History Main / HistoricalUglinessUpdate

* A rather infamous case with [[Myth/PacificMythology Maui]] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}''. Mythological Maui is usually depicted as muscular and lithe, very conventionally attractive. Moana's Maui, however, is heavy set. This sparked controversy among Maori and Hawaiian critics. That said, he is also an example of HistoricalBeautyUpdate since he lacks black stained teeth and raunchy tattoos as was common in Polynesian cultures.

* ''Series/{{The Twilight Zone|1959}}'': Episodes featuring UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler often depict the dictator as physically unattractive as possible.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS4E106HesAlive He's Alive]]", he's played by Curt Conway, who has a squat face and visible wrinkles, unlike the actual dictator, which is jarring when he stands in front of a poster featuring the real-life Hitler.
** When Arthur Castle (played by Luther Adler) is transformed into Hitler in "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS2E38TheManInTheBottle The Man in the Bottle]]", the only thing that changed for Castle is that he now sports a toothbrush mustache and a hair comb (along with Hitler's uniform), making Hitler look like an obese man akin to Goering.

* The "heretic pharaoh" UsefulNotes/{{Akhenaten}} was depicted in painting and sculpture of his own time as having unusual features like an elongated face, a large flabby belly, and unusually wide hips. This image of him was so ubiquitous that it was once assumed to be based on what he really looked like; [[DatedHistory however]], examination of what is generally believed to be his mummy indicates that he was far more normal-looking than the art of him would imply. Most Egyptologists now believe that the art isn't meant to show Akhenaten as he actually looked; rather, these are more likely stylized portrayals influenced by Atenism, the religion he promoted.

* ''Film/ThreeHundred'': Both the film and the comic book it was based on portray Ephialtes, who would betray the Spartans to Xerxes and the Persians, as physically deformed. Greek historian Herodotus only states that Ephialtes wanted a great reward from the Persians for betraying Greece, and makes no mention of deformities.

* ''Film/TheGreyZone'': UsefulNotes/JosefMengele is portrayed as a balding middle-aged man. In real life, he was quite good-looking and he would've been in his early 30s at the time this movie takes place. His nickname "The Angel of Death" was a direct reference to [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon his inner (lack of) morality clashing with his outward appearance]]. This makes it difficult even for history buffs to identify him, since he only appears in person once and isn't addressed by name (and no, Mengele wasn't the only MadDoctor in Auschwitz). He isn't identified until Muhsfeldt makes a passing reference to Mengele much later.

* Multiple clone characters from ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'' look uglier than their original counterparts. Genghis Khan is overweight and [[{{Gonk}} gonkish]] and Nostradamus is similarly overweight with pimples, bad teeth, and dirty fingernails. This is especially true with Marie Curie, who is physically deformed due to radiation.

** Sir William Cecil is aged up considerably and looks far more weathered compared to portraits of him made at the time (in reality he was almost exactly 13 years her senior; Richard Attenborough was nearly 46 years Cate Blanchett's).
* ''Film/TheGreyZone'': Josef Mengele is portrayed as a balding middle-aged man. In real life, he was quite good-looking and he would've been in his early 30s at the time this movie takes place. His nickname "The Angel of Death" was a direct reference to [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon his inner (lack of) morality clashing with his outward appearance]]. This makes it difficult even for history buffs to identify him, since he only appears in person once and isn't addressed by name (and no, Mengele wasn't the only MadDoctor in Auschwitz). He isn't identified until Muhsfeldt makes a passing reference to Mengele much later.
* ''Film/ThePrivateLifeOfHenryVIII'' portrays the titular king as a fat, lustful slob with JabbaTableManners. While the real King Henry VIII is famous for his obesity, most historians believe this was the result of a jousting injury he suffered in 1536, rather than a result of overeating; indeed, contemporary records say that he was very fastidious and unusually obsessed with personal hygiene.

* ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'': While he isn’t ugly, the actor playing John F. Kennedy is much less handsome than the real JFK.

* Multiple characters from ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'' look uglier than their original counterparts. Genghis Khan is overweight and [[{{Gonk}} gonkish]] and Nostradamus is similarly overweight with pimples, bad teeth, and dirty fingernails. This is especially true with Marie Curie, who is physically deformed due to radiation.

