History Sandbox / MagnificentBastardTheatre

* ''Theatre/DeathNoteTheMusical'': [[Characters/DeathNoteLLawliet L Lawliet]], despite having less resources and allies than the source material, is no less of a WorthyOpponent for [[Characters/DeathNoteLightYagami Light Yagami]]. Introduced when he tricks Kira into revealing his location by using a body double, L proclaims that he will find and capture Kira no matter the cost. After quickly realizing that Light and Kira are one and the same, L introduces himself to his enemy to mentally shake him, [[FalseFriend manipulating him at every opportunity he has]] to gain more evidence of his guilt, evidence that eventually convinces even Light's own father. When Light attempts to use Misa to learn his name, L reveals that he had already deduced her identity as the second Kira and has her arrested, carting her away to a dark cell to isolate her and prevent her from aiding Light. Although he's ultimately beaten by Light and Rem, L remains calm, [[FaceDeathWithDignity boldly telling Light that he still hasn't won]] before he dies.

* ''Theatre/{{Lelisirdamore}}'': Dr. Dulcamara is a charming, charismatic SnakeOilSalesman. When Nemorino asks him if he stocks the elixir of love, Dulcamara turns from brief confusion to taking the idea and running with it, successfully selling Nemorino a bottle of wine as the "elixir". Nemorino is so confident in its magic that he does win over his beloved Adina by inadvertently PlayingHardToGet, and Dulcamara is quick to declare it the "elixir"'s work. He [[ButNowIMustGo leaves the village]] in triumph, as customers chase after him and beg for a bottle of the "elixir", while the villagers praise him and ask him to come back soon.

* ''Theatre/HowToSucceedInBusinessWithoutReallyTrying'': [[SocialClimber J. Pierrepont Finch]], a window washer in New York City, decides to make a name for himself in the world of business through illegitimate means. Beginning by [[BavarianFireDrill pretending to know the president of the company]], Mr. Biggley, to get a job in the mailroom, Finch later turns down an offer to head the department, making his supervisors promote him to a junior executive for his "selflessness". After discovering that his new secretary is Mr. Biggley's mistress, he [[BatmanGambit tricks her]] into flirting with his supervisor, getting him fired and taking his job. [[FalseFriend Forging a fake connection with Mr. Biggley]] by pretending to share his alma mater, Finch outs the Vice President of Advertising as an alumnus of a rival school and takes his job, later conning Mr. Biggley by stealing a coworkers idea and passing it off as his own. When the idea falls apart, Finch saves his own job by outing his coworker Bud Frump as Mr. Biggley's nephew to the Chairman of the Board, who then fires Frump and, upon his retirement, [[KarmaHoudini has Filch take his former position]].

* ''Theatre/SomethingRotten'': Creator/WilliamShakespeare is a famous English playwright who learns that his rivals, The Bottom Brothers, have used a Soothsayer to copy a play he would write in the future. Shakespeare would infiltrate the Bottom Brothers' acting troupe and encourage the brothers to continue making "Omelette", while convincing Nigel Bottom to give him Nigel's written work. After exposing the Bottom Brothers of using a Soothsayer to steal his work, Shakespeare will have their sentence reduced from execution to banishment to the Americas and Shakespeare would use Nigel's work to create the universally acclaimed ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''.

[[.index]]

* ''Theatre/KingLear'': Edmund of Gloucester, the [[BastardBastard literal bastard son]] of the Duke of Gloucester, executes a plan to consolidate power and play even his own family as pawns while vowing to make the gods themselves "stand up for bastards." A ruthless but deeply charismatic schemer who plays everyone for his own benefit, Edmund frames his brother for treason and convinces him to flee into exile while manipulating his father into granting him Edgar's legitimate birthright, before exposing Gloucester's sympathy for King Lear and handing him off to the Duke of Cornwall. As the Duke of Gloucester, Edmund schemes for the throne of Britain itself and seduces Lear's own ambitious daughters to further his own power. Even on his deathbed, Edmund finally [[VillainsDyingGrace finds the grace]] to defy his own bastardly nature and rescinds the order he had previously given to execute Lear and Cordelia--a * ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'': TheWeirdSisters, a trio of witches, use their [[{{Seers}} prophetic visions]] to manipulate the events of the work. Informing Macbeth of his destiny to succeed the throne of Scotland, the witches [[AgentProvocateur inspire him]] to murder King Duncan and his own friend Banquo, [[ProtagonistJourneyToVillain becoming a tyrant]]. Lulling Macbeth into a false sense of security, via [[NoManOfWomanBorn prophecies]] that rely on ExactWords, the witches inspire the war between Macbeth and Prince Malcolm for the throne, ending victorious with their prophecies fulfilled as Malcolm takes the throne.

