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alt title(s): Maniacal Laugh
You know you're in trouble when their laughter begins with 'Nya'.
You don't understand a thing. Laughing is a very important aspect of being the Overlord.
Laharl, Disgaea

Ha ha ha! Mine is an evil laugh!
Wash's Tyrannosaurus rex, Firefly

I find her happiness quite disturbing.
Sōsuke Sagara on Melissa Mao's Evil Laugh, Full Metal Panic.

Your Applied Phlebotinum doomsday device has been activated. The MacGuffin is within your grasp. The good guys are locked away in the Death Trap. Your circuitous Evil Plan is three-quarters complete! You know what, screw being the Evil Overlord of the world - you're already a god. There is only one thing left for you to do - but first things first:

Muahahahahaha... Muahahahahahaha... Muahahahahahaha!.

The Evil Laugh. Don't knock it 'til you tried it, folks.

There are only a few characters who are able to get away with this in modern media:

In any case, it has since devolved to the occasional evil chuckle (which may or may not be a bit scarier) or so every once in a while, except in certain cases, and the trope of laughing while your victim is helpless is definitely dead, as modern villains usually laugh while they work (to much better effect). A common subversion is to have a villain have an Un Evil Laugh, with snorting, chuckling and squeaking. On the other hand, it's also an extreme Undead Horse Trope, and if you can pull it off, you're encouraged to go for it.

In Anime, haughty female villains (as well as some male ones) will overlap this with Noblewomans Laugh. Other villains, for reasons known only to themselves, go for the Giggling Villain approach. Often goes well with Drunk On The Dark Side.

It's even more jarring (and awesome) when the villain in question is an emotionless character, proving Evil Has A Bad Sense Of Humor every which way.

Just remember, you Genre Savvy villains, the Evil Overlord List:
20. Despite its proven stress-relieving effect, I will not indulge in maniacal laughter. When so occupied, it's too easy to miss unexpected developments that a more attentive individual could adjust to accordingly.

Compare Noblewomans Laugh.

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Muahaha...