Knights of Cerebus



Knights of Cerebus are TV Tropes-popularized term to identify wrongdoers who creates a stark contrast by being played completely seriously, changing the tone of the story in the fiction where the said fiction supposedly a comedic or light-hearted media that normally portrayed antagonists/villains that merely a nuisance for everyone rather than an actual threat.

Who are they and what made them apart with comedic villains/antagonists that pose less threat or merely annoyance to heroes/good guys?
To clarify, when a story portrays usually bumbling, comedic or incompetent villains, or even villains who despite posing a credible threat still have comedic moments where these resulting those kinds of villains would be easily dispatched by heroes, those whom proved to be a Knight of Cerebus, proved to be very competent, deadlier, sometimes even frightening, and their presence would brought the dark outcome over the story, ranging from affecting heroes or other good guys' character developement of worse, cataclysmic events. Even episodes/chapters featuring them focus on the seriousness and drama and not on humor.

Requirements for a villain to be a Knight of Cerebus
A villain can only considered as a Knight of Cerebus if he/she fulfilled these requirements:


 * 1) They are hardly if ever comedic. Of course there are very rare exceptions namely if their gimmick is that of a clown or jester in which that is simply part of their gimmick itself. This cannot distract or lighten the mood.
 * 2) This is not simply a Dark character. It has to be of an unheard level, like a serial killer in My Little Pony or similar very lighthearted media.
 * 3) There are very few if any of these within a story or said media, and if you have had one it is much harder to have another one later due to a couple of reasons. After one is introduced, it is harder for another villain to standout enough to truly count. The other reason is that the audience in general isn't as easily shocked and at times even expect more like them.
 * 4) This villain type must ultimately contrast to the current setting of the story, and their very presence darken it as a result. This feels strange and is previously unheard of within the setting.

It is true that it is not always the case for a Knight of Cerebus to be a dark character, but the chance that some of them wind up become a notorious force to be reckoned with (which sometimes so notorious that simply mentioned them by their name deemed to be taboo) is unmistakable. They would achieve this via commit heinous acts such as crossing MEH, destroying or corrupting innocent people, or other form of evil acts that instilled fear to everyone.

Quotes
"Two years have now passed, Chirin has changed from a determined lamb, into a fearsome beast."

- The Narrator

"So then Wolf I am no longer a weakling sheep instead of fangs I have horns which are just as sharp, my hooves are harder that the rock, and it has become my nature to fight without fear of death."

- Chirin to the Wolf.

"Alright, Ford. Time up! I've got the kids. I think I'm going to kill one of them now, just for the heck of it!"

- Bill Cipher.

​Literature

 * Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter)

​Film

 * Star Wars
 * Emperor Palpatine
 * Darth Vader
 * Marvel Cinematic Universe

​Comic

 * DC
 * Darkseid
 * Justice League
 * Despero
 * Maxwell Lord
 * Batman
 * Joker
 * Ra's Al Ghul
 * ​Black Mask
 * Anti-Monitor (Crisis on Infinite Earth)
 * The Flash
 * Reverse-Flash
 * ​The Rival
 * Professor Zoom
 * Zoom
 * ​Inertia
 * ​Reverse-Flash (New 52)
 * Mister Mind (Captain Marvel/Shazam)
 * Deathstroke (Teen Titans)
 * Marvel
 * Red Skull (Captain America)
 * Green Goblin

Live-Action TV

 * Arrowverse
 * Arrow
 * Slade Wilson
 * ​Ra's al Ghul 
 * ​Prometheus 
 * ​The Flash
 * Eobard Thawne 
 * Zoom
 * ​Savitar
 * ​Grodd
 * ​Legends
 * ​Marvel Cinematic Universe
 * Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
 * Hive
 * ​Grant Ward
 * ​Raina 

