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Anime and Manga
"When angels are forced out of heaven, they become devils. You agree, don't you Spike?"
— Vicious, Cowboy Bebop, "Ballad of Fallen Angels"
"People are like milk - They can turn bad."
—Cody Hida, Digimon Adventure 02 (English dub)
Comic Books
Atlas was, once, though. My hero. The hero to many. The hero to all.[...] He was bold then, brave, pure of heart and spirit. I joined him in his quest to avenge his tribe's slaughter at the hands of Hyssa, ruler of the Kingdom of the Lizard. He— We found Hyssa. We— He killed him. And his rotting skull still adorns a vane upon the roof of Atlas' summer house by the water. Atlas took Hyssa's city and defends it when he must.. But the good has left him. People fear him as much as they love him.
— Chagra, The Coming of Atlas
"I went to Earth after defeating you...to warn the Terrans— and Superman— of the impeding plague! But he refused my efforts— turned against me! So now I shall turn against him...and join forces with you— Amalak, the Kryptonian-Killer!"
— Name-Ek, The Plague of the Antibiotic Man
Fan Works
Just like that her smile vanishes. You take the time to look at her arms, her legs, her eyes-all there and intact. All intents an' purposes, she's the same Fef you were arguin' with yesterday. But she ain't. There's ice in the way she looks at you now, like you ain't anythin' but a tool to her endgame, like you're an ornamental chess piece, a pawn.
— Homestuck fanfic Abyssal Possessions
John Stewart: "So what made you side with the enemy, Gardner? I never liked you, but I thought you had more class than that."
Guy Gardner: "The enemy I've got is Jordan. I lost a woman because of him. I lost a mind because of him. Now I've got a new mind... and I like it just fine."
Guy Gardner: "The enemy I've got is Jordan. I lost a woman because of him. I lost a mind because of him. Now I've got a new mind... and I like it just fine."
Film — Live-Action
"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
— Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight
"It's hard to remember that Edmund Zuwanie was once a good man. That's not unusual for these guys; they all begin as liberators, and twenty minutes later, they're as corrupt as the tyrants they overthrow. He liberated the country from one of the most corrupt governments on Earth. Gave the people hope, and he was a hero. They need another name for what he is now."
—Tobin Keller, The Interpreter
Anakin Skywalker: ...What have I done?!
Darth Sidious: You're fulfilling your destiny, Anakin... Become my apprentice. Learn to use the dark side of the Force.
Anakin: I will do whatever you a—ask.
Sidious: Good...
Anakin: Just help me save Padmé's life. I can't live without her...
Sidious: To cheat death is a power only one has achieved, but if we work together, I know we can discover the secret.
Anakin: I pledge myself... to your teachings.
Sidious: Good... good... The Force is strong with you... A powerful Sith you will become... Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... Vader.
Darth Vader: Thank you... my master.
Darth Sidious: You're fulfilling your destiny, Anakin... Become my apprentice. Learn to use the dark side of the Force.
Anakin: I will do whatever you a—ask.
Sidious: Good...
Anakin: Just help me save Padmé's life. I can't live without her...
Sidious: To cheat death is a power only one has achieved, but if we work together, I know we can discover the secret.
Anakin: I pledge myself... to your teachings.
Sidious: Good... good... The Force is strong with you... A powerful Sith you will become... Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... Vader.
Darth Vader: Thank you... my master.
Literature
Fifty-three: a trusted companion who, after a string of personal disappointments, begins to dress in darker colours should no longer be considered a trusted companion.
— "Two Hundred Heroic Axioms", A Practical Guide to Evil
Live-Action TV
"Some straight like you, giant stick up his ass, all of a sudden, age — what, sixty? He's just gonna break bad?"
— Jesse Pinkman to Walter White, Breaking Bad
Mal: How come you didn't turn on me, Jayne?
Jayne: Money wasn't good enough.
Mal: What happens when it is?
Jayne: Well... that'll be an interesting day.
Jayne: Money wasn't good enough.
Mal: What happens when it is?
Jayne: Well... that'll be an interesting day.
— Firefly
Music
Evil hides in dark places
Now I find it in familiar faces
Now I find it in familiar faces
—"Just Got To Be" by The Black Keys
Spend too much of my life now
Trying to play fair
Throw my better self overboard
Shoot at him when he comes up for air
Come unhinged
Get revenge
I don't want to die in here
Trying to play fair
Throw my better self overboard
Shoot at him when he comes up for air
Come unhinged
Get revenge
I don't want to die in here
—the Mountain Goats, "Heel Turn 2"
He fought the darkness, the darkness won.
