiler: Until Alice reawakens and promptly [[HijackedByGanon hijacks the conflict from him]], once again becoming the Big Bad themself.]] |
| 485 | ** ''Literature/HeavenAndHell'': [[spoiler:The original Chayne Summers, who finally becomes the central threat at the end of ''The Ambition of Hell''.]] |
| 486 | %%* ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'': Ma'ar/Mornelithe Falconsbane. |
| 487 | * ''Literature/{{Holes}}'':[[WardensAreEvil Warden Louise Walker]], the head of Camp Green Lake who makes the campers' stays hell. |
| 488 | %%* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': [[AncientConspiracy The Mesan Alignment]]. |
| 489 | * ''Literature/HowToSellAHauntedHouse:'' Pupkin the living puppet serves as the main antagonist of the book, being the entity that's haunting the Joyner house. |
| 490 | |
| 491 | * ''Literature/TheHungerGames'' [[PresidentEvil President Coriolanus Snow]]. As the leader of the totalitarian regime responsible for organizing the Hunger Games, he serves as the prime mover behind all the horrific events that transpire within the story, until Alma Coin seizes control from him near the end of ''Mockingjay'' by trying to go for a FullCircleRevolution. |
| 492 | [[/folder]] |
| 493 | |
| 494 | [[folder:I]] |
| 495 | * ''Literature/IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer'': [[spoiler:Collingsworth Wilson targets four young people who caused the death of his little brother David in a hit-and-run accident]]. |
| 496 | %%* ''Literature/TheImmortalRules'': Sarren. |
| 497 | %%* ''Literature/InCryptid'' series: |
| 498 | %%** ''Discount Armageddon'': The [[NoNameGiven unnamed Cult leader]] and [[spoiler: [[EvilMatriarch Betty]]]]. |
| 499 | %%** ''Midnight Blue-Light Special'': [[KnightTemplar Margaret "Maggie" Healy]]. |
| 500 | %%** ''Half-Off Ragnarok '': [[spoiler:[[ScaledUp Lloyd]]]]. |
| 501 | %%** ''Pocket Apocalypse'': [[spoiler:[[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Cooper]]]]. |
| 502 | %%** ''Chaos Choreography'': [[spoiler:[[ReligionOfEvil Anders and Colin]]]]. |
| 503 | * ''Literature/InDeath'' series: In each book, the murderer Eve is trying to get would be considered the villain. However, for the entire series, Max Ricker qualifies as the Big Bad. Why? Well, he's a crime boss who controls a vast criminal empire. He had dealings with the terrorist organization Cassandra from ''Loyalty in Death''. He appears again in ''Promises in Death'', despite being in prison. Eve's father Richard Troy and Roarke's father Patrick Roarke actually worked for Max Ricker, although they were not particularly high up in the ranks of his organization. If all this does not make Max Ricker the overall Big Bad, then what does? |
| 504 | * ''[[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/609413.Incubus Incubus]]'' by Ann Arensberg has the Dry Falls entity, a being (or ''beings'') that, for reasons the beleagured residents of the rural town of Dry Falls cannot comprehend, is raping women while they are in a state of sleep paralysis. It also warps the very weather of the region, creating an unending HeatWave. |
| 505 | * ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'': [[EvilOverlord King Galbatorix]] is a former Dragon Rider who destroyed the rest and took over the land of Alagaësia. The entirety of the series is a plot to overthrow him. |
| 506 | * The [[BigBadDuumvirate two Big Bads]] in ''[[https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/321872/the-ipcress-file-by-deighton-len/9780241505427 The IPCRESS File]]'' by Creator/LenDeighton are [[spoiler:Jay, a "talent scout" for the Kremlin, and Dalby, [[DoubleAgent head of the intelligence agency WOOC(P)]] and the [[NoNameGiven unnamed]] protagonist's [[BigBadFriend boss]], who are carrying out an elaborate operation [[{{Brainwashed}} brainwashing]] important British scientists into serving as moles for the Soviets]]. |
| 507 | %%* ''Literature/IronManSteelTerror'' has Ultron. |
| 508 | [[/folder]] |
| 509 | |
| 510 | [[folder:J]] |
| 511 | * ''Literature/JadeGreen'': [[spoiler:[[DirtyOldMan Charles]], Jade Green's murderer.]] |
| 512 | * Creator/JamesHerbert: |
| 513 | ** ''Literature/TheDark'': Occultist Boris Pryzslak, by murderous ritual, harnessed the Dark, a concentration of malice manifest in sentient concentrations of darkness. From beyond the grave, he and his followers remain its agents. |
| 514 | ** ''Literature/Moon1985'': A psychic SerialKiller known only as [[spoiler: Heckatty]], with [[MindRape horrific visions]] and murderous violence, torments similarly psychic Jonathan Childes. |
| 515 | ** ''Literature/TheMagicCottage:'' Eldritch P Mycroft, head of a seemingly harmless mystic society, [[spoiler: is a highly unscrupulous, power-crazed fanatic]]. |
| 516 | ** ''Literature/TheGhostsOfSleath'': Carl Beardsmore, descendant of occult experimenters the Lockwoods, pursues their [[HumanSacrifice murderous]] aim to [[ImmortalitySeeker harness the discarnate soul]]. |
| 517 | ** ''Literature/Creed1990'' Nicholas Mallik, head of demonic cult the Fallen Angels. |
| 518 | ** ''Literature/{{Portent}}'': Mama Pitie, priestess of the Temple of the Blessed Earth, sees recent ecological turmoil as the Earth's vengeance. In aid of this, she targets psychic twins Joshua and Eva. |
| 519 | ** ''Literature/{{Others}}'': Dr Leonard K Wisbeech, director of retirement home Perfect Rest, [[spoiler: secretly conducts brutally inhumane study of bodily deformed people]]. |
| 520 | ** ''Literature/{{Once}}'': [[WickedWitch Occult practitioner]] Nell Quick, by insidious ritual, aims to [[spoiler: acquire the Bracken estate]]. |
| 521 | ** ''Literature/TheSecretOfCrickleyHall'': Maurice Stafford, now known as [[spoiler: Gordon Pike]], having been a [[BlitzEvacuees war evacuee]] under the abusive Augustus and Magda Cribben, aims to dissuade the latter's haunting of him by [[spoiler: murdering one last child of Crickley Hall]].%%* Literature/JohnDevil and Colonel Bozzo of ''Literature/TheBlackCoats'' by Creator/PaulFeval. |
| 522 | * ''[[https://www.thefiredrake.com/novel-Jerusalem.html Jerusalem]]'' by [[https://www.thefiredrake.com/about.html Cecelia Holland]]: There's a BigBadEnsemble between Saladin, who seeks to destroy the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the [[AmbitionIsEvil power-hungry]], [[ManipulativeBastard scheming]] [[UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar Templar]] officer Gerard de Ridford, [[TheProtagonist Rannulf Fitzwilliam's]] personal ArchEnemy who plots ceaselessly to become the Templars' grand master and the [[TheManBehindTheMan power behind the throne]], blind to how his conniving weakens the kingdom itself. |
| 523 | * ''Literature/TheJourneyToAtlantis'': Most of the violent "natural" things that happen to the characters are actually the result of [[spoiler: the mischievous beast-god Loki]]. |
| 524 | * ''Literature/TheJungleBook'': Shere Khan the tiger in and its adaptations is Mowgli’s ArchEnemy who is the most reoccurring villain, as well as being responsible for Mowgli being raised in the jungle in the first place after attacking Mowgli’s family when the latter was a baby. |
| 525 | * ''Literature/JurassicPark1990'': John Hammond, the CEO of [=InGen=] and creator of Jurassic Park. All of the dangers the characters encounter occur due to his fixation on opening the park, regardless of how unsafe it is. |
| 526 | ** ''Literature/TheLostWorld1995'': Lewis Dodgson, the head of research at Biosyn known for his law-breaking studies and being in charge of corporate espionage for the company. He appeared as more of a GreaterScopeVillain in the [[Literature/JurassicPark first book]], but has a more direct role in this one. |
| 527 | [[/folder]] |
| 528 | |
| 529 | [[folder:K]] |
| 530 | * ''Literature/TheKaijuPreservationSociety'': [[spoiler: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Rob Sanders]]]], who wants to steal {{Kaiju}} genetic material to unlock the secrets of growing a biological nuclear reactor. |
| 531 | %%** Apophis in ''Literature/TheKaneChronicles'', with [[spoiler: Set and Vladimir Menshikov]] as TheHeavy for The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire respectively. |
| 532 | %%* ''Literature/KeysToTheKingdom'': Superior Saturday. |
| 533 | * Creator/StephenKing books often have one: |
| 534 | ** ''Literature/{{Carrie}}'': [[AbusiveParents Margaret White]], [[AlphaBitch Christine Hargensen]], and [[{{Delinquents}} Billy Nolan]], all of whom contribute to Carrie's trauma that leads to her RoaringRampageOfRevenge. |
| 535 | ** ''Literature/SalemsLot'': Kurt Barlow, an ancient vampire whose ultimate goal is to turn Jerusalem's Lot into a nest for vampires. |
| 536 | ** ''Literature/TheShining'': [[GeniusLoci The Overlook Hotel]], who corrupts Jack and drives him to attempt to murder his family. |
| 537 | ** ''Literature/JerusalemsLot'': James Boon, who converts the residents of Jerusalem's Lot to his cult and sacrifices them to [[EldritchAbomination the Worm]]. |
| 538 | ** ''Literature/TheStand'': Randall Flagg, a servant of the Devil who takes over Las Vegas and plots to conquer the rest of the nation. |
| 539 | ** ''Literature/TheDeadZone'': Greg Stillson, an up-and-coming politician whom Johnny must stop from getting elected after forseeing that he'll cause a nuclear apocalypse. |
| 540 | ** ''Literature/{{Firestarter}}'': Captain Hollister, the man in charge of The Shop and the person behind the manhunt to find Charlie and her father. |
| 541 | ** ''Literature/{{Cujo}}'': [[BewareOfViciousDog Cujo]], a Saint Bernard turned into a rabid monster by rabies terrorizing his owners. |
| 542 | ** ''Literature/TheDarkTower'': The Crimson King is the being behind all the chaos and decay in Mid-World, as well as all the Worlds that are connected by the Dark Tower, undermining the Tower and causing the steady collapse of the multiverse. [[spoiler:Given that it's heavily implied the events of all of his novels take place on different levels of the Tower, the Crimson King could be seen as the Big Bad of King's entire literary universe.]] |
| 543 | ** ''Literature/{{Christine}}'': Christine, the killer car who gradually exerts her influence over Arnie. |
| 544 | %%** ''Literature/PetSematary'': The dead pets and humans cursed by the main big bad the Wendigo. |
| 545 | ** ''Literature/CycleOfTheWerewolf'': [[spoiler:Reverend Lowe]], the werewolf terrorizing the small town. |
| 546 | %%** ''Literature/TheTalisman'': Morgan Sloat |
| 547 | ** ''Literature/TheMist'': Mrs. Carmody, who forms a cult of terrified survivors with herself as the leader. |
| 548 | ** ''Literature/{{It}}'': [[MonsterClown Pennywise/It]], an EldritchAbomination disguised as a clown who emerges every thirty years to devour the children of Derry, Maine. |
| 549 | ** ''Literature/TheEyesOfTheDragon'': [[spoiler:Randall Flagg]], the king's court magician who aims to plunge the land of Delain into a new Dark Age. |
| 550 | ** ''Literature/{{Misery}}'': [[LoonyFan Annie Wilkes]], who imprisons Paul Sheldon when he kills off her favorite character in his latest book and forces him to bring her back to life. |
| 551 | ** ''Literature/TheDarkHalf'': George Stark, Thad Beaumont’s EvilTwin and pen-name who died in utero but was resurrected when Thad revealed his identity and killed him off. He seeks revenge on the people who caused his death and makes Thad write a novel with him to allow him to live again. |
| 552 | ** ''Literature/RoseMadder'': Normal Daniels, Rose Daniels abusive and psychopathic husband and a crooked cop who she escapes from at the start of the novel and who searches for her using his skills as a police officer. |
| 553 | ** ''Literature/TheGreenMile'': [[spoiler:William “Wild Bill” Wharton is revealed to be this as he causes a lot of problems on the mile during Paul Edgecomb’s time there and is responsible for the rape and murder of the two little girls that John Coffey is in prison for]]. |
| 554 | ** ''Literature/{{Desperation}}[=/=]Literature/TheRegulators'': Tak, an extra dimensional entity that came from a dimensional gateway in the mines called an ‘ini.’ The being possessed various people in the town of Desperation and killed everyone in a brutal fashion, leaving the town seemingly deserted. It possessed Collie Entragian, the local sheriff and kidnapped people traveling past the town. |
| 555 | %%** ''Literature/BagOfBones'': Has a BigBadEnsemble of Sara Tidwell and Max Devore. |
| 556 | ** ''Literature/{{Dreamcatcher}}'': Mr. Gray, the leader of the aliens invading who possessed and took control of Jonesy because of his near death experience at the beginning of the novel. He plots to put his alien fungus into the water supply so he can spread throughout the world and take it over. |
| 557 | ** ''Literature/{{Cell}}'': The Raggedy Man, a phoner with powerful psychic powers who serves as their leader. He plots to trick people by guiding them to Tomahawk and turn everyone on the planet to phoners. |
| 558 | %%** ''Literature/DumaKey'': Perse |
