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| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
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| 8 | %% Zero-context examples have been commented out. Examples need to explain the character's actions and why they drive the plot. |
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| 12 | %% Image kept on page per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1641164631027974700 |
| 13 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1378816760038950600 |
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| 16 | [[quoteright:350:[[Franchise/StarWars https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/darthvader_swg4.png]]]] |
| 17 | [[caption-width-right:350:You don't see [[BigBad the Emperor]] slaughtering rebels -- [softreturn]you see this guy.]] |
| 18 | |
| 19 | ->''"Every search for a hero must begin with something that every hero requires: a ''villain.''"'' |
| 20 | -->-- '''Dr. Nekhorvich''', ''Film/MissionImpossibleII'' |
| 21 | |
| 22 | In theatre jargon, the Heavy is the character that provides the most conflict in the story. The heavy is TheAntagonist that creates obstacles for TheProtagonist to overcome. At least to the audience, this character type is the face of the opposition to the protagonist. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | In other words, this is the antagonist with the most screen time, the one that the audience is most familiar with as a character. This is the origin of the trope name, which comes [[OlderThanRadio as far back as the 1800s]]. The Heavy is a big role for an actor, sometimes the biggest role in the work, eclipsing even the main character. This means that the Heavy tends to have the most lines, and therefore the ''heaviest'' script. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | The Heavy is an antagonist trope, not a villain trope, so this can be a HeroAntagonist standing in the way of a VillainProtagonist just as easily as being an IneffectualSympatheticVillain all the way up to the BigBad. The Heavy can act as TheDragon, as keeping the Big Bad out of the limelight makes them more mysterious, and thus scarier. That role often overlaps with a NonActionBigBad, where the Heavy is providing the muscle. But it is the relation of the Heavy to the audience that defines this type, not the interaction with the Protagonist. Because the audience is often intended to see the story from the eyes of the Protagonist, this trope may result in or be the result of ItsPersonalWithTheDragon. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] the [[Music/TheHeavy band of the same name]], or the [[Characters/TeamFortress2TheHeavy Heavy Weapons Guy]], though a skilled player can certainly ''make'' him qualify. Also not to be confused with TheBigGuy (or TheBrute in this case), although the two can overlap, or with TheLoad or TheMillstone (no overlap here). Any equivalent character in the form of your most reliable party member would more than likely qualify as a GameBreaker. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | Also not to be confused with a DragonInChief, although there is overlap. The difference is that a DragonInChief by definition is the real main threat of the story, with the BigBad they work for either too ineffectual or incompetent without the DragonInChief's aid. The Heavy could easily be a disposable pawn in the grand scheme of things, but still have the most screen time or largest role in the plot. |
| 31 | |
| 32 | |
| 33 | ---- |
| 34 | !!Example Subpages: |
| 35 | |
| 36 | [[index]] |
| 37 | * TheHeavy/VideoGames |
| 38 | [[/index]] |
| 39 | |
| 40 | !!Other Examples: |
| 41 | |
| 42 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 43 | |
| 44 | [[folder:Animation]] |
| 45 | * ''Animation/CatCity'': While Gatto is the [[BigBad head of the cat syndicate]], it's Teufel who is most actively working on driving out the mice. |
| 46 | [[/folder]] |
| 47 | |
| 48 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 49 | * ''Manga/AkameGaKill'' has General Esdeath. While she does work for Prime Minister Honest, she is the most frequent and dangerous threat to Night Raid, being leader of the Jaegers and having the most authority over the missions TheEmpire sets against Night Raid. |
| 50 | * The Colossal Titan in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', [[StealthHiBye appearing]] just long enough to quite literally kick off the plot. [[spoiler:Ironically, when in human form he's actually [[ExtremeDoormat extremely passive]] and merely a pawn of an unrevealed (at first) greater threat]]. |
| 51 | * ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' has the {{Deuteragonist}}, [[FallenHero Griffith]], aka Femto, of the [[PhysicalGod Godhand]]. While he is not the only BigBad, he is the one most directly involved in the plot and serves as the most personal foe of [[NinetiesAntiHero Guts]], serving as the primary target of his revenge. |
| 52 | * ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Over the course of the story [[TheSociopath Sosuke Aizen]] is gradually revealed to be the direct source of nearly every single event. Long before the start of the series, Aizen experimented with Hollowfication, leading to the existence of the Visored. Aizen's creation of White prevents Ryuuken and Masaki's ArrangedMarriage, allowing Masaki and Isshin, and Ryuuken and Katagiri, to MarryForLove. Without Aizen, Ichigo and Ishida would never have been conceived. It's revealed that he was the one who kickstarted the events of the series by deploying Rukia Kuchiki to Karakura Town, which lead to Ichigo obtaining Soul Reaper powers for the first time, Rukia getting arrested, Aizen arranging Rukia's execution, and later leaving Soul Society once he is exposed. Aizen would go on to serve as the main villain of the series until the time he is sealed. |
| 53 | * ''Anime/BlueReflectionRay'': While not the main antagonist, Mio's relationships and past actions define most of the show. Lots of attention is given to both her motivations and what everyone else thinks about her. This becomes most apparent when it's revealed that it was her failure to help Shino in the previous timeline that drove [[BigBad Shino]] to create the Red Reflectors. |
| 54 | * ''Anime/CodeGeass'': [[Characters/CodeGeassSuzakuKururugi Suzaku Kururugi]] is the main opponent for most of the series (although he spends much of it as HeroAntagonist), as the most prominent and one of the most dangerous opponents the Black Knights face in actual combat. Becomes this even moreso in season 2, when he graduates from being just a field soldier and becomes one of the highest ranking and easily the most persistent of the Emperor's followers to hunt down Lelouch and CC. |
| 55 | * ''Anime/{{Daimos}}'': Richter, Baam's ConqueringAlienPrince who desires to exterminate all human life to avenge his father. He was assigned to invade the Earth by Emperor Olban. Because of his aforementioned grudge, he's more than happy to leave mountains of their charred corpses around. In an early episode, he (unintentionally) kills a child caught in the crossfire of battle, shocking Kazuya. |
| 56 | * In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'': Muzan is the firstborn of demons who was responsible for the death of of Tanjiro's family and turning Nezuko into a demon. He sends his minions to deal with the Demon Slayers [[spoiler:until the final arc where he decides to deal with them himself.]] |
| 57 | * ''Franchise/DragonBall'''s ''Anime/DragonBallZTheWorldsStrongest'': While Dr. Kochin served as TheDragon to Dr. Wheelo, it was he who enacted the plot of the movie. He gathered the Dragon Balls, wished for his master to be free, and through the Bio-Warriors and Bio-Men he created, has kidnapped Master Roshi, Bulma, and [[spoiler:Piccolo]]. |
| 58 | ** The titular Broly plays this role in the ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'' being used by his father Paragus and Frieza to take down Goku and Vegeta. |
| 59 | * ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'': [[ManipulativeBastard Izaya]] [[TheChessmaster Orihara]]. Nearly every conflict in the series is somehow connected to him -- and Shizuo, [[TooDumbToFool being Shizuo]], is the only one who recognizes that. Despite this, it is [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Namie Yagiri]] who serves as the main antagonist, [[spoiler:until Izaya, who has been using her, usurps her and makes her his secretary. Despite being the Season 1 BigBad, it's questionable whether he actually ''is'' the overarching main antagonist, thanks to the actions of Yodogiri Jinnai, who, despite being in the background so far, is implied to be even worse than he is]]. |
| 60 | ** Season 2 has Kasane Kujiragi, who is hired by [[DiabolicalMastermind Yodogiri Jinnai]] to do his work and capture the Ikebukuro monsters. [[spoiler:Like Izaya, it turns out she is the one really in charge, as Jinnai is [[DeadAllAlong long dead]].]] |
| 61 | * ''Manga/Eyeshield21'': [[ManipulativeBastard Reiji Marco]] is this during the Kantou Regionals, with his obsessions and schemes driving most of the plot, and helping to totally upset the way the tournament was supposed to go. During the Youth World Cup, the BigBadDuumvirate of [[EvilGenius Clifford D. Louis]] and [[HeroKiller Mr. Don]] take over as the main threat to the Devil-Bats, with their seeming invincibility driving the story for the remainder of the arc. |
| 62 | * Zouken Matou in the "Heaven's Feel" route in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. While Kotomine is his rival BigBad, he always sends others to do his work and runs out of those quickly in Heavens Feel. [[spoiler:Kotomine isn't even seen as an enemy until the very end, and it's possible that no one even remembers that he was since Shirou is the only one who was there and his memory of the events is more than a little hazy, for good reason.]] |
| 63 | * ''Anime/GenmaWars'' has [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Parome]]. Though her husband is the BigBad, she is a constant thorn to Loof and Gin's side because they his bastard children, whom [[WickedStepmother Parome]] absolutely despises as [[WomanScorned a reminder of his constant unfaithfulness]]. She sends many enemies to destroy them and ends up killing their real mother Non and Loof's girlfriend Meena, making her more of a personal enemy to the brothers. |
| 64 | * ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'': |
| 65 | ** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' splits this role between TheEvilPrince [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Gihren Zabi]] whose actions drive the overall plot and is the [[DragonInChief effective]] leader of Zeon, and [[AcePilot Char]] [[TheRival Aznable]], who drives the plot of numerous individual episodes. |
| 66 | ** ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' has Titans field commander [[TheDragon Bask Om]] at first, until he's squeezed out by [[spoiler:[[EnigmaticMinion Paptimus Scirocco]] as he manipulates his way into more power within the Titans and slowly becomes their most prominent member, before outright stealing the BigBad role]]. |
| 67 | ** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'' has Mashmyre Cello, who's the one commanding the Neo Zeon forces in the early stages of the show. He later gets supplanted by Haman Karn once she takes a more proactive role. |
| 68 | ** ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' has Master Asia, ever since his reveal as TheDragon to the Devil Gundam up until his death at the end of the Battle Royale arc (during which he formed a BigBadDuumvirate with Prime Minister Wong). |
| 69 | ** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' has [[spoiler:[[OmnicidalManiac Rau Le Creuset]], who manipulates everyone in order to end the world. The entire plot is more or less his fault]]. |
| 70 | ** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' has Neo Roanoke, the field commander of Phantom Pain and the face of their opposition to the protagonists. |
| 71 | ** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE'' has [[TheBrute Decil Galette]] take this role in Generation 1, [[TheDragon Zeheart Galette]] seize it in Generation 2, and [[BigBad Lord Ezelcant]] take centre stage in Generation 3, after having been portrayed as little more than a shadowy manipulator for the first two seasons. Though Decil takes the cake for [[spoiler:causing Flit to go down a downward spiral to become the DarkMessiah. And all ''he'' had to do was play around with a friend that Flit took to liking until she [[KillTheCutie broke]] as if it was one of his toys]]. |
| 72 | ** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam0083StardustMemory'' has Anavel Gato, whose [[GrandTheftPrototype theft]] of the Physalis Gundam kicks off the plot and who remains the most visible foe of the protagonists throughout. |
| 73 | ** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' has Alejandro Corner in Season 1, whose schemes to hijack Celestial Being's plan for his own ends slowly override the plot. Come Season 2 this role is taken by Arthur Goodman, who heads a StateSec formed in aftermath of the actions of Corner [[spoiler:and [[TheManBehindTheMan Ribbons]]]]. |
| 74 | ** Season 1 of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'' has Gaelio Bauduin, the main Gjallarhorn officer pursuing Tekkadan on their way to Earth. In Season 2 this role is taken by [[NonActionBigBad Rustal Elion]], who either by directing instigating things through proxies or providing cover to other villains in the show is responsible for most of the obstacles Tekkadan face. |
| 75 | * ''Hingajima'' has Miyabi the man responsible for every tragedy in every installment. |
| 76 | * ''Anime/{{Ingress}}'': Even though [[spoiler:the Collaborators]] are the ones pulling his strings, the one carrying most of the villainous plot is Liu. Even when his bosses take the reigns, [[spoiler:they get swiftly dispatched by Brandt's scheme, and Liu ends up being the last known Collaborator villain to die in the end.]] |
| 77 | * Belkman from ''Anime/IzettaTheLastWitch'' is the first antagonist introduced and seems to be the Kaiser's most competent and trustworthy underling, charged with coming up with a plan to defeat and (re)capture Izetta. |
| 78 | * In ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', not only is Dio Brando the BigBad in two separate arcs where most antagonists get one, his actions in those arcs directly or indirectly lead to the events of the other four arcs before ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun Steel Ball Run]]''. And even in that arc an alternate universe version of him is one of the arc's main antagonists. ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureJojolion Jojolion]]'' is the only arc in the entire series that can be said to be free of Dio's influence. |
| 79 | ** Kars and Diavolo qualify as well, though their influence is more indirect. Kars by creating the Stone Mask that turned Dio into a vampire, without which he would not have been able to menace the Joestars as effectively, and Diavolo by selling Enya the Stand arrows, without which Dio, Yoshikage Kira, and Enrico Pucci would have never gained Stands and thus would have been much less dangerous if at all. |
| 80 | * ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'': Mahito played this role in the first half of the series and [[spoiler:Sukuna takes over in the final arc of the series after [[GrandTheftMe taking over Megumi's body]]]]. |
| 81 | * Kaoru of ''Kichikujima'' plays this role as the most active member of his family. |
| 82 | * Satsuki Kiryuin of ''Anime/KillLaKill'' claims to know details concerning the death of Ryuko's father and forces her to participate in her dictatorship-like high school to give her said details and making her life difficult at every turn. [[spoiler:Late in the show, Satsuki makes a HeelFaceTurn and the real BigBad, Ragyo Kiryuin and her [[TheDragon Dragon]], Nui Harime, share this role from thereon out.]] |
| 83 | * ''Manga/{{Lady}}'': [[spoiler: Mary Waverly, Lynn Russell's former step-sister, becomes this in the second season. She is the root of the Russell's inability to gain wealth, from having her grandfather stop George from receiving money to barring Lynn from competing for an award that would resolve her family's financial issues. She even ruins Vivian's chances at being an Olympian just so she can pin it on Lynn, which ends up motivating Lynn further to compete and win no matter what.]] |
| 84 | * Tomura Shigaraki in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''. For most of the first hundred chapters, he's technically beneath [[TheManBehindTheMan All For One]] in the League of Villains' hierarchy, and All For One has more importance in the backstory, but Shigaraki is the one who interacts far more with the protagonists. Plus, even in the early parts of the story, the League's actions are driven by Shigaraki's whims and goals with All For One merely providing him with support. It's even invoked as All For One takes a back seat in order to facilitate Shigaraki's evolution into a great villain, only reluctantly stepping into the foreground when his apprentice is threatened with overwhelming force. |
| 85 | * Tojuro Hattori in ''Manga/NabariNoOu'' is the leader of the Iga clan and the Kairoushuu, and drives most of the plot, [[spoiler:but he isn't actually the BigBad -- [[TheManBehindTheMan Fuuma]] is]]. |
| 86 | * Tobi [[spoiler:aka [[FallenHero Obito Uchiha]]]] from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. He was responsible for the Nine-Tails attack on Konoha and therefore the deaths of Naruto's mother and father, as well as Naruto's life as a Jinchuuriki and as a consequence, Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage. Later this incident led to the Uchiha Clan Massacre in which he ''also'' participated, causing Sasuke's StartOfDarkness, and he threw Kirigakure to hell by controlling the [[FourIsDeath Fourth Mizukage]], which, in turn, would be the beginning for two [[StarterVillain Starter Villains]] who would be the major influence behind Naruto's [[ThePowerOfFriendship personal code]]. [[spoiler:Also he was responsible for Kakashi's Sharingan, and his personality.]] He's the leader of the Akatsuki and is directly responsible for the existence and activities of the organization in the form in which we know it now. Also he's responsible for indirectly causing a ton of other problems, like determining the damage done in Orochimaru's invasion of Konoha because he killed Minato, who could've stopped him. [[spoiler:Obito's "death" was a '''''huge''''' catalyst for everything in the plot of the series.]] |
