Trope Talk: Magnificent Bastards

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Ahh, magnificent bastards, the villainous archetype that's at least 50% charisma by volume. Let's talk about what makes a bastard truly magnificent, and what traits bar them from that rarified air of magnificence!
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"Sneaky Snitch" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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[@60sSam]

"It seems our goals have aligned for the third time this month." "So does that mean I'm a bad hero, or that you're a bad villain?" "A quandary no doubt."

[@arandomicewinghybrid9032]

Underrated comment

[@Joshua_Shadow_Manriguez]

**Heinz Doofenshmritz has entered the chat** (probably butchered his last name though)

[@gammothdraws]

@@Joshua_Shadow_Manriguez I think you just replaced the r and i near the end

[@Jwsponky]

...I feel as though this is quoting something, but I haven't a clue what.

[@kaylahouvenagle3866]

This is actually a really fun concept.... Especially if the villain is actually a double agent, and that's why their goals keep on lining up For extra fun, the hero doesn't know this. 😁

[@prestonjones1653]

"Fool! My therapist and I already unpacked that issue!" Just once, just once I want an actual villain to say this and completely derail the Third Act Breakdown.

[@KyleRayner12]

Ever read the "Dr Blink" comics? (Issue #1 is free online.) There's a mini-issue with pretty much that exact premise.

[@prestonjones1653]

@@KyleRayner12 No, but I will immediately consult with the Google gods on this matter.

[@prestonjones1653]

@Gilberto Silva I'm gonna be honest, if I made a reference it was by accident

[@QueenMonoChrome]

Villain "Stop! Hold on, time!" *speed dials therapist* "...Dr Morgan, I know this is a bad time...yes...It's about that-uhuh, yup. Main good guy took a real good jab at it...Yeah I'll tell him-" *turns to main hero* "My therapist says you owe him 500 bucks for all the sessions you just flushed down the drain...oh and that you're a malignant pox who shouldn't be called a hero...hey Doc mind if I borrow tha-really? Thanks man..."

[@caseyleenb]

god that’d be so fucking funny

[@russellmarch4983]

Just remember: “Professionals have standards.”

[@syncthedingus1306]

"Be polite, be efficient, have a plan to kill everyone you meet."

[@theboulder027]

@@syncthedingus1306 "Dad! Dad!... Put mum on the phone."

[@blitzkriegorsmthn]

“Snipin’s a good job, mate!”

[@syncthedingus1306]

@@blitzkriegorsmthn it's challenging work, out of doors.

[@blitzkriegorsmthn]

@@syncthedingus1306 I guarantee you won’t go hungry.

[@thedorklord1029]

Normal villains have "Kick-the-Dog" moments. Charismaniacs have "Pet-the-Dog" moments. Edit: Why the hell does this have 2 thousand likes. All I did was just kinda put one of her drawings into words.

[@user-je1cu2lt5d]

Like Kilgrave from Jessica Jones when he used his powers for the ultimate good and made a nosy neighbor admit that she was just talking nonsense that she knew about the accident to sound important, and she herself would like to slap anyone who said such a horrible thing. (After that he made her explode, but still) I love him for that.

[@thedorklord1029]

@@user-je1cu2lt5d I don't actually watch Jessica Jones. Sorry.

[@blackbed5108]

zuko when he saves his helmsman and then tells him to get out of danger before continuing the chase on the avatar

[@user-je1cu2lt5d]

@@blackbed5108 zuko is not a villain.

[@hazeltree7738]

@@user-je1cu2lt5d They start out a villain though- Well no, they start out an antagonist, but you get my point. Stopping to save someone instead of chase the avatar isn't Zuko-like at that point

[@gabrielsilbert1144]

"FOOL! MY THERAPIST AND I ALREADY UNPACKED THAT ISSUE!" The secret weapon needed for villains to finally win action movies is a therapist.

[@rogerogue7226]

@Tin Watchman That depends, a. do they have other issues to stay villianous for? and b. does the situation allow for them to turn form the path of villiany? hard to go good when the cops get called everywhere you go and vengeance driven heroes hound your steps to off you.

[@B2WM]

@Tin Watchman Linda Martin says no, Adrian Price says "could be," so I guess it depends on the therapist.

[@TheKyrix82]

It's actually part of the checklist

[@darwinxavier3516]

Someone read the Evil Overlord's handbook.

[@sechran]

That one's right up their with the subversion of, "Your [insert emotionally significant other] wouldn't want this!!!" "Actually, my mother/teacher/brother/girlfriend actually had a real thing for circuitous world domination - we talked about it a lot."

[@tinyetoile5503]

dropping this amazing tumblr post here “Why do people like a character who’s committed war crimes but hate this other character just because they’re annoying” because it’s fiction Susan, and being annoying in fiction is a greater sin than being a supervillain, because it won’t make me want to read about them. It isn’t difficult to understand -villainsmatter

[@kabob0077]

The Major from Hellsing is a Magnificent Bastard. The Spear Hero from Rising of the Shield Hero is an unlikable fuck.

[@AlabasterTen]

So Megamind and Metroman

[@timothymclean]

It doesn't help that some people are A-OK with war crimes if they're being done to people they don't like. But yeah, an understandable lack of moral discretion with fictional characters is also a factor.

[@angelicalivio5587]

I'd like to add that we've all met annoying people in life, and sometimes that primal force of hate just flows through our veins stronger bc they affect us a lot more personally

[@datzfatz2368]

"Its not about living a good or bad life. Its about living an interesting life."

[@MisterHPlays]

Owen: "Actually, Mr. Xanatos, you've never looked more heroic." Xanatos: "A momentary lapse, I assure you."

[@ea5yliver]

God-I loved that line.

[@shadowrosegaming3566]

@@ea5yliver what's it from?

[@galaxystudios370]

@ShadowRoseGaming Gargoyles.

[@turtlelord8021]

NARRATOR VOICE *This was not a momentary lapse, he can not assure you.*

[@glasscardproductions4736]

@@ea5yliver Which episode was that?

[@Emperor-Quill]

*Chaotic Lawful: Character follows a set of strict personal guidelines and rules but nobody can figure out what the hell those rules are.*

[@janesullivan692]

Maybe I'm a chaotic lawful.

[@anna-flora999]

That's just being lawful.

[@charlesatanasio]

Thats called Calvinball.

[@zegreatpumpkinani9161]

DnD alignments are relative to the world not to a person. They are a trait that others can discover (with spells usually) and play around, and they're basically meant to make the DM and other players lives easier if they know how to exploit it, at least that's how I see them. Unfortunately people like to argue that "lawful good" still applies to personal codes which completely misrepresents the rule. Do they follow the laws of their society? If so they are lawful, if not, chaotic, if they don't care, neutral. This makes following your own code very neutral, you won't follow unjust laws as neutral good, but might still care about giving your villain a fair trial out of principle. You might break your friend out of prison but submit to judgement when you're caught. Alignments are a fun narrative tool to play with if you know what you're doing, but a source of frustration to some parties and DMs when carelessly messed with.

[@FreshZCORD]

lmao

[@mitchellblake1475]

"Plenty of villains are written with 'kick the dog' moments" Dio Brando: kicks a dog almost as soon as he's on screen

[@minatodroger7890]

A man of culture

[@MT-sn3dl]

this trope also fits Valentine

[@shiranuiprestonsaga8867]

Kira Yoshikage Murders dog and licks a girls hand who he also murders later.

[@sayerglasgow115]

It gets a bit repetitive when EVERY Jojo villain shows how evil they are by killing dogs.

[@tokatstorm9270]

Pretty sure that's what they named it after.

