History Main / TyrantTakestheHelm

* In ''Literature/AnimalFarm'', Farmer Jones is removed from power for neglecting his animals. For a while, the society they form instead under the pig leaders Snowball and Napoleon is pleasant and ideal. But Napoleon has his own plans and desires; he secretly kidnaps and raises a litter of nine puppies, and when they mature into proper attack dogs, he has them chase Snowball off of the farm and takes control, outlawing debates as his first act and turning the farm into a work camp, making it worse than it was before.

* On the ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'', the [[ElectionDayEpisode L'Manburg Election arc]] ends with [[DarkHorseVictory Schlatt winning the Election]] after pooling his votes with the [=SWAG2020=] party. His NewEraSpeech just after his inauguration features him declaring himself as Emperor of L'Manburg ''and'' [[TheExile exiling]] his greatest political opponents, [=POG2020=] (the previous administration as well as two of the ''founders'' of L'Manburg) from the country and forcing them to RunOrDie in the same sentence. In the same livestream, he changes the name of the country to Manburg and tries to remove the remnants of the founders' influence on the country (e.g. tearing down the walls of L'Manburg that marked their borders). Considering how light-hearted the rest of the Election arc was[[note]]from the silly names of the electoral campaigns (Politicians of Gaming 2020, So We Are Gamers 2020, [=Coconut2020=], and [[OddNameOut Schlatt2020]]) to Fundy (the leader of [=Coconut2020=]) being publicly ridiculed for being caught trying to [[VoteEarlyVoteOften commit voter fraud]] just minutes before the announcement of the electoral results (the fraudulent votes were ultimately disqualified)[[/note]], the turn of events that came with Schlatt becoming President is [[MoodWhiplash exceptionally jarring]], and after this particular incident, all of the subsequent plotlines [[CerebusSyndrome became significantly]] DarkerAndEdgier.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Snyder replaced Principal Flutie after Flutie was eaten by students possessed by hyenas. While he openly despised pretty much all teenagers, he targeted Buffy and the Scoobie Gang and turns out to be working for Mayor Wilkins, the BigBad of Season 3. However he's apparently in the dark as to exactly who (or what) he was working for, as he clearly wasn't expecting the Mayor to turn into a snake and eat him. He even [[VillanousValour stands up to the Mayor]] at the end, however inffectively.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Snyder replaced Principal Flutie after Flutie was eaten by students possessed by hyenas. While he openly despised pretty much all teenagers, he targeted Buffy and the Scoobie Gang and turns out to be working for Mayor Wilkins, the BigBad of Season 3. However he's apparently in the dark as to exactly who (or what) he was working for, as he clearly wasn't expecting the Mayor to turn into a snake and eat him. He even [[VillanousValor stands up to the Mayor]] at the end, however inffectively.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Snyder replaced Principal Flutie after Flutie was eaten by students possessed by hyenas. While he openly despised pretty much all teenagers, he targeted Buffy and the Scoobie Gang and turns out to be working for Mayor Wilkins, the BigBad of Season 3. However he's apparently in the dark as to exactly who (or what) he was working for, as he clearly wasn't expecting the Mayor to turn into a snake and eat him.

This is a plot trope relating to a StoryArc where a character snags a major leadership position of the series, becomes DrunkWithPower, and decides that from here on out, things will be run ''their'' way whether you like it or not. The person regularly filling this position, often a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, will likely be absent during this time (and this new replacement [[KlingonPromotion may have had something to do with that]]). As would be expected of a tyrannical ruler, expect them to immediately start making "changes" and becoming an instant despot. And if he personally knew his predecessor, he's likely going to make it damn clear that he won't be as "soft" or "lenient" as the last guy, or "baby" his subordinates like the last guy. Common changes made include the elimination of UltimateJobSecurity and the decree that AllCrimesAreEqual. In most cases, the main heroes will have to confront this new ruler and attempt to change things back to normal.

