| abstract | - After a long and desperate struggle, our hero stands triumphant. The evil tyrant has been cast down from his throne and our hero’s swordpoint is at his throat. As our hero gets ready to make that fateful swing, the villain tells him, "No, you can’t do this. You need me!" The nature of this plea can vary greatly. It may just refer to the hero(es) personally (such as villain being the only thing keeping their lair intact), or it may involve the world as a whole (when removing the villain will result in an Evil Power Vacuum, for example). The reality of the claim varies as well; it may just be a villainous ploy to throw the hero off his game. In any case, these pleas are rarely successful. If the villain really is directly responsible in some sense for the well-being of the world, he is a Load-Bearing Boss. If, after he is cast down, worse forces arise, it may be a case of Better the Devil You Know, or the chaos of an Evil Power Vacuum. Whatever the reason, if he's telling the truth, killing him would be a clear case of Nice Job Breaking It, Hero. Examples of Plea of Personal Necessity include:
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