[@asbestosfish_]

“It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.” - Oscar Wilde

[@unculturedswine5583]

Characters* and spoken like a true self-obsessed artist too that sounds really harsh, wilde is charming for what it's worth

[@EveryoneElseIsWeirdImNormal]

No that's stupid believe it or not some people do bad things things and other people don't Wooah that is madness I can't think of anyone not anyone who falls into those categories

[@nionashborn7626]

He's right you know

[@drakep.5857]

I wonder if hitler would be charming or tedious

[@monseurwanksalotte3477]

@@drakep.5857 judging by his still alive following after literal years of censorsgip he must've used charisma as a dump stat

[@tee-sam-ee-red]

7:44 There’s an episode of Phineas & Ferb where Doofenshmirtz does exactly this. He joins a super villian group, helps them quite a bit, learns that their end goal is to destroy the world, says that’s too far, leaves, sides with the good guys.

[@lethargogpeterson4083]

Also, how can you take over the entire tri-state area if it no longer exists?

[@nacath9294]

This was my fav episode ngl

[@Libby-Phantom]

important information for people who haven't seen phineas and ferb, the organisation is called Lovemuffin

[@jordanhunter3375]

I take it Lovemuffin stands for League of Very Evil....Momething Usomething Fomething Fomething Isomething Nomething?

[@autisticdancer]

"Fool! My therapist and I already unpacked that issue!" I love how this villain has a therapist. Now I'm just imagining a villain sitting down with a therapist talking about their obsession with messing with the protagonist. XD

[@excusezmoi9823]

This reminds me of the final season of Samurai Jack, where Aku the main villain goes and talks with a therapist who is also him.

[@joshuaridgway3230]

So if The Sopranos was told from the FBIs perspective?

[@hatredlord]

Joker did just that, you know.

[@wren_.]

“so what brings you in today?” “nothing much, just the usual evil schemes”

[@Hollieanaaa]

Mmm Obsession you say? 😏

[@Bluepikmin64]

what I've learned from this video: Dr Doofenshmirtz is the exact opposite of a magnificent bastard, yet also somehow a little bit of one as well.

[@clockworkkirlia7475]

Doof fails at villainy on even the most fundamental level, and anything else is active charity on Perry's part. That said, yes, I see what you mean.

[@ryanm.8720]

Dr. Doofenshmirtz never gives up, even when his arch-enemy refuses to try and fold his plan to insult the macaroni and cheese recipe of a whale. "Wait! My evil plan isn't evil enough for you to foil? Is that it? Really? I just insulted the macaroni and cheese recipe of a whale! What part of that is not evil?!"

[@1stcaptainraldoron538]

@@ryanm.8720 NGL, I never, and I mean NEVER, expected to hear those words strung together like that. Perry was such a mood.

[@DinsRune]

Doof _does_ have a code of some sorts: he rigidly follows the cliches of villainy. He builds all his traps with a way to escape, all his inators with a self-destruct button, and all his plans with a fail state. He could probably figure out a way to pragmatically kill Perry with little fuss, or keep his plans under wraps enough for Perry not to learn about them until it's too late, but he's more interested in their "nemesis game" than he is in winning, and it's not fun if it's not fair.

[@deffdefying4803]

"It's so bad it's good" type vibes

[@juicebox9465]

Villain: Literally commits homicide Audience: Villain: Hurts an animal Audience: *No, this isn't how your supposed to play the game!*

[@luthientinuviel3883]

Spoiler (Agatha all along playing in the distance)

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

High key, I actually find that annoying. Yeah, hurting an animal is bad, but killing a person is still objectively worse. I know it's fiction so there is a bit of removal from the situation, but I've always disliked a character who's hurt a human more than a character who's hurt a dog.

[@juicebox9465]

@@Obi-Wan_Kenobi I agree, I like animals as much as the next guy but killing a human is much more heinous. I can also think of much more situations where killing an animal would be morally justified.

[@Bitterblue55]

I think the reason audiences react more strongly towards animal deaths because of our societal turn towards caring for the animals we've domesticated. It's a very strong betrayal of trust towards the animals we've come to rely on and care for. That's usually why the animal killed is a dog or cat, or creature that exhibits traits akin to animals humans have domesticated. People also have a much stronger reaction when villains kill children than when they kill adults. Children and animals are seen as more innocent (I'd even argue naive) and incapable of properly fighting back against an adult human. When you pit a grown human against another grown human, the fight seems more equal.

[@BigFabsel]

I think that's actually pretty reasonable, because there are complettly understandable reasons for commiting homicide (from a standpoint that ignores most peoples morality obiviously, but it still happend often enough in reality..) On the other hand when a villain kills/hurts an animal most of the time it's only purpose is to show how evil/sadistic/etc the villain is, which means that there's no real reason for them to actually do it. In conclusion the first thing is either the villans goal or at least furthers it, while the second only has meta reasons which makes it bad writting.

[@youchoob8090]

“This is why some villains tend to monologue their evil plans to make sure we’re up to speed” *”You sly dog, you got me Monologuing!”*

[@brookejon3695]

The Incredibles is so good. A little weird eugenics-ey power-hoarding subtext, but that's mostly Brad Bird's fault.

[@ariandynas]

A thing I feel like not enough writers appreciate; "I can't write a character smarter than me!" Yes, you bloody well can. You are the author, you are omnipotent, omniscient, intelligence is about noticing details, connecting things, making insights, understanding concepts and people from limited information - you know more than the character does, you always have more *time* than the character does! Intellect is speed, observation, insight, connection, and understanding. You have more capacity to do that than the character could just by your privileged, even omniscient position as the author.

[@kylienielsen6975]

What I do is I make a plan or thing for a character to figure out and design the situation for them to do that. Kinda like an escape room

[@dragonfire72]

Also, intelligence isn't "what can they figure out?", it's also "how fast?" If it took you a month to figure out how a character gets through a difficult problem, but it only took them a week, they are smarter than you- simply because they came to the same conclusion but faster.

[@gingerinajacket8519]

What could be months of brainstorming for you can be seconds of quick thinking on the behalf of the character.

[@MissingRaptor]

Thank you for this. I think that I needed to hear/read it

[@gerstelb]

The key here is that you have to portray the genius’ thought processes to the audience. This is why Lin-Manuel Miranda said it took him a year just to write the song “My Shot;” to him, Hamilton is just so much smarter than he is, it took a year to create lyrics dense enough to portray his intellect.

[@spartan_457]

"...another key quality of the charismaniacs is standards" So.... You could say that professionals have standards?

[@wuhoh5274]

Omfg Sniper is a magnificent bastard

[@dededeletethis9940]

sniping's a good job, mate

[@ourtube1128]

@@dededeletethis9940 chellengin' wourk, outta dours.

[@ValhallaAMV]

@@ourtube1128 and I can guarantee you won't go hungry

[@cadunkus]

@@ValhallaAMV cuz at the end of the day as long as there's two people left on the planet, someone is gonna want someone dead.

[@stefanfr13]

I swear, I read the title as "Magnificent Beards" and was like "Huh, I didn't know facial hair was a trope in it of itself"

[@iqaznili]

I believe that troupe should be covered nonetheless.

[@Euryptus]

The mighty power of facial hair should never be underestimated.

[@SharmClucas]

Ah, for that you'll want "Growing the Beard". Also a trope related to Jonathan Frakes. ;)

[@ToaArcan]

There's like at least four facial hair tropes on that accursed site.

[@blakedavis2447]

I thought it was magnificent bards

[@azericthetraveller6355]

V: “I know your weaknesses better than anyone, fool.” H: “A new heating pad?!” V: “This one is microwave-safe.” Absolute gold.

