Line #15 Main/PredecessorVillain


1	->''"Long before the Ishgardians and their base betrayal, there lived still more wicked men whose ambitions knew no bounds. Fearful of our might and covetous of our power, they devised a means to enslave dragonkind... Their vile misdeeds did set in motion a train of events whose repercussions are felt to this day."''
2	-->-- '''Midgardsormr''', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV''
3
4	At some point in the backstory, a villain existed who was the forerunner to the current BigBad--either because they were both part of a direct line of succession, or just because the Big Bad uses similar methods and espouses similar beliefs. The Predecessor Villain may appear in flashbacks, but will usually have no direct role in the story (unless it turns out to be HijackedByGanon, from an in-universe standpoint)--usually, though not always, they are a PosthumousCharacter.
5
6	May be used to reinforce a theme of a ViciousCycle, or just to give the current BigBad a well of secrets and power to mine. Sometimes, particularly if the current Big Bad is the EvilCounterpart to TheHero, then the Predecessor Villain will be the same to PrecursorHeroes--and may have been ''their'' ArchEnemy at one point.
7
8	Can overlap with VillainousLegacy, where the current plot is more or less the direct repercussion of a villainous figure's past actions (whether or not there is a current villain for it to have preceded). Compare and contrast GreaterScopeVillain for villains that still exist during the story but take little to no active role in it, rather than having existed in the story's past. For cases where the BigBad goes down and is replaced by a BastardUnderstudy or underling during a work, see DragonAscendant.
9
10	No relation to the trope HerosEvilPredecessor.
11	----
12	!!Examples:
13
14	[[foldercontrol]]
15
16	[[folder:Anime And Manga]]
17	* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Long before [[UberMensch Sosuke Aizen]] engineered a conspiracy against the Seireitei and defected from the Gotei 13, [[AGodAmI Yhwach]] - the Quincy King - conquered the human world and waged a bloody war of annihilation against both Hollows and Soul Reapers alike. His rivalry with Yamamoto was said to be legendary, and Yhwach's defeat eventually led to genocide against the Quincy. Yhwach's cruelty and brutality were so extreme, even Yamamoto and Unohana, both said to be little more than thugs and mass murderers, willingly TookALevelInKindness to avoid such a catastrophic war ever again. But there's a catch: we never find out about this until after Yhwach himself is introduced in the main story. This means Yhwach is the PredecessorVillain, the ultimate BigBad of the story, ''and'' the FinalBoss of the series.
18	* In a case of where the villain is still alive, in the ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' episode "Bohemian Rhapsody," a series of warp gate bombings provoke the ''Bebop'' crew to find the man responsible for those incidents. As it turns out, he had already set the plan in motion 50 years prior and has since [[spoiler:grown senile, having no knowledge or recollection whatsoever of this plan. All that he knows how to do anymore is [[ChessMotifs play chess]].]]
19	* ''Franchise/DragonBall''
20	** ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': Bibidi, Babidi's father and the creator of Majin Buu, who was killed by the Supreme Kai long before the series began.
21	** Frieza and King Cold receive one in Lord Chilled in ''Anime/DragonBallEpisodeOfBardock''.
22	** ''Anime/DragonBallGT'': Vegeta's father, King Vegeta III, counts because if he hadn't driven the Tuffle race to near-extinction, Dr. Myuu would've had no reason to create Baby or to co-create Super 17. Without him, ''Dragon Ball GT'' wouldn't have happened (except maybe for the Shadow Dragons Saga). This also makes him indirectly responsible for ''Anime/DragonBallPlanToEradicateTheSaiyans''.
23	* [[spoiler:Rau Le Creuset]], BigBad of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' is this to [[spoiler:Gilbert Durandal]], BigBad of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny''. The two of them were friends, and the former's [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds depression and disgust with the world]] are what ultimately led to the latter becoming [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans the man he is today]]. Similarly, Blue Cosmos leader Lord Djibril inherited his position, power, influence, and raving racism from his predecessor, Muruta Azrael.
24	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' and its relentless GambitPileup makes it difficult to work out who's who at first glance, but ultimately the ''true'' Predecessor Villain turns out to be [[spoiler:Princess Kaguya Otsutsuki, the PhysicalGod ancestor of the Uchiha and Senju clans]], who gave the BigBad his powers and who he ([[UnwittingPawn unknowingly]]) seeks to resurrect with his plan.
25	* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', it's eventually revealed that way back during the Roger Pirates' heyday, there was a pirate called Rocks [[spoiler:D. Xebec]], who threatened the world. While little is known about who he is or what he did, he managed to keep together an extremely powerful crew who all hated each other by sheer force. [[spoiler:Roger and Garp]] eventually had to [[EnemyMine team up]] to kill him, upon which his crewmembers went their separate ways, with three of them [[spoiler:forming three-fourths of the Four Emperors: Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido]]. A fourth member of this crew was [[spoiler:Shiki, who would go on to be a personal rival of Roger's and later serve as the BigBad of the film ''[[Anime/OnePieceFilmStrongWorld Strong World]]'']].
26	* In ''Audioplay/StrikersSoundStageX'', [[spoiler:Toredia Graze turns out to have been DeadAllAlong, and [[DetectiveMole Runessa is the real killer]], following in his footsteps.]]
27	* Kayaba Akihito of ''Anime/SwordArtOnline'' is the source for the next two {{Big Bad}}s, as his game helped influence them in some way. [[spoiler:One of them is his rival who used his game as a template for his own and the other was a survivor of Akihito's game who wasn't quite done with his [[{{Griefer}} fun]]]].
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Comic Books]]
31	* While believed to be dead, ComicBook/NormanOsborn was this to any other villain who wore a Goblin costume.
32	* Apocalypse is this in ''[[Comicbook/XForce Uncanny X-Force]]''. He himself is [[ZeroEffortBoss killed effortlessly]] in the very first arc as a result of [[ClippedWingAngel rejuvenating himself into a helpless child body]], but almost every subsequent villain is working to either recreate him or find a successor for him. The arc even carried over into writer Rick Remender's next book, ''Comicbook/UncannyAvengers''.
33	* Baron Heinrich Zemo is the father and predecessor of Baron Helmut Zemo, and fought ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and the Howling Commandos during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.
34	* ''ComicBook/WonderWomanEarthOne'': Hercules is a large part of why Themysciran society is dangerously misandrist in this universe, though he was killed long ago by Hippolyta for his attack and rape of her people.
35	* ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'' has Evron, the progenitor of the [[PlanetLooters Evronians]]. His one appearance in a brief comic strip describes him as even more evil than the Evronians - and thankfully killed by his children.
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Fan Works]]
39	* ''FanFic/InnerDemons'' has the alicorn known as Midnight, who was the original [[BigBad Queen of Darkness]]. When defeated by [[PrecursorHeroes Bayonet, the original Master of Harmony]], she cursed Equestria with her dying breath. Hence her eventual reincarnation as Twilight Sparkle, who was therefore [[BecauseDestinySaysSo destined]] to [[EternalRecurrence repeat]] her [[FallenHero fall from grace]].
40	* ''FanFic/ThePowersOfHarmony'' has [[WickedWitch Zemblani]], whose attempt to [[spoiler: force open the Gate of Tartarus]] twenty years ago is what set up the plot in the first place. Possibly subverted, however, as she was working for [[BigBad Cetus]] at the time.
