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{{trope}}
[[File:welldressed.jpg|link=Dracula|
{{quote|''Please allow me to introduce myself, [[Trope Namer|I'm a man of wealth and taste.]]''|[[The Rolling Stones]], "Sympathy for the Devil"}}
A subtrope of [[Evil Is Cool]]: Basically, if there's a truly evil male villain, he's going to be a [[Sharp
Turns out, evil has quite a lot of money and excellent taste in suits. The villain might well brag about the kickass English or Italian suit he had tailored, possibly during a [[Mob Boss Suit Fitting]]. Very common for the [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]].
When your evil mook uniforms are made by Hugo Boss, this is [[Putting
See also [[Wicked Cultured]], [[Badass in
▲See also [[Wicked Cultured]], [[Badass in A Nice Suit]], [[Sharp Dressed Man]], [[A Glass of Chianti]]. The polar opposite of [[Wild Man]] -- a hero with no resources, no fashion, but a very good heart. The other polar opposite is [[Fashion Victim Villain]].
{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* Solf J. Kimblee of ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' ''Brotherhood''/manga. He wears a [[Man in White|magnificent white suit]] [[Nice Hat|and hat]] [[Moonwalker|worthy of Michael Jackson]]. He makes people blow up in a shower of gore and fire while he keeps his suit spotless.
* Prime Minister Wong of ''[[G Gundam]]''. So much that, aside from his well tailored suit and [[Cool Shades]], he's rarely seen without his flying pimp throne and glass of chilled pocky.
** He was actually predated by M'Quve from the original ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', who even {{spoiler|in his death scene}} was thinking of his precious art supplies and crystal vases.
*** M'Quve was more of an [[Aristocrats Are Evil|Evil Aristocrat]] than a
** Murata Azrael of ''[[Gundam Seed]]'' shows up dressed in a very nice blue suit. It's a stark contrast to the pajamas his successor wears.
** Trieze Kushrenada from ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' is all over this trope, which fits nicely with his [[Magnificent Bastard|magnificent bastardry]], although he's more of a [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] than any kind of evil.
* [[Hellsing]]'s Major and Tubalcain Alhambra.
** And depending on how you look at it, [[Sociopathic Hero|Alucard]].
*** Really, REALLY Alucard, his pimp hat has its own area code.
* [[Serial Killer]] [[Big Bad]] Yoshikage Kira from ''[[
** His sweet tie with the horned skulls on it has undergone [[Defictionalization]]: a Japanese clothing company now makes it. Be warned, though, since it's reportedly quite expensive.
* [[Monster (
* Kurt Godel of ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]''. Not surprising since he's the Governor-General of Ostia.
* Several of the World Government's employees in [[One Piece]] follow this trope. Notable examples are CP9 and the Admiral Kizaru.
** Crocodile commits all his devious schemes decked out in one of the pimpest don outfits of all time, hell, one of the first things he does after {{spoiler|his arrest}} he gets a solid black even cooler version of the suit.
* Giovanni in ''[[Pokémon (
* Ladd Russo from ''[[Baccano
* Light Yagami of [[
* Lord Garygoyle from [[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water]] also fits. His suite is immaculate red and worthy for the dinner party he invites sponsors too. The only flaw is his mask and KKK style hat
* Sebastian from ''[[
** This applies even more to Ciel, who likes to wear fancy, expensive, tailor-made clothes.
* Tyki Mikk from ''[[D
== Comic Books ==
* The Shade, The Penguin and the Gentleman Ghost in [[The DCU]] all commit crimes while dressed in top hats and suits.
** Two-Face is known for his symbolically split two-tone suit, though no tophat.
* [[The Joker]], depending on the incarnation, wears a tuxedo. Alex Ross's version of the character wears a black tux (no purple) and a white bow tie with spats and a cane.
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* In his [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]] days, [[Lex Luthor]] would almost always wear a black or gray business suit. In fact, in the DCU, the "Luthor Look": a black suit and shaved head, became the preferred style for CEO's.
* [[Vandal Savage]] is usually shown wearing expensive suits. In fact, he probably invented them.
* [[Lucifer (
* [[The Invisibles]]: The blind chessplayer (who [[Wild Mass Guessing|may or may not]] be the devil) always appears in an impeccable white suit, though of course it's [[Grant Morrison|arguable]] if he's actually a villain.
* [[Marvel Universe]]: Morlun always dresses in very elegant clothes that never seem to get damaged in his massive fight with Spider-Man.
** Except when Morlun [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|blows up a building with Morlun inside.]] Then they just get incinerated.