[@joshuadonnelly1978]

"I want revenge!" "We have revenge at home." Alright, ya got me. I laughed.

[@purplehaze2358]

Whoever came up with “Charismaniac” deserves a medal.

[@BestOneEver247]

It really sure does now 🥇🏅🥇

[@gelgamath_9903]

I hope enough people start using Charismaniac that it becomes an actual word

[@raz802]

I thought you werent allowed to use Foundation accounts for recreational videos anymore. Stop fucking things up man. Like half of the SCPs could have a "you aren't allowed near them" sticker.

[@emiljosefsson9149]

This is a clear breach of Foundation protocols and has a high risk of releasing [REDACTED] from its containment.

[@notacaulkhead]

Hi, hello, it be me.

[@Lee-ux8dy]

"I want revenge!" "We have revenge at home." Absolute genius. 😂

[@FortunateSon-mo9zi]

Revenge at home: *Actually resolving the whole thing in court*

[@Sorain1]

@@FortunateSon-mo9zi Or worse: Third party arbitration resulting in monetary compensation and a public apology.

[@FortunateSon-mo9zi]

@@Sorain1 Imagine how awkward it must be for a villain like Thanos or Sauron publicly apologizing for the mass murder of millions of people. TBH I would pay to see something like that.

[@sayerglasgow115]

@@FortunateSon-mo9zi Wouldn't that just be the Nuremburg trials?

[@FortunateSon-mo9zi]

@@sayerglasgow115 Yes, especially in Herman Goring's case.

[@TheKersey475]

Grand Admiral Thrown from the Star Wars novels is a great example of how to do weaknesses for a Magnificent Bastard: He successfully pulls off gambits left and right, but always with some small miscalculations he either brushes off or doesn't even notice. These miscalculations are minor on their own, but in the endgame they all come piling together down on top of his head.

[@templarw20]

Also, his miscalculations are often based on information that he did not have access to.

[@Kyl0_ben]

Early Thrawn felt like a Mary Sue, but Rebels definitely improved him.

[@TheKersey475]

@@Kyl0_ben I think "Rebels" made him less impressive. In the novels he was taking on the New Republic with the remnants of the Empire. In Rebels he's using the Empire in it's prime to hunt down a ragtag group of misfits.

[@seasnaill2589]

@@TheKersey475 He still comes off as more impressive then everyone else. Every other imperial we see in the show is a power hungry idiot that keeps getting outsmarted by said group of rebels. Thrawn shows up and he's immediately far more respectable then any other villain we've seen, more nuanced. He actually cares about the enemies he fights, he respects them and actually sees them as a people with their own complex history and culture. On top of that he's terrifyingly efficient, he only ever loses cause some force deus ex machina catches him off guard, something he couldn't *ever* expect could reasonably happen.

[@Claire-tk4do]

That's exactly who I was thinking of! I love the writing on him. The newer Thrawn books that give him his origin story or whatever kind of slip into the "Hero of Another Story" territory, but he retains enough ruthlessness and unbreakable commitment to his goals that it doesn't ruin him for the antagonist role.

[@ryennelangford9724]

Personally I like the charismaniacs that force the no violence hero to consider violence.

[@iceluvndiva21]

That's why I kinda don't like the finale of avatar the last airbender because it let's ang retain this black and white thinking without understanding where the line is. Hell every known avatar admits that sometimes? You do have to kill someone. Plus the energy bending just comes out of left field of asspull. When did they ever talk about that? The four nations learned from the moon, the badgers, the dragons, and the flying bisian. And no, legand of Korea doesn't get a pass for explaining it after the fact

[@Imsexysryurnot]

@@iceluvndiva21 He learned from the Lion Turtle

[@CJCroen1393]

Legato Bluesummers would like to know your location.

[@hellboy19991]

@@Imsexysryurnot spirit bending was an asspull because nickelodeon couldn't have aang purposefully kill someone. While it is the right thing to do to kill firebending hitler, it is not something you should teach children watching the show.

[@FreshZCORD]

@@iceluvndiva21 i have no problem with him coming up with a way to stop ozai without killing him, but yeah agreed the way its done is a asspull. Even though it was still cool.

[@ProlificGlueEnjoyer]

"Charismaniacs typically have some kind of code or personal creed to follow." Professionals have STANDARDS.

[@freetoplayking7362]

be polite be efficient plan to kill everyone you meet

[@unknownuser3926]

I was waiting to see the clip, but it never came :(

[@jayyu8229]

I heard the music kick in when I read that

[@Monsuco]

I'm not a crazed gunman, dad I'm an assassin. The difference is that one's a job and the other's mental sickness.

[@tobymoore2185]

My god sniper is under this troupe

[@tatsumitwi348]

Chaotic Law "I have a moral code but only I know it."

[@caseyleenb]

this is kinda how i play every dnd character, whoops

[@francisthegreat2517]

Woah ok you didn't need to call me out-

[@zosobansk]

-Geralt of Rivia

[@animebard1628]

Not to be confused with lawful chaotic, which is causing as much chaos as possible while still sticking to the law.

[@thepurityofchaos]

@@animebard1628 Lawful Chaotic is just completely ignoring the spirit of the law. That, or malicious compliance.

[@Double_D__]

I'm just picturing the Charismaniac who became a villain just ends up becoming the one person in a friend group who just nails gift giving every time.

[@PewPew_McPewster]

Xanatos is legit a man I want to become: a man whose plans always benefit him no matter the outcome. Xanatos is the epitome of the idea: "if you plan to fail, your plan will never fail."

[@DragonbIaze052]

You mean a Xanatos Gambit? There's a trope page for it.

[@angrytheclown801]

​@@DragonbIaze052Yeah, and it's named after David Xanatos who used those as a trademark tool.

[@DragonbIaze052]

@@angrytheclown801 Yes. I know. This is a video that uses a picture of Xanatos and talks about him. The comment I was replying to mentioned Xanatos by name. Everybody here knows it's named after him.

[@d4-v1d22]

Best way I heard someone say it was along the lines of: Xanatos doesn’t lose. He either wins or he learns

[@DiscountWhiskey078]

"Fool! My therapist and I already unpacked that issue!" My new major is now villain psychology.

[@Heothbremel]

Seconded

[@marocat4749]

Could b a kip possible villain in making. And given she can be insecure, devastating.

[@ayal92]

The villain is preparing their evil plan. They have already recruited a skilled assassin, a mad scientist, a hacker, henchmen and a legal team. The last step, the most important, is now to convince the best therapist in the country to help them through their childhood trauma to finally take over the world.

[@Dyneamaeus]

@@ayal92 Bonus points if 'obtain therapist' was someone else's idea, but the villain considers it, and then agrees.

[@RabidGerbilInAFish]

That's basically the roll of Dr. Henry Killinger on Venture Bros. Help villains be the best villains they can be by understanding themselves

[@quartzintherough]

"How did he figure that out?" "He's a genius, duh." "How were we supposed to figure that out?" "It's very important for my ego that you never get a chance." Along with the comparison to (oddly specified to be) well-written detectives and the use of the trope of The Watson, I'm starting to think it's a dig against Moffat's Sherlock

[@PrimeofPerfection]

I call this "The Thrawn."

[@gmlg]

Thats what i thought too!

[@TitanDarwin]

@@PrimeofPerfection Considering Thrawn is basically "Sherlock, but as a bad guy", doesn't that make Pellaeon his Watson, though?

[@Sunaki1000]

It certainly fits the description well.