—Dr. Light, "Unrest in the House of Light" by The Protomen
Pro Wrestling
"As far as I'm concerned, all of this crap in the ring represents these fans out here. For two years, brother, for two years, I held my head high. I did everything for the charities, I did everything for the kids, and the reception I got when I came out here... you fans can stick it, brother. Because... if it wasn't for Hulk Hogan, you people wouldn't be here. If it wasn't for Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff would be still selling meat out of a truck in Minneapolis. And if it wasn't for Hulk Hogan, all these Johnny-Come-Lately's that you see out here wrestling wouldn't be here. I was selling out the world, brother, while they were bumming gas to put in the car to get to high school. So the way that it is now, brother, with Hulk Hogan and the New World Organization of Wrestling, brother, me and the new blood by my side... whatcha gonna do when the New World Organization runs wild on you? Whatcha gonna do? What are you gonna do?!"
—Hulk Hogan, during his infamous heel turn at Bash at the Beach 1996.
Tabletop Games
The Ruinous Powers whispered into the hearts of even the best of the Primarchs. Silken words and promises of ultimate power exploited the innate characteristics of each, and soon the taint was spreading through entire Legions. Martial vigour was twisted into bloodlust, perfection into obsession, cunning into guile and resolution into morbidity. Beings that had been created for conquest refused to accept any other existence, and at the very moment of the Emperor’s triumph, the nascent Imperium standing at the threshold of a golden age, all was brought crashing down, burned to ashes and trampled beneath the cloven hooves of the fiends of the warp.
—Deathwatch: First Founding
Video Games
Mother was right about one thing. I have been watching you, Father, studying the way you have treated others. And now I know who I am...
I survive, no matter the cost - just as you have. My new sisters trusted you, but you took what you needed and disposed of them. It wasn't personal: it was the law of nature.
So this... what I'm about to do... is perfectly natural.
I survive, no matter the cost - just as you have. My new sisters trusted you, but you took what you needed and disposed of them. It wasn't personal: it was the law of nature.
So this... what I'm about to do... is perfectly natural.
—Eleanor Lamb, in the evil ending of Bioshock 2
Aurora: (visibly shocked) What are you doing? Family first, now and forever?!
Norah: I am sorry, Aurora. We are not together.
Norah: I am sorry, Aurora. We are not together.
"Yeah, when you lay it out like that...I've been a pretty bad hero, haven't I? ...Alright, Ralsei. You got it. I'll change my ways. From now on, I won't be such a rotten hero any more. [runs over to Lancer's side] I'll just be one of the BAD GUYS instead!"
— Susie, Deltarune
"Naught remains. Alone. Utterly alone. Cast out. Unloved. Outside the grace of gods. The Archon's Roost, they call this shrine of death. Yet nowhere do I spy our Lord of Dark. His throne sits empty, wanting for an heir... Did I not do all that was asked? Did I not serve and seek my fair and just reward? And for my deeds, they damn me. Name me demon. And who am I to deny it? Demon, then! Renouncing former ties and titles! And in their place, I claim... The Lord of Dark. Odio!"
— Oersted, Live A Live
Talion: Such a little thing... note Why should I give it up?
Eltariel: Talion, do not betray the man you were.
Talion: You speak to me of betrayal?! You abandoned me! You and Celebrimbor! You took everything from me! I have fought this war alone!
Eltariel: Talion, You Are Not Alone.
Talion: This ring is mine... [turns to face her with hellish red eyes and a Slasher Smile] And Talion is no more.
Eltariel: Talion, do not betray the man you were.
Talion: You speak to me of betrayal?! You abandoned me! You and Celebrimbor! You took everything from me! I have fought this war alone!
Eltariel: Talion, You Are Not Alone.
Talion: This ring is mine... [turns to face her with hellish red eyes and a Slasher Smile] And Talion is no more.
"Roach! Ghost! Can you hear me? We're under attack by Shepherd's men! Do NOT trust Shepherd! I repeat, do not trust Shepherd!"
— Captain Price, Modern Warfare 2
"Actually... Why do we have to leave right now?"
—Wheatley, Portal 2
Spider-Man: I always believed that With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.
Black Cat: And now?
Spider-Man: I never knew what power was.
Black Cat: And now?
