Tropescilloscope: Big Bad

The ultimate villain of the story, who's causing the problem the heroes must solve. (read more at tvtropes.org)

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