Thanos is the modern poster child for this trope. He doesn't want to rule the universe; he wants it to survive.
He slaughters his entire clan, including his parents, leaving only his younger brother alive. sacrifice villains gallery full
Usually, a past trauma convinced them that the current system is broken and only a radical sacrifice can fix it. Iconic Members of the Sacrifice Villains Gallery 1. Thanos (Marvel Cinematic Universe) Thanos is the modern poster child for this trope
Global peace achieved through a mountain of corpses. 3. Itachi Uchiha (Naruto) including his parents