It's known fact that Villians often travel in groups while Sperading chaos through out the land. Dispite goals varrying from time to time the Positions will remain consitsant through out the plans. However, open to more roster changes, and there may not even be five of them, though there are never fewer than four Members. These guys are (NOTE: A VILLIAN CAN BE A BE BOTH OF THESE POSITIONS AND CAN BE EAITHER GENDER):
Mr. Big Bad
Also Known as a "Evil Overlord" or "Diabolical Mastermind". Large and in Charge, with an inner circle of Goons to do their bidding and often also an Evil Army as well. Often will be more difficult to identify early on because of the very nature of a major villian, he's often caused everything. Occasionally pulls double duty as the Evil Genius.
The cause of all bad happenings in a story. A Big Bad could be a character with Evil Plans or it could be a situation, such as a comet heading towards the Earth. The Big Bad can (and often does) exert effect across a number of episodes, and even an entire season.
Note that Big Bad is not a catch-all trope for the biggest and ugliest villain of any given story.
The leader of the outlaw gang that the heroes face once or twice is not the Big Bad. The railroad tycoon who turns out to be using the gang as muscle is the Big Bad. If there is a constant Power behind the Throne story going on in order to reveal the big bad, then whoever is behind it all is the Big Bad, not every major villain in the lead-up. At other times, if a new enemy shows up to replace the previous Big Bad, then they are the Big Bads of their individual storylines.
The Big Bad may be confronted frequently, but is too powerful to finish off until the last episode of the sequence. The Big Bad may work through Evil Minions and will almost certainly have The Commander protecting him, to keep interest up and provide something for the good guys to defeat. When you look at a season-long story or a major Story Arc and you can identify that one villain as being the one in control of everything, that is the Big Bad. In many cases, you will find that while the Big Bad may be in control, the Commander-in-Chief would still be the greater threat.
The role remains largely the same, but it should be noted that they are the Big Bad of that particular organization. They are not just the leader of a Quirky Minion Squad, but is a set group to counter the roles in the heroes' Group. Whether or not they turn out to be the Big Bad of the entire work of fiction is not set in stone (although more often than not, they will be).
If a show has a series of Big Bad jeopardies, they can function like a series of Monsters of the Week that take more than a week to finish off. If there is a Legion of Doom, you can expect the Big Bad to be involved somehow.
The Commander
Usually more physical than their boss, and commonly the most trusted member of the bunch. Good for leading Goons, and sometimes the most 'classy' looking.
The Commander is the Big Bad's top enforcer. Some Commanderss are ferocious fighters who leave the heavy thinking to the boss. Others are smart, detail-oriented administrators who oversee the day-to-day running of the evil organization. Either way, defeating the Big Bad almost always requires the hero to overcome the Commander first. A common but by no means universal theme is to have the Commander pose a physical challenge to the hero, while the Big Bad poses a mental or moral challenge.
Sometimes So we have a Big Bad, and he has the Commander. The plot unfolds as our heroes do what heroes do. Laughs are had, tears are shed, and finally they reach the end of their quest.
Somehow along the way, though, they missed the Commander. Then the Commander turns up. He's not The Power Behind the Throne, he just wasn't around when the Big Bad went down. Sometimes there's a reason for it, but sometimes... he's just absent.
The Commander will occasionally reform when confronted by the heroes. If he does so, chances are very good that he will end up killing the Big Bad when the heroes cannot bring themselves to do so; often by joining the villain in death as a final act of redemption.
Sometimes they are The Heavy of the story.
They Come in the following forms:
• Big Bad Duumvirate
You might ask your self what's worse than one Big Bad? Two Big Bads, possibly more, working in intentional collusion with each other. Sometimes they will work together just fine; being all respectful and well, but more often than not there will be rivalries between them, and they will tend to break out into a literal example of a Civil War. Sometimes they are friend other times they are in a romantic relationship what is clear is that both work togeather to complete whatever they want they want to achieve. They are not working attacking one another but instead they are working (sometimes witha silight rivarly) side by side.
• Co Commander
Mr. Big Bad has two or more minions who report directly to him or her, and are regarded as equally dangerous among the other characters. They will usually have distinctive personalities, roles, or skill-sets, or may perform the same job but in different regions, but just like a single Commander would be, they are answerable only to Mr. Big Bad and are significant threats in their own right. However, they don't necessarily have a team dynamic- in fact, they may not interact directly at all. If they do, they'll likely be rivals.
