History Main / StrawNihilist

We use "[[TheWarOnStraw Straw]]" as part of the title because it's a stereotype that rarely applies to real nihilists, at least the better-read ones. Note that nihilism in its simplest form is the belief that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.[[note]]The key words here are "objective" and "intrinsic"; one can be a nihilst and believe that meaning, purpose, and value are imposed subjectively by people. [[/note]]However, the conclusion that life has no meaning does NOT automatically [[BrownNote cause someone to commit suicide or go insane]]. Indeed, most philosophers who specialise in the subject are rather well-adjusted instead of the self-harming and/or psychotic types often portrayed in fiction, and it is possible for one can have a nihilistic outlook on the world at large, and still adhere to personal moral values. See TheAntiNihilist for examples of such subversions. With that being said, however, laymen that only understand [[TheThemeParkVersion the absolute broad strokes]] of nihilism, simply are [[TheCynic naturally pessimistic]] on top of their nihilistic beliefs do have an unfortunate tendency to fall into this trope's exact mindset, though even then they tend to be more [[TheEeyore clinically depressed grouches]] than maniacal supervillains.

We use "[[TheWarOnStraw Straw]]" as part of the title because it's a stereotype that rarely applies to real nihilists, at least the better-read ones. Note that nihilism in its simplest form is the belief that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.[[note]]The key words here are "objective" and "intrinsic"; one can be a nihilst and believe that meaning, purpose, and value are imposed subjectively by people. [[/note]]However, the conclusion that life has no meaning does NOT automatically [[BrownNote cause someone to commit suicide or go insane]]. Indeed, most philosophers who specialise in the subject are rather well-adjusted instead of the self-harming and/or psychotic types often portrayed in fiction, and it is possible for one can have a nihilistic outlook on the world at large, and still adhere to personal moral values. See TheAntiNihilist for examples of such subversions. With that being said, however, laymen that only understand [[TheThemeParkVersion the absolute broad strokes]] of nihilism (or simply are naturally pessimistic on top of their beliefs) do have a tendency to fall into this trope's mindset, though even then they tend to be more [[TheEeyore clinically depressed grouches]] than supervillain material.

* Shar, the goddess of bitterness and oblivion, is the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' goddess of nihilism. Her adherents are not permitted to hope, or to plan for the future without a dispensation from her priesthood.

* Many Christian and Neoplatonist critics of UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} accused it of being fundamentally this, claiming that its beliefs that the world [[PlatonicCave is a lie]] created by [[GodIsEvil the Demiurge]] and his archons lead to a disregard of conventional morality and a pessimistic world view, dominated by paranoia and hopelessness. Whether Gnosticism is actually this or [[TheAntiNihilist anti-nihilistic]] is up to the individual, but some surviving Gnostic texts and statements are indeed the sort of thing you'd expect to see from your stereotypical, "Existence is meaningless! Woe is me!" crowd.

* ''Every single Creator/AynRand villain'' holds this worldview, from Ellsworth Toohey of ''Literature/TheFountainhead'' to Dr. Ferris, Mr. Thompson, and the rest of "the looters" in ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''. They usually only preach it to satisfy their lust for power (as Toohey and John Galt explain, once you've convinced people they're irredeemably evil and have no hope, they'll obey anything you tell them). Toohey uses his nihilist-collectivist logic to break his orphaned niece so thoroughly that, when her former fiancé meets her years later, it's quite eerily similar to [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour Winston's and Julia's]] first meeting after they've been through {{Room 101}}. Her protagonists on the other hand are essentially {{Ubermensch}} who create their own meaning (since Rand was influenced by Nietzsche, this isn't too surprising, however she later denounced that view and formulated her own philosophy which she maintained was objective-hence its name, {{UsefulNotes/Objectivism}}).

* Many of the Creator/MarquisDeSade's characters held this philosophy, arguing that morality was an illusion, with everything tending toward destruction, so their murders or plans thereof (including perhaps the first mass ''bioterrorism'' plot) were simply in keeping with this. His version of Pius VI (the real Pope when this had been written) is even portrayed this way, as a secret libertine and nihilistic murderer/rapist. This may be the [[TropeMakers earliest portrayal]] in modern fiction.

* ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'''s Huey Laforet used to be one of these back in 1705. In a bit of jest, ''Ironic Light Orchestra'' refers to his misanthropic internal monologues as "[[EmoTeen surprisingly normal thoughts for a fourteen-year-old]]."

** In the same conversation, Balalaika reveals herself to be one of these as well, [[TheBaroness to absolutely]] [[LadyOfWar no one's]] [[BloodKnight surprise]].
--->'''Balalaika:''' In the grand scheme of things, our lives are meaningless. They're light as air...like a candy wrapper.

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'': Charles zi Britannia conceals this characteristic under the façade of [[TheSocialDarwinist Social Darwinism]] [[spoiler:alongside his wife, Marianne (they later attempt to reunite the dead with the living and satisfy everyone who's ever existed [[AssimilationPlot by destroying the will of humanity]]; [[KarmicDeath it]] [[NoOntologicalInertia didn't work]])]].

* ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'':
** To an extent, Sousuke (at least [[DefrostingIceQueen before he meets Kaname]]). Especially noticeable during TSR, after he [[spoiler:thinks that Kaname is dead]] and starts going on a ''very'' Straw Nihilist-ish rant, saying that humans are just meatbags that die.
** [[BigBad Gauron]] is a Straw Nihilist as well, albeit less [[TheStoic emotionless]] and more [[AxCrazy gleefully psychotic]].
* Shadow from ''VideoGame/GateKeepers'' is another Straw Nihilist, who's in league with the bad guys because he's disgusted with humanity's evils.

