Affably Evil: Difference between revisions

[[File:themayor.jpg|link=Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)|right|<small>The Mayor of Sunnydale. [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick|Cheerful. Fatherly. Wants to be a giant snake demon.]]</small> ]]

And then, there are villains who are Affably Evil. There is absolutely nothing separating them from being normal, polite people except for the fact that they want to [[Take Over the World]] or use [[Powered By a Forsaken Child|human souls]] to power their [[Artifact of Doom]]. They're not the [[Stepford Smiler]] -- their affability is a genuine part of their personality, not a mask. If they have underlings, expect them to be a [[Benevolent Boss]]. In one way, they're the opposite of an [[Anti -Hero]]. They may [[Pet the Dog]] on occasion, but won't hesitate to kick it with steel-toed boots the next second if it helps them accomplish their goals. They may well be a [[Villain With Good Publicity]].

This villain will [[Go Karting With Bowser|invite the hero out to tea]], [[No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Dine|offer him]] [[Your Favorite|a favorite dish]], make pleasant small talk, try to appeal to the hero's better nature, and convince the heroes that the [[Evil Plan|villain's plan]] isn't worth getting involved in. Of course, if the hero still won't change their mind, the villain will remind them that they are, after all, still a villain. It may or may not involve a [[Death Trap]], depending on how nice the villain really is when crossed. Of course, inviting [[Did Mom Just Have Tea With Cthulhu?|the hero's mom out to tea]] might send a stronger message. The friendliness of said villains can serve to humanize these guys.

Almost always either comedic, or a charismatic [[Magnificent Bastard]], or a [[Well -Intentioned Extremist]] who really [[Knight Templar|believes that they are the good guys]], but the occasional [[Complete Monster]] can exhibit such qualities as well. [[Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor]] is not true for them, and their affability even makes them easy to "compliment" with an [[Insult Backfire]]. Captives of an affably evil villain won't be kept in dungeons, but in a [[Gilded Cage]].

* [[Villains Out Shopping]] for Affably Evil behavior in otherwise normal villains. Often a trait of a [[Card -Carrying Villain]], especially in the more ironic portrayals.

* [[Faux Affably Evil]], which is a villain who adopts an affable demeanor that isn't genuine, basically mocking Affably Evil. <ref>They'll chat pleasantly with their victims while engaging in [[Cold -Blooded Torture]], or hum cheerfully to themselves while setting an orphanage on fire. Unlike Affably Evil characters, they're genuinely mean, and often do things [[For the Evulz]], but you'd never know it just by talking to them.</ref>

* [[Freaky Fashion, Mild Mind]].

{{examples|Examples}}

[[Category:Trope]][[Category:Pages with comment tags]]