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[[quoteright:350:[[VisualPun https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a479_1_53058ffe_aa15_48d2_8398_7b69714c1001.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A magnificent bastard[[note]]sword[[/note]], [[WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions as opposed to a magnificent katana]].]]
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->''"[[UsefulNotes/ErwinRommel Rommel]]... you magnificent bastard, I READ YOUR BOOK!"''
-->-- '''UsefulNotes/GeorgeSPatton''', ''Film/{{Patton}}'' ([[TropeNamers Trope Namer]])

If there was ever a villain that deserved to be called "Magnificent", that character ''is'' the Magnificent Bastard. Capturing the audience with their charisma, incredible intellect, mastery of [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]], and boldness of action, this character is a show-stealer, demanding your reverence at every turn. So what makes a character a Magnificent Bastard? Let's break it down:

* [[TheChessmaster They are brilliant]] and utterly devious, a smooth operator. They are also savvy and do not fall for obvious traps; bringing them down is no easy feat.
* [[VisionaryVillain They have a goal]], and they're not going to stop until they've completed it. Even when the goal is suicidally over-ambitious, they succeed with style.
* They are charismatic, often [[TheCharmer charming]], their personality is like a physical force. While they exist on the darker end of the moral spectrum, they never take disgusting actions that undermine their magnificence, leaving them diabolical but in a way the audience can't help but enjoy. And they are definitively not cowards. Ever.

Compare GuileHero, its GoodCounterpart. Due to misuse, examples of this trope go through the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15255322860A44444400 Magnificent Bastard clean-up thread]] before being added to works.

[[noreallife]]
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!!Now divided into:

[[index]]
* MagnificentBastard/AnimeAndManga (includes {{Manhua}}, {{Manhwa}}, and LightNovels)
* MagnificentBastard/ComicBooks
* MagnificentBastard/FanWorks
* [[MagnificentBastard/AnimatedFilms Film — Animated]]
* [[MagnificentBastard/LiveActionFilms Film — Live-Action]]
* MagnificentBastard/{{Literature}}
* MagnificentBastard/LiveActionTV
* MagnificentBastard/{{Music}}
* MagnificentBastard/TabletopGames
* MagnificentBastard/{{Theatre}}
* MagnificentBastard/VideoGames
* MagnificentBastard/VisualNovels
* MagnificentBastard/WebOriginal
* MagnificentBastard/WesternAnimation
* MagnificentBastard/OtherMedia (includes characters from multiple pieces of media)
[[/index]]
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