History Main / BastardBastard

* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'' is the illegitimate child of Beatrice and Butterscotch Horseman, whose [[ResentfulGuardian resentful]] [[AbusiveParents treatment]] towards him [[FreudianExcuse shaped him into]] the bitter, antisocial {{Jerkass}} he is today.
* [[Characters/FamilyGuyPeterGriffin Peter Griffin]] of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' was the result of an affair between his mother and an Irish drunk (as revealed in "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS5E10PetersTwoDads Peter's Two Dads]]") and is consistently shown to be a {{Jerkass}}, making him a FatBastard in both senses of the word.
* [[Characters/SouthParkEricCartman Eric Cartman]] from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' is a manipulative sociopath and the result of an affair between [[ItMakesSenseinContext his mom and one of the Denver Broncos]].

* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': A season two SpreeKiller is revealed to be the illegitimate son of a multi-millionaire. He commits murders out of resentment towards his father and half-sisters.

* In the ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' episode "[[Recap/BlackadderS1E2BornToBeKing Born to be King]]", Prince Edmund is revealed to have been born on the wrong side of the blanket. His [[IdenticalGrandson identical descendant]] Lord Edmund Blackadder is also canonically a bastard. Both men repeatedly and underhandedly scheme to take the throne of England. In fact, given the endings of the four seasons, it's basically impossible for any of the Blackadders to be the descendant of the previous one without at least one intervening generation being illegitimate (1's wife was only just barely old enough to be ''capable'' of having children at the time of his death, 2 and 4 died bachelors, 3 - under a different name - did have a legitimate child, who died childless).

* ''Literature/OneHundredYearsOfSolitude'': Arcadio is born of an affair between José Arcadio and Pilar Ternera, and grows up to be a murderous and tyrannical ruler of Macondo
during the war.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': In Westerosi society, bastard children are often mistrusted as they are thought to be born of lust and deceit and believed to have a vested interest in their trueborn siblings' demise. Although {{Heroic Bastard}}s Jon Snow and Gendry subvert this, [[spoiler:Joffrey Baratheon]], Ramsay Snow, and the three Sand Snakes play it straight. It's revealed that [[spoiler:Joffrey is not Robert's son, but the product of Jaime and Cersei's {{Twincest}}. In the second season, he learns of it through Stannis' pronouncement and asks his mother about the terrible rumor he's heard about her and "Uncle Jaime". He orders the murder of Robert's illegitimate children as a form of insurance for his title as king.]] Ramsay is a modern TropeCodifier -- not that his dad's a great guy, either. Much like Ellaria, the Sand Snakes don't really do much to disprove the negative views Westeros has of illegitimate children. As of Season 6, they've killed the legitimate heirs of their household to seize power for themselves. Lord Walder Frey's bastard son Black Walder Rivers is a downplayed case since while he's a bastard in ''both'' senses of the word, being illegitimate has little to do with morality with the Freys since his legitimate brother Lothar stabs a pregnant woman to death during the Red Wedding.

* Invoked in ''Manhua/GoddessCreationSystem''. Mingluan is not a bad guy relative to the rest of his family, but he gets passed over for an important position despite being more qualified and wanting it more because A. he's a bastard and B. he behaves too wildly. He gets stressed out from trying to act like his brother and then tends to act out, so he decides he needs to behave more maturely ''and'' do what he actually likes, which helps his reputation improve over time.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': One version of [[Characters/BatmanTheScarecrow Scarecrow]]'s backstory has him born out of wedlock to a teen mother, whose own mother threw her out afterwards, then *her* mother, [[TheFundamentalist Great-Grandmother Mary Keeny]], raised him alone. The stigma of being a bastard gave her an excuse to torment and terrify him, often locking him in an old church to set the crows on him if he stepped a toe out of line. As Jonathan Crane was born in a small town in rural Georgia, it's implied other kids bullied him for his bastard status as well as being small and easily intimidated. That he grew up to be a fear-obsessed supervillain who turns his pain on others speaks volumes.

* One version of [[ComicBook/Batman the Scarecrow]]'s backstory has him born out of wedlock to a teen mother, whose own mother threw her out afterwards, then *her* mother, [[TheFundamentalist Great-Grandmother Mary Keeny]], raised him alone. The stigma of being a bastard gave her an excuse to torment and terrify him, often locking him in an old church to set the crows on him if he stepped a toe out of line. As Jonathan Crane was born in a small town in rural Georgia, it's implied other kids bullied him for his bastard status as well as being small and easily intimidated. That he grew up to be a fear-obsessed supervillain who turns his pain on others speaks volumes.

