History Main / PunchClockVillain

These are characters who have no real grudge against the heroes, but [[JustFollowingOrders are simply doing a job]] they're [[IControlMyMinionsThrough getting paid for]]. After hours, they're [[AffablyEvil totally personable Joes]] who go hang out like anyone else. Most Punch Clock Villains are not even particularly mean. Even if they are, their defining quality is that they don't really like their job (they might even see it as a chore), are there only for the reward and they more than likely don't care even for the evil plan itself. Clear cut cases, will not be bad outside their job as it would undermine the existence of this trope.

Conversely, if played ''seriously'', the emotional detachment that the Punch Clock Villain displays when they knowingly contributes to various atrocities can be chilling, and audiences may see them as a monster. Depending on the nature of the story this trope can make a villain either more relatable to an audience or more hateful. If they're employed in a violent capacity, they may be an ApologeticAttacker or insist that it's NothingPersonal.

Many Punch Clock Villains may execute a HeelFaceTurn at the very, VERY end of the film, should the BigBad totally lose it.

Conversely, if played ''seriously'', the emotional detachment that the Punch Clock Villain displays when he or she knowingly contributes to various atrocities can be chilling, and audiences may see them as a monster. Depending on the nature of the story this trope can make a villain either more relatable to an audience or more hateful. If they're employed in a violent capacity, they may be an ApologeticAttacker or insist that it's NothingPersonal.

These are characters who have no real grudge against the heroes, but [[JustFollowingOrders are simply doing a job]] they're [[IControlMyMinionsThrough getting paid for]]. After hours, they're [[AffablyEvil totally personable Joes]] who go hang out like anyone else. Most Punch Clock Villains are not even particularly mean. Even if they are, their defining quality is that they don't really like their job (they might even see it as a chore), are there only for the reward and they more than likely couldn't care less for the evil plan itself. Clear cut cases, will not be bad outside their job as it would undermine the existence of this trope.

These are characters who have no real grudge against the heroes, but [[JustFollowingOrders are simply doing a job]] they're [[IControlMyMinionsThrough getting paid for]]. After hours, they're [[AffablyEvil totally personable Joes]] who go hang out like anyone else. Most Punch Clock Villains are not even particularly mean. Even if they are, their defining quality is that they see their job as a chore and they don't really like it, are there only for the reward and they more than likely couldn't care less for the evil plan itself. Clear cut cases, will not be bad outside their job as it would undermine the existence of this trope.

These are characters who have no real grudge against the heroes, but [[JustFollowingOrders are simply doing a job]] they're [[IControlMyMinionsThrough getting paid for]]. After hours, they're [[AffablyEvil totally personable Joes]] who go hang out like anyone else. Most Punch Clock Villains are not even particularly mean. Even if they are, their defining quality is that they see their job as a chore, are there only for the reward and they more than likely couldn't care less for the evil plan itself. Clear cut cases, will not be bad outside their job as it would undermine the existence of this trope.

These are characters who have no real grudge against the heroes, but [[JustFollowingOrders are simply doing a job]] they're [[IControlMyMinionsThrough getting paid for]]. After hours, they're [[AffablyEvil totally personable Joes]] who go hang out like anyone else. Most Punch Clock Villains are not even particularly mean. Even if they are, their defining quality is that they see their job as a chore, are there only for the reward and they more than likely couldn't care less for the evil plan itself.

If they'd rather PetTheDog, they might be a MinionWithAnFInEvil; if they got into evil because the superhero team fired them for misbehavior, they may be a HeroWithAnFInGood. People using this trope as an excuse for their crimes are JustFollowingOrders; real-world examples should go there.

These are characters who have no real grudge against the heroes, but [[JustFollowingOrders are simply doing a job]] they're [[IControlMyMinionsThrough getting paid for]]. After hours, they're [[AffablyEvil totally personable Joes]] who go hang out like anyone else. Most Punch Clock Villains are not even particularly mean. Even if they are, they see their job as a chore, are there for the reward and they more than likely couldn't care less for the plan itself.

->''There are hardly any excesses of the most crazed psychopath that cannot easily be duplicated by a normal, kindly family man who just comes in to work every day and has a job to do.''

Many Punch Clock Villains may execute a HeelFaceTurn at the very, VERY end of the film.

These are characters who have no real grudge against the heroes, but [[JustFollowingOrders are simply doing a job]] they're [[IControlMyMinionsThrough getting paid for]]. After hours, they're [[AffablyEvil totally personable Joes]] who go hang out like anyone else. Most Punch Clock Villains are not even particularly mean. Even if they are, they see their job as a chore and care only for the reward and they couldn't care less for the plan itself.

These are characters who have no real grudge against the heroes, but [[JustFollowingOrders are simply doing a job]] they're [[IControlMyMinionsThrough getting paid for]]. After hours, they're [[AffablyEvil totally personable Joes]] who go hang out like anyone else. Most Punch Clock Villains are not even particularly mean. Even if they are, they see their job as a chore and care only for the reward and they could care less for the plan itself.

These are characters who have no real grudge against the heroes, but [[JustFollowingOrders are simply doing a job]] they're [[IControlMyMinionsThrough getting paid for]]. After hours, they're [[AffablyEvil totally personable Joes]] who go hang out like anyone else. Most Punch Clock Villains are not even particularly mean.

