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3%% Due to the nature of this trope, finding an image will be very difficult.
4%% DO NOT add an image to this page without discussion in Image Pickin'.
5%% IP thread for reference: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1549802238088882200
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7%%
8->''"Just her poise and the way that she speaks. So freaking creepy, dude. So calm. Y'all ever notice how the calm villains, they really be the scariest?"''
9-->-- '''LetsPlay/{{CoryxKenshin}}''', on Mama Bear from ''VideoGame/DarkDeception''
10
11Not every villain has to sound like one. Perhaps, instead of having a [[EvilSoundsRaspy malevolent rasp]], a [[GigglingVillain gloating shrill]], or a [[EvilSoundsDeep booming bass]], the villain's voice is instead light and low. They don't yell or intimidate, and might not even be impolite -- instead, they speak with a soft tone that seems unassuming, meek, or even kind, with a soft chuckle and a sort of warm energy... hiding the menace within. The end result is something dissonant and creepy, a monster who might describe just how horribly they're going to mangle you while speaking in a voice that's anything but monstrous.
12
13Of course, this can possibly also go in quite the opposite direction, with the villain's gentle voice [[ObviouslyEvil highlighting]] their willingness to commit atrocities [[ForTheEvulz out of schadenfreude]], their [[BloodKnight enjoyment of combat]], their [[CardCarryingVillain total lack of shame]] towards their actions, their [[ButForMeItWasTuesday casual disregard]] for human decency, or even their [[VillainousValour refusal to back down when confronted]].
14
15Keep in mind this doesn't always mean the character in question is a {{Sadist}}--it's just an AlliterativeName.
16
17See also AffablyEvil, FauxAffablyEvil, DissonantSerenity, CreepyMonotone, and CreepyHighPitchedVoice, and compare WickedCultured and PoliteVillainsRudeHeroes. Note that if and when they eventually drop this soft-spoken demeanor, then that's a surefire sign things are going to get worse. Blends very well with CreepyMonotone and EvilSoundsDeep, as is uses up the low end of the voice register more so than the high end. Contrast with EvilIsHammy, though a ColdHam can cover both. Fairly likely to [[TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse look disturbingly normal]].
18
19----
20!!Examples:
21[[foldercontrol]]
22
23[[folder:Advertising]]
24* The 1973 British PSA "[[https://youtu.be/xZWD2sDRESk?si=T_1Nd3zCjmVtOPWu Lonely Water]]" has The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water, voiced by Creator/DonaldPleasence. A very kind voice, for the AnthropomorphicPersonification of drowning, waiting for [[WouldHurtAChild foolish children]] to have an accident.
25[[/folder]]
26
27[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
28* Kanzaki from the ''Manga/Area88'' TV anime is a ManipulativeBastard who betrayed his best friend. In contrast to his ominous voice and mannerisms in the OVA, his voice comes across as reserved and completely ''normal'' in the TV series -- which makes his villainy all the more chilling.
29* ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' has Torch Weaver. He's a constantly grinning, overweight blond man who looks like a stereotypical suburban dad. He's even a teetotaler and prefers using "shucks" and "golly" instead of actual cursing. He is also a bounty hunter and a professional pyromaniac who has little reservation using his flamethrower on defenseless targets. According to him, he even burned his wife and child alive.
30%% * [[Creator/ShowHayami Sosuke Aizen]], [[Creator/KojiYusa Gin Ichimaru]], [[Creator/KosukeToriumi Szayel Aporro Grantz]] and [[Creator/DaisukeOno Shuukuro Tsukishima]] from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''.
31* ''Anime/CardfightVanguard'': Picture it, a boy with [[ShrinkingViolet Aichi]]'s unfailing politeness and [[BigBad Ren]]'s sadistic personality. That's [[spoiler:how Aichi acts under [[FaceHeelTurn the manipulation of Ren]]]].
32* ''Literature/DateALive'': Unlike all other villains like [[CuteAndPsycho Kurumi Tokisaki]] (who is a homicidal maniac who has no composure when her crazy-side breaks out) and [[TheAce Minerva Liddell]] (who is a psychotic soldier who loses her cool when she is torturing someone), [[BigBad Isaac Westcott]] is fully capable of causing pain in other people without losing his clarity and calm.
33* [[Creator/MamoruMiyano Light]] [[Creator/BradSwaile Yagami]], VillainProtagonist of ''Manga/DeathNote'', who stays cool and calm even while delivering his judgments face-to-face. [[spoiler:Poor Naomi Misora.]]
34** Later subverted, [[spoiler: once he is outed as Kira.]] By the final episode of the series, he [[VillainousBreakdown seems to have forgotten]] how [[LargeHam inside voices even work]].
35* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'': In the anime, Rui's voice rarely rises above a murmur and shows barely any emotion, regardless of what's going on - even when he's talking about how furious he is at Tanjiro and Nezuko. He's also, for most of his time onscreen, an abusive monster who tortures and kills other demons to force his chosen "family" to go along with his twisted familial roleplay scenario, and that's not even going into how viciously he goes after Tanjiro when they fight.
36** [[DudeLooksLikeALady Enmu]] the main villain of the Mugen Train Arc. He's very feminine and serenely blissful, even when he's torturing his victims. Unfortunately, his chances of surviving Tanjiro and co, are merely a dream.
37* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'': Of the four Dark Masters, Machinedramon is easily the most prolific killer, effortlessly slaughtering dozens of Numemon with no hesitation whatsoever and being willing to bring down entire cities to capture his targets. He also barely raises his voice above a cold, robotic whisper and has little interest in idle banter. It truly is something to hear him [[CallingYourAttacks call his]] [[WaveMotionGun Giga Cannon]] in a completely lifeless, quiet voice.
38* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
39** Freeza from ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', in all but the Brazilian dub, where he had a [[EvilSoundsDeep baritone voice]] instead.
40*** In the Latin-American dub [[PlayingWithATrope it's a bit of both]]: Creator/GerardoReyero is also a baritone, but as Freeza, he [[AffablyEvil speaks in a very smooth tone and with quite polite speech patterns]]. [[VillainousBreakdown Until he's on the losing side, that is.]]
41*** Then there's the [[WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged Abridged version]]. He keeps calm throughout most of the series, even when he is beating up the heroes. He does lose it when he becomes livid, however.
42** His brother Cooler is also this, especially in the Latin dub. Not only that, he never raises his voice in any of his appearances. Though it's subverted in his fifth from, which gives him a deep, gravelly, growling voice.
43** Same for [[WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged Abridged Cell]], but [[SubvertedTrope he plays the Sadist part moreso than most people]].
44** In the Japanese version of ''Anime/DragonBallGT'', Baby initially starts with a very soft and young-sounding voice that makes him sound very creepy. He keeps that voice from his child form all the way as Baby-Vegeta. His voice changes to a more [[EvilSoundsRaspy raspy]] voice after he becomes Super Baby 1 and beyond, and it stays that way in his adult form even after he has left Vegeta's body. His raspy voice becomes the standard for Creator/YusukeNumata's voice acting as Baby in various video games, since Super Baby 2 and his Golden Oozaru form are Baby's most recurring forms.
45** Goku Black from ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' speaks in a soft polite tone even as he is committing genocide across multiple worlds or if he is about to murder Future Trunks in great delight.
46* For the most part, Russia from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers''. Despite being a huge man who finds it amusing to bully, he usually speaks in a soft, high, [[PsychopathicManchild childlike]] voice and he has a sweet, [[StepfordSmiler gently smiling,]] blushing face to match.
47* ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'':
48** [[MadScientist Shou Tucker]] never raises his voice, and he is an evil alchemist who turned his family into chimeras.
49** [[BigBad Dante]], both as an old woman and in Lyra's body. She's got a polite speech pattern, a gentle voice and never shouts, only very rarely raises her voice. However, she's also got the ability to say horrific and monstrous things with that same gentle tone.
50** [[KnightTemplar Dietlinde Eckhart]] from [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemistTheConquerorOfShamballa The Conqueror of Shamballa]] is soft-spoken and gentle, but was a Nazi.
51* Due to CharacterExaggeration, the ''Anime/GalaxyAngel'' anime turned Mint Blancmanche into this. She always speaks in a polite and gentle voice, even during her most vicious and cruel moments when she's enjoying someone else's misfortune.