Spider-Man: I never knew what power was.
— "Black Suit" ending (if Spider-Man chose Black Cat), Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
"You became the boss! You are great!"
"Carmen Sandiego was once an ACME detective. Yes, that's right, Time Sleuth. Carmen was one of our brightest stars, rising from a gumshoe to a master detective faster than any agent in ACME history. Unfortunately, catching crooks became too easy for Carmen. She needed greater intellectual challenge, and what could be more challenging than outsmarting ACME? Her personal dossier reports the sad tale of how Carmen turned from our best agent to our most formidable opponent!"
— The Chief, Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego computer game
Webcomics
Drizz'l: Hold it. What do you think you are doing here?
Black Mage: I'd say I was joining the winning team, but that would imply there existed a time where I wasn't on Team Evil.
Black Mage: I'd say I was joining the winning team, but that would imply there existed a time where I wasn't on Team Evil.
"If his treachery could ever hurt anyone more than himself, I'd have to stop him."
— Thief, on Black Mage, 8-Bit Theater
Web Animation
Chairman: Agent Washington, when you find these Blue soldiers that you're talking about, what makes you think that they are just going to give you the Epsilon unit when you ask them for it?
Washington: [mirthless chuckle] For as long as I can remember, I've been lied to, taken advantage of, shot in the back, and left for dead. And now, I have a way out of all of this. What in the hell, makes you think, that I'm going to ask for it?
Washington: [mirthless chuckle] For as long as I can remember, I've been lied to, taken advantage of, shot in the back, and left for dead. And now, I have a way out of all of this. What in the hell, makes you think, that I'm going to ask for it?
'Attention Gridiron Heights. I'm a villain now. Sorry.'
— Patrick Mahomes - Gridiron Heights
Web Original
For those who are not currently aware of our existence, we represent the organization known as the SCP Foundation. Our previous mission centered around the containment and study of anomalous objects, entities and other assorted phenomena. This mission was the focus of our organization for more than one-hundred years. Due to circumstances outside of our control, this directive has now changed. Our new mission will be the extermination of the human race.
There will be no further communication.
There will be no further communication.
— SCP 5000: "Why?", SCP Foundation
, SCP Foundation Web Video
And [Japan] invades Manchuria.
And the League of Nations is like 'No, don't do that, if you're in the league of nations you're not supposed to take over the world.'
And Japan is like 'How 'bout I do anyway?'
And the League of Nations is like 'No, don't do that, if you're in the league of nations you're not supposed to take over the world.'
And Japan is like 'How 'bout I do anyway?'
— history of japan, by bill wurtz
Anakin: I am happy.
Sidious: No, you're not.
Darth Vader: You're right.
Sidious: No, you're not.
Darth Vader: You're right.
Western Animation
Batman: It's the code you live by that matters. And you don't want to cross a line you can't uncross.
Clayface: Maybe you haven't noticed, Bats, but my line's been crossed. For good!
Clayface: Maybe you haven't noticed, Bats, but my line's been crossed. For good!
Buzz: Okay, okay, it's so obvious! Zurg's mind-control ray! He got to you first!
Warp: Actually, I went to him. Evil is just so much more profitable than good, and more fun.
Buzz: I don't believe it! The Warp Darkmatter I trained side-by-side with would never work side by side with the most evil force in the universe!
Warp: Look, Lightyear, I've been on Zurg's payroll since the Academy. Once I got the LGMs to spill the secret of the Unimind, the Big Z brought me on full-time. My name's Darkmatter. Who's surprised here?
Warp: Actually, I went to him. Evil is just so much more profitable than good, and more fun.
Buzz: I don't believe it! The Warp Darkmatter I trained side-by-side with would never work side by side with the most evil force in the universe!
Warp: Look, Lightyear, I've been on Zurg's payroll since the Academy. Once I got the LGMs to spill the secret of the Unimind, the Big Z brought me on full-time. My name's Darkmatter. Who's surprised here?
— Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins
"You know, if I had an ounce of humanity left in me, this would be a very touching little reunion. But of course, I surrendered my human half a long time ago."
—Dark Danny, Danny Phantom: The Ultimate Enemy
"It was all a setup. That hack put my fan in danger to steal the glory and humiliate me! They want "grim and gritty", huh? Happy to play the part..."
— Jim Starling/Negaduck, DuckTales (2017), "The Duck Knight Returns!"
"If you are not my ally, then you are my enemy."
