Bigger Bad: Difference between revisions

 

{{examples}}

== Multiple Media ==

* In any work set during [[World War II]], it's a virtual given that the antagonists' marching orders will ultimately come from the leaders of the Axis Powers, and ''especially'' [[Adolf Hitler]], even if they don't physically appear. Rare exceptions include ''[[Catch-22]]'', where the antagonists are corrupt Allied commanders.

* Likewise, it seems to be an unwritten rule for any ''[[Star Wars]]'' work (novels, comics, video games, etc.) set within Palpatine's lifetime that he is the source of everything bad that's going on, even if he hardly even appears.

 

* When compared to Medusa's villainous progress against the protagonists, this may be the role of Asura in ''[[Soul Eater]]''. He is one of a group of [[Eldritch Abomination]]s who personify and provoke in humans various forms of madness. So far, his only influence as a threat has been indirect, as upon his release Asura's mere existence empowered a growing group of chaotically dangerous antagonists. That said, he ''is'' certainly a character, albeit a rather sketchy one. Medusa is also trying to harness his power, Arachne wanted to destroy/usurp him, and Noah/Tables of Contents is trying to collect him (For the Book's index's will to teach the world it's madness). Lord Death ''appears'' to want his old friend recaptured, but with him it's [[Obfuscating Stupidity|very]] [[Eccentric Mentor|hard]] to tell.However In The Story Arc on the Moon makes Asura the Big Bad in that arc so this time Asura is the Main Villain in this Arc.Asura is considered to be the entire series's big bad due to being the first Kishin and the DWMA was founded to defeat Kishins.

* ''[[Naruto]]'' has the {{spoiler|Ten-Tailed Beast, the original tailed beast, of whom the other nine are pieces of its chakra divided. The [[Big Bad]] wants to reform the Ten-Tails and become its Jinchuriki, so he can enslave everyone with his Mangyeko Sharingan.}}

** The King of the Underworld in the Dark Signers arc of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's]]'', being the force behind the Earthbound Gods and the reason that the Dark Signers can make a [[Deal with the Devil]] and return [[Back from the Dead]]. This one may not qualify, though, as there's no indication it's even sentient and {{spoiler|it, along with its [[Good Counterpart]] the Crimson Dragon, is being played like a violin by the straight [[Big Bad]], Rex Godwin}}.

* In much the same way that [[Adolf Hitler]] will be this by default in almost any story set during WWII, [[Big Screwed-Up Family|the]] [[The Family That Slays Together|Zabi]] [[Royally Screwed-Up|family]] and [[The Caligula|Gihren]] [[The Evil Prince|Zabi]] in particular become this in the various sidestories set during ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'''s One Year War. ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team]]'' and ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket]]'' are both examples of this.

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* [[Crisis on Infinite Earths|The Anti-Monitor]] probably counts, as it/he is so powerful that he can be implied to be in a form of [[Sealed Evil in a Can]] at any given moment, especially given [[Comic Book Death|the nature of death in comic books]].

* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (comics)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'': One could make an argument that [[Magnificent Bastard|Mammoth]] [[Devil in Plain Sight|Mogul]] is this. Thousands of years ago, he founded the Order of Ixis, which eventually led to the creation of [[Evil Sorcerer|Ixis Naugus]], whose actions, {{spoiler|which may include starting the Great War}}, in turn led to [[Big Bad|Robotnik's]] rise to power, who's {{spoiler|death}} ultimately led to nearly every villain in the book today, with Naugus {{spoiler|responsible for the ones that aren't Mogul}}. Naugus and Robotnik are still quite active (and are, in fact, the current [[Big Bad Ensemble|top two villains]] of the series), whereas Mogul has semi-retired from active villainy, running a casino and deciding to use his immortality to outlive the heroes and make his move then.

 

== [[Fan Works]] ==

* ''[[Jewel of Darkness]]'': As the story is building towards Raven/Midnight's birthday and his preordained release, plus the fact that the climax of the Jump City arc shows that he's manipulating events via his pawns, it's safe to say Trigon holds this position.

