[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thanos_trumps_mephisto.png]] ]]
[[caption-width-right:350: We don't expect that Thanos is interested in any of your [[DealWithTheDevil deals]], Mephisto.]]

->'''Jax:''' I'll never forgive you, Joker.\\
'''The Joker:''' Which of my crimes has ''your'' panties twisted?\\
'''Jax:''' Making Kano seem like less of a monster.
-->-- ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11''

%% One quote is sufficient. Please place additional entries on the quotes subpage.

In the BigBad business, ThereCanBeOnlyOne, and it had better not be you when I'm [[TitleDrop Eviler Than Thou]].

Two {{villains}} are [[EvilVersusEvil rivals]], each wreaking havoc in their own special way. For instance, one is [[TheBrute direct and violent]], while the other is a [[DirtyCoward cowardly]] but [[TheChessmaster clever]] [[ManipulativeBastard schemer]], or one is selfish and the other is a WellIntentionedExtremist. Each one has the potential to be the one and only BigBad. The poor heroes are caught in the middle between two completely different threats, and have to be flexible enough to stop both.

As the two villains plot, their {{Evil Plan}}s will begin to collide and interfere with each other. If they meet, they will have the same reaction every time: the other villain is a disgrace to villainy's good name (or [[BadIsGoodAndGoodIsBad bad name]], or... you know what we mean). The sneaky one thinks the violent one is a dumb brute, while the violent one thinks the sneaky one is a conniving weakling. They may team up against the heroes for a while (each planning to double-cross the other), but usually they go for each other's throats, and the cross-fire threatens to destroy the world.

Whichever villain wins will rub it in with a cackling TheReasonYouSuckSpeech about how the other villain is deficient. "People think you're scary, but deep down you're just a dumb thug." Or, "All your plotting and scheming has come to nothing when facing a real man who just fights." This is usually the end of the less horrible one. If they survive, they will often be [[EvenEvilHasStandards so shocked at what the other one is planning]] that they team up with the heroes in an EnemyMine. "I always thought I was doing right — this guy is just a selfish monster!" Or, "I only wanted to steal money, but his [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans mad utopian schemes]] could doom the world!" They may or may not [[HeelFaceTurn reform]].

Often, the heroes (and the writers) will ponder at length which villain is worse morally, with AnAesop. Usually, the moral is about avoiding either of two extremes (for instance, pragmatic heroes dealing with a selfish villain and a fanatic villain).

Note that the victorious one doesn't necessarily have to be the more strictly ''evil'' of the two, just the more dangerous. It's entirely possible for the loser to be more twisted while simultaneously being weaker or otherwise less of a threat, and by extension less able to implement their evil as effectively.

Some villains [[EnemyCivilWar collide]], but some stories just have their contrasting plots pass each other by. Or one of the villains may be more of a comic-relief distraction from the more threatening one, which does not necessarily mean that the comic relief one is less evil.

See also EvilVersusEvil. May be part of an EvilVersusOblivion or TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil conflict. {{Anti Hero}}es (Unscrupulous or Nominal) and {{Anti Villain}}s generally have [[BlackAndGrayMorality another villain around who is eviler]]. Contrast ArsonMurderAndAdmiration, HolierThanThou, LesserOfTwoEvils, MoreHeroThanThou, ALighterShadeOfGrey. The villain claiming to be Eviler than Thou is showing that sometimes it's not true that EvenEvilHasStandards, while the villain they're claiming to be worse than (if it's true and the other villain proudly agrees) may be a straight example of EvenEvilHasStandards. Also one of the defining traits of a StupidEvil character (who is usually too idiotic or shortsighted to realize that they may have to work with someone again down the line and that betraying them tends to make this impossible); this is where the phrase "don't shit where you eat" tends to show up a lot, as villains with ChronicBackstabbingDisorder borne of this trope tend to have difficulty finding people who will work with them and will have to contend with a lot of other villains who want to kick their asses. In extreme cases it may lead to BodyCountCompetition particularly between public enemies and [[SerialKiller serial killers]] who will treat the number of their victims as proportional to their [[VillainCred criminal status.]]

Compare BigFishInABiggerOcean, where a powerful entity is made average or lesser in a new setting, and MakeWayForTheNewVillains, when the bigger, eviler threat is a newly introduced character, and HijackedByGanon, when an older BigBad usurps a newer one. See also DoWrongRight. Can go with ConditionedToBeWeak, where one physically powerful character is only docile because they're afraid of the worse villain.

