The Evil Prince: Difference between revisions
m
clean up
m (update links) |
m (clean up) |
||
Line 1:
{{trope}}
[[File:
Line 7:
[[Aristocrats Are Evil]] with [[Ambition Is Evil|ambition]]!
Usually the Evil Prince is second (or worse) in line for the throne, so is not going to inherit normally. A few real bastards are the eldest sons, however, and will [[Self-Made Orphan|give their fathers a push]] just to make sure they don't have to wait until the old king drops dead of old age and terminal gout.
Line 32:
* Most all of the princes in ''[[Code Geass]]'' are manipulative mass murderers raised by [[The Empire|the Holy Britannian Empire's]] Darwinistic ideals to scheme and fight against each other for the throne... with the exception of the mellow 1st Prince Odysseus, AKA [[Fan Nickname|Prince Valium]]. {{spoiler|Schneizel}} is the prince that tries to overthrow his father and take the throne. {{spoiler|Lelouch}} is the one that succeeds, though he did it for {{spoiler|revenge rather than the throne}}. And to {{spoiler|save the world}}, but that's besides the point. And he ''did'' {{spoiler|take the throne afterwards}}, but that was completely unrelated.
* The original ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' has two: Gihren Zabi, who is more properly the son of the [[Evil Chancellor]] but {{spoiler|kills his father (with a [[Wave Motion Gun]], no less) in order to seize power}}, and Char Aznable himself. Char is arguably not ''quite'' evil; he's just trying to {{spoiler|avenge his father by killing the [[Evil Chancellor]] and ''his entire family''}}...
** Kycilia Zabi had no objections to {{spoiler|1=assassinating her older brother in mid-battle and taking control of Zeon, but this was mostly in revenge for the aforementioned [[Wave Motion Gun
* Ukyo from ''[[Samurai 7]]'' kills {{spoiler|the emperor, who he is a clone of}} in order to inherit the throne ''sooner'', although {{spoiler|it's implied he is the last remaining clone of the Emperor (who is hooked up to a life support system), so he probably wouldn't have had to wait that long}}. He also caused his adoptive father's demotion in order to take his place.
** He wasn't the last possible heir. He found some of the others and made them act as [[Body Double|body doubles]]. He was the only one to ever be publicly acknowledged as heir instead of being executed as unsuitable, however.
Line 61:
* Prince Leopold from ''[[The Illusionist (film)|The Illusionist]]'', who is based on Prince Rudolph of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Prince Rudolph committed a murder-suicide in his hunting lodge; his body was found with a number of bullets in it indicating that there was a palace cover-up and that [[The Coroner Doth Protest Too Much]]. Given that, after his death, Franz Ferdinand became heir, things might have turned out ''better'' had Rudolph gained the throne.
* Louis Mazzini, (eventually) Duke of Chalfont, the cheerfully amoral [[Villain Protagonist|'hero']] of ''[[Kind Hearts and Coronets]]''.
* Commodus, from ''[[Gladiator (film)|Gladiator]]'', though he had something of an
* ''[[RoboCop]]'' makes a modern-day [[Evil Prince]] out of the [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]].
* Lord Rathbone from ''[[Shanghai Noon|Shanghai Knights]]''.
Line 85:
*** In the book, the father is quite peeved at the inadequacy of this generation: his father had been, properly, down to one son by the time of his death. He says as much in the movie as well and even helps arrange for Septimus to off another one before he dies.
* [[C. S. Lewis|CS Lewis]]'s ''[[Narnia]]'': Prince Rabadash in ''The Horse and his Boy''; Miraz from ''Prince Caspian'' killed his brother, stole the throne, and plotted to kill his nephew as soon as his own son and heir was born.
* In Tolkien's ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' we have Ar-Pharazôn, last King of Númenor, usurped the throne by the less usual method of marrying the rightful heiress and then forcibly reducing her role to that of his consort. There's also the example of Maeglin, the nephew of King Turgon of Gondolin, who betrays the city to Morgoth partially to gain rulership over it, but mostly because he [[Incest Is Relative|wants to marry his cousin]]. That she already has a husband and son doesn't stop
* Although based on ''[[Macbeth]]'', given that he's the brother of the king he murders, Duke Felmet of the [[Discworld]] novel ''[[Discworld/Wyrd Sisters|Wyrd Sisters]]'' likely counts.
** This also seems to be played with in the novel ''[[Discworld/Men At Arms|Men at Arms]]'' where the evil aristocrats try to place Captain Carrot (the legitimate heir) on the throne with Edward d'Eath and other members of the Assassins' Guild as [[Poisonous Friend
** The Duke of Sto Helit in ''[[Discworld/Mort|Mort]]''. Cousin to King Olerve of Sto Lat, he's gone from fifth to second in line before he appears, and becomes next in line shortly afterwards. Described in the ''Discworld Companion'' as "quite capable of killing all who stood between himself and the throne, or even between himself and the drinks cabinet."
* Several Princes vying for Oberon's throne in the [[Chronicles of Amber]] by [[Roger Zelazny]]. Describing the exact intentions of the Nine would spoil most of the intrigue, but be prepared that some "evil" guys will be redeemed and some "good" ones will reveal themselves evil to the core.
Line 135:
== Theater ==
* Many, ''many'' characters in [[Shakespeare]], but Claudius (''[[Hamlet]]''), Macbeth (''Macbeth'', of course) and Richard, Duke of Gloucester (''Richard III'') are the three most prominent. Don John from ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' might count as well, although he's more interested in messing with the life of his brother than taking power (during the
Line 186:
== Real Life ==
* [[Real Life]] example (sort of): British comedy tends to portray Prince Charles, first in line to the throne, as eagerly awaiting his mother's death (and sometimes playing a more active role in it). To a lesser extent, Edward VII as well; he once said "We all are blessed by the [[God|eternal father]]; I am cursed with an eternal mother" (Edward's mother was Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years).
** Edward VII wasn't evil
** Likely averted in this day and age as in Britain today, it is most likely the Prime Minister to be the one with the ''real'' political power. Since he's an elected official (still always the chance of a [[President Evil|Prime Minister Evil]]...
* Richard III ''may'' have been this to his nephews Edward V and Richard of York. There is no way to be sure, though.
| |||