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[[quoteright:239:[[Franchise/StarWars http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the-dragon4_the-empire-strikes-back_7763.png]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:239:"What is thy bidding, [[BigBad my master]]?"]]-]

The Dragon is the BigBad's top enforcer. Some Dragons are ferocious fighters who leave [[EvilPlan the heavy thinking]] to the boss. Others are smart, detail-oriented administrators who oversee the day-to-day running of the evil organization. Either way, defeating the Big Bad almost always requires the hero to overcome the Dragon first. A common but by no means universal theme is to have the Dragon pose a physical challenge to the hero, while the Big Bad poses a mental or moral challenge.

The Dragon will occasionally commit a HeelFaceTurn when confronted by the heroes. If he does so, chances are very good that he will end up [[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork killing the Big Bad]] when the heroes [[ThouShaltNotKill cannot bring themselves to do so]]; often by [[TakingYouWithMe joining the villain in death]] as a [[RedemptionEqualsDeath final act of redemption]]. If, instead, his HeelFaceTurn comes earlier in the series, he may redeem himself and join TheTeam.

The Dragon is an integral part of the FiveBadBand dynamic. If there's a QuirkyMinibossSquad, the Dragon is often the [[TheLeader unofficial leader.]]

Please note that effectively being the Big Bad's secretary, or constantly hanging around them is not enough to be a Dragon. This role is somebody the Big Bad can rely on ([[TheStarscream or thinks they can rely on]]) in a time of trouble to step up and beat the living heck out of TheHero, or [[NumberTwo maybe just take charge for a while, should the Big Bad not be around to do the job.]]

{{Trope}}s related to Dragons:
* CoDragons - Two or more characters split the Dragon role between them.
* DemotedToDragon - A previous Big Bad is revealed to be, or is reduced to being, the Dragon to another villain.
* DevourTheDragon - The Big Bad kills the Dragon in order to become stronger.
* DragonAscendant - When he takes over from the Big Bad after the latter is defeated or leaves.
* DragonInChief - When he is ''more'' dangerous than the Big Bad and the ''de facto'' main villain of the story. Like DragonWithAnAgenda, may be the ManBehindTheMan. Not to be confused with TheHeavy.
* DragonTheirFeet - When the BigBad is defeated or killed first. TheDragon may or may not show up afterwards to rescue or {{aveng|ingTheVillain}}e him, but he might just take his business elsewhere.
* DragonWithAnAgenda - When he has different goals from the Big Bad. If those goals are mutually exclusive, TheStarscream, RuleOfTwo or DragonInChief may be in play.
* TheHeavy - The "active" villain that drives most of the plot. This is more often the Dragon than the Big Bad, since most authors want to keep the Big Bad in the background and mysterious for most of the story. Not to be confused with DragonInChief.
* NobleTopEnforcer - When the Dragon is an AntiVillain that is considerably more virtuous than his master. Likely to turn on the Big Bad if their actions piss him off enough.
* NumberTwoForBrains - When the Dragon is an idiot.
* RuleOfTwo - A standard Big Bad and Dragon dynamic where betrayal is expected, and often inevitable.
* TheStarscream - A traitorous Dragon.
* VillainousFriendship - When a Dragon is good friends with the Big Bad.

The term "dragon" originates from folklore where the hero will often fight a ''genuine'' dragon before fighting the more intelligent but weaker Big Bad and described as such in "Literature/TheHeroWithAThousandFaces", a non-fiction comparison of various fantasy heroes written by Joseph Campbell. Hence, dragons (or stand-ins for them) are often portrayed as a Big Bad's second-in-command.

For literal dragons and their permutations, see OurDragonsAreDifferent. Not to be confused with DragonLady, who is more likely to be a Big Bad than the Dragon, or ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'', which was a magazine. Definitely not to be confused with TheSavageDragon. The heroic version of this trope is NumberTwo or TheLancer, or TheHero in a BigGood vs Big Bad scenario. See also: TheManBehindTheMan, HypercompetentSidekick, PsychoForHire, TheConsigliere.

[[noreallife]]
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!!Examples

[[index]]
* TheDragon/AnimeAndManga
* TheDragon/BoardGames
* TheDragon/CardGames
* TheDragon/ComicBooks
* TheDragon/{{Fanfic}}
* TheDragon/{{Film}}
* TheDragon/{{History}}
* TheDragon/{{Literature}}
* TheDragon/LiveActionTV
* TheDragon/{{Music}}
* TheDragon/ProfessionalWrestling
* TheDragon/{{Radio}}
* TheDragon/TabletopGames
* TheDragon/VideoGames
* TheDragon/WebAnimation
* TheDragon/{{Webcomics}}
* TheDragon/WebOriginal
* TheDragon/WesternAnimation
[[/index]]

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