| 87 | * ''Manga/{{Noragami}}'' has the mysterious Shinki girl, Nora. Not only does she have a personal history with Yato, but she is the most recurring antagonist in nearly all story arcs and usually takes more direct action than Yato's [[BigBad "Father"]]. |
| 88 | * ''Manga/NuraRiseOfTheYokaiClan'' has Sanmoto Gorōzaemon, leader of the Hyaku Monogatari clan. He was the one who [[spoiler:manipulated both Shikoku and Kyoto, caused the death of Rikuo's father, and resurrects the Nue/Abe No Seimei, the true BigBad, for his own purposes]]. |
| 89 | * ''Manga/OnePiece'': |
| 90 | ** Blackbeard is the closest to one ''One Piece'' has due to its extensive use of [[ArcVillain Arc Villains]]. It's his actions that trigger the Marineford war, Ace and Whitebeard's deaths, the New Age of Piracy, and Luffy's decision to [[TimeSkip wait two years before entering the New World]]. Even after that, he's rapidly amassing power in the New World and has even come into conflict with Luffy's ''other'' brother due to Burgess's actions. Overall, Teach's presence has had more impact on the overall direction of the story than any other villain. |
| 91 | ** Akainu during the Marineford Arc. While Akainu's direct superior, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, is the leader of the Marines and the commanding officer of the battle, Sengoku spends much of the battle giving orders from the top of the execution platform, only getting directly involved late in the battle. Although [[BigBad Blackbeard]] caused the arc's conflict by handing Ace over to the World Government, he doesn't get directly involved in the fighting in Marineford until late in the battle (Although Blackbeard does cause a lot of damage once he does take center stage). Akainu, on the other hand, is actively fighting throughout much of the arc. He personally fights and severely injures Whitebeard, manipulates Squard into attacking Whitebeard as well, unleashes [[DeathFromAbove Meteor Volcano]] against the Whitebeard Pirates, kills Ace, critically injures Luffy, and spends the final phase of the battle relentlessly trying to kill Luffy. |
| 92 | ** Charlotte Katakuri is one in the Whole Cake Island arc, who's Big Mom's second son and strongest commander. Although Big Mom is the BigBad, her strength is too much for any of the protagonists to overcome, so Katakuri is frequently the more direct threat to the protagonists, particularly Luffy, and receives significant development while Big Mom is sidetracked by a food rampage. |
| 93 | * ''Anime/RahXephon'': While [[spoiler:[[BigBad Lord Bähbem]] and his AncientConspiracy are behind most of the things that drive the plot]], the Mu are the primary antagonists fought throughout the series. |
| 94 | * Finé from ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}''. While the BigBad in only the first season, the second season deals almost entirely with the fallout of her scheme and the leftovers from her research, and the next three seasons deal with the Pavarian Illuminati, who have had contact of their own with her. More importantly, she created the Symphogears that give the heroes their powers; without her, none of the villains would be effectively opposed at all. |
| 95 | * ''Anime/{{Yatterman}}'': Doronjo leads the [[TerribleTrio Doronbo Gang]] on behalf of [[UnseenEvil Dokurobei]] in search of the Skull Stones. In fact, the antics of her and her two henchmen usually take up an equal amount of screen time to the protagonists. |
| 96 | * ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5'' has [[DragonInChief Kawarino]], He's responsible for [[spoiler:the invasion and destruction of the Palmier Kingdom, he manipulates and abuses all other villains, and he's the one who makes Desparaiah's wish coming true. And if the Palmier Kingdom was never destroyed, the Pretty Cure 5 wouldn't even exist]]. |
| 97 | * Kin and Gin in ''Anime/YokaiWatch'' serve as this, as [[spoiler:every time warp which happens to reveal Whisper and Jibanyan's backstories is conducted directly by them]], whereas 'the leader' spends more time behind the scenes [[spoiler:until she serves as the BigBad for the first movie]]. |
| 98 | * The ''Anime/YuGiOh'' anime and [[Manga/YuGiOh manga]] have one each arc, with Dark Bakura/Zorc as the overarching villain. Usually they are the BigBad of that arc, but not always. They are: |
| 99 | ** Shadi in the Trial of the Mind arc, where he takes control of Anzu to test Dark Yugi. Not evil, but he has different morals. |
| 100 | ** Seto Kaiba in the Death T arc, forcing Yugi and friends to compete in a multitude of deadly games because an earlier match with Dark Yugi ended in a Penalty Game that left Kaiba sleepless for months. |
| 101 | ** The Spirit of the Millennium Ring in the Monster World RPG traps those who play the eponymous RPG with Bakura inside mini-figures. When Yugi and the gang get involved, Dark Yugi has to finish the game. |
| 102 | ** Pegasus J. Crawford during Duelist Kingdom, whose kidnapping of Yugi's grandfather and Kaiba's brother serves as the motivation for both of them. |
| 103 | ** Mr. Clown during the manga-only Dragons, Dice & Dungeons arc (the anime has this arc too, but it's completely rewritten as a filler and Mr. Clown is replaced by his own son), with his vengeful ambitions towards the Mutou family causing his son to battle Yugi in a series of games for the Millennium Puzzle and the title of KingOfGames, and nearly caused Yugi and Jonouchi to die in a fire. |
| 104 | ** Marik Ishtar during Battle City, with his plans to kill the Pharaoh and seize the power of the three Egyptian God Cards eventually dragging in everyone. |
| 105 | ** Noa Kaiba during the anime only Virtual Nightmare arc. While his father Gozaburo is the BigBad, [[TheDragon Noa]] is the actual threat, and does most of the work. |
| 106 | ** Dark Marik during the Battle City finals; defeating him is the end goal of Yugi, Jonouchi, and Kaiba. |
| 107 | ** Dartz during the anime only DOMA arc, as he's the one behind the entire arc. |
| 108 | ** Siegfried Schröder during the anime only Kaiba Corp Grand Prix; it's his plan to derail Kaiba's tournament, and he's the one who forces Leon to help him. |
| 109 | ** The Spirit of the Millenium Ring again during the Millennium World arc, both as TheChessmaster in the present, and by [[spoiler:possessing himself in the past]] in the anime. |
| 110 | * ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'' has the Barian Emperor named Vector, an all-around menace whose ambitions are central to how the second half of the anime plays out. He's a selfish, mawkish, crafty bastard who works great under pressure or when things don't go his way, and he's not afraid to make bitter enemies out of everyone he knows (including the other Barian Emperors), only for power. He is also behind the evil doings of Dr. Faker and Tron in Season 1. |
| 111 | [[/folder]] |
| 112 | |
| 113 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 114 | * ''ComicBook/{{Arawn}}'': Math is the most prominent antagonist in the series since his murderous rivalry with Arawn drives the plot, but he is under the influence of the Black Cauldron, who is the real BigBad. |
| 115 | * ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'': Ultron is the villain for most stories. |
| 116 | * ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': The Joker usually plays this role in most arcs. |
| 117 | * ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'': The Red Skull plays the role to torment Steve and his supporting cast most of the time. |
| 118 | * ''ComicBook/DeCapeEtDeCrocs'': Mendoza is the series' most iconic and recurring villain. Much like [[ComicBook/BlakeAndMortimer Olrik]], he usually works as the DragonWithAnAgenda / TheStarscream for other villains. |
| 119 | * ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': Doctor Doom most of the time. |
| 120 | * ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Captain Cold, leader of the rogues, plays this role. |
| 121 | * ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': Sinestro, leader of the Sinestro Corps, former Green Lantern member, and arch-enemy of Hal Jordan has played the role in most of the series' long run. |
| 122 | * ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'': Loki back in the day. |
| 123 | * ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'': The Violator aka Clown plays this role for most of the series. |
| 124 | * ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Norman Osborn has played this role in most stories after his comeback. |
| 125 | * ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': Lex Luthor is usually the one causing trouble. |
| 126 | * ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'': Cheetah aka Barbara Minvera has become the most prominent foe for Diana but never the big bad that role is usually Ares or Circe. |
| 127 | * ''ComicBook/XMen'': Magneto back when he was the arch-enemy of the X-Men before siding with them in recent years. |
| 128 | [[/folder]] |
| 129 | |
| 130 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 131 | * ''Fanfic/AllForLuz'': Being the EvilMentor living in her head, Shigaraki is the one who interacts far more with Luz TheProtagonist than any other bad guy. He's also ultimately responsible for a lot of suffering in the story [[spoiler:like causing the MassSuperEmpoweringEvent in the Human Realm, started a Ten-Year War on the Boiling Isles with Belos, corrupting Luz into becoming a killer and using her to get back to his own dimension and take over TheMultiverse.]] |
| 132 | * In ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy'', the Prowler is All For One's liaison to Mysterio and the primary driving force of the plot in the early parts of the story. She's responsible for raiding an illegal biology lab, which let the spider that bit Izuku to escape. Her bungled attempt to assassinate Peter led Izuku to run in to help him, which in turn inspires All Might to give Izuku the confidence to become a Hero. Her new equipment also draws the eye of law enforcement, which gets them to start looking into Mysterio. |
| 133 | * [[TheChessmaster Parado]] and [[HiddenAgendaVillain the Military Uniform Princess]] both share this role in ''Fanfic/BloodOnTheHandsOfAHealer''. While [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou the powers of the latter]] are what causes the SerialEscalation, it is [[TheStarscream the actions of the former]] that allowed ''[[TheMostDangerousVideoGame Kamen Rider Chronicle]]'' to be completed and allow said crossing over to occur in the first place. |
| 134 | * ''Fanfic/TheBridgeMLP'' has an overarching BigBad [[spoiler:Bagan]] with an ArcVillain for each story arc that is under its command, thus technically making them all this as said BigBad has a case of justified OrcusOnHisThrone. Most prominent example would be [[HumanoidAbomination Enjin]] for the Equestria Girls arc, who is a ScarilyCompetentTracker and full blown KnightOfCerebus. The threat of it alone is enough to spur an EnemyMine team-up. |
| 135 | * ''Fanfic/BurningBridgesBuildingConfidence'': While [[BitchInSheepsClothing Lila]] is responsible for turning most of the class against Marinette, ''[[WeUsedToBeFriends Alya]]'' is the one who openly confronts and harasses her and Cole. Convinced that Marinette was actually secretly bullying Lila -- and that Cole is a {{Jerkass}} who's been [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech insulting everyone]] [[NeverMyFault without reason]], she constantly insults and belittles them. The only thing that distracts her from doing so? Rena Rouge being replaced as the Fox, which blows up into its ''own'' set of issues that she causes from her outrage. This reaches the point that Alya openly assaults both of them in class, after sharpening her fingernails in hopes of maximizing the amount of damage she does while trying to [[EyeScream claw their faces]]. |
| 136 | * In ''[[Fanfic/TheDearSweetieBelleContinuity The Changelings Have a King]]'', the eponymous King Carapace is this. While Queen Chrysalis created him [[spoiler:(by transforming Prince Blueblood into a changeling)]] to serve as a progenitor of new "pure" changelings and a source of [[EmotionEater love/power]], and the two of them nominally oversee the hive and the invasion together, he takes a much more active role in planning and carrying out the invasion, while Chrysalis is mainly concerned with her brood, [[spoiler:and it's implied he's isolating and manipulating her]]. |
| 137 | * In ''Fanfic/NeitherABirdNorAPlaneItsDeku'', [[Characters/GLRedLanternCorps Atrocitus and the Red Lantern Corps]] completely reshaped Earth's views on aliens and space. The destruction wrought during the Lantern War, a clash between the Red Lantern Corp and the Green Lantern Corp, turned public opinion against aliens and led them to call for the ousting or extermination of all extraterrestrials, even previously loved superheros like ComicBook/{{Starfire}} and ComicBook/MartianManhunter. All investments into space travel were shunted aside as humans became terrified of what existed outside of their planet. In the present, it's precisely this level of FantasticRacism that gives Izuku his incredible self-loathing and dysphoria, as he's constantly berating himself for what he did to Bakugou and for being an alien on a planet that hates them as a whole. |
| 138 | * There's a lot of antagonistic figures waiting in the wings in ''Literature/FateZero'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13507119/1/A-Poisoned-Chalice A Poisoned Chalice]]'', but none have caused more havoc than [[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder Ibaraki Douji]], who was [[BigBadWannabe small potatoes]] in her game of origin, but is more in her element here...which means terror and tragedy for the residents of Fuyuki. To put it simply, she starts her reign of terror by devouring every patron of a bar and just gets worse from there, dictating much of the plot through her ruthless actions. |
| 139 | * In ''Fanfic/PokemonTheLostChild'' While Aegislash reports directly to his unknown boss, he is the most personally active threat to the heroes. |
| 140 | * The MagicalGirl CrisisCrossover ''Fanfic/ShatteredSkiesTheMorningLights'' features [[Manga/SailorMoon Chaos]] as its CrossoverVillainInChief, but since it's a SentientCosmicForce without physical form, it needs someone else to lead [[LegionOfDoom Dead End]] in the mortal world. Enter [[Anime/SmilePrettyCure Joker]], Dead End's field leader, a sadistic and psychopathic VillainousHarlequin who goes around causing as much suffering as possible. By the time the titular Morning Lights are officially formed, Joker has [[Franchise/SailorMoon heroes]] [[Manga/CardcaptorSakura from]] [[Anime/PrettyCure five]] [[Franchise/LyricalNanoha different]] [[Franchise/MadokaMagica universes]] gunning for his head. |
| 141 | * In ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/196256/the-moons-apprentice The Moon's Apprentice]]'', because Nightmare Moon is still in the moon, this role falls to Twilight Sparkle. [[AmbiguouslyEvil Not that you can tell.]] |
| 142 | * [[PsychoForHire Saturn Laos]] acts at this in the RWBY fanfic ''TheShadowOfFire'' as the more frequent threat. |
| 143 | [[/folder]] |
| 144 | |
| 145 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 146 | %%* The plot of ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie'' revolves around the master plan of Lord Business, who plans to glue the LEGO realms together due to [[ThePerfectionist his need for total perfection]] with the fated [[WeaponofMassDestruction Kragle]] on 'Taco Tuesday', and the motive of a prophecy which states a Special will obtain the Piece of Resistance to prevent this plan's completion. |
| 147 | * [[spoiler:Waternoose]] is the BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc1'', but Randall is the main threat for the majority of the film, both in confronting the heroes and doing most of the work for his plan. Fittingly, Randall is confronted physically in a long, climactic chase scene, while [[spoiler:Waternoose]] is quickly defeated afterwards via EngineeredPublicConfession. |
| 148 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017'' has Tempest Shadow, the Storm King's DragonInChief, being the one actively hunting Twilight and the Mane Six after they escape her invasion. |
| 149 | %%* The plot of ''WesternAnimation/Pinocchio'' centers on his getting conned two consecutive times and actually managing to return home, only to find out that this time it is his father who needs saving. The first time he is sold to Stromboli a cruel puppeteer whose ownership equals to slavery, and after escaping, he gets strong-armed into visiting Pleasure Island a cursed place. |
| 150 | * [[AntiVillain Namaari]] in ''WesternAnimation/RayaAndTheLastDragon''. The [[EmotionEater Druun]] are technically the main antagonists, but they're less a character and more a force that's in the background for most of the movie, while Namaari is the main foe opposing Raya in her quest to recreate the Dragon Gem. |
| 151 | * Alma in ''WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}}'' is not a villain, but qualifies as the story's antagonist directly opposing Mirabel's quest. She means well and wants to protect the family, but is unaware that her toxic perfectionism is breaking the family apart and causing intense stress. |
| 152 | * ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'': In-universe. ''Fix-It Felix Jr.'' is unplayable without Ralph there to wreck the building. |
| 153 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Ming serves this role for Mei creating the most drama for her. |
| 154 | [[/folder]] |
| 155 | |
| 156 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 157 | * Colonel Miles Quaritch of ''Film/{{Avatar}}''. He doesn't run the [[MegaCorp RDA]], but Jake and the Na'vi must fight Quaritch and his army to save the day. |
| 158 | ** In ''Film/AvatarTheWayOfWater'', [[BackFromTheDead Recombinant]] Quaritch embodies this trope once more, with the new RDA commanding officer General Ardmore being the GreaterScopeVillain. |
| 159 | * Loki does such a good job of driving the plot in ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' that it's easy to miss his brief conversations with "the Other" about the mysterious head honcho who gave him the scepter and a mission. TheStinger reveals he's actually a pawn in ComicBook/{{Thanos}}'s scheme. |
| 160 | * The 1955 version of Biff Tannen in ''Film/BackToTheFuture1''. Half the conflict is trying to get Marty [=McFly=] back to 1985, the other half is Biff bullying Marty's father George, which directly threatens Marty because George might not have the courage to court Lorraine, which would lead to Marty being erased from existence. Biff graduates to BigBad for ''[[Film/BackToTheFuturePartII Part II]]'', while his FamousAncestor Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen serves the same role for ''[[Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII Part III]]''. |