[[noreallife]]
----
!!Example subpages
[[index]]
* [[EvilerThanThou/AnimeAndManga Anime & Manga]]
* [[EvilerThanThou/ComicBooks Comic Books]]
* EvilerThanThou/FanWorks
* EvilerThanThou/{{Literature}}
* [[EvilerThanThou/LiveActionTV Live-Action TV]]
* EvilerThanThou/VideoGames
* EvilerThanThou/WesternAnimation
[[/index]]

!!Other examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022'': The gang may be feared criminals, but they're principled and have lines they won't cross. [[spoiler:Professor Marmalade]], the true BigBad, is willing to rob charity money meant for schools, hospitals and orphanages, and is willing to attempt murder to get away with it.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBatmanVsDracula'', the titular Dracula proves just how much he outclasses any threat previously seen in Gotham when he enslaves Joker and Penguin, the two most dangerous criminals the city has to offer. First, he hypnotized Penguin into becoming his human servant and turned Joker into another vampire minion.
* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe1'': After his first run in with Gru, Vector's entire life becomes dedicated to showing that he's a better villain than him.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'': The title character, a [[CardCarryingVillain Card Carrying]] PunchClockVillain who acts more out of showmanship than any real malice, is horrified when he finds out that [[spoiler:Titan/Hal]] turned out to be a villain who enjoys wreaking real havoc out of pure spite.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'': [[BigBad Adagio Dazzle]] is essentially an even more jerkass version of the first film's [[AlphaBitch Sunset Shimmer]], only with far more threatening abilities and a diabolical mindset thrown into the mix. She even goes so far as to tell [[spoiler:the [[HeelFaceTurn Heel-Face Turned]]]] Sunset herself that the Dazzlings will succeed where she failed and further mocks her by saying that no-one will remember her actions when they're done with CHS. [[spoiler:[[{{Irony}} Fittingly enough]], it's ''[[SpannerInTheWorks Sunset Shimmer]]'' who ultimately provides the winning edge the Rainbooms need to win.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'': Probably the earliest example in a Disney film. Honest John boasts to The Coachman about conning Pinocchio into being sold off to Stromboli as proof of "how low" he will stoop, and later indicates he's not above committing murder if the price is right. Throughout this, Coachman cleans his pipe and drums his fingers, politely bored and patiently waiting for his turn to speak. When his turn comes, his proposition of gathering boys to send to Pleasure Island completely one-ups Honest John and Gideon on the diabolical scheme factor. The two are mortified at the plan, and are even more terrified when Coachman flashes a Satanic grin that practically causes him to change form into a demon. It's at this moment the pair realizes they are in WAY over their heads.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', Johann Schmidt betrays a delegation of ''ThoseWackyNazis'' when they come to see his work (having [[ReassignedToAntarctica reassigned him to the Alps]] for his [[FacialHorror transformation]]), revealing that one of the cities he plans to bomb in his attempt to gain power with his [[SufficientlyAdvancedTechnology Asgardian weapons]] was ''Berlin''. You know the guy is evil when he becomes worse by ''[[InvertedTrope taking off]]'' [[PuttingOnTheReich the Reich]].
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'':
** In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', the Joker constantly berates small-time crooks and [[TheMafia mobsters]] for being petty and shallow enough to care only about profit while ignoring [[ForTheEvulz loftier ideals of Evil]]:
--->'''Joker:''' You and your kind, all you care about is money. This city deserves a better class of criminal. And I'm gonna give it to them!
** ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'': John Daggett hires [[BigBad Bane]] to help him in his schemes to take control of Wayne Enterprises, and realizes all too late that Bane was the one who was using him all along. Bane is also implied to have actually been too evil and extreme for Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows themselves.
--->'''Daggett:''' You're ''pure'' evil!\\
'''Bane:''' I'm ''[[NecessarilyEvil necessary]]'' [[NecessarilyEvil evil]]. (''[[NeckSnap snaps Daggett's neck]]'')
* In ''Film/HellraiserBloodline'', Pinhead berates his demon ally Angelique for trying to win John Merchant over through seduction. He thinks it takes too long and wouldn't be as much fun as torturing John and his loved ones until they give in.
* ''Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie'': Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa free [[BigBad Ivan Ooze]] from his [[SealedEvilInACan prison]], expecting him to be willing to work for them. Instead, Ivan [[EvilIsNotAToy imprisons them in a snowglobe and usurps their minions and operations]].
* Franchise/MonsterVerse: One of the main things separating the [[Characters/MonsterVerseKingGhidorah MonsterVerse incarnation of King Ghidorah]] from previous iterations is that this version is nobody's minion, and everyone who attempts to subjugate or manipulate him quickly finds that EvilIsNotAToy with him.
** ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': EcoTerrorist Alan Jonah and his partner-in-crime [[spoiler:Emma Russell]] awaken Ghidorah under the assumptions that they can control him using the ORCA and that doing so will help restore Earth's ecosphere. Ghidorah quickly proves that he's the one Titan who should never have been awakened -- the ORCA fails to have any effect on him except to make him insensate with a murderous need to kill the device and anyone near it, and he takes things ''completely'' out of the eco-terrorists' control when he simultaneously awakens and takes control of all the dormant Titans by himself. When [[spoiler:Emma]] realizes Ghidorah has no intention of restoring natural order but will instead create a human-eradicating extinction event, she's horrified to the point of a HeelFaceTurn.
** ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'': It's revealed that [[spoiler:[[EvilInc Apex Cybernetics]] are using Ghidorah's surviving skull's {{telepathy}} as the control for Mechagodzilla, a HumongousMecha which they've designed to be as powerful as Godzilla, for their megalomaniacal plan to enslave or exterminate the Titans in the name of MugglePower. If you thought this was an [[TooDumbToLive insanely idiotic]] move on Apex's part, you'd be right, since the moment Mechagodzilla gains HollowEarth energy as a lasting power source, Ghidorah's subconsciousness hijacks the Mecha and it promptly kills Apex's chiefs and destroys their base while leaving Apex's plan in ruins]].
* A major plot element in ''Film/TheNinthGate'' is that two very rich and rather nasty people -- a Satanist and a guy who [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney just wants the power]] -- are both after [[TomeOfEldritchLore a book believed capable of summoning the devil]]. Ultimately this leads to an epic scene in which the latter crashes the former's black mass, kills her in plain sight of the other cultists, and gives a rant saying "You Satanists are amateurs, only ''I'' understand the true power of this book" while they flee in terror.
-->'''Balkan:''' Look around, what do you see? A bunch of buffoons in fancy dress. You think the Prince of Darkness would deign to manifest himself before the likes of you? He never has and he never will!
* The "black" Predators in ''Film/{{Predators}}'' are bigger, nastier and somehow even ''uglier'' than the ''classic'' green Preds. Instead of hunting humans on their own turf, they kidnap human warriors to hunt them on a "game preserve" planet, in between torturing the classic ones they've captured.
* In Creator/AkiraKurosawa's ''Film/{{Ran}}'', the SettingUpdate of ''Theatre/KingLear'', [[spoiler:Lady Kaeda]] plays the same role that Edmund plays in the play, but she is even ''more'' evil than Edmund, as it turns out that [[spoiler: the daimyo in the role of Lear destroyed her entire family when she was little, and she's been in it for revenge for decades.]]
* In ''Film/TheRocketeer'', Mob boss Eddie Valentine turns on his partner, actor Neville Sinclair, the moment he learns the latter's scheme is [[spoiler: to turn the rocket-pack over to the Nazis]]. "[[EvenEvilHasStandards I might not make an honest buck, but I'm one hundred percent American!]]"[[note]]In real life, some American Mafia dons actually used their personal ties in Sicily and Italy to help out the Allied invasion -- which might have been patriotism or might simply have been a case of "enemy of my enemy" thinking, as Mussolini was really hard on ''La Cosa Nostra'', viewing it as a rival to his power. Another real life example -- during WWII, the U.S. government asked the Mafia for help in order to uncover Nazi spies or prevent them from sabotaging the production of ships which were necessary to keep up the support for Great Britain. The Mafia complied with the request.[[/note]]
* In ''Film/StargateContinuum'', the other Goa'uld [[EvilOverlord System Lords]] are appalled at Ba'al's [[PragmaticVillainy choice of a pragmatic strategy]] for the invasion of Earth by framing it as the start of a benevolent new alliance for the Tau'ri/humans. [[spoiler:His consort Qetesh assassinates him for this and orders the fleet to get back to their traditional way of doing things: obliterate every human on the planet with an orbital bombardment.]]
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** In the prequel trilogy, the most visible villains are the Separatists and the Trade Federation, and their droid armies. So in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', to establish that the [[EvilSorcerer Sith]] [[SorcerousOverlord Lords]] are the true villains, we get a scene where the newly converted Darth Vader — under the orders of [[TheChessmaster Darth Sidious]], the soon-to-be [[GalacticConqueror Galactic]] [[TheEmperor Emperor]] — slaughters them all easily—complete with a dramatic shot of Vader's evil yellow eyes. To hammer this point in, Nute Gunray (the head of the Trade Federation and the last remaining leader of the Separatists) begs Vader for his life, saying "The war is over. We only want peace." Cue Vader ''[[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath ripping him apart]]''.
