Line #261 Main/VillainousValour


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10	[[quoteright:349:[[ComicBook/StarWarsVaderDown https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vader_down_1.png]]]]
11	[[caption-width-right:349:Congratulations, you have [[TheDreaded Darth]] [[HeroKiller Vader]] at blaster-point. ''[[AndThenWhat What was your plan again?]]'']]
12
13	->''"I will not yield,\
14	To kiss the ground before Young Malcolm's feet,\
15	And to be baited with the rabble's curse.\
16	Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane,\
17	And thou opposed, being of no woman born,\
18	Yet I will try the last. Before my body\
19	I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff;\
20	And damned be him that first cries: 'Hold, enough!'"''
21	-->-- '''Macbeth''', ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'', Act 5, Scene 8.
22
23	This is one method for avoiding doldrums from having an InvincibleHero. Scenes of Villainous Valor show the antagonists to be outmatched, forcing them to rely on daring, cunning, skill, and determination to hold their own against the heroes, or at least [[FaceDeathWithDignity go out with a little dignity]]. They sometimes even [[LastVillainStand continue a hopeless battle]] for higher reasons than spite! This often results in a tense back-and-forth as the heroes' raw power is set against whatever the villains brought.
24
25	Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose, but the mark of Villainous Valor is that it sees the "bad guys" using tropes that you wouldn't expect from them. In fact, if you were just tuning in, you might even be confused about who you're expected to root for. A fight between the KnightInShiningArmor and TheDragon with his SpikesOfVillainy will often leave you cheering for TheHero, but what if TheDragon locks swords with the hero and gets between them and his [[BigBad master]], to [[YouShallNotPass give the latter time to escape]]? What if TheDragon is seemingly struck down, only for her UndyingLoyalty towards her master and her [[{{Determinator}} sheer, unbroken will]] to spur her into a full-blown [[HeroicSecondWind Villainous Second Wind]]? The scene changes completely.
26
27	This often appears in shows where the [[AntiVillain villains are sympathetic]] or [[AntiHero the heroes questionable]]. Nevertheless, this is '''not''' a trope about [[RootingForTheEmpire viewer sympathy]] so much as bravery, ingenuity and [[WeakButSkilled skill]] on the part of a villainous underdog. If the villains are acting more like the soon-to-be-slaughtered protagonists of a horror film, we might be looking at a MookHorrorShow instead. Contrast DavidVersusGoliath, where the hero is the weaker one. For villains fighting politely instead of bravely (though they can overlap), see MookChivalry.
28
29	This valour may show up more easily in an EvilVersusEvil fight. The BadassNormal villain may be arrogant, determined, sure of themself and DefiantToTheEnd against the BadassNormal hero, but what if they have to fight against an EldritchAbomination? Perhaps [[TheWorfEffect they are defeated easily]], just to prove that the eldritch abomination means business. Or perhaps... they will be arrogant, determined, sure of themself and defiant to the end, even in the face of armageddon. In that case, they may earn our admiration, and if they even manage to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch out]] or [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu scam]] the eldritch abomination, even more so.
30
31	Of course, fortitude in the face of adversity is not necessarily always a redeeming quality; sometimes, if the villain had slaughtered TheHero's entire family, [[ForTheEvulz driven by a desire to inflict needless suffering]], then subjected the hero's LoveInterest to ColdBloodedTorture, before explaining his evil plan to destroy the city [[SoftSpokenSadist all while maintaining an even tone of voice]], their [[DefiantToTheEnd refusal to back down]] without a fight can serve to demonstrate an [[BloodKnight enjoyment of combat]], a stubborn refusal to allow the hero to dispense clean justice, or otherwise demonstrate that the villain does not even value their own life, let alone that of anyone else.
32
33	Compare WorthyOpponent. See also EvilVirtues. This sort of behavior is the staple of the NobleDemon, and the BloodKnight. For when the villain finds something to respect in the hero, see VillainRespect.
34
35	This trope also has a complicated relationship with BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork, wherein villains are capable of being depicted committing actions that are from a logical point of view beneficial to the protagonist and also entirely necessary but would conflict with a protagonist's moral code; when the villain does this in a self-sacrificing or at the very least supremely cool manner, then it combines the two tropes. However as often as not, the villain really is doing actually reprehensible things that just also happen to require astonishing resolve and bravery to pull off.
