History Main / DaChief

* Maria Hill back when she was director of ''ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}''. Creator/JoeQuesada, who was Marvel's editor-in-chief during her first appearance, describes the character thus: "[Hill] is such a strong personality, she's like a force of nature and quite frankly, while perhaps not immediately loved by all involved, she's certainly as strong and imposing a figure as Nick Fury.

* General Brandt, the commander of all [[TheArmiesOfHeaven Warrior angels]] on planet earth, in ''Wars of the Realm''.

* In the Music/BeastieBoys' music video to "Sabotage", a parody of '70s-style action police dramas, Mike D's character is literally billed onscreen as "The Chief".

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'', as [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction S.H.I.E.L.D.]] director Nick Fury's NumberTwo, ComicBook/CarolDanvers acted as this to ComicBook/TheAvengers. While most portrayals of her [[AdaptationalJerkass tend to be somewhat abrasive]], due to the show's DenserAndWackier nature this was cranked up a notch, turning her into a belligerent IronLady.

* Rawls and Burrell both gleefully embody this role on ''Series/TheWire.'' Cedric Daniels also rises through the ranks to become the head of the department at the end of the series, before realizing he doesn't want to be at the head of such a flawed police department. [[spoiler the fact that he immediately starts getting blackmailed doesn't help. He quits and becomes a lawyer.]]

* Captain Roy Montgomery in ''Series/{{Castle}}'' to an extent, although he is a bit more complex than that. After his [[spoiler:death saving Beckett (who manages to catch a near fatal gunshot at his funeral!)]] in the Season 4 finale, he is replaced by Captain Victoria "Iron" Gates, whose officious attitude is later subverted when its revealed that she [[spoiler:figured out that Castle and Beckett were in a relationship and doesn't care provided they keep it discreet]]. In Season 8, Beckett herself becomes the new Captain after Gates is [[PutOnABus promoted]]. [[HollywoodLaw Not that this stops her from continuing to investigate]] [[StatusQuoIsGod the way she always has]].

* The Chief from ''Manga/{{Fake}}'' has to deal with both Dee AND JJ whining at him on a regular basis. His bark seems to be worse than his bite though - Dee refers to him as a "baby seal" at one point (and is promptly yelled at for it, naturally).

* Over Justice of ''Anime/SpacePatrolLuluco'' is just as much this as he is a ByTheBookCop, to the point where he's just as likely to sentence his own men for ''[[DisproportionateRetribution very]]'' [[DisproportionateRetribution minor offenses]] in rapid succession. [[spoiler: Midori takes his place when he's promoted to commander of the Space Patrol in the epilogue.]]

* [[TokenEvilTeammate Susan Rayner]] in ''ComicBook/TheBoys'' was the Director of the CIA, and as such the team answered to her. However despite all her bluster she rarely got around to disciplining them due to Butcher's habit of SleepingWithTheBoss, and the one time she tries [[spoiler: [[ControlFreak he really]], ''really'' doesn't take it well]].

* A staple of ''Film/DirtyHarry'' movies. They range from [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure reasonable]] (Bressler from the first movie) to [[TheNeidermeyer incompetent]] ([=McKay=] from the third movie and his CaptainErsatz, Briggs from the fourth). Subverted in ''Film/MagnumForce'' where Da Chief [[spoiler: [[TheBadGuysAreCops is actually]] the BigBad.]]

* Julius Root from ''Literature/ArtemisFowl''. While he definitely has the screaming, red-faced strict disciplinarian side to him, he's also a great mentor and heads into action when the time comes [[spoiler: though this backfires eventually.]]

* Captain Roy Montgomery in ''Series/{{Castle}}'' to an extent, although he is a bit more complex than that. After his [[spoiler: death saving Beckett (who manages to catch a near fatal gunshot at his funeral!)]] in the Season 4 finale, he is replaced by Captain Victoria "Iron" Gates, whose officious attitude is later subverted when its revealed that she [[spoiler: figured out that Castle and Beckett were in a relationship and doesn't care provided they keep it discreet]]. In Season 8, Beckett herself becomes the new Captain after Gates is [[PutOnABus promoted]]. [[HollywoodLaw Not that this stops her from continuing to investigate]] [[StatusQuoIsGod the way she always has]].

