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7[[quoteright:308:[[Creator/EdmundBlairLeighton https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/LeightonCallToArms.JPG]]]]
8[[caption-width-right:308:The duties of nobility. Titled nobility at the foreground, untitled nobility at the background.]]
9
10->''"They are no members of the common throng;\
11They are all noblemen, who have gone wrong."''
12-->-- '''Ruth''', ''Theatre/ThePiratesOfPenzance''
13
14The hereditary nobility, who were the ruling and military elite in the MiddleAges and the perceived elite afterwards.
15Whether or not they have a [[RoyalBlood sovereign]] whom they are subordinate to, these characters have commoners who are subordinate to them. Their position is hereditary, often legally enforced, although occasionally simply socially accepted to the same effect.
16
17Usually, the longer the family and its heritage have been known the better. In some periods and countries, it can carry the taint of being not quite noble yet if only one's parents were ennobled. Thus, nobles are often quite proud of the length of their lineage, which makes them the natural {{foil}} of the SelfMadeMan. For the same reason young aristocrats are often quite powerless in the hands of ThePatriarch who rules the family, making the threat of PassedOverInheritance quite powerful.
18
19While there are often gradations in rank between them, the common trait of aristocrats is that, unlike the monarch, they are surrounded by their equals and if there is no monarch some form of power-sharing will be in effect with plenty of intrigue. Prone to MoralMyopia, Blue Bloods often regard only their class as important, which often leads to AristocratsAreEvil. Insults between aristocrats result in ThrowingDownTheGauntlet, or the GloveSlap, and a DuelToTheDeath, but an insult from a commoner results in the aristocrat's servants thrashing him, and an insult to a commoner hardly counts anyway (as a consequence, they are prone to underestimating the PowderKegCrowd and setting it off).
20
21Their effectiveness is frequently inversely related to their civilization. Dark Ages nobility often features RankScalesWithAsskicking, and the MiddleAges nobility ''will'' feature the KnightInShiningArmor and TheTourney, but a highly refined and civilized culture will feature an inordinate number of {{Upper Class Twit}}s (though an OfficerAndAGentleman is also possible) if not indeed decadent courtiers.
22
23Normal feature of the StandardRoyalCourt and DecadentCourt. Endemic in HistoricalFiction, HighFantasy, and FeudalFuture. Oddly enough, often characters who have been MadeASlave have former nobility as their BackStory. The OfficerAndAGentleman is also often a Blue Blood, particularly if the ''noble'' code emphasizes [[TheMenFirst the duties and responsibilities]] that come with noble birth. Even in peacetime, they may regard readiness for war a duty; hence, TheTourney. As with Royalty, the ErmineCapeEffect can apply, so many should be expected to [[PimpedOutDress wear extremely fancy clothes]] if possible. If culturally foreign from their subjects, can be a ForeignRulingClass. Related character tropes are the EvilChancellor, GentlemanSnarker, RegentForLife, RoyalBrat, UpperClassTwit, ProperLady, SilkHidingSteel, and GrandeDame.
24
25Since the duty of the nobility in the Middle Ages was [[KnightInShiningArmor warfare]], the sons of the nobility traditionally chose a military career. ''Even today'' sons of old noble families are over-represented in most military academies around the world. The word ''cadet'' for an officer trainee stems from French, meaning "younger": the eldest son inherited the manor and estate, and the younger sons went to military academies;[[note]]Or the Church, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.[[/note]] for a prime example of this, both [[UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte Napoleon]] and UsefulNotes/TheDukeOfWellington were younger sons of minor nobles (Napoleon was a second son, Wellington a third son). Tragically, since in the past the military education was begun at a ''very'' early age (7 to 11 years old), the nobility has also produced a lot of KidSamurai, but also a lot of ChildSoldiers. Today the old noble families are ''very'' likely to produce an OfficerAndAGentleman.
26
27The phrase ("blue blood") is a literal translation of the Spanish ''sangre azul''. The idea, originating in medieval times, was that common folk would have to work outside all day, and would thus develop tans. The wealthy, on the other hand, could spend all day inside, which would keep their skin pale (as they were fair-skinned Europeans). This would make their wrist veins with 'blue' blood easily visible, hence the term. It's also been [[http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-it-mean-to-have-blue-blood.htm suggested]] that the term is race-based, since the pale-skinned European Spanish wanted to distinguish themselves from the darker-skinned "Moors". Yet another idea on the term's origin, which is erroneous but included here due to the likelihood of the reader encountering it in the context of nobility, is that crustaceans such as lobster literally have blue blood[[note]]because it's based on copper instead of iron[[/note]] and have always been very expensive. Thus, being able to afford these blue-blooded creatures would require considerable wealth, which usually meant noble station.[[note]]Lobster was neither expensive nor prized until the advent of canning in the 19th Century turned it into a delicacy. Although this more or less coincides with the advent of the English term, "blue blood", it came some 900 years after the Spanish introduced the concept of ''sangre azul'' nobility. Further complicating matters are all the wealthy merchants who could afford it and all the land-rich but cash-strapped nobles who could not.[[/note]] Another explanation could be that lobsters are heavily armoured -- as a KnightInShiningArmor would be.
28
29SuperTrope of ImpoverishedPatrician, KnightInShiningArmor, RemittanceMan, NobleFugitive, AristocratsAreEvil and OfficerAndAGentleman. Compare RoyalBlood, IdleRich, OldMoney, GentlemanSnarker, and the upper echelons of the FantasticCasteSystem (as well as real ones, like [[TypeCaste the traditional castes]] of UsefulNotes/{{India}}).
30
31Not to be confused with blood that's literally blue; BlackBlood or AlienBlood would cover that. Neither should it be confused with the television series ''Series/BlueBloods'', although the title is a pun on this idiom.
32----
33!!Examples:
34[[foldercontrol]]
35
36[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
37* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' has the Royal Government of Humanity, who live behind Wall Sina far removed from the threat of the Titans. [[spoiler:Later revelations imply that the members are the most direct descendants of Ymir Fritz, the Progenitor Titan power wielder, and thus are the only ones capable of using the Coordinate Titan power to its full extent. Zeke Yeager, the Shifter behind the Beast Titan, is also the son of a Royal Family member and because of it he is shown to possess exclusive abilities, like turning other Eldians into Titans and controlling them]].
38* We see a huge variety of these in ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', from King to Viscount. More often than not, they don't do too well or last too long, mostly if they get in [[TheChessmaster Griffith's]] way.
39* ''Manga/BlackButler'' has this all over the place, both [[AristocratsAreEvil bad]] (such as Alois Trancy in the anime and Baron Kelvin in the manga) and good (well, [[BlackAndGrayMorality to a point]]) examples, such as Elizabeth Middleford and, of course, Ciel Phantomhive himself. Lampshaded by Sieglinde while trying to convince Ciel [[spoiler:to make Sebastian let up on her 'proper lady' training]] and he refuses.
40--> '''Sieglinde:''' "What colour is your blood?!"\
41'''Ciel:''' "It's red."
42* ''Manga/BlackClover'': In the Clover Kingdom there are nobles, just below royals in the social hierarchy, who tend to have large amounts of magical power and often look down on commoners. They make up most of the Magic Knights, especially the more prestigious squads.
43* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
44** [[SpiritWorld Soul Society]] is split into commoners and nobility. Commoners are humans who died in the living world then entered Soul Society and live in an assigned district of the [[WretchedHive Rukongai]]. Nobles, on the other hand are those souls actually born in Soul Society. They tend to live in Seireitei and are significantly more likely to display [[RankScalesWithAsskicking officer-level shinigami]] power than [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership commoners]]. There's also a major/minor nobility distinction, with older, more gifted families commanding greater authority. In the past, it used to be unheard of for the shinigami ranks to be made up of anything but nobility. Since Yamamoto reorganised the shinigami academy, however, more Shinigami have Rukongai origins and commoners have even occasionally made [[TheCaptain captain]]. There's still a stigma to common origins, however, and for at least one shinigami ([[HotBlooded Renji]]) the noble-versus-commoner issue was something he took personally.
45** The Quincy clan has a de facto nobility based on a "pure blood" vs. "mixed blood" distinction. Pure blood families like the Ishidas have mixed blood families as foot soldiers and servants, and traditionally the two do not intermarry.
46* The Ardley Clan and their cadet branch, the Leagans in ''Manga/CandyCandy'', as well as Terry Grandchester, the son of the British duke of Grandchester.
47* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' possesses a good number of nobles. Most of them are Britannian, but we get to see a few former Japanese families and the Chinese elites at times.
48* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': Trunks is the son of Bulma, the heiress of [[MegaCorp Capsule Corps]], and Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans. Same with Bulla.
49* Class struggles (of the StarCrossedLovers variety) are fairly important in ''Literature/TheFamiliarOfZero'', in which the nobility is largely (but not entirely) defined by being able to use magic.
50* The Armstrong Family from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' have estates all over the nation, a legacy running back centuries and have entire families that have been in their service for generations. They're also a pack of {{Boisterous Bruiser}}s and are, with [[TheSocialDarwinist one exception]], all amazingly friendly. NOW WITNESS THE ARISTOCRATIC REFINEMENT THAT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS!!!
51* Randoll from ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula'', as he’s from a noble Austrian family and is himself a Marquis. He's also a very skilled racer, but he can be a RoyalBrat when at his worst.
52* Austria from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers''. Liechtenstein also has shades of this in part due to being a Principality, not to mention being ''named'' after her ruling royals.
53* ''Anime/HelloSandybell'': Marc is the son of the Countess of Wellington. Unfortunately, due to his idiotic fatheer squandering all their money, the Wellingtons are left destitute, and his father forces him to [[ArrangedMarriage marry a woman]] [[GoldDigger he hates]] to survive.
54* The Laustins of ''Anime/IsabelleOfParis'' are a stuck-up lot, who look down on the commoners of France for being impoverished. They want their daughter to marry rich, because they accumulated their wealth through being landlords and want to preserve that honour. However, all three of their children reject their bigotry and treat commoners like equals.
55* Both played straight and referenced in ''Manga/KazeToKiNoUta''. At one point Serge, in his InnerMonologue, remarks that he imagined Gilbert's blood would be blue. Interestingly, although many of the characters in ''[=KazeKi=]'' are blue bloods, Gilbert is not really one of them, so [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic it's not entirely clear]] what exactly Serge (who is himself a Viscount) was alluding to here.
56* In the infamous {{Hentai}} ''La Blue Girl'', we have an example that is both literal and figurative. The protagonist, Miko, is [[spoiler: the daughter of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent King Seikima]] and [[TheHighQueen Queen Maria]], and next in line for the throne]]. Because she is half-demon, when she uses her [[DeusSexMachina powers]], her blood is literally blue. (However, [[FridgeLogic she blushes red, like anyone with normal-colored blood would.]])
57* ''Manga/{{Lady}}'': Mary mentions that Charlotte Spencer is descended from an English noble despite being American, which makes Madeleine propose she marry Thomas. Mary is disgusted by the idea.
58* ''Anime/LittlePrinceCedie'' has its titular character for being the grandson of the Earl of Dorincourt.
59* The central protagonists and antagonists of ''Manga/MaidenRose'' are all aristocrats from varying countries. Taki is the shinka of the Emperor and from the first of the Eight Branch Families, Katsuragi is from the second of the Eight Branch Families, Theodora is a Eurotean princess, and Klaus' family is nobility before the Western Alliance conquers their country.
60* All over the place in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' and are, with exceptions [[CoughSnarkCough *coughRelenacough*]], the antagonists.
61** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamF91'' also had an aristocratic family (the Ronahs) as the antagonists. This is at the heart of the Ronahs' belief system: that certain people are simply better than others, and it is the rightful place of the aristocracy to rule over the commoners. Though one does wonder what this says about them that their patriarch ''purchased'' their noble title, rather than inheriting it.
62* The Celestial Dragon World Nobles of ''Manga/OnePiece'' are the AristocratsAreEvil version of this quite heavily, having been given absolute freedom to do whatever they please to everyone beneath them (who is EVERYONE, even in this world where AsskickingLeadsToLeadership is the norm), so they abuse this freedom to the hilt. One decides on a whim to take a random guy's fiancée to be his own concubine, then shoots the guy when he protests.
63** The Dressrosa arc explains the Celestial Dragons a bit. The World Government was originally founded by twenty kingdoms, whose royal families were then invited to live in Mariejois, the capital of the World Government. Nineteen of the royal houses were soon replaced by other, lesser nobles, such as the Riku family replacing the [[spoiler:Donquixote]] family in Dressrosa. The only family who refused was the Nefertari family of Alabasta, who actually count more as TheBeautifulElite than AristocratsAreEvil. Yes, this means that Vivi and [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Cobra]] are technically World Nobles.
64** There is only one exception to their nigh-unlimited freedom: no World Noble can ever permanently leave Mariejois and completely abandon their life as a Celestial Dragon, lest they be dubbed as "traitors", [[spoiler:Which is why Donquixote Doflamingo was unable to rejoin the World Nobles after his father took his family out of Mariejois to live a normal life -- much to his ire.]]
65* ''Anime/RemyNobodysGirl'': [[spoiler:Remy]] is revealed to be this as she's the long lost daughter of the Mulligans, a British aristocratic family, who was kidnapped at birth.
66* Used literally in ''Seiketsu no Hagurama''. The GadgeteerGenius prince is one of a group of people with blue blood at war with the red-blooded people. Part of the manga involves him discovering his machines being used to eradicate the remaining red-blooded refugees by his father.
67* The Nobles from ''Literature/VampireHunterD'' are a truly different breed from commoners and have followed entirely different cultural conventions for thousands of years. Despite their decline, they command technology and magic far beyond what is available to ordinary people, and some have managed to cling to their lands and status despite being universally reviled and feared thanks to this. Oh, and [[OurVampiresAreDifferent they are all vampires, of course.]]
68* In the ''Manga/WildFang'' series, Mikhail is both rich and very well connected.
69* The Nobles in ''Anime/WolfsRain''. They may not have a monarch, but they do have ridiculously overpowered technology to compensate.
70* ''Anime/VoltesV'': Prince Heinel mentions that Katherine Rii is from a noble family, and [[Literature/RomanRoboAnimeClimaxSelection supplementary material]] reveals that they had ties to the Boazanian aristocracy as well.
71[[/folder]]
72
73[[folder:Art]]
74* The old Earl of Squanderfield in William Hogarth's ''Art/MarriageALaMode'' is fiercely proud of his aristocratic heritage (he has coronets put on everything from his chairs to his crutches to his dogs!), and points to his family tree literally growing out of William the Conqueror as he makes the case to a NouveauRiche alderman that he should [[ArrangedMarriage engage his daughter]] to the Earl's son.
75[[/folder]]
76
77[[folder:Ballads]]
78* In the Child Ballad "Literature/TheFamousFlowerOfServingMen", the heroine was a lady before her husband was murdered and she resorted to SweetPollyOliver and a FallenOnHardTimesJob.
79-->My father was as brave a lord\
80As ever Europe did afford;\
81My mother was a lady bright,\
82My husband was a valiant knight.\
83And I my self a lady gay,\
84Bedeckt with gorgious rich array;\
85The bravest lady in the land\
86Had not more pleasures to command.
87* In the Literature/{{Child Ballad|s}} ''Literature/YoungBeichan'', some variants note his high birth before recounting his imprisonment.
88[[/folder]]
89
90[[folder:Comic Books]]
91* ''Franchise/TheDCU'':
92** Kal-El, aka Clark Kent aka ComicBook/{{Superman}} is a scion of the House of El, a noble family of scientists who in most continuities had much wealth, power, and influence over all of Krypton. Of course, it didn't stop all of Krypton from disbelieving [[CassandraTruth Jor-El]]'s prediction that Krypton would nuke itself. By extension, Clark's cousin [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]] and son [[Characters/SupermanJonathanSamuelKent Jon]] are also a part of this family, and Superman's clone [[ComicBook/{{Superboy}} Conner Kent]] was made an honorary member of the family by Superman. All three of them wear the Superman S, which is generally explained as being the House of El's family crest. Of course, given Krypton's destruction, all members of Superman's family live like normal everyday people on Earth. Pre-Crisis story ''ComicBook/TheKryptonChronicles'' reveals Erok-El, the first member of the lineage, ruled over the continent of Urrika ten millennia ago.
93** ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'':
94*** Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, as well. Unlike Supes, he ''lives'' like it. His family is basically responsible for building Gotham City. In fact, Bob Kane chose the name "Wayne" after an American Revolutionary soldier, Anthony Wayne (some writers suggest Bruce is an actual descendant), making him the closest to nobility you can get in the States.
95*** Thomas Elliot (Hush) and Oswald Cobblepot's (ComicBook/ThePenguin) families once occupied a similar place in Gotham's social elite until they became {{Impoverished Patrician}}s.
96*** The Kane family, Bruce's relatives on his mother's side, are another example, though they tend to live relatively modestly compared to him.
97** Oliver Queen, aka ComicBook/GreenArrow, is a member of the prominent Queen family from Star City, even serving as its mayor at one point.
98* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': Amy Rose was born into a noble house, but her parents renounced their wealth to instead focus on helping the poor.
99[[/folder]]
100
101[[folder:Fairy Tales]]
102* In ''[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/aulnoy/1892/bellebelle.html Belle-Belle]]'', the heroine is a nobleman's daughter. When the king orders every family of noble blood to fight for him or pay a high tax, she opts for SweetPollyOliver to deliver them. (So did her sisters. They couldn't pull it off.)
103* In ''Literature/{{Catskin}}'', the heroine is the daughter of a gentleman, and marries a young lord.
104* The folktale of "Literature/TheLambtonWorm" is a myth about the history of a real-world aristocratic family.
105* In ''Literature/{{Tattercoats}}'', she is the granddaughter of a great nobleman.
106[[/folder]]
107
108[[folder:Fan Works]]
109* ''Fanfic/BloodAndHonor'': Purebloods can trace their descent from the high priests of the ancient Sith race, and Sanguis is no exception. Her storied heritage is brought up occasionally and she has a family estate, complete with servants, on the Imperial homeworld of Dromund Kaas. Several other Sith encountered over the course of the story mention being familiar with her house.
110* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Harry as a prime example, much to his discomfort. Aside from the Potter bloodline (which is notable enough), there's also the fact that his dad was a mortally incarnated Thor, meaning that he doesn't just have RoyalBlood, but DivineParentage, descending from the House of Odin. As he discovers, even his mother's side of the family isn't immune - the Grey family were middling nobility for the most part, but one member was Lady Jane Grey a.k.a. 'The Nine Days Queen'. There's even a faint suspicion that there's some fragmentary relationship to the House of El (though per WordOfGod, if there is one, it's been diluted to the point of homeopathy). While he likes the family, Harry mostly finds the rest of it excruciatingly embarrassing.
111* ''Fanfic/OneMoreTime'', a ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' fanfic, has quite a few nobles, from the obvious Manticorian ones (Admirals Harrrington, Gold Peak (aka Michelle Henke) and Hemphill (despite Sonja being Baroness Low Delhi, she still uses her pre-Baroness last name), to a bunch of [[spoiler:Havenite]] ones from [[spoiler:Elvana]], including [[spoiler: Grand Duchess Shannon Foraker, who's aunt is the Queen of Elvana]]. Cue lots of awkward scenes, because of a [[PoorCommunicationKills lack of communication from certain people about certain things]].
112* ''Fanfic/RedFireRedPlanet'':
113** The main Klingon Defense Force protagonist averts this, given he's not even a Klingon. Brokosh is a Lethean mercenary and didn't find out that Ba'woV, daughter of N'Gara, of the House of Chel'toK was a noblewoman until after they'd started dating. However, Chel'toK, while still a Great House, is pretty minor: Their only holding of note is a nearly depleted section of asteroid belt, and while they do have a House Fleet, it consists of two Birds-of-Prey and an ancient D7 battlecruiser.
114** General K'Bor, son of [=QulDun=], of the House of J'mpok plays it straight. He's one of the "old guard" Klingons and the uncle of J'mpok, the current chancellor.
115* Morgaiah t'Thavrau is confirmed to be of noble birth in "Fanfic/FlaihhsamSSpahkh". She's the grand-niece of a Romulan senator, which in the Roman-style HereditaryRepublic that makes up the Romulan Star Empire makes her a member of a noble house's cadet branch.
116* ''Fanfic/OversaturatedWorld'': ''Fanfic/{{Oversaturation}}'': Prince Blueblood's royal petition that's supported by other nobles, is sufficiently problematic that Princess Celestia must deal with being the head of state instead of dealing with a magical problem that she, due to DramaticIrony, doesn't realize could destroy her universe.
117* ''Fanfic/ThePalaververse'': Referenced when talking about how royal Cadenza looks:
118--> She couldn’t have appeared much more royal absent sticking a syringe into herself and drawing out pure blue.
119* ''Fanfic/LittleHandsBigAttitude'': Blaze is the last descendant of the Royal House of Sol, but this doesn't do her any good as the land her family was rulling was [[ApocalypseHow reduced down to a lave and ash-filled wasteland]] before she was born. She grew up orphaned in the ruins scavanging for food. Despite this, she still tries her best to maintain the elegant manners and poise of royalty, she is aware of a fair bit of her lands history (courtesy of the caretaker she had when she was really young), and in the new world she shows an interest in history and politics. Despite her backstory, she remains a PrincessClassic. She doesn't really advertise her royal heritage - as it's not relevant to anything - but she doesn't hesitate to admit it when directly asked.
120[[/folder]]
121
122[[folder:Film — Animation]]
123* ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride'' features Lord and Lady Everglot, whose enormous manor indicates that their family once had wealth to go with their title, but the mostly empty rooms and the safe full of cobwebs indicate that they are now, to quote Lord Everglot in the couple's introductory song, [[ImpoverishedPatrician "land-rich, bankrupt aristocracy without a penny to their name"]]. Their heritage prompts them to look down on the NouveauRiche Van Dorts, as William is a SelfMadeMan who earned his fortune rather than inheriting it (and has yet to learn manners to go with his money), but [[ArrangedMarriage engaging Victoria to Victor Van Dort]] is the Everglots' surest path [[NobilityMarriesMoney back to financial stability, while Victor will get a title that allows his parents to socialise with society's elite]], and so the Everglots try to swallow their pride.
124[[/folder]]
125
126[[folder:Film — Live Action]]
127* The head vampire from ''Film/BladeII'' has literal blue blood, even though he is not a pureblood vampire, the true aristocracy of the vampire race.
128* ''Film/TheException'':
129** Colonel Sigurd von Ilsemann, Wilhelm's personal assistant, is from an aristocratic background like most German ranking officers were then.
130** Brandt is also related to the Ludendorffs, another example, on his mother's side (Erich von Ludendorff was one of the generals who led the Germans during the first world war).
131* While Film/JamesBond is hinted as being this in the films (such as in ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService''). ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' reveals that he's the son of Scottish nobility, owning a large if rather dilapidated estate.
132* Rather daringly, ''Film/LettersFromIwoJima'' portrayed the aristocratic Japanese commanders Tadamichi Kuribayashi and Baron Takeichi Nishi as deeply sympathetic characters.
133* ''Film/TheMusicRoom'': Roy, a product of the hereditary Bengal aristocracy. Near the end of the movie he cites "Blood! The blood in my veins!" as the reason why he is still perceived as an aristocrat despite being an ImpoverishedPatrician while Mahim is still a NouveauRiche grasper.
134* Of the children at Chartham Place in ''Film/NoKidding'', Hassam and Suleiman are Middle Eastern princes, while Priscilla is the daughter of an Earl.
135* A major plot point of the movie ''Film/Penelope2006'' is that the title character's curse can only be broken when a blue-blood declares he loves her. [[spoiler:She ends up breaking the curse by stating that she loves herself the way she is, curse and all. Both heartwarming and amusing, as you find out that the man she loves and who presented himself as a blue-blood was actually lying, and when she begs him to just say he loves her and that he doesn't have to talk to her after that, he sadly responds that he can't, but not for the reasons she thinks (i.e. he finds her ugly due to the curse giving her a pig's nose, which actually isn't that bad)).]]
136* In ''Film/RobinHood1991'', Sir Robert/Robin is a Saxon noble, the Earl of Huntingdon, while Baron Daguerre and Sir Miles are Norman nobles.
137* Appears to be literally true in ''Film/{{Stardust}}'', when Lamia slits [[spoiler:Primus's]] throat, his blood is clearly dark blue.
138* ''Film/{{Wolves}}'': Cayden is soon identified as being from "one of the old lines", meaning he's a pure-bred werewolf. After generations of mingling, they're becoming rare.
139[[/folder]]
140
141[[folder:Literature]]
142* Creator/JaneAusten's works. Unlike the Regency Romance, while all of her characters are blue-bloods, only a handful have titles. Baronets, mostly, although Darcy is related to an earl who does not appear in the work.
143** A notable example as Darcy's name is clearly ripped off from the D'Arcy family, a genuine family of earls who, in the real world, had run out of male heirs about a century earlier; and his first name, Fitzwilliam, suggests strongly that his uncle is the Earl Fitzwilliam, a hugely famous and powerful man at the time. So much for NoCelebritiesWereHarmed...
144** Also interesting, particularly in ''Literature/SenseAndSensibility'' and ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'', is the tension (TruthInTelevision at the time) between the blue-blooded gentry who had somehow had their traditional incomes diverted away from them by being unable to inherit, or by their becoming worthless, and the rising commoner merchants (like Mrs. Bennet's family) who were often richer than them, but traditionally unacceptable as members of the blue-blooded clique.
