History HeroWithBadPublicity / Literature

* ''Literature/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'': Naofumi Iwatami. He started out as a [[NaiveNewcomer pretty chill guy]]... [[spoiler: until those that already scorned his existence well before he even got there,]] with two [[spoiler: (one '''[[BitchInSheepsClothing especially rotten]]''' '''[[VillainousPrincess "Bitch"]]''' in particular, though the [[EntitledBastard other guy hates his guts as well]])]] key figures setting him up [[SarcasmMode so very "nicely"]] for his little "Heroic Adventure". [[spoiler:Until his little so-called [[RoyalBrat "helper"]] very tidily steals his belongings whilst he was napping, then double-whammies it by pushing a convenient little [[FalseRapeAccusation "He nearly raped me last night...!"]] story his way, with him not receiving the usual execution due to [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou him being the Shield Hero]], but he still recieves his [[DudeWheresMyRespect punishment of being branded a "criminal" nonetheless]], giving a healthy, grandiose helping of [[ThisIsReality just how absolutely disgusting this "Fantasy World" really is]]. He walks out with just his under-shirt and pants (not even a shirt and pants, more like undergarments really) on him, with no money to help sustain himself as he has to [[HadToBeSharp be self-sufficient in order to earn the necessary coin needed to survive]] in the little [[CrapsaccharineWorld country known as Melromarc]].]] Even after [[spoiler: [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Queen Mirellia]] exonerates his so-called "crimes", he still feels the pain he has suffered, for nothing can ever wash clean those internal scars he suffered, and nothing ever will.]]

* ''Literature/HoshiAndTheRedCityCircuit'': As an [[FictionalDisability Operator]], Hoshi is hated and distrusted by much of Red City [[spoiler:even before she's framed framed for collaborating with organized crime and briefly becomes the face of the anti-integration movement]].

* In ''Literature/OtherworldlyIzakayaNobu'', it's downplayed but this occurs twice to the restaurant. The first time, the restaurant was accused of distributing lager which is banned in Aitheria. The second time, they were accused of being a witch's den because the restaurant is considered "strange" and neither Nobu or Shinobu could properly explain where they are from (modern-day Japan). Both times, Nobu and Shinobu worry about closing the restaurant or being arrested. However, several of their regular patrons, many who are in powerful positions within the city, supported them and kept their business going.

* In ''[[Literature/MythAdventures Something M.Y.T.H. Inc.]]'', we see how Skeeve's well-meant efforts to reform the kingdom of Possiltom in ''Sweet Myth-tery of Life'' are mistaken for the actions of a stereotypical "evil wizard" or DarkLord by the kingdom's more impressionable citizens.

* Akuto Sai in ''LightNovel/DemonKingDaimao'' has a world's worth of factors against him. He's going to become the next Demon King, which [[SelfFulfillingProphecy his classmates are forcing him towards]], willingly or otherwise, because the prophecy said so. Every time he tries to do some good, people assume it's part of his reign of terror. And then there's [[PunnyName his name]].

* In ''LightNovel/IsekaiIzakayaNobu'', it's downplayed but this occurs twice to the restaurant. The first time, the restaurant was accused of distributing lager which is banned in Aitheria. The second time, they were accused of being a witch's den because the restaurant is considered "strange" and neither Nobu or Shinobu could properly explain where they are from (modern day Japan). Both times, Nobu and Shinobu worry about closing the restaurant or being arrested. However, several of their regular patrons, many who are in powerful positions within the city, supported them and kept their business going.