** This is the entire basis for the Sith Order under Darth Bane's Rule of Two: There is only a Master and an Apprentice, and the Apprentice must prove themself worthy for the Master to pass their knowledge down to. Eventually, the Apprentice is meant to kill the master and take their place as the new Sith Master; should the Apprentice fail, they will have proven themself unworthy and the Master will find a new Apprentice.
** Topped in ''Film/RogueOne''. How does Tarkin prove himself to be an evil mightier than [[TheRival Krennic]]? Use the ''Death Star Superlaser'' to [[NoKillLikeOverkill take out the rebels]] on Scarif while [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Krennic is still planetside]], [[WeHaveReserves along with all other Imperial forces down there.]] And seemingly aiming the superlaser directly at Krennic. Not just at the area of the planet Krennic was on, but at ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill Krennic personally]]''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Music/{{GWAR}}. In many songs and albums the band find themselves in rivalry with other forces of evil, including among others the devil and a tyrannical theocratic giant robot named Cardinal Syn, who are incompatible with their philosophy of mindless destruction.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* In ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'', it's noted that, of all the {{Eldritch Abomination}}s that feed on fear in the setting, the End (the fear of Death) is the one that poses the greatest threat overall. While the other Powers all want to reshape the world in their image, they still need to ''feed'' on the fear of their victims, and as such would keep them alive. [[AndIMustScream Undying and tortured, forever]]. The End, however, feeds on the fear of CessationOfExistence, and as such needs to actualy ''cause'' permanent death. If the world was reshaped in the Powers images, no one would be born, but the End would steadily kill people until there was no-one left. And then the Powers would fear their own end, and it would feed on them, until there is nothing left and the End itself dies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
* When Victor Quiñonez arrived in [[Wrestling/{{FMW}} Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling]] from IWA Japan, he formed the Puerto Rican Army, who proved eviler than the former invaders, the W*ING Alliance, who ended up [[HeelFaceTurn allying with the FMW roster]] against him.
* The Brothers [[Wrestling/TheUndertaker of]] [[Wrestling/{{Kane}} Destruction]] pull this on Kaientai, who were specifically out that night to prove they were the most evil beings in the WWF.
* Wrestling/JamesMitchell pulled this on Wrestling/{{Raven}} in [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]], going so far as to [[HijackedByGanon steal]] [[PowerStable The Gathering]] (Wrestling/CMPunk and Julio Dinero]] from him.
* The meaning of "El Rudo de Los Rudos", though despite the claim, Axel Cruz [[AffablyEvil is a friendly guy]].
* In WWC, former top threat to the promotion Ray González has this pulled on him by the Maestro, after he becomes the manager of La Artilleria Pesada and has them lay out all of the WWC except for Wrestling/{{Carl|itoColon}}y, forcing an {{enemy mine}} situation between them.
* Wrestling/MollyHolly had pulled this on Wrestling/GailKim, who had shifted from a baby {{face}} to [[WildCard Tweener]] after it was revealed she was really only out for herself on [[Wrestling/WWERaw Monday Night Raw]] by basically promising to beat up Kim as many times as necessary until she agreed to serve Holly.
* Wrestling/DieBruderschaftDesKreuzes pull this in Wrestling/{{Chikara}} on Wrestling/UltraMantisBlack and his Order Of The Neo Solar Temple, purposefully calling out Mantis upon revealing himself, beating down his group and anyone else around who was at arm's length, taking Mantis's followers and his resources for getting more.
* Crazy {{stalker with a crush}} Wrestling/MickieJames has this pulled on her by Wrestling/{{Edge|Wrestler}}, when he and Wrestling/{{Lita}} decide they are going to take out Wrestling/TrishStratus, whom Mickie had been feuding with for half of her then Wrestling/{{WWE}} career. Soon, Lita had even won Mickie's title belt.
* El Poder Supremo pulled this on [[ForeignWrestlingHeel The Broncos, La Revolición Dominicana]] [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and their valets]] (with Rico Suave personally power bombing Wrestling/BlackRose in favor of Lady Demonique and [[Wrestling/IvelisseVelez Sexy Juliette]]) and allied with WWC's invaders from NWS and New Empire. Hans von Doering then proved himself an eviler foreigner when he laid out Bronco #3 and covered him with the German flag.
* Black Rose has been the target of this a lot. She turned on La Amazona out of envy for the IWA belt but would be blindsided and supplanted by Lady Demonique. Amazona herself would set out to prove she could be even worse than Black Rose after Genesis won the belt. La Rosa Negra was the top threat to the PWS Bombshells thanks to Vinny Vice but then was upstaged by '''S'''trength '''I'''n '''N'''umbers.
* SIN also pulled this on Jennifer Cruz, who had been abandoned by her cousin, Amber Rodriguez, for the group.
