History RankScalesWithAsskicking / VideoGames

** Ezio from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'', now a Master Assassin, is a better fighter than any of the Assassins he recruits, and even more kickass than in ''2'' when he was younger and didn't have the authority. His position gets much more solidified in VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations.

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer: Red Alert 3'' has [[spoiler:Emperor Yoshiro piloting the SuperPrototype of the [[HumongousMecha King Oni]] in the Soviet Campaign.]]

* Played straight and subverted in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls''. Plot-wise, each boss you face that you receive a Lord Soul from was one of the Lords who rebelled against the Dragons and defeated them with the power of the Flames. This includes Gravelord Nito, Seath the Scaleless, The Four Kings of Anor Londo, and the Bed of Chaos, formerly the Witch of Izalith. But then there's the final boss, [[spoiler: the withered husk of the God of the Sun, Gwyn, Lord of Cinder]]. Unlike other bosses in the game, his attacks are absolutely relentless, and he has close to no openings during the entire fight. Not to mention that he wields a massive flaming sword that can kill you in only a couple of hits, and can damage you even as you guard. He is extremely powerful, even if at this point he's little more than a burnt-out hollow of his former self. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNVarlNMOEA Subverted from a gameplay standpoint, in that he is also the only boss in the game who can be parried, which can make the fight much shorter.]]

** In ''Videogame/DragonAgeInquisition'', the Inquisitor, being the player character is the strongest individual of the Inquisition. Vivienne was a [[TheArchmage First Enchantress]], meaning she is a powerful mage. The main antagonist [[spoiler:Corypheus]], being [[spoiler:one of the original Tevinter Magisters who opened gates to the Golden City]] is one of the closest things to a PhysicalGod the setting as one can get.

** In ''Videogame/Fallout4'', Arthur Maxson of the Brotherhood carries a unique Gatling Laser but is no tougher than any other character unless he's wearing Power Armor while his second-in-command Paladin Danse is a companion character who is [[TwentyFourHourArmor always in his suit]]. Desdemona of the Railroad is not especially tough but Deacon, like Danse is a companion character and thus is fairly capable. Subverted with the Institute since all of their leaders are simply scientists in lab coats and their leader [[spoiler:Shaun]] is a frail old man.
* [[AmoralAfrikaner Hoyt Volker]] in ''VideoGame/FarCry3'' is pretty skilled with a blade. Jason Brody's earlier battles with his {{Dragon}}s [[RuthlessModernPirates Vaas]] and [[TheBogan Buck]] are one-sided in Jason's favour, despite the fact that as pirates and mercenaries, they should have tons more combat experience than him. [[spoiler:When Jason fights Hoyt, he poses the toughest boss fight in the entire game. Apart from being able to block and parry Jason's stabs, Hoyt manages to sweep Jason's legs from below him twice, forcing Jason to dodge him and grabs his knife back to defend himself. Even when Jason stabs Hoyt in the side, he refuses to run away. Jason has to stick one knife through Hoyt's ribs and one through his neck (or two, depending on whether you pass the quick-time event) in order to finally kill him.]]

** Kain R. Heinlein from ''Garou: Mark of the Wolves''. His SuperMode is unlimited, and his bodyguard, Grant, is ''also'' an SNKBoss. He's Geese's (and Krauser's) brother-in-law... there's something about that family...

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'',

* ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries''

* A standard rule in ''Videogame/MakaiKingdom'' and the ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' series, due to the general demon mindset. The Overlord rules the Netherworld because they're strong enough to fend off anyone else trying to take over. If another demon manages to defeat the Overlord, they become the new Overlord. An Overlord can even conquer another Netherworld by defeating its established Overlord.

** Spinoff ''Videogame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' has this once again, with the higher-ups of the PMC you fight along the whole game also being tremendously powerful cyborgs, one power-armored master swordsman and [[spoiler:one HumongousMecha-driving, {{Nanomachine}}-infused PersonOfMassDestruction, who gets another dose of this trope by being a senator as well]].

* ''TheSimpsons'' beat-em-up video game has this, too, sort of. The final bosses are a bomb-crazed Smithers who can smack you across the screen with impunity, and C. Montgomery Burns in a breakaway huge mecha. Then again, once out of it, he shows his true strength--which is on par with Maggie's.

* The IPCA from ''VideoGame/{{Syphon Filter}}'' operates on this where the most badass agents hold the highest rank with Gabriel Logan being the highest-ranked agent.

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' use this trope straightforward time and time again, except in ''Subterranean Animism'' where the bosses of stage 5 and 6 are ''domestic pets'' of stage 4 boss (who is also the mistress of the dungeon your character is fighting through).

* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}''

* In the ''Videogame/{{Yakuza}}'' series, most of the high-ranking Yakuza bosses are usually capable of putting up a far better fight than any of the generic grunts, with characters that are stated to be either lieutenants or [[TheDon head of their own clans]] typically being boss fights.

*** King Carnelian is regarded as a very capable warrior, and while it's something of an Informed Ability, we do get to briefly see him fight alongside Rab while wielding a sword in a flashback.

* In ''VideoGame/LiberalCrimeSquad'', authority is represented by how many people can work under your liberals. This depends on [[ExperiencePoints Juice]]. Since Juice and also increases statistics (Like Agility and Health]], The better you are at leading, the better your stats. And the current leader of the LCS gets 6 extra recruit slots... And [[PlotArmor a 75% damage reduction]].

** Averted and played straight by [[BrainInAJar Mother Brain]] and played straight by the rest of the Pirates. Mother Brain can't even attack in the first game, but is protected by indestructible turrets and has [[MadeOfIron immense durability]] and a HealingFactor. In ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'', she lost the healing factor but gained an attack, and in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' she is attached to a HumongousMecha that can wipe the floor with Samus, requiring a DeusExMachina to defeat. For the rest of the Pirates, higher rank usually nets better equipment, like the Pirate Commander's indestructible armor and personal teleporter. Weavil, a Pirate [[FourStarBadAss General]] (the same rank as Ridley, actually), has armor on par with Samus' and wields a miniature nuclear reactor ''in his crotch''.

** In the world of Zemuria as a whole some of the most powerful characters are in the military or have a military background (which makes sense, considering they have years of experience that are boosted even further by Combat Orbments), most notably in ''VideoGame/TrailsOfColdSteel'' is Commander Aurelia Le Guin, [[RedBaron The Golden Rakshasa]], commander of the Provincial Army of [[TheEmpire Erebonia]] and a strong contender for title of WorldsStrongestWoman.
** This is [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]] when it involves [[NebulousEvilOrganization Ouroboros]]. While their hierarchy seems to be more formal and about who's 'in the know' (only the Seven Anguis are in direct contact with the [[GreaterScopeVillain Grandmaster]]) rather than their power, some such as [[KnightInShiningArmor Arianhrod]], an Anguis, play it straight, while some Enforcers like [[BloodKnight McBurn]] are evidently far more powerful than most of the Anguis.

Before getting into specific examples, it's worth noting that AuthorityEqualsAsskicking is exactly why the [[BossBattle bigger, badder, tougher enemy at the end of the level]] was called the "Boss" to begin with, hence the sheer size of this page.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' plays with this. Non-nobility characters can have high base stats and be just as effective as some of the unique characters, but chances are the characters with the cool, unique classes have a title backing them up. Ramza's father was a high ranking noble and purportedly a beast in combat. "Thunder God Cid" is of equal rank, and his skills are apparent. Agrias, Beowulf, Ramza's brothers, and others have unique classes to go with their nobility, and Delita only acquires a unique class after he moves up the social ladder.

** A side quest in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' finds the player scavenging the ruins of a DC museum in search of UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln artifacts. One such antique the player can find is "Lincoln's Repeating Rifle", a gold-plated weapon that fires .44 Magnum bullets and ''easily'' outclasses most other weapons in the "Small Guns" category. Honest Abe was '''packin'''', folks. Somewhat TruthInTelevision, Lincoln's family had to hunt for their own food and he always kept himself up to date with developments in ordnance technologies.

** And in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'' you had Frank Horrigan, who was the toughest member of the Enclave. Although completely averted with the President.

* In just about any ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' game, the hero faces an evil organization of sort, and whoever leads it (along with TheDragon and other high-ranking members) are usually the most powerful bosses in the game.
** To be fair, ''Pokemon'' is always this way. Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Champion of each region are always harder to fight than other trainers of the same level, and the legendary Pokemon are the same way. Of course, some of it is because TheComputerIsACheatingBastard.

* If a named military character in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'' has at ''least'' a rank of "captain", you'd better believe they're going to back it up in combat [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight no matter how antiquated their choice of weaponry is]], and the higher their rank the more badass you can expect them to be. Brigadier General Cassius Bright in particular has such a fierce reputation as a OneManArmy that the villains' entire plot in the first game hinged on him being out of the country on other business [[StoryBreakerPower just so he wouldn't effortlessly crush the insurrection all by himself.]]

* Alejandro Sosa from ''VideoGame/ScarfaceTheWorldIsYours'', the powerful drug lord Tony has spent the whole game building up to vengeance on, takes multiple rounds from the otherwise-OneHitKill Desert Eagle and gives as good as he gets. Enemy gang leaders usually pack better heat than their underlings too. Of course, you as Tony kick far more ass than any of your innumerable RedShirt {{mooks}}.

* In ''VideoGame/StrongHold'', the Lord is the most powerful unit, being almost immune to arrows and able to outmatch up to three heavily armored swordfighters simultaneously. Unfortunately, the player cannot make much use of this advantage, since the lord's death equals a Game Over.
* Shao Khan, the FinalBoss in many games in the ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' series, is ruler of the Outlands, and clearly didn't gain the position just by good looks. He's a terror whenever your character fights him (unless you take advantage of his frequent habit of gloating, which is [[WeaksauceWeakness pretty much the idea]]).
* In ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore: For Answer'', the world is pretty much ruled by a group of arms-manufacturing megacorporations that resolve disputes using HumongousMecha. Guess what two of the [=CEOs=] of these corporations do to earn pocket money... yep, that's right. Semi-justified as both of them exclusively use their own respective corporations' products in combat, thus serving as walking (or rolling) advertisements.
* In ''VideoGame/AmericanMcGeesAlice'' the demonic Queen of Hearts is the ruler of Wonderland [[spoiler: not to mention the embodiment of the defense mechanism producing Alice's insanity]] ''and'' the FinalBoss of the game. To say that she's hard to beat is an understatement.
* In the RTS game ''VideoGame/SevenKingdoms'' (and its sequel) regular soldiers, once out of training, start at level 20. The King (Player) starts the game at level 100. However, it's possible for normal soldiers to equal the King eventually, at least in combat. To hone their leadership though, they need to be promoted and improve it through leading. The King, however, can die and the trope can get subverted if the player ends up selecting [[SuckSessor a less-worthy successor with less leadership.]]
* The admiral of the Navy in ''VideoGame/{{Dubloon}}'' is a {{large|AndInCharge}}, tough and menacing figure who can [[RealityWarper bend space to his whim]].
* The [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Kenget Kamulos]] in ''VideoGame/{{Albion}}'' make this extremely true by having their current leader become the avatar of the god of war.
* In ''VideoGame/VanguardBandits'', the nation leaders each have a [[SuperPrototype Excavated]] [[AMechByAnyOtherName ATAC]] which is significantly more powerful than the common grunt suits reverse-engineered from them. Being some of the best pilots in the game helps too.

