Line #16 IneffectualSympatheticVillain/WebComics


1	* Drizz'l in ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater''. First, he was humiliated when the "true guardian" he bought turned out to be a platypus. Then, he went without a sword for a good majority of the comic and teamed up with the most incompetent antagonists possible. After [[TheStarscream he finally assumed leadership of the Dark Warriors]], his first plan to quit their royal accounting job was an utter embarrassment. Then he was voted off the team (''right'' after finally becoming leader and running a huge, evil castle) and forced to HeelFaceTurn ([[VillainProtagonist sorta]]) and ended up hating the Light Warriors even more. Then the final showdown he was waiting for [[WackyWaySideTribe was interrupted by a pointless election]]. Then his plan to kill everyone else backfired. Then the Fiends who mistook him as the one who summoned them from Hell were unable to kill his teammates because of family ties. Then said Fiends were suddenly killed off (again). Then his plan to take over the world using the [[ArcNumber four]] [[ElementalPowers elemental]] [[CosmicKeystone orbs of light]] came to a quick end when [[DungeonMaster Sarda]] pointed out that they have no idea how to do that. Then said [[PhysicalGod nigh-omnipotent]] [[{{Jerkass}} jackass]] [[AWizardDidIt wizard who did it]] subsequently [[MindRape mind raped]] the whole team and forced them to run away. And finally, [[spoiler: he is the only Very Real Light Warrior unhappy about being credited with saving the world, probably because he never got to be an actual villain and/or due to the whole stupidity of the situation.]]
2	** [[EverythingTryingToKillYou Everything]] in [[CrapsackWorld the universe]] has [[ButtMonkey two purposes]]: to hurt [[HeroicComedicSociopath Black Mage]] and humiliate Drizz'l.
3	* About half the {{Card Carrying Villain}}s in ''Webcomic/AntiheroForHire'' fit this trope.
4	* Kumimi of ''Webcomic/APTComic'', considering how [[SarcasmMode hard she's working towards that "invade the planet" thing.]]
5	** Well she IS a ''Manga/SgtFrog'' character.
6	* In the ''VideoGame/{{Bravoman}}'' webcomic, Anti-Bravoman ''tries'' to be a brooding AntiHero, but he's so awkward that he lacks any real ability to be a threat. [[spoiler:Reverse Anti-Bravoman, on the other hand, is ''not'' this.]]
7	* Waldo and Steve in the {{webcomic}} ''Webcomic/CollegeRoomiesFromHell'', though they are [[{{Gonk}} far too ugly]] both physically and socially to ever be truly sympathetic.
8	* Zenith from ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty'' [[ZigZaggingTrope zigzags]] this to hell and back...especially the ''sympathetic'' part, considering what happens. Her ridiculously petty motivations/desires and long-winded ranting speeches certainly come across as this, as does her failure. Later, though, we do see she is capable of some [[BodyHorror pretty horrifying stuff]]; yet she's also capable of being adorably helpful when in "good" mode. That just makes her subsequent reversion, painful shutdowns, and nearly AndIMustScream status later on just painful to watch....and then she goes completely off the deep end and [[TookALevelInBadass got more powerful for it]], basically becoming [[VideoGame/SystemShock SHODAN]].
9	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', technically, [[spoiler:Magus]] was apparently behind the [[spoiler:v-five Elliot incident]], and tried to manipulate Ellen within some plot that sounds [[{{squick}} quite dubious]]. And is not very good at this. But he's in desperate straits, which isn't even his own fault (unlike Abraham's case). And he's still reluctant to kill a guy who stands in his way even when pushed hard to do it.
10	** [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-04-14 He knows it, too]].
11	*** This makes a lot of sense since Magus [[spoiler: is an alternate universe version of Elliot/Ellen.]]
12	* Dr. Kinesis in [[http://www.evilplan.thewebcomic.com Evil Plan]]. His technology gets stolen, the other villains laugh at him, and on his minions' first mission, they bump into a brand new superhero.
