History Main / VillainCorner

* Charles Xavier in ComicBook/XMen, particularly the story arcs "Deadly Genesis" and "Dangerous", both of which seem to paint Charles as being both a WellIntentionedExtremist and NotSoDifferent from Magneto. [[BrokenBase Fans are divided as to how well this works.]]

* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', the wizard Vaarsuvius began showing signs of JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope after the defeat at Azure City left [[AmbiguousGender him (her?)]] suffering from BadDreams over the [[MyGreatestFailure failure]] of [[IncrediblyLamePun hir]] arcane power to save the day. It started with being a JerkAss to the rest of the party, progressed to [[spoiler:casually murdering SmugSnake Daimyo Kubota and then threatening to kill Elan]], and finally to a full-blown [[spoiler:DealWithTheDevil]] that eventually led to a near [[spoiler:genocide of the Black Dragons]] that very nearly pushed hir over the MoralEventHorizon. Fortunately, V shows signs of [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone desiring to redeem hirself]] at the end of the arc.

* Series/{{Angel}}, in Season Two

[[TropesAreTools This tactic CAN be handled well]], and can add nuance and intrigue to an established character, shaking up potential story arcs and fan expectations. But when executed poorly, [[ObviousJudas a clever audience will have them picked out from the beginning like an oak tree in a beanfield]], even if the other characters [[DevilInPlainSight don't see it]].

This new development can be either subtle or blatant, gradual or abrupt. The character can be an old friend of the protagonist, a friendly acquaintance, [[BrokenPedestal a former Mentor]], or any other type of automatically respected person; the character can even be the actual protagonist. It can involve the revelations of dark deeds from the character's past, or manifest in new actions or attitudes which go against the established grain. In any of these cases, the audience is not supposed to suspect anything evil about this person; indeed, there may not ''be'' anything evil about them, at least initially.

* In ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'', Braham is friend you make early on in the Living World as part of the new generation of heroes. After [[spoiler:his mother]] is killed, his next appearance has him acting increasingly abrasive toward the player, arguing against plans that will save people because it will come at the cost of his personal revenge, and ultimately storming off when you point out the horrible trade-off that has become his goal.

This tactic ''can'' be handled well, and can add nuance and intrigue to an established character, shaking up potential story arcs and fan expectations. But when executed poorly, a clever audience will have them picked out from the beginning like an oak tree in a beanfield, even if the other characters [[DevilInPlainSight don't see it]].

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* Jean Grey in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', due to WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity taking effect.
** Charles Xavier himself is this in similar situations in the comics, particularly the story arcs "Deadly Genesis" and "Dangerous", both of which seem to paint Charles as being both a WellIntentionedExtremist and NotSoDifferent from Magneto. [[BrokenBase Fans are divided as to how well this works.]]

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* In ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', Zamasu, the Apprentice Supreme Kai of U10, is, for the most part, portrayed as a young, inexperience Kai who truly wants to make the universe a better place, and see [[HumansAreFlawed mortals]] as not worth the god's protection since they keep repeating the same mistakes. It is not until he meets and fights Goku, and visits Babari that he begins to believe that mortals are inherently evil and dangerous, and should be destroyed for the good of the universe. He also come to believe that the Kais just watching is a sin since they're allowing evil to flourish.

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* [[spoiler:Everyone]] in season 1 of ''VisualNovel/HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'' approaches the corner very subtly, and they [[HeelRealization realize]] it very abruptly.
* Quite a lot of ''CodeGeass'' is about Lelouch trying not to paint himself into the Villain Corner... and failing miserably. [[spoiler:In the end, he just gives up and acts like an EvilOverlord so the world can be at peace when he's killed.]]
* ''{{Naruto}}'': Sasuke. Originally he was just a slightly dark [[RedOniBlueOni blue oni]] [[TheWoobie woobie]], but the [[SmugSnake actual]] [[ManBehindTheMan villains]] gave him a [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown gentle push]] toward the corner, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope and,]] [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds well...]]

* While it's no secret that Cassidy from ''{{Preacher}}'' was [[AntiHero never a saint]], beginning with "Dixie Fried" he started to act more bastardly than was common up to the point, and then came "All Hell's A-Coming" where we find out just how bad he really is, and for how long.

* [[spoiler: Gaeta]] in the finale season of the ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' remake. His motivations (and emotional breakdown) are made clearer if one has seen the webisodes.

* [[spoiler:Everyone]] in season 1 of ''HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'' approaches the corner very subtly, and they [[HeelRealization realize]] it very abruptly.

