Smug Snake: Difference between revisions

[[File:Sirhiss01.jpg|link=Robin Hood (Disney film)|frame|...The hell are you smiling at?!]]

{{quote|''"Smiling poison and suspicious craft."''|'''Skek Sil''' as described in '''''[[The Dark Crystal (Film)|The Dark Crystal]]''''' source book}}

The [[Smug Snake]] is a type of character (usually cast as a villain) who tends to treat friends and enemies alike with equal disdain. They almost constantly [[Deadpan Snarker|speak in a sarcastic tone]] and punctuate most of their sentences with a smirk. Where they aspire to be a formidable and awe-inspiring adversary they often end up just being a [[Big Bad Wannabe]], failing in the face of [[Magnificent Bastard|more cunning villains]] or ending up as their servants, in which case they'll generally be [[The Starscream]]. Others that fall under this trope are [[Card-Carrying Villain|simply in it to bug the good guys]] and [[Flaw Exploitation|take advantage]] of their [[Slave to PR|moral insecurity]].

A key character trait common to [[Smug Snake|Smug Snakes]] is [[Pride|overconfidence]]. The Smug Snake is usually too arrogant to be [[A Worldwide Punomenon|rattled]]. Most often, they will think themselves to be the [[Magnificent Bastard]]. While they may believe that they have [[Evil Plan|the situation]] under control (whether they do so through [[Blackmail]], [[Manipulative Bastard|coercion]], or simply [[Evil Chancellor|being in a position of authority]]), there will usually be a [[Spanner in Thethe Works|hole in that plan]] that they failed to consider. Perhaps they underestimated their opponents' abilities and [[Nothing Can Stop Us Now|claimed themselves unbeatable]], or maybe they [[Villain Ball|made a really stupid mistake]] along the way. Once that realization hits, expect the Snake to [[Villainous Breakdown|lose their cool]] right before [[Humiliation Conga|everything starts falling apart]] for them. They are not necessarily entirely incompetent or ineffectual, however, and may succeed with at least part of their goals, but they are still lacking that charm and grace that the [[Magnificent Bastard]] possesses. Often a [[Know-Nothing Know-It-All]] as well, to inspire added bile, though still enough to take the 'sympathetic' out of [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain]] (the ''best'' of them are [[Insufferable Genius|Insufferable Geniuses]]es heavy on the former and light on the latter). If a Smug Snake considers himself a [[Magnificent Bastard]], then he is a villainous [[Small Name, Big Ego]].

When the Smug Snake [[X Meets Y|meets the]] [[Mary Sue]] trope, then you have a [[Villain Sue]]. Like the [[Complete Monster]], though for different reasons, the Smug Snake will rarely be a [[Draco in Leather Pants]] (though it is possible, especially if the character is physically attractive -- theattractive—the [[Trope Namer]] [[Harry Potter|could himself]] be an example).

'''[[No Real Life Examples Please{{noreallife|No real life examples, please]].''' Callingcalling someone a Smug Snake in real life is just [[Rule of Cautious Editing Judgment|not necessary]].}}

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