History SmugSnake / Literature

* Gustav Fiers, aka The Gentleman from the {{Spider-Man}} novelisations, the ''Literature/SinisterSixTrilogy''. He certainly ''thinks'' he's a MagnificentBastard, and looks and acts the part, being an excellent ManipulativeBastard and {{Chessmaster}}, and ManOfWealthAndTaste who successfully manipulates the whole of the Sinister Six, has evaded law enforcement for years, and refers to himself as an "investor in chaos". Yet he fails to earn the audience's respect due to his contemptuous attitude and his unpleasant personality, utter heinousness (only his genuine affection for his equally monstrous brother, [[TerroristWithoutACause Karl]], keeps him off the CompleteMonster list), and underestimation of Spider-Man, The Chameleon, and Dr. Octopus put him squarely in this trope.

** James Potter was this as a teenager, though he supposedly grew out of it (even becoming [[ClassRepresentative Head Boy]] of Hogwarts in his final year).

* Queen Cersei Lannister in ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. Overestimation of her own cleverness is one of her main character traits. There's a prophecy that everything that could possibly go wrong in her life will, so her ruthless methods are understandable, yet her incompetent attempts at manipulation and power-grabbing alienate almost every one of her allies and could well lead her to the terrible fate predicted in the prophecy.

** Dragon King of Arms from ''Discworld/FeetOfClay'', the vampire mastermind behind the plot to poison Vetinari and replace him with a puppet ruler. His plan falls apart because he arrogantly underestimates Vimes and the rest of the City Watch.

* Duke Telrii from ''{{Elantris}}'' is an example of the "thinks he's a MagnificentBastard" type, though he winds up little more than a pawn of the book's real MagnificentBastard, Hrathen. King Iadon from the same book is also an example- he turns out to be a lot smarter than Telrii ([[ObfuscatingStupidity and a lot smarter than he lets on]]), but his vision is simply too narrow to let him accomplish anything of real significance.

* ''TheDresdenFiles'' has a lot of these (such as Lord Raith). Particularly Quintus "Snakeboy" Cassius, a Denarian who is not only a clear-cut example of those trope, but a ''[[ScaledUp literal]]'' example as well.

* There's several in the ''CodexAlera'', due to a high density of {{Chessmaster}}s, {{Magnificent Bastard}}s. Particularly notable ones include the EvilSorcerer Sarl, who tried to [[spoiler:ally with a HordeOfAlienLocusts to bring down his superior]]; Senators Arnos, an ObstructiveBureaucrat who ordered a village slaughtered so he had an excuse to dismiss an honest officer who would balk at it; and Kalarus Brencis Minorus, who has a WellDoneSonGuy complex.

* Count Olaf of ''ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'' is a ''huge'' one. He has some pretty {{Paper Thin Disguise}}s (to the Baudelaires, at least) and he constantly remarks about how evil and cunning he is. Also, he suffers from plot-relevant VillainDecay and he clearly lacks common sense (seeing as he asks the Baudelaires to buy some roast beef with their fortune when he knows they're not eligible yet).

** [[Characters/HarryPotter Dolores Jane Umbridge]] in ''HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' is a purposeful Smug Snake. A sugary sweet StepfordSmiler who is [[FantasticRacism biased against non- and half-humans]] and [[ObstructiveBureaucrat uses laws and technicalities]] to get her way, Umbridge is one COLOSSAL bitch, who tourtures children during detention.

* Dr Bill Tanner from [[Alex Rider Snakehead]] is a disgusting scumbag who tries [[spoiler:to sell Alex's organ's on the black market]]. He's so smug he brags about how Alex can't escape which helps him break out. He's so unlikeable when [[spoiler: he kills himself, the audience feels no sympathy.]]

* Gustav Fiers, aka The Gentleman from the {{Spider-Man}} novelisations, ''The Sinister Six Trilogy''. He certainly ''thinks'' he's a MagnificentBastard, and looks and acts the part, being an excellent ManipulativeBastard and {{Chessmaster}}, and ManOfWealthAndTaste who successfully manipulates the whole of the Sinister Six, has evaded law enforcement for years, and refers to himself as an "investor in chaos". Yet he fails to earn the audience's respect due to his contemptuous attitude and his unpleasant personality, utter heinousness (only his genuine affection for his equally monstrous brother, [[TerroristWithoutACause Karl]], keeps him off the CompleteMonster list), and underestimation of Spider-Man, The Chameleon, and Dr. Octopus put him squarely in this trope.