52* Akeno Himejima of ''Literature/HighSchoolDXD'' is a heroic example. She's a CombatSadomasochist who enjoys inflicting and receiving pain in battle, but rarely drops her cheerful and flirtatious disposition.
53* Illumi Zoldyck from ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' is very [[DissonantSerenity serene]] and [[TheStoic rarely emotes at all]], but he's just as (if not ''more'') sadistic as [[MonsterClown Hisoka]]. Chrollo Lucifer is the same way.
54* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
55** Dio Brando has a calm tone when speaking with Polnareff or Kakyoin, at least, in the Playstation 3 game, the anime approaches more to an AffablyEvil route. Interestingly, Creator/TakehitoKoyasu is the same voice actor in both versions, it's amazing how he can voice the same character with different tones and still sound menacing, albeit in different ways.
56** Yoshikage Kira is a rarity among Jojo villains in that he's no LargeHam ([[ColdHam his ham is cold at best]])- he acts like a normal office worker and rarely raises his voice above a conversational tone, even in battle or when committing murder. The effect is... freaky, to say the least.
57* ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'': Mahito, the [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Human]] Disaster [[TheHeartless Curse]] appears as a friendly, though odd looking young man and has a gentle, playful voice. If given the opportunity, he is going to take his sweet time to talk about all the NightmareFuel, MindRape and BodyHorror he just inflicted/is about to inflict on someone in the same manner he talks about games or the quirks of his co-villains.
58* ''Franchise/KagerouProject'': The series' BigBad, [[spoiler:the Wide-Open Eyes Snake]], is like this so long as he's possessing [[spoiler:Kenjirou]], but if he's on his own or possessing [[spoiler:Konoha]], [[EvilIsHammy all bets are off.]]
59* Johan Liebert, the eponymous ''Manga/{{Monster}}''. He speaks in the quietest and most innocent-sounding voice possible.
60* William James Moriarty of ''Manga/MoriartyThePatriot'' is far from a sadist, but he's a quiet, polite, softspoken SerialKillerKiller voice by the soft-voiced Creator/SomaSaito, who is hardly known for a deep voice.
61* ''Manga/OnePiece'': Jack "The Drought", one of the most dangerous pirates alive and a gigantic hulking brute that can transform into a mammoth and is known for being completely immune to bargaining (to the point his response to any attempts to reason with him seems to just be "sever a limb and move on") and rampages so bad places struck by him look like an actual drought's ground them down over the years. All of this would lead one to think of a bloodthirsty, bombastic man, but he ''never'' raises his voice, just speaking like he's relaxed or even bored at all times even when [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique torturing people for information]] or [[ColdBloodedTorture for fun]].
62* Vincent Nightray from ''Manga/PandoraHearts'', [[AmbiguouslyEvil though not exactly evil]], has done quite a few morally ambiguous things and takes any chance he gets to act needlessly sadistic. [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9f010htqE1rek056o1_1280.jpg This picture]] sums it up quite nicely.
63* [[spoiler:Kyubey]] in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' [[spoiler:was voiced by [[Creator/EmiriKatou the same woman]] as [[Manga/LuckyStar Kagami Hiiragi]] and [[Literature/{{Bakemonogatari}} Mayoi Hachikuji]] and shares their high, thin voices, and seems to be like another cutesy MagicalGirl series mascot. [[CosmicHorrorStory This is not]] [[BlueAndOrangeMorality the case]].]]
64%%* Mukuro and Byakuran from ''Manga/Reborn2004''.
65%%%%* ''Anime/SailorMoon'''s male villains tend to speak. [[Creator/KanetoShiozawa Dirmando]], [[Creator/TsutomuKashiwakura Sapphire]] and [[Creator/ToshioFurukawa Tiger Eye]] are some nice examples.
66%%%* [[Creator/AkiraIshida Xellos]] from ''Literature/{{Slayers}}''.
67* In the American dub of ''Anime/StarBlazers'' Desslok has an almost feminine voice, which makes him far more creepy than his original bog-standard Japanese villain growl.
68* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' uses this trope for some of its most terrifying antagonists.
69** Eto [[spoiler:the [[BigBad One-Eyed Owl]]]] combines her terrifying cruelty and manipulation with a sweet, girlish performance by Creator/MaayaSakamoto. She frequently comes across as cute and quirky, even while tearing apart minds or bodies.
70** [[spoiler:Dr. Akihiro Kanou]] speaks in a warm, fatherly manner suited to [[spoiler:a doctor with excellent bedside manner]]. He never raises his voice or strays from this kindly behavior....whether he's [[spoiler:visiting a recovering patient]] or torturing victims ForScience.
71* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'':
72** Itsuki's [[Creator/KoujiTsujitani smooth, mellow voice]] tends to hide his [[PsychoSupporter inner crazy]].
73** [[Creator/MegumiOgata Kurama]] is a heroic example. He's always polite and charming, even though he's ''even more'' willing to brutally kill or maim (or both) his enemies than [[Creator/NobuyukiHiyama Hiei]], [[{{Foil}} who generally fights with a sort of controlled anger instead.]] In the manga, he takes particular pleasure in messily killing an opponent who threatened his [[MoralityPet mother]].
74** A very disturbing example is Karasu during the Dark Tournament arc. While he's otherwise dismissive of his own allies and the other contestants, he takes a creepy liking to Kurama and is ([[SmugSuper mostly]]) [[FauxAffablyEvil polite to him while he calmly and elegantly goes on about how he'd love to kill the kitsune demon personally]]. His DissonantSerenity before and during the battle manages to ''scare Kurama''.
75[[/folder]]
76
77[[folder:Comic Books]]
78* Kurt Gerhardt in TheNineties ''ComicBook/{{Foolkiller}}'' series. He was said by a drug kingpin to be crazier than ComicBook/ThePunisher, yet he was not the boiling angry man with a gun that was Frank Castle. His modus operandi was always to have a Socratic debate with his intended target, just so that he could uncover a logical fallacy or hole in their argument. The coda of each debate always being his bottom line followed by "I think you're a fool. I kill fools". It was always important to Gerhardt that his targets knew why they were being killed; equally important that witnesses understood as well.
79* ComicBook/SpiderMan's enemy Tombstone is a large albino mobster whose teeth have been filed to points. He's vicious enough to hold his own against Marvel's other colorful gangsters (Hammerhead, Silvermane, the Kingpin, etc.), strong enough to fight Spider-Man, and his dialogue balloons are always edged with a dotted line to underscore how soft his voice is.
80* Tarn from ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'' uses "Weaponized Conversation" where he can [[BrownNote literally talk someone to death.]]
81[[/folder]]
82
83[[folder:EasternAnimation]]
84* The depiction of John Silver in ''Animation/TreasureIsland1988'' differs from his [[Literature/TreasureIsland book counterpart]] and most adaptations by lacking any of the original's AffablyEvil traits, his liveliness, and his fondness for protagonist Jim Hawkins. This Silver never raises his voice at any point and will often interupt or punctuate his sentences with a barely audible chuckle, yet it's enough to threaten the heroes with violence and to get his unruly subordinates back in line whenever they act foolishly.
85[[/folder]]
86
87[[folder:Fan Works]]
88* In the ''Temeraire'' fanfic ''Fanfic/BlackWingsBlackSails'', the "Gentleman Pirate" William Laurence speaks in a perpetual cool tone, with the gentleman's accent he was raised with. He raises his voice exactly once: to call out to his former dragon.
89* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'':
90** Gravemoss, who's responsible for the resurrection of ancient Asgardian undead nightmares, wields [[spoiler: the Darkhold]] and routinely conducts horrific experiments on people, has a voice that is regularly described as soft and disturbingly lulling. Apparently this is either an affectation or a natural talent because Gravemoss actually notes to Lucius Malfoy that it's far easier to sacrifice people if they're nice and calm. However, those who get past the lulling effect note that it's strangely... dead.
91** The sequel has Sinister, who's arguably even worse. Most of the time, he sounds like a fairly ordinary, if somewhat distracted, scientist and you can count on the fingers of one hand the times he raises his voice. He's also a prime example of TheSociopath and a one-man production line of solid gold NightmareFuel, who carefully arranged for his [[LivingWeapon Hound]], [[spoiler: Maddie Pryor a.k.a. Rachel Grey, Jean's stolen-at-birth twin sister]], to be utterly broken to his will and certain in her belief that she was [[ArtificialHuman literally created]] to serve him and act as an instrument of his will, with any deviation from that being a 'flaw'. He also ensured that Harry stayed with the Dursleys, solely so he could study him up close, and convincingly played the part of the pleasant family doctor to gain Harry's trust.