 

* [[The Dark Side]] in ''[[Star Wars]]'' is the most powerful evil in the setting, but is a metaphysical force of evil rather than a character. [[The Emperor]] is the [[Big Bad]] of the movies as a whole, and Darth Vader is [[The Dragon]]. See the [[Big Bad]] page for a (largely) complete listing of [[Expanded Universe]] Big Bads. Interestingly, Grand Moff Tarkin rather than the Emperor is the [[Big Bad]] in the original ''[[A New Hope|Star Wars]]'', with Darth Vader still functioning as [[The Dragon]]. The Emperor is the Bigger Bad in that movie, receiving only cursory mention and not having any real bearing on the plot. He doesn't assume a central role until appearing in ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]''.

* In ''[[James Bond (film)|James Bond]]'', this crops up a few times, usually in the early films but it's returned for the Craig movies. Generally the Bigger Bad is either a [[Nebulous Evil Organization]] like SPECTRE (eg. ''[[Thunderball]]'' or Quantum (eg. ''[[Casino Royale]]'') or some unnamed client country that is generally implied to be [[Red Scare|Red China]] (eg. ''[[Goldfinger]]''). ''[[Dr. No]]'' has both, as No works for SPECTRE but it's implied they were hired by China. ''[[You Only Live Twice]]'' has SPECTRE and its chief Blofeld acting as the [[Big Bad]] while working for this Bigger Bad (though, as he blatantly extorts money from them at one point under their protest, this might be more of a [[Big Bad Duumvirate]]).

* ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' had entities called the Dream Demons, which Freddy [[Deal with the Devil| for his powers.]]

* From ''[[Halloween (film)|Halloween]]''; it is revealed in the sixth movie that [[Psycho Psychologist| Dr. Terence Wynn]] is the head of a cult that drove Michael insane and possibly gave him superhuman powers.

 

* Morgoth was always the ultimate evil presence in Middle-Earth, but after his defeat and imprisonment at the end of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', Sauron took over the role of the active [[Big Bad]], overlapping with [[Dragon Ascendant]]. Morgoth was not destroyed, however, and Tolkien's writings indicate he will free himself in time to command the forces of darkness once again at the Last Battle.

** Sauron himself as the Necromancer during ''[[The Hobbit]]'' - he definitely exists and will later be revealed as the canonical ultimate evil, but has no direct role in the story's plot, except as a device to give Gandalf a reason to leave the group for chapters at a time to go get information on him.

** Also, Crayak is a [[Sufficiently Advanced Alien]] who plays [[The Chessmaster]] throughout the galaxy to encourage mass genocides of entire species for no reason; in a series full of shades of grey he's one of only a handful of characters who qualify as totally evil. However, he only becomes directly involved in the story a handful of times and isn't terribly invested in it. The implication is that he and his [[Evil Counterpart|Good Counterpart]], the Ellimist will continue their long "game" millennia after the Animorphs' series has ended.

* The Black Thing in ''[[A Wrinkle in Time]]''. IT is the [[Big Bad]], and the Man with the Red Eyes may be ITs [[The Dragon|Dragon]]. [[The Movie]] states that the Black Thing was created by IT, making IT the biggest villain of that adaptation.

** Azathoth is not only the Bigger Bad, but is the one ''who created the universe'' and is so far beyond human conception he exists without a mind and something that might not even be a real body, but some kind unspeakable living black hole; a proper description is never given, all we know is that Azathoth is a formless blight that bubbles and blasphemes at the centre of creation - and that's from a [[What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?|Dreamland]] story. A literal manifestation of perfect amoral chaos who creates and destroys. Is being kept asleep by the Ultimate Gods with 'pipes and drums' so he doesn't ''eat the universe.''Also Yog Sothoth would also count as a Bigger bad.

* The Crimson King was presented as the central evil in [[Stephen King]]'s metaverse; however, in an example of [[The Devil Is a Loser]], when he's finally confronted in the [[Grand Finale]] of the [[Dark Tower]] series he's revealed to be nothing more than an insane old man armed with nothing except [[Harry Potter (novel)|suspiciously]] [[Shout-Out|familiar]] flying grenades, who is promptly defeated in one of the most ignoble manners possible. It's later revealed he had relied on ancient technology to give him most of his seemingly multiverse-spanning omnipotent powers, and when he lost that through the efforts of various heroes on various realities he was -reduced to the pathetic wretch confronted by Roland.

* In ''[[Percy Jackson & the Olympians|Percy Jackson and The Olympians]]'' Kronos is the [[Big Bad]]. But in its [[Sequel Series]] ''[[The Heroes of Olympus]]'' Kronos' mother starts to awake call her last children, the giants, to [[Disproportionate Retribution|kill her grandchildren]] for hurting her evil baby boy. [[Sarcasm Mode|Gee what a nice lady]].

