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:
- 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
If nobody minds, I'd like to reserve discussion on Marvel!Shockwave. I covered the Marvel Transformers comics for the Complete Monster thread, and I think he'd be an interesting example (but damn, it'll be a long one).
I'm also reserving discussion for anyone from Avengers Assemble. Again, might be some time before I get to them as I'm currently on season two, but I think I have at least one candidate so far.
Here's my writeup for Guy:
- Anscarid d'Ivrea, the Free Count of France
: In this Crusader Kings 2 After-Action Report, Guy d'Ivrea shows how far intelligence, charisma and patience can take somebody. Starting as the ambitious Count of Mâcon, Guy works to increase his power and prestige in an increasingly divided and turbulent France. Having become House de Bourgogne's chancellor at an early age due to his silver tongue, Guy plans to take control of the Duchy of Burgundy. Being rebuffed by King Henri II when he requests the Duchy, Guy turns his attentions elsewhere, successfully making his cousin-in-law Urraka Queen of Navarra after smooth-talking the King of Castile into not interfering. He later goes on to establish more cadet branches of House d'Ivrea in prominent positions. During a long and brutal civil war, Guy makes himself the Duke of Berry, gains recognition by defending Dijon from Lorrainian invasion, and successfully wages a holy war to recapture Melgueil from Iberian Muslims. When King Renaud unexpectedly demands Mâcon from Guy and brands him a traitor when he refuses, Guy quickly turns the situation in his favor. Using bold and clever military strategies, he first forces Renaud to give up his attempt to remove him from power, then takes the French throne from him. Achieving his original goal by seizing the Duchy of Burgundy from his former liege, Guy works tirelessly to rebuild and stabilize France, recapturing territory lost during the civil wars and taking steps to safeguard his successors' power. By the time he passes on, Guy has set a good example for his heirs to follow and returned the Anscarid dynasty to its former glory. Nearly always successful in his endeavors and likable despite his rather unscrupulous nature, Guy d'Ivrea proves that playing the Long Game can reap massive dividends.
Edited by ImperialMajestyXO on Apr 13th 2019 at 5:47:03 AM
Baby and Shockwave.
What's the work?
One of the premier "Mon" franchises, Digimon stands for "Digital Monsters" where children or teens, called the Digi Destined, are selected by destiny to be partnered with Digimon to help save the Digital World and sometimes the real world as well.
Two movies in the Digimon anime franchises were entitled Our War Game and Revenge of Diaboromon. The former takes place in Adventure and the latter Adventure 02. Both of them take place after their respective anime. In short? They focus on a villain using the Internet for their own designs, and the DigiDestined are forced to come together in the real world to prevent the threat of turning everything inside out.
(Note: I will be covering the dub versions only as they are the media I'm familiar. I will be using English names and terminology where applicable. Seriously, the production crew went crisscross with these movies, so it's a headache to reconcile both the original and the dub.)
Who is the candidate? The character’s actions?
The English version of the movie posits a young boy named Willis who created a Digimon that got infected by a computer virus. This Digi-Egg hatched into our candidate.
Izzy, one of the DigiDestined, recognizes the threat and rushes to Tai's house, revealing the hatched creature, a Kumamon. Izzy explains, while it's only in its baby form now, it could quickly start growing and begin to eat data from all over the network and cause computers all over the world to go haywire. As they speak, the computers all over the world indeed begin to act strangely, with cash registers and printed store labels listing abnormally large prices for various products.
One thing leads to another where Tai's and Izzy's partners, Agumon and Tentomon, face Keramon, the next form of Kumamon. The fight quickly goes south when Keramon passes Champion to Ultimate as Infermon and makes short of the two. As Tai and Izzy let Agumon and Tentomon get some rest, the latter gets some emails from children of different countries commenting on the battle, and the two realize that their actions are being watched all over the world. Trying to track down Infermon proves to fruitless due to phone lines getting jumbled up (this is the later 90s, early 00s — you may have nightmares about dial-up again). Izzy' solution? Use a military satelitte uplink, allowing them to connect to the Internet again.
They find that the Digimon has somehow made it all the way over to America. Fortunately, they're contacted by Matt and T.K., the only other available DigiDestined, who've found a computer in a small barber's shop. Gabumon and Patamon join Agumon and Tentomon in going off to fight the Digimon, and Yamato and Tai have Gabumon and Agumon warp evolve to MetalGarurumon and WarGreymonas the children all over the world continue to watch.