* ''Literature/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'': Naofumi Iwatami. He started out as a [[NaiveNewcomer pretty chill guy]]... [[spoiler: until those that already scorned his existence well before he even got there,]] with two [[spoiler: (one '''[[BitchInSheepsClothing especially rotten "Bitch"]]''' in particular, though the [[EntitledBastard other guy hates his guts as well]])]] key figures setting him up [[SarcasmMode so very "nicely"]] for his little "Heroic Adventure". [[spoiler:Until his little so-called [[RoyalBrat "helper"]] very tidily steals his belongings whilst he was napping, then double-whammies it by pushing a convenient little [[FalseRapeAccusation "He nearly raped me last night...!"]] story his way, with him not receiving the usual execution due to [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou him being the Shield Hero]], but he still recieves his [[DudeWheresMyRespect punishment of being branded a "criminal" nonetheless]], giving a healthy, grandiose helping of [[ThisIsReality just how absolutely disgusting this "Fantasy World" really is]]. He walks out with just his under-shirt and pants (not even a shirt and pants, more like undergarments really) on him, with no money to help sustain himself as he has to [[HadToBeSharp be self-sufficient in order to earn the necessary coin needed to survive]] in the little [[CrapsaccharineWorld country known as Melromarc]].]] Even after [[spoiler: [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Queen Mirellia]] exonerates his so-called "crimes", he still feels the pain he has suffered, for nothing can ever wash clean those internal scars he suffered, and nothing ever will.]]

* ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse.''

* It also happened to Franchise/SherlockHolmes in the Anthony Horowitz story ''Literature/TheHouseOfSilk''.

* ''LightNovel/TrappedInADatingSimTheWorldOfOtomeGamesIsToughForMobs'' has an interesting example in its protagonist, Leon. Leon actively courts hatred out of [[{{troll}} pettiness and spite]]. After having originally planned a ZeroApprovalGambit to get expelled and demoted to avoid [[IJustWantToBeNormal his responsibilities as a noble]], by defeating and berating the five most powerful noble heirs in the academy [[SpringtimeForHitler fails]], and having bet a bunch of money on himself who seemed unlikely to win, about seventy percent of the Academy nobles hate him. Thus begins a CycleOfRevenge where the students insult and assault Leon and his property, and he does the same back, since he enjoys the pain of people who hate him.

* In the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse novel]] "[[Literature/StarTrekExMachina Ex Machina]]" Kirk suffers from this after saving an alien civilization from destruction, which was controversial due to it involving a fairly serious violation of the [[AlienNonInterferenceClause Prime Directive]]. Kirk became a household name within the Federation and his career is picked apart by the news media - including all the trouble he caused throughout his career. The novel states that because of the negative publicity half of Starfleet wanted Kirk cashiered while the other half idolized him. In a compromise Starfleet C-in-C Admiral [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Heihachiro Nogura [[KickedUpstairs promoted Kirk to Admiral]] to keep him out of further trouble.

* In the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse novel]] "[[Literature/StarTrekExMachina Ex Machina]]" Kirk suffers from this after saving an alien civilization from destruction, which was controversial due to it violating the [[AlienNonInterferenceClause Prime Directive]]. Kirk became a household name within the Federation and his career is picked apart by the news media - including all the trouble he caused throughout his career. The novel states that because of the negative publicity Kirk is [[KickedUpstairs promoted to Admiral]] to keep him out of further trouble.

* In the ''[[Franchise/StarTrek]]'' [[Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse novel]] "[[Literature/Star TrekExMachina Ex Machina]]" Kirk suffers from this after saving an alien civilization from destruction, which was controversial due to it violating the [[AlienNonInterferenceClause Prime Directive]]. Kirk became a household name within the Federation and his career is picked apart by the news media - including all the trouble he caused throughout his career. The novel states that because of the negative publicity Kirk is [[KickedUpstairs promoted to Admiral]] to keep him out of further trouble.

* In the ''[[Franchise/StarTrek]]'' [[Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse novel]] "[[Literature / Star Trek: Ex Machina Ex Machina]]" Kirk suffers from this after saving an alien civilization from destruction, which was controversial due to it violating the [[AlienNonInterferenceClause Prime Directive]]. Kirk became a household name within the Federation and his career is picked apart by the news media - including all the trouble he caused throughout his career. The novel states that because of the negative publicity Kirk is [[KickedUpstairs promoted to Admiral]] to keep him out of further trouble.