[@Sol-mr1lv]

This part brought me back to thinking about Hbomberguys video on why Sherlock is bad

[@darekun46]

The 90s Carmen Sandiego is in an interesting place regarding weaknesses/invulnerability. She herself is basically untouchable. In one ep, Ivy and Zack manage to mess with her escape plan, but she flashes her backup backup escape plan while escaping via her backup escape plan. In the original games, putting her in jail is the goal; in the 90s cartoon, it's clearly beyond possibility. Easy recipe for a boring invincible villain. And yet, she's not boring, /because/ she approaches it as a game. Her schemes can be foiled, and she'll help that emotional catharsis by complimenting your victory while she flies away scot-free. What could be boring invincibility is reframed into something more like "your chess opponent will walk away from the table unscathed".

[@thedarknight307]

My favorite Xanatos moment is when he proves he is a self made mad He found the rare coin, sent it to himself from the past and told himself everything he would need to do Such a charismaniac

[@clay9617]

I'd love to see Red do the "Villain was Right," "The Villain has a Point," or other troops that boil down to "The Villain has good intentions or even is right, but they're still committing evil acts."

[@chill-lady-brook]

The trope would probably be ‘Justified Villainy’ or something like that.

[@SpinsterOlive]

Cool motive, still murder.

[@henrypaleveda7760]

I actually have a variant of this in the works in a scifi story. An individual with seedy yet semi legitimate corporate holdings is funding developing colonies on a number of worlds and is able to out compete or even starve out existing and established economies because of the resources that he can move around. Another consequence of this is that he has enough influence that most government officials. (Because of the logistics of communicating across a galaxy, there are only loose government ties between stars and the actual inter galactic governing structure is a series of sub galactic governments just talking as separate entities). he actually orchestrates the destruction of three four separate colonies and survivors tra e it back to him, with no government body willing to punish him for it or to listen to them. They find and confront him about his actions, but the colonies that he destroyed were under the control of an "inter galactic" cabal. Basically, there is a cabal that controls communication between solar systems and has members of high ranking government officials and several economic concerns across the milky way galaxy (there are three inter galactic conglomerates and they founded this group when expanding into the milky way) who's main concern is to keep control of the region in the hands of those founding members so that they can avoid directly fighting each other though most of the galaxy is oblivious to this. The villain who is right is someone who is aware of this group and wields enough clout to oppose their operations outside of the law and to compete with their economic concerns. This man who destroyed four colonies has been actively trying to supplant this entity and to let legitimate power take over, meaning that when he has succeed, he would dissolve his own corporate interests (or at least remove himself from them) and turn himself in. He was right about an intergalactic conspiracy and was able to fight them on their terms, but at the cost of significant human developments and many innocents killed or displaced.

[@MorganDade]

In one story I'm reading, the protagonists orchestrate a war for the purpose of killing a bunch of people, because for magical reasons, if a bunch of people don't die the world blows up.

[@henrypaleveda7760]

@@MorganDade Is it possible to change those magical reasons or do the readers know why they were put in place and who made that magic?

[@ashielilystar6134]

“not all magnificent bastards are villains” me: please say batman please say batman please say batman Red: “like batman” me: YES

[@selonianth]

or Tony Stark.

[@ashielilystar6134]

@@selonianth yes

[@kuramasfoxyrose]

My thoughts instantly went to Lelouch. A more magnificent bastard was never had.

[@ronspeer]

Batman is a Magnificent Bastard because... say it with me, folks....he´s Batman.

[@myasmith1820]

@@kuramasfoxyrose Yes

[@StopChangingUsernamesYouTube]

Alternate title: Gargoyles was really good.

[@Webshooters1]

Indeed it was.

[@FreshZCORD]

underrated dark disney show

[@saltyk9869]

Most of these have the alternate title: Avatar was really good, go watch it.

[@MinecraftWorld1954]

It was.

[@templarw20]

Gargoyles ignited a love for urban fantasy before I even knew the genre existed, and it has never faded.

[@QueenBoadicea]

13:28 Oooh, I remember this episode! It's one of my favorites. Harley Quinn nearly got the better of him (something he snidely pointed out to the Joker) and he got out of it by laughing at her. She'd NEVER heard him laugh before--no one had--and she was horrified enough by it to stop what she was doing. Then he manipulated her into calling the Joker and derailed her plan. She was really smart. He was just barely smarter...pudding.

[@idridian]

"Okay, so I burned down your village, but consider: I am VERY sexy" is a personal attack against sephiroth specifically and i will not stand for it

[@TheKyrix82]

I've never understood why Sephiroth was considered a villain on the same level as other Final Fantasy villains.

[@boobah5643]

@@TheKyrix82 Because he was a crazy guy who wanted to destroy everybody in the world? The other group of _Final Fantasy_ villains merely want to conquer the world, but tree-of-angel was in the kill 'em all camp.

[@TheKyrix82]

@@boobah5643 Actually no, Kefka beat him to that ages beforehand. And Kuja wasn't willing to stop at just 'the world', but all life in the universe. Sephiroth is really the kid sitting at the grownup's table of the villains, Omnicidal maniacs are kind of FF's calling card, and most of them succeeded to some extent.

[@10001vader]

@@TheKyrix82 Honestly, it's because of two things: first, he actually killed a party member. That's pretty much unheard of, especially back when 7 came out. Second, he's a hot anime pretty boy who debuted right when video game graphics were starting to get good enough to show it. I agree that he's one of the weaker ff villains, but I understand why he's popular.

[@TheKyrix82]

@@10001vader Except no. Final Fantasy 2 had so much of the cast die that later versions had a special quest JUST for all the dead people. Final Fantasy 4 had near deaths for almost everyone and one permanent party death against the presumed big bad. 5 had a party member die fighting the final boss. 6 had a party member who COULD die if you didn't wait for him. In fact, I was so used to this that I didn't even blink when Sephiroth got his kill. I was just "Oh, so this game does it too..." And as for 'hot anime pretty boy', almost every male Final Fantasy villain has also been that. Kefka, Seifer, Golbez outside of his armor, Kuja, Seymour. I mean, it's kind of a thing. And again, those villains pretty much all accomplished something...Kefka literally destroyed the world, Kuja laid waste to every major kingdom on Garnet's world AND destroyed his own, X-Death was at the cusp of victory when he was finally beaten, etc. Sephiroth is...pretty. That's it. Except even then, he's not 'the prettiest' pretty boy in the series. Mid tier at best.

[@id9907]

Xanatos: "This is my first real stab at cliche villainy, how am I doing?" By and far one of my favorite lines he says in the entire series. Just the right amount of ham in a deadly serious situation.

[@EmrysMerlin8807]

Everything about Xanatos always seemed so...just on the edge, you know? Like, he's constantly keeping himself in check from doing anything tremendously dumb. But this? This was just him having a laugh.

[@nicholasmaddocks7545]

His first quote in the series is, by far one of the best. "Pay a man enough, and he'll walk barefoot into hell.

[@TheKyrix82]

@@nicholasmaddocks7545 It was quoted elsewhere in the comments, but "Revenge is a sucker's game" sums him up perfectly. It's so easy to fall into the payback trap. He just shrugs and moves on, not letting himself be derailed. And that's what makes him simultaneously the most and least dangerous adversary in the series.

[@kgmotte2363]

Personally what makes me Smile with Xanatos is that he Keeps moving his Goalpost in such a way that he always considers every Situation a win... Best Example is an Episode where he only Features as Filler for time, and he's not even Part of the Scheme of the Episode... He's Just in his Castle, playing Chess with Fox... and by the end of the Match, Fox actually Wins against him at Chess. And Fox Says something along the Lines of "I'm Sorry Dear, should I have Let you Win? I Know how you Hate to Loose...", and Xanatos Just answers "Oh, no. Because you See my Dear, by you Beating me at this game, I've actually won something far more Precious: A True Equal", Which is Both So Completely Arrogant, and Yet Kinda Romantic when you Remember that he's talking about his Wife... He Really is the Ultimate Magnificent Bastard.... I mean "charismaniac"...

