Why are arch viles called arch viles?

[Albondigoide]

So it's like an... arch de triumph... that is... evil? I don't get it.

 

 

[out_of_service]

Because they can be considered your arch nemesis and they're exceptionally vile because they can toast you like a marshmallow and undo all your hard work.

[Sotenga]

Because "Goddamn Exploding Resurrecting Speedy Horrible Asshole" sounds inelegant. But... maybe it could have been called a "GERSHA," come to think of it.

[D4NUK1]

His real name it's FLAME BOI

[Gez]

2 hours ago, Albondigoide said:

So it's like an... arch de triumph... that is... evil? I don't get it.

That's not actually the same word.

 

-arch as a noun ultimately comes from the Latin "arcus", meaning a bow. Now you know why the practice of shooting a bow is called archery.

-arch as a prefix or suffix ultimately comes from the Greek "ἀρχή" (arkhe), meaning rule. So a monarch is someone who rules alone (mon is alone), while an archbishop is the chief of the bishops.

 

So the arch-vile rules over vileness. There you go.

[DavidN]

It was incidental, but that bit about “monarch” was incredible - I never realized it was mon(o) + arch the whole time!

[Faceman2000]

Cuz Sandy Petersen thought it sounded cool and no one else wanted to name the demons.

 

But also what Gez said.

[xScavengerWolfx]

I though his name was the demon healer or a necromancer. Whatever is name is the arch-vile is a flaming dick! 

[Maximum Matt]

Because they're bastards

[Sena]

they make an arch with the attack

they are vile

I don't know mate, anyone's guess, they call the final boss the icon of sin, but they never specified which sin

[Bauul]

A bigger question is how you pronounce it.

 

Is it "arch" like "archbishop", or "ark" like in "archangel"?

[BaileyTW]

Because they are some sort of ruler, I mean they got their faces on walls and stuff in even Doom 1, and they weren't even around. I mean not even the spiderdemon has a wall built in their likeness. Thus Arch (monARCH, ARCHbishop).

and because demons are weird they like ruling over bad stuff. So the archeviles rules over vile-ness.

[SLOTH MARINE (CB)]

because it's your arch enemy and it is vile  

[thelamp]

it's short for Archibald McVillian

[Arrowhead]

Archviles are called Archviles because they're  "one of the worst of a bad lot..."

Edited May 23, 2021 by Arrowhead

[VoanHead]

1 hour ago, Arrowhead said:

Archviles are called Archviles because they're  "one of the worst of a bad lot..."

I view Archviles differently. "One of the worst of a bad lot" my ass, he resurrects his demon friends even if they misfire at him w/ their projectiles. That's a real friend right there...

 

...but they're still assholes because of the hitscan magic flame attack.

[Roofi]

Future question : Are lost souls really lost?

[Vaeros]

Because they're Doomguy's Arch-enemies and they're so vile. 

[Jello]

2 hours ago, Roofi said:

Future question : Are lost souls really lost?

I can't remember what map I was playing, but it had a huge outdoor area with a blood sea. I was looking for the last enemy, and it turned out it was a lost soul. I found it, or it found me, on a bridge, and I dodged it.

 

It took it at least 30 to 45 seconds to hit the edge of the map, I could barely make it out. It dinked around for a little bit, then charged at me again, taking the same time to get back to me. Then I dodged again, and he went flying past to the other edge of the map.

 

At that point I just kind of felt bad for it. He tried so damn hard, but just couldn't get me, and I missed him twice on his flybys, so I just exited the level. Figured it deserved to live... Or stay dead? Undead? Not sure, just didn't have the heart to blow it up after that.

 

But one thing I can say with certainty, it most certainly was not lost. It knew it wanted to chew my face off, and knew exactly where I was. They just have really bad brakes.

 

 

Edited May 23, 2021 by Jello

[Gez]

Sometimes, lost souls end up outside of level geometry. This can happen if a pain elemental spawns them while being too close to a wall (there's code in Boom to fix that), or if the lost soul glides into the void during a charge. Such a lost soul is truly lost, stuck in the void and unable to get back into the "real" part of the game world.

[Teo Slayer]

Because Vilearch would sound dumb. Archvile sounds better :P

[NoXion]

I thought the "arch" but of the name was of a similar root to words like "arch-nemesis", which is what one would call an long-term enemy. Which is fitting because they will forever be vile enemies with their line-of-sight attack and ability to resurrect your foes.

"Vile" is also an anagram of "evil", which is also fitting because they will always be evil fuckers.

[lokbustam257]

would you want them to be called the medic?

[LordEntr0py]

I always figured this inspired the name.

 

Although his whenever I see it written, I think of Arch-Viles 

 

 

[Avoozl]

Because they are the vilest of what's considered vile.

[Azuris]

13 hours ago, Gez said:

That's not actually the same word.

 

-arch as a noun ultimately comes from the Latin "arcus", meaning a bow. Now you know why the practice of shooting a bow is called archery.

-arch as a prefix or suffix ultimately comes from the Greek "ἀρχή" (arkhe), meaning rule. So a monarch is someone who rules alone (mon is alone), while an archbishop is the chief of the bishops.

 

So the arch-vile rules over vileness. There you go.

 

Exactly <3

 

Just as there are Arch Angels.

 

7 hours ago, Bauul said:

A bigger question is how you pronounce it.

 

Is it "arch" like "archbishop", or "ark" like in "archangel"?

 

I have heard both, i personal say Arch as is Archer.

 

In that way it also sounds more as the german Word Arsch, that is Ass
/Arse and is what i mostly feel about it :P

[Kyka]

3 hours ago, lokbustam257 said:

would you want them to be called the medic?

 

I think you mean "Arch-medic"

 

..."Medic-Vile?" perhaps

 

...anyone?

[Sunnyfruit]

7 hours ago, Roofi said:

Future question : Are lost souls really lost?

 

Given how dumb they are, probably

[KubaloBlackMT]

I like it, Arch-vile= Chief-Evil

[KubaloBlackMT]

10 hours ago, Roofi said:

Future question : Are lost souls really lost?

Adding further, you actually made me remember Lost Souls are technically damned souls by real-life definition, so they used to be human.