Line #273 Characters/Ben10Vilgax


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3	%%This page is strictly about the classic continuity. Please do NOT add tropes about the 2016 reboot.
4	%%All tropes about the reboot belong on https://tvtropes.org/Characters/Ben102016.
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10	[[center:[[WMG:''Franchise/Ben10'' [[Characters/Ben10 franchise character index]]\
11	[-'''Cast:''' [[Characters/Ben10MainCharacters Main Characters]] ([[Characters/Ben10BenTennyson Ben Tennyson]], [[Characters/Ben10OmnitrixAliens The Omnitrix]]) \| [[Characters/Ben10SupportingCharacters Supporting Characters]]\
12	'''Omnitrix Aliens:''' [[Characters/Ben10OmnitrixAliensTheOriginalSeries Original Series]] \| [[Characters/Ben10OmnitrixAliensAlienForce Alien Force]] \| [[Characters/Ben10OmnitrixAliensUltimateAlien Ultimate Alien]] \| [[Characters/Ben10OmnitrixAliensOmniverse Omniverse]]\
13	'''Villains:''' [[Characters/Ben10VillainsOriginalSeries Original Series]] ('''Vilgax''', [[Characters/Ben10ForeverKnights Forever Knights]]) \| [[Characters/Ben10VillainsAlienForce Alien Force]] \| [[Characters/Ben10VillainsUltimateAlien Ultimate Alien]] \| [[Characters/Ben10VillainsOmniverse Omniverse]]\
14	'''See also:''' [[Characters/Ben102016 Ben 10 (2016)]]-]]]]]
15
16	!Vilgax
17	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vilgax_over_the_years_by_jsh66xx.jpg]]
18	[[caption-width-right:350:Vilgax's designs across the various series]]
19	->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SteveBlum (Original Series, ''Omniverse''), Creator/JamesRemar (''Alien Force'', ''Ultimate Alien''), Creator/JohnDiMaggio (''Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks'' video game), Creator/FredTatasciore (''VideoGame/CartoonNetworkPunchTimeExplosion'')
20	-->''"You hold the key to a power struggle so ancient, so vast, it is ''beyond'' your feeble comprehension. Picture an entire army each in command of an Omnitrix and all at ''my'' command. I will be invincible. I will rule the Universe! And the only thing standing between me and my destiny is ''you''."''
21
22	Ben Tennyson's ArchEnemy. A sadistic, violent and ambitious alien EvilOverlord, Vilgax is obsessed with getting the Omnitrix so he can use it to create an army of shapeshifting drones able to adapt to any situation, and as such able to defeat anyone in the galaxy. Recognizable by his {{Cthulhumanoid}} appearance, he is considered [[TheDreaded the most dangerous and feared life form in the Ben 10 Universe]].
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25	[[foldercontrol]]
26
27	[[folder:General]]
28	* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: For Psyphon. Ironically, his ''Alien Force'' incarnation is on the receiving end toward Ben.
29	* ArchEnemy: While several villains have been considered as major enemies to Ben Tennyson, Vilgax is by far the one considered as the most important and iconic. It runs in the family; before Ben, he considered Ben's grandfather Max his archenemy. This goes to the point that, in the GrandFinale of ''Ultimate Alien'', Ben is more worried about Vilgax than he is about ''[[EldritchAbomination Dagon]]''. [[spoiler:And rightly so.]]
30	* BadBoss: While it was hinted in ''Alien Force'' that he cared to some extent about civilians on his planet, it's clear in all series that he is awful to his subordinates; he openly threatens [[TheDragon Psyphon]] with death twice, once threatened Rojo to [[YouHaveFailedMe "reduce her to dust" if she failed]],and was seen testing mercenaries he just hired by unleashing his mooks on them. According to WordOfGod, he has such a reputation as a BadBoss, [[DeconstructedTrope almost nobody is willing to work for him]], hence why he usually has to rely on MechaMooks.
31	* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: He has been shown to breathe in space.
32	* BeardOfEvil: His iconic tentacle beard.
33	* BigBad: Of the franchise. No other villain has held the BigBad title more often than Vilgax. He serves as the BigBad of Season 1 and is a secondary threat to various {{Arc Villain}}s in subsequent seasons, before becoming the final BigBad for the ''Secret of the Omnitrix'' movie, which was the GrandFinale of the original series. He returned as the main villain for Season 3 of ''Alien Force'', and served as the TrueFinalBoss of ''[[WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien Ultimate Alien]]''. He also appears as the secondary antagonist in the GrandFinale of ''Omniverse'', ultimately kicking off his whole story due to a StableTimeLoop.
34	* CharacterDevelopment: Not that Vilgax ever really becomes a better person, but in time he seems to have reevaluated where his lifestyle was getting him. In the original series, he was focused on killing Ben to an ''insane'' degree, throwing away any allies and often proving his undoing. Come ''Alien Force'' he's a little more respectful of order and law, as well as better acquainted with his home planet. He's even willing to team up with Ben to save it from Zs'Skayr. In ''Omniverse'' he has an oddly dry and self-aware sense of humor, and is much more methodical with how he executes his plans. He eventually pulls off his biggest plan yet, [[NearVillainVictory nearly wiping Ben from all reality]]. All because he used his brain and charisma rather than his muscles.
