Friend of a Hero

With heroes as friends, these villains don't need enemies. Though not as dramatic as beingrelated to heroes, villains being one of a hero’sformer friends is a recurring trait in stories. This is because the idea of people the hero trusted as friends turning on them can have apsychological effect on the heroes and make them reluctant to stand against those people or in some cases, make them seek revenge on the friend who used them or even worse, murdered anyone else who was close to them.

The friend frequently joins the side of evil because of beingbrainwashed and/or possessed so as to be used against the hero which makes the hero even more reluctant to go up in a fight with them. These characters can also be in anon & off status, changing between good and evil at random times (e.g.Duncan,Eric Cartman,New Goblin,Bryce Walker,Winter Soldier,Kevin Levin andMr. Krabs). In these examples when the friends of the heroes are not busy being villains, they can get along rather well with the heroes and are as likely to help them out as they are to oppose them. Only aprotective oraffably evil villain is able to be genuine friends with a hero without being remorseful, on and off, or redeemed.

On the flip side, these villains'betrayals or other acts can otherwise make the heroes despise and want nothing more than to dispose of their old friends.

This can also count forredeemed villains who actually become friends with the heroes they fought (e.g.Namaari,Tohru,Heewon,Strange Supreme,Ian Hawke,Spectra Phantom,Ren Krawler,Bill Foster,Jack Frost, andGhost) andremorseful villains if they still feel friendship towards any heroes, but consider themselves too far gone (e.g. most versions ofMagneto).

IMPORTANT: This is only for villains who were (or still are) genuine friends with any heroes (e.g.Scuttlebutt,Doug Judy,Harry Lime,Plankton,Ernesto de la Cruz,Koba,Carface Carruthers,Darth Vader,Charles F. Muntz,Bowler Hat Guy,Shredder (2012),Dutch van der Linde,The Once-Ler, most versions ofDoctor Doom,Magneto, andAlec Trevelyan). Villains who fake friendship for manipulation, pragmatism and achieving goals DO NOT qualify as they are false friends, their behaviour is toxic and they are nothing but troublemakers (i.e.Sir Miles Axlerod,Emperor Palpatine,Lord Voldemort,The Beldam,Bill Cipher,Kiros (The Lion King),Judge Claude Frollo,Ego,Aimes,Mal,Raava,Chucky,Dimitri Rascalov,Leo Kasper,Chelsea Van Der Zee,Gary Smith,Cozy Glow,Dawn Bellwether,Eleanor Bishop,Feathers McGraw,Micah Bell,General Lunaris andDick Hardly); those should go underFaux Affably Evil,Charismatic,Liars,Trickster,Con Artists and/orSophisticated instead.

However, evenPure Evil villains can qualify if they wereonce true friends of the heroes (i.e.Grimmel the Grisly,Donald Love,William Afton,Scar,Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear,Jill Roberts,Stu Macher,Isaac Ray Peram Westcott,Emperor Belos,Dio Brando,Griffith,Randall Boggs,Junko Enoshima,Iago,Albert Wesker,Peter Pettigrew,Mysterio,Colm O'Driscoll,Porky Minch,Taurus Bulba,Saruman,Harley Sawyer,Henry Evans, andthe Dark Lord). Unfortunately, this category CANNOT apply to the Pure Evil villain in the present as the character does not value a genuine friendship with the hero or anyone else in particular; thus, this could only apply to the Pure Evil villain if the said villain was friend of the heroIN THE PASTbefore they became Pure Evil. Even if theyare a friend of the hero in the present while remaining Pure Evil, it is merely out of self-interest and is not genuine friendship - therefore these types would not count either.

Their counterparts areFriend of a Villain.