145** In ''Literature/NorthangerAbbey'', the narrator, explaining why Catherine had not fallen in love before seventeen, lists several reasons. One is that there was no lord in the neighborhood, or even a baronet.
146** In ''Literature/LoveAndFreindship'', the narrator's mother's father was a Scotch Peer and her husband was the son of a baronet. Parodied with her cousins Gustavus and Philander, whose fathers were [[WhosYourDaddy probably]] a corset-maker and a bricklayer, but insist that as their mothers never married them, it ''doesn't count''.
147* Various families in Creator/PatriciaAMcKillip's ''Literature/TheBellAtSealeyHead''. Because Raven Sproule is courting Gwyneth Blair, a merchant's daughter, Gwyneth rather suspects the Sproules are {{Impoverished Patrician}}s.
148* In ''Literature/{{Blindfold}}'', the colony of Atlas is ruled by a number of {{feudal|Future}} rulers (with no central authority) who are descended from the officers of the original colony ship. Several additional ships have arrived since then, but that did nothing to affect the feudal social structure, as the arrivals simply assimilated into the commoners.
149* Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs's heroes and heroines are {{Blue Blood}}s when not actually of RoyalBlood -- though this does cover upper-class Americans as well as titled characters, and the characters (and readers) may not be aware of it. Villains and other characters may also have it.
150** In ''Literature/TheMonsterMen'', von Horn cites it.
151-->''Nor do I understand, sir, what objections you may have to me -- I am of a very old and noble family.''
152* In Creator/AvramDavidson's "The Case of the Mother-in-Law of Pearl", Prince von Vlox, in his behavior and his references to the family's history (e.g., calling Paracelsus "Theo"), displays "an arrogance that transcended mere snobbery."
153* In Creator/KerryGreenwood's ''The Castlemaine Murders'', the Honourable Miss Literature/PhryneFisher's sister Eliza plays the disdainful UpperClassTwit trope straight in the early part of the book -- only to subvert the trope after Eliza finally tells Phryne why she was sent to Australia (she was acting out because of how unhappy she was).
154* In Creator/AndreNorton's ''Literature/{{Catseye|1961}}'', Tikil is a luxury port, catering to the wealthy high-born who vacation there. Kyger's animal shop is one such store.
155* In Creator/DorothyGilman's ''Literature/TheClairvoyantCountess'' Madame Karitska is technically a countess. Given that she was a small child when her family escaped the Russian Revolution, it doesn't mean much to her.
156* In Creator/RobertEHoward's Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian story "Literature/TheDevilInIron", Octavia's BackStory.
157-->''Octavia sprang up, her white fists clenched, her eyes blazing and her figure quivering with outraged anger.\
158"You would force me to play [[TheVamp the trollop]] with this barbarian?" she exclaimed. "I will not! I am no market-block slut to smirk and ogle at a steppes robber. I am the daughter of a Nemedian lord--"\
159"You were of the Nemedian nobility before my riders carried you off," returned Jehungir cynically. "[[MadeASlave Now you are merely a slave who will do as she is bid.]]"''
160** Livia in "Literature/TheValeOfLostWomen".
161* In Creator/StephenHunt's ''The Court of the Air'' and ''The Rise of the Iron Moon'', Quartershift nobility were massacred by the authorities in the BackStory.
162* In ''Literature/DarknessVisible'' the narrator is Lord Henry Lewis, the 6th Earl of Gloucester.
163* ''Literature/DeusExIcarusEffect'': [[spoiler: Lucius]] describes himself as a "scion of blue bloods from the old country" in the book's prologue.
164* Virtually all of the major and minor characters in the Literature/{{Deryni}} works are in this class. The better ones treat members of the lowers orders (such as Revan in the ''Legends of Camber'' and ''Heirs of Camber'' and Morgan's pagan swordsmith Ferris from the story "Trial") quite well. The rest, well, see AristocratsAreEvil.
165* Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''. Particularly in ''Literature/FeetOfClay'', where the Dragon King of Arms meticulously traces noble lines and deplores how he must produce coats-of-arms for the low-born, and in the [[Literature/TheWeeFreeMen Tiffany Aching]] books, where the baron's son Roland, after a stint as a RoyalBrat, is the only boy that Tiffany can talk to because all the rest are afraid to talk to a witch.
166* Frank Herbert's ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'':
167** The [[Literature/{{Dune}} original novel]] appears to indicate that nobles are somehow better than regular folk. The Bene Gesserit are only shown caring about noble bloodlines in their quest to create a perfect being, most likely because of the generations of manipulation by the Bene Gesserit, while the commoners don't have as well kept records of their genetic history, making them less useful for their plans.
168** The prequel novels reveal that the Atreides were not originally nobility (Vorian Atreides being created in a lab by his [[HumongousMecha cy]][[BrainInAJar mek]] father and marrying a barmaid) and do not show when they were first granted the title.
169* In the ''Literature/EddieLaCrosse'' series, Eddie is officially Baron Edward [=LaCrosse=] of Arentia, and an old friend of the king, but he lives in self-imposed exile after a [[MyGreatestFailure monumental mistake]]. He's certainly not living a noble lifestyle, but he doesn't quite fit the normal pattern of an ImpoverishedPatrician, because it's deliberate and he doesn't really regret it -- but at the same time, he's not a DefectorFromDecadence, since it wasn't decadence that led him to leave. (And King Phil is a nice guy anyway.) Most of the time, his background is irrelevant enough that it never comes up.
170* In ''Literature/TheEdge'', the hereditary aristocracy are actually called bluebloods to distinguish them from the nobility, the bluebloods who have already earned their titles.
171* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/TheEncyclopedists": The first interaction Terminus has with Anacreon after the latter has declared themselves independent from the Empire is from Anselm haut Rodric. He's an envoy of the nobility, and the narrative emphasizes that "haut" indicates his rank.
172* In Creator/GeneStrattonPorter's ''Literature/{{Freckles}}'', Angel is a blue-blooded American with "ancestors reaching back to Plymouth Rock, and across the sea for generations before that." Freckles himself turns out to be the grandson of a nobleman. Though it gets less play, [=McLean=] was the son of a prosperous Scottish shipbuilder, though he made himself in the lumber trade.
173* In Creator/VictoriaForester's ''Literature/TheGirlWhoCouldFly'', Conrad's parents gave him "good breeding" and regarded it as more than enough -- he could not expect any attention from them after getting that.
174* Hugh, Viscount Trimingham, in ''Literature/TheGoBetween''. He is intelligent and likeable, though disfigured by a war wound, and takes his responsibilities to his tenants seriously. Much good it does him.
175* Purebloods fulfill this role in the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series. Although the wizarding world lacks royalty or titles, most pureblood families enjoy a disproportionate amount of wealth, power, and influence. Most also have an aristocratic disdain for not-so-pure-blooded wizards and especially for {{muggles}}.
176* In ''Literature/HonorHarrington'', the Star Kingdom of Manticore has a noble class that was mostly descended from the first wave of colonists. However, they also create new peerages for exceptionally distinguished commoners, such as the protagonist herself.
177** [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Most Manticoran nobles]] (including the royal family) are driven by a strong sense of ''noblesse oblige'', and recognize that an inherited title doesn't make them automatically better that commoners; those that don't[[note]]''cough'' Conservative Association ''cough''[[/note]] tend to dive headlong into AristocratsAreEvil territory.
178** An interesting case with the titular character, who holds noble titles in ''two'' star nations. She is first granted the title of Steadholder Harrington on the planet Grayson for helping to protect it from Masadan {{Church Militant}}s. Since she's a Manticoran citizen, the Queen chooses to grant her the "equivalent" title of Countess Harrington (although without any holdings). After Honor is captured and presumed dead for several years, the Manticoran title passes to her first cousin Devon, while her Grayson title is given to her baby sister Faith. When Honor returns alive, her Grayson title is returned, but the Queen chooses not to deprive Devon of his Earldom (despite the fact that he never wanted the title in the first place) and instead grants Honor the higher title of Duchess, with holdings this time. Also, for reference, the Grayson title of Steadholder can actually be considered higher than even a Manticoran Duke, since the Grayson society is much more [[FeudalFuture feudal]] than Manticoran.
179** The Legislaturalists in the (pre-Committee) People's Republic of Haven are also, effectively, this. The PRH government is so corrupt and entrenched that high-ranking military titles are only given to members of Legislaturalist families. Of course, they are the first to go when the Committee of Public Safety takes over.
