Evil Virtues: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''"You wrote to me once, listing the [[Seven Heavenly Virtues|four chief virtues]]: [[The Wise Prince|Wisdom]], [[For Great Justice|Justice]], [[Determinator|Fortitude]] and [[Reasonable Authority Figure|Temperance]]. As I read the list, I knew I had none of them. But I have other virtues, father. [[Ambition Is Evil|Ambition]]. That can be a virtue when it drives us to excel. [[Trying to Catch Me Fighting Dirty|Resourcefulness]], [[Villainous Valor|Courage]] - perhaps not on the battlefield, but... there are many forms of courage. [[Incest Is Relative|Devotion]], to my family and to you. But none of my virtues were on your list. Even then it was [["Well Done, Son" Guy|as if you didn't want me for your son.]]"''|'''Commodus''' in ''[[Gladiator]]'', just before suffocating his father and framing Maximus.}}

 

 

Villains are bad, it goes without saying. However, they can't be ''all'' bad for the simple reason that a character loaded down with '''all''' of the [[Seven Deadly Sins]] (along with whatever other character flaws writers can think of) will be too lazy, gluttonous, envious, prideful, angry, lusty and miserly to ''do'' much of anything.

Even if they only have one vice, a villain is going to need a big heaping of icky good traits in order to accomplish their goals. They don't have to be an [[Anti-Villain]],<ref>(Though villains with enough virtues usually end up switching categories, if not pull a [[Heel Face Turn]])</ref> they just need to have one or more of the [[Seven Heavenly Virtues]] or another good trait to get by. The reason for this is both practical and artistic. Practically, a villain with a virtue of some kind will have a way to put their schemes in motion and [[The Antagonist|effectively oppose]] [[The Hero]]. Without these virtues, authors would have to resort to making them a [[Generic Doomsday Villain]] to get anything done. Artistically, it helps make the villain a [[Rounded Character]], and helps make them [[Dynamic Character|dynamic]] if their virtue and vice are [[Character Development|somehow in conflict.]]

 

 

Where this can get strange and interesting is when this is applied to a villain who is [[Made of Evil]]. Here you have a ball of elemental nastiness who also happens to have one or more positive traits. Who knew elemental evil had [[Affably Evil|such good taste]] in [[Friendly Enemy|scones?]]

* '''[[Even Evil Has Loved Ones|Love]].''' Despite [[Love Redeems]], a surprising number of baddies [[Unholy Matrimony|love either their spouses]], [[Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas|parents]], [[Daddy's Little Villain|children,]] or even underling/superior while remaining evil. Of course, it's worth mentioning that [[Love Makes You Evil]] and [[Love Makes You Crazy|Crazy]]. With Love as a villain's virtue, the result is often [[Unholy Matrimony]].

* '''Loyalty''' is a pretty even split between heroic and villainous. This isn't being a [[Lawful Evil]] [[Rules Lawyer]] mind you, because these types can still be [[The Starscream]], but [[Power of Trust]] brand loyalty where even a [[Chaotic Evil]] type will avoid betrayal.

* '''Responsibility.''' Some villains '''care'''. Even if they [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|go the wrong way about fixing problems]], they are a lot more sensitive to noticing them.

* '''Resourcefulness.''' Another 50/50 split, resourceful villains are ''exceedingly'' dangerous because they will defy heroes [[Trying to Catch Me Fighting Dirty]].

[[Category:Omnipresent Tropes]]

[[Category:Evil Virtues]]