* Desire from [[Sandman]], whenever he/she isn't wearing some slinky black number, is sometimes seen wearing a slick double-breasted pinstriped suit.
== Film ==
* Benjamin in ''[[
* The sadistic physician in ''Quills'' lives in a luxurious mansion that he has renovated to suit the tastes of his [[Lolita|young, not entirely willing bride]].
* [[Star Wars]]: Count Dooku prides himself upon elegance, refinement, and dressing to suit his rank.
* 99% of [[James Bond]] villains fall into this trope. Subverted(?) since our James is a [[Tuxedo and Martini|pretty sharp dresser]] himself. Subverted even more strongly in the books, where Bond (who dresses sharp, but subtle) often notes the fabulously expensive outfits the villains are wearing are also terribly flashy, garish, and a sign of "trying too hard".
* At the end of ''[[The Vampire Chronicles|Interview With A Vampire]]'', Lestat plays "Sympathy For The Devil" on a car radio. Granted he went out of style a few centuries ago and isn't looking his best, he's still Lestat.
** Lestat is a fashionista in the novels, and was even as a human, as soon as he got his [[Badass Cape]] (and boots). He always prided himself on being impeccably dressed in the most stylish fashions of the day, insisted whomever was in his care was also suitably dressed (Claudia, and later Satan's Night Out), and more often than not seemed to pick his victims for their wardrobes as much as for their villainy. Any time the text is written from Lestat's point of view, you can bet there will be at least one paragraph reminding the reader what he's wearing.
* Hans Gruber in ''''[[
* In the '94 version of ''[[The Shadow]]'', they parody the classic radio show's [[Product Placement]] in an exchange between a fur-and-armor wearing mongol barbarian and the slick [[Tuxedo and Martini]] [[Rich Idiot With No Day Job|hero]]:
{{quote|
'''Lamont Cranston:''' Brooks Brothers.
'''Shiwan Khan:''' Is that mid-town?
'''Lamont Cranston:''' 45th and Madison. You are a barbarian.
'''Shiwan Khan:''' Thank you. We both are. }}
** Incidentally, the next time Cranston catches up with Khan (having dinner at a restaurant) the villain has acquired himself a suit and tie. It doesn't suit him (no pun intended).
* [[Satan|Lucifer]] in ''[[
** The demon played by Gavin Rossdale and the angel played by [[Narnia|Jadis]] also wear some wicked suits, at least until the end where {{spoiler|the angel Gabriel is apparently an escaped mental patient reduced to some nice pants and a wifebeater/corset.}}
* Absolutely everybody who works for the law firm of Milton, Chadwick & Waters in ''[[The
* ''[[The Dark Knight]]'' - Averted. The Joker wears the shoddiest clothing imaginable, but it's pretty clear he's an evil, evil man.
** It may have been a nice suit at first, but it's obvious that the Joker isn't too big on upkeep. He mentions that the outfit wasn't cheap, being paid for by Gotham's stolen mob money and all. It's also mentioned by the police to be custom-tailored after his arrest.
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* If Shaffer's ''[[Amadeus]]'s'' Salieri counts as a villain, then he truly was a Man of Wealth and Taste- pun intended.
* Louis Cyphre of [[Angel Heart]].
* James McCullen {{spoiler|AKA Destro}} and Storm Shadow in [[G.I. Joe:
* Patrick Bateman in ''[[American Psycho]]'' puts a great deal of importance on clothing, suits and fashion. He is careful to don a plastic raincoat before {{spoiler|killing Paul Allen}} so he doesn't get blood on his suit.
** And the business cards - God help you if you [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIvd3zzu4Y have a better business card than Bateman].
* The majority of gangsters in ''[[
* Mob boss Top Dollar from the movie adaptation of ''[[The Crow]]'' wears very fancy, expensive vintage clothing and keeps an array of antique swords nearby. This contrasts with his mooks who all dress in average clothing (jeans, jackets, etc.).
* In ''Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus'' the Devil is this.
* In ''[[Drive Angry]]'', the demon sent after [[Nicolas Cage]]'s character, known as the Accountant (played by William Fichtner), wears a black suit that never tarnishes. He can crash in a car off a bridge and walk out dressed impeccably, without a single crease.
* Lee Woo-Jin, the antagonist of ''[[
* The Emperor from ''[[
* Sebastian Shaw in ''[[X
== Literature ==
* Woland of [[The Master and Margarita]]: throughout most of the book, he appears as a wealthy, educated, and flamboyantly dressed foreigner. He's also {{spoiler|Satan}}, so evil comes naturally, although whether his actions are for good or ill constitutes a debate unto itself.