* In [[The Chronicles of Prydain]], Arawn Death-Lord arguably plays this role in the first 2 books. By Book 5 he's just the [[Big Bad]]. There's also Gwyn the Hunter's unnamed lord. Even Gwydion doesn't know his name or identity, but believes that he's greater in power than Arawn.

* In ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]'', {{spoiler|Tash, the chief Calormene god,}} plays this role {{spoiler|until ''[[The Last Battle]]''. Interestingly, we don't even know he's a real being until he enters the story and steps down to [[Big Bad]] status.}}

* [[Ultimate Evil|The Void]] of ''[[The Word and The Void]]'' is the Bigger Bad to each of the trilogy's respective villains. Due to its status as an [[All Powerful Bystander]] it never intervenes in the plot, and as such, has little impact beyond merely existing.

* {{spoiler|The Warren of Chaos}} in ''[[The Malazan Book of the Fallen]],'' chiefly opposed by [[Badass Long Hair|Anomander Rake]] and [[Dark Is Not Evil|the Warren of Darkness]].

* The post-[[World War III]] novel ''[[Malevil]]'' has Vilmain, a rogue military commander with a small roving army. Most of the attention and conflict is focused on Fulbert, a [[Sinister Minister]] abusing a local town. Vilmain's forces simply hadn't entered their region for most of the book but they're the real evil powerhouse when they march in.

* The Otherness from the [[Repairman Jack]] series is a perfect example of this trope: a vast, impersonal cosmic force locked in an endless war to conquer the multiverse. In our world, its goals are carried out by the immortal [[Big Bad|Rasalom]] and his disciples.

* Quinn Dexter is the [[Big Bad]] of ''[[The Night's Dawn Trilogy]]''; behind him and threatening [[Apocalypse How|the entire universe]] is {{spoiler|the Dark Continuum.}}

* In ''[[Warrior Cats]]'', the Dark Forest serve this role during the ''Power of Three'' arc. They are recruiting an army to destroy the Clans, and are made up of the most powerful villains the heroes have ever faced. However, this is mostly going on in the background, as the main driving point of the arc is uncovering the secrets of the past and defeating the villain Sol, who is trying to make the Clans destroy each other.

 

* The First Evil from ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', introduced as the [[Made of Evil|ultimate evil]] in the third season but not taking on a direct [[Big Bad]] role until the seventh (and even then its lack of physical presence meant it had to work through others).

** While Angel acts as [[Big Bad]] in Season 2, he seeks to release a Bigger Bad called Acathla in order to destroy the world.

* [[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]: Lord Zedd was originally a Bigger Bad as [[Big Bad]] Rita Repulsa was trying to take over the Earth under his orders while he was conquering other worlds. Once he decided to step in, the Rangers had to upgrade their Zords and he became a [[Big Bad]].

** And the ''[[Power Rangers Turbo]]'' finale takes this [[Up to Eleven]] by revealing Dark Specter, the Bigger Bad behind Zedd, Rita, the Machine Empire, and Divatox, who becomes the [[Big Bad]] proper in [[Power Rangers in Space|the next season]].

 

* Acording to most varieties of [[Christianity]], this is the role [[Satan]] plays in the human world.

* Angra Mainyu (better known by the Persian name Ahriman) in some forms of Zoroastrianism.

* Nidhogg in [[Norse Mythology]], who gnaws at the roots of the [[World Tree]] and even survives after [[The End of the World as We Know It|Ragnarok]].

 

* The Deathlords of ''[[Exalted]]'' are [[Omnicidal Maniac]] ghosts granted power by [[Eldritch Abomination|the Neverborn]] in the name of destroying Creation. The Neverborn themselves, however, aren't much a threat; they're busier spending time coping with the pain of being eternally-dying-but-never-truly-dead and sending strange messages to their servants.

** Averted with the Ebon Dragon, who would desperately ''like'' to convince everyone that there is evil and he is the ultimate source of it, but ultimately he's just kind of pathetic.

* The Darklords in [[Ravenloft]] can play this role, or even the Dark Powers themselves depending on what type of game the GM is runing.