41	* ''FanFic/MyLittleMagesTheNightmaresReturn'':
42	** Discord is briefly mentioned by Celestia as being responsible for Luna's fall, as his last act was to plant within her the seed of dark magic that became Nightmare Moon.
43	** [[{{Necromancer}} Chrysalis]] is the DemotedToDragon variant. Fifty years ago, she led one side of a war between the living and the Undead but was defeated and forced to go into hiding before Nightmare Moon recruited her.
44	* ''FanFic/QueenOfAllOni'' has the Elders, the former rulers of the Shadowkhan who were overthrown by Tarakudo, and are thus this to both him ''and'' [[VillainProtagonist Jade]]. Speaking of which, since Tarakudo is reduced to staying a SealedEvilInACan in this universe, he's pretty much this trope to Jade as well.
45	* ''FanFic/PonyPOVSeries'':
46	** Discord for the second and third parts. While he was the BigBad proper in the first part, with [[spoiler:Loneliness]] and then Princess [[spoiler:Gaia/Nightmare Whisper]] the {{Big Bad}}s for the second and third parts, Discord's actions in the first part (and the actual show) are the reason one, possibly ''both'', of them even exists at all and everything in the entire fic can be traced back to Discord, even though he's been SealedEvilInACan the entire time. [[spoiler:He is set free and becomes the BigBad for the final arc.]]
47	** Queen Cocoon, Queen Chrysalis' predecessor as Changeling Queen. While Chrysalis killed her and took her throne, her ingraining FantasticRacism into the Changelings and treatment of Chrysalis and others gave Chrysalis the means to manipulate the Changelings to her whims and take over.
48	** [[spoiler:General Admiral Makarov]] is this for the Wedding Arc as [[spoiler:his actions made Chrysalis a PeggySue and lead to her being a much bigger threat than she originally was, even though [[VillainousLegacy he himself was long erased from time]].]]
49	** Umbra Breeze/Obsidian Zephyr[[spoiler:/Nyarlathotrot]] is this for anything involving King Sombra, as he created him. [[spoiler:Rabia is also another aspect of him, as revealed when he was defeated.]]
50	** Lilith the Witch Queen was this for every evil magic user in the Age of Wonders (G1), as she was the First Witch to ever exist [[spoiler:having discovered dark magic before anyone else on the planet.]] In addition, she [[spoiler:is this for the Alicorn Amulet and any who use it, as her evil power is sealed inside it and [[LeakingCanOfEvil is what corrupts the user]].]] She's also [[spoiler:this for Tirek as well, as the monsters and plague she created lured him to where he'd gain his power in the first place.]]
51	* In FanFic/TheNuptialverse Queen Chrysalis serves as the GreaterScopeVillain, while [[spoiler:Discord serves as this, as he made Chrysalis what she is in the first place.]]
52	* Discord again in ''[[FanFic/PonyPsychologySeries Secrets and Lies]]''. Twilight's fear that he is attempting to escape once more, and that he provoked her into killing another pony in order to weaken the Elements of Harmony, kick off the events of the story, [[spoiler:and Topsy Turvy, said other pony, in fact planned it in order to sow enough chaos to release him]].
53	* It's revealed in ''Fanfic/HopeForTheHeartless'' that [[BigBad Arawn]], the Death Lord of Annuvin, existed centuries before his apprentice and best warrior, [[WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron the Horned King]] (who is over a thousand years old himself). After Arawn was somehow defeated and [[SealedEvilInACan imprisoned]] inside [[ArtifactOfDoom the Black Cauldron]] in his quest to find and use it to TakeOverTheWorld, his apprentice took his place and searched for the Cauldron for the same reasons.
54	* ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' features a few notable examples:
55	** Twenty Gyarados Bill is mentioned in the main story as a notable criminal who terrorized the coast of Johto forty years ago, and the reason why the six-Pokémon limit was established. [[VillainEpisode His backstory is explored in his own gaiden.]]
56	** Team Zenith, the original Hoenn villainous team of which Maxie and Archie split from to form teams Magma and Aqua respectively, is featured in the Steven Interlude. Their leader, Zevie, has a personal story with the Hoenn Champion himself.
57	** Heratia, a heinous criminal from the times when Gligarman was active as a superhero, is long dead by the present time, but her legacy continues to live through her seven children, six of which grew up to become notorious criminals in their own right [[SelfMadeOrphan after they killed her]]. [[spoiler: One of those children grew up to become the Bloodline King, and the father of ''[[TheHero Ash Ketchum]]''.]]
58	* ''Fanfic/APossibleEncounterForAPhantom'': Danny discovers that Pariah Dark was in fact the sixth king of ghosts. There was a first, who took a vested interest in a prehistoric race of creatures called Terakons, that Vlad is planning to [[FossilRevival bring back to life as an army]].
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
62	* ''Franchise/TheLionKing'': Scar, the BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'', becomes this in ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'', where its own BigBad Zira seeks to avenge his death.
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
66	* ''Film/StarWarsEpisodeIIIRevengeOfTheSith'' introduces Literature/DarthPlagueis, [[BigBad Palpatine's]] master. Other examples within the larger franchise, dating further back into its fictional history, are listed under the literature, video game, and animation sections on this page.
67	* Krona in ''Film/GreenLantern2011''. He is the Guardian who absorbed the yellow energy of fear, with [[BigBad Parallax]] as the result.
68	* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' has [[spoiler:Arnim Zola, who is revealed to be the instigator of Hydra's infiltration into SHIELD.]]
69	* ''Film/{{Sky High\|2005}}'' has Sue Tenney. Originally a bullied outcast at the titular AcademyOfAdventure due to being declared a "Sidekick" under its FantasticCasteSystem, she became the supervillain Royal Pain and created the Pacifier, a weapon that [[FountainOfYouth regresses the age]] of whoever it strikes, which she schemed to use to regress all the world's superheroes into newborn babies and raise them to serve her. An encounter with two heroes led to the device being damaged and its energies [[HoistByHisOwnPetard turned back on her]], with her infant self being raised by her henchman. Now it's seventeen years later and her {{reincarnation}} [[spoiler: Gwen Grayson]] is back to make Sky High pay the piper.
70	* In ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'', Gellert Grindelwald is TheDreaded in TheRoaringTwenties, just at the time of Voldemort's birth. The sequel, ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald'', focuses on him.
71	* ''Film/TalesFromTheHood'': Duke Metzger is proudly banking on the legacy of his slave-holding ancestor by taking up residence in his old mansion. While Metzger is more of a simple {{Jerkass}} with his racist views, his ancestor ''brutally murdered'' every slave he owned because he simply could not stand other people not being his property anymore when the Civil War ended.
72	* ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'': [[Film/JusticeLeague2017 Unlike the theatrical cut]], Darkseid himself was the one who invaded Earth millennia ago that resulted in men, gods, Amazonians, Atlanteans, and a Green Lantern banding together to repel him, instead of sending Steppenwolf to do it.
73	* In ''Film/TheBlackRoom'', Gregor's family began with Brant de Berghman, who murdered his brother Wolfram, much like Gregor is prophesized to do.
