Archetype:Dark Lord

Dark Lord
Darth Vader (Star Wars) was one of the galaxy's most well-known and feared Dark Lords of the Sith, who served as the Emperor's right hand and enforcer, hunting down Jedi survivors and enforcing the will of the Empire for years.
Archetype of:	Dark Lord.

"I am power unlike any you have known: absolute, infinite, and unrelenting. You have no choice but to prepare for a long dark future as my subjects—and my slaves."

― Darkseid, Superman: The Animated Series, "Apokolips... Now! (Part 2)

"How many times must we face your kind? Would-be conquerors and master races, so full of your own superiority you will not see reason or hear the voice of sanity?!"

― Martian Manhunter (DC Comics)

"We take what we desire because we can. We can because we have power. We have power because we are Sith"

― A Sith Proverb (Star Wars)

The ability to use the powers and characteristics of a dark lord archetype. Note that this is essentially a definition of an archetype. Opposite to True Hero.

Also Called

• Dark God/Goddess/Lady/Lord/Master/Mistress/Prince/Princess
• Evil/Dark Emperor/Empress/King/Queen/Lady/Lord/Overlady/Overlord
• Lady/Lord/Master/Mistress/Prince/Princess/King/Queen/Emperor/Empress of Darkness/Evil
• Lady/Lord of Shadows

Capabilities

User is a Dark Lord, villain usually seeks to rule or destroy the universe around them, powerful evil being who viciously rules over lesser evil beings and desire to rule their respective existences and corrupt as well as destroy everything they touch. They possess malevolent abilities and often command fiendish minions. These individuals also love to seduce others to join their side and then use them for their own hellish purposes. Anyone can be a Dark Lord; some are human, many have demonic natures and certain holders of the title are actually manifestations of the Prince of Darkness himself.

Applications

• Dark Heart: Dark Lords have the most corrupted of hearts and some may not have hearts at all
• Invulnerability: Users are usually impervious to conventional attacks and weaponry.
• Self-Resurrection: Even if destroyed, users can return to life.
• True Power: Some users may have untapped power within themselves.

Variations

• Devil Soul: Some may have become dark lords via satanic possession, thus becoming either vessels or literal manifestations of the original Dark Lord: Satan.
• Divine Slayer: May have training/ability to slay divine entities.
• Hypercompetence: Some users have unsurpassed talents and skills.
• Immortality: Some users gain eternal life.
• Magic: Wield all forms of Dark and Neutral magic.
  • Anger Magic: Use magic to induce anger in others.
  • Chaos Magic: Master the most chaotic magic.
  • Corruption Magic: Use magic to corrupt others.
  • Dark Alchemy: Use magic to create dark elixirs and potions.
  • Dark Arts: The Dark Lord's staple; mastering the darkest aspects of magic.
  • Dark Chi Magic: Master magic of dark chi.
  • Death Magic: Use magic to unleash death.
  • Demonic Magic: Master hellish magic.
  • Destruction Magic: Use magic to unleash destruction.
  • Fear Magic: Use magic to strike fear.
  • Madness Magic: Use magic to induce insanity.
  • Necromancy: Use magic that revolves around the dead
  • Nightmare Magic: Use magic to bring the worst nightmares to life.
  • Pain Magic: Use magic to inflict pain.
  • Shadow Magic: Use magic to unleash darkness.
  • Sin Magic: Use magic to make others commit unforgivable sins.
  • Void Magic: Use magic to create a void of nothingness.
  • War Magic: Use magic to wage war.
• Nigh Omnipotence: Dark Lords tend to possess god-like powers.
  • Dark Element Manipulation: Command dark elements.
  • Dark Energy Manipulation: Control dark energy.
  • Darkness Manipulation: Many users wield vast dark powers.
  • Psionics: Dark Lords are known to have many mental abilities.
    • Mental Manipulation: Control the minds of virtually anyone.
    • Telekinesis: Manipulate any and all forms of matter mentally.
    • Telepathy: send thoughts as messages across great distances.
• Personal Domain: Rule a malignant kingdom or empire.
• Subordination Manipulation: Gain many followers (usually Assailants).
• Supernatural Condition: Many Dark Lords possess supernatural traits.
• Transcendent Physiology: Some users have a demonic nature and divinely powerful abilities.

Associations

• Darkness Embodiment
• Evil Embodiment
• Satanic Incarnation

Limitations

• Will be opposed by benevolent forces.
• True Hero has more than what it takes to defeat Dark Lords.
• Can be blinded by pride and vanity.
• May be equal or in servitude to a more powerful being (another Dark Lord, a Transcendent Demon or a Satanic Figure).
• Redemption voids the power.

Known Users

See Also: Evil Overlord.

Cartoons/Comics

• Vilgax (Ben 10)
• Aggregor (Ben 10)
• Darkseid (DC Comics)
• Trigon (DC Comics)
• Van Kleiss (Generator Rex)
• Black Knight (Generator Rex)
• The Overlord (Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu)
• Thanos (Marvel Comics)
• Dormammu (Marvel Comics)
• HIM (The Powerpuff Girls)
• Aku (Samurai Jack)
• Evil Queen (Snow White)
• Unicron (Transformers)
• Night Master (Yin Yang Yo!)