Videogames

 * Bowser (Super Mario Bros.)
 * King Boo (Luigi's Manison: Dark Moon)
 * Wingo (Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker)
 * Shadow Queen (The Thousand Year Door)
 * Dimentio (Super Paper Mario)
 * The Shroobs (Partners in Time)
 * Princess Shroob
 * Elder Princess Shroob 
 * Dark Star (Bowser's Inside Story)
 * Ganon/Ganondorf (Legend of Zelda)
 * Skyward Sword
 * Ghirahim
 * Demise
 * Bellum (Phantom Hourglass)
 * Metroid
 * The Ing (Echoes)
 * The Nightmare (Fusion)
 * Kid Icarus
 * ​​Hades
 * Medusa
 * Chaos Kin
 * Aparoid Queen (Star Fox: Assualt)
 * Ephidel (Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade)
 * Kirby
 * Meta Knight
 * Masked Dedede
 * Dark Matter
 * 0
 * Marx (Super Star)
 * Lord Nightmare
 * Drawcia (Canvas Curse)
 * Dark Nebula
 * Galacta Knight
 * Necrodus 
 * Magalor (Return to Dreamland)
 * Queen Sectonia (Triple Deluxe)
 * Planet Robobot
 * Max Profiit Haltmann
 * Star Dream
 * Pokemon
 * Mewtwo
 * Silver
 * Sabrina
 * Giovanni 
 * Ruby & Sapphire
 * Kyogre
 * Groudon 
 * Cyrus (Diamond & Pearl)
 * Black & White
 * Ghetsis
 * Kyurem
 * Lysandre (XY)
 * Sun & Moon
 * Lusamine
 * Guzma
 * Nihilego 
 * Drowzee
 * Darkrai
 * Purple Eyes ​(Rangers: Guardian Signs)
 * MOTHER
 * Giygas (Earthbound)
 * Porky Minch (3)
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Metal Sonic
 * Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Adventure
 * Chaos
 * Gerald Robotnik
 * Black Doom (Shadow the Hedgehog)
 * Eggman Nega (Rush & Rivals)
 * Mephiles the Dark (2006)
 * Imperator Ix (Chronicles)
 * Deadly Six (Lost World)
 * Lyric the Last Ancient (Boom)
 * Bayonetta
 * Father Blader (1)
 * Loptr ​(2)
 * MegaMan
 * ​​Repliforce (X)
 * Mega Man Juno (Legends)
 * Zero
 * Dr. Weil
 * Omega 
 * Star Force
 * Dealer
 * Mr. King 
 * Joker
 * Street Fighter
 * M. Bison
 * Akuma
 * Ratchet & Clank
 * Emperor Tachyon ​(​Tools of Destruction)
 * ​Alister Azimuth ​(A Crack in Time)
 * ​Mr. Eye ​(Into the Nexus)
 * Baron Praxis (Jak II)
 * Clockwerk (Sly Cooper)
 * General Tsao (Honor Among Thieves)
 * BlazBlue
 * Hazama
 * Yuuki Terumi
 * Hades Izanami 
 * Uncharted

​Western Animation

 * SpongeBob SquarePants
 * The Movie
 * Plankton
 * Dennis
 * Cyclops
 * Mr. Krabs (One Coarse Meal)
 * Mrs. Puff (Demolition Doofus)
 * Fairly OddParents
 * Mr. Crocker (Abra-Catastrophe)
 * Nega-Chin (Crimson Chin)
 * The Destructinator (Wishology)
 * Meldar Prime (Jimmy Neutron: Win, Lose and Kaboom)
 * Danny Phantom
 * Fright Knight
 * Dark Danny

​Anime/Manga

 * ​Dragon Ball
 * Original
 * Tao Pai Pai
 * King Piccolo
 * Z
 * Frieza 
 * Cell 
 * Majin Buu
 * Super Buu
 * Kid Buu
 * GT
 * General Rilldo
 * Baby
 * Goku Black (Super)
 * One Piece
 * Emperors
 * Charlotte Linlin
 * Marshall D. Teach
 * Marines
 * Akainu
 * Aokiji
 * Sea Warlords
 * Dracule Mihawk
 * Crocodile
 * Donquixote Doflamingo
 * Bartholomew Kuma
 * Bleach
 * Sosuke Aizen
 * Mayuri Kurotsuchi
 * Yhwach
 * ​Fairy Tail
 * Zeref Dragneel
 * ​Achologia
 * ​Jellal Fernande​s
 * ​Hades
 * ​Tartaros
 * ​Mard Geer
 * ​Nine Demon Gates
 * ​Kyoka
 * ​Silver Fullbuster
 * ​Jackal
 * ​Franmalth
 * Tempester
 * ​Torafuzar
 * ​Ezel
 * Seliah
 * ​Keyes
 * ​Alvarez Empire
 * ​Invel Yura
 * ​Bloodman
 * ​Irene Belserion

Gallery
NOTE: The limit is for 20 pictures only