Tropescilloscope: Alas, Poor Villain

The villain's death or downfall is painted in a sympathetic light. (read more at tvtropes.org)

More Tropes Parental Substitute Spiteful Spit The Load Ass Shove Parental Incest Blood Knight Insane Troll Logic Revenge Alas, Poor Villain Dies Wide Open Camp Gay Show Within a Show Rasputinian Death The Atoner Slashed Throat Works Set in World War II Fish out of Water Suspiciously Specific Denial Hero Antagonist Deconstruction Informed Ability Adapted Out The Mole Posthumous Character Fainting The Lost Lenore Tempting Fate Arranged Marriage Action Prologue Totally Radical Mistaken for Gay Bullying a Dragon Kill 'em All Noodle Incident The Power of Love Cold-Blooded Torture War Is Hell What the Hell, Hero? Not So Above It All Silent Movie Cruel and Unusual Death Pun aka: Incredibly Lame Pun Deliberate Values Dissonance Rousing Speech Fingore Kick the Son of a Bitch Poor Communication Kills Serious Business Stock Footage The Film of the Book Instant Death Bullet Soft Glass Mooks Eureka Moment Film Noir Index Heroic Sacrifice Reality Has No Subtitles Distracted by the Sexy Dull Surprise Karma Houdini Continuity Nod The Musical Mystery and Detective Films Adaptational Villainy Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! Hero of Another Story Fatal Family Photo Red Shirt Hope Spot Spell My Name with an "S" All There in the Manual Bring My Brown Pants Married to the Job Not Even Bothering with the Accent Blatant Lies Ambiguous Ending Playing Gertrude Even Evil Has Standards Badass in a Nice Suit The Casanova Domestic Abuse Card-Carrying Villain Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Dogged Nice Guy Animated Credits Opening Meaningful Echo Epic Fail Captain Ersatz Chekhov's Skill The Ace Wretched Hive Pretty in Mink Meaningful Name Redemption Equals Death Funny Background Event A Father to His Men Sports Stories Broken Bird The Faceless Wham Line Gender Flip Obfuscating Stupidity Hypocritical Humor Bunny-Ears Lawyer Truth in Television Disproportionate Retribution Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? Same Language Dub An Axe to Grind Horror Comedy Department of Redundancy Department Parental Neglect Nice Hat Not Using the "Z" Word Dark and Troubled Past Green-Eyed Monster Together in Death Index of Film Westerns Break the Cutie Affectionate Parody Police are Useless She's Got Legs Only a Flesh Wound Big Bad The Cavalry "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue Implacable Man Fat Bastard Back from the Dead Actor Allusion Australian Movies Epic Movie An Aesop Evil Plan Dirty Cop Grievous Bottley Harm Spiritual Successor The Dreaded Yandere The Dragon Creepy Child He Who Fights Monsters Diabolus ex Machina No OSHA Compliance Badass Bookworm Cat Scare Gold Digger I Want My Beloved to Be Happy Bloodless Carnage Motor Mouth Evil Is Petty Bitch in Sheep's Clothing Silence Is Golden Fiery Redhead Fantasy Films Took a Level in Badass Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene Sexy Discretion Shot Needs Wiki Magic Love Berserk Button "Awesome McCool" Name Male Gaze I Just Shot Marvin in the Face The Stoner Actually Pretty Funny Artistic License – Biology Ugly Guy, Hot Wife The Un-Reveal Artistic License – Military This Is Gonna Suck It's Personal Leitmotif Names to Run Away from Really Fast Sacrificial Lion Stepford Smiler Adult Fear Cool Old Lady Nice Job Fixing It, Villain! Drives Like Crazy And the Adventure Continues As Himself Villain Opening Scene Improvised Weapon You Have Outlived Your Usefulness Age Lift Would Hit a Girl One-Man Army Affably Evil Oh, Crap! Every Car Is