They get dominated once Infermon becomes Diaboromon.
The mysterious Digimon sends a message: "Who can count backwards from ten?" Diaboromon then begins to clone himself into multiple copies and a timer appears on the screen with ten minutes, ticking downwards towards zero. The clock is a countdown to two missiles, one for Colorado when Willis is and the other for Japan — and, since the missile is powerful and fast enough to hit anywhere in the world, they can't stop it in the air.
MetalGarurumon and WarGreymon arrive to an area swarming with copies of Diaboromon. With all of the copies constantly duplicating and attacking at once, and with all of the emails of support from the children all over the world slowing down WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon, the two of them are quickly incapacitated. In desperation, Tai reaches towards the screen and finds himself going right through it and into the Internet space. He reaches for WarGreymonas Matt likewise enters and reaches for MetalGarurumon. Tai yells to WarGreymon, saying that he’s here and won't let WarGreymon fight alone. Tai's words and the emails from the spectators surrounding them cause WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon to regain strength, and the power of the emotions coming through all of the emails allows them to combine into Omnimon.
The copies don't last long, leaving one left.
Diaboromon tries to burn the timer by jumping around all over place faster than they can react, but Izzy reverts the Internal lag upon Diaboromon, allowing Omnimon to slay the computer bug once and for all.
....
NOT!
Fast foward to some years later, turns out a sliver of Diaboromon hanged on. Strange things begin to happen to computer users in Tokyo: mysterious jellyfish-like creatures begin to appear on people’s computers, along with some pictures of the DigiDestined- and the jellyfish-like creatures begin to emerge from the computers in large numbers. The Chosen Children themselves find their Digivices beeping, and inside the Internet, a familiar Digimon awaits.
Izzy gathers the Adventure DigiDestined and the new 02 ones and explains Diaboromon is back. He tells them that Diaboromon is attempting to the Real World with the help of copies of his Child form, Kuramon, which are being sent to people all over Tokyo via email and emerging from their computers. T.K. and Patamon, remembering that Diaboromon had sent a nuclear missile the last time he was active, know that disaster could strike if Diaboromon emerges again, and Tai and Matt decide to enter the Internet through a gate and stop the Kuramon from emerging.
While people in the real world try to contain the Kuramon swarm, the first movie's rematch begins. While Omnimon is able to destroy the surrounding Kuramon, he’s unable to get to the central Diablomon. T.K. and Kari decide to enter the Internet to help their brothers while children around the world see the battle broadcasted on their computers. As Hikari and T.K. appear in the Internet with Angewomon and Angemon, Davis, wanting to follow Kari, borrows a laptop and asks Yolei to guide him through the Internet. Yolei opens a large number of gates into the Internet, but even though Omnimon successfully destroys the Diaboromon, all of the Kuramon emerge into the real world with the gates and close them, locking Tai, Matt, Kari, and T.K. inside.
It was a trap.
As the kids head to Tokyo Bay, Izzy realizes what Diaboromon had planned: wanting to emerge into the Real World, but having too much data to come out of the Internet all at once, he had sent out his data in the form of the small Kuramon so that even if Omnimon defeated him, he’d still be able to have the Kuramon take his place. By opening a large number of gates, Yolei had allowed all of the Kuramon to emerge into the Real World - and as a result, there are now too many Kuramon to be captured at once.
The Kumamon swarm forms into a giant Digi-Egg that hatches into something much, much worse than Diaboromon: Armageddemon. It proceeds to beat Omnimon within an inch of its life, forcing it to transmit power to Imperialdramon, turning it into Imperialdramon Paladin Mode. After a hard-fought battle, Armageddemon is slain, but the Kumamon stick around. Coddy instructs the crowd to point their cell phones towards Imperialdramon’s sword, and as the kids follow suit themselves with their Digivices, the lights from the cell phones and the Digivices cause the sword to release a large wave of light around the Kuramon, allowing the cell phones to absorb the Kuramon’s data.
The threat is ended once and for all. For real this time.
Magnificent enough (Charming, charismatic, intelligent, etc.)?
