Magnificent Bastard/Video Games/Fire Emblem

The magnificent masterminds of the Fire Emblem franchise:


 * Emperor Rudolf from Shadows of Valentia. While he makes mistakes here and there, the man is such a smooth operator that he technically wins, thanks to his war-mongering, his machinations result in a unified Valentia that his son ultimately rules over.
 * Ditto for Genealogy of the Holy War's Arvis, whose ruthlessness and overall shadiness leads to a better empire, with him personally overseeing cleanup efforts to eliminate its more morally abhorrent aspects, such as Manfroy's child hunts.
 * While he may be an omnicidal lunatic, there's no denying that Zephiel's got style. Not only does he use a war as a smokescreen for summoning a bunch of bloodthirsty dragons to wipe out humanity, but he uses himself as bait to trick Roy into wasting his time with a pointless battle.
 * Naesala, that lovable victim of Chronic Backstabbing Disorder. He betrays people in ways that for anyone else would be well beyond crossing the Moral Event Horizon...but he is just so masterful that characters (and fans) are willing to look past it. It reaches the point where he gets a Blood Knight telling him It's Personal to leave, by convincing him that there is someone else with a higher right to his head (which, admittedly, is true)...then proceeds to get said someone else not to come after him simply by And all of this is just him in Radiant Dawn. It isn't even touching his manipulations in Path of Radiance: He has his country work for Daein as if they were a common mercenary group, though Naesela is secretly a Double Reverse Quadruple Agent who is merely trying to protect the heron prince and princess, Reyson and Leanne, from being abused by Daein.
 * Caellach is a mercenary who becomes one of the six generals of The Empire. His greatest ambition is to become a King, and he's also Affably Evil and That One Boss, since he has an item that negates critical hits. He's also friends with Joshua, from when they were a mercenary pair that worked together.
 * While Edelgard from Fire Emblem: Three Houses tries to count, she makes a few too many eyebrow-raising mistakes to hit the mark, and is a bit too easily manipulated by into dancing to their tune. The same, however, does not apply to Hubert, her ridiculously loyal right-hand man. Creepy son of a bitch he may be, he's a very effective schemer and has not only protected his Lady from countless assassination attempts and murdered anyone who could get in her way, but . And while he may look the part of a simpering, boot-licking Professional Butt-Kisser, Hubert can and will do things behind her back if he thinks they benefit her, such as.