'''Basic Trope''': A character (who may be low on the SlidingScaleOfAntagonistVileness or [[AntiVillain relatively high]]) self-identifies as "evil", "a villain", or the like.
* '''Straight''': Dr. Villainous Evil styles himself as a GenreSavvy character who knows he's a villain, refers to himself whenever the subject comes up, and often responds to someone's criticisms of his moral character with a hearty InsultBackfire rejoinder.
* '''Exaggerated''':
** Dr. Villainous Evil appears to be basing his every action on what would be the most villainous thing to do.
** StupidEvil
** Dr Villainous Evil is so into the idea that he's a villain, he actively hates any villain [[KnightTemplar who doesn't acknowledge they are in the wrong.]]
* '''Downplayed''': Dr. Villainous Evil claims that he's evil, but doesn't have the [[NobleDemon heart]] to use vile methods to achieve his goals and because of this can only PokeThePoodle.
* '''Justified''':
** The world is ruled by a BalanceOfGoodAndEvil, and Dr. Villainous Evil gains power by allying with the forces of evil.
** EvilIsCool or EvilIsSexy: Dr Villainous Evil doesn't personally think he's evil, however, he pretends to think he's one as villains are popular/chicks dig the bad guys.
** Dr Villanous Evil he can't possibly find a way to justify or explain his actions as anything other than him being evil.
** Dr Villanous Evil [[FaceHeelTurn used to be good]] and also believed [[BlackAndWhiteMorality in moral absolutism.]] He refuses to give up his moral absolutism even as a villain, and because of this, he believes himself to be in the wrong.
* '''Inverted''':
** VillainWithGoodPublicity, who works hard and successfully at convincing the world that he is good and not evil.
** IdealHero, a perfect Hero.
** KnightTemplar, a bad guy who thinks he's moral and just.
* '''Subverted''':
** The heroes confront the WellIntentionedExtremist and he remarks, "Right, my only reason for doing any of this is that I'm evil." [[SarcasmBlind The heroes fail to note that he is being sarcastic.]]
** The villain has a ZeroPercentApprovalRating, so he pretends to be a CardCarryingVillain.
* '''Double Subversion''': The villain [[StrawHypocrite doesn't believe in his]] WellIntentionedExtremist motivations at all, and really is just doing it ForTheEvulz.
* '''Parodied''':
** Even when he's [[TheMole trying to infiltrate the heroes' organization,]] Dr. Villainous Evil still gives himself away by referring to himself as a villain. (Or, he would have given himself away, but such examples [[RuleOfFunny almost always]] [[MostDefinitelyNotAVillain go unnoticed]] by [[GoodIsDumb the heroes]].
** Doctor Villainous Evil considers himself a monster, [[PokeThePoodle yet he can't harm a fly.]]
* '''Zigzagged''': Sometimes, the villains are ObviouslyEvil and admit it, while other times, the same villainous characters are portrayed as [[GreyAndGreyMorality far more morally complex]], believing that EvenEvilHasStandards, [[PetTheDog liberally engaging in dog-petting]], and so on.
* '''Averted''':
** The villains may be clearly bad people, but they show no sign of thinking of themselves that way.
** KnightTemplar or WellIntentionedExtremist.
* '''Enforced''':
** It was decided that the audience [[ViewersAreMorons wouldn't be able to tell]] that Dr. Villainous Evil was a bad guy unless they gave him that kind of name and self-description. Perhaps because, [[BlackAndGreyMorality without it, there wouldn't be much difference between Dr. Evil and his enemies.]]
** The actor wants to play a LargeHam, and being a CardCarryingVillain will enhance the hamminess
** BlackAndWhiteMorality: They have to [[{{Anvilicious}} enforce the idea that evil people think they're ''eeeevill!'']]
* '''Lampshaded''': "It's really [[EvilFeelsGood quite a lot of fun,]] being evil."
* '''Invoked''': In the [[StartOfDarkness story of Dr. Villainous Evil's turn to villainy]], a major milestone was when he began self-identifying as evil.
* '''Exploited''': ???
* '''Defied''': "Yes, I was convicted in that plot to blow up the White House, but I'm really a nice guy. [[CivilianVillain I've changed, honest!]]
* '''Discussed''': "You're one hell of a scoundrel, you know that? [[InsultBackfire Wait, you probably take that as a compliment.]]
* '''Conversed''': "Why do the villains on these shows just come right out and say that they're 'bad'? It's almost as if they're [[BadIsGoodAndGoodIsBad unclear on what the word 'bad' means]]."
* '''Deconstructed''':
** Dr. Villainous Evil is doomed to a ZeroPercentApprovalRating because he never pretends to be anything but evil.
** The reason Dr. Villainous Evil chose that name is that he's actually disgusted by the moral absolutism of the [[KnightTemplar "heroes"]]. Ultimately, he ends up saving the world since he's a NobleDemon, but since he presented himself as the ultimate bad guy, no one realizes this until long after his lonely and [[AndThereWasMuchRejoicing celebrated]] death, having been bound by his own ideological image.
** Dr Villainous Evil comes to the realisation that he no longer needs to justify his actions in any moralistic fashion, since it would clash with seeing himself as the villain. This leads him [[TheUnfettered to become unrestrained in his evil]], [[MoralEventHorizon plummeting into depravity.]]
** Dr Villainous Evil sees himself as evil due to his self-hatred.
* '''Reconstructed''':
** [[LegionOfDoom The Evil League of Villains]] gains a great deal of grudging respect from most non-members because, after all, they are [[EvilIsCool cool and powerful]], and [[AtLeastIAdmitIt at least they're not hypocritical about their evilness]], like so many other people.
** Dr Villainous Evil is proud of his own evil, but is smart/clever/cunning enough to put up a facade to fool people into getting what he wants. Any kind of noble or reasonable words he says to fool or gain support are flat-out lies.
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Back to CardCarryingVillain
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%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
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%%* '''Implied''': ???
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???