History Main / GuileHero

* Daisuke Aoki is growing into this in ''KodomoNoJikan''. He shows is GH-ID by [[spoiler: by saying will be supervising both Rin ''and'' her guardian Reiji because they are both too dependent and stubborn to properly care for themselves.]] What makes this awesome? [[spoiler: He knows full well he's abusing his authority and challenges Reiji to do something about it.]]

* Londo Mollari and John Sheridan from Babylon 5 are both clear examples of this, albeit in Mollari's case an ambiguously good one.

* Londo Mollari and John Sheridan from ''Babylon5'' are both clear examples of this, albeit in Mollari's case an ambiguously good one.

* Nikita, [[{{Nikita}} of the new series of the same name]], starts off her new series exemplifying this [[spoiler: when you find out that Alex, the new recruit into Division, is a ''[[TheMole plant that Nikita trained to be recruited into Division]]'']]. And all her actions at the start of the episode, an obvious attempt to capture Division's resident hacker and get access to their network [[spoiler: was actually a XanatosGambit to convince Division that she was working with a foreign power because she couldn't get access to the network, and its intelligence, on her own]].

* Nikita, [[{{Nikita}} of the new series of the same names]], starts off her new series exemplifying this [[spoiler: when you find out that Alex, the new recruit into Division, is a ''[[TheMole plant that Nikita trained to be recruited into Division]]'']]. And all her actions at the start of the episode, an obvious attempt to capture Division's resident hacker and get access to their network [[spoiler: was actually a XanatosGambit to convince Division that she was working with a foreign power because she couldn't get access to the network, and its intelligence, on her own]].

** Does he really qualify? He's not unambiguously good. LOTS of people get hurt because of his plans. I mean, he [[spoiler: caused the plane to crash, which killed a ton of people. Not to mention the people who died on-island after the crash. If Jacob hadn't brought them there, they would have gone on living their normal lives.]]

* [[spoiler:Jacob]] from {{Lost}}.

* {{Batman}}. Also very much an ActionHero.

* JamesBond of course.

* ''DoctorWho'': The Doctor. {{Bavarian Fire Drill}}s are his specialty

** Jesus qualifies as well, pwning pharisées and other Jewish higher-ups with [[OnlySaneMan common sense]], [[DeadpanSnarker snark]], [[TheMessiah compassion and wisdom]].

* Neil Caffrey, con artist-turned-FBI "consultant" from ''WhiteCollar''.

** Balalaika too, with completely devoted Russian mafia muscle to back up her plans. Though, whether she qualifies as "[[HeroicSociopath hero]]" or "[[AffablyEvil villain]]" [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor is subject to quite a bit of fluctuation]].

* Kisuke Urahara in ''{{Bleach}}'' combines this with ActionHero. He can kick ass when he needs to, but he prefers to use the protagonists to act as his surrogates in his conflict with [[spoiler: Sosuke Aizen.]] See the pic above.

* Lyra from ''HisDarkMaterials''. She is so good at this she earns the title "Lyra Silvertongue"

* Nathan Stark from ''{{Eureka}}'';as the show progress, Carter [[BookDumb of all people]] turns into one.

!!Examples:

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

* Chief Aramaki from ''GhostInTheShell: StandAloneComplex'' is shrewd and cunning, manipulating the inter-departmental bureaucracy of the Japanese government to ensure that his people can do their jobs.
* ''LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'' give us Yang Wen-Li, a textbook example: he has all the skills of the MagnificentBastard yet remains one of the nicest persons you could ever meet.

