Line #7 PlayingWith/DevourTheDragon


1	'''Basic Trope''': One villain ([[BigBad the superior]]) kills another ([[TheDragon his subordinate]]) in order to power themselves up or regain lost resources.
2	* '''Straight''': Emperor Evulz kills his [[TheDragon Dragon]], Baron Kurtz, in order to eat his soul and heal himself after a losing battle with the heroes.
3	* '''Exaggerated''':
4	** Emperor Evulz devours the souls of everyone in his empire in order to finally have the power to beat TheHero down.
5	** There’s a hierarchy of minions in Evulz’s [[TheOmniscientCouncilofVagueness Omniscient Council of Vagueness,]] and each ranks above is allowed to kill the lower ranks at any time, in order to give themselves a boost.
6	* '''Downplayed''': Evulz drains most of the baron’s power out, leaving him comatose, while the former uses the energy to scry on Hiro’s location.
7	* '''Justified''':
8	** Evulz’s modus operandi always involved [[YourSoulIsMine eating souls]] and [[YouHaveFailedMe killing incompetent minions.]] When Baron Kurtz fell, this was just a convenient way to combine the two.
9	** Evulz can [[TheAssimilator absorb powers via murder,]] and Baron Kurtz can teleport but is too wounded to use it. When they are trapped in a sealed airtight room, Evulz killing Kurtz for his power is the only way the former can survive.
10	* '''Inverted''': Baron Kurtz, [[DragonTheirFeet having witnessed Evulz being killed in battle]], devours HIS soul instead in order to better [[AvengingTheVillain avenge him.]]
11	** Alternately, Baron Kurtz is the Starscream or DragonInChief and kills his boss Evulz in order to steal his power, becoming a DragonAscendant.
12	** Evulz grants Kurtz an EleventhHourSuperpower.
13	** VillainOverride
14	* '''Subverted''': Evulz tells the mortally wounded Baron Kurtz “YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness…” and then takes his BigFreakingSword, while leaving him to die.
15	* '''Double Subverted''': After THAT gambit failed, Evulz returns in a huff to his new second in command Lady Esmerelda, and proceeds to quickly snap her neck in order to devour HER soul instead.
16	* '''Parodied''':
17	** Baron Kurtz’s [[IHaveManyNames many titles]] include “[[HumanResources Emergency rations,]]” and the back of his armour is labelled with nutritional information.
18	** Evulz demands that the Baron seasons himself with barbecue sauce before he attempts this trope, and proceeds to [[ImAHumanitarian literally eat the baron for his power.]]
19	* '''Zig Zagged''': Evulz has several CoDragons - Baron Kurtz, Lord Soulsheirk, Lady Esmeralda, and Countess Morgana. He does exactly this to Baron Kurtz, but decides against it for Lord Soulsheirk, thinking eating [[BlackMagic his soul]] [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth would probably kill him.]] Lady Esmeralda escapes this fate by [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled committing suicide]] before Evulz can reach her, and he tries to drain Countess Camille's soul, but the spell fails partway through and she escapes, avoiding later attempts by [[HeelFaceTurn joining the heroes]]. Evulz himself is [[KarmicDeath finally devoured]] by [[GreaterScopeVillain Malebolge]] because he needed more power to escape [[SealedEvilInACan his prison]], and Evulz kept trying to kill the subordinates who were trying to gather the required power just to get himself a temporary power boost.
20	* '''Averted''': The BigBad does not use his minions for a quick recharge at any point.
21	* '''Enforced''': ???
22	* '''Lampshaded''': “In life, you existed to serve me. Why should your death be any different? Die now, and be a part of my greatness.”
23	* '''Invoked''':
24	** Baron Kurtz offers himself up to Evulz in order to heal him before the final battle begins.
25	** Eviluz recruited the [[GeneralFailure otherwise-worthless]] Baron in order to have a good source of energy in an emergency.
26	* '''Exploited''': Baron Kurtz abuses [[TheDarkArts death magic]] and actively works to [[TheCorruption corrupt his soul]] as much as possible, so that [[AssimilationBackfire when Evulz tries to eat his soul]] he gets [[RegretEatingMe killed off from within.]]
27	* '''Defied''':
28	** “Please don’t eat my soul, my liege. [[MacGuffin The Eye of Zathok]] will be far more effective at healing your wounds.”
29	** Hiro kills off Baron Kurtz and burns the body, in order to deny Evulz precious resources.
30	** Evulz is extremely loyal to his minions, and finds the idea of using them like this to be abhorrent.
31	* '''Discussed''': “Well, as far as retirement plans go, I think “having your soul eaten in order to further my dastardly plans” is not a good one.
32	* '''Conversed''': “As per standard on this show, as soon as Evulz needs a pick-me-up, he starts eying Kurtz hungrily…”
33	----
34	Back to {{Devour The Drago\|n}}- Hey, is that the SuperTrope VillainOverride? Why is it looking at me like tha- [[SelfDemonstratingArticle OH LORD NO!]]
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36	%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
37	%%
38	%%* '''Implied''': ???
39	%%* '''Deconstructed''': ???
40	%%* '''Reconstructed''': ???
41	%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???

Context PlayingWith / DevourTheDragon