92* [[AntiHero Kyril]] from ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'' is a rare heroic example. [[TheStoic Cool, polite]] and [[DissonantSerenity serene]], he barely raises his voice whenever he commits bloodshed. Sometimes, he can be affable to his foes, not that it stops him from killing them afterward. To him, killing anyone or anything is synonymous with talking to someone about the weather.
93* In the ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'' fic ''Fanfic/TurningRedSecretsOfThePanda'', Jason Vaugn generally keeps a calm demeanour, but is still a complete AxCrazy sociopath.
94[[/folder]]
95
96[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
97* ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' has the BigBad [[spoiler:Commander Rourke]], who always speaks pleasantly no matter what heinous things he's discussing. Even when the chips are down and he's finally be pushed to anger, he ''still'' talks quite calmly:
98-->'''[[spoiler:Rourke]]:''' Well, I gotta hand it to ya, you're a bigger pain in the neck than I would have ever thought possible. I consider myself an even-tempered man. It takes a lot to get under my skin, but congratulations, you just won the solid-gold kewpie doll!
99* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022'': Mr. Wolf, leader of the gang, always talks in a smooth, polite, laid-back tone, even while committing crimes. This is best demonstrated in the opening sequence, when he and Mr. Snake casually stroll into a bank and he calmly announces his intention to rob it.
100* Bradley Uppercrust III in ''WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie'' has a light, mild voice, and is so evil he has [[spoiler: life-threatening assault, arson, and attempted murder]] under his belt. The vast majority of the other series antagonists are saints compared to him.
101* Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'':
102** Kaa (played by Creator/SterlingHolloway), especially in the first movie where, despite having the gentle voice of a genial old man, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRASn4tcXFE is menacing enough to scare]] ''[[PapaWolf Bagheera]].'' Later, he uses that soft quality in his voice to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSVkY-01r5o "convince" Mowgli to trust him.]] Especially creepy given that there's almost no audible difference between Kaa's voice and [[WesternAnimation/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh Pooh Bear's]].
103** Shere Khan qualifies even more, ever keeping his deep voice light and low for most of the time.
104%%* Scar from ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994''
105[[/folder]]
106
107[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
108* ''Film/TenRillingtonPlace'': Christie is very calm and mild-mannered, and uses this to reassure his victims, further luring them into his traps. This was a major reason why Christie was able to elude capture for so long, and makes his story all the more frightening.
109* Creator/RichardBurton's portrayal of O'Brien in the film release of ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour''. He never raises his voice and, in his own creepy way, actually seems to think he is being ''kind'' in torturing Winston.
110* HAL 9000 of ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'' has this, overlapping with CreepyMonotone.
111* Dr. Jonathan Crane is easily the most softspoken character in ''Film/BatmanBegins.'' [[spoiler:He also sprays people with a toxin designed to cause intense panic attacks, tries to burn people alive, and gives his fear toxin to someone who supposedly told him the plan was to hold the city to ransom.]]
112* ''Film/ComingHomeInTheDark'': Mandrake never seems to raise his voice above casual conversation, and is a psychopath who kills people indiscriminately, even teenagers.
113* Garland Greene from ''Film/ConAir'' almost always have a [[DissonantSerenity dissonant smile]] on his face, takes time out of their criminal escape to have a tea party with a cute little girl, and is more than happy to pleasantly talk to whoever sits by him. At the same time, he gets the full [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]] treatment when being transported, has nearly all the other hardened criminals on the plane ''terrified'' of him for the atrocities he's committed, and the things he talks about? He calmly discusses his murders and his twisted views on semantics and human psychology without a shred of regret for the things he has done. [[KarmaHoudini And he gets away in the end]].
114* [[BigBad Top Dollar]] from ''Film/TheCrow'' is amazingly charismatic and calm almost all the time. Though he does have a couple of moments where he loses his temper and hollers, even when being outright insulted and disrespected by a low-level {{Mook|s}} he keeps his cool and even agrees maybe he's "not as big as he thinks." Then he tosses the mook someone else's torn-out eye and, still being chillingly calm, tells the man that's what happened to the last guy who talked back to him like that. Then he runs him through the throat with a sabre for the hell of it, without ever once breaking composure.
115* [[BigBad Ajax]] (also known as [[DoNotCallMePaul Francis]]) from ''Film/Deadpool2016'' speaks with a gentle British accent in every appearance he has in the film, save for once raising his voice to get Wade’s attention; his voice is at odds with his role as a [[SuperhumanTrafficking slaver]] and [[TortureTechnician torturer]].
116* [[BigBad Hans Gruber]], the leader of the gunmen from ''Film/DieHard'', speaks with a smooth, even tone of voice for the majority of his screentime, whether he is intimidating the hostages, or issuing orders to his thugs. [[spoiler: Hans' manner of speaking actually highlights his casual willingness to sacrifice the lives of his hostages for his own personal gain.]]
117* ''Film/Dracula1931'': The titular Dracula often speaks in a genteel, albeit theatrical, tone of voice, as befitting his aristocratic persona.
118* ''Film/{{Dredd}}'': Ma-Ma, a ruthless drug lord, seems too tired and strung out to raise her voice.
119* Quentin Tarantino apparently likes this trope. His character Richie in ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn'' is a sadistic rapist with a soft, calm voice.
120* Gaear Grimsrud from ''Film/{{Fargo}}'', when he is not [[AxCrazy snapping]] randomly.
121* Kylo Ren from ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' has many fans of his oddly relaxing and mesmerizing voice. His behavior is hardly timid.
122%%* Cobra Commander from ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation''.
123* ''Film/TheGodfather'':
124** Don Vito's voice is so quiet it's sometimes hard to tell that he's actually saying words. He's also probably the most powerful criminal in New York.
125** Michael Corleone, the series' VillainProtagonist, is polite, icy, and ruthless. He remains totally calm even as he gives the order to [[spoiler:murder his own brother.]] The only time in the first two movies that he raises his voice is when [[spoiler:Kay reveals that she got an abortion to spite him]]. He's... [[HairTriggerTemper decidedly less collected]] in ''Part III''.
126%%* Angel Eyes from ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly''.
127* ''Film/HenryPortraitOfASerialKiller'': Henry rarely raises his voice, and his apparent shyness almost comes across as endearing. [[spoiler: Trusting him, however, will get you killed, as Becky finds out the hard way.]]
128* ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'': Col. Hans Landa acts very softspoken and polite, all an act to keep people off guard as he interrogates them.
129* ''Film/JamesBond'':
130** [[DiabolicalMastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld]] is known to speak with a gentle, even tone for the majority of his screentime, even when [[BlofeldPloy punishing subordinates for incompetence]], concocting a plan for world domination, or threatening to kill Bond. He sounded ''much creepier'' during the one time where he raised his voice against his minions for failing to kill 007 in ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice''.
131** Lyutsifer Safin, the BigBad from ''Film/NoTimeToDie'' has a soft voice courtesy of Creator/RamiMalek.
132* ''Film/TheKillers1964'': Jack Browning is a vicious, murderous criminal, but he's always calm and collected and never raises his voice. When Sheila refuses to stop caressing Johnny, saying simply "I like it here" when Jack tells her to leave, he calmly says "Well, I can fix that." Then he [[WouldHitAGirl slaps her across the face]].
133* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'':
134** Loki in ''Film/{{Thor}}'' and ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', when he isn't being a zealous would-be ruler, is overwhelmingly cool and polite. When the Avengers are all gathered on the [[spoiler:flying aircraft carrier]], the [[spoiler:imprisoned]] Loki actually seems to be the calmest of them all. And even though, when things stop going his way, [[EvilIsHammy he breaks that pattern]], he's right back to it at the very end.
135--->'''Loki:''' If it's all the same to you, [[INeedAFreakingDrink I'll have that drink now]].
136** ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'': Ebony Maw, Thanos's NumberTwo, always speaks softly and regally, which can distract from how cruel and sadistic he can be, as demonstrated by torturing Doctor Strange.
