Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate: Difference between revisions

Compare [[Mad Scientist]], which is often synonymous with this. See also [[Not That Kind of Doctor]]. Not to be confused with [[Morally-Ambiguous Ducktorate]] (though it's also related to evil). For an evil doctor whose field is dentistry or psychology, see [[Depraved Dentist]] or [[Psycho Psychologist]], respectively.

* The Doctor from ''[[Black Cat (manga)|Black Cat]]''. Evil. Although technically his superpower is healing (e.g. reattaching limbs), he's much more interested in the pursuit of knowledge, to the point where he's perfectly happy to [[TheydThey Would Cut You Up|conduct human experiments]] and attempt to vivisect a little girl.

** Doctor Gero. ofEvil, the ''[[DragonballBig ZBad]]''. Evilof the Android Arc, and to put it bluntly, [[Mad Scientist|a lunatic]]. His degree is likely in the field of engineering, and he is acknowledged as a truly brilliant scientist, if only he'd stop making evil androids.

** On the good side, we've got Bulma's father Dr. Briefs, who is mildly eccentric (he delays an interstellar manned space journey for weeks to install a cappuccino machine in the craft), but generally helpful.

** [[One Piece|Doctor Vegapunk]];, often regarded as an [[Evil Genius]] [[Heand Wholater Mustrevealed Notto Be Seen|be [[Not introducedEvil, Just yetMisunderstood]]; regardless, buthis [[The Dreaded| his reputationsreputation far precedes him]]; presumably- evil, and certainly eccentric.he Inventedinvented a process that lets inanimate objects swallow fruit. [[Word of God| Oda also claims]] he is one of the few characters who truly understands how Devil Fruits truly work.

* {{spoiler|Scythe Master}} from ''[[Phantom of Inferno]]'' is eventually revealed to have a doctorate in psychology. It explains how {{spoiler|he was able to erase Ellen and Reiji's memories, and brainwash the Zahlenschwestern into being,}}, though it's subverted because he doesn't use the title of "Doctor". ]]

* ''[[Black Butler]]'' has a doctor in the manga who seems relatively normal and kind. He made prosthetic limbs for circus performers who had lived on the streets before being rescued by Baron {{spoiler|Kelvin}}. Nice, right? Sure, until we learn that those wonderfully crafted prosthetic limbs {{spoiler|were made from bones. Bones of ''children'' that were captured and kept in cages until more bones were needed. When Ciel learned this he was NOT happy.}}

* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' has quite a few doctorsdoctorms since alchemy is a field of study as well as a practical military strength. Most of these doctors were working for the shadow government to create Philosopher's Stones using prisoners of war...but special mention goes to Gold-Toothed Doctor, the man responsible for the creation of Wrath, the implanting procses for which took the lives of around 11 test subjects.

* ''[[Franken Fran]]:''. She isn't so much morally ambiguous as much as she is determined to keep you alive through ANY''any'' means. Borderlines on this when she's feeling spiteful of someone who wronged her. She even takes requests!

** [[Dr. No]]: Very evil and a [[Mad Scientist]] to boot.

** [[Tomorrow Never Dies|Doctor Kaufman]]: A professor of forensic science, who can [[Memetic Mutation|zhoot you from Stuttgart und still create ze illusion of suicide]]. Also a [[Torture Technician]], but he claims ''that'' is just a "hobby".

* From the [[Discworld]] are Dr. Cruces, head of the Assassins' Guild {{spoiler|and user of the gonne}} in ''[[Discworld/Men At Arms|Men Atat Arms]]''; Dr. Whiteface and the [[Monster Clown|intimidating and humourless]] leader of the Fools' Guild.

* Doctor Impossible of ''[[Soon I Will Be Invincible|Doctor Impossible]]'': not necessarily evil, but he did get up to doomsday machine mark V so pretty morally ambiguous.

* [[TNA|Dr. Stevie]]. Evil psychiatrist, has a habit of brainwashing his patients to become his submissive lackeys. Also probably not a real doctor, since his [[ECW]] and [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] past is mentioned.

* ''[[City of Heroes]]'' has |Doctor Vahzilok]]: [[Frankenstein's Monster|Dr Frankenstein]] turned even more [[Mad Scientist|evil and insane]], and with a veritable army of equally evil followers. [[Nightmare Fuel|Baaaaaaad]].