* Pretty much every main character in a {{Meitantei}} series is this, in different degrees. Among them we have Hajime Kindaichi (KindaichiShonenNoJikenbo); Shinichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa (CaseClosed); Kyuu Renjou, his FiveManBand and his mentor Morihiko Dan (TanteiGakuenQ); Ryouko Yakushiji (TheCaseFilesOfYakushijiRyoko), etc.
** In the case of DetectiveConan, Conan is later joined by Heiji Hattori and Shiho Miyano/Sherry/Ai Haibara.
* Shoryuu from TheTwelveKingdoms has some elements of this and ActionHero.
* Kyon from ''TheMelancholyOfHaruhiSuzumiya'' eventually becomes this.
* Kurama from YuYuHakusho.
* Kurapica from HunterxHunter.
* Arsene Lupin III from LupinIII.
* Female example: Lina Inverse from TheSlayers, who mixes this and BlackMagicianGirl.
* Another female: VampirePrincessMiyu, specially in the OAV.
* [[VisionOfEscaflowne Prince Dryden Fassa]] can't fight as well as Allen or Van, doesn't have madical knowledge like Millerna, and lacks of Hitomi's PsychicPowers. But he's not only rich, he's got a generous heart and a ''very'' sharp mind. In his two first episodes, in fact, he verbally owns Allen with his BrutalHonesty ''and'' [[spoiler: ropes the extremely reclusive celestial beings that built Escaflowne into fixing it, thus saving Van's life after a particularly hard fight that almost killed him.]]
* SaiunkokuMonogatari has its female lead, Kou Shuurei.

* Virgo Shaka from SaintSeiya, who also is an ActionHero (as a Gold Saint), a CombatPragmatist ''and'' [[PsychicPowers a powerful psychic]]. The combination of all of these traits makes him an absolutely ''terrifying'' opponent.

* Daisuke Aoki is growing into this in KodomoNoJikan. He shows is GH-ID by [[spoiler: by saying will be supervising both Rin ''and'' her guardian Reiji because they are both too dependent and stubborn to properly care for themselves.]] What makes this awesome? [[spoiler: He knows full well he's abusing his authority and challenges Reiji to do something about it. ]] '''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Whoa]]'''.

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

[[folder:{{Film}}]]

* Captain Ramius in ''TheHuntForRedOctober''.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

* [[LordOfTheRings Gandalf]] to some degree.
* [[HarryPotter Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore]], so much. Kindly-looking, a little kooky OldMaster [[TheDumbledore with his own trope.]] Master manipulator and extremely powerful wizard who nevertheless devotes himself to battling Voldemort and regrets lots of his unavoidable yet harsh decisions.

** LampshadeHanging (bordering on {{Deconstruction}})in the introduction of the Disc's version of Odysseus, which says:
--->It’s funny how people have always respected the kind of commander who comes up with strategies like "[[WeHaveReserves I want fifty thousand of you chappies to rush at the enemy]]," whereas the more thoughtful commanders who say things like "Why don’t we build a [[TrojanHorse damn great wooden horse]] and then nip in at the back gate while [[BatmanGambit they’re all around the thing waiting for us to come out]]" are considered only one step above common oiks and not the kind of person you’d lend money to. This is because most of the first type of commander are [[FearlessFool brave men]], whereas [[LovableCoward cowards]] make far better strategists.
* Lyra from HisDarkMaterials. She is so good at this she earns the title "Lyra Silvertongue."

* As a Grand Admiral, Thrawn is unquestionably a MagnificentBastard and a bad guy who [[ILied lies]] and [[YouHaveFailedMe executes incompetent suboordinates]], albeit one [[AffablyEvil who is]] [[ALighterShadeOfGrey less evil than most]]. Interestingly, the younger he is, or the longer it's been since his death, the more morally ambiguous he is. In a novella called "Side Trip", he disguises himself as the Mandalorian bounty hunter/Boba Fett's PaletteSwap, Jodo Kast, and helps undercover cop [[XWingSeries Corran Horn]] while taking down someone as a favor for Darth Vader. In OutboundFlight he's... again, ambiguous, but he's at his most heroic. And he pulls more than one ''epic'' XanatosGambit / game of XanatosSpeedChess in his efforts to, ultimately, wipe out a force of nomadic slavers and safeguard his MartialPacifist people.

** In the HandOfThrawn duology, the mains find that he set up the Empire of the Hand, which looks like the Empire, is arranged like the Empire, and has Imperials in it, but is a LawfulGood government. Well, more or less. They're still pretty ruthless.
** In SurvivorsQuest, thirteen years after he died, Mara finds reason to believe that he's back. She decides not to inquire too closely about that. If he is back, he's not their enemy anymore.

* No one mentions SherlockHolmes yet?
** His female rival Irene Adler is a {{Guile Hero}}ine, [[spoiler: and one of the few persons to ever OutGambit him]].
* [[ASongOfIceAndFire Tyrion Lannister]], [[YourMileageMayVary if you consider him]] [[BlackAndGreyMorality a hero]].