| 559 | ** ''Literature/UnderTheDome'': Selectman James P. "Big Jim" Rennie, who conspires to use the panic of the people to become the town's dictator. |
| 560 | %%** ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'': Samuel Norton |
| 561 | ** ''Literature/{{Joyland}}'': [[spoiler:Lane Hardy aka The Carny Killer, the amusement park employee Devin befriended who is actually the serial killer that has unintentionally trapped the ghost of Linda Gray in the amusement park ride. He believes Devin has figured out he was the killer and has been looking to confront him.]] |
| 562 | ** ''Literature/DoctorSleep'': Rose the Hat, the leader of the True Knot who are hunting children who shine for food to extend their lives. She hunts the deuteragonist, Abra Stone, who is the most powerful shiner she has found and becomes her archenemy. |
| 563 | ** ''Literature/{{Revival}}'': Charles Jacobs, following his Face–Heel Turn, becomes a Mad Scientist who dupes people into becoming the guinea pigs for his experiments to reveal the other world through his "special electricity". |
| 564 | ** ''Literature/TheOutsider2018'': The Outsider, an EldritchAbomination who rapes and murders children and uses his shapeshifting abilities to frame others for them. |
| 565 | ** ''Literature/TheInstitute'': Mrs Julia Sigsby, the woman in charge of the Institute who is responsible for their kidnappings and views them all as her property. |
| 566 | ** ''Literature/{{Later}}'': [[spoiler:The Deadlight, a mysterious cosmic entity that takes control of the ghost of terrorist, Kenneth Therriault. It becomes fascinated with Jamie as only he can see it]] and it becomes a fear-eater, similar to Pennywise the Dancing Clown. |
| 567 | ** ''Literature/BillySummers'': [[spoiler:Roger Klerke, the media mogul who ordered the hit on Joel Allen to cover up the fact that he assassinated his own son who was going to bring some disturbing truths about him to light.]] |
| 568 | * Subverted in ''Literature/TheKingdomsOfEvil'' with the main character, who is a moral person forced to act as an evil overlord. |
| 569 | * ''[[https://www.blacklibrary.com/prod-home/new/krieg-ebook-eng-2022.html Krieg]]'': For the events taking place in the "present," it's the [[Characters/Warhammer40000Orks orks]] who've taken over [[HiveCity Hive Arathron]] and are both threatening to [[TheHorde spread over the entire planet]] and [[spoiler: accidentally discover a [[LostSuperweapon hidden armory of nuclear weapons]].]] For the events in the past, the [[CorruptPolitician Chairman]] of Krieg's Council of Autocrats starts out as the BigBad, leading his planet in seceding from the [[Characters/Warhammer40000Imperium Imperium of Man]], but it's the [[DragonInChief more driven and competent General Krause who starts to take charge]] when the Chairman reveals himself [[DirtyCoward too faint-hearted]] to truly lead the rebellion. [[spoiler: When the Chairman is assassinated, Krause [[DragonAscendant steps forward as the ultimate Big Bad]].]] |
| 570 | [[/folder]] |
| 571 | |
| 572 | [[folder:L]] |
| 573 | * ''[[https://sharonkaypenman.com/books/the-land-beyond-the-sea/ The Land Beyond the Sea]]'' by [[https://sharonkaypenman.com/about/ Sharon Kay Penman]]: While evil is a bit too strong given the book's [[GreyAndGrayMorality realism]] and [[DeliberateValuesDissonance depiction of value systems quite different to our modern sensibilities]], Salāh al-Dīn, or Saladin, is the main antagonist to the story's EnsembleCast of Frankish royals and nobles, proving to be an existential threat to their [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Kingdom of Jerusalem]]. |
| 574 | %%* ''Literature/TheLandOfStories'': |
| 575 | %%** The Evil Queen for ''The Wishing Spell''. |
| 576 | %%** The Enchantress for ''The Enchantress Returns''. |
| 577 | %%** General Marquis for ''A Grimm Problem''. |
| 578 | %%** The Masked Man for ''Beyond the Kingdoms''. |
| 579 | * ''Literature/TheLastVampire'': |
| 580 | ** ''The Last Vampire'': [[MonsterProgenitor Yaksha]], the first vampire and the heroine Sita's sire plans to kill her in order to atone for his creation of vampires. |
| 581 | ** ''Black Blood'': [[AxCrazy Eddie Fender]] is an evil, newborn vampire who plans on wiping out most of humanity and ruling over the survivors as there leader. |
| 582 | ** ''Red Dice'': [[MadScientist Arturo Evola]] plans to discover the secrets of vampires in order to gain divinity for mankind through the use of immortal vampire-human hybrids. |
| 583 | ** ''Phantom'': [[AntagonisticOffspring Kalika]] is Sita's daughter whose [[spoiler:apparent]] rising evil serves as the main plot of the novel. |
| 584 | ** ''Evil Thirst'': Kalika [[spoiler:initially seems to be this only for the reveal of the true main villain whose [[AliensAreBastards Ortyo/"James Seter"]]]] and plans on consuming a child who is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ in order to gain godly powers. |
| 585 | ** ''Creatures Of Forever'': [[EvilSorcerer Landulf of Capa]] who plans on shifting the balance between good and evil towards evil by manipulating Sita. |
| 586 | * ''[[https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250018182/last-days Last Days]]'' by [[https://adamlgnevill.com/ Adam Nevill]]: Sister Katherine, the megalomaniacal, [[TheNarcissist narcissistic]], [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] leader of [[ApocalypseCult The Temple of the Last Days]] [[spoiler: who didn't actually die in the cult's massacre of 1975 but, having made a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with malevolent beings known as the Blood Friends]], [[BodySurf placed her soul in the body of a child]] and is in the process of trying to do so again.]] |
| 587 | %%* Gwilanna from ''Literature/TheLastDragonChronicles''. Until the Ix show up. |
| 588 | * ''Literature/TheLastRune'' has the Elder God [[GodOfEvil Mohg]]. However, he's currently [[SealedEvilInACan trapped between worlds]] and has to rely on proxies to do much of his heavy lifting - chiefly, [[EvilOverlord the Pale King]] in the HighFantasy world of Eldh, and [[MegaCorp Duratek]] in the UrbanFantasy of modern Earth. |
| 589 | * ''Last Sword of Power'': Wotan, aka Molech. |
| 590 | * ''Literature/TheLaundryFiles'': The overall biggest threat are the various [[EldritchAbomination soul-sucking horrors from beyond space-time]] poised to descend upon Earth [[spoiler:once CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN goes active]], and in particular the most powerful of them: [[spoiler:N'Yar Lath-Hotep, The Black Pharaoh]]. However, each book has a (usually human) villain who presents a smaller and more immediate threat, who are usually taking orders from one of the aforementioned soul-sucking horrors. |
| 591 | ** ''The Atrocity Archive'': Set up to be whoever's in charge of the [[{{Ghostapo}} Ahnenerbe SS]], but is actually [[spoiler:[[SpacetimeEater The Infovore]]]]. |
| 592 | ** ''The Jennifer Morgue'': [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Ellis]] [[DiabolicalMastermind Billington]], [[spoiler:with JENNIFER MORGUE as [[TheManBehindTheMan the creature behind the man]]]]. |
| 593 | ** ''The Fuller Memorandum'': [[spoiler:Iris]], although the real surprise is [[spoiler:that the Eater Of Souls ISN'T the GreaterScopeVillain]]. |
| 594 | ** ''The Apocalypse Codex'': [[SinisterMinister Pastor Raymond Schiller]], who is taking orders from [[spoiler:The Sleeper In The Pyramid On The Dead Plateau]]. |
| 595 | %%* Ouyang Feng, towards the end of ''Literature/TheLegendOfTheCondorHeroes''. |
| 596 | * ''[[https://www.christopherbuehlmanauthor.com/the-lesser-dead/ The Lesser Dead]]'' by [[https://www.christopherbuehlmanauthor.com/about/ Christopher Buehlmann]]: [[spoiler: Camilla, seniormost of the [[UndeadChild "child" vampires]] that are actually [[TheOlderImmortal very old]] and extremely strong, much more so than the vampire protagonists, [[BigBadDuumvirate and]] [[FalseFriend Cvetko]], who serves as the children's guardian. They infiltrate the nest of younger vampires and, after turning them against each other and weakening them that way, wipe them out to claim their territory.]] |
| 597 | %%* ''Literature/LetTheRightOneIn'': [[TheBully Conny]]. |
| 598 | * ''Literature/LittleDorrit'': [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Mr. Merdle and Mrs. Clennam]] are ultimately responsible for most of the misery in the book, although both ultimately undergo a HeelRealisation (albeit too late to make up for what they've done). |
| 599 | * ''Literature/TheLordOfBembibre'' begins when the corrupt Count of Lemos, seeking to increase his lands, power and influence, talks Don Alonso into breaking off the engagement between his daughter and Don Álvaro, and forcing her into marrying him. Wanting to get rid of his romantic rival, he is predictably delighted when Don Álvaro joins an Order which he has been to ordered to wipe out. |
| 600 | * ''Literature/TheLordsOfCreation'': |
| 601 | ** ''The Sky People'': The entity possessing Lithuanian cosmonaut Franziskus Binkis and leading the [[FrazettaMan Neanderthals]]. [[spoiler: As it turns out, the entity is a [[AIIsACrapshoot subroutine of a supervisory AI]] left behind by the hyper-advanced [[{{Precursors}} Lords of Creation]] to oversee the experiment that is the terraformed and life-seeded Venus and is alarmed by the arrival of Terrans on the planet ahead of the projected schedule. It's solution to the disruption is to try to release smallpox on Venus to reset the parameters of the experiment.]] |
| 602 | ** ''The Courts of the Crimson Kings'': [[TheEvilPrince Genomic Prince Heltaw sa-Veynau]] and [[CorruptBureaucrat Chinta sa-Rokis]] form a BigBadEnsemble. The former is the apparent next-in-line for the Ruby Throne of the Crimson Dynasty and the discovery of the existence of the current Emperor's [[HiddenBackupPrince secret daughter]] Teyud is a threat to his ambitions. She's also a potential means of securing his ascension if he can [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe coerce her into making him her consort]], or at least secure her ova to produce a heir of the dynastic lineage. Chinta is alarmed at the prospect of a younger, energetic ruler carrying on her predecessor's progressive policies, policies that promise to cut into the profits she and her allies accrue from their control of important societal infrastructure. While she is favorable towards the conservative Heltaw's claiming the throne, she'd rather he eventually die heirless and therefore conspires to kill Teyud rather than capture her like Heltaw. |
| 603 | %%* Eustace 'The Evil' De Mharburg from Paul Kelly's ''The Lost Brigade''. A man so heinous that he was deleted entirely from history... |
| 604 | * ''Literature/LoyalEnemies'': [[spoiler:Tairinn]] orchestrated everything, from the raising interracial tensions, through monster attacks and up to the main scheme. |
| 605 | [[/folder]] |
| 606 | |
| 607 | [[folder:M]] |
| 608 | * ''Literature/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'': Pythie Frederica is a pragmatic villian who uses her intelligence to manipulate the other magical girls to perform evil deeds. Since her introduction in ''Limited'', she becomes the series' main antaganist. |
| 609 | * ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'': The Crippled God. Though not directly introduced until the third book, being TheManBehindTheMan to, most prominently, the [[ReligionOfEvil Pannion Domin]], the [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Whirlwind rebellion]], and [[TheEmpire Lether]] makes him the most significant and with the widest reach of any villain in the series. Ultimately subverted when after the events of book seven (when his followers lose control of Lether), the Crippled God loses most of his influence in the mortal world [[spoiler: and the protagonists end up having to save him in the last book when a bunch of AbusivePrecursors called the Forkrul Assail to hijack his powers for their own purposes]]. |
| 610 | * ''{{Literature/Malevil}}'' has Fulbert, a SinisterMinister who turns a town into a post-Apocalypse "religious" dictatorship. |
| 611 | * ''Literature/TheManchurianCandidate'': [[EvilMatriarch Eleanor Iselin]], the one behind Shaw's brainwashing, who uses him as a means to secure her husband's position as President and turn the United States into a dictatorship. |
| 612 | * ''[[https://www.maggieofarrell.com/titles/maggie-ofarrell/the-marriage-portrait/9781472223845/ The Marriage Portrait]]'' by [[https://www.maggieofarrell.com/landing-page/maggie-ofarrell/maggie-ofarrell-meet/ Maggie O'Farrell]]: [[AristocratsAreEvil Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of]] [[UsefulNotes/TheCityStateEra Ferrara]], protagonist Lucrezia de' Medici's husband, a talented but utterly ruthless ruler who is both obsessed with siring an heir to secure his family's dynastic succession and is in denial of his own infertility. Having come to the conclusion that Lucrezia is the problem in his failure to produce heirs, [[TilMurderDoUsPart he decides she has to go...]] |
