During the investigation of recent hollers in the Complete Monster thread, it's become apparent to the staff that an insular, unfriendly culture has evolved in the Complete Monster and Magnificent Bastard threads that is causing problems.
Specific issues include:
- Overzealous hollers on tropers who come into the threads without being familiar with all the rules and traditions of the tropes. And when they are familiar with said rules and traditions, they get accused (with little evidence) of being ban evaders.
- A few tropers in the thread habitually engage in snotty, impolite mini-modding. There are also regular complaints about excessive, offtopic "socializing" posts.
- Many many thread regulars barely post/edit anywhere else, making the threads look like they are divorced from the rest of TV Tropes.
- Following that, there are often complaints about the threads and their regulars violating wiki rules, such as on indexing, crosswicking, example context and example categorization. Some folks are working on resolving the issues, but...
- Often moderator action against thread regulars leads to a lot of participants suddenly showing up in the moderation threads to protest and speak on their behalf, like a clique.
It is not a super high level problem, but it has been going on for years and we cannot ignore it any longer. There will be a thread in Wiki Talk
to discuss the problem; in the meantime there is a moratorium on further Complete Monster and Magnificent Bastard example discussion until we have gotten this sorted out.
Update: The new threads have been made and can be found here:
for the earliest date a work can be discussed, (usually two weeks from the US release), as well as who's reserved discussion.
- Why do a cleanup?: This trope definitely exists and has a well documented history of use. That being said, it frequently gets misused to a character who meets one of the components, namely that they are smart, charming while not necessarily even being a villain, or create good plans. While these are components, there is also a certain personality required, not to mention that all of the above are required to be present for a character to be a true Magnificent Bastard. As the trope attracts interest, it unfortunately brings in a lot of misuse and I thought the best way to rectify this would be a Perpetual Cleanup Thread, as is being done and has seen success with Complete Monster.
- What makes a Magnificent Bastard: Below is a list of the individual components to make this character. Note that they must all be present, not just some, which has lead to frequent misuse:
- Must be intelligent: Goes without saying, to be a Magnificent Bastard, the character has to be smart in the first place and use their brain to work towards whatever their end goal may be;
- Must be a Bastard: While going overboard in how vile the character is can be detrimental, a key aspect is the Bastard part of the trope, whether the character is an out-and-out antagonist in the work, some manner of Villain Protagonist, or something in between, they at least have some unscrupulous qualities to qualify for this trope;
- Must not be too detestable: Again, there is a ceiling on how bad the character can be before they just become too nefarious, blocking out the Magnificent part of the trope. A genocidal racist or child-raping Sadist aren't going to make the cut;
- Think on their feet: In addition to being a Chessmaster, a Magnificent Bastard, if the character deals with situations in which their initial plan is ruined, has to be able to pull a Xanatos Speed Chess and at least come up with a competent strategy to make up for lost time, otherwise they fail for being unable to think in tough spots;
- Have charm: Even if they don't necessarily make every character they meet fall in love with them and can even be detested by others, the audience has to find an amicable social relation to the character, or they are failing to make the impact required for this trope.
- What to do if a character is listed on a page but has not been approved?: They need to be removed, all candidates need to come through the cleanup thread first. The character could well count but they need to be analyzed properly and voted on first.
- Do we list Playing With this trope?: No; as a YMMV trope, this cannot be Played With, so we only want examples that are Played Straight.
- What do I do if I want a character to be listed as a Magnificent Bastard?: The greatest success Complete Monster saw for its cleanup effort was from the invention of the effort post format, so, borrowing from that, a troper wishing to propose a Magnificent Bastard will create such a post in the following format:
- Begin by describing The work, this will help establish the setting the character is in and for the reader to understand what kind of a scenario they are in;
- Summarize The character's actions, this will provide a listing for readers to understand what they do and how it applies to this trope because charm and lack of smugness are so crucial, this is a good time to be incorporating exactly the flavor of how they operate to explain this;
- List circumstances in which the character must Think on their feet, these are times where a wrench might be thrown in their initial plan and they have to adapt on the spot or even come up with a new scheme all together, this is also a good time to explain how the villain reacts to defeat when they have to face it, a true Magnificent Bastard won't break down into tears at the thought of death, they should have known such a possibility could occur and be able to handle it with more dignity;
- The competition, similar to the Heinous Standard dealt with for a Complete Monster, this section is to deal with how successful the character is in carrying out their plans compared to other characters. While, as a villain, they probably are going to lose in the end, it is good to explain how other characters handle the same situation. There is no exceptionalism case to be made for this trope but explaining the variety helps the reader have a better understanding of the proposal.
