Pathetic Pinhead Wiki:Pathetic Pinhead

Pathetic Pinheads are the anti-thesis of Magnificent Baddies. They are slimy, cowardly, dense, generally inept, and above all, extremely contemptible.

Basics
Here are the requirements for a villain to qualify as a PP:


 * They are largely unintelligent. Their plans are not well-thought out and more often than not, they will fail to achieve their goals. If they do succeed in their goals, it is usually through either a position of power, special abilities, the assistance of more competent villains, or sheer luck.
 * They are contemptible, undignified, and hatable. The audience reserves no sympathy for these characters, and they will stand out as one of the most hated characters in their stories.
 * Often they will be extremely cowardly. They may never face their own problems but run away from them. This craven nature will serve to make them more detestable and slimy.
 * They are sordid and underhanded. Their intentions are generally immoral, and any good intentions they may have are overshadowed by their base ones. They are also not above using dirty or seedy tactics.
 * They are generally selfish and unaltruistic. They have few to no redeeming traits (like honor, remorse, or care for others), and they are solely looking out for themselves.
 * They are mostly (if not entirely) incapable of manipulating others. Their lies will be wafer-thin, and the people they do attempt to exploit will inevitably discover the villain was trying to manipulate them. Their charisma, if they do possess any, is extremely superficial.
 * They lack comedic traits. Despite their incompetence, Pathetic Pinheads will never be presented comedically as they are meant to remain unsympathetic to the audience.

Keep in mind that a PP can have one or two redeeming, competent, or comedic traits, as long as they are overshadowed by their overwhelmingly negative and unlikable ones.

Supplementary Categories

 * Dimwits: PPs lack intelligence and are generally unable to make any smart moves.
 * Hate Sinks: The audience never reserves a sliver of sympathy for PPs.

Categories That Often Apply

 * Abusers: Abuse, especially child abuse and domestic abuse, makes a villain more repulsive.
 * Animal Cruelty: Hurting animals is also an easy way to make a villain unsympathetic.
 * Arrogant/Egotist: PPs only care about themselves, and hence a good portion of PPs are arrogant or egotistical.
 * Cheater: As PPs are often dishonorable, cheating is usually a given.
 * Control Freaks: Control Freaks tend to be unlikeable, as many of them are domineering in nature and possess illusory superiority.
 * Cowards: Cowardice is a trait that instantly makes a villain much more dislikable.
 * For The Evulz: Especially if they commit evil actions without thinking about the consequences of their actions, many PPs fall under this.
 * Incompetent: Ineptitude is essential for a PP. However, this is also a caution category, as many incompetent villains are played comedically, while a PP's incompetency must not be played for laughs.
 * Liars: As long as they are not exceptionally skilled at lying, being a perpetual liar makes a villain more dishonorable.
 * Manchildren/Spoiled Brats: An immature attitude tarnishes dignity.
 * Minion/Pawns: A PP's unintelligence and incompetency can be demonstrated if they are easily exploited by other villains.
 * Misandrists/Misogynists/Xenophobes: Being discriminatory is an easy way to make oneself significantly less likeable.
 * Mutilators/Torturer: Both torture and mutilation can demonstrate how depraved a villain is.
 * Perverts: Deviance detracts from a villain's likability.
 * Petty: Being narrow-minded makes one less likeable and dignified.
 * Rapists: Rapists are among the most loathsome and sordid types of villains out there.
 * Sadists: The more sick pleasure one derives from the suffering of others, the more unlikeable they become.
 * Weaklings: Being physically feeble may make a villain all the more pathetic.
 * Would Hurt a Child: Being willing to harm children often repulses other characters and audiences alike.

