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| 3 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Take care to put your example in its proper place in accordance with Administrivia/HowToAlphabetizeThings! |
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| 7 | %% Trope was declared Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease via crowner by the Real Life Maintenance thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php?crowner_id=g3b7mhvj |
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| 16 | [[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rattiganthetyrantrevealed.png]]]] |
| 17 | [[caption-width-right:350:[[DiabolicalMastermind Trust us]] -- they're right [[WouldHarmASenior to be afraid]].]] |
| 18 | %% |
| 19 | ->''"Mufasa's death was a terrible tragedy, but to lose Simba, who had barely begun to live... for me, it is a deep personal loss. So it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne. Yet, out of the ashes of this tragedy, we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era... in which lion and hyena come together, in a great and glorious future!"'' |
| 20 | -->-- '''[[Characters/TheLionKingScar Scar]]''', ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'' |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Did your new leader start off their reign by making a speech that included phrases such as [[NewEraSpeech "there will be many changes around here"]] or "things will be very different under my command"? If so, then you're in a situation where a Tyrant Takes the Helm. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | This is a plot trope relating to a StoryArc where a character snags a major leadership position, becomes DrunkWithPower, and decides that from here on out, things will be run ''their'' way whether anyone else likes it or not. The person regularly filling this position, often a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, will likely be absent during this time (and this new replacement [[KlingonPromotion may have had something to do with that]]). As would be expected of a tyrannical ruler, expect them to immediately start making rigorous and questionable changes and becoming an instant despot. And if he personally knew his predecessor, he's likely going to make it damn clear that he won't be as "soft" or "lenient" as the last guy, or "baby" his subordinates like the last guy. Common changes made include the elimination of UltimateJobSecurity and the decree that AllCrimesAreEqual. In most cases, the heroes will have to confront this new ruler and attempt to change things back to normal. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | A common subversion of this trope is the BaitAndSwitchTyrant, who is signalled to be unreasonable and cruel in their introduction but turns out to not be that bad after all, with the story demonstrating that the characters have come to accept the new rules. If the character who temporarily takes control [[HanlonsRazor isn't malicious or obnoxious, but is simply grossly incompetent]], see SketchySuccessor. If the tyrant took the helm of a corporation by [[ArtisticLicenseEconomics acquiring 51% of its stock]], they're a MajorityShareDictator. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Remember, this isn't a trope for describing characters who become tyrants, but for describing a plot point of when (and possibly how) a character takes over for someone else and institutes new rules that are generally disliked by the majority of those affected. '''Be aware of spoilers!''' |
| 29 | ---- |
| 30 | !!Examples |
| 31 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 32 | |
| 33 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 34 | * ''Manga/DotHackLegendOfTheTwilight'': The Cerulean Knights take over after Balmug is fired from System Administration. They ruthlessly hunt down gamers even remotely accused of hacking or of minor offenses (changing the color of the avatar's clothes etc). |
| 35 | * ''Anime/AngelBeats'' toys with the trope - Angel is originally viewed as a villainous EmotionlessGirl created by "God" to sabotage the SSS in her capacity as "Student Council President", but [[spoiler:is actually not so different from them]]. Later, when Angel herself falls victim to the SSS' schemes, she [[spoiler:gets fired and is replaced by her deputy who]] becomes a God complex authoritarian, fitting the trope. Later when she is [[spoiler:"promoted" back to her regular position]], she attempts to play the Tyrant to the SSS once more [[spoiler:to buy time for her and Otonashi's BatmanGambit of making other students disappear]]. |
| 36 | * ''Manga/FoodWars'': The banished Nakiri [[spoiler:(actually Nakamura)]] Azami returns to Totsuki, taking over from his own father[[spoiler:-in-law]], and unleashing his own brand of "culinary supremacism" by shutting down all attempts at creativity in the kitchen and centralising all culinary thought under his command (via a single organisation literally and fittingly, if unimaginatively, named "Central"). |
| 37 | * Gouda, the BigBad of the second season of ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' is a pretty good example of this, coming in and working to undermine Section 9 and turn them into his lackeys. |
| 38 | * ''Manga/LoveHina'' (either the OAV or vol 11 of the Manga): Kanako Urashima, Keitaro's [[EmotionlessGirl creepy]], [[BrotherSisterIncest somewhat overaffectionate]] adoptive sister manages to [[{{Yandere}} provoke the tenants at Hinata to the point of open warfare]] when she takes over in her "Oniisan's" absence. |
| 39 | ** In a way it's more or less Karma catching up to the girls for mistreating Keitaro (despite the fact that they all eventually got along.) |
| 40 | * The conflict of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' essentially began when [[FounderOfTheKingdom Zeon Zum Deikun]] died, allowing his chief of staff Degwin Zabi and his family ([[AmbiguousSituation who may or may not have played a role in Deikun's death]]) to rise to power in Side 3 and turn it into a dictatorship bent on conquering the Earth Sphere. |
| 41 | ** Ironically, Degwin has this pulled on him by his eldest son Gihren, who supplants Degwin as ''de facto'' ruler with his own - much more radical - CultOfPersonality, leaving Degwin a powerless figurehead. Gihren later ends up ''murdering'' Degwin after learning he’s trying to sue for peace with Earth behind Gihren’s back, and takes absolute control. |
| 42 | * Averted on ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. When [[spoiler:Danzo]] is appointed acting Hokage after [[spoiler:Pain's Invasion Arc]], he consciously avoids making decisions that would make him unpopular with the populace. |
| 43 | * After the TimeSkip of ''Manga/OnePiece'', [[spoiler:Akainu]] becomes the Fleet Admiral. He's already introduced {{Conscription}} to bolster his forces and, according to Caesar Clown, would support Caesar's idea of using WeaponsOfMassDestruction and human experimentation in prisoners, regardless of the legality or the ethics involved. He's so horrible that [[spoiler:Aokiji]] fought him for ''six days straight'' in an effort to become Fleet Admiral himself just so [[spoiler:Akainu]] wouldn't get the position, and when he lost, he [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere promptly quit the Marines]] rather than work under him. |
| 44 | * Makoto Isshiki in ''Anime/RahXephon'', who later becomes an UnwittingPawn. |
| 45 | * One episode of ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' had Tatewaki Kuno taking over his father's role as school principal. Needless to say, many preferred his father. |
| 46 | * ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'': The [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Student Police]] started out as a good, necessary institution. Then Kuyou, an [[KnightTemplar anti-human extremist]] [[spoiler:and TheMole for [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Fairy]] [[FarEastAsianTerrorists Tale]]]], took over, and under him, the group devolved into a band of {{yakuza}}-esque thugs that abuse their authority to make everyone at Yokai Academy miserable ForTheEvulz. |
| 47 | * ''Anime/SamuraiPizzaCats'': In "Emperor Fred Does Hard Time", Emperor Fred gets banished by his own daughter. The Big Cheese becomes the Acting Emperor of Little Tokyo after Vi leaves to search for her father upon learning that his ship was destroyed in a storm. |
| 48 | * One episode of ''Manga/SgtFrog'' has Tamama being promoted to squad leader, and quickly going mad with power. He ends up [[LonelyAtTheTop bitter and alone]] after he ends up throwing all his squad-mates, along with Fuyuki, Natsumi, and Angol Mois, in the brig. |
| 49 | * ''Manga/SpyXFamily'' introduces the former Gretcher family in the Cruise Ship Arc. They were a major player in the criminal underworld who used their influence for purely benevolent causes such as giving away free food after TheWarJustBefore. However, the patriarch and his two sons got killed in a power dispute by Leonardo Hapoon who took over the business aiming to use his newfound power in unethical matters and arms dealing as well as sending a CarnivalOfKillers against the SoleSurvivor and her baby son to clean up loose ends. This prompts the Shopkeeper to assign [[OneWomanArmy Yor Forger]] and [[CoolOldGuy her manager]] to protect them until they can get smuggled out of Ostania. |
| 50 | * Erika Furudo in ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'', to a completely murderously sadistic extent, attempts to [[NoFourthWall steal the role of detective protagonist]] from Battler, and proceeds to act completely obnoxiously to the other characters and generally be a massive ParodySue. |
| 51 | * ''Anime/ValkyrieDriveMermaid'': In episode 9, after Akira is defeated by Momoka and [[spoiler:outed as a woman to the people of Wärter]], Charlotte is declared the leader of Mermaid instead. Unlike Akira, Charlotte is an AlphaBitch who's [[AttackAttackAttack first response to]] ''[[MurderIsTheBestSolution any]]'' [[MurderIsTheBestSolution problem involves violence]]; she quickly decides that order on the island is best kept under her absolute control and sends Wärter agents to capture the girls from Tokino village and Lady Lady, as well as several other unaffiliated girls who have yet to be shown. |
| 52 | [[/folder]] |
| 53 | |
| 54 | [[folder:Asian Animation]] |
| 55 | * ''Animation/SimpleSamosa'': In "Mayor Gaayab", Cham Cham is the first person to replace the kind, well-liked Royal Falooda as the mayor of Chatpata Nagar. Within the [[ShortLivedLeadership short period of time he leads the town]], he demonstrates just how egotistical he is by imposing taxes on all the townsfolk, bossing the citizens around for his own purposes, and acting like a king, even donning a crown and king's cape. When Samosa convinces Mr. Fried Fritter to take the position of mayor, Cham Cham ''super-glues himself to the chair in the town hall'' in a vain attempt to keep Fritter from replacing him. |
| 56 | [[/folder]] |
| 57 | |
| 58 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 59 | * PlayedForLaughs in ''ComicBook/TheBoys''. After [[TheLeader Butcher]]'s SleepingWithTheBoss goes south, Rayner goes on leave and puts their ButtMonkey "Monkey" in charge. He promptly gets DrunkWithPower and [[TheDogBitesBack gets back at Butcher for years of physical and emotional abuse]] by giving him mountains of paperwork. [[BullyingADragon Butcher ensures his reign is short-lived.]] |
| 60 | * {{Averted}} by Captain Ben Daimio from ''ComicBook/{{BPRD}}'': when he arrives to take up the position of field team commander, he specifically states: "Don't want anybody to worry about my changing things around here. You guys have a system, it works. Stick to that". And indeed he doesn't try to make any radical changes. Except for making [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent Roger]] [[MonsterModesty put some friggin' pants on]]. And later he changes his mind about that, too. |
| 61 | * ''ComicBook/CombatKellyAndHisDeadlyDozen'': In a {{Crossover}} with ''ComicBook/SgtFuryAndHisHowlingCommandos'', Captain Conner, the martinet son of a general, is given command of both the Deadly Dozen and the Howling Commandos. He proves to TheNeidermeyer who cracks under the strain of facing real combat for the first, and his indecision nearly gets both the Dozen and the Howlers killed, forcing Fury to relieve him of command. Succumbing to paranoia, Conner attempts to execute Fury and Kelly for mutiny before being shot by 'Bullseye' Miller. |
| 62 | * ''ComicBook/GoldDigger'': Boyd, through a series of petty revenge hijinks and luck, ends up thwarting her older sister's plans to strengthen her island dictatorship, by bringing her second-in-command's archenemy to a fight that she is obligated by duty to participate in - and curbstomp via science. Boyd proceeds to address her family Tropicano by considering that she could be a nice ruler, and then instantly screams that she doesn't want to and to "fire up those industrial machines" in her petty yet overstocked attempts to surpass the US Navy. |
| 63 | * ''ComicBook/ImmortalXMen'': After ''ComicBook/SinsOfSinister'', Colossus is appointed by Storm as her voice on the Quiet Council while she's on Mars. Unfortunately, Colossus is being telepathically controlled and no-one in the X-Men manages to notice, no matter how hard he tries to fight it, while the non-X-Men on the Council don't know or don't care either way. As a result, he manages to effectively seize majority rule of Krakoa in one meeting, so his controllers can ruin it. |
| 64 | * ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': The post of Chief Judge has been usurped by would-be tyrants at least twice. |
| 65 | ** Judge Cal was the corrupt chief of the [[InternalAffairs Special Judicial Squad]] who assassinated his predecessor Chief Judge Goodman to take over his position. He quickly becomes TheCaligula during his tenure as Chief Judge, passing ridiculous decrees like outlawing happiness, making his goldfish Deputy Chief, and trying to execute the whole city twice. |
| 66 | ** Judge Sinfield, while much more sane than Cal, was an [[AmbitionIsEvil unscrupulous careerist]] who [[spoiler:resorted to brainwashing his direct superior]] while he was deputy to become the new Chief Judge by default. His hardline stance on the mutant issue and general corruption brought him in conflict with Dredd, who eventually decided to run against Sinfield as a candidate. |
| 67 | * ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague'': Ambassador Rolf Heimlich becomes this to the JLI for the first part of the "Breakdowns" arc due to Maxwell Lord being in a coma. Ultimately, it turns out [[spoiler:he's a mole planted by Queen Bee]]. |
| 68 | * Heidi Jackson when she takes over Hard 8 Enterprises in ''ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable''. |
| 69 | ** In the same vein, whenever Weird Pete finds himself [=GMing=]. Despite being one of the most laid back players in the series, whenever he picks up the dice behind the screen, he falls back on his old-school taskmaster persona. His tools are the BoltOfDivineRetribution and the [[RocksFallEveryoneDies Murderous Falling Rocks]]. Along with the demerit system, which he assigns for pretty much everything that can be conceived as insinuating that the [=GM=] is wrong. Gain 50 demerits, lose a level. At least he's kind enough to offer the option of letting players work off their debt at his game shop: An hour of 'volunteer' work knocks off one demerit. |
| 70 | * This happened twice to the ''ComicBook/NewMutants'' during their original run. The first was when Magneto took over Xavier's School - somewhat subverted in that Mags was honestly trying to do the right thing, but the kids never trusted him at all and assumed this trope. The second was when Cable assumed leadership of the team and reformed them into a [[ComicBook/XForce military strike force]]. Reception was mixed, especially since Cable had ''killed'' the fathers of two team members. [[spoiler: He was framed in both cases.]] |
| 71 | * One ''ComicBook/TheSimpsons'' comic has Homer becoming a MajorityShareDictator at Duff Brewery when the owner of the brewery, Sam Duff, leaves him 51% of the shares in his will. He promptly upsets the other board members by releasing a new flavor of beer (designed to taste good when paired with donuts) without consulting them, and when he overturns a veto preventing the brewery from being operated by {{Job Stealing Robot}}s, the entire staff of the brewery go on strike. |
