History Main / NonActionBigBad

* ''Film/TheAccountant'' [[spoiler: Lamar Blackburn]] is just a CorruptCorporateExecutive who doesn't even try to confront Wolf on his own, instead leaving him to [[TheDragon Braxton]] and his mercenaries. [[spoiler: But after Braxton [[HeelFaceTurn figures out Wolf is his long lost brother and changes side]], Blackburn is left completely defenseless and Wolf unceremoniously blows his brains out without second thought.]]

** Despite being the GreaterScopeVillain for most of the films, Cipher never directly fights the heroes throughout ''Film/TheFateOfTheFurious'', instead sending Dom (whom she coerced into a FaceHeelTurn) and [[TheDragon Connor Rhodes]] to steal nuclear weapons for her. Even when Deckard Shaw finally confronts Cipher, [[DirtyCoward she chooses to escape via parachute than deal with him.]] It gets even worse in ''Film/F9'' where her only action was piloting a drone remotely in an attempt to kill Dom near the end.

The BigBad, as everybody knows, is the source of conflict in a work of fiction, with their defeat being the main goal of TheHero which brings an end to that StoryArc. But, what exactly makes them such a threatening villain? Is it because AsskickingLeadsToLeadership (and AuthorityGrantsAsskicking)? If the protagonist is an ActionHero, he must be up against an unbeatable Action Villain, right? Well, not always. They could be extremely [[TheChessmaster cunning]], and able to {{manipulat|ivebastard}}e others to do their bidding. They might be simply [[EvilerThanThou eviler]] than anybody else, willing to go to lengths others shy away from.

* Gato in the first arc of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', which ended up being his undoing after he tried to dispose of Zabuza for failing to defeat Kakashi, only for Zabuza to return the favor by killing Gato himself. After that, every other BigBad in the series has fully embodied AuthorityGrantsAsskicking.

* {{Downplayed|Trope}} in ''Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation''. Solomon Lane is the only villain in the series that doesn't engage in hand-to-hand combat with Ethan. Nonetheless, he usually makes an effort to be on-site whenever an EvilPlan is being carried out, even if his minions are doing the actual work, just to make sure everything goes according to plan. [[AuthorityGrantsAsskicking He is also a decent shot and sometimes carries out murders on his own]]. [[spoiler: In the finale, he chases Ethan down [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} Terminator-style]], only to find he was lured into a trap and is captured.]] This fully averted in sequel ''Film/MissionImpossibleFallout'', where he personally ambushes and captures [[spoiler: [[ActionHero Illsa]]]] and comes seconds away from killing another one of the heroes, before [[spoiler: Ilsa]] manages to free herself and save him, before a engaging Lane in very even fight.

** [[spoiler: President Alma Coin]] from the third book, ''Mockingjay''. In fact, the series as a whole averts the AuthorityGrantsAsskicking rule; none of the physical characters in the series can be counted as true villains, as they mostly do their dirty work because higher, non-action but charismatic, powers force them. [[TruthInTelevision Which is how politics work in real-life, as well]].

%% * Lord Lucien in ''VideoGame/FableII''.

%% * Queen Brahne from the first half of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX''

%% * Dr. Curien, Goldman, and the Mysterious Man in ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'' series.

%% * The Kilrathi Emperor and [[spoiler:Admiral Tolwyn]] in ''VideoGame/WingCommander''.

** In the original trilogy, Morgan Fey never faces you in court (she testifies once as a witness, but there's no way to get her to reveal her involvement in the crime) and never kills anyone personally, but it's her plotting to replace her niece Maya (head of the Kurain Clan) with her daughter Pearl that leads to the events of cases 2-2 and 3-5.
** In ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'' duology, [[spoiler:Mael Stronghart prides himself on never actually having killed anyone directly, techincally doing "nothing wrong" [[note]]While he certainly orchestrated short of all of the events that happen in the games, he doesn't actually take the reels and kills anyone directly[[/note]]. With this, he manages to almost convince the jury to spare him of punshment, as he did all of his actions in the name of Britain. But like all of the criminals in the series, he falls too ([[VillainousBreakdown quite literally on his case]]).]]

Often overlaps with EvilCripple and DarkLordOnLifeSupport, where the villain doesn't fight because they physically can't. An EvilSorcerer or MadScientist who’s weak because they spent their time developing their mind is probably a SquishyWizard. Also compare TheManBehindTheCurtain and DragonInChief; in both cases, the Big Bad is only nominally in charge while someone else is calling the shots. If The Dragon knows they’re the one truly in charge and decides to do something about it, he may become TheStarscream. For Big Bads who ''have'' power but act like this until the climax, see OrcusOnHisThrone, where the Big Bad doesn't carry out any plans beyond sitting around being generally evil. This trope may result in ItsPersonalWithTheDragon, as The Dragon doing all the heavy lifting may become the hero's personal ArchEnemy.