* Most of the Imperial officers in the [[Star Wars Expanded Universe]] wear the same sort of [[Putting
* When "The Man", a very suave [[Horny Devils|Horny Devil]], first showed up in ''[[Tales of MU]]'' flashback stories in his pinstriped suit and natty hat, the above lyric got quoted by a reader in the chapter comments.
* Here's a fun drinking game: take a shot for each of Shakespeare's "gentlemen" who are liars, traitors, thieves, or just general cads. Each and every of them was dressed in the height of fashion for their time and place.
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*** Then there's [[Affably Evil]] [[Complete Monster]] Nicodemus.
* Traditionalist vampires in ''[[Discworld]]'', of course, wear full evening dress and opera cloaks at all times. More modern vampires also dress smartly, and the ''really'' dangerous ones (who aren't Black Ribboners, but are [[Subverted Trope|too modern to bother with]] [[Contractual Genre Blindness|all the traditional stuff that gives the prey a chance]]) can be recognised by their fancy waistcoats.
** Cosmo Lavish in ''[[
** Every single Assassin. After all, if one isn't impeccably dressed in the latest black silk, one might as well be a common thug who kills people for money.
** Maladict, a vampire, manages a variant of this trope while in the army, by wearing the [[Nonuniform Uniform|uniform]] so it's "deshabillé [...] scruffy, but with bags and bags of style".
** Lord Hong in ''[[
{{quote|
It never crossed his mind that anyone would say "'Ere, wot a toff! 'Eave 'arf a brick at 'im!" }}
* Crowley and "Dr. Raven Sable" (Famine) in ''[[
* Patrick Bateman's love of suits and fashion, as mentioned in Film, is given considerably more screentime (so to speak) in the book: every outfit is described in great and loving detail, down to brand name, fabric, and cut.
** If one is particularly [[Genius Bonus|knowledgeable about fashion,]] however, one will notice that the outfits are often clownishly mismatched.
* In ''[[The Guardians]]'', this is the form demons take to live among humans and tempt them into evil; at least one is a US Senator. Subverted when the Guardians can't find a demon and later realize it's taken the form of a ''[[Double Standard|woman]]'' [[Always Male|of wealth and taste]].
* Lucius Malfoy from [[Harry Potter]], as befitting the patriarch of a very old and prestigious wizard family.
* Philonecron of the ''Cronus Chronicles'' series. He wears a victorian-style suit and a long cape, and frequently insults humans on their "atrocious" fashion sense. He even bought very high-quality tuxedoes for all of his evil henchmen.
* [[The Vampire Chronicles|Lestat]] insists on being at the very height of fashion wherever he goes. Whether he's in a frock coat, three-piece business suit, [[Badass Cape]], or jeans and t-shirt, everything is of the highest quality and selected to convey the image Lestat wants to impart. Interestingly, Lestat seems to have an almost [[Cloudcuckoolander]]-like attitude towards his wardrobe, veering wildly between disinterested and obsessive. Clothes that he gets dirty will often be shoved in the bottom dresser drawer and never thought of again, while he showers adoring affection for an old woman who knows the story behind the themed cameo-image buttons on the jacket he's wearing. He plays with a [[Refuge in Audacity]] approach in ''Blood Canticle'' when he and his latest proteges "invade" a remote Caribbean island: They could easily sneak in through the heavy jungle, or just use their powers and slaughter everyone between them and the information they're seeking, but Lestat instead decides to garb his coterie in the most outlandishly over-the-top outfits in their wardrobes and dazzle their way past the drug lords in residence: The young man with him dresses in a metallic gold three-piece suit, the young woman in a high-hemmed ostrich feather dress not out of place in the Roaring 20's, and himself in a full leather suit described in the book at least a half dozen times, because [[Author Appeal|he likes it that damn much]].
* Adam Monroe from ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]''.▼
▲== Live Action TV ==
▲* Adam Monroe from ''[[Heroes (TV)|Heroes]]''.
** Arthur Petrelli, poser that he is, tries to pull it off. He fails.
* All of Wolfram and Hart from ''[[
** Also Darla, who favors apartments with view. And Angelus. And Spike and Drusilla. Then again, they're vampires.
* The Master on ''[[
* The Goa'uld in ''[[Stargate SG
* Notably, [[Satan|the Devil]] from ''[[Reaper]]'' is always seen wearing his trademark suit (of which he has multiple copies), and even has a subplot where his tailor dies, leaving him at a loss with what to wear.