* The title character of ''ACoffinForDimitrios'' is a good fit, being a clever schemer, but such an unpleasant treacherous thug that he's completely unlikable. Also notable is that he ends up addicted to the same drugs he sells, something which would never happen to a MagnificentBastard. Interestingly, the character might have been an inspiration for Keyser Soze of ''TheUsualSuspects'', who by contrast is definitely a MagnificentBastard.

** From ''The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'', Nils Bjurman thinks he's being extremely clever by using his control over a mentally incompetent girl's money to coerce her into submitting to his fondness for sadistic rape and torture, especially since he thinks it unlikely her word would be believed over his if she tried to report him. However, the book explicitly makes it clear that he makes no effort to cover the physical evidence he leaves on and in her, and that if she did go to the police, mentally incompetent or not, he would be finished immediately. Also, even ignoring this mistake (and the more serious one of the girl in question being [[DarkActionGirl Lisbeth]] [[GuileHero Salander]],) the [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil his crimes are so heinous]] that there is no way he could ever incite any reaction beyond absolute disgust and contempt from the reader.

* [[LizardFolk Cree Bega]], TheDragon in ''TheVoyageOfTheJerleShannara'' is a slipperily obsequious CompleteMonster, with a penchant for ColdBloodedTorture and murder, BreakTheCutie, and [[KickTheDog Kicking]] TheWoobie. He's also ungodly arrogant, seeing all of the [[{{Snaketalk}} Little Peoplesss]] as [[FantasticRacism inferior beings]] worthy only of disdain. Even his undeniable bravery in combat and willingness to [[TheStarscream stand up]] to [[BadBoss The Isle Witch]] stems from this arrogance, and it ultimately gets him killed when one of {{the Woobie}}s [[TheDogBitesBack Bites Back]]. Utterly unlikeable, and truly disgusting. Stenmin, the EvilChancellor from ''[[Literature/TheSwordOfShannaraTrilogy The Sword Of Shannara]]'' is a more typical example, combining sliminess, DirtyCoward, and TheMole into one unloveable package.

** From ''The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'', Nils Bjurman thinks he's being extremely clever by using his control over a mentally incompetent girl's money to coerce her into submitting to his fondness for sadistic rape and torture, especially since he thinks it unlikely her word would be believed over his if she tried to report him. However, the book explicitly makes it clear that he makes no effort to cover the physical evidence he leaves on and in her, and that if she did go to the police, mentally incompetent or not, he would be finished immediately. Also, even ignoring this mistake (and the more serious one of the girl in question being [[DarkActionGirl Lisbeth]] [[GuileHero Salander]],) the [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil heinousness of his crimes]] make him such a CompleteMonster that there is no way he could ever incite any reaction beyond absolute disgust and contempt from the reader.

* Zil Sperry from ''{{Gone}}'', a [[AdolfHitler Hitler]] expy whose plans are mostly either nuisances, with their only major negative effects being unintentional, or things he's tricked into doing by [[BigBad Caine]], yet he thinks he's leading a major, important movement. [[spoiler: When he's killed by Dekka in book 3, [[TheScrappy nobody was upset.]]]]

* Ray Scutter of ''BlindLake''.

** Draco's dad Lucius is one too (apparently being a Smug Snake runs in the family). He's very smart and has the polish of a MagnificentBastard, but his arrogance and certainty that [[VillainWithGoodPublicity he can get away with anything]] lead to some sloppy mistakes. By the end of the series both Malfoys turn out weirdly pathetic after they are forcibly shown that a CompleteMonster EvilOverlord does ''not'' a good houseguest make.

* In ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'', Davina Marr is a patronising, ageist, sadistic StepfordSmiler and CompleteMonster [[OhCrap who makes Dolores Umbridge look like Mother Teresa]]. Whenever she appears, you want to climb inside the book and punch her in the face. Nevertheless, she's an unwitting pawn in someone else's diabolical plan, spends most of book 5 unconscious and is unceremoniously killed while tied up and begging for her life.

* ''TheDresdenFiles'' has a lot of these, a couple of whom (such as Lord Raith) are also {{Complete Monster}}s. Particularly Quintus "Snakeboy" Cassius, a Denarian who is not only a clear-cut example of those trope, but a ''[[ScaledUp literal]]'' example as well.