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' has [[WitchSpecies The Aes Sedai.]] While they aren't exactly viewed as villains, they are viewed with much mistrust and disdain by many outside the organization and are considered to be [[ManipulativeBastard Manipulative Bitches]] who are willing to sacrifice people for their agenda. Although It dosen't help that a fair number of them do in fact live up to this image.

* ''LightNovel/TheWorldOfOtomeGamesIsToughForMobs'' has an interesting example in its protagonist, Leon. Leon actively courts hatred out of [[{{troll}} pettiness and spite]]. After having originally planned a ZeroApprovalGambit to get expelled and demoted to avoid [[IJustWantToBeNormal his responsibilities as a noble]], by defeating and berating the five most powerful noble heirs in the academy [[SpringtimeForHitler fails]], and having bet a bunch of money on himself who seemed unlikely to win, about seventy percent of the Academy nobles hate him. Thus begins a CycleOfRevenge where the students insult and assault Leon and his property, and he does the same back, since he enjoys the pain of people who hate him.

* ''Literature/MoDaoZuShi'': Wei Wuxian, the novel's protagonist, [[UpToEleven got murdered by his former allies,]] ''[[UpToEleven including his adopted brother]]'', due to his false reputation as an EvilOverlord. This arose partly from [[BadPowersGoodPeople his invention and use of]] [[TheDarkArts demonic cultivation]], partly from his perceived arrogance, and partly from [[spoiler:his involvement in the death of his adopted brother-in-law and the bloodbath at the Nightless City]]. However, [[spoiler:by the end of the story, he's managed to clear his name to an extent, and the younger generation of cultivators view him in a much more positive light than their parents]].

* Rose Marshal, the heroine of ''Literature/GhostRoads Sparrow Hill Road'', is a [[BewareOfHitchHikingGhosts hitchhiking ghost]] straight out of urban legend, which is spooky enough, but it's her tendency to act as a voluntary {{Psychopomp}} for people fated to die on the road that's given her the undeserved reputation as a harbinger of death or even a rapacious reaper of the unwary, rising to the level of NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished when she's targeted for revenge over a death she attended but did not cause.

* ''Literature/BazilBroketail'': Despite her fame and everything she's done for Argonath, Lessis is generally disliked by ordinary people, since whenever she appears, it's because she wants to prevent a danger — thus, she is commonly viewed as a sign of impending disaster. The fact that many people she involves in her plans (noble as they are) end up dead or missing certainly doesn't help.

* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' and others of Tolkien's writings, Galadriel -- the Lady of the Golden Wood -- has a bad reputation with the Riders of Rohan, as well as Gondorians. So does Fangorn Forest.
** Gandalf isn't well thought of in places, either. Some of this is the Enemy manipulating rulers against him, but part of it is that he only shows up when things are about to get ''really'' bad (which is why [[IHaveManyNames one of his nicknames]] is [[RavensAndCrows Stormcrow]]).
* ''Literature/TheZombieKnight'' 's main character, Hector, has this problem. It started when his enemy attacked him with controlled versions of his classmates, and the property damage from later servant battles cemented this reputation. [[spoiler:At least until he got a royal pardon, anyway.]]
* ''Literature/MoDaoZuShi'': Wei Wuxian, the novel's protagonist, [[UpToEleven got murdered by his former allies,]] ''[[UpToEleven including his adopted brother]]'', due to his false reputation as an EvilOverlord. This arose partly from [[BadPowersGoodPeople his invention and use of]] [[TheDarkArts demonic cultivation]], partly from his perceived arrogance, and partly from [[spoiler:his involvement in the death of his adopted brother-in-law and the bloodbath at the Nightless City]]. However, [[spoiler:by the end of the story, he's managed to clear his name to an extent, and the younger generation of cultivators view him in a much more positive light than their parents]].

