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alt title(s): Motiveless Malignity
Warner Bros. announces the next Joker.
"Some men aren't looking for anything logical like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."
Alfred, The Dark Knight

Most villains have some kind of logical motive. Maybe it's money, maybe it's to improve the world, or maybe they're just the Anthropomorphic Personification of evil. Whatever it is, it makes sense that this villain is doing what he does, so you can talk the villain down sometimes.

But then there's the kind of villain that doesn't have that kind of motive. They can't be reasoned with because they're in it 'cause it's fun. Their motive for doing evil things is "because I can". A subset of Card Carrying Villain. Some Psychos For Hire follow this trope. If your motive is this, you might be a Complete Monster, but it's just as likely that you're Evilly Affable. If you do this while ignoring common sense and basic self-preservation, you're probably Stupid Evil.

Such a villain is usually really, really cool, Evilly Affable, completely horrific, or absurdly stupid. Or, (s)he may just be the victim of rampant Motive Decay. This depends on the way it's written and the context of the story.

Video Game Cruelty Potential is the Virtual version of this.

Compare If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten, and Trolls.

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