(no subject)

[batyatoon]

O my f-list, I turn to you for aid! ...In this case, for aid in collection of trivia, that skill at which so many of you excel.

I am trying to compile a list of fictional characters who self-identify as evil. (Ideally with a note as to whether said self-identification is ironic or not -- though this is, of course, subject to interpretation.) Said self-identification can happen at any point in the character's arc, but must be present self-identification; "I am evil," rather than "I was evil."

Starting with this guy! *points at new icon*

Comments

[gramarye1971]

First to come to mind is Screwtape, of C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters. He is a demon, though -- are you more interested in human-type characters?

[batyatoon]

I think I'm going to eventually focus mostly on human-type characters; people who chose to self-identify as evil.

Looking at demons and similar, though, may provide some interesting insights.

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

If you want to look at Demons, I'd also look at Crowley (and the other demons) from Good Omens.

Also, since I was prompted by picking this icon, the Wicked Queen in the 10th Kingdom.

You might also look at the operative (or whatever he was called, I'm distracted) in Serenity (he didn't consider himself evil, per se, I don't think, but he recognized that the things he had to do prevented him from ever entering the paradise he was trying to create.)

Also, I think many of the characters from Narbonic. I'll see if I can think of any others.

[batyatoon]

The Operative in Serenity considered himself a monster doing evil things that were necessary in order to bring about a greater good. What makes him intriguing in this context is that he clearly doesn't see Good and Evil as sides to choose.

[patrickat.livejournal.com]

Stewie from "Family Guy", Dr. Evil from "Austin Powers".

[batyatoon]

Alas, I have never seen either. Tell me a bit about them?

[patrickat.livejournal.com]

Stewie Griffin is a baby with a genius-level I.Q. who gleefully plots to either take over the world and/or kill his mother, Lois. His evil streak was more prevalent in the early episodes of "Family Guy". Ever since the show came back from cancellation, he's become much more of a one-note comedic character.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewie_Griffin

Dr. Evil, played by Mike Myers, is a parody of the James Bond villains. As such, his schemes for world domination follow all the typical Bond villain tropes, and many of his henchman are also parodies, such as "Random Task", who throws shoes. Never refer to him as Mister. He "didn't spend five years in evil medical school to be called 'Mr', thank you very much."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Evil

[badninja.livejournal.com]

Does The Repo Man from The Genetic Opera count? I can link you an informational profile later that would help my case.

[batyatoon]

I don't know; I'm not familiar with The Genetic Opera. Informational profile might help!

[madfilkentist]

If we allow comic examples, there's no lack. For instance, in my own The Filkado, there's Dr. McKoko, the Lord High Evil Genius; but "evil" is more a job description than anything else.

In semi-serious literature, there are a few "evil magicians" in Piers Anthony's Xanth novels. I don't recall if Trent (in A Spell for Chameleon) ever referred to himself as evil (and he really wasn't), but I'm pretty sure that Yang, the evil phase of Yin-Yang in Crewel Lye, did (and was).

[batyatoon]

While I'm not specifically disallowing comic examples, I'm more interested in the at-least-semi-serious ones. Or at least the ones where we get to see something of why the villain considers himself/herself evil, rather than (a) just doing what's necessary, (b) actually the good guy, or (c) the one with the power, so who cares about these meaningless distinctions of "good" and "evil".

[skygiants]

Shakespeare is great for this: Iago, Aaron, John the Bastard are the ones that come to mind to me, but I'm sure there are more! Richard III probably counts as well.

The Enchanted Forest chronicles has the Right Honorable Wicked Stepmothers' Traveling, Drinking and Debating Society, of whom the most notable member is Uncle Rupert (Gentlemen's Auxiliary for Wicked Uncles.) Sadly they are not led by an evil horse.

Some characters from DWJ's Dark Lord of Derkholm might count too. As actually might Tacroy from Lives of Christopher Chant and Charles from Witch Week. Oh, and Howl-the-genie in Castle in the Air.

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

All the main characters of Narbonic, eventually.

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

There's the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in X-Men (the name is sometimes described as an ironic response to anti-mutant prejudice, and lately the name is usually just "Brotherhood of Mutants").

[spotweld.livejournal.com]

Well, one of the classic "Evil, because I am Evil" characters would be Dick Dastardly perhaps most well known from the wacky races series of cartoons.

