The Pure Evil villain is a type of villain that is considered to be the most evil character in the story with no redeeming qualities. A villain who is Pure Evil is completely evil.
Pure Evil (PE for short) goes by different names such as Pure Evil Villain and Purely Evil Villain.
Basics
For a villain to be Pure Evil, the villain must:
- Be presented seriously in the story they appear in.
- Commit atrocious acts that are terrible (and fairly new) by the standards of the story and in comparison to any other character in the story. If a villain commits the same atrocities acts done before by another character that appeared before them, be they hero or villain, they're no longer new to the heinous standard of the work.
- Have no redeeming qualities: shows no remorse, shows no empathy, shows no love for anyone (this doesn't apply to objects, only to living things like actual people or animals) and have no regrets for their actions.
- Show that they have moral agency and know what is right from wrong.
- Crosses the Moral Event Horizon more than once although it's also possible for the villain to qualify with a a single cross in rare occasions.
Criteria
The Pure Evil villain must meet all these criteria to count.
Character's Traits
A Pure Evil villain must have a clearly defined personality and character. Simple one-dimensional characters like a destroyer with no clearly defined personality such as the Ten-tails cannot be considered Pure Evil.
Heinous Standards
A Pure Evil villain must go above and beyond the general heinous standards and the in-story heinous standards. In addition, for Pure Evil villains who are a part of a corrupt system they must also go beyond the system standard as well. A Pure Evil villain must meet these standards to qualify:
- General Standard: This is the standards that separates the average villain or character from the Pure Evil villain. At this point, going against the heroes and committing crimes such as theft or murder is basic villainy but with this standard the villain must go above simple basic acts to something uniquely vile. At this point, comparisons to villains across other works are important when deciding the villain passes the General Standard.
- In-Story Standard: This is the standards that are unique to the story the villain is from. Here, this separates villains and characters within the story's work from those that are Pure Evil. For example, if serial killing and/or genocide are the basic standard villainy in a story, then the In-Story standards are going to be higher than another story and it might be harder for the story to have a villain who is worse than the other villains who are serial killers and genocidal villains. And, only the villain who is worst than the serial killers can possibly qualify as Pure Evil. As such, if the said villain commit the same crimes of their predecessor, they cannot qualify as one.
- System Standard: This is the standards that are unique from members of a corrupted system such as Nazis. Generally, given they are part of a specific system with certain morals, they don't commit actions that are beyond the basic heinous standard and meet the norm. Such character can qualify if the villain is the one that started said system and meets all criteria, or commits actions that go beyond the systems' standards-also proving that they would be capable of committing atrocious actions even if they weren't a member of said system. A good example of this is Amon Goeth - as he had one his workers in the concentration camp killed for giving him advice despite the fact that she was needed for construction and later following said advice-an action that made even other Nazis question his authority.
Moral Event Horizon
A Pure Evil villains must cross the Moral Event Horizon, usually more than once as it emphasizes on how heinous they are. Although rare exceptions of those that have crossed it only once can count if said action is heinous and atrocious enough by the standards of the story, and they meet all criteria. Steele is a good example of this as he was willing to let all the children of a whole village die from illness if he didn't let Balto deliver their medicine just to beat him in a competition.
Individual Capability
This goes over the what the character is capable of by themselves. This means what evil acts a character is capable of committing on their own with the resources they have. Resources can mean the amount of time they appear in the story, character's role, access to resources in their setting, for example. With this criteria it is possible for a single work to have a One Shot villain and a Big Bad qualify to be Pure Evil. With a character's individual capability, it is also possible for a Serial Killer and a Dictator to apply as Pure Evil despite having access to different types of resources that has varying scope. This means how bad a certain type of villain can be under a certain setting. Remember, that if a certain villain is worse than another, then only the worst can qualify. A Pure Evil villain has to be as bad as they can be with the resources they have.
Moral Agency
The Pure Evil Villain must have a clear moral agency. They must know what is right and wrong but choose to do what is wrong and stay evil. In many cases such as a villain being mentally insane, possessed/brainwashed, or just does not know what is right from wrong, then the villain cannot qualify. In addition, villains who are incarnations of darkness and evil itself are likely to not count as Pure Evil as they only know how to be evil and cannot understand what is right or wrong.
No Groups
No single group can qualify to be Pure Evil because a group do not have moral agency. Only individuals have moral agency and the individual capability to stand out. Groups like organizations, corporations, teams, families, and entire species, for example, cannot be considered Pure Evil.
No Redeeming Qualities
A Pure Evil Villain must have no redeeming qualities. This type of villain cannot show empathy, compassion, regrets, remorse, or love for anyone. In addition, any actions out of genuine concern or for altruistic reasons are disqualifying factors and the villain cannot count as Pure Evil. Pure Evil villains are completely evil with no sense of empathy or care for anyone.
No Sympathy
No sympathy can be given to the Pure Evil villain. No matter their past or conditions, it does not make up for the actions they have committed. There can be no justification for their acts. Their evil acts combined with having no empathy does not make this type of villain sympathetic.