| 72 | * ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'': |
| 73 | ** In ''King Smurf'', the eponymous Smurf gets himself elected to replace the temporarily absent Papa Smurf, then proceeds to declare himself king, hire a PraetorianGuard, and rule by decree. His overt despotism results in civil war. |
| 74 | ** A different form of despotism takes place in "The Finance Smurf", where the title character controls all aspects of Smurf life through the use of money. |
| 75 | * ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': In the ''ComicBook/DarkReign'' arc, ComicBook/NormanOsborn becomes this for the entire Franchise/MarvelUniverse. |
| 76 | * Another Marvel example is Henry Gyrich, who becomes this for ''ComicBook/SWORDMarvelComics''. He had the same effect on the Avengers years earlier, although he wasn't actually leading the team. |
| 77 | * ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': |
| 78 | ** ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMonstrosity'': Scorponok usurps leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron and promptly focuses his followers on strategically pointless acts of destructive violence that endanger his own faction and the Cybertronian race as a whole, believing that the survivors will be [[TheSocialDarwinist "strong"]]. Even the other Decepticons are [[EvenEvilHasStandards disgusted]] with his brand of leadership, and no one so much as shifts a servo to help Scorponok when he returns to his throne room to find Megatron, this time in fighting condition, waiting for him. Scorponok is left begging for mercy by the time Megatron is done, which Megatron [[CruelMercy grants by leaving him alive but ruined]] with a name as a hypocritical coward. |
| 79 | ** ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': Getaway's time as captain of the Lost Light starts badly and goes downhill fast. Now, to be as fair as possible to the bastard, the first thing to go wrong for him was only ''partially'' his fault - he'd sold [[spoiler:Megatron]] out to a different group of jerks than the ones who had actually showed up to kill him - but his reaction to the resultant morale crisis was to turn to the memory-editing serial killer in the hold and pay him the lives of 25 of his newly claimed crew to erase the awkward bits. From there on, as things spiral more and more out of his control, things go more and more to hell in a handbasket and he nearly burns out his mind control gun from overuse, culminating in him selling out to an AncientConspiracy, appointing a KnightTemplar who [[EgocentricallyReligious thinks Primus agrees with him about everything]] as the new head of security, and ''turning the entire crew into monsters'' just to get back at Rodimus. |
| 80 | ** ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'': |
| 81 | *** Happens the first time Grimlock takes command of the Autobots, where the Dinobot takes about two minutes to go completely mad with power, having anyone who defies him put in the Variable Voltage Harness, snooping through personnel files, assigning top-ranking Autobots pointless tasks, and utterly ignoring the war with the Decepticons. He even wears a crown. About the only positive thing he did was that he managed to ensure the Autobots weren't dependent on humans for fuel. Several Autobots desert out of disgust, and a squad of Autobots flee to the planet Nebulos in a desperate attempt to revive [[BigGood Optimus Prime]]. When they succeed and Optimus returns, the entire Autobot army (barring Grimlock's Dinobots) pointedly ignore Grimlock and go over to Optimus' side. |
| 82 | *** Grimlock does a better job when he becomes supreme commander of the Autobots following Optimus Prime's (second) death during the battle with [[GodOfEvil Unicron]], but his unwillingness to heed advice causes him to blunder into a Decepticon ambush that almost completely wipes out the Autobots (with only ''5'' survivors out of the '''entire army'''). |
| 83 | * ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Played with. Gregory sets Nick Fury up to take the fall for his own treasonous actions and discredits Carol Danvers so he can take the reins at S.H.I.E.L.D.... but only does so to set-up AstroTurf revolutions in the Middle East and North Korea and install democratic governments in the place of dictatorships. That the new governments would look upon S.H.I.E.L.D. favorably... well, that's just a bonus. |
| 84 | [[/folder]] |
| 85 | |
| 86 | [[folder:Comic Strips]] |
| 87 | * An early arc of ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' saw parents Roger and Andy leaving their eldest son Peter in charge while they went on vacation. Peter immediately started abusing the power they'd given him, making Paige and Jason follow all his demands. When they get sick of it and confront him, he responds by ''locking them in the basement''. Fortunately, Jason and Paige had tapes of Peter's reign and Peter himself told them he locked Jason and Paige in the basement, so he was punished accordingly. |
| 88 | [[/folder]] |
| 89 | |
| 90 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 91 | * ''Fanfic/AaahhRealMonstersTheMovie'': While the Gromble is away, [[TheNapoleon Zimbo]] takes over and wastes no time before abusing his newfound power. |
| 92 | * ''Fanfic/AfterThatFatefulNight'' follows the premise of Nightmare Moon [[TheBadGuyWins successfully conquering Equestria]]. Over time, she develops into a BaitAndSwitchTyrant who geniunely wants what she thinks is best for her subjects, and eventually decides that she'd prefer being ''celebrated'' rather than feared. |
| 93 | * ''Fanfic/AllForLuz'': Governor Rodger Maxwell takes control of the Reality Check Camp from the original counsellor and turns it into a Death Camp for Luz and 32 other superhuman teenagers out of FantasticRacism. |
| 94 | * ''Fanfic/AndrogyninjasADropOfPoison'': The spectre of this is {{Invoked|Trope}} by Jiraiya while he's attempting to convince Tsunade to return to Konoha and become the next Hokage. When she balks at the idea, he bluntly asks her "Would you rather let ''Danzo'' take charge?" |
| 95 | * In ''Fanfic/ApotheosisMHA'', Izuku eventually blackmails the Prime Minister and the President of the Hero Commission into creating a new agency that's in charge of judging how ethically Pro Heroes are behaving... and puts [[spoiler:''himself'']] in charge. |
| 96 | * ''Fanfic/AQUATheFirstStep'': Dr. Polendina, a FatherlyScientist, is initially the director of the Jaeger Program. But after one of the girls sees the horrors at a drug kingpin's house and commits suicide, unable to cope, he's replaced with Commander Vasilyevich, a GeneralRipper who devotes his time and effort to having them kill Faunus and Faunus sympathizers. Eventually, Alexander and the remaining kids rebel and kill him. |
| 97 | * ''Blog/BetterBonesAU'': Hollyleaf becomes the tyrannical leader of the ancient Lake cats, believing that she can save them from environmental destruction with her laws and Clan morality. |
| 98 | * ''Fanfic/{{Eugenesis}}'' gives this as one of the reasons Prowl reluctantly takes command when Rodimus is incapacitated, so that Grimlock and his "cronies" don't. |
| 99 | ** As the follow-up story reveals, Grimlock wasn't the one Prowl should've been worried about. |
| 100 | * ''Fanfic/TheFlashSentryChronicles'': In ''Jakhowls Rising'', when peace talks between the ponies of Equestria and the jakhowls of Aurarora seem to be going smoothly, Razor Fang, unwilling to see the ponies as anything but his enemies, murders Sirius for seeing him as "weak" for making this alliance. He then [[FrameUp frames]] Springer and his pony friends for Sirius' murder while declaring himself the new chief, imprisoning the other elders so they can't question his leadership, and prepares the rest of Aurarora to go to war against Equestria, too blind to understand that would wipe out the entire Jakhowl race. [[spoiler:After Mirage and the elders escape during the night, they inform Springer the only true way to stop Razor Fang is for him to challenge Razor to a kyosongsai, a one on one battle to determine the chief of a tribe, and beat him. Ultimately, Springer not only defeats Razor, he exposes him as the true murderer.]] |
| 101 | * In ''Fanfic/FracturedSovereignGFC'', a ''Franchise/MassEffect''[=/=]''Franchise/StarWars''[[spoiler:[=/=]''[=Borderlands=]'']] [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover crossover]] and its sequel ''Fanfic/{{Origins}}'', this trope happens twice, once per work. |
| 102 | ** In ''Fractured'', the United Defense Command takes more and more power away from the Citadel Council under the guise of defending against the Reapers, eventually morphing fully into this trope. They are militaristic, inefficient, nepotistic, and violent. |
| 103 | ** In ''Origins'', the Republic Intelligence Service is increasingly grabbing authority away from the [[DemocracyIsBad already-sclerotic Senate]] because of [[spoiler:the Flood]] while invoking the GodzillaThreshold and playing the OpportunisticBastard card by claiming [[BlatantLies "We knew this was coming."]] |
| 104 | * ''Fanfic/GleeTheVirtualSeasonFour'' has an episode where Sue takes over New Directions and forces the club into a theme week they hate. |
| 105 | * ''Fanfic/GogglesAndTheTears'', set just after the events of ''System Shock 2'', deals with the godhood-hungry [[AIIsACrapshoot SHODAN]] looking to exploit the usage of tears in time and space, using [[VideoGame/BioshockInfinite Elizabeth]] to do so, and usurp control of Columbia from Zachary Comstock by pretending to be his prophesied archangel. Fortunately, because of those same tears, [[VideoGame/SystemShock Goggles]], Booker [=DeWitt=], [[VideoGame/HalfLife2 Gordon Freeman]], [[VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Mjolnir Recon #54 and Durandal]] notice this and immediately get involved as a result. |
| 106 | * ''Fanfic/{{Hakumei}}'' has Danzo outright ''murder'' the Sandaime and take over Konohagakure, driving Naruto and the others who witnessed the act into fleeing their homeland. Six years later, Konoha is practically unrecognizable thanks to his reign of terror. |
| 107 | * ''Fanfic/InAnInstant'': {{Downplayed|Trope}} with Thaddeus Ross; since the president, vice president and most of the cabinet were wiped out during the Snap, Ross rose up to become the new president. However, thanks to all the damage Thanos did, Ross has been too preoccupied to start ''overtly'' sabotaging the Avengers or targeting superhumans yet. |
| 108 | * ''Fanfic/JustARandomTuesday'' is set during ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' and is all about students and teachers of Hogwarts trying to deal with Umbridge taking the helm. HilarityEnsues. |
| 109 | * ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'': After Prince Jewelius usurps the princesses as Equestria's ruler, he [[MadeASlave sentences them as well as Twilight's friends and brother to slavery after legalizing it]], [[spoiler:[[ThePurge wipes out all the Royal Guards who remain loyal to the dismantled princesses]], replaces them with bribed convicts]], raises Ponyville's taxes, bans any trading with the town, and tries to make the public falsely believe that he has the situation with the [[spoiler:escaped Changelings]] under his control. |
| 110 | * ''Fanfic/MarinettesWeekOff'': This gets PlayedWith in the sequel, ''Marinette's Life (After the Week Off)'', as Collège Françoise Dupont institutes new systems to ensure that the rules and regulations that so commonly went neglected are actually ''enforced''. Meaning that students are no longer allowed to do whatever they please; Lila can't fake {{Obfuscating Disabilit|y}}ies or skip classes since people are actually looking into her excuses, and Alya isn't allowed to go chasing after Akumas [[SocialMediaBeforeReason for the sake of her blog]] anymore. So far as Lila, Alya and most of their peers are concerned, it's a hellish experience. |
| 111 | * ''Fanfic/RevelationHellaverse'' has the Radio Demon Alastor usurping control of Hell, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship where AllCrimesAreEqual. Blitzo ends up unintentionally courting his wrath when Katie Killjoy baits him into calling the Crimson Guard "brutal", causing him, all of I.M.P., Stolas and Octavia to be arrested and faced with impending execution. |
| 112 | * ''Fanfic/ShadowsOverMeridian'': During the Swamp arc, [[KnightTemplar Lord Kur]] is revealed to have been put in charge of the Swamplands' capital Everdeen with a duty of cleansing the area of Phobos' remaining supporters. With the fact that he's a genocidal fanatic who's put the entire city on lockdown and under strict food rationing (a decision that hasn't made him popular in the city) as a part of his plan to [[ThePurge eliminate the shapeshifters and other "monstrous" races]], he's a definite step down from whoever used to run the city that thrived as a melting pot of commerce and interspecies relations during Phobos' reign. |
| 113 | * ''Fanfic/TruePotential'': {{Invoked|Trope}}. Suzumebachi really wants to replace Onoki as the next Tsuchikage, and undo all the progress he made towards Konoha in order to start another war. |
| 114 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'' fic ''Fanfic/TurningRedSecretsOfThePanda'', prior to the events of the story, [[spoiler:Jason]] used his skills as a manipulator to fool the government into thinking Mike Smith (who is a WellIntentionedExtremist) had committed treason, just so he could take command of the PCA. |
| 115 | * ''Fanfic/VeeForVendetta'': Veggie Vee goes FromNobodyToNightmare when she exploits some obscure laws to take over Ponyville, ruling with an iron hoof. |
| 116 | * In ''Fanfic/WinterWar'', Aizen conquers Seireitei. He doesn't seem to have any actual use for the city, but he does have a Dragon undergoing a serious VillainousBreakdown, who might mess up Aizen's current projects if kept around. So he [[KickedUpstairs turns the city over to Gin]] to get him out of the way. Gin proceeds to rule using torture and gruesome public execution to keep himself in charge and using the [[LesCollaborateurs members of the Gotei 13]] who didn't join LaResistance to enforce his reign of terror rather than allowing them to do their actual job as {{Psychopomp}}s. |
| 117 | ** It's worth noting Gin's rule differs from the Central 46 and Yamamoto only for the fact that the abuses are more public and obvious. New Boss very much the same as the Old Boss. |
| 118 | [[/folder]] |
| 119 | |
| 120 | [[folder:Film -- Animated]] |
| 121 | * Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'', where after Elsa flees the kingdom in panic and Anna goes after her, Hans is given the authority to take care of the people in Arendelle. Despite Hans's status as an EvilPrince who later [[TheUsurper attempts regicide against the two girls]], he proves himself to be competent at handling the frightened and confused citizens in the aftermath of the EndlessWinter Elsa unknowingly unleashed beforehand. |
| 122 | * Professor Rattigan's plan in ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'' is to take over British "[[MouseWorld Mousedom]]" and introduce hundreds of corrupt laws, including crushing taxes on the elderly, infirm, and children. The way he seeks to do it is a bit non-typical, though, as [[spoiler:rather than becoming king himself, he wants to replace the beloved Queen Mouse with a robot and become the official Royal Consort instead, with the robot queen signing off all the laws for him]]. |
| 123 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'': The movie's main plot is set off when Scar "reluctantly" assumes the Pride Lands' throne after murdering Mufasa to get it, and begins his Nazi-esque hyena regime. Within the span of a few years, he runs the Pride Lands into the ground, and [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating even the hyenas who serve him agree that Mufasa was a much better king than Scar ever was]] -- though [[BerserkButton not within earshot of Scar]]. The [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2019 2019 remake]] also has Scar and the hyenas constantly over-hunting and slaughtering any animal species they can get their hold on to. |