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Game Book]]
77	* Agarash the Damned and Darklord Vashna from ''Literature/LoneWolf''. Agarash was sealed away in a prison dimension by the Elder Magi long ago and never shows up in the series proper [[spoiler:though he reappears as TheManBehindTheMan in the ''World of Lone Wolf'' spinoff series]], but he left behind countless servants and artifacts. Darklord Vashna was the mightiest of the Darklords and the first one to be slain by the Sommerswerd. Vashna is long dead, but he and his defeated army's spirits haunt the Maakengorge, awaiting any opportunity to come back from the dead to claim vengeance. Two of the books are centered on foiling plots to revive him.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Literature]]
81	* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Sauron is the DarkLord, but the job was originally held by Morgoth, his old master, a GodOfEvil who was worse and on a grander scale.
82	* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
83	** Salazar Slytherin [[EvilFormerFriend was once a friend]] of [[BigGood Godric Gryffindor]], before becoming obsessed with wizard superiority. It is implied that he [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade was not nearly as bad as people treated him]].
84	** Gellert Grindelwald, an evil wizard Dumbledore defeated and the previous Dark Lord before Voldemort, is given a passing reference in the first book. In the seventh, it turns out he and Dumbledore were also "friends", and imagined a world where wizards ruled over Muggles "[[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans for the greater good]]". This came to a rather sharp end when [[spoiler:Gellert attacked Albus's brother and one of them killed his sister in the ensuing melee]]. In the end he was imprisoned after his defeat (in the same prison he built for his enemies, no less), and many years later [[spoiler:he refused to help Voldemort when Voldemort called on him (Voldemort ultimately got what he wanted anyway, but Grindelwald still didn't help him)]]. Per WordOfGay, it was revealed that he was apparently also Dumbledore's FirstLove -- although how much Grindelwald ever truly reciprocated is open to interpretation.
85	* From the ''Dragon Crown War'' series, the actions of a SorcerousOverlord named Kirun play a large role in shaping the settings' history, but the BigBad is his ex-BastardUnderstudy, Chytrine.
86	* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' novel ''Literature/DeadBeat'', the necromancer Kemmler. He orchestrated World War I and caused absolute havoc during World War 2, and he was such a horrible person that even usually amoral entities like Bob and [[TheFairFolk Queen Mab]] unironically call him a [[YouMonster monster]]. It took the entire White Council ''[[RasputinianDeath seven tries]]'' to make his death stick, but stick it eventually did, and now his influence is felt mostly through his surviving students.
87	* In ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'', [[EvilSorcerer Fistandantilus]] is the predecessor or [[MagnificentBastard Raistlin]], made more complicated when Raistlin travels back in time, kills Fistandantilus, steals his secrets, and usurps his place in the timeline.
88	* Baron Ether in ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'' is a retired supervillain now living under house arrest. Dr. Impossible, one of the book's two viewpoint characters sees him as a mentor and visits him twice for advice while trying to get his Evil Plan set up.
89	* The ''Literature/TenabranTrilogy'' is set a generation after the armies of a SorcerousOverlord were defeated, and opens as rumors stir that he is returning. It turns out that the rumors are down to a new would-be overlord who has recreated the old one's methods. [[spoiler:After a while, the protagonist realizes that there are not one but several people independently following the old overlord's m.o. for various reasons of their own -- including the head of the military order set up to guard against the old overlord's return, who is deliberately staging attacks against her own forces in order to bolster her own prestige]].
90	* The Wizard-King Xhum Y'zir is the forerunner of many of the villains from the ''Psalms of Isaak'' series, some of whom worship him as a god while others, like [[SmugSnake Sethbert]] just use his leftover weapons. For a while, it was implied that he was still alive and secretly the BigBad [[spoiler: but it turned out that it was his youngest son Ahm Y'Zir, also a Wizard-King, who was being kept alive with {{Magitek}} and has been actually pulling the strings]].
91	* The Authority on ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'' lashed out against those angels who denied that [[AGodAmI he had created the world]] and is implied to have founded the [[ReligionOfEvil church]] but at the time of the story he is so senile that he cannot speak and dies when his life-supporting cage is destroyed.
92	* Thistleclaw of ''Literature/WarriorCats''. He was the mentor of [[BigBad Tigerstar]] (the primary antagonist of the series), the ArchEnemy of [[TheHero Firestar]]'s mentor Bluestar, and the cause of many major events in the series (such as the rise of [[PsychoForHire Scourge]], although he wasn't intending that). The {{Prequel}} ''Crookedstar's Promise'' gives Thistleclaw his own PredecessorVillain in the form of Silverhawk,[[note]]Or maybe it's Shredtail. Nobody is really sure about this.[[/note]] who mentored Thistleclaw in the [[{{Hell}} Dark Forest]], and caused him to turn from an AntiHero into a full-fledged villain.
93	* ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'': [[SorcerousOverlord Mevolent]] is responsible for the GreatOffscreenWar, onetime direct superior of the first two novels' {{Big Bad}}s and [[spoiler:Skulduggery's SuperpoweredEvilSide]], a significant onetime ally of [[QuirkyMinibossSquad the Diablerie]] and the [[ReligionOfEvil Church of the Faceless]], and [[spoiler:supreme EvilOverlord of a parallel universe where he's still alive.]] Notably, he himself had an EvilMentor who was essentially the PredecessorVillain to ''him''.
94	* [[spoiler: Greg Kawakita]] is this in ''Literature/{{Reliquary}}''. At the end of [[Literature/TheRelic the first book]], he undergoes a FaceHeelTurn and is set up to be the main antagonist of the sequel [[spoiler: but is dead by the time of it, with Dr. Frock serving as the real Big Bad.]] However, none of that book's events could have happened if it wasn't for his actions at the end of the first book.
95	* UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte for two Creator/PaulFeval novels, ''Literature/JohnDevil'' (1862) and ''[[Literature/GentlemenOfTheNight The Mysteries of London]]'' (1843-44) adapted for the stage as ''Gentlemen of the Night''. The BigBad of each claims to have met Napoleon on St. Helena in about 1815-1816. Both have their own reasons for the Wars against England however, and Henri Belcamp in ''John Devil'' could have actually benefited Napoleon (since the other's main narrative is set after he died), and Henri even more so is really about his own ambition, he really wants to be the next Napoleon; freeing the first is merely for a PassingTheTorch moment. O'Brean in ''Gentlemen of the Night'' [[WellIntentionedExtremist is motivated by liberating and avenging Ireland]]. Both are [[BatFamilyCrossover made in continuity with each other]] via Literature/TheBlackCoats.
96	* Charles "Trout" Walker in ''Literature/{{Holes}}'', the even worse deceased grandfather to the BigBad. The entire plot ultimately stems from his [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain racially-motivated murder]] of Sam the Onion Man, which caused Green Lake to dry up and Sam's lover Kate Barlow to cross the DespairEventHorizon and become an outlaw, ultimately burying treasure in the desolate lakebed. Trout became obsessed with finding the treasure, even forcing his granddaughter to help him dig, [[FreudianExcuse which is why she forces other children to dig in the present]].
97	* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
98	** Although [[TheCaligula "Mad King"]] Aerys II Targaryen was overthrown and killed fifteen years before the events of ''Literature/AGameOfThrones'', many characters who lived through the rebellion, such as Ned Stark and Jaime Lannister, are still haunted by memories of him. [[spoiler:When [[RoyalBrat Joffrey]] becomes king following the death of Robert Baratheon and reveals himself as one of the worst rulers in the history of Westeros, it doesn't take long before some disturbing similarities between him and Aerys become apparent.]]