| 161 | * The Joker in Tim Burton's ''Film/Batman1989''. He appears almost as frequently as Batman does and in fact [[spoiler:is the one who killed Bruce Wayne's parents, setting him up to become Batman in the first place]]. |
| 162 | * The leader of the Replicants, Roy Batty, is the main antagonist of ''Film/BladeRunner'' and in a way can be considered a villain, but along with his brethren whom he coordinates, he merely seeks his freedom and the chance to live like natural humans. Are they the real instigators of this conflict? No, that role goes to Dr. Tyrell and his [[MegaCorp Tyrell Corporation]], who not only created them as slaves and gave them a soon-to-be expiration date, but also forbade their presence on Earth under penalty of death, no retirement. |
| 163 | * Luv from ''Film/BladeRunner2049'' has more screentime than Niander Wallace, tracks K down up to [[spoiler:Deckard's hideout and fights K to the death at the end]]. |
| 164 | * ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'': While the titular antagonist is ''not'' the BigBad, he is the one who drives most of the action (to the point that the final, climatic fight is between him and Steve), and has the most emotional impact on the plot [[spoiler:thanks to his true identity: a brainwashed Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers's long-thought dead best friend]]. |
| 165 | %%* Bennett from ''Film/Commando1985''. |
| 166 | * In ''Film/CubeZero'', Jax is the most palpable human threat in the film as the evil organization's field man who directly cleans up after their experiment goes awry when one of the technicians revolts. He's shown receiving orders over the phone from people higher up in the chain, but they're never seen. |
| 167 | * The Joker in ''Film/TheDarkKnight''. The very first scene serves to [[VillainOpeningScene establish him]] and while the film initially has Batman fighting TheMafia, it isn't long before the Joker hijacks the mob's resources for his own campaign of terror, becoming the face of crime in Gotham. |
| 168 | * Bane in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', acting as the leader of the resurrected League of Shadows. He has almost as much screen time as Batman and Catwoman combined, and his actions against Gotham drive the majority of the plot [[spoiler:until he's revealed to be TheDragon to the true mastermind, ComicBook/TaliaAlGhul]]. |
| 169 | * While Dr. Howell is the instigator and the BigBad of ''Film/DeathWarmedUp'', his [[TheBrute flunky]] Spider drives most of the plot in his (eventually personal) pursuit of the main characters. |
| 170 | * ''Film/DieHard'' is something of a subversion. While [[BigBad Hans Gruber]] does set the events of the movie into motion, forcing other characters into action, and otherwise driving the entire plot of the movie, [[AntiHero John McClane]] also sends the plot into other directions by being proactive and antagonizing Gruber. Their battle of wits, both men acting and reacting to the other, sets the general cat-and-mouse tone of the movie, with both taking turns in either role. |
| 171 | * ''Film/District9'': Although Piet Smit is technically the main antagonist of the movie, Koobus Venter is the one who commands all the mercenary soldiers going after the main character. |
| 172 | * Kaecilius serves as the main antagonist of ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'' as he is the clearly the main threat of the movie. But even then, he is little more than a servant to [[EldritchAbomination Dormammu]] who only shows up briefly during the climax. |
| 173 | * ''Film/{{Elysium}}'': As the leader of Elysium's secret police force on Earth, Agent Kruger serves as Delacourt's primary instrument against Max and the band of freedom fighters with whom he aligns himself. [[spoiler:He later replaces Delacourt as the film's main antagonist by murdering Delacourt in a plot to seize control of Elysium for himself.]] |
| 174 | * ''Film/EnolaHolmes'' |
| 175 | ** For most of the first film, Enola is trying to evade her older brother Mycroft who wants to send her to boarding school, which brings her into contact with the young Viscount Tewkesbury and various attempts on his life. Eventually, [[spoiler:Mycroft catches Enola and places her into boarding school, leading to Tewkesbury smuggling her out and kicking off the climax when they return to figure out who's been trying to kill him.]] |
| 176 | ** In ''Film/EnolaHolmes2'', Enola spends the film trying to find a missing girl and investigating a business conspiracy, but is pursued by [[InspectorJavert Superintendent Grail]], who believes she murdered a young woman. It turns out that [[spoiler:Grail was the true murderer, with the conspirators sending him to snuff out anyone who had a hand in the investigation into the company.]] |
| 177 | %%* ''Film/TheEqualizer'' has Teddy, Vladimir Pushkin's right-hand man. Pushkin is the BigBad of the movie, but Teddy has a lot more screen time. |
| 178 | * While he's one half of the BigBadDuumvirate in ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'', Destro's a bit more proactive than The Doctor. In the sequel ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation'', while Cobra Commander is the BigBad, Zartan is the most prominent antagonist and does more to set Cobra's evil plan in motion. |
| 179 | * In ''Film/GingerSnaps2Unleashed'', there's a werewolf who's constantly stalking Brigitte, but even with the revelation of the true BigBad, the werewolf's still the FinalBoss. |
| 180 | * While perhaps most slasher movie villains would qualify, few play this trope as straight as ''Film/Halloween2018'' -- from the start, before he's even let loose, Michael Myers is the focus of every main character's attention (specially our protagonist, who's seemingly been obsessed with him for 40 years) and everything happens either because of him or other character's efforts of getting to him. |
| 181 | * ''Film/TheHatefulEight'': [[spoiler:Jody is a special case of this. He appears only in one shot when he is revealed, then in a flashback, and is then immediately killed off in the next scene. However, while he appears the least, he has the biggest impact on the story, being the leader of the gang, planning the trap at Minnie's Haberdashery, and then escalating the situation by shooting Warren]]. |
| 182 | * ''Franchise/{{Hellraiser}}'' generally has Pinhead as its most prominent antagonist and the face of the franchise, though most films usually have a different villain driving the plot forward. |
| 183 | ** The first ''Film/{{Hellraiser}}'' has Julia Cotton, who is the one seducing and killing men in order to use them to revive [[EvilUncle Frank Cotton]]. |
| 184 | ** ''Film/HellboundHellraiserII'' has Julia again, now sharing the spot with [[PsychoPsychologist Dr. Phillip Channard]], whom she’s formed a BigBadDuumvirate with to unlock the secrets of the Lament Configuration. |
| 185 | ** ''Film/HellraiserIIIHellOnEarth'' has Pinhead himself. Although he has to rely on JP Monroe early on to bring him sacrifices, Pinhead is the one most directly responsible for the conflict of the film. |
| 186 | ** ''Film/HellraiserBloodline'' has the demon Angelique, who appears throughout all three generations the film covers advancing the plot in one way or another. |
| 187 | ** ''Film/HellraiserInferno'' has the Engineer SerialKiller. Although he never appears in person for most of it, he is the one who Detective Joseph Thorne spends the movie pursuing [[spoiler:and for a true MindScrew is revealed to be Thorne ''himself'']]. |
| 188 | ** ''Film/HellraiserHellseeker'' has [[spoiler:Kirsty, the FinalGirl from the original film, who made a deal with the Cenobites and caused them to go after Trevor. Although Trevor is actually the real BigBad, as he was cheating on Kirsty and plotting to murder her, which is what led her to make the deal in the first place]]. |
| 189 | ** ''Film/HellraiserDeader'' has Winter [[spoiler:Merchant]], head of the Deader cult. |
| 190 | ** ''Film/HellraiserHellworld'' has the Host of the event, who is responsible for all of the obstacles the protagonists face. |
| 191 | * In ''Film/HighwayToHell'', while Satan is in charge of hell, the Hellcop is the most persistent force chasing Charlie and his kidnapping of Rachel drives the plot. |
| 192 | %%* Aleksandr is this to Viktor Cherevin in ''Film/JackRyanShadowRecruit'' by the movie's third act. |
| 193 | * ''Film/JamesBond'': |
| 194 | ** Red Grant in ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove''. Kronsteen came up with the plan, Rosa Klebb is the one in charge of overseeing the plan, and both answer to Blofeld, but Grant is the operative selected to carry out the plan and its success hinges entirely on him. |
| 195 | ** Ernst Stavro Blofeld is this for the Connery era as a whole. The {{Big Bad}}s in ''Film/DrNo'', ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'', ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'' and are all receiving orders from [[GreaterScopeVillain him]] and working for his NebulousEvilOrganisation: SPECTRE. He eventually takes direct command as the BigBad of ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'', ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'' and ''Film/DiamondsAreForever''. |
| 196 | ** [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Quantum]] representative Mr. White is this for the reboot series. He's involved in the Quantum operations in ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' and ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'', and is the most often seen executive of Quantum. ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' has Raoul Silva. It's revealed in ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' that both of them were being backed by the titular organization. |
| 197 | * The [[NoNameGiven nameless Asset]] in ''Film/JasonBourne'' is the main assassin pursuing Bourne. |
| 198 | * In ''Film/JurassicWorld'', it is the ''Indominus rex'' that takes this title. While there are plenty of other dinosaurs (and a few humans) that cause death and destruction over the course of the film, the ''I. rex'' is the main antagonist and the danger is treated as being pretty much over as soon as she's killed, despite the fact there is still [[spoiler:a ''T. rex'' wandering around]]. And possibly a ''Suchomimus'' and a couple of ''Baryonyx'', too, as well as a swarm of flying pterosaurs that the ''I. rex'' released earlier and had an all-you-can-eat buffet in the park's most populated area. |
| 199 | * Steppenwolf fills this role in ''Film/{{Justice|League 2017}} [[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague League]]''. He's the one personally leading the invasion of Earth, but it's all in the name of Darkseid. |
| 200 | * ''Franchise/KamenRider'': |
| 201 | ** ''Film/ShinKamenRiderPrologue'' has [[MadScientist Giichi Onizuka]]. If not for him sabotaging his lab partner's experiment, in a bid to [[GodhoodSeeker turn himself into a god]], the entire plot of the movie wouldn't have occurred, or at least would have been less tragic. |
| 202 | ** ''Film/KamenRiderZO'': Doras, the RemoteBody of the Neo Organism, is the main foe pursuing ZO throughout the movie. |
| 203 | ** ''Film/KamenRiderJ'' has Garai, the [[TheDragon eldest]] of Fog Mother's children and the main opponent J has to contend with. |
| 204 | * ''Film/TheKillerThatStalkedNewYork'' (a 1950 film {{Very Loosely Based|OnATrueStory}} on the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1947_New_York_City_smallpox_outbreak 1947 New York City smallpox outbreak]]): While the BigBad is smallpox causing an outbreak in New York City, PatientZero Sheila Bennet is the character who causes the most problems for the good guys by (unknowingly) spreading smallpox. She is not quite a bad guy, though she is involved in diamond smuggling. |
| 205 | * Captain Léon Rom drives the plot of ''Film/TheLegendOfTarzan''. Although Léon Rom is introduced as the [[TheDragon "most trusted servant"]] of [[HistoricalDomainCharacter King Leopold II]] at the beginning of the film, and Léon Rom's actions are done with the explicit goal of "[saving] his king from bankruptcy", [[GreaterScopeVillain Leopold]] himself [[TheGhost never physically appears in the film]], leaving Léon Rom to handle the planning for the subjugation of the Congo. |
| 206 | * It's Mr. Joshua and his actions that drives the plot of ''Film/{{Lethal Weapon|1987}}''. |
| 207 | * ''Film/ManOfTaiChi'': Donaka Mark (Creator/KeanuReeves) is the film's BigBad, and the main onscreen antagonist, orchestrating the plot that brings Tiger Chen to the brink of crossing the MoralEventHorizon. He's the orchestrator behind every bad thing in the film, and acts as the FinalBoss that Tiger has to face in the climax. |
| 208 | %%* Torgo in ''Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate''. |
| 209 | * ''Film/MarsAttacks'': The Martian ambassador gets more screentime and contributes more than his leader. |
| 210 | * ''Film/MissionImpossibleFilmSeries'': |
| 211 | ** ''Film/MissionImpossible1996'': The IMF [[TheMole traitor]] known only as "Job". Despite being {{hidden|Villain}} until the third act, he's the one who set up the IMF team to be killed, framed Ethan for it, and is enacting the plan to steal the [[{{Macguffin}} NOC list]]. |
| 212 | ** ''Film/MissionImpossibleII'' lacks a straightforward example of the trope, but the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hEshu6RIog page quote]] summarizes the plot brilliantly; the good Doctor spliced together every influenza strain known to man into a superflu he codenamed "Chimera" -- in order to develop a perfect influenza cure. That worked out perfectly, and would have been worth billions. Unfortunately, he didn't realize he was working for an Evil Drug Company, resulting in the plot; the EDC realized that his superflu would be worth hundreds of billions to the right buyer, and that a superflu outbreak would [[WithholdingTheCure make a universal cure worth trillions]]. In turn, an agent sent to rescue him and the cure goes rogue to steal them. In turn, the hero is sent after both the rogue and the EDC. All of it happens because of Chimera. |
| 213 | ** ''Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation'' has Solomon Lane, head of the Syndicate and BigBad of the movie. He makes his presence known at the very start and much of the film deals with the BattleOfWits between him and Ethan. |
| 214 | ** ''Film/MissionImpossibleFallout'' has John Lark. He's [[BigBadDuumvirate working with]] Solomon Lane, and like Job up there his true identity isn't revealed until after the halfway mark, but he's the main orchestrator behind the EvilPlan of the movie [[spoiler:and the one Ethan fights in the climax]]. |
| 215 | ** ''Film/MissionImpossibleDeadReckoning'' has Gabriel, a terrorist mastermind recruited by the Entity to be its "[[MouthOfSauron messenger]]" and the main threat Ethan has to contend with throughout the film. |
| 216 | * In ''Film/TheNeverEndingStory'', Gmork fills this role in the first movie, being the one who gives the motivation of the Nothing or rather the power behind the Nothing, attempting to kill Atreyu before he can complete his mission, and give a tangible antagonist for Atreyu to fight. Justified due to the Nothing being an abstract concept of nothingness with no characterization, thus needing a physical entity with a personality for the audience to root against. |
| 217 | -->'''Atreyu:''' Who are you, really? |
| 218 | -->'''G'mork:''' I am the servant of the power behind the Nothing. |
| 219 | * "Smith" in ''Film/NickOfTime'', the PsychoForHire who kidnaps the daughter of the main character to blackmail him into assassinating a governor and threatens him continually, doing [[LargeHam as Walken does]]. The apparent BigBad behind the plot is an unnamed lobbyist who only appears once [[spoiler:before [[KarmaHoudini riding away near the very end of the movie]]]]. |
| 220 | * In ''Film/{{Norbit}}'', Rasputia takes this title. She is also the mastermind behind the plan to turn the orphanage into a strip club, having her brothers to pass it off as their own idea. |
| 221 | * ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'': Barbossa in the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl first]] film, who leads the cursed pirates into getting rid of the curse and represents them, Davy Jones in the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest second]] (where his deal-making that is meant to take advantage of the mortal fear takes center stage) and [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd third]] (where he is no longer in charge but is still a very forceful presence and the film is as much about defeating Beckett as much as dealing with Jones for Jack and Will) films, and Blackbeard in the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides fourth]] film. |
| 222 | * ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'': Belloq, the archaeologist working with the Nazis to uncover the titular ark, is the prominent villain Indiana Jones faces and effectively the main antagonist. |
| 223 | * Clarence Boddicker in ''Film/RoboCop1987''. Sure, he takes orders from Dick Jones, but Boddicker is the person actively terrorizing the streets of Detroit whereas Jones avoids getting his hands dirty. |
| 224 | * Although [[spoiler:Billy Loomis]] works with a partner in ''Film/Scream1996'', he's a much more personal antagonist to Sidney and has [[ItsPersonal a bigger stake]] in the murders than said partner, who does what he does ForTheEvulz and out of "peer pressure." |
| 225 | * In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', the Operative is a secret government agent who represents the Alliance's interests and carries out their plans to use extreme measures to create a better world. The government elite who give him his orders remain unseen, so he's the closest to an overarching villain in the movie and presents the biggest threat to the heroes. |
| 226 | %%* Peoples Hernandez to [[Creator/ChristianBale Walter Wade Jr.]] in ''Film/Shaft2000''. |
| 227 | * In ''Film/ShredderOrpheus'', while Hades and Persephone co-manage the Euthanasia Broadcast Network, it's the unnamed EBN producer who convinces Hades to recruit Eurydice, which kickstarts the plot, and he also provides the skateboard Orpheus uses in the second act of the movie. |
| 228 | * ''Franchise/StarWars'': |
| 229 | ** Darth Vader, especially ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', is the most famous example, the defacto face of evil in the Galaxy, but ultimately subservient to Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Sidious. In ''Film/ANewHope'', Vader is a direct participant in the Battle of Yavin, whereas Tarkin simply watches from the sidelines. Even in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', where Emperor Palpatine takes a more direct role, Vader is the one who actually brings Luke before the Emperor after sensing his presence on Endor, which was something even Palpatine failed to notice, and Vader is the one Luke faces in a lightsaber duel. Palpatine only attacks Luke at the end of the film, during a VillainousBreakdown after his plans to corrupt Luke have failed. |
