Sliding Scale of Villain Effectiveness: Difference between revisions

* [[Sliding Scale of Antagonist Vileness|How much the audience is supposed to hate them.]]

 

 

Note that this does not cover any degree of sympathy; rather, it covers how probable their success is. To expand on this scale's orthogonality to the other two: it is entirely possible for a [[Complete Monster]] to fall at 'credible' or even 'low' on this scale (for example, a monster who is merely chief [[The Dragon|henchmen]] to, say, Ming The Merciless); and it is possible to have a villain who bats at the level of [[Superman]], but is so dumb that most of his threat comes from the fact that his plans will inevitably fail in a spectacular way.

'''{{color|green|Low:}}''' [[Villain Ball|The villain can be safely allowed]] to [[Hoist by His Own Petard|foil their own scheme.]]

* [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain]], [[No One Respects the Spanish Inquisition]], [[Villainous Harlequin]]

 

'''{{color|gold|Credible:}}''' [[Evil Overlord List|Rarely succeeds]], but only because heroes take action.