* Kazavon in ''[[Pathfinder]]'''s ''Curse of the Crimson Throne'' campaign. A monstrous Blue Dragon and [[Psycho for Hire]] who once served as Zon-Kuthon's [[The Dragon|Champion]], Kazavon was killed long before the story began. His evil persists however, in the form of seven [[Artifact of Doom|Artifacts Of Doom]] made out of his bones, which are so contaminated by the [[Pure Evil]] of his soul that they [[The Corrupter|corrupt]] all they touch, exacerbating the evil that is already there in the human soul. Queen Illeosa, [[The Big Bad]] of the setting, is wearing the Crown of Fangs carved out of his teeth; with her defeat the story is over, but the possibility of someone else picking up the Crown (or one of the other six items) remains a very real threat.

* The Supreme Monstrosity in [[Dinosaurs Attack!]], also named by fans, "Dinosaur Satan."

* The Eldrazi in [[Magic: The Gathering]], until ''Rise of the Eldrazi'' when they actually show up.

*** In regards to Yawgmoth's power level, "Yawgmoth's" is one of three words found in the title of the majority of banned/restricted card names, prompting the joke that "Yawgmoth's Time Mox" would be the most banned card ever. Note that neither "Time" nor "Mox" are characters in the setting, and you get the idea.

 

* The Patriots in the ''[[Metal Gear]]'' saga. A faceless, all-powerful of power brokers that rule America from the shadows, the Patriots are the biggest overarching threat pervading the series, though Snake doesn't directly come into conflict with them until the final game. Ironically, most of the [[Big Bad]]s that he faces before then are actually battling the Patriots themselves for their own reasons. The Patriots simply stay in the shadows and don't get involved personally. {{spoiler|1=The label becomes a lot more appropriate when you learn that they're not even human: they're a nebulous system of AIs that are far beyond any one person's control}}.

* ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' has several ones that the [[Big Bad]] wants to unseal or resurrect:

** Ganon is this in the first part of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past|A Link To The Past]]'', until Agahnim succeeds in unsealing him and leaves the spotlight to him (Agahnim isn't mentioned again until encountered in the final dungeon).

** Malladus from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks|Spirit Tracks]]''. The plot is actually driven by Chancellor Cole trying to resurrect/unseal him.

* The One Being in the ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' series.Although Onaga the original ruler of Outworld and Shinnok the former Elder God would also count.

* Sargeras in the ''[[Warcraft]]'' universe. He's the founder of [[Demonic Invaders|The Burning Legion]] and the most powerful being ever (save perhaps the Old Gods), but has never directly appeared in any of the games as of yet, due to his physical body having been destroyed when he attempted to access Azeroth as part of a [[Thanatos Gambit]] gone wrong. At present he's a trapped spirit in the Twisting Nether, and the Burning Legion instead is under the command of Kil'jaeden. {{spoiler|Based on the text files it appears that [[Evil Chancellor|Varimathras]] was acting under orders from Sargeras when he betrayed the Forsaken, and was attempting to summon him back to the world in some form.}}

* The Mysterious Man in ''[[The House of the Dead (series)|House of the Dead]]'' series.

* Cloud of Darkness from ''[[Final Fantasy III]]'' and Necron from ''[[Final Fantasy IX]]'' are both world-devouring final bosses who [[Giant Space Flea From Nowhere|don't actually affect the plot before their last-minute appearances]].

* Enuo from ''[[Final Fantasy V]]'' was the evil wizard who was originally responsible for {{spoiler|[[World Sundering|the world being split into two separate dimensions]]}}, and though he is never seen in-game {{spoiler|due to the fact that he's been dead for a thousand years}}, he is implied to have been a much more fearsome villain than {{spoiler|[[Big Bad|Exdeath]]}}, requiring the use of {{spoiler|the [[Sword of Plot Advancement|Twelve Legendary Weapons]]}} to defeat. A sub-plot involving his return and a battle with him appears as a bonus area in [[FF 5]] Advance.

** Professor Hojo is the person responsible for infecting Sephiroth with Jenova cells, and the reason Jenova is even a threat again in the game proper. He's also why Cloud has amnesia. Various other games in the [[The Verse]] elaborate on his deeds and feature him as a [[Big Bad]] in his own right. He comes close to forming a Bigger Bad [[Big Bad Duumvirate|Duumvirate]] with Jenova.

* Hector is like this in ''[[Yggdra Union]]'' and ''[[Knights in The Nightmare]]''; he is the [[Big Bad]] proper of ''[[Riviera: The Promised Land]]''.

