The Heavy: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

This is a dominant role for an actor, frequently the largest role in a play or movie. The term, which goes back to theater in the 1800s, may refer to this player having the heaviest script.

Actors often cast in such parts are known for "playing the heavy."

* Hattori in ''[[Nabari no Ou]]'' appears to drive most of the plot, though he {{spoiler|isn't actually the}} [[Big Bad]] -- {{spoiler|[[The Man Behind the Man|Fuuma]] is}}.

* ''[[Naruto]]'' had Pain, Tobi, ''and'' Madara.

* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' splits this role between Gihren Zabi (whose actions drive the overall plot) and Char Aznable (who drives the plot of numerous individual episodes).

* ''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam]]'' has [[Dark Messiah]] Paptimus Scirocco, who manipulates everyone in order to become ruler of the world ([[Hidden Agenda Villain|we think]]). He seizes this role from Jamitov Hymen, the series' original [[Big Bad]].

* Sauron is the [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Lord of the Rings]]'', but Saruman (and to an extent the Witch-King and the other Ringwraiths) are much more visible and involved villains, especially in the movies.

** The One Ring itself is more active and visible than Sauron. Sauron doesn't even really appear himself, ever. Gollum is more of an actual presence than the Big Bad!

** The Full List is: {{spoiler|Professor Quirrel}} in "Philosopher's Stone", {{spoiler|Tom Riddle}} in "Chamber of Secrets", Sirius Black/ {{spoiler|Peter Pettigrew}} in "Prisoner Of Azkaban", {{spoiler|Barty Crouch Jr.}} in "Goblet of Fire", Umbridge and Lucius Malfoy again in "Order of the Phoenix", and {{spoiler|Draco Malfoy}} in "Halfblood Prince".

* Several times in ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', the most visible villain of a given book would be distinct from the [[Big Bad|ultimate mastermind]].

** ''Grave Peril'': The Nightmare {{spoiler|aka Leonid Kravos}}

* Sylar from [[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]], especially in the first season and the second half of Volume 4.

* Gets a lampshade in one episode of ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'' where Uncle Phil laments "Why must I always be the heavy?" Will, standing nearby, remarks "[[You Are Fat|Forget it, that would be too easy.]]"

** One could make a definite case for Earth-2 Lionel Luthor in the latter half of Season 10. [[Darkseid]] and his [[Co-Dragons]] may be the [[Big Bad]], but it's Earth-2 Lionel's schemes who drive most of the plots, and (unintentionally) enable Darkseid to eventually cross over.

* Gatehouse of ''[[The Shadow Line]]''. He's a [[Dragon-in-Chief]] rather than a [[Big Bad]], but his plans are eventually revealed to be driving almost every aspect of the series's plot, even in the storylines he's apparently uninvolved with.

** Kefka in ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'', starts out as [[The Dragon]], ends up as the [[One-Winged Angel]].

** Sephiroth in ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]''. Everything that happens to you throughout the game, EVERYTHING, is because of him or a Jenova-generated clone of him.

** Golbez in ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]'', possibly the most competent villain in Final Fantasy history, leads the heroes through an absolutely massive [[Xanatos Roulette]] involving almost the entire game before {{spoiler|his [[Heel Face Turn]]}}. Oh, and he never loses a fight to the heroes. Come to think of it, no Final Fantasy games after III actually averts this trope.

** A good example in ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' of a Heavy who is ''not'' the [[Big Bad]] is [[Dark Messiah|Seymour]] of ''[[Final Fantasy X]]''. The ''real'' [[Big Bad]], Sin, {{spoiler|is actually a creation of long-dead summoner Yu Yevon, who is, according to a few people in the game, by now barely intelligent, neither good nor evil}}. Hence, while a dumb brute is ''scary'' ([[Nightmare Fuel|lordy, is Sin scary]]), he's not really compelling villain material. Enter Seymour, with the most lines and screen presence of all the antagonistic cast, engaged in a plan whose effects drive a great deal of the story.

* The Boss in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 3''.

** ''[[Resident Evil 0]]'': [[Mad Scientist|James]] [[Evilutionary Biologist|Marcus]]. He sets the plot in motion, serves as [[The Big Bad]], and is the [[Final Boss]] to boot.

** ''[[Resident Evil 1]]'': [[The Mole|Albert]] [[Sunglasses At Night|Wesker]]. He may be taking orders from [[Big Bad|Spencer]], but as [[Mega Corp|Umbrella]]'s man on the spot, it's Wesker who drives the plot, from luring the heroes in, to unleashing the [[Final Boss|Tyrant]] on them in the finale.

== Web Original ==

** Zhao held the role in Season 1.

* Slade, whenever he shows up in ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'' - even when serving under [[Satan|Trigon the Terrible]] (see Vader and Palpatine - while not the [[Big Bad]], Slade is a menace through the season, while Trigon is a threat only in three episodes.)

* ''[[Beast Wars]]'': Megatron, from the first episode, until the last episode of [[Beast Machines|the sequel series]].