I’m brewing a little something for a game, but I’m having a little trouble thinking of a lot of possible appearances. The hulking brute clad in awesome armour is always great but I feel that players would want a bit more options. I have the big brute, a figure clad in a cloak covering their face but thats about it. So it would really help me if you guys could show me what your ideal Lord/Lady of Darkness would look like. And, it’s always fun to see what other people think! 
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My first thought is to look at League of Legends characters for inspiration.
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Black leather armor because it looks badass
For my Lady a black dress that’s made out of darkness similar to the Shelob one.
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I love the whole ethereal beautiful for both Dark lords and ladies. Someone who is cold but their beauty is like draws you in only for you to be cut apart by their darker natures. That’s how I tend to envision dark lords and ladies. Something has to be seductive about them. Not necessary trusting, you know you are going to get burned by them but you kinda of want to.
If that makes any sense.
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Pale cracked skin like broken porcelain
Raccoon eye shadow
Leather/Latex bondage mistress gear with basically an arsenal of hidden knives in sheathes and a crotch zipper for when you have to use the chamberpot but can’t bother to undress. A whip as a bandolier, and over it so we don’t walk around looking like a bondage gimp assassin a black dress with a hood.
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OH BOY, BAD GUY APPEARANCES
A few ideas:
“Dark Nobility”: shining crowns, regal attire, and stately posture… that’s more than a little menacing. This is actually Sauron’s true form: elegant and majestic under his armor.
“The Ironclad”: Not necessarily hulking, but the Big Bad is definitely covered head to toe in metal armor. Physical untouchability blending together with a cold, faceless mask of cruelty.
“Drow Couture”: Going in the opposite direction. Revealing clothing, possibly even more jewelry than clothing. While it goes the opposite direction from the Ironclad, it conveys the same message: ‘just you try and injure me.’ With a whole mess of vanity thrown on top for good measure.
“The Merciless Mage”: Pointy, high-collared robes, with black-and-red being natural color combinations (but by no means the only ones that fit). Pair with a crown to emphasize the fact that they are a wizard and an overlord, or leave crownless for the “I don’t need a symbol of authority to be authoritative” vibe.
These are just what I came up with off the top of my head.
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I’m all for the Bad Guys being incredibly beautiful and wearing fancy outfits tbh. M0rket’s Mairon for example:
What @Pixelf said ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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I would wear some dark light armor with a cloak, a hood on and always have an ornate mask without a mouth on(or helmet), surrounded in some ominous shadows too, not showing any kind of skin.
something like this but lighter armor plus the other things I mentioned.
And if I’m not expecting a fight and wearing something casual, then some noble attire, again with the mask on and showing no skin.
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Well firstly my lord/lady of darkness wouldn’t be pure evil, because what’s the point? If a villain isn’t even slightly sympathetic and is over the top evil to the point IDK they kill kittens that to me is just childish and makes for a simplistic one dimensional character.
With that in mind my lady of darkness…well I’m guessing by the OP and the posts so far this is for a fantasy setting? So…brown simple soft shoes, loose fitting brown trousers and a pink loose top. My lady would have natural black hair, but dye it light brown. She’d just have a simple dagger hidden on her person…IDK down a trouser leg? xd as she’d convince you she’s just a sweet harmless little girl who poses no threat, maybe even become your best friend…then stab you in the back…literally. Unless she got you when you were asleep, then in the neck would do just fine 
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Black armor. Boom. That’s it.
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I always think of him as similar to Perturabo
here's a description of him. I hope it makes sense
He refuses to consider himself a “villain” as opposed to the “good guys”. He came to the conclusion of joining evil’s side logically, but he hates himself for it and resents the circumstances that “forced” him to make the decision.
He is an idealistic but staggeringly narcissistic renaissance man, seeing himself alone worthy of bettering humanity. Brooding and resentful, he is inward and self-serving, even if he has convinced himself otherwise
He is a cold, resentful bastard who the moment he met his minions had them decimated for not being the best, then wondered how they still weren’t as good as those the good guys have ,and why no one liked him
He is entirely sold on this whole “utopia” idea that he would do Anything to see it through. So if the world needed a monster, he was going to damn-well give it one and he applies himself in the same clinical, detached and heartless manner that he always did. The utopian dream of his comes first, all other “human” needs come second.