* In ''[[Resident Evil]]'', Ozwell E. Spencer is one of the founders of the Umbrella Corporation, who murdered his rivals to gain total control. {{spoiler|He was also into world domination.}} However, he never interacts with or even takes notice of the protagonists, and the various biohazards of the games are instigated by underlings with their own motives.

* Kalibaar's Master from ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic]] 4'' is set up to be this. But it's never really explained what happened to him.

* In ''[[Opoona]]'' the [[Big Bad]] is {{spoiler|an [[Artifact of Doom]] and the sages under [[The Corruption]]. Said artifact was created by The Dark Emperor, the setting's ultimate [[Big Bad]], however he never appears in the game proper.}}

* In ''[[Castlevania]]: [[Chronicles of Sorrow]]'', Dracula is this, since the only time he ever comes out to play is a [[Nonstandard Game Over]].

* In the first ''[[Sly Cooper]]'' game, the [[Big Bad]] is a mechanical owl named Clockwerk. but in the second game Clockwerk becomes the Bigger Bad because he is now destroyed, shut down, and seperated into several pieces, but still a very dangerous potential threat if he were to be rebuilt (which is what the villains of the game are trying to do).

** Not quite. Most of the bad guys are just using pieces of Clockwerk for their own small-time schemes. It's only Arpeggio that intends to fully rebuild Clockwerk to {{spoiler|take Clockwerk's body for himself to be immortal. Until Neila backstabs him and takes Clockwerk's body for herself.}}

* In ''[[Cave Story]]'', Ballos is the inventor of the demon crown and is the [[True Final Boss]], but that doesn't change the fact that the Doctor was the main villain up until he was defeated.

** {{spoiler|The first Archdemon, Dumat, may also fit. Corypheus revealed that Dumat promised him and the other Magisters the Golden City, but was "betrayed" and returned as one of the first Darkspawn. Further more Corypheus frequently commands "Dumat, grant me your powers!" during battle to which a power is always granted. The quest Altar of Dumat can result in an amulet if sacrifices are made. Both of these events suggest that Dumat still has some form of presence in the world despite being slain.}}

* In ''[[Bully (video game)|Bully]]'', Mr. Harrington, the father of [[Smug Snake|Derby]] [[Blond Guys Are Evil|Harrington]], fills a role like this. He doesn't make a personal appearance in the story and is only referenced in a few lines of dialogue, but his money and meddling in school affairs are one of the root causes of a lot of the corruption at Bullworth Academy.

* In ''[[Infamous (video game series)|In Famous]] 2'', the Beast is the Bigger Bad of the game (and you do end up having to confront him), but for much of the plot of the game, the [[Big Bad]] is [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|Joseph Bertrand III]], who leads the Militia {{spoiler|and is responsible for the creation of both the Corrupted and the Ice Soldiers.}}

* ''[[Myth]]'' has the Leveler, a malevolent force that is responsible for turning a hero to darkness every thousand years.

* ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]'' had hints of this when it ultimately was revealed that Marluxia, the game's [[Big Bad]], was a [[The Starscream|Starscream]] trying to overthrow the leader of Organization XIII (simply called the Organization back then).

* In ''[[Soul Nomad and The World Eaters]]'', the player is likely to assume earlier that either [[Sealed Evil in a Can|Gig]] or on the [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|World Eaters]] (not [[Warhammer 40,000|those World Eaters]]) will be the [[Big Bad]], but as the game goes on we eventually find it be Drazil, the guy that sent Gig and the World Eaters to destroy the world in the first place.

** However this trope get's played interestingly in the Demon Path, {{spoiler|Drazil is the [[Big Bad]] however [[Villain Protagonist|Re]][[Complete Monster|vya]] turns out to outdo him and be an even greater threat so much so that Drazil pulls a [[Heel Face Turn]].}}

* Shows up in ''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver]]'' (and their [[Expansion Pack]]s, [[Video Game Remake|remakes]], etc.) of all places. Giovanni, the [[Big Bad]] of the original ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue]]'' games, is AWOL in this entry but his organization is still committing crimes and experiments in his name. The [[Big Bad]] of these games is the [[Dragon Ascendant]], who went nameless in the original ''Gold'' and ''Silver'' editions but was named Archer in the remakes.