- How do you know when the character's arc is done so they can be proposed? When their tenure as a villain or antagonist finishes. This could happen in a single Story Arc in an entire work, a single work of a franchise, or the whole series in general. We'll show lenience to Long-Runners with constantly recurring candidates or series with outstanding continuities (ex. comic books), and it's entirely possible to count in a work or two but not in general for a reason like Depending on the Writer.
- What about candidates evil because of external sources? Those Made of Evil can qualify if they show enough individuality and tactical acumen — in other words, they have the personality to fulfill the magnificence requirement. Conversely, those brainwashed, especially if they're a better person without it, may fail the individuality aspect and cannot count.
- What if they are under orders from a higher-up? Depends. If the boss created the plans down to the letter and the candidate is just following them, sounds like we should discuss the boss instead. However, if the candidate takes creative liberties with the orders, adds their own charm and flair to them, fills in holes in the orders, and/or actively deals with obstacles their boss did not talk about, the candidate shows enough individual thinking to qualify.
- What about Character Development? An MB is something a character can develop into... a nice person who plots well might become more morally gray as the work goes on and hits the "Bastard" criteria, thus making them viable. Likewise, a Smug Snake might shed their ego, become more understanding of the threat others pose and gain the personality or "Magnificent" criteria, likewise making them viable. Conversely, a character who looks like this trope might suffer from a Sanity Slippage or just get outed as not being as smart as they thought they were and become incompatible with MB.
- Can an MB be a good guy? Not in the conventional sense... it is required they have at least some dubious traits lest they fail the "Bastard" criteria. That being said, a character who pulls a Heel–Face Turn or eventually stops taking villainous actions is still fair game: as there was a point in time where they were both "Magnificent" and a "Bastard" at the same time and they've merely adapted as time goes on. Now... if such a character begins showing other issues (i.e.: becomes prone to freak outs or starts getting outwitted) then they're compromising their Magnificence and will probably be deemed a cut. What's important is stylishly operating while at least for some time being willing to take at best underhanded methods to see a job done. A Heel–Face Turn in itself isn't a disqualifier but they do have to have been "Magnificent" and a "Bastard" at the same time and afterwards can't start slipping on the former front.
- What about characters whose stories can take different routes?: When proposing a character in a form of media that has them in multiple story routes. Said character must be consistent with their characteristics in all routes. (ex.: Can't have an example who shows promise on one route yet fails in another.) The only exception is if a later installment of the series confirms the character's actions which made them worth proposing are the canon route.
- Is there a timeframe rule like with Complete Monster?: Yes, please wait two weeks until after the work has concluded before proposing a character (again, usually using the North American air date). As is the case with CM, we want to give a reasonable time frame so that everyone interested in seeing the work has done so and can participate in the discussion without having anything spoiled.
- What about groups like with Complete Monster?: This is a point of divergence between the two tropes. While CM does not allow for a single entry encompassing more than three characters lest their heinousness for crimes becomes too watered down, with MB as long as they are treated as one "unit" it is acceptable to lump all characters provided they share acts of charm and intelligence.
- Can I propose my own work's character as a Magnificent Bastard?: No, this is a YMMV subject and the creator of a content is way too biased to be able to evaluate the criteria we're looking for without a second opinion taking over. That being said, you are more than welcome to encourage someone to consume your creation and if they feel a character counts, are more than welcome to suggest them.
- My example/edit has been approved, but the example subpage is locked! How do I get it added?: The moderators do not add examples to locked example subpages in the MagnificentBastard/ namespace directly. Rather, you need to do the edit to a sandbox page that follows the format Sandbox.MagnificentBastard<Name of the example subpage> (e.g for MagnificentBastard.Fullmetal Alchemist it's Sandbox.Magnificent Bastard Fullmetal Alchemist) and on a Friday, ask in the locked pages edit requests thread for the content to be swapped in.
Thread rules
When voting a troper must specify the effort post they're voting on and cannot merely vote on "Everything I missed" as in the past it has indicated the poster didn't read the effort post and is guessing instead of analyzing.