137* Solomon Lane from ''Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation'' never raises his voice above a whisper, but that doesn't hide the callousness in his words and actions. [[spoiler:Even after being imprisoned for two years under constant interrogation, causing his SanitySlippage and ravenous desire for revenge by the time of ''Film/MissionImpossibleFallout'', he still has the same quiet pattern of speech.]]
138* ''Film/{{Nightbreed}}''. A major contributing factor to how creepy the psychotic Dr. Decker is is how calm and collected he always remains even during his hands-on murders.
139* Anton Chigurh from ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen'' embodies this trope to a disturbing degree.
140%%* Nurse Ratched in ''Film/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest''
141* Esther from ''Film/{{Orphan}}'' is soft-spoken and very rarely raises her voice, even if she's threatening your life with a gun.
142* Darth Maul from ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' sees much, says little, and says it calmly and quietly.
143* Lord Cutler Beckett in ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''. Especially when compared with Barbossa, Davy Jones, and Blackbeard, who are all loud, [[EvilIsHammy hammy]] villains, he's very calm, and rarely shows any extreme emotion.
144-->''"You can fight, and all of you will die. Or you can surrender, in which case only ''most'' of you will die."''
145* Christopher Guest's portrayal of Count Rugen in ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' is a particularly scary example, because almost the ''entire'' rest of the film falls soundly in the LargeHam category.
146-->''"As you know, the concept of the suction pump is centuries old. Well, really, that's all this is. Except that instead of sucking water, I'm sucking life. I've just sucked one year of your life away. I might one day go as high as five, but I really don't know what that would do to you. So, let's just start with what we have. What did this do to you? Tell me. And remember, this is for posterity, so be honest -- how do you feel?"''
147* Toht (the bespectacled Nazi) from ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' is usually smirking and speaks with a halting, breathy delivery as if he's on the verge of chuckling.
148* Mr. Blonde from ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' is a very cool-headed, soft-spoken individual who always exudes a casual aura. This makes it all the more unnerving when [[AxCrazy he slaughters a store's worth of people after the alarm goes off]], or when he calmly describes to a captured cop [[PsychoForHire how much he will enjoy]] giving him a slow, painful death.
149* John Kramer, the Jigsaw killer from the ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' films. Regardless of his actions, he always speaks in a low, calm voice. The only time he raises his voice in the series is in an argument with Detective Mark Hoffman while blackmailing him.
150%%* Warden Norton from ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption''.
151* ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'': Dr. Hannibal Lecter, notorious cannibal and serial killer, is a soft-spoken man who never raises his voice.
152* In ''Film/{{Sneakers}}'', Marty finally comes face to face with the BigBad, Cosmo, who he's thought long dead. Cosmo speaks casually of crashing entire countries' economies. Plus this little gem:
153-->'''Cosmo:''' I cannot kill my friend. ''[to his henchmen]'' Kill my friend.
154* ''Film/TheThiefOfBagdad1940'' has Jaffar, an EvilVizier and EvilSorcerer who raises his voice once, in order to cast a spell at sea. It sort of gets rid of the common "who would trust ''that'' guy" FridgeLogic about more ObviouslyEvil viziers: he sounds extremely trustworthy. Too bad he isn't.
155* Collins, the mercenary leader with [[VillainousValour balls of steel]], from ''Film/TripleThreat2019'', delivers many of his lines in a casual tone befitting a psychopath who is desensitized to violence.
156* Sir from ''Film/TruthOrConsequencesNM'' is an icy, calm ProfessionalKiller who never raises his voice, even when he's cutting off someone's fingers or in a massive shootout wielding a shotgun.
157* Dr. Stevens, the evil prison Psychologist in ''Film/TrustNo1'' usually speaks with a gentle voice which highlights his lack of empathy.
158%%* Keyser Soze from ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'' arguably takes full advantage of this trope.
159[[/folder]]
160
161[[folder:Literature]]
162%%%* [[TheBeautifulElite Iason]] [[FetishizedAbuser Mink]] of ''Literature/AiNoKusabi'' as part of his BeautyIsBad persona.
163* Lord Vetinari of ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', in his scarier moments, though he's at least nominally a good guy.
164* ''Literature/DragonBones'': [[spoiler: Bastilla]] talks to Ward in the same soft voice like [[spoiler: she]] always did even after betraying their TrueCompanions and murdering one of them. Ward notes how much this creeps him out.
165* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
166** Nicodemus is two thousand years old and in a willing partnership with a FallenAngel who feeds off pain and suffering. His demeanor is usually completely calm, reasonable, and friendly, and, when he (only occasionally) slips, he quickly regains control. Harry specifically notes that when Nicodemus laughs, it is with the rich laugh of the supremely confident, rather than the typical sadistic EvilLaugh of a CardCarryingVillain (and Harry's had enough experience to tell the difference). The fact that most of Harry's enemies are DrunkOnTheDarkSide to one degree or another makes Nicodemus' reserve all the more noticeable.
167** Harry's earlier encounters with [[TheDon Gentleman Johnny Marcone]] led him to think of Marcone this way, but it becomes apparent that Marcone cannot really be considered "evil", nor is he in any way sadistic, being far too pragmatic to be anything other than [[TrueNeutral ruthlessly efficient]].[[note]]Except where [[spoiler:children]] are involved.[[/note]]
168* "In the Deathroom", a short story from Creator/StephenKing's collection ''Literature/EverythingsEventual'', features a bland and soft-spoken TortureTechnician (with hints of MadScientist) named Heinz, who's described as looking and sounding like the pitchman from an Excedrin commercial.
169%% * In Creator/VernorVinge's ''Literature/AFireUponTheDeep'', Flenser is described as having a voice like this.
170* Vireka in ''Literature/TheForgesOfDawn'' can definitely be quite soft-spoken as he muses aloud all the horrible ways he's going to torment you.
171* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
172** Snape is described as being able to keep a whole class at attention without going much louder than a whisper in the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone first book]], and though his speech often contains contempt and sarcasm, he rarely ever does anything but speak softly - which serves to make the times he does outwardly show his rage all the more significant. Demonstrated when he and Sirius have an argument; as they both get closer to violence, Sirius loses his indoor voice while Snape gets tenser and more waspish.
173** Umbridge's fluttery, girlish, high-pitched voice belies her true nature, though most everyone sees through it immediately as shown in [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix book 5]].
174** Voldemort speaks in an almost snake-like whisper, especially shown during the first chapter of [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Book 7]]. He rarely raises his voice, and when he does, it is supposedly extremely terrifying.
175** Crabbe and Goyle spend so much time serving as Malfoy's DumbMuscle that Harry hardly ever hears them speak. When he finally does in book seven, he's surprised by how soft Crabbe's voice is. By this point, Crabbe's had plenty of lessons on torture from the Carrows, so he definitely fits the "sadist" part.
176* ''Literature/{{Holes}}'': After the Warden slashes Mr. Sir's face for wasting her time, she speaks to him in a soft and casual tone while he writhes in pain.
177-->[…] Mr. Sir screamed and clutched his face with both hands. He let himself fall over, rolling off the hearth and onto the rug.\
178The Warden spoke softly. "I don't especially care about your sunflower seeds."\
179Mr. Sir moaned.\
180"If you must know," said the Warden, "I liked it better when you smoked."
181* In ''Literature/{{Masques}}'', the ae'Magi. He is universally considered a very nice and kind man, and his mild-mannered behaviour contributes to this. He even ''murders'' people with a kindly smile on his face.
182* Nurse Ratched in ''Literature/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest'' is described as having a very gentle and friendly tone of voice, despite being a ruthless BattleaxeNurse who treats the patients horribly. This adds to her being FauxAffablyEvil as well.
183* ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'': [[spoiler: When [[TheDreaded Mevolent]] finally speaks, his voice is described as very quiet and gentle. He's an eight-foot-tall psychopathic warlord who tried to enslave the mortal world, and in the alternate dimension succeeded.]]
184* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' Lord Roose Bolton is mild-mannered, courteous, and speaks so softly that others have to listen closely to hear anything he says. He's as cold-blooded a lord as the Seven Kingdoms can offer, with no qualms whatsoever about murder, rape and betrayal. However, he's very careful to avoid developing a reputation of being AxCrazy, unlike his son Ramsay who has no such restraint.
185* After decades of being the very face of AxCrazy and EvilIsHammy for the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' franchise, the ''Literature/HorusHeresy'' series has revealed that Kharn the Betrayer's voice was once "soft, low, and measured" before he became the herald of [[WarGod Khorne]].