Diaboromon is a self-acting entity without people or underlings to revere or praise him, so don't expect any in-universe reactions giving him a leg-up towards magnificence. He doesn't make grandiose speeches, have a captivating philosophy, or a sympathetic backstory. He instead relies heavily on his menacing presence, no-nonsense actions, and impressive effectiveness as a villain.
That said? Diaboromon, to me, is a shining example of a candidate who knows how to think on their feet and play speed chess.
First, in his initial encounter with the Agumon and Tentomon, he skips a level in evolution, tricking them into thinking he was a level weaker than he really was. When Tai and Izzy try to make them Ultimates as well, he averts Transformation Is a Free Action (a series rarety), scoring a double K.O. and bailing once he's won. Now that he's aware that there are people after him, he calls every single phone number on the planet, clogging up phone lines and disrupting their Internet access and ability to pursue him.
When Izzy bypasses that with a military satellite uplink, he uses that same uplink to hack the military and lob a nuclear missile in their direction, cutting off the only opposition to him at their source of power. They're still coming after him before the nuke hits, so he then multiplies himself up to a million times and overwhelms them through sheer numbers. This also had the effect of hiding the real one. Finally, he doesn't even attempt to attack Omnimon; he knows he can win simply by stalling long enough for a nuclear missile to destroy Tai and co's neighborhood.
And top it all off, there's his Batman Gambit and Thanatos Gambit in the sequel which tricks the DigiDestined into enabling him to emerge in the real world. There's a very brief moment where Diaboromon actually plays Omnimon like a fool, sacrificing a chunk of his Kuramon to detonate the Garuru Cannon fire from a distance, leaving him safe and unharmed. This shows he's learned, and there's fact, as Armageddomon, he wins against Omnimon after his gambit succeeds.
Just two appearances, but he pushes our heroes to the brink both times.
In short? Diaboromon does not fuck around.
Bastard? Too much?
Honestly, the worst Diaboromon does is send missiles toward his enemies, collateral damage on Japan and Colorado aside. Additionally, it's really hard to tell what its real intentions are. Could be just acting upon the virus and therefore looking to eat as much data as possible. That may actually be a point in his favor since he therefore never shows a level of villany even close to Devimon, Myotismon, and whatnot. I guess you can say, because his motives are so muddled, the threat he poses is just "powerful, evil Digimon." Nothing inoffensive but nothing too evil.
Competition?
Truly the duology's most effective and savviest villain. Myotismon, Daemon, Apocalymon... and they all wish they could be like Diaboromon.
Conclusion?
I'm thinking yes. Too smart not to be one, but what say you all?
Edited by erazor0707 on Apr 13th 2019 at 7:12:34 AM
Watched years ago and tbh I hardly remember the character but looks like there's enough there on the smarts and I can be charmed by the brilliance of a stoic No-Nonsense Nemesis. I'll say yeah.
Found this unverified example in the YMMV page of Batman: Arkham Knight, and promptly deleted it:
- Magnificent Bastard: Scarecrow uses the Joker's absence to unite all of Batman's enemies under his banner and take over Gotham Bane-style. He then succeeds in outing Batman's secret identity to the whole world, forcing Batman to go underground after "one last night". This is something no Batman villain in any adaptation ever succeeded at, and definitely not Joker.
- Granted, some would argue that his victory owes more to Batman holding the Idiot Ball than to his own abilities, since Robin and Gordon would not have been vulnerable to kidnapping had Batman not kept secrets from them or push them away; others note that Batman kept his allies at arm's length because he was afraid they would get hurt, a fear that Scarecrow knew about and was very deliberately exploiting throughout the game.
For the record, Arkham Scarecrow is far too evil to count. He may have achieved in unmasking the Batman to the world, but that belongs to Evil Is Cool like all of Darth Sidious's actions.
You know I actually think Arkham Scarecrow might qualify. I know he’s a CM but he’s an extremely popular villain within the fan base, isn’t as personally cruel compared to the Joker, is a manipulative mastermind, and he’s done the impossible and unmasked The Batman To the entire world. I like to hear those who don’t believe why Scarecrow can’t qualify
My sandbox of EPs and other stuffI'm not sure if Scope alone is enough to disqualify someone. Consideirng we've had some who've threatened entire countries.