180* Pops up a lot in ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'', since Bertie and most of his friends are [[UpperClassTwit Upper Class Twits]]. Notably, [[GrandeDame Aunt Agatha's]] dread of any blight on the family name forces Bertie to go to New York to prevent his cousin's marrying into vaudeville, besides putting him through any number of attempts to settle him down with a nice girl from a noble family and turn him into a useful member of society. [[LazyBum Both of which things he avoids like the plague]].
181* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'':
182** As the heir to the Noble Heleti family, one of the Four Pillars of Ataidar, Nolien's blood is ''very'' blue indeed. He turns up his nose at the bad table manners in the guild mess hall and is the only one following a chivalric code instead of one more grungy and mercenary.
183** Siron is the scion of Esrah, another Pillar, and strives to be a KnightInShiningArmor because that is his duty as a noble. At his best he is dashingly and at worst he is frigidly polite.
184** Norej Darwoss is the son of a minor baron and thus considers himself better than his fellow humans and ''especially'' beastfolk. His older brother and his father are likewise.
185* In Creator/StephanieBurgis's ''Literature/KatIncorrigible'' series, the Guardians. And all of Society of course. Kat and her family are on the lower margins of acceptable.
186* ''Literature/TheKharkanasTrilogy'': In contrast to the main series, ''Literature/TheMalazanBookOfTheFallen'', where there was much focus on the lower ranks of society and barely any nobility, the prequel deals mostly with the noble families of the Tiste, with most point of view characters being from one or another noble house.
187* ''Literature/KindlingAshes'': Corran is the youngest son of the noble Dunesdale family. This causes problems in his relationship with Tilda because his dad doesn't want him marrying a commoner.
188* In Creator/LordDunsany's ''Literature/TheKingOfElflandsDaughter'', the lord and his son.
189* In Bess Streeter Aldrich's ''A Lantern in her Hand'', the (dead) father had been an aristocrat who married beneath himself in Ireland.
190* Randall Garrett's ''Literature/LordDarcy'' stories
191* Creator/PatriciaCWrede's ''Literature/MairelonTheMagician'' and ''The Magician's Ward'' -- also set in an alternate RegencyEngland, although the main character comes from a much lower social stratum.
192* In Creator/GeneStrattonPorter's ''Literature/MichaelOHalloran'', Minturn, having gotten control of his sons after his wife made them into {{Royal Brat}}s, knows it will be a long slog, but has hopes because they are "handsome little chaps with fine bodies and good ancestry".
193* M. K. Wren's ''The Phoenix Legacy'', set in a FeudalFuture.
194* In Creator/GKChesterton's ''The Return of Don Quixote'', various noblemen are signficant characters; the hero Michael Herne falls in love with the Honourable Rosamund Severne. [[spoiler:At the climax, he reveals that her family really are Smiths, with no claim to the title, though it breaks his heart. Later, he learns that she has changed her name to "Miss Smith" -- and promptly goes in search of her.]]
195** His play ''Magic'' takes place at a Duke's house.
196** In the ''Literature/FatherBrown'' story "The Mistake of the Machine", the story turns on an assumption that Lord Falconroy must come from an old family; in fact, he holds a newly created title and has -- a rather interesting past.
197* In one of the oldest surviving Myth/RobinHood tales, Robin carefully inquires of the sorrowful knight whether he was a newly created one, finding out he is of Blue Blood before he helps him. Robin himself is a yeoman then and for centuries after, but in the Elizabethan to Victorian times, he became, often, a disinherited earl. Maid Marian, likewise for centuries a shepherdess, also became a frequent noblewoman then. In the 20th century, Robin went back to yeoman, for a RagsToRiches rise, but Marian still is often noble.
198* In ''Literature/{{Scaramouche}}'', there are several nobles, most notably Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr and the Comtesse de Plougastel.
199* Baroness Orczy's ''Literature/TheScarletPimpernel''
200-->''It was to be seen every day, for those aristos were such fools! They were traitors to the people of course, all of them, men, women, and children, who happened to be descendants of the great men who since the Crusades had made the glory of France: her old NOBLESSE. Their ancestors had oppressed the people, had crushed them under the scarlet heels of their dainty buckled shoes, and now the people had become the rulers of France and crushed their former masters--not beneath their heel, for they went shoeless mostly in these days -- but a more effectual weight, the knife of the guillotine.''
201* Several characters in ''Literature/TheSeaHawk''.
202* Literature/{{Sharpe}} meets a few. Among the more notable, obviously, is the Duke of Wellington, Sharpe's commander.
203** Others range from Peter D'Alembord -- a classic CulturedWarrior and first-class infantry officer -- to the Prince of Orange, whose incompetence as a commander is such that Sharpe personally shoots him half-way through a battle in order to reduce the slaughter.
204* In ''Literature/TheShatteredKingdoms'', bloodline is highly important to Norlander culture. Being told that her family does not in fact have the (patrilineal) ancestry they thought, and that their posting to the Shadar was actually just the Emperor's way of exiling them while letting them save face, has a significant impact on Frea, the main villain of the first book. She was hoping her results would be sufficiently impressive that she would be summoned to the heart of the empire and given power, but due to her "impure" blood, that won't happen no matter how well she does. This motivates her to switch plans from a triumphant return to an invasion/coup.
205* Ossertine from ''Literature/SkateTheThief'' is a proper LadyOfBlackMagic descended from a heroic KnightInShiningArmor who believes in maintaining decorum and looks down on the lower class, chastising her elderly friend Belamy for taking in the title character from the street.
206* Most of the main characters in George R.R. Martin's ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' are members of the nobility. The details vary: we have members of very old and powerful houses such as Starks and Lannisters, petty knights and barely-even nobles like the Cleganes, personally ennobled commoners like Davos Seaworth and everything in between.
207* Creator/CarolineStevermer and Creator/PatriciaCWrede's ''Literature/SorceryAndCecelia'', set in an alternate RegencyEngland where there is a Royal Society of Wizards.
208* In the ''Literature/Spaceforce2012'' novels, the powerful Taysan Empire is ruled by an absolute monarch with the backup of Imperial and Noble Castes. And one of the series' main characters, Jez, is a rare surviving member of the nobility of her homeworld, who governed the planet before her whole species was overthrown in a genocidal civil war.
209* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'':
210** Countries that follow the Vorin religion (which nearly all the main characters belong to) divide people into two distinct classes: Darkeyes have black, brown, dark green, and other normal eye colors, while lighteyes have bright blue, green, grey, and other eye colors, so bright that they almost seem to glow in the right light. Supposedly, these light eyes mark them as closer to the Almighty and destined to rule over the lesser classes. Their religion explicitly grants lighteyes more Glory, an inherent property meaning that they don't have to work as hard to gain the Almighty's favor. Legend has it that a darkeyes can become a lighteyes by capturing one of the incredibly rare Shardblades, but that hasn't happened in living memory.
211** Dalinar's visions imply that the original lighteyes were [[spoiler:just random soldiers who stole the Shardblades abandoned by the Knights Radiant when they disbanded]], meaning the whole system is little more than AsskickingLeadsToLeadership from centuries ago.
212** Several darkeyed characters are repeatedly surprised to discover that most lighteyes aren't really rich nobles. Most of them are rather middle-class, having to work for a living just like darkeyes. Of course, the Vorin ranking system means that higher ranks get paid more than lower ranks, so even the poorest lighteyes is going to get more than a high-ranking darkeyes for the same work.
213* Lord Boscastle in the ''Literature/StrangersAndBrothers'' series is a REAL aristocrat, who can dismiss a mere Tudor parvenu with "I simply don't KNOW him." But he is all the more ready to befriend the likes of Roy Calvert; the gap between people he Knows and those he doesn't is so cavernous that it renders all other distinctions insignificant.
214* Ellen Kusher's ''Literature/{{Swordspoint}}'' and ''The Privilege of the Sword''.
215* Lady Muriel Orme in Creator/LewisCarroll's ''Literature/SylvieAndBruno''.
216* Creator/CharlesDickens's ''Literature/ATaleOfTwoCities''.
217-->''It took four men, all four ablaze with gorgeous decoration, and the Chief of them unable to exist with fewer than two gold watches in his pocket, emulative of the noble and chaste fashion set by Monseigneur, to conduct the happy chocolate to Monseigneur's lips. One lacquey carried the chocolate-pot into the sacred presence; a second, milled and frothed the chocolate with the little instrument he bore for that function; a third, presented the favoured napkin; a fourth (he of the two gold watches), poured the chocolate out. It was impossible for Monseigneur to dispense with one of these attendants on the chocolate and hold his high place under the admiring Heavens. Deep would have been the blot upon his escutcheon if his chocolate had been ignobly waited on by only three men; he must have died of two.''