Resolved items
In general, a character listed on this trope is considered "settled". This means they should not be challenged unless information used to list them was incorrect or information was missed in the initial discussion.
However, when re-litigating a candidate, the same rules apply for when they were originally proposed. If they do not have five or more upvotes than downvotes for approval upon a re-litigation, including votes from the initial discussion if they do not change, then they are a cut.
This especially applies to the characters listed below, who have been discussed excessively and repeated attempts to get them listed/cut may result in punitive action for bogging down the thread.
Definitely an MB
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers: Any sadism Darkrai displays is limited in effect thanks to the game's nature and any cowardice which can be inferred about him is Alternative Character Interpretation about his tactical retreats.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: Azula's Villainous Breakdown is undone in the sequel comic Smoke & Shadow where she regains her composure and ends up stable and in control enough to count.
Definitely not an MB
- South Park: The show's frequent use of vulgar comedy and mean-spirited humor leaves any potential candidates devoid of the dignity or charm to qualify.
Edited by GastonRabbit on Aug 31st 2023 at 4:15:22 AM
Yes to Entity.
Goku Black
![[tup]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Thumbs_up_emoticon_3268.png "[thumb up]"){kind=small}
Aunty Entity
RIP Ulliel.
"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
For an iconic MB Big Good for Greats, could maybe go with the BIG one: Albus Dumbledore?
Edited by Snowy66 on Jan 19th 2022 at 5:19:16 AM
If the thread says so sure, but I've my reservations about good ol' Albus. I'll get into them if we see more on it but for now… I'll do it if we so elect but I'm not super into it.
We've discussed that before. I brought it up. The problem is while he's certainly iconic enough, he's probably not the best example. He's a great character, but as an MB he just barely makes it in the heinousness regard. I was an abstain for that very reason. I'm looking for someone who's far more ruthless in pursuit of the greater good. Maybe the Ellimist whenever he gets EP'd, I don't know? Dumbledore only really has Harry.
Edited by jjjj2 on Jan 19th 2022 at 8:27:49 AM
You can only write so much in your forum signature. It's not fair that I want to write a piece of writing yet it will cut me off in the mid
Lies and Violence!
Aunty and Jim, RIP Ulliel.
I know I kept saying I had gotten everyone, but... Skulduggery Pleasant again! In defense for missing this guy on my first look through, he's more of a One-Scene Wonder.
Relevant pieces of info: there are these evil spirit things called Remnants that go around possessing people. They're best described as "flying balls of intent"; anyone who gets possessed loses their morals and gains the Remnant's desire for destruction, but are otherwise the same person. That said, there's still enough of a change in personality (and inconsistency in the writing) that I was able to successfully propose a normally good character who was permanently bonded to a Remnant.
Speaking of! Tanith Low is an assassin who, upon bonding to a Remnant, becomes a fanatical worshipper of the dark goddess Darquesse and her prophesized doomsday. Seeking to ensure the safety of her messiah, Tanith sets out to destroy the God-Killers, weapons that... well, it's Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
Moribund
Originally a no-name, humorless sorcerer, Moribund became a sadistic psychopath after permanently bonding to a Remnant, and was eventually imprisoned by the Sanctuary (magic government).
Having a few centuries of free time to look forward to, Moribund began to gradually reconstruct his conscience. It was a difficult process, bordering on the impossible, but he eventually succeeded by the time the series begins.
Now, the first book's climax involved Tanith fighting a zombie ninja in the Sanctuary's prison. It ended with her alive but seriously injured, and, in a minor Big-Lipped Alligator Moment, the previously jeering prisoners started creepily whispering.
Retroactively, it's revealed that Moribund convinced the other prisoners to pitch in on a spell that would force Tanith to open his cell. He had promised to release them all too, but since they're... you know, all horrible people, he just ignores them and tells Tanith he'll send some medical help once he's gotten away, promising to repay his debt to her for freeing him.
Fast-forward to Tanith's spin-off, The Maleficent Seven. The hunt for the God-Killers is going pretty well, but she keeps randomly finding the corpses of what appear to be Sanctuary agents and assassins sent after her. She reasons they have a guardian angel, but doesn't give it much thought. She finally gets to meet said "angel" after being imprisoned in the Sanctuary dungeon, where he knocks out all the guards and releases her.