| 230 | *** In the novel ''Literature/DeathStar'' Vader is even described as "the Emperor's wrist-hawk". |
| 231 | ** ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'': Darth Maul, since Sidious (the true mastermind behind the invasion of Naboo) is operating behind the scenes, and Viceroy Nute Gunray (the leader of the Trade Federation, who the heroes believe to be behind the invasion) tries to stay as far away from the action as possible. Darth Maul hunts the heroes on Tatooine after Gunray can't find them, and the revelation of his existence alarms the Jedi Council so much that they send Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan back to Naboo with Queen Amidala just so they can draw him out. Maul's appearance at the battle prevents the Jedi from participating in the capture attempt on Gunray, [[spoiler:and Maul is the final opponent in the film to be defeated after the capture of Gunray and the sabotage of the Droid Army]]. |
| 232 | ** ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'': Count Dooku is the leader of the Separatists, [[spoiler:the man who arranged the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala, and is later revealed to be the incumbent apprentice of Darth Sidious]]. |
| 233 | ** ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'': [[spoiler:Palpatine[=/=]Sidious himself finally takes a direct role this time around. He [[TheCorruptor influences Anakin throughout the film]], including deliberately revealing his identity as a Sith to Anakin, resulting in a lightsaber duel between Palpatine and [[MasterSwordsman Mace Windu]] after Anakin informs the latter, which results in Palpatine killing Mace, convincing Anakin to become Darth Vader. Then he activates [[ThePurge Order 66]], establishes [[TheEmpire the Galactic Empire]], duels [[BigGood Master Yoda]] concurrently to Vader's own duel with Obi-Wan during the film's climax, reconstructs Vader into the cyborg we see in the Original Trilogy, and drives the final nail in the coffin of Vader's fate by informing Vader of his role in Padmé's death]]. |
| 234 | ** Kylo Ren, [[spoiler:Vader's own grandson]], holds the position in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', as the public face of the First Order, but is in complete thrall to Supreme Leader Snoke. [[spoiler:That is, until he gives himself a KlingonPromotion in ''Film/TheLastJedi'', and becomes Supreme Leader himself. In ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' he's back in the position (until his HeelFaceTurn) doing the will of the resurrected Emperor.]] |
| 235 | ** ''Film/RogueOne:'' Director Orson Krennic has the most direct connection to the Death Star saboteurs (being the one who separated Jyn Erso from her parents) but answers to the Imperial leadership...[[BullyingADragon who are not shy about reminding him of it.]] |
| 236 | ** ''Film/{{Solo}}'': Dryden Vos acts as the public face of [[TheSyndicate the Crimson Dawn]] and is the main antagonist to Han Solo during the film, but is merely a subordinate to [[spoiler:Maul]]. |
| 237 | * In ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'', each Terminator sent back in time serves this role for the film they appear in. Special mention goes to the T-800 played by Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger in [[Film/TheTerminator the original film]] as he headlines the film as its star. |
| 238 | * In ''Film/TerrorInATexasTown'', TheGunslinger Johnny Crale acts as the BigBad [=McNeil=]'s enforcer. He commits all of the dirty acts required so [=McNeil=] can keep his hands clean. So while it is [=McNeil=]'s scheme that drives the plot, it is Crale's acts that put the match to the powder keg. |
| 239 | * ''Franchise/TheTexasChainsawMassacre'': The Sawyer family collectively serve as the {{Big Bad}}s of the series, but it's their mentally handicapped son Leatherface who's [[VillainBasedFranchise the face of the franchise]] and the one who's out there killing people and delivering their corpses to his CannibalClan family on their orders. In some films, it's implied that he's just DumbMuscle for his family and too simple-minded to realize that he's doing anything wrong, while others make him actively malicious in his own right. In [[Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre2003 the remake]], Sheriff Hoyt ([[spoiler:who is really his adoptive brother Charlie Hewitt, Jr.]]) joins Leatherface in a BigBadDuumvirate. |
| 240 | * ''Film/TransformersRiseOfTheBeasts'': Scourge is the leader of the Terrorcons and the chief servant of the GreaterScopeVillain, Unicron. Unicron sends the Terrorcons to Earth to acquire the Transwarp Key needed for him to go from one planet to another quickly, and since he's in another galaxy far away from Earth, it is Scourge who drives the plot acting in Unicron's interest to acquire the Key. |
| 241 | [[/folder]] |
| 242 | |
| 243 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 244 | * [[CainAndAbel Diogenes Pendergast]] in ''Literature/AgentPendergast'' books ''Literature/DanceOfDeath'' and ''Literature/BookOfTheDead2006''. He is the driving force for both books and even manages to get more screentime than his brother in each of them. |
| 245 | * In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', [[TheCaligula Visser Three]] is leading the [[PuppeteerParasite Yeerk]] invasion of Earth, but the Yeerk Empire is actually ruled by the Council of Thirteen, who only appear in one book. He's also technically outranked by [[EvilVersusEvil his rival]], Visser One, who started the invasion but is only a recurring villain in the series. There's also a GreaterScopeVillain, [[EldritchAbomination Crayak]], who is pulling the strings of the Yeerk invasion (and just about every other evil thing in the galaxy) but can't do much directly, being limited by the arcane rules of his game with [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien the Ellimist]]. |
| 246 | * Creator/PaoloBacigalupi: |
| 247 | ** In ''Literature/ShipBreaker'', [[TheHero Nailer]]'s [[ArchnemesisDad father]], [[CombatSadomasochist Richard]] Lopez, a [[DrugsAreBad drug-addicted]], [[TheAlcoholic alcoholic]] ex-[[GladiatorGames gladiator]] is the plot driver, pursuing Nailer and [[DamselInDistress Nita]] at every turn, planning to kill the former and sell the latter's organs on the black market. |
| 248 | * ''Literature/BazilBroketail'': Although Gog Zagozt is just a servant of the Masters, the latter do not appear in person in the second book, so it is he who plays the role of the Big Bad within the novel itself. |
| 249 | * In ''Literature/TheBehemoth'', Stephen Burton kicks off the plot through murder, and evades capture at every turn, but is not actually the BigBad. |
| 250 | * The ''Literature/CodexAlera'' series has [[LadyMacbeth Lady Invidia Aquitaine]]. While never the BigBad (though she does flirt with the position a few times), she appears in every book, either as the one pulling the strings of the book's main antagonist or in an EnemyMine with the heroes in order to eliminate the competition [[spoiler:and was responsible for engineering the death of the crown prince in the backstory, kicking off the main plot]]. Altogether, this makes her the series' most visible and prominent villain. |
| 251 | * ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'': Thoth-Amon, despite his relatively minor role in Creator/RobertEHoward's stories (and even then, he was one of the rare villains whose influence could be felt in more than one story), was [[BreakoutVillain upgraded by pastiche writers into a constantly recurring villain]] throughout the franchise as a whole . He is an EvilSorceror who worship the GodOfEvil Set, the GreaterScopeVillain of the franchise. Thoth-Amon aspires to rule as much of the world as he can and expand the [[ReligionOfEvil worship of Set]]. Thoth-Amon has come into conflict with Conan, both directly and indirectly, multiple times over a span of of forty years InUniverse. Several stories have Thoth-Amon conspiring to either increase his own power or eliminate one of his enemies or rivals, with Conan often becoming embroiled in the conflict. This culminates in the ''Conan the Aquilonia'' tetralogy, during which Thoth-Amon directs his antagonism towards Conan personally, who in turn pursues Thoth-Amon to the end of the known world. |
| 252 | * ''Literature/{{Daemon}}'': The Major is technically just a (highly-placed) enforcer for the conspiracy. However, he's the most visible and active of the antagonists. |
| 253 | * In ''Literature/TheDrownedCities'', Colonel Glenn Stern is the BigBad, but it's his [[TheDragon Dragon]], Lieutenant Sayle who moves the plot. |
| 254 | * Several times in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', the most visible villain of a given book would be distinct from the [[BigBad ultimate mastermind]]. |
| 255 | ** ''Literature/GravePeril'': The Nightmare [[spoiler:aka Leonid Kravos]] is Harry's most consistent opponent across the book, but the actual mastermind is the vampire Bianca. |
| 256 | ** ''Literature/DeadBeat'': Grevane, who appears first and most often of the three villainous necromancers and is fought most consistently through the novel, but he's not the most dangerous or the FinalBoss -- that's Cowl. |
| 257 | ** ''Literature/ProvenGuilty'': The Scarecrow causes most of the bad things that happen in the book, but he's an enforcer for Winter Court royalty and doesn't act under his own initiative. The actual mastermind is left somewhat ambiguous. |
| 258 | ** ''Literature/WhiteNight'': Vittorio Malvora's attempt to overthrow the rest of the White Court serves as the book's primary plot, but the actual chessmaster behind him is Cowl. |
| 259 | ** ''Literature/TurnCoat'': Shagnasty the Skinwalker is one of the most terrifying opponents Harry has faced to that point in the series and serves to stymie his search for TheMole on the White Council, but the mole himself is [[spoiler:Peabody]]. |
| 260 | ** ''Literature/{{Changes}}'': Duchess Arianna sets most of the plot in motion when she poisons the White Council and kidnaps [[spoiler:Harry's daughter]], but her dad the Red King, who doesn't show up in person until the climax, is the true BigBad of the book and DiscOneFinalBoss of the series as a whole. |
| 261 | ** For the series as the whole, the Red Court of Vampires are the most obvious and heavily featured recurring villains, though [[NebulousEvilOrganisation the Black Council]] is shaping up as series-wide BigBad. [[spoiler:With the Reds out of the picture, the Fomor look to be stepping into their vacated role.]] |
| 262 | * ''Literature/{{Dune}}'' has House Harkonnen, led by the nefarious Baron Harkonnen. While they are but one of several factions involved in the conspiracy against House Atreides, including TheEmperor and the Spacing Guild, they are the main muscle of the conspiracy and House Atreides' primary obstacle throughout. |
| 263 | * Emir Abdulaziz in ''Literature/EuricoThePresbyter'' is merely one of the military commanders of the Arab invasion on Spain and the only authority figures he answers to are his own father Musa and the caliph. However, he drives much of the plot on personal level by [[DamselInDistress kidnapping the noblewoman Hermengarda]], who is [[ChurchMilitant Eurico's]] LoveInterest, for his own RoyalHarem. |
| 264 | * Krait, the [[PsychoForHire assassin]] in Creator/DeanKoontz's ''The Good Guy''. He spends most of the book as the sole enemy hunting down Linda [[spoiler:on behalf of a vaguely defined shadow government that is both explained and destroyed near the end of the book]]. Played with, as Tim also helps drive the plot by intervening in the hit, similar to the ''Film/DieHard'' example above. |
| 265 | * In ''[[Literature/MediochreQSethSeries The Good, the Bad and the Mediochre]]'', [[TheDragon Mr. Antler]] drives the plot for most of the book, up until [[TheBrute Maelstrom]] catches up and eventually overtakes him in this regard. Neither of them is the BigBad -- they both at least nominally work for [[DiabolicalMastermind Sapphire]] -- and it's actually [[HiddenAgendaVillain the tempomancer]] who is implied to be the most ''dangerous'' villain present, working for some sort of GreaterScopeVillain NebulousEvilOrganisation. Antler and Maelstrom are the Heavies because both Sapphire and the tempomancer ''prefer'' to work indirectly from the shadows. |
| 266 | * Though Lord Voldemort is the BigBad of ''Literature/HarryPotter'', he's only directed the plot from afar until the last book, ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows''. The role of the plot driver is therefore often taken by another character, who may or may not be working for him: |
| 267 | ** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'': [[spoiler:Professor Quirinus Quirrell]], though not a Death Eater, wants to steal the titular Philosopher's Stone to help to bring back his weakened master [[spoiler:who lives inside Quirrell like a parasite]]. |
| 268 | ** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'': [[spoiler:Lucius Malfoy places the Tom Riddle diary, which contains a piece of Voldemort's soul, in Ginny Weasley's textbooks, causing her]] to free the Salazar Slytherin monster from the Chamber of Secrets to kill Muggleborns. |
| 269 | ** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'': Sirius Black, said to be Voldemort's right hand man. [[spoiler:Until it is revealed to be a RedHerring, as the real traitor is Peter Pettigrew, "Wormtail", who was disguised as Ron's pet rat Scabbers, framed Sirius for selling Harry's parents' lives to Voldemort, and killed thirteen muggles in an explosion.]] |
| 270 | ** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'': [[spoiler:Bartemius Crouch Jr., using the Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as Alastor "Madeye" Moody,]] plots an encounter between Voldemort and Harry to help his master to regain his full body during the Triwizard Tournament. [[spoiler:And he succeeds.]] |
| 271 | ** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'': Dolores Jane Umbridge is the only major antagonist in the series not related to Voldemort and his Death Eaters, at least until the seventh book. She is the villain during the first half of the book when she is proclaimed as High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, turning the school into some kind of a dictatorial state [[spoiler:and she also sent the Dementors against Harry during the summer]]. The next half, when Harry and his friends enter the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries, the antagonism goes to Voldemort and his followers. |
| 272 | ** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': Voldemort tasks Draco Malfoy [[spoiler:to kill Dumbledore]] as a punishment to Lucius Malfoy for failing him in the Department of Mysteries, and Draco's increasingly frantic attempts result in several people having brushes with death throughout the year. Draco's mother, Narcissa, makes an Unbreakable Vow with Severus Snape to aid her son to fulfill his mission in case he fails. [[spoiler:Snape does so and kills Dumbledore and he is revealed to be the Half-Blood Prince whose book had caused some mishaps in Harry's behaviour]]. |
| 273 | * If you could really call him a "villain" per se, Pepe el Romano in ''[[Theatre/LaCasaDeBernardaAlba The House of Bernada Alba]]'' manages to drive the story without even appearing once. His presence in the background causes sister to bitterly turn against sister, and eventually undermine's Bernada's authority over the house, as Adela rebels. |
| 274 | * In the first book of ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', Panem is ruled by PresidentEvil Coriolanus Snow, but he's too big of a threat to deal with for Katniss. Instead, the main threat to her in that book is Cato, the leader of the Career tributes. After [[spoiler:Cato is killed at the end of the book]], his role is taken by former District 2 Tribute Brutus in the second book ''Catching Fire''. |
| 275 | * In the ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'', the Empire is ruled by SorcerousOverlord King Galbatorix, but for the first book in the series, ''Eragon'', the main threat is personified by the EvilSorcerer Durza, Galbatorix's [[TheDragon right-hand man]]. After [[spoiler:Durza is killed at the end of the first book]], he is replaced by [[spoiler:Eragon's friend and half-brother Murtaugh]] for the third book (the second doesn't have an active antagonist) and part of the fourth, until Galbatorix takes the central stage for the FinalBattle. |
| 276 | * Sauron is the BigBad of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', but Saruman (and to an extent the Witch-King and the other Ringwraiths) are much more visible and involved villains, especially in the movies. The story also has the One Ring, which is an [[SoulJar extension of Sauron himself]], binds the Nazgûl to Sauron's will, corrupted Sméagol into Gollum, and gradually erodes Frodo's willpower. The main conflict is resolved with the One Ring's destruction, which immediately results in Sauron's permanent defeat. Broadly speaking, each of the six "books" that the story is internally divided into has its own Heavy, with the exception of Book II and Book VI: |
| 277 | ** Book I: The Black Riders collectively, who pursue the hobbits across Eriador and are the first tangible representatives of the power of Sauron they encounter. |
| 278 | ** Book II: Here there isn´t a central antagonist, but multiple antagonists and challenges the Fellowship must face. |
| 279 | ** Book III: Saruman, though introduced in the previous Book, takes center stage here as the immediate threat to Rohan and Aragorn's side of the broken Fellowship, who must be dealt with before the heroes can take the fight directly to Sauron. |
| 280 | ** Book IV: Gollum, who is forced to serve as Frodo and Sam's guide while serving as a dark foil to both of them, while planning to betray them and take the Ring for most of that time. |
| 281 | ** Book V: The Witch-King, who is also one of the Black Riders from Book I.[[note]]Though he is defeated halfway through this book, his assault on Minas Tirith and its aftermath are the central concern of its part of the plot.[[/note]] |
| 282 | * The first arc of ''Literature/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'' has [[spoiler:Ayana Sakanagi, aka Swim Swim. While she is not the BigBad (with that role going to [[BigBadDuumvirate Cranberry and Fav]]), Swim Swim has the highest body count in the killing game (with two of her victims being Top Speed and Hardgore Alice), making her the most dangerous antagonist of the arc. She even outlives Cranberry, and her final fight with Ripple provides the climax of the first arc]]. |
