History ManipulativeBastard / Literature

* Mayor Prentiss from Patrick Ness's Literature/ChaosWalking series. Throughout ''The Ask and the Answer'', he plays head games with Todd, Viola, and his own son [[spoiler: who he ends up shooting]]. He could also be considered a MagnificentBastard as he is extremely confident and independent. Starts a BigBadassBattleSequence at the beginning of ''Monsters of Men''. In ''The Knife of Never Letting Go'', drags Aaron along as a ChurchMilitant while trying to chase Todd down.

* [[spoiler: The Sphinx]] in ''Literature/{{Fablehaven}}'' is easily able to manipulate the heroes, inserting himself as one of them and gathering intelligence. Plus, he's [[spoiler: OlderThanTheyLook thousands of years old]] and has learned a lot over the years.

* Hilde from [[Literature/{{Dragons}} The Last Dragon Chronicles]]. [[spoiler:This explains Gwilanna...]]

* In the TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms series ''Literature/WarOfTheSpiderQueen'', [[spoiler:Danifae Yauntyrr]] starts as a lowly slave after her clan was wipped out in one of the common political feuds and she was captured alive as a trophy, to serve as a [[LesYay personal slave]] to a spoiled princess. Even though any other member of her group could kill her at any time without requiring a reason, she defies and antagonizes about everyone else, makes her former mistress her personal bitch, has her LoveInterest shred to bloody pieces by [[PsychoForHire Jaggred]], makes a high priestess to end up paralyzed with self-doubt, and gets the half-demon Jeggred to defy his aunt and follow her orders instead (as she continually proves to be much more ruthless and manipulative, and thus being worthy of his loyalty). [[spoiler:And when it comes for the reincarnated godess to chose her new champion, she spits everyone in the face by being chosen over priestesses who had served her all their lives and sacrificed everything to gain her favor.]]

* ''Literature/TheVillainsSeries'': Victor Vale is an expert at getting under peoples skin and then playing them like puppets in his grand schemes. He tricks Eli into a fight [[spoiler:whereupon Eli ends up "killing him" as part of a plan for him to get caught in the act by the police and branded a murderer and arrested.]] Only for Victor to get [[spoiler:resurrected by Sydney later]].

* ''Literature/TheVillainsSeries'':Victor Vale is an expert at getting under peoples skin and then playing them like puppets in his grand schemes. He tricks Eli into a fight [[spoiler:whereupon Eli ends up "killing him" as part of a plan for him to get caught in the act by the police and branded a murderer and arrested.]] Only for Victor to get [[spoiler:resurrected by Sydney later]].

* Long John Silver from ''Literature/TreasureIsland''. While lacking the style needed to be a MagnificentBastard, he fits this trope perfectly; acting so charming and likable that one can easily forget that he's in fact a ruthless, murderous pirate. His fondness for Jim Hawkins is particularly of notice, as even in the end it's never made clear just how much of their relationship was genuine and how much was manipulation on Silver's part.

* Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. As well as being TheChessmaster and a card-carrying MagnificentBastard, he emotionally manipulates those around him callously and shamelessly, starting with UnluckyChildhoodFriend Lysa Tully. ''And'' he's seemingly training [[spoiler: Lysa's niece, Sansa Stark]] to follow his steps.

* [[BrainsEvilBrawnGood Shift]] from ''[[Literature/ChroniclesOfNarnia The Last Battle]]'' demonstrates his Manipulative Bastardry multiple times just in his ''first few scenes''. He gets his "[[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter friend]]", [[StubbornMule Puzzle]], to do whatever he wants through a combination of guilt-tripping and playing on Puzzle's [[DumbIsGood insecurity]]/low self-esteem (which are a result of the way Shift treats him in the first place).

* In ''Literature/TheTreasureOfTheSierraMadre,''Pat McCormick is an oilfield contractor who gets foreigners (who aren't covered by Mexican labor laws) to work for him by pretending to be a [[ChummyCommies Comrade]] who's just trying to stay afloat and help some fellow working men out. He uses this to get them to work longer and harder hours, then absconds with their pay, often convincing them that the fault is with the dirty oil barons delaying payments, and to come out on another contract with him in the meantime.

* Errastas from ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'' greatly enjoys causing mischief. The reader first encounters him in Letheras, where he has been laying low for decades to [[spoiler: steer the politics in the city and especially in the palace]], playing a major role in the instigation of the upcoming war with [[spoiler: the Edur]]. ''Literature/TheKharkanasTrilogy'' shows that he is not above playing ''azathanai'' for fools, either, using Draconus' request for a Terondai as a means to get a foot into the door of K'rul's new free-for-all magic system.

* Nigel Bishop, from the Literature/DreamPark novel ''The California Voodoo Game'', wrote the book on Manipulative Bastardry (''The Art of Gaming''). An outstanding example of this trope, not least because Bishop unabashedly convinces the Gaming world he's a ''Magnificent'' Bastard, and is universally admired for it; only the reader knows the extent of his crimes, or the tone of his [[SmugSnake internal monologue]], that show he's too much of a Bastard to rightly qualify as Magnificent.

** Per WordOfGod, Gellert Grindelwald. Not even Dumbledore was immune to his manipulations -- he knew of Dumbledore's attraction to him, and used those affections along with his resentment over being forced to become his younger sister's caretaker in order to convince his one intellectual and magical equal to become his "partner" in the pursuit of magical domination. It was only after Grindelwald attacked his younger brother Aberforth did Albus break away from his manipulations -- the death of the aforementioned younger sister, Ariana, destroyed any chance of Albus falling for his tricks.

* Voldemort from ''Literature/HarryPotter''. Especially when he was younger, and charmed everyone around him into to thinking he was the hero. Everything he says is a form of emotional manipulation (guilt-tripping, flattery, fear-mongering, put-downs to lower self-esteem), it's just that he doesn't use his charm to its full extent as an adult, preferring to manipulate using negative reinforcement instead. As is repeatedly stated in the series: "Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great."
** Dumbledore. He plays people from ''beyond the grave'', using his reputation as a kind, slightly CloudCuckoolander BigGood to get everyone to do exactly what he wants, playing on Voldemort's vanity and shortsightedness, Snape's love for [[spoiler: Lily]] and Harry's chronic heroism. Also, what he did with [[spoiler: Draco. He knew the kid was trying to kill him, and he knew he wouldn't be doing it if Voldemort hadn't put him up to it. Yet he still refused to confront him until ThePlan he'd dragged Snape into came to fruition. When he offered to hide Draco and his family, it was already too late for him to accept.]]

** Achilles from the spin-off ''Literature/EndersShadow'' series manages to hook entire governments, despite being an ''openly'' [[ReliableTraitor reliably traitorous]] AxCrazy PsychoForHire.

* Yeerk TortureTechnician and utter psycho, Taylor, from {{Animorphs}}.

* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': [[spoiler: Duke Selen Esrah used manipulation to start a coup.]] When Kasile investigated her own kidnapping, he pretended to be her greatest aid when he was truly the one she was looking for. He twisted her conclusion to frame her for treason.