* The ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}'' series gives us [=O’Casey=], a large, reticent [[HandicappedBadass one-armed]] man with a strange accent who joined the stranded submariners of USS ''S-19'' on Talaud Island, along with a little girl he protects named Becky. [=O’Casey=] seems reasonably content to cooperate with the US Navy once rescued, but immediately gets out of sight when warships from the Empire of the New British Isles show up. [=O’Casey’s=] real name is Sean Bates, he was a childhood friend of Governor-Emperor [=McDonald=] and is wanted for treason. Bates tried to lead a rebellion against the [[MegaCorp Honorable New Britain Company]], which was subverting the Imperial government ([[spoiler: and secretly collaborating with the Holy Dominion, who are about to invade the Empire]]), but it failed, the Company spun it into an attempt on the Governor-Emperor’s life, and Bates was forced to flee into exile under an assumed name. Meanwhile, the Governor-Emperor, suspicious of the Company’s machinations and fearing for the safety of his young daughter Rebecca, sent the Princess away from the Isles for her own safety. By coincidence, she was booked incognito aboard the same ship as Bates, who rescued her at the cost of his left hand when the ship was sunk by a leviathan/mountain fish. It takes several books and help from his American allies for Bates to restore his reputation.
* By the end of the second book in the ''Literature/WarchildSeries'', [[spoiler: Captain Azarcon and his men]] have acquired this reputation.

* The Literature/{{Deryni}} in the novels by Katherine Kurtz suffer for this generally, and Camber of Culdi and Alaric Morgan most particularly.
** Some Deryni are evil, and a family of them conquered Gwynedd and ruled tyrannically for eight decades. Unfortunately, in the backlash ''all'' the Deryni were condemned as evil. [[ShroudedInMyth Fear, ignorance and imagination soon make them seem nigh on demonically powerful and diabolically clever.]]
** Camber of Culdi found the heir of the previous ruling family, engineered his restoration to the throne (and the toppling of the evil Deryni ruler), and for what? Sure, he gets sainthood but quickly loses it. He and many members of his family are outlawed and die untimely deaths, his estates are forfeited, even his family's tombs are destroyed.
** Alaric Morgan had bad publicity from birth. He chooses to make use of this, cultivating his [[ShroudedInMyth dangerous reputation]] as a means of protecting himself; he often [[DarkIsEvil wears black]] and he is open about the fact that he is Deryni, even if he doesn't perform magic openly. Despite this, he serves two kings loyally and effectively, often risking his life in the process. While he reaps many rewards, his reputation precedes him.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Harry Dresden might just rival Peter Parker for the hate that gets directed at him in-universe. To the [[{{Muggles}} "straights"]] he's at best a quirky man who knows way too much and thus is pretty damned creepy, and at worst they see him as a delusional charlatan who may be conning Chicago PD out of good money. Chicago, InternalAffairs rabidly hates him and tried to jail him, while working to undermine him and everyone connected to him repeatedly. The FBI also doesn't