99	** On a lesser scale, there was the Kingswood Brotherhood, an outlaw band that operated in the crown lands, and took their name from their refuge, a large forest located south of King's Landing. The group operated JustLikeRobinHood, but were defeated after Ser Arthur Dayne made successfully appeals to Aerys (yes, the Aerys mentioned above - he hadn't succumbed to insanity yet) to make the lives of commoners easier, after which the Brotherhood was cornered and cut down. Among those who fought them were Barristan Selmy and Jaime Lannister. They're contrasted with the Brotherhood Without Banners formed during the events of the later books, who are much more aggressive and vengeful than them. Part of this is a massive difference in origins and circumstances - the new brotherhood was originally a royal host sent to arrest Ser Gregor Clegane, but Clegane's backers usurped the throne and declared the host outlaws. The CivilWar that followed saw armies and bandits committing RapePillageAndBurn on a massive scale (sometimes egged on by their leaders), which led the Brotherhood to expand its aims to oppose anyone committing crimes against those who could not defend themselves. Unlike the Kingswood Brotherhood, the new one enjoys enormous support from both commoners and nobility due to the winners of the conflict being despised for, among other things [[spoiler:violating SacredHospitality]].
100	* The Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse establishes more historical Sith Lords than this page could ever possibly account for. Going ''all'' the way back, the very first Sith Lord the rest of the galaxy would recognize was Lord Pall, who merged the Dark Jedi Exiles and the Sith Kingdom to create the Sith of the backstory and movies, many thousands of years later, and whose subordinates created wondrous dark side artifacts that later villains would relentlessly hunt down.
101	* ''Literature/CounselorsAndKings'' has a subversion. [[EvilSorcerer Akhlaur]] is frequently name-dropped in the first book, but while his legacy hangs in the background of all the book's conflicts, Akhlaur himself was defeated centuries ago and is presumed dead by everyone. [[spoiler: Then the prologue of the second book reveals that Akhlaur is ''very much'' alive and plotting to regain power, and that apparent BigBad Kiva actually intends to bring him back]].
102	* ''[[Literature/VillainsCode Forging Hephaestus]]'' has [[spoiler:Balaam]] as the BigBad. Before him, the most notorious villain was Fornax, who was nearly unbeatable in his prime. However, he is eventually defeated by Lodestar, who convinces Fornax to give up villainy. Fornax (now going by his real name Ivan Gerhardt as a civilian and Pseudonym as his retired villain persona) now spends his days working as a mid-level manager at an office building, with his kids staying with him every other weekend (i.e. a typical divorced dad). [[spoiler:One of Balaam's goals is to reawaken Fornax, his idol, and unleash him on the city.]]
103	* ''Literature/{{Genome}}'' has an interstellar war nearly instigated by the book's BigBad. The prequel ''Dances on the Snow'' has TheEmpire being subverted from within by a growing alliance, using MoreThanMindControl to turn entire planetary populations to their side. [[spoiler:The prequel's BigBad turns out to be an OppositeSexClone of a character from the original novel]].
104	* Creator/DanAbnett’s ''Literature/{{Ravenor}}'' trilogy has Lilean Chase, a former Inquisitor who went rogue and founded the heretical Cognitae institution. Though Chase is long dead by the time the trilogy takes place, many of the villains are either related to her by blood or graduates of her Cognitae program.
105	* Darken Rahl in the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' books has followed in the footsteps of his father, Panis Rahl, whose own bid for world domination was foiled decades before the start of the series. Interestingly, for all that he venerates his father's memory, [[ContrastingSequelAntagonist he seems to be trying a different approach than him]]: while Panis tried to conquer the world with armies [[MilitaryMage supported by sorcery,]] Darken prefers to rely on deception and brainwashing while pursuing a way to [[GodhoodSeeker gain ultimate magical power.]]
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
109	* In ''Series/{{Lexx}}'', the Great Insect Wars are mentioned a few times. Humanity was once at war with a race of giant alien bugs known as the Insect Civilization. Led by the Brunnen-G, humanity's greater resourcefulness overcame their opponents' greater resources. [[spoiler:The Wars never actually ended. The Divine Shadow was really the last survivor of the Insects. By passing on its essence to humans, it created the Divine Order that reduced humanity to its slaves and livestock.]]
110	* ''Series/TwentyFour'':
111	** The first season has Victor Drazen, a deceased Serbian war criminal whose sons are carrying out the terrorist plot in his honor. [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] when Victor turns up alive and becomes the season's ultimate BigBad]].
112	** ''24: Live Another Day'' plays this straight with Mahmoud Al-Harazi, an Al-Qaeda terrorist whose death years ago motivates his [[BigBad widow]] to seek revenge.
113	* ''Series/KamenRiderOOO'' has [[spoiler:The Original OOO]], who had alchemists make [[spoiler:the Core Medals, including the ones that'd give birth to the Greeeds]], in an attempt to take over the world.
114	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'':
115	** A twofer from ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy''. Scorpius starts out as the BigBad of the season but after being killed by Leo in episode 21, his daughter Trakeena takes over as the main villain for the rest of the series. Treacheron is a general who served Scorpius and was the NobleDemon among the villains. When Trakeena takes over as the villain, she appoints Villamax as her general who has a very similar personality to Treacheron.
116	** An interesting variation in ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce''. It is ultimately revealed that the Master Org that has been the main villain for the first half of the season is actually Dr Viktor Adler, a human who consumed the remains of the original Master Org. When Jindrax and Toxica learn of this, they revive an Org general named Mandilok who kills Adler and takes over as the main villain for the series until the real Master Org returns and kills him.
117	*** The Machine Empire were the main villains of ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'' before their leaders were killed off along with every other "Zordon Era" villain in ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace''. In ''Wild Force'', it is revealed that remnants of the Machine Empire still exist and are planning to continue their fallen leaders' work by using Serpentera - Lord Zedd's own evil zord - to conquer Earth. This requires Cole, the Red Ranger of ''Wild Force'', to team up with every single Red Ranger from the previous seasons to stop them.
118	** ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive'': [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Fourteen years after his parents Rita and Zedd originally threatened the Earth]], Thrax makes his own play for world domination by uniting the various villainous factions of the season. This necessitates the current team to join forces with Ranger veterans from previous teams including one from the team that fought Thrax's parents.
119	** ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'': [[spoiler:Alphabet Soup was a corrupt government facility that kidnapped child geniuses and forced them to work for them and drove them either to being near-emotionless (Dr. K) or completely child-like (Gem and Gemma)]]. Dr. K created [[BigBad Venjix]] for them, who broke free and began his assault on humanity. By the events of the series, its members were either arrested, captured by Venjix, or killed.
120	* ''Series/StargateSG1'': Ra was the first Goa'uld to find Earth and use a human as a host, which gave him and other Goa'uld a massive supply of hosts, soldiers, and slaves and allowed them to spread all across the galaxy, with Ra as the top System Lord for over ten thousand years. He's killed off in [[Film/{{Stargate}} the original film]] before the series, but the lesser System Lords pose the main threat for most of the series.
121	* ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' makes heavy use of this trope as a way to incorporate classic Franchise/{{Batman}} villains' motifs into a pre-Batman setting. Such as the father of Jonathan Crane (the Scarecrow) and [[spoiler: Jerome, a laughing psychopath who's implied to be the Joker's inspiration]] have emulated their successors' murderous obsessions.