Simply having multiple named Evil Minions does not qualify for this trope. This is a case of several characters being powerful, important, and/or feared enough to claim the role of second-in-command or primary executor of Mr. Big Bad's will at one time. A character who does not serve in these capacities, or regularly takes orders from someone not the Big Bad, does not qualify as a Dragon, even if they're an important villain. Compare and contrast Big Bad Duumvirate, where two characters jointly hold the role of primary villain, rather than just primary minion.
• Commander Ascendant
The heroes have defeated the Big Bad, and as they step out of the ashes and rubble, they congratulate themselves on a job well done. Now that the day is saved, they can relax and have a nice evening at home, knowing that the world is once again a safer place.
But wait! The Commander rises from the rubble, filled with determination and a thirst for vengeance. He was loyal to his former master, who may have even been an Evil Mentor. He might even turn out to be worse than his predecessor in terms of how threatning he is and how evil he is.
He may fused some of his bosses remains into his own body following the latter's death, and this act seems to have given him access to his bosses abilities. Which, displaying an absurd level of intelligence, he immediately used to revive and place under his control dozens of extremely powerful deceased enemies(including most of the previous Big Bads, hosts of an Cosmic Abomination, at least 3 Standard Evil Organization Squads, a number of Kages, any dead Main Characters.) making him one of the most powerful people on the planet.
• Comander-in-Chief
The Commander-in-Chief serves as the de-facto Big Bad of the story. Though he's nominally subordinate to the "real" Big Bad, he's just so much smarter, stronger or skillful (and almost always scarier) that it's clear who's really the bigger menace. He tends to have almost no respect for Mr. Big Bad due to their comparative lack of vision, courage or common sense. Mr. Big Bad, for his part, either seriously or fatally overestimates The Commander's loyalty, or is just too afraid of him to be able to do much. In a nutshell, the Commander-in-Chief is the main villainous driving force behind the plot, even if he or she did not initiate it.
The defining feature of a Commander-in-Chief is that Mr. Big Bad's plans completely fall apart without them; essentially, the main story ends with the Commander's defeat. The Hero turns out to be way too much for Mr. Big Bad to handle, and The Commander is really the only significant threat in his arsenal. Typically, he and The Hero come from the same place, the same (usually violent) world and not the kind of environment in which Mr. Big Bad normally operates. The Commander and The Hero may have heard of each other by reputation, brewing a rivalry between the two. Alternatively, The Hero might have been after The Commander to begin with, such as for revenge for a past misdeed. In either case while Mr. Big Bad might stake all his fortune and dreams in the outcome of the fight, The Commander and The Hero see Mr. Big Bad as nothing more than an annoyance who should stay out of the way. Often Mr. Big Bad's only hope of survival is that these two destroy each other.
Because of their disrespect, there are few straight Commanders amongst Commander-in-Chief: They are either have a different agenda, a more dangerous Treacherous Subordinate, or just a more inevitable ascendant to throne (and don't be surprised if they are fought after Mr. Big Bad's Demise). The Comander with an agenda type will probably be using Mr. Big Bad for his own ends, working as a mercenary to fund his own projects that usually turn out to be much more threatening (or interesting) than Mr. Big Bad's goal.
If one of the other kinds, then they will probably be complaining about how Mr. Big Bad runs things — typically, they think that Mr. Big Bad either lacks ambition, or is just an idiot. These ones are often junior partners in Mr. Big Bad's business: After years of hard (but fun) living as a dangerous felon, he has found himself steady employment with Mr. Big Bad and hopes to take over the business some day or retire on the fortune made from his latest Master Plan. This is when he starts to complain about his unambitious or just plain incompetent way of running things, though Mr. Big Bad might retort that his way is from experience and The Commander's ways will ultimately lead to ruin. Occasionally, their warnings turn out to be right.
The most important thing is that Mr. Big Bad is just not a significant factor if this Commander is gone. This Big Bad must be much more manageable and less dangerous than their underling, or less likely to make a splash. The Commander-in-Chief is either the main villain or the star of the show in his own right, and the actual Big Bad ends up relegated to supporting villain status. The Commander can became the real Big Bad, while the theoretical Big Bad, would be moved to the position of the Evil Genius.
• Commander with an Agenda
A Commander with an Agenda is a character serving as The Commander to the Big Bad, but having different goals from him. For example, if this character encounters the heroes immediately after the death or defeat of his boss, he won't try to complete his master's Evil Plan, but will instead go on to pursue his own plans.
