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Smug Snake/Literature: Difference between revisions
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* [[Lizard Folk|Cree]] [[Reptiles Are Abhorrent|Bega]], [[The Dragon]] in ''[[The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara]]'' is a slipperily obsequious [[Complete Monster]], with a penchant for [[Cold-Blooded Torture]] and murder, [[Break the Cutie]], and [[Kick the Dog|Kicking]] [[The Woobie]]. He's also ungodly arrogant, seeing all of the [[Snake Talk|Little Peoplesss]] as [[Fantastic Racism|inferior beings]] worthy only of disdain. Even his undeniable bravery in combat and willingness to [[The Starscream|stand up]] to [[Bad Boss|The Isle Witch]] stems from this arrogance, and it ultimately gets him killed when one of [[The Woobie|the Woobies]] [[The Dog Bites Back|Bites Back]]. Utterly unlikeable, and truly disgusting. Stenmin, the [[Evil Chancellor]] from ''[[The Sword of Shannara Trilogy (Literature)|The Sword Of Shannara]]'' is a more typical example, combining sliminess, [[Dirty Coward]], and [[The Mole]] into one unloveable package.
* Lord Straff Venture of ''[[Mistborn]]'' is a comparatively competent Smug Snake, being a skilled long-range [[Chessmaster]] and the most powerful nobleman in [[The Empire]] apart from its [[Physical God]] leader. At the same time, though, his arrogance, lack of skill in immediate, detailed manipulations, and the numerous petty and vile traits he shows in his interpersonal relationships keep him out of full [[Magnificent Bastard]] range.
* Vizzini from ''[[The Princess Bride (Literature)|The Princess Bride]]''. Although he certainly is clever, and recognizes his weaknesses, he has a colossal ego and treats everyone, even his own henchmen, like dirt. His arrogance also prevents him from recognizing that The Man in Black would never pull his battle of wits unless he knew he would win, and that there was no sure way of guessing which cup had the poison. There's a reason he's the former [[Trope Namer]] for [[Out
* Two villains from the [[Forgotten Realms]] trilogy ''[[Counselors and Kings]]'' stand out. Lord Procopio Septus is a canny and ambitious politician, but he's shortsighted and very proud, which make it possible for him to be [[Out
** Ironically {{spoiler|Dhamari}} did at one point ''artificially'' turn himself into something approaching a [[Magnificent Bastard]]- upon capturing an amulet enspelled to protect it's wearer from him, he wore it himself, and was protected ''from himself'', causing him to become much more cunning, manipulative, and successful. Once he lost it, though, it was a quick trip back to Smug Snake-hood.
* Fulbert from the French novel ''[[Malevil]]''. He's an evil priest with a tiny, weak [[Corrupt Church]] and a [[Zero
* Gustav Fiers, aka The Gentleman from the [[Spider-Man]] novelisations, ''The Sinister Six Trilogy''. He certainly ''thinks'' he's a [[Magnificent Bastard]], and looks and acts the part, being an excellent [[Manipulative Bastard]] and [[Chessmaster]], and [[Man of Wealth and Taste]] who successfully manipulates the whole of the Sinister Six, has evaded law enforcement for years, and refers to himself as an "investor in chaos". Yet he fails to earn the audience's respect due to his contemptuous attitude and his unpleasant personality, utter heinousness (only his genuine affection for his equally monstrous brother, [[Terrorist Without a Cause|Karl]], keeps him off the [[Complete Monster]] list), and underestimation of Spider-Man, The Chameleon, and Dr. Octopus put him squarely in this trope.
* Count Olaf of ''[[A Series of Unfortunate Events]]'' is a ''huge'' one. He has some pretty [[Paper-Thin Disguise|Paper Thin Disguises]] (to the Baudelaires, at least) and he constantly remarks about how evil and cunning he is. Also, he suffers from plot-relevant [[Villain Decay]] and he clearly lacks common sense (seeing as he asks the Baudelaires to buy some roast beef with their fortune when he knows they're not eligible yet).
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* Steggles from the ''[[Jeeves and Wooster (Literature)|Jeeves and Wooster]]'' series.
* Since the Yamiko of ''[[Sailor Nothing]]'' are the personification of their host's id, it's easier to list the ones that don't fall into Smug Snake, namely [[Genre Savvy]] Argon, [[Pragmatic Villainy|Pragmatic Villain]] Cobalt, and Ohta, Cobalt's right-hand man. Dark General Radon is a particularly vile example of [[Smug Snake|Smug Snakeery]], being an arrogant [[Knight Templar]] and [[Evil Mentor]] before his [[Face Heel Turn]]; afterwards he just gets worse.
* Stopwatch of the [[Whateley Universe]]. Brilliant planner, head of The Masterminds, has managed to hide his best power from the [[Super
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