122	* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': Season 5 reveals that the lineage of Dark Ones began with [[spoiler: [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Nimue]]]], who only became the first Dark One due to their desire for revenge on the warlord Vortigen, who destroyed their home and family in his quest for the Holy Grail.
123	* Angelus and Spike of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' were two very dreaded vampires, although they were both still quite young (by scale of vampires). And they both are "descendants" of [[http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/The_Master The Master]], who was perhaps the oldest and most powerful vampire in the series.
124	** [[ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer The comics]] show that the creators of the first vampires were demons Maloker and Archaeous.
125	* ''Series/CobraKai'': The third season features a few flashbacks to [[BigBad John Kreese]]'s time in the Army during the Vietnam War. His commanding officer, Captain Turner, was a ruthless BadBoss whose [[TheSocialDarwinist teachings]] (and training in Tang Soo Do) turned Kreese from a kindly waiter to the monstrous asshole he was by the time of ''Film/TheKarateKid1984'', and still is by TheNewTens.
126	* ''Series/TigerKing: The Doc Antle Story'' points out that Swami Satchidananda Saraswati preceded all of the private zoo owners and their CultOfPersonality. In particular, Bhagavan "Doc" Antle was one of Swami's students at his spiritual Yogaville temple, admired the god-like sway he had over his followers, and sought to emulate this in his zoos. Swami was even accused of taking advantage of some of his followers sexually, similarly to how Antle is accused of running a sex cult. But by the time of the series, Swami has been dead for many years.
127	* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': Morgoth has a short summary of whom he was and what he did in the introduction made by Galadriel. He was barely defeated in the War of Wrath, and Sauron took his place after, following his own agenda of reshaping Middle-earth.
128	* ''Series/SekaiNinjaSenJiraiya'': Dokusai and the Sorcerers Clan weren't the first to try and steal the Pako. Years before, Akunobo Sugitani made an attempt to steal the map to it so he could claim it for himself. [[spoiler:He also turns out to have been the one who killed [[YouKilledMyFather Toha's parents]].]]
129	* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'':
130	** ''Series/HikariSentaiMaskman'': Before Emperor Zeba [[TyrantTakesTheHelm took power]] in the Tube Empire, his coup de'tat was preceded by Lethal Doggler, a rogue underground beast which attempted to overthrow the Tube royal family. [[spoiler:Zeba is also later revealed to share a more direct connection with Lethal Doggler, he's an offspring it left behind after being killed.]]
131	** ''Series/NinjaSentaiKakuranger'': Nurarihyon led the youkai prior to their defeat in the past. When they return in the present day, they've fallen under the leadership of the Dai{{maou\|TheDemonKing}}.
132	** ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'': Ikki Kasumi was the father of Ikkou and Isshu, and the one who put them through a brutal training regimen so they could become the Gouraigers. He later became obsessed with invoking "[[SentientCosmicForce It]]" and plotted to use his sons to do so. He died before he could go through with his preparations, but still imparted his desire onto his sons, who join up with the Jakanja to fulfill it. The Jakanja later use the same strategy Ikki devised ([[spoiler:forcing one of the brothers to kill the other]]) for their first attempt at invoking It.
133	** ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'': The Three Fist Demons are the original founders of the [[ThugDojo Rinjuken Akugata]]. Rio revives them in the present day to mentor him in the ways of the style.
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
137	* ''TabletopGame/{{Ptolus}}'' has two
138	** Ghul the Skeleton King, the half-god and self-proclaimed half-demon, has terrorized the world with his hordes of undead and plunged it into years-long winter, he famously managed to crave himself a domain halfway through [[EvilTowerOfOminousness the Spire]].
139	** Eslathagos Malkith was active seven thousand years before Ghul, who terrorized the world with his hordes of beasts and servants of [[EldritchAbomination Galchutt]] and is said to have been much, much worse than Ghul, best exemplified by the fact he managed to build his castle ''on top'' of the very Spire Ghul only got halfway through. He's been so evil his very presence tainted his castle to the point gods themselves had to seal it away after he was gone.
140	* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' has [[PhysicalGod the C'tan]], who created the Necrons, indirectly created Chaos with their war against [[NeglectfulPrecursors the Old Ones]] (which in turn allowed the Chaos Gods to be born later), and indirectly led to the creation of the Orks and Eldar (as the Old Ones created them to fight against the C'tan). Originally they served as part of the BigBadEnsemble, but then the 5th Edition {{Retcon}} had them be [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu shattered into pieces]] tens of millions of years ago.
141	* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' has multiple examples, often presented as special characters during their prime but being long-since dead in the current timeline.
142	** Gorthor the Cruel for the Beastman, a warlord who flaunted what few rules and codes of conduct the Beastmen had amongst themselves (Beastmen wear human skins as a matter of course but wouldn't ''dare'' touch a shaman in anger - Gorthor would ''kill'' shamans them and wear ''their'' skins) and raised a warherd so big he was able to depopulate the entire Drakwald, destroying all human settlements and [[HeroKiller slaying two Elector Counts in personal combat]]. Even though he has been dead for millennia, man and beast still dread his memory.
143	** Gorbad Ironclaw for the Orcs. The greatest warboss of all, Gorbad led a WAAAAGH! that crushed multiple dwarf armies and reached Kazak-a-Karak itself, with myth claiming its impregnable gates still have a scratch on them from Gorbad's claw. After the dwarfs refused to meet him in battle Gorbad turned his attention towards the Empire, destroying the region of Solland utterly and killing its Elector Count, depopulating Averland, Stirland, and almost exterminating the halflings of the Moot, razing Nuln to the ground and feeding the current Emperor to a pack of wyverns. Greenskin shamans still tell stories of his deeds millennia later and the region of Solland would never be restored to the status of state of the empire.
144	** Grom da Paunch is Gorbad's goblin equivalent, the biggest gobbo to ever live (both figuratively and very literally). Grom's WAAAAGH! took him the same route through dwarfen lands and up Blackfire pass, before his shaman was struck by a prophecy that led Grom to sack Talabecland, Hochland, and Middenland before looting Marienburg to build a massive navy he used to invade Ulthuan, becoming the first greenskin warboss to set foot on the continent. After almost razing the city of Tor Yvresse to the ground, Grom and his shaman also came within inches of permanently destroying the Great Vortex and undoing the world through sheer ignorance. Grom is so famous that any goblin army led by him automatically overcomes their racial fear of elves.
145	** Vlad von Carstein, first and greatest of the vampire counts, who [[MonsterProgenitor created the entire von Carstein bloodline]], permanently turned Sylvania into a blighted crapsack where the sun doesn't shine, and nearly toppled the Empire during the first Vampire Wars. If he had not been felled at the Siege of Altdorf through treachery, he would probably have become Emperor and permanently turned the Empire into TheNecrocracy ruled by vampires, and even two millennia later his bloodline still rules Sylvania.
146	** Asavar Kul was the former Everchosen of Chaos ([[NonIndicativeName there have been thirteen Everchosen]]... Never let it be said that Chaos were very consistent on that 'ever' part). His Great War of Chaos almost destroyed Kislev and almost toppled the Empire two hundred years before the current time period, and forced the High Elves to get directly involved in protecting the Old World. This included teaching humanity magic.