| 124 | * ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'': With Lotso being replaced with another version of himself, he bitterly and selfishly forces both Big Baby and Chuckles to leave Daisy with him and when the three fall off the Pizza Planet truck they're traveling on, they end up in front of Sunnyside Daycare with Lotso staring at it blankly and then limping his way toward it. This moment is also accompanied by LightningReveal and DramaticThunder too. Telling the story, Chuckles lays out that Lotso now has control of everything there, oppressing all the other toys and forcing many of them to either submit to his demands or be broken and thrown out -- not even letting toys escape either. |
| 125 | * ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'': Turbo took over ''Sugar Rush'', brainwashed its inhabitants, and caused them to alienate and bully Vanellope, the true ruler of ''Sugar Rush''. |
| 126 | [[/folder]] |
| 127 | |
| 128 | [[folder:Film -- Live-Action]] |
| 129 | * ''Film/{{Bananas}}'': Woody Allen joins a group of freedom fighters in a Latin American country, San Marcos. They eventually depose the military dictator, but the new president, Esposito, [[FullCircleRevolution quickly reveals himself to be equally tyrannical]] and [[LoonyLaws comically deranged]]. Esposito is then deposed and replaced by Fielding Mellish (Woody). |
| 130 | * ''Film/BuffaloSoldiers'': Elwood apparently had an "arrangement" with his first CO, but when Sergeant Lee takes over the unit he immediately becomes a thorn in Elwood's side because for him the Army is SeriousBusiness. That said, Elwood isn't just lazy or in possession of some contraband but a genuine criminal, making Lee's crusade against Elwood and his associates pretty reasonable. |
| 131 | * ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes'': Koba sets up an attempted assassination on Caesar and then [[FalseFlagOperation blames the humans for the things he himself did]], which works doubly in his favor for not only putting him in charge but also forcing the apes to fight the humans. |
| 132 | * ''Film/DayOfTheDead1985'': Captain Rhodes, after his superior officer Major Cooper dies. While Cooper is implied to have not been very pleasant himself, Rhodes takes it to a whole new level when he threatens to have Sarah killed, after which he makes it clear that any person in the facility who questions his authority will be executed following a [[KangarooCourt court martial]]. Fisher himself states that while Cooper was an asshole, he was still "a sweetheart" compared to Rhodes. |
| 133 | * The plot of the ''Series/DeadLikeMe'' movie is initially driven by the disappearance of Rube in a mysterious fire and the arrival of his shady SmugSnake replacement who encourages the Reapers to feel free to abuse their powers and cut corners on the job. A bit of a subversion in this case as the hard-nosed by-the-book leader is replaced with a much more laid back one, but it ends up playing out much the same as the Reapers begin to realize the consequences of their irresponsibility (both for themselves and the people around them). |
| 134 | * In ''Film/FortApache'', an honorable and veteran war captain finds conflict when his regime is placed under the command of a young, glory hungry lieutenant colonel with no respect for the local Indian tribe. |
| 135 | * In ''Film/FortApacheTheBronx'', the new police captain is determined to run things "by the book". Protagonist Officer Murphy predicts things will go to hell. |
| 136 | * ''Film/FullMetalJacket'' ends with [[SociopathicSoldier Animal Mother]] in charge of Lusthog Squad after Crazy Earl and Cowboy are killed in combat. |
| 137 | * In ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'' when the corrupt, self-centered Commodus murders his father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and subsequently becomes the next emperor of Rome, things do not go well after that. |
| 138 | * In ''Film/{{Heavyweights}}'', Camp Hope is taken over by Tony Perkus, a fitness fanatic who systematically removes everything fun about the camp and runs the campers ragged with unreasonably harsh exercise programs. |
| 139 | * Near the beginning of ''Film/HorribleBosses'', one of the aforementioned horrible bosses takes over his dead father's company and purposely drives it into the ground solely for personal gain. |
| 140 | * In ''Film/TheJungleBook2016'', after failing to get Mowgli the first time, Shere Khan [[spoiler:murders Akela]] and takes control of his wolf pack, forcing them to be afraid of him. |
| 141 | * [[TheCoup General Zod attempts this]] at the beginning of ''Film/ManOfSteel'', when after Jor-El fails to sway the [[NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering Kryptonian high council,]] Zod blasts his way in, declares the council disbanded, and names himself supreme leader. His rule is brief as his forces are soon defeated, he and his closest accomplices are arrested and sent into the Phantom Zone. |
| 142 | * ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'': |
| 143 | ** In ''Film/BlackPanther2018'', Killmonger usurps T'Challa to become the new king of Wakanda. Once in power, he proceeds with his plan of arming the African diaspora with vibranium weapons and creating a global Wakandan empire. As a sign that his rule will '''not''' be kind one, he threatens to murder the children of his opponents and [[spoiler:burns Wakanda's sacred garden]] so that only he can have the Black Panther's power. |
| 144 | ** Loki initially plays this straight after Odin goes into Odinsleep from the stress of banishing Thor and revealing Loki's true heritage in ''{{Film/Thor}}'', refusing Sif and the Warrior's Three's request to bring Thor back from exile, tricking Laufey, his biological father, into killing Odin only for Loki to kill him to [[WellDoneSonGuy win Odin's approval]] and tries to destroy Jötunheim after Thor returns. When he steals the throne from Odin again after the events of ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', the worst he does to his subjects is [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex force them to watch incredibly hammy plays of his own heroic deeds]] in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' and banishes Sif because she knows that "Odin" is actually Loki. [[spoiler:Ironically, the latter part of Loki's second usurping saves her life when Hela returns to Asgard and kills the Warrior's Three.]] |
| 145 | *** Played straight with Hela, [[spoiler: Odin’s firstborn daughter]], returns to Asgard to reclaim her “birthright” after defeating Loki and Thor in battle. She immediately demands that the Asgardian army [[KneelBeforeZod accept her as their rightful queen,]] convinced that they will welcome her back and enthusiastically support her ambitions to return Asgard to its [[DarkAndTroubledPast blood-soaked past]]. When they refuse, she proceeds to [[spoiler: [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen slaughter the entire army.]]]] For the rest of her reign, her only subjects are terrified civilians, and one [[MinionWithAnFInEvil reluctant collaborator.]] |
| 146 | * In the Franchise/MonsterVerse, [[Characters/MonsterVerseGodzilla Godzilla]] is the default King of the Monsters, who considers the Earth's entire surface -- sans Skull Island, which is under King Kong's rule -- to be his territory which he must defend and keep the balance of, often saving humanity from far, far more destructive monsters by proxy. In ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'', Godzilla is taken out of action by the Oxygen Destroyer striking him, and without him around to fight anymore, his ArchEnemy [[Characters/MonsterVerseKingGhidorah Ghidorah]] immediately steals his kingship. Ghidorah instantly sets about engulfing the globe in massive storms, rampant Titans, and other disasters which threaten to cause planet-wide extinction. The humans' main theory is that Ghidorah is [[HostileTerraforming violently xenoforming]] the planet in his own image, but the novelization briefly suggests that maybe Ghidorah ''really'' just wants every other living thing dead. |
| 147 | * Manipulating the titular characters so they lose their capacity to inherit a company in an attempt to ''become'' this is the plan of the BigBad on both ''Film/MrDeeds'' and ''Film/BillyMadison''. |
| 148 | * This happens in ''Film/OutCold'' when a rich skiing tycoon takes over Bull Mountain and attempts to transform it into another Vail. |
| 149 | %% * Sergeant Mauser from ''Film/PoliceAcademy''. %% (ZERO CONTEXT EXAMPLE) Please expand this example before deleting the percent signs. %% |
| 150 | * In the ''Film/RichieRich'' film, Laurence Van Dough arranges for Richie's parents to be killed so he can take over their estate. He's temporarily foiled by Richie taking over with Cadbury as his proxy, but then frames Cadbury for the Richs' murder. Don't worry, the Riches got better. |
| 151 | * Toy Santa in ''Film/TheSantaClause 2''. At first, he's supposed to simply fill in for Santa on basic tasks like checking in on the elves' work and the high-rank elves in the know have little problem passing him off as Santa ([[SpottingTheThread who had some work done]]), but with time he gains more autonomy and decides he needs to check the list twice, at which point he discovers all of the kids in the world should be on the naughty list ([[DisproportionateRetribution by his "there exists" argument of naughtiness]]) and the high-rank elves start arguing with him. Soon, he builds an army of toy soldiers, insists no more toys are built, and puts the highest-ranking official around under house arrest for exposing him as a fraud. It's later shown that he imprisoned many more of the elves and he even ties up the real Santa when he returns. |
| 152 | * This is pretty much what the Emperor does in ''Franchise/StarWars''. He claims that the current chancellor is unable to handle the crisis at hand and becomes his replacement. He then starts to restructure the Republic into an Empire, for the good of the people and peace in the galaxy. The important difference is that he was the one who created the crisis in the first place. |
| 153 | * ''Film/SummerCampNightmare'', which is a 1980s adaptation of the book ''Literature/TheButterflyRevolution'', has Franklin Reilly, one of the teenage counselors-in-training, stage a takeover of Camp North Pines with the other teenagers by putting all the adult counselors in detention, promising to liberate the summer camp so that the children could have fun without the strict boring activities of its camp director Mr. Warren when he was in charge. However, as Mr. Warren is killed during the takeover and one of the girls from the neighboring liberated Camp South Pines is raped, Franklin turns tyrannical and everybody is forced to obey his rules or else suffer various forms of punishment. Chris Wade, one of the teenagers who resisted the takeover, eventually got the police to rescue the children and bring them home safely while putting Franklin under arrest. |
| 154 | * ''Film/SupermanII'' features one of the few moments in the DC franchise where General Zod succeeds in removing the President of the United States from power and taking over the planet. However, thanks to Superman, his rule is short lived. |
| 155 | * ''Film/SuperMarioBros1993'': Koopa overthrew the King and took over Dinohattan, turning it into a police state overrun with crime and pollution; he's mismanaged the city so badly that the people are running out of food, water, and clean air. Toad even expresses how horrible Koopa's rule is in his TheVillainSucksSong, and screams as such in Koopa's face before being put through the Devo Chamber: |
| 156 | -->'''Toad''': What a lousy Kingdom ever since Koopa took over. And YOU, Koopa! You're a lousy leader! |
| 157 | [[/folder]] |
| 158 | |
| 159 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 160 | * In ''Literature/AnimalFarm'', Farmer Jones is removed from power for neglecting his animals. For a while, the society they form instead under the pig leaders Snowball and Napoleon is pleasant and ideal. But Napoleon has his own plans and desires; he secretly kidnaps and raises a litter of nine puppies, and when they mature into proper attack dogs, he has them chase Snowball off of the farm and takes control, outlawing debates as his first act and turning the farm into a work camp, making it [[FullCircleRevolution worse than it was before]]. |
| 161 | * In ''Literature/BadMermaids Make Waves'', the mermaid queen Arabella Cod is fishnapped and imprisoned in a tank on land. Hidden Lagoon is taken over by a mysterious mermaid named The Swan who keeps everyone under lockdown and forces them to spend all their time making [[SeashellBra shell tops]]. The only mermaids who can do what they want are the rich mermaids of Oysterdale, who are allowed to loot the other cities. [[spoiler:The Swan turns out to be a puppet of her "henchman" Ommy Pike, who plans to force everyone to wear shell tops so he can mind control them using the Ruster Shells, a magic shell top that only works on people who are dressed the same. He allowed the looting because he wants to live in Oysterdale, and theft is an easy way to have all the nice things moved from the other cities to Oysterdale.]] |
| 162 | * ''Literature/BlackTideRising'': Near the end of ''Strands of Sorrow'', TheRemnant of the US military led by the protagonists locate the Secretary of Education and install her as acting President. Unfortunately, she quickly turns out to be a delusional ZombieAdvocate (due to a desperate desire to locate and cure her infected daughter), ordering the military to stop killing zombies and try to detain them instead, while also threatening to charge the protagonists with war crimes, due to the [[TechnicallyLivingZombie zombies technically still being human]]. [[spoiler: Realizing that her inept leadership will potentially ruin their efforts to restore civilization, and being morally unwilling to depose her in a coup, the protagonists instead launch an [[ToBeLawfulOrGood illegal operation]] to find someone higher up the line of succession to legally oust her, eventually succeeding in locating and rescuing the Vice-President.]] |
| 163 | * Captain Queeg turning out to be one of these is basically the major plot motivator in ''Literature/TheCaineMutiny''. The greatest piece of evidence of him being one (the one that destroys him in the court martial, even) is how absurdly obsessed he becomes with [[LostFoodGrievance finding a quart of stolen strawberries]]. |
| 164 | * Brother Leon, in ''Literature/TheChocolateWar''. He becomes acting headmaster of Trinity High School when the regular headmaster falls ill, makes a DealWithTheDevil to try and secure the job permanently, and eventually winds up JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope. |
| 165 | * In ''Literature/{{Divergent}}'', it's heavily implied that this is what happened to Dauntless. Dauntless's original MO was to train its members to be strong and courageous, yet to remain rational and use their strength solely for keeping the peace. As Erudite became more entrenched in its plot to overthrow Abnegation as the primary governing faction of Chicago, it started slipping in its own members into Dauntless leadership. The new leadership, by changing the rules of initiation, would eventually wipe any semblance of honor from Dauntless and turn its members from honorable, courageous soldiers into merciless killing machines. After a few years of this, Erudite would finally have the perfect army with which to [[BrainwashedAndCrazy control via simulation serum]] and then use to utterly destroy Abnegation. |
| 166 | * This was part of Baron Harkonnen's plan for ''Literature/{{Dune}}'': first have his evil mentat Piter de Vries take control of Arrakis and squeeze every ounce of worth and water out of the people, then have his nephew Feyd swoop in as a big damn hero and win everyone's love and affection. Alas, Piter came down with a bad case of death before he could be put in charge, so the Baron sent his other nephew, the "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Beast]]" Rabban. |
