When we think of a psychopath, most of us get an image of a Hollywood violent and insane serial killer or an over the top villain from any kind of entertainment, including manga or anime. But psychopaths demonstrate a wide variety of deviant behaviors, the most important being the absence of any sense of conscience, remorse, or guilt. A psychopath’s world is a strikingly skewed one, in which the normal laws of human emotion and interaction do not apply. They are impulsive and destructive. They have no regard for the feelings and welfare of others. Does it sound familiar to you? Yes, Malty "B1tch" Melromarc is exactly like that.
Not only that, but they lie compulsively and feel absolutely no remorse. Apart from the tendency to follow foolish and irresponsible impulses that sometimes get them into trouble; they are coldly rational and usually highly intelligent. They do not need to repress feelings of anxiety and guilt, because they have no such feelings in the first place. Again, Malty behaves that way ever since her first appearance. Her mother, the Queen Mirellia, also refers to Malty as a pathologic liar.
Psychopaths don't merely repress feelings of anxiety, guilt, and shame or fail to experience them appropriately; they lack understanding of what these things are. Despite the emotional deficiency, most psychopaths learn to mimic the appearance of normal emotion well enough to fit into society. It usually works for them because most of us think that others have similar feelings to the ones we have. That's how Malty managed to manipulate Naofumi, and then framing him for attempting to r@pe her, claiming those fake accusations as if she was an actual professional actress.
The majority of psychopaths are not actually violent criminals. But there are some psychopaths who fail to blend into society. It is a fact that they have a clear advantage in fields such as law, business, and politics. They have higher IQs on average than the general population. They take risks and are not fazed by failures. Furthermore, they know how to charm and manipulate. They are ruthless. Some of the criteria used by large corporations actually select candidates that demonstrate some psychopathic characteristics: characteristics such as charisma, self-centeredness, confidence, and dominance are highly correlated with the psychopathic personality, yet highly sought after as potential leaders. This can also apply to medieval kingdoms, even fictional ones with more medieval fantasy vibes, like the Melromarc kingdom and Malty's goals with it.
A lack of empathy does not necessarily mean intent to do harm. But psychopaths are interested only in their own gain, and trouble is inevitable when their interests conflict with those of the company. Like when Malty manipulated and used Naofumi when she first met him.
This is also frequently the cause of marital dissolution and conflicts in other relationships as well. They may be charming and affectionate just long enough to establish intimacy and then suddenly become abusive, unfaithful and manipulative. Just like when Malty ended up betraying Naofumi just all of a sudden, without explanations or reasons to do it.
Unfortunately, some other abused partners often blame themselves and come out of the relationship emotionally destroyed. Like with the particular case of Motoyasu after he was betrayed and abandoned by Malty too, destroying him both emotionally and psychologically, even more than Naofumi, Ren or Itsuki. Especially because Malty was on his team for much more time than with Naofumi, considering her always a trustworthy and loyal companion in his party, and possibly his main love interest. So much so that he allowed her to rejoin his party, even after it was exposed all of her lies, manipulations and true personality right in front of him during her trial. Motoyasu naively thought that he could actually redeem Malty for all of her actions, but that just ended up backfiring on him big time by doing that. Losing also his whole party and getting his particular cursed series that now makes him see every single woman who is not related to Filo as humanoid pigs, who he cannot understand anymore.
However, many people still confuse the "psychopath" term with the "sociopath" term, when they are not the exact same thing. When real life people or fictional characters call other people and/or fictional characters psychopaths, many of them are not actual psychopaths. The same case for the ones who call someone a sociopath, confusing and mixing those terms constantly.
Sociopaths despite that they can do also horrible and evil things like psychopaths do. One thing that it differentiates them from psychopaths, is that sociopaths at least can have someone who they actually love and care about. Most criminals of any kind are usually sociopaths, including ones in power. Like corrupt cops, corrupt politicians and also corrupt royal members.
A perfect example of a sociopath in The Rising Of The Shield Hero series is none other than Aultcray "Trash" Melromarc. Yes, he is a massive ruthless, tyrannical, arrogant, reckless and impune royal scumbag, a parasite, and a racist piece of trash (pun intended) towards Naofumi and the demi-humans. Having also some sadism and narcissism on him. Like when he enjoyed trying to take away the few people that Naofumi has on his side through their dirty, underhanded and cowardly tricks against him. Or when he thought that he could control and intimidate Naofumi by threatening him to punish Raphtalia and Filo for his insolence towards him. Only to realize that Naofumi would definitely chase him and hunt him to rip him apart literally, if he even dares to lay a finger on any of them. But he genuinely loves and deeply cares for all of his family. His wife Mirellia and his 2 daughters of Malty and Melty. Even if it is in a very twisted way through his irrational treatment and ill feelings towards Naofumi. Thinking with a very poor, gullible, delirious, reckless and arrogant judgment that if he allows The Shield Hero and the demi-humans to do anything as they please he will lose his family again. But I'm NOT defending Aultcray's behavior nor justifying any of his crimes and atrocities against Naofumi and the demi-human race in any way, shape or form. He is still a terrible and disgusting human being who did many horrible things to others unfairly. I'm just using him as an example to explain the exact differences between a "psychopath" and a "sociopath".
