Magnificent Bastard/Anime: Difference between revisions

Line 46:

*** And thus one of the fastest spreading memes in the Gundam meta series was born: {{spoiler|'''''"FUCKING RIBBONS!!!!!!"'''''}} Yeah, the revelation was ''that'' much of a [[Shocking Swerve]].

** Then there is Aeolia Schenberg of ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (Anime)|Gundam 00]]''. Put simply, the entire series is his plan. Even the people who tried to hijack it were [[Unwitting Pawn|part of it]]. Oh, and he won.

** If you don't believe that he terribly crossed the [[Moral Event Horizon]], then {{spoiler|second season!Flit Asuno}} from [[Gundam AGE]] falls in this category.

* ''[[Katekyo Hitman Reborn]]'' has {{spoiler|Byakuran}} the third major [[Big Bad]] of the series.

** But the true mastermind of the whole Future Arc was {{spoiler|TYL!Tsuna. Yes,}} '' {{spoiler|[[Butt Monkey|that Tsuna.]]}}''

Line 68:

'''Manning''': <Shrugs> ''"Beats everyone dying, doesn't it?"'' }}

* A good few characters from ''[[Ouran High School Host Club]]'':

** Everything Kyouya did had a purpose that would benefit him in the long run (with one or two notable exceptions). He even used the Host Club profit to buy out his father's company unbeknownst to his dad, who thought of him as a loser because of the Club itself. Character Development later turns him into a Guile Hero.

** Everything Kyouya did had a purpose that would benefit him in the long run (with one or two notable exceptions). He even used the Host Club profit to buy out his father's company unbeknownst to his dad, who thought of him as a loser because of the Club itself. [[Character Development]] later turns him into a [[Guile Hero]].

** Benibara and the Zuka Club are also contenders, having seen right through Haruhi's masquerade and also matching the Host Club in style, charisma, and persuasiveness.

** Tamaki and the twins, Hikaru and Kaoru, get their moments as this too.

Line 106:

*** {{spoiler|And she had already succeeded somewhat by having the entire Macross Galaxy fleet under her control. Sure there were [[The Omniscient Council of Vagueness|the other voices]] that she consulted with, but in the end, it was clear that it was her that was in control}}.

* ''[[Legend of Galactic Heroes]]'' has quite a few, but one that really stands out is Adrian Rubinsky, who manipulates both sides of a massive intergalactic war to increase his own profit, and eventually {{spoiler|even outsmarts and kills his own son, who had been studying from him too well and was looking to replace him.}}

* Most of the enemies in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' are either outright [[Eldritch Abomination|monsters]] or have a very tragic element to their existence. However, [[Mad Bomber|Zolf J. Kimbley]] walks the fine line between [[Complete Monster]] and [[Magnificent Bastard]]. Despite his psychopathic tendencies, he has a very strong (if completely [[Blue and Orange Morality|alien]]) moral and warrior code that he follows, one that he is aware of being at odds with society (which is why he takes great lengths to [[Faux Affably Evil|mask it]]). But his [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] for this trope was when, in the manga, {{spoiler|he came back ''from a disembodied spirit state'' to help Ed destroy Pride...and that was just because he thought Pride was being a hypocrite}}!

** Perhaps the earliest sign that he had tendencies toward this was during the Ishbalan massacre. Even though he delighted in the genocide, he was one of the very few soldiers present [[Brutal Honesty|willing to acknowledge the full weight of his actions]] and remember those he cut down while others chose to look away.

{{quote| ''"Do not look away from each new death. Look straight ahead, and never forget them. Because they certainly won't."''}}

Line 138:

* The latest ''[[Bakugan]]'' [[Big Bad]] Mag Mel. The guy managed to effortlessly trick the heroes into giving him the power to free himself [[Sealed Evil in A Can|from his prison]] ''before they even know he existed''. He proves to be a [[Manipulative Bastard]] and [[Chessmaster]] so cunning that he's always several steps ahead of the group and even the one time thus far he's lost, he ''still'' got half of what he wanted ''and'' the Brawlers find out while they were fighting his forces on one of their ally's homeworlds, Mag Mel had ''utterly demolished'' Bakugan Interspace with another attack that cripples the transporters so no one can get out ''except'' his minions, who are free to get in and out at will. While he's not exactly charming, he realized this and made ([[Artificial Human|literally]]) his [[Co-Dragons]] extremely charismatic and planted them in Bakugan Interspace to raise followers and generally cause chaos.

* [[Black Knight|DarkKnightmon]] of ''[[Digimon Xros Wars]]'', whose magnificentness is aided by being as [[Badass]] as [[Black Knight|his name]] would suggest. {{spoiler|1=He spends years manipulating a meek [[Child Prodigy]] into thinking that the Digital World is a game where no one can die so that he'll willingly work for him and grant him access to [[Fusion Dance|DigiXros]], then blackmails his sister into helping him too by using him as a hostage, neither aware of the other's true situation. While he is a servant (and younger brother) of the [[Big Bad]], Bagramon, he poses as the leader of [[Evil Versus Evil|a rival faction]] for much of the series, and even spies on and sabotages the plans of the [[Quirky Miniboss Squad]] (partly to keep up the charade, partly [[Enemy Civil War|to make himself look better]], but mostly because [[For the Lulz|it's hilarious]]). And in the end it turns out he really ''was'' [[The Starscream|working against Bagramon]] - he [[Stealth Mentor|encouraged the protagonists to get stronger]] so that they would be around to attack Bagramon while he was focusing most of his power into his doomsday technique, allowing DarkKnightmon to stab him in the back while he was distracted and absorb him.}}