While we can't name examples this is partly TruthInTelevision, as commanders are usually more well known for being a MagnificentBastard, and even real life badasses aren't the OneManArmy [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome that fiction tends to suggest]].

** Commander Red in the Red Ribbon Army saga is such a weakling that when his subordinate decides he wants to be in charge he kills him easily.

** Babidi in the Buu arc of ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' is a powerful magic user but is absolutely no match for the planet-splitting main heroes, relying on his minions to do the fighting. He's eventually killed when Buu realizes that being bossed around by someone so much weaker than him who has nothing to offer doesn't make sense, and [[TheDogBitesBack reacts accordingly]]. It didn't help that Babidi was [[BullyingADragon a massive dick to Buu]] either. Hint to aspiring villains, when commanding a minion vastly superior to you in power, treat them with respect.

*** Shogun Kurozumi Orochi is not a fighter in any capacity despite possessing a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. [[spoiler:When Zoro and Oden attack him, he just stands there and pisses his pants in fear, and probably would have died without someone else saving his ass. This is emphasized when Kaido decapitates him in an instant, setting the stage for himself and Big Mom to serve as the Final Boss for the arc.]]

The BigBad, as everybody knows, is the source of conflict in a work of fiction, with their defeat being the main goal of TheHero which brings an end to that StoryArc. But, what exactly makes them such a threatening villain? Is it because AsskickingEqualsAuthority (and AuthorityEqualsAsskicking)? If the protagonist is an ActionHero, he must be up against an unbeatable Action Villain, right? Well, not always. They could be extremely [[TheChessmaster cunning]], and able to {{manipulat|ivebastard}}e others to do their bidding. They might be simply [[EvilerThanThou eviler]] than anybody else, willing to go to lengths others shy away from.

* Gato in the first arc of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', which ended up being his undoing after he tried to dispose of Zabuza for failing to defeat Kakashi, only for Zabuza to return the favor by killing Gato himself. After that, every other BigBad in the series has fully embodied AuthorityEqualsAsskicking.

* {{Downplayed|Trope}} in ''Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation''. Solomon Lane is the only villain in the series that doesn't engage in hand-to-hand combat with Ethan. Nonetheless, he usually makes an effort to be on-site whenever an EvilPlan is being carried out, even if his minions are doing the actual work, just to make sure everything goes according to plan. [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking He is also a decent shot and sometimes carries out murders on his own]]. [[spoiler: In the finale, he chases Ethan down [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} Terminator-style]], only to find he was lured into a trap and is captured.]] This fully averted in sequel ''Film/MissionImpossibleFallout'', where he personally ambushes and captures [[spoiler: [[ActionHero Illsa]]]] and comes seconds away from killing another one of the heroes, before [[spoiler: Ilsa]] manages to free herself and save him, before a engaging Lane in very even fight.

** [[spoiler: President Alma Coin]] from the third book, ''Mockingjay''. In fact, the series as a whole averts the AuthorityEqualsAsskicking rule; none of the physical characters in the series can be counted as true villains, as they mostly do their dirty work because higher, non-action but charismatic, powers force them. [[TruthInTelevision Which is how politics work in real-life, as well]].

* Tal Hajus, one of the [[BigBadDuumvirate two main villains]] of ''Literature/APrincessOfMars''. Despite being the [[{{Conlang}} jeddak]], or high chief, of [[TheHorde Thark]], a nation of twelve-foot tall [[MultiArmedAndDangerous four-armed]] SpaceOrcs, he's established early on as a DirtyCoward MilesGloriosus. But the Green Martians are a ProudWarriorRace among whom AsskickingEqualsAuthority, and after his leadership and bravery are called into question, he has no choice but to face the lower-ranking chieftain Tars Tarkas (one of the good guys) in single combat for the title of jeddak. It's such a CurbStompBattle that it only takes a single sentence to relate.

* In ''Franchise/AceAttorney'', Morgan Fey never faces you in court (she testifies once as a witness, but there's no way to get her to reveal her involvement in the crime) and never kills anyone personally, but it's her plotting to replace her niece Maya (head of the Kurain Clan) with her daughter Pearl that leads to the events of cases 2-2 and 3-5.

* ''Fanfic/HereThereBeMonsters'': Dr. Sivana is a brilliant MadScientist and a good strategist, but he is ''not'' a fighter, which is because he runs away when [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} the Marvel Family]] manage to break out of their shackles and begin trashing his allies.