35	* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: To date, the other villains he has teamed up with include [[WesternAnimation/Ben10 Kevin 11]], [[WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce Albedo]], [[spoiler:[[WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien Dagon]]]] and [[WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse Eon]]. With the exception of Kevin (who betrayed ''him'' first), he double-crossed all of them once he had no more use of them. According to WordOfGod, this is, along with BadBoss, the reason why he usually has to rely on MechaMooks; most people are aware of how he treats his allies, and as such are unwilling to work with or for him. It's implied that he's been doing for a ''very'' long time in ''Omniverse'', stating that he got exiled from his homeworld for "ambitious disobedience."
36	* CreateYourOwnHero: Vilgax's bloodthirsty crusade is the whole reason Ben has the Omnitrix in the first place. His attack on Xylene's craft is what forced the pod carrying the device to crash land near the Tennysons' campsite. [[DeadlyEuphemism He's been trying to correct that mistake ever since.]]
37	* {{Cthulhumanoid}}: It's worth noting that he's actually mistaken for another Great Old One in ''Ultimate Alien''.
38	* DarkLordOnLifeSupport: In the very first episode, Xylene fires a shot at his ship which gravely injures him, requiring him to be put on life support for most of the first season.
39	* TheDeterminator: No matter how many times he fails to get the Omnitrix, he is ''still'' trying to go after it, even after the 5 years TimeSkip between the original series and its sequels.
40	* DidntSeeThatComing: His biggest flaw. His defeats ''always'' result from something he didn't expect to happen and he has difficulty dealing with it when it happens.
41	* TheDreaded: In a universe filled with {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, {{Evil Sorcerer}}s, Alien Invaders with {{Death Ray}}s available on a large scale, [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghost Aliens]], {{Evil Overlord}}s, {{Monster Clown}}s, and psychotic mutants amongst other things, ''this'' guy is still considered the most dangerous being. ''[[CoolOldGuy Max]]'' has a major OhCrap moment when learning about his return in the Original Show, and Ben is more worried about him than ''[[EldritchAbomination Dagon]]'' in the ''Ultimate Alien'' finale. [[spoiler:[[EvilerThanThou And rightly so]].]] Furthermore, his return to Vilgaxia sent even the Incurseans packing, thus securing his place as the most dangerous being in the Universe.
42	* EraSpecificPersonality: Much like Ben, Vilgax's personality is constantly changing from series to series.
43	** The original series established the groundswork as a fierce, terrifying NoNonsenseNemesis single-mindedly obsessed with the Omnitrix, a hulking NighInvulnerable [[TheJuggernaut juggernaut]] feared by almost everyone in the galaxy.
44	** ''Alien Force'' sees a shift to PragmaticVillainy, with Vilgax using the Galactic Code of Conduct to conquer worlds and absorb the powers of their greatest warriors. It also establishes some minor HiddenDepths of him being a genuinely beloved hero to his homeworld, though he's still indisputably evil when it all comes down to it.
45	** ''Ultimate Alien'' emphasizes his abilities as a ManipulativeBastard after his latest defeat, playing the Flame Keepers' Circle and later even the dimensional conqueror Dagon like pawns to gain power.
46	** ''Omniverse'' is somewhat of a CompositeCharacter of all previous versions, with a few new traits to match the DenserAndWackier tone of the series. He's manipulative and scheming like in ''Ultimate Alien'', a GalacticConqueror with devoted followers like in ''Alien Force'', and has regained his voice actor and certain mannerisms from the original series. He's also gained a slight dry sense of humor and a few strange quirks, such as his fear of Ma Vreedle.
47	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Two in the Original Series; his introduction in the series has him tracking Xylene's ship and urging his drones to catch up and get the Omnitrix, establishing his obsession with getting his hands on the device no matter what. In the season finale, his first meeting in person with Ben involves him shrugging off multiple punches from [[MagmaMan Heatblast]] (one of Ben's most powerful aliens at the time) [[NoSell without even flinching]] before [[CurbStompBattle throwing him across several buildings]], establishing [[TheJuggernaut the kind of fighter he is]].
48	* EvilOverlord: Of the GalacticConqueror variant. He rules his own planet, has an army and wishes to conquer the Universe.
49	* EvilPlan: Steal the Omnitrix, mass produce it, then create an army of shapeshifters to conquer the universe.
50	* {{Expy}}: He's Ben 10's answer to ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} being a sadistic alien EvilOverlord, GalacticConqueror and a major foe to any and all heroic factions in the setting. Fittingly, he is Ben's Arch-Enemy, and like Darkseid, he lusts for a MacGuffin to help him conquer the universe; in this case, the Omnitrix Ben wears on his wrist. ''Alien Force'' even gives him EyeBeams capable of changing direction, exactly like Darkseid's Omega Beams. Vilgax's final major outing in ''Omniverse'' sees his parallels to Darkseid come to a head when he becomes an OmnicidalManiac who comes dangerously close to destroying the entire multiverse à la Darkseid in ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis''. [[note]] his Original Series and ''Omniverse'' voice actor, Creator/SteveBlum, would later voice Darkseid himself in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueWar''. [[/note]]
51	* FauxAffablyEvil: He tends to slip into this from time to time—the most blatant examples being in ''Goodbye & Good Riddance'' or ''Secret of The Omnitrix''.
