History Main / FeudalOverlord

** Another apostle called The Count, pictured above, arrests subjects on fabricated charges of heresy and has them beheaded in public at a rate of up to five a month, while keeping others alive in his dungeons so he can torture them and eat their flesh. Nobody can resist because of his swarms of heavily armed guards, and apparently there's no higher authority to appeal to. His henchman Dahl is concerned that this will attract the censure of the pope, but the Count is unconcerned. Before he sold his soul to the God Hand he was at worst a KnightTemplar who hunted real heretics out of genuine fervor, but since he became an Apostle he's used heresy as a [[{{Hypocrite}} mere excuse]] to persecute anyone regardless of guilt or innocence.

* The nobility of Perquaine in ''TheRedemptionOfAlthalus'' seemed to consist entirely of examples of this.

* Historically feudalism wasn't, especially in the Western Europe, as bad as it is often depicted. If the overlord was overtly cross, the serfs would desert him and escape to towns, woods or in the service of other lords. A serf who had lived in a town one year and one day was considered to have relinguished his duty on his overlord and become a freeman. In extreme cases a revolt could well ensue, which would always be a bad thing.

** Another apostle called The Count, pictured above, arrests subjects on fabricated charges of heresy and has them beheaded in public at a rate of up to five a month, while keeping others alive in his dungeons so he can torture them and eat their flesh. Nobody can resist because of his swarms of heavily armed guards, and apparently there's no higher authority to appeal to. His henchman Dahl is concerned that this will attract the censure of the pope, but the Count is unconcerned. Before he sold his soul to the God Hand he was at worst a KnightTemplar who prosecuted heretics out of genuine fervor, but since he became an Apostle he's used heresy as a mere excuse to persecute anyone regardless of guilt or innocence.

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': AristocratsAreEvil is in full effect, and because rulers above the local level are often absent or otherwise occupied, some practice inhuman depravities on their subjects with impunity.

On the other hand, he may just as well be a ReasonableAuthorityFigure and defend his demesne against the DeadlyDecadentCourt and its minions.

* Duke Rastar in ''RecordOfLodossWar: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight'' is a minor villain who's [[LesCollaborateurs collaborating with]] the BigBad.

* The Sheriff of Nottingham in almost every single film version of ''RobinHood'' is a textbook example.

** This is later [[InvokedTrope invoked]] in a pissing contest over power with [[TheBigBad Fulbert]]. Fulbert keeps assigning himself increased power over Malevil from his CorruptChurch in La Roque. Emmanuel attempts to answer to his ridiculous claims with one of his own; claiming that 600 year old documents from UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar give the Lord of Malevil power over the fief of La Roque and that by owning the property he is the new Lord of Malevil. What was meant as sarcasm and satire is taken as [[ComicallyMissingThePoint actual legal authority by his friends]].

** This is later [[InvokedTrope invoked]] in a pissing contest over power with [[TheBigBad Fulbert]]. Fulbert keeps assigning himself increased power over Malevil from his CorruptChurch in La Roque. Emmanuel attempts to answer to his ridiculous claims with one of his own; claiming that 600 year old documents from the HundredYearsWar give the Lord of Malevil power over the fief of La Roque and that by owning the property he is the new Lord of Malevil. What was meant as sarcasm and satire is taken as [[ComicallyMissingThePoint actual legal authority by his friends]].

* Quite a few planetary leaders in ''{{Firefly}}'' act like this, especially Rance Burgess in "Heart of Gold". Canton's Magistrate Higgins, in "Jaynestown", had actual serfs.

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* Governor Gesler in the WilliamTell legend, who forces the hero to shoot at the apple on his son's head after Tell is disrespectful; his abuses of power end up inciting the Swiss to rebellion.

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If your story is set in the medieval or early modern period, and if its geographical scope is closer to a town or county than a kingdom or empire, then the villain of choice for you is the FeudalOverlord. This [[AristocratsAreEvil sinister]] [[BlueBlood noble]] rules over villagers and peasants with an [[EvilOverlord iron fist]], being surrounded by a guard of armed {{Mooks}} that enforce his oppressive taxes and [[DroitDuSeigneur get hold of]] [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty beautiful maidens]] that have caught the lord's eye. He may have to answer for his acts to a higher authority such as a King, but either the king [[TheManBehindTheMan will also be evil]], or he will be distant and unaware of the sufferings of the commoners. Therefore the FeudalOverlord will have effectively unchecked authority over the region, and will of course use it for his benefit and pleasure.

* Comendador Guzman in Lope de Vega's play ''FuenteOvejuna''; eventually the whole town, tired of his abuses, murders him and [[IAmSpartacus assumes the guilt collectively]].

** Subverted by Emmanuel. He owned the property before the war, but despite the new desperate world order and the castle returning to its original function, he does everything in his power to share authority with this friends, making Malevil a tiny democratic survivalist society rather then his old-fashioned kingdom.

* Lord Farquaad in ''{{Shrek}}'', who, on top of everything, wants to make the transition to full-blown king.

* Another S. M. Stirling example: [[TheDraka Draka]] Landholders are basically this in all but name.

If your story is set in the medieval or early modern period, and if its geographical scope is closer to a town or county than a kingdom or empire, then the villain of choice for you is the FeudalOverlord. This [[AristocratsAreEvil sinister]] [[BlueBlood noble]] rules over villagers and peasants with an [[EvilOverlord iron fist]], being surrounded by a guard of armed {{Mooks}} that enforce his oppressive taxes and [[DroitDuSeigneur get hold of]] [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty beautiful maidens]] that have caught the lord's eye. He may have to answer for his acts to a higher authority such as a King, but either the king [[TheManBehindTheMan will also be evil]], or he will be distant and unaware of the sufferings of the commoners. Therefore the FeudalOverlord will have effectively unchecked authority over the region, and will of course use it for his benefit and pleasure.

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* Seen in ''{{Literature/Malevil}}'', a French post-WorldWarIII novel were the survivors live in an old castle that survived the nuclear holocaust.

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* The various High Lords of CodexAlera have a wide range of personalities and morals, but Kalarus Brencis most definitely fits this trope, being an egomaniacal slaver whose only goal is to increase his own power. Like all other High Lords, he is technically subservient to the First Lord, but is too powerful to be overruled easily, and much of the [[MagnificentBastard First]] [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Lord's]] time is spent trying to limit the damage the various lords do when they become this trope.

* The various High Lords of CodexAlera have a wide range of personalities and morals, but Kalarus Brencis most definitely fits this trope, being a CompleteMonster egomaniacal slaver whose only goal is to increase his own power. Like all other High Lords, he is technically subservient to the First Lord, but is too powerful to be overruled easily, and much of the [[MagnificentBastard First]] [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Lord's]] time is spent trying to limit the damage the various lords do when they become this trope.