The Dastard is a fantasy novel by British-American writer Piers Anthony, the twenty-fourth book of the Xanth series. The Dastard is a vile, loathsome man with the power to travel back in time. He uses this to neutralize people's joyous moments and if this includes removing the existence of sentient beings, so be it. Despite this selfish, amoral attitude, The Dastard finds himself involved with a cross-Xanth adventure anyway, with a woman resistant to his methods. He runs up against the Sea Hag, who is equally as evil and powerful.