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| “ | There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction—but there is no real me; only an entity, something illusory... and though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I simply... am not... there. | „ |
| ~ Patrick Bateman's infamous soliloquy. |
Patrick Bateman is the titular main protagonist of the controversial 1991 novel American Psycho, its 2000 film adaptation, and its stage adaptations.
He is a wealthy, narcissistic investment banker working on Wall Street in the 1980s who leads a double life as a sadistic serial killer. Bateman has an obsession with status symbols, designer clothing, reservations at exclusive restaurants, and meticulous personal grooming routines. He also harbors many prejudices towards minority groups and underprivileged people.
He serves as a satirical critique of 1980s materialism, consumerism, and yuppie culture. However, the narrative is deliberately ambiguous about whether Bateman's violent acts are real or merely his psychotic fantasies and unreliable narration.
In the film, he was portrayed by Christian Bale.
What Makes Him a Shonen Villain?[]
- Villainous: Bateman commits numerous horrible atrocities, including many murders (such as killing Paul Allen barbarically), but also acts of torture and cannibalism. He kills homeless people, coworkers, women, and even a homeless man's dog for no reason apart from his own amusement and hatred for people outside of his social class. At one point he kills a child to assess whether he would find it fulfilling - he does not, as the child has little experiences compared to an adult, so he is dissatisfied with it not being consequentially evil enough.
- Powerful/Skillful: He is skilled at maintaining his double life. He evades suspicion and manipulates those around him, and his crimes are done with meticulous precision and charismatic trickery (at least in his own mind).
- Power-Hungry: He enjoys the wealth and power he has, and also enjoys exerting dominance over less formidable people.
- Arrogant: Bateman believes himself to be superior in intelligence, fashion, wealth, and status. He constantly looks down on others, often mocking their choices in music, lifestyle, and even something as pathetic as their business cards.
- Intelligent: He is intelligent in some ways despite his delusion, as he is well-versed in finance, pop culture, and social manipulation, and he knows how to commit crimes through his cunning mind.
- Cold-Hearted/Ruthless: He shows no remorse for his crimes and kills people completely indiscriminately. Even when he isn’t murdering, he treats people around him with cruelty and heartlessness.
- Short-Tempered: He is is easily frustrated, particularly when his social status or ego is threatened. His rage is triggered by things as trivial as someone having a more tasteful business card than him, and he has a psychotic breakdown killing Paul Allen.
- Laughably Evil: He is a satircal portrayal of 1980s yuppies. His over-the-top behavior, excessive violence, and weird monologues are intentionally made for dark humor that has him seem absurdly evil at times. The humor also comes from how pathetic he ultimately is - again, the business card, or things like his exaggeratedly xenophobic remarks.
- Psychopathic: He exhibits all the hallmarks of psychopathy, as he has a total lack of empathy, uses charismatic manipulation, and cares for no one but himself. He kills without remorse and enjoys watching his victims suffer.
- Narcissistic: His defining trait - he is obsessed with his looks, wealth, and social status, and projecting this defines his existence. He constantly admires himself in mirrors, has an absurdly specific and calculated skincare routine, and always needs to be seen as superior in every way. He wants to be noticed and stand out so badly from those around him to the point that he insists that his murderous actions have to be real and not fantasy, even though his lawyer doesn't seem to believe that any of it happened.
- Has a Sinister Laugh: He has moments of very awkward, staged laughter.
- Sadistic: He enjoys it all. Many of his murders involve torture and psychological torment before he finishes the job, purely for amusement.
- Freudian Excuse: His acts are rooted in the hollowness of his existence, a lack of emotional connection, and his inability to stand out from any of his peers, which are caused by his privileged yet ultimately sterile upbringing. However, it remains a completely petty excuse for villainy and is not a tragedy.
- Bloodthirsty: He kills for fun, blood, stress relief, and sheer enjoyment. Innocence means nothing to him.
- Is a Secondary-Color Nemesis: He often wears a black suit.
- Has Black Air Force Energy: He has unhinged and psychotic energy and a complete disregard for rules, consequences, decency or morality. Some of his acts are very vile, savage and barbaric rather than sophisticated or predictable.
- Immature: Despite his wealth and success, Bateman’s emotional maturity is completely nonexistent and he throws tantrums over minor inconveniences, acting like a spoiled and entitled child when things don’t go his way. He is also completely vain and obsessed with things that shouldn't matter to anyone who is legitimately mature.
External Links[]
- Patrick Bateman on the Villains Wiki
- Patrick Bateman on the Pure Evil Wiki
- Patrick Bateman on Wikipedia