Folklore/Mythology

• Satan/Lucifer (Abrahamic Religions)
• Seven Princes of Hell (Abrahamic Religions)
• Chernobog (Slavic Mythology)

Literature

• The White Witch (The Chronicles of Narnia)
• Lord Voldemort/Tom Riddle (Harry Potter)
• Sauron (The Lord of the Rings)
• Morgoth (The Simarillion)
• The Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz)

Live Television/Movies

• The Source of All Evil (Charmed)
• Satan (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)
• Aerys II "the Mad King" Targaryen (Game of Thrones)
• Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones)
• Euron Greyjoy (Game of Thrones)
• Ramsey Bolton (Game of Thrones)
• Walder Frey (Game of Thrones)
• The Lord of Darkness (Legend)
• Morgana Pendragon (Merlin)
• Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars)
• Megatron/Galvatron (Transformers)
• The Fallen (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)
• Snoke (Star Wars)
• Kylo Ren (Star Wars)
• Gunmar (Tales of Arcadia)
• General Morando (Tales of Arcadia)
• Morgana (Tales of Arcadia)

Manga/Anime

• Leaders of the Old Satan Faction (Highschool DxD)
• Creuserey Asmodeus (Highschool DxD)
• Katerea Leviathan (Highschool DxD)
• Shalba Beelzebub (Highschool DxD)
• Ryner Lute (The Legend of the Legendary Heroes); via Alpha Stigma
• Lucia Raregroove (Rave Master)
• Zorc, The Dark One (Yu-Gi-Oh!: Dawn of the Duel)

Video Games

• Dracula (Castlevania)
• Lords of Shadow (Castlevania: Lords of Shadow)
• The Chosen Undead (Dark Souls)
• Lord of Hollows (Dark Souls III)
• Chaos (Dissidia: Final Fantasy)
• The Emperor (Final Fantasy II)
• Void Termina (Kirby Star Allies)
• Malefor (The Legend of Spyro)
• Ganondorf (The Legend of Zelda)
• Overlords (Overlord series)
• Lord Kaos (Skylanders)
• Emperor Antares (Swords & Sandals series)
• Dark Lord (Ragnarok)

Gallery

Satan (Abrahamic Religions) is a famous dark lord.

Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter), the Dark Lord who is feared as the most powerful dark wizard in the world.

Sauron (The Lord of the Rings), the Enemy of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth and Dark Lord of Mordor.

Aku (Samurai Jack), shapeshifting Master of Darkness and enslaver of Earth

Should the Chosen Undead (Dark Souls) refrain from linking the first flame, the Age of Fire ends, the Age of Dark begins and the Chosen undead become the Lord of Dark.

An unkindled who willingly accepts the dark sign and usurps the first flame becomes the Lord of Hollows (Dark Souls III).

Ganondorf (The Legend of Zelda) is a Dark Lord who is endlessly reincarnated to threaten Hyrule time and time again.

Darkseid (DC Comics) with Anti-Life Equation.

Trigon (DC Comics) against heroes.

Lucia Raregroove (The Rave Master), the one chosen by the Five Mother of All Dark Brings and sought to destroy the Parallel World and return to the Real World.

The Sith Order (Star Wars) was a sect of Force-sensitives who utilized the dark side of the Force.

Naga Sadow (Star Wars), master Sith alchemist and Dark Lord of the Sith who took the Sith Empire to the brink of galactic domination in the Great Hyperspace War.

Exar Kun (Star Wars) Jedi Knight who fell to the dark side, assumed the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith, and waged a destructive war against the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order during the era of the Old Sith Wars.

Darth Malgus (Star Wars), Sith Lord of the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War.

Darth Malak (Star Wars), Dark Lord of the Sith during the Jedi Civil War.

Darth Nihilus (Star Wars), Dark Lord of the Sith during the era of strife following the Jedi Civil War.

Darth Bane (Star Wars), Sith'ari (Lord or Overlord) and the Dark Lord of the Sith who was responsible for creating the Rule of Two.

Darth Tenebrous (Star Wars) also known as Rugess Nome, was a Dark Lord of the Sith who followed the lineage of Rule of Two.

Darth Plagueis (Star Wars), Dark Lord of the Sith obsessed with eternal life, he experimented with ways to cheat death and create new life from the midi-chlorians.

Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Star Wars), Dark Lord of the Sith in the Order of the Sith Lords, recorded by history as the most powerful who had ever lived, his entire life was the culmination of a thousand-year plan to overthrow the Republic and the Jedi Order from within.

Count Dooku (Star Wars), Jedi Master who fell to the dark side of the Force and became a Dark Lord of the Sith, known as Darth Tyranus.

Lumiya (Star Wars), Force-sensitive Dark Lady of the Sith.

Darth Krayt (Star Wars), founder and leader of the One Sith. He rebuilt the Sith Order and kept its existence hidden from the Jedi by cloaking their presence on Korriban.

HIM (The Powerpuff Girls)

Dark Lord (Ragnarok)