* In ''VideoGame/LiberalCrimeSquad'', authority is represented by how many people can work under your liberals. This depends on [[ExperiencePoints Juice]]. Since Juice and also increases statistics (Like Agility and Health]], The better you are at leading, the better your stats. And the current leader of the LCS gets 6 extra recruit slots... And [[PlotArmor a 75% damage reduction]].
* Averted in ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars''. Destroyer-based Squadron Command and Control ([=CnC=]) ships are poorly armed and best kept far from the fighting, cruiser-based Strikeforce [=CnCs=] are not much better, and while dreadnought-based Armada [=CnC=] and Flagship vessels are pretty tough they usually lose to proper combat dreads in a straight fight. Played straight with Leviathans in the sequel, which are the toughest craft in the game and have the best command.
* Mostly played straight in ''VideoGame/TheLastRemnant''. If an important character is playable, they will be a leader in battle (as opposed to a common soldier). If they also happen to be high-class or the leader of an organisation, they will usually have more skills and higher stats than the average leader, and often get a LimitBreak as well.
* Both played straight and averted in ''VideoGame/SaintsRow''. Some of the various gang and faction leaders are undeniably talented ass-kickers, while others are barely a threat in a straight fight. For instance, the [[{{Yakuza}} Ronin]] gang carries [[KatanasAreJustBetter katanas on their backs]], and it's no surprise their leaders and officers are well versed in their use. Conversely, some of the Vice Kings leaders are no more threat than their {{Mooks}}. The player character pretty much becomes one of these in the course of the sequel, being both the leader of the revived Saints and the only one among them with a body count higher than [[BloodKnight Johnny Gat]], the resident crazy violent bastard of the bunch who was once on trial for literally hundreds of murders. [[OneManArmy In a single case.]]
* The reboot of ''VideoGame/{{Syndicate}}'' seems to follow this pattern. Sergeants are EliteMooks, the Lieutenant shown in trailers is a miniboss at least and the Colonel in the co-op demo is a boss. However, it also subverts this in that [[spoiler:Jack Denham]] is a NonActionBigBad.
* Pinnacle from ''VideoGame/DeadToRights'', the corrupt mayor of Grant City who's like a cross between [[Franchise/MarvelUniverse The Kingpin]] and an evil version of [[VideoGame/FinalFight Mike Haggar.]] In their LetsPlay, LetsPlay/{{Slowbeef}} and Diabetus ponder why he even needs a security force when he's a "shaved bear in a pinstriped suit."

* A standard rule in ''Videogame/MakaiKingdom'' and the ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' series, due to the general demon mindset. The Overlord rules the Netherworld because they're strong enough to fend off anyone else trying to take over. If another demon manages to defeat the Overlord, they become the new Overlord. An Overlord can even conquer another Netherworld by defeating its established Overlord.
* ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'' has this in full effect, as the lords and kings are both [[OldSoldier a lot more experienced in the battlefield]] due to [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething leading their own troops into battle]] and able to buy the best weaponry and armor the game has to offer. The latter makes it easier to pick them out and home in on them, which you'll probably have to do if you don't want your troops slaughtered by him.
* ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'' has a downplayed version: Captain Benjamin Mathius of the USG ''Ishimura'' is the first {{e|liteMooks}}nhanced [[EverythingsDeaderWithZombies Necromorph]] you encounter.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'' games featuring the Bacterian Emperor, who [[ZeroEffortBoss has minimal offensive power at best and is completely stationary and incapable of combat at worst]].
* Played straight and subverted in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls''. Plot-wise, each boss you face that you receive a Lord Soul from was one of the Lords who rebelled against the Dragons and defeated them with the power of the Flames. This includes Gravelord Nito, Seath the Scaleless, The Four Kings of Anor Londo, and the Bed of Chaos, formerly the Witch of Izalith. But then there's the final boss, [[spoiler: the withered husk of the God of the Sun, Gwyn, Lord of Cinder]]. Unlike other bosses in the game, his attacks are absolutely relentless, and he has close to no openings during the entire fight. Not to mention that he wields a massive flaming sword that can kill you in only a couple of hits, and can damage you even as you guard. He is extremely powerful, even if at this point he's little more than a burnt-out hollow of his former self. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNVarlNMOEA Subverted from a gameplay standpoint, in that he is also the only boss in the game who can be parried, which can make the fight much shorter.]]
* Though he looks to be almost the same age as the protagonist, Nova from ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'' is the highest-ranking member of Sumeragi we've yet seen and is easily the strongest foe Gunvolt has faced, though it should be noted that he was promoted for his political skills alongside his battle ones. [[spoiler: Whereas the other six Sumeragi Adepts use only one Glaive to hold back their powers, Nova uses ''three'', and even without them can still fight Gunvolt on even terms. His [[OneWingedAngel transformed state]] could only be defeated thanks to some FightingFromTheInside courtesy of [[MysticalWaif Joule]].]] Likewise, [[spoiler: [[TrueFinalBoss Asimov]], leader of [[LaResistance QUILL]] unit SHEEPS, is quite powerful in his own right compared to his comrades, and uses a version of Gunvolt's own powers that are capable of rivaling him despite [[CameBackStrong his recent power-up]].]] Going even further in ''2'', [[spoiler:[[TheDogWasTheMastermind Zonda]] of Sumeragi is revealed to be the leader of [[SuperSupremacist Eden]] and is the most powerful Adept amongst their ranks despite being [[AChildShallLeadThem only a child]], rivaling Asimov and even Nova once she [[RealityWarper absorbs the power of the Muse]].]]
* Invoked in ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'' with the Black Viceroys, who were just a straight-up street gang until [[FromCamouflageToCriminal army veteran]] Delford "Iraq" Wade took control of the gang and restructured it completely. Iraq equipped and trained up the gang's upper ranks to be a credible military force while keeping the lower ranks mere gangbangers to mask the gang's overall capability to the outside world. Iraq himself is also a skilled fighter, tactician, and [[spoiler:hacker]], and is just as hardy as his reputation suggests.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Armello}}'', the King has twice the Battle Dice and HP of his guards, is comfortably beyond the starting stats of most heroes, and if the art of certain cards is to be believed, the seemingly-proportionate sword he wields is larger than his guards are tall, suggesting he's [[LargeAndInCharge at least twice the height of any hero]]. Becoming strong enough to kill the king and survive before his disease kills him makes you the new king, but even when he has a single heart and is within hours of dying of disease, attacking him is a risky gambit.
* The IPCA from ''VideoGame/{{Syphon Filter}}'' operates on this where the most badass agents hold the highest rank with Gabriel Logan being the highest-ranked agent.
* ''VideoGame/MinecraftStoryMode'': The Founder is this in Episode 5, whipping out Kung Fu moves and dual sword attacks.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Guenevere}}'', all of the most powerful main characters (Arthur, Morgana, Lancelot, and potentially [[ActionGirl Guen]] [[LadyOfBlackMagic herself]] are also among the highest socially-ranking.
* In ''VideoGame/MotherRussiaBleeds'', bosses are larger and stronger than the surrounding mooks. The second level is set inside a prison and the level's boss in the prison warden; the third level's boss is the leader of a gang. Subverted with the Premier, who's an old man who hides from the players for his "fight", which mainly consists of making sure he doesn't escape.
* In ''VideoGame/PulpAdventures'', Nazi Generals are tougher than the Nazi mooks.

* Talon, the villainous counterpart to ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'', is led by a somewhat enigmatic council. While not all of the members have been revealed yet, some that have been possess unknown fighting strength, and one in particular had none whatsoever, this trope is certainly embodied to some extent- two of the council members are [[HeroKiller Reaper]] and [[PersonOfMassDestruction Doomfist himself]].
* Awesomely subverted in ''VideoGame/Persona2: Innocent Sin''. A thug named Hiroki utilizes the ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve property of Sumaru City to make himself stronger than Captain Death. What is Eikichi "Captain Death" Mishima's response? He renounces the title of Captain Death and beats the ever-loving shit out of him.
* Lord Brevon, the BigBad of ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'', who's at his most dangerous in a one-on-one fight at the end of the game, where he's perfectly capable of killing the player in two hits with nothing but a combat knife.
* Kingdar from ''VideoGame/EightBitKiller'', TheDragon of Master Brain, carries a {{spread sho|t}}oting {{Gatling g|ood}}un and can take dozens of hits from a {{BFG}} that can take down even [[EliteMook the toughest mooks]] in two shots.
* If a named military character in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'' has at ''least'' a rank of "captain", you'd better believe they're going to back it up in combat [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight no matter how antiquated their choice of weaponry is]], and the higher their rank the more badass you can expect them to be. Brigadier General Cassius Bright in particular has such a fierce reputation as a OneManArmy that the villains' entire plot in the first game hinged on him being out of the country on other business [[StoryBreakerPower just so he wouldn't effortlessly crush the insurrection all by himself.]]
* In ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' game ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', the Captains seem to be the only mooks that are capable of attacking and defending.
* ''VideoGame/PunkySkunk'': Commander Chew is a heck of a lot tougher than the rank and file Chews.
* ''[[http://www.justonlinegames.com/games/tomb-chess.html Tomb Chess]]'': Most of the time, any ghoul can take down an enemy ghoul of equal or lesser rank. The sole exception is that the Ghostly Pawn can take down the Demon King while the King cannot take down the Pawn.

* Firstly, a strange subversion of this is in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', where after defeating Silver Sonic in Death Egg Zone, Dr. Robotnik tries to escape through a long corridor on foot. You run after him, but it turns out that ''Dr. Eggman, the obese scientist who was re-named for his poor physical state is faster than, or capable of keeping up with Sonic, the fastest thing alive'' and you can't catch him! All because he immediately jumps into the cockpit of the final boss.
* The ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series plays this to the hilt. If there is a character who is in charge, he/she will be the most powerful. On the heroic side, we have Princess Peach. While she is ''the'' DamselInDistress, she has more than proven to be exceptionally skilled, and definitely more competent than the Toads she watches over. We also have [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy Rosalina]], who is unknown to be actual royalty, but she is clearly a mother figure and leader to the Lumas whom she lives with on her Comet Observatory. Rosalina's a PhysicalGod and one of the most powerful characters in the series. Then of course, we have {{B|igBad}}owser who is the King of the Koopas, and by and far the most powerful and threatening. This also applies to the various [[KingMook King Mooks]] like King Boo, Goomboss, and King Bob-omb.

* In ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage 2'', you have to fight your way through MechaMooks, monsters, and TheDragon - Shiva, legendary martial artist - to get to Mr. X. He's just a big dude in a business suit, but he's nonetheless tougher and more dangerous than any of those preceding him. No small part of this, however, is the fact that he packs an ''assault rifle'', but even close-in, he's [[PistolWhipping no slouch]].
* In ''VideoGame/{{Stranglehold}}'', the final boss is Mr. Wong, the head of the notorious [[TheSyndicate Dragon Claw syndicate]]. He's a short, balding, wrinkled guy, but that doesn't stop him from carrying around a huge sniper-rifle with one hand -- and he can absorb more bullets than Dapang, his [[TheDragon hulking, tattooed bodyguard]], who was seen [[GunsAkimbo dual-wielding shotguns]].
* In the western-themed [=LucasArts=] videogame ''VideoGame/{{Outlaws}}'', the final boss is, in all appearances, just another desperado. But since he's the leader of the gang, you will need a {{Gatling|Good}}-[[{{BFG}} Gun]] to take him down. [[spoiler:When he stumbles into ending NotQuiteDead, [[CutscenePowerToTheMax The main character's daughter shoots him with the basic pistol]].]]
* In ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', the bosses are ranked in the UAA according to their ranking as an assassin. While this trope is played straight in both games with the higher-ranked assassins [[spoiler:(Bad Girl, Jeane, and Henry in the original game; Alice and Jasper Batt Jr. in the sequel)]], it also tends to be subverted at times: higher ranked assassins like Destroyman and Capt. Vladimir tend to be easier compared to lower assassins like Shinobu, Margaret, and Ryuji. It could be possible that Shinobu, Margaret, and Ryuji were still cutting their way up to a higher rank when Travis came along.