He'll, Animated Megatron is a threat on a PLANETARY level.
Also
to Diaboromon.
Edited by Kylotrope on Apr 14th 2019 at 1:53:03 AM
Things are really about to get Fun around here
Diaboromon are the CHAMPIONS. Wasn't entirely expecting that one because of a lack of motivation... but eating data and getting stronger is a good enough motive for me.
Though I think it should be specified to be the English Dub due to how they spliced two films and plots together. The Japanese Dub one may count as well, but is it worth EP'ing him? Meh.
I got another EP I've been meaning to finish, but I've been distracted. I might finish it in a few days though.
I think Scarecrow is to evil to count, I mean in the first game he's a giggling sadist. Sure in his second appearance he's a lot more reserved about it, but its clear he just got better at hiding it. The guys entire MO is torture peope with their worst fears till they die or go insane, and unlike other continuties this one lacks any insanity, freudian excuse or real scientific curiousity, he just enjoys hurting people.
Edited by MGD107 on Apr 14th 2019 at 6:16:29 AM
- Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location: Circus Baby, the mascot of Circus Baby's Pizza World, is one of the few animatronics with the ability to think. Upon becoming possessed by the spirit of William Afton's daughter and getting locked away and abandoned, Circus Baby forms an escape plan convincing the other Funtime animatronics to meld their exoskeletons together to create Ennard. To this end, she poses as the helpful guide for the player, gradually manipulating them into following her instructions culminating in the player getting lured into the Scooping Room to be disemboweled. Despite the horrific nature of her plan, Circus Baby takes no sadistic pleasure in it, earnestly apologizing to the player for misleading them and assuring them that they wouldn't be in pain for long.
Edited by AustinDR on Apr 14th 2019 at 7:30:03 AM
Yo so I'm formatting The Witcher tree and I see the two entries under the third game would push to a non-existent fourth bullet. It's only six entries so I really don't wanna make a page. Are we okay if I put the characters originally from the books on literature and just leave the tree on MagnificentBastard.Video Games for game-exclusive characters?
I'll let folks comment on how they would like it done but for now this is what I'm going with:
- Button Man: Harry Exton is a British mercenary-turned-contract killer who joins an underground Killing Game to kill numerous opponents at the behest of powerful sponsors known only as the Voices. Harry is a walking instrument of death who beats every other 'Button Man' sent against him through cunning far more often than brute force, either luring them into traps or out-gambitting them with various back-ups. Exton manages to acquire his freedom by going after the Voices themselves, blackmailing a U.S. senator with evidence of his ties to the Game, and later wiping out a Carnival of Killers by luring them back to his home turf with the tracking device they had planted on him before faking his own death and killing off the only witness. When faced with a young woman who was convinced that he killed her father, Harry reveals that he refused to participate in what he considered to be a thug's job before teaming up with her to successfully take on the Voices. A reserved, brilliantly dangerous killer, Harry Exton's sheer force of will and talent at surviving made him a legend in the history of the Game.
- Inglorious Basterds:
- Aldo "The Apache" Raines is the head of the Basterds. A ruthless, charismatic soldier who intends on tearing down the Nazis, Aldo leads his men behind enemy lines, performing daring raids to kill German soldiers while spreading fear throughout the Nazi ranks, including Adolf Hitler himself. Aldo formulates Operation Kino to eliminate the entire Nazi high command, and when he bargains with Hans Landa to let the operation continue, Aldo promptly denies Landa the satisfaction of victory by carving a Swastika into his forehead, reasoning he's "been chewed out before" while retaining his sense of charm and composure to the end.
- Shoshanna Dreyfuss is a Jewish girl who loses her family to the Nazis. When approached on using her theater in Paris as the site of a premiere for Goebbels' major new film, Shoshanna and her lover Marcel opt to lock the Nazis inside the theater and burn it down. Shoshanna proceeds to enact her plan near flawlessly, recording a message to all the Nazi leaders to see on screen that their fates are her vengeance and the vengeance of the Jewish people, ending up with the complete elimination of the Nazi leaders assured even before the Basterds get involved.