52	--> '''Vilgax:''' Hello... Ben. Your father and I were just getting to know one another.
53	* {{Flanderization}}: His tendency to [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder backstab]] whoever he's working with. In the original series, his first VillainTeamUp with Kevin ends with ''him'' being betrayed instead. His team-up with Animo is mostly one-sided, with Vilgax ignoring him until the final act, where due to Animo being defeated first, [[HijackedByGanon Vilgax is left as the sole antagonist]]. When he tried to team up with Zs'Skayr in ''Alien Force'', he was ''again'' betrayed. By the series finale of ''Alien Force'', when he teamed up with Albedo, he betrayed him, and from then onward, almost every other character Vilgax assists ends up being betrayed by him, to the point that by ''Omniverse'', WordOfGod had confirmed Vilgax uses robots because nobody trusts him, and his backstory firmly establishes that he's been backstabbing others for hundreds of years.
54	* FreudianExcuse: Vilgax stands out among Ben's rogues for ''completely'' averting this. Most of the major villains have something that drove them to evil, be it desiring respect (Dr. Animo, Charmcaster, Albedo), warped formerly good intentions (The Forever Knights, Hex, the Highbreed), or just lashing out for a life of torment and isolation (Kevin 11, Ghostfreak, Malware). Vilgax is never presented as anything but a ferocious, single minded conqueror, and his past is completely irrelevant to him at this point. It's possible he wouldn't tell you even if you asked.
55	* FromNobodyToNightmare: The ''Omniverse'' finale "A New Dawn" revealed that Vilgax was once a soldier who had been exiled to the outskirts of the galaxy for "ambitious disobedience." In the present, he is now Vilgaxia's ruler and a universally-feared world conqueror.
56	* GalacticConqueror: He isn't called "Vilgax the Conqueror" for nothing, you know.
57	* GeniusBruiser: a ManipulativeBastard in a [[TheJuggernaut Juggernaut]]'s body.
58	* GreaterScopeVillain: He's not always the BigBad, but his actions usually impact the story even when he's MIA. Given his role in Ben's origin, he's indirectly responsible for all the dangers created by the Omnitrix, including Kevin 11 and Ghostfreak.
59	* HijackedByGanon: Don't ever expect him to just be a side-villain if he's working with another villain, he's more likely to be the bigger threat. To give an example, in "Ben 10,000", the episode sets up Dr. Animo as the villain, but after Vilgax appears in the plot, Animo is defeated quickly by Gwen and Max and phased out of the plot rather immediately, in favor of both Bens fighting Vilgax.
60	* HijackingCthulhu: [[spoiler:Vilgax ends up as TheDragon to Dagon, a Cthulhu {{expy}}. That lasted as long as it took Vilgax to have ''his'' Dragon drop by with some special equipment, at which point he absorbed Dagon and took his power.]]
61	* ItsPersonal: Initially, he was only interested in getting the Omnitrix from Ben, and couldn't care less about what happened to the kid after he got it (not that he minded killing him in the process). As the franchise progresses, however, his multiple defeats against Ben causes him to develop an intense hatred from him. By the time of ''Alien Force'', he has essentially become obsessed with defeating Ben.
62	* JokerImmunity: No matter what, he is going to survive whatever life-threatening danger he's gotten into, whether it be a nuclear explosion or being thrown into space (though his implants make that one outright plausible). Even in a future where he was ''literally torn to pieces'', he's just brought back to life. [[AllThereInTheManual The Omnifacts, however, confirm that Vilgax will meet his end approximately 200 years in the future]].
63	** It was actually lampshaded by Ben in the ''Alien Force'' finale:
64	---> '''Ben''': He has survived worse [than his own ship's explosion].
65	** And again in the ''Ultimate Alien'' finale.
66	--->'''Kevin''': I thought Vilgax was dead.\
67	'''Ben''': Which time?
68	* TheJuggernaut: This is especially prevalent in the original series, where he consistently dominates most fights through sheer strength and unrelenting brutality. Being sent away on a nuclear missile? No problem, he is back on business a few years later. Blown up inside his spaceship? WeCanRebuildHim. Trapped in a PhantomZone? He somehow gets out of it. Hurled in space? He ''still'' comes back like it was a walk in the park. [[spoiler:DemotedToDragon by an EldritchAbomination? He ''{{Out Gambit\|ted}}s [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu it]]''.]] ''Nothing'' seems to stop him for long.
69	* LargeAndInCharge: He's about 12 feet tall [[note]] though this is only after his healing is completed in the season 1 finale; originally, he was about the same height as a normal human [[/note]].
70	* LightningBruiser: Vilgax has SuperStrength that can overpower Humungousaur, he is fast enough to fly through space to distant stars in mere minutes, and he can survive nuclear explosions.
71	* LegalizedEvil: His first plan in ''Alien Force'' involved exploiting a Galactic law to legally conquer planets, where he issues a challenge to a planet’s champion and upon victory would give him conquest of said planet that avoids a war. Of course after Ben defeats him the first time, he keeps coming back to illegally attack the Earth.
72	* LightningBruiser: He can clash with Ben's strongest aliens, but can also fly at high speeds through space and travel between star systems in the span of a few scenes.
73	* MadeOfDiamond: He survived a point-blank ''nuclear explosion'', and that was ''before'' he got enhanced!