36
37	----
38	!!Example subpages:
39
40	[[index]]
41	* VillainousValour/AnimeAndManga
42	* VillainousValour/ComicBooks
43	* VillainousValour/{{Film}}
44	* VillainousValour/{{Literature}}
45	* VillainousValour/VideoGames
46	* VillainousValour/WesternAnimation
47	[[/index]]
48
49	!!Other examples:
50	[[foldercontrol]]
51
52	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
53	* In Chester Gould's ''ComicStrip/DickTracy,'' once the villains' evil plans have been foiled, they often end up going on the run, and are usually quite ingenious in their attempts to get away. This sometimes makes them seem sympathetic, even if we've seen them acting like monsters earlier in the story; Gould was certainly savvy enough to play this up deliberately (such as when the injured Brow is taken in by Gravel Gertie, or when Sleet gets blackmailed while hiding out), but then the villains usually get a couple of KickTheDog moments during the chase, just so we don't forget who we're supposed to be rooting for.
54	* ''Fanfic/{{Hegemony}}'' depicts a few of its villainous characters with this.
55	** [[VillainProtagonist Hordak]] is handily outmatched in an EvilVersusEvil conflict, ill, and has a regime that is slowly falling apart. In spite of this, he is not only among the bravest characters but among the most cunning, clever, and honorable, with NobleDemon traits.
56	** Hordak, when taking on a much stronger enemy, [[spoiler: Horde Prime]], garners the willpower to take him on evenly after Catra and Entrapta are threatened.
57	** Bow is depicted as being a BadassNormal with NervesOfSteel, who will take on the much stronger Scorpia in a fight with little stress and maintain his role through strategic genius. He is also the only one willing to stand up to [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Empress Angella]].
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Fan Works]]
61	* This is the focus of ''Fanfic/TheTSABActurusWar''. The [[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny Democratic Republic of Acturus]] cannot win against the Bureau, but it will do its best to bleed the enemy out as far as possible.
62	* ''Fanfic/InTheService'' has more than one comment on the bravery and discipline of the common New Belkan soldier. No matter how bad the situation around them goes, no matter how little chance there is they will survive the effort, they will carry out their orders. Some characters think them brave far beyond the point of stupidity. Others think they're the finest soldiers the universe has ever seen, with some of the worst training and leadership.
63	* ''FanFic/InnerDemons'': One must give [[TheDragon Trixie]] credit -- she will do ''anything'' to fulfill [[BigBad Queen Twilight Sparkle's]] orders, no matter what. This is best demonstrated during the Battle of Fillydelphia, where Trixie takes on ''all'' of the protagonists at once, invoking the [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Storm Avatar]] spell to fight them. Even after the spell drains her and she's been knocked down by the heroes, she -- beaten and barely conscious -- forces herself to keep going long enough to at least partially fulfill Queen Twilight's orders by [[spoiler: nearly killing Rarity]].
64	* Two cases occur in short order in the very first episode of ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11021904/1/White White]]''. First the titular character (A hollow [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Ichigo]]) fights an entire shinigami squad and two captains both as revenge for his fellow hollows they slew and to protect Raptor, an adjucha who was leading them. After White and Raptor escape, the latter asks the former to eat him, acknowledging himself as "just a stepping stone on [White's] path to greatness", only asking that White use his power to destroy the shinigami.
65	* In Creator/TeamFourStar's ''WebVideo/HellsingUltimateAbridged'', after Walter and Seras subdue Jan Valentine, there's this exchange:
66	-->'''Walter:''' Now, you are going to tell me everything I want to know.\
67	'''Jan:''' Alright, what you do is, you go down to the local pharmacy, you ask for something called Viagra, and it'll help you GO FUCK YOURSELF!
68	* ''FanFic/{{Eugenesis}}'': When Siren and Death's Head corner [[TheDragon Haxian]] to [[spoiler: retrieve the Matrix]], he seemingly shoots himself rather than fight them. Then they go to get [[spoiler: the Matrix]] and Haxian's body violently explodes, mortally wounding Siren; Haxian had known he was done for and [[HeroicSacrifice rigged himself to explode in a desperate attempt to keep the Autobots from stopping his leader]].