* In the classic {{FPS}} ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'', several of the final bosses take advantage of this, including Dr. Schabbs (one of the rare examples of a MadScientist using this trope), at least one Nazi General, and of course, [[StupidJetpackHitler Adolf Hitler]], who naturally takes this to extremes: Not only has he [[StupidJetpackHitler somehow acquired]] [[PoweredArmor an armored battle-suit]] mounted with [[GunsAkimbo quadruple]] {{Gatling g|ood}}uns, once you've blasted it enough, he pops out -- [[SequentialBoss and continues to fight]], with Gatling GunsAkimbo, while [[MadeOfIron ignoring the hail of bullets you're throwing at him]]. Not to mention the fake Hitlers you meet before you face him, which have a unique weapon: Flamethrowers. [[ManOnFire Nasty, nasty, nasty...]]
* The bizarre mecha game ''VideoGame/MetalWolfChaos'' has this as its central premise. You play as the president of the United States in a super-powerful MiniMecha trying to liberate the U.S. following a military coup led by the [[EvilChancellor vice president]] who, naturally, also has a MiniMecha.
** Justified, however, since both of them are veterans of the Arizona Conflict, with president Michael Wilson even receiving Medal of Honor for his actions in it.
* In a similar vein to ''Metal Wolf Chaos'', ''VideoGame/LiberationMaiden'' places players in the role of the HumongousMecha-piloting President of New Japan (who happens to be a high school-aged young woman).
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
** Higher-ranked Sangheili/Elites are far more skilled at fighting than their subordinates. This is {{Justified| Trope}} as Elite promotions are based almost entirely on how many foes they killed and, by extension, how much experience and skill they have as warriors. Additionally, promotions come with better equipment; the highest ranks, like Zealots and Ultras, generally have shielding so powerful that they can withstand a charged Plasma Pistol shot on Legendary, which would instantly destroy the shields of a lesser Elite. They also get one-hit-kill energy swords.
** Brutes work the same way, but in an even more [[KlingonPromotion brutal]] way; never mind the kill score, if they topple the current pack chief, they get his seat and shiny helmet along with tough shielding, rounded off with a gigantic more-often-than-not OHKO hammer. On higher difficulties, even being licked by its impact shockwave hurts like crap. Even if they eschew the hammer, they'll still carry around the heaviest ranged weapons available.
** In fact, even the client Covenant species like Grunts and Jackals seem to be promoted based on combat ability; they also receive better equipment as they advance in rank.
** On the other hand, the Prophets, who are the religious and political leaders of the Covenant, avert this entirely, being frail and barely capable of fighting. The one fight you have against one of them consisted of avoiding the easy-to-dodge fire from his hoverchair before jumping on and punching him to death. It would be an utter CurbStompBattle even on Legendary if it wasn't for the continuous waves of his Elite Honor Guards.
** Forerunner Prometheans, the highest order of Warrior-Servant a Forerunner can ascend to, are made up of only the biggest and strongest Forerunners. In fact, due to their custom of assuming different "forms" based on their rate and rank, they are specifically engineered to be the pinnacle of what a Warrior can be, mentally and physically.

* This is a result of a world ruled by the Chaos factions of ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'': Being able to beat down anyone who challenges you is practically a prerequisite for having power and authority; defeat means you are unworthy of it.
* In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'', Chiaki wants to reshape the world so that this philosophy (the Reason of Yosuga) is to her liking - where those who are deemed weak are slaughtered, and the strongest are deemed the upper classes.

* ''VideoGame/FatalFury'':
** Geese Howard, at first, seems to be your run-of-the-mill crime boss. Once you actually fight him, though, you can easily see why he is where he is. After all, he was the very first SNKBoss.
** ''VideoGame/FatalFury 2'' brings us Wolfgang Krauser, Geese's half-brother and the latest in a line of bodyguards to various European nobility. He has his own bodyguard, Lawrence Blood, but Krauser really doesn't need him: he's strong enough on his own.
** Likewise, [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Rugal Bernstein]] has two secretaries, Vice and Mature, who also function as his bodyguards. Like Krauser, Rugal doesn't really need them, as he once took out an ''entire company'' of Heidern's troops before beating Heidern himself to a pulp. Then he killed Heidern's family for the lulz. It was also implied at one point that he had beaten both Geese and Krauser one-on-one.
** Kain R. Heinlein from ''Garou: Mark of the Wolves''. His SuperMode is unlimited, and his bodyguard, Grant, is ''also'' an SNKBoss. He's Geese's (and Krauser's) brother-in-law... there's something about that family...
** And Mr. Big of ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' ain't no slouch either. He's the head of a Southtown crime syndicate, and wields two Kali Stick-things which he uses to good effect, not only for smashing heads open, but he can create Power Wave-style energy blasts from them. Add a huge, imposing body build to that mix and you have the perfect Don.
** Years earlier in the ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' universe, we have Gaoh, the leader of a rebel army. He is dangerous, wielding a deadly looking polearm. We haven't even GOTTEN to the fact that he can turn into a demon mid-battle.
* ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'':
** Terran units have ranks going strictly by unit power/tier. Space Marines are Privates, Firebats are Corporals, and so on. By contrast, character units are a lot stronger than their normal versions but their rank is plot-dependant (and not particularly high in most cases).
** Inverted in ''VideoGame/StarcraftII''. All units start out at some basic rank that [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority increases based on the number of kills they have.]]
* Perhaps one of the more ridiculous examples is the video game adaption of ''VideoGame/TomorrowNeverDies''. In the movie, the primary villain is merely a CorruptCorporateExecutive and doesn't have any exceptional physical abilities. In the game, though, he's one of the final bosses and is able to take about a dozen grenades to the face before he dies.
* In ''VideoGame/MusashiSamuraiLegend'', the villains are the CorruptCorporateExecutive Board of Directors of Gandrake Enterprises. All of them, including President Gandrake himself, are endgame-level bosses.
* ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'':
** Captain Price, apart from being [[GameplayAllyImmortality literally unkillable]] for the most of the game, is usually the first one to dash into the next room full of {{mooks}} and clear the way for his team, including the PC. He also does some impressive tricks when subtlety is required.
** Played straight with General Shepherd in ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare 2'', [[spoiler:where it turns out that the general is capable of completely whooping both Captains Mactavish and Price (two S.A.S. commandos) in a stand up fight. The two only survive because the half-dead Soap manages to pull a knife out of his gut and [[EyeScream throw it into Shepherd's eye]] as he's distracted while beating Price to death. Keep in mind that Shepherd has just survived a helicopter crash (whereas Soap and Price "merely" fell down a waterfall).]]
** Also, Price demonstrates his extreme badassitude in ''[=MW2=]'' when he shoots down a combat helicopter ''with an antipersonnel sniper rifle '''while dodging a minigun ON A FRICKING RUBBER BOAT IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOUNTAIN RIVER'''''. He also has some [[AwesomenessByAnalysis mad hacking skills]], as he [[spoiler:hijacks a Russian nuclear submarine and rigs one of its missile to detonate ''exactly'' above Washington on his own under extreme time pressure.]]
** Call of Duty is rife with this trope, yet still subverts it with Al-Asad [[spoiler: beaten up and summarily executed by Price]] and Victor Zakhaev [[spoiler: commits suicide to avoid capture, which is at least better than Al-Asad]]
* ''TheSimpsons'' beat-em-up video game has this, too, sort of. The final bosses are a bomb-crazed Smithers who can smack you across the screen with impunity, and C. Montgomery Burns in a breakaway huge mecha. Then again, once out of it, he shows his true strength--which is on par with Maggie's.
* In ''VideoGame/LostOdyssey'', Prince/King Tolten wields an unusual variant of this. He's a bit of a wuss and compared to the two Immortal melee-fighters, his stats aren't impressive. However, BECAUSE he's a member of the Royal Line of Uhra, he's got access to unique and powerful accessories, weapons, and skills. Including the [[AwesomeButImpractical Ultimate Hit]] and the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Age of The King]]. Once you put those things together, he actually ends up being a fighter on par with the thousand-years-old main character. Now only if there was a way to fix his accuracy problems...
* The ''Franchise/{{Star Wars|Legends}}'' video game ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' had this in the villain of Admiral Saul Karath, the number two on the evil hierarchy under Darth Malak. When you fight him on the bridge of his flagship, it takes a whole arsenal of high-powered weaponry to take him down. Not bad for a guy whose reputation was as a tactical genius. Of course, Darth Malak himself is difficult and justified in being so.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFight'':
** Mayor Mike Haggar, who took a somewhat more direct approach than most to reducing the city's crime rate. To be fair, he was a wrestler and street fighter before becoming mayor. And after, too.
** The crime syndicate leader and boss of the same game, Belger. He has the largest health bar of ''anybody'' in the game and has a rapid-fire crossbow. Oh, and he's invulnerable for most of the fight with him. And he starts the fight in a wheelchair... which is entirely to lower your guard ("would you hit a man in a wheelchair?" style). Once you hit him enough, it breaks and he gets up.
* In ''VideoGame/MaxPayne2'', the "boss" criminals (Kaffman, [[spoiler:Cowboy Mike]], and BigBad [[spoiler:Vlad Lem]] can all survive more bullets than the standard mooks, but the difference is barely noticeable. Kaffman has something like 4x as much health as a standard mook, but that just means he goes down after several shots instead of just a couple. Likewise, [[spoiler:Vlad]] only has somewhat more health than a normal enemy, but you fight him in an elaborate PuzzleBoss arena.
* Alejandro Sosa from ''VideoGame/ScarfaceTheWorldIsYours'', the powerful drug lord Tony has spent the whole game building up to vengeance on, takes multiple rounds from the otherwise-OneHitKill Desert Eagle and gives as good as he gets. Enemy gang leaders usually pack better heat than their underlings too. Of course, you as Tony kick far more ass than any of your innumerable RedShirt {{mooks}}.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Crysis}}'', it takes almost a dozen sniper rifle shots to the face to bring down [[GatlingGood minigun-wielding]] North Korean leader General Kyong. Granted, he's wearing a [[PoweredArmor nanosuit]], but that still doesn't explain how he can survive headshots without wearing a helmet, or the fact he survives much more damage than regular nanosuit-wearing enemy soldiers.
* Played straight in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', but usually justified since higher-ranking officers get more powerful HumongousMecha to fight with. An example of a ''good'' character using this trope, however, is Ring Mao, CEO of Mao Industries. Using a DeadlyUpgrade RealRobot? Check. Ungodly stats? Check. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Taking on a small army in OG1 single-handedly?]] Check.
* The entire ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' series operates off of this trope. Ordinary soldiers are cannon-fodder. Only enemies ranked Lieutenant or higher are any sort of a challenge, while master Strategists like Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang kick ass with the best of them. The Kings of the Three Kingdoms are, of course, packing boss-level HP whenever you meet them on the battlefield. This is particularly noticeable in various scenarios that allow you to face them ''before'' they became kings at much lower power. All player-characters are ranked Lt. General at the very least, and their rank increases as they level up. All of the titles you can attain have 'General' in it somewhere, though.
** Averted when it comes to Dong Zhuo, who's portrayed as a relatively weak coward who's [[TheDragon Dragon]] Lu Bu not only far outshines him, but everyone else in the series [[WorldsStrongestMan in sheer might.]] The various emperors that officially lead Wei are also treated as weak and ineffectual (with the exception of Cao Pi in the brief window of time he seized control of the throne before his death.)
* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}''
** [[CloneArmy Grineer]] commanders and officers are universally more powerful than the regular soldiers that serve them. This is generally because, being [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority in addition to ascending in their empire's hierarchy]], successful soldiers can also afford to use [[{{Cyborg}} cybernetic augmentations]] to both repair their decaying bodies (allowing them to live longer, like [[EvilOldFolks Captain Vor]]) and make themselves more powerful, imposing, and dangerous (like [[GeneralRipper General Sargas Ruk]] or Councillor Vay Hek, both of whom are heavily augmented and hard to kill).
** [[TheVirus Infested]] bosses, on the other hand, are generally conscious, intelligent manifestations of the plague's collective HiveMind. They can be either "small" periodic manifestations that show up in early outbreaks, like Phorid, or huge, ancient organisms like the Lephantis, who, due to being ''thousands'' of years old, was able to grow to enormous size and power. Some, like the Jordas J3 Golem, are even able to self-replicate, setting up elaborate traps to facilitate the creation of organisms similar to themselves.
** [[MegaCorp Corpus]] bosses are a peculiar case. Some are high-ranking executives who, like the Grineer, employ expensive technology to defend themselves, but most are actually just [[MechaMooks robotic war machines]] that, if the [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Sortie briefings]] are to be believed, actually command legions of lesser robots and regular human foot-soldiers despite being just proxies themselves. This seems to stem from the fact that Corpus leadership sees little distinction between their robotic and human crewmembers, and simply puts whoever is smartest and strongest in charge, even if they are a machine.
* In ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriorsOnline'', this is a much more straight example. lowly mooks still die by the hundreds. Named characters, or characters named by their rank if you are facing the non-specific kingdoms that have little importance in the story of the three kingdoms, are stronger than mooks, but still pushovers. Your character, starting at "guard" working his way up, can (not necessarily will) kick all kinds of ass, and the musou generals, who are the original characters from the game, are the strongest out there, and have many special abilities as backup, including backup. As a player character gets higher ranked, they can use more powerful weapons, meaning that they will get many bonuses to facing a lower level character if they use that ability.
* Lord British is NighInvulnerable in most of the ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' games. [[LordBritishPostulate There's usually a way to kill him, though]].
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} Online'', this trope is taken to its logical end point; the ONLY difference between new characters and end game characters is their rank. Naturally rank allows access to better items and skill, but the fact is that a newly minted mage has the same "power" as one who can duel a greater daemon and win.
* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer: Red Alert 3'' has [[spoiler:Emperor Yoshiro piloting the SuperPrototype of the [[HumongousMecha King Oni]] in the Soviet Campaign.]]
* ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'' uses this partially. On the side of TheEmpire, battlefield commanders (probably sergeants or at least corporals) are signified by a red armor, and invariably have more HP and a better chance to dodge bullets. They also hit better, and (somehow) do more damage. However, while your own corporals and sergeants starts out pretty strong - and remain so for the entire game - several of them are eventually surpassed by some of the enlisted troops. Your second-in-command, however, is probably the most powerful unit around, and you yourself (a squadron commander ranked Lieutenant) gets to drive around in a SuperPrototype tank. The truest use of this trope, however, falls to the trio of Imperial Commanders leading the invasion under the direction of EvilPrince Maximilian. Two of them pose impressive challenges by having access to unique vehicles, as does Maximilian, and the third, well, she just kicks unholy amounts of ass. [[spoiler:And finally, at the very end, Maximilian shows that being ranked prince gives you access to some really nifty toys, and single-handedly goes up against your entire squadron, including two tanks.]]
* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'':
** Both a hunched over old man and a drunk (who in the preceding cutscene is implied to be able to kill a warrior only because he was sleeping) can take more hits than most of the randomly spawning monsters in the chapter, for no reason other than that they are pillars of the community and (one of the possible) final fight in the chapter. While the fight is not hard by any means, the necessity of this trope is questionable; they are preceded by a much more climactic boss.
** This is subverted with the arrival of King Foltest, appearing the macho cavalier as he insists he'll survey ''his'' city no matter what a warzone it's turned into. An assassination attempt sends him into a huddle surrounded by his footmen. After being rescued by the leader of a knightly order, who plays this trope straight, Foltest retreats to his palace with all the dignity he can muster.
** The aforementioned leader of a knightly order [[spoiler:who is also the ManBehindTheMan and BigBad]] counts. Justified in that he is the accomplished swordsman and [[TheGift the source]] who mastered his own power through the sheer force of will.
* Regal Bryant in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', [[spoiler:a noble and president of an important and powerful company which almost controls a whole city.]] He fights with his feet while handcuffed and would be more powerful if he fought with his hands, but [[spoiler:he made a promise not to kill anyone with his hands after he euthanized his lover with them.]] Still uses them when it doesn't involve fighting. Case in point: he broke the group out of a prision cell with a KameHameHadoken.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'':
** Gaius is the ruler of the country of A Jule, and is strong enough for the first fight against him to be an OpenEndedBossBattle. [[spoiler: He ends up being the final boss, and come ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'', he's now the ruler of the entire world of Liese Maxia, a playable character, and even more of a badass then before.]]
** Bisley Karcsi Bakur from ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'' is the CEO of the Clanspia Company. He makes it rather clear he's not a run of the mill guy when he effortlessly avoids some attacks from one of his top agents early on, but his true strength doesn't come to light until much later [[spoiler: where it's revealed he's the holder of the ultimate [[SuperMode Corpse Shell]], a BigBad, and ultimately ends up becoming the final boss after he takes out Khronos, the other BigBad. He gets extra badass points for choosing to fight with his fists when he's just as capable of conjuring a lance to wield as Ludger is.]]
* The Barcid family in ''VideoGame/TearsToTiara2'' leads the Canaanites and rules Hispania because powerful members who wields the Sword of Melqart can summon the [[BloodLust blood thristy]] WarGod at will.
* The faction leaders (one or two special [=NPCs=] per race) in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' are all boss-level creatures who will mop the floor with your face if you attempt to take them on without an army behind your back. (Well, except the king of Stormwind, but he just happens to be a 4-year-old kid.) Likewise, no instance endboss ever attained his lofty status by virtue of guile, cunning, or charisma. It's ''always'' a case of having more power than all other pretenders. The king of Stormwind has since been replaced with his father, who easily ranks as among the most [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/wowwiki/images/2/22/Varian_in_Stormwind.jpg badass characters in the game]].
** This trope is downplayed in the lore, The faction's leaders remain powerful, but they can also be killed by a relatively small group of enemies or by a surprise attack. In the lore, faction leaders would have no real chance against the Lich King or Archimonde.
* ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'' has this trope all over the place. Pretty much everyone who kicks ass is, was, or is related to, royalty. The only real exceptions are the Three Wise Men, who are just normal (though powerful) mages, and only actually failed in their schemes because ''every'' PC (sans Gwendolyn) and even an NPC or two was gunning for them at them, all at the ''same time''. They really should have tried to make fewer enemies...