a Pinto Heterosexual Life-Partners Refuge in Audacity Famous Last Words Kick the Dog Meet Cute My God, What Have I Done? Call-Back Kubrick Stare Worthy Opponent Anyone Can Die Death Seeker Male Frontal Nudity Combat Pragmatist The Voiceless Taking You with Me Big Bad Duumvirate Once More, with Clarity! You Have Got to Be Kidding Me! Death by Adaptation Smug Snake Body Horror Pre-Asskicking One-Liner Chuck Cunningham Syndrome Five-Man Band Not So Different Historical Hero Upgrade Wrong Genre Savvy Cool Guns Black and Gray Morality Only in It for the Money No-Sell Shirtless Scene Papa Wolf Award-Bait Song Villainous Breakdown Vampire Fiction Fire-Forged Friends Author Avatar Butt-Monkey Bar Brawl Red Herring Jerk with a Heart of Gold The Ditz Bond One-Liner Token Minority Psychological Thriller True Companions Henpecked Husband Casting Gag Creative Closing Credits Creator Cameo Adaptational Attractiveness Covers Always Lie Apocalypse How Everyone Has Standards Undying Loyalty Abhorrent Admirer Alpha Bitch Mr. Exposition Manipulative Bastard Romantic False Lead Anti-Villain Based on a True Story Historical-Domain Character Too Dumb to Live Shell-Shocked Veteran Never Trust a Trailer No-Holds-Barred Beatdown Deadpan Snarker Romantic Comedy Dressing as the Enemy Kill It with Fire Cool Old Guy Pet the Dog Manic Pixie Dream Girl Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! Beware the Nice Ones What You Are in the Dark Ambiguously Gay Frame-Up Advertised Extra Bald of Evil Guile Hero Documentary Big Applesauce Chiaroscuro Nothing Is Scarier Vacation Films Thriller Lighter and Softer Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Badass Longcoat Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane As the Good Book Says... Facial Horror Monumental Damage Empathic Environment Country Matters Public Domain Feature Films There Is No Kill Like Overkill Riddle for the Ages Big "NO!" Despair Event Horizon Say My Name Fan Disservice Vomit Discretion Shot Catch-Phrase Only Sane Man Wicked Cultured Retcon Daylight Horror Toplessness from the Back Homage He Knows Too Much Pimped-Out Dress Never My Fault Super Strength Aside Glance The Chick Book-Ends Kids Are Cruel Horror Films Manchild Stylistic Suck Bury Your Gays Imagine Spot Rule of Funny Took a Level in Jerkass A Date with Rosie Palms Friend to All Children Retired Badass Break the Haughty Taking the Bullet 20 Minutes into the Future Jerk Jock Does Not Like Shoes The Bad Guy Wins Russian Films Girl-on-Girl Is Hot Ms. Fanservice Important Haircut You Have Failed Me Training Montage Intergenerational Friendship Villain Ball Foil Suspiciously Similar Substitute Pragmatic Adaptation Drill Sergeant Nasty Central Theme Bound and Gagged Mercy Kill Brother–Sister Incest Mad Scientist The Un-Favourite aka: The Un Favorite You Killed My Father Sassy Black Woman It's All About Me Ambiguous Disorder Artistic License – Law Cool Shades Handicapped Badass Fake Shemp Crazy-Prepared Amusing Injuries Morality Pet Hate Sink Mythology Gag Karmic Death Stalker with a Crush Unwitting Instigator of Doom Big Fancy House Match Cut Belligerent Sexual Tension Screw the Money, I Have Rules! Good Is Not Nice Easily Forgiven Meaningful Background Event Put on a Bus Logo Joke Danny Peary Cult Movies List Adaptational Badass Race Lift Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday Four-Temperament Ensemble Canon Foreigner For Want of a Nail The Quiet One Fourth Date Marriage Bait-and-Switch Precision F-Strike Cluster F-Bomb Biopic Overprotective Dad An Arm and a Leg Framing Device Action Genre Nice Guy Evil Brit Lampshade Hanging