This could then lead to Hero with Bad Publicity because he lacks such restraints who looks like the aggressor in this situation? Said villain might try this on an Anti-Hero (especially with more extreme cases) and get his ass handed to him, due to the hero's lack of such moral restraints. This also means that the success or failure of this gambit hinges on whether or not the hero has any preexisting qualms about killing. Heck, at least part of the time, the villain is taunting the hero because they know he won't do it. Whether this works or not depends largely on the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism, but it does make for great dramatic tension no matter what. ![]() After which they explain their true motive. The other times, the villain really does want to die, but they can't, so they goad the hero into killing them. Once the hero has turned on them with intent to murder, the villain has already proven their point. ![]() In these cases it's enough that they provoke the hero into making the attempt. This is often more than a Thanatos Gambit - the villain doesn't necessarily intend to die. Often it's because My Death Is Just the Beginning, or the villain is invoking If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him! and wants to push the hero off the Slippery Slope like The Corrupter. ![]() So the hero has a chance to kill the Big Bad, or some other villain, and the villain wants them to take it. Emperor Palpatine, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
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