74	* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: He doesn't seem to care nor mind when his body is excessively damaged. Hell, the Original Series starts with him ''blown to smithereens''. His response? He just starts griping about the fact he doesn't have the Omnitrix. He's probably used to damage of this caliber, as the above trope implies.
75	* MotiveDecay: He's initially content with just getting the Omnitrix and killing Ben in whatever way pleases him, but due to how many defeats he's suffered from Ben, he slowly stops caring about the watch and after a while, only seems content with killing Ben to the point of trying to wipe him from the multiverse ''entirely''.
76	* MysteriousPast: Even though Vilgax is portrayed as Ben's ultimate enemy and the catalyst for the events of the entire franchise, his backstory in the Classic continuity remains a mystery. Despite seeing some glimpses of his past through flashbacks, we still don't know much about who he was before he became obsessed with obtaining the Omnitrix. The closest we learn about his origins is in ''Omniverse's'' grand finale, where it's revealed that he discovered the Omnitrix through time travel And even then, that's all we know about him.
77	* OneManArmy: In the Original Series, Vilgax could go toe to toe with Ben (who is himself a OneManArmy) in a fight (and fling him around like a ragdoll). By the time of ''Alien Force'', Vilgax, even with his VillainDecay, defeated the heroes of ten worlds and stole their powers. He was once seen easily destroying ''an entire spaceship'' of his own with zero effort.
78	* ProgressivelyPrettier: Downplayed. While Vilgax's various appearances always emphasize his massive, intimidating stature and alien features, he initially starts the series with his eyes placed on the far sides of his face, and a rebreather-like mask over where his mouth would be. Later on, his eyes are shifted to be closer to each other and more in the middle of his face, while he ditches the mask, letting his mouth be visible, giving him a more recognizably "human" face.
79	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Vilgax has been around since at least the 1700s, according to the ''Omniverse'' finale "A New Dawn".
80	* RedEyesTakeWarning: He is the main antagonist of the entire franchise and has red colored eyes.
81	* ReturningBigBad: No matter how many new dangerous villains show up, the position of BigBad always eventually defaults back to Vilgax one way or another. Virtually every series (barring perhaps Omniverse) will feature Vilgax as the BigBad of at least one season.
82	* StoryBreakerPower: He's a ridiculously indestructible juggernaut who can toss around some of the Omnitrix's strongest specimens. This may be why the Omnitrix never used his form the entire original continuity; making Ben as powerful as Vilgax would make many episodes quite shorter. Ben even says he'd make "an awesome Vilgax" at one point.
83	* SuperStrength: His first fight with Ben had him punching [[MagmaMan Heatblast]] so hard he sent him flying through several buildings.
84	* UngratefulBastard: "Vilgax owes allegiance to no one."
85	* VillainHasAPoint: Notably zig-zagged. Yes, he is being a racist, overbearing jerk about Ben having the Omnitrix and he's meant to be completely, selfishly and [[WouldHurtAChild violently]] unreasonable about it in his own intentions of gaining ultimate power for himself. But at least early series, Ben ''is'' a child that suffers constant AesopAmnesia and while he may save the day in the end, he's immensely irresponsible with his universal responsibility until ''Alien Force'' (and then [[{{Flanderization}} goes back to being irresponsible later anyway]]). Several characters make a similar speech about Ben and the watch and are held as WhatTheHellHero moments for him, Vilgax just happens to be enough of a bastard to render his equivalent as a villainous TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.
86	* VillainousValor: You'd think after many seasons worth of his fights with Ben ending with him getting crushed, blown up, shot into space, or even ''ripped apart'' that Vilgax wouldn't go within 100 feet of the kid. But no, each time he returns more and more to get what's his, to the point where his multiple deaths are just an annoyance to him, and he'll still sneer at anyone who goes against him, be they a little human kid or a powerful alien.
87	* VillainTeamUp: With Kevin 11 in the season 2 finale of the Original Series, then with Albedo in the ''Alien Force'' finale. [[spoiler:He ends up betrayed by the former and betraying the latter.]]
88	* TheWorfEffect: This happens to him in the third season premiere of ''Alien Force''. After stomping all of Ben's aliens in "Vengeance of Vilgax Part 2", he gets clobbered by an older and more experienced Diamondhead.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Original Series]]
92	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/implants_vilgax.png]]
93	[[caption-width-right:350:''"The Omnitrix... wasted on pointless heroics!"'']]
94
95	* AllThereInTheManual: Aside from what seems to be his natural ability to [[NighInvulnerable survive almost anything]], the second season finale explained that the reason he survived his ship's explosion and ended up in ''outer space'' (his warship was destroyed on Earth) was due to using a teleport on his ship to escape the crash.
96	* BigBad: His hunt for the Omnitrix takes up the first season. He takes this role again in "Secret of the Omnitrix," once again trying to steal the watch from Ben while he tries to repair it.
97	* BigBadDuumvirate: Briefly teams up with Kevin in the season two finale.
98	* CameBackStrong: After Vilgax finally recovers in the Season 1 finale, he's far more physically powerful than he was before, having become twice as tall and with cybernetic implants in his arms capable of injecting steroids to increase his already substantial strength.
99	* CardCarryingVillain: Haven't realized that Vilgax is a nasty piece of work, yet? Well, his anger at Ben's "pointless heroics" with the Omnitrix should spell it out for you. How slow of you to catch on.