147	[[/folder]]
148
149	[[folder:Toys]]
150	* ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'': Pridak, leader of the Barraki, is not the most important villain in Bionicle by any stretch, only truly being relevant during the Mahri Nui arc. [[spoiler: But his bid to overthrow Mata Nui inspired Makuta, the series's true BigBad, to make his own attempt, which was far more successful and serves as the primary conflict of the series. In addition, both are [[SatanicArchetype Satanic Archetypes]]]].
151	[[/folder]]
152
153	[[folder:Video Games]]
154	* ''VideoGame/AceCombat'':
155	** Belka had fought and lost a war against Osea and Yuktobonia in ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar''. In revenge, a group of Belkans called ‘The Grey Men’, had manipulated events behind the scenes to make Osea and Yuktobonia go to war on one another in ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar''.
156	** In ''VideoGame/AceCombat2'', and its remake ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizonLegacy'', the rebels are supported by an ArtificialIntelligence called the Zone Of Endless. After Scarface One shoots it down, the program disappears for a time before returning in ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown'' and is given to Erusea, who uses it to control an army of drones. The [=AI=] is gradually improved upon throughout the war, [[spoiler: and eventually results in [[FinalBoss Hugin and Munin]], [[SuperiorSuccessor who are far more intelligent]] than the original Zone of Endless, [[AIIsACrapshoot and try to spark a]] RobotWar against humanity.]]
157	*** It is also heavily implied that the Zone of Endless, [[spoiler: and Hugin and Munin are the predecessors to [[PlayerCharacter Nemo]], who is revealed to also be an ArtificialIntelligence in ''[[VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere Electrosphere’s]]'' OmegaEnding.]]
158	* The Templar Order in ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' are actually successors of the Order of the Ancients introduced in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins''. Also according to ''Assassin's Creed'' Encyclopedia, the Order of the Ancients were preceded by the Children of Cain (yes, ''[[Literature/TheBible that]]'' Cain), the oldest precursor to the Templars.
159	* ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' has one in the form of Succoria, the former [[TheEmperor Emperor]] of the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Tainted Coil]] before [[BigBad Doviculus]] took her place. Bits of lore found throughout the game reveal that some time after the fall of the original [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Black Tear Rebellion]], Succoria sought to learn the secrets of the [[OurTitansAreDifferent Titans]] in order to secure the Tainted Coil's dominance over humanity and the world for all eternity, and performed a ritual that allowed her to [[TimeTravel travel to the future]] with some of her slaves to do just that. [[spoiler:Her plan hit an unforeseen snag, however, when upon reaching the future she learned that it was not the demons but humanity that ruled the world, and that the demons had faded from memory a long time ago. [[DespairEventHorizon Horrified and broken]], Succoria gave up and released her slaves, unwilling to return to her time knowing that her people were doomed (which allowed Doviculus to take over in her absence). [[GreaterScopeParagon Riggnarok]], the former leader of the Black Tear Rebellion who had snuck among Succoria's slaves with the intent to slay her, [[SympathyForTheDevil took pity on Succoria]] and stayed with her in the future, where the two eventually [[InterspeciesRomance fell in love with each other]] since they were no longer bound by the taboos and prejudices of their time. Their romance culminated in the birth of [[TheHero Eddie]], the game's protagonist, and Succoria's DeathByChildbirth. Years later, Eddie would become a [[TheRoadie roadie]] and accidentally activate Succoria's Idol of Ormagöden during a concert, which sent him back to the past to finish what his father started. Rather {{iron\|y}}ically, [[StableTimeLoop it was Succoria giving in to despair that sealed the Tainted Coil's defeat.]]]]
160	* Walter Bernhard from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLamentOfInnocence'' is almost directly a prototype of the series's portrayal of [[Characters/CastlevaniaDracula Dracula]]. They're both vampiric [[EvilOverlord Evil Overlords]] with similar [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver fashion senses]], Walter rules a castle that may be the same one Dracula would later take, his magical powers and [[OneWingedAngel demon form]] resemble clumsier versions of Dracula's signature abilities, and [[spoiler: at the end of the game, Dracula [[YourSoulIsMine steals his soul]] as the final ingredient needed to make himself [[TheAntichrist the true Dark Lord]].]]
161	* The Bernhard family in the ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow''. They are long gone in Gabriel's time, but their evil still haunts the world. One of their last acts, summoning the Forgotten One, is the sole reason Dracula even exists in the first place [[spoiler:since Gabriel had to sacrifice his very humanity and steal its power to defeat it.]]
162	* In ''VideoGame/CaveStory'', Halder, Anatupone, and Miakido preceded The Doctor in the line of [[ArtifactOfDoom Demon Crown]]-bearers. Miakido is particularly notable, [[spoiler:as you discover (when you're on track for the best ending) that Quote and Curly fought him ten years ago. The damage they took from this fight was the cause of their amnesia.]]
163	* The ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' series:
164	** Arkham is one half of the BigBadDuumvirate in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' and a human who wants the power of the demon Sparda for himself. While ''3'' is the third game in the series, it is [[NonLinearSequel chronologically]] the first time Dante fights an evil human who seeks to gain demonic powers.
165	** The ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' prequel novel, ''Before The Nightmare'', reveals that [[MadScientist Agnus]], one of the villains from [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 the fourth game]], once worked for Uroboros. Uroboros was an international enterprise run by Arius, the villain from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'', who was able to create artificial demons. This makes Arius a predecessor villain to Agnus and by extension, [[CorruptChurch the Order of the Sword]] as Arius was tasked by Sanctus, the main villain of ''4'', to do the same thing. On a meta-level, Arius can be considered a predecessor villain to Arkham and Sanctus by being the first human villain with a goal of becoming a demon in the series. In fact, Arius' role in the game would be repeated beat-for-beat by ''3'' and ''4''; defeating Dante's main ally in the game, attaining demonic power, being defeated by Dante, and then killed off permanently by the co-protagonist.
166	** In ''Devil May Cry 5'', the main villain Urizen [[spoiler:a.k.a. Vergil's demonic half made flesh]] consumes a fruit from the [[WorldTree demon tree]] Qliphoth in order to become the all-powerful ruler of the demon world. According to Trish, this was how Mundus, the main villain from the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 first game]], became the ruler of the demon world. Supplementary material of the game extended it further; there was a previous [[MaouTheDemonKing Demon King]] before Mundus ate the Qliphoth fruit in order to take his position by force.
167	* ''Franchise/DragonAge'' as a whole had the four previous archdemons who led the four earlier Blights, most obviously the first archdemon, Dumat, in addition to the [[EvilSorcerer magisters]] who, according to legend, were responsible for invading the Golden City and creating the darkspawn and the Blights in the first place. [[spoiler: Then one of those magisters, Corypheus, shows up in the present as the BigBad of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', and at least one other - the Architect - is known to have also survived into modern times]].
168	** The ''Trespasser'' DLC for Inquisition reveals a group of even further back predecessor villains in the form of [[spoiler: the evanuri, or elvish pantheon of gods, save for Mythal who they stabbed in the back and Fen'Harel, who created the Veil to make them SealedEvilInACan and prevent them from destroying the world]]. It was their actions, and the necessary response to those actions by the hero of the era, which caused a huge amount of the problems of the series, including the rise of Tevinter (and thus the Blights), the problem of mages being possessed by demons, and perhaps even the existence of demons in the first place.