69	* ''Fanfic/GuardiansWizardsAndKungFuFighters'' has an example in [[DiabolicalMastermind Bartholomew Chang]], who absolutely refuses to let the Guardians defeat him during the fight in the subway tunnels. It takes [[spoiler: Nimue shattering his [[ShockAndAwe Gauntlet of Indra]]]] for him to finally cut his losses and run.
70	* In ''Fanfic/MyHuntsmanAcademia'', one particularly driven White Fang grunt rushes at Izuku after he knocked out the White Fang's commander at Fisk Port. Izuku expects the grunt to go down in a couple of hits like the others had, but this grunt somehow manages to deflect Izuku's 10% Full Cowl attacks with sheer determination. The grunt continues to rant about the Fang's cause and doesn't let up until Sun and Blake knock him out from behind.
71	* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'': At the end of "The Apokolips Agenda", ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}'s plan has been ruined, his army has been routed and he has been surrounded by a squad of powerful heroes. What does he do? He decides to take all of them out. And he nearly succeeds.
72	* ''[[Fanfic/StarWarsVsWarhammer40K Star Wars vs. Warhammer 40K]]'': The Imperials are genocidal human supremacists who think nothing of killing billions and serve as the primary villains of the story. However the rank-and-file Imperials by and large display extraordinary amounts of courage and self-sacrifice. This actually bothers Shaak Ti at one point as she notes that the Sister of Battle she is fighting is not thinking in the slightest about her own survival.
73	* In ''WebVideo/UndertaleTheMusical'''s "Genocide Package", in the face of the rampaging human, Mettaton NEO takes his place as one of the monsters doing his damnedest -- and unlike in the game, where facing him on these terms turns out as a short-lived anticlimax, he gets a full number of throwing ''everything'' into fighting off the player, while the text registers the player's point-of-view suffering injuries that come as a surprise. However, one of the last messages before the lethal blow lands reports feeling a "surge of defiance".
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
77	* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' has the Mutant Leader. When Batman shows up at the mutants' lair in his giant tank of a Batmobile and begins taking out his minions, the Leader discovers that he's been [[ThouShaltNotKill using rubber bullets]], which prompts the Leader to walk up to the Batmobile... and start [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech mouthing off to Batman, calling him a coward for not being willing to kill and challenging him to fight man-to-man]]. In the ensuing fight, he would have nearly killed Batman had Robin not intervened, and even in their second fight where Batman has the upper hand and begins fighting strategically, the Leader still holds his own. He may be a violent psychopath, but anyone willing to take on the goddamn Batman has some serious brass ones.
78	-->'''Mutant Leader''': All this metal, and you don't even use it to kill! It's just a shell to keep you safe?! What's the matter? Ain't you got the stomach for it?! I call you '''''COWARD!''''' Come out here and face me like a man! I kill you! I [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Eat. Your. Heart!]] Prove you can take me! ''Prove you can fight with your hands!'' Come on, man! You're ''boring'' me!
79	* Yzma in ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' is a comedic villain, but at one point she pursues the heroes down the high sheer wall of a castle via improvised bungee-jumping.
80	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen\|2013}}'': The two soldiers sent by [[spoiler: the Duke of Weselton]] to kill Queen Elsa. They go up against a virtual demigod with nothing but crossbows. Then, [[spoiler: Prince Hans of the Southern Isles saves them from the wrath of Elsa's cryokinetic death spikes, even as his real intent is to secure the throne of Arendelle by getting rid of Elsa.]]
81	* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame\|Disney}}'': Frollo gets a small moment of this in the climax when the cathedral is under siege. He takes a sword off one of his mooks and uses it to hack through the (considerably heavy) wooden doors of the cathedral, braving a torrent of molten lead being poured down from the top by Quasimodo in doing so. When he gets to the top, he briefly wrestles with Quasi (who is half his age and demonstrably strong enough to ''shake the entire cathedral'' with his exertions) and he fights Quasi and swings with enough force to crack solid stone. Not bad at all for [[EvilOldFolks such an old man]].
82	* Another comedic example is in ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'', with a ''raccoon'' who will not back down from his garbage can raiding, even when facing a superhero baby whose powers include laser-beam eyes, turning into a miniature ogre, and bursting into flame.