100	* DarkLordOnLifeSupport:
101	** Vilgax suffers crippling injuries in the series premiere while trying to capture the Omnitrix, and he spends the rest of the season in a healing tank slowly recovering.
102	** Even after he recovers, he continues wearing a respirator, indicating his lungs may not have been fully repaired.
103	* EvilWearsBlack: His armor is mostly black.
104	* EvilSoundsRaspy: By Steve Blum
105	* FlatCharacter: A common criticism of Vilgax, at least in the original series, is that he has very little depth or personality beyond his sheer ruthlessness and unrelenting lust for power. In the later series, considerable effort was made to flesh him out a bit more to emphasize his more pragmatic and charismatic side. Ironically, this disappointed several fans, [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools who found Vilgax was actually more interesting and menacing as a single-minded engine of destruction]].
106	* ForgotAboutHisPowers: In his first battle with Ben, Vilgax has the ability to simply stop the alien being used by touching the symbol with his finger. He does not use this ability in "Secret Of The Omnitrix", despite the fact that if Vilgax had tried it, both fights could have been a lot more easier.
107	* ForTheEvulz: When asked if there's a safer way to remove the Omnitrix in [[WhatIf Gwen 10]] by Gwen, he asks "And what fun would ''that'' be?".
108	* HiddenDepths: For his reputation as a vicious BadBoss, Vilgax proves when joining forces with Kevin 11 that he actually can be reasonable to work with. He advises the hot-headed Kevin to be patient and pragmatic when dealing with their shared enemy and helps them adapt to the Null Void by taming the Null Guardians as mounts. Kevin meanwhile is far more irrational and ends up betraying Vilgax rather than the other way around.
109	* ImplacableMan: When Vilgax goes on the warpath, it's nigh-impossible to keep him down for long. Not even the vacuum of space or the power of a nuclear explosion will stop him.
110	* ItsPersonal: After Ben sends him to the Null Void, Vilgax's foremost obsession becomes killing him, versus before when Ben was just an obstacle to him obtaining the Omnitrix.
111	* JustAKid: Vilgax was ''not'' impressed to discover the Omnitrix was in the hands of a 10-year old boy.
112	* PowerNullifier: Touching the Omnitrix symbol allows him to de-transform Ben. He doesn't use this again outside of their initial battle.
113	* SadisticChoice: In "Secrets", he attacks the Rustbucket and holds Gwen and Max hostage, and would only let them go if Ben handed himself over. Ben relented.
114	* SealedEvilInACan: He tends to be put in a can of whatever sort between appearances, be it a healing chamber, a block of ice, or a pocket dimension. He's slightly unusual in that we see him ''out'' of the can first.
115	* VillainousBreakdown: It's subtle, but every time Vilgax appears after the season one finale, he's slightly more erratic and he gets progressively more hellbent for the Omnitrix on Ben's wrist. Then again, when you're a galactic overlord constantly getting beaten down by a kid, his grandpa, and his cousin, that does guarantee a breakdown.
116	** It's made much more obvious in ''Secret of the Omnitrix''. He goes from ''just'' going after the Omnitrix to being bent on killing Ben to get it. This is the result of him being thrown into the Null Void, which he displays a TwitchyEye whenever it's mentioned. This goes so far that he turns up a chance to get the Omnitrix if he shuts down its self destruct (which he's probably smart enough to do so) and save the universe because it doesn't involve killing Ben.
117	* WeCanRebuildHim: In his first appearance, he is almost killed by a beam from the ship he was following. It takes the whole season, but he is eventually repaired and enhanced genetically and cybernetically, resulting in the look he has for most of the first series.
118	* WouldHurtAChild: His ArchEnemy is a 10-year-old, so yeah.
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Alien Force]]
122	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uaf_vilgax.png]]
123	[[caption-width-right:350:''"Ben 10, I've come to kill you and conquer your world. Is now a bad time?"'']]
124
125	* BigBad: Becomes the main villain in season three.
126	* BigBadDuumvirate: With Albedo in the finale, though it doesn't last long as Vilgax betrays him.
127	* {{BFS}}: It can shoot beams, cut through diamond and coat itself with flames or crystals, among other things.
128	* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:With Ben in "Ghost Town", to free his planet. However, when Zs'Skayr took over Ben, Vilgax did attempt to kill both Ben and Zs'Skayr at the same time.]]
129	* EvenEvilHasStandards: {{Subverted}}; his respect of the Galactic Code in "Vengeance of Vilgax" was, if anything, PragmaticVillainy, as it allowed him to easily conquer 10 worlds without wasting any resources and gain several new powers in the process; plus, in the following episodes, he has ''no problem'' breaking said code.
130	* EvilIsPetty: As shown at the beginning of "Primus", he technically has pretty much everything in his favor; he has conquered an empire of ten worlds, his people love him, and he has acquired a large arsenal of powers. He still insists on going after Ben and the Omnitrix because [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter he can't stand the fact Ben was able to defeat him]].
131	* EvilSoundsDeep: Creator/JamesRemar plays him with a much lower tone than the high and raspy voice Blum used.
132	* EyeBeams: ''A la'' ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}.
133	* FlyingBrick: After absorbing 10 planet's worth of heroes' powers, he's basically evil ComicBook/{{Superman}}, gaining EyeBeams, SuperBreath, unrestricted {{Flight}}, the whole shebang.
