Nihilists are Magnificent Baddies who think of everything as meaningless. This includes the lives of others and even their own.

Many nihilistic villains may not qualify as MBs because they use their philosophy as an excuse to commit any evil deed they desire (often to the point of being far too heinous), lack true planning in favor of reckless thrill-seeking, or are treated as pathetic empty shells by the narrative.

On the other hand, nihilism can contribute to a villain's magnificence as they are the opposite of cowards and will not fear their own death. Nihilistic villains with philosophies that are sufficiently well-written will come across as three-dimensional, interesting, and even sympathetic.

Anti-Nihilists are a similar yet distinct category of those who find their own sense of meaning in life.