Information AboutDark Lord |
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Dark Lord (also known as an '''Evil Overlord''') is a name often used in Fiction to talk about a powerful Villain with evil Henchmen , especially when pronouncing the real name is thought to bring bad Luck . Such a villain usually seeks to rule or destroy the World , Galaxy , or Universe . In a religious context, it usually means Satan or other similar entities who hold power over lesser fiendish creatures and seek to disrupt the comfort and lives of people, sometimes tragically, and definitely maliciously. Many of the Cliché s of a dark lord came from Totalitarian states with a Fascist propaganda and ideology. In a modern setting, they are sometimes megalomaniac dictators whose minions are depicted in outfits resembling Nazi troop uniforms, and the architecture is often in the geometric, modernist style common in the former Soviet Union . In '' Sauron is actually the second Dark Lord; he was the lieutenant of the first Dark Lord, Morgoth , until the latter's defeat. Morgoth's original name was Melkor, "He who arises in might"; "Morgoth" is a title or epithet meaning "dark enemy." Following the example of Sauron, Dark Lords in fantasy are always depicted as immensely powerful, implacably Evil creatures with an insatiable lust for power, who cannot be reasoned or bargained with. Only by their ultimate destruction can peace be restored. In '' Star Wars '', Dark Lord is an actual rank that is achieved by those who become Sith Lord s. The most well-known Dark Lords of Star Wars are Darth Vader and Darth Sidious . The F-Zero Video Game series feature a character who is a Dark Lord type - Deathborn. His subordinate, Black Shadow, also functions as a type of Dark Lord: he has a major henchman, Blood Falcon, in the games. Dark Lords often do not actually engage in direct conflict with the heroes; frequently, they are dark God s or Demon s, exist in other Dimension s, and/or maintain a dark, inaccessible fortress. They usually rely on a vast, shadowy network of minions, often with an extremely hierarchical structure. The frequency in which these cliches occur spawned the Evil Overlord List , a popular web site satirizing the mistakes Dark Lords (and any kind of major villain) make. Frequently, villainous characters in fiction will display numerous Dark Lord mannerisms, but will mainly belong to another genre of fictional villain. However, very few villains in fiction are able to balance out more than one genre of fictional villain. One such rare example is Davros from '' Doctor Who '', whose position as creator of the Dalek s and later ruler of their empire marks him both as a Dark Lord and as a Mad Scientist . Generally, however, villains are either one or the other, not both. These conditions are usually caused either by the format of the story in which the villain appears, or because of the villain’s Modus Operandi . For example, Ming The Merciless and Darkseid are alien despots and could fall under the category of alien invaders. However, they exist within stories of such operatic nature, with elements of swashbuckling adventure and mythological analogy, that they are considered specifically to be Dark Lords. Alternatively, comic book villains The Kingpin and the 1990-era Lex Luthor could be considered modern-day versions of a Dark Lord, but more closely fall under the categories of a crime lord or a mad scientist, respectively. This is mostly due to these characters both traditionally seeking a public identity as a businessman, even a philanthropist at time, while keeping their criminal activities secret. This is at odds with one of the hallmarks of a Dark Lord, which is that they act from or deliberately seek out a position of legal authority, albeit often self-appointed, and even their most nefarious deeds are often public knowledge. Luthor and the Kingpin, however, would both be sought out by the authorities if their activities ever came to light. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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