* ''Anime/VoltesV'': Emperor Zambajil is a SpoiledBrat who is the son of the 123rd Emperor of Boazania and his favourite courtesan. Wanting to usurp the throne from Gohl (who was of legitimate blood), Zambajil had his cronies find dirt on him and expose his dark secret to the public. When Prince Heinel was born, Zambajil tried to have him killed on many occassions. In the GrandFinale he shows his true colours as a DirtyCoward and tries to flee the vengeance of the innocents he's hurt.

* The ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheOrigin'' version of Char Aznable/[[spoiler:Casval Rem Deikun]] is technically illegitimate, as his mother is TheMistress rather than his father's wife. "Technically" because his family wasn't hiding their relation and Char originally used his name. Either way, Char grew up to be one of the prime examples of ChronicBackstabbingDisorder in anime, eventually culminating in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack'' when he attempts a ColonyDrop with the intention of destroying the Earth. His sister Sayla/[[spoiler:Artesia]] took the opposite path as a HeroicBastard despite having the same background.

* Char Aznable/[[spoiler:Casval Rem Deikun]] from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheOrigin'' was revealed to be this, since his parents never actually married due to his father already having a wife and his mother being TheMistress. Char grew up to be one of the prime examples of ChronicBackstabbingDisorder in anime, eventually culminating in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack'' when he attempts a ColonyDrop with the intention of destroying the Earth. His sister Sayla/[[spoiler:Artesia]] took the opposite path as a HeroicBastard despite having the same background.
* [[spoiler: Gremy Toto]] from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'' ''miiiiiiight'' be this. He certainly ''is'' a bastard, but the "''miiiiiiight''" part comes from how it's speculated that [[spoiler: while he claims to be a clone of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Gihren Zabi]], he may actually be his bastard son.]] Apparently, WordOfGod has said that [[spoiler: Gremy ''is'' Gihren's bastard son with a Newtype woman.]]

Born with the shame of unmarried parents, the Bastard Bastard is [[BastardAngst marginalized at best, reviled and banished at worst]] (not to mention unable to inherit) -- but unlike the HeroicBastard, the Bastard Bastard is also a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin bastard in the other sense]] and the reason for the negative [[ShapedLikeItself connotation of the word]]. His ParentalAbandonment has created the ultimate FreudianExcuse. He's the JerkassWoobie who's got it in for his father, his siblings, or maybe even [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds the world.]] His issues have driven him to seek revenge, or made him vulnerable to manipulation by the forces of Evil. Generally male, although female examples are becoming more common.

* ''Anime/FenaPiratePrincess'' has Abel Bluefield, illegitimate son of the king of England. His obsession with [[LostLenore Helena des Armoises]] leads him to use, abuse and abandon people around him with a second thought if it brings him closer to his goal of being with her again. His half-sister, Fena, is the [[HeroicBastard polar opposite]].

* ''ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}'': [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]; Some incarnations of Catwoman are the illegitimate daughter of Gotham-based mafia don Carmine Falcone and his mistress. [[Characters/CatwomanSelinaKyle Selina Kyle]] grows up with no knowledge of her parentage since Falcone cut ties with her mother before she was born, condemning them to live in poverty. Catwoman, even at her worse, has stronger morals than the most honorable version of her possible father.
* One version of [[ComicBook/Batman the Scarecrow]]'s backstory has him born out of wedlock to a teen mother, whose own mother threw her out afterwards, then *her* mother, [[TheFundamentalist Great-Grandmother Mary Keeny]], raised him alone. The stigma of being a bastard gave her an excuse to torment and terrify him, often locking him in an old church to set the crows on him if he stepped a toe out of line. As Jonathan Crane was born in a small town in rural Georgia, it's implied other kids bullied him for his bastard status as well as being small and easily intimidated. That he grew up to be a fear-obssessed supervillain who turns his pain on others speaks volumes.

* ''Comicbook/{{Manhunter}}'': It's eventually revealed that [[spoiler:Kate's birth father]] Walter Pratt is one of these, since he's the child of Iron Munro and Sandra Knight, the original Phantom Lady and was given up for adoption after birth. The reason he hasn't been around? [[spoiler:He's been in prison for killing Kate's mother in front of her when she was a baby, and when he shows up in the story it's because he's been diagnosed with blood cancer and needs Kate's blood, so he kidnaps his grandson and tortures Kate's ex-husband]]. Real stand-up guy.

** Craster, a wildling North of the wall and [[NecessarilyEvil uncertain ally]] of the Night's Watch, is the bastard of a Night's Watch ranger and wildling woman from Whitetree. He is called a "kinslayer, liar, raper and craven". Craster is notorious for [[ParentalIncest marrying his daughters]] -- and don't get started on what he does to his sons. However, calling him a bastard is a BerserkButton for him.