* In ''VideoGame/HenryStickminSeries'', even though Reginald Copperbottom is the BigBad of ''Airship'' and all routes in ''Mission'' if ''Rapidly Promoted Executive'' or ''Pure-Blooded Thief'' is taken, whenever Henry closes in on him, he always tries to ran away, relying on the Right Hand Man to defend himself. The moment Right Hand Man is defeated, he's easily subdued and surrenders without a fight. The same also applies to Sven Svensson in ''Government Supported Private Investigator'' routes where he is easily knocked out by Henry and Ellie with one punch the moment he is disarmed. However, this is averted if Right Hand Man is the BigBad in ''Relentless Bounty Hunter'' routes as he does not hesitate to engage Henry directly.

Often overlaps with EvilCripple and DarkLordOnLifeSupport, where the villain doesn't fight because they physically can't. Also compare TheManBehindTheCurtain and DragonInChief; in both cases, the Big Bad is only nominally in charge while someone else is calling the shots. If The Dragon knows they’re the one truly in charge and decides to do something about it, he may become TheStarscream. For Big Bads who ''have'' power but act like this until the climax, see OrcusOnHisThrone, where the Big Bad doesn't carry out any plans beyond sitting around being generally evil. This trope may result in ItsPersonalWithTheDragon, as The Dragon doing all the heavy lifting may become the hero's personal ArchEnemy.

->''"You see, I never had the chance to serve in battle, nor did fate provide me the opportunity to sacrifice myself for humanity as it did for so many others in the [[HopelessWar Great War]]."''
-->-- '''The Director,''' ''Machinima/RedVsBlue''

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'':
** Season 10 has The Director of Project Freelancer. [[spoiler:While the main characters are hunting him down, he does nothing to stop them except leave a bunch of Tex-bots for them to deal with]]. The page quote comes from season 6, ''Reconstruction''.

* ''ComicBook/IncredibleHulk'' villain The Leader. He may be a [[{{mutants}} mutate]], but his only power is SuperIntelligence, and he's got the physique of a string bean.

* HollywoodNerd that he is, Dennis from ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'' is inept at fighting.

* ''ComicBook/ContestOfChampions'' has The Collector. Justified, as without the Iso-8 Sphere, he's a somewhat fragile immortal. He has to resort to threats, bluffs and aforementioned sphere to keep everyone doing what he says.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''. With the bad guy being a senator, you'd think you'd only have to reach him, and it would all be over. After all, you're a {{cyborg}}. Then he goes and [[ActionPolitician starts riding a Metal Gear]]. [[spoiler:And then he further subverts this to ridiculous lengths, personally giving Raiden the worst beating he'll take in the whole game. Nanomachines are a thing of wonder, ain't they?]]

* ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'': Prince John makes the plans to capture and kill Robin Hood, but relies on the [[TheDragon Sheriff of Nottingham]] to do his dirty work. When Prince John gets involved in the fighting, he proves to be a DirtyCoward who immediately runs away in fear if he doesn't have an advantage.

* In ''Videogame/EvilGenius'', the Evil Genius character is unable to attack enemies (though that doesn't stop him/her from [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness dispatching]] {{Mooks}}).

* The OverarchingVillain of ''Franchise/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica,'' [[spoiler:Kyubey]], may be an [[AboveGoodAndEvil amoral]] ManipulativeBastard, but doesn't really have any sort of battle ability; in fact, [[spoiler:Kyubey]] gets killed pretty easily. [[ImmortalLifeIsCheap Multiple times]].

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/DaughterForDessert'', Cecilia prefers to use her nearly limitless money and information rather than violence to cause problems for the protagonist.
* HollywoodNerd that he is, Dennis from ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'' is inept at fighting.
* In ''VisualNovel/{{Melody}}'', Bethany, although belligerent, never gets physically violent. In fact, the one time there’s violence around her, [[spoiler:she’s the one who gets hit, and the protagonist and Melody ask if she’s okay when the smoke clears.]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* [[Music/TheProtomen Doug Fetterman]] in ''Webcomic/DeadOfSummer''. This may explain some of why he's evil; he didn't get any cool powers like the rest of the group did.
* ''WebComic/SluggyFreelance'': Every CEO of the evil, world-conquest-plotting company Hereti-Corp (as of 2016; there have been a couple) has been a DiabolicalMastermind (or at least wannabe) who relies on {{mooks}} and powerful minions to do the fighting and has no combat ability himself.
[[/folder]]

* The king in ''TabletopGame/{{Chess}}''. It's barely superior to a simple pawn, and spends as much time as possible hiding and fleeing (especially since it usually can't attack another piece without moving into check first).

* Darth Vader, of all people, ended up this way in the ''ComicBook/StarWarsMarvel1977'' comics. The reasoning behind this was that Lucas Arts did not want to have Vader and Luke fighting too often, lest it conflict with the movies, which the comics were supposed to coincide with.
* Most of the [[ComicBook/XMen X-Men's]] human villains like Reverend Stryker, Bolivar Trask, Senator Kelly, and Arcade, since they mainly represent humanity's hatred of mutants (except Arcade, who's just crazy).