* [[Wrestling/ShawnDaivari Sheik Abdul Bashir]]'s motivation in TNA was to give people the "evil Arab terrorist" [[ThenLetMeBeEvil he's tired of getting accused of being.]] So Sheik runs afoul of Wrestling/SamoaJoe, who drags him backstage, chains him up, and tortures him with {{unwilling suspension}}, a tribal knife, and a kendo stick before warning Bashir to never get in the way of his "Nation Of Violence" again.
* Wrestling/ThreeMB have this pulled on them when they set an ambush for Triple H, only to be jumped by Wrestling/TheShield. When they decide to call out The Shield, they are instead confronted by Wrestling/BrockLesnar.
* In 2012, DJ Hyde pulled it on ''everyone'' directly involved in the Combat Zone or under its ownership, including Wrestling/{{WSU}}, with the possible exception of Wrestling/{{CZW}}'s AllDevouringBlackholeLoanSharks, The Front, who themselves pulled this on [[MoralGuardians Drew Gulak's Campaign For A Better Combat Zone]].
* After Wrestling/KazuchikaOkada joined and eventually became centerpiece, though not [[Wrestling/ShinsukeNakamura leader]], of Wrestling/{{New Japan|ProWrestling}}'s resident evil PowerStable, Chaos, he's had this pulled on him twice. First by another power stable called Suzukigun after two of its members, Wrestling/MinoruSuzuki and Taichi, ganged up on him and then again when Chaos bailed on him in the face of Wrestling/AJStyles and Wrestling/BulletClub.
* Wrestling/MontelVontaviousPorter originally returned to TNA as an investor who was tired of owners abusing wrestlers who needed the work and the fans who wanted to see a better product. He took over from Dixie Carter and all was well until he saw LA Clipper's owner Donald Sterling lose his basketball team and realized being in charge of wrestling relations might not be enough to secure his position in the company. This lead to him becoming DrunkWithPower, which led to him, Kenny King, and Wrestling/BobbyLashley beating up Dixie Carter's [[Wrestling/{{EC3}} nephew]] while basically asking her to do something about it.
* In 2015, not long before the temporary closure of March, Joe Bravo and The Gentlemen's Club did this to Director Of Wrestling Operations Savio Vega, who was basically a {{face}} by default anyway, as well as Americas Champion Mr. 450, who was quickly becoming a face by default. Around the same time, La Rabia, a group who were also faces by default who were [[ALighterShadeOfGrey "feuding" with Vega and "La Corporation"]] were beaten for the Trios Title belts by three members of the original Los Rabiosos, who had called them out as "[[PretenderDiss fakes]]". Legio would then attack Rabiosos leader Mr. Big and ultimately defeat the group for the belts with their new member Vassago ''and'' take their manager Glenda Lee while The Gentlemen's Club would find their Television Champion Hiram Tua laid out after he walked into an ambush set by Superestrella Ash, who was leading a new group called La Verdadera Revolución(a TakeThat towards WWC's Revolución). Evil aint a happy family here.
* Wrestling/CMPunk ultimately proved to be this to Wrestling/WadeBarrett, [[HijackedByGanon usurping control]] of Wrestling/TheNexus from the latter within ''one week''. Once Punk was fully healed from his skull fracture and ready to return to action, all it took was one vulnerable moment in Barrett's leadership for Punk to undermine him and kick him out of the group and to ''Wrestling/SmackDown'', where Barrett would form The Corre in an attempt at revenge. The reality is that while Barrett was talented and charismatic, he was still a rookie, while Punk was a three-time world champion who managed to oust [[Wrestling/JeffHardy another major star]] of similar standing to Cena out of the WWE entirely and almost entirely on his own. Barrett never stood a chance against that level of ruthlessness and experience.
* Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon became just as bad as Wrestling/VinceMcMahon after he usurped power in [[Wrestling/TheCorporation The Corporation]] stable from his father. When the short-lived stable "The Union (aka Union of People You Oughta Respect, Son, or U.P.Y.O.R.S.)", confronted The Corporate Ministry, they told Shane that even though [[HatedByAll everyone hated Vince]], at least the wrestlers [[PetTheDog were well-paid.]] But now that Shane is in charge, their pay is unprosperous. Shane gives a smug smile after hearing this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* An ongoing contest between various factions in the CrapsackWorld that is ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''.
** [[EvilutionaryBiologist Fabius Bile]], who may have accomplished the highly impressive task of being eviler than the '''[[GodOfEvil Chaos Gods]]'''. As he puts it, "The Dark Gods and their slaves have nothing more to offer me now, but I have far more to offer them." In fact, he was once taken prisoner by the [[TheFairFolk Dark Eldar]], but they were [[WowingCthulhu so impressed]] by his own sadistic genius that they shared some of their knowledge with him and let him go.
