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