83	* WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}} certainly qualifies, at least according to Roxanne Ritchi. PlayedWith here, however, in that she says that as Megamind is about to complete his HeelFaceTurn, but it is still an accurate description of his past behavior.
84	-->'''Roxanne:''' "The Megamind I knew would never have run from a fight, even one he knew he had absolutely no chance of winning. It was your best quality. You need to be that guy right now."
85	* In the film ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', there's a reason why Shan Yu is nowadays considered one of the most badass of Disney villains: he's strong enough to easily break down a barricaded door or effortlessly slice through a massive pillar with his sword. He's also very proud of his army, as shown at the beginning when he thought it was perfect that all of China knew they were coming after the signal fire was lit, and when he flatly refused to avoid the Imperial troops and instead opted to take them head on, knowing that they are the elite of China's armies.
86	* Ruber in ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot'' is a psychotic (but quite human) murderer who faces down and kills an enormous threatening dragon with his bare hands.
87	* Professor Zoom in ''WesternAnimation/SuicideSquadHellToPay'' is a despicable sociopath who has his own self-preservation as top priority, and also happens to be dying due to [[spoiler:having his [[BoomHeadshot brains blown]] out by Thomas Wayne in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueTheFlashpointParadox'']]. As such, he is using every ounce of the Speed Force to stretch out his death as long as possible so he can live a little longer, which makes him a {{determinator}} in his own right.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
91	* ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'': In the pilot episode, the eponymous chopper's evil creator finds himself facing an enraged Stingfellow piloting the craft. He coolly tries to shoot a bullet down Airwolf's tiny [[AchillesHeel fuel intake valve]] before being blown to pieces.
92	* ''Series/{{Alphas}}'' had a one-off villain called The Caretaker whose job it was to look after Mitchell, an Alpha with the ability to store anyone's memories inside his brain. When Hicks and Cat remove Mitchell from his holding location, The Caretaker comes charging after them. In terms of pure fighting ability, he's outmatched: Hicks has SuperReflexes, and Kat, due to her superhuman muscle memory, has a number of devastating fighting moves (and has recently completed the ''entire'' FBI Academy course load in about two weeks, meaning she is now trained in the use of a firearm as well.) The Caretaker has one advantage though: A HealingFactor. The guy shrugs off getting shot, ''having his neck broken'', and '''being rammed with a Mack truck''' all in the name of taking care of his charge. He only dies because Kat exploits the fact that he can't swim while healing.
93	* Almost certainly the reason for Spike's early popularity on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', being simultaneously the first vampire adversary of Buffy to be depicted as more than a soulless monster, and the first to avoid the {{Curb Stomp Battle}}s that were endemic in Season 1.
94	* ''Series/BullyBeatdown'' pits bullies against pro MMA fighters for the chance to win $10,000. Nobody likes bullies, but the deck is clearly stacked against them, and one can't help a twinge of admiration for those who hold their own and don't get stomped outright.
95	* An episode of the classic UsefulNotes/WorldWarII series ''[[Series/Combat1962 Combat!]]'' called "The Cossack" had the most tenacious German soldier of all time. In the teaser, he fails to blow up a strategically important bridge during the German retreat and tries to complete the task before the rest of the American army comes through. He infiltrates the local Church and disguises himself as the town priest. He manages to keep his disguise with all the Americans around him, making up cover stories for his German accent ("I'm Swiss.") and being near the bridge ("I'm going fishing.") on the fly, even managing to get away with killing the young Catholic GI who sees through him without anyone seeing. It was almost disappointing to see him fail in the end, he'd worked so hard up to that point.
96	* Happens to [[EvilutionaryBiologist Davros]], of all people, in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "Revelation of the Daleks". Even though he's as nasty as usual, it's hard not to respect him for having apparently found himself completely alone on the planet, with none of his usual allies, and still got himself into the top position.
97	** This could apply to the Daleks themselves. No matter what The Doctor does to them, they still manage to keep themselves going.
98	* ''Series/AFrenchVillage'': The milice, despite being fascist enforcers of the Vichy regime allied with the Nazis, show great courage when they face a firing squad, defiantly singing and shaking their executioners before they're shot.