Abusive Parents Peek-a-Boo Corpse Beauty Is Never Tarnished No Celebrities Were Harmed Sir Swears-a-Lot Contrived Coincidence Authority Equals Asskicking Our Zombies Are Different Black Dude Dies First Left the Background Music On timeperiod Missing Mom Dropped a Bridge on Him Improbable Weapon User And I Must Scream Word of God Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique Animal Motifs Badass Normal Evil Sounds Deep How We Got Here Stealth Pun Comically Missing the Point Make It Look Like an Accident Japanese Films NO INDOOR VOICE Darker and Edgier As Long as It Sounds Foreign The Lancer Film Series Heroes Want Redheads Hollywood Law Antagonist Title Cassandra Truth Tagline Earn Your Happy Ending Dramatic Irony Scenery Gorn Scare Chord Fanservice Extra Gilligan Cut Mind Screw Pre-Mortem One-Liner Jerkass The Sociopath Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" The X of Y Military and Warfare Films Amoral Attorney Colour-Coded for Your Convenience aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience Shower Scene Better to Die than Be Killed Product Placement Brainless Beauty Big Brother Instinct British Films Eyepatch of Power The '80s Villain Song Bad Boss Evil Counterpart Leaning on the Fourth Wall Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas Blood from the Mouth Ripped from the Headlines Never Found the Body Badass Boast Straight Gay Major Injury Underreaction The Place Big-Bad Ensemble The Chessmaster Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy Men Are the Expendable Gender Eiffel Tower Effect Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold Slasher Movie Christmas Movies Index Artistic License – Gun Safety Even Evil Has Loved Ones Punch-Clock Villain All for Nothing Recap / RiffTrax aka: Riff Trax Movies Artistic License – History Market-Based Title Those Two Bad Guys Enemy Mine The Ghost Improbable Infant Survival aka: Infant Immortality Psycho for Hire Dirty Coward Line-of-Sight Name Smoking Is Cool Shut Up, Hannibal! Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass Bloody Hilarious Black Best Friend Cowboy Cop Plot Hole Disney Villain Death French Films Corpsing Ship Tease Dramatic Gun Cock Catapult Nightmare Video Credits Suddenly SHOUTING! Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer Neck Lift Really Gets Around Have a Gay Old Time As You Know Shown Their Work "Shaggy Dog" Story Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other Sadistic Choice Unusually Uninteresting Sight Children Are Innocent Ironic Echo Loads and Loads of Characters Unusual Euphemism Soundtrack Dissonance Red Eyes, Take Warning Adaptation Dye-Job Psychopathic Manchild Leave the Camera Running Defiant to the End Moment Killer Knife Nut What Happened to the Mouse? folderlabel Immune to Bullets Offscreen Moment of Awesome Jump Scare Rule of Three Gone Horribly Right My Greatest Failure Sole Survivor Would Hurt a Child Eye Scream Demonic Possession Those Wacky Nazis Up to Eleven Mood Whiplash Agony of the Feet Determinator Coming-of-Age Story The Bully Ax-Crazy Shout-Out Armor-Piercing Question The '60s Rich Bitch Did Not Get the Girl More Dakka Car Fu Bittersweet Ending Captain Obvious Race Against the Clock After the End Never Trust a Trailer aka: Trailers Always Lie No Ending No Antagonist Sequel Escalation Heel Realization Those Two Guys La Résistance Older Than They Look Pyrrhic Victory Crucified Hero Shot The Big Guy Bolivian Army Ending Evil Laugh Annoying Younger Sibling Mundane Made Awesome Camera Abuse Broken Aesop Final Girl The '90s Historical Villain Upgrade Rewatch Bonus Tranquil Fury Improbable