Evil Chancellor: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

Sometimes it's the [[The Kingdom|monarchy]] / [[President Evil|Head of State]] who's the [[Evil Overlord]]. And sometimes there's these, where instead of the Head of State being the person who has malicious intent, it's his advisor, assistant, second-in-command, or Head of Government (that is if the Head of State and Head of Government are separate positions). Most of the time he's actively scheming to discredit or usurp the throne, and may even be an agent sent for this purpose by an outside power. In other cases, he's perfectly content to be [[The Man Behind the Man]] and keeps the ruler around primarily as the figurehead for the ignorant masses and as the fall guy if something goes wrong. He can also tend to have more actual power and real influence than the Head of State, especially in cases where the Government is a Parliamentary system or a Constitutional Monarchy. Sometimes called The Evil (Grand) Vizier instead, in which case he will spend a lot of time tapping his fingertips together and calling everyone "effendi".

 

 

* Chancellor Oznabrag from [http://fav.me/d4a27sp Super Milestone Wars]

* In Sabaku on DA's remarkably mature ''[[Ben 10]]'' fanfic set in the future, the evil adult form of Kenny, called Kenneth has a scheming Evil Chancellor named Kiyomori Taira, based off the rather villainous Kiyomori from history. He also has skills as an [[Evil Sorcerer]] and is blatantly more powerful than Kenneth, as seen in ArcadiusD's Time of the Serpent continuation fic

* Played straight ''and'' averted in the case of [[Fluffy the Terrible|Mocha]], the [[Complete Monster|evil-as-sin]] Court Magistrate in the episodic-segment story "[[What Is This Black Magic You Call Science]]?". She kills and sacrifices anyone with faint hints of liberalism, even {{spoiler|killing a little girl with [[Little Dead Riding Hood|red flowers in her hair]] who Chryseis was trying to save. In front of her parents and siblings}}. Her constant, rivalry-antagonism with Chryseis is also fueled by {{spoiler|sibling rivalry, since their father thought Chryseis was a better child. I wonder why}}. Oh, and she's also [[A God Am I|the goddess of female power]], and a very violent [[Blood Magic|blood mage]].

** Averted in that she does not wish to usurp the throne {{{spoiler| rather, she put him on there since she knew he'd not interfere with her wanton killing}}], and her motives for keeping people so afraid are supposedly that {{spoiler|if they left Nifl, they'd see the [[Scenery Gorn|rotted giantess head]] at Epoch at find out that gods really ''can'' die, and will give them some sort of sovereign power}}. However, {{spoiler|she is slowly losing power since the death of the Red Flower Girl led to [[0% Approval Rating|public outcry]].}}

** ''[[GURPS]] [[Discworld]]'' subverts it with the Grand Vizier of Al-Ybi, a sensible and unambitious accountant, who has reluctantly grown a [[Beard of Evil]] and practiced his sinister smile, because that's what's expected. He views the whole thing as an unnecessary distraction from balancing the budget.

* Inverted in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'': Eddard Stark and Tywin Lannister are both highly competent and (though Tywin's a bit of a [[Magnificent Bastard|bastard]]) they are both trying to do what's best for the realm. Unfortunately, the king Eddard serves is a stupid, brutish, drunken has-been, and both of the kings Tywin serves are {{spoiler|products of incest and dangerously insane--one of them tried to burn the city down instead of letting his enemies have it, and the other is a young sociopath who is [[Disproportionate Retribution|heavily into revenge]] and managed to cause a city-wide riot against the aristocracy.}}

** [[Torture Technician|Qyburn]] is an aversion. He's quite shifty, he cuts open people for fun and {{spoiler|has an unhealthy interest in reanimating the dead}}, but {{spoiler|by the end of the fourth book he's the only one of Cersei's advisers who is still somewhat loyal to her.}}

** He uses it again in ''The Castle of Llyr'', the third book of the [[Prydain Chronicles]], in which Magg is chancellor to the kindly King of Mona. Unfortunately for King Rhuddlum, Magg's real loyalty lies with the wicked Queen Achren, who has promised him a kingdom if he helps her kidnap Princess Eilonwy.

* In the [[Stephen King]] novel ''Eye of the Dragon'', the king's trusted advisor and magician Flagg plots to assassinate the king and frame the elder (and wiser) prince for the murder. The same character, under the alias "Marten Broadcloak", played the same role in the court of Gilead in the backstory of ''[[The Dark Tower]]'' series, while ''at the same time'' also playing evil vizier to Gilead's rival, John Farson, under the name "Walter O'Dim". All three of these roles, in addition to several others, are assumed by Flagg in his capacity as [[The Dragon|right-hand man]] to [[Satan|the Crimson King]], to whom he also plays [[The Starscream]].

* In the [[David Eddings]] ''[[Elenium]]'' trilogy, the churchman Annias serves as this trope to King Aldreas, the weak-minded ruler of Elenia. Annias needs to control the crown while he works on becoming Archprelate (the story's equivalent of the Pope), and to that end he {{spoiler|convinces the king that it's okay to [[Brother-Sister Incest|sleep with his own sister, Arissa]], who is the mother of Annias's son Lycheas.}} It keeps Aldreas distracted.

* In one book of Christopher Stasheff's ''[[A Wizard in Rhyme]]'' series, the title character visits a country which has an evil queen who is descended from an Evil Chancellor who usurped the throne. The Chancellor's name was [[Sdrawkcab Name|Reiziv.]]

