According to the Evil Overlord List by Peter Anspach, number 16 states, “I will never utter the sentence, ‘But before I kill you, there’s just one thing I want to know,'” Such is the case for the most dastardly villains in cinema. Never monologue! However, the hero always manages to trick the villain into revealing their evil plans. The villain always says how the hero cannot be saved. No one will rescue him or her. Really? Then they look stunned as a fleet of spaceships appear from hyperspace or legion of troops stand upon a mountaintop with weapons poised to strike.
The stereotypical actions of villains are what makes Peter’s Evil Overlord List so hilarious! He started the list in 1994, to poke fun at the goofs, blunders, and cliches that riddled the “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” scripts. Over the years, the list grew to 100 entries, with several people adding to it. As he was finalizing the list in 1997, a few contributors remarked on similarities to a list for James Bond. It was never confirmed if the Evil Overlord List inspired it or was developed simultaneously. You know how “honorable” the Internet is.
I thought it would be fun to compare the list against a few villains in cinema. The villains are from Star Wars. This should be fun. Are you ready?! Let’s go!
Emporer Palpatine is one of the evilest villains in the Star Wars universe. Although he’s best known the master of the insidious Darth Vader, he was responsible for the extermination of billions of lives throughout the galaxy. Palpatine craved power. He seized control of the Imperial Senate through manipulation. He ordered the assassination of thousands of Jedi under Order 66. This included sending Anakin Skywalker to decimate the Jedi temple and the younglings, children training to become Jedi.
Like all men of great power, Palpatine couldn’t control his arrogance. Number 40 of the Evil Overlord List describes this failing well. It reads, “I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line, ‘No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!’ (After that, death is usually instantaneous.).” This is in comparison to Palpatine’s line in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” “Everything that has transpired has done so, according to my design. Your friends, out there on the sanctuary moon, are walking into a trap, as is your Rebel fleet. It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits them. [mockingly] Oh, I’m afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive.”
Palpatine blindly placed his faith in technology. Although the Deathstars were powerful weapons of mass destruction, they weren’t without their flaws. We learn in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” that scientist, Galen Erso, implanted that “one small and virtually inaccessible vulnerable spot,” which created a way for Luke Skywalker and a small, “pitiful little band” of rebels to destroy it. Deathstar 1.0 resonates with number 22 on the Evil Overlord List, which reads, “No matter how well it would perform, I will never construct any sort of machinery which is completely indestructible except for one small and virtually inaccessible vulnerable spot.”
So, why build Deatherstar 2.0?! That’s why I chose number 40 for Palpatine’s decision to build another Deathstar. He’s so secure in his narcissism that he repeats his mistake. It reads, “I will be neither chivalrous nor sporting. If I have an unstoppable superweapon, I will use it as early and as often as possible instead of keeping it in reserve.” Yeah, how did that work out?
Anakin Skywalker is one of the beloved villains in the Star Wars universe. He was the apprentice of Emporer Palpatine. Anakin was so obsessed over saving his beloved Padme that he stopped listening to reason and gave into the dark side of The Force. Vader’s tyranny was borderline psychotic. The current Darth Vader comics in production shows a darker and more villainess Vader. In the comics, his intent and purpose is the resurrection of Padme. If you plan on reading the comics, please be aware it has very dark themes.
The number I chose for Vader is 44 from the Evil Overlord List because of the bounty hunter scene in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.” Vader hired bounty hunters to locate Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker. It reads, “I will only employ bounty hunters who work for money. Those who work for the pleasure of the hunt tend to do dumb things like even the odds to give the other guy a sporting chance.” Boba Fett hated the Jedi. A Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was responsible for his father’s, Jango Fett, death. He didn’t mind getting paid for doing something he loved.