| 613 | * ''Literature/MasksOfAygrima'', The tyrannical Autarch of Aygrima. In ''Faces'' he becomes part of a BigBadEnsemble with [[spoiler: The Lady of Pain and Fire. They both sap magic from their subjects to avoid dying of old age and want to take over [[TheHero Mara's]] body to live longer.]] |
| 614 | * ''Literature/AMasterOfDjinn'': It turns out that Abigail Worthington is the leader of the Al-Jahiz conspiracy, having murdered her own father along with his followers, caused many more crimes and plotting to retake the lands that have broke away from the British Empire, dreaming of possible becoming queen herself. |
| 615 | * ''Literature/{{Matilda}}'': Agatha Trunchbull, the EvilPrincipal in charge of Crunchem Hall who abuses the children under her care. Matilda's goal is to resist and somehow stop her regime. |
| 616 | %%* ''Literature/TheMazeRunner'': |
| 617 | %%** [[DragonInChief Assistant Director Janson]], better known as "the Rat-Man", is the primary antagonist of the series. |
| 618 | %%** Gally more or less serves as this in the first book, where WICKED is monitoring things off-screen for the majority of the book. It's more explicit in [[FilmOfTheBook the movie]]. |
| 619 | * The ''Literature/MediochreQSethSeries'' looks to be building up "[[HiddenAgendaVillain The Organisation Which I Represent]]" as the overall Big Bad. However, they mostly operate as a behind-the-scenes GreaterScopeVillain while more immediately-pressing plots are going on at the behest of a more temporary Big Bad. |
| 620 | ** [[DiabolicalMastermind Sapphire]] serves the role of immediate Big Bad in ''The Good, the Bad and the Mediochre''. |
| 621 | ** ''Black, White and Shades of Mediochre'' has [[spoiler: the [[EvilOverlord necromancer]]]], although there are indications that [[EmotionlessGirl Obsidian]] may qualify as a [[BigBadEnsemble separate]], [[BigBadDuumvirate joint]] or even [[TheManBehindTheMan superior]] contender. |
| 622 | * ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn''- [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds The Storm King]], who seeks nothing less than the total destruction of all mortals and the consumption of the world by Unbeing. |
| 623 | * ''Literature/Metro2035'': [[CorruptPolitician Aleksei Bessolov]] is the Big Bad in not only the ''2035'' novel, but he is technically the GreaterScopeVillain of the series, as a whole. Bessolov is [[spoiler:the leader of the Invisible Watchers, who is the true mastermind and the wirepuller behind the events that happened between the book and the games, completely unseen within the shadows.]] In 2035 he is the biggest threat to Artyom, as well as him being responsible [[spoiler:for Lyokha's betrayal and his ascension into [[TheDragon being his number two]].]] |
| 624 | * ''Literature/MichaelVey'': [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Dr.]] [[ManipulativeBastard C. James Hatch]], who exploits the power of Glows to use for his terrorist activities. |
| 625 | * ''{{Literature/Micro}}'': [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Vincent Drake]], the ruthless CEO of Nanigen who will do anything to keep the company on top. |
| 626 | * [[GodOfEvil Gyphon]] is the overall villain of the ''Literature/{{Mithgar}}'' series. However, most of the individual books have their own {{Big Bad}}s, who may or may not be trying to curry his favor, and usually come up with an enact their own schemes in the hopes of getting his support. Sometimes Gyphon's active Big Bad himself, sometimes he's TheManBehindTheMan, and in other cases, he's just the GreaterScopeVillain. ''The Eye of the Hunter'' has [[AristocratsAreEvil Baron Bela Stoke]]. |
| 627 | %%* ''Literature/MobyDick'': [[RevengeBeforeReason Captain Ahab]] |
| 628 | %%* Gabriel from the ''Literature/ModestyBlaise'' series is a low-key, but memorable Big Bad. After appearing in the character's first adventure, he then re-appears in ''A Taste For Death" [[spoiler: wherein, in the words of series creator Peter O'Donnell (who was worried that a regularly-recurring villain might weaken the series), he is definitively killed at the hands of an even Big(-ger) Bad than himself.]] |
| 629 | * ''Literature/TheMonarchiesOfGod'': [[EvilSorcerer Aruan]], an ancient sorcerer and werewolf who desires to subjugate all of the kingdoms of the world. |
| 630 | * ''Literature/TheMoomins'': An impersonal example is the comet in ''Comet in Moominland'' that besides threatening to cause TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt by colliding with said world causes all kinds of strange portents of doom for the heroes to contend with (ash all over the place, drying seas, storms) before it even gets there. |
| 631 | * ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'': The original triology of books has Valentine Morgenstern, a powerful and charismatic Shadowhunter who aims to destroy all Downworlders. |
| 632 | * ''Literature/TheMoonIsAHarshMistress'': For the first half of the novel, the BigBad is the Warden of the Lunar Authority who, while not exactly evil, is the hapless head of an authoritarian bureaucracy that facilitates the exploitation of the Moon's natural resources, something that will cause [[TheFamine mass starvation]] and even the lunar population's extinction in the near future. In the second half of the novel, the BigBad is the Lunar Authority's parent entity, the [[UnitedNationsIsASuperpower Federated Nations]], which attempts to re-establish control over newly-independent Luna. |
| 633 | * ''Literature/TheMostDangerousGame'': [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame General Zaroff]], a big game hunter who's grown bored of hunting animals and begins hunting humans instead. When Sanger Rainsford gets stranded on his nearly deserted island, Zaroff decides to make him play his sick game, as the prey, and challenges him to survive till sunrise. |
| 634 | * ''Literature/TheMummyMonsterGame'': Seth, the Egyptian devil, whose actions kickstarted the events of the first game in the series and who later tampers with it to prevent Josh from retrieving his sister and cousin through the game. %%He's later the mastermind behind the events of the second and third books, altering the two games from them to attempt revenge on Josh and his family for their victory in the first book. |
| 635 | * ''Literature/TheMurderbotDiaries'' by Creator/MarthaWells: |
| 636 | ** ''All Systems Red'': Blue Leader, the leader of [[MegaCorp GrayCris']] survey team, which is trying to murder the [=PreservationAux=] survey team, protected by [[TheProtagonist Murderbot]], to prevent anyone aside from [=GrayCris=] discovering the rich resources of an alien planet. |
| 637 | ** ''Artificial Condition'': [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Tlacey]], of Tlacey Excavations, who has stolen scientific research and, when the scientists responsible for the research attempt to secure its return, attempts to kill them. |
| 638 | ** ''Rogue Protocal'': [[spoiler: Wilken and Gerth, security guards for a team evaluating an abandoned [=GrayCris=] terraforming facility who are [[TheMole secretly working for GrayCris]] and entrusted with the mission of destroying the facility to cover up the illegal mining operation the company engaged in there.]] |
| 639 | ** ''Exit Strategy'': [[ArchEnemy GrayCris again]], which has kidnapped [[TheNotLoveInterest Dr. Ayda Mensah]] in order to extort a ransom for her. |
| 640 | ** "Obsolescence": [[spoiler: Piecework, a [[{{Cyborg}} rover]] created illegally by an amoral space exploration corporation now long defunct and leaving them with obsolescent augments. [[TragicVillain Insane and desperate to survive]], they have been [[SerialKiller murdering other augmented humans and harvesting their cybernetic parts]].]] |
| 641 | ** ''Network Effect'': [[spoiler: [[ContagiousAI targetControlSystem]], the remnant of an [[OrganicTechnology alien technology]] that has infected the inhabitants of a [[LostColony forgotten colony]] and is trying to propagate itself further.]] |
| 642 | ** ''Fugitive Telementry'': [[spoiler: Balin, a [[RobotSoldier CombatBot]] disguised as a Port Authority bot owned by the mining planet [=BreharWallHan=] and tasked with capturing a group of escaped slaves passing through [[SpaceStation Preservation Station]].]] |
| 643 | * ''Literature/MythosAcademy'': [[GodOfChaos Loki]] is an evil god who serves as the main threat of the series. He plans to revive himself to full power and bring about the age of chaos which would result in the deaths of all the other gods as well as the decimation and enslavement of humanity. |
| 644 | [[/folder]] |
| 645 | |
| 646 | [[folder:N]] |
| 647 | * ''Literature/TheNeverendingStory'': [[ImaginationDestroyer The Nothing]], an indescribable void that threatens to erase Fantastica, is the main threat of the first half of the book. After it's defeated, Xayide takes over the role, planning to use Bastian to take over Fantastica. |
| 648 | * ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'': [[spoiler:Islington, a FallenAngel who serves as [[TheHeavy Messires Croup and Vandemar's]] employer who schemes to manipulate Door into opening the gates of Heaven so it conquer it.]] |
| 649 | * ''Literature/NightfallSeries'': Prince Vladimir has conquered the world and destroyed human civilization. Now, he breeds the surviving humans in farms for food and forces the Resistance to live in constant fear and on the brink of extinction. |
| 650 | * ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'': [[spoiler:O'Brien]] is the central villain of the novel, and is responsible for the tortures of Winston and Julia and later death of the former. Big Brother is the GreaterScopeVillain, assuming that he's actually a person and not just a concept. |
| 651 | * ''Literature/NorthangerAbbey'' has [[GoldDigger John Thorpe]], who causes all of Catherine Morland's problems in the novel, even after he disappears from the plot. |
| 652 | [[/folder]] |
| 653 | |
| 654 | [[folder:O]] |
| 655 | * ''Literature/ObsidianMirror'' [[spoiler:Janus. He rules the world in the future she's from, and his abuse of the titular mirror is said to be creating a black hole that will destroy the world.]] |
| 656 | * ''Literature/OctoberDaye'' series: |
| 657 | ** ''Rosemary and Rue'': [[spoiler:[[LoveInterestTraitor Devin]]]] is the one responsible for the [[NotQuiteDead apparent]] death of Evening Winterrose which is the main plot of the novel. |
| 658 | ** ''A Local Habitation'': [[spoiler:[[SerialKiller Gordan]]]] is responsible for the various killings taking place at Tamed Lightning which Toby is investigating during this novel. |
| 659 | ** ''An Artificial Night '': [[PsychopathicManchild Blind Michael]] serves as the main villain of the book having abducted various children to help with his Wild Hunt. |
| 660 | ** ''Late Eclipses'': [[MasterPoisoner Oleander de Merlands]] and [[spoiler:[[AntagonisticOffspring Rayseline Torquill]]]] plot here to frame Toby for various murders that they committed in hopes of having her executed for them. |
| 661 | ** ''One Salt Sea'': [[AxCrazy Rayseline Torquill]] and [[spoiler:[[{{Jerkass}} Dugan]]]] plot during the novel to incite a war between the Undersea and Kingdom of the Mists in order to take control of The Mists. |
| 662 | ** ''Ashes of Honor'': [[GreenEyedMonster Samson]] as [[BigBadDuumvirate well]] as [[AmbitionIsEvil Treasa Riordan]] are responsible for the kidnapping of a young changeling whose powers they plan to use in order to allow them to take over the court of cats from Tybalt and conquer a new realm respectively. |
| 663 | ** ''Chimes at Midnight'': The [[spoiler:false]] [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen of the Mists]] is responsible for the deaths of various changeling children due to her distributing and selling a fatal narcotic drug to them. |
| 664 | ** ''The Winter Long'': [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon Eira Rosynhwyr]] AKA [[spoiler:[[EvilAllAlong Evening Winterrose]]]] plans to forcefully take over Shadowed Hills and has helped her descendants seize various kingdoms in order to allow her to rule. |
| 665 | ** ''A Red-Rose Chain'': [[ANaziByAnyOtherName King Rhys]] plans on starting a war with the Kingdom of Mists in order to enact his racist blood purity policies on them as well as impress his love, the [[spoiler:false]] [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen of the Mists]] by getting revenge on Toby for her. |
| 666 | ** ''Once Broken Faith'': [[spoiler:[[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Verona]]]] is responsible for the assassinations of royals which take place here. The main purpose of this is to help increase her power. |
| 667 | ** ''The Brightest Fell'': [[EvilMatriarch Amandine the Liar]] is Toby's mother and the main antagonist of this novel. During the novel, she kidnaps and holds captive the LoveInterest of Toby and will only free him should Toby find Amandine's eldest daughter. |
| 668 | * The ''Literature/OldKingdom'' Series: |
| 669 | ** ''Sabriel'': [[OurLichesAreDifferent Kerrigor]]. |