** Napoleon Bonaparte's supposed short stature is exaggerated to the point that he's barely the height of a small child, complete with child-like proportions, making him immature both figuratively and literally.

** Hideki Tojo in the aforementioned episode is given a racist Japanese caricature that was prevalent in {{Wartime Cartoon}}s back in the day,[[note]]To be fair, that caricature was based on his real-life appearance, albeit heavily exaggerated.[[/note]] with the addition of a pointy, thin mustache that the real Tojo did not have.

* ''Film/TheGreyZone'': Josef Mengele is portrayed as a balding middle-aged man. In real life, he was quite good-looking and he would've been in his early 30s at the time this movie takes place. His nickname "The Angel of Death" was a direct reference to [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon his inner (lack of) morality clashing with his outward appearance]].

* ''Theatre/RichardIII'' by Creator/WilliamShakespeare. The relatively normal-looking Richard was turned into a palsied, foul hunchback. But Shakespeare was writing the play for the royalty descended from those who defeated Richard. In [[Film/RichardIII the 1995 movie]] (where he's played by Creator/IanMcKellen) he also is made to look a great deal like UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, not surprising as the film is set in a vaguely 1930s {{Dieselpunk}} setting and the House of York is shown quite consciously modeling itself on the National Front (British Nazi sympathizers in the '30s).

* ''ComicBook/{{Borgia}}'' by Creator/AlejandroJodorowsky and Creator/MiloManara: King Charles VIII of France is presented as a hunchbacked midget in the vein of Theatre/RichardIII. This is the least of the historical liberties the comic takes, such as Charles dying in a volcanic eruption, Lucrezia bearing a son with the heads of both her brother and father, and da Vinci's flying machines working as intended and used in Cesare Borgia's campaigns.

* ''Series/HorribleHistories'' (both the original series and the ContinuityReboot) did this to UsefulNotes/HenryVIII, although it was PlayedForLaughs, and the ugliness went beyond physical factors like obesity; he was turned into a FatSlob and [[ThePigPen he showed a distinct lack of interest in hygiene]]. He was also portrayed as an [[FatIdiot obese idiot]] and very {{Camp}} as well, even though the show is noted for ''avoiding'' [[ArtisticLicenseHistory taking liberties with historical accuracy]] in the interests of making it easier to understand. The fact they added banners at the bottom of the screen with Rattus stating [[AluminiumChristmasTrees that truth was stranger than fiction or the iconic image]] helped.

* A rather infamous case with [[Myth/PacificMythology Maui]] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}''. Mythological Maui is usually depicted as muscular and lithe, very conventionally attractive. Moana's Maui, however, is heavy set. This sparked a controversy among Maori and Hawaiian critics. That said, he is also an example of HistoricalBeautyUpdate since he lacks black stained teeth and raunchy tattoos as was common in Polynesian cultures.

* ''Film/{{Bernie}}'': The real Bernie Tiede was taller, fitter and arguably more handsome than Creator/JackBlack.

** Alfred Jodl depiction as a fairly overweight and bald general is at odds with his real-life counterpart, who still had hair on his sides and was rather thin. [[ZigZaggedTrope However, he lacks distinct wrinkles on his face, making him appear much younger than the real Jodl]].

** Napoleon Bonaparate's supposed short stature is exaggerated to the point that he's barely the height of a small child, complete with child-like proportions, making him immature both figuratively and literally.
** Adolf Hitler in the "World War II" is given a BigRedDevil makeover, complete with horns, sharp teeth and a demonic voice, likely to make up for the fact the show [[HistoricalVillainDowngrade can't really dive into details of why Hitler was evil]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}'': While Rasputin wasn't usually considered to be an attractive man in real life (though he must have been doing something right considering his [[ReallyGetsAround reputation]]), he was certainly not [[NothingButSkinAndBones the bony figure]] with warts and long clawed nails from the movie. And keep in mind, the animated Rasputin looks like this even ''before'' [[DealWithTheDevil he sold his soul]] to get his revenge on the Romanov royal family.