** [[spoiler:Rau Le Creuset, the chief antagonist]] in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED''. He sees that everything that happens in the [[CrapsackWorld Cosmic Era timeline]] as just another advancement in [[InYourNatureToDestroyYourselves the ways that man will subjugate and kill one another]]. It sends him into OmnicidalManiac territory. However…
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny'':
*** …''SEED Destiny'' [[spoiler:posthumously]] reveals [[spoiler:Rau]] to be a {{Subversion}} in that his argument is ''not'' that there isn't a point to life or that goodness doesn't matter. In fact, he feels humanity could do real good if they wanted to – [[HumansAreBastards they just don't]].
*** [[BigBad Chairman]] [[DarkMessiah Durandal]] and [[TheDragon Rey]] [[ManipulativeBastard Za Burrell]] are interesting variants of this. They're both convinced the world is a cold, terrible place, but are terrified of ending up like [[spoiler:Rau]]. Instead, they become a pair of {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s, out to inject meaning into the world [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans no matter what the cost]].

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'''s Shinji Ikari is often described as this trope, even more so in the manga, where he explicitly stated that he had zero ambition or purpose in life. In his childhood, when a class assignment asked them what they would want to be in the future, Shinji simply relied that it doesn't matter and he isn't interested in wanting to become anything, which angered the teacher and scolded him to take his life seriously. In TheMovie ''The End of Evangelion'' [[spoiler:he becomes an outright OmnicidalManiac by declaring to Rei that "Nobody understands me, therefore everyone must die" thus initiating [[TheEndOfTheWorldasWeKnowIt Instrumentality]]]]. Eventually however, he comes to the realisation that [[TheAntiNihilist despite all of life's pain, it is still worth living]], causing him to reject Instrumentality.

** Gendo Ikari is so like his son Shinji. In fact, his motivation is a result of his absolute grief and sorrow for Yui's death, and that he has no independent will to live and doesn't find any meaning in life. Ironically, Yui herself is an AntiNihilist.

* Nozomu Itoshiki from ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' is a parody of the LargeHam version who constantly rants about Despair. When his name is written horizontally it resembles zetsubō (絶望?, "beyond hope" or "despair"), befitting his extremely negative, paranoid and pessimistic attitude. He often shouts "I'm in despair!" and attempts suicide several times. It needed Kafuka, [[WideEyedIdealist a girl who can only see the positive in life]], to complement him and talk him out of suicide. On other occasions, Nozomu challenges his students to think about the ''negative'' aspects of something usually considered positive.
** It's worth noting that there's a great deal less reverence or seriousness than this description implies, however. Kafuka's optimism is later revealed to be the result a minor brain defect that gives her dangerously high levels of serotonin, and most of the time Nozomu turns out to have been attention-seeking or being dramatic for the sake of it instead of genuinely suicidal.

* [[spoiler:The Anti-Spirals]] from ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' look like [[spoiler:a race of]] these at first with their obsession to [[spoiler:impose absolute despair in all Spiral Energy-utilizing races]] until one realizes that [[spoiler:in the end they reveal themselves to be {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s who thinks that the Spiral races' reproduction, hopefulness, and over-ambitiousness will eventually destroy the universe, hence why they want to crush all the Spirals' hopes. So, their brand of straw-nihilism is more like extreme Malthusianism]].

** The graphic novel ''Comicbook/TheKillingJoke'', which provides the page image, created the characterization of [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker the Joker]] as a Straw Nihilist who will do anything to prove to Batman that life is one big joke and that the only sensible response to it is to give into the madness. Deep down, he is outright ''[[HumansAreBastards disgusted]]'' with humanity and his murderous behaviour — as well as his suicidal recklessness — are violent acts of protest and despair at the world and not purely ForTheEvulz, with his battle with Batman being an ideological one over who is correct. In ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand'', he once again attempts to prove himself right by plotting to [[WouldHurtAChild murder newborns]] on New Year's just so that he could [[HopeCrusher destroy the already fragile spirit of Gotham's citizens]] and give the entire city [[ToCreateAPlaygroundForEvil one bad day]]. Although his dialogue to the babies indicated he thought he was ''doing them a favor'', [[BlueAndOrangeMorality sparing them from life's cruelties]] [[EvenEvilHasStandards and promising it would be painless]]. He changes his mind due to the intervention of Gordon's wife, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness and the whole affair becomes one of the few times he stops smiling]].

* When [[DependingOnTheWriter written by certain writers]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsFrankCastle The Punisher]] is occasionally interpreted as this, most notably in ''ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX''.

** Dr. Manhattan fits this trope. His [[NonLinearCharacter nonlinear]] view of time convinces him that his own actions are predestined and [[YouCantFightFate he is powerless to change the course of events]]. His godlike perception of reality leaves him [[LackOfEmpathy unable to see the lives of individual humans as significant]]. As a result, despite being the most powerful man on the planet he just [[ExtremeDoormat does whatever the government orders him to]], because life is so devoid of meaning he can't see why it matters. Later [[TheAntiNihilist he gets better, and comes to value each human life as unique and precious because of its unlikelihood]].

* TAO from the Creator/{{Wildstorm}} Universe. As mentioned in Ed Brubaker's Sleeper: "The Tactical Augmented Organism (TAO) looked at life and saw Chaos and Order. Humanity's denial of Chaos appalled him. So he would tear it all down and fill the world with chaos, if only to watch mankind cling to their illusions as they burned around them."
* ''ComicBook/TheKiller'': The protagonist justifies his own life as a contract killer to the reader by pointing to past atrocities and other injustices in the world, reasoning that him taking out a few lives here and there won't make a difference in the grand scheme of things.
* [[Characters/MarvelComicsLogan Wolverine]]'s EvilCounterpart [[Characters/MarvelComicsSabretooth Sabretooth]] is a [[CardCarryingVillain sadistic, unrepentant, bestial mass–murderer with superpowers]] who does not consider himself a "mutant", "post-human" or anything. He considers himself a monster, plain and simple. Men have always been killers, and mutants are simply more powerful killers.