like him considering that [[Literature/FoolMoon once]] [[spoiler: four FBI agents investigating him vanished]], and their records suspects him of kidnapping, murder, at least two cases of arson, and he was recently accused of blowing up an [[Literature/{{Changes}} office building]]. To the White Council he is considered a loose cannon who may or may not be a devious, dangerous schemer using BlackMagic, and it doesn't help that he caused a war with the Red Court of vampires. His ostensible allies don't trust him, and the only people he's got on his side are a gaggle of werewolves, the [[ChurchMilitant Knights]], a few members of the Chicago PD's Special Investigations unit, [[spoiler: his half-brother]], his teenage apprentice, [[spoiler:a Foo dog]], and a smattering of allies in the Faerie Courts and the White Council. And knowing Harry, [[spoiler: being homeless and dead for about a year]] is going to cause even more problems.
* Patrick [=McLanahan=] and his team(s) from Creator/DaleBrown's books are disliked at best, outright hated at worst by those in the American government who know of their existence. Jason Richter and Task Force TALON get a similar treatment.
* In ''[[Literature/MythAdventures Something M.Y.T.H. Inc.]]'', we see how Skeeve's well-meant efforts to reform the kingdom of Possiltom in ''Sweet Myth-tery of Life'' are mistaken for the actions of a stereotypical "evil wizard" or DarkLord by the kingdom's more impressionable citizens.
* ''Literature/CalebWilliams'' is this in his own home after his employer accuses him of theft. His infamy spreads nationwide after he escapes from prison and his employer's half-brother offers 100 guineas for Caleb's capture.
* In the ''Literature/KnightAndRogueSeries'' Michael develops a tendency to be the prime suspect of the crime he's trying to solve due to being [[spoiler:tattooed as an unredeemable criminal]], thanks to a spectacular failure on the law's part.
* Pei Shan-wei of ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' tried to stop her fellow colony directors from giving in to their AGodAmI delusions and forever turning the planet into a MedievalStasis when the objective is to build back up to full technology. Her AntiMutiny is rewarded by her being murdered, along with all her friends and associates, and labeled the [[PathOfInspiration Church of God Awaiting's]] Satan.
* It also happened to Franchise/SherlockHolmes in the Anthony Horowitz story ''Literature/TheHouseOfSilk''.
* Victor Steiner-Davion in the ''Franchise/{{BattleTech|ExpandedUniverse}}'' expanded universe suffers from this. Of all the House Lords of his generation he's possibly the closest to a "good guy" you can get, he earnestly ''believes'' in his ideals and considers making compromises for reasons of statesmanship a necessary evil at best -- but between the shadow cast by [[MagnificentBastard his father]], the obligatory smear campaigns of his enemies, and at times simply rubbing people the wrong way in person, he still has the hardest time catching a break as far as public opinion is concerned. (That his sister Katherine takes advantage of every chance to nudge the media into reporting things ''her'' way doesn't exactly help, either.) Which of course ends up contributing straight to the eventual breakup of the Federated Commonwealth and later civil war...