186[[/folder]]
187
188[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
189* In ''Series/BabylonFive'' Captain Sheridan gets captured and is brought to a TortureTechnician to be physically and mentally broken until Sheridan disavows his cause and publicly supports the fascist regime of [[PresidentEvil President Clarke]]. The torturer is a skinny, balding, older man with glasses who looks and sounds as if he should be teaching math to children.
190* Arnold Rothstein from ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire'' is polite and soft-spoken - but he's a ruthless gangster, who once tricked a man into choking to death just for his own amusement.
191* Gustavo Fring from ''Series/BreakingBad'' and ''Series/BetterCallSaul'' is a kingpin who rarely ever raises his voice, to the point that he's a lot more menacing when he does raise it.
192* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Adam never ever loses his cool or faux affability, yet he kills a child for the hell of it in his first few minutes.
193* On ''Series/BurnNotice'', Anson Fullerton, the DiabolicalMastermind behind Michael's burning, affects this, in keeping with his PsychoPsychologist persona. It's not the first or last time Jere Burns played this sort of role, as he also played Wynn Duffy from ''Series/{{Justified}}''.
194* Emmett Milbarge from ''Series/{{Chuck}}''. Imagine the gentle-voiced Buster Bluth of Arrested Development, only he's a sociopath and has delusions of authority. That's Emmett, and both characters are played flawlessly by Tony Hale.
195* ''Series/{{Cluedo}}'': Some of those who set out to ruin the residents of Arlington Grange (and then ended up murdered for it) were like this, especially Jack Peacock in series 2.
196* The Reaper from ''Series/CriminalMinds''. He's condescendingly soothing while stabbing Hotch in "Faceless, Nameless". In "100", he uses a cool, conversational tone to taunt Hotch on speakerphone while calmly playing toy soldiers with Hotch's son. He even covers the kid's ears and spells out "D-I-E-S". He plays it so well, the kid isn't even sure if he's a bad guy. This is seconds before he [[spoiler:murders Hotch's ex-wife while he listens]].
197* ''Series/Daredevil2015'':
198** Wilson Fisk always speaks quietly, sometimes even awkwardly, and can come across as a man not used to speaking publicly... until he's pissed and is about to let loose on someone he wants to destroy for personal reasons.
199** James Wesley manages to top his boss, always using a polite, strictly business tone while threatening people's loved ones to get them to do jobs for him.
200* ''Series/{{Fargo}}'': Lorne Malvo, the sociopathic BigBad of the first season, speaks in a soft, very soothing tone, and never raises his voice.
201* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' introduces Scorpius in this mode -- torturing Crichton almost to death without ever raising his voice or showing strong emotion.
202* Adelai Niska, ''Series/{{Firefly}}'''s resident psychotic crime lord, can be very soft-spoken in the tone of a kindly old man. The fact that he does this while he's [[ElectricTorture zapping the living daylights out of you]], [[EarAche cutting off your ear]], or [[ColdBloodedTorture even worse things]] makes him ''utterly rutting creepy''.
203* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
204** The Bolton family uses a flayed man as their sigil and has a legendary reputation for torture. Roose Bolton is as calm and courteous a lord as Westeros can offer, but [[EstablishingCharacterMoment in his very first scene]], he advocates torturing prisoners for information as if it's the only logical course of action, even while acknowledging that few if any of them will have any useful intelligence. [[spoiler:He also [[MoralEventHorizon betrays Robb at the Red Wedding]]]]. Bolton doesn't actually whisper his lines as he does in the books (it's [=McElhatton=]'s usual deep voice) but his dialogue stands out because of how impeccably enunciated it is, in stark contrast to the OopNorth brogue often exhibited by the other Northern lords. And then there's [[spoiler:his [[BastardBastard bastard son Ramsay]]]]. In every sense of the word.
205** In Cersei's monstrous actions during "The Winds of Winter," she keeps a very soft tone of voice. This is especially apparent in her treatment of Sister Unella.
206** The Tickler never raises his voice while conducting his interrogations.
207** Euron speaks in a surprisingly emaciated tone when outside of the battlefield, but he remains just as sadistic.
208* ''Series/{{Gotham}}'': Surprisingly, the Joker starts out as this, not becoming the LaughablyEvil MonsterClown he is famous for being until he undergoes considerable SanitySlippage between the show's fourth and fifth seasons. He makes a big deal in the fourth season about [[BlatantLies being much more reasonable and sane]] than [[AxCrazy his brother]], the show's first CaptainErsatz of the Joker, but his calm demeanor only serves to highlight just how unhinged he is, and [[DissonantSerenity actually makes him creepier]].
209* In NBC's 2013 ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'' series, serial killer Hannibal Lecter speaks calmly and softly at all times.
210* ''Series/{{Haven}}:'' The final season has Creator/WilliamShatner PlayingAgainstType as a very calm, AffablyEvil AbsoluteXenophobe. It's sufficiently unsettling.
211* Luther Mahoney from ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' is a murderous yet perpetually soft-spoken drug lord who at times lowers his voice to a whisper to make a point.
212* ''Series/{{Imposters}}'': The Doctor is a cruel man who enjoys tormenting anybody who crosses him. He almost never raises his voice, speaking mostly in mild, even tones.
213* Wynn Duffy from ''Series/{{Justified}}'', played by Jere Burns, is a ruthless Dixie Mafia henchman, but he has a very soft, almost meek voice.
214* ''Franchise/KamenRider'' thrives on all manners of CardCarryingVillain[=s=], MadScientist[=s=] and the like, who in turn run on [[ChewingTheScenery meat]] and [[HamAndCheese dairy]]. It does have outliers, though.
215** ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga'': [[BigBad N·Daguva·Zeba]] speaks softly, never yells, acts arrogantly, or trash talks anyone unlike his subjects, despite being the most evil and sadistic of the Grongi, a group that hunts humans for sport.
216** ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'': Storious mantains a professionally polite attitude, ominous little smile and a pleasant, yet icy tone even when letting his [[WolfMan co-villain]] take a shot at IAmAHumanitarian. This makes him a particularly unsettling addition to Saber's CastFullOfCrazy and villain factions that go from unhinged to absolutely nuts.
217* ''Series/KissMeFirst'': Adrian, whose voice is always a very soothing, even tone, never rising in anger or alarm, yet he also enjoys manipulating people to kill themselves or others at his bidding.
218* The killer in the ''Series/LawAndOrder'' episode "Hubris". [=McCoy=] tells the jury that he's going to ask them to realize that this "nicely dressed, soft-spoken young man" is a murderer.
219* Wyatt from ''Series/PrisonBreak''. He sounds like he's telling his son a bedtime story, just as he's about to kill you.
220* The [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Nightmare Man]] of ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'' is a classic example of this trope, with a very soft, quiet voice and an absolutely unnerving presence.
221* [[TortureTechnician Desaad]] from ''{{Series/Smallville}}'', who never loses the creepy, even tone as he kills tons of people by [[CruelAndUnusualDeath making them bleed to death from the inside]].
222-->'''Desaad:''' When is the last time [[TheSmartGirl you]] had a [[BreakTheCutie good, hard cry]]?
223* The [[PuppeteerParasite Goa'uld]] Tanith in ''Series/StargateSG1''. Unlike most of his kind, who are very much of the LargeHam variety, Tanith preferred to coldly taunt his enemies before utterly destroying them. Politely wiped out a civilization.
224** Ba'al, after spending [[GoingNative too much time]] on Earth, eventually stopped using his Goa'uld-voice entirely, with his later interaction with [=SG-1=] was conducted in a rather pleasant, if sardonic, tone of voice. No one is fooled that he's not still the same guy who repeatedly used a Sarcophagus to revive Jack after torturing him to death.
225* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E14WolfInTheFold Wolf in the Fold]]", John Fiedler plays a serial-killing alien, and he speaks in the same tremorous, timid voice he used when he was playing [[WesternAnimation/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh Piglet]].
226* ''Series/StrangersFromHell'': Moon-jo rarely raises his voice and speaks calmly even when telling a victim he's about to tear out their teeth.
227* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', Lucifer is very calm, collected, and acts in a casual and gentle manner. He also tortures and kills anyone to get what he wants.