* Lieutenant [[Creator/YaphetKotto Al Giardello]] from ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet''. Though he will often go out of his way to protect his men, he is not above disciplining them if necessary. While pleasant and certainly a mentor figure, he also takes a certain joy in his power. That being said, however, Giardello is frequently seen in the series as a renegade commander, and, in fact, much of his screen time and story lines tend to revolve around his battles with his own Da Chiefs, which include, over the course of the run, Captain - later Colonel - George Barnfather, Colonel Burt Granger, Deputy Commissioner James C. Harris, Captain Megan Russert, and Captain Roger Gaffney. In fact Creator/YaphetKotto has played a great number of police chiefs over the course of his career - so much so that he was made a honorary police captain.

* Rawls and Burrell both gleefully embody this role on ''Series/TheWire.'' Cedric Daniels also rises through the ranks to become the head of the department at the end of the series, before realizing he doesn't want to be at the head of such a flawed police department. [[spoiler: the fact that he immediately starts getting blackmailed doesn't help. He quits and becomes a lawyer.]]

* In the Music/BeastieBoys' music video to "Sabotage", a parody of 70s-style action police dramas, Mike D's character is literally billed onscreen as "The Chief".

** Police Chief Damon Gant is a friendly chap who keeps inviting people to go swimming with him. [[spoiler: He's also a blackmailer and a murderer.]]

--> '''Chief''': What, have you got wax in your ears!? I specifically told you ''not'' to die!

* Augusgus, the Director of the 20th from ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod''. [[spoiler: Though in truth, he is actually a FUG agent, so he's a subversion.]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC54SlU17GU "Dad Cop 2"]], a live-action short from [[Creator/FilmCow Jason Steele]] that serves as a comedic deconstruction of cop movie cliches, features a police chief becoming increasingly agitated at the protagonist (whose name is [[IronicName Dad Cop 2]]) because of his incompetence. It culminates with Dad Cop 2 spending $7,000 worth of airfare trying to find the suspect in a murder case, and when the Chief shouts at him (in a very bad French accent) that he's off the case, Dad Cop 2 [[spoiler: reponds by shooting the Chief in the face with a shotgun. It later turns out that the Chief was the actual suspect in the murder case, he was actually a woman the whole time, and survived being shot in the face because in addition to wearing a bulletproof vest she also had a "bulletproof face".]]
-->'''Dad Cop 2:''' I just [[spoiler: shot the chief of police in the face]]. That [[CaptainObvious wasn't a good idea]].

* Commander Joseph Walsh from ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers''. Voiced by the same guy as Stargazer. The Series 5 team is always just on the borderline of acceptability. His rival, ObstructiveBureaucrat (and {{Jerkass}}) Senator Whiner, is always looking for an excuse to shut the whole thing down. Still, Walsh knows that if he gives his BadassCrew 24 hours, they get the results. He and Zach both trade off on AFatherToHisMen moments, too. [[spoiler: In Walsh's case, it's a bit more literal, as Shane actually ''is'' Walsh's biological son]].
* A key component of ''WesternAnimation/AssyMcGee''. Greg – almost always referred to as "The Chief" (who bears a resemblance to Al Pacino), is the chief of the Exeter police department. He often argues with Assy over cases, yet is mesmerized when Assy is able to solve a case. In several episodes, the chief demands that Assy "[[TurnInYourBadge hand over his badge and his gun in the morning]]".

-->'''Da Chief:''' You're off the case, [=McGarnagle=]!\\

** And of course there's [=McBain's=] chief in one of his films where he's going after his arch foe (MENDOOOSSSAAAAAA!) Amusingly enough, he has the exact same character design as [=McGarnacle's=] Chief. The only difference is the hair color.

* U.S. Marshal Art Mullen on ''Series/{{Justified}}'' fills this role. He generally follows the law, but gives Raylan some leeway when he trusts his judgment. Art is more of a father figure to Raylan than Arlo, but becomes distrustful of him after he demonstrates his inability to separate his personal and professional lives, frequently crossing the line between right and wrong.