134	* KneelBeforeZod: He attempted this on Ben in the finale [[spoiler:after he took the Omnitrix from him]]. It didn't work.
135	* LaserGuidedKarma: At the end of "The Secret of Chromastone", he is shown to have caught Ben's cold and is sneezing into tissues on his throne.
136	* NobleDemon: It's implied in "Ghost Town" that he actually cares to some extent about his people. Unclear if he really was this or if it's just his VillainWithGoodPublicity status.
137	** Apparently, he takes his job as his planet's protector very seriously. After all, he pretty much ''begged'' Ben for help in reclaiming his homeworld.
138	* OneWingedAngel: As seen [[https://ben10.fandom.com/wiki/File:Vilgax_True_Form.png here]]. According to WordOfGod, he could always do this, but there weren't many situations where it would actually come in handy.
139	** Fortunately for him, this form happened to fit the description of the alien worshiped by the Flame Keepers Circle, allowing him to play them as pawns in Ultimate Alien.
140	* PowerCopying: He begins defeating heroes across 10 worlds and absorbing the powers of those he defeated.
141	* PragmaticVillainy: He acts as an apparent benevolent ruler on his planet to ensure a VillainWithGoodPublicity status, and followed a galactic code to use it as a way to make his invasions easier.
142	* RedBaron: "Conquerer of Ten Worlds". ''Omniverse'' simplifies it as just "The Conquerer".
143	* SuperBreath: Gains this after absorbing Ultimos' powers.
144	* SuperPowerLottery: Having conquered 10 worlds, he has absorbed the power of their champions, including Ultimos.
145	* VillainDecay: In ''Alien Force'', Vilgax is smarter and more inclined to using schemes and manipulation, but physically less impressive and far less effective against Ben in a direct fight. You could argue this is justified due to Ben being more competent and experienced.
146	* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Implied to have gone that route since the CardCarryingVillain persona didn't fare well for him. It worked out pretty well for him, as it let him conquer 10 worlds in a fairly short length of time, and the inhabitants of his home planet love him.
147	[[/folder]]
148
149	[[folder:Ultimate Alien]]
150
151	* BigBadEnsemble: He shares the BigBad spot with Sir George and Dagon for Season 2 of ''Ultimate Alien'', eventually becoming the TrueFinalBoss.
152	* ContrivedCoincidence: [[spoiler:His resemblance to Dagon, which he takes advantage of.]]
153	* DealWithTheDevil: He makes a deal with Dagon, an EldritchAbomination, to free it from [[SealedEvilInACan its can]] in exchange for the power to conquer the universe. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for Dagon, he wasn't the Devil in the Deal.]]
154	* DevourTheDragon: [[spoiler:Somewhat {{Inverted}}. Kills and absorbs [[EldritchAbomination Dagon]] to take his [[GodhoodSeeker godlike power for himself]], but Vilgax technically was TheDragon in the whole thing. However, Dagon was his UnwittingPawn the entire time, so it may have been PlayedStraight.]]
155	* EvilerThanThou: [[spoiler:Dagon realized too late that Vilgax was not to be underestimated.]]
156	* DidYouJustScamCthulhu: [[spoiler:He successfully manipulated Dagon by faking submission, letting him kill George and eventually uses a machine brought by Psyphon to absorb him, gaining his powers.]]
157	* TheDragon: Becomes this to Dagon.
158	** TheStarscream: Ben instantly realized Vilgax wouldn't submit to this unless he had ''something'' up his sleeve. [[spoiler:He was right, Vilgax let Dagon kill Sir George and beatdown Ben and company before stealing his power, absorbing Dagon in the process.]]
159	* EliteMooks: The Esoterica of the Flame Keepers' Circle are a lot more dangerous than his old MechaMooks.
160	* ExactWords: Vilgax assures Conduit Edward that he is going to "transform" the Earth.
161	--> '''Vilgax:''' When I'm done with this planet, you won't recognize it!
162	* GodGuise: Was mistaken for the alien worshiped by the Flame Keepers' Circle, Dagon the Knowledge Bringer. He's just enough of a ManipulativeBastard to make complete use of this, gaining a group of very competent minions with UndyingLoyalty towards him. This does have a drawback, however, as only his OneWingedAngel form resembles Dagon and he can't revert to his normal form in their sight. Bonus points as Dagon is named after an actual pagan god and a [[EldritchAbomination Great Old One]]. [[spoiler:Ironically, he ends up becoming the very being he impersonated after absorbing it.]]
163	* GodhoodSeeker: He seeks to absorb the power of Dagon, the EldritchAbomination he'd been impersonating. [[spoiler:In the end, [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu he succeeds]].]]
164	* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: Subverted. While he's lost his empire (since he was declared dead, it ended up crumbling without him) and is trapped on Earth, he's gained a legion of surprisingly competent and dangerous henchmen who have UndyingLoyalty towards him. [[spoiler:In the finale, he ends up temporarily absorbing Dagon and becoming a PhysicalGod -- which is still his biggest accomplishment to date.]]
165	* MacGuffinDeliveryService: [[spoiler:His obsession with gaining Dagon's power causes him to deliver its heart's power back to the EldritchAbomination, despite Ben warning him that he was being manipulated.]]