Caution Categories

 * Affably Evil: PPs are generally selfish, and it is rare for them to be truly polite to someone else. As long as a villain's affability is limited, they can qualify as a PP.
 * Businessmen/Crime Lord: Being a businessman or crime lord often requires both competency and charisma, so it is rare for a PP to be either. As long as their competence is minimal and their charm is wafer-thin, they can qualify.
 * Con Artists: Again, it is uncommon for PPs to be con artists as such an occupation usually requires proficiency.
 * Corrupting Influence: Usually only more competent villains are able to corrupt others. Nonetheless, it is not impossible for a corrupting influence to be a PP if they still remain generally incompetent.
 * Crackers: This is yet another occupation that often requires capability.
 * Delusional: Delusional villains claim they have good intentions, which contrasts with the slimy intentions required for a PP. As long as their delusions are not genuine, however, a PP can qualify.
 * Faux Affably Evil: A PP's faux-affability should be superficial at best.
 * Fighter: Possessing fighting skills is usually a sign of competency, so again it is difficult for most fighters to qualify as PPs.
 * Game Changer: Being able to drastically darken the tone of a story oftentimes requires competency.
 * Hidden Villains: Concealing one's villainy requires a good deal of faux-affability, which, as already mentioned, should be shallow at most.
 * Honorable: An honorable villain can only qualify as a PP if their code of honor is overshadowed by their underhandedness.
 * In Love/Protective: PPs seldom care for anyone but themselves, and often if they are protective of someone else, it will more than likely be for the PP's own benefit. At the very least, a PP's care for someone else should be a minor trait at most.
 * Insecure: If a villain's insecurities are presented too sympathetically, then they cannot qualify as a PP. However, if a villain's insecurities are minimal and played largely unsympathetically (like if they use their insecurities for self-victimization or attention-seeking, or if they try to conceal their insecurities by deluding themselves into believing they are superior), then that can make them more contemptible.
 * Karma Houdini: Being able to get away with one's crimes proves (or at least indicates) that one is not wholly incompetent. However, a PP can still be a Karma Houdini as long as it does not make them more competent.
 * Near Pure Evils: Like with PEs, qualifying as an NPE often requires some competency. However, NPEs also have at least one prevention, and said prevention is frequently a redeeming quality. NPEs can only qualify as a PP if they 1. remain generally inept despite their villainy and 2. lack altruistic traits.
 * Opportunists: Opportunists are often cunning and exploitative, so a PP being an opportunist is unusual.
 * Pure Evil: It is uncommon for PPs to be PEs, as qualifying as a PE often requires some level of competency. However, as long as a PP still manages to do some level of damage while remaining generally inept, they can qualify.
 * Remorseful: Being remorseful proves a villain does indeed have morals, which a PP rarely has. However, as long as the remorse is extremely minimal, a remorseful villain can still be a PP.
 * Strategic: It is rare for a strategic villain to qualify as a PP, as being a strategist frequently requires a certain level of competency. However, PPs can still be strategic if their plans are not well thought out.
 * Successful: Due to their incompetence, PPs are rarely successful in their goals. They can only be successful through a position or power, through special abilities, through the aid of more competent villains or through luck.
 * Tragic: Tragic villains are often played quite sympathetically, while PPs are mostly, if not completely unsympathetic. A tragic villain can only be a PP if their tragedy is minimal and/or partially invalidated by their actions.
 * Unseen: It is difficult to get a sense of a villain's qualifications as a PP if they remain unseen.

Mutually Exclusive Categories

 * Anti-Villain: An anti-villain has noble intentions, while a PP generally has none.
 * Charismatic: A PP lacks charm and remains dislikable.
 * Comic Relief/Laughably Evil: PPs are seldom/never presented comedically, and are generally played unsympathetically to the audience.
 * Chaotic Neutral/Lawful Neutral: PPs never have good intentions, and always fall under the "Evil" alignment.
 * Extremists/Vigilante: Any semblances of altruistic intentions a PP may have are overshadowed by their wanton intentions. Hence, PPs cannot qualify as an extremist or vigilante, as an extremist's/vigilante's good intentions are a core part of their character.
 * Grey Zone: A PP's intentions are generally ignoble and infrequently altruistic or positive, while a Grey Zone character's good intentions are much more significant. Hence, PPs cannot be Grey Zone.
 * Magnificent Baddies: PPs are the anti-thesis of MBs.
 * Master Manipulators: A PP is unable to manipulate others with consistent success, let alone be intelligent enough to be considered a Master Manipulator.
 * Master Orators: PPs lack charisma and hence cannot be Master Orators.
 * Mastermind: PPs are never intelligent.
 * Mischievous: Mischievous villains are presented comedically, while PPs are always played straight.
 * On & Off: PPs are generally slimy. If they ever work with the heroes, it is for generally selfish reasons and rarely for any altruistic ones.
 * One-Man Army: As PPs are generally incompetent, they can never qualify as One-Man Armies.
 * Possessed/Brainwashed: PPs should have independence and be aware of their immorality.
 * Redeemed: As redemption makes a villain significantly more sympathetic, PPs cannot redeem themselves.
 * Scapegoat: PPs are unsympathetic and the audience cannot pity them.
 * Tragic: As tragic villains are played with a great deal of sympathy, PPs cannot be tragic.
 * Villains by Proxy: PPs are always willingly evil.

Additional Notes

 * An effective method of showing the slimy, craven, dull-witted, inept, and contemptible nature of PPs is to juxtapose them with a more noble, confident, competent, masterminded, and/or sympathetic villain (like a Magnificent Baddie or a masterminded one-man army).
 * A PP does not necessarily need to be a coward to be a PP, as long as they have other pathetic traits to make up for it (though a lack of cowardice could make it more difficult for them to qualify).