218* Pretty much all the protagonists in ''Literature/TalesOfTheBranionRealm'' -- the ones that aren't are either royalty or end up raised to the nobility.
219* In Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/TechnicHistory'', the earlier phase of the Terran Empire (depicted in ''Literature/ThePeopleOfTheWind'') has a society where nobles are expected to justify their position by working for God and Empire. By the era of Dominic Flandry, hereditary idle aristocrats dominate, and it is noted that it is harder to become a knight than a peer.
220* In Creator/RyuunosukeAkiyama's ''A Terribly Dangerous Coat'', Kapori i Luran, and his father, Kapori i Imaro, appear to belong to the most important family in Rukimara City.
221* In Creator/PoulAnderson's "Literature/TimeLag", Elva's husband is the Freeholder, which position has both the authority and duty to pass judgment. Elva can represent him partly because her own family holds a similar position. At the end, she learns her son holds the position , having survived the attack.
222* In Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/TimePatrol'' story "Delenda Est", Deidre -- she has an estate she can bring Everard and Van Sarawak to when making their imprisonment less onerous.
223* Maria Mercedes de Dio de Alva in ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'' is descended from one of the oldest, most respected noble bloodlines of Spain. After being rescued from pirates, she becomes protagonist John Rumford's live-in maid.
224* The ''Literature/VillageTales'' novels feature the Duke of Taunton and his family and extended family, most of them titled; and his HeterosexualLifePartner HH the Nawab of Hubli; and a fair few others. Dukes, marquesses, viscounts, earls, Scots Lords of Parliament, barons, Scots lairds, Senators of the College of Justice, baronets, knights, courtesy titles -- including a Scots "Master"; post-nominals everywhere; even a Nawab. And Professor Lacy may have been given a mere Life Peerage, but she's a ''Lacy'' all the same. And with all that, the real [[WorkingClassHero heroes are all working-class, all the same]].
225* The Vor in Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'', though they themselves claim they are a military caste, and not an aristocracy (which is exactly what aristocracy ''was'' in the Middle Ages). Most other people treat them like aristocrats.
226* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' often features them.
227** Creator/DanAbnett's Literature/GauntsGhosts novel use it repeatedly.
228*** In ''First & Only'' and ''Ghostmaker'', the Jantine Patricians and Volpone Bluebloods are quite scornful of the Ghosts.
229*** In ''Necropolis'', the hive's constitution is carefully written to divvy up power between the nobles so that there is no sovereign. And where, when the Ghosts are investigating their assigned and wretched quarters, they consider that the Volpone Bluebloods probably have nicer rooms.
230*** In ''Sabbat Martyr'' they confront [[ObstructiveBureaucrat officials]] who don't let them use their flamer, because they are not of high enough birth.
231*** There is a semi-sensible reason behind that last one though. On the planet in question, water is expecially scarce. Setting everything on fire may get out of hand. Of course, this being a full blown war...
232** Creator/SandyMitchell's ''[[Literature/DarkHeresy Scourge the Heretic]]'' features such a stratified noble society that even an Inquisitor's agent does not realize how rude he has to be; a local explains that politeness will be interpreted as low status.
233** In Creator/DanAbnett's ''Horus Rising'', the Luna Wolves are scorned by various other Space Marines as base-born.
234** In William King's ''Literature/SpaceWolf'' novel ''Grey Hunters'', Trainor explains that he is an officer because he was born in one of the high clans. (He found fighting Chaos forces rather a shock after such conflicts as his planets had had before.)
235** In Mike Lee's Literature/HorusHeresy novel ''Fallen Angels'', the representatives of the rebels are almost all nobles who have lost power and wealth because of the Imperium's control of their planet.
236*** In Matt Farrer's "After Desh'ea" (in Tales of the Heresy), the "high-riders" which Angron holds in (justified) contempt, the targets of his GladiatorRevolt
237** In Creator/BenCounter's ''Literature/SoulDrinkers'' novel ''Chapter War'', Lord Sovelin Falken. At one point, he throws his weight around, pointing out that the governor is his great-aunt -- but that's because he has vital information, and he has to use anything he can to get it through.
238* Like so much else in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', just about every shade of this trope is present in one nation or another. Amongst the main characters, Moiraine, Elayne, Faile, Talmanes, [[spoiler: Rand of house ''Mantear'' by virtue of his mother, Tigraine, the former daughter-heir]], and eventually even [[spoiler: Mat, Prince of Ravens]] and [[spoiler: Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers as Steward for the Dragon Reborn]].
239** There are examples of true badasses such as the Queens of Andor, many of whom lead troops both historically and contemporaneously. In the Last Battle, [[spoiler: Elayne]] even gets an assist with a sword, despite having the One Power.
240** There are also examples of worthless, scheming layabouts, such as Tairens and Cairhenians.
241* ''Literature/TheWickedYears'':
242** Elphaba and Nessarose's mother was a blue blood, but she ended up living in poverty after marrying a preacher (admittedly, she had thought Frex would end up wealthier than he did).
243** Glinda is this but, as Madame Morrible points out, not to the degree that Glinda likes to flaunt. Glinda only has "good blood" on one side of her family, and it's not considered particularly high-ranking at that. Glinda's middle-range but pretends she's more blue blood than she actually is. In the end, however, it doesn't matter as Glinda ends up queen of Oz in-all-but name by the end of the first book.
244* Susan Dexter's ''The Wind-Witch'' revolves about a widowed noblewoman's efforts to work her husband's estate for AYearAndADay -- which will give her a claim to the land.
245[[/folder]]
246
247[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
248* ''Series/{{Bridgerton}}'', a Regency romance, features several sons and daughters of the English peerage. The titular family are the widow and children of a viscount, the first season's love interest is a duke, and the second season's love interest is related to an earl. All this makes for tons of period dresses, sweeping shots of country estates, and lots of politicking as the families navigate the London season.
249* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
250** The Doctor has been implied to be high-born or even aristocratic on occasion, although he's never outright admitted this. Indeed, in the EU he comes from one of the oldest Houses on Gallifrey.
251** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E1TheMasqueOfMandragora "The Masque of Mandragora"]], the Duke and his uncle the Count. There are also a fair number in the FeudalFuture serials.
252** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E15PlanetOfTheDead "Planet of the Dead"]] has the thrill-seeking cat burglar Lady Christina de Souza as guest companion.
253* ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' provides a ''huge'' variety of examples from the British peerage; Earls (Lord Grantham himself), Marquesses (Shrimpie Flintshire), Dukes and Duchesses (the Duke of Crowborough and the Duchess of Yeovil), Baronets (Sir John Bullock), Viscounts (Anthony Foyle), Esquires (Matthew Crawley) and even [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor King George V]] in the 2013 Christmas Special.
254* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
255** The majority of characters are some form of nobility, from ancient and powerful houses like the Starks and Lannisters to recently promoted ones like the Seaworths and Cleganes.
256** Despite initially appearing as a commoner, Talisa Maegyr is actually of noble birth from Volantis.
257* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
258** More subtly, but Commander Spock from ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''. Not only is his father a very respected diplomat, but his extended family owns a great deal of land and includes [[GrandeDame T'Pau]], one of the most influential people on Vulcan.
259** Worf comes from an ancient, extremely high-profile family that automatically places him at the centre of rather a lot of Klingon intrigue (and enable no end of episode plots). Most of the other named Klingons in the series are also aristocrats.
260** Pointedly averted with ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine's'' General Martok. He was actually born a commoner and clawed his way UpThroughTheRanks by KlingonPromotion (and this was despite being blacklisted by Kor for his low birth). Presumably his noble rank is by marriage (or merit) rather then birth.
261* ''Series/UnbreakableKimmySchmidt'': The rich Vorhees family is one of America's oldest families, with roots straight from the first Dutch settlers.
262* ''Series/You2018'': In the fourth season, Joe finds himself dragged into an elite London social circle. Several members are kids of noblemen, which helps characterize them:
263** Rhys was a troubled young man before he learned his father was a duke. He cleaned up his act after that and became a politician.
264** Malcolm, the son of a viscount, is proud of his "royal-adjacent" family and sneers at the plebeians who resent them.
265** The sweet nature of Lady Phoebe[[note]]her courtesy title of ''Lady'' means she is the daughter of a duke, earl, or marquess[[/note]] sticks out among her snobby friend group.
266[[/folder]]
267
268[[folder:Play-by-Post Games]]
269* No less than ''five'' Masters in ''Roleplay/FateNuovoGuerra'' are of blue blood.