| 670 | ** ''Lirael'': [[EvilSorcerer Hedge]], though the end of the book reveals that [[spoiler:he's actually working on behalf of [[EldritchAbomination Orannis the Destroyer]].]] |
| 671 | ** ''Abhorsen'': [[spoiler:The Destroyer]] takes over directly, though Hedge sticks around as TheDragon. |
| 672 | ** The {{prequel}} ''Clariel'': For most of the book, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Guildmaster Kilp]] appeared to be the main villain [[spoiler: but the ultimate threat is the machinations of Clariel's allegedly bound Free Magic elementals Aziminil and Baazalanan, who were also allied with TokenEvilTeammate Mogget]]. |
| 673 | %%** ''Goldenhand'': [[DragonAscendant Chlorr of the Mask]]. |
| 674 | * ''Literature/OliverTwist'': Mr. Monks, [[spoiler: a.k.a. Edward Leeford, the title character's [[CainAndAbel disinherited older brother]]]]. He's usually omitted from adaptations, oddly enough, with the role of Big Bad typically shifted to Bill Sikes, who is TheBrute in the book, merely another character manipulated by Fagin who serves the role of Monks' [[TheDragon Dragon]]. |
| 675 | * ''Literature/OlliesOdyssey'' has Zozo, the former attraction of the "Bonk A Zozo" game who has Ollie kidnapped. |
| 676 | * ''[[https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Only-Good-Indians/Stephen-Graham-Jones/9781982136451 The Only Good Indians]]'' by Stephen Graham Jones features Ponokaotokaanaakii, or Elk Headed Woman, as the BigBad. The spirit of a young pregant elk killed by four young Blackfeet on their tribal elders' hunting ground, which they trespassed on, she takes calculated and brutal revenge on her killers with several innocent people as collateral damage. |
| 677 | %%* ''Literature/{{Otherland}}''- [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Felix Jongleur]] and John Dread compete for the honor. |
| 678 | [[/folder]] |
| 679 | |
| 680 | [[folder:P]] |
| 681 | * ''A Pattern of Shadow and Light'' has the Malorin'athgul, a group of four EldritchAbomination 'brothers' that seek to unmake the world of Alorin into raw chaos. Initially [[DarkMessiah Darshan]] seems to be their leader, but it turns out most of his worst acts were manipulated by his [[TheDragon dragon]], [[EvilSorcerer Dore Madden]] [[spoiler: who actually works for Darshan's younger brother Shailabanachtran, the real mastermind]]. |
| 682 | * ''Literature/ThePendragonAdventure'': [[ManipulativeBastard Saint Dane]], an evil shapeshifter who wants to push the territories towards chaos, destroying the barriers between them, so he can reshape Halla in his own image. |
| 683 | * ''Literature/{{Petaybee}}'': The Intergal corporation sends all of the major villains in the series to Petaybee and gets involved itself toward the end. |
| 684 | * ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': Erik/[[AntagonistTitle The Phantom of the Opera]], whose kidnapping of Christine drives the story's plot. |
| 685 | %%* ''Literature/PirateLatitudes'': Cazalla appeares to be this, but it's really [[spoiler:[[BigBadDuumvirate Robert Hacklett and Samson]]]] in the end. |
| 686 | * ''Literature/ThePlagueDogs'': Dr. Boycott, who cruelly experimented on animals. |
| 687 | * ''Literature/ThePowderMageTrilogy'' initially appears to have a BigBadEnsemble with [[MadGod Kresimir]], [[EvilOverlord King Ipille]] and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Lord Claremonte]] being the main players. [[spoiler: The last book reveals that the ultimate mastermind behind everything was Claremonte, who is actually the god Brude in disguise]]. |
| 688 | %%* Ultimately, [[{{Satan}} Chaos]], the King of the [[EldritchAbomination Old Ones]], is this for ''Literature/ThePowerOfFive''. However, he spends most of his time as an off-screen GreaterScopeVillain while the humans trying to unleash him take the Big Bad role for each of the first four books: |
| 689 | %%** Sir Michael in ''Raven's Gate''. |
| 690 | %%** Diego Salamanda in ''Evil Star''. |
| 691 | %%** Mr Chairman in ''Night Rise'' (with Susan Mortlake as TheDragon) and ''Necropolis''. |
| 692 | %%** Finally Chaos himself in ''Oblivion'' (with Jonas Mortlake and the new Chairman as CoDragons and Commander Strake and Field Marshall Akkad as {{Mook Lieutenant}}s). |
| 693 | %%* The ''Literature/PresidentsVampire'' series has, amidst its variety of major antagonists, the Shadow Company, which had its fingers in all cases so far and works hard to take control of the US, and end the world. That being said, each book has its own central villain: |
| 694 | %%** ''Blood Oath'': [[MadScientist Konrad]] |
| 695 | %%** ''The President's Vampire'': [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Colonel Graves]] |
| 696 | %%** ''Red, White, and Blood'': [[TheStarscream Helen]] [[VillainTeamUp and]] [[EldritchAbomination the Boogeyman]] |
| 697 | * ''Literature/APracticalGuideToEvil'': |
| 698 | ** The biggest antagonistic faction in the setting is the Dread Empire of Praes, whose Dread Emperors and Empresses range from nightmares to incompetent loons; the only reason they're still seen as a threat by the rest of Calernia is because of their sheer persistence and the occasional horror that manages to climb the Tower. The main conflict of the series is kicked off when their current rulers, Dread Empress Malicia and her BlackKnight, successfully conquer the Empire's perennial foe of the Kingdom of Callow and do away with the Empire's needlessly evil practices so as to avoid the losing tropes villains always fall into. [[VillainProtagonist Catherine]] is recruited as Black's Squire as part of the pair's plan to permanently integrate Callow and its culture into the Empire, which would provide them with the resources needed to finally solve Praes' overpopulation problem. |
| 699 | ** However, greater threats eventually arise in a BigBadEnsemble between the Wandering Bard and the Dead King, two ancient Named who have clashed for centuries; as their conflict begins to rear its head once more, the rulers of Praes quickly become little more than stooges in their game. |
| 700 | *** The Wandering Bard is the Gods' Intercessor, charged with overseeing the Good versus Evil conflict that defines Creation and personally intervening on their behaves with an expertise in stories and tropes needed to manipulate fate to her preferred outcome. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, her centuries of service have driven her to nihilistic insanity, as she begins to see getting rid of all stories--by way of wiping out everyone in Calernia--as the only way for her to finally die and be freed. She plans to prop up a great Evil (first Malicia, then the Dead King) that needs to be stopped; with a crusade currently being formed by First Prince Cordelia Hasenbach of the nation of Procer, the Bard intends to manipulate her into using an angel corpse as a last-ditch weapon of mass destruction to stop this Evil, then meddle with the blast radius so as to annihilate everyone on the continent.]] |
| 701 | *** The Dead King is an ancient lich who [[spoiler:recognized the Gods using Creation as nothing more than the latest in a long line of wagers, and seeks to survive past the end of the world so as to escape their control for good]]. He has spent centuries patiently crafting himself a story of an Evil too great to ever be defeated, and allies with Malicia in modern times to war on Procer; however, after finally discerning the Bard's endgame he declares war on everything living, taking a risky gamble to stop the Bard for good by eliminating any pawns she could manipulate into a story capable of slaying him. |
| 702 | *** [[spoiler:Although Black manages to pull a HazyFeelTurn and becomes a WildCard for the second half of the series, Malicia unquestionably devolves into a BigBadWannabe, as her ardent refusal to come into direct armed conflict with the forces of Good (out of an understandable worry that Evil tropes dictate they won't be able to win) leads to her committing horrid atrocities in the name of keeping the Tenth Crusade too occupied to invade, such as funding Akua Sahelian's doomsday weapon and releasing the Dead King. By the time Catherine gets around to invading Praes before the final fight with the Dead King, Malicia has burned every bridge she had and is little more than a pawn batted around in a three-way conflict between Catherine, Black, and the Bard.]] |
| 703 | ** Kairos Theodosian, the Tyrant of Helike, also stands out as a major threat for a time as he starts a CivilWar with the rest of the League of Free Cities to seize power through a PuppetKing and bring the League into the war between Praes, Callow, and the Tenth Crusade; he spends Book V as a WildCard who repeatedly allies with and backstabs every single faction involved in the conflict (including the Dead King and the Wandering Bard themselves) ForTheEvulz, which culminates in [[spoiler:a ThanatosGambit to temporarily cripple the Seraphim and Cordelia's angel corpse-weapon so Catherine and the Dead King can freely war against each other without the hanging threat preventing the latter from going all out.]] |
| 704 | ** Akua Sahelian is Catherine's initial ArchEnemy and the main antagonist of [[DiscOneFinalBoss the first three books]], a cruel Praesi noble with grand aspirations of overthrowing Malicia and returning Praes to their glory days of rampant Evil. After a few clashes with Catherine she eventually reveals her master plan of converting the city of Liesse into a doomsday weapon capable of opening Hellgates across the world, planning to butcher and conquer everything in her wake. [[spoiler:Unforunately, she's unknowingly being funded by Malicia herself, who plans to take the weapon after her inevitable defeat to deter the Tenth Crusade from invading.]] |
| 705 | * ''Literature/PrincessHolyAura'' has Azathoth of the Nine Arms, who tries to consume the entire world at regular intervals. |
| 706 | * ''Literature/ProudPinkSky'' has the gay republic's radio host, Kenneth Luvvie. Though at first his radio broadcasts are a source of hope for protagonists William and Gareth, it later becomes clear that Luvvie likes to demonize the city's minorities. [[spoiler:However, Cissie's husband Howard turns out to be much, much worse...]] |
| 707 | * ''The Psalms of Isaac'' toys with this one. Initially, it looks like [[PresidentEvil Overseer]] [[SmugSnake Sethbert]] was the ultimate villain, but by the end of the first book it was plain he was a StarterVillain whose strings had been pulled by someone else. Several characters' suspicions then fall on [[TheChessmaster Vlad Li Tam]], but he's more morally ambiguous than outright evil, and he turned out to be as ignorant of the true cause as anyone. Then mysterious forces in the service of [[DarkMessiah the Crimson Empress]] showed up, but [[spoiler:she was eventually revealed to be a little girl- one raised for power, certainly, but hardly in a position to actually wield it yet]]. The ''real'' Big Bad appears to be [[spoiler: the Empress's father, the ancient Wizard King [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport Ahm Y'Zir]]]]. |
| 708 | * ''Literature/PugsOfTheFrozenNorth'' has [[EvilBrit Sir Basil Sprout-Dumpling]], an ImpoverishedPatrician who seeks to win the Great Race to get it back. [[DickDastardlyStopsToCheat And he's willing to knock the other players out of the race by any means to do so.]] |
| 709 | [[/folder]] |
| 710 | |
| 711 | [[folder:Q]] |
| 712 | * ''[[https://www.kurodahan.com/wp/e/catalog/9784902075236.html Queen of K'n-Yan]]'': The [[CorruptCorporateExecutive JPE President]] ([[spoiler:who is implied to be the president of China himself]]) and [[MadScientist Dr. Lǐ Xiù-lì]] appear to be the [[BigBadDuumvirate Big Bads]] at first, intent on weaponizing the eponymous [[EldritchAbomination Queen of K'n-Yan]] for [[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld China to conquer the world]]. The Queen of K'n-Yan, however, quickly demonstrates that it is not only [[EvilIsNotAToy too powerful for them to control]] but that it had [[TheChessmaster planned millennia ago to be found and resurrected by humans]], and poses an existential threat to humanity. |
| 713 | [[/folder]] |
| 714 | |
| 715 | [[folder:R]] |
| 716 | * The ''Literature/RainbowMagic'' series has Jack Frost, who is always sending his goblins out to do his dirty work before appearing in the climax of a series. |
| 717 | * ''Literature/RangersApprentice'' starts off with Morgarath as its Big Bad in books one and two; the Skandians aren't really Big Bads in book three, but the closest there are to antagonists; the Temuji in book four; [[spoiler:Keren]] in books four and five; the Tualaghi in book seven; Tennyson in books eight and nine; and Arisaka in book ten. |
| 718 | %%* ''Literature/{{Rebecca}}'': Mrs. Danvers |