Moribund explains his deal; he's been in hiding for the past five years and has avoided killing anyone, but upon hearing Tanith got possessed decided now was the time to repay his debt and began killing the assassins sent after her before she even learned they existed. He questions her on her omnicidal intentions, and sees her off with the reminder that at the end of the day she's still the same person underneath all that evil intent.
Is he Magnificent?
For such a minor character? I'd say yes. Moribund is charming and honorable, risking his freedom for no other reason than to repay a debt. He's able to efficiently deal with all of the assassins sent after Tanith, and break in and out of a prison with little difficulty. While he isn't afraid to kill, he's somewhat disturbed by how easily he falls back into "old habits" and tries to limit the number of unnecessary murders he commits. Plus, in the single chapter he properly appears in he lays the seeds of doubt that lead to Tanith's Heel–Face Turn.
Is he a Bastard?
Yes, but not too much of one. He describes himself as having been "the most evil person alive" back before he was arrested, but that's both A.) a long time ago and B.) incredibly vague.
Still, he kills around five people to protect Tanith, and while most of them were assassins (two were just government guys doing their job), they're still trying to stop the person who wants to end the world. He is fully aware of this, and while he's confident — and correct — that she can change, it's still a pretty big gamble.
Yes to Moribund.
I'm Sad Frogerson.
I suggested Oogway before for the Greats, since he probably demonstrates the bare minimum you need to be considered a Bastard. Problem is, he's probably not the most iconic for that archetype.
Actually… I might be willing to back Oogway if we're really hungering for a Big Good. He is pretty beloved and iconic, coming from a very popular film series and I have absolutely none of the reservations about him that I do with Dumbledore.
I'd hear a case for Oogway but… frankly I'm not overly invested with the whole idea of a Big Good MB in The Greats.
I am legitimately unsure on Moribund. A mentor who inspires a Heel–Face Turn, even if it is a huge gamble... I guess I'll give a very slight leaning .
Aunty Entity, Big Jim, and Moribund are yeses. RIP Gaspard Ulliel.
What about Mar Novu/Monitor from Arrowverse? Dude massacred whole universes yet is still the Big Good
Moribund
Edited by Snowy66 on Jan 19th 2022 at 6:56:30 AM
I hate spoilers
to Morinubd. RIP Ulliel.
I'm gonna let y'all hash this Big Good thing out without comment until we come to a decision, I'm not super into the idea in the first place but I'll state that if we absolutely gotta have one my vote is on Oogway.
Yea to Moribund.
Yes to Moribund. Also going to stay off the Big Good thing for the most part. Like I said my only concern is if someone disputes that someone is/isn't that trope and then comes here to debate something we don't analyze or currate.
RIP Toriyama
Yes to Moribund and Aunty Entity
Major RIP to Ulliel, he will be greatly appreciated in Moon Knight for sure.
Since Jim's a pretty solid land, how do we like this quote for him?
Dale "Barbie" Barbera: "You're also a lifelong used-car salesman."
"Big Jim": "That's right, which means I know how to cut a deal. Love me or hate me, I get things done."
Edited by Ravok on Jan 19th 2022 at 7:37:13 AM
Tonight I dine on monkey soup.![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
So I moved Enoch to the bottom in the MCU sandbox, but if everyone prefers him above Jiaying I will accept that.
Edited by randomtroper89 on Jan 19th 2022 at 9:40:15 AM
Yee yee to the quote. Wait what did we decide about that work? Emerald gave pretty good reasoning for his placement.
Edited by 43110 on Jan 19th 2022 at 3:40:50 PM
The Moron
Lemme trim down that pending list a bit:
- Destinies of Remnant:
- Everyone else
- "Small and Helpless": Sienna Khan, surviving her canon death, learns that her life is short and she must make the most of what time she has to correct his path. To this end, she hatches one final scheme, beginning by decapitating Adam Taurus and presenting the head at a rally. Using her charisma and strength to lure Blake into a meeting and convince her to attend that rally, Sienna then forces a sit-down with several prominent figures, including General Ironwood and Jacques Schnee, in order to demand equality. However, after a bomb kills everyone present, Blake discovers that Sienna was actually gathering targets in one space to kill all of them at once, not only making herself into a martyr but also uniting humanity and Faunus for the first time. Her plan succeeds, beginning to mend the rift between humans and Faunus even at the cost of her own life.
