A lot of fiction out there has a tendency to employ incredibly black and white perspectives to the characters and their actions. Due to the belief that its target demographic (usually children) can't understand subtler shades of evil, many works of fiction create a stark contrast between the heroes and villains. When this happens, the creators will bring in their Obviously Evil® Design Team. (Of course, another reason obvious villains are used in some fiction is simply because everyone loves a badass villain.) If a work of fiction indulges in Obviously Evil®, every villain will be a Card-Carrying Villain, usually Colour-Coded for Your Convenience in shades of black and red. There won't be any Well-Intentioned Extremists, Knights Templar or pretty much anyone that doesn't accept and accentuate their evilness. If you see anybody that might seem to be a shade of grey on the side of the villains, it will usually basically be a hero with a slight bit of behavior modification to work with the villains (and an inevitable Heel–Face Turn coming up during Sweeps). If the villainous group is a governing body, it will always be an Evil Empire with a 0% Approval Rating. There aren't any Punch Clock minions that just accepted the job because it's work, but instead Always Chaotic Evil Faceless Goons that act like miniature versions of the main villain and provide no guilt whatsoever when they get killed by the truckload. The Dragon will either be fully loyal to their master and their evilness, or be The Starscream and never have any ulterior motive beyond a lust for more power. There will never be any Worthy Opponents or Tragic Villains or any kind of antagonist presented sympathetically as this doesn't accentuate the author's need to make the bad guys ALL bad. The goals of the villains and their organization are always incredibly eeeeeevil, with one of five purposes: world domination, world destruction, corruption, genocide, or antagonizing the heroes. Nobody on the side of evil will ever Pet the Dog (except maybe the none-too-subtle Heel–Face Turn candidate). Even their imagery is blatantly made as a contrast to the heroes, with lots of skulls, Spikes of Villainy, and other assorted things. Imagine a villain whose entire body is made of Red Right Hands, stitched together with thread made from the skin of dead puppies and you're beginning to get the idea. Fiction that relies on this is almost always Anvilicious to a fault, being the most extreme example of Black-and-White Morality. If the writers don't like X, they can just have someone Obviously Evil® doing X. Note that it's possible to have Obviously Evil® figures in a normally more subtle setting; frequently, the justification is that the character is so far gone into their Card-Carrying Villainy (or some brutal variation of Blue-and-Orange Morality) that they don't care what other people think of them, or that the character is intentionally playing up a menacing persona in order to intimidate others into compliance. A character also doesn't have to gloat about how eeeeeevil they are to give off an Obviously Evil aura; all they need to do is look or, more importantly, act sinisterly enough that others are quick to suspect that they have no good intentions. This trope actually has two aspects: The first is Obviously Evil Behavior, where the villains act in extremely vicious and unnecessarily cruel fashion to heighten their evilness. May overlap with Villain Ball and Stupid Evil. Extremely common in fan fiction were authors use this as a shortcut to establish the "Bad Guy" of the fic and often happens to the author's least favorite character. Prone to Rape as Drama. See Kick the Dog. The second is Obviously Evil Appearance where the villain merely appears evil. Unlike behavior, the appearance tropes are just stereotypes that have been drilled into our head over the years and as such make for prime subversion fodder when they appear on heroes and anti-heroes. (After all, who would expect Skeletor's skull-faced mug up there to appear on a good guy?) Even when they appear on certain types of villains they can still be used for the subversion aspect as people who have grown up on "Spikey-armor = Irredeemable" can still get thrown for a loop when it appears on a character presented sympathetically. If the villain of the series is a Knight Templar and/or Villain with Good Publicity then having a hero with an “obviously evil” appearance can create an interesting commentary on the nature of good and evil as the "Evil" looking hero battles the "Heroic" looking villain. See Dark Is Not Evil. Compare Black-and-White Morality, Black-and-Gray Morality, Evil Versus Evil, Dark Is Evil, and Villainous Fashion Sense. Not to Be Confused with Devil in Plain Sight or Obliviously Evil, though the former can overlap. Contrast Dark Is Not Evil, Grey-and-Gray Morality, White-and-Grey Morality, Morality Kitchen Sink, and Face of a Thug. If the revelation that this guy turns out to be evil