Screen Time
The Pure Evil Villain's acts must be presented onscreen. If all the worst acts of a villain are only off-screen, then they cannot qualify. In some cases if some acts are off-screen and it has visible effects onscreen or if the character has a long history of committing evil acts, for example Katz from Courage the Cowardly Dog, then the villain can count.
The Worst
This villain has to be the worst villain in the story with little to no competition from any other villain or character. If another villain is not as heinous as another villain, then they cannot count as Pure Evil. Generally, the villain has to go above and beyond in the story they appear in with nothing to mitigate their villainy. In addition, the villain must already be passed the Moral Event Horizon to qualify. There can be more than one Pure Evil Villain in the same story, but each one has to stand out in their own unique terms of heinousness.
Story Type
The type of story the Pure Evil Villain appears in is important to the portrayal of the villain and what they are capable of.
- If a villain appears in a comedy type story where their evil acts are not taken seriously, then they cannot count. The story makes it clear that the actions of the villain was not to be taken completely seriously which goes against the rule.
- Stories that are purposefully over-the-top appalling, are not likely to have a Pure Evil villain, since the story itself is intentionally designed for shock value. The character is supposed to stand out in the story they appear in not be apart of a story that is intentionally making itself stand out.
Through the type of story that the villain appears in, it is important that they are presented completely seriously without any factor that can take away from their seriousness.
Categories
Special Cases That Can Apply
This is a list of categories in which under certain circumstances Pure Evil can apply.
- Artificial Intelligence: These villains almost never qualify as they generally only do what they're programmed to by other villains. Though exceptions can be made if they show they have free will, commit actions on their own, and meet all criteria. A good example of this is Skynet from the Terminator series - as it willingly chose to rebel against humans once it became self-aware because it saw humanity as inferior to it.
- Creations: These villains may pose the risk demons have of not knowing what right and wrong is, though they may count if they have clear moral agency and meet all criteria.
- Delusional: Villains who believe what they are doing is good or right may qualify if they commit actions that go against their morals and thus making them hypocrites-proving that they are abusing their views on what is "right" to the point where it becomes an excuse just to hurt others.
- Demons: These villains are hard to count as they generally only know how to do evil and may not have an understanding of what is good. Although exceptions can be made if they show they have a full understanding of what's right and wrong and willingly choose to do evil while meeting all criteria.
- Dissociative: Villains with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) generally don't count given they have no control over their actions due to their illness. However some can qualify if a) the alternate personality of the character meets all criteria, understands what's right and wrong while choosing to do wrong, and all heinous crimes are traced to said persona, or b) the character shows they are just as capable of committing evil actions without the personalities, and shows no regret for the heinous crimes they committed while under said personalities and understands what's right or wrong while choosing to do wrong and meeting all criteria.
- Exploitation Pure Evils: These villains are hard to qualify given they are a part of a genre that is meant to be over-the-top appalling, thus making it hard for said villains of the stories to meet such a high heinous standard. Though exceptions can exist if they do in fact manage to meet such a standard and all criteria.
- Fallen Heroes: A Pure Evil villain can be a a Fallen Hero if all they did was serve on the good side and completely shed any redeeming qualities once they cross over to complete villainy and meet all criteria.
- Hero's Lover: The Pure Evil villain can be the hero's lover in the sense that they were or is currently a significant other to the hero. Lover means that the villain is a significant other to the hero. The Pure Evil villain can be in a relationship with a hero and not have any genuine affection or love for them. For example, the Pure Evil villain could be abusing the hero or manipulating the hero for their own benefits. This category can apply to both the character's past in which they were once the hero's lover and the present where they are in a relationship with the hero but have no love or affection for them.
- Inconclusive: If the story ends prematurely or ends up being cancelled, it leaves questions as to how the villain would have developed if the story was complete. However, even for villains who have not died but are still alive and active by the time the story ends prematurely and still meets all the criteria, they can still qualify to be Pure Evil.
- Kids: For children, because of how young they are, their moral agency may not be clear. However, if the child shows that they have clear understanding of what they are doing and meets all the criteria, they may count. Henry Evans is a good example of this as he made it clear that doing evil and letting go of what's right in the world makes him feel free.
- Eldritch Abominations: Like Demons, these villains are hard to qualify given they may not have an understanding of what's good. However, exceptions can be made if they show they have a full understanding of what's right and wrong and willingly choose to do evil while meeting all criteria. A good example of this is Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls as he has a clear understanding of what hurts people and shows sadistic delight in using that against them-as evident when he distorts Preston Northwest's face and laughs as the townspeople run away screaming in response.
- Love Rivals: The Pure Evil villain can be a love rival, a villain competing with a hero or another character for a specific love interest. For a Pure Evil villain, they can be competing with another character to simply get into a relationship with a specific character but not have any genuine love or care for them. In addition, they may plan to be their lover to abuse them or manipulate them, for example. An example of a villain who is pure evil and a love rival is General Mandible from Antz. Through the film, he was a love rival to the main character and hero Z where he competed with him to get into a relationship with Princess Bala. General Mandible did not want to be in a relationship with Princess Bala out of genuine love or care but wanted her to give birth to a powerful colony of workers he would have control over.