99	* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
100	** Ramsay in the show is even ''more'' dangerous than the Ramsay of the books, as he has not only butchered his way through Yara's fifty best Ironborn reavers, leading from the front without a stitch of clothing protecting his vital organs but also runs roughshod over Stannis's admittedly demoralised and outnumbered army and all without a single scratch on his person to show for it.
101	** The battle sequence in "Spoils of War" is full of this. A Lannister warhost led by Jaime up against [[DragonRider Daenerys]] and her Dothraki. The affair is a CurbStompBattle for the Lannisters due to [[KillItWithFire Drogon]], but the Lannisters still manage to look awesome. Standouts include Bronn wounding Drogon with a ballista and nearly ending the war then and there, and then Jaime, seeing Daenerys dismounting Drogon and trying to remove the bolt, ''charging against the fully-grown dragon on horseback to strike her down''. Ethically questionable incestuous dick he might be, the man is still a knight and a LivingLegend.
102	** Whatever his faults, Euron has no problem with getting his hands dirty and leads his men into battle from the front.
103	* In ''Series/HoratioHornblower'' episode "The Frogs and the Lobsters / The Wrong War", the Marquis de Montcoutant is exactly the type of [[AristocratsAreEvil oppressive aristocrat]] that ''caused'' the French Revolution, and his sole priority on returning home is to terrorize and punish his former subjects by [[OffWithHisHead guillotining them in dozens]]. When the royalist expedition falls apart and Hornblower urges him to flee, however, Montcoutant elects to face certain death rather than leave his home again. Predictably, the villagers get their hands on him and drag him off for a KarmicDeath on the scaffold, but he remains DefiantToTheEnd rather than beg for mercy.
104	* ''Series/{{Oz}}'': Johnny Post is openly unafraid of the Italians's retaliation to his murder of Dino Ortaloni. The only reason it doesn't cross into TooDumbToLive is that he remains totally unrepentant and defiant [[DefiantToTheEnd even when he's tortured and dismembered over it.]]
105	* The villain team of every ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' season usually has at least one member who gets this, although it's often during infighting. Several seasons have an evil General with a Dark Knight gimmick who takes his honor and principles very seriously.
106	** A good example is Treacheron from ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'', who keeps fighting against Leo despite being been badly injured and having his sword broken.
107	* ''Series/{{Vikings}}''
108	** [[WildCard King Harald Finehair]] is one of the most courageous characters in the show, leading his men from the front and the last to leave the battle, [[NobleDemon risking his life to save both Bjorn and Magnus despite having no reason to do so]].
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder: Mythology and Religion]]
112	* [[Myth/CelticMythology Irish mythology]]: When Daire Donn [[GodEmperor The King of the World]] sees that Fionn Mac Cumhaill has the only weapons that can beat him, he begins visibly quaking in fear. Yet despite knowing he probably won't survive, he still rushes forward and gives Fionn the fight of his life. Continuing to fight even as Fionn destroys Daire Donn's sword and shield and cuts off one of his arms and legs, only stopping when Fionn decapitates him.
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:Music]]
116	* Several of the Robot Masters are given this trait by Music/TheMegas, by having them express their certainty that Franchise/MegaMan is going to kill them (at least two literally ''call him'' [[TheDreaded "death"]]), but having them conquer their fear and stand up to go toe-to-toe with him anyway -- for love, for loyalty, or even just for revenge. [[ForegoneConclusion It never ends well for any of them.]]
117	-->'''"The Quick and the Blue":''' My circuits slow/I'm not scared any more/This is the moment that we have been created for!\
118	'''"Don't Mess with Magnetman":''' I am magnetically/Drawing my death to me/So why can't my body/Reverse polarity? [[DefiantToTheEnd You walk into my town/Waving that gun around/You want a fight/I'll give you one tonight!]]\
119	'''[="GeminEye"=]:''' [[PrivateEyeMonologue The hired gun was on his way, and we were both as good as dead. But I looked to the stars and I swore, if we were both taking the big sleep,]] ''[[TakingYouWithMe I'd take the rat out myself!]]''\
120	'''"Harder than Steel":''' They say throw in the towel/But that you won't accept./You're going down/It's the final swing.
121	[[/folder]]
122
123	[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
124	* Most people who face HHH or the Undertaker. ''Especially'' Undertaker. In general, this applies to whenever a beloved mid-carder with perceived superior skills goes up against an opponent they could not legitimately be expected to defeat for story reasons.