* Several examples in ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}''. All the cliques are led by the toughest member. The school faculty (even the sixty-something female nurse) are always tougher than the students (even the linebacker). Dr. Crabblesnitch, in his one non-cutscene appearance, has four times the stamina of any other character.
** The Jocks clique averts this since they're lead by the star quarterback rather than the aforementioned linebacker, who's stronger.
** The Preps play with this. To be specific, Derby's free-roam model and Bif share the exact same stats. Derby's boss fight model hasn't actually been located in the data files yet, and so can't be compared to any other character. Being that Derby spends the boss fight hiding behind his friends and he's quite a bit shorter than Bif, he's generally assumed to be the weaker of the two.
* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' use this trope straightforward time and time again, except in ''Subterranean Animism'' where the bosses of stage 5 and 6 are ''domestic pets'' of stage 4 boss (who is also the mistress of the dungeon your character is fighting through).
* In just about any ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' game, the hero faces an evil organization of sort, and whoever leads it (along with TheDragon and other high-ranking members) are usually the most powerful bosses in the game.
** To be fair, ''Pokemon'' is always this way. Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Champion of each region are always harder to fight than other trainers of the same level, and the legendary Pokemon are the same way. Of course, some of it is because TheComputerIsACheatingBastard.
* Towards the end of ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'', Ryu faces the two monstrously huge forms of the Holy Vigoor Emperor, the head of state and absolute monarch of his country. While not the toughest bosses in the game, they put up a good show for themselves, and by dimensions, are the largest. The third form is revealed in the DS sequel to have been small, humanoid, and capable of running the day-to-day affairs of the small, militarized landlocked Asian monarchy.
* In ''VideoGame/NinjaBlade'', it is no big surprise that the Master of your Ninja Clan is an asskicker of unsurpassed magnitude. However, it IS somewhat surprising when your Unit Commander, generally a VoiceWithAnInternetConnection (a gray-haired bureaucrat in a pin-striped suit) turns out to be a Jui-Jitsu master powerful enough to kick TheDragon's ass in unarmed combat.