| 283 | * Nom Anor in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series. He's not the leader or even ''a'' leader of [[ScaryDogmaticAliens the Yuuzhan Vong]], being a mid-ranked but influential intelligence agent, but he's by far the most recurring villain in the novels, and by the last quarter or so the series is as much about him as it is about the heroes. |
| 284 | * [[PsychoForHire Anton]] [[ImplacableMan Chigurh]] of ''Literature/NoCountryForOldMen'', the most menacing and visible of those searching for the [[MacGuffin drug money]]. In theory, there is a BigBadEnsemble of the major players who hired Chigurh and the various Mexicans (implied to be the "Matacumbe Petroleum Group" and real-life drug lord Pablo Acosta), but they're ultimately rendered irrelevant by Chigurh's inscrutable, single-minded rampage, a point driven home when Chigurh [[spoiler:kills the guy who apparently hired both him and Carson Wells for interfering with his work, then negotiates a new contract with the man at the very top]]. |
| 285 | -->'''Accountant:''' He felt, the more people searching-- |
| 286 | -->'''Anton:''' That's foolish. You pick the one right tool. |
| 287 | * In the second and third ''Literature/OldKingdom'' books, the necromancer [[EvilSorcerer Hedge]] is the most visible villain and the most direct threat to the heroes, though it's implied throughout that he's getting his marching orders from elsewhere. [[spoiler:He's actually working for Orannis the Destroyer, a powerful SealedEvilInACan; because of said sealing, Orannis has very limited ability to interact with the world beyond sporadically taking over Nick and using him as a mouthpiece, therefore leaving most of the heavy lifting on evil's behalf to Hedge by necessity.]] |
| 288 | * While Monks is the architect behind the hardships that ''Literature/OliverTwist'' has to deal with after the first part of the story, he has thanks to his money and influence, Fagin and by extension Bill Sykes do his dirty work to the point that he is often forgotten by readers. They are so much more direct and iconic that lots of adaptations of the book forget his existence as well. |
| 289 | * In the ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' book series, Kronos is the BigBad, but Luke drives the plot, as Kronos has no physical form [[spoiler:until ''Battle of the Labyrinth'', when he [[DemonicPossession possess Luke]]]], and can only plot and scheme. |
| 290 | * In the ''Literature/RainbowMagic'' series, Jack Frost's actions start the plot of every series. |
| 291 | * The ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' series has a few examples of the most prominent villain in the story being a little less prominent in terms of the setting. |
| 292 | ** ''Mattimeo'' has a good example in Slagar the Cruel. Though he's the one who instigates the conflict, he's relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. He's not in charge of the underground empire; it's ruled by Malkariss, and his [[TheDragon right hand]] Nadaz helps to administer it. He's not even a particularly high-ranking minion. However, he does instigate the story's conflict through his kidnapping of the heroes' children, and he's the most prominent antagonist towards both his captives and his pursuers. |
| 293 | * The ''Requiem for Dragons'' trilogy from ''Literature/DragonsOfRequiem'' has Mercy Deus. Out of all the villains, she has the most screentime and is directly responsible for almost all of the death and destruction throughout the novels. However, she's JustFollowingOrders from her mother Beatrix, who is the actual BigBad. |
| 294 | * In most variations of Myth/RobinHood, the Sheriff of Nottingham is plot driver underneath Prince John's BigBad. |
| 295 | * For ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', Morgoth is the Heavy as well as the BigBad for most of the story, however the episodic nature of its mythical narrative allows other characters like [[FallenHero Fëanor]], [[TheDragon Sauron]], and [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Glaurung]] to all have their time in the spotlight. |
| 296 | * In ''Literature/TheTraitorSonCycle'', Ash is the BigBad of the story, but his minion Thorn is the main antagonist for the first three books -- in fact, until book three, everybody thinks that Thorn is the BigBad. |
| 297 | * ''Literature/Utopia58'' has [=EQL61=], the White General within the White Army. He doesn't show up very often in the book, but he's controlling the battalion hunting down Kay and his allies. |
| 298 | * Hawkfrost in the second ''Literature/WarriorCats'' arc, ''[[Literature/WarriorCatsTheNewProphecy The New Prophecy]]''. While his dad Tigerstar is the BigBad, Hawkfrost's schemes to take over the Clans are the main driving point, partially because his dad is dead and only appears as a SpiritAdvisor. |
| 299 | * In the second book of ''Literature/WatchersOfTheThrone'', the heroes come to blows with [[spoiler:the Minotaurs and their Chapter Master Asterion Moloc]]; however, much of the book's plot is devoted to figuring out who the group works for. |
| 300 | * In ''Literature/TheWitchlands'', the main opponent of the heroes so far is not the BigBad (who's currently content with being TheGhost), but his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Esme, who creates the Cleaved and sends them after the protagonists. |
| 301 | [[/folder]] |
| 302 | |
| 303 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 304 | * [[spoiler:Tony Almeida]] in the seventh season of ''Series/TwentyFour''. Alan Wilson is the true BigBad of the season, but [[spoiler:Tony's]] actions throughout the entire thing serves one giant GambitRoulette to kill Wilson which is what serves as Season 7's entire driving force. |
| 305 | * ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': Raina, member of Centipede, tends to be the face of the organization from an audience perspective, given their tendency to [[MauveShirt let their own members die]]. Even Raina recognizes that [[BadBoss her superiors don't give a crap about her well-being]]. |
| 306 | %%* Mr. Sark in Seasons 2 and 3 of ''Series/{{Alias}}''. He plays TheDragon to two separate {{Big Bad}}s who prefer to operate in secret, so he becomes the face of their organizations. |
| 307 | * ''Series/{{Andor}}'': Dedra Meero is subordinate to [[BigBad Major Partagaz]] (and Partagaz himself is a relatively minor player in the grand scope of the Star Wars Universe). However, while Partagaz's attentions are divided among his many duties as sector overseer, Dedra is a direct threat to Andor, and her hunt for him actively drives the plot forwards and affects the majority of the cast. |
| 308 | * ''Series/{{Angel}}'': Lindsey and Lilah drive most of the conflicts related to Wolfram & Hart even though they're really only {{mooks}} to the actual higher-ups of the firm. Wolfram & Hart's actual director, [[spoiler:Linwood Murrow, isn't even seen until Season 3 and then gets killed by Lilah a season later. Even then he was still below the Senior Partners who never actually show up]]. |
| 309 | * ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': Malcolm Merlyn, the BigBad of Season 1, is responsible for the events of the entire show, having sabotaged the ''Queen's Gambit'' and leaving Oliver stranded on Lian Yu. Nearly all the misfortune in Oliver's life can be blamed on that incident and the five years of hell that followed. Malcolm was also directly responsible for the events of Season 3: [[spoiler:he brainwashes Thea into killing Sara, sending Oliver into a collision course with Ra's al Ghul, whose death at the end of the season plays a part in the events of Season 5]]. In short, nobody has had more impact on Oliver Queen's life, and by extension, the Series/{{Arrowverse}}, than Malcolm Merlyn has. |
| 310 | * ''Series/BattlestarGalactica1978'': The Imperious Leader is the leader of the Cylons, but the humans are primarily menaced by Count Baltar, who betrayed them to the Cylons in the pilot and is later given charge of laying them by the heels and submit to the Cylons. |
| 311 | * ''Series/BreakingBad'': The Cousins are this in Season 3. With Juan Bolsa being the GreaterScopeVillain, it is they who have the greatest prominence in the USA and who trigger the greatest conflicts during the first half of the season. Plus, it's they who trigger the biggest conflict between Walter White, Hank, and Gus, after all. |
| 312 | * ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': [[MadeOfEvil The First]] is intangible, which means all the physical jobs belong to [[TheDragon Caleb]]. It first showed up in Season 3 as a MonsterOfTheWeek, and claims to have been the GreaterScopeVillain for the entirety of the series, but only becomes relevant in Season 7. |
| 313 | * ''Series/ChouseishinSeries'': |
| 314 | ** ''Series/ChouseishinGransazer'' has Logia, who starts off as the commander of Warp Monarch's assault in the second quarter of the series and becomes the Gransazers' most recurring foe thereafter. |
| 315 | ** ''Series/GenseishinJustiriser'' has Doctor Zora, who is the one sending out [[MonsterOfTheWeek Cyber Knights]] and coordinating the Hades Army's movements while [[BigBad Kaiser Hades]] himself is sealed. [[spoiler:And who sets off the rest of the plot by unsealing Hades a quarter of the way in.]] |
| 316 | ** ''Series/ChouseiKantaiSazerX'' has Grouza, whose arrival takes the plot in [[KnightOfCerebus a more serious direction]], and who becomes the one sending monsters to fight Sazer-X after she and Garade subordinate the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Three Shoguns]]. |
| 317 | * ''Series/CobraKai'': |
| 318 | ** The series itself, as well as ''Franchise/TheKarateKid'' franchise as a whole, has John Kreese. Kreese founded Cobra Kai, and was an EvilMentor to Johhny Lawrence during his teenage years, molding him into the bully who tormented Daniel [=LaRusso=], before assaulting Johnny for losing to Daniel in the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, resulting in many of Johnny's emotional issues during his adult years. Kreese would then enlist Terry Silver to help him get revenge against Daniel during the 1985 Tournament. The torments Kreese put Daniel through, intentionally or otherwide, led to Daniel developing a hardline stance against Cobra Kai. After Johnny re-established Cobra Kai and led it to victory in the 2018 Tournament, Kreese returned, convinced Johnny to let him back into Cobra Kai, and turned Johnny's students against him, usurping leadership of Cobra Kai against him. This leads to Johnny forming the new dojo Eagle Fang, initially composed of former Cobra Kai members who either left or were expelled by Kreese, in response. Kreese also goes on the warpath against Daniel and his dojo Miyagi-Do. This eventually leads to Kreese recruiting Terry Silver to help him take down Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang, which backfires on Kreese after Silver has his framed for assault and arrested in the Season 4 finale, allowing Silver to supplant Kreese as the BigBad. However, Kreese would escape from prison during the Season 5 finale, the same episode where Silver himself was finally arrested. |
| 319 | ** Each season has a Gen Z bully being the biggest threat to the protagonists. |
| 320 | *** Season 1: Kyler Park, being arguably the season's BigBad — as his bullying of Miguel is what inspires Johnny to revive Cobra Kai with Miguel himself learning karate to fight Kyler off. |
| 321 | *** Season 2: Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz, being Cobra Kai's most vicious student and the one responsible for the a massive shake-up in the events of the series. He leads his gang in bullying Demetri (which results in him joining Miyagi-Do), leads a mass vandalism in the Miyagi-Do dojo (which results in a mass HeelFaceTurn from the Cobra Kais to Miyagi-Do), and escalates the West Valley High School fight with his war cry. |
| 322 | *** Season 3: Tory Nichols, eventually overtaking Hawk as Kreese's favorite, turning the tides in the Golf n' Stuff fight, and leading the assault in the [=LaRusso=] House Fight. With Sam's character expanded in this season as she goes through her [=PTSD=], Tory's personal conflict with Sam as her ArchEnemy expands as well. |
| 323 | *** Season 4: Robby Keene, being Miyagi-Do's former top student groomed by Kreese and Silver as their designated champion for the Cobra Kais who teaches them Miyagi-Do moves to their advantage, leads the Cobra Kais in a series of antics against the Miyagi-Fangs (including the shaving of Hawk's mohawk), and becomes Eli's FinalBoss in the All-Valley Boys' division. Interestingly, Keene just happens to be the ''least'' vicious of the Cobra Kais as he only joined the dojo just to get back at Daniel and Johnny, tries to train Kenny not to succumb to his vicious tendencies (which fails after he goes all out on him in the Boys' quarterfinals), and eventually defects after seeing Kenny go way too deep in Kreese's and Silver's teachings as well as his hatred for Anthony [=LaRusso=]. |
| 324 | *** Season 5: Kenny Payne, as he eventually becomes Terry Silver's star student (explicitly shown in the leadership exercise where he overtakes Kyler due to the latter's incompetence) and the male champion for the Sekai Taikai qualifier. With Tory already disillusioned with Silver's Cobra Kai, Kenny becomes the dojo's most ruthless student — leading a series of antics against Anthony, as well as the FinalBattle in the flagship dojo against the Miyagi-Fangs. |
| 325 | * ''Series/{{Daredevil 2015}}'': |
| 326 | ** The first season has James Wesley, Wilson Fisk's right hand. It's not until the fifth episode that we start seeing Fisk actively do gangster activities, and Wesley is the one taking care of most day-to-day affairs on his behalf and acting as the biggest threat and obstacle to others. Later on, Wesley slides into a more standard Dragon role as Fisk begins to take more initiative himself. |
| 327 | ** In the third season, [[ComicBook/BullseyeMarvelComics Ben "Dex" Poindexter]] is also this for Fisk. Since Fisk is on house arrest (for most of the season, at least) and can't directly go after his enemies himself, Dex essentially becomes his personal assassin and enforcer. |
| 328 | %%* Gets a lampshade in one episode of ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' where Uncle Phil laments "Why must I always be the heavy?" Will, standing nearby, remarks "[[YouAreFat Forget it, that would be too easy.]]" |
| 329 | * ''Series/GameOfThrones'': |
| 330 | ** Cersei in Season 1. In the series' first story arc, Tywin entrusts her with the task of seizing the throne on behalf of the Lannister clan and ruling King's Landing while he crushes all contesting forces to their family's claim in the field; she performs well at first until her son Joffrey becomes king... |
| 331 | ** Joffrey takes the role at the end of Season 1 and carries it through Seasons 2 and 3, having set off the War of the Five Kings by [[spoiler:killing Ned Stark]], causing one of the biggest political upheavels in Westeros and laying the stage for seasons to come. |
| 332 | ** Tywin Lannister takes this role in Season 4. His machinations have the widest reaching effects and he's directly responsible for every action taken by House Lannister and King's Landing in the season. |
| 333 | ** Cersei Lannister steps back into the role in Season 5 and holds onto it for the rest of the series, having become the most influential antagonist in the series after crowning herself Queen of King's Landing, even if the power of House Lannister and the crown has diminished. |
| 334 | * ''Series/HenshinNinjaArashi'': Majin Sai is the head of the Blood Wheel Clan and the one leading their attacks. Midway through this role is alternated to Majin Sai's partner-in-crime Akuma Doujin, who takes charge of trying to kill Arashi and conquer Japan after Majin Sai steps OutOfFocus. |
| 335 | %%* Sylar from ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', especially in the first season and the second half of Volume 4. |
| 336 | * Bo Crowder takes this role in Season 1 of ''Series/{{Justified}}'' following his release, with the rest of the show being about his attempt to rebuild his criminal empire. Season 2 has BigBad Mags Bennett and her [[TheStarscream Starscream]] son, Dickie, alternate the role. Season 3 has Robert Quarles. Season 4 sees Nicky Augustine take the role on behalf of Theo Tonin, and Season 5 gives the role to Daryl Crowe Jr. |
| 337 | * ''Franchise/KamenRider'': |
| 338 | ** The [[BigBad Great Leader of Shocker]] is this for the Showa era. He's the one directing [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Shocker]] and behind the creation of the Kamen Riders in the first place. In the [[Series/KamenRider first series]] though he stepped out of this role after the first few episodes, instead leaving most of the day-to-day management of his organization and deploying the MonsterOfTheWeek to one of his [[CoDragons top lieutenants]] while he [[NoOneSeesTheBoss stayed in the shadows]]. |
| 339 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderX'' has Apollo Geist, G.O.D.'s "[[ProfessionalKiller Chief of Security]]", as the most recurring foe of X-Rider. |
| 340 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderAmazon'': Ten-Faced Demon Gorgos is the one behind the beastmen of Geddon and the one responsible for destroying Amazon's village. |
| 341 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderStronger'' has [[NobleDemon General Shadow]]. He starts off as [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Black Satan]]'s replacement for their first lieutenant Mr. Titan, before splitting off from the organization and, after Black Satan's defeat, founding his own group the Delza Army to continue menacing Stronger. Even after getting deposed as leader of Delza, Shadow still serves as an imposing foe to Stronger up until his defeat. |
| 342 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderSkyrider'' has Admiral Majin, once he takes command of Neo-Shocker's Japan branch and begins supervising their {{Evil Plan}}s. |
| 343 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderSuper1'': General Megarl, who presides over most of the Dogma Kingdom's operations. In the second half, the Jin Dogma executives (Princess Yokai, Dr. Ghost, Commander Onibi and Staff Officer Witch) shared the role and alternated who |
| 344 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderBlack'' has [[SinisterMinister High Priest Darom]] as the one who directed most of the Gorgom Cult's activities until their DarkMessiah [[EvilCounterpart Shadow Moon]] was ready. |