--->'''San-2 (the left head):''' ''we tried at first tried to find meaning in their screams tried to find meaning in yours there was nothing to find [...] that is the meaning we found it is nothing there is no meaning we conquered we hunted we killed every world was mindless the [[spoiler:ones who made us]] screamed when we killed them nothing left all gone lives wasted honors meaningless''

* In ''Fanfic/TheBridge'', the BigBad [[spoiler:Bagan]] believes life is a fleeting, meaningless mistake and that death is the only thing worth anything. He seeks to "correct" the mistake by [[OmnicidalManiac exterminating all life in the universe]] to free all souls from the "prison" of mortal flesh.

* ''Fanfic/ImmortalitySyndrome'' turns its sufferers into this in ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' DarkFic of the same name and its sequels. It's WhoWantsToLiveForever caused by [[CameBackWrong coming back wrong]] and remembering how you died -- [[TheNothingAfterDeath and what came after]].

** Entropy is this. It makes sense because she is literally the AnthropomorphicPersonification of nothingness and the end of the universe. While she understands concepts like love and feels them, she says it doesn't matter because everything eventually ends. Ironically, this philosophy [[EveryoneHasStandards still enables her to have standards]]--as several characters point out, being the embodiment of the end of all things also makes her the end of ''suffering''. As such, she is disgusted by beings who like to torment others in perpetuity. This is subverted in the sense that this is only one 'face' of her as a consequence of being one of the pillars of reality, other faces while still having some degree of nihilism, lean more towards TheAntiNihilist. In general Entropy ''does'' care, it's just BlueAndOrangeMorality. [[spoiler:Her Maud Pie face lacks nihilism entirely.]]

--->'''Cancer:''' So naïve to the ways of the world, so full of optimism and hope. I, however, have seen the world for how it truly is. Despair is the only truth in this world of lies and hypocrisy. This world is not worth the dirt we walk upon. Unless it is destroyed and remade properly, it will remain that way, a diseased mire, and everyone – humans, witches, and other creatures alike – shall continue to dance like court jesters to its incomprehensible whims. If you live long enough, you shall see it sooner or later, even if ''[[HopeCrusher I]]'' must be the one to teach you that.

* Tod Barringer in ''The Hunger Games'' fanfic ''[[Fanfic/AnUnsungSong An Unsung Song: The Tale of the 405th Hunger Games]]''.
* Played with in ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' fanfic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6598678/1/When_The_Stars_Turn_To_Ashes When The Stars Turn To Ashes]]'' The character Byron Parris talks like this character type (and the high-minded protagonist dislikes him for it) but is also something of a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
* In chapter 44 of the ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' story ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4096894/44/YuGiOh-Soul-of-Silicon Yu-Gi-Oh! Soul of Silicon]]'', the heroes contend with an Archfiend of Gilfer, who calls himself a Lord of Nothingness, gives several speeches about how life is meaningless, and tries to convert others to Nihilism. Part of the reason he is a nihilist is because the card Archfiend of Gilfer has to die to use its effect. His attitude is reflected in his Clear Deck, in which his cards benefit from the absence of Attributes, high scores, and cards in the hand and punish the opponent for having these. [[spoiler:After Ren defeats him, Ren points out that in trying to spread Nihilism, the message that life has no purpose, he has given himself a purpose. Archfiend of Gilfer has a massive FreakOut over this LogicBomb]].
* Shinji shows these tendencies in ''Fanfic/DoingItRightThisTime'', perhaps understandably after [[TraumaCongaLine all the crap he went through]] [[PeggySue the first time round]]. Lampshaded with some annoyance by [[GratuitousGerman Asuka]], who has actually ''read'' some Nietzsche:
-->'''Asuka:''' If you ''must'' take up nihilism then at least do it properly instead of the pop-culture version. [[TheAntiNihilist If nothing matters, why not make the best of it and try to be happy?]]
* ''Fanfic/TheInfiniteLoops'': This is a real and serious disorder that loopers can suffer, referred to as "Sakura Syndrome" after [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Sakura Haruno]] (who was a real bad case for a while, but has since gotten better). They become convinced that absolutely nothing matters, and that they can do anything to anyone at any time without any consequences. The worst part is that ''they've got a point''. The multiverse has been stuck in a GroundhogDayLoop for a very, very long time, so doing anything to non-loopers will be quickly solved by the next reset, and harming loopers can seem unimportant since they'll come back too (the difference is that they'll remember). There are a number of other mental problems caused by looping (split personalities caused by inconsistent loops, obsession with maintaining the timeline at any cost, etc.), but Sakura Syndrome is considered the most dangerous to both the afflicted and those around them.

* ''Film/TheEmptyMan'': [[spoiler: Amanda and the Pontifex Society believe that loss is nonexistent and that nothing is real to the world and that The Empty Man, an EldritchAbomination will help humanity to discover the truth of life]].
* ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce:'' Jobu Tupaki is one of these, having been overwhelmed by experiencing of all of her alternate universe selves at once. She took away from this that everything is arbitrary and nothing matters, and she is seemingly [[DimensionalTraveler jumping from universe to universe, causing chaos and bloodshed for the fun of it.]] [[spoiler:Really, she's just scared and hurt from her experience, and is seeking a version of Evelyn that will either give her an alternate viewpoint or [[DeathSeeker join her in suicide.]] The climax of the film is Evelyn and Waymond convincing her that, sure, everything is arbitrary and nothing matters, [[TheAntiNihilist but we can't let that stop us from loving each other and living our lives.]]]]

* In his ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' speech at the end of ''Film/WithnailAndI'', it's debatable whether Withnail is talking about his sexuality or confirming an absolute nihilism.
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:''

** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2:'' Ego views all mortal life as disappointing and worthless save to be assimilated by him.

** ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome:'' The [[spoiler:Green Goblin]] intersects with this and TheSocialDarwinist, as he believes that morality is a purely human construct, and that powerful beings have risen above humanity and therefore should no longer be bound by human moral compunctions and have the absolute right to do what they want, when they want, how they want, [[EvilCannotComprehendGood which he can only envision as violent, murderous depravity]]. In fact, not only can he not understand why someone in his position would use their abilities for good, but the very concept enrages and disgusts him, and any powerful being who ''doesn't'' agree with him is unworthy of their gifts and must either be pushed into accepting the inherent pointlessness and futility of human morality, or be killed as punishment for squandering their power.