* In ''VideoGame/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms VII'', higher officer classes can command more powerful armies, and higher general ranks get more tactical points. And since [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority officer classes are determined by "deeds," and the quickest way to up your deeds marker (barring exploits) is through kicking ass in battle, while the AI usually assigns general ranks by WAR skill,]] you can bet that a 1st Class Supreme General will be an absolutely fearsome opponent, whether man-to-man or commanding on the battlefield.
* Subverted with the ZOE squadron pilots in ''VideoGame/AceCombat 2''. The Captain gets an F-14, the Major gets an F/A-18E and the Colonel gets an F-22. Seems to be holding up so far, right? Well... the General gets a relatively dinky F-15S. Then the Commander, who would be pretty low on the totem pole by UsefulNotes/CommonRanks, is the FinalBoss with the ADF-01 superfighter that is as capable as one would expect a non-[[AnticlimaxBoss Anticlimax]] FinalBoss to be.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
** A side quest in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' finds the player scavenging the ruins of a DC museum in search of UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln artifacts. One such antique the player can find is "Lincoln's Repeating Rifle", a gold-plated weapon that fires .44 Magnum bullets and ''easily'' outclasses most other weapons in the "Small Guns" category. Honest Abe was '''packin'''', folks. Somewhat TruthInTelevision, Lincoln's family had to hunt for their own food and he always kept himself up to date with developments in ordnance technologies.
** Talon Company's leader, Commander Jabsco, who's armed with a rocket launcher and can survive more damage than a Deathclaw (the toughest "non-boss" mob in the game, not counting the expansion packs), and the truly insane General Jiang Wei, who carries a lightsaber and (depending on player level) can have more health than any other mob in the game, including the 15-foot tall Super Mutant Behemoth.
** Averted in the game's main plotline, though, as BigBad President Eden is [[spoiler: a supercomputer with no combat capabilities]], and his TheDragon Colonel Autumn turns out to be only marginally tougher than a standard soldier.
** ''VideoGame/Fallout1'' has BigBad TheMaster, an evil mutant head attached to an armored throne armed with dual Gatling lasers. His [[TheDragon Dragon]], The Lieutenant, is also the toughest member of the Mutant Army.
** And in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'' you had Frank Horrigan, who was the toughest member of the Enclave. Although completely averted with the President.
** In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' the player can have the Courier play on this trope, doing the Wild Card main quest will allow the Courier to take control of New Vegas himself/herself, and involves stopping both the NCR and Caesar's Legion from taking control of Hoover Dam and taking New Vegas for themselves, as well as killing, or disabling Mr. House to take control of the Vegas strip from him.
** Caesar's Legion goes both ways on this trope. Caesar himself is no stronger than his EliteMook guards. Legate Lanius, his second in command, is one of the strongest things in the game. Vulpes Inculta, the leader of the Frumentarri, is on-par with a Prime Legionary at best, and Lucius, third in command of the Legion, is also no stronger than any of Caesar's EliteMook guards. However, Centurions, the field commanders, have the best combat skills of any type of soldier in the Legion and carry the best equipment, including named characters like Aurelius.
** The New California Republic generally averts this; their leaders are leaders and their soldier are soldiers. Similar to Caesar, General Oliver is no stronger than an EliteMook (though this is due to him simply having a regular uniform and a revolver). However, this is thrown to hell in the ''Lonesome Road'' DLC with Colonel Royez, a power armor wearing badass who has boss-level health, 100 points in every combat skill, and a [[{{BFG}} Plasma Caster]]. He's only accessible if you decide to [[MoralEventHorizon nuke the NCR]].
** The ''Lonesome Road'' DLC also adds Gaius Magnus, who's apparently one of the highest-ranking members of the Legion since he wears the same armor as Lanius. He has many of the same attributes as Royez, only he wears slightly worse armor and wields a [[GatlingGood Minigun]] instead of a Plasma Caster. [[FridgeLogic It makes you wonder why they didn't send either of these guys to Hoover Dam...]]
** In ''Videogame/Fallout4'', Arthur Maxson of the Brotherhood carries a unique Gatling Laser but is no tougher than any other character unless he's wearing Power Armor while his second-in-command Paladin Danse is a companion character who is [[TwentyFourHourArmor always in his suit]]. Desdemona of the Railroad is not especially tough but Deacon, like Danse is a companion character and thus is fairly capable. Subverted with the Institute since all of their leaders are simply scientists in lab coats and their leader [[spoiler:Shaun]] is a frail old man.
* Sometimes averted, sometimes played straight in the ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' series. Depending on the traits that a leader possesses, he may be a god of war in human form that can charge into enemy ranks and massacre them easily, capable of striking fear into the hearts of enemies and raises his own army's morale through the roof. Or he can be a hypochondriac wimp that can be killed by being surrounded by peasants armed with pitchforks...
* Every character even loosely associated with the royal bloodline of the Kingdom of Obel in ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' games will be, at the very least, a competent fighter. This includes the [[spoiler:{{player character}}s in [[VideoGame/SuikodenIV the fourth]] and [[VideoGame/SuikodenV fifth]] games.]] At some point, it goes beyond being a WarriorPrince; Obel's royal family apparently [[LamarckWasRight passes knowledge of warfare through the genes]].
* Subverted, then played straight in ''VideoGame/BioShock1'': [[spoiler:Andrew Ryan turns out to be an AnticlimaxBoss who orders you to kill him with his own golf putter, but Frank Fontaine juices himself up with ADAM so that he can be the final boss.]]
* This trope is one side-effect of the way ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' handles unit setup. All units in a "room" fight and move together on the battlefield, and one unit is designated as the Leader. The Leader tends to be more powerful than any other unit in the room because all the other units contribute a percentage of their stats as a constant bonus to the leader as long as they're alive.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** Throughout the series, this applies to the ranks of the Daedra. As you go up through the levels of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]], they generally get more intelligent and overall more dangerous. At the top are the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Princes]], the outright most powerful of the Daedric spirits. While [[BadassNormal any mortal of sufficient skill]] can defeat any form of lesser Daedra, a Daedric Prince at full power could annihilate a mortal without a second thought. In the rare cases where a mortal directly contends with a Daedric Prince, said Prince is either [[WorfHadTheFlu weakened]] (such as manifesting on Mundus where metaphysical laws typically weaken their power), is WillfullyWeak to intentionally give the mortal a chance ([[EgoManiacHunter Hircine]] is a fan of this), or said mortal has been [[EmpoweredBadassNormal empowered]] by one of the [[SaintlyChurch Divines]] or another Prince. Even then, the Princes (like all Daedra) possess CompleteImmortality. If their physical form is slain, their spirit simply returns to Oblivion to reform. Princes have been [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu battered, beaten, banished]], and even [[HijackingCthulhu fundamentally changed]], but ''nothing'' in the setting has ever been able to actually kill one.
*** This is exemplified by Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of [[TheCorrupter Domination and Corruption]]. His servants, both mortals and the lesser denizens of Oblivion know better than to disobey or disrespect Molag Bal. Those who do tend to end up with a FateWorseThanDeath.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', the various guilds and factions have skill requirements that must be met in order to be promoted. In general, the majority of high ranking faction members (especially the leadership) meet these requirements, making them quite skilled in that faction's area(s) of expertise. For example, the Mages Guild leader is a very capable mage and the Imperial Legion leader is an excellent soldier. Also helping their case is that the majority of them are very well equipped as well. This gets exaggerated with the leader of the East Empire Company in ''Bloodmoon'', in line with the general design of Bloodmoon to place the danger to challenge high-level players rather than what'd it'd be [[ImprobablePowerDiscrepancy based on the actual descriptions and what the dangers are]] -- Carnius Magius is the head of the new local division of the East Empire Company, a monopolistic mercantile organisation. He's level ''50'' when base ''Morrowind's'' faction leaders are in 20-30 range.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'':
*** Generally played straight for the leaders of the Empire. Emperor Uriel Septim VII (who it should be noted is in his ''80s'') has no qualms about joining his [[AncientOrderOfProtectors Blades]] in fighting the [[ReligionOfEvil Mythic Dawn]] assassins at the beginning of the game. Jauffre and Baurus, the highest-ranking remaining Blades during the main quest, are both plenty capable warriors as well. [[spoiler:Martin, Uriel's [[HiddenBackupPrince bastard son]], turns out to have extensive knowledge of forbidden magic and holds his own during the Siege of Bruma near the end. (Not to mention turning into an ''[[GodInHumanForm avatar of Akatosh]]'', the [[TopGod chief deity]] of the Imperial Pantheon and Dragon God of Time, in the final act. Not bad for a formerly unknown priest from the middle of nowhere.]]
*** Dremora, the HornedHumanoid ProudWarriorRace of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]], also fit. A high-leveled PlayerCharacter will encounter only Markynaz and Valkynaz-ranked ones (which are considered to be [[http://uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Dremora#Markynaz lords and princes of their realm]]) and are easily the strongest of their race.
** As best exemplified in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', the [[HornyVikings Nords]], a ProudWarriorRace with some BloodKnight and HonorBeforeReason traits, believe this ''should'' be the case for their Jarls and Thanes. Played with in that it varies from individual to individual and it is possible for decidedly non-asskickers to end up in these positions. Nords have also had a tradition where if their High King is challenged in combat and slain, the victorious warrior would be crowned King. This is an old tradition, however, and centuries of [[HumansAreDiplomats Imperial culture]] slowly filtering into Skyrim has somewhat caused it to be forgotten among the Western portion of Skyrim (where the Empire has most of its influence), to the point that actually ''invoking'' it is highly contentious by the 4th Era. (As [[RebelLeader Ulfric Stormcloak]] [[TheKingSlayer found out the hard way]] when he invoked it against the young High King Torygg, kicking off the Skyrim CivilWar.)

* Both used and averted in ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}''. Elizabeth Greene and [[spoiler:the Supreme Hunter]] are both far more capable than standard Infected, and Leader Hunters are stronger than normal Hunters, but "mere" Captain Cross proves to be tougher than any of the random higher officers Alex consumes, and definitely more badass than the Blackwatch leader.
* Subverted in the Revenge Of The Sith game, where [[spoiler: the leaders of the Separatist army are easily the weakest enemies in the game. Incapable of attacking and trapped in a small conference room with Anakin, all they can do is attempt to run away as Anakin slaughters them all]]. Played straight later in the level, when the sole survivor and most prestigious of the Seperatists - [[spoiler: ''the cowardly Nute Gunray himself'']] - pilots his Sheathipede Transport Shuttle and becomes the level boss.

* ''VideoGame/FableII'':
** Averted where the end boss after a cut scene is weaker than most random mooks you face and is taken out in one shot.
** Played straight in the event that the player amasses property wealth in excess of 2.5 million gold, at which point they are named King/Queen. Wielding weapons like the Royal Scepter (A high-power mace with four enchantment slots), wading through bandits, Hollow Men, Hobbes, and Banshees, once the player occupies the position of authority, it most certainly does equal asskicking!
* Averted again in ''VideoGame/{{Wet}}'' were after taking out the dragon, there isn't even a gameplay fight against the main boss; it's just a cutscene of Rubi executing him.
* In ''VideoGame/StrongHold'', the Lord is the most powerful unit, being almost immune to arrows and able to outmatch up to three heavily armored swordfighters simultaneously. Unfortunately, the player cannot make much use of this advantage, since the lord's death equals a Game Over.
* In ''VideoGame/TheGodfather'' game, higher-ranking enemy mobsters have more health, deal more damage and must be softened up before you can grab them. On your end, as you gain Respect levels and rise through the ranks of the Corleone family, you also gain health, damage and a variety of other perks.
* In ''VideoGame/TheGodfather 2'' The player starts out almost maxed out. As they advance through the story they are allowed to recruit up to 7 followers, even though they can only have 3 following at once. Followers have 3 ranks:
** Soldiers are capable of a single specialization, though some rare ones have two.
** Eventually you can promote up to two of them to become Capos which have double the health of a Soldier and have an additional specialization.
** Right before [[ManBehindTheMan the reveal]] [[BigBad of the]] [[HiddenVillain obvious villain]] [[FinalBoss and traitor]] [[spoiler:Hyman Roth]] you gain the opportunity to promote a Capo to Underboss; these guys have yet another specialization and 3 times the health of a Soldier, the same as the [[TheDon protagonist]].
** Averted with pretty much every other Don, however, who is at most a KingMook, but definitely not a monster in combat like the trope suggests.

* Shao Khan, the FinalBoss in many games in the ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' series, is ruler of the Outlands, and clearly didn't gain the position just by good looks. He's a terror whenever your character fights him (unless you take advantage of his frequent habit of gloating, which is [[WeaksauceWeakness pretty much the idea]]).
* In ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore: For Answer'', the world is pretty much ruled by a group of arms-manufacturing megacorporations that resolve disputes using HumongousMecha. Guess what two of the [=CEOs=] of these corporations do to earn pocket money... yep, that's right. Semi-justified as both of them exclusively use their own respective corporations' products in combat, thus serving as walking (or rolling) advertisements.
* In ''VideoGame/AmericanMcGeesAlice'' the demonic Queen of Hearts is the ruler of Wonderland [[spoiler: not to mention the embodiment of the defense mechanism producing Alice's insanity]] ''and'' the FinalBoss of the game. To say that she's hard to beat is an understatement.
* The Nihilanth in ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' and the Combine Advisors in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', both leaders of vast armies and both possessing immense psychic powers. Breen could have been an aversion, though he was a figurehead at best.
* General Viggo in ''VideoGame/FurFighters'' is naturally the FinalBoss and one of the most powerful characters in the game.