The evolution of the stormtrooper is both fascinating and disappointing. The Stormtroopers began as clones under the command of Emporer Palpatine. He used them for assassination, invasions, and enforcing his iron rule over the galaxy. The Stormtrooper in The First Order are human and are apparently victims of a human trafficking ring. They were commanded by General Hux under Former Supreme Leader Snoke’s authority. Finn, a former First Order Stormtrooper, confirms the human trafficking aspect in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” He stated to Rey, “Like all of them, I was taken from a family I’ll never know.” Although the switch from clones to humans may be explained in the comics, books, and video games, my focus is the films. If anyone has the answer to this, feel free to comment below.
It’s interesting to note that the Stormtrooper went from a finely-tuned fighting force to the major joke of the Star Wars universe. Their inability to accurately hit anything they’re shooting at has become memes. This makes number 54 from the Evil Overlord List spot on. It reads, “My Legions of Terror will be trained in basic marksmanship. Any who cannot learn to hit a man-sized target at 10 meters will be used for target practice.” Perhaps that’s why legions of troopers were sent to locate one droid, BB-8. I rest my case! Wait! I can’t stop there because there’s so much more! The Stormtrooper was often referred to as “bucketheads.” The inspiration of this derogatory nickname derives from the shape of the Stormtrooper’s helmet. It’s shaped like a bucket. This perfectly aligns with number 1 of the Evil Overlord List, which reads, “My Legions of Terror will have helmets with clear plexiglass visors, not face-concealing ones.”
One word. Deranged. Commander of The First Order and ambitious to make his mark, he becomes sloppy in his command when his superiority takes control. The scene in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” where Commander Po Dameron taunts Hux to buy time to destroy The First Order’s canons is pure comedy. Although many fans didn’t like the comedic scene, a few enjoyed the light humor. It was an opportunity to show just how crazy Hux is. When he tells Po, “You and your friends are doomed. We will wipe your filth from the galaxy.” This perfectly fits number 11 on the Evil Overlord List, which reads, “I will be secure in my superiority. Therefore, I will feel no need to prove it by leaving clues in the form of riddles or leaving my weaker enemies alive to show they pose no threat.” He lost a Dreadnaught because of this and Supreme Leader Snoke wasn’t happy.
There’s a lot to be said about Kylo Ren. I decided to focus on his struggle with identity. Snoke recognized it. Kylo’s unbalanced after murdering his father. Snoke misjudged him and didn’t forsee Kylo’s, treacherous heart. He is master of The Knights of Ren. Little is known about them. They were introduced in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” through Rey’s Force vision. Fans were hoping to learn more about them in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” but nothing was revealed. Number 55 best fits The Knights of Ren” from the Evil Overlord List, which reads, “The deformed mutants and odd-ball psychotics will have their place in my Legions of Terror. However before I send them out on important covert missions that require tact and subtlety, I will first see if there is anyone else equally qualified who would attract less attention.”
Kylo is a man of action. He clearly fits number 6 of the Evil Overlord List, which reads “I will not gloat over my enemies’ predicament before killing them.” This is evident when he ordered his stormtroopers to kill the villagers. He displayed no emotion or hesitation in response to Phasma’s inquiry on what to do with the remaining villagers, who, by the way, consisted of children and women.
I hope you enjoyed the Star Wars villain comparison to the Evil Overlord List. It was definitely fun writing it. Next time you watch any film with villains, head over to Peter’s Evil Overlord List to see if you can match their dastardly behavior to a few numbers. If you do, feel free to comment below. I would love to hear from you.
You can rent Star Wars The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and all Star Wars films to your rental queue via DVD Netflix. If you’re new to Star Wars, or you haven’t watched all of the films, you can rent them. I recommend you do a Star Wars marathon before watching The Last Jedi. Rent yours here: http://bit.ly/starwarscentral. I also recommend that you read the comics, novels, and Star Wars The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens Visual Dictionaries, too. #DVDNation #ad
Art Credits:
Emperor Palpatine’s Throne Room by Coulter Rail by Coulter Rail
Mads Mikkelsen as Galen Erso by Onurah Art
Anakin Skywalker by Mylsbunagan
Stormtroopers by Lord of Combine
There is no fight against the First Order by Darth S4nchez
The First Order Power by Infernal Guard
Kylo by Senoj Aseret
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