169	* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'' has the demon lord Calasmos, who fought the protagonist's predecessor, Erdwin, and [[spoiler: corrupted Erdwin's wizard friend into the contemporary BigBad]].
170	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' has Enuo, a wizard who used the power of the Void to wreak havoc until he was defeated by twelve heroes. To prevent another from taking the power of the Void, [[spoiler:the world's crystals were split in two, creating the Interdimensional Rift, and the power of the Void was sealed within]]. The re-releases on the GBA and mobile platforms [[spoiler:let you fight him as a {{Superboss}}]].
171	* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'' has Emperor Gair of the Loptrian Empire. On an expedition to a different continent (implied to be [[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Archanea]]), he met the Dark Dragon Loptous and made a DealWithTheDevil with him, giving him the power to conquer his home continent upon his return. His empire endured for several generations before being overthrown by the Twelve Crusaders, who would then found the current noble houses of Jugdral, and while his own bloodline has almost completely died out by the time of the games, the revival of his empire is what BigBad Manfroy is working toward.
172	* ''VideoGame/HorizonZeroDawn'':
173	** Ted Faro, the man singularly responsible for not only [[spoiler:ending the world by commissioning the [[RobotWar killer robots]] that did it, but also ensuring that, upon its rebirth, the human race would be starting with little more than a kindergarten-level education and Stone Age technology. Partly due to SanitySlippage turning him into an EvilLuddite who didn't want humanity to repeat its mistake, and partly because he was a [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered bastard]] who didn't want humanity to know that the apocalypse was his fault, he deleted the GAIA AI's APOLLO subordinate function, its massive repository of human knowledge and culture. Thanks to him, the first humans were dumped into the wilderness with no preparation for what awaited them.]] Aloy and Sylens are both utterly disgusted when they find out what he did.
174	** A more minor example is VAST SILVER, the first AI to ever [[AIIsACrapshoot go rogue]], leading to the passage of the Turing Act in 2044 that prohibited AI systems that can pass the TuringTest. VAST SILVER ultimately foreshadowed the far greater horror of [[spoiler:the Faro Plague]].
175	* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'':
176	** Mandalore and Exar Kun are responsible for separate wars that both led up to the Jedi Civil War. Revan is the one who started the war in the first place, but in his case [[spoiler:he's still around, but no longer on the side of the Sith.]]
177	** This is the game that introduces Ajunta Pall, the founder of the Sith Order and thus the cause behind the vast majority of ''Franchise/StarWars'' media. However many of his successors are ''much'' worse than he was, and it's possible within the game to help his tortured spirit find redemption.
178	** [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords The sequel]] has the role thrown onto Malak, who's long dead while his subordinates continue the war.
179	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'''s BigBad Demise is not only the forerunner to [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda the series]]' main BigBad Ganon but [[spoiler:he actually created Ganon in order to curse Link's ancestral line for all eternity as revenge for defeating him.]] What [[WasOnceAMan becomes of Ganon]] by ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' could be seen as the essence of that promise.
180	* In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime'' the BigBad is Princess Shroob, the Shroob leader. [[spoiler:Except she's only been the main leader since the beginning of the game; Peach sealed her older sister away offscreen at the very beginning of the game.]]
181	* The ''VideoGame/MassEffect3[=:=] Leviathan'' DLC reveals [[spoiler:the Leviathans, an ancient race who created an "Intelligence" to solve their problem of synthetics wiping out organic races; the Intelligence in turn created the Reapers, who even [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters "reaped" the Leviathans themselves]]]].
182	* Dr. Wily from the ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' series is responsible for the creation of the Maverick Virus and hence the BigBad Sigma in the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series and all the events that come after, extending into the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series. He does appear to [[spoiler:Zero, the original carrier of the virus]] in a flashback and is officially given credit in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX5 X5]]''.
183	* Lumine in ''Videogame/MegaManX8'' picks up right after Sigma is defeated, who himself was who carried and became a form of the virus created by Dr. Wily.
184	* In ''[[VideoGame/MightAndMagic Might & Magic X: Legacy]]'', a war started by the now-dead FallenAngel Uriel has caused most of the crisis currently happening in the Agyn Peninsula. (Uriel appeared in person previously in the ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' line.)
185	* In ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'', [[spoiler:The Butcher]] is the primary reason [[spoiler:his son, Coach Oleander]] is as screwed up as he is, and why he embraces the whole TakeOverTheWorld schtick. In a weird variation, defeating the former (or rather [[spoiler:a [[MentalMonster mental projection]] of him]]) is key to defeating the latter.
186	* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil0'' introduces us to [[spoiler: James Marcus. Or, rather, his Queen Leech taking on his form.]] His revenge plot against Umbrella was the direct cause of the mansion outbreak from the first ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'', though he dies before that game properly begins.
187	* Archibald Henderson serves as this to both ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'' and ''VideoGame/ThePark.'' A powerful sorcerer trained by the Illuminati, his insane obsession with "protecting" his family resulted in a reign of terror over Solomon Island that left the locals too scared to even build on his land over fifty years after his death. It's his experiments on the island's hidden power that paves the way for Nathaniel Winter to build the AmusementParkOfDoom on Henderson's land [[spoiler: and transforming into the Bogeyman that is the BigBad of ''The Park'' and an early menace in ''The Secret World'']].
188	* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' has Pachacamac, Tikal's father and the chief of the Knuckles Tribe 4,000 years ago, who led an attack on the Altar of the Emeralds to steal the seven Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emeralds. His soldiers trampled the Chao living there, angering the Emeralds' guardian Chaos, who wiped out the entire clan. Tikal was forced to [[SealedEvilInACan seal Chaos and herself in the Master Emerald]] until Eggman freed him millennia later.
189	* Professor Gerald Robotnik, who was the BigBad of ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' and grandfather to Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Eggman looked up to him as his role model and was the reason Eggman went into robotics in the first place, considering Gerald a more competent roboticist than himself. While already dead for 50 years by the start of the game, his [[MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning plan to posthumously kill off humanity]] was so twisted and so difficult to stop that Eggman, in a major case of EvenEvilHasStandards, formed an EnemyMine with Sonic in order to avert the catastrophe. Eggman has since seen him as a BrokenPedestal.
190	* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has Sargeras, the setting's version of TheDevil. While the games feature Archimonde and Kil'jaeden as frequent {{Big Bad}}s, Sargeras is the one, who originally formed the [[TheLegionsOfHell Burning Legion]] after his [[FallenAngel fall]]. He was far more powerful and dangerous than either of his lieutenants. In fact, everything they do is in his name. 10,000 years before the events of the games, Sargeras nearly managed to come through to Azeroth, which would have allowed him to destroy the entire world. At that point, there'd be no stopping him. Luckily, the portal was closed before he made it through (and because of the HeroicSacrifice of one brave Orc). As a matter of fact, [[spoiler:Sargeras is the one, who engineered the Horde's coming to Azeroth by possessing Medivh and sending Kil'jaeden to trick the Orcs (Kil'jaeden also had his own reasons, namely to use the Orcs to slaughter the Draenei)]].