Most commonly, he and the Big Bad have a mutually profitable alliance, and the Big Bad just happens to be the more powerful of the two. If he's also influencing the Big Bad's plans, then he's at the same time the man in front of the man and The Powe Behind the Throne. Commander-in-Chief is when The Commander is actually the more dangerous of the pair, by a significant margin. It is not unknown for him to have taken on service for his own purposes and fooled the Big Bad into thinking he's subordinate.
• My Master, Right Or Wrong
This is when a leader is cruel and, perhaps, incompetent, and the underling obeys him out of adherence to some ideal, while hating every minute of it.
This is mostly used in vaguely medieval settings. In feudalistic structures, more than in others, someone might feel a deep but forced obligation to a certain leader. The underling usually is a minor noble of a warrior caste, a knight or Samurai or such.
To make certain that the public understands that this character is not following out of Blind Obedience or sadism and in fact disagrees, he will get a lot of symphetic moments, appeal to his liege to re-think a decision, beg for the lives of others, angst visibly when he's alone, and try to twist his orders a little if possible. He often doesn't even consider the heroes his enemy and is an honorable opponent. Also, he might be seen as suffering as much under his lord as the next subject, for sympathy points.
They tend to be people who have sworn an oath to unreliable leaders and refuse to break their word. Such characters are prone to Reform because all they need is to broaden their ethic horizon a bit.
The Evil Genius
Operates the weapons or acts as Mission Control for the others. Often essential to the evil scheme; their screwing up could mean the entire thing falls apart. Most likely of this group to be heavily relied on for this very reason. Ironically, being less manically evil doesn't often make them a better candidate to reform. as they are often just completely amoral. More prone to insanity or other quirks than others. They Can Be a Mad Doctor, a Computer Hacker, a Millitary Strategist, a Magnificent Chessmaster, or a Smug Snake.
They're usually rather high-ranked, commonly below The Commander but above the Quirky Minion Squad. They are almost exclusively male except in fiction that either has an unusually high female ratio or a female motif for its villains. The Evil Genius is obviously intelligent, and is the one in charge of the Wave Motion Gun or shipping the nukes into the country or resurrecting the Lost Superweapon or what have you. This character is usually the one that will demonstrate to the Big Bad how to use a particular device. They're usually a Mad Scientist, a military tactician, a specialist in a particular field (such as computers or electronics), or has ties to The Government (or a combination), so they're in the best position to deliver the goodies to the Evil Overlord. In medieval fantasy settings, this role is often played by an evil strategist, rogue/spymaster, or a dark wizard.
In some cases they are actually more danerous than their boss because they will sometimes starts physically injuring the defenseless opponents and are in charge of interrogation and will often use methods that will turns them into screaming shambles.
The Brute
If the Commander doesn't lead the Goons, they will. While likely not better in a fight than The Commander, is often the most physically powerful and often the most sadistic. Likes to fight and get his hands dirty, and is usually second best to the Commander at doing so. Oh, and they are big, and sometimes (but not always) pretty dim.
the Brute is huge, all muscle, loves to fight and is very good at it. However, while he may first appear to be The Hero's equal in combat, subsequent battles will establish him as being the Goliath to the Hero's David.
He is usually a bully, incapable of empathy, and, more often than not, also very stupid, though there are exceptions. Super Strength and Nigh Invulnerability are common among powered varieties. Female brutes are rare outside of all-women groups, although not unheard of.
He is often the first opponent the heroes face after their successes require that someone more capable be sent to take care of them. He tends to be either blindly loyal or just too thickheaded and incompetent to ever stand a chance of overthrowing the leaders. Despite his role as the primary brute force of The Evil Army, he is rarely ever as strong as The Commander.
One thing to keep in mind with this character type is that it's the role and rank as opposed to just the personality that defines it.
However, They sometimes are used as a Big Bad.
The Weird Minion
They can vary quite significantly, and is chiefly defined by looking or acting wildly different from the other members, adding color to the group. It's this member that stands out for one reason or another, and may be considered the "freak" or loose cannon of the group, particularly by her own members. Even though they can be eaither gender they are often female. They are often completly oblivious to the idea of right or wrong and are the most likely to reform.
If in an optimistic setting, she will be the one most likely to be redeemed and not die horrifically (and probably hook up with The Hero or The Number 2). If not, then she becomes a Yandere for The Hero if she holds any type of romantic interest towards him at all.