Perhaps in a less farcical sense is the Mum-ra character from the Thundercats cartoon, who regularly invokes "The Ancient Spirits of Evil" which grant him a great boon of power and strength.

As I think about it, you must also mention the "bad guys" of the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons; Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale.

Additionally; a spin-off, The Adventures of Dudley Do-Right, had a similar villian who was evil for the sake of gloious evil, Snidely Whiplash.

I'm sure there are more.. gotta ponder a bit.

[spotweld.livejournal.com]

Okay, here we go.
from the Venture Brothers. The Monarch is a continues struggle to reach new heights of evil as part of his relation to the organization The Guild of Calamitous Intent (motto: Hate you can Trust)

Not sure if this is the same as declaring oneself evil, but in the sword duel in the beginning of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl", Captain Jack Sparrow pulls an underhanded move. To the protest of his opponent he simply replies "Pirate", subtly admitting he know he can do (at least slightly) evil stuff.

Also, in the Little Shop of Horrors the dentist has a rather ... interesting, musical number where he gets high on Nitros and sings of his love for inflicting pain.

oh, and in the webcomic "Looking For Group" (http://www.lfgcomic.com/) we have character named Richard who.. um.. well, just watch the musical number (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcbazH6aE2g)

Also, in the first series of Blackadder; Edmund forms a group of the most evil men he can find (One of which is "Sean the Irish Bastard") for the specific reason of overthrowing the throne of England (God Save the King, because nobody else will!)

As for further research, you might want to look into Tv tropes page on the phenomena of "Card Carrying" Villains (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CardCarryingVillain)

Hope that helped?

[batyatoon]

Mm -- no, declaring oneself dishonest, underhanded, sadistic, or the like is not really the same as declaring oneself evil. And it is in fact that distinction I'm in part working to analyze.

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

My first thought is of Shego in Disney's Kim Possible, who actually says in one episode, with emphasis, "I. AM. EVIL. Have I made myself clear?" when trying to disabuse her clueless big brother Hego of any notion that she still is a hero at heart. There is also the Evil Genius of Time Bandits, played by David Warner (who's so very good at being bad, as we all know). Will try to come up with others and get back to you.

[batyatoon]

I was thinking of whatsisname from Time Bandits! Who says at one point "Suddenly I feel very, very good," to which his servant responds comfortingly "It'll pass, Master."

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

You mean, as opposed to Knight Templar types, "I'm not evil, I'm doing what must be done/the only good one/etc."?

Hm.

[batyatoon]

Yes, exactly -- but also as opposed to the types who say "There's no such thing as good and evil, there's just power / trying to get by / looking out for yourself in a hostile world / having fun" etc.

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

The Monarch from The Venture Brothers. I'm not sure if Phantom Limb ever self-describes as Evil.

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

Vlad Taltos seems to accept that he's evil.

Evil

[markiv1111.livejournal.com]

Although I made it through only the first 35-40 pages of the book, I thought Lord Foul of *Lord Foul's Bane* (the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson) was self identified as evil or at least foul. Also, I read an interesting collection of fantasy short stories, *Deals with the Devil,* edited by Basil Davenport; this was out in the early 1960s, and there is one short story in which the lead character is definitely self-described as evil, but you might have to read the whole book and then discuss it with me to identify him. (This is the one where the lead character kills both of his parents to become a demon working for Satan, and Satan says, "The one thing I did not tell you is that you wouldn't enjoy it." Sometime after that, the character (who is not allowed to sleep for fear that other demons would tear him apart and Satan would have to put him back together again) does self-identify as evil, and nothing but.) Few, if any, of these were written by people you and I might know as top fantasy writers.

Nate

Re: Evil

[batyatoon]

Thanks! (And hi!)

I never made it through any of the Thomas Covenant books either, I'm afraid.

[rowanberries.livejournal.com]

Well, there's Harth 'Muahahaha' Fray... although the vampire thing makes that a bit of a no-brainer.

I'll get back to you!

[batyatoon]

But does Harth actually consider himself evil? As distinct from amoral?

[rowanberries.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, he does. Since half his psyche is the perspective of a Slayer, he has no illusions about himself, he's just decided that if he is evil, he will own that shit, as the saying goes. >_>

[sdelmonte]

Darkseid and his minions.

[crazedcrusader.livejournal.com]

Does it have to be somebody who actually -is-? Because Faith springs to mind, perhaps unsurprisingly. And, you know, Angel and Spike.

"And you're, what? Shocked and appalled? I'm evil."

