The Bully

''He's big. He's strong. He's a total jerk.''

The one who torments kids in school (with their cohorts at their side) without end. They're larger in size and strength than most kids and no one can shake them except the Principal. Being unruly, the Bully is seen as a force to be reckoned with as they're often caught doing something bad, like smoking or beating up the Nerd or Geek for the 8.3 millionth time. Bullies tend to pay no mind to the physical and emotional harm they bring to their victims. Such a lack of sympathy lets them continue in their attacks on the other children. Their intimidating status can extend to enabling control over the words and actions of those smaller and weaker than them. Bullies can force a kid to fork over whatever it is they want, which is traditionally lunch money, an overplayed End Goal for Bullies.

The most common Bullies throughout fiction are hostile, demanding social power, and aren't prone to emotions such as guilt or empathy. For those without backstories, they behave similarly to your average Villain in an adventurous franchise: do bad things because It's Their Job. Even with the muscle to take on somebody their own size, a Bully favors plucking out the weak and lone targets from a crowd. Nerds and Geeks fit this description perfectly, though a Bully can substitute them for the Main. Bullies are regular leading antagonists in stories centered on school. They don't pick on the Main for reasons outside of creating conflict, a point made more apparent if the Main is the Bully's sole victim. Mindlessly harassing the new kid just because they're new is a motive so lame that modern-day audiences aren't buying it any longer. As a result, Bullies as a whole have become fairly predictable in their behavior patterns. What else dampens the dramatic effectiveness of this match-up is the Main, through one means or another, gathering support from the other children in a plot to topple the Bully. Despite not having any personal connections to the Main, the rest of the students align themselves with the one who happens to be the Protagonist. In the end of the story, the Bully's former prey mount an offensive strong enough to bring their miniature empire to its knees, heralding a new age of equality in the hallways. Again, the over-reliance on this plotline has immensely deteriorated its impact potential on the audience over the decades. The trope has been downgraded to rank of Weak Writing that calls for an update made by later creators.

Bullies have many reasons behind picking up their current role. One reason is they want to keep a sense of power over those smaller and weaker than them by being a feared figure throughout their school. Another is they share a household with an Evil Family that abuses them until their bad environment shaped them into a bad person. What's perhaps the most eyeroll-worthy backstory behind the Bully is they were bullied themselves years ago and turned to the side of rudeness to gain forced respect from their peers. To make a better Bully background, creators should veer from these common explanations. The Bully can also seek authority in their school because they perceive the children's own miniature society to be out of wack. They can aim to change the law to how they feel it should be fairer to a certain group, like the physically strong having a greater advantage over the mentally strong. The Bully may also have an above-average UnStat, such as Reputation or Intelligence, that they exploit for power in the school. As it turns out, Nerds can be Bullies themselves if they act condescending to those with weaker smarts than theirs. The Limelight and Mean Girl may see potential in their popularity to be used as a weapon of wrongdoing. Because they're so blindly adored by other kids, whatever they do is assumed to be justified or correct, even if it hurts another person.

In 70s and 80s movies, the Bully is certainly a guy (excluding all occurrences of the Mean Girl) and repeatedly picks on the Main throughout the film until he's been defeated in some way. The Main's Love may be on the Bully's side, but she isn't one of his chums. She may switch sides and be with the Main so she can be his girlfriend after the Bully's downfall (which may be the Main's display of his worthiness to his Love whether intentional or not), but it's just about guaranteed the Good Guy Gets The Girl in some way, even if she ends up just being his friend.

UnTask Description
As a Bully, you must act as a form of authority that menaces the unpopular kids in school for social points. Your go-to victims are the two biggest rejects of the schoolyard: Nerds and Geeks. However, the Main can also be added to your list of Punching Bags if you wish. Assaulting them, calling them names, and worsening their lives with pranks are key to earning the respect of your fellow school-goers and establishing a reputation built by terror. As you are Lawful Evil, you won't regret pummeling the uncool kids into the ground, so feel free to pound them whenever the mood strikes you. Although your name may cause some others' legs to turn to jelly, you are by no means invincible. For starters, the Principal can and will expel you if they catch you in the middle of one of your nerd-beating sessions. And if the other children gather enough collective courage, they can end your reign in a giant revolt.

UnStats
Strength ●●●●●●●○○○

Skill ●●●●●○○○○○

Intelligence ●●●○○○○○○○

Influence ●●●●●●●○○○

Reputation ●●●●●○○○○○

Repeat ●●●●○

UnStat Avg. 5.16 (C)

''The Bully's greatest aspects are their Strength and Influence, both being given seven points. Most Bullies are portrayed owning incredible physique and playground infamy that carries into the hallways and shapes them into one of the most feared students, if not the most feared, at the school, which also boosts their Reputation. However, the Bully's Reputation is simultaneously lowered by the very thing that raises it: their malice. The Bully's fellow schoolchildren only respect them out of fear, which is what leads to them being disliked by many, therefore neutralizing their Reputation's increase and setting it at 5 points. As most Bullies throughout fiction are written to be mindless brutes who torment others for their own pleasure (albeit with moderate distinction of their reasons behind their actions), their Repeat is rated very highly, kneecapping any chance of being placed on a high tier. Overall, the Bully is a dominant force in the world of school with only a lack of smarts and originality holding them back. The Bully's Average is 5.16, which makes them a C-tier role. If Bullies studied every now and then and were more authentic in character, they could significantly up their UnStat game and possibly sit on mid B tier.''