Simply put, the Evil Counterpart to The Load. Just as the heroic Load represents diversity and an emphasis on emotion, so, too, does the The Weird Minion. He/she (the gender ratio is fairly evenly split, literally at least in post-1970s works) is the member of the villainous ensemble that adds a certain indescribable quality. How it does this can vary. For example, if this member is woman in a male dominated organization, she'll also base a lot of her actions and dialogue on how she is breaking gender stereotypes.
This member is often defined based on the opposite of the rest of the group.
If the other members are deadly serious, this is the member that constantly jokes around and pokes fun at the other members, much to their irritation. If all the members of the group are in it for the money or power, this is the person that's just in it for the hell of it. It's fairly frequent that the other members of the organization either don't take this member seriously and/or even actively hate them, but put up with them because they get results or are needed for some facet of the plan. More often than not in a fighting series, they are commonly the weakest or at second weakest compared to The Brute.
However, also as frequent is for this member to be defined by their tactics. If the other members revolve their plans around stealth infiltration to get things done, this is the member whose plan involves a 'distraction' - often involving them and a small explosive device. If the organization involves manipulating people through blackmail, then this is the member that seduces people to further the plans. Also common is for this member to factor emotion into their tactics moreso than the other members. Instead of setting up a plan based on the logical actions and reactions of the parties involved, they instead set up emotional strife that has little to do with their roles but sets up their actions.
Big Bad Wannabe
The Big Bad Wannabe is a villain who is seen as a significant threat but can't back it up when it comes to the crunch. The absolute level of menace varies widely, from an complete dunce having a good day, to a villain who could legitimately be the Big Bad if the Mr. Big Bad wasn't even more powerful than they are, but within a story they are (initially) presented as a big deal. Often a extreamly low ranked minion or not even part of the group at all.
There are also many ways of revealing the villain is an over-inflated threat. A school bully might run from a real fight. In the second example of an unfair circumstance gave the villain his early victory. Sometimes it's just a matter of scale; the heroes catch a criminal, but he's just a copycat, not the real mastermind he was thought to be. Alternatively the real Big Bad might outdo the wannabe or even kill the wannabe. Those that fall under this trope are also extremely vulnerable to the disrespect, both from actual Big Bads and their enemies.
Sometimes he uses cooks up a cartoonishly silly Disguise scheme to con his way into assuming authority, then conspires to take over Narnia with the help of the Empire.
The Femme Fatale
Unlike the other positions mentioned on this list this person Is ALWAYS FEMALE. When ever she's not seducing someone, she tends to enjoy beating up tougher-looking characters, and a man's refusal to fight back tends to annoy her, and the chivalrous guy can end up badly battered. If The Messiah offers her friendship, expect her to take it as an insult. The Femme Fatale is generally immune, or at least resistant, to The Power of Friendship.
The Power Behind the Throne
This person does not always appear. When he does he is responsible for Mr. Big Bad's Current state of being. This Man has deeper problems, deeper motives and so much power that the heroes will have to go through another round of dungeon diving just to stand a chance. When he reveals his reasons for being evil, expect the theme of the plot to unfold quickly and dramatically.
In many genres, The Power Behind the Throne often has more sinister and apocalyptic goals than his predecessor. For example, while a puppet king or greedy corporation may want to take over the world, the real Big Bad may want to destroy the world, or even erase all of existence. He is the most dangerous person alive but the quest will always remain.
Who is He?Treacherous Subordinate
In some stories Mr. Big Bad casts a shadow over everyone: They might be afraid of him, they might be his minions, or they might be the heroes trying to defeat him.
A certain type of character falls outside this pattern: a villain too ambitious or individualistic or just too stubborn to accept the supremacy of Mr. Big Bad. Instead, this villain actually has dreams about overthrowing the guy everyone else fears and taking his place, therefore becoming the most dangerous person. He is loyal to no one and only cares about his own needs. Sometimes he is a grudging servant of the Big Bad(If he is The Commander is the most Likely one), sometimes he is entirely outside the established power structure. Either way, if Mr. Big Bad ever stumbles or shows weakness, this Treacherous Subordinate will be there, ready to kick him out of Power or even slay him. Depending on the nature of the character, he may be an over-optimistic fool or someone who might actually be able to pull it off. If the character is powerful enough, our heroes might be forced to try and stop him from toppling the original villain who is responsible for everything. It can be hard to justify why Mr. Big Bad keeps them around, but it may most commonly be so Mr. Big Bad has a reason to always keep his guard up because the reasons vary depending on the story (thus can rest assured that he will become very alert). In some stories he manages to become the main villian, while in others he fails completely.