191	[[/folder]]
192
193	[[folder:Web Comics]]
194	* ''Webcomic/AnecdoteOfError'': Dolvyn Dal, the head of the Dalgysume, would kill prisoners of war [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath by tearing their limbs off]]. [[spoiler:Yensha]] killed him by tearing his heart out, but his successors continued his policies, including the war with Batea.
195	* ''Webcomic/TheWaterPhoenixKing'': The title character, Yamra, was the God Emperor of the planet of Chalt, enforcing a supernatural caste system that didn't work and led to an uprising that ended with his death. The various villains of the story are both opportunists and victims of the spiritual punishment inflicted on the world for assassinating a god.
196	** And before Yamra, his god Gurahl ''invented LaserGuidedKarma'' - and completely fucked up, nearly destroying the entire world and resorting to kinslaying to complete his masterpiece, the karmic system Tamantha, which immediately assisted in ''killing him'' and then spent millennia punishing people for not being obedient, sociopathic 'paragons'.
197	[[/folder]]
198
199	[[folder:Western Animation]]
200	* In ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'', Malware was this to Khyber the Huntsman. [[spoiler:But it turned out that he was the BigBad all along, while Khyber was just his [[TheDragon Dragon]]. Malware comes back on the grid five years after being apparently defeated by Ben]].
201	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
202	** Fire Lord Sozin was the one who began the war of conquest that dominates the series, but by the time the series begins, he's long dead of old age, and the Fire Nation is ruled by his grandson, [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderFireLordOzai Fire Lord Ozai]].
203	** Also Sozin's son, Azulon. We don't know much about his actions during the war, but he was nasty enough to order Ozai to [[spoiler: murder his own son Zuko]] when Ozai ticked him off. He also ordered the extermination of the waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe resulting in Katara's mother's death, and Hama's corruption.
204	** Chin the Conquerer was a powerful earthbending warlord during Avatar Kyoshi's time. During his campaign he nearly conquered the entire Earth Kingdom save Ba Sing Se and the peninsula that eventually became Kyoshi Island.
205	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'':
206	** Yakone in season 1 is a bloodbending gangster who clashed with Aang during his adult years, and the latter was forced to [[{{Depower}} take away his bending]]. [[BigBad Amon]] and [[BigBadWannabe Tarrlok]] [[spoiler:are both his sons, and his cruel bloodbending training was what triggered Amon's vendetta against benders and Tarrlok's desire to rule Republic City.]]
207	** Having created bloodbending, Hama is this to Yakone, [[spoiler:his sons]], and any other bloodbending criminal.
208	** [[Characters/TheLegendOfKorraZaheer Zaheer]], ArcVillain of season 3, plays this role to [[Characters/TheLegendOfKorraKuvira Kuvira]], as it was his [[BombThrowingAnarchists anarchist revolution]] that allowed her to rise to power. He is very upset with this, however, as it was the exact opposite of what he wanted, [[EnemyMine and agrees to help Korra overcome her trauma so that she can take Kuvira down]].
209	* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' has the original Megatron who led the Decepticons in the ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'', who is long dead by now, but the Megatron leading the Predacons [[spoiler:is acting on a plan devised by Decepticon Megatron to alter history so the Autobots wouldn't have defeated the Decepticons.]]
210	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has Wainwright Montgomery Burns, grandfather [[Characters/TheSimpsonsCharlesMontgomeryBurns Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns]]. He's the reason why Mr. Burns became a malicious and greedy old man since Wainwright took Charles away from his parents and raised him to be selfish.
211	* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' has Grandfather, the father of the series-wide Big Bad, Father. He's the reason ''[[AbusiveParents why]]'' Father is the way he is, and his actions prior to the series eventually facilitated the founding of the Seventh Age of the Kids Next Door by his ''other'' son, Numbuh 0 a.k.a. [[spoiler:Monty Uno, Numbuh 1's father]]. He's eventually the BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/OperationZERO''.
212	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' reveals Nathaniel Northwest in "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E10NorthwestMansionMystery Northwest Mansion Mystery]]", responsible for why the Northwest family are [[TheSociopath uncaring and unloving]], to both [[AbusiveParents their daughter Pacifica]] and the people of Gravity Falls. As revealed in Season One, his being the founder of Gravity Falls was a lie and was given money for the cover-up. [[spoiler:He abused his wealth by having the townsfolk build him his mansion in exchange for letting them be invited to his annual parties, a promise he gleefully refused to keep. This act is also what caused the MonsterOfTheWeek, a Lumberjack ghost, to threaten the lives of his successors]]. His cruel and uncaring ways were passed down for generations, with Pacifica's parents being the current heads of the family and emotionally abusing their daughter into following their legacy.
213	* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' brings in Darth Bane, previously established in literature, in spirit form in the final episode of its original run, making him the earliest known Sith Lord in the series' onscreen canon. He is particularly notable for establishing the Rule of Two adhered to by all the Sith characters in the films, and setting into motion the thousand-year-long plan to overthrow the Republic that would ultimately be achieved by [[BigBad Palpatine]].
214	* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'': [[Characters/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003TheShredder The Demon Shredder]] was the inspiration for Ch'rell, the Utrom Shredder, and his reign resulted in the creation of the Ninja Tribunal, whose servant adopted Hamato Yoshi, the Utrom Shredder's eventual victim, which in turn led to Yoshi's pet rat Splinter and four baby turtles to being mutated. Five of his minions were enslaved by the Utrom Shredder, but once he is defeated and they break free, they start reviving their master and he assumes BigBad status for season 5.
215	* In some ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse'' continuities, Hordak is this to Skeletor. He existed as a powerful sorcerer in the distant past who left behind a well of secrets and power to mine, as well as serving as somewhat of a mentor to Skeletor in more recent times from his dimensional prison. WordOfGod stated that if the series hadn't been canceled he would have escaped and become the BigBad of the third season. Instead, he surfaced in ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower''.
216	* ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'': Major Threat is Lord Hater's idol and source of inspiration in spite of the two not even living in the same ''galaxy''. Learning that Major Threat or "Jeff" as he currently prefers to be called was [[HeelFaceTurn "Wanderized"]] into becoming TheAtoner makes Hater afraid of suffering the same fate.
217	* Destane from ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries''. From what little we know about him he was an evil sorcerer who ruled over the Land of Black Sand before Mozenrath and was so powerful and crazy that even Jafar stayed out of his way. He was the master and father figure of Mozenrath until the latter defeated him and turned him into one of his Mamluk minions sometime prior to the series. One could argue that Jafar serves this role as well.
218	* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': [[Characters/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012TheShredder The Shredder]] is killed off at the end of Season 4, but he serves as this for the first arc of Season 5. The Foot Cultists who worship him are revealed to be pseudo-clones of him who were mutated by coming into contact with Shredder's mutagen-tainted blood, which was spilled during his battle with Splinter, and Tiger Claw leads said cultists and seeks to resurrect him using [[DragonsAreDemonic Kavaxas]]' power.
219	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': As we find out in his StartOfDarkness episode "[[Recap/AmphibiaS3E25TheCoreAndTheKing The Core & The King]]", King Andrias was shaped into the EvilOverlord he is in the present by the [[AbusiveParents emotional abuse he got from his father]]. And then there's also the matter of all their ancestors before them, who were all a bunch of [[PlanetLooters planet-looting]] {{Multiversal Conqueror}}s who lay the groundwork for everything else that happens in the series.
220	[[/folder]]

Context Main / PredecessorVillain