*** I'd say he's in the way to be a MagnificentBastard already.

* I can't believe Silk AKA Prince Keldar AKA The Guide AKA The Rat AKA Radeck of Boctor AKA Amber of Koto from the Belgariad and Malloreon and hasn't been mentioned yet? There isn't a chapter he's in where he doesn't make some witty comment, scam the crap out of someone, pull off some incredible stunt or show a depth of character, knowledge or experience that's downright amazing.
* Kvothe of ''TheNameOfTheWind'', thanks to being TooCleverByHalf.
* Locke Lamora of ''TheLiesOfLockeLamora.''
* Jack Parlabane in ''Quite Ugly One Morning, Country of the Blind, Boiling a Frog, Be My Enemy'' and ''Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks''

* Aahz, the powerless demon in Robert Asprins MythAdventures novels, is one of the all-time great guile heroes. His catchphrase is "Ah, therein lies the story..."
* Scheherazade from ArabianNights. To save her own life and stop the Sultan from killing more concubines, she worms her way into his heart with her beauty, her smarts, and her breath-taking stories.

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
* Patrick Jane from TheMentalist turned into this after using his "powers" as a psychic got his family murdered.

* [[DoctorWho The Doctor]]. {{Bavarian Fire Drill}}s are his specialty

** "I'm the [[DoctorWho Doctor]] and you're in the Universe's biggest library! Look me up!", after which the * Flesh Eating Shadow* backs off.

* Dr. Cal Lightman from ''LieToMe''

* Malcolm from MalcolmInTheMiddle. Showcased when [[SadistTeacher Mr. Hurkabee]] encourages the class to cheat on an Academic Decathlon and Malcolm obliges...[[spoiler: by giving ''every single team'' the answers to ''all the questions'', to the point when they are blurting out the answer before the questioner even begins to ask,]] in an elegantly simple plan that must be seen to be appreciated.

* Neil Caffrey, con artist-turned-FBI "consultant" from ''{{White Collar}}''.
* Adelle [=DeWitt=] in {{Dollhouse}} is an expert in playing the politics (and just plain manipulating everyone) in order to protect her House.

[[folder:{{Religion}} and {{Mythology}}]]

** Same goes to Ruth the Moabi (an expatriate who was determined to not fall in misery after losing her husband, ending up as the grandmother of King David and one of Jesus's ancestors), Judith the widow (who used her good looks to trick Holophernes and kill him) and Judge Deborah (a LadyOfWar and one of the Judges of Israel).
** Jacob straddles the line between this and MagnificentBastard. While he is generally considered a good guy and the father of the Hebrew people, he was also a crafty con man who managed to trick his brother Esau out of his birthright and father's blessing, and after that went sour, he and his uncle took [[ThirtyXanatosPileup turns conning each other]], with Jacob coming out ahead in the end.
*** Let's not forget that his mother Rebekah was one of his bigget supporters and the one who encouraged him to go forward, so she arguably qualifies as well.

* Arguably, more than one [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Fathers Father of the Christian Church]].
** Also, [[ThePope more than one Catholic Pope.]] St. Gregory I The Great (also a Church Father), St. Gregory VII, Leo XIII, John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II come to mind, but of course YourMileageMayVary.
*** Pius XII ''definitely'' qualifies. This old ManInWhite and his people saved 860.000 Italian Jews from death during WorldWarII by basically lying to the face of Benito Mussolini and Co. via thousands of fake birth papers, smuggling them through the Vatican and other Italian territories, etc.

[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* In tabletop [=RPGs=], while storytelling-oriented Game Masters tend to leave these things to players, there often are [[ClassAndLevelSystem classes]] or [[PointBuildSystem character builds]] which are oriented towards smarts and talk. The bard could be a ''DungeonsAndDragons'' example, due to high Charisma score.