Right: Gerhard Klopfer in [[Film/Conspiracy2001 Conspiracy]].]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Left: Gerhard Klopfer in real life. Right: Gerhard Klopfer in [[Film/Conspiracy2001 Conspiracy]].]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}'': While Rasputin wasn't considered to be an attractive man in real life, he was certainly not [[NothingButSkinAndBones the bony figure]] with warts and long clawed nails from the movie. And keep in mind, the animated Rasputin looks like this even ''before'' [[DealWithTheDevil he sold his soul]] to get his revenge on the Romanov royal family.

[[foldercontrol]]

!!Examples

* ''{{ComicBook/Borgia}}'' by Creator/AlejandroJodorowsky and Creator/MiloManara: King Charles VIII of France is presented as a hunchbacked midget in the vein of Theatre/RichardIII. This is the least of the historical liberties the comic takes, such as Charles dying in a volcanic eruption, Lucrezia bearing a son with the heads of both her brother and father, and da Vinci's flying machines working as intended and used in Cesare Borgia's campaigns.

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

* ''Film/AssassinsCreed2016'': Queen Isabella of Castile is given a [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/assassinscreed/images/5/5f/ACM_Isabella.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170430201808 fearsome appearance]] with FacialMarkings and [[LeanAndMean looking rather emaciated]]. No historical records or portrayals ever depict her like this -- if anything she looked like what a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_I_of_Castile normal queen]] would look like.

* ''Film/Conspiracy2001'': Gerhard Klopfer, who was [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Bundesarchiv_Bild_119-06-44-12%2C_Gerhard_Klopfer.jpg perfectly ordinary-looking]] in real life, is played by an [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-90BTffvk1go/UlPycHKEHfI/AAAAAAAAMt8/-xpVvk_SeaQ/s1600/10.png obese, unpleasant-looking actor]].
* ''Film/Downfall2004'': While the film portrays the Nazis as human beings (albeit terrible human beings), some of the Nazi officials' looks are less glamorous than their real-life counterparts:

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': Episodes featuring UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler often depict the dictator as physically unattractive as possible.

[[/folder]]

Popular entertainment tends to update the looks of {{Historical Domain Character}}s to [[HistoricalBeautyUpdate their cultural standard of beauty]] for the audience to enjoy. But that is not always the case. Inversely, entertainment works will make the historical figures more ugly than they actually were, often inviting repulse and even mockery from the audience. It is often done for historical figures that are seen to be villains, exaggerating their physical imperfections and repulsive manners over anything considered to be fair or even normal looking. This is common for tyrants, who are often portrayed in enemy propaganda as either squat and comical (to make them appear harmless) or demonic and imposing (to make them evil personified).

It doesn't necessarily apply to just historical villains. Sometimes, historical figures typically seen in a positive light are depicted to be less attractive than they actually were, often with a moral message to never judge a person by their looks. Sometimes, they are made to be more relatable to the audience, playing up their vulnerabilities with their physical appearance. But most often, the historical figures in question could be so gorgeous that no one could ever live up to their likeness, and thus the actors to play them are chosen by their AbilityOverAppearance.

Can sometimes overlap with HistoricalVillainUpgrade, though ugliness and villainy are not exclusive to each other. For the inversion, see HistoricalBeautyUpdate. See AdaptationalUgliness when this applies to derivative works.

* ''{{ComicBook/Borgia}}'' by Creator/AlejandroJodorowsky and Creator/MiloManara: King Charles VIII of France is presented as a hunchbacked midget in the vein of Richard III. This is the least of the historical liberties the comic takes, such as Charles dying in a volcanic eruption, Lucrezia bearing a son with the heads of both her brother and father, and da Vinci's flying machines working as intended and used in Cesare Borgia's campaigns.