[batyatoon]

I'm definitely thinking about Faith -- because, correct me if I'm wrong, she only self-identifies as evil during the lowest ebb of her self-image; during a time when she has indeed gone through self-loathing and into actively trying to get Angel to kill her.

I'm never sure whether Spike identifies as evil ironically or not.

[shati.livejournal.com]

The First Evil is presumably not being ironic, if you want a clear-cut Buffyverse example.

ETA: Although it's not human.

[crazedcrusader.livejournal.com]

1) OMG ICON AHAHA EEE.

2) It is definitely not being ironic. It is evil and loving it.

[crazedcrusader.livejournal.com]

Faith is complicated. I know, that's something of an understatement. I think that, to an extent at least, she'll always feel that she is, at least partially, evil. Certainly she knows she has the capacity for it, made worse by the Slayery darkness. And she's had internal arguments with that darker half of herself at least twice that I can think of - once when inside Buffy's body and once in the comic.

[agoodshinkickin.livejournal.com]

The first thing that came to my mind when I read this post was the episode of the Justice League animated series where Flash and Lex Luthor swap bodies.

Henchman: Aren't you going to wash your hands?
(lex has just left the men's room)
Flash-Lex: No, because I'm EVIL!

[batyatoon]

... *cracks up* YES.

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

Oh, duh. I just realized the characters who absolutely /do/ qualify, in a serious work, even. Though you have to get to the third book of the series to run into them -

The Markhagir and his followers from the Kushiel series. Arguably also at least one or two people earlier in the series, but that group is really the evil side of the Zoroastrian equation. Their motto is 'ill thoughs, ill words, ill deeds'.

[batyatoon]

*wry* I could never make it past the second book.

But those guys sound like they totally count.

[doeeyedbunny.livejournal.com]

Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty refers to herself as "The Mistress of All Evil." And what about Ursula from The Little Mermaid?

[batyatoon]

Good call on Maleficent! I'm not sure about Ursula ... it's been a while.

[mercuriazs.livejournal.com]

"For I am bad! I am evil! I am ... MOJO JOJO!"

[nightface.livejournal.com]

Sam and Arcie from Eve Forwards "Villians By Necessity". The rest of the main characters are also evil, but they don't actually specifically state it anywhere I can see.

[ljmouse.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Spike on Buffy yet. He certainly self-identified as evil (no irony, or at least not much) for most of the series.

Thailog, I think, also.

[vivien]

I don't think canon supports it directly, but I don't think Voldemort named himself the Dark Lord because he felt ambiguous about good and evil choices.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

No, but Voldy was of the "there is no good and evil" camp--witness him in the first book, "only power and those who choose to use it."

[almightyhat.livejournal.com]

Richard of Looking for Group is certainly evil, as is Black Mage of 8-Bit Theatre. Belkar of Order of the Stick is confirmed as Chaotic Evil, and although he doesn't outright admit it, he only ever hides it from a Paladin who'd kill him if she ever got a good reading of it. Likewise from Order of the Stick, Elan's evil twin Nale has 'put a lot of effort into this whole evil counterparts theme.'

The Witch in Into the Woods gives an interesting semi-admission: You're so nice... you're not good, you're not bad, you're just... nice. I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right...

While I can't think of a specific line where he admits it, the entire point of Darkwing Duck's nemesis Negaduck is that he is evil where DW is good.

Mixed in with the famous "I'm melting, melting!" of the Wicked Witch of the West is "Who would have thought such a good little girl could destroy all my beautiful wickedness?" Which may count.

Does having your lackeys laude you as evil and accepting with good grace count? Cos Ratigan's flunkies in Great Mouse Detective sing "Even louder we'll shout it, no one can doubt what we know you can do, you're more evil than even you, oh Ratigan! Oh Ratigan! The rest fall behind, to Ratigan! To Ratigan-- the world's greatest criminal mind!" He does take exception to being called a rat, however. For some reason.

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

Iago
Richard III
Angelus, I think, from Buffy
Probably Darla and the Master as well.
The Master from Doctor Who
Dirk Blackpool from Wizards and Warriors, and possibly his wizard as well.
There is a character in the Illuminatus! trilogy who, about midway through, does what he considers an evil act, and, while still on the side of good, considers himself to be evil from that point forward, and acts accordingly. It's a rather interesting example.
Arguably, Londo Mollari sees himself as evil for at least part of the time when he is being evil.