166	* ManipulativeBastard: Weakened from his previous battle, he gladly played first the role of a sideshow freak to regain his strength and then as Dagon, an alien worshiped by the Esoterica, to get himself a personal cult of followers that would do absolutely anything he desired. He [[spoiler:even managed to trick Julie into working for him for a short time]].
167	** [[spoiler:In the end, it turns out [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu he was manipulating]] ''[[EldritchAbomination Dagon]]'' the entire time to steal his power.]]
168	** [[spoiler:And again after Ben defeated him and took Dagon's powers from him, he tried to corrupt Ben by convincing him to use it to go KnightTemplar. He almost succeeded.]]
169	* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:Dagon was crushing the heroes with little effort...until Vilgax made his move and absorbed his powers. His own ego pretty much does the rest.]]
170	* NotSoDifferentRemark: Vilgax invokes this with Ben in the finale, claiming they both use power to impose their will on the universe.
171	* OutGambitted: [[spoiler:Dagon thought he was in control of Vilgax the entire time. He wasn't, Vilgax was really the one manipulating Dagon the entire time, thus making Vilgax the true BigBad of the final season.]]
172	* PhysicalGod: [[spoiler:After he absorbed Dagon. Then he gets turned back to normal by Ben.]]
173	* TheStarscream: He is eventually DemotedToDragon by [[EldritchAbomination Dagon]]. When he reappears for the GrandFinale he loudly proclaims his UndyingLoyalty to Dagon. Ben immediately calls him out on his bullcrap, believing that the real Vilgax isn't loyal to anyone but himself. [[spoiler:Ben is completely right. Vilgax also manages to be a successful Starscream, tricking Dagon into attacking an energy absorbing device -- bad news for Dagon since he's an {{Energy Being\|s}} -- sealing (possibly ''killing'') him.]]
174	[[/folder]]
175
176	[[folder:Omniverse]]
177	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vm_380.png]]
178	[[caption-width-right:350:''"The ability to transform at will... The power of that device will be mine!"'']]
179
180	* ArcVillain: Serves as the main threat of the Season Five two-part finale along with Eon, attempting to wipe out all Bens in the multiverse.
181	* TheBadGuyWins:
182	** "Vilgax Must Croak" ends with him [[spoiler:successfully escaping from Incarcecon and getting back to Vilgaxia]].
183	** "And Then There Were None" ends with him [[spoiler:wiping out every timeline, including the main one, leaving only one that has a Ben without an Omnitrix, perfect for him to conquer]].
184	* BigBadDuumvirate: With Eon for "And Then There Were None - And Then There Was Ben," though he of course betrays him.
185	* BlatantLies: When Ben agrees to free him so he can help him fight Attea, he immediately throws him at [=EightEight=] and Attea before running away. When Ben catches him again later, he states that he knew Ben would easily defeat them and just did it as a diversion so they could meet again later. Yeah, sure...
186	* BondVillainStupidity: [[spoiler:He had the occasion to easily kill Ben while he was unconscious and in human form at the end of "Vilgax Must Croak", but instead decides to just escape the prison and ''leave him alive''.]]
187	** In a flashback sequence, Vilgax has 11-year-old Ben tied up and plans to feed him to his squid monsters. Pity he failed to make sure the rope was strong enough that an ''11-year-old child'' couldn't effortlessly [[BreakingtheBonds break out of it]].
188	* BroughtDownToNormal: He doesn't seem to have the powers he absorbed anymore, as he doesn't use them, was captured by the Plumbers off-screen, and was easily restrained. However, what he lacks in power, he makes up for in manipulative ability.
189	* TheComicallySerious: He is portrayed as this more than he was in the previous iterations. According to him though, comedy isn't big on his planet.
190	* CompositeCharacter: He appears to have the calmer demeanor and long-term planning abilities that ''Alien Force'' and ''Ultimate Alien'' utilized, but his general design borrows far more from how he looked back in the Original Series.
191	* CrazyPrepared: [[spoiler:He created a contingency plan involving an army of squid monsters in case he was "[[NeverSayDie thwarted one too many times]]" by Ben. He didn't die, but Bill Gacks activated this plan by accident.]]
192	* DeadpanSnarker: He's got much more of a sense of humor in this series, whereas each previous iterations had him make very few jokes (the original series didn't have him making any at all, being the very first [[KnightOfCerebus no-nonsense]] villain.).
193	* DemotedToExtra: In the previous iterations, he had at least one arc where he was featured as the major antagonist. ''Omniverse'' seems constantly avoiding to use him as much as possible since in the eighty episodes of the whole series as he only got a few mentions and cameos, two appearances as a ''side''-villain (and unlike [[spoiler:the Dagon story arc]], he doesn't [[HijackedByGanon hijack either of the main bad guys]]), one episode where he is TheHeavy to Albedo, and only ''one'' two-parter where he actually is the BigBad. All of the major story arcs are focused on different antagonists.
194	* DidntSeeThatComing: His plan in "And Then There Were None" fails because it never occurred to him that [[spoiler:a Ben that never even heard of the Omnitrix could possibly be a threat to him]].
195	* FangsAreEvil: His teeth are notably portrayed as sharper than they were in the previous iterations.
196	* FusionDance: He dons Malware's remains as a full-body suit in "Malgax Attacks", allowing him to combine the Mechomorph's abilities with anything else in his personal arsenal.