A common subversion of this trope is the BaitAndSwitchTyrant, who is signalled to be this in their introduction but turns out to not be that bad after all, with the story demonstrating that the characters have come to accept the new rules. If the character who temporarily takes control [[HanlonsRazor isn't malicious or obnoxious, but is simply grossly incompetent]], see SketchySuccessor. If the tyrant took the helm of a corporation by [[ArtisticLicenseEconomics acquiring 51% of its stock]], they're a MajorityShareDictator.

* ''Manga/DotHackLegendOfTheTwilight'' had the Cerulean Knights taking over after Balmug is fired from System Administration. They ruthlessly hunt down gamers even remotely accused of hacking or of minor offenses (changing the color of the avatar's clothes etc).

* ''Manga/FoodWars'' has the banished Nakiri [[spoiler:(actually Nakamura)]] Azami returning to Totsuki, taking over from his own father[[spoiler:-in-law]], and unleashing his own brand of "culinary supremacism" by shutting down all attempts at creativity in the kitchen and centralising all culinary thought under his command (via a single organisation literally and fittingly, if unimaginatively, named "Central").

* In the ''Anime/SamuraiPizzaCats'' episode "Emperor Fred Does Hard Time", after Emperor Fred was banished by Princess Vi, the Big Cheese became the Acting Emperor of Little Tokyo after Vi left to search for her father upon learning that his ship was destroyed in a storm.

* In the ''Animation/SimpleSamosa'' episode "Mayor Gaayab", Cham Cham is the first person to replace the kind, well-liked Royal Falooda as the mayor of Chatpata Nagar. Within the [[ShortLivedLeadership short period of time he leads the town]], he demonstrates just how egotistical he is by imposing taxes on all the townsfolk, bossing the citizens around for his own purposes, and acting like a king, even donning a crown and king's cape. When Samosa convinces Mr. Fried Fritter to take the position of mayor, Cham Cham ''super-glues himself to the chair in the town hall'' in a vain attempt to keep Fritter from replacing him.

* In ''Film/{{Bananas}}'', Woody Allen joins a group of freedom fighters in a Latin American country, San Marcos. They eventually depose the military dictator, but the new president, Esposito, [[FullCircleRevolution quickly reveals himself to be equally tyrannical]] and [[LoonyLaws comically deranged]]. Esposito is then deposed and replaced by Fielding Mellish (Woody).

* In ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes'', Koba sets up an attempted assassination on Caesar and then [[FalseFlagOperation blames the humans for the things he himself did]], which works doubly in his favor for not only putting him in charge but also forcing the apes to fight the humans.

* Dolores Umbridge of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' is the former TropeNamer. She came to Hogwarts as a teacher imposed by the Ministry of Magic, becomes High Inquisitor, fires Trelawney, tries to subdue Hagrid like he's a wild beast with a team of Stunners due to her hatred of {{Half Human Hybrid}}s [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain and treats any "filthy half-breed" like a stupider, lesser being]], dictates stupid rules aimed at abolishing the students' civil liberties, ''literally'' [[ColdBloodedTorture tortures]] students during detention, and finally [[spoiler:deposes Dumbledore and becomes Headmistress.]] Her "things will be different around here" speech was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Hermione. She's so bad that she actually [[spoiler:''sides with Voldemort'' after she's run out of Hogwarts.[[note]]Possibly unknowingly, but she so heartily embraced his evil policies that it hardly even matters whether she knew who was behind them.[[/note]]]] Most readers reserve more hate for Umbridge than for Voldemort, the actual BigBad of the series. Creator/StephenKing has noted that Umbridge is the strongest of ''Literature/HarryPotter'''s villains because she's the kind of character who you just ''love'' to hate, whereas you hate Voldemort simply because the book wants you to and because he's ObviouslyEvil. Also, most people know someone who's bitterly racist/homophobic/bigoted-in-general ControlFreak-type, but genocidal overlords are in short supply (thankfully), therefore Umbridge also exemplifies JerksAreWorseThanVillains in the eyes of many.

* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' Joffrey Baratheon becomes King of Westeros after his father's death. Almost immediately he uses his power in [[KickTheDog abusing and killing people]] whenever he feels like it. He is unaware that he would not be King if not for his family's proper managing skills, and he was killed by the family of his would-be Queen because he was a sadistic idiot. His mother Cersei Lannister isn't far behind, as Queen Regent she empowers people of questionable loyalty, and is sabotaging the Alliance between the Lannisters and the Tyrells. Very soon she is removed from power, and the Kingdom of Westeros is slowly plunging into ruin.

* ''Literature/{{Tempest}}'': In ''Tempest Revealed'', [[spoiler:[[TheMole Sabyn]] takes over Tempest's position as monarch of [[UnderwaterCity Coral Straits]] at the same time [[BigBad Tiamat]] takes over the other four major aquatic kingdoms of the Pacific. Sabyn makes some effort to look like a good [=merKing=], but Tiamat openly commits mass murder against her subjects]].

->''"Mufasa's death was a terrible tragedy; but to lose Simba, who had barely begun to live...for me it is a deep personal loss. So it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne. Yet, out of the ashes of this tragedy, we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era...in which lion and hyena come together, in a great and glorious future!"''
-->-- '''Scar''', ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}''

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[[quoteright:350:[[DiabolicalMastermind Trust us]] -- they're right [[WouldHarmASenior to be afraid]].]]

* {{Averted}} by Captain Ben Daimio from ''{{ComicBook/BPRD}}'': when he arrives to take up the position of field team commander, he specifically states: "Don't want anybody to worry about my changing things around here. You guys have a system, it works. Stick to that". And indeed he doesn't try to make any radical changes. Except for making [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent Roger]] [[MonsterModesty put some friggin' pants on]]. And later he changes his mind about that, too.

** Loki initially plays this straight after Odin goes into Odinsleep from the stress of banishing Thor and revealing Loki's true heritage in ''Film/Thor'', refusing Sif and the Warrior's Three's request to bring Thor back from exile, tricking Laufey, his biological father, into killing Odin only for Loki to kill him to [[WellDoneSonGuy win Odin's approval]] and tries to destroy Jötunheim after Thor returns. When he steals the throne from Odin again after the events of ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', the worst he does to his subjects is [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex force them to watch incredibly hammy plays of his own heroic deeds]] in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' and banishes Sif because she knows that "Odin" is actually Loki. [[spoiler:Ironically, the latter part of Loki's second usurping saves her life when Hela returns to Asgard and kills the Warrior's Three.]]

[[quoteright:300:[[DiabolicalMastermind Trust us]] -- they're right [[WouldHarmASenior to be afraid]].]]

* In the ''Videogame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' ''III'' ''Armageddon's Blade'' campaign "Festival of Life", the player ends up doing this. The protagonist of the campaign, Kilgor, is an ambitious and AxCrazy barbarian participating in the traditional contest in which barbarians can challenge the king of Krewlod for the throne. The current ruler, Winston Boragus, is actually something of a ReasonableAuthorityFigure by barbarian standards. Through charisma and diplomacy, Boragus improved Krewlod's standing and recruited many formidable and capable warriors to join his banner. Unfortunately, this meant that when Kilgor wins and slays him at the end of the campaign, said army becomes his to command. Even worse, Kilgor had burned down many of Krewlod's farms during the Festival of Life, plunging Krewlod into the worst famine in its history. Kilgor's "solution" was to declare war on the rest of Enroth to plunder their lands. This would lead to Enroth's doom.

* ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' provides Arcturus Mengsk, who fills this role as the Emperor of the Dominion. The point is not that Mengsk is worse than the government he overthrew, but that he is just as bad: that the only thing changed between the Confederacy and the Dominion was the label. Well, and he has a [[ItsPersonal personal grudge against Raynor]]. As of ''[[VideoGame/StarcraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm Heart of the Swarm]]'', [[spoiler: he has finally been deposed. His son, Valerian, who inherited his position, is way more benevolent as a ruler.]]