- Cats: Macavity, the Mystery Cat, is a conniving criminal cat rightly feared by the other Jellicles. Having earned a reputation for breaking every human law yet never being at the scene of the crime, Macavity introduces himself by using his hypnosis to distract the Jellicles, giving him the chance to track down Old Deuteronomy. When the cats think they've saved him, Macavity reveals that he had already captured and replaced the elder, then proceeds to defeat Munkustrap and Mungojerrie before trying to kidnap Demeter as well. With his crime completed, Macavity causes a power outage, disappearing before the lights come back up.
Appreciated brother!
I hate spoilers
And now for another Dragalia Lost character. I was originally post an EP for Basileus, but he was an Unwitting Pawn for another villain. While he does turn good and succeeds in one of his long-term goals, I eventually got the feeling that might not be enough for him to be a keeper.
Instead, I got the idea to do an anniversary villain, Chronos.
Who is Chronos?
Chronos is the combined form of all of the Greatwyrms (except maybe Chthonius) created by an evil version of The Hero Euden (Demonic Possession is at play). He's the boss of the 1st anniversary event Fractured Futures, and is a Time Master who sends Euden back to the early parts of the main campaign. This is done to prevent certain tragedies from happening in a Set Right What Once Went Wrong. In reality, Chronos wants to Make Wrong What Once Went Right by killing an alternate version of Euden's sister Zethia (who was introduced even earlier) since she's a time traveller herself. Her existence is a threat to the evil Euden since she's from his time.
Is he Magnificent?
Yes, he is. Chronos uses his Time Master powers well enough to go exactly where he wants to go in order to complete his goal. He's able to do this by finding someone who's alive in two different worlds through their chain of causality. Before and after he's revealed to be Evil All Along, Chronos is respectful to Euden and does not extend any wanton, unnecessary cruelty towards others, making him Affably Evil. At no point does he let it slip that he has ulterior motives. He even offers Euden the chance to become the Invincible Villain that his Alternate Self has become (albeit with the same Demonic Possession at play). It gets to the point where Euden and the Arc Hero Audric have to back even further in time just to defeat him. Even as he's defeated, his only reaction is a Sorry That I'm Dying moment for his master.
Is he a Bastard? Too much?
He primarily serves a version of Euden that's become The Emperor and is implied to have killed many named characters in the setting. That said, he's still fairly polite to his enemies and is no where near as sadistic as the Ax-Crazy psychopath Augus or the Card-Carrying Villain known as The Doctor. Both of those are Complete Monsters for good reason. Chronos in comparison is more orderly in personality, making this a case of "the heinousness standard is really high".
Any Mitigating Factors?
Not really. Chronos seems to show up in another event called Rage of Chronos, but he's shown to be just as much of a Manipulative Bastard and lacks any disqualifying factors there.
Final Verdict
I think he keeps. Chronos is good at playing others to do his bidding, but still very dangerous.
Everyone look at my sandbox
This is going to be my last EP for a while, as I intend to take a hiatus from this thread after this. I have important real life stuff going on, which means that I won't have time to look for candidates and write EP's for now.
The Work
Oz The Great and Powerful is a 2013 film that serves as a prequel to the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz
The Candidate
Oscar Diggs is the films protagonist, and is a magician/con artist working at a travelling circus, before getting sucked into a tornado and landing in Oz
During one of his shows, a girl in a wheelchair asks him to make her walk, which he is unable to do. This leads to him getting booed off the stage. Shortly thereafter, a storm approaches and the circus strongman attacks Oscar for trying to woo his daughter. Oscar escapes in a hot air balloon but is sucked into the storm.
Oscar finds himself in Oz, where he is found by a witch named Theodora. She believes he is the focus of a prophecy after seeing him perform a few simple magic tricks. She tells Oscar that another witch, Glinda, killed the previous king of Oz, but upon his deathbed he predicted that a great and powerful wizard sharing the name of the land would descend from the sky, save them, and become their new king.
As the duo head for the Emerald City, Theodora falls in love with Oscar, though he rebuffs her. The duo encounter a flying monkey named Finley, trapped in a vine and at the mercy of a lion. Oscar saves him upon Theodora's request, and as a symbol of gratitude, Finley offers to serve Oscar.
