Heroes aren't the only ones who enjoy bonding in groups of five. Villains do it, too, and this
trope is the
Evil Counterpart of the
Five-Man Band. This isn't necessarily done to mirror the heroes or provide any sort of advantage; in fact, many Five-Bad Bands are in place even before the
Five-Man Band is. Note also that Five-Bad Bands are more fluid than Five Person Bands, open to more roster changes, and there may not even be five of them, though there are never fewer than four.
The roles in a Five-Bad Band are:
- The Big Bad - Counterpart to The Hero, or if present sometimes the Big Good. Large and in Charge, with an inner circle of mooks to do their bidding and often also an Evil Army as well. Often will be more difficult to identify early on because of the very nature of a Big Bad.
- The Dragon - Counterpart to The Lancer, or on occasion The Hero if the Big Bad v Big Good thing is going on. Usually more physical than their boss, and commonly the most trusted member of the bunch. Good for leading Mooks, and sometimes the most 'classy' looking. Much like The Lancer, in the absence of a Sixth Ranger Traitor, The Dragon is the most likely to betray the team (especially if they're The Starscream), and may bear their share of resentment towards the Big Bad*
although if there's more than one Dragon, odds are at least one will be fully loyal
. More likely to be The Hero's Evil Counterpart or Worthy Opponent within the context of the story than the Big Bad is.
- The Evil Genius - Counterpart to The Smart Guy. Operates the weapons or acts as Mission Control for the others. Often essential to the evil scheme; their screwing up could mean the entire thing falls apart. Most likely of this group to be Bad Boss'd for this very reason. Ironically, being less manically evil doesn't make them a better candidate for a Heel Face Turn, as they are often just completely amoral. More prone to insanity or other quirks than others. Very likely to be a Mad Scientist (or an Evil Sorcerer in fantasy-oriented works).
- The Brute - Counterpart to The Big Guy. If the Dragon doesn't lead the Mooks, they will. While likely not better in a fight than The Dragon, is often the most physically powerful and often the most sadistic. Likes to fight and get his hands dirty, and is usually second best to the Dragon at doing so. Oh, and they are big, and sometimes (but not always) pretty dim.
- The Dark Chick - The counterpart to The Chick, they can vary quite significantly, and is chiefly defined by looking or acting wildly different from the other members, adding color to the group. It's this member that stands out for one reason or another, and may be considered the "freak" or loose cannon of the group, particularly by her own members. If in an optimistic setting, she will be the one most likely to be redeemed and not die horrifically (and probably hook up with The Hero or The Lancer). If not, then she becomes a one part Dominatrix and one part Yandere for The Hero if she holds any type of romantic interest towards him at all. It's also possible for her to be in love with The Dragon or the Big Bad. In case a Five-Bad Band lacked a female member, they would be getting a Kid Appeal Character (in their case, a kid-of-heel character) or The Heart (in their case, a dark heart) of their own instead.
Also frequent is for the group to get a
Sixth Ranger of its own — possibly a
Sixth Ranger Traitor. Sometimes there'll even be a more classical
Lancer. Just like with the
Five-Man Band, the former can either be a
Face Heel Turn or just simply a third entity that eventually joins them and the latter is a member that undergoes a
Heel Face Turn (although the member doesn't necessarily have to join the heroes opposing the organization). It's extraordinarily rare for a Five-Bad Band to get a
Team Pet, though. However, when they do,
it will be out on the field of battle trying to ream
redshirts of the team to death or is seen consuming
mooks like treats.
In general this team is the ultimate enemy to defeat, being
equal and opposite their enemies. However, if they are a group sent out by the
Big Bad and have a leadership structure but are nothing more than a
dangerous group to cause trouble then it is a
Quirky Miniboss Squad. A Five Bad Team can double as
The Psycho Rangers, the collective
Evil Twin of a
Five-Man Band.
When adding entries to this list, please follow the order as listed above. Also remember, the individual character
tropes are very specific character types. It is tempting to match one or two possible characters and then shove other characters in a
Quirky Miniboss Squad to fit this
trope. Like the
Five-Man Band, they have a team dynamic, not just vague personality quirks.
Similarly, neither all evil Five Person Bands nor all groups of
The Psycho Rangers are necessarily Five Bad Bands. Compare and contrast with a
Standard Evil Empire Hierarchy.
Examples:
