Magnificent Bastard/Western Animation/DC Animated Universe

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Warner Bros.' various DC animated projects have turned out some noteworthy Magnificent Bastards.

"President? Do you have any idea how much power I'd have to give up to be President?"
  • Surprisingly enough, The Riddler of the Batman: The Animated Series universe tiptoes around this trope. Especially in his Start of Darkness episode, he shows several traits of magnificent bastardry: he delivers an ominous riddle to his former boss knowing he'll come after him, and forcing Batman to choose between Robin's life and said boss', knows the hero will choose the former; he has the dynamic duo leave their utility belts behind; and finally, even though his plan is thwarted, manages to avoid capture and emotionally scar his target forever. And in his third and last episode, he almost kills Batman! Two times out of three, the Caped Crusader is able to overcome his adversary thanks to some convenient object at his disposal (namely a micro-computer and an explosion-resistant safe). To top it off, he's voiced by Lionel Luthor himself, John Glover!
    • And of course, there's also The Joker, particularly for his actions in Mask of the Phantasm and Return of The Joker.
  • Derek Powers from Batman Beyond. Manipulated an entire city with his company, and only grew more deadly when he gained radioactive powers. Using his money, intel, and connections, he kept people under his thumb and proved to be a deadly opponent for the new Batman.
    • His son Paxton also qualifies, arranging for his father's exposure to the public and eventual demise despite Batman's best efforts to stop him. He does next to nothing for the entirety of Season Two, but then again, why bother? He had already won in his first appearance!
  • Out of all the villains in Batman's Rogues Gallery to be featured in The Batman, Professor Hugo Strange is perhaps the most dangerous of them all. He's regularly outsmarted and nearly defeated the Caped Crusader time and time again, usually only losing at the very last minute. And his schemes include audacious feats such as tricking Batman into spreading Scarecrow's fear toxin, and capturing the Justice League so he could cut a deal with some alien invaders. It's definitely one of his most flattering outings as an antagonist, to say the least.
  • Beware The Batman: Anarky is basically Joker-Lite, and is just as brilliant and manipulative as he is murderously chaotic. You know you're this trope when you trick the League of Assassins, one of the deadliest organizations on the planet, into unleashing a bioweapon for your own amusement.
    • Ra's Al-Ghul is no slouch either. Not only is he one of the world's best martial artists, but the guy tricks Wayne Enterprises into creating an EMP he'd use to depower Gotham City in his bid to take it over.
    • Deathstroke. Taking a page out of Bane's book from Batman: Arkham Origns, he BREAKS INTO THE BATCAVE and almost kills Alfred. There definitely aren't many villains who can make that sort of claim.
  • In Batman: Under the Red Hood, Jason Todd, becomes this post-revival by becoming the ruthless Red Hood. He strongarms tons of fearsome crime bosses into defanging their own organizations, constantly humiliates Black Mask, the strongest of the crime lords, and puts Batman through one of his toughest emotional battles by trying to force him or let the Joker die out of anger towards his refusal to kill the clown despite the atrocities he's committed. And it's very hard to find fault with Jason's anger: even Batman understands where he's coming from.
  • Darkseid from the Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League. Even though Superman usually won the day, he took every defeat (and victory) with the same steely expression. Even when Darkseid was beaten on his own planet, Superman threw his body to his slaves on Apokolips and said they could do whatever they wanted to with him. The slaves began to pick up their cherished leader and take care of him. While being carried off, Darkseid gave a confused and horrified Superman a parting line:

"I am many things, Kal-El, but here...I am God."

    • Arguably just as impressive (even if it didn't succeed) was his brilliant Evil Plan in the Justice League episode, Twilight: Playing Both Sides in the conflict between Superman and Brainiac. He successfully manipulates both Superman and Brainiac into believing he's on their side, pitting them against each other and playing both sides. He boxes them both into this even though both Superman and Brainiac know that they can't trust him and know that he'll betray them. But appealing to Superman's (and the Justice Leagues') sense of morality and Brainiac's self-preservation he does it. By the end, Superman is incapacitated and Brainiac is under Darkseid's control with him moments away from achieving his ultimate goal. Only the last minute arrival of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Orion (which nobody could've forseen) foiled him.
    • Lex Luthor from the same series tends to shift between Magnificent Bastard and Smug Snake constantly, usually depending on his current plan. He was clearly in the Magnificent Bastard zone in Justice League Unlimited, where he secretly finances Project Cadmus to antagonize the Justice League while running a fake presidential campaign for the sole purpose of angering Superman in a bid to trigger a war between both factions. When he's forced to serve the equally devious Gorilla Grodd as part of his Secret Society, he quickly betrays and kills him before usurping leadership, which leads to him creating all kinds of contingency plans against every individual Justice League member that result in some of their toughest battles yet. To give you an idea on just how dastardly and audacious this man is, here's a choice quote:

Lex Luthor:"President? Do you have any idea how much power I'd have to give up to be President? That's right, conspiracy buff. I spent $75 million on a fake presidential campaign. All just to tick Superman off."

    • Don't forget about Amanda Waller: after all, she's one of few people completely unafraid of Batman, and will happily stare him down and sass him without missing a beat. And that's not even going into all the unethical things she does to protect the US, such as trying to recreate the tragedy that created Batman so the future would have one after Bruce Wayne's retirement/death, and creating superheroes with short lifespans as living weapons.
    • Vandal Savage, if only for the fact that he eventually kills Superman and beats the entire Justice League, only to travel back in time and stop his younger self from doing it because of how badly things got afterwards. Easily one of his most likable incarnations yet.
  • Slade from Teen Titans normally falls on the Smug Snake side of things, due to his overconfidence and habit of grabbing the Villain Ball at inopportune moments, but in the three-part season finale "The End" he graduates to full Magnificent Bastard by orchestrating the downfall of a nearly all-powerful demon at no real cost to himself, getting his humanity back (which was his main goal all along) and doing it with style. Of course, being voiced by Ron Perlman helps.

Demon Warrior: "Fool. You cannot hope to defeat pure evil!"
Slade: "Actually, I'm not such a nice guy myself." (activates hidden explosive and blows demon to cinders) "Don't bother getting up. I'll let myself out."

  • Greg Weisman, responsible for the above Magnificent Bastards of W.I.T.C.H., The Spectacular Spider-Man, and Gargoyles, has also produced The Light of Young Justice, a Legion of Doom note to erase any conception of the Legion of Doom as campy or incompetent. Vandal Savage and Lex Luthor in particular stand out as this trope, due to usually being the ones to turn any loss the Light gets into a win.
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