History Main / RecliningReigner

Although not exclusive to villains, they are the most common form of the trope, since EvilIsCool and EvilIsSexy.

Compare IdleRich. Not to be confused with ReluctantRuler. Some ladies may even wear DiamondsInTheBuff while taking this pose.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': Most of the Jarls recline when sitting on their thrones, excluding [[TheHighQueen Jarl Elisif the Fair]]. The in-universe reason is that Elisif is brand new to the position, all the other Jarls have been at it for some time and have grown somewhat jaded. Elisif took over the job after the very recent death of her husband, so she hasn't gotten used to ruling yet. This is in fact determined by the throne, not the character: eight thrones have a slouchy animation programmed into them. So you can sit on one and slouch heroically.

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* ComicBook/{{Asterix}}: Most noble Roman patricians are drawn in a reclined position at some point in this comic book series. Most prominent characters of them and actual rulers are Caesar and Cleopatra.

* ''ComicBook/SensationComics'': In the ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' feature in issue 39, Nero Maximus spends his time lying on a chaise longue. His wife Empress Fausta prefers to sit in a plush chair and force a slave to hold a pillow in their lap and act as a footrest.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Aphrodite is seen resting on a chaise lounge while arguing with Mars.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheThiefAndTheCobbler'' when Zigzag the evil vizier meets the [[BigBad Mighty One-Eye]], he's seen reclining on a throne with a bored look on his face. Oh, a throne composed by his own harem of buxom, scantily-clad One Eye girls.

* ''Film/TheWindAndTheLion''. When the U.S. Marines break into the Bashaw's palace, they find him lying down on a couch smoking a hookah.

* UsefulNotes/{{Cleopatra|VII}} is quite often depicted in this manner.

* ''Film/ThorRagnarok:'' Loki impersonates Odin and watches a play in his own honor while leaning on a couch and eating GrapesOfLuxury, with five young female Asgardians at his side.

* ''Literature/ThePeshawarLancers'': Queen-Empress Victoria II is described as having been this, in complete antithesis to her namesake.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}''[='s=] Greasus Goldtooth, Overtyrant of the Ogre Kingdoms, travels to battle and even fights like this, on a moving carpet of Gnoblar bearers. The model for Greasus (who is morbidly obese, even by Ogre standards, and possibly even can't walk under his own power) depicts him lying back at ease, giant haunch of meat in one hand, fabulous jewel-encrusted sceptre in the other. To further enhance his aura of disgustingly opulent excess (Ogres charge a very hefty fee to let merchants use the equivalent to the Silk Road), he has more gnoblars spread a carpet of gold coins in front of him wherever he goes. Subtlety is not a quality valued (or, indeed, understood) by ogres, so when they go in for a look, they don't do it by halves.
* Similarly, Dominar Rasheth of the [[TabletopGame/IronKingdoms Skorne Empire]] is a morbidly obese warlord carried into battle on an agonizer-borne palanquin.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': In the 2[[superscript:nd]] Edition sourcebook ''The Complete Book of Necromancers'', the illustration for Kazerabet, Former Queen of Ysawis and philosopher-necromancer, is of her reclining while consulting a book, attended by servants.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Wrathia Bellarmina AKA ''Webcomic/AvasDemon'' often [[https://www.avasdemon.com/pages.php#0253 lounges]] [[https://avasdemon.com/pages.php#2580 around]] in Ava's MentalWorld.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[MemeticMutation Draw me like one of your French girls]].]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Hedonism-Bot is a robot designed to do nothing but be languid and decadent and is designed to resemble an ancient Roman emperor. Naturally, he takes this trope to its logical conclusion: he's ''built into a sofa''.

* Cats are absolute masters of this Trope, particularly long-haired breeds like the Persian.

* ComicBook/{{Asterix}}: Most noble Roman patricians are drawn in a reclined position at some point in this comic books series. Most prominent characters of them and actual rulers are Caesar and Cleopatra.

* ''ComicBook/SensationComics'': In the ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' feature in issue 39 Nero Maximus spends his time lying on a chaise longue. His wife Empress Fausta prefers to sit in a plush chair and force a slave to hold a pillow in their lap and act as a footrest.

* ''Film/ThorRagnarok:'' Loki impersonating Odin watches a play in his own honor while leaning on a couch and eating GrapesOfLuxury, with five young female Asgardians at his side.

* PlayedForLaughs in promo material for ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', featuring Marshall and Lily's honeymoon in Scotland. Because of Marshall's obsession with Nessie the Loch Nech Monster, they miss a performance of ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream''. Lily forces Marshall to do a dramatic reading of the play just for her, while she lies luxuriously in reclined position like Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Lily is eating the obligatory grapes.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Hedonism Bot takes this to its logical conclusion: he's ''built into a sofa''.

[[caption-width-right:350:Draw me like one of your French girls.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': Yzma get's to do this after taking over as the reigning empress, just before finding out that Kuzco is still alive.

* ''Film/ThorRagnarok:'' Loki impersonating Odin watches a play in his own honor while leaning on a couch and eating GrapesOfLuxury, with five young female Asgardians at his side. That bastard!

* In ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} V'', Empress Theodora of the Byzantines is show reclining at all times on the diplomacy screen. Even when you're at war, she simply turns so she has her back to you.

SisterTrope to SlouchOfVillainy and SuperTrope of GrapesOfLuxury.

For kings, sultans, emperors and other rulers, they're often portrayed as being surrounded by servants while [[GrapesOfLuxury being fed grapes]] or cooled by giant fans, all the while with a very troubled/bored expression. For women, this tends to get taken UpToEleven, usually with the female reclining on something like a sofa, futon, or bed [[{{Fanservice}} while wearing next to nothing]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheThiefAndTheCobbler'' when Zigzag the evil vizier meets the [[BigBad Mighty One-Eye]], he's seen reclining on a throne with a bored look on his face. Oh, a [[UpToEleven throne composed by his own harem of buxom, scantily-clad One Eye girls]].

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': Most of the Jarls recline when sitting on their thrones, excluding [[TheHighQueen Jarl Elisif the Fair]]. The in-universe reason is that Elisif is brand new to the position, all the other Jarls have been at it for some time and have grown somewhat jaded. Elisif took over the job after the very recent death of her husband, so she hasn't gotten used to ruling yet. This is in fact determined by the throne, not the character: eight thrones have a slouchy animation programmed into them. So you can sit on one and slouch heroically.
* Gwynevere in ''Videogame/DarkSouls'' is depicted reclining on a sofa when you meet her in person. Justified in that [[spoiler:she's an illusion created by Gwyndolin, so having her laying down is significantly easier to make believable than sitting or standing]].

* Gwynevere in ''Videogame/DarkSouls'' is depicted reclining on a sofa when you meet her in person.

* In ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', Jafar does this, in a definite overlap with SlouchOfVillainy.
* ''Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': Yzma get's to do this after taking over as the reigning empress, just before finding out that Kuzco is still alive.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} V'', Empress Theodora of the Byzantines is show reclining at all times on the diplomacy screen.