Villainous Valor: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose, but the mark of Villainous Valor is that it sees the "bad guys" using Tropes that you wouldn't expect from them. In fact, if you were just tuning in, you might even be confused about who you're expected to root for. Is it the unstoppable [[Knight in Shining Armor|White Knight]], or the desperately overwhelmed warrior studded with [[Spikes of Villainy]] bravely holding him back? Even if you know who's on what side, you might find yourself pulling for the little guy anyway, hoping to see the hero brought down a peg.

 

This often appears in shows where the [[Anti-Villain|villains are sympathetic]] or [[Anti-Hero|the heroes questionable]].

{{examples}}

* In the early engagements against the Combat Cyborgs in ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]] Strikers'', we're presented with a small group of specialists carrying out a daring mission against a whole world full of mages led by a pair of warriors who could mop the floor with them in a straight fight. (The Numbers who can stand up to Fate and Nanoha are introduced later.) Nevertheless, through a series of hair-raising encounters and desperate escapes, they finally win through and make off with the [[MacGuffin]]. {{spoiler|At least, with its box.}}

* This appears many times in the ''[[Gundam]]'' series. Of course, given the [[Gray and Gray Morality|nature of the universe]], it makes sense.

* Take a look at the opening scene of the third ''[[Inuyasha]]'' movie. Setsunano Takemaru, a normal samurai with a simple sword, charges into a flaming castle ''missing one of his arms'' to confront a powerful Demon Lord wielding freakin' [[Artifact of Doom|Sounga]]. He was unquestionably a wretched punk who deserved everything that was coming to him, but ''damn.''

 

* Given that [[Superman]] is practically the poster boy for the [[Boring Invincible Hero]] (at least [[Complaining About Shows You Don't Watch|according to some]]) and his arch-nemesis is an unpowered human, it would be a shock if this never happened in his stories.

** It doesn't, mainly because Clark doesn't have an ego and Luthor does. So despite the power difference all of Luthor's claims that he's fighting for humanity fall flat due to him considering himself above humanity more than Clark does.

 

* A version of this is present in, of all things, ''[[A League of Their Own]]''. Where the younger, less talented sister, is pitted up against Geena Davis' star pitcher. She plays the final match through waves of intense determination, and ends up crying at one point. That's how much she wants to win.

* In the film ''[[United 93]]'' the youngest terrorist (who looks about 14) puts up a disturbingly valiant fight when he’s rushed by half the plane’s passengers at the end of the film.

* In the movie ''[[Five Minutes To Live]]'', the evil gangster played by Johnny Cash takes a hostage (six year-old Ron Howard) in order to escape from the police. He quietly tells Ron that he has nothing to fear; Johnny would never kill a kid. When this doesn't stop the police from shooting at him, he's outraged, and you can't help but agree with him.

 

* There's a great scene in ''[[Treasure Island]]'' where the pirates all want the map that they think Jim has, which he doesn't. Long John Silver picked the map from Jim's pocket, but he allows the other pirates to go on thinking that Jim knows where it is, because as long as he's the only one who knows where it is, they can't hurt him.

** There's another bit at the end, where Long John knows his chances of escape will be improved greatly if he shoots Jim in the head, but he can't bring himself to do it. Jim, unwilling to use John's mercy against him, helps him escape anyway.

{{quote|'''Dr. Livesay''': I can almost find it in my heart to hope he makes it.}}

 

* On shows such as ''[[COPS (series)|COPS]]'' and ''[[World's Wildest Police Videos]]'', there will sometimes be a perp who leads the police on a bit of a chase... No matter what terrible thing they may be accused of doing, considering the [[Can't Get Away with Nuthin']] the shows are (rightfully) based on, there will still be a small part of your brain that wants to root for them.

* Hilary Briss on ''[[The League of Gentlemen]]''. Creepy as hell though he may be, he's presented as the [[Villain Protagonist]] of his own arc, and you sort of want him to escape.

 

* Most Heels who face HHH or the Undertaker. In general, this applies to whenever a beloved mid-carder with perceived superior skills goes up against an opponent they could not legitimately be expected to defeat for story reasons.

 

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

* Through the [[Warhammer 40,000|Imperium]] is most often presented as crumbling, it is still the most powerful faction in 40k. In stories set from the 'Evil' faction's POV, we can often see just how much firepower the Imperials can bring to bear against them. And the fact that it's a [[Crapsack World|Crapsack Galaxy]] for them too.

 

* In ''[[Cheshire Crossing]]'', The Wicked Witch Of The West repeatedly faces off against Mary Poppins. Poppins is depicted as a stern, overpowered witch who flattens her opponents with brute force, and shows off in both magical matters and mundane with little flourishes that [[Smug Super|let others know just how totally in charge she is]]. The Witch of the West on the other hand is made out to be a bitter underdog, defeated before at least once, who spends her time in search of arcane secrets and power sources. When they encounter each other for the first time while in Oz, Poppins is able to knock the Witch of the West around until the Witch of the West gets the drop on her with a bucket of water. [[Kill It with Water|Oz has special rules]], and Poppins hasn't done her homework.

 

* We often see [[Heroic Sociopath|Brock]] [[One-Man Army|Sampson]] from the henchmen's point of view in ''[[The Venture Brothers]]''.

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