13	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'':
14	** Clubs Deuce from the Midnight Crew Intermission is ''really'' bad at being a vicious gangster. His idea of "roughing someone up" involves lightly drubbing their shins and stealing their hat. The rest of the Midnight Crew are pretty big bumblers too (aside from [[OnlySaneMan Diamonds Droog]]) but can go under FauxAffablyEvil, depending on your personal AlternateCharacterInterpretation. Also amusingly [[NotSoHarmlessVillain subverted]] with CD, as ditziness aside, he has the second-highest body count of the Midnight Crew. [[CrossesTheLineTwice Mostly by accident]].
15	** In Act 5, Eridan is a genocidal snob who aspires to kill off all the lower-class, land-dwelling trolls. But none of his schemes ever work, no one takes him seriously, and the [[http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004339 narration itself]] describes him as an IneffectualSympatheticVillain. In fact, he never really goes through with it because [[PetTheDog Feferi would be upset otherwise]]. [[spoiler:Eventually subverted ''HARD'' in Act 5 Act 2, where he loses both the "sympathetic" and "ineffectual" parts as he crosses the MoralEventHorizon, killing Feferi, Kanaya and destroying the hope of reviving the troll race. Though he switches right back to ineffectual when Kanaya comes back from the grave as a vampire and effortlessly fells him. Like a tree.]]
16	** Jack Noir ''[[BaitTheDog starts]]'' as this, being forced to wear ridiculous clothing at the Black Queen's orders. Later into the story... he's significantly less ineffectual or sympathetic.
17	* Fructose Riboflavin in ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' who has been [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/130/ trying and trying and failing]] to take over the Nemesite Empire for [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/102/ so danged long]] that you have [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/131/ to pity him, just a little.]]
18	* Cassiel from ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}'' desperately wants to be Rumisiel's nemesis and is constantly plotting his downfall. Too bad she makes the [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Team Rocket]] trio look competent and effective. Then she actually helps the gang on behalf of [[MoralityPet her human friend Eponine]], and Ash thanks her for it... which she has ''no idea'' how to feel about, so she starts trying to "out-nice" Ash.... [[spoiler:The whole thing culminates in Rumisiel realizing that he and his family have been total jerks to her, him trying to make it up to her, and an eventual full on HeelFaceTurn when she teams up with the gang to help [[CerebusTurn save the universe]].]]
19	* A lot of villains in ''Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'' fit the bill, although [[MonsterClown Jokerella]] and [[ComplexityAddiction The Quizzicle]] are probably the most pathetic. The former is a mess of self-esteem issues who [[HarmlessVillain isn't really very good at being a supervillain,]] whilst the latter is defeated by his own ComplexityAddiction. It's quite common for villains to be HoistByTheirOwnPetard with little to no effort on Wonderella's part, and villains often just give up and let her and/or [[TheDitz Rita]] go because they're [[PityTheKidnapper annoying]]. Lampshaded by [[ThoseWackyNazis Hitlerella]] [[http://nonadventures.com/2012/10/06/view-to-a-dill/ here]].
20	-->'''[[OnlySaneMan Hitlerella:]]''' '''A giant pickle jar.''' Christ. Does anyone else here even '''own''' a gun?
21	* The [[http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=081023 Minion Master]] from ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance''.
22	** In an alternative universe, [[http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/20090910 he's]] Not So Harmless.
23	* The Flaming Prince from ''Webcomic/VanVonHunter''.
24	* Doctor Lupin Madblood of ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'' is a genuine MadScientist. Most of the time, he behaves as if this were his story, a dashing science-fictional tale of a MadScientist taking over the world, with the PurpleProse dialogue and grandiose schemes required. Except... [[WrongGenreSavvy it's not]]. It's [[spoiler: Dave Davenport's]] story. Madblood really does try his best: he's got the looks, the [[BeardOfEvil goatee]], the ScaryShinyGlasses, LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine... He's got the panache. He's got {{Killer Robot}}s. But the robots turn out to be uninterested in killing, the plans get foiled by the actual protagonists, the SesquipedalianLoquaciousness just makes him look pompous, and he [[ButtMonkey ends up as the butt of jokes more often than not]].

Context IneffectualSympatheticVillain / WebComics