* In addition to being a hilariously over the top [[Spy Fiction]] game, ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' deals a lot with questions of ethics in extreme situations. As a results, the series has lots of scientists with highly morally ambigousambiguous pasts and presents.

** The prime example in the series and for the trope in general would be ''Dr. Naomi Hunter''. She is introduced as the medical advisor for the opperationoperation on Shadow Moses, {{spoiler|but is actually an agent planted by Ocelot. She murdered people, send people who trusted her into ambusheambush, and handed vital technology over to the enemy. Then she repents and helps snake, disappears from prison, joins Ocelot again and develops weapons for him, and then has the guts to ask Snake to rescue her. Then she becomes OtaconsOtacon's girlfriend and betrays him and Snake by stealing important data for Ocelot, again! She then switches sides again to help Snake a last time and commits suicide.}} And all the time she seems to be genuinlygenuinely sorry for what she did, but would do the same things again without hesitation. And she never really explains what she is trying to achive.

** Dr. Wilheim Voigt ("Doktor") is slightly eccentric and monologues a LOT, but is a good guy and has some rather decent morals for a guy who tends to invoke a lot of [[Mad Scientist]] tropes, even offers some moral support to Raiden during ''[[Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance]]''. Turns out to be such a good guy {{spoiler|he establishes a center for helping kidnapped children turned into cyborgs against their will readjust to living in their cyborg bodies in the ending.

* Subverted/averted by Nailbat's resident mad scientist, ''Mister'' Simian. This trope is, in fact, lampshaded in the author commentary [httphttps://wwwweb.archive.org/web/20190118091226/http://antibunny.com/d/20081016.html on the page of his first appearance.]

* [[Lonelygirl15|Dr. Calvin Hart of ''[[Lonelygirl15]]'': Debatably{{verify}} good, but fairly creepy.

* ''[[DoctorDr. HorriblesHorrible's Sing -Along Blog|]]'': Dr. Horrible]] repeatedly informs us he has [[Catch Phrase|"a Ph.D. in Horribleness"]], even though he is a [[Technical Pacifist]] who pretty steadfastly refuses to endanger children and balks at killing.

** At least until {{spoiler|Penny dies, at which point he starts playing this trope ''dead straight''.}}

* [[LG15: the resistance|Dr. Leonard J. Alderman from ''[[LG15: the resistance]]'': Evil.

* ''[[Captain Planet and the Planeteers|Doctor Blight]]'': Usually evil for the cash, the looks, or the fame, sometimes evil for the sake of being so.

** [[Kim Possible|Doctor Drakken]]: Evil, but [[Harmless Villain|not especially dangerous]]. Not surprising given that he was a college dropout and therefore possesses no degree.

** [[TheDoctor Venture Brothers|Doctor Venture]]:is... Kindakinda Goodgood. He isn't plotting world domination or looking for [[Kick the Dog|dogs to kick]], but he is a bitter grouch at the center of a [[Sadist Show]]. And he did once build a wish-fulfillment machine that was [[Powered by a Forsaken Child|powered by the heart of an orphan]]. ...and then there was the bit with reanimating the corpses of his enemies (and implied killing of the cloned bodies of his children) and selling them to the army. Of course he isn't actually a doctor.

** [[The Venture Brothers|Doctor Byron Orpheus]]: Goodis good, but obnoxious and [[Large Ham|overbearing]], and not above mind-wiping his own daughter repeatedly so she'll forget that her closet is the doorway to the underworld. He has a degree in Women's Studies, but accredits his Doctorate to a higher power.

** Dr. Nick Riviera, from ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'',ak aka "Dr. Nick". Not truly evil, but clearly missing a few marbles, something his patients often suffer as a result of. He has indeed been to medical school (proven by a flashback) but it isn't known if he actually graduated, and while he practices medicine, he uses controversial and often illegal methods. To give some examples, in one episode a hospital review board brings up the accusations against him which include performing surgery with a knife and fork from a seafood restaurant and misuse of cadavers (he had put them in his car in order to use the carpool lane and get to work quicker). In another episode, he is asked to talk to the coroner, and he says, "Ugh, the coroner. I'm so sick of that guy!" suggesting his patients get sent there rather often. Ironically, this is the episode where Nick does Homer's double bypass surgery, and actually does it right, but Lisa helps him a little.