- Layer Cake: Eddie Temple is an English crimelord who has become a feared and renowned figure in the British underworld, establishing himself as a legitimate businessman and member of upper society while secretly running a criminal empire behind the scenes. When Temple's lifelong associate Jimmy Price lost a large sum of money in a bad overseas investment, blaming Temple for it and attempted to have Temple's beloved daughter kidnapped to use her as a hostage, Temple quickly undercuts this scheme by revealing his findings about Jimmy being a police informant to Jimmy's young and ambitious cocaine manufacturer XXXX during a High-Altitude Interrogation, who kills him for the betrayal. Temple then cuts a deal with XXXX for a batch of ecstacy pills that were stolen on Jimmy's behalf from a group of Serbian gangsters, only to confiscate the drugs during the rendezvous and offering XXXX exclusive membership to a high-class social club instead. Temple is a ruthless gangster while at the same time being courteous, witty, and polite, reminding XXXX that it takes years of time and dedication to ascend the layer cake of life.
- Triple Frontier: Santiago "Pope" Gomez is a private military contractor who formulates a plan to rob drug lord Gabriel Martin Lorea after learning how much money he makes from the drug business. With the help of his informant, Yovanna, and his friends from the Delta Force, Pope was successful in finding and killing Lorea in Colombia and burn down his house after stealing 250 million of Lorea's money found inside the walls. Pope would also give a few million to Yovanna for her help and to a village leader as compensation for killing some of his villagers and discard most of it weighing him and his team down. Guilt-ridden when team member Tom "Redfly" Davis gets killed, he and his team decide to give the remainder of their money to Redfly's family, before Pope was given the coordinates of where they left the rest of the money, allowing Pope the opportunity to retrieve it.
- The Witcher:
- Emperor Emhyr var Emreis, the White Flame Dancing on the Barrows of his enemies, is a cunning Evil Overlord once overthrown in Nilfgaard as a prince. Surviving a curse and being hunted, he learned of the ancient prophecy of the Elder Blood, and married Princess Pavetta of Cintra to sire series heroine Cirilla. Eventually faking his death as the knight Duny, he returned to Nilfgaard, seizing the throne and committed to a brutal, expansionist war. Always learning from his errors, Emhyr eventually realized he loved his daughter Ciri too much to complete the prophecy by fathering a child with her and released her to Geralt, trusting him to protect her. Once again return to conquer the Northern Kingdoms, Emhyr uses Letho the Kingslayer to sow discord and leave the land open to his armies while asking Geralt to find Ciri again. In most endings, Emhyr ends up victorious, eliminating all would-be threats to his rule and can even abdicate in favor of Ciri, content at achieving all he wanted.
- Siegsmund Djikstra is the former spymaster of Redania. A brilliant man in contrast to his thuggish appearance who manipulates entire nations in his game, Djikstra heads up a resistance to King Radovid, helping nonhumans and magic users escape Radovid's brutal purges, all while manipulating his allies to help set him up on the Redanian throne. Organizing Radovid's downfall, Djikstra reveals his trap upon his Temerian allies: to eliminate them and rule Redania from the shadows. If this succeeds, Djikstra removes most freedoms from Redania but is so successful, he will even result in the defeat of the unstoppable Nilfgaardian armies.
- Banshee:
- Job is a computer hacking genius who uses his skills to orchestrate many bank robberies. When an old friend of Job gets released from prison, he tells him about the town Banshee and gives him the identity "Lucas Hood" so he could start a new life. Job would also find himself going to Banshee where he organized many robberies and rescues there, one of which was a highly secured Marine Base leading to Job's capture. After bring rescue from his captors 20 months later, Job would track down the man who got him captured and ruin his life by making him culpable to all his crimes while Job leaves Banshee with all the money he stolen to start his own new life.
- Kai Proctor is a wealthy business man and criminal kingpin that rules the titular town from the shadows. Enduring a feud with rival crime lord Alex Longshadow, Proctor would gain the upper hand first by blowing up one of Alex's hotel killing the mayor along the way, having "Lucas Hood" decimate Alex's forces after previously saving his life once, and has his niece Rebecca kill Alex. Facing another opponent from Philadelphia drug dealer Frazier, he would escape Frazier's captivity before returning to kill Frazier. He would eventually become Mayor of Banshee and become allies with the Aryan Brotherhood and the Cartel while finding ways to deter any problems within both criminal organizations. When his luck with the Cartel runs out due to one of their drug shipments being destroyed under Proctor's supervision, Proctor faces them alone with a Thompson Submachine gun to kill as many Cartel hitmen as he can.