** [[GeneralFailure Abaddon]] also seems to enjoy showing off just how much of a nice guy he isn't, by doing things like ''destroying a ship because its captain pissed him off'' and killing a slave for ''looking at him''. It's like he had the VillainBall welded to his armour.
** Certain factions of Tyranids and Orks, two of the greatest threats to the galaxy, are currently duking it out as one of the hive fleets got diverted by an Inquisitor straight into one of the largest and fightiest Ork empires in the galaxy. When the conflict is finally over, the surviving force will be stronger than ever; the Tyranids will have absorbed the Orks' biomass and will make more resources, or the Orks will have been empowered by the conflict enough to go on a near-unstoppable rampage. Either way one goes on a rampage throughout the galaxy.
** In one short story, a Chaos Daemon possesses a [[SpaceElves Dark Eldar]] [[BadassBiker Reaver]]. The Daemon tells his host that he will use his body to cause great harm and suffering. The Dark Eldar's response?
--->"Good."
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
** The eternal Blood War between baatezu (LawfulEvil) and tanar'ri (ChaoticEvil) over which of them best exhibits capital "E" evil. The yugoloths (NeutralEvil) milk this for all it's worth. This has gone on to the point that the critters on the Good side of the table sit back and watch instead of doing anything active to combat it. The idea was born largely in the ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'' setting, which used the Blood War to overtly demonstrate how the setting was more concerned about Law versus Chaos than Good versus Evil. Some supplements imply that without the Blood War, the devils and demons would be able to present a unified front against the forces of good, which would be a Very Bad Thing. This was more explicit in older editions, particularly in the ''TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}}'' setting, as the ancient god of destruction Tharizdun actually had once united the fiends untold eons ago, requiring all the gods of Good and Neutrality (and their followers) to team up for survival. It's often presented as the point of the Blood War. Asmodeus, the first/greatest baatezu, was originally a celestial, who was essentially made to fall with a following by the celestial powers that be exactly in order to rival and combat the tanar'ri. [[MultipleChoicePast Or so he sometimes claims]].
** ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsFourthEdition''
*** Fourth edition downplays the Demon/Devil rivalry in favor of the God/Primordial rivalry, but since devils are fallen angels who overthrew their god, and demons are corrupted primordials, a semblance of it still exists. The contrasts between the two are further magnified, though, with demons being the violent destroyers of existence and devils being the clever schemers out to corrupt people.
*** The Blood War is referenced in ''Manual of the Planes'': it's been put on hold, not stopped. The devils want to make sure that it's at a time of their choosing. On the other side of the Material Plane, each demon lord would gleefully shred devils by the score, but the first one to make a move will return (if he returns) to find his layer has been divided among his rivals, who took advantage of his back being turned. An attack on certain Abyssal sites, such as Twelvetrees, by devils (or [=PCs=] pretending to be devils) could light the tinder before you can say "Fireball".
*** The rivalry between the God of War, Bane, and the God of Savagery, Gruumsh. Bane is a strict, disciplined soldier who believes in TheSpartanWay, while Gruumsh is the living embodiment of unbridled UnstoppableRage. Gruumsh wants Bane's title. The kicker is that the other gods, even the good ones, recognize that Bane is truly the more evil(he plans on getting rid of that nasty little [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill free will problem]], and sponsor Gruumsh against him, figuring that if nothing else, they'd keep each other occupied.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', the setting faces three kinds of cosmic danger: TheFairFolk, who want to assimilate the world into the sea of primal chaos that spawned it; the demonic Yozis, who want to conquer and rule the world (Which, in all fairness, [[AbusivePrecursors they created]]); and the Neverborn, who want to unmake the world into perfect nothingness. The three forces haven't clashed significantly (In fact, the Fair Folk and the Neverborn ''worked together'' once) in the history of the setting, but considering their single-minded focus and the fact that in a few years any of them will have the power to accomplish their objectives, a big showdown is inevitable.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* A [[BlackComedy humorous example]] of this trope occurs in the play and film ''Theatre/ArsenicAndOldLace'', where the [[MercyKill "good" murderers]], the Brewster sisters, are contrasted with the bad murderer, their AxCrazy nephew Jonathan. After losing an argument with his lackey about [[BodyCountCompetition which has the highest body count]], Jonathan replies with, "Well, that can easily be taken care of," and prepares to kill again immediately.
* OlderThanSteam: This goes at least as far back as ''Theatre/KingLear'' by Creator/WilliamShakespeare, which contrasts Lear's two spoiled daughters with Gloucester's embittered bastard son Edmund. They eventually team up, all planning to double-cross each other -- but Edmund, who has had to struggle for everything, turns out to be smarter and meaner.