[@earnestbrown6524]

Xanatos: So now you know my weakness. Goliath: Only you would regard love as a weakness.

[@supersaiyandiclonius3056]

Alucard is the perfect example of this archetype. Spent 700 years murdering millions of people, got his ass kicked by a human who couldn't kill him, and pledged his undying loyalty to that human's bloodline.

[@frankm.2850]

Arguably part of what makes the Batman/Joker pairing so interesting is that it’s two charismaniacs matching wits.

[@gingerinajacket8519]

Except that the Joker in this video was an example of the "don'ts" of charismaniacs, because he gets distracted by Batman too easily, depending on the story. One example I prefer is leverage's Nathan Ford vs. Scott Sterling approach, where they are both planning and screwing over the other one is a "If there is time" effect. Nate knows every time Sterling hits anyone other than Nate it is going to bite him in the ass the next time he inevitably meets up with him, and Sterling knows that if he can one up Nate, he can take all the credit for whatever crime the Leverage crew solved.

[@Zeb0101]

​@@gingerinajacket8519 well the distracted status is only for the ones who didn't accomplished their plans for screwing with the hero, that isn't a thing when your plan is screwing with the hero all along

[@phastinemoon]

@@gingerinajacket8519 eh… I’d argue that Joker’s goal being “mess with Batman” makes it NOT being easily distracted. He’s still not a charismaniac, but not because of THAT bit.

[@ranuelthebard3751]

Okay, I have wondered for decades why anybody finds that conflict interesting anymore (gawd I am tired of the Joker hogging so much of the spotlight) but this is still not the answer. The Joker just doesn't measure up to the charismaniac standard, he's just delusional and thinks that he does. Being terrifyingly murderously insane does not equal charismatic for one thing.

[@lesithefangirl4300]

"I WANT REVENGE!!!" "We have revenge at home"

[@Derkosson]

The revenge at home: Voodoo doll.

[@krasmazov1959]

Revenge at home : Whatever covered John Olivier this week.

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

@@krasmazov1959 What a coincidence. I do happen to have packaged meat at home...

[@krasmazov1959]

3 dollar check with "eat shit, Bob" written all over it.

[@Ergogre]

A framed embroidery with the text: Living well is the best revenge

[@TheMrBrosef]

Audience: "How were we supposed to figure that out?" Author: "It's very important to my ego that you never get a chance." Red summarizing all of Sherlock with background jokes

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

Did someone say Doctor Who? Yeah that's right. It's getting controversial up here in the comments section.

[@kingpyrrhusofepirus6686]

@@Obi-Wan_Kenobi I saw you getting buff in preparation for your new show, when’s it coming out?

[@sourwitch2340]

Sherlock and Doctor Who? I guess we know a Moffat with a fragile ego (jk, or am I?).

[@notapplicable6985]

@Tin Watchman But then there is also the super secret homless network, and the boomerang.

[@notapplicable6985]

@@Obi-Wan_Kenobi Thats why I liked in the classic series, where it was hinted that time lords were also just a little bit psychic, to justify some of the BS.

[@Sephiroth144]

Lex Luthor (especially in animated flavors) fits this nicely- generally portraying himself as a Type-II, but actually being a Type-I.

[@elainegoates9792]

I know, right?

[@jordanrouse5205]

"Do NOT bring up the jockstrap incident" LOL!!

[@kusaisama]

Wut?

[@josephperez2004]

For anyone who is unaware, the Jockstrap Incident one of the names for another trope. It basically refers to an infamous event that is never fully explained and is usually very embarrassing. Individuals that know about to incident may refer to it or even allude to a detail about it (ex. "This is worse than that Jockstrap Incident, at least I had gloves for that") but they will never explain what exactly the incident was.

[@pinkajou656]

@@josephperez2004 oh MAN thats GENIUS i hope she covers that trope!

[@legomaniac213]

@@pinkajou656 Its also known as "The Noodle Incident", named after a running gag in "Calvin and Hobbes."

[@jaydencrooks5064]

I thought that it was a tfs reference

[@slyonalexis7228]

Idea: Magnificent Bastard villian who unnaturally good at improvising. Like on the fly, hero thought they foil their plan but it seemed the villain is unaffected and whipped out a new one. In reality, the villain is the dm for a party that consistently derailed the campaign and yet they roll on with it.

[@bloodbrawler1438]

Rick from Rick and Morty, technically.

[@jadetheangel4052]

Awesome explonation tho

[@glanni]

That's Preminger from _Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper_ He had planned taking over the kingdom for 10 years, but during the movie he comes up with a new plan *twice* that still used his original plan as a basis. And they even showed very well how he observed the main characters. I like that he didn't know more than he should, and in terms of information was behind for most of the movie, but through observation and sniffling he found out what really happened. They showed the game of chess between Preminger and Julian, and a game of poker between Preminger and Erika.

[@vlaricshard2]

Like an anti-macguyver?

[@B2WM]

Xanatos Speed Chess is an awesome trope.

[@elementalsgami1]

Loving "charismaniacs". I'm stealing that.

[@kermitmurder5536]

@@AxxLAfriku how do you have time to leave so many comments?

[@00Q722]

@@AxxLAfriku I'm concerned that I apparently have a range of similar interests with a bot, and a shit one at that.

[@Gauldame]

We are care-ris-main-e-acts... We have pay per play contracts... Sorry I'll see myself out.

[@Gauldame]

@@00Q722 I'm also concerned that the channel has like +30k subscribers with 10-20 second videos involving pinching underwear.

[@LocalMaple]

Magnificent Bastard: 6 syllables. Charismaniac: 5 syllables.

[@destinytroll1374]

I think that Ian from the first National Treasure film was a good example of a magnificent bastard. He doesn't understand the history as well as the main characters, but you can see him putting it together for himself while his henchmen scratch their heads and wonder. Like the protagonist Ben says he's dangerous because "he's smart and has almost unlimited resources". We the audience are not usually surprised to see him showing up hot on the heels of the protagonists because we've been seeing clips of him putting things together for himself. Bribing a little kid was straight genius

[@valdonchev7296]

This is why the Ace Attorney series has its famous breakdowns - to give you that cathartic sense of victory after a long battle of wits.

[@seang7578]

“Dog kicking moments” Dio: *Literally kicks and burns a dog and has pretty much no good qualities besides a nice face* The fandom: “S I M P”

[@TheVladdracula1]

He is flamboyant thou

[@AnInsideJoke]

It could help that he's also the single most meme-able villain in existence. I never have, nor ever intend to, watch JoJo, but even I know all the Dio memes purely through osmosis.

[@FortunateSon-mo9zi]

Regular Villains: Yeah, I hit that woman. Magnificent bastard characters: (Tommy Wiseau voice) That's not true, that is bullshit! I did not hit her, I did NOT.

[@MrElionor]

@@FortunateSon-mo9zi Oh hi Mark

[@FortunateSon-mo9zi]

@@MrElionor Ah, a fellow man of culture!

[@mgrizzlybair]

My friend came up with a character named Bugnar, an insectoid god in a D&D like setting. He has so many Xanatos Gambits running in the background, that no matter what happens, he is pleased with the outcome. However, the audience never gets to see any of those machinations, so all they see is: [thing happens] -> Bugnar pops up and says, "Bugnar is pleased!" It is theorized that Bugnar is incapable of feeling displeasure.