** And in the remakes, {{spoiler|it's possible to encounter and battle Giovanni, but you need an event Celebi to do so. You travel back through time to the period where Team Rocket was taking over Goldenrod City so you can fight him while your past self fights Team Rocket.}}

* ''[[Mega Man Zero]]'' has this in spades. First, we have [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] Copy X and the [[Quirky Miniboss Squad|Four Guardians]] at the helm of the plot. After the first game, the [[Big Bad]] is defeated and [[Instant Awesome, Just Add Ninja|Phantom]] has pulled a bungled [[Suicide Attack]]. The remaining three Guardians go on the warpath with Zero and the Resistance, which causes its new leader, [[Knight Templar|Elpizo]], to snap and use the powers of the Bigger Bad, the Dark Elf, for vengeance. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg: the next game introduces [[The Chessmaster|Dr. Weil]], who actually ''created'' the Dark Elf ''and'' shows up with his own ultra-[[Nigh Invulnerable]] version of Zero: [[Super-Powered Evil Side|Omega]]. [[It Got Worse|It gets much, MUCH worse.]] Weil rebuilds Copy X and uses him as an [[Unwitting Pawn]], along with the children of the Dark Elf, Crea and Prea, who never intentionally did anything evil because ''they're mere infants''. When his first world domination scheme fails, he comes back to power with [[Kill Sat|Ragnarok]], a space station armed with a [[Wave Motion Gun]] with the actively-demonstrated power to cause mass-scale destruction - even [[The End of the World as We Know It]], plus his own squad of personal Reploid warriors, led by [[The Dragon|Craft]]. In short, the title of Bigger Bad changes hands with each new game, save for the conclusion.

** ''[[Mega Man ZX]]'' has Model W as a driving antagonistic force, though individual games focus more on their direct [[Big Bad]]s. ''Advent'' implies that Model W is {{spoiler|Dr. Weil, [[Back from the Dead]].}}

* The [[Infocom]] game ''Enchanter'' has a [[Cosmic Horror]] [[Sealed Evil in a Can|sealed up]] directly below the castle of the evil warlock Krill; the player needs to stop Krill ''without'' freeing the entity, lest it destroy the world.

* ''[[Solatorobo]]'' has {{spoiler|Baion, who sees no need to learn to control Lares (since Nero and Blanck can do that for him already) or chase the protagonists as Bruno did; instead, he just wants to summon Tartaros and bring about [[The End of the World as We Know It]].}}

** The [[Mass Effect 3|third]] game still has a bigger bad. {{spoiler|An AI known as The Catalyst, who created the Reapers to ensure the preservation of the genetic material and experiances of each race harvested.}}

* Implied in ''[[Portal (series)|Portal]]''. GLADoS, the game's [[Big Bad]] (and only other character besides [[Player Character|Chell]]), makes a few references to the state of the outside world before explicitly stating that she is the only one keeping "them" out of the Enrichment Center. "They" are strongly implied to be [[Planet Looters|the Combine]], the [[Big Bad]] of ''Half-Life 2''.

* Most of ''[[Borderlands]]'' is spent righting injustices and being guided towards The Vault. You end up at odds with the [[Private Military Contractors|Crimson Lance]] and especially their leader, [[The Baroness|Commandant Steele]]. Eventually Steele gets to the vault first and opens the doors. {{spoiler|Only to be [[Impaled with Extreme Prejudice|stabbed through the belly and eaten]] by [[Eldritch Abomination|The Destroyer]], an extra-dimensional creature that was lurking in the vault and waiting to be let out.}}

 

** On the other hand: {{spoiler|Jack rebelled because John prototyped the clown doll; he got the clown doll because of the clown scribblings on his wall; he scribbled them because of the doll that Gamzee rage'd into existence next to his dream self; Gamzee did it because Dave sent him the prerelease of Miracles; Dave had it because Betty Crocker 'tweeted' him it; Betty Crocker is Her Imperial Condescension, under the employ of Lord English. So, LE MAY have masterminded the whole thing. Maybe.}}

* Chaos of ''[[8-Bit Theater]]'' is an evil [[Eldritch Abomination]] and embodiment of decay that is the whole reason behind the Light Warriors' quest. Although he ''does'' desire to end (''and'' eternally torment, however that works) existence for no real reason, he does not come into play until the real [[Big Bad]], [[Physical God|Sarda]] accidentally brings him about.

