History Main / ResurrectTheVillain

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'': Slade, the BigBad of the first two seasons who ended the latter second disappearing in a volcanic eruption implied to have killed him, gets this in Season 4. At the start of the Season 4 StoryArc, he's resurrected by the demon [[SatanicArchetype Trigon]] as an undead ghoul (confirming he died in S2). Unlike most cases, Slade is successfully DemotedToDragon by his villainous resurrector, and Slade goes along with it due to Trigon promising to complete Slade's resurrection in exchange for helping Trigon bring HellOnEarth -- until [[spoiler:Trigon double-crosses Slade near the arc's end. Regardless, in the season finale, Slade successfully gets himself restored to full life]].

* ''[[VideoGame/DragonQuestX Dragon Quest X]]'' features a side story first featured from the start of the game’s 10th anniversary onwards, where the bad guys are trying to obtain the darkened Key Emblems to revive the Netherlord Nelgel, despite his death at the end of Version 1’s story. Though the Hero stops them with the help of their allies and a grown up Erju, the Temple of Remidates is seen in the present, causing him to faint. Plus, [[HopeSpot despite Razuban's defeat in the 3rd chapter while the Dark Key Emblems are sealed away]], [[spoiler:[[YouCantThwartStageOne he manages to revive Nelgel anyway in the 4th chapter]]]], [[AllForNothing making the Hero's efforts pointless]]! However, by the 6th chapter, the Hero defeats the Netherlord again, though unlike other villains who curse their loss after their revival, Nelgel had grown to [[WorthyOpponent respect the Hero as his personal adversary]], and takes his loss in stride, since he can be revived again and again, through the souls of many dead people.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'': Slade, the BigBad of the first two seasons who ended the latter second disappearing in a volcanic eruption implied to have killed him, gets this in Season 4. At the start of the Season 4 StoryArc, he's resurrected by the demon [[SatanicArchetype Trigon]] as an undead ghoul (confirming he died in S2). Unlike most cases, Slade is successfully DemotedToDragon by his villainous resurrector, and Slade goes along with it due to Trigon promising to complete Slade's resurrection in exchange for helping Trigon bring HellOnEarth -- until [[spoiler:Trigon double-crosses Slade near the arc's end. Regardless, in the season finale, Slade successfully gets himself restored to full life]].

* After getting killed in ''Film/PressStart'', Count Vile and his friends spent much of seasons two and three of ''Press Start Adventures'' trying to find a way to bring him and his army back from Hell. They eventually succeed at the cost of [[BroughtDownToNormal Vile losing his powers]] and only getting a few named enemies instead of the full army.

-->'''Chucky''': (''[[FacingBulletsOneLiner about to be shot]]'') [[LampshadeHanging I'll come back!]] [[JokerImmunity I always come back!]]

* ''Fanfic/PastSins'': A version of Nightmare Moon (defeated and basically destroyed in the second episode of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'') is reincarnated by a cult.

* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': The endgame reveals that [[TheHeavy Dallis]] had an [[KidnappedScientist enslaved necromancer]] resurrect Braccus Rex -- the SorcerousOverlord villain of ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSin'' -- to collar him with a RestrainingBolt and use him to advance her agenda. This leads to a BigBadShuffle when he slips his leash. For the necromancer's part, it's the one act he truly wishes to atone for.

* In ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', [[spoiler:the ApocalypseCult Ultimate Despair seeks to resurrect the BigBad [[HijackedByGanon Junko Enoshima]] by sacrificing themselves in order to allow her VirtualGhost [[GrandTheftMe to possess their bodies]]]].
* In ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganronpaAnother2'', it's revealed early on that [[NebulousEvilOrganization Void]]'s EvilPlan is to use the DeadlyGame to resurrect the previous game's BigBad, [[spoiler:Utsuro, however the current BigBad betrayed them and sought to steal Utsuro's RealityWarper power for himself]].

** Following Ganon's death in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'', his followers attempt to resurrect him with Link's blood during ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'', which is why Link is constantly beset by monsters. GameOver means the bad guys succeed.

* ''[[VideoGame/DragonQuestX Dragon Quest X]]'' features a side story first featured from the start of the game’s 10th anniversary onwards, where the bad guys are trying to obtain the darkened Key Emblems to revive the Netherlord Nelgel, despite his death at the end of Version 1’s story. Though the Hero stops them with the help of their allies and a grown up Erju, the Temple of Remidates is seen in the present, causing him to faint. Plus, [[HopeSpot despite Razuban's defeat in the 3rd chapter while the Dark Key Emblems are sealed away]], [[spoiler:[[YouCantThwartStageOne he manages to revive Nelgel anyway in the 4th chapter]]]], [[AllForNothing making the Hero's efforts pointless]]! However, the 6th chapter will later show the Hero defeating the Netherlord again.

** The witches Kotake and Koume, the true villains of the ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'', seek to revive Ganon by sending out the BigBad of both games to cause chaos needed to fuel the ritual to bring him back. Sacrificing Princess Zelda was to be the final step, but Link defeated the witches before they could, causing the duo to use themselves as the final sacrifice. That only caused Ganon to ComeBackWrong as a mindless berserker.

* The whole final season of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' is about Lex Luthor attempting to bring back Brainiac. In "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS3E12Alive Alive]]" he appears to succeed... except it's Darkseid who comes back instead (sacrificing a magician was needed and the magician in question was feeling vengeful), who decides to show them [[MercyKill the only mercy he knows]].