Aiming Skills From Bad to Worse Adaptational Heroism I Need a Freaking Drink Superhero Italian Films Be Careful What You Wish For Obstructive Bureaucrat Your Head A-Splode Politically Incorrect Villain Action Girl Awesome, but Impractical Hypocrite Black Comedy Insistent Terminology Real Life Anachronism Stew Well-Intentioned Extremist MacGuffin Visual Pun Take a Third Option Irony The Oner Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome Serial Killer BFG Deus ex Machina Not What It Looks Like Adaptation Expansion Only Known by Their Nickname Self-Deprecation Redshirt Army Double Entendre Mighty Whitey Evil-Detecting Dog Asshole Victim Call-Forward Exact Words Boom, Headshot! Mama Bear Breaking the Fourth Wall Scenery Porn Composite Character Dark Is Not Evil Adorkable Grey and Gray Morality Pay Evil unto Evil The Cameo Man on Fire Driven to Suicide Groin Attack Extremely Short Timespan Punctuated! For! Emphasis! Curse Cut Short Sequel Hook Greater-Scope Villain Unspoken Plan Guarantee Not Quite Dead Stuff Blowing Up A Minor Kidroduction Expository Hairstyle Change Ungrateful Bastard Closed Circle Due to the Dead Celebrity Paradox Getting Crap Past the Radar All There in the Script Brick Joke Whole Plot Reference Ascended Extra I Have Your Wife Roger Ebert: Great Movies List Light Is Not Good Fantastic Racism Curb-Stomp Battle "The Reason You Suck" Speech Star-Crossed Lovers Half the Man He Used to Be Chase Scene Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil Toilet Humour aka: Toilet Humor Let's Get Dangerous! Exactly What It Says on the Tin Love at First Sight Mugging the Monster Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds Plucky Comic Relief Woman in White Re-Cut Defrosting Ice Queen Genre Shift Paper-Thin Disguise In Medias Res Becoming the Mask Guns Akimbo The End... Or Is It? Air-Vent Passageway Rape as Drama Neck Snap Maybe Ever After The Stoic Skewed Priorities Love Triangle Eagleland Hell Is That Noise "Well Done, Son!" Guy Chekhov's Gunman A God Am I Damsel in Distress Stealth Hi/Bye Costume Porn Reckless Gun Usage Villain with Good Publicity The Remake Drowning My Sorrows Gorn Tap on the Head Hong Kong Films Rule of Symbolism Betty and Veronica Scary Black Man The Smurfette Principle Throwing Your Sword Always Works Gainax Ending Interrupted Suicide Dissonant Serenity Action Survivor Dramedy Hidden Depths Deal with the Devil Anachronic Order Pretty Little Headshots Death by Sex Death of a Child Unresolved Sexual Tension Almost Kiss World of Ham For the Evulz Slap-Slap-Kiss All Just a Dream Real Life Writes the Plot Calling the Old Man Out Anguished Declaration of Love Screw This, I'm Outta Here! Dark Reprise The Stinger Foreshadowing Title Drop Broken Pedestal Adults Are Useless Setting Update Destination Defenestration Alliterative Name Only One Name I'm a Humanitarian Fate Worse than Death Trailers Always Spoil Reality Is Unrealistic Bad "Bad Acting" All Men Are Perverts Narrator Failed a Spot Check Here We Go Again! Bavarian Fire Drill Faux Affably Evil Attempted Rape Face–Heel Turn Ominous Latin Chanting Didn't Think This Through O.O.C. Is Serious Business Reasonable Authority Figure Hollywood Darkness Obviously Evil Auto Erotica Artistic License – Physics Made of Explodium Artistic License – Geography Humiliation Conga Overly Long Gag Jitter Cam Corrupt Corporate Executive Drugs Are Bad Conspicuous CG Disney Death Storming the Castle Bottomless Magazines Recycled IN SPACE! Red Right Hand Take That! Fatal Flaw Daddy's Girl Hair-Trigger Temper Random Events Plot Gratuitous English Death by Irony Femme Fatale The Hero Dies