In the Emerald City, the duo meet Theodora's sister Evanora, who is guarding the throne until the prophecy wizard arrives. She promises Oscar that he can have all the power and wealth of the king if he kills Glinda by stealing and destroying her wand (the source of her power). As Oscar and Finley embark on their quest, they come across "China Town", destroyed by the witches flying baboons. They come across a young, un-named girl whose legs are broken, and is the sole survivor of the massacre. Oscar fixes her legs with glue, and she tags along, eager to "kill a witch".
The trio find the wand, and just as they about to destroy it, Glinda shows up, revealing that Evanora is the one who killed the previous king. When the group is attacked by flying baboons from Emerald City, Glinda uses her magic to help everyone escape, hiding them in a fog as they fly to her Castle, with a barrier strong enough to prevent Evanora from reaching it.
At the castle, Glinda reveals she knows that Oscar isn't truly a wizard but tells him he might be what they need. He tells the land he is the wizard here to save them, and he meets his "army": tinkers who can build anything, farmers who can grow anything, and munchkins that can create any clothing, all of whom are forbidden to kill.
The barrier is broken by Theodora, who had recently been corrupted by Evanora. She attacks the town, though Glinda is able to fight her off. Theodora leaves, but not before promising to come back with the armies of the Emerald City.
Oscar, believing that he can't win, decides to leave. However, after talking to the China Girl about Thomas Alva Edison, he has a change of heart. He tells Glinda that while they can't win in a battle against the Emerald City, they might be able to win through illusion.
Oscar and a few others sneak into the Emerald City in a magician's wagon, and use it to mount a fake attack on the Emerald City using a pulley-rig army of scarecrow puppets hidden by thick fog. The witches are tricked into sending their flying baboons through a poppy field that puts them to sleep, but Glinda is captured in the process. While this goes on, Oscar steals a large amount of gold from the Emerald City vaults and seemingly flies away with it in a hot air balloon. Theodora shows this to the town and then destroys the balloon.
However, it turns out that this was an illusion by Oscar to make the town think he was dead. He is now reincarnated as "The Great and Powerful Oz", a wizard with no human form - in reality, it is just his face projected onto smoke in the center of the city thanks to the aforementioned wagon.
The guards and witches attack, but to no avail. As the witches grow fearful, Oscar "attacks" them and the city with fireworks coming from his "mouth". Evanora runs into the palace out of fear, while China Girl brings Glinda her wand, allowing her to escape. Evanora and Glinda face off, culminating in Glinda destroying Evanora's emerald necklace, hinted to be the source of her power. Evanora is banished from the Emerald City by Glinda, and she escapes by way of the two winged baboons. Theodora also takes the opportunity to escape, but as she flies away, Oscar apologizes for his role in what happened to her. Theodora rejects his offer of redemption. As she takes off, Oscar expresses sadness, clearly feeling responsible for her fate.
In order to make the citizens believe in his death while keeping them united against the witches, Oscar creates a mini projection system for him to live on in. He also gives his allies various gifts as a form of thanks.
Magnificence
Oz is certainly suave and charming enough for this trope. As far as intelligence is concerned, when he first comes to Oz, he uses a dove to distract the witch's flying baboon who is in pursuit of him and Theodora. He is unable to help the girl in the wheelchair due to realistic limitations, but is able to assist "China Girl" by fixing her legs with glue.
He is also the brains behind the climatic assault on Emerald City, using his experiences in the real world to take out the baboons in one fell swoop, fake his death, and "reincarnate" as a "powerful sorcerer"
He does have a few undignified moments, such as displaying terror in the storm and when facing the "Pure of Heart" barrier. He also gets tricked by Evanora, though that can be justified by him having no awareness of the going ons in this mysterious land which he just came across.
Bastardry
Oscar's initial motives are selfish, and he knows that he isn't a good person. That being said, he is capable of caring others as seen with China Girl - who he seems to have a soft spot for. Also, before winding up in the storm, he encourages his lover to marry anther man who proposed to her, saying that he will be able to provide for her. Also, the "pure of heart" barrier lets him through, so that's there.
He also tricks Finley into his servitude, though at the end of the movie, he also extends his friendship to him. He also recognizes and regrets his role in Theodora turning evil, even offering her a shot at redemption.
Edited by magnumtropus on Jan 19th 2022 at 8:30:54 PM
Easy Yes to Moribund, Oscar, and Aunty Entity.
A very reluctant yes to Big Jim, just as long as no one goes and tries to recommend his book counterpart.
RIP and a long, long overdue yes there Lighty!