Most Evil Fictional Character: Davros vs. Judge Holden

Board 8

Board 8 » Most Evil Fictional Character: Davros vs. Judge Holden
Welcome to the 2023 edition of Most Evil Fictional Character, a single-elimination tournament to determine the most evil fictional character of all time!

Here's the bracket:

https://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=477621&tclass=

And here's the discussion topic:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80568652

And here are the rules:

-First and foremost, YOU MUST BOLD YOUR VOTE FOR IT TO COUNT . The reason for this is that these topics encourage a lot of discussion and debate, and it helps me to distinguish a vote from simple discussion if all votes are bolded. So, I state again, ALL VOTES MUST BE BOLDED FOR THEM TO COUNT . I reserve the right to be lenient in early topics if people just aren't getting it, but for the most part, IF YOUR VOTE ISN'T BOLDED, IT WON'T COUNT.

-You must vote for which of the two characters you honestly believe to be the more evil of the two. You can determine this via any method you like, use your own morals and judgement, read all the arguments made to determine your choice, or however you choose to make your pick, but you must only vote for the one you truly believe is the most evil. This isn't a death battle, or a popularity contest. You're voting ONLY for the most evil character out of the two choices presented.

-While on that subject, remember that because this isn't a death battle or a fighting tournament, do your absolute best to consider the two characters as if their power levels were equal (either the weaker character brought up to the level of the strongest, or vice versa, or both if you want to consider both possibilities). Therefore, just because, for example, one of the characters blew up a planet and the other one merely kicked a puppy, doesn't necessarily mean the planet killer is more evil than the puppy kicker. Consider the characters as if they have the exact same capabilities and what they might do in that scenario.

-You can make any arguments, debates, etc. you want in this topic. Discussion is STRONGLY encouraged, a fun debate about which of the two characters is most evil is exactly what these topics are for. No insults or flaming, keep things civil even if you disagree. Also, no vote rallying, if you want to encourage people to vote for your character you need to at least make some semblance of an argument as to why, even if it's just "Character X did (dastardly thing), I can't believe no one's voting for them!"

-Voting will continue for 24 hours. If there's a tie, there will be a new 24 hour topic. This will continue indefinitely until winner is determined.

- YOU MUST BOLD YOUR VOTE FOR IT TO COUNT.

-

The following write-ups will contain untagged SPOILERS for Doctor Who and Blood Meridian.

DAVROS

Davros is a major antagonist in the Doctor Who television series and specials.

Davros, often referred to by his creations as the Creator and also known as the Dark Lord of Skaro, was originally the head of the Kaled Scientific Elite on the planet Skaro, but he became better known as the creator of the Daleks. He also made alterations of his own to the Dalek genome, filtering out qualities Davros deemed "weak" to make his creations the ultimate warriors. Davros refused to listen to the Doctor when he begged him to make the Daleks peaceful creatures of good, rather than the evil exterminators they would become. The results of his attempts to bring the war on Skaro to an end were not as he envisioned, because the Daleks wiped out both the Thal and Kaled races, save for himself. Davros survived the centuries, using whatever medical assistance was available to sustain his life. For a time, he sought to create a race of Daleks loyal to him, which led to the Imperial-Renegade Civil War, where he served as Emperor of the loyal Daleks, and later of the Dalek race as a whole. In the hundred years leading up to the Earth year 2254, Davros and the Daleks witnessed the human race advance their scientific knowledge to the point of becoming a threat. Ultimately, Davros decided that this problem needed to be rectified and so launched an invasion of Earth, intending to turn it into a Dalek production planet. Davros genetically tested a group of humans. Modifying their brains to remove their emotions of compassion, love and pity, Davros converted them into drones; as such, these drones were, like the Daleks, Davros's children. As the Daleks continued their 23rd century bombardment of the Earth colony of Phobos, Drone 77 and Drone 69, formerly a human male and female respectively, were questioned by Davros. When they behaved in a fashion indicating disgust for him, both moving away when he went to touch them, and demonstrated fear by seeking comfort in each other's arms, Davros ordered their extermination.Through his creations, many came to consider him responsible for trillions of deaths and innumerable wars across the universe. Davros had a sound mind early in his life, but the incident that crippled him and his overall experiences in the Thal-Kaled war left him a depraved and insane megalomaniac. He became tyrannical and ruthless, tolerating no opposition to his will and dismissing fairness and democracy as "the creeds of cowards". He did not believe the Daleks were evil, instead believing they would bring peace by becoming the sole life-forms of the universe; he believed different species could not peacefully co-exist, so believed the utter extermination of all other races was the only way the Daleks could succeed at bringing peace. He was one of the Doctor's greatest enemies, rivalling the Master in both intellect and madness. The Twelfth Doctor described Davros as "an insane, paranoid genius who [had] survived amongst several billion trigger-happy mini-tanks for centuries".

