History Main / VisionaryVillain

* The Ur-Quan Kzer-Za from ''VideoGame/StarControlII'' believe that enslaving every race they meet is in the service of the [[WellIntentionedExtremist greater good]]. The Kzer-Za are protecting themselves from potential threats in these other races (they had a bad experience) and protecting their slaves from their OmnicidalManiac cousins and possibly other, more sinister threats as well. Any slaves who resent this treatment just aren't seeing the big picture.

* [[spoiler:Waternoose]] in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'' intends to solve the looming energy crisis in the monsters' world and simultaneously revolutionize the scaring industry [[spoiler: by kidnapping children and forcibly extracting their screams.]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': Lex Luthor is thoroughly convinced that he has humanity's best interests in mind in everything he does and that humanity's [[HoldingOutForAHero reliance]] on Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}} shackles them. However, he devotes his time to trying to destroy Superman even though, as the Man of Steel himself notes, if Lex wanted to, he could've saved the world ''years'' ago. Some versions of him are more visionary than others.
* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': Ra's Al-Ghul is both Characters/{{Batman|TheCharacter}}'s most formidable enemy and the most visionary one. He sees humanity as a blight on Earth, and that the population needs to be culled for the good of the planet. Imagine someone taking Creator/DavidAttenborough's "controlling the population to allow the survival of the environment" quote and taking it to its extreme conclusion. He sees no one else but Batman as worthy enough to continue his legacy, though at the same time, he refuses to die and will do anything to avoid it.
* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': [[spoiler:Ozymandias slaughtered half of New York, killing millions, in an attempt to save the rest of the world from a nuclear apocalypse]]. Though as [[spoiler:ComicBook/DoomsdayClock shows, he ends up failing when the plan is revealed and now he has a new plan involving killing ''both'' Dr. Manhattan and Superman]].
* Characters/{{Ma|rvelComicsMagneto}}gneto, at his most AntiVillain, wants only to prevent mutantkind from undergoing the same persecution he did in WWII. Sometimes this means creating a private island / satellite for mutants, other times it means actively subjugating the human race to ensure they will never be a threat.
* [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] believes to the very core of his being that what he's doing [[KnightTemplar is right]]. He's looked in the future (His words) and only saw one potential future where everything ends up well, and that's under his reign, as per Doomwar. Likewise, his UltimateUniverse counterpart [[spoiler:is ''not'' this trope, but in fact Ultimate Reed Richards is]]!
* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW'': Megatron started out as a working-class revolutionary seeking to end the unjust segregation of Cybertronian society and topple the tyrannical government. Ironically for someone who kicked off a civil war that would last millions of years, he actually got his start writing seditious papers and advocating peaceful reform. Then [[SociopathicHero Whirl]] gave him a [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown hands-on demonstration]] on the effective use of violence.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Monstress}}'', the Lord Doctor [[spoiler:(Maika's father)]] claims that he wants to TakeOverTheWorld so that he can then restore the long-lost golden age of the Shaman-Empress's time, [[LostTechnology when Arcanics had such technology as space travel and time manipulation]]. Maika [[ShutUpHannibal shoots back]] that despite all his justifications, all he really wants is [[GodhoodSeeker to be a god]].

* ''Manga/DeathNote'' has Light Yagami, an example of a Visionary VillainProtagonist. He uses the titular artefact to perform vigilante justice and dreams of ruling over a perfect world free of crime and corruption.

* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', both the motivation of Emperor Charles [[spoiler:and Marianne's AssimilationPlot]] and, if you consider him a villain, also the motivation of [[DarkMessiah Lelouch]].