Aultcray also developed a deep love and care for Fohl and Atla, with them being his nephew and niece from his sister's side apparently, even though they were demi-humans. Psychopaths cannot do that. Unlike Aultcray, Malty doesn't really love nor care for absolutely anyone but herself. Neither her father, nor her mother, nor her sister, nor Motoyasu, nobody. She isn't loyal to the Melromarc kingdom either, she is only loyal to her own self too. Meaning that as long as she doesn't suffer any kind of punishment, whether it's her fault or not, she could care less about what could happen to her family and the Melromarc kingdom, especially if she can actually benefit from it or at least to get away from any consequences against her. It's not that psychopaths like Malty don't want to feel bad for others, it's that they can't, even if they want to.
But Malty not only is a psychopath but also a narcissist and especially a sadist. A narcissist is someone who thinks that is better than anyone else, thinks that is smarter than anyone, while the rest are just tools or pawns basically, and that is never wrong on anything. Having also a sick and obsessive administration on themselves. A sadist is someone who enjoys watching and/or causing suffering to others, whether it's physically or emotionally. Like when Malty makes that infantile Japanese mockery with the eye and the tongue right after she betrayed Naofumi and later Motoyasu, to make them suffer even more from her betrayal towards them.
Narcissism and sadism can also apply to sociopaths and even to good people. Like with the case of Aultcray that I already mentioned previously. Naofumi also developed one of these two things (sadism). Although, Naofumi was an innocent victim from Malty's manipulation, being framed and accused of a crime that he didn't commit, and with Aultcray constantly discriminated against him and mistreated him so unfairly after that infamous event created by Malty, and he wasn't actually a narcissist. Unlike the glorified and incompetent trio of buffoons (Motoyasu, Itsuki and Ren). He actually showed some sadistic behavior. Like when he enjoyed humiliating Malty/Myne and Aultcray during their execution and giving them the rude and insulting nicknames of "B1tch"/"Sl#t" and "Trash" as their official names as punishment instead of death. I'm NOT judging Naofumi for behaving that way, nor switching sides with "B1tch" and "Trash" now. He was completely justified in acting that way, especially after everything that both "B1tch" and "Trash" did to him and his party. Being also a good way to get all of his hatred, resentment and rage against them out of his system, and if we are in Naofumi's shoes, most of us will definitely behave the same way. But that doesn't change the fact that it is a sadistic pleasure.
But despite that sociopaths and good people can also develop narcissism and sadism like psychopaths. At least they can have some moral codes and also some limits and boundaries to stop their bad actions and behaviors at some point. Psychopaths don't have that either. They will take their own narcissism and sadism into a more extreme level, doing things way more despicable, disgusting, inhuman and inherently evil, mostly for their own sick pleasure by doing those things. That's why Malty is truly a psychopath in The Rising Of The Shield Hero series from any media. Whether it is the light novel, the web novel or the anime.
But if you are still not convinced that Malty is a psychopath, this is a list of 20 signs that someone can be a psychopath. And if you look at it, almost all these signs describe Malty perfectly. There are other characters from more "realistic" but still fictional worlds who are also psychopaths like Malty. A good example beyond The Rising Of The Shield Hero series and beyond the manga and anime topics could be the character of Dimitri Rascalov, the main antagonist of the crime open world videogame of Grand Theft Auto IV from 2008, sharing A LOT of things in common with Malty Melromarc, when it comes to their personalities, behaviors and goals. But the most scary thing from all of this is that there are people out there just like Malty in real life. (This is the same list from the screenshot of Malty in this post)
20 signs that someone can be a psychopath:
Superficially charming; “silver tongued”
Self-absorbed and egocentric
Easily bored, in need of constant stimulation
Habitual liar
Manipulative
Shows no remorse; rationalizes wrongdoings, says people deserve it
Shallow emotions
Lacks empathy
Exploits the goodwill of others, especially financially
Sexually promiscuous
Impulsive
Behaves recklessly
Accepts no responsibility for actions
Had behavior problems as a child
Lacks inhibitions
Has no long term goals
Has many short term relationships
No respect for authority, including the law
Thinks they are never wrong
May be highly intelligent, but has no conscience