vs.

JUDGE HOLDEN

Judge Holden is the primary antagonist of the novel Blood Meridian .

Judge Holden is a central character in Cormac McCarthy's 1985 Western novel Blood Meridian . In the novel, he and Glanton are the leaders of a pack of nomadic criminals who rob, rape, torture, and kill across the borderlands between the United States and Mexico. Throughout the novel, Holden brutally murders dozens of people, including children. Holden is a mysterious figure, a cold-blooded killer. Aside from the children he openly kills, he is seen enticing children with sweets, and a child often goes missing when he is in the vicinity. The Judge was involved in several conflicts with Native Americans, including a raid that resulted in the slaughtering of multiple babies and defenseless non-combatants. He falsely accused a priest of being a child murderer and zoophiliac in order to cause mayhem and get him killed and several other people, and when confronted about how he knew that, he said that he never met or saw him in his life and just destroyed the priest's life for his own amusement. Judge Holden is an extremely ruthless, vile, depraved, perverted, abusive, sadistic but also very intelligent individual. He often teaches lessons about the world to his fellow mercenaries and philosophizes to them. He tends to avoid personal confrontation, but is perfectly willing to murder people in the most brutal ways imaginable if they are his enemies. The Judge is perennially calm, and expresses few emotions over the course of the novel. He was an immensely cruel being, demonstrating his love for cruelty such as buying two puppies just so he can throw them off a bridge to their deaths.
This signature won't change until Chrono Trigger gets a re-release on a modern Nintendo console.
Judge Holden
Davros
I just decided to change this sig.
Blaaaaaaargh azuarc
Davros
Covered my view of it in the discussion topic. Judge Holden feels like more of an innately evil piece of shit from what I have heard despite lacking in scale (obviously). The 'intent' and history angles affects things for me in regards to Davros. As I understand it, Davros endgame to him basically means "no more evil!" which I think is a con in regards to this.
XBL GT: Demon Ninja X2
"There comes a time in every man's or woman's life where they have to make **** up to cover their ass." - Hazama
Davros

Not saying that Holden isn't equal, but doing research, the idea of turning people into protein for food, and all the biological murdering.. I find it a bit more evil.

And saying the endgame of no more evil, that's kind of not a proper explanation, since that is to disintegrate the multiverse, (and can do whatever afterwards) There's plenty of evil there.
The process is still evil of course. Just the intent from his end as he views Daleks as ultimately good and them being the sole things left means an end to evil to him (along with needing personal events to get to this point) which sorta hurts him for me. The type that are totally into it and don't pull that sort of thing usually come off as actually more evil overall to me. The sort that go "No I know what I am doing is evil, my minions are evil, and I revel in it. Fuck that other stuff. Not only that but I am going to fuck with you on top of it!"

Omnicide/near omnicide is also another weird factor when it comes to evilness to me. It can be a big booster on the surface, but unless the villain in question accounted for it and plans to do it all again forever in some way like hopping to another reality or higher plane, it implies an end to their evil or evil in general (depending on their plans/goals and they'd be content just sitting around not inflicting evil on something or doing nothing).

