History Main / DemotedtoDragon

* While Shredder is TheHeavy of ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesOutOfTheShadows'', he's Kraang's chief enforcer and is carrying out his agenda. Shredder isn't ''aware'' of this, however, believing they're equals. [[spoiler:Kraang shows at the climax [[EvilerThanThou how wrong he is at the climax]] once he actually makes it to our dimension.]]

* While Shredder is TheHeavy of ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesOutOfTheShadows'', he's Kraang's chief enforcer and is carrying out his agenda.

->''"You know, I actually like working for someone else. It lets me be a little more... ''hands-on."

* In ''Disney/LiloAndStitch'', Gantu acts as the main antagonist, though he's somewhat of a HeroAntagonist as he believes that Stitch is a threat to the galaxy and needs to be disposed of. However, after he is retired from being captain by the Grand Councilwoman, he ends up taking the role of TheDragon when he is hired by Dr. Hamsterviel in [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries the TV series]], though he has a partner on his own in 625/Reuben.

* In ''ComicBook/SecretWars'', ComicBook/{{Ultron}} attempts to pick a fight with '''ComicBook/{{Galactus}}'''. This goes about as well as one would expect, and Ultron is later reprogrammed into serving as TheDragon to Doctor Doom.
* In ''[[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsUnite Sonic the Hedgehog/Mega Man: Worlds Unite]]'', Doctors Eggman and Wily -- the main antagonists of their own series and the BigBadDuumvirate of the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide previous crossover]] -- are press-ganged into the service of [[AIIsACrapshoot Sigma]]. It doesn't take long for the two of the them to go [[TheStarscream full Starscream]], either.

* Poor King Ghidorah of the ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' franchise. He started out as the BigBad in ''Film/GhidorahTheThreeHeadedMonster'' and was considered the ultimate evil in the universe. The next film, ''Film/InvasionOfAstroMonster'' reduced him into the mind-controlled pet of an evil alien-race. And he's pretty much been that way ever since.

Although, some dragons will do the opposite: they will happily accept the new position, be actually loyal to the new BigBad and have a trustworthy relationship, often because the dragon will realize that he works better and more efficiently by working for someone else, and the dragon may actually become a much bigger threat than when he was the main villain thanks to the help and resources of the new one; effectively an inversion of ThePeterPrinciple. However, that good relationship might not last, and it may be the BigBad [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness that betrays him instead]].

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* Wolf 359 did this in the finale, and too a lesser extent in the second season.

* In ''Disney/LiloAndStitch'', Gantu acts as the main antagonist, though he's somewhat of a HeroAntagonist as he believes that Stitch is a threat to the galaxy and needs to be disposed of. However, after he is retired from being captain by the Grand Councilwoman, he ends up taking the role of TheDragon when he is hired by Dr. Hamsterviel in [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStichTheSeries the TV series]], though he has a partner on his own in 625/Reuben.

* In Lilo and Stitch, Gantu acts as the main antagonist, though he's somewhat of a HeroAntagonist as he believes that Stitch is a threat to the galaxy and needs to be disposed of. However, after he is retired from being captain by the Grand Councilwoman, he ends up taking the role of TheDragon when he is hired by Dr. Hamsterviel, though he has a partner on his own in 625/Reuben.
** Dr. Hamsterviel himself is DemotedToDragon when he works for Delia in the anime.

!!Examples

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* A strange variant in ''Series/{{Smallville}}'''s Season 10 episode, "Dominion". General Zod of Season 5, and Major Zod (his clone), the BigBad of Season 9, were fused into a single being by {{ComicBook/Darkseid}}, the Season 10 BigBad, and used as his surrogate in the Phantom Zone.
* Regina Mills, the BigBad of the first season of ''Series/OnceUponATime'' becomes TheDragon to her mother Cora in the second.

* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': Crais briefly experiences this once Scorpius deposes him as captain of his Peacekeeper battleship, but takes the first opportunity to desert and [[WildCard do his own thing]].

* In ''Series/PersonOfInterest'', Mr. Greer willingly and ''happily'' demotes himself to the role of TheDragon after succeeding in his two-season mission to install [[spoiler:Samaritan, an ArtificialIntelligence unfettered by morality,]] as the show's new BigBad. [[spoiler:His goal is to put ''all of humanity'' in the control of AIs, believing them to be logical, incorruptible and superior to human leaders in every way.]]
* ''Series/DenshiSentaiDenziman'''s BigBad, Queen Hedrian, gets revived in the following series, ''Series/TaiyouSentaiSunVulcan'', and forced to serve Führer Hell Saturn.
* When the [[Series/HimitsuSentaiGoranger Black Cross King]] returns as the BigBad of ''Film/GokaigerGoseigerSuperSentai199HeroGreatBattle'', he revives Brajira of the Messiah (the BigBad of ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger''), Hades God Dagon (the DragonInChief of ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'') and Prime Minister Yogoshimacritein (the GreaterScopeVillain of ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger'') as his subordinates.