| 167 | * During the events of Terry Pratchett's ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'', Sergeant Colon is, much to his own horror, put in charge of the city watch by means of being the most senior watchman available and promptly begins burning paperwork and accusing his subordinates of stealing sugar cubes and "earlobing" him. This has the effect of creating the Watchmen's Guild. This is ultimately corrected when Captain Carrot returns from his "sabbatical". Humorously, this had little effect on the city's crime rates; if anything, crime rates went ''down'', since all the criminals knew that this state of events would put [[TheDreaded Commander Vimes]] in a foul mood when he got back and nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of that. |
| 168 | * ''Literature/TheFireNeverDies'': |
| 169 | ** After President Wilson suffered a stroke and the remainder of the US government considered surrendering to the Reds, General William J. Simmons, Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, took control of the White forces in a military coup, destroying not only any chance of a negotiated surrender but also any remaining legitimacy of the US government. Simmons fully intended to remake America in the KKK's white supremacist image if given the chance, but the Reds' imminent victory ensured it would never come to pass. |
| 170 | ** A FlashForward in Update 100 revealed this happened to [[spoiler: Britain]] of all places years after the Second American Revolution, falling under a [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Falangist]] regime headed by the likes of [[spoiler: Baron Garvagh, General Fuller, William Joyce]] and others. |
| 171 | * The plot of ''Gay from China at the Literature/ChaletSchool'' revolves around this trope. When Miss Bubb, the tyrant in question, takes over as temporary headmistress after Miss Wilson, Miss Annersley, and others are injured in a car crash, her fixation on exam results and crackdowns on the girls' free time and privileges makes her very unpopular, to the point where Joey writes a letter begging Miss Wilson to come back. Things come to a head when she forbids Gay Lambert - who has broken rules on more than one occasion - to see her older brother before he is stationed in Asia, which leads to Gay running away and culminates in Miss Bubb having to resign, to everyone's relief. |
| 172 | * ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'': Dolores Umbridge comes to Hogwarts as a teacher imposed by the Ministry of Magic, becomes High Inquisitor, fires Trelawney, tries to subdue Hagrid like he's a wild beast with a team of Stunners due to her hatred of {{Half Human Hybrid}}s [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain and treats any "filthy half-breed" like a stupider, lesser being]], dictates rules aimed at abolishing the students' civil liberties, ''literally'' [[ColdBloodedTorture tortures]] students during detention, and finally [[spoiler:deposes Dumbledore and becomes Headmistress.]] Her "things will be different around here" speech gets [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Hermione. She's so bad that she actually [[spoiler:sides with Voldemort after she's run out of Hogwarts.]] |
| 173 | * In the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' short story ''A Ship Named Francis'', after [[ItMakesSenseInContext the captain ends up in a coma because of a potato sack race]], his psychotic XO takes over. He declares that he's going to increase discipline onboard ship and starts out by holding summary court martials in which he sentences a quarter of the crew to death - within one day of taking command. Since they were four days away from their homeport, the crew figured that at his current rate the XO would end up killing everyone by the time the ship made it back, and they hastily devised a plan to subvert his insanity (Note that the ''Francis S Mueller'' was [[ReassignedToAntarctica the duty posting for everyone the Navy didn't want at an important posting but hadn't screwed up enough to be thrown out... yet]]). |
| 174 | * In Paul Robinson's ''In The Matter of: Literature/InstrumentOfGod'', Marilyn, the Deputy Administrator of the Welcoming Department, becomes appointed to Administrator when the former administrator decides to go back to earth. Her new rules are so disliked that the entire supervisory staff of the department quit in protest - all except for one supervisor so that she can't appoint anyone in their place. |
| 175 | * In Douglas Coupland's ''Literature/JPod'', this happens twice, although neither of the tyrants is particularly evil. The first one is Steve, who takes over as head of marketing and promptly attempts to get a cute turtle inserted into the skateboarding game they're designing. He's later [[spoiler:vanished by the Chinese mafia]], and replaced by Alastair, who turns the game into an edutainment title about a prince and a flying carpet. He frustrates the characters so much that they [[spoiler:find and rescue Steve.]] |
| 176 | * In the ''Literature/JuniperSawfeather'' novel ''Echo of the Cliffs'', [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Mr. Mains]] is suspended from his position as principal of West Olympia High for missing work to talk to June during her tree-sit. His successor, former Vice Principal Mrs. Slater, is highly unpopular with both students and teachers for her tyrannical behavior, which includes fining teachers whose students are caught using cell phones in class, even though the school is short on computers and some kids have to use their phones to do their assignments. The only people who like her are [[AlphaBitch Regina]] and the rest of the [[GirlPosse Student Council]], who get to spend most of their time patrolling the halls and reporting people for cell phone violations. Haley becomes the leader of the school resistence movement and plans a walk-out during class. [[spoiler:The afternoon of the planned walk-out, Mrs. Slater and Regina try to prevent it by barring all the doors. Mrs. Slater is fired for violating the fire code, Regina is suspended, and Mr. Mains is reinstated.]] |
| 177 | %%* When Saruman and Lotho take charge in the "Scourging of the Shire" chapter of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. |
| 178 | %%** Then it ends up being just Saruman since he had Wormtongue murder Lotho. He even insinuates that Lotho became [[ImAHumanitarian Wormtongue's dinner]]. |
| 179 | * Miss Viola Swamp from the ''Literature/MissNelsonIsMissing'' series of books. Miss Swamp was a ''very'' harsh disciplinarian who kept the mischievous children in line when they took advantage of Miss Nelson's kind nature. It was revealed at the end of the first book that Miss Swamp was [[spoiler: Miss Nelson in disguise]]. |
| 180 | * ''Literature/{{Mouseheart}}'': Pinkie after taking control of the Mūs village, quickly turning it into a PoliceState, ordering every able-bodied mouse be conscripted into her military, and refusing to allow Atlantian refugees be allowed to seek shelter. [[spoiler:Luckily, Dodger manages to get her to come to her senses.]] |
| 181 | * In ''Literature/OneHundredYearsOfSolitude'', Arcadio takes over Macondo during the wars and rules harshly, killing many people. |
| 182 | * ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'': When beloved centaur mentor Chiron is temporarily relieved of his duties in the second Percy Jackson book, ''The Sea of Monsters'', somebody unaccountably decided that the best person to replace him as activities coordinator at Camp Half-Blood would be notorious child-murderer Tantalus. |
| 183 | * One of Niccolò Machiavelli's most famous pieces of advice from ''Literature/ThePrince'' was to have a Tyrant Take The Helm in a rebellious territory. The tyrant will crush resistance at the cost of arousing public hatred. Then, when you come in and order the tyrant's beheading, you're left with a pacified province of people who consider themselves indebted to you for eliminating the tyrant. |
| 184 | * This happens when Prince John usurps [[UsefulNotes/RichardTheLionHeart King Richard's]] throne in many versions of the ''Myth/RobinHood'' story. |
| 185 | * In the third book of the ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'' series, Queen Etheldredda the Awful attempts to pull this. She's a ghost, so her ability to do things is somewhat... limited, but she attempts to influence the Princess and her family to various effect. [[spoiler:Those she doesn't like get infected with a dangerous disease via her ugly pet.]] |
| 186 | * ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': Joffrey Baratheon becomes King of Westeros after his father's death. Almost immediately he uses his power in [[KickTheDog abusing and killing people]] whenever he feels like it. He is unaware that he would not be King if not for his family's proper managing skills, and he was killed by the family of his would-be Queen because he was a sadistic idiot. His mother Cersei Lannister isn't far behind, as Queen Regent she empowers people of questionable loyalty, and is sabotaging the Alliance between the Lannisters and the Tyrells. Very soon she is removed from power, and the Kingdom of Westeros is slowly plunging into ruin. |
| 187 | ** Under the Lannister regime we have other examples of tyrants taking over. When the Starks, the beloved rulers of the North, are betrayed at [[NastyParty the Red Wedding]] by the Freys and Boltons, Roose Bolton personally murdering his liege Robb Stark, the Boltons are rewarded with control of the North. Despite Roose's talk of "a quiet land, a quiet people", under the new regime his monstrous son Ramsay Snow, [[BastardBastard "the Bastard of Bolton"]], is legitimized as Roose's heir and goes round the North committing atrocities, flaying, murdering and raping people. However this trope is deconstructed, as many of the Northerners despise the Boltons, especially Ramsay, and Roose notes that his son's cruelty means they will never hold the North successfully. |
| 188 | ** In the history of Westeros Maegor the Cruel's reign was this, when Maegor seized the Iron Throne after his half-brother Aenys' death, even decapitating the Maester who pointed out his brother's sons should inherit before him. Maegor was a monstrous {{sadist}}, committing atrocities and murdering two of his [[EvilUncle nephews]]. Though played with in that under Aenys the realm was already unstable, due to Aenys' weakness and inability to act decisively, leading to conflicts with the Faith, though the conflict became much more brutal when Maegor took over. Fortunately Aenys' youngest son Jaehaerys I proved to be perhaps the most capable King to ever sit the Iron Throne. |
| 189 | ** ''Literature/FireAndBlood'' also has the regency of Aegon III. When the reliable Tyland Lannister dies of the Winter Fever, someone summons slimy plotter Unwin Peake to be Hand of the King. Peake immediately sets about firing or removing much of the King's council and replacing them with relatives and toadies, overriding the king's own choices and telling him to shut up whenever he actually does try objecting because he's "just a boy", and might well have arranged the death of Aegon's first wife so he'd be forced to marry Unwin's daughter. This state of affairs continues for three years until the other regents finally get fed up with Peake, who threatens to quit as Hand if his demands aren't met, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard and is met with the response "go right ahead".]] |
| 190 | * ''Literature/SpySchool'': For all of his incompetence, Alexander is more fatherly towards Ben and the others, listening to their input and trying to keep them well-protected. Once his father takes over, Cyrus is more inclined to risk their lives gratuitously, insults them, and ignores their input on almost everything, while still tending to be just as easily OutGambitted by Spyder as his son. |
| 191 | * ''Literature/Tempest2011'': In ''Tempest Revealed'', [[spoiler:[[TheMole Sabyn]] takes over Tempest's position as monarch of [[UnderwaterCity Coral Straits]] at the same time [[BigBad Tiamat]] takes over the other four major aquatic kingdoms of the Pacific. Sabyn makes some effort to look like a good [=merKing=], but Tiamat openly commits mass murder against her subjects]]. |
| 192 | * ''Literature/ThomasAndFriends'': A minor example of the newly-appointed policeman in "Thomas in Trouble" from ''Toby the Tram Engine'', who accuses Thomas of being dangerous to the public. |
| 193 | -->'''Thomas:''' Peep peep! Good morning sir.\ |
| 194 | '''Policeman:''' Disgraceful! I didn't sleep a wink last night, it was so quiet, and now engines come whistling suddenly behind me.\ |
| 195 | ''Thomas:''' I'm sorry, sir, I only said "good morning".\ |
| 196 | '''Policeman:''' Where is your cow-catcher?\ |
| 197 | '''Thomas:''' [[MathematiciansAnswer But I don't catch cows, sir.]]\ |
| 198 | '''Policeman:''' Don't be funny!! No side plates, either. Engines going on public roads must have their wheels covered, and a cow-catcher in front. You haven't, so you are Dangerous to the Public.\ |
| 199 | '''Thomas's driver:''' Rubbish. We've been along here hundreds of times, and there's never been an accident.\ |
| 200 | '''Policeman:''' That makes it worse. ''(Writes "Regular Law-Breaker" in his notebook)'' |
| 201 | * ''Literature/WarriorCats'': |
| 202 | ** The first arc, ''Into the Wild'', has three of them. One of them is Brokenstar, who murdered his father Raggedstar to be [=ShadowClan=]'s leader, and that's where things go downhill for the Clan really fast. He banishes all the elders from the safety of the camp, forces kits to become apprentices at three moons instead of six (and makes them warriors at five moons instead of twelve), and makes his Clan eat rotten food instead of fresh meat to focus on battles. He even [[WouldHurtAChild lets Brightflower's kits die]] and shifts the blame onto Yellowfang (his mother and Brightflower's daughter), banishing her from the Clan. But a lot of [=ShadowClan=] cats get so sick of Brokenstar that they [[TheDogBitesBack team up with a [=ThunderClan=] patrol to drive him out]]. |
| 203 | ** Tigerstar seems to be a good leader at first when he takes the wheel, rebuilding [=ShadowClan=]'s strength, but he still tries to get back at his former [=ThunderClan=] compatriots. But in ''The Darkest Hour'', he takes over the [=RiverClan=] camp, starts up propaganda against half-Clan cats and executes them, and attacks [=WindClan=] to intimidate them and show what would happen if they did not join [=TigerClan=] (a mix of [=ShadowClan=] and [=RiverClan=]}. It was his tyranny that brings him to his bloody end, as an even fiercer tyrant named Scourge rips him open from head to tail. |
| 204 | ** Scourge starts out as a kittypet named Tiny who ran away from home. After he slowly becomes the leader of the stray cats in the city, he forms [=BloodClan=] and forms harsh rules for them to live by. One of his rules is that [[TheSocialDarwinist the weaker cats do not need to be taken care of]]. He doesn't like families living together in fear of being overthrown and punishes them for living together. |
| 205 | ** In the seventh arc, ''The Broken Code'', when Bramblestar loses a life, an unknown spirit enters his body and proceeds to pretend to be him. However, this new cat ends up being a ControlFreak who punishes everyone who breaks any rule - even accidentally - and later anyone who so much as ''questions'' him. This especially becomes dangerous when he exiles both medicine cats and appoints a cat with no experience or knowledge of healing. Meanwhile, he himself breaks the warrior code by insisting he eat first, even before the elders. The cats remaining in the Clan are wary of each other, not knowing who they can trust and who will report them to him. |
| 206 | * The evil governess Miss Slighcarp in ''Literature/TheWolvesOfWilloughbyChase'' by JoanAiken does this the minute Bonnie's parents leave the house. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 210 | * ''Series/{{The 100}}'': |
| 211 | ** Marcus Kane starts the series as next in line for the position of Chancellor on the Ark, and when it looks as though he will succeed Jaha Abby fears he would be disastrous for the people. [[SubvertedTrope However, despite several near-deaths on Jaha's part, Kane never succeeds him during the first season.]] [[DeconstructedTrope By the time Kane does become Chancellor in season two he has undergone enough character development where he is no longer even a potential Tyrant]]. |