** Averted and played straight in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' with the film’s two usurpers. When Loki defeats his father and steals the throne of Asgard from him, he doesn’t seem to make any changes more unpleasant than [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex forcing his subjects to watch incredibly hammy plays of his own heroic deeds]]. However, when Hela, [[spoiler: Odin’s firstborn daughter]], returns to Asgard to reclaim her “birthright” after defeating Loki and Thor in battle, she immediately demands that the Asgardian army [[KneelBeforeZod accept her as their rightful queen,]] convinced that they will welcome her back and enthusiastically support her ambitions to return Asgard to its [[DarkAndTroubledPast blood-soaked past]]. When they refuse, she proceeds to [[spoiler: [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen slaughter the entire army.]]]] For the rest of her reign, her only subjects are terrified civilians, and one [[MinionWithAnFInEvil reluctant collaborator.]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Many revolutions and coups throughout history have [[FullCircleRevolution caused tyrants to come to power]].
** The French Revolution is a very good example. Part of Napoleon's success was that he turned out to be a ReasonableAuthorityFigure compared [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVI_of_France to]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_of_Public_Safety his]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Directory predecessors]] (at least within France).
** A double-whammy in early-20th-century Russia, where the Provisional Government that replaced the Tsar (pretty tyrannical himself) was overthrown by the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution, bringing Vladimir Lenin to power. Under Lenin, the state secret police - the "Cheka" - ruthlessly suppressed dissent against the new order through imprisonment, torture, and mass executions. When Lenin died, a power struggle ended with Joseph Stalin becoming dictator of the USSR and proving himself about twenty million times more brutal and tyrannical than Lenin had ever been.
*** Subverted after the death of Stalin by the Presidium having Lavrentiy Beria arrested, sentenced to death in a KangarooCourt and [[BoomHeadshot executed]]; Beria himself as head of [[UsefulNotes/MoscowCentre Stalin's secret police]] was a hands-on mass murderer and rapacious child [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rapist]] whom even Stalin wouldn't let his own daughter be alone with in the same room. While Malenkov and Khrushchev were no saints, they most likely prevented an even worse tyrant taking the helm in the USSR after the death of Stalin.
* Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer went through a period like this in the early '90s when Italian financier Giancarlo Paretti took over and merged MGM/UA with the remains of Creator/TheCannonGroup. After he took command, he immediately began using MGM's money for his own purposes, including [[{{Nepotism}} hiring family members]] and beautiful women, while the actual business of movie-making ground to a halt as people went unpaid. His reign was over quick as his creditors (who were pretty much corrupt as he was) seized control and Paretti was arrested for securities fraud. The whole sordid affair (which stretched back for years) can be [[http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1996/07/08/214344/index.htm read about here]].
* Parretti's reign of error at MGM wasn't matched in terms of sheer disaster...until 2023, with the merger of Creator/WarnerMedia with Discovery, resulting in Discovery head David Zaslav's ascension to head of the newly-renamed Warner Bros Discovery. So far, Zaslav's reign has seen popular TV shows and films cancelled for tax reasons (in part because of the $56 million debt WBD was saddled with by [=AT&T=], themselves incompetent but not to these levels), the half-baked rebranding of HBO Max to just Creator/{{Max}}, Chris Licht's short-lived and troubled tenure as head of CNN, and the gutting of Creator/TurnerClassicMovies (to the outrage of Hollywood veterans); his actions and subsequent tone-deaf reactions were in part the reasoning behind the Writers' Guild of America going on strike later in the year (with potential strike action to follow by the Screen Actor's Guild). [[FromBadToWorse Even worse]], it's given other major media firms the idea to remove content for tax reasons as well, notably ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekProdigy''.
* Bernie Stollar is infamously known in video game circles as the head of Creator/{{Sony}} and Creator/{{Sega}} for hobbling the UsefulNotes/PlayStation and UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn. While with Sega, Bernie had a strange idea that third-party companies produced no good games and did everything in his power to prevent their releases, preferring Sega's own stuff. There's a story during his time with Sony where he had a phase where he felt that a system powerful enough for 3D graphics had no place playing 2D games. When Creator/{{Capcom}} approached Sony to release ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'', Bernie refused. Capcom's response? Refuse to release ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' in America. Bernie quickly backtracked.
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* In ''Franchise/SpiderMan'', ComicBook/NormanOsborn, in the ''ComicBook/DarkReign'' arc, becomes this for the entire Franchise/MarvelUniverse.