* There's several in the ''CodexAlera'', due to a high density of {{Chessmaster}}s, {{Magnificent Bastard}}s, and {{Complete Monster}}s. Particularly notable ones include the EvilSorcerer Sarl, who tried to [[spoiler:ally with a HordeOfAlienLocusts to bring down his superior]]; Senators Arnos, an ObstructiveBureaucrat who ordered a village slaughtered so he had an excuse to dismiss an honest officer who would balk at it; and Kalarus Brencis Minorus, who has a WellDoneSonGuy complex to a CompleteMonster.

** From ''The Girl Who Played With Fire'', [[spoiler: Alexander Zalachenko, Lisbeth's father]], clearly thinks he's a MagnificentBastard, but falls very squarely into this trope, only partly because he's also a CompleteMonster. Even though he was a competent spy for the Soviets, his arrogance and lack of self-control led him to balls up an assignment so badly that he needed to defect to save his own skin. After defecting to Sweden, he frequently got drunk, abused his girlfriend so badly she had permanent brain damage, and delighted in making his handlers bail him out of his self-inflicted trouble. Following his eventual departure from the intelligence networks, he became a sex trafficker (a business which even TheDragon thinks is too high-risk for the mediocre profit it brings), essentially because he was a misogynist who enjoyed having power over women. When confronted, everything he says basically boils down to ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections, and he continues to believe this, right up until [[spoiler: his handlers get fed up with him and blow his head off, while telling him just how much contempt they have for him]].
** From ''The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest'', Dr Peter Teleborian spends the entire book totally confident that his (falsified) assessment of [[spoiler: Lisbeth Salander]] will be accepted without question, and is so used to being respected and admired that it genuinely throws him when someone does not fall for his charm and nod in agreement with everything he says. He has such faith that his [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections connections]] will keep everything under wraps that he doesn't even do a good job of covering his tracks, and when his connections are compromised, the glaring errors become clear to everyone. However, his main flaw is that he has come to believe his own lies, and consequently completely underestimates his former patient. Also, he is (yet another) CompleteMonster, in this case a sadistic paedophile, so would basically be disqualified from {{Magnificent Bastard}}-dom even if he hadn't screwed everything up.
*** In terms of competence, pretty much the entire Section qualify, as they spend virtually the entire book being OutGambitted to the point of EpicFail by Salander's friends while believing they have the upper hand. Also, as Cold War veterans, they are unsuited to the 2000s, and they seem unable to understand that you can no longer expect everyone in the country to tolerate your crimes simply because they were committed in the interests of "National Security", and when a younger man tries to get them to realise that times have changed, they dismiss him as lacking the spine needed to do his job.

* [[LizardFolk Cree]] [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent Bega]], TheDragon in ''TheVoyageOfTheJerleShannara'' is a slipperily obsequious CompleteMonster, with a penchant for ColdBloodedTorture and murder, BreakTheCutie, and [[KickTheDog Kicking]] TheWoobie. He's also ungodly arrogant, seeing all of the [[{{Snaketalk}} Little Peoplesss]] as [[FantasticRacism inferior beings]] worthy only of disdain. Even his undeniable bravery in combat and willingness to [[TheStarscream stand up]] to [[BadBoss The Isle Witch]] stems from this arrogance, and it ultimately gets him killed when one of {{the Woobie}}s [[TheDogBitesBack Bites Back]]. Utterly unlikeable, and truly disgusting. Stenmin, the EvilChancellor from ''[[Literature/TheSwordOfShannaraTrilogy The Sword Of Shannara]]'' is a more typical example, combining sliminess, DirtyCoward, and TheMole into one unloveable package.

*** In terms of competence, pretty much the entire Section qualify, as they spend virtually the entire book being OutGambitted to the point of EpicFail by Salander's friends while believing they have the upper hand. Also, as Cold War veterans, they are unsuited to the 2000s, and they seem unable to understand that you can no longer expect everyone in the country to tolerate your crimes simply because they were committed in the interests of "National Security", and when a younger man tries to get them to realise that times have changed, they dismiss him as lacking the spine needed to do his job.

* Stopwatch of the WhateleyUniverse. Brilliant planner, head of The Masterminds, has managed to hide his best power from the SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy powers testing guys... and gets pwned by Phase in "Ayla and the Networks". He ends up having to beg Ayla for help, and loses control of his own team of supervillains.