* ''Film/{{Se7en}}'': John Doe believes that humanity is nothing special, the opposite of what God intended, and that only in a shitty world could people honestly call his victims innocent. [[spoiler:And in the climax, he provokes David into avenging his pregnant wife Tracy by killing him, proving that he doesn't even value ''his own'' life.]]

* Yevgeny Bazarov from ''Literature/FathersAndSons'' by Creator/IvanTurgenev is an UrExample. As often, a trope is somewhat [[UnbuiltTrope unbuilt]] because Bazarov as a true nihilist does not believe in absolutely anything and logically never does anything in the public field. Because why should a nihilist even try? He also works as a doctor and as such does good to people professionally.

* In ''Literature/AlternateRoutes'' by Creator/TimPowers, the villain is a philosopher who believes that free will and consciousness are just illusions incidental to the deterministic physical processes that operate living bodies. [[spoiler:And in his case, free will really has become an illusion, because his attitude left him susceptible to becoming a meat puppet for something from Beyond.]]

* The Old Man in Whorehouse in Joseph Heller's ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'', although he is more of the Hedonist type.

** In ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'', the bad guy Carcer is said not to be insane but rather too sane, in that he can do whatever he wants because he knows that laws and things are just arbitrary lines the normal folk draw in the sand to pretend they're safe. [[LawfulGood Vimes]] [[BerserkButton does not]] take this well.

* ''Literature/KeepTheAspidistraFlying'': The protagonist Gordon Comstock seems to hate ''everything'' - [[EatTheRich rich people]], [[KillThePoor poor people]], books, writing (he ''is'' a writer), advertising, [[CapitalismIsBad capitalism]], [[DirtyCommies socialism]], and so on and so forth. He's secretly hoping for war to come and burn all of society to the ground. In a way, he got his wish [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo three years after the book was published]].
* Lord Cronal, BigBad of the Franchise/StarWarsLegends novel ''Literature/LukeSkywalkerAndTheShadowsOfMindor''. He was raised by a cult of [[DarkSide darksiders]] called the Sorcerers of Rhand, who believe that the will of the universe is that entropy and destruction are the only constants, and work to bring this about. At one point Cronal mentally disparages [[GalacticConqueror Palpatine]] for attempting to create when he should have destroyed. He's certainly no hypocrite though, since he joined ''another'' cult known as the Prophets of the DarkSide and after siring his daughter [[VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII Sariss]], despised her for being created and had her raped by [[VillainousIncest himself]] and [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil his fellow cultists]]. All of which means that yes, there are people out there in the galaxy who are [[EvilerthanThou nastier than]] [[TheSocialDarwinist the Sith]].

[[folder:Standup Comedy]]
* Creator/{{Norm MacDonald}}. One bit he does involves pointing out everything a serial killer does which leads to them getting caught. He then explains (in a matter of fact manner) what he would do if he intended to kill someone and never get caught. He refers to the actual act as "the thing that makes me feel like God".

-->'''Patton:''' I DID NOT SPEND MY LIFE NOT RAPING AND KILLING PEOPLE TO [[TheCakeIsALie NOT GO UP IN THE SKY AND HAVE... CAKE!]] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis SKY CAKE!]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': The [[NeutralEvil daemons]] are this trope personified. In contrast with the [[LawfulEvil devils]] (who want to impose their order on the multiverse by any means necessary) and the [[ChaoticEvil demons]] (who at least find personal realization in fulfilling their unbridled selfishness), the daemons' philosophy pretty much amounts to "life sucks and then you die, nothing has value, so let's just [[OmnicidalManiac end it all]] and be done with it". This makes them enemies to all that exists, and even devils and demons [[EnemyMine will ally with each other]] [[EvilVersusOblivion and even with celestials]] in order to stop the daemons.

* [[spoiler: [[PracticallyJoker Junko Enoshima]]]], the BigBad of the ''Franchise/DanganRonpa'' series, is a [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative psychopath]] who thinks [[GoodIsBoring peace is boring]] and [[NightmareFetishist fetishizes chaos and despair]] for the unpredictability it brings. She identifies as a nihilist in the [[Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool anime]], but [[PsychopathicManchild she has a simplistic view of human nature]] essentially boiling down to HobbesWasRight and doesn't display any sort of consistency in her ideals with most of her actions just being ForTheEvulz. Ultimately, her worldview is insane and contradictory, but she both knows and ''embraces'' this; she really doesn't care what she believes so long as she gets to entertain herself by spreading and experiencing despair.

* The MO behind what [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] did to Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}} by tricking him into killing his own wife Lois Lane and nuking Metropolis in ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' is to prove anybody can have "a bad day" and be easily brought down to his level, and in this case, ''he won''. Superman gives up on his ideals altogether and swore to make the world safe [[KnightTemplar by all means]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist necessary]], [[BatmanGambit unaware that this is what the Joker exactly intended]], [[ThanatosGambit including the part which killed him]], and by the end of the game, Superman has slowly become no different from the MonsterClown he killed earlier.

* ''VideoGame/LibraryOfRuina'' has several characters who ascribe to some form of nihilism. Understandable, considering what kind of place [[CrapsackWorld the]] [[WretchedHive City]] is.

** Oswald believes that people don't actually want to hold themselves to a higher moral standard; they just expect other people to do so - which leads to disappointment when they inevitably fail to meet the piling mound of expectations. He himself believes that everyone would be better off if they would just lived in the moment and took everything in stride laughing.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'': Dr. Weil, shortly after explaining his particularly horrific [[AndIMustScream origin for his]] [[WhoWantsToLiveForever immortality]] to Zero, undergoes an immense rant about how justice and freedom are worthless ideals, and then as his opening quote even dismisses ideals themselves as being meaningless or a lie.
-->'''Dr. Weil:''' Justice!? Freedom!? Worthless ideals! [[FantasticRacism You Reploids are just machines]], but you started a war a long time ago in the name of freedom! And humans! Look what they did to me! Driving me away while spouting the word "justice!" Zero, would you insist on saving them!? Controlling the Reploids is nothing! The destruction of all mankind is only fleeting! Not quite alive... Not quite dead... Forever, by my side! I'll make you suffer a fate far greater than anything ever experienced before![...]Ideals?! WHAT A LIE!!!