* In ''Franchise/SpiderMan'', ComicBook/NormanOsborn, in the ''ComicBook/DarkReign'' arc, becomes this for the entire MarvelUniverse.

** Marlo Stanfield, a small-time dealer, perceives the Barksdale drug empire as weak in Season 3, decides to wage war on Avon Barksdale's organization and take over West Baltimore, which he manages to do thanks to some luck and good timing. Unlike Avon who (mostly) refrained from killing people unless they interfered with his corners, (which is mostly part of the game) or he was looking to take over their turf, Marlo is a power-hungry sociopath who has people killed if he hears they were talking bad about him, questioning him, or even if they look at him wrong. He violently deposes the relatively peaceful old order and is responsible for dozens of murders.

** In Arc I, the druid Kagha takes over Emerald Grove after their leader Halsin is kidnapped by the BigBad's minions. She immediately tries to [[DirtyCoward magically seal it off from the outside world and doom the refugees they were hosting to certain death outside]], even almost [[WouldHurtAChild murdering one of their children]] for attempting to disrupt it. Once a good-aligned player rescues Halsin, he reads her the riot act and demotes her.

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This is a plot trope relating to a StoryArc where a character snags a major leadership position of the series, becomes DrunkWithPower, and decides that from here on out, things will be run ''their'' way whether you like it or not. The person regularly filling this position, often a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, will likely be absent during this time (and this new replacement [[KlingonPromotion may have had something to do with that]]). As would be expected of a tyrannical ruler, expect them to immediately start making "changes" and becoming an instant despot. Common changes made include the elimination of UltimateJobSecurity and the decree that AllCrimesAreEqual. In most cases, the main heroes will have to confront this new ruler and attempt to change things back to normal.

* ''WebAnimation/DingoDoodles - Fools Gold'': Has this happen with Bouclaire, who was a SelfMadeOrphan ''twice'' first to her birth parents, then to the king and queen of the Kingdom of Kylandria after getting herself adopted by them, she then threatened the other princesses into giving her the throne. As she is still a 10 year old girl deeply in her PrincessPhase she changes the countries banner to a pink unicorn from a blue feather and forces everyone to wear gaudy powdered wigs and 17th Century French style clothes, and dicates that all buildings must be repainted in a pink glitter aesthetic. She enforces this by executing any prominent nobles who objected to this, and then punishing any other dissidents by poisoning their local water supply to scare people into following her rules, as any resistance would not just get them killed but the entire population of their neighbourhood - with the potential wipe some entire small towns off the map.

* ''WebAnimation/DingoDoodles - Fools Gold'': Has this happen with Bouclaire, who was a SelfMadeOrphan ''twice'' first to her birth parents, then to the King and Queen of the Kingdom of Kylandria after getting herself adopted and threatening the other princesses into giving her the throne. As she is still a 10 year old girl deeply in her PrincessPhase she changes the countries banner to a pink unicorn from a blue feather and forces everyone to wear gaudy powdered wigs and 17th Century style clothes, and dicates that all buildings must be repainted in a pink glitter aesthetic, and executed any prominent nobles who objected to this. She punishes any other dissidents by poisoning the local water supply to scare people into following her rules and any resistance would not just get them killed but the entire population in the case of some small towns.