[@nehpets216]

I had one of those in a campaign, someone succeeded in a spell to read his mind and found out that his "Plans" were him poking random people in ways (dropped money on the ground where they were going to walk, caused it to rain so that 2 people talked longer, etc.) and then watched them and their kids until they see something neat happen so he'd get to show up to say "You've done well and pleased the Gods" before going away again.

[@ScrawnyTreeDemon]

All Hail Bugnar!

[@dededeletethis9940]

I want to meet bugnar and tell him that he's doing a good job

[@reyntime8735]

PRAISE BE TO BUGNAR

[@mgrizzlybair]

@@nehpets216 yeah, basically that, except looking like the preying mantis guy from Space Ghost.

[@postmodernguava9518]

Tbh, Thrawn just feels like what happens when a villain is given the heroes' Plot Armor.

[@templarw20]

I dunno, getting stabbed because you're big brain made three wrong conclusions doesn't seem very plot-armory. New Thrawn... yeah, we're still in the second act of his stuff, so we have yet to see.

[@nathanielhellerstein5871]

I love her mini-cartoons. 10:00 Hero: raises 'need for validation' sign Magnificent Bastard: FOOL! My therapist and I already unpacked that issue! Hero: Gasp!

[@oximoron613]

Megamind: Oh, you’re a villain all right, just not a super one. Titan: Oh yeah? What’s the difference? Megamind: Presentation! In all seriousness, Megamind is a pretty great example of a magnificent bastard vs a whiny overpowered maniac

[@Sorain1]

It is remarkably disturbing to consider how dangerous an actually Evil Megamind would be.

[@Nuinwing]

Megamind is such an underrated movie,it needs more love.

[@TheRezro]

Comment on point 👍

[@ultimatebishoujo29]

@@Nuinwing that’s true

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

Although, to be fair, he does do a fair amount of whining too... 😂

[@slightlyembittered]

The emotional victory in the third act breakdown is the reason why Azula's defeat (from ATLA) is so satisfying.

[@peepopopo7140]

Kinda bittersweet really. The girl was 14.

[@natnuss98]

@@peepopopo7140 what was so satisfying about it, is just how well it was written. It was extremely bittersweet, the execution was brilliant. It's incredibly sad because she's 14 and has fallen into this deep pit of manipulation and psychological abuse, that there cannot be another satisfying ending to Azula than her breaking down.

[@azumarill964]

It is more or less bittersweet, because you see how this person who thought she was on top, but was nothing but a pawn to his father, falls apart after years of abusing and being abused, and the look Zuko gives her in the end is magnificent. It says how Azula is being destroyed by something he already overcame, and how they could’ve both walk the same way, but only one of them was willing to change. It is not a happy victory, it is a tragedy. But all of that is satisfying nonetheless.

[@MrJojux]

@@peepopopo7140 In animated series I always forget how young the protagonists often are. Azula always feels like a character in her late teens, early twenties at least. At least to me. But maybe that is just because I subconsciously try to get the main characters closer to my age? Don't know.

[@erin_3569]

the fact it felt like a tragedy rather than a total victory made it even more satisfying

[@Dracas42]

My favorite slide has to be the "I want revenge!" "We have revenge at home."

[@michigangarnet3804]

My favorite magnificent bastard “pet the dog” moment is when they treat some young character well

[@chloeleau]

Tywin Lannister in a nutshell

[@curtisroush8186]

Dio’s existence has resulted in the death of multiple dogs and he still has a fan base bigger than I’d care to admit.

[@artofthepossible7329]

His name translates to God (I know it's a reference but the point stands).

[@MayHugger]

Because a good dog murderer is hard to come by.

[@dragon_fuirt2592]

its bc hes hot duh, smh no but seriously im like 99% sure thats why most of his fanbase (honestly myself included-) like him so much

[@chaotik7853]

I forgot about jojos for one blissful second and thought you meant the singer

[@silversjohn7363]

it's interesting how the author uses "killing the dog" only for those he wants to paint as monsters; killing other people, meh.. even heroes do that sometimes

[@skythunderstorm2280]

Ah, the Magnificent Bastard. Not to be confused with the Glorious Bastard. The bad guy who saves the protagonists as a final redeeming moment.

[@Drums_of_Liberation]

So Xanatos and not Spike

[@deadshot1995]

Isn't that called Redemption Equals Death?

[@connorwalters9223]

Not to be confused with the Inglorious Basterd, who kills nazis and permanently scars the survivors

[@Pyreleaf]

Connor Walters those are my favorite bastards of all.

[@The_Moe_Szyslak_Exp_feat_Homer]

@@connorwalters9223 You didn't say it right. An Inglorious Basterd is someone who does one thing, and one thing only: killing natzis.

[@martynicholls5689]

I have one of these in my D&D 5e game, he's a vampire named Lazarus who's almost as old as the world who because undead basically to spite the god of death and so he'll live long enough to bring her back. His immortality has him losing touch with reality over time, his ultimate motivation is to bring his wife back, he isn't the main bad guy of the game, but he is kind of an anti-villain, he's clearly evil, but he helps the Protagonists from time to time if they're willing to do something for him. He's insanely smart, and knows most magical lore and history because he was there, but he isn't omniscient in anyway. He's been blindsided by other villains before, but just always has contingencies. He could easily become the main villain when they eventually look into his history, but that could be an entirely new story in itself.

[@richeybaumann1755]

One of my favorites who I think fits this trope is Carmen Sandiego. Her goals don't matter to her as much as the chase does. She has a strong moral code and will not hurt the protagonists, even going so far as to save their lives and be genuinely scared for them. She is purely selfish in her thefts, proving that she is the best of the best, but she's code driven 100%.

[@saraalam8372]

Red: third act break down, charismaniac Me: AZULA

[@martynpopov2898]

Darn, Azula should have been mentioned during the 3rd part breakdown considering Mai and Ty Lee betrayed her, then she lost her sanity, Katara and Zuko kicked her ass then finally threw her into an insane asylum while Ozai get energybended and permanently locked up in prison at the series very ending.

[@tusharmahendrakar2387]

Also Light Yagami

[@emiljosefsson9149]

I kept thinking of ways in which Azula fits the criteria for Magnificent Bastard listed here. The fact she wasn't mentioned at all is a crime.

[@acrow5]

@@emiljosefsson9149 I think Avatar at this point just does everything right, if it isn't mentioned exclusively for something it *didn't* do, then it's better just to assume it portrays the trope exactly.

[@thrawncaedusl717]

@@emiljosefsson9149 I don’t really see her fitting this archetype. I mean, what was her code or what were her goals? Don’t get me wrong, she was a great villain, but I never saw her as “magnificent”.

[@aidenfurry471]

"if your villain is emotionally unstable and prone to violent outbursts or rage" did anyone else just picture Kylo Ren throwing a tantrum

[@emblemblade9245]

MOOOOOOORE!

[@priscillabrown210]

Yep... First character I thought of actually... And they wonder why the sequel trilogy was a dumpster fire, with such stellar storytelling and character development like that...😒

[@gallalameblook9911]

@@priscillabrown210 Kylo Ren always has been an impulsive edgy teenager wannabe the next Darth Vador. Not that the Sequel trilogy was good, as it was basically "throw it all over the board" every movie but it's not inconsistency in character there at least

[@scienceandponies]

@@gallalameblook9911 And it's even worse when you learn the character is supposed to be 30 and not just some 22 year old who acts like he's 13.

[@Magic-on4et]

I actually thought of Azula from atla

[@felipeuseche332]

I think we love them because they are a power fantasy of self-control, self-actualization and the unwavering pursuit of goals despite resistance, criticism or even societal constraints. They are true to themselves and don't care what people think in a way that it's wrong, but feels so good and liberating.