* ''VideoGame/JustCause2'':
** The game takes place on a small, East-Indian island-state, run by the short, egomaniac tyrant, 'Baby' Panay. He's clearly patterned after real-world dictator, Kim Jong-Il of North Korea, and seems to compensate for his diminutive size by erecting huge monuments in his own honor - and, of course, by executing anyone he doesn't like. However, after shooting your way through his entire army - tanks, gunships, torpedo-boats and all - he turns out to be virtually invincible on his own, starting out by shrugging off a hand-grenade to the face and then wielding a supercharged rocket-launcher in one hand while ignoring the hail of bullets you throw his way. In the end, [[spoiler: it takes a [[NukeEm NUKE]] to kill him.]]
** A lesser case is the Colonels -- high-ranking army officers you are tasked with assassinating. They all wear nigh-impregnable body-armor, and if using small arms against them, can only be damaged with headshots -- of which they can absorb several. Even if you bring in some heavy weaponry - a tank or a missile-armed gunship -- you can expect him to take at least one direct hit without dying.
* In ''VideoGame/DestroyAllHumans'' this is done with varying degrees of justification. General Armquist and Silhouette only pose such a challenge to Crypto because they've kept the best SchizoTech for themselves, and President Huffman is originally an aversion, getting killed as easily as any random civilian . . . until his brain's put inside a [[HumongousMecha 50-foot tall robot]], at which point he becomes [[ThatOneBoss the toughest enemy in the game]]. However, there's no real explanation for why cops can take more volts of electricity than civilians, or why soldiers can take more than cops, or why Majestic agents can take more than anyone else.
* In the RTS game ''VideoGame/SevenKingdoms'' (and its sequel) regular soldiers, once out of training, start at level 20. The King (Player) starts the game at level 100. However, it's possible for normal soldiers to equal the King eventually, at least in combat. To hone their leadership though, they need to be promoted and improve it through leading. The King, however, can die and the trope can get subverted if the player ends up selecting [[SuckSessor a less-worthy successor with less leadership.]]
* The admiral of the Navy in ''VideoGame/{{Dubloon}}'' is a {{large|AndInCharge}}, tough and menacing figure who can [[RealityWarper bend space to his whim]].
* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'':
** Ezio from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'', now a Master Assassin, is a better fighter than any of the Assassins he recruits, and even more kickass than in ''2'' when he was younger and didn't have the authority. His position gets much more solidified in VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations.
** Largely averted in the first ''VideoGame/{{Assassins Creed|I}}'' when it comes to your targets; they're powerful and influential people, but (unless there's a good reason for it), usually (and logically) less difficult to fight than their guards.
** Played straight with Robert de Sable. Living up his title of the Grandmaster of the Knight Templars, the guy is a monstrous tank on two legs and it takes a lot of time and energy to just even hurt him.
** Altaïr becomes the leader of the Levantine Assassins by the end of the first game.
** [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII Connor]] starts his career in the Assassins as a teenage boy on a VisionQuest. Within the next couple decades, he is not only a hero of the American Revolution but also rebuilds the American branch of the Assassins and built a thriving community in modern-day Rockford, MA. This also extends to his naval exploits: originally put at the helm of the ''Aquila'', the flagship of the Colonial Assassins, to try and get a feel for sea travel, Connor took to the role of captain like a duck to water. The defining point of Connor's naval capabilities shows in the Battle of the Chesapeake Bay, wherein Connor manages to keep a heavily damaged ''Aquila'' afloat long enough to ram a Royal Navy man o' war, board ''and take out'' its entire crew and captain, set its powder magazine aflame, and escape back to his own ship entirely by himself, leaving the grizzled Robert Faulkner speechless.
** It seems this trope runs in the Kenway family as [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag Edward]], Connor's grandfather, starts out as a washed-up pirate. By the end of the Golden Age of Piracy, he has become a fearsome captain of the seas. Haytham, Edward's son and Connor's father was the Templar Grand Master of the American Colonies and is a capable fighter.

* In ''VideoGame/GrandiaII'', Roan can hold his own in battle alongside a professional mercenary, a robot warrior, and a tough beast-man, despite being just a little boy. Why? 'Cause he's a prince, I guess. Later, he becomes a full-fledged king and becomes even more powerful.

* Partly played straight but mostly averted in ''Franchise/DragonAge'' games. King Maric Theirin of Ferelden was pretty badass. However, as the novel ''Stolen Throne'' indicates, he was a wimp for a good portion of the book before circumstances forced him to grow into a badass. He was officially crowned king later. Inverted with Loghain Mac Tir, who became a nobleman ''because'' of his badassery. The novel ''Calling'' reveals that Duncan, the head of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden, also earned his position.
** Averted in'' VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' with Viscount Marlowe Dumar of Kirkwall, who is a politician, not a fighter. The Arishok, though, is the most skilled and toughest of all the Qunari in Kirkwall. Played straight with Prince Sebastian Vael of Starkhaven, who can handle himself pretty well and is a crack shot with a bow.
** In ''Videogame/DragonAgeInquisition'', the Inquisitor, being the player character is the strongest individual of the Inquisition. Vivienne was a [[TheArchmage First Enchantress]], meaning she is a powerful mage. The main antagonist [[spoiler:Corypheus]], being [[spoiler:one of the original Tevinter Magisters who opened gates to the Golden City]] is one of the closest things to a PhysicalGod the setting as one can get.

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'' has numerous examples of this:
** [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Krogan]] [[ColonelBadass chieftains]] get their rank by being the toughest krogan in their clans ([[FourStarBadass Urdnot Wrex]] goes one better by trying to [[TheChosenOne unite the clans with his sheer badassery]]).
** [[FemmeFatale Miranda]] and [[MagicKnight Jacob]] are certainly handier than the [[NGOSuperpower Cerberus]] Mooks they lead.
** If you choose to pick [[TheCaptain Captain Anderson]] for humanity's council spot, then he definitely counts.
** [[BloodKnight Zaeed]] was the leader of the [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Blue Suns]] mercenary gang.
** After Garrus Vakarian quits the space police, he [[TookALevelInBadass becomes the space Batman]], leading a small team of vigilantes on a CrapsackWorld.
** An evil example: [[TheDragon Saren Arterius]] had his own [[ArtificialLimbs geth arm]], a HoverBoard and managed to fight Shepard to a standstill on Virmire.
** Despite being TooDumbToLive, Warden Kuril is pretty good with his [[MoreDakka Revenant machine gun]]. He can even fire it one-handed and with good accuracy.
** [[StateSec Spectres]] have nearly limitless authority within [[TheFederation Council space]]. Of the five we know ([[ImplacableWoman Tela Vasir]], [[TheDragon Saren Arterius]], [[PlayerCharacter Commander Shepard]], [[TooCoolToLive Nihlus Krylik]], and [[spoiler: the Virmire survivor]]) all are definitely badasses.
** Some [[TheHighQueen Asari Matriarchs]] are this - EvilMatriarch Benezia and her EliteMooks being one. On the good side, Matriarch Lidanya, commander of the CoolStarship ''Destiny Ascension''.
** [[TheDon Aria T'Loak]]: "[[BadassBoast I'm the boss, CEO, queen, if you're feeling dramatic.]] It doesn't matter. Omega has no titled ruler and only one rule: [[PrecisionFStrike Don't fuck with Aria]]."
** [[TheChessmaster Information broker and manipulator]], the Shadow Broker, [[spoiler:is a massive monster called a yahg.]] He goes to battle with a {{BFG}} in one hand and an energy shield in the other. [[spoiler:He gets replaced by another equally badass figure, Liara T'Soni]].
** Admiral Hackett spends most of ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' as an [[TheVoice unseen]] QuestGiver. [[spoiler: He leads the Arcturus Fleet in killing Sovereign, ordering his commanders to hold the line at all costs.]] In the second game, we get to see his face. Boy, [[GoodScarsEvilScars has he earned that rank]].
** [[TheCaptain Captain Kirrahe]] is a pretty good [[TheStrategist strategist]] and a FatherToHisMen. He does a good line in [[RousingSpeech inspiring speeches:]]
--->'''Kirrahe:''' You all know the mission, and what is at stake. I have come to trust each of you with my life -- but I have also heard murmurs of discontent. I share your concerns. We are trained for espionage; we would be legends, but the records are sealed. Glory in battle is not our way. Think of our heroes; the Silent Step, who defeated a nation with a single shot. Or the Ever Alert, who kept armies at bay with hidden facts. These giants do not seem to give us solace here, but they are not all that we are. Before the network, there was the fleet. Before diplomacy, ''there were soldiers!'' Our influence stopped the rachni, but before that we held the line! Our influence stopped the krogan, but before that, we held the line! Our influence will stop Saren; in the battle today, we '''will''' hold the line!
** Mordin Solus led a science team, then a mission to [[CrapsackWorld Tuchanka]] to create and release a new version of the [[DepopulationBomb genophage]]. How good is he? He ''killed a krogan with a pitchfork''.
** {{Eldritch abomination}}s [[BigBad Sovereign]] and [[BigBad Harbinger]], [[TimeAbyss millions of years old]] mecha-Cthulhus are scarily competent in directing their indoctrinate servants.
** The setting subverts as well: [[ObstructiveBureaucrat The Council]] are pretty normal, Vido Santiago is an accountant playing at war, [[TheDon Fist]] is useless and needs turrets to help him. [[AffablyEvil The Illusive Man]] is never shown to be much cop in a fight. [[BigBadWannabe Elanos Haliat]] dies easy. [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Doctor Gavin Archer]] is useless in combat. AssInAmbassador Udina is never shown to be any good at fighting.

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'':
** Asgore, the king of the Underground. After you befriend her, Undyne will let you know that Asgore is not to be messed with. She had only ever beat him in a sparring match once, and that was ''after he specifically taught her how to''. And when you finally ''do'' fight him, he proves that he is anything but a pushover.
** It's all but outright stated that Undyne herself was made head of the Royal Guard simply because she could ([[HotBlooded and quite eagerly would]]) wipe the floor with any potential rival.
** Averted in the [[KillEmAll genocide run]] when it turns out [[spoiler: the monster most capable of kicking the protagonist's ass is a lowly sentry infamous for barely doing his job, and who does nothing to get in your way or fight you in any other run. In comparison, Asgore ''does'' turn out to be a pushover.]]

* ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings'': In the first game and early versions of the second, one's Martial stat represnted both physical prowess and tactical acumen. The best tacticians and warriors were thus one in the same, and anything that decreased one (e.g. pregnancy, losing a leg) effectively decreased both. The second game eventually introduced a "dueling" stat, made "prowess" in the third game, so a character can be [[DumbMuscle a devastating warrior but useless commander]] or [[TheManBehindTheCurtain a brilliant commander despite their physical frailty]]. The ''best'' commanders, however, are those that still fit this trope, and can handle themselves in a melee as well as in a command tent.

* In ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage 2'', you have to fight your way through MechaMooks, monsters, and TheDragon - Shiva, legendary martial artist - to get to Mr. X. He's just a big dude in a business-suit, but he's nonetheless tougher and more dangerous than any of those preceding him. No small part of this, however, is the fact that he packs an ''assault rifle'', but even close-in, he's [[PistolWhipping no slouch]].

* In ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', the bosses are ranked in the UAA according to their ranking as an assassin. While this trope is played straight in both games with the higher ranked assassins [[spoiler:(Bad Girl, Jeane and Henry in the original game; Alice and Jasper Batt Jr. in the sequel)]], it also tends to be subverted at times: higher ranked assassins like Destroyman and Capt. Vladimir tend to be easier compared to lower assassins like Shinobu, Margaret and Ryuji. It could be possible that Shinobu, Margaret, and Ryuji were still cutting their way up to a higher rank when Travis came along.