* ''Theatre/KingLear'': Edmund of Gloucester, the [[BastardBastard literal bastard son]] of the Duke of Gloucester, executes a plan to consolidate power and play even his own family as pawns while vowing to make the gods themselves "stand up for bastards." A ruthless but deeply charismatic schemer who plays everyone for his own benefit, Edmund frames his brother for treason and convinces him to flee into exile while manipulating his father into granting him Edgar's legitimate birthright, before exposing Gloucester's sympathy for King Lear and handing him off to the Duke of Cornwall. As the Duke of Gloucester, Edmund schemes for the throne of Britain itself and seduces Lear's own ambitious daughters to further his own power. Even on his deathbed, Edmund finally [[VillainsDyingGrace finds the grace]] to defy his own bastardly nature and rescinds the order he had previously given to execute Lear and Cordelia--a sentiment which, tragically, is too late.
* ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'': In many productions, including the [[Film/Macbeth1971 1971 film]], the three witches, the "[[TheWeirdSisters Weird Sisters]]", go from soothsayers to actively manipulating events of the work. Informing Macbeth of his destiny to succeed the throne of Scotland, the witches inspire him to murder King Duncan and his own friend Banquo, becoming a tyrant. Lulling Macbeth into a false sense of security, via prophecies that rely on ExactWords, the witches inspire the war between Macbeth and Prince Malcolm for the throne, ending victorious with their prophecies fulfilled.

[[index]]

** ''Turnabout Gold Medal'' (2019): This version of [[TheChessmaster Godot]] is a prosecutor turned president of the World Judicial Union who, sensing corruption within the organization, devises a grand scheme to expose Vice-Chairman Antino Nivantess’s misconduct. Knowing that a microchip containing the Union’s shady deals has been stolen by a defense attorney, Godot secretly creates the Judicial Olympics to weed out the possible suspect, getting Chairman Jack Crowmack on his side by making it out to be a show of power. Inserting himself into the trial to find attorney Maldea Valenbough’s murderer, Godot, having known that Kojiro Fukashigi was behind the microchip’s theft, deduced the chip was hidden in the Olympic’s gold medal, and swapped it with a fake one so that Nivantess could reveal the passcode to get in. With his plan deliberately wasting everybody’s time in order to properly suss out the mastermind, even framing Phoenix for Maldea’s murder at one point, Godot continuously feigns impotence to get Nivantess to reveal himself, swiftly taking him down and even offering Phoenix a position as Union director as thanks.

** ''Farewell, My Turnabout'' (2016): Shelly de Killer is an international assassin who mixes classy professionalism with a sinister edge. Upholding a moral code that strongly emphasizes trust between him and his clients to ensure their safety and his eluding of the law, Shelly is hired by actor Matt Engarde to kill his rival Juan Corrida, with Shelly kidnapping Maya Fey to force her friend Phoenix Wright to acquit Engarde in return for Maya’s life. Detaining prosecutor Franziska von Karma by shooting her in the arm in order to make the trial easier for Phoenix, Shelly eventually reveals himself on the final day of the trial by sneaking up behind the judge and holding him at gunpoint in order to claim Engarde’s assistant Adrian Andrews of being his client so she can take the fall. Discovering Engarde’s plan to betray him, Shelly promises to hunt down Engarde for the rest of his life should he be declared not guilty, making his elegant leave afterwards.

[[.index]]

** ''Turnabout Gold Medal'': This version of Godot is a prosecutor turned president of the World Judicial Union who, sensing corruption within the organization, devises a grand scheme to expose Vice-Chairman Antino Nivantess’s misconduct. Knowing that a microchip containing the Union’s shady deals has been stolen by a defense attorney, Godot secretly creates the Judicial Olympics to weed out the possible suspect, getting Chairman Jack Crowmack on his side by making it out to be a show of power. Inserting himself into the trial to find attorney Maldea Valenbough’s murderer, Godot, having known that Kojiro Fukashigi was behind the microchip’s theft, deduced the chip was hidden in the Olympic’s gold medal, and swapped it with a fake one so that Nivantess could reveal the passcode to get in. With his plan deliberately wasting everybody’s time in order to properly suss out the mastermind, even framing Phoenix for Maldea’s murder at one point, Godot continuously feigns impotence to get Nivantess to reveal himself, swiftly taking him down and even offering Phoenix a position as Union director as thanks.

* ''Franchise/AceAttorney''':

* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'''s ''Farewell, My Turnabout'' (2016): Shelly de Killer is an international assassin who mixes classy professionalism with a sinister edge. Upholding a moral code that strongly emphasizes trust between him and his clients to ensure their safety and his eluding of the law, Shelly is hired by actor Matt Engarde to kill his rival Juan Corrida, with Shelly kidnapping Maya Fey to force her friend Phoenix Wright to acquit Engarde in return for Maya’s life. Detaining prosecutor Franziska von Karma by shooting her in the arm in order to make the trial easier for Phoenix, Shelly eventually reveals himself on the final day of the trial by sneaking up behind the judge and holding him at gunpoint in order to claim Engarde’s assistant Adrian Andrews of being his client so she can take the fall. Discovering Engarde’s plan to betray him, Shelly promises to hunt down Engarde for the rest of his life should he be declared not guilty, making his elegant leave afterwards.