270* ''Roleplay/FireEmblemOnForums'': Many, many, ''many'' player characters and non-player characters are royalty or nobility. Justified, considering the usual HighFantasy setting of these roleplays; the number of games that aren't set in HighFantasy settings can be counted on one hand and even those have Blue Blood characters most of the time.
271[[/folder]]
272
273[[folder:Poetry]]
274* Creator/AlfredLordTennyson's "[[http://home.att.net/~TennysonPoetry/lcv.htm Lady Clara Vere de Vere]]"
275-->''Trust me, Clara Vere de Vere,\
276 From yon blue heavens above us bent\
277The gardener Adam and his wife\
278 Smile at the claims of long descent.\
279Howe'er it be, it seems to me,\
280 'Tis only noble to be good.\
281Kind hearts are more than coronets,\
282 And simple faith than Norman blood.''
283[[/folder]]
284
285[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
286* ''TabletopGame/AnimaBeyondFantasy'' allows to choose as one advantage to be Blue Blood (and this in turn gives stuff such as money, gear, and the possibility of purchasing rare equipment.)
287* The noble Houses of ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming''. There's a streak of heritage involved, but ultimately the Houses rule changeling society because they've established themselves as rulers, by fair means and foul (which is not to say they haven't been seriously challenged at various times). [=PCs=] can be nobles by buying dots in the Title background; however, it only grants social status, and actually holding land requires a separate background.
288* Most civilizations in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' are dominated by aristocrats of some form, though there are a few particularly noteworthy examples:
289** The Empire's provinces are ruled by "elector counts", who elect from among themselves new Emperors. The position descends from the tribal chieftains who joined with Sigmar Heldenhammer in the Empire's founding, and is hereditary from father to son -- in practice, dividing the Empire between a collection of extremely powerful dynasties.
290** The Kingdom of Bretonnia is divided into numerous dukedoms, which are further divided into fiefs administered by "Knights of the Realm" subservient to their liege. The importance of bluebloods is a key aspect of Bretonnian culture, as all of these knights are born members of the nobility, and only true-blooded Bretonnian men of noble descent can win the favor of the Lady of the Lake and become the superhuman Grail Knights.
291* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
292** As mentioned in the above literature section, the Imperium of Man has quite a few nobles. The highborn (as they are called) are the governing classes for many Imperial worlds - some of them good at their job, others not so much.
293** Despite the remarkable simplicity of ork social structures ([[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership the stronger you are]], [[LargeAndInCharge the bigger you get]], the more orks you lead), they have nobility of a sort: nobs, the biggest, baddest orks short of the warboss himself (the name is a loanword from nobility, but they pronounce it as "knob").
294* ''TabletopGame/WolsungSteamPulpFantasy'' assumes that all player characters are Blue Blood.
295[[/folder]]
296
297[[folder:Theatre]]
298* ''Theatre/CesareIlCreatoreCheHaDistrutto'' has Cesare Borgia, from a powerful noble family but illegitimate -- [[UsefulNotes/PopeAlexanderVI his father's]] refusal to let that stop his ambitions for Cesare and his siblings was shocking for the time, and that and the fact that they were foreign (Spanish in Italy) make up large part of the reason for the HistoricalVillainUpgrade that's typical of their appearances in fiction, and averted here. This play contrasts Cesare with his classmate, Giovanni de'Medici, who comes from a family that's rich and powerful but not noble.
299* Spoofed in ''Theatre/FiniansRainbow'':
300-->'''Finian''': Don't you realize, lad, Sharon is from quality stock? Why, her whole family tree for generations back consists of nothin' but ancestors.\
301'''Woody''': We've been descendin' a long time, too.\
302'''Finian''': Ah, but ''how'' long? Sharon's grandparents go back to the dawn of history. Blue-blooded amebas they were, with a dauntless ambition. Up they came through the paleozoic slime -- from ameba to tadpole, from tadpole to daffodil, from daffodil to dromedary, and from dromedary to [=McLonergan=]. That's the background Sharon comes from -- so get along with your luggage, lad, you haven't a chance.
303* In Creator/OscarWilde's ''Theatre/TheImportanceOfBeingEarnest'', Lady Augusta Bracknell has a very acute sense of who is a blue blood and who isn't. She refuses to let her daughter Gwendolyn marry Jack Worthing when she discovers that he [[spoiler: was adopted by his upper-crust guardian, who found him as a baby in a handbag at the train station.]]
304* ''Theatre/MaratSade'': Literally referenced during the depiction of the execution of King Louis the XVI. After the king is "guillotined", one of the members of the GreekChorus pours a bucket of blue paint to represent his blood.
305* In ''Theatre/OfTheeISing'', President Wintergreen gets the United States into international difficulties with France when its ambassador discovers that Diana Devereaux (who was to have been the President's wife if he hadn't met Mary Turner) is the illegitimate daughter of the illegitimate son of the illegitimate nephew of Napoleon.
306* Creator/GilbertAndSullivan:
307** In ''Theatre/ThePiratesOfPenzance'', the {{pirate}}s, having surrendered, are treated leniently because they are revealed to be actually noblemen. Though this serves as little more than a TwistEnding, deleted material Gilbert had planned for the finale included a more extensive satire about the House of Peers.
308** Pooh-Bah in ''Theatre/TheMikado'':
309--->''I am, in point of fact, a particularly haughty and exclusive person, of pre-Adamite ancestral descent. You will understand this when I tell you that I can trace my ancestry back to a protoplasmal atomic globule. Consequently, my family {{pride}} is something inconceivable. I can't help it. I was born sneering. But I struggle hard to overcome this defect. I mortify my pride continually. When all the great officers of state resigned in a body, because they were too proud to serve under an ex-tailor, did I not unhesitantly accept all their posts at once?''
310** This is also a plot point in ''Theatre/HMSPinafore.''
311** This trope is invoked and parodied throughout ''Theatre/{{Iolanthe}}'', where the self-confessedly [[UpperClassTwit mostly brainless]] yet immensely wealthy, powerful, and refined members of the House of Peers find their marriage proposals to the beautiful commoner Phyllis scorned, [[spoiler:and their legislative powers subverted by supernatural fairies]].
312[[/folder]]
313
314[[folder:Video Games]]
315* ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'': The Preppy social circle all come from old money. They're the last social circle the main character can take over.
316* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' has got a hierarchical system of nobility loosely based on that of England, with Teyrns (Dukes), Arls (Earls), and Banns (Barons) in that order of status. Dwarves have also their own caste system, where the members of upmost caste are either ridiculously rich or belong to a noble family. (And then there's Paragons, but let's not go there...)
317** Interestingly enough, the Banns are technically just a noble(wo)man who has a number of freeholds sworn to it. The peasants are free to chose whoever they want to be their Bann and can change allegiance whenever they want, which can lead to age long feuds between family's of Banns, ex-Banns and aspiring Banns. Most people just goes with the same lord as their parents did, as his castle and soldiers are usually the closest, any threatens of what said soldiers might do if their Lord don't get enough votes are left unsaid.
318** The icon for the Human Noble origin is a drop of blue blood with a crown over it, since they are the younger child of a Teyrn.
319* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' has Romana Briscoletti. Unlike her husband, she is actually from noble birth and so Rodrigo did the Engagement Challenge to win her hand, though she was already in love with him.
320* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', this is Subverted by the Imga, a minor race of intelligent "ape men" native to the forests of Valenwood. Every Imga bears some kind of noble title (Baron, Duke, Earl, etc.) which they use when addressing their idols, the [[OurElvesAreDifferent Altmer (High Elves)]]. However, as there are no land-owning Imga, and their usage of the titles is presented as being similar to a CargoCult.
321* [[TheEmpire Archadia]] of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' is very based around hierarchy. Besides the noble houses, which can mix this with RoyalBlood, there's also the Gentry, who tend to look down on commoners. There's also an intermediate class, which tend to behave fairly close to trope too.
322* If the lord in ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' doesn't have RoyalBlood, they'll be nobility. Examples include Sigurd, Roy, Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, and eventually Ike. Though this doesn't apply to every lord, there's a helpful rule of thumb for most of them: blue hair = [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience blue blood]].
323* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'', Jusis and Laura have noble blood in them (though Jusis only has half of it when he reveals that his dad slept with a commoner woman). Rean in comparison is adopted though [[spoiler:it turns out that his dad was a commoner who was elevated into a noble by the emperor. Said dad is also on a crusade to get rid of the nobility system in the empire.]]
324* Referred to by name in ''VideoGame/NosferatuTheWrathOfMalachi''. Apparently the ritual sacrifices have to be aristocrats.
325* Mystics in ''VideoGame/SagaFrontier'' both in the aristocratic sense and the literal sense.