** Higher-ranked Sangheili/Elites are far more skilled at fighting than their subordinates. This is {{Justified| Trope}} as Elite promotions are based almost entirely on how many foes they killed and, by extension, how much experience and skill they have as warriors. Additionally, promotions come with better equipment; the highest ranks, like Zealots and Ultras, generally have shielding so powerful that they can withstand a charged Plasma Pistol shot on Legendary, which would instantly destroys the shields of a lesser Elite. They also get one-hit-kill energy swords.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears'', of the twenty-one main playable characters, eight are royalty, and another is brother to a king. In the world of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', Asura and Leviathan rule the Feymarch, Bahamut is King of Eidolons, and Odin is the former King of Baron, so the four highest ranking Summons are all royalty too.

*** While you never actually fight him, Emperor Gestahl is able to cast high-level fire spells that are only available to the party at the very end of the game. Unfortunately for him, however, when he actually tries to use them, it is revealed that his PsychoForHire OmnicidalManiac Kefka has found a way to make them ineffective. Oops. Later on you discover the personal "secret treasure" he was keeping in reserve, and it turns out to be an item that grants (among other things) most of the high-level fire spells he is shown using earlier in the game.

*** Rufus Shinra is an exception to this rule, however. He is the President of the Shinra Company but is actually one of the weakest bosses in the game, compared to his HumongousMecha-riding military directors and his [[OneWingedAngel mutating mad scientist]]. On the other hand, he did manage to fight Cloud (admittedly with help from his pet) while using a double barreled shotgun (with one hand!) and escape with only a few injuries (while grabbing onto a helicopter with one hand, holding the gun, and presumably being injured). His stats are more a matter of [[GameplayAndStorySegregation gameplay rather than story]] (Reno also had fairly low stats when you first fought him). And [[spoiler:during his encounter with Kadaj he managed to shoot between the latter's fingers while falling down the side of a building]].

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' has examples for pretty much every single nation. The final mission battles for each of the three starting nations has you fighting alongside a major political figure: Prince Trion, Captain Volker, and minister Ajido-Marujido. Archduke Kam'lanaut is a bit of a subversion, though: [[spoiler:while he is a major storyline boss, it's his "little" brother Eald'narche who's the real BigBad.]] Prince Trion is portrayed as a warrior-prince, Captain Volker is a captain of a special forces squad and a famous war veteran and minister Ajido-Marujido is the head of the department in-charge of the nation's Orastery (or Department of Magic). The game also takes place during wartime/a post-war period as well so there is understandably a high number of war veterans around the world.

*** First the Judges Magister. This is [[JustifiedTrope justified by the backstory]], since they are both the highest-ranking officers of the Imperial Army AND handpicked by the emperor for their martial skills to be his guardians, officers, and advisors.

*** And finally, we have Cid and Larsa: Cid is an [[BadassBookworm impressively dangerous]] [[MadScientist researcher]], smart enough to earn [[spoiler: the respect of the borderline [[EldritchAbomination eldritch being]] Venat. Venat teaches him how to create [[GreenRocks artificial nethicite]] a powerful supernatural resource]]. He is the [[spoiler:most influential man in the Empire after Vayne's coup]]. Larsa, by contrast, is a 13 year old boy skilled both with the sword and [[GambitRoulette interlocking machinations]], who uses his talents to stop the [[spoiler:world war his brother planned to use to "free" mankind from the Occuria.]] Experimentally-enhanced fighters rising in rank and even gaining political powers is believable, and Cid's abilities can be accepted since they adhere to the rules of the world's [[FunctionalMagic magic]], but a pre-teen able to outwit [[spoiler:senators, emperors and even gods?]] House Solidor must have some [[LamarckWasRight interesting genetic material]].

** Years earlier in the ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' universe, we have Gaoh, the leader of a rebel army. He is dangerous, wielding a deadly looking polearm. We haven't even GOTTEN to the fact that he can turn into a demon mid battle.

** Played straight with General Shepherd in ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare 2'', [[spoiler:where it turns out that the general is capable of completely whooping both Captains Mactavish and Price (two S.A.S. commandos) in a stand up fight. The two only survive because the half dead Soap manages to pull a knife out of his gut and [[EyeScream throw it into Shepherd's eye]] as he's distracted while beating Price to death. Keep in mind that Shepherd has just survived a helicopter crash (whereas Soap and Price "merely" fell down a waterfall).]]

* In ''VideoGame/LostOdyssey'', Prince/King Tolten wields an unusual variant of this. He's a bit of a wuss, and compared to the two Immortal melee-fighters, his stats aren't impressive. However, BECAUSE he's a member of the Royal Line of Uhra, he's got access to unique and powerful accessories, weapons and skills. Including the [[AwesomeButImpractical Ultimate Hit]] and the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Age of The King]]. Once you put those things together, he actually ends up being a fighter on par with the thousand-years-old main character. Now only if there was a way to fix his accuracy problems...

* Justified in ''VideoGame/FrontMission1'' for the SNES and [=PS1=]. Higher ranked characters tend to have access to better [[HumongousMecha Wanzers]] and are thus stronger in battle, even though the pilots themselves tend to not be much more skilled than low-level {{Mooks}}. For example Driscoll, the closest the game gets to having a primary antagonist, pilots a ''very'' powerful experimental Wanzer while he himself is on a comparably low level with only one pilot skill.
* Averted within ''VideoGame/FrontMission3''. There are commanding officers among your enemies, but that doesn't necessarily make them stronger, although they do tend to have better training. There are even a few battles where the strongest Mecha on the field will be a lower-ranked individual or a non-voluntary test pilot, or even standard enemy pilots. Used straight by the time you get to ''Front Mission 4'', where only higher ranking individuals get a name, and always come with extra abilities.

** The crime syndicate leader and boss of the same game, Belger. He has the largest health bar of ''anybody'' in the game, and has a rapid-fire crossbow. Oh, and he's invulnerable for most of the fight with him. And he starts the fight in a wheelchair... which is entirely to lower your guard ("would you hit a man in a wheelchair?" style). Once you hit him enough, it breaks and he gets up.

** Averted when it comes to Dong Zhuo, who's portrayed as a relatively weak coward who's [[TheDragon Dragon]] Lu Bu not only far outshines him, but everyone else in the series [[WorldsStrongestMan in sheer might.]] The various emperors that offically lead Wei are also treated as weak and ineffectual (with the exception of Cao Pi in the brief window of time he seized control of the throne before his death.)

* In ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriorsOnline'', this is a much more straight example. lowly mooks still die by the hundreds. Named characters, or characters named by their rank if you are facing the non-specific kingdoms that have little importance in the story of the three kingdoms, are stronger than mooks, but sitll pushovers. Your character, starting at "guard" working his way up, can (not necessarily will) kick all kinds of ass, and the musou generals, who are the orginal chracters from the game, are teh strongest out there, and have many special abilities as backup, including backup. As a player character gets higher ranked, they can use more powerful weapons, meaning that they will get many bonuses to facing a lower level chracter if they use that ability.

** Both a hunched over old man and a drunk (who in the preceeding cutscene is implied to be able to kill a warrior only because he was sleeping) can take more hits then most of the randomly spawning monsters in the chapter, for no reason other then that they are pillars of the community and (one of the possible) final fight in the chapter. While the fight is not hard by any means, the necessity of this trope is questionable; they are preceeded by a much more climactic boss.

* The faction leaders (one or two special [=NPCs=] per race) in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' are all boss-level creatures who will mop the floor with your face if you attempt to take them on without an army behind your back. (Well, except the king of Stormwind, but he just happens to be a 4-year-old kid.) Likewise, no instance endboss ever attained his lofty status by virtue of guile, cunning or charisma. It's ''always'' a case of having more power than all other pretenders. The king of Stormwind has since been replaced with his father, who easily ranks as among the most [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/wowwiki/images/2/22/Varian_in_Stormwind.jpg badass characters in the game]].

** The Jocks clique averts this, since they're lead by the star quarterback rather than the aforementioned linebacker, who's stronger.

** To be fair, ''Pokemon'' is always this way. Gym Leaders, the Elite Four and the Champion of each regions are always harder to fight than other trainers of the same level, and the legendary Pokemon are the same way. Of course, some of it is because TheComputerIsACheatingBastard.
* Towards the end of ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'', Ryu faces the two monstrously huge forms of the Holy Vigoor Emperor, the head of state and absolute monarch of his country. While not the toughest bosses in the game, they put up a good show for themselves, and by dimensions, are the largest. The third form is revealed in the DS sequel to have been small, humanoid, and capable of running the day-to-day affairs of the small, militarized land locked Asian monarchy.

* Subverted with the ZOE squadron pilots in ''VideoGame/AceCombat 2''. The Captain gets a F-14, the Major gets a F/A-18E and the Colonel gets a F-22. Seems to be holding up so far, right? Well... the General gets a relatively dinky F-15S. Then the Commander, who would be pretty low on the totem pole by UsefulNotes/CommonRanks, is the FinalBoss with the ADF-01 superfighter that is as capable as one would expect a non-[[AnticlimaxBoss Anticlimax]] FinalBoss to be.

** Caesar's Legion goes both ways on this trope. Caesar himself is no stronger than his EliteMook guards. Legate Lanius, his second in command, is one of the strongest things in the game. Vulpes Inculta, the leader of the Frumentarri, is on-par with a Prime Legionary at best, and Lucius, third in command of the Legion, is also no stronger than any of Caesar's EliteMook guards. However, Centurions, the field commanders, have the best combat skills of any type of soldier in the Legion, and carry the best equipment, including named characters like Aurelius.

** The ''Lonesome Road'' DLC also adds Gaius Magnus, who's apparently one of the highest ranking members of the Legion since he wears the same armor as Lanius. He has many of the same attributes as Royez, only he wears slightly worse armor and wields a [[GatlingGood Minigun]] instead of a Plasma Caster. [[FridgeLogic It makes you wonder why they didn't send either of these guys to Hoover Dam...]]

* This trope is one side-effect of the way ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' handles unit setup. All units in a "room" fight and move together on the battlefield, and one unit is designated as the Leader. The Leader tends to be more powerful than any other unit in the room, because all the other units contribute a percentage of their stats as a constant bonus to the leader as long as they're alive.

*** This is exemplified by Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of [[TheCorrupter Domination and Corruption]]. His servants, both mortals and the lesser denizens of Oblivion, know better than to disobey or disrespect Molag Bal. Those who do tend to end up with a FateWorseThanDeath.

*** Generally played straight for the leaders of the Empire. Emperor Uriel Septim VII (who it should be noted is in his ''80s'') has no qualms about joining his [[AncientOrderOfProtectors Blades]] in fighting the [[ReligionOfEvil Mythic Dawn]] assassins at the beginning of the game. Jauffre and Baurus, the highest ranking remaining Blades during the main quest, are both plenty capable warriors as well. [[spoiler:Martin, Uriel's [[HiddenBackupPrince bastard son]], turns out to have extensive knowledge of forbidden magic and holds his own during the Siege of Bruma near the end. (Not to mention turning into an ''[[GodInHumanForm avatar of Akatosh]]'', the [[TopGod chief deity]] of the Imperial Pantheon and Dragon God of Time, in the final act. Not bad for a formerly unknown priest from the middle of nowhere.]]

** As best exemplified in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', the [[HornyVikings Nords]], a ProudWarriorRace with some BloodKnight and HonorBeforeReason traits, believe this ''should'' be the case for their Jarls and Thanes. Played with in that it varies from individual to individual and it is possible for decidedly non-asskickers to end up in these positions. Nords have also had a tradition where if a their High King is challenged in combat and slain, the victorious warrior would be crowned King. This is an old tradition, however, and centuries of [[HumansAreDiplomats Imperial culture]] slowly filtering into Skyrim has somewhat caused it to be forgotten among the Western portion of Skyrim (where the Empire has most of its influence), to the point that actually ''invoking'' it is highly contentious by the 4th Era. (As [[RebelLeader Ulfric Stormcloak]] [[TheKingSlayer found out the hard way]] when he invoked it against the young High King Torygg, kicking off the Skyrim CivilWar.)