228** [[VanHelsingHateCrimes Gordon Walker]], the [[BlackAndWhiteMorality overly-devoted]] vampire hunter, speaks in a calm, reasonable tone...which makes his [[ColdBloodedTorture torturing]] [[VegetarianVampire Lenore]] and attempts to murder Sam ''that much creepier''.
229* Deucalion in ''Series/TeenWolf'' is like this whether he's exhorting someone to murder, scheming, or disciplining his subordinates. Except for the time he screamed "I AM THE DEMON WOLF!" at the top of his lungs, but that's very much the exception.
230* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In the episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1959S5E24WhatsInTheBox What's in the Box]]", Sterling Holloway (his second time on this list!) plays a mysterious but malevolent television repairman who acts the role of the friendly old blue-collar worker, who gives an exasperated man some extra perks in his cable, and then gets to watch, smile, and subtly gloat as his "product" ruins two lives, never dropping the benign facade.
231* In the third season of ''Series/TheWalkingDead2010'', the Governor very rarely raises his voice, but he definitely enjoys killing.
232* Marlo Stanfield from ''Series/TheWire''. He's very soft-spoken and almost never raises his voice -- even when ordering the murder of a man and his family.
233* In ''Series/TheXFiles'':
234** The Cigarette-Smoking Man has a pleasant, avuncular New England accent. (Except for the times he has a pleasant, avuncular [[OohMeAccentsSlipping Canadian accent]].)
235** The death fetishist Donald Pfaster from the season 2 episode "[[Recap/TheXFilesS02E13Irresistible Irresistible]]" has an unsettling soft voice.
236[[/folder]]
237
238[[folder:Theater]]
239* From the Creator/HaroldPinter play ''One For The Road'', Nicholas is an extremely genial person who happens to be in charge of torture for his government.
240%%* [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} CLAUDIUS]]. Dear God, Claudius.
241* In ''Theatre/MarginForError'', the Consul speaks calmly and unctuously so long as he feels assured of himself, especially when he's issuing veiled threats.
242* Theatre/SweeneyTodd, in his Sondheim incarnation.
243-->''Inconspicuous Sweeney was,\
244quick, and quiet and clean he was.\
245Back of his smile, under his word,\
246Sweeney heard music that nobody heard...''
247** Which makes it fantastically ironic that [[LargeHam Hearn]] was cast as Sweeney, really.
248
249[[/folder]]
250
251[[folder:Theme Parks]]
252* [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal's]] Theatre/HalloweenHorrorNights has two examples.
253** The Caretaker is generally perfectly polite and soft-spoken, even when he autopsies people alive. Sometimes he gets [[LargeHam a bit excited]] though.
254** The Usher is very calm about murdering people who break his movie theater's rules. It wouldn't do to interrupt the movie after all.
255[[/folder]]
256
257[[folder:Video Games]]
258* ''Franchise/BatmanArkhamSeries'':
259** Julian Day a.k.a. Calendar Man from ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' is very soft-spoken. To date, he's only raised his voice (making it much rougher) once.
260** In ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'', Scarecrow is a LargeHam GigglingVillain. After his mauling at the hands of Killer Croc, he returns with a [[Creator/JohnNoble new voice actor]] in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'', where he is stoic, calm, and collected, [[ColdHam with every single line dripping with utter contempt and hatred]], and a newly fueled desire to [[HopeCrusher utterly break Batman in every way possible]].
261--->'''Scarecrow:''' Shhhhh... It's okay to be afraid.
262* ''VideoGame/BioShock1'': {{Subverted|Trope}} with [[spoiler:[[BitchInSheepsClothing Atlas (alias Frank Fontaine)]]]], who spends a good two-thirds sounding friendly, jovial and humane before TheReveal gives us his [[BrooklynRage actual voice]]. [[VideoGame/BioShock2 Sofia Lamb]] plays it straight (ala her TautologicalTemplar personality). Both were designed to contrast Andrew Ryan's LargeHam persona.
263* [[BreakoutVillain Hazama]] of ''Franchise/BlazBlue''. He is a [[BeautyIsBad quite handsome]] FauxAffablyEvil man, who is always polite and soft-spoken to everyone despite creeping them all out at the same time. (To further emphasize this, the Japanese version of the game has him referring to himself with [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns "watakushi"]], a very humble pronoun, and call everyone with the formal albeit somewhat distant "anata".) However, it's soon revealed that he's a {{Sadist}} who happily [[{{Troll}} trolls]] the hell out of everyone until [[MindRape their mind breaks.]] He cares about [[LackOfEmpathy nobody]] [[ItsAllAboutMe but himself]] and will happily kill you if he wants to, all the while sporting a PsychoticSmirk.
264* ''VideoGame/TheBoogieMan'': [[spoiler:Brendon Dumont]], aka the titular Boogie Man. Normally, he's more [[EvilIsHammy bombastic]] because [[spoiler:Keith imagines his voice as hammy]], but when we see him outside of Keith's perspective, he's instead very soft and quiet when talking about cruelly killing people.
265* Yurina of ''VideoGame/BulletGirlsPhantasia'' is very sweet, motherly, and soft-spoken. Her voice does not change one bit when she outright tortures her friends and enemies to discipline them, gain information, or get revenge for previous slights.
266* Yuri from ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'' never raises his voice or lose his composure[[note]]except in [[ExitPursuedByABear imminent mortal peril]][[/note]], which contrasts with his plans to psychically enslave all of humanity and his habit of disposing of Soviet leaders he's done using.
267* Ingun Black-Briar in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' fits this trope quite well. She's always very polite, happily greets and thanks you for your [[FetchQuest hard work on her behalf]] and rewards you nicely. However, she also reveals herself to be a NightmareFetishist with a penchant for alchemy and mixing poisons, largely because she finds glee in the horrors these poisons can inflict on a person.
268* MadScientist Dr. Dala in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas Old World Blues'' speaks in low, sultry tones in stark contrast to the [[PsychopathicManchild loud, boisterous (occasionally incomprehensible)]] speaking voices of her colleagues, while having a penchant for mutilating human subjects and harvesting their organs.
269-->'''Dala:''' Shh, little organs. Go to sleep in your tanks. Dala loves you.
270* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
271** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' have Sephiroth as this. He never raises his voice beyond a calmly smug tone, even as he's mocking Cloud over his failures.
272** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' have Seymour as this. At the beginning, he seems like a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, although perhaps a bit of a jerk due to his high position as a Maester. It's not until TheReveal and his death when he hams up everything.
273* ''Franchise/FiveNightsAtFreddys'': Circus Baby speaks with a quiet and polite voice to Michael in ''[[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation Sister Location]]'', while she admires her father and wants to kill more children to impress him. This also applies to The Puppet, she has a soft voice, while she killed many night guards to protect the children.
274* ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'' gives us the Monster, also known as Lemon Demon, [[SuddenlyVoiced the only character in the game whose songs have actual lyrics]] that, despite their usually upbeat instrumentals, talk about dark themes such as [[ImAHumanitarian eating the protagonist and his girlfriend]] or otherwise mutilating them, which he often sings about in a quiet tone unless excited.
275* WarGod Ares is given a soft and deep voice in ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'', and is one of the least hammy of the Olympians. He is always cordial and polite to Zagreus when contacted, even as he delights in Zagreus' destruction on his way out of the Underworld.
276* [[VillainProtagonist Agent 47]] of ''Franchise/{{Hitman}}'' is always polite, never gets agitated, and can mimic friendship quite well despite feeling very limited emotions. He has also killed ''hundreds'' of people, including inconvenient witnesses, bodyguards, ex-mobsters who turned state's witness, targets' spouses, clients' business rivals, and people whose misdeeds were due more to incompetence than to true malice. While he's a capable sniper, he prefers killing up close, in calculated, gruesome ways, such as strangulation, drownings, elaborate poisoning schemes, [[EyeScream shoving a pen into a target's eye]], impersonating a surgeon and deliberately botching an operation (twice!), and burning targets alive. In fact, the friendlier he's being to you, the more likely it is that he's plotting your murder.
277* [[TortureTechnician Thresh]] in ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''. Nearly all of his many lines are playful, sadistic mockery spoken in a magnified, echoing whisper. Pretty much the only times he raises his voice are when he's been killed and when he's laughing.
278** Since his rework, Karthus dabbles in this. Most of his lines have a serene calm to them one wouldn't expect from a lich. [[LargeHam Once the pops the Requiem though....]]