| 345 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderBlackRX'' has General Jark, military leader of the [[TheEmpire Crisis Empire]] and the one in charge of their invasion of Earth. Though subordinate to [[BigBad Grand Lord Crisis]], his boss doesn't appear until the end of the show and it's Jark who drives most of the conflict until then. |
| 346 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga'': La-Balva-De, the "judge" supervising the Gurongi's killing game. All of the MonsterOfTheWeek Gurongi are competing in the game. |
| 347 | ** ''Series/KamenRider555'' has TheRival and Secondary Rider [[ManipulativeBastard Masato Kusaka]]. While he's [[NominalHero nominally on the heroes' side]] fighting against the [[MonstersOfTheWeek Orphnochs]], his machinations are responsible for dampening the friendship between [[TheHero Takumi]] and [[{{Deuteragonist}} Kiba]] and sabotaging peace between humans and Orphnochs. By the final episodes the heroes are mostly dealing with the fallout of his constant sabotage of their efforts to unite, most notably [[spoiler:Kiba's [[FaceHeelTurn turn to the dark side]].]] |
| 348 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderHibiki'': The Man and Woman, who are responsible for cultivating the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Makamou]]. |
| 349 | ** Rena Mamiya in ''Series/KamenRiderKabuto'' is the main executive of the [[AlienInvasion Worms]] and the one who appears to be coordinating their invasion, all while [[TokenEvilTeammate Masato Mishima]] and his conspirators lurk in the shadows. |
| 350 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderDenO'': All of the Imagin attacks are directly masterminded by Kai. |
| 351 | ** The 2008 storyline of ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'' has the Swallowtail Fangire AKA [[SinisterMinister Bishop]]. He's the one who stirs up the most trouble, driving a wedge in [[TheHero Wataru]] and [[TheRival Taiga]]'s friendship, and later [[spoiler:revives the Bat Fangire to defeat Wataru and Taiga]]. |
| 352 | ** [[HiddenAgendaVillain Narutaki]] is this in the first half of ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'', as Decade's main ArchEnemy and only recurring foe. The second half has Apollo Geist, who is the most proactive [[LegionOfDoom Dai-Shocker]] commander shown, the one spearheading their invasion of the other A.R. Worlds, and the closest the show has to a BigBad. |
| 353 | ** While ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' has [[BigBadEnsemble a lot of villains]] all operating at once, it's [[spoiler:[[EvilFormerFriend Mitsuzane Kureshima]]]] who is involved with most of the plot's biggest upsets, such as [[spoiler:stealing his brother's Genesis Driver and using it to break up his alliance with Kouta, or kidnapping Mai to bring to the Overlords]]. |
| 354 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderDrive'': The Heart Roidmude is the one spearheading the [[KillerRobot Roidmude]] uprising, the front leader of the Roidmude Executives and the main ArchEnemy of Kamen Rider Drive. |
| 355 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'' has Alain, who's the one spearheading the Gamma invasion for the first half. After [[spoiler:Alain gets set up and banished by [[TheEvilPrince Adel]]]], [[MadScientist Igor]] takes the role and becomes the most recurring villain our protagonists fight. |
| 356 | ** In ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'', [[AGodAmI Kuroto Dan]] is the one most directly responsible for the conflict. He caused the first Bugster virus outbreak [[spoiler:by turning [[TheHero Emu Hojo]] into PatientZero for it]] and began the development of ''[[TheMostDangerousVideoGame Kamen Rider Chronicle]]'' as a means to trap everyone inside of it as a testament to his genius. Even after he's [[DiscOneFinalBoss taken out]], the heroes still have to deal with the ripples from his actions. |
| 357 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'' splits the role between [[KnightTemplar Night Rogue]] and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Juzaburo Namba]]. Night Rogue is responsible for helping to trigger a CivilWar in Japan while Namba manipulated said war to [[WarForFunAndProfit line his pockets]] and [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans seize power]]. The real BigBad is there lurking, but it's Night Rogue and Namba's machinations that move the plot along. |
| 358 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderZiO'' has an odd example in [[FutureBadass Oma Zi-O]], the tyrannical future self of [[TheHero Sougo Tokiwa]] who is the ruler of a BadFuture in the year 2068. While he doesn't really menace the heroes directly, his presence looms over the show and he is the reason most of the other characters travel back in time, either to prevent his rise (Tsukuyomi, [[TheRival Geiz]], the [[TimeStandsStill Time Jackers]]) or ensure it ([[HammyHerald Woz]], [[spoiler:[[TheManBehindTheMan Swartz]]]]). On an episode-by-episode basis though, it's Heure of the Time Jackers who creates most of the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Another Riders]] our heroes fight. |
| 359 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderZeroOne'' has Horobi, who leads [=MetsubouJinrai.net=] in creating [[MonsterOfTheWeek Magia]]. While he serves the [[BigBad Ark]], he is the most proactive villain throughout. |
| 360 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'' splits this role between the Megid generals, who create the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Megid]] the Riders have to fight in individual episodes, and [[ManipulativeBitch Reika Shindai]], whose machinations create more problems for Touma and instigate the show's shift into an overarching plot. |
| 361 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'' has Aguilera, Olteca and then [[spoiler:[[MoleInCharge Hideo Akaishi]]]], who do all of [[BigBad Giff]]'s dirty work while he's at first [[SealedEvilInACan immobile]] and then [[OrcusOnHisThrone sitting on his throne]]. |
| 362 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderGeats'': Archimedel is the one who cultivates the Jyamato who serve as enemies in each round of the Desire Grand Prix. |
| 363 | * ''Series/KyodaiKenByclosser'' has [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Doctor Q]], who sends out a [[MonsterOfTheWeek Dester Robo]] each week to make children cry so he can feed their suffering to Majin Gola and receive a rare gem from it in exchange. |
| 364 | * ''Series/LegendHeroes'' has [[MadScientist Zhang Jue]], a rogue Angel whose machinations within the Dream Battle slowly override the ''[[Series/KamenRiderRyuki Ryuki]]''-style Battle Royale plot of the show and lead to the remaining heroes uniting against him. |
| 365 | * Ben on ''Series/{{Lost}}'', especially in late Season 2 (even without knowing his real name...) and all of Season 3. |
| 366 | * ''Series/MetalHeroes'': |
| 367 | ** ''Series/SpaceSheriffGavan'' has [[FallenHero ex-Space Sheriff]] Hunter Killer, the second-in-command to [[BigBad Don Horror]] and the one who heads the Makuu's operations on the field, since the Don himself is an immobile living statue. |
| 368 | ** ''Series/SpaceSheriffShaider'' has [[SinisterMinister Priest Poe]], who creates the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Fushigi Beast]] of each episode and oversees their attacks. |
| 369 | ** Mad Gallant is this for ''Series/KyojuuTokusouJuspion''. [[BigBad Satah Gorth]] is the evil force our hero has set out to stop, but Mad Gallant, Satan Gorth's OverlordJr, is the one behind most of the obstacles Juspion faces. |
| 370 | ** ''Series/JikuuSenshiSpielban'' has General Deathzero, who creates all of the Battle Mechanoids that Spielban and Diana face. He's later superseded by Emperor Guillotine once he arrives and gets appointed supreme commander of the Waller Empire's armies. |
| 371 | ** ''Series/KidouKeijiJiban'' has [[BigBad Doctor Giba]], the leader of [[TheSyndicate Bioron]] and the one who creates the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Bionoids]] that Jiban has to fight each episode. Although in terms of being the foe Jiban faces most often, it's [[EvilCounterpart Mad Garbo]]. |
| 372 | ** ''Series/JuukouBFighter'' has [[BigBad Gaohm]], leader of Jamahl. Although his three Army Commanders are the ones who create the monsters the B-Fighters fight, it's Gaohm who directs them to do so and who drives the plot forward with his machinations. |
| 373 | ** Raija and Dezzle alternate this role in ''Series/BFighterKabuto'', taking turns carrying out attacks with a MonsterOfTheWeek and competing to win Mother Melzard's favoritism. |
| 374 | ** ''Series/BRoboKabutack'' has Cobrander in most episodes. The other B-Robos usually have to compete with him and his BumblingHenchmenDuo to recover the [[MineralMacguffin Star Pieces]]. |
| 375 | ** ''Series/TetsuwanTanteiRobotack'' has Darkrow, deputy head of Gold-Platinum co.'s Yumagaoka branch and the one Robotack and the other Robots have to compete against for the {{Macguffin}} of each episode. |
| 376 | * ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' is all about the BrownNote experiments of [[MadScientist Dr. Clayton Forrester]]. No Dr. Forrester, no show. |
| 377 | * ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': Most of the time, the BigBad is an OrcusOnHisThrone so TheDragon or another general (or lead villain) will provide most of the fighting or at least act as the most direct threat. As seen below, this also happens in the japanese counterpart Super Sentai. |
| 378 | ** In ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', [[TheDragon Goldar]] is the most RecurringBoss ''and'' the most recurring villain due to Rita being a NonActionBigBad, Lord Zedd and Master Vile sharing the role of the OrcusOnHisThrone and all three of them switching place for the role of the BigBad. |
| 379 | ** In ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', Machina, the queen and co leader of the Machine Empire fills the role. While she rarely comes with the EvilPlan and '''never''' faces the rangers, she is a more reccuring villainess than '''all''' the members of TheBigBadShuffle. Sometimes the show and some promotional materials feature her among the main villains, alongside the actual BigBad(s). |
| 380 | ** In ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo'', [[ChessmasterSidekick General Havoc]] acts as ''the'' most dangerous villain until Divatox faces the rangers herself while piloting her HumongousMecha. He is also the one providing the new base of the villains. This is despite only being the ArcVillain of a three-part story. JustifiedTrope. He is also the Heavy in the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' version ''Series/GekisouSentaiCarranger''. |
| 381 | ** In ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'', [[TheSociopath Darkonda]] is the one advancing the plot by [[spoiler:capturing Andross's sister (one of the reasons why he has at first trust issues ''and'' the reason leading to said sister becoming the BigBad), turning Ecliptor into a cyborg (leading to ''Ecliptor himself'' turning Astronema into a cyborg, leading to her becoming more evil and creating ThePsychoRangers) and killing Dark Specter (leading to Astronema and Ecliptor becoming the FinalBoss(es)]]. Darkonda also acts briefly as the BigBad when Astronema is absent. |
| 382 | ** In ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'', [[TheStarscream Deviot]] is the one who breaks the statut quo by indirectly killing Scorpius, leading to Trakeena becoming the new BigBad. He's also the only general serving all three [[BigBad big bads]] [[spoiler:and his FusionDance whith Trakeena leads to the latter becoming an AxCrazy FinalBoss]]. |
| 383 | ** In ''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue'', Diabolico is the leader of the villains for the first half of the show due being the DragonInChief of [[SealedEvilInACan Bansheera]]. |
| 384 | *** [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Prince Olympus]] replaces Diabolico as his mother's ''literal'' DragonInChief during the second half of the season. |
| 385 | ** In ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'', [[TheStarscream Frax]] fills the role as the MookMaker, [[spoiler:the creator of both the outlaw who caused Ransik's illness and the cure to said illness, the one causing the HeelFaceTurn of Nadira (and by proxy Ransik) and the GreaterScopeVillain of the comic epilogue (once more, by proxy)]]. All of this makes Frax the most significant villain, even if Ransik is the BigBad. |
| 386 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'' : There is two Heavies : |
| 387 | *** [[EvilGenius General Nayzor]] is the one driving the plot during the second part of ''Wild Force'' and the last threat before Master Org himself. |
| 388 | *** [[TheStarscream General Mandilok]] acts as the [[InterimVillain honorary Big Bad]] during the last third of the show. However it's obvious that Master Org is going to return to be the FinalBoss. Which happens. |
| 389 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'' : [[TheStarscream Vexacus]] is the one who makes the plot moves during the last StoryArc [[spoiler:until [[BigBad Lothor]] reveals that he was his UnwittingPawn during the endgame]]. |
| 390 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder'' : Zeltrax starts off as TheDragon to the BigBad, the ArchEnemy of the BigGood and the RecurringBoss, but he goes rogue during the last quarter of the series and becomes the independant central antagonist. He takes the second set of {{Mooks}} with him and acts as the DiscOneFinalBoss. |
| 391 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' : Half way through the show, [[ArmsDealer Broodwing]] becomes pissed off by the fact that Grumm doesn't pay him anymore and decides to TakeOverTheWorld before him. He then becomes more active than Emperor Gruumm [[spoiler:and Omni]] and ends up becoming this trope. He's also the ClimaxBoss. |
| 392 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'': Since [[GreaterScopeVillain Octomus]] is a SealedEvilInACan, and the ArcVillain(s) filling the role of the BigBad are also [[OrcusOnHisThrone Orcus On Their Trone]], [[TheDragon Koraag]] fills the the role of the Heavy because he's the RecurringBoss, ItsPersonalWithTheDragon and [[spoiler:he's the [[TheHero red rangers's]] ArchnemesisDad]]. He ultimately falls ''after'' the first two main villains. |
| 393 | *** During the last StoryArc he's replaced by [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Black Lance]], TheDragon of the third ArcVillain who becomes the PreFinalBoss [[spoiler:while said ArcVillain is killed by a reformed baddie]]. Ironically, [[spoiler:Koraag and Black Lance face each other]]. |
| 394 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive'': Moltor is one of the two villains coming with the EvilPlan and the MonsterOfTheWeek in most of the episodes. Moltor is also the ArchEnemy of TheHero (and the real BigBad Flurious) and the one driving the plot on several important occasions. |
| 395 | *** Kamdor is the other villain making the EvilPlan and the MonsterOfTheWeek in almost every episodes. He's also the ArchEnemy of TheLancer and the most proactive and dangerous villain of the show. Heck, even the BigBad fears him ! |
| 396 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'': Jarrod is the one kickstarting the plot by releasing the SealedEvilInACan Dai Shi and becoming his SoulJar. He then becomes the acting leader of the Dai Shi Clan, the bad guy with the highest amount of screentime and the villain with the biggest CharacterDevelopment of the show (and maybe one of the most complex villains of the ''whole franchise''!). He's also the ClimaxBoss [[spoiler:and the EleventhHourRanger]]. |
| 397 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'' : Tenaya is the FrontlineGeneral leading most of the attacks against the rangers [[spoiler:and one of their most personal enemies due to being the Black Ranger's sister]]. On the other hand, Shifter is the MookMaker and the nemesis of the Red Ranger so he's The Heavy too. |
| 398 | *** Once the later is KilledOffForReal, Killobyte takes his place as the MookMaker and he is the one driving the plot as The Heavy (although Tenya keeps a big role in the show). |
| 399 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'' : Deker is both a WildCard and the one driving the plot during the second half of season 1 and the last quarter of season 2. He's also the ClimaxBoss. |
| 400 | *** Serrator, the BigBad's DragonInChief is the one doing most of the work during the 3/4 of season 2. |
| 401 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersMegaforce'' : Prince Vrak is the one doing most of the work for Admiral Malkor, especially after the end of the first StoryArc where Malkor is OutOfFocus. [[spoiler:Near the end of the show, he takes over as the BigBad]]. |
| 402 | *** In season 2, Vrak's big brother Prince Vekar and his army lead the attacks of The Armada on Earth until Vrak's return and TheEmperor's arrival. |
| 403 | *** Vekar's DragonInChief Damaras can also count as The Heavy. He keeps in check Vekar and the rest of his crew, send the MonsterOfTheWeek on daily basis and is often the one coming with the EvilPlan. |
| 404 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'' : Fury is the central antagonist of the first season of the show. He's responsible for the disappearance of the Red Ranger's dad, the kidnapper of the SixthRanger, the one driving the plot during the first half of seasson 1 and the villain who appears the most. He also seems to be more serious threat than the BigBad at first. |
| 405 | *** During the second half of the season, [[InterimVillain Wrench replaces him as The Heavy]] (but he keeps the role of TheDragon). |
| 406 | *** [[spoiler:While initially set up as the new BigBad, Snide is The Heavy of season 2, being the only general who ''willingly'' obeys (and betrays) all three BigBads. He has also a connection to '''all''' of them]]. |
| 407 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel'' : Cosmo Royale is the villain with the highest amount of screentime due to introducing and enlarging the MonsterOfTheWeek (nearly) each episode. In the Arabic dub Cosmo is actually the BigBad to boot! |
| 408 | ** In ''Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers'', Scrozzle is the most proactive villain, especially in season 1 where he's bethind every StoryArc(s). He's also the PostFinalBoss in ''both seasons'' (but is arrested off-screen in season 2). |
| 409 | *** Blaze and Roxy are the central villains of season 1, where the rangers main goal is to defeat them. Blaze is also the DiscOneFinalBoss. |
| 410 | *** [[BigBad Evox]] is the main villain of season 2, being behind every StoryArc(s) either directly or indirectly. |