* In ''Theatre/VillainsTonight'', Hades claims to have invented evil, and ad-libs jokes about being more evil than other villains, including "making Lord Voldemort look like Hello Kitty" and "making the IRS look like Goodwill."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': [[spoiler:[[BigBad Junko Enoshima]] justifies herself being the superior evil as part of her reason for killing her sister, Mukuro Ikusaba, in the game's finale, other than [[ForTheEvulz just doing it for the sake of an extra boost of despair]]]]. Said BigBad does this in the Monokuma form, making it a case of this on two levels due to the students not knowing their identity at the point when this happens.
* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' has 2-4. Two actors use increasingly more evil means to one-up each other, with innocents being collateral damage. [[spoiler:Until the more evil one gets his rival killed.]]
** Also, Redd White might be thouroughly and almost easily beaten by two clean lawyers, but he could keep any corrupt person, even ministers, at bay through his blackmail.
* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' loves this trope. Firstly, there's [[spoiler:Caster getting shown up by Gilgamesh (who serves Kotomine) in Fate]], followed later by [[spoiler:the plot of Unlimited Blade Works, with Caster trying (and failing) to out-evil Kotomine, who is himself out-competed by Gilgamesh (though mostly because of a self-caused VillainBall moment)]]. Finally, [[spoiler:in Heaven's Feel, Kotomine, Zouken and Dark Sakura end up in a three-way villain free-for-all after Gilgamesh and Caster are defeated by Dark Sakura, with Zouken partially controlling Sakura before he is all but killed by Kotomine and later finished off by Dark Sakura. Dark Sakura also all but kills Kotomine in the process, but as the True Ending reveals, he is still left as the last standing and his plan is again the one that Shirou has to thwart.]]
** No matter what, however, [[{{Jerkass}} Shinji]] is ''always'' on the losing side of villain showdowns. ''Always''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Aurora}}'': Tynan turning into a huge dragon and wreaking even more havoc upon the city, with none of the protagonists able to fight him at all, is totally overshadowed by the oldest dragon in existence getting offended and issuing a complementary CurbStompBattle, which is only stopped due to Dainix deciding that the GodzillaThreshold has been passed.
-->'''Void Dragon''': I can't decide what enrages me more. That you damaged my precious vessel- Or that you dared steal MY FORM! You reforged yourself into a symbol of terror. You didn't question whose symbol EARNED you that terror. You have made a mistake, little god. You will not make another.
%%* In ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily'', [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Ganondorf]] seems to consider himself this.
%%** This is made particularly clear in [[http://brawlinthefamily.keenspot.com/comic/300-asimplerequest/ this 201 christmas special.]]
%%* ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'': Daemonically possessed toaster < Blasphemy.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}'', Khrima and Eternion got into this a lot, dueling for the role of FinalBoss. While Khrima had been around longer, Eternion was the eviler of the two, and Khrima was quite annoyed by the other's attempt to capitalize on that and force him into an EnemyMine with the heroes. Ultimately, [[spoiler:the trope is subverted, as the heroes defeat Eternion and then fight Khrima.]]
* During the "Love Potion PART 2" arc of ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', {{Yandere}} assassin Oasis comes into conflict with [[DemonicPossession demon possessed]] Gwynn. The demon K'Z'K proves eviler.
** When Riff first meets DiabolicalMastermind Minion Master, they face off in a 'Madder Scientist Than Thou', until he bribes Bun-bun to show he's Eviler.
---> '''Riff''': ''He doubted my [[BuffySpeak scienceness]]!''
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''
** In the prequel comic "[[Recap/TheOrderOfTheStickStartOfDarkness Start of Darkness]]", BigBad Xykon gives a crushing TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to his WellIntentionedExtremist DragonWithAnAgenda Redcloak that makes it clear that he is far more evil than Redcloak is, and Xykon will have none of Redcloak's attempt at defying him.
--->''"It's not just about power, it's also about [[MoralEventHorizon how far you're willing to debase yourself before feeling bad]]. And me? [[TheUnfettered I ripped off my own living flesh so that I wouldn't have to admit weakness.]] You're strictly little league compared to that. That right there? That's the difference between bonafide true Evil with a capital "E" and your whiny "[[WellIntentionedExtremist evil, but for a good cause,]]" crap. One gets to be the butch, and one gets to be the bitch -- '''[[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch Bitch]]'''."''