** There was also {{spoiler|Yukio Oikawa}} from '' [[Digimon Adventure 02]]''. The guy was pretty much behind everything that happened in the series, and he started it all with just {{spoiler|a simple e-mail he sent to Ken Ichijouji, a young boy wretched with guilt over his brother's death that he blamed himself for, which tells him to use the digivice he found some time ago to travel into another world. Little Ken does so and ends up in the Dark Ocean, a world of darkness and negativity which corrupts Ken into the evil Digimon Emperor. Now with Ken as his unknowing pawn, he uses him to conquer the Digital World and set up Control Spires, obelisk towers of darkness used to weaken the Digital World's defences and, in the long term, the border between the Digital World and the Real World. However, when the Digidestined defeats Ken and cleans the Digital World of the spires, Oikawa sends his agents Arukenimon and Mummymon to kill them by transforming the spires into monsters, and to destroy the Destiny Stones in order to hasten the weakening of the border. With enough Destiny Stones destroyed, the border becomes so weak that Digimon invade the Real World in thousends, and with that as a convient diversion, Oikawa moves on to his next step. He and his minions recruits some lonely kids with promises of power and talents and then kidnaps Ken, copies the Dark Spore that was planted inside him, and transplats the copies inside the children. With time, those copies would grow into something so powerful that it would give Oikawa the final crack on the border he needed to enter the Digital World and claim it as his own. A simple goal which required complicated tactics and difficult planning to reach, and yet Oikawa pulled it all off like it was no problem at all. But then it's revealed that he was just a pawn of Myotismon all along, and that Myotismon is the true [[Chessmaster]] of ''Digimon Adventure 02''}}.

** Devimon and Myotismon from the original [[Digimon Adventure]] could be the first ever contenders for this trope.

** [[Digimon (Franchise)|The franchise's]] greatest example would be Millenniummon, since unlike all the others he ultimately achieved what it wanted {{spoiler|to become Ryo's Partner even though he would have also liked to start conquering the [[Multiverse]] immediately (note that he can wait for it anyway)}}. His actions led to nearly '''everything''' that went wrong with [[Digimon Adventure]] and [[Digimon Adventure 02]] (including those of the ones mentioned above), but because he managed to remain undetected and completely out of reach he became [[The Unfought]]. He also succeeded in '''[[Timey-Wimey Ball|creating himself]]''' without being noticed by an ''omniscient'' being. Details can be found in the [[Digimon (Franchise)/Wonder Swan Games/Recap|synopsis page for the series]].

Line 148:

** {{spoiler|Sanetoshi Watase}} has some inklings of this too. In his quest to {{spoiler|regain contact with his lost "soulmate"}}, he has managed to {{spoiler|stylishly appear to Himari in a dream, give her a new Penguin Hat, and almost get away with giving her a kiss.}} Later {{spoiler|he brings Himari [[Back From the Dead]] with a mysterious serum, managing to rope her protector/brother/[[Brother-Sister Incest|possible love interest]] Kanba into a [[Deal With the Devil]] to keep her alive}}. And later it's revealed that some time ago {{spoiler|he actually forced Masako into the same [[Deal With the Devil]] so she could keep her young brother Mario alive as well.}} Thus, he has almost completely {{spoiler|outgambitted ''both'' Kanba and Masako to different degrees}}, all while looking fabulous in that coat and {{spoiler|pink}} hair of his, and specially in {{spoiler|now hospital-confined Himari}}'s eyes. Hmmmm!

* Semmerling from ''[[Riding Bean]]''. She does begin to lose her cool somewhat {{spoiler|when Bean survives a point-blank shot to his forehead (good thing he wears that Kevlar headband) and proceeds to tear the door off of her car with his bare hands}} but then, who wouldn't?

* The Major from Hellsing starts a war that levels London, manipulates all of his enemies into doing exactly what he wants them to do when he wants them to do it, and he gives one HELL of a speech. He seems to conduct everything like the conductor of a symphony, which is even lampshaded at one point. Oh, and he defeated Alucard.

* The Major from ''[[Hellsing]]'' starts a war that levels London, manipulates all of his enemies into doing exactly what he wants them to do when he wants them to do it, and he gives one HELL of a speech. He seems to conduct everything like the conductor of a symphony, which is even lampshaded at one point. Oh, and he defeated Alucard.

* Meowth of [[Team Rocket]], of all people, attempts to be this in the ''[[Pokemon Anime/Best Wishes|Best Wishes]]'' series. During the journey to Nimbasa City, he [[Heel Face Mole|played the gang like a fiddle by pretending to be fired from Team Rocket and wanting to join with them instead]], and nearly got away with their Pokemon along with the other members of Team Rocket, who were operating a surprisingly well thought out plan. Unfortunately for them, it's another situation where [[Failure Is the Only Option]].

** Meowth meets his match when he goes up against Dr. Colress in the "Episode N" arc of the same series, who was able to play off of his overconfidence to dupe him into becoming his test subject to use against Team Rocket. Unlike the rest of Team Plasma who seek to control Pokemon for World Domination, Colress is in it purely For Science!. He clearly has no true respect for Team Plasma's leader Ghetsis (he does not speak to him with the same reverance as his grunts do), he's constantly thinking ahead of anyone else, and was always advancing his technology so that he could control the minds and hearts of Pokemon, even legendary ones like Reshiram. And he did all this in his own style. Even in the end, the guy doesn't let crushing failure (and going to jail) get him down: he just vows to move on to a new approach!