- Something Rotten!: William Shakespeare is a famous English playwright who learns that his rivals, The Bottom Brothers, have use a Soothsayer to copy a play he would write in the future. Shakespeare would infiltrate the Bottom Brothers' acting troupe and encourage the brothers to continue making "Omelette", while convincing Nigel Bottom to give him Nigel's written work. After exposing the Bottom Brothers of using a Soothsayer to steal his work, Shakespeare will have their sentence reduce from execution to banishment to the Americas and Shakespeare would use Nigel's work to create the universally acclaimed "Hamlet".
- Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location: Circus Baby, the mascot of Circus Baby's Pizza World, is one of the few animatronics with the ability to think. Upon becoming possessed by the spirit of William Afton's daughter and getting locked away and abandoned, Circus Baby forms an escape plan convincing the other Funtime animatronics to meld their exoskeletons together to create Ennard. To this end, she poses as the helpful guide for the player, gradually manipulating them into following her instructions culminating in the player getting lured into the Scooping Room to be disemboweled. Despite the horrific nature of her plan, Circus Baby takes no sadistic pleasure in it, earnestly apologizing to the player for misleading them and assuring them that they wouldn't be in pain for long.
- inFAMOUS series:
- Original Game: Kessler is a version of Cole MacGrath from the future where he lost his entire family from The Beast's rampage. Traveling back in time he forcibly took control of the First Sons where he had them create the Ray Sphere and then giving it to Cole MacGrath, resulting in the latter getting his powers, as well as causing massive collateral damage to Empire City and its eventual quarantine. Setting himself as Cole's nemesis, he tricks Cole into believing he had cause the grim future, manipulates Cole's best friend Zeke into joining his side, and giving Cole a series of Sadistic Choices leading to the death of Cole's girlfriend Trish. Successfully causing Cole to seek vengeance on Kessler, he gives Cole the Ray Sphere to use, before fighting him head on. Upon being defeated, Kessler then reveals to Cole his true identity, as well the existence of The Beast and the destruction he'll bring, admitting that his actions against Cole was to make him stronger so that he'll be able to succeed at stopping The Beast where Kessler himself failed.
- inFAMOUS: Second Son: Brooke Augustine is the director of the Department Of Unified Protection, or DUP, who founded the organization to hunt down and imprison the super-powered Conduits on the pretense of protecting normal human, though her true motives are to keep conduits safe from the violence and discrimination caused by humans. With the DUP, she manages to hunt down and imprison nearly every conduit in America having them endure experimentation and training to make them stronger while she manipulates them for her own ends. When the government decides to shut down the DUP and have Augustine hand over her captive conduits, she give Henry "Hank" Daughtry the means to escape prison transportation allowing him and the other conduits escape, create mass panic in Seattle, and causing the government to continue funding the DUP while giving Augustine complete control of Seattle. When Delsin Rowe interferes with Augustine's plans she has Hank lure him and his brother Reggie to a trap where she kills Reggie and nearly kills Delsin. Depending on Delsin's Karma Meter Augustine can persuade Delsin to use his heroic status to promote the DUP or declare that his infamy has cause everyone to support the DUP, before fighting him.
- Super Mario Bros.:
- Super Paper Mario: Dimentio, Count Bleck's Enigmatic Minion and a jester with a flair for the dramatic, turns out to have been playing every single character for his own benefit. Dimentio helps to engineer the destruction of all worlds through the Chaos Heart while acting the part of loyal lackey, intending to backstab Count Bleck and recreate all worlds to rule ovre them himself, while also casually manipulating the heroes and even his own allies to steer them to his ultimate goal. In the very end, Dimentio brainwashes Luigi — the Chosen One of the Light and Dark Prognosticus — to use him as a vessel, fakes his death, then uses the heroes to beat down Count Bleck before taking the powers of the Chaos Heart for himself and nearly securing godlike power for himself. Even in death, Dimentio opts to drag it all with him, his final word a spiteful but ever-stylish "ciao!"