* [[invoked]] The nearly forgotten crime thriller ''Film/NarrowMargin'' features an interesting variation in J.A. Preston as a soft-spoken Los Angeles chief deputy D.A. -- meaning that he'd also answer directly to the D.A., but is still Creator/GeneHackman's superior -- who vetoes his risky plan on the grounds that it could fall through and let the villain walk at trial; the hero promptly accuses him of being publicity-hungry. Creator/RogerEbert, in the review that would also codify IdiotPlot, [[https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/narrow-margin-1990 was moved to discuss the trope and its shortcomings]]:

* Captain Caine in ''Series/{{Hunter}}'' considered the title character a dangerous loose cannon and CowboyCop and threatened to take his badge. His successors as captain were more tolerant of Hunter (because they recognized a good cop when they saw one) but would often be frustrated by his liberal attitude to the regulations and do their best to keep him in line.

* ''Film/{{Runaway}}'': Played by G.W. Bailey, known for playing the equally acerbic Captain Harris in ''Film/PoliceAcademy''. Not that the Chief of the Runaway Squad (who hunt malfunctioning robots) doesn't have cause for tearing strips off Sgt. Ramsey, as bad guy Charles Luther keeps getting away and police officers keep getting killed. Amusingly, it's also inverted at one point with Ramsay chewing the Chief out about a botched stakeout.

** Captain Don Cragen, first on ''Series/LawAndOrder'', but more so on ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'', especially with him having to constantly rein in Elliot Stabler and to a lesser extent, Olivia Benson. After Cragen retires and she ultimately gets promoted to Captain, Benson herself becomes this, having to keep younger rookie SVU officers in line while also dealing with bureaucratic higher-ups such as Chief McGrath trying to tell her how to do her job.

** Captain Don Cragen, first on ''Series/LawAndOrder'', but more so on ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'', especially with him having to constantly rein in Elliot Stabler and to a lesser extent, Olivia Benson. After Cragen retires and she gets promoted, Benson herself becomes this.

** Sergeant Bell on ''Series/LawAndOrderOrganizedCrime'', mostly due to having Stabler as both a squad member and her de facto second-in-command.

* Ed O'Neill's character, Detective Paul Selitto, in ''Film/TheBoneCollector''. Quite a shocker for those who know him only as [[Series/MarriedWithChildren Al Bundy]].

%%* ''Film/JamesBond'': M, particularly in ''Film/LicenceToKill'', ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' and ''Film/QuantumOfSolace''.

* ''Series/ChicagoPD'' has gone through several of these, usually chiefs, deputy chiefs, captains, deputy superintendents and at least one commissioner or superintendent, who have worried about the CowboyCop tactics of Sgt. Hank Voight and his Intelligence Division putting the Chicago Police Department in a bad public light and some of them actively look for reasons to put the Intelligence Unit out of commission or at least strip Voight of his badge. Voight has had a few of these moments himself whenever one of his officers goes offscript, like the time Hailey Upton planted drugs on an otherwise untouchable kingpin .

** Captain Don Cragen, first on ''Series/LawAndOrder'', but more so on ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'', especially with having to constantly rein in Elliot Stabler and to a lesser extent, Olivia Benson, who ultimately gets promoted and is now filling this role.
** Lieutenant Van Buren on ''Law & Order''.

* Comes with the territory for Sergeant Ayana Bell on ''Series/LawAndOrderOrganizedCrime'' due to having Elliot Stabler as not only a member of her unit but her de facto second-in-command.

** Captain Don Cragen, first on ''Series/LawAndOrder'', but more so on ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit''.

* ''Series/ChicagoPD'' has gone through several of these, usually chiefs, deputy chiefs, captains, deputy superintendents and at least one commissioner or superintendent, who have worried about the CowboyCop tactics of Sgt. Hank Voight and his Intelligence Division putting the Chicago Police Department in a bad public light. Voight has had a few of these moments himself whenever one of his officers goes offscript, like the time Hailey Upton planted drugs on an otherwise untouchable kingpin .

* ''Series/ChicagoPD'' has gone through several of these, usually chiefs, deputy chiefs, captains, deputy superintendents and at least one commissioner or superintendent, who have worried about the CowboyCop tactics of Sgt. Hank Voight and his Intelligence Division putting the Chicago Police Department in a bad public light. Voight has had a few of these moments himself whenever one of his officers goes offscript, like the time Hailey Upton planted drugs on an otherwise untouchable kingpin .