Slouch of Villainy: Difference between revisions

[[File:slouch2 4906.jpg|link=Labyrinth|frame|Jareth in a rare moment of pensive repose. Isn't he ''[[Perverse Sexual Lust|dreamy?]]'']]

 

 

[[Evil Is Cool]]. So cool, in fact, it's too cool for good posture. A trend for newer villains is to forego the [[Cool Chair|egg-chairs and thrones]] of their forefathers in favor of more comfortable and casual lounge chairs, draping themselves over them in a '''Slouch of Villainy'''. If it's [[The Starscream]] doing it, expect them to slouch in their former boss's throne as a way of posthumously insulting them.

 

Compare with [[Leaning on the Furniture]]. Related to [[Rebel Relaxation]] and is often a case of [[Orcus on His Throne]]. A neutral (non-villain) variant is [[Reclining Reigner]]. Contrast [[Kingpin in His Gym]], when the villain prefers to do something a bit more active than lounge around on furniture.

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* In the second opening of ''[[Mai-Otome]]'' Nagi is shown reclining in his throne, demonstrating his newfound [[Big Bad]] status.

* In ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'', Ken-oh, Souther and [[Spell My Name with an "S"|Uighur/Wigul/Wiggle]] show that anime villains have a proud tradition of slouching villainously.

* Gendo Ikari's slouch of villainy in his [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic|symbolic]] office in [[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]. It's noted that the office is set up specifically to intimidate visitors.

* Also spoofed (possibly crossed with [[Leaning on the Furniture]]) in the original SD Gundam shorts (not to be confused with ''[[SD Gundam Force]]''): In one short, involving hotels, Char attacks Amuro, Kamille, and Judau to try and steal their customers. Amuro tells him maybe he'd be able to get customers if he wasn't so aloof all the time. Char angrily snaps his fingers, at which point two of his cronies ''turn a table onto its side so he can lean on it'' and remark "But if you take out the aloofness, what's left of me?" [[Crowning Moment of Funny|The table then breaks.]]

* Creed from ''[[Black Cat (manga)|Black Cat]]'' sits on his throne like this.

* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'': While possessing Johan's body, Yubel slouches across the throne in his/her throne room.

* Lelouch in ''[[Code Geass]]'' has a habit of doing this in the cockpits of his Knightmare Frames when commanding his forces and anticipating the moves of his enemies.

 

== Comic Books ==

* Black Adam from [[DC Comics]] does it in [http://tinyurl.com/3xr93d this picture], after he had killed the entire population of a country. And the [[Anthropomorphic Personification]] of Death. When Black Adam goes bad, he does not fuck about.

* [[Thanos]] is prone to this, often using a space-going throne to sit upon, musing. Also during the [[Infinity Gauntlet]] saga, Thanos set up a big shrine to Death in space, one that came equipped with thrones to sit on while he contemplated how to win Death's affection.

* At the end of ''[[Identity Crisis]]'', Dr. Light performs one of these after gaining back his impressive criminal mind.

* At the end of ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)]]'', the Saint of Killers settles down on his most recent victim's throne and goes back to sleep.

** In ''Dark Empire'', Luke [http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/277/de15s.jpg does this pretty well].

* One panel of ''[[The Killing Joke]]'' shows the Clown Prince of crime lounging in his chair made of a [[Circus of Fear|Tilt-A-Whirl cart and]] [[Nightmare Fuel|naked baby dolls.]] Well, [[Atop A Mountain Of Skulls|probably dolls]]; you can see a few of them with their doll heads torn off in that panel.

* [http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Image:LastStandoftheWreckers1-BoreholeKickoff.jpg Overlord does this] as best as a stiff-metal [[Humongous Mecha]] can manage while watching gladiator games in ''[[Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''.

* Namor, The [[Sub-Mariner]], while not [[Heel Face Revolving Door|usually]] a villain these days, has his moments of lounging around his throne as seen [http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.wikia.com/marveldatabase/images/0/06/Namor_McKenzie_(Earth-616).jpg&imgrefurl=http://marvel.wikia.com/Namor_McKenzie_(Earth-616)&h=726&w=471&sz=178&tbnid=enbdCej1cCs-oM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=58&prev=/search%3Fq%3DNamor%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Namor&docid=_ZDubABKwffTQM&sa=X&ei=kXFlTrr7FuPZiALBpLC-Cg&ved=0CDEQ9QEwAQ&dur=125 here].

* In yet another [[Marvel Comics]] example of this trope, we have [[The Mighty Thor|Loki]] who enjoys a good slouch almost every time he sits down.

 

== Film - Live Action ==

* Emperor Palpatine in ''[[Return of the Jedi]]''. Most noticeable when he sits down while telling Luke that he knows all about the Rebel's plans.

