History GreaterScopeVillain / Literature

** King Numedides, himself revealed in ''Conan the Liberator'' to be merely a PuppetKing for the EvilSorcerer Thulandra Thuu, serves this role in "The Treasure of Tranicos" (de Camp's version) and "Wolves Beyond the Border."

** ''Literature/TheFrostGiantsDaughter'' has the god Ymir. He is the father of the BigBad Atali and her two brothers, who sought to kill Conan and offer his heart to Ymir.

** Strabonus also had the role in ''Conan the Renegade'', which is set during a rebellion against his tyrannical rule. However, Strabonus himself only briefly appears in the middle of the story, during which he manages to bribe his nephew, the RebelLeader Prince Ivor into abandoning his cause, leading to Ivor becoming the story's BigBad.

** "Literature/BlackColossus" has the kings of Ophir and Koth. Although they unnamed in the original story, Ophir's ruler was retroactively identified as Moranthes, while Koth's ruler was retroactively identified as Strabonus, whom had appeared in "The Scarlet Citadel," which was published before but set after "Black Colossus." Moranthes captured King Khossus of Khoraja and threatened to hand him over to Strabonus to secure a treaty unless Khoraja pays him a ransom. Strabonus seeks to take over Khoraja, and some of Khoraja's soldiers are defecting to his side. Their actions leave Khoraja vulnerable to invasion of the story's BigBad, the EvilSorcerer Natohk. Strabonus and Moranthes also return to this position in the pastiche sequel "Shadows in the Dark," which centers around Conan's efforts to rescue Khossus before Moranthes can hand him over to Strabonus. Strabonus is also mentioned in "Shadows in the Dark" to have greater military might than Natohk had. However, as in "Black Colossus," neither Strabonus nor Moranthes directly appear in "Shadows in Dark," and the story's [[HiddenVillain main villain]] is revealed to be [[TheMole Rhazes]], who helped Conan break Khossus out of Moranthes' captivity with the intention of handing him over to the Kothians.

** "Literature/BlackColossus" was the kings of Ophir and Koth. Although they unnamed in the original story, Ophir's ruler was retroactively identified as Moranthes, while Koth's ruler was retroactively identified as Strabonus, whom had appeared in "The Scarlet Citadel," which was published before but set after "Black Colossus." Moranthes captured King Khossus of Khoraja and threatened to hand him over to Strabonus to secure a treaty unless Khoraja pays him a ransom. Strabonus seeks to take over Khoraja, and some of Khoraja's soldiers are defecting to his side. Their actions leave Khoraja vulnerable to invasion of the story's BigBad, the EvilSorcerer Natohk. Strabonus and Moranthes also return to this position in the pastiche sequel "Shadows in the Dark," which centers around Conan's efforts to rescue Khossus before Moranthes can hand him over to Strabonus. Strabonus is also mentioned in "Shadows in the Dark" to have greater military might than Natohk had. However, as in "Black Colossus," neither Strabonus nor Moranthes directly appear in "Shadows in Dark," and the story's [[HiddenVillain main villain]] is revealed to be [[TheMole Rhazes]], who helped Conan break Khossus out of Moranthes' captivity with the intention of handing him over to the Kothians.

** "Literature/BlackColossus" was the kings of Ophir and Koth. Although they unnamed in the original story, Ophir's ruler was retroactively identified as Moranthes, while Koth's ruler was retrocatively identified as Strabonus, whom had appeared in "The Scarlet Citadel," which was published before but set after "Black Colossus." Moranthes captured King Khossus of Khoraja and threatened to hand him over to Strabonus to secure a treaty unless Khoraja pays him a ransom. Strabonus seeks to take over Khoraja, and some of Khoraja's soldiers are defecting to his side. Their actions leave Khoraja vulnerable to invasion of the story's BigBad, the EvilSorcerer Natohk. Strabonus and Moranthes also return to this position in the pastiche sequel "Shadows in the Dark," which centers around Conan's efforts to rescue Khossus before Moranthes can hand him over to Strabonus. Strabonus is also mentioned in "Shadows in the Dark" to have greater military might thean Natohk had. However, as in "Black Colossus," neither Strabonus nor Moranthes directly appear in "Shadows in Dark," and the story's [[HiddenVillain main villain]] is revealed to be [[TheMole Rhazes]], who helped Conan break Khossus out of Moranthes' captivity with the intention of handing him over to the Kothians.

** King Yezdigerd, the ruler of Turan was a source of Conflict for Conan in "Black Tears," "Literature/TheDevilInIron," and ''Literature/ThePeopleOfTheBlackCircle," despite being TheGhost in those stories.

** King Yildiz, the father and [[PredecessorVillain predecessor]] of Yezdigerd, played this role during "Literature/IronShadowsInTheMoon" and "The Road of the Eagles."
*** Shortly prior to the events of "Iron Shadows of the Moon," Conan's outlaw group was massacred by the story's StarterVillain Shah Amurath, who went to deal with them after they caused trouble on the borders of Yildiz's empire. At the end of the story, Conan becomes the leader of the pirate crew, and declares his intention to continue antagonizing Yildiz.
*** In "The Road of the Eagles," Yildiz is responsible for sending Artaban to deal with Conan. Towards the end of the story, it is revealed that Yildiz [[KilledOffscreen died offscreen]], leading to Yezdigerd inheriting the throne.

** King Numedides, who himself is revealed in ''Conan the Liberator'' to be merely a PuppetKing for the EvilSorcerer Thulandra Thuu, serves this role in "The Treasure of Tranicos" (de Camp's version) and "Wolves Beyond the Border."

*** In "The Treasure of Tranicos", Conan is travelling through the Pictish Wilderness because he was forced to flee Aquilonia after being betrayed by Numedidies. The story ends. The story ends with a group of Aquilonians planning to rebel against Numedides recruiting Conan to lead them.

** King Numedides, who himself is revealed in ''Conan the Liberator'' to be merely a PuppetKing to the EvilSorcerer Thulandra Thuu, serves this role in "The Treasure of Tranicos" (de Camp's version) and "Wolves Beyond the Border."

** King Numedides, who himself is revealed in ''Conan the Liberator'' to have been merely a PuppetKing to the EvilSorcerer Thulandra Thuu, serves this role in "The Treasure of Tranicos" (de Camp's version) and "Wolves Beyond the Border."

*** "Wolves Beyond the Border" is a LowerDeckEpisode set during the war between Conan, who is TheGhost in this story, and Numedides. One of the story's main villains, Lord Valerian, is an Aquilonian noble who conspired with the Picts against settlers who chose to support Conan.

** King Yezdigerd was a source of Conflict for Conan in "Black Tears," "Literature/TheDevilInIron," and ''Literature/ThePeopleOfTheBlackCircle," despite being TheGhost in those stories.

** King Yezdigerd was a source of Conflict for Conan in "Black Tears", ''Literature/TheDevilInIron", and ''Literature/ThePeopleOfTheBlackCircle", despite being TheGhost in those stories.