| 411 | ** In ''Series/PowerRangersDinoFury'' , [[EvilGenius Slyther]] is the one recruiting most of the MonsterOfTheWeek during the second half of season 1 and he gets as much focus as the BigBad. He's also the season's PostFinalBoss. |
| 412 | *** [[spoiler:In season 2 Void Knight acts as The Heavy due to being the most RecurringBoss of this season. He's also the BigBad... for the first six episodes. He is then DemotedToDragon by ''his own wife'' but remains The Heavy because he's far more often on the battlefield than in season 1 (and because his wife is a NonActionBigBad)]]. |
| 413 | * The various Number Twos play this role in ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'', while still answering to the unseen Number One. |
| 414 | * ''Series/ProWresNoHoshiAzteckaiser'': Satan Demon is the executive of Black Mist responsible for sending their wrestlers out to fight Azteckaiser or to carry out some other evil scheme. |
| 415 | * ''Series/ResurrectionErtugrul'': During the first season, although Petruchio Manzini is the man in charge of the Amanus Mountains Knights Templar, it is Titus (Petruchio’s most elite soldier), hellbent on avenging his slain brother, who is most active in pursuing Ertugrul and initiates many conflicts without any his master's interference. |
| 416 | * ''Series/SeigiNoSymbolCondorman'' has Salamander, the director of the [[MonsterMash Monster Clan]]'s operations in East Asia and the one most directly in charge of the villains Condorman faces in the first half. |
| 417 | * ''Series/SevenStarFightingGodGuyferd'' has Mister Bicross in the first StoryArc, who is the one heading [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Crown]]'s Mutian Labs, followed by Metal Master in the second arc, where he acts as Crown's main enforcer and the one who oversees their plans. Come the third arc, [[spoiler:[[BigBad Zodiac]] himself steps out of the shadows and takes the helm of Crown's plan.]] |
| 418 | * Gatehouse of ''Series/TheShadowLine''. He's a DragonInChief rather than a BigBad, but his plans are eventually revealed to be driving almost every aspect of the series's plot, even in the storylines he's apparently uninvolved with. |
| 419 | %%* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': [[ManipulativeBastard Lionel]] [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Luthor]] fulfilled the role in Seasons 1-3 (especially 3), ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} in Season 5, ComicBook/LexLuthor in Seasons 6 and 7, and [[MajorlyAwesome Major Zod]] in Season 9. Each was also the BigBad of the season in question. The others are a lot more ambiguous about it, with multiple villains, numerous {{Big Bad Ensemble}}s, and a lack of plot direction. |
| 420 | %%** One could make a definite case for Earth-2 Lionel Luthor in the latter half of Season 10. ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} and his CoDragons may be the BigBad, but it's Earth-2 Lionel's schemes who drive most of the plots, and (unintentionally) enable Darkseid to eventually cross over. |
| 421 | * ''Series/SpaceIronmenKyodain'': The [[MouthOfSauron Gaburin Queen]] takes this role following her arrival, as the one masterminding and helming the Dada Army's various attacks. |
| 422 | * ''Series/SquidGame'' splits this role between Front Man and Jang Deok-su. Front Man is the overseer of the eponymous death game, while Jang Deok-su is our protagonists' main foe throughout most of the game. |
| 423 | * ''Series/StarFleet'' has Commander Makara, the head of the Imperial forces pursuing our protagonists. |
| 424 | * ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' had Commander Dolim in Season 3. He was the Xindi-Reptilian leader who had the most influence regarding the events of the plot, and was most devoted to the Sphere Builders. While the Sphere Builders served as the BigBad (or possibly the GreaterScopeVillain), Dolim did most of the in-the-trenches work. |
| 425 | ** Silik of the Suliban was this for the Temporal Cold War arcs in the first two seasons. |
| 426 | * ''Franchise/SuperSentai'': Usually overlaps with the BigBad, though in cases where the Big Bad is more hands-off or hidden it may get passed to one of their generals. |
| 427 | ** Boss Iron Claw in ''Series/JAKQDengekitai'', who oversaw CRIME's plans for the first two thirds of the show. After his boss [[TheManBehindTheMan Shine]] appeared his role as the Heavy became diminished, as Shine's [[MonsterOfTheWeek Invader Robots]] tended to act on their own. |
| 428 | ** ''Series/DenshiSentaiDenziman'' has [[BigBad Queen Hedrian]], who concocts the evil scheme of each episode either to defeat the Denzimen or take over the Earth. She carries on this role into the next series, ''Series/TaiyouSentaiSunVulcan'', where she returns as [[DemotedToDragon an executive of Black Magma]] but is still the most proactive villain in the show, both with her attempts to defeat Sun Vulcan and plots to [[HijackedByGanon hijack]] Black Magma. |
| 429 | ** ''Series/DaiSentaiGoggleFive'': [[AncientEvil Grand Marshal Deathmark]] takes this role once he's revived, becoming the one who supervises all of Deathdark's evil schemes and [[KnightOfCerebus escalating their threat level]] significantly. |
| 430 | ** General Giluke in ''Series/DengekiSentaiChangeman''. He's subordinate to [[BigBad Star King Bazoo]], but Bazoo is a hologram who does little else other than [[OrcusOnHisThrone bark orders]], so it's Giluke who's usually in charge of the EvilPlan and MonsterOfTheWeek deployment each episode. |
| 431 | ** ''Series/HikariSentaiMaskman'' has Prince Igam and Commander Baraba, the field commanders of the Tube Empire and the ones who lead their forces into battle against the Maskmen. |
| 432 | ** Doctor Kemp and Doctor Mazenda are responsible for creating the majority of [[MonsterOfTheWeek Brain Beasts]] the ''Series/ChoujuuSentaiLiveman'' battle. Great Professor Bias is the BigBad but doesn't participate in most schemes himself. Instead, as their EvilTeacher, he grades them on their plans and performance. Dr. Kemp ''especially'' fits this trope due to three reasons: the fact that he shot the deadly blasts to the heroes' friends[=/=]siblings, his UndyingLoyalty, and how he was [[spoiler:the last student left in Volt]]. |
| 433 | ** [[TheDragon Captain Garoa]] in ''Series/ChikyuuSentaiFiveman'' fills a role similar to Giluke, leading the Earth invasion on [[BigBad Meadow]]'s behalf, though it's usually one of [[StandardEvilOrganizationSquad his subordinates]] who sends out the MonsterOfTheWeek. His successor, First Captain Chevalier, is considerably more proactive in the role and is eventually revealed to play a key role in the BigBad's true plan. |
| 434 | ** Radiguet is this in ''Series/ChoujinSentaiJetman''. He's competing with the other Vyram commanders to see who can become their next ruler by defeating the Jetman, but it's Radiguet who's the most proactive of them, and the one our heroes have the most personal enmity with. |
| 435 | ** ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'': Witch Bandora is the one who sets the plot into motion by exterminating the dinosaurs and the one who formulates the EvilPlan each episode. |
| 436 | ** In ''Series/GoseiSentaiDairanger'', [[BigBad Emperor Gorma XV]] is too much of an OrcusOnHisThrone and PsychopathicManchild to bother facing the Dairangers himself. As a result, Lieutenant Colonel Shadam takes this role in leading the Gorma, [[spoiler:to the point where he eventually becomes [[DragonAscendant Emperor Gorma XVI]].]] |
| 437 | ** ''Series/NinjaSentaiKakuranger'': Gashadokuro is the one helming the Youkai attacks for the first two thirds of the series. |
| 438 | ** ''Series/GekisouSentaiCarranger'': President Gynamo is the leader of the Bowzock and the one at the helm of all of their attacks. |
| 439 | ** Dr. Hinelar is the field leader of Nezirejia in ''Series/DenjiSentaiMegaranger''. By the end of the series, [[spoiler:he overthrows NonActionBigBad Javious before the Megarangers even know he exists]]. |
| 440 | ** One of the reasons the Balban Pirates of ''Series/SeijuuSentaiGingaman'' was sealed in the first place was because Zahab's four generals kept undermining each other's schemes. So when Balban reemerges, Zahab has one general lead the charge while the other three stand on the sidelines [[ArcVillain until the general in charge falls in battle]]. They are, in order: [[TheGunslinger Gun Boss Sambash]], [[MasterSwordsman Samurai General Budoh]], [[EvilSorcerer Spectral Empress Illies]], and [[TheDragon Destruction King Battobas]]. |
| 441 | ** The Londerz Family of ''Series/MiraiSentaiTimeranger'' is lead by [[TheDon Don Dolnero]], who leads the criminals into strongarming the 21st century. [[spoiler:Gien steals this trope in the final three episodes after usurping Dolnero.]] |
| 442 | ** Similar to ''Gingaman'', this role gets alternated quite a bit in ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'', but [[GeniusBruiser Fifth Spear, Sargain]] is the one who holds it for most of the series, being the general with the most episode appearances and the initial [[TheDragon Dragon]]. As soon as Seventh Spear, Sandaaru arrives in episode 39 however, he pretty much does the heavy-lifting of finding the key pieces for the awakening of "That" accomplishing what his teammates and boss couldn't come close to doing before, notably by the end of his tenure he's all but overthrown Tau Zant as the BigBad [[spoiler:by disposing of him, the only reason he doesn't gets to become the FinalBoss is because the Gouraigers sacrifice Gouraijin to take him out just barely.]] |
| 443 | ** Disciple of Dawn Lije in ''Series/BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'', whose main purpose is to [[MouthOfSauron communicate orders from]] [[GodOfEvil Wicked Life God Dezumozorlya]]. |
| 444 | ** ''Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger'' has Agent Abrella, though he's a very indirect example of this trope. He isn't behind any of the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Alienizers of the Week]] the Dekarangers face (who are all independent criminals, each with their own goals) but he is the reason they're able to be as big of threats as they are, providing them with MechaMooks and HumongousMecha to pilot. |
| 445 | ** [[BigBad N Ma]] spends most of ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'' sealed, so his three consecutive {{Dragon In Chief}}s served as this, purveying Infershia's evil plans until N Ma was fully revived. |
| 446 | ** While the titular heroes in ''Series/GoGoSentaiBoukenger'' had [[BigBadEnsemble four Big Bads]] to face off against, the Jaryuu Clan and Dark Shadow tended to be the most proactive, and the ones who sent out the majority of the MonsterOfTheWeek. |
| 447 | ** By the time ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'' begins, [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Black Lion Rio]] leads [[ThugDojo Rin Juken Akugata]] against the Gekirangers in the present day. Additionaly, he tends to receive almost the same amount of focus as our heroes, even when DemotedToDragon by Maku. [[spoiler:This makes sense when it is revealed at the end that he was the key player in [[BigBad Long]]'s master plan.]] |
| 448 | ** ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger'' has the Three Pollution Ministers, who are responsible for the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Barbaric Machine Beasts]] our heroes face on a weekly basis. |
| 449 | ** ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger'' features [[HiddenAgendaVillain Buredoran]] as the most recurring villain of the Goseigers, allying with each of the evil organizations faced by the Goseigers before revealing himself as [[spoiler:the true BigBad, Brajira of the Messiah, and a {{Fallen|Angel}} [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Gosei Angel]]]]. |
| 450 | ** ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'' has Commandant Warz Gill, who's the one in charge of [[TheEmpire Zangyack]]'s Earth invasion, though it's his father, TheEmperor of Zangyack, who's the real BigBad. |
| 451 | ** In ''Series/TokumeiSentaiGobusters'', Enter is not only the physical threat the Vaglass present, he's also the one that seems to make up all the plans for them, as Messiah normally just throws temper tantrums. [[spoiler:This takes its natural progression when he becomes the BigBad after Messiah's defeat.]] |
| 452 | ** While [[EldritchAbomination Deboss]] is the true leader of the Deboss Army, he's [[SealedEvilInACan sealed]] and unable to do much for most of ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'', so it's his subordinate [[HyperCompetentSidekick Hundred-Faced High Priest Chaos]] who directs the Debo Knights and comes up with the EvilPlan each episode. |
| 453 | * In ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'', Cromartie is the main threat to the Connors in the first episode and from then on, [[spoiler:until they succeed in killing him about a third of the way through the second season]]. |
| 454 | * ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'': The Hood, a criminal mastermind with PsychicPowers, serves as this in every episode he appears in. In those cases, he will cause some disaster beyond the capability of normal rescue personnel (sometimes at the request of an EvilOverlord), which brings in International Rescue, with The Hood [[OpportunisticBastard attempting to take advantage of the situation]] to gain access to International Rescue's technology and make himself rich, but his plans go awry for some reason or another for various reasons. |
| 455 | * ''Series/TomicaHeroRescueForce'': Maare is the leader of the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Three Great Executives]] of Neo Terror, who are the ones responsible for carrying out Neo Terror's various plans to cause disasters. |
| 456 | * ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' |
| 457 | ** ''Series/UltramanAce'' has [[MakerOfMonsters Yapool]], who is responsible for creating the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Chojuu]] of each episode. He'd go on to make appearances in later series and to date is one of the most iconic foes of the Ultras. |
| 458 | ** Zogu in ''Series/UltramanGaia'' is the [[DragonInChief strongest agent]] of the Radical Destruction Bringer, [[TheGhost which never actually appears]], the most powerful foe the Ultras fight and the FinalBoss of the series. |
| 459 | ** ''Series/UltramanMebius'' has the [[EliteFour Dark Four Heavenly Kings]] (of which Yapool is a member) collectively sharing this role, as the commanders of [[BigBad Alien Empera]]'s army and the ones paving the way for his eventual arrival. |
| 460 | ** ''Series/UltramanRB'' has Saki Mitsurugi, after she hijacks the role from Makoto Aizen and becomes the one summoning monsters each episode. |
| 461 | * Diana in ''Series/{{V 1983}}'' -- Jane Badler even got top billing, thanks to alphabetical order. Although Diana commands the Los Angeles mothership during the initial invasion, she shares power in the Visitor fleet hierarchy with several others such as Steven as head of security and several superiors who outrank her in military matters. At the end of the two miniseries, she takes power from Supreme Commander (Fleet Admiral) John and boasts that [[DragonInChief while she planned the entire operation, he was just a meaningless figurehead]]. |
| 462 | %%* Anna in ''Series/{{V 2009}}'' (and though unlike Diana, she has no direct superior, there are other leaders whose combined might even she wouldn't want brought to bear against her.) |
| 463 | * The Cigarette-Smoking Man and the Bounty Hunter from ''Series/TheXFiles''. While they're technically just agents of the Syndicate, they're the villains Mulder and Scully face the most and provide roles their bosses can't really fill. The Cigarette-Smoking Man provides hints about the extent of the conspiracy, is constantly manipulating the situation, and gives a face to the villainous force behind the plot. Meanwhile the Bounty Hunter serves as a physical archenemy for Mulder and Scully to contrast with CSM's role as a mental enemy. |
| 464 | [[/folder]] |
| 465 | |
| 466 | [[folder:Pro Wrestling]] |
| 467 | * Wrestling/JeffJarrett: In 2004, the Capitol+Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance[=-=][[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]] attempted takeover of the International Wrestling Association's Puerto Rican branch used a BigBadDuumvirate; Ray González (TheMole with shares in the World Wrestling Council, looking to revive its old Capitol trademark) and Panda Energy (suits who were sore about IWA owner Victor Jovica lending money to WWC to prevent them from buying it up). Since none of the Panda suits were wrestlers, the face of the NWA-TNA side was Jarrett, and [[DragonWithAnAgenda he had his own agendas]]. |
| 468 | * Wrestling/ChrisHero was front and center of the Wrestling/{{CZW}} Invasion of Wrestling/RingOfHonor. Hero instigated the hostilities before Zandig and Wrestling/NecroButcher's later involvement. Zandig was ultimately responsible, due to negligence causing the antipathy between promotions, and when Zandig did act, Hero and Butcher quickly became subservient to him. However, for most of of the "feud" he was nowhere to be seen, leaving Hero and Butcher to do all the heavy lifting and between the two, Hero acted as leader more often than not, had the most to say, had the most grievances, did most of the planning, etc. |
| 469 | [[/folder]] |
| 470 | |
| 471 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 472 | * Because the [[EldritchAbomination Gods of Chaos]] from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'', ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', and ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'' are far too powerful to manifest or act directly on the material world, they will often select a mortal champion or send one of their top lieutenants to do their bidding against their enemies. The two most recognizable ones are [[TheAntichrist Archaeon the Everchosen]] from ''Fantasy'' and ''Age of Sigmar'' and [[DragonAscendant Abaddon the Despoiler]] from ''40K'', both the most powerful Chaos-aligned mortals in their settings who will drive whole narrative campaigns by their actions. |
| 473 | [[/folder]] |
| 474 | |
| 475 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 476 | * Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'': Iago, TheAntagonist, has the largest part in the play and drives the entire plot with his [[ManipulativeBastard machinations]]. |
| 477 | [[/folder]] |
| 478 | |
| 479 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 480 | * [[TheJuggernaut The Meta]] in ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue: Recollection.'' Out of all the characters, he doesn't talk, but is the most fearsome character besides Tex, he works for the Director of Project Freelancer, but everyone dreads of his presence the most. |