| 719 | * ''Literature/RedPlanet'': [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Gaines Beecher]], the [[GreaterScopeVillain Mars Company's]] factor, or Resident Agent General, on the planet. He tries to carry out the company's plan to end the colonists' seasonal migration as a cost-saving measure (a move that would be both lethal, as the cold would kill many colonists, and unprofitable, as [[DidntThinkThisThrough no work can be done under winter conditions anyway]]), and ends up jeopardizing the entire human settlement on Mars when his greedy attempt to capture and sell James Marlowe's [[StarfishAliens bouncer]] friend Willis [[spoiler: nearly galvanizes the Martians, of whom Willis is implied to be a juvenile, to wipe out all humans on the planet]]. |
| 720 | * ''[[https://adamlgnevill.com/products/pre-order-the-reddening-signed-paperback-book The Reddening]]'' by [[https://adamlgnevill.com/pages/about-get-in-touch Adam L. G. Nevill]]: [[spoiler: [[VillainousMotherSonDuo Jessica Usher and her son Finn Willows]], leaders of a [[CannibalClan cannibalistic]] {{Cult}} worshiping a subterranean primordial beast that demands [[HumanSacrifice sacrifice]] in exchange for fertility. While Jessica's lover Tony Willows is technically the head of the cult, Jessica's the spiritual heart and the one who resurrected it after a period of dormancy and Finn's the brains behind the cult's illegal marijuana operation.]] |
| 721 | %%** ''Literature/TheRedemptionOfAlthalus'': [[OmnicidalManiac Daeva]] |
| 722 | * ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'': |
| 723 | ** First book: [[YouDirtyRat Cluny the Scourge]], a brutal rat warlord who seizes control over Redwall Abbey and intends to conquer all of Mossflower. |
| 724 | ** ''Mossflower'': [[CatsAreMean Tsarmina Greeneyes]], who takes over the Thousand Eyes army and the fortress of Kotir after killing her father and intends on exerting her tyrannical rule over all of Mossflower. |
| 725 | ** ''Mattimeo'': [[NonActionBigBad Malkariss]], the founder of Kingdom of Malkariss, which he maintains through the labor of the countless children he's had kidnapped across Mossflower; with Slagar the Cruel acting as TheHeavy. |
| 726 | ** ''Mariel of Redwall'': [[TheCaligula Gabool the Wild]], the paranoid Lord of Terramort Isle who steals the Great Joseph Bell and holds Mariel's father, Joseph the Bellmaker, captive. |
| 727 | ** ''Salamandastron'': [[WickedWeasel Feragho the Assassin]], the ruthless leader of the Corpsemakers who leads a campaign to conquer Salamandastron. |
| 728 | ** ''Martin the Warrior'': [[BoisterousWeakling Badrang the Tyrant]], the wanabee ruler of the Eastern Coast who captures Martin the Warrior and steals his father's sword. |
| 729 | ** ''The Bellmaker'': [[SdrawkcabName Urgan Nargu]], a fox who conquers the kingdom of Southsward, which leads to Muriel and Dandin getting caught up in the conflict and Joseph having to intervene. |
| 730 | ** ''Outcast of Redwall'': [[TheSociopath Swartt Sixclaw]], who leaves a path of death and destruction in his pursuit of Sunflash the Mace after he escaped him and crippled his paw. |
| 731 | ** ''Pearls of Lutra'': [[SissyVillain Emperor Ublaz Mad Eyes]], the self-proclaimed emperor of Sampetra who's willing to tear down anyone in his way of obtaining the Tears of All Oceans. |
| 732 | ** ''The Long Patrol'': [[FourStarBadass Damug Warfang]], who takes over his family's army and leads an invasion on Redwall Abbey, seeing it as an easy target. |
| 733 | ** ''Marlfox'': [[CunningLikeAFox Mokkan]], the eldest of the Marlfoxes who steals the tapestry of Martin the Warrior and sends his siblings to attack Redwall Abbey as he takes control over Castle Marl. |
| 734 | ** ''Legend of Luke'': [[CardCarryingVillain Vilu Daskar]], a corsair and slaver who murdered Luke the Warrior's wife, leading Luke to pursue him in search of vengeance. |
| 735 | ** ''Lord Brocktree'': [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Ungatt Trunn]], the fascistic wildcat leader of the Blue Horde with ambitions of conquering Salamandastron. |
| 736 | ** ''Taggerung'': While [[DirtyCoward Gruven's]] hunt for Deyna is what drives the plot, he's so much of a HarmlessVillain that [[DragonInChief Vallug Bowbeast and Eefera]] end up hijacking his feeble plans. After they're dealt with, [[CunningLikeAFox Ruggan Bor]] takes the role, having taken over the Juskarath tribe and leads an invasion on Redwall Abbey. |
| 737 | ** ''Triss'': A BigBadEnsemble between [[AdiposeRex King Agarnu]], the Pure Ferret King of Riftgard who sends his children to Mossflower to retrieve his father's crown and bring back his escaped slaves, and [[SnakesAreSinister Zassaliss]], the leader of the alder triplets terrorizing Mossflower and killing those who enter their territory. |
| 738 | ** ''Loamhedge'': Raga Bol, a sea-rat pirate planning to lead a siege on Redwall Abbey and the target of Loona Bowstripe's revenge after he murdered his father and left him for dead. |
| 739 | ** ''Rakkety Tam'': [[BloodKnight Gulo the Savage]], a ravenous wolverine barbarian who seeks the Walking Stone, a symbol of leadership to his kingdom, and is willing to massacre every living thing in Mossflower to get it. |
| 740 | ** ''High Rhulain'': Riggu Felis, the wildcat warlord of Green Isle who has numerous otters enslaved that Tira and the other otter tribes intend on freeing. |
| 741 | ** ''Eulalia!'': Vizka Longtooth, the captain of the Sea Raiders responsible for murdering Gorath's grandparents who soon sets his sights on Redwall Abbey. |
| 742 | ** ''Doomwyte'': [[FeatheredFiend Korvus Skurr]], the leader of the Doomwytes who invades Redwall Abbey under the belief that they have the fabeled Doomwyte jewels. |
| 743 | ** ''The Sable Quean'': [[WouldHurtAChild Quean Vilaya]], the head of the Ravengers who kidnaps the children of Redwall and intends on holding them hostage until the Abbey is surrendered to her. |
| 744 | ** ''The Rogue Crew'': [[TheDreaded Razzid Wearat]], a corsair who leads a bloody campaign to plunder Redwall Abbey, leaving a trail of death in his wake. |
| 745 | %%* ''Literature/ReefOfDeath'': [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Dr. Ecenbarger]]. |
| 746 | * ''[[https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611389/the-return-by-rachel-harrison/ The Return]]'': [[spoiler:Julie Ryan is the main threat, as she turns out to have [[CameBackWrong come back from the dead]] as a [[HorrorHunger ravenously hungry]] monster who wants to make good on the "forever" part of "best friends forever."]] |
| 747 | * ''[[https://claymcleodchapman.com/books/#the-remaking The Remaking]]'' by Creator/ClayMcLeodChapman: Mother-and-daughter [[VengefulGhost ghosts]] Ella Louise and Jessica Ford, [[WitchHunt murdered in 1931 in for "witchcraft,"]] [[TragicVillain forever trying to reunite and compelling men to tell their story over and over again as punishment]]. |
| 748 | %%* ''Literature/TheReynardCycle'': [[TwistEnding The twist]] of the third book makes it obvious that [[spoiler: the protagonist has become one.]] |
| 749 | * ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'' has a BigBadEnsemble of [[EvilSorcerer Ghisteslwchlohm]] and [[AbusivePrecursors the shape-changers]], who operate independently (and indeed, often at cross-purposes). [[spoiler: Near the end of the third book, Eriel, the leader of the shape-changers, captures Ghisteslwchlohm and magically binds him to serve her as TheDragon]]. |
| 750 | * ''Literature/TheRiftwarCycle'': |
| 751 | ** ''Magician'': Doesn't have a clear-cut example, since the Kingdom-Tsurani conflict is grey enough. The Tsurani Warlord Almecho is the closest thing to one, though he's removed from play with a good chunk of the plot left to resolve. |
| 752 | ** ''Silverthorn'' and ''A Darkness at Sethanon'': [[DarkMessiah Murmandamus]] looks like this, but is ultimately revealed as TheDragon to the returning [[AbusivePrecursors Valheru]]. |
| 753 | ** ''Serpentwar'': The Emerald Queen [[spoiler: who eventually gets killed and replaced by the demon Jakan]]. |
| 754 | ** ''Conclave of Shadows'': [[EvilSorcerer Leso Varen]] |
| 755 | ** ''Darkwar'': [[EldritchAbomination The Dasati Dark God]] |
| 756 | ** ''Demonwar'': [[EvilSorcerer Belasco]] and [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Dahun]] are a BigBadDuumvirate |
| 757 | ** ''Chaoswar'': [[spoiler: The Dread]], which is revealed to have been TheManBehindTheMan to most everything else, making it the overall Big Bad of the entire saga. |
| 758 | * ''[[https://pdjeliclark.com/ring-shout/ Ring Shout]]'' by P. Djèlí Clark: Grand Cyclops, leader of [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] that feed on hate, manipulates the Ku Klux Klan, which naturally provides plenty of hate, to allow her and her minions to manifest and possess bodies. [[spoiler: But the Klansmen's hatred isn't potent enough for her tastes, as it is born of insecurity and directed toward the powerless. What she really wants is the protagonist [[HunterOfMonsters Maryse Bordeaux]], because she has truly filling hate, a justified hate born of oppression and directed to those who have wronged her people over the centuries.]] |
| 759 | * ''Literature/RisingSun'': The mastermind is revealed to be [[spoiler:Masao Ishiguro]], who was also the [[spoiler:murderer]] himself. |
| 760 | * Creator/BrianKeene's ''The Rising'' book series has Ob, the leader of a demonic group of sort-of zombies that possess dead bodies and turn them against humankind. However, in the first book he is in a BigBadEnsemble with [[ColonelKilgore Colonel Schow]], the leader of an entire platoon of {{Sociopathic Soldier}}s. In the second book, with [[spoiler:Schow dead]], Ob takes his position as the true Big Bad once again. |
| 761 | * ''Literature/RogueSorcerer'' has Lyr Yarika, the once-powerful lord of a noble house who has since been reduced to running a quiet little inn. |
| 762 | ** In [[Creator/SeananMcGuire Mira Grant's]] SciFiHorror novella ''[[https://subterraneanpress.com/rolling-in-the-deep-ebook/ Rolling in the Deep]]'' and full-length novel sequel ''[[Literature/IntoTheDrowningDeep Into the Drowning Deep]]'', the [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent mermaids]] are [[BigBadDuumvirate collectively the Big Bads]], being sapient, hypercarnivorous apex predators that gruesomely hunt and devour the scientific expeditions sent to discover them. |
| 763 | * ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'' primarily has [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade Cao Cao]], who softly usurped the Xian Emperor to lay the foundation for Wei, and is positioned as the ArchEnemy of [[HistoricalHeroUpgrade Liu Bei]]. |
| 764 | * The central villain of ''Literature/TheRunelords'' is essentially that universe's equivalent to {{Satan}} though it manifests in [[FightingAShadow several forms]] throughout, including the One True Master, Shadoath, and Lord Despair. |
| 765 | [[/folder]] |
| 766 | |
| 767 | [[folder:S]] |
| 768 | * ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'': |
| 769 | ** The [[AbsoluteXenophobe Gbaba]], who nearly rendered humanity extinct, necessitating the creation of intentionally-LostColony Safehold in the first place. |
| 770 | ** In a PosthumousCharacter sense, Langhorne and Bédard, creators of the PathOfInspiration Church of God Awaiting, which they designed to try and prevent the re-emergence of advanced technology for all time. |
| 771 | ** Finally, the first nine books have [[SinisterMinister Vicar]] [[KnightTemplar Zhaspahr]] [[BelievingTheirOwnLies Clyntahn]], the Church's Grand Inquisitor, who starts a war that eventually goes global out of rampant paranoia over a nation he doesn't like, and is an all-round despicable human being. |
| 772 | %%* ''Literature/{{Savage}}'', by Creator/RichardLaymon: Roderick Whittle, aka UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper. |
| 773 | * ''Literature/SecondApocalypse'' series: The Inchoroi and the Consult. Mostly because they apparently want to rape everything ever. [[spoiler:And also because, according to Kellhus, the only way they can save their souls from being sent to Hell by the God is to exterminate the vast majority of the human race.]] The No-God is, in a way, something of a subversion of this: despite his overwhelming presence and the fact that his very existence makes every human baby stillborn, he doesn't really know what he's doing. '''WHAT DO YOU SEE? I MUST KNOW WHAT YOU SEE. TELL ME. WHAT AM I?''' Somehow, Bakker makes a {{Woobie}} out of an EldritchAbomination. |
| 774 | * Sekhmet is the big bad of ''Literature/{{Sekhmet}}''. She destroyed the old world and caused Set to go evil, but in the story is more of an AnticlimaxBoss |
| 775 | %%* In ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'': |
| 776 | %%** [=DomDaniel=] in ''Magyk'' and ''Flyte''. |
| 777 | %%** Queen Etheldredda in ''Physik''. |
| 778 | %%** Tertius Fume in ''Queste'' and ''Syren''. |
| 779 | %%** [[spoiler:Merrin Meredith in ''Darke'']]. |