Related to VillainsOutShopping and GoodAllAlong. May overlap with ChurchgoingVillain. Compare ObstructiveBureaucrat. The opposite of VisionaryVillain and PsychoForHire. For the AntiHero version, see PunchClockHero. Not at all related to [[ClockKing villains who love their clocks]], or to villains who [[RingRingCRUNCH punch their clock]].

Related to VillainsOutShopping and GoodAllAlong. Compare ObstructiveBureaucrat. The opposite of VisionaryVillain and PsychoForHire. For the AntiHero version, see PunchClockHero. Not at all related to [[ClockKing villains who love their clocks]], or to villains who [[RingRingCRUNCH punch their clock]].

* PunchClockVillain/{{Film}}

Conversely if played ''seriously'', the emotional detachment that the Punch Clock Villain displays when he or she knowingly contributes to various atrocities can be chilling, and audiences may see them as a monster. Depending on the nature of the story this trope can make a villain either more relatable to an audience or more hateful. If they're employed in a violent capacity, they may be an ApologeticAttacker or insist that it's NothingPersonal.

* PunchClockVillain/{{Live-Action TV}}

These are characters who have no real grudge against the heroes, but [[JustFollowingOrders are simply doing a job]] they're [[IControlMyMinionsThrough getting paid for]]. After hours, they're [[AffablyEvil totally personable joes]] who go hang out like anyone else. Most Punch Clock Villains are not even particularly mean.

If they'd rather PetTheDog, they might be a MinionWithAnFInEvil; if they got into evil because the superhero team fired them for misbehavior, they may be a HeroWithAnFInGood. People using this trope as an excuse for their crimes are JustFollowingOrders.

Conversely if played ''seriously'', the emotional detachment that the Punch Clock Villain displays when he or she knowingly contributes to various atrocities can be chilling, and audiences may see them as a monster. Depending on the nature of the story this trope can make a villain either more relatable to an audience or more hateful.

If they'd rather PetTheDog, they might be a MinionWithAnFInEvil; if they got into evil because the superhero team fired them for misbehavior, they may be a HeroWithAnFInGood.

[[caption-width-right:244:[[DollyParton Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living...]]]]

Conversely if played ''seriously'', the emotional detachment that the Punch Clock Villain displays when he or she knowingly contributes to various atrocities can be chilling, and audiences may see them as a monster. Depending on the nature of the story this trope can make a villain either more relatable to audience or more hateful.

Like a [[HiredGuns mercenary]], but with none of the {{badass}}.

Related to VillainsOutShopping and GoodAllAlong. Compare ObstructiveBureaucrat. The opposite of VisionaryVillain. For the AntiHero version, see PunchClockHero. Not at all related to [[ClockKing villains who love their clocks]], or to villains who [[RingRingCRUNCH punch their clock]].

'''NoRealLifeExamplesPlease'''

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[[folder:Music]]
* Finnish songwriter and artist Juice Leskinen has depicted this phenomenon chillingly in his song ''Osapäivänatsi'' (Part-Time Nazi), where a father takes off his uniform and jackboots after a hard working day, kisses his wife and plays with his children. He demonstrates how this kind of villains usually are the most dangerous as they are fully able to compartmentalize their ethics and their actions in two neat separate boxes.
* "Just a Job to Do" by Genesis.
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[[folder: Roleplay]]
* Montoya in Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG is both a [[JustifiedCriminal justified]] and [[SympatheticCriminal sympathetic]] small-time criminal who was really only doing dirty work for a major corporation out of a need for money. The extent of his dirty work can basically be summed up as "driving a couple of stolen vehicles and covering for his partners''- still illegal, but pretty small compared to said partners. The other crooks he is working with would technically qualify as well, since none of them had any real issues with Dacta Corp. and were simply doing their job because they were being paid.
** Even Silencia Venomosa has some traits of a Punch Clock Villain, seeing as she won't go out of her way to kill someone unless she is hired to do so, and she's really only in it for the money.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Dead Boys ([[TheEmpire Coalition]] soldiers) in ''{{Rifts}}.'' The typical grunt soldier is a perfectly normal person when he's not slaughtering villages of helpless aliens or shooting mages in cold blood. The sad truth is that they've been indoctrinated from birth to believe that all aliens and magic constitute a very real threat to them and their loved ones. It never occurs to most Dead Boys that they're killing people just like them, with hopes, dreams, and their own families. Most of them can't even ''read'' (the Coalition States have a ''strong'' anti-literacy stance), and thus have no way to learn anything but what the Coalition teaches them. They are generally used as [[{{Mook}} stock villains]] in ''Rifts'' games set in or near Coalition territory, and they do commit rather horrific acts.
* It's explained by fluff that many of the "bad guys" in ''[[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}} Warhammer 40K]]'' are actually just this trope; common soldiers obeying their commanders, many times not even ''aware'' that said commanders are in open rebellion if not outright Chaos cultists. It's even worse in some of the larger ships in the Imperial Navy, whose populations can match those of small countries; entire generations live and die on them, some not even leaving assigned areas, and are so conditioned to obey orders that they neither know nor care whether they're subduing a group of heretics or virus-bombing a pacifistic pre-industrial society.
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