279** Vel'Koz, a knowledge-hungry MadScientist EldritchAbomination from [[VoidBetweenTheWorlds the Void]], studies things and living beings by dissecting, mutilating, and disintegrating them, but speaks calmly and doesn't take any sadistic pleasure in doing so, merely that he does that to learn what he wants to learn.
280** Jhin speaks almost exclusively like this, musing on the beauty of a perfect death in a gentle, calm tone. He breaks this facade occasionally with "stage directions", his laughing, and his death.
281* Lord Ghirahim in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' frequently swings between this trope and EvilIsHammy, but even when he has his temper under control, he still threatens to beat Link within an inch of his life and talks rather casually about burning him to a crisp in the Earth Temple.
282* In ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'', the ArcVillain of Cyrus' story, [[spoiler:Lucia]], is one. She never raises her voice once until the final confrontation between the two, where she becomes excited as she offers a WeCanRuleTogether offer with Cyrus, and [[VillainousBreakdown loses it]] when he refuses her offer on the grounds that [[spoiler:[[NotSoDifferentRemark while they are both passionate in their pursuit of knowledge]], [[NotSoSimilar Lucia wants to keep the knowledge she discovers for herself for the sake of gaining power, while Cyrus wants to share knowledge with others so that everyone can benefit]]]].
283* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' :
284** Haru Zigzagged in this trope. Haru is a FriendToAllLivingThings ''except'' enemy Shadows, whose suffering she discovers [[https://i.imgur.com/7xt1p2K.png she]] [[https://i.imgur.com/1veqduO.png revels]] [[https://i.imgur.com/XqLtBB7.png in]].
285** [[spoiler:Akechi also count in this. During the third semester, while out of combat, Akechi speaks in a generally calm and serious manner that would hide his true personality if not for his dismissive and blunt speech. In combat, however...]]
286* Dutch Van Der Linde of ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'' has a rather quiet, soft voice, which contrasts sharply with his violently insane nature.
287* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil:''
288** Police Chief Brian Irons in the ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake'' is more calm and collected compared to his original incarnation where he was a LargeHam. In the remake, he rarely raises his voice, but he has no issue with threatening to kill Claire if Sherry doesn't do what he says. The only time he loses it is when [[spoiler: Sherry throws acid on his face.]]
289** Osmund Saddler, the leader of Los Illuminados from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. This quality makes him all the more creepier, seeing how he managed to convert an entire village to his insane cult with pure charisma, even before they were injected with [[HatePlague Las Plagas]].
290* [[spoiler:Iris Sepperin]] in ''VideoGame/{{Rosenkreuzstilette}}'' may certainly speak politely, but [[spoiler:that doesn't stop her from causing suffering for others for her own entertainment]].
291* Akechi Mitsuhide from ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'', a consummate CombatSadomasochist, speaks using a seductive yet sinister purr in both the [[Creator/ShowHayami Japanese]] and [[Creator/VicMignogna English]] versions. However, in the Japanese, he tends to turn into a LargeHam when excited.
292* Jamie Washington in ''VideoGame/SplinterCellDoubleAgent'' is kind of geeky with somewhat poor social skills and would be the lovable dork in any other story but in this one, he's a cold-blooded PsychoSupporter with absolutely no qualms about killing anyone.
293--> '''Jamie:''' [[spoiler:''[after shooting a hostage if Sam refuses to]'']] Sorry... ''[chuckles sheepishly]'' S-sorry.
294* Leon in ''Franchise/StarFox'' is implied to be a sadist in more ways than one. Character-wise, however, he fits.
295* ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'':
296** Azul Ashengrotto when he's the ArcVillain; he's a classy and polite gentleman who engages in mafia-like antics, [[PowerParasite stealing other people's powers]] and enslaving them via magical contracts.
297** Jade Leech is calm and well-mannered man in [[PolarOppositeTwins stark contrast]] to his twin brother, but on occasion shows himself to be just as sadistic as his brother and Azul.
298* [[BigBad Asav]] from ''VideoGame/UnchartedTheLostLegacy'' is a quiet man with a voice like he's having a conversation in a library all the time and the face of a college professor... and also a violent terrorist and social darwinist with no qualms about gunning down anybody who gets in his way and a habit of talking about the bloody practices of the Hoysala empire at length.
299* In ''VideoGame/WelcomeToTheGameII'', the leader of the Noir cult [[spoiler:is Adam, that guy with the soft, somewhat-effeminate voice. He continues to speak in a calm voice even as he’s interrogating Clint and, [[MultipleEndings in one ending]], orders him killed]]. Also, [[spoiler:the Dollmaker speaks in a low voice even as he’s threatening Clint with a knife]].
300[[/folder]]
301
302[[folder:Visual Novels]]
303* The Creature from ''VisualNovel/DontOpenYourEyes''. They talk in a gentle and whisper-like tone throughout the course of the Visual Novel. But soon, [[spoiler:they tell you that you're a liar due to you not opening your eyes, yet describing them only within your mind. The real ending makes the creature bash your head against your own bedroom wall, it's only then that their quiet voice grows to a threatening growl as they demand you open your eyes to look at them.]]
304* ''VisualNovel/RoseGunsDays'' Season 3 introduces [[spoiler:Gabriel Kaburaya, [[TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard Special officer in charge of countermeasures against organised criminal activities]]]]. This ManOfWealthAndTaste very rarely shows any other expression than a soft smile... and wants to "[[KnightTemplar try and drench his own hands in mafia blood]]". He also does ''something'' to Butler in the toilets that isn't shown nor described but is unlikely to be anything pleasant -- with the same gentle smile.
305* Erika Furudo in ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' speaks in a soft, polite, and composed manner most of the time. She also defines herself as an "intellectual rapist" who loves to unveil people's secrets against their will and [[LackOfEmpathy utterly lacks anything resembling human empathy.]] Even when she snaps and screams, she keeps using polite forms.
306[[/folder]]
307
308[[folder:Web Animation]]
309* Carl in ''WebAnimation/LlamasWithHats'' is comically nonchalant about killing people, though he does raise his voice a bit more often in the last two episodes [[spoiler:after he's destroyed all other life on Earth.]]
310-->'''Carl:''' In that case, I should probably mention I've been filling our luggage with orphan meat.
311* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': [[Characters/RWBYSalem Salem]] carries herself like a queen, rarely raising her voice and infallibly polite regardless of who she is addressing at the time. She can speak with a warm, motherly tone whether she's praising someone, issuing an ultimatum, or torturing someone as punishment. This simply adds to her menace as a villain, as she rarely loses her composure and the things she says with a gentle voice are ''rarely'' reassuring. When she ''does'' raise her voice or otherwise lose her composure, it's enough to send her servants fleeing in terror.
312[[/folder]]
313
314[[folder:Web Original]]
315* ''WebVideo/AskThatGuyWithTheGlasses'': Ask That Guy's voice tends to remain calm and even cheerful as he goes on about the bizarre murders, rapes, kidnappings, and assorted other crimes he's committed.
316* In ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG'', Dr. Carolyne Provencal is known for acting sweet, kind, and polite. She is also one of the most sadistic villains in the RPG.
317[[/folder]]
318
319[[folder:Western Animation]]
320%%* Mozenrath from the ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries''.
321* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'':
322** The Clock King always talks naturally because he has no emotions to display except maybe annoyance. So, he can deliver a YouHaveNoChanceToSurvive speech [[CreepyMonotone without any emotional intonation]].
323** The same goes for Mr. Freeze, whose CreepyMonotone is more effective and spine-tingling than all the LargeHam rants the likes of the Joker can muster.
324--->'''Mr. Freeze:''' Remember, [[IronicEcho there might be some momentary discomfort]].\
325''[cut to people ''outside'' the building hearing gasps of fear turning into bloodcurdling screams]''
326** The Scarecrow, as revamped in ''The New Batman Adventures'', is another disturbing example, thanks to Creator/JeffreyCombs's delivery.
327** Poison Ivy has quite the breathy, sultry voice, as befits a maneater sexpot such as herself. In her [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE5PrettyPoison debut episode]], she maintains a [[TheTease calm, sensuous tone]] throughout most of her and Batman's [[CaptiveDate "late night rendezvous"]], playfully flirting with him as he's held in place by her [[ManEatingPlant jumbo, monster flytrap]]'s python strength tendrils, even leaning in to [[MassageOfLove teasingly caress his shoulders]] as she talks about why Harvey Dent was targeted by her. Out of context, you'd swear the two of them were lovers enjoying a romantic evening together, Ivy even giving Batman what's effectively a [[KissOfDeath goodnight kiss]] to close it out.