** [[spoiler: Ghetsis Harmonia]] from ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' and its [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite2 sequels]] is this as part of his ''[[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist real]]'' [[ItsAllAboutMe personality]]. He believes that concepts like family and ideals are nothing but lies at best, and the only worthwhile goal in life is to pursue grandeur for yourself, no matter what. He also seems to believe that everybody in the world is [[HumansAreBastards just as evil as he is,]] but he is proven wrong over the course of the game (though it's heavily implied he's just [[PsychologicalProjection projecting his own flaws onto the entire world).]]

* In ''WebComic/ExistentialComics'', [[http://existentialcomics.com/comic/282 Nietzsche]] fails his student for being too much of a straw nihilist in saying life has no meaning. To be fair, though, this end result probably has more to do with Nietzsche being an unimaginably horrible teacher than anything else. It might just be another MortonsFork where giving anything as an answer would have counted as failing too.
** [[https://existentialcomics.com/comic/360 Another strip]] has him actually coming BackFromTheDead just to yell at a couple of his [[MisaimedFandom misaimed fanboys.]]

We use "[[TheWarOnStraw Straw]]" as part of the title because it's a stereotype that rarely applies to real nihilists. Note that nihilism in its simplest form is the belief that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.[[note]]The key words here are "objective" and "intrinsic"; one can be a nihilst and believe that meaning, purpose, and value are imposed subjectively by people. [[/note]]However, the conclusion that life has no meaning does NOT automatically [[BrownNote cause someone to commit suicide or go insane]]. Indeed, most philosophers who specialise in the subject are rather well-adjusted instead of the self-harming and/or psychotic types often portrayed in fiction, and it is possible for one can have a nihilistic outlook on the world at large, and still adhere to personal moral values. See TheAntiNihilist for examples of such subversions.

* "VideoGame/DeathStranding": Higgs fights against the UCA's attempts at reconstruction and welcomes the extinction of the human race since he believes it's going to happen eventually anyways, so why not speed it up?

* "VideoGame/DeathStranding: Higgs fights against the UCA's attempts at reconstruction and welcomes the extinction of the human race since he believes it's going to happen eventually anyways, so why not speed it up?

This trope mostly applies to a negative portrayal of existential nihilism. For an approximation of moral nihilisim, see AboveGoodAndEvil and BlueAndOrangeMorality.

* ''WesternAnimation/MastersOfTheUniverseRevelation'': After Skeletor shows Evil-lyn how big the universe is, she concludes that since individuals are so small, that they are insignificant and meaningless. She eventually decides to destroy everything because a meaningless universe does not deserve to exist. Teela stops her by showing her more of the universe and the creation of Eternia to convince her that [[TheAntiNihilist the universe is beautiful to and worth it]].

* ''WesternAnimation/MastersOfTheUniverseRevelation'': After Skeletor shows Evil-lyn how big the universe is, she concludes that since individuals are so small, that they are insignificant and meaningless. She eventually decides to destroy everything because a meaningless universe does not deserve to exist. Teela stops her by showing her more of the universe and the creation of Eternia to convince her that [[TheAntiNihilist the universe is beautiful too and worth it]].

* ''Fanfic/DanganronpaParadiseLost'': Junpei Ichikawa [[EstablishingCharacterMoment is introduced ranting about cruel actions occurring in the world and outright saying that he doesn't believe that there is any goodness in there]]. He doesn't get any better from there, with him openly betting on a TotalPartyKill, [[spoiler:and [[BigBadDuumvirate co-hosting the Killing Game with Momiji]], fully expecting to [[ThanatosGambit be killed and thus have his cynical view of humanity justified]]]].

** [[TheStoic Ulquiorra Cifer]] is a personification of this way of thinking. Throughout the series, he is outspoken in his belief that the bonds and emotions of humans are meaningless, and that nothing can come of their struggling. This philosophy becomes the center of his conflicts with both Kurosaki Ichigo and Inoue Orihime. His character poem in the twenty-second tankobon of the series is themed on the belief that the world and all things living on it are without significance. [[spoiler:Also, when Barragan identifies the "ways of death" over which each member of the Espada govern, it is revealed that Ulquiorra is the avatar of nihilism. He subverts this trope with his final epiphany in chapters 353 and 354]].

** Manga Kimblee is more or less the opposite of his anime portrayal, being an AffablyEvil [[TheSocialDarwinist Social Darwinist]] BloodKnight who believes that people are always capable of surprising you and greatly appreciates strong convictions. The Straw Nihilist of the manga would probably be Pride, who believes everything and everyone who is not himself or Father is pointless. [[spoiler:He is eventually defeated by Kimblee after the latter becomes disgusted by his lack of convictions]].

* The [[Manga/DeathNote Yagami]]-esque VillainProtagonist of ''Manga/LostBrain'' finds all of humanity worthless, until he discovers control through hypnotism. [[spoiler:One year later, he's gotten a good portion of the school under his control and successfully engineers the death of a member of government; however the biseinen inspector who introduced him to hypnotism in the first place is already on to him]].

