Villainy (Black) in Star Wars: Unlimited

How Villainy Plays

Villainy, like Heroism, is an allegiance rather than a play style. Most Villainy cards also print a style aspect, so a Villainy deck plays the way its leader's style aspect plays, with the villain side's characters. Imperial is the most common trait on its cards by a wide margin, followed by Vehicles, the Underworld, Force users and Troopers.

Only your leader provides it. Bases never print a side, so every Villainy card costs at least 2 more under a Heroism leader, and the leader you choose decides which half of the pool your deck plays at printed cost.

Across its cards, Villainy leans a little more toward big units and damage than Heroism does: it has more Overwhelm, more Capital Ships and more cards that deal damage, and less healing. Some cards count the side itself: Evil is Everywhere defeats a unit that costs no more than the number of Villainy icons among your units.

What It Does Well, and What It Doesn't

Villainy by the Numbers

Counted from the 1,409 non-leader, non-base cards in the six Premier-legal sets as of October 2026, a reprint counted once. A card with two aspects counts for both.

The most common traits on Villainy cards: Imperials above all, then Vehicles, the Underworld, Force users and Troopers, with the Separatists and Capital Ships close behind. Only 61 print Villainy alone; the other 305 pair it with a style aspect, so a Villainy deck plays mostly the cards of its leader's style aspect.

Cards That Show What Villainy Does

Each prints the Villainy icon and nothing else, so it plays at printed cost under any leader with Villainy.

Evil is Everywhere

Secrets of Power #247

Counts Villainy icons

The Son, Embodiment of Darkness

Legends of the Force #237

Anthem

Darth Nihilus, Lord of Hunger

Secrets of Power #244

Repeating damage

There Is No Escape

Jump To Lightspeed #244

Shuts off abilities

• Evil is Everywhere: Defeats a unit that costs no more than the number of Villainy aspect icons among your units.
• The Son, Embodiment of Darkness: While the Force is with you, each friendly unit gets +2/+0.
• Darth Nihilus, Lord of Hunger: Deals 3 damage to the other unit, friendly or enemy, with the least remaining HP when played and when he attacks, and gets an Experience token if that unit isn't a Vehicle.
• There Is No Escape: Up to 3 units lose all abilities and can't gain abilities for the round.

Villainy Leaders

A Villainy leader pairs it with one of the four style aspects. One leader from each pairing, not a ranking; each pairing's page has more.

Grand Admiral Thrawn, Victory is Mine

Ashes of the Empire #004

Vigilance Villainy

Admiral Piett, Commanding the Armada

Jump To Lightspeed #005

Command Villainy

Darth Vader, Unstoppable

A Lawless Time #011

Aggression Villainy

Jabba the Hutt, Crime Boss

A Lawless Time #015

Cunning Villainy

• Grand Admiral Thrawn, Victory is Mine: His action attacks with a unit and gives it Restore 2 if you control as many units as the defender. Deployed at 8 resources, he has Restore 2 and, while you control more units, may defeat a non-leader unit when he attacks.
• Admiral Piett, Commanding the Armada: Exhausts to play a Capital Ship unit from your hand for 1 less. Deployed, each Capital Ship unit you play costs 2 less.
• Darth Vader, Unstoppable: Exhausts and discards a card from your hand to deal 1 damage to a unit or base. Deployed at 7 resources, he discards any number of cards on attack and deals that much damage.
• Jabba the Hutt, Crime Boss: For 1 resource, returns a friendly Underworld unit to its owner's hand to create a Credit token. Deployed, he plays an Underworld unit from your hand, and it gains Ambush if you defeated a Credit to pay for it.

Aspect Combinations With Villainy

A deck is usually named by its leader's two aspects. These are the 4 pairings that include Villainy, each with its leaders, signature cards and which base to choose.

The Other Aspects

Frequently Asked Questions