* Uriah Heep in Dickens' ''DavidCopperfield'' is one of literature's most notable smug villains; he has the ability to make the term of address "Master Copperfield" seem insincere, and is always wittering on about how "humble" he is. [[spoiler: Naturally, he's planning to swindle everything away from the other characters.]]

** [[Characters/HarryPotter Dolores Jane Umbridge]] in ''{{Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}'' is a purposeful Smug Snake. A sugary sweet StepfordSmiler who is [[FantasticRacism biased against non- and half-humans]] and [[ObstructiveBureaucrat uses laws and technicalities]] to get her way, Umbridge is one COLOSSAL bitch, who tourtures children during detention.

* Queen Cersei Lannister in ''{{A Song of Ice and Fire}}''. Overestimation of her own cleverness is one of her main character traits. There's a prophecy that everything that could possibly go wrong in her life will, so her ruthless methods are understandable, yet her incompetent attempts at manipulation and power-grabbing alienate almost every one of her allies and could well lead her to the terrible fate predicted in the prophecy.

* Cosmo Lavish from the {{Discworld}} novel ''{{Discworld/Making Money}}'' is an [[LoonyFan obsessed fan-boy]] of Vetinari, who is an actual MagnificentBastard. He tries extremely hard to be just like Vetinari, trying to get his old clothes and practising his [[CharacterTics eyebrow-raising]]. [[spoiler: He eventually goes crazy, thinking he [[NapoleonDelusion really is Vetinari]], and gets committed to an insane asylum, which apparently has a whole ward dedicated to people who think they're Vetinari.]] His sister, Pucci Lavish, isn't much better.
** Lord Hong from ''Interesting Times'' is another, though less funny and less pitiful, example. He is, admittedly, {{awesome by analysis}} and the BigBad of the novel, so not a pure specimen. He does, however, exhibit the trademark snarky attitude, overconfidence and pre-failure breakdown.
** There's also the Supreme Grand Master, a.k.a. [[spoiler:Lupine Wonse]] from ''[[{{Discworld/GuardsGuards}} Guards! Guards!]]'', who vastly overestimates his own power in summoning and controlling the dragon which terrorizes Ankh-Morpork, in that he can summon it but has no means to control it.
* The emperor of France, NapoleonBonaparte, in ''{{War and Peace}}''. The characters take up at least a third of the book talking about, predicting the actions of, or plotting against him. When Prince Andrei and later when Balashov, an emissary of the Russian emperor, finally meet him, they're both struck by how disappointing he is compared to his reputation. [[AnAesop He's purposefully portrayed this way.]]
* The title character of ''{{A Coffin for Dimitrios}}'' is a good fit, being a clever schemer, but such an unpleasant treacherous thug that he's completely unlikable. Also notable is that he ends up addicted to the same drugs he sells, something which would never happen to a MagnificentBastard. Interestingly, the character might have been an inspiration for Keyser Soze of ''TheUsualSuspects'', who by contrast is definitely a MagnificentBastard.
* Vidal Vordarian from {{Lois McMaster Bujold}}'s ''Literature/{{Vorkosigan|Saga}}'' series. He wants to run Barrayar, but is effortlessly and ''unintentionally'' defeated in his attempt to do it legitimately by Aral Vorkosigan. So he tries a coup, but fails to capture the true heir or assassinate the Regent. He gets the ruling council to go along, but only at obvious gunpoint. And then he [[spoiler: loses his head to [[MamaBear Vorkosigan's wife]].]] His "greatest" achievement is his implied rape of the dowager Empress, who he marries (again, obviously by force). Smug Snake indeed.

* Frederick Chilton from ''RedDragon'' and ''{{The Silence of the Lambs}}'', who comes across as a bully as head of the Chesapeake State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. In ''Silence'' he makes the key mistake of handing Hannibal Lecter over to people who don't understand how dangerous he can be, which gives Hannibal the opportunity to escape.

* Mr. Collins in ''{{Pride and Prejudice}}'', whilst not exactly a villain, is rather smug and slimy, with a rather vast (and largely unearned) self-regard that makes him believe that Elizabeth Bennet is rejecting his marriage proposal out of some feminine desire to string him along when she's rather explicitly stating that no, it's because she ''doesn't like him''.