** The "Great Bastards" of Aegon IV "The Unworthy", who legitimized them all on his deathbed out of spite at his only legitimate son, Daeron II "The Good". Daemon Blackfyre, bastard of Aegon and one of his Targaryen cousins, tried to overthrow Daeron and may have been persuaded into this by another of Aegon's bastards, Aegor Rivers "Bittersteel", who had a feud with his half-brother Brynden Rivers "Bloodraven" (their mothers were from FeudingFamilies Bracken and Blackwood). After Daemon was killed in battle by Brynden, Aegor continued trying to seat Daemon's descendants on the Iron Throne for the rest of his life. Even a century after his death, and over a generation after the extinction of the Blackfyres (at least in the male line) Daemon is still looked upon as an archetypal treacherous bastard by Westeros. Bloodraven plays with this, being a sinister figure who used ruthless methods to oppose the Blackfyres, the descendants of Daemon, even killing Daemon and two of his sons in battle, executing another of Daemon's sons despite an offer of safe conduct and turning the Seven Kingdoms into a Police State with his spying methods when he was Hand of the King to Daeron's son and successor Aerys I. He was unpopular among the people and believed to be a sorcerer [[spoiler:which seems to have been true]], but seems to be one of the most morally ambiguous characters in a world full of such figures. [[spoiler:TheReveal he is the Three-Eyed Crow adds to this.]]

* ''Literature/DontLookBack'': This is a critical revelation to the mystery about protagonist Sam's amnesia and struggles to remember what happened the night that her best friend, Cassie Winchester, died. [[spoiler:It turns out that the reason Cassie acted like a cruel, self-absorbed bully and turned Sam into an AlphaBitch like her was out of her insecurity and desperation to be acknowledged by her and Sam's father, Steven, who fathered her out of wedlock with a mistress. She was envious of Sam for being his legitimate daughter, and acted as toxic as she did because she wanted what she had.]]

* Hoby, one of Arcamand's slaves in ''[[Literature/AnnalsOfTheWesternShore Powers]]''. He's the son of the family patriarch and a SexSlave, making him automatically a slave. He's mean, violent, resentful, brutally bullies Gav. Then he [[spoiler:participates in the rape and drowning of Gav's sister, Sallo]]. Then, ''late'' in the book, Gav finds out that Hoby is chasing him as a runaway.

* In ''Literature/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShi'', resentment fuels TheDarkArts, providing a path to power for the enterprising Bastard Bastard. For example, at the beginning, Mo Xuanyu, bastard son of Jin Guangshan, uses demonic cultivation to summon an evil spirit to destroy his aunt, uncle and cousin and ends up bringing the protagonist Wei Wuxian back to life. [[spoiler: The BigBad turns out to be Jin Guangyao, fellow bastard son of Jin Guangshan.]]

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': [[BrokenBird Tess]] [[DarkActionGirl Mercer]] is TheBaroness. She's a cold-blooded BrokenAce CorruptCorporateExecutive and ManipulativeBastard, [[AntiVillain and]] a WellIntentionedExtremist [[IronWoobie who takes no crap from anyone]], even after the reveal that she is [[spoiler:Lionel Luthor]]'s bastard daughter. Her [[AlternateUniverse Earth-2 counterpart]], on the other hand, who was raised by her father in the [[TheUnfavourite shadow of his legitimate children]]? She's a whiny mess of ParentalIssues, who can't decide if she wants to be DaddysLittleVillain or [[BastardUnderstudy stab him in the back]], and is in an [[VillainousIncest incestuous relationship]] with [[spoiler: her adopted brother Clark]]. Jeez. What a difference an upbringing makes.

** Ironically enough, in Hector Boethius' ''Scotorum Historia'', Arthur is portrayed as this himself, Boethius treating Arthur as Uther's illegitimate son and claiming Mordred, as the son of Uther's sister, was the legitimate heir. Arthur makes peace by making Mordred and their children his heir... then later makes someone else his heir, leading to the war which kills him and Mordred.

* Caius d'al Cazarosta, of ''VideoGame/SabresOfInfinity'' saw his own aristocratic mother executed before him as a boy because of his country's laws against banebloods [[note]]those who can sense and possibly use the bane, the setting's functional magic[[/note]] and baneless [[note]]those who can't[[/note]] reproducing with each other. As a result of this, he's spent his entire life being a social pariah whose willing to do anything to get a job done. And isn't afraid to destroy anyone who becomes "an obstacle".

** She was even this back in the original ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'' DLC's when her lineage wasn't confirmed, attempting to commit a BodySurf on her aforementioned niece who at the time was a ''child''.

* ''VideoGame/IronMan3TheOfficialGame'': Ezekiel Stane is the illegitimate son of Obadiah Stane after he had an affair with one of his mistresses. To keep their relationship a secret, Obadiah paid off Ezekiel's mother and played no part in his son's life. This caused him to grow up with an immense entitlement complex, and led to Ezekiel joining forces with A.I.M. so he could ruin Tony's reputation and take over Stark Industries for himself.