is treated as a shocking twist, that's Obvious Judas. open/close all folders Tropes invoked in the establishment of this style 0% Approval Rating: There isn't a single person who likes the villainous leader. Always Chaotic Evil: Every member of the race is evil. Angry Guard Dog: A dog (or any other canine) guarding a Supervillain Lair, with exclusive Undying Loyalty to villains. Beware of Vicious Dog: The dogs are often portrayed as evil and savage. Naturally a villain's favorite Right-Hand Attack Dog. Mister Muffykins: Villains would also use a small yet savage dog as a canine equivalent to Right-Hand Cat. Right-Hand Attack Dog: Villains love dogs, and they often have them as their action sidekick. Ax-Crazy: Nothing says "This guy is evil" quite like an unbridled tendency to inflict violence on others unprovoked. Bad People Abuse Animals: If a person mistreats and harms animals, they're automatically evil. Bad Powers, Bad People: It can't be any more obvious that the villain is a bad guy if their powers are dangerous and lethal ones. Bald of Evil: A person being bald means they're the bad guy. Barbaric Bully Bat Out of Hell: Bats tend to be associated with villains. A Beast in Name and Nature: If you're named "The Beast," chances are that you aren't exactly hero material. Big Red Devil: The Devil is often depicted as a giant red demon, so it's blatant that anyone with that appearance is evil. Black Cloak Black Knight Black Speech: An evil language. Black Eyes of Evil: Like if a character has red eyes, if they have black eyes then they're likely to be evil. Blatant Burglar: If someone goes about wearing a striped shirt and an eyemask, they're probably going to try and steal something. Blood Bath: Bathing in the blood of your victims is a surefire way to show that you're evil. Card-Carrying Villain: Villains who are so proud of their villainy that they wear their immoral nature as a badge of honor. Cats Are Mean: Feline characters are often portrayed as antagonistic. Right-Hand Cat: Villains sure love cats. Colour-Coded for Your Convenience Good Colors, Evil Colors: You'll know who's the villain based on their color scheme. Commissar Cap: A character that wears this kind of military cap like Real Life dictators will often be evil. Examples: Those Wacky Nazis, Dirty Communists, Banana Republic, etc. Complete Monster: An utterly evil villain with no positive qualities. Creepy Hairless Animal Creepy High-Pitched Voice: Evil doesn't always sound deep. If they have an unsettling high pitched voice, then they're evil. Creepy Monotone: Most characters who speak without inflection are villains. Creepy Souvenir: An evil person would see no problem in holding onto dismembered body parts as mementos of their grisly deeds. Dark Is Evil: Dark colors are usually associated with evil characters. Dastardly Whiplash: The classic "mustached villain clad in black" character archetype that was frequently used to represent the bad guy in 1920's serials. Devil Complex: If someone ever identifies themselves as Satan (or a similar figure), there's a 100% probability that they're most definitely a villain. Devil in Plain Sight: Blatantly evil to the audience, but only a few characters suspect them. Devilish Hair Horns: Mimics Horns of Villainy trope but with hair instead of actual horns. Doom Troops: An army of evil minions who wear uniforms deliberately designed to make them look frightening. Dress-Coded for Your Convenience: Clothing dictates who's the hero and who's the villain. Eldritch Abomination Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: A character is evil if they're unable to understand the reason behind the heroes' actions or assumes that the heroes' good deeds were actually done for evil reasons. Evil Chancellor: Good rulers will often have wicked advisors that cause problems for their kingdom. Evil Eyebrows Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: Being unable to comprehend humor or having a tendency to make sick jokes at their victims' expenses proves that this person is evil. Evil Is Angular: You will know evil by their lack of rounded shapes. Evil Is Bigger Evil Is Burning Hot Infernal Background Evil Is Deathly Cold Evil Is Hammy: The bad guy wouldn't be much of a villain if he didn't chew the scenery at every opportunity. Evil Is Not Well-Lit: Dwelling where there is a noticeable lack of lighting underscores the character's villainous nature. Evil Is Petty: Bad guys who are willing to do misdeeds over slights that serve no purpose other than to prove what petty douchebags they are. Evil Is Visceral: Much like Evil Makes You Ugly, evil is much more graphic-looking. Evil Laugh: Villains always have a signature laugh to highlight their evil, and will often do so just before or after they've done something very bad. Evil Makes You Monstrous: A person who does wrong is marked by their misconduct by transforming into a hideous creature to show the world that they are now as monstrous on the