Not-So-Harmless Villain/Playing With

Basic Trope: A villain reveals they're much more badass than previously thought.

• Straight: Dracone is considered fairly harmless throughout the world. However, he proves he's much more dangerous than previously thought by completely routing an opposing army.
• Exaggerated: Dracone goes from harmless comic relief to world-destroying psychopath in the span of about five minutes.
• Justified: Dracone relied on Obfuscating Stupidity to get his work done.
  • Dracone has come to realise his flaws, and vows to improve himself.
• Inverted: Dracone, thought to be the world's biggest threat, is suddenly demoted to comic relief overnight.
  • See Villain Decay.
• Subverted: It was temporary - he's really not that dangerous. (See Big Bad Wannabe for the most likely way of doing this.)
• Double Subverted: At least, that's what he wanted you to think.
• Parodied: No matter what Dracone does, be it taking over the world, blowing up a city, or anything else, no one stops thinking of him as the Harmless Villain.
• Deconstructed: The nations of the world were entirely unprepared for Dracone to rise to power - they just didn't see it coming. As a result, he's able to rule unchecked.
• Reconstructed: ...But because of how unobstructed his ascension is, Dracone deems the nations harmless, and what goes around comes around.
• Zig Zagged: He doesn't seem that dangerous, until he succeeds in taking over his country. Then he uses his newfound power to create several homes for children orphaned during his bloody rise to power. The heroes decide not to fight against the benevolent ruler, until the first inspection day at the orphanage, when he reveals that he Eats Babies.
• Averted: No one thinks of Dracone as harmless.
  • Alternatively, Dracone never becomes a threat to anyone.
• Enforced: "Ah crap, the Five-Man Band has already beaten all the bad guys. Wait, what about that comic relief character? Let's make him into a badass!"
• Lampshaded: "I know you thought I wasn't dangerous, but I'm not so harmless!"
• Invoked: Dracone intentionally makes people underestimate him.
  • Alternatively, Dracone gets sick of not being taken seriously, and decides to do something about it.
• Defied: "We must consider every threat, even one that seems as silly as Dracone."
• Discussed: "Yeah, he's not so dangerous. He's just...whoa, did he just kill that guy?"
• Conversed: "Did that Harmless Villain just kill that guy? Whoa!!"

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