** Averted where the end boss after a cut scene is weaker then most random mooks you face and is taken out in one shot.

** Ridley is the leader of the SpacePirates and is a [[RecycledINSPACE Space]] [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragon]] to boot. Being badass is inevitable, as proven by how [[ThatOneBoss incredibly powerful]] he is everytime he shows up.
** Averted and played straight by [[BrainInAJar Mother Brain]] and played straight by the rest of the Pirates. Mother Brain can't even attack in the first game, but is protected by indestructible turrets and has [[MadeOfIron immense durability]] and a HealingFactor. In ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'', she lost the healing factor but gained an attack, and in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' she is attatched to a HumongousMecha that can wipe the floor with Samus, requiring a DeusExMachina to defeat. For the rest of the Pirates, higher rank usually nets better equipment, like the Pirate Commander's indestructible armor and personal teleprter. Weavil, a Pirate [[FourStarBadAss General]] (the same rank as Ridley, actually), has armor on par with Samus' and wields a miniature nuclear reactor ''in his crotch''.
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' games in which they show up, the Strogg have a supreme ruler, called the Makron. The first Makron was the final boss of ''VideoGame/QuakeII'' (it's said he got the job by destoying any rivals), and his successor was the final boss of ''VideoGame/QuakeIV'' (who was specifically built to counter the Human counterattack). Justified in that the Strogg are cyborgs, which means giving your leader more guns and armor on the assembly line is doable.

* In ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore: For Answer'', the world is pretty much ruled by a group of arms-manufacturing megacorporations which resolve disputes using HumongousMecha. Guess what two of the [=CEOs=] of these corporations do to earn pocket money... yep, that's right. Semi-justified as both of them exclusively use their own respective corporations' products in combat, thus serving as walking (or rolling) advertisements.

** The next one, however, is a MadArtist with a french accent, who dual-wields a [[BlingBlingBang golden Luger]] and... a picture-frame. His bullets are powerful enough to make the roof collapse on your head, and he soaks up damage better than most of the giant mutants you've fought before. The next one is a bald, white-bearded old man who is mostly famous for his huge collection of rare books, and studious inquisitiveness. He wields a {{BFG}} and is even tougher. The final boss is [[spoiler: Cardinal Rowen, the highest-ranking of the Cardinals, and de-facto leader of Basel. He goes GunsAkimbo with a Gold AND Silver Luger, and can absorb SICKENING ammounts of bullets.]]

** The game takes place on a small, East-Indian island-state, run by the short, egomaniac tyrant, 'Baby' Panay. He's clearly patterned after real-world dictator, Kim Jong-Il of North Korea, and seems to compensate for his diminutive size by errecting huge monuments in his own honor - and, of course, by executing anyone he doesn't like. However, after shooting your way through his entire army - tanks, gunships, torpedo-boats and all - he turns out to be virtually invincible on his own, starting out by shrugging off a hand-grenade to the face, and then wielding a supercharged rocket-launcher in one hand while ignoring the hail of bullets you throw his way. In the end, [[spoiler: it takes a [[NukeEm NUKE]] to kill him.]]

* In ''VideoGame/DestroyAllHumans'' this is done with varying degrees of justification. General Armquist and Silhouette only pose such a challenge to Crypto because they've kept the best SchizoTech for themselves, and President Huffman is originally an aversion, getting killed as easily as any random civilian . . . until his brain's put inside a [[HumongousMecha 50-foot tall robot]], at which point he becomes [[ThatOneBoss the toughest enemy in the game]]. However there's no real explanation for why cops can take more volts of electricity than civilians, or why soldiers can take more than cops, or why Majestic agents can take more than anyone else.

** [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII Connor]] starts his career in the Assassins as a teenage boy on a VisionQuest. Within the next couple decades, he is not only a hero of the American Revolution, but also rebuilds the American branch of the Assassins and built a thriving community in modern day Rockford, MA. This also extends to his naval exploits: originally put at the helm of the ''Aquila'', the flagship of the Colonial Assassins, to try and get a feel for sea travel, Connor took to the role of captain like a duck to water. The defining point of Connor's naval capabilities shows in the Battle of the Chesapeake Bay, wherein Connor manages to keep a heavily damaged ''Aquila'' afloat long enough to ram a Royal Navy man o' war, board ''and take out'' its entire crew and captain, set its powder magazine aflame, and escape back to his own ship entirely by himself, leaving the grizzled Robert Faulkner speechless.

** One of the [[BonusBoss Optional Bosses]] requires this trope to explain his very existence. Rupee, the leader of a legendary band of desert-bandits, inherited the position from his recently-deceased father. He's maybe 8 years old, scrawny, cowardly, and wears NerdGlasses. His hulking [[TheDragon bodyguard]] practically has to DRAG him into battle. But when it comes down to the actual fight, he's got an immense pile of HP and an arsenal of powerful magical attacks (mostly, but not solely, support-spells.) Worse yet, once you wear his HP-bar down past the halfway point he TurnsRed, and starts dishing out powerful physical attacks that deal far more damage than anything his aforementioned bodyguard could hope to inflict, virtually always causing a OneHitKill. Notably, those special attacks are prefaced by his NerdGlasses turning into ScaryShinyGlasses...
** A more subtle, but nonetheless interesting application of this also occurs in the game - the 'Captain's Stripe' item you receive after winning major ship-to-ship battles. Using it powers up your current ship's stats, including HP, armor and speed. Apparently, the simple act of adding another stripe to your uniform ''makes your ship tougher''.

* In ''VideoGame/GrandiaII'', Roan can hold his own in battle alongside a professional mercenary, a robot warrior and a tough beast-man, despite being just a little boy. Why? 'Cause he's a prince, I guess. Later, he becomes a full-fledged king and becomes even more powerful.

** Despite being TooDumbToLive, Warden Kuril is pretty good with his [[MoreDakka Revenant machine gun]]. He can even fire it one handed and with good accuracy.

* In ''VideoGame/XCOMUFODefense'', leaders of the aliens are toughers than soldiers, who in fact aren't even more badass than the various non-combat specialists. The rare commander is badasser yet. Some races' leaders even get special abilities. ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' extends this to humans, too, [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority as promotion to higher ranks comes with learning new special abilities and gaining better stats]]. The reverse is also true in the remake, as promotions are earned exclusively through kills. This means that the highest-ranking X-COM soldier is also the one who has killed the most aliens.

* Though he looks to be almost the same age as the protagonist, Nova from ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'' is the highest ranking member of Sumeragi we've yet seen and is easily the strongest foe Gunvolt has faced, though it should be noted that he was promoted for his political skills alongside his battle ones. [[spoiler: Whereas the other six Sumeragi Adepts use only one Glaive to hold back their powers, Nova uses ''three'', and even without them can still fight Gunvolt on even terms. His [[OneWingedAngel transformed state]] could only be defeated thanks to some FightingFromTheInside courtesy of [[MysticalWaif Joule]].]] Likewise, [[spoiler: [[TrueFinalBoss Asimov]], leader of [[LaResistance QUILL]] unit SHEEPS, is quite powerful in his own right compared to his comrades, and uses a version of Gunvolt's own powers that are capable of rivaling him despite [[CameBackStrong his recent power-up]].]] Going even further in ''2'', [[spoiler:[[TheDogWasTheMastermind Zonda]] of Sumeragi is revealed to be the leader of [[SuperSupremacist Eden]] and is the most powerful Adept amongst their ranks despite being [[AChildShallLeadThem only a child]], rivaling Asimov and even Nova once she [[RealityWarper absorbs the power of the Muse]].]]
* Invoked in ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'' with the Black Viceroys, who were just a straight-up street gang until [[FromCamouflageToCriminal army veteran]] Delford "Iraq" Wade took control of the gang and restructured it completely. Iraq equipped and trained up the gang's upper ranks to be a credible military force while keeping the lower ranks mere gangbangers to mask the gang's overall capability to the outside world. Iraq himself is also a skilled fighter, tactician and [[spoiler:hacker]], and is just as hardy as his reputation suggests.

* The IPCA from ''VideoGame/{{Syphon Filter}}'' operates on this where the most badass agents hold the highest rank with Gabriel Logan being the highest ranked agent.

* Justified in ''VideoGame/FrontMission'' for the SNES and [=PS1=]. Higher ranked characters tend to have access to better [[HumongousMecha Wanzers]] and are thus stronger in battle, even though the pilots themselves tend to not be much more skilled than low-level {{Mooks}}. For example Driscoll, the closest the game gets to having a primary antagonist, pilots a ''very'' powerful experimental Wanzer while he himself is on a comparably low level with only one pilot skill.

* Averted within ''VideoGame/FrontMission 3''. There are commanding officers among your enemies, but that doesn't necessarily make them stronger, although they do tend to have better training. There are even a few battles where the strongest Mecha on the field will be a lower-ranked individual or a non-voluntary test pilot, or even standard enemy pilots. Used straight by the time you get to ''Front Mission 4'', where only higher ranking individuals get a name, and always come with extra abilities.

* In the RTS game ''VideoGame/SevenKingdoms 2: The Frythan Wars'' regular soldiers, once out of training, start at level 20. The King (Player) starts the game at level 100. However, it's possible for normal soldiers to equal the King eventually, at least in combat. To hone their leadership though, they need to be promoted and improve it through leading.

** Geese Howard, at first, seems to be your run-of-the-mill crime boss. Once you actually fight him, though, you can easily see why he is where he is. After all, he was the very first [=SNKBoss=].

*** Generally played straight for the leaders of the Empire. Emperor Uriel Septim VII (who it should be noted is in his ''80s'') has no qualms about joining his [[AncientOrderOfProtectors Blades]] in fighting the [[ReligionOfEvil Mythic Dawn]] assassins at the beginning of the game. Jauffre and Baurus, the highest ranking remaining Blades during the main quest, are both plenty capable warriors as well. [[spoiler:Martin, Uriel's [[HiddenBackupPrince bastard son]], turns out to have extensive knowledge of forbidden magic and holds his own during the Siege of Bruma near the end. (Not to mention turning into an ''[[GodInHumanForm avator of Akatosh]]'', the [[TopGod chief deity]] of the Imperial Pantheon and Dragon God of Time, in the final act. Not bad for a formerly unknown priest from the middle of nowhere.]]

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts'':
** Organization XIII uses this trope in various ways. In ''Kingdom Hearts II'' the FinalBoss is the organization's leader, playing this trope straight. Simultaneously subverted; The Organization's members are ranked chronologically by the order they joined from one to thirteen (with the oldest being #1, and the youngest being #13), but they gain authority by completing missions. So even though Vexen (#4) has been around for a very long time, he's done few missions for the Organization, so he's looked down on by pretty much everyone else.

* If a named military character in ''VideoGame/TrailsInTheSky'' has at ''least'' a rank of "captain", you'd better believe they're going to back it up in combat [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight no matter how antiquated their choice of weaponry is]], and the higher their rank the more badass you can expect them to be. Brigadier General Cassius Bright in particular has such a fierce reputation as a OneManArmy that the villains' entire plot in the first game hinged on him being out of the country on other business [[StoryBreakerPower just so he wouldn't effortlessly crush the insurrection all by himself.]]