| 212 | ** Charles Pike came down to Earth from Farm Station, which landed away from the location of Camp Jaha and never took part in the Ark/Grounder truce of the second season. Because he witnessed Grounder slaughtering more than a hundred of his people he has a fanatical hatred of them and believes that coexistence is impossible, and is nominated for Chancellor after trying to carry out a preemptive strike on a Grounder army that Lexa had sent to protect Arkadia. He wins the election and is appointed Chancellor, and immediately orders the launch of preemptive strike. |
| 213 | * This happens at least once a season in ''Series/TwentyFour''. Usually at some point the competent head of CTU is either punished for not "playing by the book" or somehow incapacitated, and "Division" sends over a replacement, who is ''always'' an arrogant jerk who annoys everybody by being more concerned with strict guidelines and power trips than with doing whatever it takes to stop the terrorist threat at hand. Usually, this person is either re-replaced or finally comes to see the error of his or her ways, usually when they make things worse. |
| 214 | ** Special mention must go to Lynn [=McGill=], who is such a tyrant that they eventually just declare him unfit for command and arrest him. |
| 215 | * "[[EvilTwin Evil Dick]]" of ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'' is a humorous version. His first "drastic change" was to move a gnome from a coffee table to a dresser. |
| 216 | * Happened a few times in ''Series/SevenDays1998'', and always cancelled with the series' built-in ResetButton. |
| 217 | * The secretary Miss Harbottle from ''Series/{{All Creatures Great And Small|1978}}''. She rules the accounts with an iron fist and equates taking money from the cashbox to pay for petty expenses with [[AllCrimesAreEqual embezzlement]]. No wonder she didn't last long. |
| 218 | * The BritCom ''Series/AreYouBeingServed'', 1976 season, episode "Forward Mr. Grainger": The lovable head of the Men's Department Mr Grainger gets a temporary promotion and instantly becomes a complete tyrant, even going as far as to fire one of the regulars. Then the real manager returns ahead of schedule and takes back his job, sends Grainger back to his, and Grainger realizes that he's dug his own grave. |
| 219 | * While DCI Jim Keats doesn't outright take leadership of CID, and while he's a lot subtler than your typical Tyrant, his role in ''Series/AshesToAshes2008'' is that of an authority figure who tries to implement some serious changes, going against the grain and established protocol in an effort to - hopefully - usurp the current leader. [[spoiler: Not only does he fail, he reveals his [[{{Satan}} true nature]]. There have been theories that he's tried to take over before, in the guise of Frank Morgan in ''Life on Mars''.]] |
| 220 | * The replacement Kosh on ''Series/BabylonFive'', to the point that eventually [[spoiler:Sheridan and Delenn actually have him murdered.]] |
| 221 | ** Also Emperor Cartagia, who turns out to be batshit insane and kills most of his advisers for trivial reasons (and keeps their heads to talk to them). His final plan? To become a god by [[spoiler:letting the Vorlons destroy Centauri Prime]]. The worst part is that Londo helped put him in power, as he and Lord Refa believed they could control him. Boy, did that plan backfire. |
| 222 | *** In "The Lost Tales", Sheridan meets Cartagia's son Dius Vintari, whom Galen predicts will become the next tyrant after Vir's death. His hatred for humanity would grow over the years and he would eventually stage a surprise attack on Earth. Galen's plan is to stage an "accident" with Sheridan as the trigger-man. But Sheridan backs out at the last moment and realizes that the real problem is Vintari's presence in the DecadentCourt of Centauri Prime, so he takes the prince regent to live with him and Delenn on Minbar. Galen then admits that this was his real plan all along. |
| 223 | ** Colonel Ari ben Zayn in the episode "Eyes" falls into this category when he trumps up charges against Sinclair and takes over the station [[spoiler: to the point that ''his own aide'' helps discredit him. It turns out that not only did ben Zayn have a personal grudge against Sinclair (who was promoted ahead of him to command the station), he was probably mentally unstable to begin with and ended up aiding a larger conspiracy within [=EarthGov=] to further his personal agenda.]] |
| 224 | * Admiral Cain from ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' is a serious-as-cancer tyrant. [[spoiler:Her concept of pragmatism involves a lot more "execution of un-useful civilians" than Adama's. Fortunately she's taken down before she gets to try this out with her newfound fleet. There's also the matter of her sanctioning the long and brutal torture of a Cylon captive who was once her girlfriend]]. |
| 225 | * ''Series/{{Blindspot}}'': Near the end of Season 4, [[BigBad Madeline Burke]] manages to frame Jane's team for her own crimes while making it look like ''they'' framed ''her''. She then uses the [[WoundedGazelleGambit public sympathy for her "suffering"]] as leverage to get herself appointed to a position of civilian oversight over the FBI; she proceeds to use their resources throughout Season 5 to further her own goals while hiring mercenaries to run the Bureau's offices like mini-{{Police State}}s in order to repress dissent. |
| 226 | * In ''Series/TheBoys2019'', [[spoiler:[[BigBad Homelander]] performs a hostile takeover of [[EvilInc Vought]] in Season 3 after manipulating the MoleInCharge Congresswoman Victoria into turning on the CEO and her adoptive father [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Stan]]. After the initial shock, [[DissonantSerenity Stan remained as collected as ever]] and [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu mocked Homelander to his face]], telling him that he'll [[FascistButInefficient just run things into the ground]] without Stan to cover up his PsychopathicManchild antics.]] |
| 227 | * ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Snyder replaced Principal Flutie after Flutie was eaten by students possessed by hyenas. While he openly despised pretty much all teenagers, he targeted Buffy and the Scoobie Gang and turns out to be working for Mayor Wilkins, the BigBad of Season 3. However he's apparently in the dark as to exactly who (or what) he was working for, as he clearly wasn't expecting the Mayor to turn into a snake and eat him. He even [[VillanousValour stands up to the Mayor]] at the end, however ineffectively. |
| 228 | * Deputy Commissioner Doherty on ''Series/ColdCase'', new boss and [[TheRival arch-rival]] to [[BigGood Lt. Stillman]], on ''Series/ColdCase''. Interestingly, the actual ''reason'' he enjoys making Stillman's life hell is a bit of a twist: at first we're led to believe it's Stillman's contempt for [[SleazyPolitician Doherty's sleazeball City Council allies]], then because Stillman locked up Doherty's junkie son, but it's eventually revealed that Doherty is actually envious of Stillman because the son's stay in prison had legitimately straightened him out, and thus Doherty resents Stillman for accomplishing something he never could. [[spoiler:In the series finale, it's implied Doherty will be sent to prison or at least lose his job, as it turns out his son also committed ''manslaughter'', which Doherty had fudged police records to cover up]]. |
| 229 | * Erin Strauss on ''Series/CriminalMinds'' However she tries to remove Hotch from his position as Unit Chief (and Hotch later says to Prentiss that, if Prentiss had told Strauss some of the things the team has done, he ''would'' have gotten fired), but later on tells former agent newly joining the team David Rossi that the team is ''Hotch's''. And, instead of finding a way to get rid of Hotch after [[spoiler:he beats George Foyet to death]], she feeds the team and Hotch lines to ensure that all testimony makes it obvious that Hotch had no choice. |
| 230 | * ''Series/CrossingJordan'' had multiple instances, one with Dr. Jack Slocum and another with Special Prosecutor William Ivers. The latter somewhat redeems himself in a later episode. |
| 231 | * Private Frazer in ''Series/DadsArmy'' yearns to do this, angling for increased power and responsibility at every opportunity. Ironically, the one time he was temporarily put in charge he proved himself a much more effective leader than Captain Mainwaring. However, in following with the trope, the [[DrunkWithPower power goes to his head]] enough and he becomes enough of a bullying tyrant so that when the positions are returned to normal, no one really minds. |
| 232 | * ''Series/DeathInParadise'': Sergeant Angela Young, who takes over the station when Poole is laid in bed with a fever and Camille is in Paris on a training course in "An Unhelpful Aid". |
| 233 | * ''Series/TheDefenders2017'': Elektra Natchios, after she abruptly kills Alexandra, declares to the remaining Fingers of the Hand that they answer to her. But whereas Alexandra actually listened to the other Fingers and appreciated their advice, Elektra flat-out doesn't care what they think and even threatens to have them killed if they get in her way. |
| 234 | * ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' experienced this trope with the introduction of Esme Pascal. An annoying short-lived character who constantly raved that her boyfriend was cheating on her (which he was with the original leader). She then promptly becomes unstable as a result of [=LaGuerta's=] machinations. |
| 235 | * The major ongoing plot in the third season of ''Series/TheDoctorBlakeMysteries'' involves Chief Superintendent Munro taking over from Lawson and trying to drive Lucien out of the position of Police Surgeon. |
| 236 | * In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' Series Three finale, [[spoiler: The Master becomes Prime Minister]] |
| 237 | * In the ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' episode "Meet Jane Doe" (2x07), [[spoiler:after losing Echo,]] Adele is replaced by Harding, who humiliates her by installing her as his puppet/maid and creates a Research and Development department presumably to begin building the technology [[spoiler:responsible for the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt collapse of civilization]] we see in [[AfterTheEnd "Epitaph One" (1x13)]]]]. She is only able to regain her position of power by [[spoiler:delivering said technology right into Harding's hands,]] a move made out of desperation and perhaps qualitatively [[MoralEventHorizon worse than anything she has done on the show before]]. Of course, she's spurred on by this bit of inspirational wisdom from Boyd after they learn that [[DarkestHour Harding plans to send a number of the actives to a new house in Dubai]]: |
| 238 | -->'''Boyd:''' You need to take this house back. |
| 239 | -->'''Adele:''' And how am I supposed to do that? |
| 240 | -->'''Boyd:''' ...The Adele I knew would never ask me that question. |
| 241 | ** Of course, given TheReveal later on that [[spoiler:Boyd is the ultimate BigBad running the corporation]], this entire chain of events may have been orchestrated. |
| 242 | * ''Series/{{ER}}'' had chief nurse Eve Peyton, who [[MoralEventHorizon forced Sam to fire]] long-time nurse [[FakeGuestStar Haleh]]. |
| 243 | ** Also [[DrJerk Dr. Romano]] upon becoming chief of the ER, although it was somewhat [[LoveToHate different]]. |
| 244 | ** The ultimate example would be the first, Kerry Weaver, who took over as chief resident at the beginning of Season 2 and promptly spent the next decade making everyone miserable with her nitpicking, nagging, controlling ways. To the point where the staff actually ''had a party'' to celebrate he taking a day off. It really didn't help that she took over from the much nicer Mark Greene, whom everyone loved. |
| 245 | * In one episode of ''Series/EvenStevens'', Principal Wexler leaves to pursue a modeling career and is replaced by incompetent pushover Vice Principal Landau. After the school descends into anarchy, [[TeachersPet Ren]] gives him a pep talk and tells him to [[NiceJobBreakingItHero be more assertive]]. He takes it to heart, and a few days later the school has turned into ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'' ([[ResetButton things get better in the end, of course]]). |
| 246 | * Two examples from ''Series/FoylesWar'': |
| 247 | ** The first takes over when Foyle is suspended under suspicion of having committed sedition; he initially seems like a BaitAndSwitchTyrant, if a bit of a strict one [[spoiler:until it's revealed that he framed Foyle for sedition in order to get his job so that he could murder a junior civil servant hiding out in a 'funk hole' hotel nearby whose incompetence he blames for the deaths of his mother and sister in an air-raid]]. |
| 248 | ** The second takes over when Foyle resigns and is disliked by everyone because he seems disinterested and incompetent at the job -- it's later revealed he's like this because he doesn't care about anything since the deaths of his two sons in the war. [[spoiler:He ends up accidentally getting shot by someone gunning for Milner, thus prompting Foyle's return.]] |
| 249 | * ''Series/GameOfThrones'': |
| 250 | ** Deconstructed with House Bolton. Roose only gets away with his betrayal and usurpation due to the depletion of the Stark forces at the Red Wedding and the backing of the Lannister controlled Iron Throne. Even then, Roose has to use his political savvy to keep the Bolton regime intact, as many of his vassals want to see him gone. |
| 251 | ** In the Season 6 finale, after killing most of her political enemies in a wildfire explosion and Tommen's suicide, [[Characters/GameOfThronesCerseiLannister Queen Cersei Lannister]] forcibly takes the Iron Throne and names herself Queen. |
| 252 | ** [[Characters/GameOfThronesJoffreyBaratheon King Joffrey Baratheon]] inherits the throne after Robert dies and quickly starts ruling in a despotic, sadistic way. |
| 253 | * ''Series/GetSmart''. In "The Hot Line", KAOS arranges for the Chief to be demoted to Agent Second Class and the incompetent Maxwell Smart to take his place as Chief. Max assures 99 the position won't go to his head, but of course it does. |
| 254 | * ''Series/{{Greek}}'': Lizzie, the national representative watching over Zeta Beta Zeta, is a passive-aggressive Tyrant, promising any "slip-ups" being reported to Nationals. She's somewhat ineffective, though, and eventually shows signs of a BaitAndSwitchTyrant. |
| 255 | * ''Series/HogansHeroes''. This trope may as well be called "Colonel Klink's Been Replaced Again", given how often this is used. |
| 256 | ** Also applies when a new sergeant of the guard or underling comes in. They're almost invariably sterner than the usuals. |
| 257 | ** Also might apply to Crittendon. He's technically an ally, but he's both overcontrolling and a complete moron. |
| 258 | ** Special mention goes to the episode where ''[[MinionWithAnFInEvil Schultz]]'' is put in charge. After taking advice from Hogan about how officers are supposed to act, his usual "I see nothing" attitude flies out the window and he starts treating the prisoners like, well, prisoners. Of course Hogan and the guys immediately start devising schemes to return to the status quo. |
| 259 | * Roger Gaffney in ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet''. He is an incompetent detective who is promoted over Giardello for purely political reasons. He gives his "things are going to change around here" speech while Giardello trashes a room in a fit of rage. |
| 260 | * Edward Vogler from ''Series/{{House}}''. Of course, there wasn't really a "regular" leader he was replacing, but Vogler did manage to pretty much take over the hospital and force them to run it his way. House, of course, opposed him at every turn and the rest of the main cast eventually came around as well. |
| 261 | * ''Series/HouseOfSaddam'': According to Iraqi President Al-Bakr, thanks to his rule - with Saddam Hussein as deputy - Iraq has schools and food for all of the people, for the first time in history. He is deposed upon Saddam's coup d'etat of the Ba'ath Party and Saddam's regime is quickly driven by megalomania and tyranny. |
| 262 | * Mr Howard and Ms. Briggs from ''Series/ICarly'' turn the school into something out of [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour 1984]] in ''[[Recap/ICarlyS03Ep05IHaveMyPrincipals [=iHave=] My Principals]]''. |