[@dragon_fuirt2592]

"Okay, so I burned down your entire village, but consider: I am *very* sexy" Practically every main JJBA villain + La Squadra: * nervous sweating *

[@juliagiles1547]

Red: The third-act breakdown is when we see the supervillain properly crack and actually lose their temper Me:azula azula azula azula azula azula

[@tenaciousrodent6251]

She should have been mentioned!

[@lania2246]

She lost more than just her temper

[@glanni]

@@lania2246 Her hair! 😱😩

[@carlosroo5460]

And don't you forget, AZULAAA!!

[@martynpopov2898]

Darn, Azula should have been mentioned during the 3rd part breakdown considering Mai and Ty Lee betrayed her, then she lost her sanity, Katara and Zuko kicked her ass then finally threw her into an insane asylum while Ozai get energybended and permanently locked up in prison at the series very ending.

[@dramallamarama5300]

Reminds me of ProZD’s villain who’s actually a good dad sketches

[@fairycat23]

Even so, the first trope I'd pick for him is Even Evil Has Loved Ones.

[@trika91]

You mean like Red Death from Venture Bros.?

[@nuggs942]

@@trika91 the what?

[@trika91]

@@nuggs942 A villain from season 6 &7 of the Venture Brothers. He’s both a supervillain and a family man. (Hope that helps)

[@procyon6370]

Jango Fett

[@Emperor-Quill]

I'm LOVING how you showed the Pride and Kimblee Clip to display the conflict of a Goal-Oriented character and a Code-Oriented character. I'd subscribe twice if I could.

[@zoharamitai8719]

90's Carmen immediately came to mind when you started taking about codes. My sapphic awakening❤

[@link1207]

"MY THERAPIST AND I ALREADY UNPACKED THAT ISSUE." I felt that.

[@incognea1o]

-I really want Red to cover the "the only sane one" trope cause it's lowkey everywhere and it's great-

[@olympic-gradelurker]

Ah - so many Twilight Zone plot points

[@storystimmler]

It's interesting because you need to balance the bliss of finally having a character blessed with common sense who doesn't make you cry "whyyyyy" every five seconds with the slight loss of dramatic risks you get from having characters consistently make stupid decisions. This is definitely a trope talk I want.

[@libbyhole6131]

That's really part of the straight man archetype, which is really wide reaching but very interesting to analyse

[@revan0890]

@@storystimmler so Red vs Blue?

[@EVER_PRINCE]

Ah yes, the Sokka of the group

[@watergod321]

What happens when you have a relatively easily flustered villain that doesnt slip when the heros push that meltdown button..... You get an Oh shit moment

[@Lifelessfreak101]

???

[@victoralexandervinkenes9193]

You FOOL!! I'VE BEEN EXPECTING THAT

[@loganosmolinski4446]

I was thinking something like this. A charismaniac that is visibly suffering from an anxiety disorder, like we see them doing breathing exercises and such. Not that it's their weakness, but more that they have it so tightly controlled it ceases to be hindering to them. They are charismatic, brilliant, and terrifyingly dangerous in spite of their disorder.

[@fiascothe63rd]

I feel like Araki slightly misread ‘kick the dog,’ because GOOD LORD that’s a lot of corpses!

[@NinjaGidget]

"I want revenge!" "we have revenge at home." Best mastermind/minion conversation ever.

[@christopherfleetwood5252]

Oops 666th like, sorry. 😣

[@guilhermemarinho9861]

"The kick the dog technique" Dio took this a bit TOO literally

[@kabob0077]

Then he incinerated the dog sometime after...

[@blindbeholder9713]

And then he punched a cat.

[@harlequinsnightmare8198]

*kill the dog technique

[@the_demon_cat337]

@@blindbeholder9713 I do not remember the cat bit

[@cometgravity]

LMAO i also thought of him. he's got so much style i consider him a magnificent bastard despite all the. well. you know what he's like

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

The "bad guy just knows stuff" trope is one I used in a D&D session. I made it a specific quirk of a specific outsider monster that it was totally insane, but it's insanity gave it bizarre insights into the true nature of the universe. It could roll charisma to just know stuff about people it talked to. The limitation was it had to talk to them first and every few minutes it could make one role. If it failed, it's insight was wrong and it was weird that it would just suddenly say some random, nonsensical thing. But one in every 5 or 6 rolls, it would be dead on the money and suddenly it would say something that revealed it just knew something about you and it was the creepiest thing ever.

[@thatonepersonyouknowtheone7781]

still cant get over the fact that Red was looking for a shortened version and settled on a name that's exactly 1 syllable less and I've watched this video like 5 times

[@slwrabbits]

just goes to show how costly syllables are

[@basementgoblin6178]

Big takeaway from this: “Professionals have standards”

[@jasonmartin4775]

I see you're a man of culture as well.

[@slithra227]

It's about the PRESENTATION

[@jambers5177]

Be Polite

[@dr.buckaroobanzai6114]

Sniper has a point

[@anthonyrios2311]

@@jambers5177 Be efficient

[@trevorx7872]

the best (BEST!) example of this trope is our favorite red-eyed blue space genius, Grand Admiral Thrawn. The sheer charisma, and genius, and just that atmosphere of coolness is wonderful.

[@wisdommanari6701]

Abso-freaking-lutely

[@Superkid33]

I agree

[@urbanwarchief]

The more I watch these breakdowns, the more I feel I understand how people think

[@GeekMasterGames]

"So now you know my weakness." "Only you would consider love to be a weakness."

[@KnightsRealm98]

Goliath is such a great character, and Xanathos is the best foil to his inherent honor. Gosh, I love Gargoyles.

[@TangledInYarn]

I love how Elias Bouchard from the Magnus Archives is, according to this, about two steps away from being a Magnificent Bastard. These reasons are a) that people hate him he has no charisma and I would personally love to punch him in the face. b) is that he SPOILERS is actually pretty close to omniscient for magical reasons because he's aligned with the Eye and all that

[@lilaboxx]

I mean he makes up for lacking in charisma by having a really nice voice but i still really want to punch him in the face, i think he's one of the characters i hate the most. Like ever.

[@cassiegortner9523]

Charisma: yes, but we hate him anyway Intelligence: yes, he's basically omniscient Standards: no personal code to speak of, just plain evil. Concrete Goals: definitely

[@sarahgent2674]

I'd argue that hello Jon is one of the more magnificent bastardy things a villain has ever done. Like, absolutely devastating, but you can't deny he's got flair

[@jackservans6906]

My favorite villain breakdown is Joker in the Dark Knight in the moment when his boat plan fails because he was incorrect about human nature. He hesitates for one, extremely satisfying moment.

[@fletcherclausen4349]

Is it just me or does the goal driven magnificent bastard actually sound a lot like Batman Note to self watch entire video before commenting

[@Jono997]

Everyone learns that lesson at some point lol.

[@MarkEichin]

"But the only code *he* seems to be interested in is the Dress Code" hmm, is there enough material for an entire episode of Villainous Haberdashery?

[@SamaritanPrime]

Let's see... Loki Q (Star Trek: The Next Generation) Lex Luthor Magneto Azula A certain character in WandaVision Yes.

[@lewisirwin5363]

I see what you did there and I'm deliberately not laughing.

[@MarkEichin]

@@lewisirwin5363 ... Wait what... (goes back and rereads) oh. Oh no.

[@Beryllahawk]

Wicked Cool Hats!

[@sinisternorimaki]

I really like that that "I want revenge!" "we have revenge at home" is basically Blackheart and Mephisto in the 2019 Champions run.