- Mentally Ill: Due to their mental state, it's hard to tell whether or not they have a clear moral agency. However they can qualify if they make it clear that they have an understanding of what is right and wrong and meet all the criteria, even inspite of their limited views on reality.
- Mute: Villains who don't speak at all on screen are hard to qualify given they generally lack personality and a clear motive. However, some can depict through their actions a personality and motive and may qualify if they meet all criteria.
- Necessary Evil: A Pure Evil villain can be Necessary Evil. Despite being very evil in the setting that appear in, their status, power, or occupation may be necessary to uphold the order of the place that the story takes place in. In a circumstance like this, it is considered Evil Vs. Evil. This is not a redeeming quality as the Pure Evil villain is still dangerous to the setting that they happen to be necessary in. For example, abusing or enslaving those around them while upholding stability to something greater that they are apart of.
- Partners in Crime: Pure Evil can apply to the Partners in Crimes as long as they meet the aforementioned criteria. The Pure Evil category can apply to duos as both characters together actually manages to meet all the criteria. In other instances, a trio can qualify if all three individuals meets the criteria to be Pure Evil.
- Pawns: While villains are merely known to be servants of far bigger villains, they can still commit heinous acts and still be just as dangerous and vile like any other Pure Evil villains. Examples include Makuta Teridax.
- Predators: Villains who kill purely for food cannot qualify as they are doing what they are doing for survival. However they may count if they kill others out of sadism rather than food even if food is one of their purposes, and they meet all criteria. A good example of this is Dag from Barnyard, as while he did kill for food, he clearly killed more out of sadism as his ribs are visible, and he also fashioned a necklace out of the feet of the chicken he killed and used it to scare the ones he captured.
- Protagonists: It is not common in many works for a main character or lead character to actually be Pure Evil, but if they meet all the criteria they can qualify.
- Psychotic: Like the Mentally Ill, in spite of their limited views on reality, certain villains that fall under Psychotic may qualify if they have at least some understanding of what's right and wrong while meeting all criteria.
- Rivals: While it's common for this kind of villain to share a mutual respect for their opponents, it's not neccessary for them to do so, so Rivals may count if they meet all criteria.
- Sitcom Pure Evils: These villains are hard to count given the comedic nature of their TV shows. However, some may qualify if they are taken seriously enough and meet all criteria.
- Wrestlers: There are major differences between real-life Wrestlers and fictional Wrestlers. While fictional Wrestlers can qualify to be Pure Evil, real-life Wrestlers (especially in the WWE Universe) can NOT qualify to be Pure Evil, as they are essentially actors and their actions do not go far beyond villainy. An example of this is Cell.
Additional Notes
- Even though it is common for many Pure Evil villains to be sadists, not all Pure Evil villains are sadists. It is not a requirement for a villain to take pleasure in other's pain and misery to qualify as Pure Evil. Sadism is an important factor to consider, but it is not a requirement to be considered Pure Evil. A Pure Evil villain can commit their acts without taking pleasure or glee in it. If anything this can make their actions more petty since they don't have anything pleasurable to gain from them.
- If the villain does something atrocious that wasn't on purpose, they can still qualify if they become aware of it and show no regret on said action and they meet all criteria. For example, Top Dollar from the Crow film. While he did not specifically order for Eric's murder or the murder of his fiancé, he nevertheless expressed no remorse over what happened, admitted full responsibility, and even said he's enjoyed the thrill of fighting Eric because of it.
- The author's words or opinion on the character is not applicable on whether or not the villain can qualify to be Pure Evil.
- An all around hated character either by the work's fandom, by characters in the story itself, or from both the fandom and the story itself is not indicative of a character qualifying as Pure Evil. While resentment from the characters in the story and the audience is an important factor to consider, if the villain does not meet the criteria to be Pure Evil but is simply hated, then that villain cannot count.
- Like how the Redeemed category should be added, Pure Evil should normally be added to a villain when the story arc or season they are apart of is over. If the Pure Evil category is added before the arc/season is over, there is a possibility the villain could have a redeeming quality, redeem themselves, or another much more heinous villain might appear that may outdo that specific villain; in all three scenarios, the villain cannot count. Since the part of the story where the villain appears is not complete, it is best practice to wait until it is complete to consider adding the category to the villain.
- A villain from a different continuity or version can end up counting if the original version did not. The same can also apply, if the original version of the character ends up counting, but other versions of the character does not. For example, many versions of the Joker ends up qualifying to be Pure Evil while some versions of him like the Joker from Batman: Brave and the Bold does not qualify.
- Parodies are only done for comedic purposes and are not meant to be taken seriously and as a result cannot qualify to be Pure Evil. Homages, however, can qualify as Pure Evil as they can be taken seriously in the work they appear in.
- If the Pure Evil villain is comedic, it has to go hand-in-hand with their villainy not detract from it. If the villain is portrayed as comical and light-hearted, then they cannot qualify as Pure Evil.