326* There are two prominent examples in the ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' -- Lady Isabella "Ivy" Valentine is the daughter of the Earl and Countess Valentine, and her stages nearly always feature her enormous family house. The other example is Frenchman Raphael Sorel, whose title is not specified, but he is noted to be a noble.
327* In ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', Alderaan is in a terrible mess due to the untimely death of the Queen and her heir, plunging the planet into a free-for-all civil war among about a half-dozen houses of these. The main issue is that the rather crazy head of House Ulgo has usurped the crown, declared the planet's independence, and started destroying the other noble houses. Seeing as about half the surviving houses support the Republic (including House Organa), whereas the Empire is backing their rivals House Thul (who started as merchants and ''earned'' their lands and titles), the planet becomes a miniature version of the whole galactic war.
328** The Sith Warrior is stated to be the scion of a prestigious family of Sith. The fact that they come from a high class background is why Vemrin, their rival on Korriban and a former slave who had to climb his way to the top, hates them.
329** [[{{Foil}} In contrast]], the Sith Inquisitor is a former slave and ''their'' rival, Ffon, is from a prestigious family and receives preferential treatment. [[spoiler: However, the Inquisitor is also the last descendant of Lord Kallig, once a powerful Sith lord with his own well-known lineage.]]
330[[/folder]]
331
332[[folder:Webcomics]]
333* The Marroks of ''Webcomic/BadMoonRising'' claim to be descended from the same-named Arthurian Knight. Most of them actually CAN trace their lineage back to European royalty, though just as many of them are the descendants of petty tyrants and minor warlords who styled themselves as king as of anyone that might be recognized as a king by modern historical records.
334* In ''Webcomic/DocRat'', [[http://www.docrat.com.au/default.asp?thisItem=1039 Flopsy Jagermond is make rabbit nobility.]]
335* In ''Webcomic/DragonMango'', [[http://dragon-mango.com/comic/chapter03/dm03-33.htm Bleu Berry is descended from noble families of both humans and Dragon-Slayers.]]
336* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has a wide variety of nobles who [[MadScientist are mostly Sparks]] and [[ForeverWar cannot stop fighting]] to save their lives. Literally. The first thing [[JustTheFirstCitizen Baron Wulfenbach]] does upon rising to power is subdue them all, mostly by getting them to spend their time fruitlessly scheming against him. [[spoiler: The first thing that happens when he's incapacitated is they all resume warring against each other.]] Notably, "Baron" is also a noble title -- [[FromNobodyToNightmare one of the lowest]].
337* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', the [[OurTrollsAreDifferent Trolls]] have a [[FantasticRacism caste system]] based around the [[AlienBlood color of their blood.]] While the trolls with blue blood aren't quite at the top, they seem to be the only ones who care very much about where anyone ranks, and as such they lord over those in lower castes and demand those in higher castes lord over them.
338** However, it's unclear if all members of the blue-blooded castes do this, or if it's just Equius and his, er, strange tastes.
339** Additionally, [[color:#2ED73A:Sn]]o[[color:#2ED73A:wman]] has blue blood, and is formerly known as the [[ChessMotifs Black Queen]].
340* ''Webcomic/ImpureBlood'': [[http://impurebloodwebcomic.com/comic/chapter-1/page-005/ O-on the honor of my family line, then, as far back as it can be traced!]]
341* ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked''
342* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Particularly those of Azure City, where giving a title to two war heroes garners objections.
343** Later, Vaarsuvius elects to simply murder a villain with this background, instead of bothering to denounce him publicly. It's a pretty effective solution.
344* ''Webcomic/{{Sarilho}}'': Strongly suggested to be the case of the ''Vera Italica'' Houses.
345* Emily in ''Webcomic/TheSenkari'' is descended from a long line of aristocrats. Just how Blue Blooded she really is becomes apparent [[http://www.the-senkari.com/2012/11/12/11122012/ when her home is visited]]
346* The Jahad Family and the Ten Great Families in ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod''. They are indeed special, since only they are by birth able to wield [[FunctionalMagic Shinsu]] immediately, as their families have special ties to the power-granting Guardians.
347[[/folder]]
348
349[[folder:Web Original]]
350* ''Roleplay/OpenBlue'' features several nobles as ship officers or flag officers.
351* ''WebVideo/RatsSMP'': El the "Diplo-rat" of the group hails from a family of "aristo-rats" who own three alleyways and two garbage bins, one of which she inherited at birth. However, she has since left that life behind because she thought it wasn't right for her family to treat commoner rats poorly and leave them to go hungry.
352[[/folder]]
353
354[[folder:Western Animation]]
355* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': Caitlyn is the heir of the esteemed Kiramman family, being bound to the noble traditions exemplified by her mother and the city council. Fittingly she even has blue hair and blue eyes.
356* WesternAnimation/TheCritic's sister was once set up to attend a debutante ball with a young gentleman who, due to generations of inbreeding, was mildly retarded and possessed of ''literal'' blue blood. ''[[TruthInTelevision This has actually happened]],'' as in the case of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methemoglobinemia "Blue Fugates"]].
357* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
358** The show features a Prince called [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Prince Blueblood]]. Rarity is smitten with him, but in the season finale for Season 1 she actually meets him and finds he is a RoyalBrat.
359** By contrast, [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicTwilightSparkle Twilight Sparkle]] and her brother, Shining Armor, earned their way into the top tier of Equestrian nobility with Twilight being the personal protege of Princess Celestia and Shining being Captain of the Royal Guard, the Prince Consort of Princess Cadence and Co-Governor of the Crystal Empire. By the end of Season 3, [[spoiler:Twilight becomes an Alicorn Princess.]]
360* In ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'', Tygra, HappilyAdopted member of the Thunderian royal family, is given all aristocratic privileges, and is even the beneficiary of King Claudus' ParentalFavoritism, but is not in line for the throne due to a lack of RoyalBlood.
361[[/folder]]
362
363[[folder:Real Life]]
364* The nobility in the RealLife is usually divided into ''untitled nobility'' (i.e. noblemen whose status implies servant status to either a superior noble or to state), including gentlemen, esquires, knights and baronets, and ''titled nobility'', also known as "peerage", i.e. land-owning nobility. Those would be barons, earls, viscounts, marquesses, counts and princes. The highest ranks of the nobility, such as Dukes, Grand Princes and Grand Dukes, would imply RoyalBlood instead of just Blue Blood.
365* In the Middle Ages, nobility implied exemption from taxes -- and the duty to serve as a soldier. That is due to the Feudal system. There were no standing armies, but the soldiers (knights and men-at-arms) were expected to train on their own and acquire their own armour and weapons. Exemption from taxes implied that the nobleman would spend all his income on weapons, gear and practising martial skills. Usually the core of the feudal army would be supplemented either by mercenaries or conscripted commoners (''arriere-ban'').
366* Depending on the country, the nobility would consist of 1% (France) up to 20% (Hungary) of the populace. The greater the likelihood of the state being involved in warfare, the more noblemen there would also be.
367* Even today, the British nobility[=/=]gentry is heavily involved in the military, particularly the Royal Navy, leading to the old joke about Army vs. Navy rugby matches: "Why are the Army jerseys red? So the blood doesn't show. Why are the Navy jerseys blue? Same reason."
368* The United States, being a republic founded on Enlightenment values of formal equality before the law and born from a settler society with fluid social boundaries and a hearty disdain for old ways, nevertheless has developed some distinctive aristocratic groups. They are generally regionally defined; for example:
369** The most famous type of blue blood is the Boston Brahmin, a loose association of wealthy old Protestant (mostly Calvinist) families around New England, with roots in the earliest English settlers; the Cabots and the Lowells are among the most famous. Many people mistake the Kennedys as Boston Brahmins, but they are comparatively NouveauRiche and Catholic to boot.
370** Another noted group are the First Families of Virginia, who similarly descended from that colony's original settlers. Unlike the Boston Brahmins, these families are historically Episcopalian.
371** In the late 19th century, the Georgia-born New York socialite [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_McAllister Ward McAllister]] declared that there were only 400 fashionable people in the city. While his list was suspect (being unusually heavy with relatively recent arrivals and Confederate sympathizers), the families of the "the Four Hundred" are generally recognized today as some of the most elite families in New York. Particularly prominent set are a number of Dutch families, most of whom trace their ancestries back to the 17th century; the most recognizable of these are probably the Vanderbilts (who were poor farmers on Staten Island until the early 19th century, when family patriarch Cornelius founded his steamboat empire) and the Roosevelts, who had been prominent in New York politics from the 1690s onward.
372[[/folder]]
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