- Mario & Luigi: Fawful initially served as The Dragon to Cackletta in the first installment, where he brainwashes the Koopalings and other minions to work for her in Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser. After Cackletta's defeat, Fawful becomes the Big Bad of the third installment. First, he sells a sinister mushroom to the Toads of the Mushroom Kingdom, a mushroom causing the Blorbs. When the leaders of the kingdom get together to ponder the dilemma, Fawful gives the defeated Bowser a Vacuum shroom causing him to inhale everything in sight. Upon taking over Bowser's castle, Fawful brainwashes Bowser's loyal minions to take over the castle, create a theater, and fatten Bowser up; upon him reaching the castle. This is to extract Princess Peach from Bowser's body, which he uses to awaken the Dark Star giving him total control of the Mushroom Kingdom. As a last ditch effort, when Bowser finally makes it to Peach's Castle and after Bowser inhales the Dark Star, Fawful, after being defeated merges with the Dark Star and creates Dark Bowser to fight Bowser and Dark Fawful to fight the Mario Bros. In spite of conquering the Mushroom Kingdom, Fawful is a Noble Demon and has a soft spot for the baby versions of the Mario Bros.
- The Witcher:
- The Witcher: Jacques de Aldersberg, Grand Master of the Order of the Flaming Rose, is the mastermind behind all major events in the first game. Having made power plays with both people in high places as well as in the criminal underworld, he sets a plan in motion to destabilize the kingdom of Temeria, leading his knights on a crusade against non-humans and thus provoking the militant Scoia'tael, which ultimately ends in a bloody civil war. This puts King Foltest into a delicate situation, where he either has to give Jacques full authority to end the revolt or do nothing, making him look like a weak ruler. His knights are secretly funded by the drug money his ally, the criminal organization Salamandra, makes for him, which allows Jacques to present the order as humble heroes of the people who fulfill their needs for free. His ultimate plan is turning mankind into highly advanced mutants with the help of the stolen Witcher Secrets, and leading them southwards to survive the incoming White Frost. Throughout his conversations with Geralt, who later turns out was his former adoptive father, he tries to convince him of the righteousness of his cause, having sacrificed everything to save humanity (wether it wants it or not) in an almost flawlessly executed scheme.
- The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings: Letho of Gulet is a talented Witcher who joins with Nilfgaard to create a homeland for his fellow Witchers. Letho becomes the Kingslayer, a feared assassin who uses his wiles to position himself close to the rulers of the northern kingdoms and assassinates them, provoking chaotic reactions in order to weaken the north so Nilfgaard will be able to invade. Against Geralt, Letho shows himself to be a crafty, skilled fighter who even considers the White Wolf a friend worthy of the greatest respect. A brutish looking man, Letho also uses the appearance of Dumb Muscle to his advantage so none know how truly intelligent and dangerous he is until it's too late.
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt:
- Gaunter O'Dimm, AKA Master Mirror or evil incarnate is the cunning devil of the Witcher-verse. Traveling and punishing the arrogant in inventive ways, Gaunter makes deals with people and takes their souls when he has fulfilled his end. A master of Exact Words, Gaunter eventually conscripts Geralt to help fulfill a bargain with the immortal swordsman Olgierd von Everec, completely tricking Olgierd before moving to claim his soul, only stopped if Geralt participates in a final contest with him. Despite being a timeless evil being, Gaunter is unmistakably charming and pleasant, willing to play to the letter of his deals and treats enemy and ally alike with unmistakable pleasantness, quick to answer any slight with retribution.
- In the "Blood and Wine" expansion pack, Syanna is the long-lost sister of the Duchess of Toussaint Anna Henrietta. Seeking revenge on the knights who abused her as a child while they were escorting her to her exile, Syanna fakes her kidnapping to blackmail her vampire ex-lover, Dettlaff, into murdering the knights. Syanna instructs Dettlaff to murder the knights in specific ways to make it look like their deaths were divine retribution for their lack of chivalry. No one in Toussaint suspected that the deaths had a more mundane purpose before Geralt was hired to hunt Dettlaff and found the blackmail letters. When Geralt exposes Syanna's scheme to Dettlaff, she doesn't hesitate to risk (and potentially sacrifice) her life to protect Toussaint from the vampire's retribution. Throughout it all, Syanna retains her calm demeanor, even when discussing the horrific events of her past.
Anything to add?

Yea to above.