| 780 | * Count Olaf for most of ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'', though we eventually discover that he's more like a [[TheDragon Dragon]] to a [[NebulousEvilOrganisation larger organization]]. [[spoiler:His incredibly horrifying [[GreaterScopeVillain superiors]], however, are polished off in the second-to-last book, and Olaf enters into an EnemyCivilWar with KnightTemplar Ishmael in the finale. It's implied that they kill each other.]] |
| 781 | ** The prequel series, ''Literature/AllTheWrongQuestions'', has [[spoiler: Mr. Hangfire]]. |
| 782 | * The Big Bad of ''Literature/SeventhSon'' is John Alpha, the initial subject of a decades long cloning experiment who got bitter, got crazy and got his hands on advanced cloning and memory manipulation technology. |
| 783 | %%* ''Literature/{{Shadowmarch}}''- [[EvilOverlord Autarch]] [[TheCaligula Sulepis]] is built up as this [[spoiler: but he's really just a pawn for Zosim the Trickster God]]. |
| 784 | * ''Literature/ShadowsOfTheApt'' has a BigBadEnsemble between [[TheEmperor Emperor Alvdan]] and [[EvilSorcerer Uctebri the Sarcad]], who are each manipulating the other for their own gain, in its first arc. After they both die, Alvdan's younger sister Seda steps up to the plate as the new Wasp Empress, proving to [[SortingAlgorithmOfEvil equal and exceed]] the combined strengths of both. Ultimately, Seda's pursuit of supreme magical power leads her to tamper with a SealedEvilInACan that ''really'' should have been left alone, leading to the final and greatest threat of the series being [[spoiler: the ancient horror known as the Worm]]. |
| 785 | %%* ''Literature/ShadowsOnTheMoon'' has Terayama, even if he's offstage for two-thirds of the book. |
| 786 | * ''Literature/TheShahnameh'': Three of the most famous examples would be: |
| 787 | ** Zahhak, a tyrant with two snakes growing out his shoulders whom Zahhak must feed human brains to. |
| 788 | ** The White Demon, a cave-dwelling albino who rules Mazandaran. |
| 789 | ** Afrasiab and his brother Garsivaz who commit many atrocities including the execution of Siavash, which sends Rostam and the Persians on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge. |
| 790 | * ''Literature/{{Shannara}}'': |
| 791 | ** The [[Literature/TheSwordOfShannaraTrilogy original]] Literature/{{Shannara}} trilogy has [[spoiler: The Ildatch]] as TheManBehindTheMan to both [[SorcerousOverlord Brona]] and the Mord Wraiths in the first and third books (and the prequel ''First King''), and [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils the Dagda Mor]], an independent villain, in the second. |
| 792 | ** The [[Literature/TheHeritageOfShannara sequel]] has [[ManipulativeBastard Rimmer Dall]] and his [[TheHeartless Shadowen]] as the primary threat, while [[ElementalEmbodiment Uhl Belk]] the [[PhysicalGod Stone King]] represents an entirely separate enemy for the first half of the series. |
| 793 | ** ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheJerleShannara'' has [[EvilSorcerer The Morgawr]]. |
| 794 | ** ''High Druid of Shannara'' has [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Tael Riverine]]. |
| 795 | ** ''Literature/TheGenesisOfShannara'' has [[HeroKiller Findo Gask]]. |
| 796 | ** ''Legends of Shannara'' has a BigBadEnsemble of whom the two most important members are [[EvilOverlord Taureq Siq]] and [[OurDemonsAreDifferent the Ragpicker]]. |
| 797 | ** ''Dark Legacy of Shannara'' has Tael Riverine again. |
| 798 | ** ''Defenders of Shannara'' is a trilogy that tells three connected stories rather than one long one, but all three novels share a common antagonist in [[EvilSorcerer Arcannen Rai]]. |
| 799 | * ''Literature/{{Shardik}}'': Genshed. |
| 800 | * Every novel in the ''Literature/{{Sharpe}}'' series has one, sometimes more: |
| 801 | ** ''Sharpe's Tiger'': The Tippoo Sultan, leader of the Mysore state at war with the British. |
| 802 | ** ''Sharpe's Triumph'': A BigBadEnsemble of Anthony Pohlmann (commander of the Mahratta army), William Dodd (the British deserter Sharpe is pursuing) and Obadiah Hakeswill (who attempts to frame Sharpe for assaulting an officer), although Dodd is working for Pohlmann for much of the novel under he deserts. |
| 803 | ** ''Sharpe's Fortress'': William Dodd, who decides to seek power by gaining control of the fortress of Gawilghur. |
| 804 | ** ''Sharpe's Trafalgar'': The [[BigBadDuumvirate Big Bad Triumverate]] of Anthony Pohlmann, Peculiar Cromwell and Michel Vaillard, who help the French capture the ship Sharpe is sailing on as part of a plan to smuggle messages of support to them. Lord William Hale is also a major antagonist, attempting to murder his wife Grace on learning she has been having an affair with Sharpe. |
| 805 | ** ''Sharpe's Prey'': Captain John Lassiver, a British-Danish officer working for the French who attempts to kill the British agent in Copenhagen. |
| 806 | ** ''Sharpe's Rifles'': Colonel De L'Eclin, commander of the French garrison at Santiago de Compostela, arguably in a BigBadDuumvirate with Tomas Vivar. |
| 807 | ** ''Sharpe's Havoc'': Colonel James Christopher, an honorary British officer who believes the French will win the war so deserts to them, leaving Sharpe and his men to die. |
| 808 | ** ''Sharpe's Eagle'': Sir Henry Simmerson, the cowardly and brutal commander of the South Essex who abandons several of his men after a disastrous skirmish, and his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Christian Gibbons, who attempts to kill Sharpe in order to take the credit for capturing a French eagle. Lieutenant Berry serves as Simmerson's [[CoDragons Co-Dragon]] in the adaptation of ''Sharpe's Eagle'' for ''{{Series/Sharpe}}'', but in the book he's merely the MookLieutenant. |
| 809 | ** ''Sharpe's Gold'': El Catolico, a corrupt Spanish partisan whose gold Sharpe needs to finance the British defences. |
| 810 | ** ''Sharpe's Escape'': Ferragus, a traitorous Portuguese merchant attempting to provide the French with supplies in contravention of the British plan. |
| 811 | ** ''Sharpe's Fury'': Colonel Vandal for the French (who earns the enmity of Sharpe by taking his lieutenant prisoner during a truce), Father Montseny for the inhabitants of Cadiz (who is planning to disgrace the British liaison and make an alliance with the French). |
| 812 | ** ''Sharpe's Battle'': Major Pierre Ducos, who is TheManBehindTheMan for Loup and Juanita, orchestrating a plan to have the Irish soldier rebel against the British by spreading false rumours. |
| 813 | ** ''Sharpe's Company'': Hakeswill, who joins Sharpe's company determined to make his life a misery again, attempts to rape Terese and frames Harper for looting. |
| 814 | ** ''Sharpe's Sword'': Colonel Philippe Leroux, a French cavalry officer charged with killing the British spymaster El Mirador. |
| 815 | ** ''Sharpe's Enemy'': Pot-au-Feu, the leader of a group of deserters who have taken several army wives hostage, with Hakeswill as his [[TheDragon Dragon]], although the French attack on Adradas is organised by Ducos. |
| 816 | ** ''Sharpe's Honour'': Ducos, who frames Sharpe for the murder of a Spanish officer to break up the Anglo-Spanish alliance. |
| 817 | ** ''Sharpe's Regiment'': Lord Fenner, who attempts to have Sharpe killed in order to hide an illegal crimping scheme selling recruits to other regiments. |
| 818 | ** ''Sharpe's Siege'': Ducos, who once again lures Sharpe into a trap to halt the British invasion of France. The French troops assaulting Teste de Buch are led by General Calvet but the plan is Ducos' with Calvet functioning as TheHeavy. |
| 819 | ** ''Sharpe's Revenge'': Ducos, who steals the Emperor's treasure and murders the officers guarding it, framing Sharpe in the process. |
| 820 | ** ''Sharpe's Waterloo'': Effectively, Napoleon Bonaparte, who leads the French army at Waterloo. On a more personal level, Sharpe's estranged wife Jane Gibbons encourages her lover Lord Rossendale to murder Sharpe. |
| 821 | ** ''Sharpe's Assassin'': Colonel Lanier, the leading member of a fraternity who swore loyal to Napoleon and who are planning to assassinate the Duke of Wellington to avenge his defeat. |
| 822 | ** ''Sharpe's Devil'': A BigBadEnsemble of Governor-General Batista, who tries to sabotage Sharpe's efforts to track down his friend Don Blas Vivar, and Admiral Cochrane, who is actually responsible for Vivar's disappearance. |
| 823 | ** The short stories written by Bernard Cornwell: In "Sharpe's Skirmish", as far as Sharpe is concerned the Big Bad is General Herault, who leads a French assault on the border, but again Ducos is TheManBehindTheMan. "Sharpe's Christmas" has Colonel Caillou, one of the senior officers of a French convoy Sharpe is charged with ambushing (although he dies without personally encountering Sharpe), and "Sharpe's Ransom" has Sergeant Challon, who takes Sharpe's family hostage believing he has the Emperor's treasure. |
| 824 | * ''Literature/ShatterTheSky'': Emperor Rafael is the main villain of the story, as a cruel, greedy, and repressive ruler whose actions lie behind everything bad in the story (or continues the evil his predecessors did). |
| 825 | %%* ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'': |
| 826 | %%** ''Literature/AStudyInScarlet'': [[spoiler:Jefferson Hope]] |
| 827 | %%** ''Literature/TheSignOfTheFour'': [[spoiler:Jonathan Small]] |
| 828 | %%** "A Scandal in Bohemia": Irene Adler |
| 829 | %%** "The Red-Headed League": [[spoiler:John Clay]] |
| 830 | %%** " A Case of Identity": [[spoiler:James Windibank]] |
| 831 | %%** "The Bascombe Valley Mystery": [[spoiler:John Turner]] |
| 832 | %%** "The Five Orange Pips": [[spoiler: Captain John Calhoun]] |
| 833 | %%** "The Man with the Twisted Lip": [[spoiler:Neville St. Clair]] |
| 834 | %%** "The Blue Carbuncle": [[spoiler: James Ryder]] |
| 835 | %%** "The Speckled Band": Doctor Grimesby Roylott |
| 836 | %%** "The Engineer's Thumb": Colonel Lysander Stark |
| 837 | %%** "The Noble Bachelor": [[spoiler: Francis H. Moulton]] |
| 838 | %%** "The Beryl Coronet": [[spoiler: Sir George Burnwell]] |
| 839 | %%** "The Copper Beeches": [[spoiler: Jephro Rucastle]] |
| 840 | %%** "Silver Blaze": [[spoiler: John Straker]] |
| 841 | %%** "The Cardboard Box": [[spoiler: Jim Browner]] |
| 842 | %%** "The Yellow Face": Effie Munro |
| 843 | %%** "The Stockbroker's Clerk": [[spoiler: Beddington]] |
| 844 | %%** "The Gloria Scott": [[spoiler: Hudson]] |
| 845 | %%** "The Musgrave Ritual": [[spoiler: Richard Brunton]] |
| 846 | %%** "The Reigate Squire": [[spoiler: Alec Cunningham]] |
| 847 | %%** "The Crooked Man": [[spoiler: Colonel James Barclay]] |
| 848 | %%** The Resident Patient": [[spoiler: Biddle, Hayward and Moffat]] |
| 849 | %%** "The Greek Interpreter": Harold Latimer and Wilson Kemp |
| 850 | %%** "The Naval Treaty": [[spoiler:Joseph Harrison]] |
| 851 | %%** "The Final Problem": Professor James Moriarty |
| 852 | %%** ''Literature/TheHoundOfTheBaskervilles'': [[spoiler: Frank Stapleton]] |
| 853 | %%** "The Empty House": [[spoiler: [[DragonTheirFeet Colonel Sebastian Moran]].]] |
| 854 | %%** "The Norwood Builder": [[spoiler:Jonas Oldacre]] |
| 855 | %%** "The Dancing Men": [[spoiler: Abe Slaney]] |
| 856 | %%** "The Solitary Cyclist": Jack Woodley |
| 857 | %%** "The Priory School": [[spoiler: [[BastardBastard James Wilder]].]] |
| 858 | %%** "Charles Augustus Milverton": [[AntagonistTitle Charles Augustus Milverton]]. |
| 859 | %%** "The Six Napoleons": Beppo. |
| 860 | * ''Literature/TheSilerianTrilogy'': Kiloran, one of the water lords who rules his domain with an iron fist, soon becomes this. He tries to seize control over the entire country, starting with one port city, and is the main antagonist to the heroes in the latter two books. |
| 861 | * Literature/SisterhoodSeries by Creator/FernMichaels: Well, there are certainly a number of Big Bad characters in the series! |
| 862 | ** ''Weekend Warriors'': Doctor Clark Wagstaff, Doctor Sidney Lee, and Doctor Samuel La Fond are a BigBadTriumvirate of dentists and rapists! |
| 863 | ** ''Payback'': Senator Mitchell "Mitch" Webster is a Big Bad, and an HMO consisting of Elaine Monarch, Derek Monarch, and Ethan Monarch seem to be a BigBadTriumvirate. They have seemingly no connection to each other, but apparently Mitch had sex with Elaine and got AIDS from her and gave it to Julia Webster! Hoo, boy! |
| 864 | ** ''Vendetta'': John Chai. |
| 865 | ** ''The Jury'': The Barringtons were being set up as this... but they got away! So the story throws in an unrelated Big Bad in the form of {{Domestic Abuse}}r and National Security Advisor Karl Woodley. |
| 866 | ** ''Sweet Revenge'': Rosemary Hershey. Bobby Harcourt seemed to be a big guy at first, but it turns out that he's just a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter who finally wised up! |
| 867 | ** ''Lethal Justice'': Arden Gillespie. Roland Sullivan is more of TheDragon to her than a Big Bad. |
| 868 | ** ''Free Fall'': Michael "Mick" Lyons. There are four men who are apparently subordinate to him. |
| 869 | ** ''Hide and Seek'': Mitch Riley, assistant director of the [[FBIAgent FBI]]. |
| 870 | ** ''Hokus Pokus'': Grant Conlon and Tyler Hughes appear to be a BigBadDuumvirate. |
| 871 | ** ''Fast Track'': Maxwell "Max(ie)" Zenowicz. |