* Mesa's gambit in the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' book ''Shadow of Freedom'' is to invoke this on the Star Empire of Manticore by going to several planets under the thumb of the Solarian League's Office of Frontier Security, offering resistance movements aid in Manticore's name, and letting it appear that Manticore left them in the lurch when the movements are either stopped or take major action thinking Manticore has their backs. It [[spoiler:fails, because someone ''does'' actually get word to Manticore -- and it's not like the Royal Manticoran Navy doesn't practically fetishise initiative, or anything]]. Besides, the Manties, when they find out about it, realize that by going along, they are helping their own cause, and hurting Mesa's.
* A post-humous example with Xavier Harkonnen in the ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'' [[Literature/LegendsOfDune prequels]], who finds out that Grand Patriarch Iblis Ginjo is secretly endorsing the Tlulaxa organ farms' secret practice of abducting Zensunnis and using them as unwilling organ donors. Realizing that Ginjo will have him quietly "removed", Harkonnen decides to out with a bang by flying the ship carrying him and the Patriarch into Tlulax's sun. Prior to that, he sends a message to his friend Vorian Attreides, letting him know the truth. However, Ginjo's wife and NumberTwo canonize the Patriarch and vilify the "traitor" Harkonnen, causing his entire family to change their name in order to distance themselves from the shame. Vorian eventually reveals the truth to Xavier's grandson Abulurd Butler, who changes his name to Abulurd Harkonnen shortly after that and becomes the founder of the House Harkonnen we know and "love".
* ''Literature/EndersGame'': Ender Wiggin manages to do this to himself quite by accident. At first, he's a great hero who saved Earth from the evil Buggers. However, after writing ''The Hive Queen'' under an assumed name, he gets people to sympathize with the Buggers; he found and communicated with a cocooned infant queen who reveals that they simply didn't understand that humans were sentient and intended to leave them alone once they realized it, but by then humanity was determined to wipe out the Buggers to protect themselves. A side effect is that thousands of years later, Ender is reviled as the monster who killed the Buggers. Never mind that the entire human race was onboard with doing so, it wasn't unreasonable based on what they knew, and Ender himself was partially tricked into doing it.
* Tyrion Lannister from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' is assumed by the commoners to be evil simply because he's a dwarf. Even after he defended King's Landing from a siege that would have killed everyone inside it and let Stannis take the Iron Throne, he's condemned by [[ConvictedByPublicOpinion pretty much everyone]] because of his dwarfism after he's framed for poisoning the King. His stint as Hand of the King was rife with this, as the smallfolk blamed him for the antics of [[TheCaligula Joffrey]] and [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Cersei]], perceiving him as a depraved EvilChancellor when in actuality he was the only one trying to reign the king's madness in.
** Tyrion's older brother Jaime is an unusual example. While he is a definite scumbag for the first two books, when we finally see his [[SympatheticPOV P.O.V.]] in the third book, we find out that [[TheKingslayer the act that he is most widely hated for]] was done with the most noble of intentions in mind and saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The fact that he did get such bad publicity over it is part of what made him the amoral man he started the series as.
** King Stannis Baratheon has a terrible reputation among most in Westeros, roughly on par with Tyrion's. Despite being the rightful King by law, he is perceived as a scary usurper [[EvilUncle uncle]] by the masses, a belief aided by slander and lies spread about him by the Small Council of King's Landing. His intimidating image is further compacted by his willingness to ally himself with a sorceress preaching the unpopular religion of R'hllor. A bad public image that his rough, coarse, blunt personality does few favors to help. However, among those followers closest to him and to us the reader we see that Stannis, despite all his personal flaws, is in [[WordOfGod GRRM's]] own words a righteous man. The only monarch actively living up to his Protector Of The Realm title. Riding North to save it and the Night's Watch from a horde of Wildlings, while the Iron Throne neglected their duties. Furthermore, Stannis is actively leading the war to liberate the North from the Boltons, as well as against [[GreaterScopeVillain The Others]]. He is the only monarch who knows they exist and is preparing to defend the realm against them.
* King Trent in the ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' series. When he was known as "Evil Magician Trent," he states outright he's only "evil" because he opposed the ruling Storm King - whom no one would deny was far closer to the ideal of "evil" than Trent ever was. When the Storm King dies and Trent is the only one willing and eligible to take the throne, the "evil" part of his name is quickly forgotten.
* In Jeramey Kraatz's ''Literature/TheCloakSociety'', Cloak's plots get the heroes labelled as imposters working for the Cloak Society.
* Rose Marshal, the heroine of ''[[Literature/GhostRoads Sparrow Hill Road]]'', is a [[BewareOfHitchHikingGhosts hitchhiking ghost]] straight out of urban legend, which is spooky enough, but it's her tendency to act as a voluntary {{Psychopomp}} for people fated to die on the road that's given her the undeserved reputation as a harbinger of death or even a rapacious reaper of the unwary, rising to the level of NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished when she's targeted for revenge over a death she attended but did not cause.
* Surprisingly, in ''Literature/CompanionsCodex'' Drizzt Do'Urden is barred entrance from Bryn Shander, because twenty years ago, while he was undergoing a BigSleep, the Balor Errtu attacked the town in search of Drizzt. Bryn Shander blames Drizzt for the catastrophe and tells him he's no longer welcome. All that after he spent the better part of a century trying and succeeding in endearing the people on the surface to him.

* ''Literature/HoshiAndTheRedCityCircuit'': As an [[FictionalDisability Operator]], Hoshi is hated and distrusted by much of Red City [[spoiler:even before she's framed framed for collaborating with organized crime and briefly becomes the face of the anti-integration movement]].