| 263 | * ''Series/IClaudius'': Claudius plans to use this gambit by naming Nero his successor; the intent being to let Rome see how dreadful an Emperor can be. Strangely, they all seem to have forgotten how bad things were under Tiberius and Caligula, who preceded Claudius. Once Nero has ruined everything, Claudius's ''true'' chosen successor is to return to reinstate the Republic. [[ForegoneConclusion Needless to say,]] this does not work out. |
| 264 | * In ''Series/JackOfAllTrades'', Governor Croque once goes to prison and his wife takes over for the duration. She decides to start executing villagers to force the Dragoon to reveal himself. In another episode, Jack and Emily have to aid Croque in looking good in front of his superiors since otherwise he might be replaced by someone who is actually a threat. |
| 265 | ** Any episode where Croque's brother Napoleon shows up, he immediately takes over (being TheEmperor and all), forcing Dragoon to try to get him off the island as fast as possible. |
| 266 | * By the end of ''Series/{{Kaamelott}}'', Myth/KingArthur abdicates and Lancelot takes the throne. Lancelot is very much a despot as seen in ''Film/KaamelottPremierVolet''. |
| 267 | * When Monica Mancuso takes the helm as owner of the Montecito resort in ''Series/LasVegas'', her already-unpleasant persona turns into TheCaligula, having both put the casino in jeopardy several times, including with a foreign government, and wanting to take over other properties for herself in the Las Vegas area. All of this, combined with the fact that she's a horrible GoldDigger makes her hated by everyone, staff and customers, and her KarmicDeath is ''celebrated.'' By contrast, all of the other owners, including A.J Cooper, have either been tough but fair, or downright reasonable. |
| 268 | * Subverted briefly in ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' with Kim Greylek who informs Cragen that she'll be present at crime scenes. The captain, [[ContinuityNod finding this a very familiar scene]], cuts her down immediately. |
| 269 | -->"That won't last." |
| 270 | * A curious example appears in ''Series/{{Life On Mars|2006}}'' in the form of DCI Frank Morgan, who temporarily replaces Gene Hunt when the latter is accused of murder. Contrary to the usual Tyrant, Morgan is -- compared to his fellow 1973 officers, at any rate -- a progressive, thoughtful, and thoroughly competent administrator who only becomes a tyrant in that he's unwilling to put up with the sloppiness and ethically questionable conduct that Hunt encouraged. Sam Tyler, himself a progressive officer (with the excuse that he [to his knowledge] comes from 2007) finds himself actually admiring Morgan's methods even whilst he's trying to clear Hunt's name of murder. [[spoiler:Later in the season, Morgan does reveal a bastard side, however, in that he's [[KnightTemplar willing to go to any lengths]] -- including letting the rest of the team die in a botched undercover job -- so as to discredit Hunt and allow himself to take over and reform the department.]] |
| 271 | * Matt Webber in the ''Series/{{MacGyver|1985}}'' episode "Early Retirement". [=MacGyver=]'s boss Pete oversees the disarming of a nuclear warhead. A deadly explosion at the disarming facility causes Pete to accept full responsibility and retire from the Phoenix Foundation. However, [=MacGyver=] soon suspects that Matt Webber--the replacement for Pete--is responsible for sabotaging the warhead. |
| 272 | * In ''Series/{{MASH}}'', Frank Burns became one whenever left in command. |
| 273 | ** Likewise with [[MilitaryMaverick Hawkeye]]. He started out trying to be reasonable, but when faced with the increasingly difficult decisions command gave him, he started alienating the rest of the camp (Margaret even tells him off by saying "If Frank Burns could see you now!"). Luckily, [[StatusQuoIsGod Potter returned and smoothed things over.]] It becomes something of a learning experience for Hawkeye, who takes command not quite so seriously the next time Potter leaves him in command. |
| 274 | ** Colonel Potter, by contrast, was something of a BaitAndSwitchTyrant. |
| 275 | ** The one time Winchester took the helm, this trope only applied to Klinger, whom Winchester employed as his batman. Everyone else was more exasperated by how much a nonentity in command he was, interested only in listening to Wagner and otherwise indulging in the privileges of rank than actually running the unit. |
| 276 | ** Subverted in [[{{Film/MASH}} the original film]]. Frank is left in command at one point, but he's so disrespected that he essentially has no authority. |
| 277 | * Acting DA Van Dyke on ''Series/{{Medium}}''. |
| 278 | * In the ''Series/MidsomerMurders'' episode "[[Recap/MidsomerMurdersS10E6 Picture of Innocence]]'', Barnaby is taken off a case when he becomes one of the suspects and is replaced by the pencil-pushing bureaucrat Martin Spellman, much to Jones' disgust. |
| 279 | * In season 2 of ''Series/MonsterWarriors'', ObstructiveBureaucrat and TeenHater Superintendent [=McClellan=] is elected mayor and attempts to shut the Monster Warriors down: putting Capital City at the mercy of the monsters. He eventually resigns and goes back to being superintendent. |
| 280 | * ''Series/TheMrPotatoHeadShow'': The western episode-[[ShowWithinAShow episode]] sees the TV bosses giving Mr. Potato Head a literally impossible task. When he calls them out on its impossibility, they put an [[SarcasmMode oh-so-subtly-named]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Bully-Boy McPherson]] in charge of his show, and give him a contract that allows him to cancel the show if he's not satisfied with the cast's work, which repeatedly threatens to use! |
| 281 | * ''Series/{{Nightingales}}'': "All at Sea" features a new inspector who rules with an iron fist and quickly drives Sarge, Ding Dong and Carter to mutiny. |
| 282 | * On ''Series/NYPDBlue'', the first time Lt. Fancy leaves, his replacement definitely fits the trope. Fancy sees what's going on, and arranges to get her removed and comes back. Subverted when he leaves again--everyone (especially Andy) is expecting another tyrant, but the new guy turns out to be OK. |
| 283 | * Played with several times in the U.S. version of ''Series/TheOfficeUS'', most notably in the episode "The Job". Michael, assuming he will be promoted, names as his replacement Dwight, who immediately starts making odd changes. |
| 284 | ** This is also the crux of the Charles Miner story arc when Michael quits. |
| 285 | ** Happened yet again with Dwight when Creator/SteveCarell left the show. This time, Dwight went on an utterly insane power trip, which is probably more a tribute to how much he had {{Flanderized}} than anything. After one episode, he was fired for ''firing a gun in the office'', though he [[UltimateJobSecurity of course]] retained his old job. |
| 286 | ** Subverted in the show's final episodes where Jim manages to put a BatmanGambit in effect where through a bit of InsaneTrollLogic all of Dwight's crazy tyrannical policies are delegated back to Dwight to deal with. Forced to be his own OnlySaneEmployee, Dwight mellows out a lot and after a few months [[spoiler: becomes the best manager the company ever had]]. |
| 287 | * During the robot revolution of ''Series/OtherSpace'', the robots turn to the coffeemaker for his laser firepower. He quickly uses it to take over the ship. |
| 288 | * ''Series/{{Oz}}'': Played with when Martin Querns takes over Em City after Tim [=McManus=] is fired. He's far more lenient with the prisoners than [=McManus=] was and turns a blind eye to everything except violence, but he runs Em City with an iron fist, replacing all the [=COs=] with ones of his choice and brooking no disagreement with his policies. |
| 289 | * On ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'', Chris after he becomes acting City Manager. He institutes a number of changes, including the UST-inducing ban on workplace dating, in addition to shaking up the Parks Department by giving everyone new assignments that they're unsuited for. However, Chris is quite a nice guy; he's simply oblivious to the fact that not everyone is as efficient, cheerful, and professional as he is. |
| 290 | ** Ron [[LampshadeHanging discusses]] the tendency for new city managers to shake things up and insist on doing things their own way. He loves this period ''because'' all of the changes are inevitably terrible and nothing gets done, giving him a chance to relax and eat doughnuts. |
| 291 | * In ''Series/{{Porridge}}'' (episode "Disturbing the Peace"), Mackay is sent away, only to be replaced by the sadistic Napper Wainwright. |
| 292 | * ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': |
| 293 | ** In ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'', when Alex arrives to the present, his first actions are to take Wes' powers and assume leadership of the team. While he genuinely wants to save the future, he spends more time berating and ordering the other Rangers around, which doesn't earn them any sympathy from them. It takes the others finally giving him a WhatTheHellHero straight to his face that if he cared about the future, he wouldn't have tried to replace Wes. |
| 294 | ** In ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'', Supreme Commander Birdie fires Cruger in one episode due to Cruger's unwillingness to follow Birdie's ideas on strategy. Birdie gets the Rangers, and later ''himself'', into trouble very quickly due to his pride and his "split up the team regardless of circumstances" strategies. |
| 295 | * An episode of ''Series/{{Primeval}}'' had the imperious Christine Johnson take control of the ARC and force the team into hiding. She was removed from her post by the end of the episode though. |
| 296 | ** After the return of Abby and Connor after their 1-year hiatus in the past, they find out that things have changed in the ARC. While James Lester (who is much more caring than he pretends to be) is still formally in charge of day-to-day activities, it's now partly a privately-funded operation with a tycoon named Philip Burton having a lot of say. While he's not exactly a tyrant, he's much more concerned with the anomalies themselves than protecting the people from all the creatures that come through. After he nearly dies thanks to Rex escaping his cage, he orders that all creatures in the ARC be put down, no exceptions. Lester has to blackmail him to reverse the order. |
| 297 | * At the end of season 7 of ''Series/{{Psych}}'', police consultant Harris Trout evaluates the Santa Barbara police department and suspends chief Vick, taking over as interim chief. His first act is to fire [=McNab=] for taking a side job as a male stripper, demote Lassiter, and refuse to hire Shawn and Gus for any more cases. In the 4th episode of season 8 there's a hostage situation in the station and when it's over Trout takes out his frustration by firing Lassiter, Juliet, and the newly rehired Shawn and Gus for "not being loyal to him", then receives a call from his own superiors informing him that he has just been terminated for his ham-fisted bungling of the situation. |
| 298 | * Queeg in the self-titled episode of ''Series/RedDwarf''. Subverted because [[spoiler:he is actually an alter ego of Holly, created to show the crew how good they have it with him.]] Guess he knew this trope. |
| 299 | * The first season finale of ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' is about a tyrannical new manager who takes over from the more easy-going Booker at the Wellman Plastics factory where Roseanne, Jackie, and their other friends all work. After toying with Roseanne and making her suck up to him in exchange for lower quotas, he thinks he's broken her and [[ILied raises the quotas back up to impossible levels]], prompting all the women to quit. |
| 300 | * When Doctor Maddox takes charge in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''. She doesn't so much change the rules as do away with the small amount of leeway Doctor Kelso gave the staff. |
| 301 | * ''Series/SisterBonifaceMysteries'': In "Crimes and Miss Demeanours", Detective Chief Inspector Winner is sent from Scotland Yard to oversee the investigation and immediately rubs everyone in Great Slaughter up the wrong way with his abrasive attitude. |
| 302 | * In one episode of ''Series/TheSlammer'', the Governor is arrested and replaced by a new governor, Mr Beltsem. Beltsem is a tyrant who mistreats both the prisoners and the guards, and suffers from 'show biz phobia'. |
| 303 | * The ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode "Chain Reaction" is a typical Tyrant Takes The Helm episode. The beloved leader of the SGC, General Hammond, is blackmailed into retiring and is replaced by a General Bauer. Bauer proceeds to break up SG-1, dedicate all the SGC's resources to building a big bomb, and privately delivers the "things will be different around here" speech to O'Neill. O'Neill then sets out to get Hammond back and he is, of course, successful by the end of the episode. |
| 304 | ** Bauer also screwed up so badly in the episode ([[spoiler:blowing up an uninhabited planet which very nearly meant irradiating the ''entire state'']]) that he probably would have resigned even if Hammond hadn't returned. |
| 305 | * Captain Edward Jellico in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Chain of Command (Part 1)". He made sweeping changes which, while normal for a regular armed force, were rather unorthodox for the MildlyMilitary Starfleet. Given that they were facing the very serious possibility of armed conflict breaking out with a hostile empire, these were probably necessary, but that didn't stop the crew from complaining all the way through. Notably, he finally put Troi in a standard uniform (which was much more flattering on her anyway). Something of a subversion, too, since he rescued [[TheCaptain Picard]] and OutGambitted the Cardassians (a race that has MagnificentBastard as [[PlanetOfHats their hat]]). Picard even said he'd be keeping a lot of Jellico's changes. |
| 306 | ** In the subsequent spin-off novel series ''Literature/StarTrekNewFrontier'', one storyline had Commander Riker temporarily take command of the USS ''Excalibur'' while its regular captain was on an important undercover mission. Reminded of his own attitude towards Jellico's actions, Riker takes care to avoid becoming this by not trying to impose his own way of doing things on the ''Excalibur'' crew by reminding himself that everyone has their own command style, and is able to adapt enough to trust the senior staff. |
| 307 | * An episode of ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' had Mr. Mosbey fired and replaced by a Tyrant. It was all back to normal by the end of the episode. |
| 308 | * Steve Fleming in ''Series/TheThickOfIt''. At first his colleagues are happy to see the back of [[MagnificentBastard Malcolm Tucker]] but when they realize how creepy, charmless, and bad-tempered his replacement is, they decide [[WeWantOurJerkBack they want their jerk to come back]] from his TenMinuteRetirement. |
| 309 | ** Also [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Cal "The Fucker" Richards]], who replaces Stewart Pearson as Opposition campaign manager in the Season Three finale. His openly psychotic demeanor terrifies ''everyone'', even the usually unflappable Peter Mannion. Fortunately Cal's [[OneSceneWonder only around for one episode]], but things can't have been pleasant. |
| 310 | * John Gilbert for a while in Season 1 of ''Series/TheVampireDiaries''. |
| 311 | ** While admittedly already a KnightTemplar, John crosses the MoralEventHorizon when he knocks out Sheriff Forbes so she couldn't interfere with his mad plan to use the entire town as bait for the tomb vampires. Killing Anna was within his already established moral framework. |
| 312 | * ''Series/VeronicaMars'': Keith Mars when he [[spoiler:regains the position of sheriff]]. While generally a good guy, his response to underage drinking was way out of proportion to the actual problem. The deputies subsequently make no effort to enforce the law in this regard and pointedly ignore Keith's orders. |
| 313 | * ''Series/{{Vikings}}'': In season 5 Ragnar's [[TokenEvilTeammate unhinged son]] [[spoiler: Ivar]] takes over Kattegat and quickly becomes [[PuttingOnTheReich Viking-Hitler]]. |
| 314 | * ''Series/TheWire'': |