He buried his dreams and his heart when he crossed the line into evil, and then willingly cut all emotional ties and dived into Hell, all because he truly believed in his utopian dream. He would do anything his dream required of him in order to achieve it. He murdered thousands, because his dream required him to. He broke empires, shattered armies, and his legions bore the most grievous wounds and losses, because his dream required him to. And he ignored the implications of it all, because his dream required him to. All of this ground into his long lost humanity, the empty core of his being that he cut out, because his dream required him to.
He is War-Broken. We’re talking about God-Level post-traumatic mental disorder here. He can’t control his emotions at times. He stares out at nothingness, and speaks to his past. One moment, he’s unreachable, and the next he’s ripping your head off because you brought him bad news. He can become utterly lost in fine details, in tearing down castles. It calms him, returns his mind back to the emotionless numbers that represent thousands of his minions dying. The further detached he became from reality, the further he tries to hide from the horror he is crafting, the worse his emotions get.
And he buries that shit. To admit the hurt and the fatigue would be to admit he was human, something imperfect; To acknowledge the dropping morale of his men would be to admit that they were weak when they should be strong. So he does the only thing his sensibilities would allow him to do: He moves forward. He gets the job done, and the next, and the next and the one after that
like Perty, this is his default facial expression. That of a man who found out his dog shat on the carpet
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I would envision my dark lord to look somewhat like this rendition of Morgoth from Tolkien’s The Silmarillion (all credits to the artist).
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I don’t have a specific preference; my rule is that the main villain should generally be the embodiment of their organization. A dark lord/lady in clanking armor leads an ordered legion. A dark lord/lady in wizard robes relies on grand sorcery, be it theirs or their cabal’s. A dark lord/lady in a buisness suit maniplates laws and banks; if they need firepower they’ll contract out mercenaries or bribe the authorities.
You can mess with that, but generally at the least they should look the part of their innate talents, even if most of their organization differs. Breaking that rule is reserved for intentional plot twists.
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I’m actually always a fan of the causal/not obviously evil look. In a medieval setting maybe just a simple unassuming robe or plain but well made grey and black tunic and pants.
For a more modern setting again mostly dark colors but otherwise unremarkable/not out of place clothing.
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If it’s in a fantasy setting, either long black robes or unassuming black leather armor would be my preference. I love the trope where the Big Bad dresses up as one of the minions right up until the end.
In a modern setting, I’d like to look unsettlingly human.
In the modern setting, I’d like to see a splash of Cthulhu-ism inserted into the imagery, maybe eyes placed where they should never be for instance.
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It depends, I mean I like to usurp expectaitions but the hulking figure does cut an imposing… figure. I dont mind a female antagonist either but Hella from Thor : Ragnarok was just painfully two dimensional like a stale cracker. If you avoided a lot of the pitfalls that ultimately evil characters face than kudos. Also I think a child would make a fair tyrant but I’d be more worried about them not knowing the implications of their actions making them appear like a spoiled brat. Now a child who drops deep philosophical questions and who makes you wonder if they aren’t right in all this, that would be interesting. IDK food for thought but I personally prefer a more sultry overlord.
Leather armor dyed black with an ebony black staff topped with either one of those weird black mystery orbs, or the skull of one of our enemies. Crown is optional.
Sunglasses. Dark mirror sunglasses. And when they’re knocked off at the climax of the fight, they reveal apparently normal eyes other than the three thousand year old stare. 
Other than that, yeah, black leather armor and maybe a cape or jacket to frame it menacingly.
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My favourite Dark Lady
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A normal person, or excessively bubbly and bright. Like bright green suit and top hat bright… But casual sounds best.
And then their personality would involve casually joking about their evil plans and having no one take them seriously until it’s too late.
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