History Main / EvenEvilHasStandards

[[caption-width-right:350:Even if you're a [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker psycho clown]], nobody likes a [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull Nazi]]. And even Joker still cares about the American way.]]

* In "Graciosa and Percinet", WickedStepmother Grognon calls upon a fairy nearly as wicked as herself to give impossible tasks to Princess Graciosa. The fairy, who has no idea who she's punishing, is horrified when Graciosa arrives at the fairy palace later and reveals she was the victim. The fairy promptly [[KarmicDeath snaps Grognon's neck]].

Can even involve ConscienceMakesYouGoBack, SuddenPrincipledStand, WontDoYourDirtyWork. See also EvilVirtues and VillainousValour, for good traits and virtues that villains commonly practice. The inversions of this trope are WellIntentionedExtremist and UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans, when it turns out that ''goodness'' is willingly crossing the MoralEventHorizon. This trope is a common trait in AffablyEvil characters. On the other hand, while FauxAffablyEvil villains do not possess much sincerity, even they could conceivably have their limits. A SubTrope of EveryoneHasStandards.

It's often to show that a new villain is ''really'' [[SlidingScaleOfAntagonistVileness bad]] if even [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Doctor]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Annihilation]] is appalled by them. Another way that it's used is to keep a villain safely on the "still sympathetic" side of the MoralEventHorizon; give him something that he simply ''will not do''. It may be specifically invoked to prove that it's OK for our hero to [[EnemyMine work with]] villains who have standards when the need is great enough. This can be strange if handled badly, with one character objecting to someone's crossing a line even if they have crossed many, many others, leading to confusion and possibly an unintentional edge into BlueAndOrangeMorality. Why, after all, should a criminal think shooting a [[NominalImportance particular single orphan]] be worse than killing every single orphan in the ThrowawayCountry, or a serial killer be upset by petty theft, or...? This might be deliberate however, in order to show the MoralMyopia of the villains and make the viewers question what is right, what is wrong, and if there even is such a thing as “more wrong”. Also to show how complex human beings can be, what is acceptable for them and what drives them to make different choices in different scenarios. It is particularly ironic when two characters display this and their different understanding of morality by objecting to each other's crossing.

* In the ''Podcast/SickSadWorld'' episode "Haunted Mansions", it's mentioned that Madam [=LaLaurie's=] treatment of people she had enslaved was considered awful by other people in her social circles. As Jasmine and Mari note, these were people who didn't have moral issues with slavery and still thought [=LaLaurie=] was needed to be stopped.

IGaveMyWord is another common variant, which may let the heroes agree to CombatByChampion. Some villains may maintain their standards through use of a [[HeroicVow Villainous Vow]]. "YouMonster" is also a common vow when this trope is in effect.

->"I'll kill a man in a fair fight. Or if I think he's gonna start a fair fight. Or if he bothers me. Or if there's a woman. Or if I'm gettin' paid. Mostly when I'm gettin' paid... but ''eating people alive?'' Where's ''that'' get fun?"

* In ''ComicStrip/{{BloomCounty}}'', Opus suggests to an out-of-work Steve Dallas that he take up cartooning. He angrily replies, "I have '''some''' scruples, dude!"

** Catbert is called the "Evil Director of Human Resources", but in [[http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2014-01-24/ this strip]], he clearly can't side with the clearly incompetent CEO against Alice.

The most common taboos of this type in contemporary Western works involve [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil sexual violence]] or [[WouldntHurtAChild ill-treatment of children]]. [[PaedoHunt Or both at once]]. Common gangster-story examples are to have the NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters, by contrast with the RuthlessForeignGangsters, refuse to [[DrugsAreBad sell illegal drugs]] or to be disrespectful and abusive in their treatment of the [[UnproblematicProstitution women who they pimp]]. If your story takes place in a MobWar where [[BlackAndGreyMorality one side is slightly better than the other]], it's most likely because the "[[NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters good]]" side has standards. In older works, or historical fiction with authentic moral attitudes, common examples are breaches of SacredHospitality, treachery against [[MyMasterRightOrWrong one's leader]], or general [[IGaveMyWord breaches of oaths]].

[[caption-width-right:350:Even if you're [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker a psycho clown]], nobody likes [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull a Nazi]]. And even Joker still cares about the American way.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Even if you're [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker a psycho clown]], nobody likes [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull a Nazi]].]]

The CompleteMonster in particular has a tendency to provoke invocations of this trope on the part of other villains, due to having next to zero moral standards (if that, and even then they're never treated as a mitigating factor for their ilk) and committing atrocities even their fellow villains see as vile. Complete Monsters themselves '''can never''' play this trope unless the example is either {{subverted|Trope}} later or PlayedForLaughs, as they will stoop to whatever low they can to carry out their goals.

The CompleteMonster in particular has a tendency to provoke invocations of this trope on the part of other villains, due to having next to zero moral standards (if that, and even then they're never treated as a mitigating factor for their ilk) and generally being the absolute worst when it comes to villainy. Complete Monsters themselves '''can never''' play this trope unless the example is either {{subverted|Trope}} later or PlayedForLaughs, as they will stoop to whatever low they can to carry out their goals.

Can even involve ConscienceMakesYouGoBack, SuddenPrincipledStand. See also EvilVirtues and VillainousValour, for good traits and virtues that villains commonly practice. The inversions of this trope are WellIntentionedExtremist and UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans, when it turns out that ''goodness'' is willingly crossing the MoralEventHorizon. This trope is a common trait in AffablyEvil characters. On the other hand, while FauxAffablyEvil villains do not possess much sincerity, even they could conceivably have their limits. A SubTrope of EveryoneHasStandards.

[[caption-width-right:350:Even if you're [[ComicBook/TheJoker a psycho clown]], nobody likes a Nazi.]]

'''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease'''

** EvenEvilHasStandards/SCPFoundation

[[caption-width-right:350:Even if you're [[ComicBook/TheJoker a psycho clown]], nobody likes a nazi.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Even if you're ''ComicBook/TheJoker a psycho clown'', nobody likes a nazi.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Even if you're a''ComicBook/TheJoker a psycho clown'', nobody likes a nazi.]]

[[caption-width-right:350: When something appalls ''[[ComicBook/TheJoker the Joker]],'' you know [[{{Understatement}} it’s bad news.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350: When something appalls
[[ComicBook/TheJoker the Joker]], you know [[{{Understatement}} it’s bad news.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350: When something appalls ‘

’[[ComicBook/TheJoker the Joker]],’ you know [[{{Understatement}} it’s bad news.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350: When something appalls ‘’[[ComicBook/TheJoker the Joker]],’’ you know [[{{Understatement}} it’s bad news.]]]]