125	* The best example for pro wrestling has to be the match between Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin and Wrestling/BretHart at Wrestlemania XIII, where Austin went in as the heel. The sheer balls he showed throughout the entire match, fighting dirty like a heel but never acting cowardly like one, earned the fans' respect. When he refused to tap out to the Sharpshooter, face covered in blood and eventually passing out from the pain, the fans switched, and in one night, a FaceHeelDoubleTurn was completed in one legendary match.
126	* Subverted with Muhammad Hassan in 2005. A radicalized Arab-American from Detroit ([[FakeNationality although played by Italian-American wrestler Mark Copani]]), he certainly had good reason to be angered by anti-Arab prejudice at the height of the Iraq War. He denounced other Arab-Americans as Uncle Toms for being ashamed of their native culture and would enter arenas in a Bedouin headdress and wailing loudly like a muezzin just to outrage bigoted audiences. He even seemingly had the courage to challenge Undertaker to a match for the Number One Contendership to Batista's World Heavyweight Championship at the ''Great American Bash'' in July, but Hassan was a lot more cowardly than he appeared at first glance: he took on Undertaker, yes, but only after garroting him with piano wire and having several black-clad, faceless "sympathizers" beat the tar out of him. 'Taker finally punished him by powerbombing him through the Buffalo arena's entrance ramp, apparently killing him (which was actually a result of ExecutiveMeddling, since WWE thought that the character was in bad taste after a terrorist bombing in London).
127	* Done ''twice'' with Wrestling/TheShield in 2013 alone; in both cases with Roman Reigns as a focal point:
128	** On September [=23rd=] the Authority (Triple H and Stephanie [=McMahon=]) essentially threw the Shield to the wolves by attempting to placate the aggrieved faces with an eleven-on-three elimination tag team match... though the Shield had tried to stack the odds by attacking members of the eleven-man face team[[note]]Wrestling/RobVanDam, Wrestling/KofiKingston, Wrestling/DolphZiggler, Wrestling/ZackRyder, Wrestling/TheUsos, [[Wrestling/PrimeTimePlayers Darren Young, Titus O'Neil]], Wrestling/JustinGabriel, [[Wrestling/RonKillings R-Truth]]... and [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan]][[/note]] beforehand, they too had to recover from a pre-match attack by the Rhodes brothers as well. Nevertheless they almost evened the odds with quick eliminations of five faces, with Reigns in particular eliminating Titus O'Neill, Justin Gabriel, and Zack Ryder with spears in less than a minute without tagging out. It would take Daniel Bryan dropkicking Ambrose and Rollins to isolate Reigns before the faces were able to outnumber him ''just'' enough to pin him, the sheer OhCrap look on Ambrose and Rollins' faces at the sight of this -- ''the only time that Reigns was pinned in his time on the main WWE roster''[[note]]not counting his time on NXT[[/note]] -- signalling that the tide had irrevocably turned; Ambrose and Rollins would go on to eliminate Darren Young, and after Ambrose's elimination Rollins eliminated R-Truth as well before finally being overwhelmed by the remaining Ziggler, Uso brothers, and Bryan.
129	** On November [=24th=] at Survivor Series, the Shield were paired with The Real Americans[[note]]Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger[[/note]] against Jimmy and Jey Uso, Cody and Dustin "Goldust" Rhodes, and Rey Mysterio. When Dean Ambrose argued with the ref over a call, Cody Rhodes rolled him up for a quick elimination after which The Real Americans were dispatched in short order as well, leaving Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins alone against a still-intact face quintet. Cue Reigns going on a tear by single-handedly taking out Cody Rhodes and Jimmy Uso with spears, Seth Rollins taking out Jey Uso with a curbstomp before himself going down, Reigns quickly avenging Rollins by spearing Goldust, and then intercepting an attempted 619 by Rey Mysterio with... you guessed it, a ''fourth'' spear, leaving Reigns the sole survivor.
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
133	* In most role-playing games that focus on combat, the player characters are the top dogs in most or even all their fights. If they weren't, an honest game would not be possible. Even if the player characters were even money to win, the campaign would be over after four battles in 93.75% of cases. Thus, the villains and monsters of just about every combat-centric RPG have some serious chutzpah going up against your Murder Hobos.