* The Series/{{Arrowverse}}: Damien Darhk serves as the BigBad of ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' Season 4. He then migrates to ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' and joins a BigBadDuumvirate in Season 2, playing second fiddle to Eobard Thawne and constantly spatting with his co-dragon Malcolm Merlyn. Come Season 3, he becomes merely the Dragon to the time demon Mallus, before [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice giving up his life]] to save his daughter]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* '''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'':

Compare QuicklyDemotedLeader, which could happen when the StarterVillain suffers this trope. Contrast DragonAscendant, the inverse, and BigBadDuumvirate, when the previous BigBad isn't explicitly subservient to the new one. See also BigBadWannabe.

Although, some dragons will do the opposite, they will happily accept the new position, be actually loyal to the new BigBad and have a trustworthy relationship, often because the dragon will realize that he works better and more efficiently by working for someone else, and the dragon may actually become a much bigger threat than when he was the main villain thanks to the help and resources of the new one, however, that good relationship might not last, and it may be the BigBad that betrays him instead.

Contrast DragonAscendant, the inverse, and BigBadDuumvirate, when the previous BigBad isn't explicitly subservient to the new one. See also BigBadWannabe.

* In ''FanFic/TheRWBYLoops'', this happens to Cinder. See, Cinder was introduced as a looper before canon introduced [[BigBad Salem], TheManBehindTheMan. Due to the way the loops work, Cinder really ''was'' the BigBad, before the expansions made it retroactively Salem all along. And while Unawake!Cinder is content with the arrangement as long as she gets the Fall Maiden's power, Looper!Cinder is annoyed because her entire motive, Awake or not, was personal power. As a Looper, she's more powerful than Salem and has the experience of being powerful and beholden to no one to contrast it with.

* When the [[Series/HimitsuSentaiGorenger Black Cross King]] returns as the BigBad of ''Film/GokaigerGoseigerSuperSentai199HeroGreatBattle'', he revives Brajira of the Messiah (the BigBad of ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger''), Hades God Dagon (the DragonInChief of ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'') and Prime Minister Yogoshimacritein (the GreaterScopeVillain of ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger'') as his subordinates.

Although, some dragons will do the opposite, they will happily accept the new position and be actually loyal to the new BigBad and have a trustworthy relationship, often because the dragon will realize that he works better and more efficiently by working for someone else, and the dragon may actually become a much bigger threat than when he was the main villain thanks to the help and resources of the new one, however, that good relationship might not last, and it may be the BigBad that betrays him instead.

Although, some dragons will do the opposite and be actually loyal to the new BigBad and have a trustworthy relationship, often because the dragon will realize that he works better and more efficiently by working for someone else, and the dragon may actually become a much bigger threat than when he was the main villain thanks to the help and resources of the new one, however, that good relationship might not last, and it may be the BigBad that betrays him instead.

Although, some dragons will do the opposite and be actually loyal to the new BigBad and have a trustworthy relationship, often because the dragon will realize that he works better and more efficiently by working for someone else, and the dragon may actually become a much bigger threat than when he was the main villain thanks to the help and resources of the new one, however, that good relationship might not last, usually thanks to the betrayal of the BigBad.

Although, some dragons will do the opposite and be actually loyal to the new BigBad and have a trustworthy relationship, often because the dragon will realize that he works better and more efficiently by working for someone else, and the dragon may actually become a much bigger threat than when he was the main villain thanks to the help and resources of the new one, however, that good relationship might not last.

* The Series/{{Arrowverse}}: Damien Darhk serves as the BigBad of ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' Season 4. He then migrates to ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' and joins a BigBadDuumvirate in Season 2. Come Season 3, he becomes merely the Dragon to the time demon Mallus, before [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice giving up his life]] to save his daughter]].

* Played with in ''Franchise/CrashBandicoot''. Dr. Cortex was always Uka Uka's [[TheDragon Dragon]], but only after the latter's release in ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped'' does this become apparent and he directly serves under him. In ''VideoGame/CrashMindOverMutant'', Cortex finally tires of Uka's abuse and overthrows him, making himself the true BigBad for the first time.

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Pain, thought to be the BigBad, is eventually revealed to have been the DragonWithAnAgenda to Tobi. [[And Tobi was the same to Madara Uchiha...until he [[TheStarscream hijacked Madara's scheme for himself]].]]