* ''{{Romance of the Three Kingdoms}}'': Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu are obvious ones, and Cao Cao has shades of it when he's opposing the nominal protagonist, but even Liu Bei has his moments of snake-ness in the eyes of a modern audience. (But that WhatTheHellHero reaction is probably intentional, as the author was suffering from ExecutiveMeddling.)
** Yuan Shu is probably the biggest example of the book. He declares himself the emperor with only the Imperial Seal to back up his claim, and thus alienates everybody. And his petty villainy while a member of the Coalition against Dong Zhuo, withholding food from ally Sun Jian's army to keep Sun from gaining too much glory.

* There's several in the ''CodexAlera'', due to a high density of {{Chessmaster}}s, {{Magnificent Bastard}}s, and {{Complete Monster}}s. Particularly notable ones include the EvilSorcerer Sarl, who tried to [[spoiler:ally with a HordeOfAlienLocusts to bring down his superior]]; Senators Arnos, an {{Obstructive Bureaucrat}} who ordered a village slaughtered so he had an excuse to dismiss an honest officer who would balk at it; and Kalarus Brencis Minorus, who has a WellDoneSonGuy complex to a CompleteMonster.

* Lord Straff Venture of ''{{Mistborn}}'' is a comparatively competent Smug Snake, being a skilled long-range {{Chessmaster}} and the most powerful nobleman in TheEmpire apart from its PhysicalGod leader. At the same time, though, his arrogance, lack of skill in immediate, detailed manipulations, and the numerous petty and vile traits he shows in his interpersonal relationships keep him out of full MagnificentBastard range.

* Two villains from the ForgottenRealms trilogy ''CounselorsAndKings'' stand out. Lord Procopio Septus is a canny and ambitious politician, but he's shortsighted and very proud, which make it possible for him to be OutGambitted comparatively easily if you know what you're doing. [[spoiler: Dhamari Exchelsor]], though he puts on a friendly facade, is a treacherous and venal little man often compared to a weasel or ferret both in terms of appearance and demeanor. He's sneaky, but he's too petty to have a real MagnificentBastard's grasp of the big picture.
** Ironically [[spoiler:Dhamari]] did at one point ''artificially'' turn himself into something approaching a MagnificentBastard- upon capturing an amulet enspelled to protect it's wearer from him, he wore it himself, and was protected ''from himself'', causing him to become much more cunning, manipulative, and successful. Once he lost it, though, it was a quick trip back to Smug Snake-hood.

* Vidal Vordarian from {{Lois McMaster Bujold}}'s ''{{Vorkosigan|Saga}}'' series. He wants to run Barrayar, but is effortlessly and ''unintentionally'' defeated in his attempt to do it legitimately by Aral Vorkosigan. So he tries a coup, but fails to capture the true heir or assassinate the Regent. He gets the ruling council to go along, but only at obvious gunpoint. And then he [[spoiler: loses his head to [[MamaBear Vorkosigan's wife]].]] His "greatest" achievement is his implied rape of the dowager Empress, who he marries (again, obviously by force). Smug Snake indeed.

* Frederick Chilton from ''Red Dragon'' and ''{{The Silence of the Lambs}}'', who comes across as a bully as head of the Chesapeake State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. In ''Silence'' he makes the key mistake of handing Hannibal Lecter over to people who don't understand how dangerous he can be, which gives Hannibal the opportunity to escape.

** James Potter was this as a teenager, though he eventually grew out of it (even becoming [[ClassRepresentative Head Boy]] of Hogwarts in his final year).

* Queen Cersei Lannister in ''{{A Song of Ice and Fire}}''. Overestimation of her own cleverness is one of her main character traits. There's a prophecy that just about everything that could possibly go wrong in her life will, so her ruthless methods are understandable, yet her incompetent attempts at manipulation and power-grabbing alienate almost every one of her allies and could well lead her to the terrible fate predicted in the prophecy.