134	* Most ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' villains tend to have some very admirable traits, even the ''Nazis''. One is an absolute gentleman for example, while another might be unspeakably brave despite his cruelty. However, their deficiencies in... other areas tend to leave them somewhat less palatable.
135	* [[https://dungeonmaster.academy/articles/tuckers-kobolds Tucker's Kobolds]] are a textbook case. Even though they were no match for the high-level adventurers in a straight fight, they used the terrain to their advantage and set up a variety of clever traps to make the [=PCs=]' lives hell.
136	* Though the [[TheEmpire Imperium]] is most often presented as crumbling, it is still the most powerful faction in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''. In stories set from the 'Evil' faction's POV, we can often see just how much firepower the Imperials can bring to bear against them, and the fact that it's a [[CrapsackWorld Crapsack Galaxy]] for them too.
137	** In the TabletopGame/{{Inquisitor}} guide ''[[http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1320038_Using_Space_Marines.pdf Using Space Marines]]'', the author recommends this as a way to deal with ludicrously powerful Space Marine [=PCs=]. We are reminded that [[HonorBeforeReason Space Marines don't sneak about]], so the enemy will likely have plenty of chances to lay ambushes and traps before the rampaging behemoth.
138	** The Lost and the Damned get this a lot. At least the Imperial Guard can claim to have the backing of a galaxy-spanning superpower. The Lost and the Damned are just the dregs and scum of the universe, fighting with ramshackle equipment for patrons who would just as soon as use them as HumanSacrifice. That takes a lot of guts... or perhaps just a lot of insanity (which is more likely given this is Chaos we're talking about).
139	** The Tau are specifically presented as an underdog faction who can't match either the numbers of the Imperium or their most extreme powerhouses (Space Marines and the like) -- but they have still managed to defeat Imperium forces on many occasions due to fighting more intelligently, using maneuver warfare and modern tactics and communications against the more ponderous formations and protocols of the Imperium.
140	** Pretty much the only thing [[WarGod Khorne]] [[TheBerserker worshipers]] can't be accused of is cowardice under fire, even if it's more of the FearlessFool variety. They also really hate Slaanesh worshippers, and will gladly screw up rituals that would get a victory for Chaos as a whole just to spite them.
141	** [[BigBad Abaddon The Despoiler]] may have a reputation as a MemeticLoser (thanks to some poor writing on the part of Games Workshop), but he's still a Space Marine who can remember walking and fighting alongside the Emperor of Mankind Himself. As such, he'll face anyone who manages to directly engage him in battle head on. In-universe, he's kept scars inflicted on him on two separate occasions by particularly [[WorthyOpponent worthy opponents]]. It's also notable that when he finally destroyed the Fortress World of Cadia, he made it a point to teleport down to the thickest fighting to directly engage the Imperial forces. Those forces included [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Saint Celestine, a Living Saint]] as well as the grim forces of [[TheUndead The Legion of the Damned]]. He was the last living warrior of Chaos to retreat before the final conflagration and [[WorthyOpponent saluted his surviving enemies]] as he teleported away.
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145	* The title character in ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' gets a moment of this at the climax of the play. Despite being subjected to two NoManOfWomanBorn moments in rapid succession (including the TropeNamer) leading him to realize that his opponent would probably win and Macduff's offer of clemency, he refuses to stand down. This is appropriate since while it does not undo his horrific acts it does confirm his status as a TragicHero.
146	* ''Theatre/DonGiovanni'': The titular character has no virtues whatsoever, other than a set that would be the envy of the Imperial Guard. This is a man who attempts to seduce a woman on her wedding day, and fights off a murderous former lover with one hand at the same time he is flirting with someone else. When he jokingly invites a man he has murdered to dinner and the dead man's ghost actually shows up, he plays the perfect host, and when he realises the ghost has him in a trap he can't charm or fight his way out of, he chooses to march into hell, head held high.
