| rdfs:comment | - A subversion of the Even Evil Has Standards trope, when a villain refuses to do something abhorrent not because it is too horrible, but rather because it is too inefficient or ineffective, or there isn't much to be gained from it. He's tried kicking the dog or at least studied those who have. No matter the combination of dogs and boots, and he's investigated thoroughly, there just isn't any profit and one's toes tend to hurt after a while. Also, dogs sometimes manage to sink their teeth into their tormentors. In some ways, the pragmatic villain can actually be more dangerous than a typical Card-Carrying Villain because he is almost invariably resolute in his determination not to carry the Villain Ball. What he does all depends on which option would serve his purposes best. Being evil for t
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| abstract | - A subversion of the Even Evil Has Standards trope, when a villain refuses to do something abhorrent not because it is too horrible, but rather because it is too inefficient or ineffective, or there isn't much to be gained from it. He's tried kicking the dog or at least studied those who have. No matter the combination of dogs and boots, and he's investigated thoroughly, there just isn't any profit and one's toes tend to hurt after a while. Also, dogs sometimes manage to sink their teeth into their tormentors. In some ways, the pragmatic villain can actually be more dangerous than a typical Card-Carrying Villain because he is almost invariably resolute in his determination not to carry the Villain Ball. What he does all depends on which option would serve his purposes best. Being evil for these types just means that they have all the illegal and immoral options available to them in addition to the more legitimate (or at least socially respectable) tactics they usually prefer. Virtually any Villain with Good Publicity tends to be a master of this trope, especially one who is also Dangerously Genre Savvy. Villains With Good Publicity almost always have years of experience in earning the trust of their supporters, and are well aware that angering dog-lovers (among others) will not advance their cause and may hinder it. Even for those who don't happen to be Affably Evil, if any dog-kicking is deemed necessary, they will keep these acts of cruelty out of the public eye, or when they can't do that, they'll make it look like they're Kicking a Son of a Bitch; how evil they truly are under cover of darkness must remain shrouded in darkness. An obvious foil to Evil Is Stylish abiding villains (who will do the evil deed anyway), though some do manage to pair the two. Not to be confused with Do Wrong Right, where an evil act is decried for being poorly executed. Compare and contrast Shoot the Dog, where a hero or anti-hero does a morally questionable act for pragmatic reasons. See also Cut Lex Luthor a Check, Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat, Stupid Evil, where a villain defaults to evil for its own sake, even when it's counterintuitive, Sanity Has Advantages, and Bread and Circuses. Compare Evil Virtues, where a villain has good traits. The Noble Demon will probably attempt to justify his nobility this way, with varying degrees of believability. Examples of Pragmatic Villainy include:
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