* In ''Comicbook/{{Manhunter}}'', it's eventually revealed that [[spoiler:Kate's birth father]] Walter Pratt is one of these, since he's the child of Iron Munro and Sandra Knight, the original Phantom Lady and was given up for adoption after birth. The reason he hasn't been around? [[spoiler:He's been in prison for killing Kate's mother in front of her when she was a baby, and when he shows up in the story it's because he's been diagnosed with blood cancer and needs Kate's blood, so he kidnaps his grandson and tortures Kate's ex-husband]]. Real stand-up guy.
* In ''ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo'': Tomoe's evil, bloodthirsty cousin Noriko [[spoiler:is actually her half-sister due to Tomoe's father being in love with Noriko's mother, who happened to be Tomoe's mother's sister. When she confronted Tomoe's father he rejected her so she killed him, and poisoned her "step" father for being a weakling for good measure.]]
* ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': the ComicBook/RedSkull is the illegitimate child of [[spoiler:Franchise/CaptainAmerica]] -- and every bit as horrible as his mainstream counterpart, as among his deeds are being the InUniverse answer to "WhoShotJFK" and telling the woman who'd become the Red Wasp that he'd spare her child if she killed her husband--only to go back on his word and kill the child, anyway, then have his men gangrape her.

* ''ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}'': [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]; Some incarnations of Catwoman are the illegitimate daughter of Gotham-based mafia don Carmine Falcone and his mistress. [[Characters/CatwomanSelinaKyle Selina Kyle]] grows up with no knowledge of her parentage since Falcone cut ties with her mother before she was born, condemning them to live in poverty. Catwoman, even at her worse, has stronger morals than the most honorable version of her possible father.

* ''Literature/OneHundredYearsOfSolitude'': Arcadio is born of an affair between José Arcadio and Pilar Ternera, and grows up to be a murderous and tyrannical ruler of Macondo during the war.

* [[DrJerk Dr. Gregory]] Series/{{House}}'s parents were married... just not to one another.

* Ari Haswari from ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' is the illegitimate son of Mossad Director Eli David and a Palestinian woman, born specifically to be TheMole in Hamas. After his mother is killed, he turns on his father and Israel.

* Elias on ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' is this. As an adult, he's a cunning and slippery mob boss. As a child, he saw his mother shot to death and ended up in foster care. He got his StartOfDarkness when he tracked down his Mafia don father, hoping to become part of the family or at least part of the organisation, only to learn that his father was the one who ordered his mother's death--and he learns it from the assassins sent to kill him too. Decades later, he gets his revenge.

* [[BrokenBird Tess]] [[DarkActionGirl Mercer]] on ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' is TheBaroness. She's a cold-blooded BrokenAce CorruptCorporateExecutive and ManipulativeBastard, [[AntiVillain and]] a WellIntentionedExtremist [[IronWoobie who takes no crap from anyone]], even after the reveal that she is [[spoiler:Lionel Luthor]]'s bastard daughter. Her [[AlternateUniverse Earth-2 counterpart]], on the other hand, who was raised by her father in the [[TheUnfavourite shadow of his legitimate children]]? She's a whiny mess of ParentalIssues, who can't decide if she wants to be DaddysLittleVillain or [[BastardUnderstudy stab him in the back]], and is in an [[VillainousIncest incestuous relationship]] with [[spoiler: her adopted brother Clark]]. Jeez. What a difference an upbringing makes.

* [[spoiler: Piper Shaw]], the ''Series/ScreamTheTVSeries'' season one killer, turns out to be the illegitimate child of Brandon James, motivated by [[spoiler: parental abandonment, as she was born to Brandon and Maggie Duval (who was still named Maggie Anderson at the time of the conception) when they were teens. Having been born out of wedlock, Piper holds a lot of resentment for her mother, and her half-sister, and as such terrorizes them.]]

* [[spoiler: Piper Shaw]], the ''Series/ScreamTVSeries'' season one killer, turns out to be the illegitimate child of Brandon James, motivated by [[spoiler: parental abandonment, as she was born to Brandon and Maggie Duval (who was still named Maggie Anderson at the time of the conception) when they were teens. Having been born out of wedlock, Piper holds a lot of resentment for her mother, and her half-sister, and as such terrorizes them.]]

* Peter Griffin of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' was the result of an affair between his mother and an Irish drunk (as revealed in "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS5E10PetersTwoDads Peter's Two Dads]]") and is consistently shown to be a {{Jerkass}}, making him a FatBastard in both senses of the word.
* Eric Cartman from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' is a manipulative sociopath and the result of an affair between [[ItMakesSenseinContext his mom and one of the Denver Broncos]].