** Of course, this conflicts with the official ''Zelda'' plot. In ''[[Skyward Sword]]'', {{spoiler|Demise was the Bigger Bad behind Ganondorf. If Dark Matter was the one that possessed him, where did Ganon come from then?}}

*** Possibly {{spoiler|Ganon saw the evil forces (DM) inside of Ganondorf and decided that he would be a good pawn}}.

 

* In ''[[The Gamers Alliance]]'', the [[Ultimate Evil|Nameless Evil]], which later took over the god Dreamweaver's body and became known as Death, has been behind all atrocities which have taken place in various eras, subtly influencing events to its liking.

 

* A handful of episodes of ''[[Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]'' feature [[Evil Sorcerer|Baron Mordo]] as the [[Big Bad]], who is trying to unseal his demonic master Dormammu. Dormammu is a presence in the episodes, but the sorcerer is the primary villain.

* Unicron of ''[[Transformers]]'' is the ultimate evil in the metaseries, but is usually a distant figure, with Megatron (or his replacement as Decepticon leader) being [[Big Bad]]. The exception is ''[[Transformers Armada]]'', where Unicron is the [[Big Bad]] all along, orchestrating the conflict for his own purposes.

** Also, the "Cloaked Mystery Villain" from the Japanese opening of ''[[Transformers Animated]]''.

* In the ''[[Dungeons and Dragons (animation)|Dungeons and Dragons]]'' animated series, one episode featured [[Big Bad]] Venger's master, an insanely powerful [[Eldritch Abomination]] that appears and starts destroying the entire realm. Even at the end, when it's banished with the combined efforts of Dungeon Master, Venger, and the Heroes, DM still remarks that what they've accomplished is but a temporary victory.

** Hordak himself is the Bigger Bad in the 2000's series. He plays a prominent role in the backstory as the [[Arch Enemy]] to King Greyskull (and oddly enough to fellow archvillain King Hiss as well) and the one who transformed the dying Keldor into [[Big Bad|Skeletor]]. In the series proper he is a [[Sealed Evil in a Can]] who only briefly appears as gigantic cloudlike apparition during an attempt to release him only to fade away once the attempt is foiled. Had the series continued Hordak would have been freed and become the [[Big Bad]] proper for an entire season {{spoiler|before being defeated by Skeletor.}}

** ''[[Bravestarr]]'' used the exact same format, with [[Big Bad]] Tex Hex answering to an entity called Stampede.

* On ''[[Invader Zim]],'' [[Villain Protagonist|Zim]] could probably be seen as the [[Big Bad]] focusing on Earth, with the Irken Empire itself (including [[Big Bad Duumvirate|the Tallests]] and Control Brains) as the Bigger Bad out to conquer the rest of the universe. (Especially since technically, Zim conquering Earth wasn't even part of the Empire's plans.)

* Lucius Heinous I on ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]''. So far, [[Human Popsicle|he's always been frozen]], but every subsequent member of the Heinous line fears him, including the current [[Big Bad]], Lucius VII. [[Word of God|Edward Kay]] has stated he might get unfrozen one day...

* [[Ultimate Evil|The Lich]] serves as this in ''[[Adventure Time]]''. He's the most powerful villain in the entire show, the [[Knight of Cerebus]], and a [[Complete Monster]]. He's also an [[Omnicidal Maniac]] whose sole purpose for existing is to destroy all life. However, he didn't have a direct role because the legendary hero Billy [[Sealed Evil in a Can|sealed him in amber inside a great tree]], until he managed to escape in the season 2 finale.

* Mr. Wilter from ''[[ChalkZone]]'' is an [[Ax Crazy]] [[Drunk with Power]] teacher who apperes to be more powerful than Scrawl.

** The Red Chalk may count. It's not entirely clear whether or not it's sapient.

* Grandfather from ''[[Codename: Kids Next Door]]''. He doesn't appear until [[The Movie]], where he's the [[Big Bad]].

* Ixis Naugus from ''[[Sonic Sat AM]]'', who was originally going to be the villain of the show's would-been third season.

* The Nightmare Prince's mother from ''[[Potsworth and Company]]''.

* ''[[Ninjago]]'' {{spoiler|The Great Devourer is the one who turn Lord Garmadon evil}}

* Krang in ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''. Shredder was the antagonist for most of the series, but the ultimate mastermind he worked with was the evil alien brain.

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Villains]]