| 872 | ** ''Collateral Damage'': Dan Winters and Baron Russell are likely a BigBadDuumvirate. |
| 873 | ** ''Final Justice'': Hank Owens, with four men working for him. |
| 874 | ** ''Under the Radar'': Harold Evanrod, the Prophet of a pedophile polygamist cult called Heaven On Earth. |
| 875 | ** ''Razor Sharp'': Vice-President Hunter Pryce, with several men being subordinate to him. |
| 876 | ** ''Vanishing Act'': [[spoiler: Margaret Pearson and William "Bill" Bell]], identity thieves and a BigBadDuumvirate. |
| 877 | ** ''Deadly Deals'': Baron Bell, with Adel Newsom acting as TheDragon. |
| 878 | ** ''Game Over'': Strangely enough, President Martine Connor is being set up as this, but it gets subverted when it turns out that she had been reluctant to throw out {{Obstructive Bureaucrat}}s that had barred her at every turn, and simply needed some urging to do it. |
| 879 | ** ''Cross Roads'': Henry "Hank" Jellicoe, with Little Fish and Stu Franklin acting as CoDragons. |
| 880 | ** ''Deja Vu'': Henry "Hank" Jellicoe. |
| 881 | ** ''Home Free'': Owen Orzell and Jason Parker are apparently a BigBadDuumvirate. Interestingly, Owen reveals that he was part of a BigBadTriumvirate consisting of UsefulNotes/{{CIA}} director Calvin Span and Henry "Hank" Jellicoe. Henry is now rotting in federal prison, and Calvin is now dead from a heart attack he got while shovelling his driveway! |
| 882 | ** As indicated, Henry "Hank" Jellicoe could qualify as an overall Big Bad, especially after ''Free Fall''. |
| 883 | %%* The ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' series. |
| 884 | %%** The overall Big Bad of the series looks set to be [[OmnicidalManiac Darquesse]], [[spoiler: SuperpoweredEvilSide of Valkyrie Cain]], although [[EldritchAbomination The Faceless Ones]] - who were the {{Greater Scope Villain}}s of the first three books - may yet be making a comeback. |
| 885 | %%** The Big Bad of the setting in backstory was [[EvilSorceror Mevolent]] (or possibly his [[EvilMentor literally-nameless]] [[GreaterScopeVillain mentor]]). |
| 886 | %%** [[CardCarryingVillain Nefarian]] [[DragonAscendant Serpine]] was the Big Bad of ''Skulduggery Pleasant'' itself. |
| 887 | %%** [[GeneralRipper Baron]] [[HairTriggerTemper Vengeous]] was the Big Bad of ''Playing With Fire''. |
| 888 | %%** [[IJustWantToBeSpecial Batu]] was the Big Bad of ''The Faceless Ones'' - at least until he [[TheManBehindTheMonsters summoned]] some of the titular {{Greater Scope Villain}}s. |
| 889 | %%** [[LegionOfDoom Dreylan]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge Scarab]] was the Big Bad of ''Dark Days''. |
| 890 | %%** [[TheHeartless The Remnants in general]] were the Big Bad of ''Mortal Coil''. |
| 891 | %%** [[ReligionOfEvil Cleric]] [[KnightTemplar Craven]] was the Big Bad of ''Death Bringer'' - at least until [[DragonWithAnAgenda Melancholia]] went DragonAscendant on him, then [[ImplacableMan Lord]] [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Vile]] [[GodzillaThreshold showed up]], [[SerialEscalation then]] [[PersonOfMassDestruction Darquesse]] [[EvilVersusEvil joined in]]. |
| 892 | %%** ''Kingdom of the Wicked'' has two: [[EvilOverlord Mevolent]] for the alternative universe and [[spoiler:[[KnightTemplar Argeddion]] ]] for the normal one. |
| 893 | * ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': |
| 894 | ** There are too many plot-lines in the series to pick a single Big Bad; the series mostly features morally ambiguous and sympathetic humans pitted at odds with each other, making it difficult to pick out heroes and villains at all. When the Others finally come, ''everyone's'' gonna be screwed, though for the moment they have only been antagonists in the Night's Watch storyline, and for most of that storyline the Wildlings under Mance Rayder were more the antagonists, though the Wildlings have banded together and are trying to flee south in response to the Others... [[spoiler:However the Others' threat starts to spill over into the main plotline when Stannis Baratheon saves the Night's Watch from the Wildlings on realizing that the Others are the true threat]]. |
| 895 | ** The Big Bad of the civil war plotline of the first three books appears to be Tywin Lannister for the most part, Warden of the West and head of the Lannister family, but towards the end it's revealed the ''true'' Big Bad is [[spoiler: Littlefinger]]; who is responsible for the books' main action, notably [[spoiler: the murder of Jon Aryyn and the death of Joffrey.]] Interestingly enough, officially in-universe Joffrey is the Big Bad, as he is the King the Lannisters and their allies are supporting, and [[BigBadWannabe thinks of himself as their leader]], however he is so [[StupidEvil incompetent]] that his grandfather Tywin is [[DragonInChief clearly in charge]]. |
| 896 | ** Now that the combination of Tywin's death and their repeated defeats in battle has left the main antagonistic faction in disarray and largely supplanted by the [[GrayAndGrayMorality Tyrells]], there are three competitors for the title: |
| 897 | *** It's hard to say for sure given the series' long hiatus, but ''Feast for Crows'' and ''Dance With Dragons'' appeared to be setting up Euron Greyjoy as a Big Bad in the aftermath books, even though he doesn't appear in the first three books or play any role in the first two, outside the Appendixes, he is first mentioned in the third book when we hear after Balon Greyjoy's [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident sudden death]] his [[CainAndAbel brother]] Euron returned and claimed rule of the Iron Islands. So far, he has invaded and sacked the Shield Islands while dispatching the Iron Fleet to Essos under Victarion to bail out Daenerys (where they've left a trail of terror), with the implication that he plans to use magical artifacts he found to bend her dragons to his will. Book five ends with the Tyrells moving to confront him in the Reach. |
| 898 | *** [[ObviouslyEvil Roose Bolton]], Warden of the North, is this for the Northern story line and all the characters involved in it; he was arguably this since book three, both because of the role he plays in Jaime, Brienne, and Arya's chapters and because it's revealed he was subtly sabotaging Robb's whole cause ever since Stannis lost at the Blackwater, culminating in him and his allies butchering Robb's loyal followers in a dishonorable betrayal. Though he is acting in service of the Lannister regime, he doesn't interact with them much and his power base is effectively independent (it's also implied he approached the Lannisters with the betrayal idea rather than the other way around, and he enacts it without their troops present). The only reinforcements he gets are 2,000 Frey soldiers secured via marriage alliance, and any houses he can convert on his own initiative in the North. Much of book five revolves around Stannis building a loose alliance of southrons and northerners and leading them against him, while Jon watches anxiously from the Wall and POV characters Davos, Asha, Theon, and Melisandre are caught in the action; the book ends on a cliffhanger as Stannis's coalition engages a detachment of Roose's army, outmatched. |
| 899 | *** The aforementioned [[spoiler:Littlefinger]] is still planning ''something'' with his politicking in the Vale, though whether this is part of a sinister master plan or just him trying to adapt is left ambiguous. Meanwhile, Tywin's daughter Cersei Lannister seemed set to become the main antagonist in book four, as she acts as regent for Tommen Baratheon, her weak-willed younger son, but she ends up a BigBadWannabe who quickly ends up purged by elements in her own capital. |
| 900 | * [[Creator/DanSimmons Dan Simmons']] ''[[https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312865832/song-of-kali Song of Kali]]'' has [[Myth/HinduMythology Kali]] as its BigBad, a being born from and feeding on humanity's atavistic and violent impulses who wants to spread her "song" and bring about the Age of Kali. |
| 901 | * ''Literature/TheSouthernBookClubsGuideToSlayingVampires'' by Creator/GradyHendrix: James Harris, the monstrous [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]] who insinuates himself into the Charleston suburb of Mount Pleasant and not only preys upon the [[ChildEater children and teenagers of the area]] but [[TheCorrupter corrupts the community]] by excerbating the residents' worst inclinations, such as [[{{Greed}} greed]], [[StayInTheKitchen misogyny]], and racism. |
| 902 | * ''Literature/TheSovereignStone'' has Dagnarus, Lord of the Void, as its Big Bad. Interestingly, though plainly the bad guy, he's also [[VillainProtagonist the main character]]; the heroes who oppose him come and go, but in the end the trilogy is concerned primarily with Dagnarus, his rise, rule, and fall [[note]]This is especially true for the first book, set several centuries before the other two, which provides the origin story for Dagnarus and his QuirkyMinibossSquad, but while he has less "face time" in books two and three, he's still more central to the story than any individual hero or group of heroes[[/note]]. |
| 903 | * ''Literature/SpectralShadows'' pretty much features at least one Big Bad per serial. Then there's Salocin, the evil God, who pretty much serves as the series' GreaterScopeVillain. |
| 904 | %%* ''Spellfall'': Hawk. |
| 905 | %%* ''Literature/SpiderManGlobalWar'' has ComicBook/DoctorOctopus. |
| 906 | %%* ''Literature/StateOfFear'': [[spoiler:Nicholas Drake.]] |
| 907 | * In the ''Literature/StoriesOfNypre'' series we have the unnamed creature that controls the Night Land who is behind most atrocities in the series. |
| 908 | * ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde'': [[SplitPersonality Edward Hyde]], Henry Jekyll's repressed evil personality who indulges in his darker impulses. |
| 909 | * ''Literature/StrangerThingsDarknessOnTheEdgeOfTown'' has Saint John, leader of a gang called "The Vipers" who has big plans for UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity. |
| 910 | %%* ''The Survivor's Club'': David Price. |
| 911 | %%* ''Swordbird'': [[EvilOverlord Lord Turnatt Tyrant]]. |
| 912 | * The ''Literature/SwordOfShadows'' series has numerous mortal villains running around, but they all pale compared to the incoming threat of [[OmnicidalManiac the Endlords]], nine godlike personifications of destruction and entropy. |
| 913 | * ''Literature/TheSwordOfTruth'' has Darken Rahl in the first book, the Sisters of the Dark in the second book, and Jagang for the rest of the books, though most of those also have their own baddie for Richard to deal with, but they're almost always minions of Jagang's and the Imperial Order. The new book seems to have a villain named Hannis Arc, if the online blurbs released are to be believed. |
| 914 | [[/folder]] |
| 915 | |
| 916 | [[folder:T]] |
| 917 | * ''Literature/ATaleOfTwoCities'': Madame [=DeFarge=], who after having her family killed by the Evrémonde Brothers, becomes bent on killing anyone who is part of or close to the Evrémonde family. |
| 918 | * ''Literature/TheTerminalMan'': [[AxeCrazy Harry Benson]], a man who goes on a crime spree after getting cybernetic implants in his brain. |
| 919 | * ''[[https://qntm.org/scp There Is No Antimemetics Division]]'' by [[Website/ThingsOfInterest qntm]]: [[EldritchAbomination SCP-3125]], an [[MindVirus "anomalous metastasized memecomplex"]] from another reality in the process of "invading" SCP's universe. Upon fully entering reality, it will render humans incapable of conceiving of ideas other than itself, essentially turning humanity into an extension of itself. Until its emergence is complete, any observer who becomes aware of SCP-3125 is horrifically destroyed. |
| 920 | * ''Literature/TheThirteenthTale'': [[spoiler:The real [[EvilRedhead Adeline]] [[ClingyJealousGirl March]]. After the death of Charlie, she's responsible for almost everything bad that happens, from the deaths of Missus and John-the-dig to the attempted murder of Emmeline's baby, which led to the fire at Angelfield.]] |
| 921 | * ''[[https://www.christopherbuehlmanauthor.com/those-across-the-river/ Those Across the River]]'': Hector, the leader of the werewolf pack in the Megiddo Woods that preys upon Whitbrow when the townsfolk choose to stop sending a monthly offering of pigs in the forest. He also has a particular interest in the protagonist Frank Nichols, [[spoiler: as Nichols is the great-grandson of plantation owner Lucien Savoyard, his former master and the werewolf that turned him.]] |
| 922 | * In ''Literature/ThoseThatWake'', Man in Suit is this; he can influence and control almost anyone through spreading hopelessness, and is behind several major events in the present day and backstory. The sequel, ''What We Become'', has the Old Man, who secretly runs the world via corporate dealings and has many subordinates on hand. |
| 923 | * ''Literature/TimeOutOfTime'': Balor The One-Eyed. He seeks to rule over the Travelers' Market, and have all myths and legends conform to the dark's wishes. |