** He always looks cheerful too. At one point he expresses his ''disappointment'' in Sam by dropping store shelves on him. It's probably not a good idea to get him angry.
* [[Supernatural]]: Possessed!Sam from [[Future Me Scares Me|the future]] wears a pristine white suit. And there was much [[Squee|rejoicing]].
** Crowley also fits this trope. [[
* Rene Benoit in ''[[NCIS]]''.
* [[Matlock]]. Taste is subjective, and he is wealthy... And he dresses sharply, dammit.
* The utterly psychotic Alpha in ''[[Dollhouse]]'' murders three people onscreen while wearing [http://www.imdb.com/media/rm407735808/tt1135300 this.]
* Colonel Montoya from ''[[
* Jack Bass on ''[[Gossip Girl]]''. Bart and Chuck could also count, depending on whether or not you [[Your Mileage May Vary|see them as villains]].
* In the [[Burn Notice]] episode "Friendly Fire", Michael coerces the allegiance of a gang by Wearing a red and gray silk suit, talking like Clint Eastwood and blowing things up by snapping his fingers.
* ''[[Ashes to Ashes]]''. [[Big Bad]] Superintendant Mackintosh favors well-tailored suits, but the real
* [[Sherlock]] 's Moriarty is finally introduced wearing a very fine suit.
** "Westwood."
* In the short-lived ''[[Brimstone (TV series)|Brimstone]]'' series, [[The Devil]] (played by [[Smallville|Lionel Luthor]]) wears an expensive Victorian suit, complete with a red tie and a pocketwatch. In contrast, an angel is shown looking exactly like him but dressed as a blue-collar worker (a ceiling painter).
* [[Magnificent Bastard|Lionel]] and [[Lex Luthor]] of ''[[Smallville]]'' are this trope overlapped with [[Badass in
* It can be debated whether or not King Silas of ''[[Kings]]'' is evil. It cannot be debated that he has excellent taste in suits.
* In ''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]'', while Rumplestiskin was slimy and grimy in the fairy tale world, he arranged things so that he would be a man of substance in the Storybrooke world, and so as Mr. Gold, he always wears snazzy, finely tailored suits and generally carries around a gold-topped cane. In both worlds, he's your go-to guide for making a [[Deal
== Music ==
* Played straight in the trope namer, Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones.
{{quote|''Just as every cop's a criminal''
''And all the sinners saints''
''It's heads, it's tails, just call me Lucifer''
'''Cause I'm in need of some restraint''}}
== Professional Wrestling ==
* [[Ted
* [[Ric Flair]]. The Nature Boy ''always'' styles and profiles.
** Anyone who teams up with Flair usually morphs into this: [[Triple H]], [[Randy Orton]], and [[Batista]] in Evolution, and [[AJ Styles]] and Kazarian in Fourtune.
▲== Theater ==
* Practically the first thing Mephistopheles does in ''Faust'' is call attention to his elegant, fashionable attire.
== Video Games ==
* Kain R. Heinlein from ''[[Fatal Fury|Garou: Mark of the Wolves]]''.
* Redd White in ''[[Phoenix Wright]] [[Ace Attorney]]''. Subverted since that suit is incredibly gaudy. The "bling" doesn't help either.
** Also subverted by Zinc Lablanc in ''[[Ace Attorney]] Investigations: Miles Edgeworth''; despite the name of his [[Leitmotif]] being ''
** {{spoiler|Kristoph Gavin}}, a murderer from the fourth game, wears a pretty neat double-breasted suit.
** Manfred von Karma might fill this trope... in the seventeenth century. Cravats have fallen out of fashion nowadays. (Don't tell Edgeworth that, though.)
* Pokey begins wearing a suit after becoming Monotoli's right-hand man in ''[[
* [[Final Fantasy VII]]'s President Shinra.
* ''[[Fallout]] 3'''s Mr. Burke and his "boss", Alastair Tenpenny. Tenpenny wears a unique suit that gives a small bonus to the Charisma & Small Guns skills.
* Liquid Ocelot from ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 4'' is fairly snappy dresser.
* In ''[[
* And of course, [[Resident Evil|Albert Wesker]].
* Vampires in ''[[The Sims]] 2: Nightlife''. The Counts wear Bela Lugosi knockoff suits with tailcoats and such, the Contessas wear old-fashioned evening gowns with puffed sleeves and lots of gold embroidery.