| 315 | ** Lt. Marrimow takes over and all but destroys the MCU in the fourth season. The bosses who sent him to the unit did so specifically to disrupt the unit, not because they believed he would be a good boss. Deputy Commissioner Rawls even refers to Marrimow as "My TrojanHorse." |
| 316 | ** Marlo Stanfield, a small-time dealer, perceives the Barksdale drug empire as weak in Season 3, decides to wage war on Avon Barksdale's organization and take over West Baltimore, which he manages to do thanks to some luck and good timing. Unlike Avon who (mostly) refrained from killing people unless they interfered with his corners, (which is mostly part of the game) or he was looking to take over their turf, Marlo is a power-hungry sociopath who has people killed if he hears they were talking bad about him, questioning him, or even if they look at him wrong. He violently deposes the relatively peaceful old order and is responsible for dozens of murders. In season five, afterkilling Prop Joe, Marlo assumes power at [[TheSyndicate the New Day Co-op]] and as first order of business announces that there will be no more meetings, and that the price has gone up. |
| 317 | [[/folder]] |
| 318 | |
| 319 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 320 | * Music/AlStewart's song “Joe the Georgian”, which is actually about Joseph Stalin's regime, re-imagined in a naval setting where he literally takes the helm. |
| 321 | -->''We all set off together'' |
| 322 | -->''On this sorry ship of state'' |
| 323 | -->''When the captain took the fever'' |
| 324 | -->''We were hijacked by the mate'' |
| 325 | -->''And he steered us through the shadows'' |
| 326 | -->''Upon an angry tide'' |
| 327 | -->''And cast us one by one over the side'' |
| 328 | [[/folder]] |
| 329 | |
| 330 | [[folder:Pinball]] |
| 331 | * This is the backstory for ''Pinball/BigGuns''; even the antagonist is named "King Tyrant". |
| 332 | [[/folder]] |
| 333 | |
| 334 | [[folder:Professional Wrestling]] |
| 335 | * Kodo Fuyuki's takeover of Wrestling/{{FMW}}, which started the much-reviled "World Entertainment Wrestling" era in the promotion known for [[TropeNamer naming]] GarbageWrestler. Interestingly, Fuyuki's inevitable defeat at the hands of "First Son" Wrestling/MasatoTanaka didn't actually bring WEW to an end. |
| 336 | * Giant Baba's wife Motoko was viewed this way by many who followed Wrestling/MitsuharuMisawa out of Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling to form Wrestling/ProWrestlingNOAH. Nobuo Shiraishi was this when he bought All Japan from Wrestling/TheGreatMuta to the point what was left of his roster performed a hostile takeover to save the company after receiving Motoko's blessing. |
| 337 | * Wrestling/KevinNash was this after he won the Wrestling/{{WCW}} commissioner position from Wrestling/TerryFunk in early 2000. To the point where he told everyone that from now on, whenever speaking to him, they must kneel and refer to him as their "Lord Master". |
| 338 | * Wrestling/RicFlair was this after he [[FaceHeelTurn turned heel]] while president of WCW. Well, this and batshit crazy. |
| 339 | * Wrestling/ColtCabana and Adam Pierce publicly denounced Wrestling/BruceTharpe's takeover of the Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance and activation of Presidential powers as this during the ''Seven Levels Of Hate'' event. |
| 340 | * Wrestling/VickieGuerrero during her time as Wrestling/WWESmackdown and Wrestling/WWERaw General Manager fills this role well. |
| 341 | ** Hell, many of the General Managers have been this way. Both Wrestling/EricBischoff and Wrestling/PaulHeyman filled this role. |
| 342 | * DJ Hyde's acquisition of Wrestling/{{CZW}} coincided with his supposed ascendency to godhood. His further acquisition of Wrestling/{{WSU}} was a combination of this and MeetTheNewBoss, though it did help along Havok's HeelFaceTurn. |
| 343 | * Once Wrestling/JohnLaurinaitis got a hold of both Raw & [=SmackDown=], he hid behind the philosophy of "People Power" and used it to his own ends. |
| 344 | * As detailed by the book ''Literature/TheDeathOfWCW'' this was one of the causes for the eventual collapse of the wrestling federation. Initially the program was funded exclusively by Ted Turner, the absent-minded billionaire who owned the network WCW aired their matches on, meaning they could blow extravagant budgets on their programs. Unfortunately for the managers, Turner merged his company with AOL-Time Warner who would ''not'' allow the federation to waste their money unless they could pull in viewers and money and imposed a budget on WCW's TV programming. |
| 345 | [[/folder]] |
| 346 | |
| 347 | [[folder:Radio]] |
| 348 | * Remley pulls this in ''Radio/ThePhilHarrisAliceFayeShow'' after he signs his name to Phil's employment contract, but it's played humorously. It doesn't last long: |
| 349 | -->'''Remley:''' From this moment on, I am your leader. You will respect my authority without question and obedience, [[LargeHam I AM AN ABSOLUTE POWER]]! |
| 350 | -->'''Band members:''' Heil, Remley! Heil, Remley! Heil, Remley! |
| 351 | [[/folder]] |
| 352 | |
| 353 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 354 | * In ''Theatre/MeasureForMeasure'', the Duke of Vienna disappears and leaves Angelo in his place. The Duke later explains that he did this specifically because he wanted this to happen, for the purpose of pulling a GoodCopBadCop on Vienna. |
| 355 | * ''[[Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical A Very Potter Sequel]]'' has [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation a rather different take]] on Dolores Umbridge, involving a couple {{Freudian Excuse}}s, but she still acts as a tyrant during the second act. She doesn't really elicit the want-to-strangle reaction of the book and film versions, however, mostly because her behavior CrossesTheLineTwice. |
| 356 | [[/folder]] |
| 357 | |
| 358 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 359 | * ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'': |
| 360 | ** In Arc I, the druid Kagha takes over Emerald Grove after their leader Halsin is kidnapped by the BigBad's minions. She immediately tries to [[DirtyCoward magically seal it off from the outside world and doom the refugees they were hosting to certain death outside]], even almost [[WouldHurtAChild murdering one of their children]] for attempting to disrupt it. Once a good-aligned player rescues Halsin, he reads her the riot act and demotes her. [[spoiler:It's possible to discover that she's being manipulated by the EcoTerrorist cult known as the Shadow Druids and convince her to have a HeelFaceTurn.]] |
| 361 | ** Lord Gortash, BarbarianHero Karlach's ArchEnemy [[spoiler:and [[TheAntichrist Chosen]] of the [[WarGod god of tyranny and strife]] Bane,]] gets himself named archduke of the titular city by brainwashing the current duke (companion/PlayerCharacter Wyll's father) and uses the climate of fear [[spoiler:created by his partners]] to justify turning the city into a nightmarish PoliceState with towering {{magitek}} MechaMooks patrolling the streets. |
| 362 | ** [[AmnesiacHero The Dark Urge]]'s ArchEnemy [[spoiler:Orin the Red was TheStarscream who betrayed him out of jealousy for being the favorite of their GodOfEvil Bhaal (as well as everyone else). With him gone she becomes head of their ReligionOfEvil, with [[HatedByAll everyone aware]] that she's an InadequateInheritor but still the most qualified one available due to her being the only other [[TheAntichrist Bhaalspawn]] besides her grandfather [[HijackedByGanon Sarevok]]]]. |
| 363 | * In ''VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries'', after he's ConvictedByPublicOpinion over the SinsOfOurFathers, Bruce Wayne is ousted from the company ''that bears his namesake'' in favor of [[Characters/BatmanThePenguin The Penguin]]. Meanwhile, after the Penguin helps kill the mayor, ComicBook/TwoFace is elected and immediately goes JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope, turning the city into a PoliceState. |
| 364 | * ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'': Once Andrew Ryan is out of the picture, [[spoiler:Atlas]] takes over, reveals his true identity as [[spoiler:Frank Fontaine]], and proceeds to make the protagonist's adventure a living hell while ruling as a complete dictator with full intentions of taking over the world economy by brute force and the use of ADAM. Considering the fact that he has no ideology compared to Ryan, this gives him no restraints as the ruler of the city, and considering that Ryan's own restraints basically amounted to "don't screw with me or Rapture as a whole" that resulted in him trying to use sedative gas on the entire populace to maintain order, really goes to show just how [[SerialEscalation ridiculously far]] he's prepared to go. |
| 365 | ** ''VideoGame/{{Bioshock 2}}'': After Jack is finished killing both tyrants and leaves, the city is taken over by Sophia Lamb, a cult leader who was busy being in jail - while turning all the staff and inmates to her cause. And after she's defeated, computer scientist Wahl was planning to bide his time with Rapture's mainframe until he could finally compute Maxwell's Demon and take over ''the universe'' - but he gets shot by Delta, who wants the technology to fix what's left of Rapture instead. |
| 366 | * The back half of ''VideoGame/TheCaseOfTheGoldenIdol'' revolves around VillainProtagonist Lazarus Herst and his rise to power in a FantasyCounterpartCulture of 18th-century England. To wit: |
| 367 | ** Lazarus infiltrates [[BrotherhoodOfFunnyHats the Brotherhood of Masks]], and uses the eponymous Idol (an ArtifactOfDoom with vast alchemical powers) to [[FalseProphet convince the Brotherhood that he's their Chosen One]] and eliminate any dissenters in the process. |
| 368 | ** Lazarus runs for office in Parliament and forms a new political faction. With the Brotherhood's connections in high society and government, his New Order Party wins a plurality of seats, and his co-conspirators prevent a coalition from rising against him by [[spoiler:mudering one of the coalition leaders and framing the other for the deed.]] |
| 369 | ** Within a few years, the Order Party has "freed the country from the chaos of multi-party government" by installing a totalitarian regime, and forces its citizens to live under a set of strict Virtues. Citizens who violate the Virtues ([[AllCrimesAreEqual even something as innocuous as wearing a silly hat in public or listening to "vulgar" music]]) are judged to lose a certain number of "merits" and punished by [[spoiler:using the Idol's powers to [[CastFromLifespan take years off of their lifespan]], which are then redistributed to more virtuous citizens and Order Party sycophants.]] Lazarus intends to lead an army to depose the monarchy and secure his rule indefinitely, up until [[spoiler:an error in judgement and a SpannerInTheWorks causes his death and the Idol's destruction, and the Order Party collapses almost overnight.]] |
| 370 | * ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'' is rife with this. After the Empress is murdered, the Lord Regent rules with an iron fist. [[spoiler:After Admiral Havelock betrays Corvo and seizes control, he continues the Lord Regent's practices.]] |
| 371 | * ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': If the Warden [[KingmakerScenario chooses]] Bhelen to become king of Orzammar, his first act is to ''sentence his political opponent to death'', followed by assassinations on their family. Unfortunately, he turns out to be the ''sensible'' option; Orzammar is a WretchedHive, mainly because of the FantasticCasteSystem, and Bhelen is the ''only'' candidate willing to fight for equality. Under the honorable Lord Harrowmount, the food shortages caused by banning casteless from doing work pile up until the whole city is starving and Harrowmount is assassinated. Under the tyrant, ''everyone'' is eligible for work, and the food shortages, while present in a tyranny, are considerably lesser. |
| 372 | * In ''VideoGame/FableIII'', if you're an evil player this is what happens when you usurp your older brother Logan as King. You can be just as bad or even worse of a tyrant than him. |
| 373 | * In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', if Caesar dies due to improper treatment for his brain tumor or otherwise, the far more tyrannical Legate Lanius takes over as leader of the Legion. |
| 374 | * In between ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'', following [[SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome the deaths of Owyn and Sarah Lyons]], Arthur Maxson becomes the Elder of the East Coast Brotherhood of Steel, undoing Lyons' reforms and steering the chapter onto a fascistic and genocidal track not that different from the Enclave that they defeated. |
| 375 | * His dad was certainly not a charmer, but Rufus Shinra of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' made it quite clear from his NewEraSpeech ('The old man ruled through money, I'll rule through fear') that he was going to be worse. Although [[spoiler: President Shinra destroyed an entire sector of his city, killing untold numbers, just to wipe out a terrorist hideout. Rufus 'died' defending the same city from WEAPON and then resurfaced alive and repentant, if still manipulative, in ''Advent Children'']]. |
| 376 | * ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXVI'': Anabella Rosfield "reluctantly" assumes the throne (after murdering her husband Elwin to get it) and issues her Nazi-esque regime alongside her second husband, the Emperor of Sanbreque. Within the span of a few years, she runs Valisthea into the ground, and [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating even some of her subjects agree that Elwin was a much better ruler than Anabella ever was]] - though not within earshot of her. |
| 377 | * Valtome from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' is a tyrant of the SmugSnake variety, and a bit of an odd example given the fact that the old leader is still there; he just was forced to [[AmbiguouslyGay follow Valtome's orders]]. Which includes, among other things, sending a significant number of his men into a deathtrap to hunt for corpses. Oh, and [[MoralEventHorizon sending his personal army to attack Queen Elincia, who had just achieved a ceasefire by willingly disarming herself]]. |
| 378 | * In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemWarriorsThreeHopes'', when Edelgard is defeated in Part I of Azure Gleam, Thales takes revenge on her by brainwashing her into pardoning Duke Aegir for treason and installing him as the Empire's regent. The fortunes of the Empire immediately take a turn for the worse as crime and barbarism run rampant, with bandits and thieves terrorizing Imperial and Kingdom citizens alike, and [[MyMasterRightOrWrong the few holdouts loyal to Edelgard]] (Monica, Randolph, Duke Gerth, Counts Bergliez and Hevring, etc.) are left with no choice but to continue to serve, with some of them being none the wiser about the treachery going on behind the scenes. |
| 379 | * In the ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic III: Armageddon's Blade'' campaign "Festival of Life", the player ends up doing this. The protagonist of the campaign, Kilgor, is an ambitious and AxCrazy barbarian participating in the traditional contest in which barbarians can challenge the king of Krewlod for the throne. The current ruler, Winston Boragus, is actually something of a ReasonableAuthorityFigure by barbarian standards. Through charisma and diplomacy, Boragus improved Krewlod's standing and recruited many formidable and capable warriors to join his banner. Unfortunately, this meant that when Kilgor wins and slays him at the end of the campaign, said army becomes his to command. Even worse, Kilgor had burned down many of Krewlod's farms during the Festival of Life, plunging Krewlod into the worst famine in its history. Kilgor's "solution" was to declare war on the rest of Enroth to plunder their lands. This would lead to Enroth's doom. |
| 380 | -->'''Waerjak:''' Thousands would've starved to death. Thousands more would've certainly succumbed to disease, but instead of disbanding his army Kilgor started a war - a war that brought about the end of the world! |