B-Movie Happily Married Not So Stoic The Starscream Last-Name Basis Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking Parental Abandonment Disappeared Dad Adaptation Name Change I Did What I Had to Do Early Installment Weirdness Developing Doomed Characters Police Brutality Babies Ever After N-Word Privileges Genre Throwback Flashback Very Loosely Based on a True Story Darkest Hour Cat Fight Spanner in the Works Accidental Misnaming Vitriolic Best Buds Disguised in Drag Screw the Rules, I Have Money! Lock and Load Montage Deliberately Monochrome Villain Protagonist Evil vs. Evil Laughing Mad Large Ham Foregone Conclusion Demoted to Extra Canadian Movies One Steve Limit Punny Name Sanity Slippage Victoria's Secret Compartment One-Word Title Time Skip Intrepid Reporter Bi the Way Badass Grandpa Wounded Gazelle Gambit All Girls Want Bad Boys Roaring Rampage of Revenge Insult Backfire Bland-Name Product Bare Your Midriff Impaled with Extreme Prejudice Establishing Character Moment Our Vampires Are Different Shoot the Shaggy Dog Film Noir Crazy Jealous Guy Madness Mantra The Smart Guy Fanservice Beard of Evil From Nobody to Nightmare Depraved Bisexual Zombie Stories Chewing the Scenery Humans Are Bastards Twist Ending Your Cheating Heart The Alleged Car Outrun the Fireball Laser-Guided Karma '80s Hair Evil Cannot Comprehend Good And Starring Running Gag Heroic BSoD Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism Dumb Blonde Flipping the Bird Downer Ending Cloudcuckoolander Translation Convention Batman Gambit Music Stories Eldritch Abomination Science Fiction Films Fun with Acronyms Martial Arts Movie Unreliable Narrator The '50s Off with His Head! Bowdlerise Small Name, Big Ego Killed Mid-Sentence Arch-Enemy Heel–Face Turn The Great Depression Decoy Protagonist Manly Tears Pragmatic Villainy Naked People Are Funny Jerkass Has a Point Dutch Angle Beta Couple Brutal Honesty Idiot Ball Red Oni, Blue Oni The Reveal Television Movie Index Credits Gag Rated M for Manly Sealed Evil in a Can Does This Remind You of Anything? Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? Hoist by His Own Petard Properly Paranoid Chekhov's Gun Ghost Fiction Freeze-Frame Bonus Room Full of Crazy She Cleans Up Nicely The Alcoholic Gory Discretion Shot Non-Indicative Name Dying Moment of Awesome Adaptation Distillation Early-Bird Cameo Bilingual Bonus Blackmail Author Appeal Genre Savvy Knight Templar Sci-Fi Horror It Will Never Catch On The Hero Slasher Smile In Name Only Novelization Animal Title Index Expy Cain and Abel Shipper on Deck The '70s Big Damn Heroes Character Development Extreme Doormat Protagonist Title Determinator aka: The Determinator Arc Words Freudian Excuse Naïve Newcomer Rule of Cool Woman Scorned Mr. Fanservice Funny Foreigner Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping Spared by the Adaptation Malevolent Masked Men Wham Shot Accidental Murder The Mafia Double-Meaning Title Sinister Minister Anti-Hero Offscreen Teleportation Made of Iron Face Death with Dignity Black Comedy Rape Off-into-the-Distance Ending Loophole Abuse Retirony Evil Is Hammy Crapsack World In the Back Bond Villain Stupidity Dwindling Party Dark Action Girl Bloodier and Gorier Hooker with a Heart of Gold Dirty Old Man Death Glare Get Out! Honor Before Reason Historical In-Joke Reality Ensues Vomit Indiscretion Shot Aluminum Christmas Trees Big Eater Cool Car Faking the Dead The Brute The Dog Bites Back A.I. Is a Crapshoot May–December Romance Mexican Standoff It Can Think My Beloved Smother No Good Deed Goes Unpunished The Vamp No Name Given German Films Dual Wielding