** Fate has also shown these tendencies; claiming that everyone are just soulless puppets, etc. [[spoiler:Although he has a basis for this belief, as the Magic World, along with its native inhabitants, may have been created by Fate's master]]. Tsukuyomi was amused by the fact that despite supposedly holding these beliefs, Fate later on starts to experience human qualities like attraction and opinion, unbefitting of a lifeless soldier for a cause he may or may not believe in. The fact that she takes a nearly patronizing stance towards him after finding this out probably makes Tsukuyomi herself the best example in the series. She does believes that life is meaningless aside from the small joys that can be grasped (in her case, [[AxCrazy causing bloodshed]]). One of her lines summarizes her worldview:

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'''s Shinji Ikari is often described as this trope, even more so in the manga, where he explicitly stated that he had zero ambition or purpose in life. In his childhood, when a class assignment asked them what they would want to be in the future, Shinji simply relied that it doesn't matter and he isn't interested in wanting to become anything, which angered the teacher and scolded him to take his life seriously. In TheMovie ''The End of Evangelion'' [[spoiler:he becomes an outright OmnicidalManiac by declaring to Rei that "Nobody understands me, therefore everyone must die" thus initiating [[TheEndOfTheWorldasWeKnowIt Instrumentality]].]] Eventually however, he comes to the realisation that [[TheAntiNihilist despite all of life's pain, it is still worth living]], causing him to reject Instrumentality.

* When [[DependingOnTheWriter written by certain writers]], Characters/{{The Punisher|FrankCastle}} is occasionally interpreted as this, most notably in ''ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX''.

* Characters/{{Carnage|CletusKasady}} from ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' doesn't believe in order and morality, and kills people for fun.

* Characters/{{Wolverine|JamesLoganHowlett}}'s EvilCounterpart [[Characters/MarvelComicsSabretooth Sabretooth]] is a [[CardCarryingVillain sadistic, unrepentant, bestial mass–murderer with superpowers]] who does not consider himself a "mutant", "post-human" or anything. He considers himself a monster, plain and simple. Men have always been killers, and mutants are simply more powerful killers.

* ''Film/{{Collateral}}'': Sociopathic and deadly assassin Vincent shoves cab driver Max Durocher out of a self-deceptive rut as he forces Max to drive him to various "jobs" one night in L.A. [[spoiler:Near the end Max snaps, admits that Vincent was right and fights back, eventually killing his captor]].

* ''Film/TheEmptyMan'': [[spoiler: Amanda and the Pontifex Society believe that loss is nonexistent and that nothing is real to the world and that The Empty Man, an EldritchAbomination will help humanity to discover the truth of life.]]

** ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'': During Ultron's discussion with [[spoiler:Vision]] at the end, they both agree that [[InYourNatureToDestroyYourselves humanity is doomed to destroy itself]]. However, whereas Ultron concludes that humans deserve to go extinct, [[spoiler:Vision]] believes it is better to [[TheAntiNihilist cherish something no matter how fleeting it may be]].

* ''Film/MissionImpossible'':
** Solomon Lane is considered a nihilist since as his time as an MI6 assassin deepened his anarchistic worldview as he was skeptical about the motives of governments and saw them as corrupt and destructive organizations, all ultimately equal to their egoism and their actions, with the sole aim of leaving everything as it is — for everyone: price. In the climax of ''Fallout'', he was driven by this one goal at the time and is even willing to sacrifice his life for it — even his goal is to die, even though he has options to escape.

* In ''Film/WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin'', the titular character is TheSociopath who terrorizes everyone around him, [[IncestSubtext especially his mother]]. He [[StrawNihilist sees everything as boring, lame and/or pointless]], so [[EmptyShell he can't find enjoyment in anything]] including the suffering he causes, and hates people who can. His antisocial behavior is partially him lashing out because his disorder makes him unable to enjoy life or connect with people on a normal level (with the other part being ItAmusedMe).

* Lord Cronal, BigBad of the Franchise/StarWarsLegends novel ''Literature/LukeSkywalkerAndTheShadowsOfMindor''. He was raised by a cult of [[DarkSide darksiders]] called the Sorcerers of Rhand, who believe that the will of the universe is that entropy and destruction are the only constants, and work to bring this about. At one point Cronal mentally disparages [[GalacticConqueror Palpatine]] for attempting to create when he should have destroyed. He's certainly no hypocrite though, since he joined ''another'' cult known as the Prophets of the DarkSide and after siring his daughter [[VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII Sariss]], despised her for being created and had her raped by [[VillainousIncest himself]] and [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil his fellow cultists]]. All of which means that yes, there are people out there in the galaxy who are [[EvilerthanThou nastier than]] [[SocialDarwinist the Sith]].

** Zenos yae Galvus, son of the Garelan Emperor and the main antagonist of the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' expansion ''Stormblood'', is this. While he is a smorgasbord of villainous tropes (including but not limited to BloodKnight, [[{{Sadist}} The Sadist]], and SocialDarwinist) done to create the most detestable antagonist the game has seen so far, in the end, it's his nihilism that he uses to justify the motive of all his actions, openly stating that he believes that 'nothing on this star matters', and thus it is his right to torment and make others suffer as he pleases.

* Ghadius, the main villain of ''VideoGame/KlonoaDoorToPhantomile''. As a [[LivingDream nightmare creature]] in the DreamLand of Phantomile, he was sealed away by the good spirits of Phantomile. As a result, Ghadius became disgusted by the residents of Phantomile for only liking "happy dreams," leading him to believe that nothing in the world matters. In the present, Ghadius' goal is to [[SummonBiggerFish summon the ultimate nightmare, Nahatomb]], to destroy all of Phantomile. Ghadius doesn't care that Nahatomb's rebirth will kill him as well, and [[spoiler:actually [[DieLaughing dies laughing]] as he summons Nahatomb.]]

** The entity known as "The Crying Children" believes that everything will be stripped away from you sooner or later, and everyone will eventually abandon or betray you. So he decided that it would be best to spare yourself the heartbreak by never forming any attachment to anything. It's because said entity [[spoiler:was [[TheWoobie Phillip]], whom the Library, the Reverberation Ensemble and the Voice of the Distortion has been toying with since the beginning of his arc.]]

* [[TheDragon Ramirez]] from ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' holds to the view that all of humanity is either corrupt (stating that they are driven by greed, hatred and bigotry) or weak (showing contempt for those who are incapable of defending themselves from him, or of using what power they possess to forcibly change the world), and uses these beliefs to justify attempted (and not-so-attempted) genocide. Curiously, he also holds to a somewhat more accurate Nietzschean philosophy, given that he believes his master, [[BigBad Lord Galcian]], to essentially be an {{Ubermensch}}, stating that Galcian is driven only by the will to power and the desire to use it to change the world, and that only such a man can unlock the world's true potential. [[spoiler:He goes fully Straw Nihilist (and OmnicidalManiac) when Galcian is killed, stating that the heroes have condemned the world by killing the only person who was capable of saving it]].

