The Super Trope to Filler Villain and Starter Villain, an Arc Villain serves as the Big Bad for one Story Arc, having an Evil Plan, The Dragon, and Mooks with which to threaten Our Heroes. After that, though, he's killed off, sent into a Humiliation Conga, or makes a Heel Face Turn, and Our Heroes go on to unrelated adventures and the next arc.
There's no Man Behind the Man for the Arc Villain [...] [tvtropes.org]