* [[Riddick]] slouches on the slain Lord Marshal's throne due to sheer exhaustion. It becomes a Slouch of Villainy when he notices the other Necromongers ''bowing'' down to him since [[You Kill It, You Bought It|"You keep what you kill."]]

 

== Film - Animated ==

* ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]]'': After [[Evil Chancellor|Jafar]] usurps Sultan's palace and reshapes it to his liking, he spends time slouching on the Sultan's throne.

* In ''[[Kung Fu Panda]]'', when Tai Lung encounters the Furious Five while heading into the village, the first thing he does on the broken bridge is use it like a lounge chair while taunting them.

 

== Literature ==

* Chris Hart talks about the distinction between Hero posture and Villain posture in one of his "how to draw super heroes and villains" books (that might be the exact title, I forget). He points out that Heroes have confidence and have nothing to hide; they stand upright and secure, well balanced. While Villains are beset with inner turmoil and constantly trying to protect themselves, mistrusting the world. This even applies when they turn to react to some surprise or threat - the Hero turns with a straightening-up motion, ready to face whatever it is, whereas the Villain turns in a bowed-over fashion, already protecting his middle. Oh, and he even goes on to show the change from a [[Granola Girl]] Heroine to a super-villainess.

** [[The Fair Folk|Elves]] do it automatically, too, as part of their "[[You Suck|far too cool to be human]]" glamour.

** Guild of Assassins prohibits their students from assuming upright posture.

*** Apparently, [http://priscellie.deviantart.com/art/Young-Vetinari-4910967 Vetinari was quite good at this].

* Draco Malfoy does this in canon. This is exaggerated in fandom and taken to its logical extreme in [[A Very Potter Musical]].

* In ''[[Dragon Age]]: [[The Stolen Throne]]'', the Orlesian usurper sits on the throne of Ferelden in this manner when receiving gifts from Ferelden nobles. Subverted in that he's not even close to being a [[Magnificent Bastard]]. In fact, he's quite incompetent at running things. This post is an exile, which he hates.

 

== Live-Action TV ==

 

== Music ==

 

== Professional Wrestling ==

* HHH's [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnZoQ5OgRr0 epic entrance] at Wrestlemania 22 started by him on a throne being raised through the floor in full [[Conan the Barbarian]] attire with titular slouch

 

 

* In the second ''[[Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria|Valkyrie Profile]]'' game, where Odin (quite the [[Magnificent Bastard]]) calmly talks about destroying a whole kingdom as bait to get the main character to show up, capture her, and then use her as bait to capture the lord of the undead while in this pose. Interestingly, it's working- albeit not ''quite'' as he expected- but the plan goes to hell as soon he gets out of the chair. This is [[Fridge Brilliance]] if [[All There in the Manual|you know Norse mythology]]- Odin's throne allows him to observe the entire world, giving him some degree of omniscience. Slouching in it is actually a huge strategic advantage.

* Copy X does this in ''[[Mega Man Zero]] 3'', propping his head up with his hand and leaning on the arm of his throne.

* In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]'', {{spoiler|Ganondorf}} is seen in this pose when Midna and Link meet him for the first time in Hyrule's throne room.

* In ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim|Skyrim]]'', all the jarls except for Elisif slouch on their thrones. How villainous it is varies with the jarl, [[Your Mileage May Vary|your view of them]], and which side you take in the civil war. If you sit on an unoccupied throne, your character slouches too.

 

* While ambiguously villainous, [[Girl Genius|Agatha]] gets her slouch on after [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090112 conquering the kingdom] in a Cindarella parody.

 

== Web Original ==

* Subverted in ''[[Broken Saints]]'', wherein [[Big Bad]] {{spoiler|Lear Dunham maintains a stiff and upright position whilst sitting on his mighty throne of righteousness.}}

* Possibly what Draco is trying to pull off in ''[[A Very Potter Musical]]'', but really, who knows?

 

== Western Animation ==

* Dr. Claw in ''[[Inspector Gadget]]'' is always watching the events from his lair or car.

* In the Season 3 finale of ''[[Metalocalypse]]'', [[Liz Lemon Job|band CFO/lawyer/manager]] Offdensen slouches rather magnificently in his command chair several times. It's unknown at this point if he is a force for good or evil, or even what those terms ''mean'' in relation to Dethklok's well-being, but the man is at least personally responsible for hundreds of deaths and instances of torture thus far.

 

* In Leonardo daVinci's painting of [[wikipedia:The Last Supper (Leonardo)|The Last Supper]], depicting the apostles as they react to Jesus telling them that he's going to be betrayed. Judas is the one leaning on the table.

* In the [[Rob Zombie]] CD "Hellbilly Deluxe", the back of the little pamphlet that comes with the CD had picture-art of Zombie slouching on a stone throne.

 

== Real Life ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Evil Tropes]]

[[Category:Characterization Tropes]]

[[Category:Stock Poses]]