** [[spoiler:[[VillainProtagonist Reyva]], should you win the final Demon Path battle, [[OmnicidalManiac destroys reality itself]]. since [[ItAmusedMe It Amused You]]]].

* Jack from ''Webcomic/AntiheroForHire'', as shown [[http://www.antiheroforhire.com/d/20041108.html here]].

* Spider-Carnage in the GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries''. An alternate-universe Peter Parker, he was already at the brink of madness due to his version of ComicBook/TheCloneSaga--being possessed by the Carnage symbiote sent him to OmnicidalManiac-level out of the belief that life was meaningless. [[spoiler:It took a meeting with an alternate-universe Uncle Ben to make him snap out of it and fight off the symbiote's control]].

* The main villain of ''The Genius Club'', Armand, rants that humans have no purpose and God doesn't exist, until the dying sage and the genius garbage man both discuss their confrontations with death. [[spoiler:In the end, he really just had an identity crisis]].

** Furthermore, there's the Doomguard, whose members know that the entropy of everything is inevitable--in fact, the core of Doomguard philosophy is that trying to hinder entropy is inherently futile and some of its more extreme members even try to hasten along the process. Again, they're not inherently evil and some of them are even good aligned, believing that destruction of the old is necessary for new things to grow and thrive.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': Archaon, Chosen of Chaos fits the actual Nietzsche mold fairly closely, believing that human society is irredeemably corrupt, and that a new form of society most be built. He thinks this should be done by killing everyone and turning the world over to {{Eldritch Abomination}}s. He also held to the unrelenting pessimism, calling all human gods lies/liars, and believing this to such an extent that he was horrified to discover a {{Physical God}} had reincarnated to stop him--despite the fact that he had just won the fight.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** ''TabletopGame/DarkHeresy'', an RPG in the 40K universe, has the Pilgrims of Hayte, a cult based around the notion that life is meaningless and thus willing to end it on a [[OmnicidalManiac scale as large as possible]]. The outer layers believe that they worship Chaos for its closely fitting ideology while the inner circle knows that Chaos is just as strict, unforgiving and ultimately meaningless a master as the Emperor--and thus, a tool to be used. Which they relatively often get away with, if you consider "despoiling 3/4 of a planet and then abandoning your cult to its fate when the cavalry arrives" to be "getting away with it."

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' there's Sync. [[spoiler:He's a [[CloningBlues failed Clone]] of a CreepyChild (according to the manga: Sync's original likes keeping people as pets) that was thrown alive into a volcano. ''He Lived'']]. His response? Essentially, [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum he wants to die, and take the whole, meaningless world with him]].

* Tod Barringer in the ''The Hunger Games'' fanfic ''[[Fanfic/AnUnsungSong An Unsung Song: The Tale of the 405th Hunger Games]]''.

* ''VideoGame/Destiny2'': The Witness, BigBad of the "Light and Dark Saga", is an unusual example. Billions of years ago, a highly advanced alien species came to the the usual conclusion about the universe being meaningless chaos and nothing mattering in the grand scheme of things. Instead of falling to despair or insane violence, however, they were ''infuriated'', and performed a MergerOfSouls to unite into an entity capable of wielding the power to reshape the universe into one that ''does'' have meaning, in which things like fear and suffering all cease to exist. Unfortunately, this is bad news for everyone currently living inside said universe, as the Witness's vision for it starts with 'unchanging stasis' and only gets worse from there.

* Creator/PattonOswalt parodies this by crossing it with the TheFundamentalist:

* A few episodes of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' paint Brian as one. In "Brian Sings and Swings," a near-death experience leaves him questioning whether or not life has any meaning, as it could all end tomorrow. He then takes the [[TheAntiNihilist opposite view]] when Frank Sinatra, Jr. (appearing AsHimself) points out if that life ''does'' end tomorrow, people should live it up today. Unfortunately, Brian takes his new indulgent philosophy too far and ends up a drunken mess (just as he was in the first place). Surprisingly, it's Stewie who snaps Brian out of it by pointing out that while life as a whole may be inherently meaningless and beyond human control, there are things within that ''do'' matter and can be changed.

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' has main character Rick Sanchez often come off as this. Being one of the most brilliant scientific minds to ever exist, Rick has traveled all over time, space and other dimensions, and has become [[SeenItAll incredibly jaded]], abusive and [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]]. It doesn't help that he's interacted with countless alternate versions of both himself and his family members, making everyone's lives seem interchangeable. However, some episodes have shown that Rick is [[StepfordSnarker actually in serious emotional pain]] and [[DeathSeeker suicidal]], and his nihilism is mostly a defense mechanism.

We use "[[TheWarOnStraw Straw]]" as part of the title because it's a stereotype that rarely applies to real nihilists. Note that nihilism in its simplest form is the belief that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.[[note]]The key words here are "objective" and "intrinsic"; one can be a nihilst and believe that meaning, purpose, and value are imposed subjectively by people. [[/note]]However, the conclusion that life has no meaning does NOT automatically [[BrownNote cause someone to commit suicide or go insane]]. Indeed, most philosophers who specialise in the subject are rather well--adjusted instead of the self-harming and/or psychotic types often portrayed in fiction, and it is possible for one can have a nihilistic outlook on the world at large, and still adhere to personal moral values. See TheAntiNihilist for examples of such subversions.

HollywoodAtheist is a similar stereotype leveled against any people who don't believe in God or religion, assuming that they are all nihilistic (and by this trope, therefore amoral) by default. Compare the {{Ubermensch}}, TheSocialDarwinist, and TheFatalist. Contrast TheAntiNihilist, who also thinks life has no inherent meaning yet reaches inverse conclusions about morality and the value of life. See also TheUnfettered--what they end up as because of their dedication to their philosophy--and VirtueIsWeakness, who believes that morality is a flaw rather than pointless (though some villains believe both).