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}'': While Rasputin wasn't considered to be an attractive man in real life, he was certainly not [[NothingButSkinAndBones a bony figure]] with warts and long clawed nails from the movie. And keep in mind, the animated Rasputin looks like this even ''before'' [[DealWithTheDevil he sold his soul]] to get his revenge on the Romanov Royal Family.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'': [[http://web.archive.org/web/20170509230323/http://elise-literature-blog.blogspot.com/2012/01/captain-john-ratcliffe-cited-in-both.html A rare image]] of the real Governor Ratcliffe shows an average-looking Englishman with a well-kempt beard and soft mustache. Disney's [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade Ratcliffe]] is an ugly, obese man who has [[DastardlyWhiplash dastardly handlebar mustache]] and [[BeardOfEvil a tiny goatee]] to balance out John Smith's HistoricalBeautyUpdate.

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]

* ''Film/AssassinsCreed2016'': Queen Isabella of Castile is given a [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/assassinscreed/images/5/5f/ACM_Isabella.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170430201808 fearsome appearance]] with FacialMarkings and [[LeanAndMean looking rather emaciated]]. No historical records or portrayals ever depict her like this - if anything she'd look like what a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_I_of_Castile normal queen]] would look like.

* ''Film/Conspiracy2001'': Gerhard Klopfer, who was [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Bundesarchiv_Bild_119-06-44-12%2C_Gerhard_Klopfer.jpg perfectly ordinary looking]] in real life, is played by an [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-90BTffvk1go/UlPycHKEHfI/AAAAAAAAMt8/-xpVvk_SeaQ/s1600/10.png obese, unpleasant-looking actor]].
* ''Film/Downfall2004'': While the film portrays the Nazis as human beings (albeit terrible human beings), some of the Nazi officials' looks are less glamorous than their real life counterparts:

** Alfred Jodl depiction as a fairly overweight and bald general is at odds with his real-life counterpart, who still had hair on his sides and was rather quite thin. [[ZigZaggedTrope However, he lacks distinct wrinkles on his face, making him appear much younger than the real Jodl]].
** Martin Bormann is balder and more plain-looking than his real counterpart. Also, the real Bormann was 44 years old during the events of the film, here, he is played by an actor who was 56 years old when the movie was made, [[YoungerThanTheyLook making him look older than he really was]].

** Mary Tudor is portrayed as fat whereas in real-life, Mary was a rail-thin waif who made even the svelte Elizabeth look plump. The likely historical source of this portrayal is her infamous "phantom pregnancy" where her thin abdomen expanded to give the impression that she was pregnant.
** Sir William Cecil is aged up considerably and looks far weathered compared to portraits of him made at the time (in reality he was almost exactly 13 years her senior; Richard Attenborough was nearly 46 years Cate Blanchett's).
* ''Film/TheGreyZone'': Josef Mengele is portrayed as a balding middle-aged man. In real life, he was quite good-looking and he would've been in his early thirties at the time this movie takes place. His nickname "The Angel of Death" was a direct reference to [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon his inner morality clashing with his outward appearance]].

** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS4E106HesAlive He's Alive]]", he's played by Curt Conway, who has a squat face and visible wrinkles unlike the actual dictator, which is jarring when he stands in front of a poster featuring the real-life Hitler.

* ''Theatre/CyranoDeBergerac'': Portraits of Cyrano suggest that he did have a big nose but it's not nearly as large to justify to an audience [[BerserkButton all the fuss Cyrano makes about it]]. So, this HistoricalDomainCharacter must look much ''worse'' in theater/movies than he actually did in real life for the play ''to make sense''.

** Napoleon Bonaparate's short stature is exaggerated to the point he's barely the same height of a small child, complete with child-like proportions, making him immature both figuratively and literally.
** Adolf Hitler in the "World War II" is given a BigRedDevil makeover, complete with horns, sharp teeth and a demonic voice, likely to make up for the fact the [[HistoricalVillainDowngrade show can't really dive into details of why Hitler was evil]].

It doesn't necessarily apply to just historical villains. Sometimes, historical figures that are seen in a positive light are depicted to be less attractive than they actually were, often with a moral message to never judge a person by their looks. Sometimes, they are made to be more relatable to the audience, playing up their vulnerabilities with their physical appearance. But most often, the historical figures in question could be so gorgeous that no one could ever live up to their likeness, and thus the actors to play them are chosen by their AbilityOverAppearance.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone'': Episodes featuring UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler often depict the dictator as physically unattractive as possible.