[@arkventrie7858]

Personally, a Magical Genius can be a good thing when used while a larger but currently hidden villain is manipulating them by giving them everything they need to know to win, and more.

[@__lowkeycrayz__6185]

"Okay, so I burned down your whole village, but consider: I am *VERY* sexy." LMFAO I died

[@johnnychopsocky]

Morally Gray CONFIRMED

[@gayflower900]

More like Sexyroth

[@DarkestElemental616]

"We have revenge at home." "I hate this f*cking family!"

[@maximum.cat.entropy]

I feel like Azula from A:TLA was an amazing Magnificent Bastard, with a glorious 3rd Act Breakdown.

[@James35142]

I think one of the best examples of this is Satuski from Kill la Kill. She obtains a power similar to Ryuko and while Ryuko is embarrassed over the form, Satsuki proudly says she will do anything to reach her goal.

[@amadeus6987]

villains: "Consider the following: I am edgy" every fandom ever: :O so original and creative

[@glanni]

& hot

[@nerdyspinosaurid]

@@glanni _very_ important part.

[@glanni]

@@nerdyspinosaurid Exaclty, edgy without hot is awkward af

[@sayerglasgow115]

I bet that if you took Firelord Ozai and changed literally nothing about him except to make him a skinny pretty boy, fandoms would be falling over themselves about how misunderstood and complex he is, and how he's really a victim in the story.

[@TheRabbitPoet]

@@glanni so basically a redditor? Edit: this is a reply to the "edgy without hot" comment

[@Phyrior]

Also in Carmen Sandiego's case, at least in the cartoon: Carmen was ACME's best agent and she turned to villainy specifically to test them and make sure they never became complacent.

[@vaughnjohnson8767]

The newest one? Cause the new version is really good

[@animeotaku307]

I think they’re talking about the original.

[@vaughnjohnson8767]

@@animeotaku307 oh

[@DoubleRBlaxican]

A white hat hacker, but villany instead. A white hat villan

[@Sarah12471]

Man I love that old cartoon. Also on a side note, Wasn't the entire world in a computer?

[@bigmonkey1254]

I think one of my favorites is probably the Ancestor from Darkest Dungeon. Some interesting things happen with him. And I'm gonna put a *SPOILER* warning here. He's a bastard from the beginning. He's the reason the manor is overrun with eldritch abominations and all manner of horrible entities. He starts off seeming to be a weird mix of rather frequent incompetence and shortsightedness mixed with what seems to be some kind of aristocratic family principle and seems to pull out on his plans before he dies miserably. As the story unfolds and you learn "the tragic extent of [his] failings" he just seems more and more like a conniving, over-ambitious bastard who could never be more than a rich fool with Pandora's box. But then, in the final quest to the heart of the Darkest Dungeon, it all changes. The failures, the monsters he failed to dispose of... they weren't accidents. They were extensions of the core plan. His death wasn't a miserable attempt to atone for his crimes. It was another stage in the ritual. His letter asking the Heir to return and act in accordance with the high standards of nobility. It was a trap to get the Heir to feed parties of self-sacrificial heroes to the abomination. Every last detail was perfectly in accordance with his ambitious goal. He's definitely goal-driven to the extreme as his nihilism means that he cares little for petty rules of morality, although he still acts with class and refinement. And the most frightening part is that in the final act, there is no reason for a breakdown. If what he says is true, this is all inevitable. The ritual will continue with a different Heir and one day, the Heart will awaken to return the world to nothing again. It perfectly reinforces the Lovecraftian theme of futility throughout the game.

[@TwilitbeingReboot]

Havelock Vetinari is such a textbook example of this whole archetype, with the peculiar quirk of not (exactly) being a villain.

[@matcan9979]

Anyone else want to see red talk about the "ancient tech is the best tech" trope because it is in nearly EVERYTHING. Like the guardians in botw, magical artifacts in everything fantasy, the covenant and crystal skull in Indiana Jones, even in recent history like prototype weapons developed in ww2 that are extremely powerful yet never seen the front lines. (edit)spelling errors (edit 2 electric boogaloo) I am counting magic as tech since in most fantasy stories magic is what they use instead of conventional technology.

[@johannageisel5390]

Would be funny to write a short story on this premise. The heroes are confronted with a horrible and ancient evil and go to great lengths to find a mythical ancient weapon - only to find out it is a bit of a joke and has long been taken over by contemporary technology. They then proceed to shoot Voldemort with machine guns.

[@watchermagic5325]

@@johannageisel5390 I'd read that. No, wait... I'll write that!

[@ibukunanjorin9054]

@@watchermagic5325 give us an update if you do!

[@johannageisel5390]

@@watchermagic5325 Please share it with us - I want to read it too!

[@ondururagittandeska2004]

Stroheim from Jojo because YOU UTTER FOOL GERMAN SCIENCE IS THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD!

[@T3HR3PP4]

12:41 Xanatos: "So now you know my weakness." Goliath: "Only you would consider love to be a weakness."

[@jfangm]

I mean, it kind of is. Look at how many romantic tragedies there are. Hell, Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side because of love. The mistake is thinking weaknesses are a bad thing.

[@JarieSuicune]

@@jfangm It wasn't "because of love", it was because of selfishness. As soon as it stopped being mutual and he calling the shots himself (ignoring her input), it stopped being love and became selfishness which he was calling "love".

[@jfangm]

@@JarieSuicune All love is selfish.

[@sayerglasgow115]

@@jfangm No. Love means that what the person you love wants is more important than what you want.

[@jfangm]

@@sayerglasgow115 No, it doesn't. In fact, what you described is an abusive relationship.

[@Pyre]

Grand Admiral Thrawn is all of these things at once. Around 3:00 is his magically gaining understanding of a whole world's culture from a painting. Everything else is, well, everything else.

[@taterskins1033]

I *LOVE* the color coding in the drawings. The red/purple especially made things visually clear

[@krankarvolund7771]

"There's the 90s version of Carmen San Diego" Me, who never watches any show of that series and just saw some persons talking aout it: Wait, Carmen San Diego is the vilain?!

[@slithra227]

in the 90s she's the villain. In the recent adaptation she's the protagonist. She's always a thief with a complicated relationship to cops.

[@orcatwar9810]

Well she's literally the female version of lupin the 3rd Both are thieves

[@5peciesunkn0wn]

@samraiz shoaib ...I think it's the game show I keep thinking of whenever I read 'Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?'

[@5peciesunkn0wn]

@samraiz shoaib never realized it was an actual show. Always thought it was a gameshow/game in general. XD

[@andrewmihovich4252]

Originally, it was a computer game. Which ended up being the first of a series of computer games. Then that was made into the premise of the quiz show... ... and _then_ a goahead animated cartoon, clips shown during this video. ... And more recently, the Netflix series, which switched the terms around enough that Carmen's _opposing_ the villains and not the main antagonist the heroes are trying to catch.

[@Alias_Anybody]

A lot of people here seem to confuse the MB-trope with "Evil is sexy". An MB CAN be hot, and it's usually helpful (for them) if they are, but they don't have to.

[@Alias_Anybody]

@Tin Watchman Charisma and sexiness aren't the same thing either. Though villains with a fandom also tend to have both.

[@fairycat23]

Oh, definitely! A villain can be charismatic and clever and intelligent but not necessarily attractive, and a total mess of a villain can be attractive.

[@kannonball5789]

@@Alias_Anybody See: Any Alan Rickman villan

[@Alias_Anybody]

@@kannonball5789 As an example for being brilliant and hot or being brilliant and not hot? The opinions seem to differ.

[@kannonball5789]

@@Alias_Anybody Well, I was thinking Serverus Snape primarily as hot and brilliant villan