* [[Romance of the Three Kingdoms|Cao Cao]] might be the original example. At any rate, he was certainly a chancellor to the emperor, and traditionally depicted as an evil schemer.

* The Supreme Custodian in ''[[Septimus Heap]]''.

 

=== Live-Action TV ===

* Subverted in the ''[[Flash Gordon (TV series)|Flash Gordon]]'' series. Rankol is an evil, hero-torturing cybernetic mad scientist whose experiments have endangered two worlds. And he is still aghast at most of the stuff his boss does on a weekly basis. Of course he does work for [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Ming the Merciless]].

 

* Sibich, chancellor for king Ermanerich in the legend of Dietrich of Bern. Among other things, he manages to get the king's sons and nephews killed.

 

=== Newspaper Comics ===

* In the original ''[[Buck Rogers]]'' comic, Oggo was the corrupt prime minister of the [[Yellow Peril|Mongol Empire]] under the Celestial Mogul. The Mogul was actually a [[Reasonable Authority Figure]], but he had allowed Oggo the freedom to run the empire as he wished, while the Mogul puttered about with scientific research, foolishly confident that Oggo was running things justly and fairly.

 

 

=== Video Games ===

** Overlord II's ending suggests that he's biding his time...

*** Why would he be? He handpicked and cultivated from childhood exactly the Overlord he wanted, and as his mentor/custodian can exercise more authority over than Overlord can over him. That's as comfortable a situation as a [[Man Behind the Man]] can get.

* In ''[[Ocarina of Time]]'', Ganondorf begins as the trusted "servant" of the [[Horrible Judge of Character|King of Hyrule.]]

** Zant in [[Twilight Princess]] is also one according to the Japanese text of the game

* Rilix, an ancient powerful being of a long lost race of people is this to the King in ''[[Shining the Holy Ark]]''. She turns the King into a [[Puppet King|puppet]] an attempts to use him to bring back her race, who are [[Sealed Evil in a Can|sealed in a can]].

 

* Parodied to ridiculous levels with the ''[[8-Bit Theater|Eight Bit Theater]]'' character [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Chancellor Usurper]] aka {{spoiler|Dark Elf King Astos}}. When he was about to take over he planned to have the man who would be the next chancellor killed since he knows you can never trust whoever is in that position. Apparently, this is par for course in Elf Land.

{{quote|'''White Mage''': Your viziers are treacherous?

* In ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'', {{spoiler|Tarquin and his five adventuring buddies pair up and act as this to three different empires (though they are not necessarily, in this case, opposing in alignment to their bosses) in a careful juggling act designed to give them all wealth and power without the hassles and dangers of being openly in charge.}}

 

* ''[[Associated Space]]'' features Ursula Urquart, leader of the loyal opposition, who is apparently out to either take over, or secede her worlds from the Terran Associated States.

* Somewhat subverted in ''[[Cwen's Quest]]'' as the three scheming advisors to the Witch Queen, while unscrupulous, are actually a lot nicer than the queen. They briefly actually manage to take over the kingdom by putting a child on the throne after the original Witch Queen's death but when next we see them they've apparently lost control as the new grown up queen is viciously ordering them around.

* [[The Nostalgia Chick]] does the vice-president variety in ''[[Kickassia]]'' when she spends most of the special trying to kill [[The Nostalgia Critic]] to take the presidency for her own. Sure, by about halfway through ''everyone's'' trying to kill Critic, but she was doing it independent of the rebellion.

* Spoofed in a Web Cartoon Series called Larry. The Evil Counselor is so obviously evil with his dark clothes, he even talks to other Evil Chancellors characters such Palpantine, Ymza, and Jafar.

 

=== Western Animation ===

* Something of a [[Running Gag]] in Tarkon-based ''[[Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers|Galaxy Rangers]]'' episodes. King Spartos is a [[Horrible Judge of Character]], but his [[Rebellious Princess]] daughter isn't.

* Dorkus in ''[[Planet Sheen]]''. His goal isn't to usurp the throne, however, but to get rid of Sheen for destroying his home, taking his place as imperial advisor, and [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|making fun of his name]].

 

=== Real Life ===

* After Ozma takes the throne of [[Land of Oz|Oz]], the Scarecrow cheerfully steps down and becomes Regent of Oz. It's a fine use of his fine brain, and he is very loyal to Ozma and to Ozma's chosen successor, Dorothy.

** In the "present day" Oz of ''[[Tin Man (TV series)|Tin Man]]'', Ambrose/ {{spoiler|Glitch}} is loyal and devoted to the lavender-eyed queen to the bitter end, destroying plans for an invention that could theoretically used as a doomsday device. {{spoiler|Unfortunately, he wasn't able to stop the Witch from taking the plans quite literally out of his head}}. Years later, he meets up with DG, {{spoiler|the Queen's daughter}}, and becomes equally devoted and protective of her.

 

 

=== Webcomics ===

* In ''[[Rice Boy]]'', the Grand Vizier of Satuar is far more intelligent, level-headed, and kinder to Rice Boy than the Prince is.

 

=== Web Original ===

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Authority Tropes]]

[[Category:Meaningful Titles]]

[[Category:Video Game Characters]]

[[Category:Villains]]