** In the main comic, [[spoiler:CoDragons Redcloak and Tsukiko (who already had a strong rivalry in which Tsukiko took every opportunity to try to upstage Redcloak or replace him as Xykon's NumberTwo), finally went head to head and, suffice to say, Redcloak's the only Dragon again. Redcloak, who is now a good deal more jaded than he was in the prequel comic, takes the time to crush Tsukiko's worldview and make sure she dies in as emotionally painfully a way as possible before it's over.]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Nodwick}}'' ([[http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/gamespyarchive/index.php?date=2003-01-22 Yeagar's pupils arc]]) Count Repugsive was kicked out of his own castle by "someone more evil".
* [[TheHero Ja Wangnan]] from ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' invokes, lampshades and discusses this trope when he gets [[FallenHero Viole]] to help him fight [[spoiler: Kim Lurker.]]
--> "Somebody once told me that the one who beats down the bad guy is not the good guy, but an even worse guy. And you, you're the worst guy in this Tower, aren't you? So why don't you punish that pathetically evil with me. Then I'll give you this."
* ''Webcomic/DragonBallMultiverse'': The match between Raichi and U13 Vegeta has Raichi repeatedly try to mindgame Vegeta with the massacre of the Saiyans in his universe, only to be stunned when Vegeta not only doesn't care, he enjoys the chance to slaughter them all as Raichi's ghosts.
* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'': The Dark Elves had the national anthem of ''Elfland: And Screw You Too'', which included the line ''We are a race of total bastards''. Then the elven population Thief hails from usurped them, banished them underground, and stole their national anthem. Tells you something about the elves in this comic.
--> "There's a line in the song about it. It goes... 'We are a race of total bastards.'" -- Thief
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Michelle Clore and Terrence in ''WebVideo/KateModern''. One is a high-ranking member of an evil secret society, the other a psychopathic [[AllDevouringBlackHoleLoanSharks loan shark]].
* Garrelf and Beardbeard of ''Roleplay/DorfQuest'' both get declared the ultimate villains of the plot when things hit the fan and they end up on opposite sides.
* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle:''
** ''[[ComicBook/{{Invincible}} Omni-Man]] vs [[ComicBook/TheBoys The Homelander]]'': Each character is a CorruptedCharacterCopy of ComicBook/{{Superman}}, but while Homelander is much more of a petty, sadistic, asshole, he is merely a bully and a SlaveToPR, while Omni-Man is a cold ProudWarriorRaceGuy. The whole fight starts because Homelander, fearing being upstaged by Omni-Man, murdered his wife to intimidate him into leaving America. Between declaring he will [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon feed him his own heart]] and [[spoiler: proving it was NotAHyperbole]] Nolan found time to mock [[DisappointedByTheMotive how small-minded this was]]
-->'''Omni-Man:''' Country? Seriously? [[GalacticConqueror I'm]] [[TakeOverTheWorld not here for your]] ''[[TakeOverTheWorld country]]''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Video]]
* Episode 44 of ''WebVideo/AskThatGuyWithTheGlasses'' has Ask That Guy attempting to disturb Bennett the Sage. The end result is Ask That Guy huddled in the corner in the fetal position as Sage rapes him.
* In the ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' spin off series, HFIL, the recently deceased Cell is condemned to the Home For Infinite Losers alongside most of the other villains of the series. There he meets Freeza, who promptly puts him in his place (and because they're all wearing [[PowerLimiter ki-blocking ankle bracelets]], can't do much about it).
* ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'':
** UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler claims to be "a force truly evil", unlike [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]].
** UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper boasts of having committed crimes so horrible that even his opponent, [[Literature/SilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]], would find them sick and appalling. In his last line he also claims to be more terrifying than the 7/7 bombers.
** ComicBook/TheJoker also claims to be this in comparison to [[Literature/{{IT}} Pennywise the Dancing Clown.]]
--->'''Joker''': When I compare your antics to the fiendish schemes I revel in, they pale like the moonlight you can dance with the Devil in.
** UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler brags that he inspires more fear than [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Count Dracula]].
* [=LifesBlood=] Labs, the evil corporation from ''WebVideo/LG15TheResistance'', along with the good old Order of Dederah, the AncientConspiracy from ''WebVideo/{{lonelygirl15}}'' who don't take kindly to their new rivals. LBL don't exactly do anything to endear themselves to the Order either, as Sarah notes:
-->'''Sarah:''' They're so bad that they're stealing from the bad guys! That's like taking candy from a baby. Who is totally evil!
* ''LetsPlay/{{Robbaz}}'': PlayedForLaughs. In ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamVR'', Robbaz claims to be eviler than ComicBook/TheJoker. Considering Robert's love of twisted humor and gleefully torturing characters in games, he's probably right. Although [[spoiler:the Joker technically wins against Batman in the game]], Robbaz doesn't really care and [[{{Bathos}} continues to make a mockery out of what would otherwise be a scary ending]].
[[/folder]]
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