Though this comes back to the balancing act on how one weighs evilness and stuff. Davros goes bigger/harder due to his capabilities for sure, but Holden strikes me as a more evil individual at his core (on top of having a more personal touch like just fucking over a random fellow for no reason aside from personal amusement). Like someone said in another match with him, he wants to live and do this shit forever.
XBL GT: Demon Ninja X2
"There comes a time in every man's or woman's life where they have to make **** up to cover their ass." - Hazama
Davros

Pirateking2000 posted...
Just the intent from his end as he views Daleks as ultimately good and them being the sole things left means an end to evil to him
That seems like a terrible justification to me, like saying Hitler isn't that evil because he'll be happy once his genocide is complete and he's conquered the world.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
MacArrowny posted...
Davros

That seems like a terrible justification to me, like saying Hitler isn't that evil because he'll be happy once his genocide is complete and he's conquered the world.

More along the lines of if Hitler purposely left some jews alive to constantly torture and fuck with for the lawlz vs total extermination. Its not a matter of being "that evil" because of course its evil. I just find those who seek to bring constant suffering (especially for something as mundane as mere amusement) forever to be more evil than outright extermination with a sort of cause where they will "stop".
XBL GT: Demon Ninja X2
"There comes a time in every man's or woman's life where they have to make **** up to cover their ass." - Hazama
Davros
https://i.imgtc.com/a6iBg1Y.jpg
Congrats to azuarc on being really good at predicting stuff
Holden seems a lot more cruel but I do wonder if he'd ever want to achieve the scale Davros does.
No problem!
This is a cute and pop genocide of love!
Davros

If Davros succeeded in wiping out all lifeforms in the universe, I do not think there would be peace. Daleks would start killing each other over impurities, as we already see Daleks do. And Davros would revel in it, and would hate it if it were any other way. Holden is definitely very depraved. But I don't think he actually holds hatred toward other races the way Davros does. He just likes causing destruction and chaos.
This isn't funny Dean, the voice says I'm almost out of minutes!
~Alexandra
Lopen posted...
Holden seems a lot more cruel but I do wonder if he'd ever want to achieve the scale Davros does.

From what I've heard of him that seems doubtful. Unless you mean if like if he was able to hop around planets and stuff. Those who read his story can correct me if I am wrong, but Holden seems more the sort to turn the place into his depraved playground for fun as he hops around (from planet to planet) forever making things hell to everyone he comes across (which can entail total killings as well fucking your reputation on a whim) compared to Davros seeking just mass scale purge (incited from past trauma apparently?). Holden fucks shit up more personally and cruelly along his never ending path (with his gang maybe spreading out and doing it wherever else randomly if they also operate on their own in their story) for fun while Davros is more purposely devising stuff (guess its another sort of chaotic evil vs lawful evil thing).
XBL GT: Demon Ninja X2
"There comes a time in every man's or woman's life where they have to make **** up to cover their ass." - Hazama
Davros
E come vivo? Vivo!
Yeah thinking

Davros
No problem!
This is a cute and pop genocide of love!
Judge Holden
I'm playing every game from GotD 2020! Games Completed: 20/129
(Currently on Hiatus)
Davros
.-#Elements of Water#-.
Judge Holden
I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
Halloween 2023 - https://letterboxd.com/crossbonesgt/list/halloween-2023/
The writeup describes Davros as "insane" a few times, can someone go into more detail about that? This contest has docked entrants points for "insanity" before.
Judge Holden
Give 'em hell Ukraine.
rwlh posted...
The writeup describes Davros as "insane" a few times, can someone go into more detail about that? This contest has docked entrants points for "insanity" before.

Davros is not clinically or criminally insane. He still has criminal culpability.
This isn't funny Dean, the voice says I'm almost out of minutes!
~Alexandra
I guess there's something (however slim) to be said for someone whose "start of darkness" stemmed from the horrors of war.

However, his scale still puts him over Holden for me.
E come vivo? Vivo!
Holden
Congrats to 2020 GotD Guru champ azuarc!
Davros
Call from demon - with dark power to tempt your mind, very proud of the power. Destroy the firing shot!
Dancedreamer posted...
Davros is not clinically or criminally insane. He still has criminal culpability.

Thanks for clarifying.

I think Davros takes it. Would Holden's evil really stretch as far as Davros's, given equal parameters? I don't think it would. Davros in Holden's world might not assault the protagonist in the outhouse, but he might dissect him instead, then leave him half-alive for "science's sake."
davros
Davros
It's Reyn Time.
Board 8 » Most Evil Fictional Character: Davros vs. Judge Holden