Affably Evil Villains who are genuinely polite and friendly in spite of being villains. They will frequently both speak and act in an extremely polite and thoughtful manner even to the heroes they face (though some of them may be two-sided about it and might occasionally provoke or insult them during a fight, though that is a rare sight for them) and their friendly and considerate nature often comes as a surprise to both those heroes and possibly also the viewer. That said, they are still capable of losing their temper and will sometimes (temporarily) shed their polite nature if faced with defeat. Only true Affably Evil villains will regain (and retain) their polite nature after facing their defeat and will more likely than not, respect the hero even more.

This category shouldn't be confused with Charismatic villains, as these villains fake charm and likability to manipulate others into their schemes, where these guys are genuinely capable of being nice and thoughtful despite doing evil misdeeds. While both categories aren't exclusive, they could go hand and hand if they meet all the criteria for being Affable and having standards despite their charisma and villainous traits (ex. Danyell Radcliff)

Since friendliness is a redeeming trait, it is not uncommon for affably evil villains to be redeemed, or at least have the potential for redemption.

To be genuinely Affably Evil, the following criteria must be met:

1. The affable nature is not an obvious façade that the villain is only maintaining to manipulate others. Affably Evil villains really ARE that nice or at the very least, have good manners. Some Affably Evil villains are so nice that they would be good if not for their evil deeds and act like normal people when not on the clock.
2. There is a difference between Affably Evil and Faux Affably Evil villains. The latter is a villain who usually sounds or pretends to be polite but a close observation reveals their willingness to throw the hero in front of a bus without a second thought. For a villain to be Affably Evil, they must not be that heedless to the lives and well-being of others, and their niceness can redeem them. That said, it is possible for an Affably Evil villain to become Faux Affably Evil overtime and vice versa (e.g. Dr. Robotnik, MX, Yeet)
3. Affably Evil villains are usually only willing to hurt/kill people who actually get in their way and to everyone else, they are a perfectly nice, amiable person; Faux Affably Evil villains do not show that kind of empathy and therefore, they're sounding polite but not acting it just simply highlights their evil more rather than downplay it.
4. Affably Evil villains have lines they would never cross. A Faux Affably Evil villain could easily act polite, but still blow up planets or kill children as a lifestyle. However, it is quite possible for a genocidal villain, a Harbinger for Rebirth, a cataclysmic villain, or even a Chaotic Evil villain to be Affably Evil only if they have such standards and/or lines they are not willing to cross or if they do have good intentions. (e.g. Spyro Doomfire).

They are the opposite of Heroic Jerks, who are heroes that are genuinely rude and mean in spite of being heroes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Pure Evil villains can NEVER qualify, because these villains are not genuinely polite or friendly to anyone, as this counts as a redeeming quality and would present the villain in a positive way, whereas Pure Evil villains are always selfish, hateful, uncaring, hostile and irredeemable. However, a Pure Evil villain can be (and is very often) Faux Affably Evil. Similarly, Pure Evil villains can also be Sophisticated and/or Friend of a Hero if they were once true friends of the hero in the past. That said, there are several examples of Pure Evil villains who used to be genuinely polite before becoming worse over time. They also can qualify for Near Pure Evil and/or Psychopath if their politeness doesside overshadow their Faux Affably side or if they do not have a Faux Affably Evil side, their genuine affability is a dialogue or / and polite action that does not overshadow their atrocities. (e.g Prophet of Chaos).

Due to their affable nature, it is nearly impossible for a genuinely Affably Evil villain to be a Psychopath. If an Affably Evil villain does have psychopathic traits, they should be listed under Paranoid and/or Mentally Ill instead. The only exceptions are villains who narrowly manage to be not diabolical despite their ruthless nature.

Note: for more information's go here.

Sliding Scale of Villainy[]

• Complete Monster - The worst of the worst. They clear the Heinous Standard, have no redeeming qualities (or they did, but lost them later), they know what they're doing and their deeds are played for horror.
• Near Pure Evils - They are almost about as bad as Complete Monsters, but they may have at least one or two or even three preventions that prevent them from truly qualifying. However, they still can stand out and be nearly as bad.
• Inconsistently Heinous - Whilst these villains are as heinous as Complete Monsters, they also have too many inconsistencies/redeeming qualities to count as either Near Pure Evil or a Complete Monster.
• Standard/Outright - These are villains who still have lines that they will not cross. They are better than CMs, but not by much.
• Affably Evil - These are villains who can be nice even through they're doing evil things. And they aren't just pretend friendly, they are genuinely friendly.
• Villains by Proxy - The best of the worst. These villains don't even want to be evil, but for some reason, they are evil.