Say you're a villain and your Evil Plan is being ruined by this pesky hero who just will not let you scheme in peace. You've sent Mooks, you've berated your underlings for their failure, maybe you've even tried shooting him/her. No dice, the hero keeps coming. You can't beat them! Well, if you can't beat them, don't join them — offer to let them join you. That's right: you can become the partner in crime/trusted advisor/ruler of Australia if you will just drop this silly crusade against the Evil Overlord and get with the program. Go on, those oppressed peasants you're fighting for won't mind — they'll understand that you can't let an opportunity like this slide. The offer is usually made by someone who needs to Pick on Someone Your Own Size with a Circling Monologue. When this offer is made, it's usually a sign that either the hero or the villain is going to die very soon. If not, it's the hero's final rejection of the villain's vision and marks the point where things get serious... Because the hero rarely follows up on the offer. From the human perspective, it's a pretty foolish move anyway. How could any villain ever be serious about hiring someone who's been thwarting their evil schemes every step of the way, especially when it's a morally righteous Cape? How could the villain possibly trust someone treacherous enough to do such a blatant Face–Heel Turn? Because... From the evil perspective, it makes perfect sense. Temptation is part of the complete Evil package. Every evil force is looking to expand its membership. (Of course, some villains are more persistent than others.) Some villains are just so evil that they literally cannot comprehend why the hero's fighting — they don't believe in love, loyalty, honor, and so forth, and can't believe the good guy really does, either. The villain just decides it's worth the risk — if the good guy's this impressive when Good Is Dumb, imagine how great he might be as an Evil Minion! The villain has some connection to the hero (either blood relation or childhood friends, usually), and despite being evil still cares about him. He'd much rather convince the hero to join him than to kill somebody he'd prefer to keep alive. The villain takes an interest in the hero either as a Worthy Opponent for themselves and/or sees the hero as a potentially powerful ally. The villain has a romantic and/or sexual interest in the hero. While Villainesses Want Heroes is more common, the gender-flipped variant is not unheard of. In the case of Anti-Villains, this usually overlaps with Even Evil Has Loved Ones or Dating Catwoman. The villain has a huge ego and craves the validation that having the hero join him would bring. The villain is using More than Mind Control to undermine the hero's confidence, morals, or even his very identity. A hero crippled by self-doubt is much more likely to listen to the villain's offer. The villain may need the hero to join him for some Evil Plan he's putting into motion to work. The villain is an Affably Evil Well-Intentioned Extremist who genuinely believes that he's in the right and would rather win the hero over than kill him. The final case can be particularly chilling because the villain believes he is offering the hero a chance to do the right thing and will be surprised (or, in the case of a Knight Templar, outraged) at being turned down. The villain's momentary admiration for the hero usually (intentionally) leaves lasting scars. If the villain is a little too insistent, then expect Foe Romance Subtext to occur. The specific and openly romantic variation where a villainess offers the hero a chance to become her consort is covered under Villainesses Want Heroes. Some video games may give this option to the player, leading to an alternate ending or a Non Standard Game Over. In a great many cases, an "evil" player's scripted response to this offer is commonly the player killing the villain and seizing the Cosmic Keystone. Certain villains should be aware that even success can be dangerous to them if the Fallen Hero doesn't feel like sharing power. The three most common responses are: The hero agrees, and gladly partakes in evil deeds. The hero joins, only to betray the villain later on. A refusal that consists of either a "No More Holding Back" Speech, Kirk Summation, Shut Up, Hannibal!, or a mix of the three, where a hero shows his true colors. The inversion is Last-Second Chance when it's the hero making the offer to the villain. I Can Rule Alone is a very common subversion. Contrast You Could Have Used Your Powers for Good!, which is another way the hero may try to bring the villain over to the good side, and Offered the Crown, where the hero is offered power by the good guys as a reward for heroism. Compare Last Chance to Quit, Deal with the Devil. See also "Leave Your Quest" Test and I Have You Now, My Pretty.
We Can Rule Together has been suggested to play 1 roles. Click below to see other actors suggested for each role, and vote for who you think would play the role best.
We Can Rule Together has been suggested to play 1 roles. Click below to see other actors suggested for each role, and vote for who you think would play the role best.