** Creed's whole goal is to cleanse the world of [[PunyEarthlings weak people that don't have superpowers]] and rule the remaining people as King [[HoYay with Train as his Queen]]-Er, partner.

** Fate has also shown these tendencies; claiming that everyone are just soulless puppets, etc. [[spoiler:Although he has a basis for this belief, as the Magic World, along with it's native inhabitants, may have been created by Fate's master]]. Tsukuyomi was amused by the fact that despite supposedly holding these beliefs, Fate later on starts to experience human qualities like attraction and opinion, unbefitting of a lifeless soldier for a cause he may or may not believe in. The fact that she takes a nearly patronizing stance towards him after finding this out probably makes Tsukuyomi herself the best example in the series. She does believes that life is meaningless aside from the small joys that can be grasped (in her case, [[AxCrazy causing bloodshed]]). One of her lines summarizes her worldview:

* ''Manga/SoulEater'' has a resident MadScientist, Franken Stein, who had apparently been one of these for a while--we even got a flashback of Stein telling Spirit "God is dead." It is up for debate if he got better, as Spirit did seem to renew some faith in the human race, [[AxCrazy but]]...
* [[spoiler:The Anti-Spirals]] from ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' look like [[spoiler:a race of]] these at first with their obsession to [[spoiler:impose absolute despair in all Spiral Energy-utilizing races]] until one realizes that [[spoiler:in the end they reveal themselves to be {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s who thinks that the Spiral races' reproduction, hopefulness and over-ambitiousness will eventually destroy the universe, hence why they want to crush all the Spirals' hopes. So, their brand of straw-nihilism is more like extreme Malthusianism]].

** Knives' [[TheDragon Dragon]] Legato Bluesummers is one. Legato follows Knives because he believes whole-heartedly in Knives' cause. He absolutely detests humanity and finds it to be a waste. He believes human existence to be so pointless that when killing several slavers and saving their slaves he's actually surprised that he did it, add in the fact that he's stark, raving mad, welcomes the day his boss will kill him and [[spoiler:that he actually forces Vash to kill him as a final middle finger and way of breaking Vash]] and you've got yourself one of the more terrifying villains you're bound to meet in anime.

** The graphic novel ''Comicbook/TheKillingJoke'', which provides the page image, created the characterization of [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker the Joker]] as a Straw Nihilist who will do anything to prove to Batman that life is one big joke and that the only sensible response to it is to give into the madness. Deep down, he is outright ''[[HumansAreBastards disgusted]]'' with humanity and his murderous behaviour -- as well as his suicidal recklessness -- are violent acts of protest and despair at the world and not purely ForTheEvulz, with his battle with Batman being an ideological one over who is correct. In ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand'' he once again attempts to prove himself right by plotting to [[WouldHurtAChild murder newborns]] on New Year's just so that he could [[HopeCrusher destroy the already fragile spirit of Gotham's citizens]] and give the entire city [[ToCreateAPlaygroundForEvil one bad day]]. Although his dialogue to the babies indicated he thought he was ''doing them a favor'', [[BlueAndOrangeMorality sparing them from life's cruelties]] [[EvenEvilHasStandards and promising it would be painless]]. He changes his mind due to the intervention of Gordon's wife, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness and the whole affair becomes one of the few times he stops smiling]].

** ''ComicBook/BatmanBeyond'' introduces Joker King, the [[LegacyCharacter self-proclaimed successor]] of the Joker (in reality, he's the sociopathic younger brother of Dana and has idolized the Joker since childhood). However, he claims that the Joker, for all his nihilism, ''didn't go far enough'' and still cared about two things: his fights with Batman, and being remembered as a symbol of chaos. Joker King on the other hand couldn't care less about anything at all, because in his view, because no matter how hard you try to preserve your legacy, the universe will eventually end and nothing whatsoever matters. All he wants is to kill as many people as possible, preferably including his own family, then die himself. He achieves this by organizing an enormous riot with Jokerz-members from all over the country, killing thousands of people and leaving Gotham in ruins. He dies falling off a building while fighting Terry.

--->[[spoiler:'''Dr. Manhattan:''' But yes, I understand, without condemning or condoning. Human affairs cannot be my concern]].

* ''Fanfic/TheImmortalGame'': [[EvilMatriarch Terra]] would appear to qualify--she believes that the only thing that matters in life is survival, and that things like friendship and compassion are pointless.
* ''Fanfic/ImmortalitySyndrome'' turns its sufferers into this in ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' DarkFic of the same name and its sequels. It's WhoWantsToLiveForever caused by [[CameBackWrong coming back wrong]] and remembering how you died--[[TheNothingAfterDeath and what came after]].

* Agent Smith in ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' sequels. In ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'' he goes into a long rant about why Neo bothers to continue fighting him and that "Only a human mind could come up with something as insipid as love!" and "Why, Mr. Anderson!? ''Why!? Why do you persist!?''" Ironically, Neo's response is something a [[TheAntiNihilist Nietzschean Übermensch]] might actually say: "Because I choose to."

** Solomon Lane is considered a nihilist since as his time as an MI6 assassin deepened his anarchistic worldview as he was skeptical about the motives of governments and saw them as corrupt and destructive organizations, all ultimately equal to their egoism and their actions, with the sole aim of leaving everything as it is - for everyone: price. In the climax of ''Fallout'', he was driven by this one goal at the time and is even willing to sacrifice his life for it - even his goal is to die, even though he has options to escape.
** Gabriel, Ethan’s first ArchEnemy can be considered this mixed with being a MisanthropeSupreme, as his nihilistic and cynical contempt for all of humanity is stated to be his motive for doing the things he does; Ilsa says he sees killing other people as doing them a favor. And it's implicitly why he serves as the Entity's willing, even enthusiastic slave, since he sees its cold, inhuman mind as superior to himself and other human beings.