197	* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: [[spoiler:He [[TakingTheBullet throw himself in front of Ben when Attea shoots at him]]… so his manacles would get destroyed by the blast, allowing him to escape.]]
198	* LameComeback: In "Vilgax Must Croak", he and Ben engage in lots of snarky banter, with Ben at one point getting one up on him by pointing out that once he got the Omnitrix it started a long cycle of him kicking Vilgax's butt. All Vilgax can say in response is a small embarrassed "no it didn't".
199	* ManipulativeBastard: Has gained a reputation for this in ''Omniverse''. So much so that the Plumbers plan to leave Vilgax in a now entirely automated Incarcecon all by himself so he can't manipulate anyone else ever again. [[spoiler:He still ultimately manipulates his way to freedom.]]
200	* NoodleIncident: He's horribly afraid of Ma Vreedle. The only detail we got is that Ma made Vilgax cry, and that's about it.
201	* NotMeThisTime: When Ben and Rook are escorting Vilgax to a high-security prison in "Vilgax Must Croak", they get attacked and Ben immediately assumes this is part of Vilgax's plan to escape. Vilgax, however, assures he has nothing to do with it. Turns out he is telling the truth: the attack was from Princess Attea, who wants him dead. [[spoiler:He still eventually takes the opportunity to escape, though.]]
202	* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Somehow, the mere action to come back on his home planet saved it from Incursean invaders.
203	* SayMyName: In "And Then There Was Ben", after [[spoiler:all the Alternate Ben foiled his plan]].
204	--->"TENNYSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!"
205	* StableTimeLoop: "A New Dawn" has [[spoiler:a young Vilgax seeing a time travelling Ben transform into multiple aliens with the Omnitrix. This caused his interest in such a device, leading to him becoming a warlord whose actions caused Ben to become a hero who would travel back in time. The episode also reveals how he obtained the Chronosapien Time Bomb he used in "And Then There Were None".]]
206	* StatusQuoIsGod: At the end of "And Then There We None", he's captured and imprisoned by the Plumbers ''in another timeline''. In "Universe vs. Tennyson", he's free and can be seen watching Ben's trial from his ship. No explanation is given how he managed to escape the Plumbers, let alone return to his own timeline.
207	* TailorMadePrison: A DownplayedTrope in ''Vilgax Must Croak''. [[TheAlcatraz Incarcecon]] is retrofitted into a prison designed to hold Vilgax and only Vilgax, but the only real modifications made to it were that all of the systems are now fully automated and the communications capabilities are totally disabled. The modifications are less about containing any unique powers or abilities and more about making sure that there's no one around that Vilgax can trick, bribe, or threaten into helping with his escape.
208	* TakingTheBullet: He does this to prevent Attea from destroying Ben, which seemed heroic... [[spoiler:but it turned out this was a trick to destroy his restraints and escape later on.]]
209	* VillainDecay: {{Zig\|ZaggedTrope}}-Zagged; whenever he is mentioned outside of his main appearances, he tends to be the butt of jokes, making one doubt his status as TheDreaded. However, episodes that do give him the spotlight tend to be very serious in tone, sometimes far eclipsing the threat level he had in any previous series... only to go right back to making jokes about him. His most notable appearances include the following:
210	** "Vilgax Must Croak" involves the Plumbers trying to send him to a fully automated prison, fully cut off from any communication with sentient life. Not only is this episode played more tense and serious than the typical episode of ''Omniverse'', Vilgax actually ''wins'' in the end and defeats both Ben ''and'' the Incurseans.
211	** In "And Then There Were None", where after several episodes of absence, he finally comes back, and actually succeeds in wiping out the multiverse. However, when his plan is foiled by No Watch Ben, he's easily defeated by the Omnitrix wielders.
212	** In "Vreedlemania", where he makes a brief cameo, only for Ma Vreedle to tell him get lost. Vilgax obeys her command, showing that he is afraid of her and that the rumor that she made him cry is true.
213	** Lastly, in "Malgax Attacks", he [[FusionDance dons armor made out of Malware's remains]], spends most of the episode [[CurbStompBattle tossing Ben around like a ragdoll]], and even defeats Atomix, who's known for being [[StoryBreakerPower one of Ben's most powerful aliens]]. Ben ends up defeating him by pushing him into his own ship's core, leaving his petrified remains floating in space [[JokerImmunity (though he's implied to have likely survived)]].
214	* VillainHasAPoint: His argument to defend himself when accused of being behind the escape (that he would have perished with them had he tried to destroy the place) makes perfect sense. Vilgax also tells Ben that, while Ben could easily be rid of him by giving him to Attea, it will only allow the Incurseans to take over not only Vilgaxia, but by extension more planets.
215	* VocalEvolution: Steve Blum seems to have decided to tone down the guttural growling that the Original Series used for the character, in favor of him being calmer and quieter, probably to further allow him to make snide remarks.
216	* WeakButSkilled: Compared to how he was back in the previous iterations, he's not as physically dangerous through lacking his Juggernaut-yness that he had back in the original series or his SuperPowerLottery ticket that he had in ''Alien Force'' and ''Ultimate Alien'', but he makes up for it with more manipulation and cunning than usual.
217	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:He does this to Eon in "And Then There Were None".]]
218	[[/folder]]

Context Characters / Ben10Vilgax