—Demona, Gargoyles
Rochelle: You were a Lovebug?
Malice: Ugh, yes. I was at the mercy of "feelings" and "kissing." Love almost broke me. I was crying in the daytime, saying, "Oh, poor me, bo-bo-bo." And then I said, "No! I will never be heartbroken again." And now I do the heartbreaking.
Malice: Ugh, yes. I was at the mercy of "feelings" and "kissing." Love almost broke me. I was crying in the daytime, saying, "Oh, poor me, bo-bo-bo." And then I said, "No! I will never be heartbroken again." And now I do the heartbreaking.
"I did love being a hero. But if this is where it leads... I'm done with it."
Patrick: But we're the good guys!
Granny Tentacles: No, you ninny. The citizens wanted me to stop you! I'm the good guy! (everyone cheers) See?
Bunny: Since she's the good guy, why don't we just be the bad guys?
Patrick: Oh, yeah! We're evil now! (everyone in the family gets a Dastardly Whiplash mustache)
Patrick, Cecil, and Bunny: Evil goatees!
Granny Tentacles: What the?
Squidina: Time for some villainy! (ties up Granny Tentacles) But first, let's get rid of this pesky hero! Evil ink web! (sticks her to an ink web) Now let's wreak some havoc!
Patrick: As a family!
Granny Tentacles: No, you ninny. The citizens wanted me to stop you! I'm the good guy! (everyone cheers) See?
Bunny: Since she's the good guy, why don't we just be the bad guys?
Patrick: Oh, yeah! We're evil now! (everyone in the family gets a Dastardly Whiplash mustache)
Patrick, Cecil, and Bunny: Evil goatees!
Granny Tentacles: What the?
Squidina: Time for some villainy! (ties up Granny Tentacles) But first, let's get rid of this pesky hero! Evil ink web! (sticks her to an ink web) Now let's wreak some havoc!
Patrick: As a family!
Barnacle Boy: I'm tired of playing second-banana to a man who wears a bra. From now on, I want to be called Barnacle Man! And I'm through with protecting citizens that don't respect me.
SpongeBob: I respect you, Barnacle Man.
Barnacle Boy: That's Barnacle Boy! I mean, Man! I mean— oh, forget you people. I say, if you're not going to give me any respect as a hero, then maybe you'll give me respect as a villain! A villain who is... EVIL!
SpongeBob: Evil?!
Patrick, Squidward, Sandy, and Mr. Krabs: Evil?!
(Mermaid Man just stands there until Mr. Krabs slaps him)
Mermaid Man: EEEEEEVIIIIIIILLLL!
Barnacle Boy: I'm crossing over to the dark side!
(The other side is dimly lit)
Mr. Krabs: Why should I waste money lightin' the whole restaurant?
SpongeBob: I respect you, Barnacle Man.
Barnacle Boy: That's Barnacle Boy! I mean, Man! I mean— oh, forget you people. I say, if you're not going to give me any respect as a hero, then maybe you'll give me respect as a villain! A villain who is... EVIL!
SpongeBob: Evil?!
Patrick, Squidward, Sandy, and Mr. Krabs: Evil?!
(Mermaid Man just stands there until Mr. Krabs slaps him)
Mermaid Man: EEEEEEVIIIIIIILLLL!
Barnacle Boy: I'm crossing over to the dark side!
(The other side is dimly lit)
Mr. Krabs: Why should I waste money lightin' the whole restaurant?
—SpongeBob SquarePants, "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V"
I tried to warn you, Rapunzel...you have to be careful who you trust.
— Cassandra, Tangled: The Series
"I've had it with being Honest Abe! Always doing the right thing. I wanna have fun! From this day forward, I shall be known as... DISHONEST ABE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
— Abraham Lincoln, Time Squad, "Dishonest Abe"
"Goodbye, 'friends'!"
— Elyon Brown, W.I.T.C.H.
"After some the army dudes who 'brutally occupied' Magneto's country show up and attack the hospital, he and Xavier reveal their powers to each other in a big fight. After they've won, however, Magneto stays on the attack, blasting them with both magnet rings and a SCARY ANGRY FACE... Professor X stops Magneto from killing the soldiers, but Magneto walks off and then instantly becomes a supervillain. Like, while he is walking away. It escalates quickly."
—Chris Sims on X-Men: The Animated Series, "Enter Magneto"
X-Men: The Animated Series, "Enter Magneto"