| 924 | %%* ''{{Literature/Timeline}}'': Lord Oliver de Vannes. |
| 925 | * ''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'': [[spoiler:Bob Ewell]] is responsible for framing a black man for the savage beating he committed, taking advantage of the racist system of 1920s Alabama to do so. |
| 926 | %%* Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium: |
| 927 | %%** Morgoth in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''. He was originally Melkor, but after he crossed the MoralEventHorizon in a spectacular manner, the Noldor [[MeaningfulRename renamed him "Dark Enemy" in their tongue.]] [[SealedEvilInACan After he was banished from the world]], Sauron, previously TheDragon, [[DragonAscendant assumed]] his EvilOverlord role and became the titular ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. |
| 928 | %%** Smaug in ''Literature/TheHobbit''. |
| 929 | * ''Literature/TortallUniverse:'' |
| 930 | ** ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'': Duke Roger of Conté. In an effort to usurp Prince Jon's place in the line of succession, he calls a plague, manipulates Jon into exploring an incredibly dangerous place, engineers a war with Tusaine and tries TheUriahGambit, tries to kill Queen Lianne... when [[spoiler:Alanna kills him, he's actually not quite dead and one of his allies manipulates Alanna's own brother into bringing him back, and he promptly begins plotting again]]. |
| 931 | ** ''Literature/TheImmortals'': Emperor Mage [[AGodAmI Ozorne]] of Carthak, who has designs on conquering the Eastern Lands and sees sending thought-extinct immortals at the kingdoms of the north as a grand way to weaken them up for conquest. [[spoiler:After he's deposed and turned into a Stormwing, he teams up with an even greater villain: Uusoae, the Queen of Chaos.]] |
| 932 | ** The second half of ''Literature/ProtectorOfTheSmall'' has [[TheGhost Maggur Rathhausak]], King of Scanra, who employs the {{necromancer}} Blayce the Gallan in the first place. Rathhausak never makes an on-page appearance, however. |
| 933 | ** ''Literature/BekaCooper'': Pearl Skinner in ''Bloodhound''. She's terrified Sir Lionel into not interfering with her at all, which hamstrings the Guard and allows her to run wild making counterfeit silver coins — Lionel actively prevents anyone from investigating her too closely. She also murders anyone who risks exposing her. [[spoiler:She got the original idea from Hanse Remy, but he banked on the fact that she'd take it to an extreme.]] |
| 934 | * ''Literature/TheTraitorSonCycle'': The Big Bad for the first three books (''The Red Knight'', ''The Fell Sword'', and ''The Dread Wyrm'') is Ash, a [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]] of vast magical power who seeks to seize the gates, portals to other universes and key to his ambition of conquest. His success means the extinction or enslavement of man and the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfRaces Wild]]. In the last two books of the series, ''The Plague of Swords'' and ''The Fall of Dragons'', a BigBadEnsemble emerges as other powerful entities scheme to take the gates, including the [[{{Necromancer}} Necromancer]], the ''[[TheWormThatWalks will]]'', and the ''[[FierySalamander fire]]''. [[note]] Both the Necromancer and the ''will'' are Odine, a race of [[HiveMind necromantic worms]] that possess organisms and use them as puppets. The Necromancer, however, rebelled against the ''will'' (hence its other name the "''rebel''") and merged with a human mind at some point.[[/note]] All of them make and break alliances with each other, but at the end Ash is left as the biggest and baddest antagonist the [[MagicKnight Red Knight]] and his armies must face. |
| 935 | * ''Literature/TrappedOnDraconica'': Gothon is TheEmperor that invades the good guy kingdom and tries to capture TheProtagonist. [[spoiler: He's actually an UnwittingPawn for the ManBehindTheMan, Kazebar.]] |
| 936 | ** In the sequel, ''Literature/LegacyOfTheDragokin'', this role goes to Jihadain. She is TheLeader of the Khtonian Knights and the villain with the EvilPlan that moves the plot forward. [[spoiler: Unfortunately by the time she's killed her mother wakes up and becomes the TrueFinalBoss.]] |
| 937 | * ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'' has the Volturi, an ancient society of vampires who control the vampire world and maintain its secrecy, with Aro acting as the organization's leader. |
| 938 | %%** In the first book it's James. |
| 939 | %%** In the second book the Volturi finally become involved in the story. |
| 940 | %%** In the third book, it's [[AvengingTheVillain Victoria]]; the Volturi are involved, but it becomes and EnemyMine of sorts. |
| 941 | %%** In the fourth and final book, it's the Volturi, again. |
| 942 | * The ''Tyrant'' series by [[https://christiancameronauthor.com/about-christian-cameron/ Christian Cameron]]: |
| 943 | ** ''[[https://christiancameronauthor.com/book/tyrant-tyrant-1/ Tyrant]]'': Zopryon, the Macedonian governor of Thrace, who is leading an invasion to conquer the [[PrivateMilitaryContractors mercenary]] [[TheProtagonist protagonist]] Kineas' employer, the [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece Greek]] [[LandOfOneCity city-state]] of Olbia, and their [[BornInTheSaddle Scythian]] allies. |
| 944 | [[/folder]] |
| 945 | |
| 946 | [[folder:U]] |
| 947 | %%* Pearlpelt, or [[spoiler:the Bane. Literally.]]in ''Literature/TheUnderlandChronicles''. |
| 948 | * ''Literature/TheUnexploredSummonBloodSign'': [[spoiler:The White Queen]], with the added twist of also being [[spoiler:[[LoveInterestTraitor the main love interest]]. She's an EldritchAbomination who used to be in a relationship with protagonist Kyousuke, but after the events of [[GreatOffscreenWar the Secret War]], he refuses to have anything to do with her. The entire plot of the series is driven by [[{{Yandere}} her attempts to get him back]]]]. |
| 949 | * ''Literature/UpSchittCreek'': Remington Ralph, the leader of a murderous gang of outlaws who kidnapped Glen's wife and daughter, thus embarking him on a journey to rescue them. He also murdered Jessie's entire family, giving her a vengeful cause to join Glen in stopping Ralph. |
| 950 | [[/folder]] |
| 951 | |
| 952 | [[folder:V]] |
| 953 | * [[spoiler:Victor Dashkov]] in ''Literature/VampireAcademy''. Turns out to be the one hunting down Lissa for the last few years. Responsible for her and Rose running away from Moroi society in the first place. |
| 954 | * In ''The Literature/{{Videssos}} Cycle'', the most obvious villain is [[EvilSorcerer Avshar]], though he's technically the DragonInChief to Wulghash, the ruler of the Yezda Empire. [[spoiler: At least until the final part of the last book, when Avshar deposes Wulghash and takes over as Big Bad full-time]]. |
| 955 | * ''Literature/VillainsByNecessity'': [[TheArchmage Archmage Mizzamir]] is the ruler of Natodik who seeks to [[KnightTemplar purge the world of Evil through cruel means]], while Sam is trying to overthrow him to stop his oppression and restore the BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil that he is threatening. |
| 956 | * The ''Vindolanda'' trilogy by [[http://www.adriangoldsworthy.com/ Adrian Goldsworthy]]: |
| 957 | ** ''[[http://www.adriangoldsworthy.com/romanfictionbk1.htm Vindolanda]]'': The Stallion, a Britonnic priest with a messianic message [[InterfaithSmoothie cobbled together from different religions]] who's prophesized the [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire Romans']] expulsion from Britain, and has assembled a tribal confederation with the intent of doing just that. |
| 958 | ** ''[[http://www.adriangoldsworthy.com/romanfictionbk2.htm The Encircling Sea]]'': Cniva, leader of a tribe of [[DangerousDeserter former Roman auxiliaries]] turned pirates who have begun raiding the coast and have abducted several important personages that need to be rescued. |
| 959 | ** ''[[http://www.adriangoldsworthy.com/romanfictionbk3.htm Brigantia]]'': Acco, the [[LastOfHisKind last]] [[{{Druid}} true druid]], who's fomenting rebellion amongst the largest Britonnic tribe, the Brigantes, and is preparing a [[RitualMagic work of great magic]] to usher in a new age and end Roman rule in Britain. [[note]]Since the story is HistoricalFiction and not HistoricalFantasy, the magic isn't objectively real, but what's important is that the characters, people living in a time when the supernatural was taken as fact, believe it is.[[/note]] [[spoiler: After Acco's death, the Brigantian [[TheEvilPrince prince]] Claudius Arviragus takes over as BigBad, who seeks to use the rebellion to become both [[TheHighKing high king]] of the Brigantes and, in an incredible overestimation of his chances, emperor of Rome.]] |
| 960 | %%* ''Literature/{{Vortex}}'': [[PresidentEvil Karl Adriaan Vorster]]. |
| 961 | [[/folder]] |
| 962 | |
| 963 | [[folder:W]] |
| 964 | %%* Azrael de Gray from Creator/JohnCWright's ''Literature/WarOfTheDreaming'' spends roughly two-thirds of the series as the Big Bad. [[spoiler: Then he suffers a HeelRealization and aboutfaces, and the GodOfEvil takes over this trope.]] |
| 965 | %%* ''Literature/TheWarOfTheFlowers''- [[AristocratsAreEvil Lord Hellebore]]. Lords Thornapple and Foxglove are initially [[BigBadDuumvirate equal partners]], but in the end Hellbore is clearly in charge. |
| 966 | * ''Literature/WarriorCats'': Tigerstar, whose goal is to unite the four Clans and gain power over all the forest. After his death, he spirit tempts Firestar's descendants and his own to his ideals. While most of the story arcs have their own ArcVillain (book 1 has Brokenstar, book 6 has Scourge, series 2 has Hawkfrost...), more often than not, they're working for Tigerstar. |
| 967 | * ''Literature/WarsOfLightAndShadow'' has Desh-thiere, the Mistwraith, a formless, malevolent entity which has shrouded the world of Athera in cursed fog for centuries. Half-brothers [[LightIsNotGood Lysaer]] and [[DarkIsNotEvil Arithon]] defeat and imprison it partway through the first book, but it continues to drive the plot via the curse of eternal enmity it placed on them [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu as it was defeated]] as well as by its continued attempts to escape captivity and regain its power. |
| 968 | %%* ''Literature/WatershipDown'': [[GeneralRipper General]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Woundwort]]. |
| 969 | * ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeTheShadowAndDarkfriends The Dark One]]/[[{{Satan}} Shai'tan]], the living manifestation of evil imprisoned by the Creator in the beginning of time whose ultimate goal is complete freedom and the annihilation of reality. |
| 970 | * ''Literature/WhereAreYouGoingWhereHaveYouBeen'': The enigmatic Arnold Friend in the short story stalks [[TheProtagonist Connie]], convincing her to leave with him with malicious intentions in store. |
| 971 | * ''Literature/TheWildOnes'' has Titus, a greyhound who wants to eradicate all the residents in Ankle Snap Alley. The sequel, ''[[Literature/TheWildOnesMoonlightBrigade Moonlight Brigade]]'', has Coyote, a thief who steals all the food from the city. |
| 972 | * ''The Winds of the Forelands'': |
| 973 | %%** [[EvilSorcerer the Weaver]] [[spoiler: whose real name is Dusaan]]. [[TheEvilPrince Numar]] also acts as a secondary Big Bad for the middle three books of the five-book series. |
| 974 | ** The SequelSeries ''Blood of the Southlands'' plays this one interestingly. [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Lici]] is responsible for setting pretty much all of the trilogy's bad events in motion directly or indirectly [[spoiler: but then she dies early in the second book]] and the remainder of the trilogy is more a case of GreyAndGreyMorality. |
| 975 | %%* ''Franchise/TheWitcher'': Vilgefortz of Roggeveen. |
| 976 | * ''Literature/TheWitches'': [[WickedWitch The Grand High Witch]], the leader of all the witches and the most evil witch of all, who wants to turn all the kids in the world into mice. |
| 977 | * ''Literature/TheWitchlands'' has Ragnor the Raider King, who wants to conquer the entirety of the eponymous continent. |
| 978 | %%* ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'': The Wicked Witch of the West, followed by the Nome King who takes Ozians for granite and hates eggs. |
| 979 | * ''Literature/{{Woodwalkers}}'': [[spoiler:Andrew Milling, who's bent on destroy all of humanity after a hunter killed his wife and daughter in their animal-form.]] |
| 980 | [[/folder]] |
| 981 | |
| 982 | [[folder:Y]] |
| 983 | * ''Literature/YouAreDeadSignHerePlease'': Director Fulcher is the big bad for much of the series, as he is responsible for putting Nathan's file in order and goes to great lengths to accomplish it. |
| 984 | * The Big Bad of the ''Literature/YoungWizards'' series is the Lone Power, the creator and embodiment of death and entropy. Good luck, heroes. |
| 985 | [[/folder]] |
| 986 |
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