The Good Guy
A Good Guy is someone whose greater principles do the same. A typical example might be a Justified Criminal forced to go native among real criminals, perhaps because of deliberate persecution or simple error by The Government.
Despite his high moral standards, he is not listen to in the party, as he may not be interfering with their questionable activities. Though he can be, reminding the others (or teaching them for the first time) that there is more at stake than money, power or personal vendettas. Alternately, he may be someone who simply holds himself aloof from the "complaints" of other party members. In extreme examples, he may become disliked by his own allies as he tries to foist his ideas on others, becoming a terribly annoying leader.
He will likely have struggles between loyalty to the True Companions and his conscience, creating inner conflict and conflict with his teammates, but sometimes a Good Guy can also inspire the team to rise above themselves by the idealism they show.
If both he and the Evil Guy are in the same party (and you know authors won't want to miss the chance) there will be at least one huge display of verbal fireworks per episode.
Alternatively, though, a Good Guy can be found amongst a group of dastardly villains, in order for the show to make sure that the antagonist side does not go too black in terms of morality. Perhaps this character shows restraint in doing atrocious evil, or is forced against his/her own will to be a bad guy (due to a hostage or some other leverage held by the bad guys, for example), or has other goals that are noble, but require him/her to be on the bad guys' side, or is merely just following orders from the higher ups that he/she has sworn loyalty to (high honor standards can cause such). This character has a high chance to become a sympathetic Anti-Villain that the audience can root for. They may also be the Team Face by virtue of not being an jerk. The other members will trust him more than each other and have him talk to the muggles when needed.
He might of sided with the bad guys because he wants to protect his family and people of his homeland
He might also a double agent working for the Revolutionaries or good guys
Goons
The Soliders of an evil army. They are nameless, faceless, horribly awful shots, incompetent, unwilling to retreat, and completely disposable: they provide a chance for the characters to show off their flashy fighting skills and can be shot without guilt. They are also Known as "Mooks," "Drones," "Small Fries," "flunkies," "pawns," "crunchies," "popcorn," "grunts," "minions," "lackeys," "underlings," "henchpersons," and "Cannon Fodder".
Bigger Bad
Mr. Big Bad may be the one who is directly responsible for the plot, but is not necessarily the most powerful or significant evil presence in the setting. the setting has a villainous presence that is more significant than Mr. Big Bad in the setting as a whole, but isn't causing the conflict of the story (and may have little to do with it at all). Perhaps it's an important being sealed or in eternal sleep.
Big Bad will seek to exploit or make use of it though this doesn't always happen. If the Big Bad tries to harness the Bigger Bad for his own gain, he'll likely learn the painful lesson that Evil Is Not to be Toyed with.
A Bigger Bad is a more threatening force of evil in the setting and overshadows it, but due to mindlessness, imprisonment, lack of interest, or other factors it is disconnected on a personal level from the main plot, which is caused by Mr. Big Bad. Contrast with Power Behind the Throne, where a villain directly tied into the story is revealed to be controlling or manipulating Mr. Big Bad. In this case, the Man behind the Man is the actual hidden Big Bad. A being who fits this trope is likely a demon lord, archdevil, God of Evil or Cosmic Abomination with an Evil Religion and/or Path of Inspiration built around him/her/it. He/she/it is probably Made of Evil and will probably exist As Long as There Is Evil.
He is one of a group of Cosmic Abominations or Mysterious beings who personify and provoke in humans various forms of madness.
He might a reincarnation of a Demon Lord.
In all cases he manages to be an even more powerful enemy, dangerous and deadly.
One of them is an entity that existed before everything and wants to plunge everything into nothingness.
Another is a life-hating Cosmic Abomination that turns every planet he visits into sand dunes.
Yet another is a monster born out of humanity's collective negative emotions.
They Can also be a mad doctor who the aftermath of a devastating war, was sentenced to exile in Earth's orbit sealed within a space craft, who's body was modified into a cyborg contained within a bio-mechanical suit that would prevent him from deterioration and death. His memories were also converted into data, so that he would never forget his crimes, and was then banished into the wastelands he had created, to suffer eternally therein. Unfortunately, no one bargained on him coming back, and once he did, he set back to work
They Might be the parent or creator the Big Bad
They can also be the reason why the Big Bad turned evil
In more mundane cases, this role can be taken by a distant dictator who is not involved in the plot or a cursed object but plans not only to enslave the world but the entire universe that we live in.
Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:49 pm