| 481 | * ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': |
| 482 | ** Roman is the show's StarterVillain and the key villain of Volume 1. The media mentions the manhunt for him and the protagonists repeatedly encounter him. As their only link to the villainous activity, the heroes focus on him throughout Volume 2 as well. [[spoiler:His pilot episode getaway pilot is revealed at the end of Volume 1 to be his superior, Cinder Fall. In Volume 2, the heroes don't know that Cinder is a villain and therefore don't realise she's the one pulling Roman's strings.]] |
| 483 | ** Cinder is the villain with the most focus in the overarching plot, and comes to the heroes' attention in Volume 3. From that point, she is the face of the villainous activity to the heroes, who do not learn about the existence of the BigBad until Volume 4. [[spoiler:During the Beacon Arc, Cinder uses Roman to carry out Salem's plans for Beacon Academy and Vale, and returns as the heroes' most significant villain for Volume 5, leading Salem's forces against Haven Academy.]] |
| 484 | ** Acting under [[BigBad Salem's]] orders, Watts is the primary driving antagonist throughout Volume 7. He spends his time masterminding a plot to subvert Atlas from within and prepare the terrain for Salem's arrival; his malevolent intent makes him directly responsible for all problems affecting the heroes, with Tyrian following his orders [[spoiler:and Jacques being used to give him access to Atlas's highly secure network. He and Cinder clash in Volume 8 over what action to take in Salem's absence, ultimately ending with Cinder displacing Watts to regain her role as the Heavy.]] |
| 485 | [[/folder]] |
| 486 | |
| 487 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 488 | * Gregor fulfills this role in ''Webcomic/AllNightLaundry'' as TheDragon to [[BigBad The Green Lady]]. |
| 489 | * Captain Snow in ''Webcomic/{{Archipelago}}'' is a dreaded pirate, has a personal history with [[TheProtagonist Credenza]] [[spoiler:and Uru]] and while she and her friends are trying to keep the SealedEvilInACan sealed, he's working to release it, often reaching key points just after - or just before - the hero group does. |
| 490 | * Chapter 2 of ''Webcomic/JennyAndTheMultiverse'' reveals that Nowhere is this to [[BigBad the Man in Grey]], being the agent he sends to abduct Jenny after he discovers her powers are getting stronger than he expected. She is not TheDragon, a role which goes to [[NonActionGuy Colonel Major]]. |
| 491 | * ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': The angel [[KnightTemplar 6 Juggernaut Star Scours the Universe]] sets the plot in motion by decapitating the visitor to Allison's room, [[ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin causing him to hand his Key of Kings to Allison as he dies]] ([[spoiler:we later learn this was entirely intentional]]). It turns out to be TheDragon of the comic's possible GreaterScopeVillain, becomes an antagonist to [[TheLancer 82 White Chain Born in Emptiness Returns to Subdue Evil]], causing the latter to team up with Allison, and is much more personally invested in Allison's advancement (and much more personally interested in killing her) than the comic's actual BigBadEnsemble. |
| 492 | * In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': |
| 493 | ** [[EvilSorcerer Xykon]] is the first major villain to be introduced; despite a DragonWithAnAgenda, a GreaterScopeVillain, and a few {{Big Bad Wannabe}}s, his plan for world domination is the driving force in the plot and WordOfGod is that in the end, the story will come down to [[TheHero Roy]] versus Xykon. |
| 494 | ** Unsuccessfully {{invoked|Trope}} by Tarquin. He's convinced he is this, when really he's only an egotistical ArcVillain with an inflated idea of his place in the overarching narrative. |
| 495 | * The ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' [[https://www.teamfortress.com/comics.php online comics]] quite literally features the Clssic BLU Heavy Weapons Guy as Gray Mann's [[TheDragon lead enforcer]]. It is the actions of Classic BLU Heavy that instigate most of the goings-on in the comics, [[spoiler:particularly after Gray's death]]. |
| 496 | [[/folder]] |
| 497 | |
| 498 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 499 | * ''Literature/ThreeHundredThirtyHours'': Don Hunter, who is the primary antagonistic threat throughout the story though is ultimately just a pawn of his government. |
| 500 | * ''Podcast/DarkDice'': Although the campaign's antagonists include [[EldritchAbomination The Nameless God]] and the cultists trying to free it, the party mainly deals with The Silent One, the guardian of the Nameless God's prison. |
| 501 | * [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] bemoans the fact he doesn't get to play this role very often in a Website/ChannelAwesome CrossOver [[https://archive.org/details/WonderWomanTVPilotReupload review]] between him, [[WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou Nash]] and [[WebVideo/BadMovieBeatdown Film Brain]]. |
| 502 | * In WebVideo/DemoReel, Tom Collins's only role is to move the CharacterDevelopment along by kidnapping Donnie and letting him go through BreakTheCutie into HesBack, and therefore leaving Rebecca and Tacoma to talk about their issues and realize that they love the show. |
| 503 | * ''Literature/SmirvlaksStone'' has [[HeinousHyena Lorko Maeliss]]. He's not the actual BigBad of the novel, but he and his horde of gnolls are constantly chasing after the protagonists and razing the countryside wherever they go, forcing said protagonists to keep changing location. |
| 504 | [[/folder]] |
| 505 | |
| 506 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 507 | * In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', [[EvilOverlord Fire Lord Ozai]] is always the BigBad, but he's [[OrcusOnHisThrone off-screen]] for most of the action, leaving others to pick up the slack as The Heavy in a [[SortingAlgorithmOfEvil progressively more dangerous chain]]. Specifically, we go from [[AntiVillain Prince Zuko]] for the first part of Season 1 to [[SmugSnake Admiral Zhao]] for the second part to [[MagnificentBastard Princess Azula]] for the first part of Season 2 then [[EvilChancellor Long Feng]] for the Ba Sing Se arc [[OutGambitted followed by]] Azula again from the end of the Ba Sing Se arc through most of the third season, and then finally Ozai himself during the [[GrandFinale Sozin's Comet arc]], though Azula still remains an active threat along with him. |
| 508 | * ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'': Megatron, from the first episode, until the last episode of [[WesternAnimation/BeastMachines the sequel series]]. |
| 509 | * ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'': [[EgomaniacHunter Khyber]]; trailers seemingly established him as the BigBad, he was the one chasing Ben for several episodes and seemed to have a motivation for that. [[spoiler:''Predators and Prey'' reveals he was actually TheDragon for [[TheManBehindTheMan Malware]], a villain that has only had ''one episode and a cameo'' at this point, and [[EvilGenius Dr Psychobos]], a guy we had never seen before, but Khyber still is the one acting while they are just waiting for him to do the job.]] |
| 510 | * [[TheDividual The Delightful Children from Down the Lane]] from ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' are the most prominent villains of the series, debuting in the second pilot, appearing far more often than BigBad Father even after he is revealed to be responsible for their very existence and having a more active role than him in the series finale, where they are at the center of the final action sequence and [[DisneyVillainDeath seemingly]] ''die'', which virtually no one else does throughout the series. |
| 511 | * Most episodes of ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' that center around the schemes of the terrorist organisation FOWL have Steelbeak as the main antagonist as he is their [[TheDragon number one agent]]. Since he is often seen enacting the planning and ordering their private army around some may forget that he is simply following the orders of three shadowy figures on a TV screen who would easily kill him for failing them. But because they are unseen he is more of the face of the company than them. |
| 512 | * The Urpneys in ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone''. While Zordrak is the BigBad, he has very little involvement outside threatening his soldiers into making a new scheme to steal the stone. [[MadScientist Urpgor]] invents most of the plans and inventions, while [[TerribleTrio Sgt Blob, Frizz and Nug]] act them out. Only two or three episodes feature Zordrak prominently as the main antagonist, with other antagonists such as Zarag and Urpgor's Auntie appearing for about the same amount. This expands even onto the heroes, who are often merely reactors to the Urpney's schemes and have only a limited number of side plots throughout the series. |
| 513 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': In the later seasons (especially in the final two), [[SadistTeacher Mr. Crocker]] would begin to have more appearances than the real BigBad, [[BabysitterFromHell Vicky]], who appeared in nearly every episode in the earlier seasons and is indirectly the reason why Crocker goes after Timmy and his fairies. |
| 514 | * In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', [[MagnificentBastard Xanatos]] and [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Demona]] tend to hand this role back and forth depending on the given episode or story arc (and they're each half of the show's initial BigBadDuumvirate). However, [[EvilSorcerer the Archmage]] takes over during the "Avalon" multiparter, and [[JerkassGods Oberon]] during the "Gathering" multiparter. |
| 515 | * On ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim,'' [[VillainProtagonist Zim]] is actually just a soldier of the Irken Empire, which is ruled by the [[BigBadDuumvirate Almighty Tallests]]. Kind of a partial example, since in reality, Zim's been ReassignedToAntarctica and the Tallests don't care if he conquers Earth or not. |
| 516 | * The ''Avatar'' SequelSeries ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' does ''not'' have an overarching BigBad, changing major antagonists each season. Except for Book 4, each of them has a BigBad and BigBadWannabe in opposition to each other, with the BigBad being prominent enough to also snag the role of The Heavy: |
| 517 | ** [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Amon]] in book one; though he competes with [[spoiler:his brother]] [[KnightTemplar Tarrlok]] and [[spoiler:his father Yakone's legacy]] for villainous screentime, it's Amon who establishes himself head and shoulders as the most dangerous threat and the one most central to the narrative. |
| 518 | ** Book two has [[spoiler:Unalaq, who acts as TheDragon (or, considering his exclusive loyalties to his own ideals, possibly the other half of a BigBadDuumvirate) to Vaatu, who was up to this point the GreaterScopeVillain for the franchise as a whole. Vaatu is sealed away in the Spirit World, so Unalaq drives the plot with his attempts to free Vaatu and merge with him into a Dark Avatar]]. |
| 519 | ** In Book 3, the four main members of the Red Lotus collectively function as the main antagonists, but of them Zaheer is the most dangerous, most intelligent, and most heavily featured in the season's story and climax. |
| 520 | ** Kuvira is this in Book 4, with her campaign to rule over the entire Earth Kingdom being the main source of conflict; indeed, she fits here even more squarely than any of the above, as she's the only one who doesn't have to share space with a competing BigBadWannabe like Tarrlok, Varrick, or the Earth Queen, meaning that there's never any doubt just who the main antagonist is. |
| 521 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfVoxMachina'': Umbrasyl takes up this role for Season 2. While Thordak is the leader of the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Chroma Conclave]], he is way out of Vox Machina's league in terms of power and is content to [[OrcusOnHisThrone sit in what's left of Emon as he consolidates his power]]. Umbrasyl, while still an unspeakably powerful ancient dragon, is the weakest (even if only in relative terms) and most isolated of the group. His focus on gathering the Vestiges of Divergence in defiance of his boss' orders also puts him in the most direct opposition to the team as they are looking for them in the hopes of gathering enough power to take him and his fellow dragons out. [[spoiler:The fact that they still only barely defeat Umbrasyl thanks to a lot of luck lets them know that they will never be able to defeat Thordak without help, making Raishan's proposal of an alliance something they are willing to listen to.]] |
| 522 | * ''WesternAnimation/RandyCunninghamNinthGradeNinja'': [[BigBad The Sorcerer]] is imprisoned beneath Norrisville High and can only menace the characters on a situational basis (i.e., when they're in a vulnerable, humiliated, despaired state), leaving [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Hannibal McFist]] as the most direct antagonist toward the Ninja, with most of the weekly adventures pitting Randy against his various [[MonsterOfTheWeek killer robots]]. |
| 523 | * ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': With Aku becoming the GreaterScopeVillain in [[SamuraiJack/TropesSeason5 Season 5]] and the HighPriestess in BigBadEnsemble with [[spoiler:[[EnemyWithin Inner Jack / Mad Jack]]]] and Aku himself, we have [[RoboticPsychopath Scaramouche the Merciless]]. Not only is Aku's favorite assassin, he spends most time in Season 5 [[spoiler:trying to talk to Aku about Jack's lost sword]]. He also slaughtered an innocent town filled with men, women and children... [[PsychoForHire just to get Jack's attention]]. |
| 524 | * ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': |
| 525 | ** [[spoiler:Leslie]] serves as this for Season 19. While only one of an entire race of [[spoiler:sapient InternetAds]], she is the one that is capable of having [[TheyLookLikeUsNow a human form]] and active in South Park. |
| 526 | ** [=Skankhunt42=], [[spoiler:Gerald Broflowski]], serves as this for Season 20. His trolling is responsible for many of the plots to happen, including, the girls breaking up with their boyfriends, Heidi and Cartman's relationship, and Freja's suicide which give Lennart an excuse to create Trolltrace and kickstart WorldWarIII. |
| 527 | ** Eric Cartman serves as this for Season 21. His relationship with Heidi Turner is this season biggest plot driver where he emotionally abuses her and manipulates her into staying with him. This causes Heidi to become Cartman's DistaffCounterpart, which causes Kyle who liked Heidi to go on a moral crusade against Canada, which in turn caused [[PresidentEvil President Garrison]] to [[spoiler:nuke Canada]] and reveals to everyone who the bigger threat this season really is. |
| 528 | ** Randy Marsh serves as this for Season 23. Much of the season's plot is driven by Randy's antics where commits numerous crimes to preserve his drug business. Even when Santa serves as the FinalBoss for the season, Randy's decision to sell cocaine to the adults is what drives the plot for that episode. |
| 529 | * In ''Franchise/StarWars'' animated series: |
| 530 | ** [[TheChessmaster Darth Sidious]] is the ultimate BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', but he rarely appears in person (at least as himself, rather than in his ReasonableAuthorityFigure guise as Chancellor Palpatine) and it's even rarer for him to do anything other than give orders. Thus the role of the Heavy for the series falls mostly to Sidious's apprentice [[FallenHero Count Dooku]] as the official leader and public face of the Separatists, and to a lesser extent General Grievous as the commander of the Separatist droid army. Sidious's renegade former apprentice, Darth Maul, also takes this role in a few story arcs after he shows up again partway through the series, opposing both the Republic ''and'' the Separatists. |
| 531 | ** In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'', Sidious is the BigBad again, now as [[EvilOverlord Emperor Palpatine]], but once more only appears rarely with other villains directly opposing the heroes and driving the immediate plot. Specifically, [[StarterVillain the Grand Inquisitor]] serves as the Heavy for Season 1, [[HeroKiller Darth Vader]] for Season 2, and [[TheStrategist Grand Admiral Thrawn]] and [[SmugSnake Governor Pryce]] split the role in Seasons 3 and 4. |
| 532 | * Slade, whenever he shows up in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' -- even when serving under [[{{Satan}} Trigon the Terrible]] (while not the BigBad, Slade is a menace through the season, while Trigon is a threat only in three episodes.) |
| 533 | ** During Season 3, Brother Blood takes over this role (and BigBad) while Slade is dead; though he appears in fewer episodes, when he ''does'' appear he hogs the spotlight a lot more than the shadowy Slade usually did. |
| 534 | ** Season 5 plays this one interestingly. The Brain is the BigBad, but he's the head of [[NebulousEvilOrganisation the Brotherhood of Evil]], and each of the core brotherhood members gets his or her chance to star as headlining villain at least once during the arc -- except for poor General Immortus, who was introduced with much fanfare but ended up as little more than window dressing. |
| 535 | * ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'': [[TheDragon Star]][[TheStarscream scream]] plays this role for most of the first season, before [[BigBad Megatron]] returns and puts him in his place. |
| 536 | * Dick Dastardly and Muttley in ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces''. All the characters are already in competition with each other, but it is Dastardley and Muttley's [[DickDastardlyStopsToCheat antics]] that drive the plot of each episode. Without them, every episode would just be a simple (if still highly unconventional) race. |
| 537 | * Mystique in the first season of ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution.'' She runs the Brotherhood, and Magneto, usually only seen in shadow, runs ''her.'' Eventually, Magneto takes over the role himself, and later Apocalypse. |
| 538 | * ''WesternAnimation/ZakStorm'': With BigBad Skullivar never leaving his base [[spoiler:due to being the guardian of the waypoint located inside the base]], it's left to his right hand Golden Bones to do his dirty work and engage the heroes in battle. |
| 539 | [[/folder]] |
| 540 |
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