328* Katz from ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' only ever sounds mildly annoyed, even while sending people to their deaths or strangling a troublesome dog.
329* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': Dark Danny rarely raises his voice and talks in a genuinely charming and polite tone, but he also craves destruction ForTheEvulz and makes no effort to hide that.
330%%* Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources is portrayed this way in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Dilbert}}'' animated series.
331* Donbot from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' never loses his temper or raises his voice above a low, polite, eloquent drawl even when calmly discussing acts of theft, sabotage, and outright murder. The angriest he ''ever'' gets is a near-inaudible grumble when Joey Mousepad takes his DeadlyEuphemism at face value.
332-->'''Donbot:''' That scab's gonna have a little on the job "accident" tomorrow.\
333'''Joey:''' With all due respect, Donbot, I don't think we should rely on an accident happening. Let's kill him ourselves.
334* ''Franchise/GIJoe'' has depicted Cobra Commander as being this in recent years, particularly in projects where he's voiced by Creator/CharlieAdler. Unless he gets seriously pissed-off, [[SuddenlyShouting in which case he'll start shouting]].
335* R'Qazz from ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2021'' is an EvilPoacher who speaks in a harsh whisper when he isn't snarling like a rabid animal. [[spoiler:When transformed into Beast Man, he loses the whisper in favor of a growling voice. The whisper comes back to near CreepyMonotone levels in season 3 after Beast Man is turned into a skele-drone by Skeletor.]]
336%%* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' had many [[EvilIsHammy hammy villains,]] but Señor Senior Sr. was entirely different: Courteous, composed, and gentlemanly. [[AffablyEvil Good manners, good sportsmanship,]] and domination of the world were his three priorities. It certainly helps that there was no real malevolence behind his schemes; he is simply a bored, [[Fiction500 very rich]] old man who took up supervillainy as a hobby.
337%%-->'''Señor Senior Sr.:''' We will meet again, Kim Possible. Until then, be well!
338* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Zaheer may be the prime example. Zaheer is always soft-spoken, polite, and nice to his opponent. But below his affable likable exterior rests a sadistic man who will go to any lengths to secure his goals. His lack of remorse or empathy to his victims is simply disturbing. [[spoiler: It also doesn't help that he's a BombThrowingAnarchist to boot]] and will kill anyone who could possibly stand in the way of achieving his goal. It's to the point where the fanbase disliked his voice in the beginning but fully saw him as this in the end.
339* Marvin the Martian from ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' is quiet, soft-spoken, and polite. This makes his frequent attempts to commit genocide all the more unnerving.
340-->'''Bugs:''' 'Scuse me, Doc. Can you direct me to the bus back to Oith?\
341'''Marvin:''' The Earth? Oh, the Earth will be gone in just a few moments.\
342'''Bugs:''' Oh, well, never mind then. No point tryin' to get back to da Oith if it -- [[DelayedReaction zuh]]?!
343* Pythor in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'' certainly counts since it's a part of his AffablyEvil image. [[FauxAffablyEvil Unless he gets angry.]]
344-->'''Pythor:''' Humbly, I am Pythor P. Chumsworth.
345* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': The rather quiet, enthralling voice of [[BigBad Emperor Belos]] is particularly sickening to hear when he emotionally abuses [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Lilith]] and [[JerkassWoobie Hunter]]. It's perfectly suitably for a dictator of adoring, brainwashed masses.
346* One of the villains the protagonists of ''WesternAnimation/PennZeroPartTimeHero'' encounter is [[SpellMyNameWithAThe the Milkman]], who's voiced by Creator/PaulReubens and speaks in a polite, friendly tone while doing things that are... [[FauxAffablyEvil neither polite nor friendly, to say the least]].
347* The supervirus Daemon from ''WesternAnimation/{{Reboot}}'' is one of, if not ''the'', most powerful and deadly viruses to ever exist, in that it took ''Hexadecimal'' hopped up on the power of Mainframe's core to even fight her on equal ground and she possesses the ability to kill you by simply [[PsychicAssistedSuicide infecting you and making you count down to zero]]. She's also a very soft-spoken and sweet-sounding "person", having a soft and innocent French accent and constantly speaking in a warm and welcoming tone even when berating a follower. Even when making said follower kill himself for his repeated failures, and even when battling Hexadecimal. It completely and utterly catches Mike the TV off-guard, as he's used to viruses like Megabyte and Hexadecimal who are covered in spikes and constantly screaming:
348--> '''Mike:''' '''YOU'RE''' Daemon?!
349--> '''Daemon:''' Yes. You were expecting something else?
350--> '''Mike:''' I mean, where's the spikey things?! Where's the teeth?!
351--> '''Daemon:''' (Smiles to show her entirely normal human-like teeth)
352* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': [[Characters/StarVsTheForcesOfEvilToffee Toffee]] is always soft-spoken, polite and courteous. But beneath his [[FauxAffablyEvil affable exterior]], hides a cruel and heartless lizard who's willing to go to any lengths to secure his goals. Lacking remorse and empathy, he hides his own sadism and insanity quite well. Even in his gigantic magic goo form, he retains this trait.
353* Darth Maul is like this in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars''. He's usually very calm, and even when he's angry, his voice simply gets tenser rather than louder. He is also willing to kill anyone, even [[WouldHurtAChild kids]], if it benefits him in any way, and is also obsessed with making Obi-Wan suffer as much as possible.
354* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has Mr. Burns, whose voice is soft, breathy, and elegant-sounding (it was based on Lionel Barrymore and Ronald Reagan), and who is one of, if not ''the'' most evil character on the show.
355* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':
356** [[spoiler: [[CloudCuckooLander Navy]], a Homeworld Gem]] speaks only in a sort of half-whisper and [[CuteAndPsycho doesn't seem at all intimidiating]]. She has a lovely time hanging out with Steven, Lapis, and Peridot until she [[spoiler: takes them on a trip with the Roaming Eye and tricks Steven into opening the door, causing everyone but her to get ThrownOutTheAirlock. Even when she says she brought them onto the ship (instead of just stealing it when no one was looking) to see the look on Steven's face when he realized he'd been tricked, her voice never raises above a soft, sweet whisper]].
357** [[GodEmperor Blue Diamond]] speaks with soft, slow deliberateness, contrasting her with her far more forceful counterpart, Yellow. This doesn't make her any less capable of brutal retaliation towards those who would disturb the order of Homeworld (or [[spoiler:murder her beloved fellow Diamond]]).
358--->'''Blue Diamond:''' I want to know what [Rose Quartz] thinks we're going to do with her. ''Because I want to do something '''worse'''.''
359** If you thought Blue Diamond was bad, ''White'' Diamond, [[HorrifyingTheHorror terrifies even the other Diamonds]]. Unlike the temperamental Yellow or the mournful Blue, White speaks with a genuinely pleasant, calm tone at all times. Her words, even when they're [[SugaryMalice dripping with]] CondescendingCompassion, are always sweet and kind, and her face is [[PerpetualSmiler always fixed into a smile]]. Oh, and she also has the power to [[TheVirus completely overwrite any other Gem's mind and personality]] to [[TheAssimilator become an extension of herself]], without ever raising her voice or sounding even remotely ruffled.
360* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'':
361** Airachnid likes to eviscerate her victims inside-out. She also has a smooth feminine voice and likes to make small talk with her victims in order to torment them psychologically.
362** Shockwave is disturbingly effective at this. Especially when applying the [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind Cortical Psychic]] [[MindRape Patch]].
363* [[MadScientist Flug]] from ''WesternAnimation/VillainousCartoonNetwork'' rarely raises his voice and is generally a huge NervousWreck, but he's still very much a villain, as seen at the end of the WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Orientation Files episode; when he has Mojo Jojo strapped to an exam table in his lab, he's clearly having an ''amazing'' time calmly explaining how [[ColdBloodedTorture the toxin he's about to inject him with]] [[FateWorseThanDeath won't kill him, but it'll be so agonizing that he might wish that it would.]]
364[[/folder]]

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