* Based on the most recent episode, Henry from ''{{Eureka}}''

* In ''SluggyFreelance'', while Dr. Schlock was always more concerned with saving his own hide than anything else, still seemed like a pretty sympathetic guy until he took over [[OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness Hereti-Corp]]. After that, a storyline focusing on him was actually titled "A Year in the Life of a Villain."
* In ''TheWotch'', Miranda West has always been a {{Jerkass}}, but when she [[spoiler:transforms Natasha Dahlet of DOLLY into a [[AndIMustScream living, sentient dolly]]]] it's a pretty sinister act, even if it was delivered to a villain. Miranda's catapulting leap into the Villain Corner continued even further when [[spoiler:she ruined the life of a young man by permanently swapping his gender and then did the same to two innocent friends of his, just to point out how serious she really is about upholding the Masquerade.]]

* Possibly Harry Osborn in the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''.

* The Ultimate version of [[spoiler:[[UltimateFantasticFour Reed Richards]]]], who had three interconnected miniseries dedicated to going off the deep end.

* Professor Xavier in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand''
** Except Xavier was right. [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Jean Grey was the correct instance of this trope.]]
** This is more accurate in the comics, particularly the story arcs "Deadly Genesis" and "Dangerous," both of which seem to paint Charles as being both a WellIntentionedExtremist and NotSoDifferent from Magneto. [[BrokenBase Fans are divided as to how well this works.]]

* This was done to Anakin Skywalker throughout the ''StarWars'' prequels. Since these came out after the original trilogy, [[ForegoneConclusion this ended up being a surprise to no one]].

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: {{Literature/Eisenhorn}} Trilogy'' uses this on purpose, to show how an Inquisitor can [[HeWhoFightsMonsters go from Puritan to Radical in the course of duty]]. It displays the slide as a series of decisions that gradually get more and more radical as time goes on (ie [[spoiler: summoning a [[DemonicPossession daemonhost]] to kill a [[HumongousMecha Titan]] - but only after exhausting all other options, even the one that resulted in the LoveInterest going into a permanent coma]])

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' does this to Griffith in the [[AdaptationExplanationExtrication anime]]. Where as in the manga, it's a ForegoneConclusion that he [[spoiler: sacrifices the rest of the Hawks and becomes the [[BigBadEnsemble Godhand]] Femto]], this fact is not shown in the anime. He's initially depicted as a quintessential KnightInShiningArmor and all around NiceGuy but gradually he starts showing progressively [[Blackmail darker]] [[AssassinOutclassin shades]] of [[KillItWithFire grey]]. Yet, even then he's never really depicted as full on villainous... [[spoiler: until the Eclipse happens]].

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: {{Eisenhorn}} Trilogy'' uses this on purpose, to show how an Inquisitor can [[HeWhoFightsMonsters go from Puritan to Radical in the course of duty]]. It displays the slide as a series of decisions that gradually get more and more radical as time goes on (ie [[spoiler: summoning a [[DemonicPossession daemonhost]] to kill a [[HumongousMecha Titan]] - but only after exhausting all other options, even the one that resulted in the LoveInterest going into a permanent coma]])

* {{Naruto}}: Sasuke. Originally he was just a slightly dark [[RedOniBlueOni blue oni]] [[TheWoobie woobie]], but the [[SmugSnake actual]] [[ManBehindTheMan villains]] gave him a [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown gentle push]] toward the corner, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope and,]] [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds well...]]

* In the ''DresdenFiles'' books, [[spoiler:Harry's mentor and teacher Ebenezar [=McCoy=] turns out to have a license to kill... and in fact to break any rule of magic he damn well wants to. However, he's not shown to abuse this power; the ambiguity comes solely from Harry's realization that the laws of magic aren't as black-and-white as [=McCoy=] taught him]].
* Delivered somewhat in ''HarryPotter'' (it turns out not quite as outright villainy, but as [[spoiler: OmniscientMoralityLicense]] and [[spoiler: really bad youthful influences]]) via a surprising instance of PosthumousCharacter.

* Professor Xavier in ''Film/{{X-Men}} III: The Last Stand''

* Possibly Harry Osborn in the ''Film/{{Spider-Man}}'' movies.

* The progatonist from "TheBrainThatWouldntDie" (as seen on TV's ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'') is also the main villain. We're not supposed to notice at first, but given his first few lines of dialogue it's rather like [[{{Anvilicious}} staring at the sun]].
** The put-upon lab assistant in this film is given a similar treatment; he seems almost sympathetic until, suddenly and quite inexplicably, he cops a nasty attitude halfway through the movie, just in time for his KarmicDeath.