outside as they are on the inside. Evil Makes You Ugly: Beauty Equals Goodness after all, so the uglier, the eviler. Evil Slinks Evil Smells Bad: Just as how Beauty Equals Goodness, if you smell bad, you're bad. Evil Sounds Deep: Villains have deep and sinister-sounding voices. Evil Sounds Raspy: Villains have raspy voices. Evil Wears Black: It is common for villains to wear black clothing. Excessive Evil Eyeshadow Fade Around the Eyes Fangs Are Evil: If a character has fangs, they're the bad guy. Fat, Sweaty Southerner in a White Suit Femme Fatalons: A Femme Fatale (or an effeminate male villain) will often have long nails. Finger-Tenting Flying Cutlery Spaceship For the Evulz: Doing evil for the sake of evil. Fur and Loathing: A character is deemed evil if they wear clothing made from skinned animals. Genuine Human Hide: It's very unlikely that a person is of commendable character if they make clothing from human skin. Glowing Eyes of Doom Good Eyes, Evil Eyes: You'll know who's the hero and who's the villain by the shape of their eyes. The narrower, the eviler. Good Hair, Evil Hair: You'll know who's the hero and who's the villain from their hairstyle. Good Prosthetic, Evil Prosthetic Good Scars, Evil Scars: Whether or not a person is evil is determined by the severity of their deformity. If the scarring is especially horrendous, then they're definitely evil. Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: In series where Everybody Smokes, the villain is usually the one with the big cigar or the excessively long cigarette holder. Good Taming, Evil Taming: Villains tend to have no compassion whatsoever for animals and beasts they try to tame, and will usually employ excessively cruel methods in order to do this. Good Wings, Evil Wings: Bird-like wings are usually associated with heroes whilst bat or reptilian-like wings are associated with villains. Got the Whole World in My Hand Hate Sink: The work goes out of its way to make the character an unlikeable asshole, so chances are very good that the character is also a villain most heinous. Hated by All: When no one at all likes this person, it could be because they're incredibly evil. Hellish Pupils: A villain having feline or reptilian vertical slit pupils is a tried and true method of emphasising their inhuman and monstrous nature. Hero Killer: You know the person's a villain when he's killed a hero. High Collar of Doom Horrible Judge of Character: This idiot sincerely believes that the one lurking in a dark alleyway while dressed in a black, hooded robe and brandishing a knife is trustworthy. Horns of Villainy: Having devil horns is a symbol of evil. Kick the Dog: Doing clearly evil acts to demonstrate their villainy. King Koopa Copy: You know someone's a villain, because they're based on Bowser from the Mario franchise. The Klan: Being affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan, one of the most notorious white supremacist groups in existence, is a very clear sign that you're a despicable individual. Lack of Empathy: Heroes are defined as caring for others so not caring for others makes one evil, especially due to its overlap with The Sociopath (which is almost always evil) Looks Like Orlok: Any character who has pale skin, pointy ears and is bald is blatantly up to no good. Mad Bomber: There's no way this person would be a good egg if they're willing to use explosives to cause property damage and hurt or kill a lot of innocent people. Makeup Is Evil Malevolent Masked Men: You clearly can't trust people if they tend to do their dirty deeds while wearing masks. Hockey Mask and Chainsaw: Is he wearing a hockey mask and using a chainsaw? He must be a Serial Killer! Run! Sackhead Slasher: Creepy murderers are as likely to wear sacks over their heads as hockey masks. Malevolent Mutilation: A character shows how depraved they are by intentionally cutting up and deforming their own and/or other people's bodies. Mark of the Beast Moral Event Horizon: Doing an act so heinous that it erases any chance of redemption. Names to Run Away from Really Fast: You know this person is evil because their name sounds scary or threatening. A Nazi by Any Other Name: It's clear as day that a person is evil if their agenda involves the genocide of races they deem inferior. Nightmare Face: Beauty Equals Goodness after all, so a villain has to have an appearance that can cause Nightmare Fuel. Obvious Villain, Secret Villain: One villain falls under this, and the other doesn't. Ominous Opera Cape: Very few things say "overtly evil" like wearing a long, flowing, dark-colored cape. Omnicidal Maniac: Villain wants to kill everyone. One-Winged Angel: Villains tend to have a more monstrous alternate form. Pædo Hunt: Pedophiles are always evil because sexual interest in children is inexcusable. Poison Is Evil: Poison is an element associated with evil. Politically Incorrect Villain: Racism and bigotry are universally associated with villainy. Practically Joker: You don’t have to be an expert on comic books to instinctively know that a guy who resembles Batman's archenemy is bad news. Psycho Electro: Characters with electrical powers tend to be mentally unstable and dangerous. Psycho for Hire: Person joins in to torture and kill. Psycho Knife Nut: If you encounter someone brandishing a knife when the situation doesn't call for one, chances are they're an Ax-Crazy murderer. Putting on the Reich: Person dresses up as a Nazi. Pyromaniac: A person with an unhealthy fixation on committing arson. Red and Black and Evil All Over: Red and black tend to be 'evil' colors, and bonus points if they're both put on. Red Eyes, Take Warning: If a character has red eyes, there's a likely chance that they are evil. Red Right Hand: A physical trait that clearly points out that the person's a villain. Reptiles Are Abhorrent: Reptiles are often associated with villains. Satanic Archetype: A villain is modeled after Satan, and considering that the devil embodies all that is evil, it's a given that this person is bad. Savage Wolves: Wild canines are often portrayed as savage antagonists. The Big Bad Wolf: The wolves are often the villains in many stories, especially fairy tales. Scary Shiny Glasses: If a bespectacled character's eyes are obscured by light reflected in their glasses, chances are they have no soul. Scary Teeth: You can tell this character is evil because their teeth look creepy or disgusting. Secondary Color Nemesis: Secondary colors, like green and purple, are often associated with villains. Sensible Heroes, Skimpy Villains: Villains tend to wear less clothing cuz Evil Is Sexy. Serial Killer: If the character goes around murdering people constantly, no one in their right mind would say they're a good person. Sickly Green Glow: Glowing green is a pretty effective indicator that a being is malevolent. Sinister Schnoz: You can tell a character is bad because they have a long and pointy nose. Sinister Scimitar Sinister Scythe Skeleton Motif: The motif of death is often used by villains. Skeletons in the Coat Closet: If you wear bones or skulls as clothing, then you're probably not a good person. Slasher Smile: Anyone who tends to have a creepy grin on their face can't be trusted. Smelly Skunk: Skunks are almost always associated with villains, due to Evil Smells Bad. Snakes Are Sinister: Snakes are almost always associated with villains, even by reptile standards. Snarky Villain, Earnest Hero: You can tell a character is the bad guy by how flippant and snarky they are in comparison to the good guy. Southern Gothic Satan: An American folklore representation of none other than Satan. Spikes of Villainy: You can tell a character is the bad guy because they wear armor covered in spikes. Straw Nihilist: A character takes the belief that life has no meaning to the extreme that therefore there's no point in doing good deeds and everyone's better off dead. Stupid Evil: Doing villainy well past the point that it loses any semblance of logic. Swamps Are Evil: Swamps are a popular location for villains' hideouts due to being inherently dark, sinister, dangerous and mysterious places. Tattooed Crook: People with tattoos tend to be sketchy and suspicious. Thin Chin of Sin: Heroes tend to have large chins, so a villain needs a thin chin in order to be instantly recognizable. Those Wacky Nazis: Considering the atrocities the Nazis were known to have committed, it's obvious that a person is evil if they are a Nazi. Tin Tyrant: Coating yourself in visually imposing armor is a surefire way to paint yourself as the villain. Two-Faced: It's clear that a character is evil because their face is completely asymmetrical. Uncleanliness Is Next to Ungodliness: Evil characters who have poor bodily hygiene. Vader Breath: Heavy breathing is a very effective way to make a character seem threatening and sinister. Villain by Default: The villain is a villain because of what they are, instead of what they do. Villain Song: Really want to make it obvious who the bad guy is? Then have them sing a song where they boast about the atrocities they've committed, gloat about their despicable nature or describe the bad things they intend to do. Villainous Cheekbones Villainous Widow's Peak: Nothing says "villain" than having hair on your forehead form a triangle Voice of the Legion: Sometimes evil sounds deep enough that it reverberates. White Hair, Black Heart: Be wary of young characters with white hair, especially if they originate from, or are inspired by, Eastern fictionnote . Wicked Witch: Considering that the Wicked Witch of the West bears many obvious villain traits, any character inspired by her can be expected to be evil. Xenomorph Xerox: If you're feeling evil, make sure everyone knows it by taking a page from the Xenomorphs from Alien: creepy alien killing machines that are a metaphor for rape. Yellow Eyes of Sneakiness: You know this character is shifty and untrustworthy because they have yellow eyes.