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* Kazuya Mishima, Heihachi Mishima, Lee Chaolan and Jin Kazama all have incredibly dressy outfits for a [[Tekken|fighting game]]; unsurprisingly they're all part of the same family. It remains to be seen if Lars will follow [[Incredibly Lame Pun|suit]].
* [[Shin Megami Tensei|It's quite clear]] that The Rolling Stones provided more than a little inspiration for the design of [[Louis Cypher]] himself.
* Megumi Kitaniji from [[
* [[Magnificent Bastard|The Illusive Man]] in ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'' prefers to do his meetings reclining in a chair in front of an impressive vista, wearing an impeccable suit, a cigarette in hand and a glass of expensive bourbon nearby.
** Donovan Hock and Elias Kelham are lesser examples.
* What, no love for [[
** And while we're on the subject, [[Complete Monster|Relius Clover]] may count as well.
* Rokkaku Gouji from the ''[[Jet Set Radio]]'' games.
== Tabletop Games ==
* ''[[
* Giovanni Villanova from 7thSea is an archetypal example of this trope. He's [[Card-Carrying Villain|evil with a capital E]], has a prison built to spec as his own private hell for his enemies, [[Kick the Dog|beats]] his [[Witch Species|"fate witch"]] wife, and is generally despicable to the Nth degree... but he's a ''Prince,'' by [[Crystal Dragon Jesus|Deus]], and that means showing some ''style.'' One iconic moment is when he knifes a man from behind (one who's threatening the PCs), shoves him aside... and starts eating the victim's Fettucine Alfredo, because it's too good to waste. He also laments having the cook killed, because the pasta's that good...but while it's one thing to poison an enemy, it's another entirely for the cook to poison such works of art, so he had his men feeding said cook his own poison. [[Even Evil Has Standards]], after all.
* White Wolf offered an interesting [[Justified Trope|justification]] in a short vignette written from Lucifer's perspective. He can't feel pleasure, or happiness, or anything good... but the bad stuff? He can feel the bad stuff. Every scratch of the fabric, every slight pain from an ill-fitting piece of clothing, every pang of hunger. He travels in utmost luxury, wears the best clothes and eats the finest food just so he can get as close as possible to feeling ''nothing''.
* While not a suit, [[Demon Lords and Archdevils|Asmodeus]] from [[Dungeons
== Web Comics ==
* Despite operating from a [[Peanuts|Lucy]]-like booth, The Devil from ''[[Sinfest]]'' is usually dressed in a sharp suit (when he isn't hunting angels, that is).
** [
* The version of Satan from ''[[
* In ''[[Order of the Stick]]'', [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0591.html a devil summoned by Qarr, under the influence of Crushing Despair, notes that all his classmates managed to be men of wealth and taste.]
* Doc Scratch in ''[[Homestuck]]'', an [[Smug Super|incredibly smug]] [[Manipulative Bastard]] with a penchant for [[Badass in
* In ''[[Tales Of Gnosis College]]'' the harem-keeping Sultan of Pazar counts as one of these.
== Web Original ==
* Mr. Anon from ''[[Open Blue]]'', a businessman who dresses in the snazziest outfits of the day, and whose [[Deal
* [[Whateley Universe]] example: unstoppable assassin cyborg Deathlist wears an expensive pinstripe suit when he and a small army of bad guys invade [[Super
* When not dressed in his [[Badass Labcoat]], [[Doctor Steel]] usually dresses in an Aristocratic neo-Victorian [[Steampunk]] style, complete with top hat. (He even has his own personal clothier!) His followers wear uniforms that [[Putting
* Edwin Windsor from [[How to Succeed In Evil]] is one, with his tailored suits and taste in art.
* In [[Tales of MU]], two potential major villains fit this trope. I say potential because, depending on how much you buy into the moral landscapes attributed to them, [[Blue and Orange Morality|Embries]] and [[Grey and Gray Morality|The Man]] may not be truly villainous. [[Your Mileage May Vary]] aside, however, they are most certainly [[Wicked Cultured]] and [[Sharp
* In [[
== Western Animation ==
* An essential feature of [[Lex Luthor]] in ''[[Superman: The Animated Series
* ''[[
* ''[[
* From ''[[Batman: The Animated Series
* ''[[
* Lucius Heinous VII on ''[[Jimmy Two
* Stavros Garkos on ''[[
* Valmont on ''[[
* [[Cats Are Mean|Fat Cat]] from ''[[Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (
== Real Life ==
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Evil Tropes]]
[[Category:Villainous Fashion Sense]]
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[[Category:Costume Tropes]]
[[Category:Villains]]
▲[[Category:Trope]]
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