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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/27253
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/27253
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

 **-WARNING: TV TROPES LINK SPAM INCOMING-**

There's nothing at all wrong with having your villain make a stupid mistake. [Villains do it all the time](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VillainBall). A better question is why your villain would make such a stupid mistake in the first place. Here's a few suggestions:

## He's arrogant.

- "Why should I bother guarding the secret entrance to my base? There's _no way_ the hero will ever find it!" The hero finds it.
- "[Why would I just shoot him](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WhyDontYouJustShootHim) when I can throw him into an elaborate deathtrap that'll kill him slowly and painfully? There's _no way_ he'll get out of it alive!" Except he does, and now he has the element of surprise because the villain assumes he's dead.
- "Why should I waste time [finishing/testing my superweapon before using it](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UnfinishedUntestedUsedAnyway)? There's _no way_ anything can go wrong!" Something goes wrong.
- "The hero's infiltrated my lair? No matter. My super laser is already armed and fires in three minutes! There's _no way_ he can stop me now!" He stops him. [Most likely with two seconds remaining](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JustInTime).

I could go on all day with this trope but you get the idea.

## [He doesn't understand good](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvilCannotComprehendGood).

- Instead of trying to kill the hero, the villain tries to turn him to the dark side. He's shocked when the hero refuses and then beats the tar out of him, because he _legitimately can't comprehend_ why someone would choose to remain on the obviously weaker side.
- If you're willing to consider a heroic sacrifice, then perhaps the villain didn't consider that the hero might do such a thing.

## He's just that evil.

- The villain is such an evil psychopath that he commits crimes without caring whether they might come back to bite him. He'll raze villages to the ground, even though someone might survive and come after him. He'll betray his loyal second-in-command, even though they know the secret to shutting off his doomsday device. He'll break a promise ("You said you'd let them go!" "I lied!") when honouring it might actually have been the better option. It might not make sense for him to do something, but he'll do it anyway just [for the evulz](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ForTheEvulz).

Original score: 7