* In ''[[{{Warhammer40000}} Warhammer 40,000]]'', Inquisitors blur the line between this and MagnificentBastard. The best, most loyal Inquisitors are this-- though they are willing to sacrifice millions, that's their [[TimeForPlanB plan b]]. The difference between what makes a good inquisitor and what makes a bad inquisitor is the bad ones make sacrificing millions their plan A. Mind you, 40k does follow AuthorityEqualsAsskicking, and Inquisitors are THE authority in the Imperium so they aren't pushovers in a fight.[[/folder]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* ''{{Disney/Aladdin}}'' is a roguish street rat who gets by via theft and charm - but we never doubt he's the good guy.
* Rattrap from ''TransformersBeastWars'' is the quintessential Guile Hero. Uses his brains and cunning in every situation, will feign loyalty and pretend to switch sides an abandon his team to gain access to information that will really further his team's goals.
* Especially in TheSpectacularSpiderMan (but other adaptations as well) SpiderMan is the entire trifetica in one person, combining [[ScienceHero book smarts]], [[GuileHero street smarts]], and [[ActionHero superpowered fighting-skills]] effectively enough to take down much more powerful opponents.
* Heloise on ''{{Jimmy Two-Shoes}}'', whenever [[ChaoticNeutral she decides]] to side with [[MoralityPet Jimmy]].
* Sokka from {{Avatar The Last Airbender}}. He is the one who comes up with the majority of their battle strategies.

[[folder:VideoGames]]

** This is also true in the {{Fallout}} games.

* ''KingOfFighters'': [[spoiler: Ash Crimson turns out to be this, thus him being the literal embodiment of the Joker card]].

[[folder: WebComics]]
* [[spoiler: Petey]] from ''SchlockMercenary'' generally qualifies, although he has been willing to use force occasionally.
* The titular hero of ''DominicDeegan'' likes to think he's one of these, the occasional XanatosBackfire and WhatTheHellHero moment notwithstanding.

[[folder: WebOriginal]]
* The obligatory WhateleyUniverse example would be Ayla "Phase" Goodkind. (S)he is genuinely concerned for people and sincerely wants to help them, and at need is ready to fight toe-to-toe with demons, monsters and supervillains, but Phase is at heart a {{Chessmaster}} whose preferred realm is espionage, trickery, manipulation, bribery and financial pressure. As a ''friend'' puts it: "No one else quite has that ''when I rule the world I will not permit such behavior'' attitude".

* [[TwoWords One name]]: King Juan Carlos I of Spain. When Francisco Franco agreed to change Spain from a dictatorship to an absolute monarchy, he started trying to groom the 'Prince of Spain', Juan Carlos of the Borbón House, into a good successor who'd maintain the authoritarian state. The prince went along with this, publicly supporting Franco, enduring harsh criticism from reformists and moderates all over... Until Franco fell gravely ill in 1975 and handed him absolute authority as King. Only a couple of days after Franco's death, Juan Carlos began to institute reforms at an incredible pace, turning Spain from western Europe's strictest dictatorship into a functional parliamentary democracy in less than three years. Heck, [[{{Cincinnatus}} he even refused to take power after the military executed a coup so he could be returned to full authority]], pretty much single-handedly saving a struggling democracy, and renounced almost all of the ancestral powers he once wielded.

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* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru]], the first PM of India, was the GuileHero to Mahatma Ghandi's BadassPacifist.

** Their sibling-from-another-genre, [[MassEffect Commander Shepard]], is much the same; Shepard will be a GuileHero if played strongly Paragon and a MagnificentBastard if played strongly Renegade.

* The Warden of DragonAge is a hybrid of this and ActionHero if played as a good-aligned character. If played as a VillainProtagonist, the Warden becomes a MagnificentBastard, instead.

* In any DynastyWarriors Shu mode, especially in 5 and 6, [[TheChessmaster Zhuge Liang]] will willingly become this in order to keep any Shu citizen's ire off [[TheHero Liu Bei]]or any other officer with a reputation as a good man. At some points it skirts towards MagnificentBastard for the same reasons, namely, ensuring Shu's success while making himself out to be a cold-hearted bastard so Liu Bei seems all the more virtuous for it.
* KingOfFighters: [[spoiler: Ash Crimson turns out to be this, thus him being the literal embodiment of the Joker card]].

** "I'm the [[DoctorWho Doctor]]. You're in the Universe's biggest Libary! Look me up!", after which the *Flesh Eating Shadow* backs off.

* Also, God. The whole crucifixion-of-Jesus thing, and possibly the whole history of humanity, turns out to be part of his BatmanGambit against Satan.

** YourMilageMayVary on many, many levels, starting by the fact the impression of Satan as the symbol of all evil is recent and ending with [[GodIsEvil God's actual morality]].