Criminals

"When there's no cops around, anything's legal."

• Grunkle Stan

Criminals are characters that frequently engage in activities that go against the norms of a society or culture, breaking the laws of the land they reside in and in extreme cases even the laws of a sector / empire, while it is possible for some laws to be unjust and rebellion against tyranny. Often requires of breaking the laws, there is often a difference between a criminal and a vigilante (in fiction) : a criminal often seeks self gain while the vigilante breaks the law for the "greater good".

Some criminals can be anarchist or nihilistic in thinking, believing that society is better without law - others can simply be opportunists : the worst criminals can take their activities so far they become Terrorists, seeking to reshape (or even destroy) the world using criminal means.

Sub-Types

• Drowners: Drowners are villains who favour the act of drowning a victim, either personally or via an action that would effectively make someone drown (for example trapping them in a sinking vessel like Commander Sith) - these villains may not be seen to be as brutal as other murderers but they are often just as ruthless and morally objectionable.
• Poisoner: Villains that kill or incapacitate via poisoning, this type of murder was (and continues) to be rampant due to it often being seen as a quick and effective way of getting rid of those one dislikes - in the past it was not uncommon for royalty and nobles to employ food testers due to the common practice of poisoning. It was also a common theory in medieval times that evil witches or other miscontents would poison village wells and make people sick - a theory that has since entered the imagination and become somewhat of a staple (as well as a tool for parody). Sadly in the real world many serial-killers utilize poison, especially those who have managed to work their way into the medical profession - these killers are sometimes refered to as "angels of mercy" and often kill their victims via poison or drugs found in hospitals or similiar institutions. Poison can come in many forms ranging from liquid and capsules to gas - such as mustard-gas, which was commonly used in the World Wars.