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149	[[folder:Webcomics]]
150	%%* In ''Webcomic/CheshireCrossing'', The Wicked Witch Of The West repeatedly faces off against Mary Poppins. Poppins is depicted as a stern, overpowered witch who flattens her opponents with brute force, and shows off in both magical matters and mundane with little flourishes that [[SmugSuper let others know just how in charge she is]]. The Witch of the West on the other hand is made out to be a bitter underdog, defeated before at least once, who spends her time in search of arcane secrets and power sources. When they encounter each other for the first time while in Oz, Poppins is able to knock the Witch of the West around until the Witch of the West gets the drop on her with a bucket of water. [[KillItWithWater Oz has special rules]], and Poppins hasn't done her homework.
151	* In ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', although not villains per se, the dvergar who choose to fight the drow rather than trading with them shows this. Even after being reduced to a remnant by the desperate, fleeing dokkalfar (and later outright invading drow) and having no mana, they still are a real danger to drow trade caravans and get in a few good blows against the [[{{Ranger}} Highland Raiders]]. The last is a bit like Somali pirates attacking a US battleship in terms of power levels.
152	** Also demonstrated by a leader of the Hermiones, a humanoid race that's been moving into the areas once controlled by dokkalfar. Despite first getting his people [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9682 burned]] and then [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9705 subjected to]] an EmotionBomb that knocks everyone (including the other two elves) out cold he [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9707 keeps attacking]] and is only [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9709 stopped]] by a two-sided attack via a sword to both the back and the noggin, and even though his dialog is left untranslated it's implied he gets out one final curse against the elves.
153	*** Of course, it's debatable whether he is even a villain, as both the Drow and Hermionne are shown to be conquering rival peoples, making their conflict more a case of warring nations. This fits in with setting's GreyAndGrayMorality.
154	* Tweedle in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' is an arrogant, ruthless, would-be conqueror of Europa, but he certainly has no lack of courage.
155	* Caliborn in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}''. Though he may be a petulant, [[ItsAllAboutMe sociopathic]] {{Jerkass}}, he's also a {{Determinator}} who defeats his session of Sburb despite nearly impossible odds -- including his own implied mental issues.
156	* In ''Webcomic/AMiracleOfScience'', one may find it hard not to root for [[MadScientist Doctor Haas]] as he strives to take over the world despite being hunted down by not only the police but also a [[SufficientlyAdvancedAliens godlike]] HiveMind. (It helps that the comic is the TropeNamer for ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder, providing an explanation for his actions beyond simple two-dimensional villainy.)
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160	* While the ''Series/CobraKai'' that was built under new sensei Johnny Lawrence had no shortage of issues, cowardice was not one of them. His lessons were harsh and brutal but effective enough to create a huge bond between the students -- and score a spectacular reputation in the Valley very much unlike when he trained there.
161	* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSDfxde8fSg this video]] that is violently opposed to the [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]] [[MemeticMutation arrow to the knee meme]], a short, fat, nerdy guy goes to type the joke into a Website/YouTube comment when the game's main character bursts out of the screen, [[{{Kneecapping}} kneecaps]] the nerd with arrows to both knees, then begins to strangle the nerd and tell him how much he sucks for [[NeverHeardThatOneBefore liking meme jokes]]. He goes to [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon make some gory and violent death threats]] should the nerd ever do it again. The nerd responds by [[DefiantToTheEnd making an arrow to the knee joke]]. Sure, it gets him KilledMidSentence, but as the top-rated comment on the video says "I have to admit, the nerd has balls."
162	* In ''Literature/TheFireNeverDies'', when Governor Albert Sleeper concludes that he cannot hold Michigan against the revolutionaries, he orders the Michigan National Guard to retreat to Indiana but stays behind in Lansing, hoping that the Reds will prioritize his own capture over cutting off the National Guard's retreat.
163	* ''Literature/TheSalvationWar'' has shades of this. As horrible as the demons might be, they fight heroically against the humans' modern technology [[spoiler:and get pasted]]. Later, it causes divisions between those humans who respect this and those who do not.
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166	[[folder:Web Video]]
167	* Displayed by UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler of all people during his second appearance in ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory''. He's ready to rap (against Darth freakin' Vader) only seconds after having been thawed from carbonite, a process that is agonizing, debilitating, and blinding. He then goes on a veritable roll, hitting every single one of Vader's {{Berserk Button}}s, culminating by declaring the Sith Lord's life to be a giant EpicFail and referring to him as both "Annie" and "TheEmperor's Whore." It gets him dropped into the Rancor Pit, but damn.
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Context Main / VillainousValour