* In the ''{{Dragonlance}}'' novels, Quarath, the EvilChancellor to the leader of the CorruptChurch fits this model. His own ambitions for power and wealth are compared to the epic confrontation between ''actual'' {{Magnificent Bastard}}s Raistlin and Fistandantilus of which Quarath is completely unaware. Ended up [[spoiler: being squashed by a pillar as his temple collapsed]] when his master pisses off the gods that Quarath had pretty much stopped believing in by this point.
** In the later War of Souls trilogy we get Morham Targonee, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lord of the Night]], who despite his impressively evil sounding title is basically a scheming accountant who happened to be in the right place at the right time to seize power. When the local DarkMessiah shows up and steals his job, she punishes him in what is perhaps the worst way a Smug Snake can experience- by forcing him to realize his own cosmic insignificance before killing him.
* Cosmo Lavish from the {{Discworld}} novel ''{{Discworld/Making Money}}'' is basically an [[LoonyFan obsessed fan-boy]] of Vetinari, who is an actual MagnificentBastard. He tries extremely hard to be just like Vetinari, trying to get his old clothes and practising his [[CharacterTics eyebrow-raising]]. [[spoiler: He eventually goes crazy, thinking he [[NapoleonDelusion really is Vetinari]], and gets committed to an insane asylum, which apparently has a whole ward dedicated to people who think they're Vetinari.]] His sister, Pucci Lavish, isn't much better.

** Yuan Shu is probably the biggest example of the book. He declares himself the emperor with only the Imperial Seal to back up his claim, and thus alienates pretty much everybody. Not to mention his petty villainy while a member of the Coalition against Dong Zhuo, withholding food from ally Sun Jian's army to keep Sun from gaining too much glory.

* ''TheDresdenFiles'' has a lot of these, a couple of whom (such as Lord Raith) are also {{Complete Monster}}s. But of particular note is Quintus "Snakeboy" Cassius, a Denarian who is not only a clear-cut example of those trope, but a ''[[ScaledUp literal]]'' example as well.

* There's several in the ''CodexAlera'', due to a high density of {{Chessmaster}}s, {{Magnificent Bastard}}s, and {{Complete Monster}}s. Particularly notable ones include the EvilSorcerer Sarl, who tried to [[spoiler:ally with a HordeOfAlienLocusts to bring down his superior]]; Senators Arnos, an {{Obstructive Bureaucrat}} who ordered an entire village slaughtered so he had an excuse to dismiss an honest officer who would balk at it; and Kalarus Brencis Minorus, who has a WellDoneSonGuy complex to a CompleteMonster.

** In general, as soon as a bad guy says something about how they're going to take down or hurt Roarke easily, you know s/he will be put in this category. The DirtyCop Jerry Vernon from ''Judgment In Death'' is a good example. He gets in Eve's face about the fact that she is looking for dirt on him, and he brags about how he is going to sue her and bleed that rich husband of hers. Please note that no one bleeds Roarke. If s/he tried, he would squish that person like the bug s/he is.

* ArtemisFowl from the book series of the same name is certainly a genius but his snarking is usually outdone by most of the other characters, he is physically weak and most of his plans fail due to him either having a crisis of conscience or due to his own overconfidence and incompetance. In short, for a criminal mastermind, this guy is overrated.
** Minerva Paradizo from ''ArtemisFowl and the Lost Colony'' is trying to be a MagnificentBitch and would be as she's easily as clever as Artemis and significantly more ruthless however she is obedient to her patronising and overprotective father, is easily outwitted by Artemis and suffers VillainousBreakdown when her own Dragon rebels against her.

** James Potter was this as a teenager, though he eventually grew out of it (even becoming [[ClassPresident Head Boy]] of Hogwarts in his final year).

* Cugel the Clever, of JackVance's ''Literature/DyingEarth'' books, while he lives on the border between this and being an actual MagnificentBastard, usually leans towards the Smug Snake side, being a complete sociopath, and nowhere near as clever as he imagines himself. ''And he's the protagonist, folks''.

* Cugel the Clever, of JackVance's ''{{Dying Earth}}'' books, while he lives on the border between this and being an actual MagnificentBastard, usually leans towards the Smug Snake side, being a complete sociopath, and nowhere near as clever as he imagines himself. ''And he's the protagonist, folks''.

* Since the Yamiko of ''SailorNothing'' are the personification of their host's id, it's easier to list the ones that don't fall into Smug Snake, namely GenreSavvy Argon, [[PragmaticVillainy Pragmatic Villain]] Cobalt, and Ohta, Cobalt's right-hand man. Dark General Radon is a particularly vile example of {{Smug Snake}}ery, being an arrogant KnightTemplar and EvilMentor before his FaceHeelTurn; afterwards he just gets worse.

* Steggles from the ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' series.