| 381 | * ''VideoGame/MasterDetectiveArchivesRainCode'': Yomi Hellsmile, Director of the Amaterasu Corporation Peacekeepers, is the MoreDespicableMinion to the company's CEO, and he rules Kanai Ward like a dictator and views the citizens as his playthings. Despite someone working above him, he is ultimately the company's de facto leader, having gained control of Amaterasu's factions completely. [[spoiler:In an odd way, this seemingly also applies to the game as a whole, as said CEO's goal was really to take ''his'' place as the city's ruler and the protagonists were just his pawns for him to take that opening.]] Had he managed to become Amaterasu's CEO, Kanai Ward would've been a wasteland. |
| 382 | * Throughout the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series, Neo Arcadia has a quick succession of rulers. The first was X (hero of the predecessor ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series), who establishes the city as a safe haven for humans and Reploids alike. After he disappears, he's replaced by a vastly inferior clone, Copy-X; he's still benevolent to humans, but he decided that because of an energy crisis, the Reploids are demoted to 2nd-class citizens, branding them Mavericks and unjustly persecuting them. After Copy-X's death, he was briefly replaced by NobleTopEnforcer Harpuia, who tries to keep the issues with [[LaResistance the rebellion]] as cordial as he could manage. He gets usurped from the position when Copy-X returned to power, who was much worse than before he was killed. And he was merely an UnwittingPawn for Dr. Weil, who orchestrates Copy-X's second (and permanent) death to position himself as the new leader of Neo Arcadia, setting him above his predecessors as truly the worst of the lot. |
| 383 | * Hideyoshi in ''VideoGame/OnimushaDawnOfDreams''. While Nobunaga was an all-powerful man who sold his soul to the genma for his ambitions, you at least had the feeling that he had no ill will towards his enemies and was lost in his ambition, not trying to be a genma puppet or cause suffering to the people he wanted to rule. Hideyoshi, on the other hand, pretty much tries to turn the entire country and possibly the world into mind-controlled monsters and has people used to make [[spoiler:Genma trees]] that will allow his plans to work. He's ultimately a pawn, but he went to lengths willingly that Nobunaga might actually be disgusted with. |
| 384 | * ''[[VideoGame/SagaFrontier [=SaGa=] Frontier]]'': In the Full Mystic ending, Asellus snaps after suffering nothing but [[HalfBreedDiscrimination discrimination]] from both [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Mystics]] and [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer humans]] due to her position as the only [[{{Dhampir}} Half-Mystic]] in the setting. She proceeds to overthrow [[VampireMonarch Orlouge]], becoming the new lord of the Mystics... And a worse tyrant that Orlouge ever was. |
| 385 | * After the revelations of Tsukiji Hongwanji and Reverse Hills, the prentice Samurai in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' are urgently summoned back home, where they find the entire court has been deposed and exiled. And nobody bothers to wonder where they went. The Monastery's {{Witch Hunt}}s are steadily growing in ferocity and frequency. The populace is being slowly subsumed into a haze, with dreams of a shining light that commands all to obey the Monastery. [[spoiler:The Four Archangels are back in town, steadily and gently [[MindRape Mind Raping]] everybody to consolidate their rule.]] |
| 386 | * During a Space Route scenario in ''VideoGame/ShinSuperRobotWars'', the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack Londo Bell]] rescues [[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam Fonse Kagatie]] from imprisonment. He relates how the alien attack and [[TheStarscream Tassilo Vago's treachery]] brought about the end of the Zanscare Empire (just as [[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam Lupe Cineau]] had said), ending in Tassilo bringing him here a prisoner. When the party tells him that Zanscare is still active, Fonse realizes that [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack Char Aznable]] must have taken control. [[AdaptationalHeroism Increasingly panicked, he tells the party they must stop Char before he achieves his misguided goal of robbing all mankind of its emotions, creating obedient soldiers as the aliens want]]. |
| 387 | * ''Franchise/StarCraft'' provides Arcturus Mengsk, who fills this role as the Emperor of the Dominion. The point is not that Mengsk is worse than the government he overthrew, but that he is just as bad: that the only thing changed between the Confederacy and the Dominion was the label. Well, and he has a [[ItsPersonal personal grudge against Raynor]]. As of ''[[VideoGame/StarCraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm Heart of the Swarm]]'', [[spoiler:he has finally been deposed. His son, Valerian, who inherited his position, is way more benevolent as a ruler]]. |
| 388 | ** The Tal'darim were Amon's ReligionOfEvil zealots, [[EvilVersusOblivion until Alarak realized his master planned to destroy everything and sided with the heroes out of necessity]]. Once Amon was defeated, Alarak solidified his control of the Tal'darim, and they went back to being drug-addicted space pirates [[ItAmusedMe who liked destroying cities to piss people off]]. |
| 389 | * In Act 3 of the Imperial Agent storyline of ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', the AncientConspiracy manipulates TheEmpire's Dark Council into dissolving Imperial Intelligence and all the agents are reassigned to various Sith Lords for the war effort. The PlayerCharacter is handed over to Lord Razer, a psychotic [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Kaleesh]] Sith who's more concerned with satisfying his BloodKnight urges than [[GeneralFailure actual strategy]]. |
| 390 | * ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'' |
| 391 | ** [[ArcVillain Colonel Alan Richard]] attempts one in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky Trails in the Sky FC]]'', trying to subtly dethrone [[TheHighQueen the Queen of Liberl]] and place her rather dull-witted nephew Duke Dunan as a puppet king. The endgame is dedicated to making sure that ''does not'' happen. |
| 392 | ** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel Trails of Cold Steel III]]'''s final chapter, the Emperor of Erebonia, a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, gets shot in an attempted assassination by [[spoiler: Ash Carbide]]. He's not dead, but while hospitalized, his power still transfers over to his young son [[SmugSnake Cedric]]. He's not the tyrant, however, as Cedric immediately transfers power over to [[EvilChancellor Chancellor Osborne]], who then proceeds to [[RabbleRouser whip up the populace into a frenzy]] by claiming that the assassin was from the Republic of Calvard (which he knows isn't true, considering he was ''there when it happened'') and starts a nation-wide universal conscription into the army for the imminent war. And that's not even talking about what [[WhamEpisode happens AFTER]] this series of events... |
| 393 | * Garrosh Hellscream from ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' embodies this trope to its fullest. When the Cataclysm wreaks havoc upon Azeroth, Thrall abandons his position as Warchief of the Horde to fulfill his shamanistic duties to the elements and leaves Garrosh in his stead. While his humble acceptance of the position looks at first to be promising, it does not take long for the power to get to his head. His radical beliefs of orc supremacy and disregard for other races - even those allied to the Horde - force him to be the primary antagonist of ''Mists of Pandaria'' and a minor antagonist of the next expansion, ''Warlords of Draenor''. |
| 394 | ** And with ''Battle for Azeroth'', [[spoiler:the Forsaken leader Sylvanas Windrunner]] assumes the title of Warchief and promptly takes the uneasy cold war which has been going so far and tosses it into the fire. [[OhCrap OhCrap]]. |
| 395 | ** [[spoiler:After Sylvanas is ousted from the position, the Horde comes to the conclusion that the Warchief position itself enables tyrants. They instead form a council to lead the Horde to ensure this doesn't happen again.]] |
| 396 | [[/folder]] |
| 397 | |
| 398 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 399 | * ''WebAnimation/DingoDoodles - Fools Gold'': Bouclaire is a psychopathic RagsToRiches kid dictator, who started out as a peasant and [[SelfMadeOrphan murdered her parents]] ''twice'' to become Empress ''at 10 years old''; she killed her birth parents with loot she bought from the protagonists, then she weaseled her way into getting adopted by the royal family of Kylandria, managed to assassinate ''them'', and intimidated her stepsisters into giving her the throne. As she is still a 10 year old girl deeply in her PrincessPhase, she changes the country's banner into a pink unicorn from a blue feather and forces everyone to wear gaudy powdered wigs and 17th Century French style clothes, and dictates that all buildings must be repainted in a pink glitter aesthetic. She enforces this by executing any prominent nobles who object to this, and then punishes any other dissidents and the people around them by poisoning their local water supply; anyone guilty of (unknowingly) living next to a rebel would be wiped off the map. |
| 400 | ** House Goddrick, while coming from a civilization that was naturally psychopathic, went further and usurped the original royal family so they could double down on the technology that brought their empire to ruin. By the time the protagonists find Goddrick III, he's planning to ''murder the sun'' and turn his race into gods while everyone else dies. His subjects, as he proudly explains, only follow him because they share a common goal and would gladly turn on each other if they weren't forced to cooperate. |
| 401 | * ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': Played with in the ''WebAnimation/CheatCommandos'' toon "2 Part Episode". [[OnlySaneMan Admiral Flashfight]] is unambiguously one of these, but under his command, the [[MildlyMilitary Cheat Commandos]] actually ''do'' something besides [[GoKartingWithBowser playing video games with Blue Laser]]. |
| 402 | * ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' |
| 403 | ** Simmons tries to implement discipline exercises to reinforce his new position of power in Red army when he replaces Sarge. The Red army doesn't respect Simmons enough for this to work, however, and the group as a whole soon works towards getting Sarge back (including Simmons). |
| 404 | ** When Carolina decides to use the Reds and Blues to kill the Director, she imposes military-style discipline and no-challenge orders on them all. Given their normal MildlyMilitary style, and the feeling that she's using them as cannon fodder, the Reds and Blues become increasingly reluctant to follow her, and are puzzled by Washington's submissive attitude; Washington who has fallen into his Freelancer subordination to Carolina is also becoming increasingly frustrated with her behaviour. Eventually, the Reds and Blues mutiny against Carolina and abandon her, and Washington takes their side, telling Carolina to learn the difference between friends and enemies. |
| 405 | ** Discussed trope when Washington takes over as Blue Leader after the ship crashes, Washington institutes standard military discipline, forcing the Blues to stick to a rigorous schedule every day. Although Simmons is thrilled with Washington's style, the Blues are not. Tucker accuses him of being tyrannical and compares it to Church's laid-back attitude. Wash eventually admits that he's never been in a position of command before; he's being harsh partially to hide his nerves, partially to hide his worry over their survival situation, and partially because he thinks Tucker has far more potential than Tucker's ever realised. It's made clear that, while it's tyrannical by the simm troopers standards, it's pretty normal drill sargent behaviour for the rest of the military. |
| 406 | * ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Sienna Khan wasn't exactly a saint, considering that she was the one who pushed to convert the White Fang into using violence in the first place, but she was still a WellIntentionedExtremist who legitimately cared about Faunus equality [[spoiler:and disapproved of [[Characters/RWBYAdamTaurus Adam Taurus]] participating in the attack on Vale and Beacon Academy]]. In Volume 5, Adam kills her and takes control, [[ANaziByAnyOtherName turning them into a full-fledged Faunus supremacist group]]. Sadly, Adam also proves to be a GeneralFailure, and [[spoiler:his hotheadedness and SanitySlippage lead him to make increasingly stupid decisions that ultimately run the White Fang into the ground.]] |
| 407 | [[/folder]] |
| 408 | |
| 409 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 410 | * Simon [=DeVere=], the new store director in ''Webcomic/TruLifeAdventures''. He talks big about preserving what works at the store and just making a few tweaks here and there, his actions prove him to be this trope. |
| 411 | [[/folder]] |
| 412 | |
| 413 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 414 | %%* Maggie from ''WebVideo/ChadVader''. |
| 415 | * On the ''WebVideo/DreamSMP'', the [[ElectionDayEpisode L'Manburg Election arc]] ends with [[DarkHorseVictory Schlatt winning the Election]] after pooling his votes with the [=SWAG2020=] party. His NewEraSpeech just after his inauguration features him declaring himself as Emperor of L'Manburg ''and'' [[TheExile exiling]] his greatest political opponents, [=POG2020=] (the previous administration as well as two of the ''founders'' of L'Manburg) from the country and forcing them to RunOrDie in the same sentence. In the same livestream, he changes the name of the country to Manburg and tries to remove the remnants of the founders' influence on the country (e.g. tearing down the walls of L'Manburg that marked their borders). Considering how light-hearted the rest of the Election arc was[[note]]from the silly names of the electoral campaigns (Politicians of Gaming 2020, So We Are Gamers 2020, [=Coconut2020=], and [[OddNameOut Schlatt2020]]) to Fundy (the leader of [=Coconut2020=]) being publicly ridiculed for being caught trying to [[VoteEarlyVoteOften commit voter fraud]] just minutes before the announcement of the electoral results (the fraudulent votes were ultimately disqualified)[[/note]], the turn of events that came with Schlatt becoming President is [[MoodWhiplash exceptionally jarring]], and after this particular incident, all of the subsequent plotlines [[CerebusSyndrome became significantly]] DarkerAndEdgier. |
| 416 | * ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'': |
| 417 | ** This got inverted when [[OnlySaneMan Arthéon]] replaced [[BadBoss Master Zen]] as Guild Master. |
| 418 | ** A straight example can be found in the novels. In the plot of the FictionalVideoGame in which the story is set, [[spoiler:General Helkazard]] died and was replaced by [[spoiler:Lorth Kordigän]]; the latter is much more of an extremist. |
| 419 | [[/folder]] |
| 420 | |
| 421 | |
| 422 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 423 | * Essentially the whole plot of the ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' episode "Too Young". Although the earl of Lemongrab isn't evil or malicious in his intentions (he's more of an angry, inexperienced, spoiled child), his style of ruling is summed up by his quote from the storyboards: "Anyone who disagrees or disobeys will be thrown into the dungeon." He isn't an intentional tyrant, but he does end up sending literally everyone in the Candy Kingdom to the dungeon for "one million years". |
| 424 | ** At the end of the sixth season, the King of Ooo (who previously was [[AuthorityInNameOnly king in name only]]) tricks the citizens of the Candy Kingdom into electing him princess, leaving Princess Bubblegum to live in exile. For the first few episodes of the seventh season he proves to be a [[TheCaligula selfish and incompetent leader]], [[spoiler:and is eventually overthrown by his lackey Crunchie, who in turn makes himself the new ruler. Bubblegum eventually retakes her kingdom offscreen.]] |
| 425 | * ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Ozai murders his father, Fire Lord Azulon, after Azulon threatens to kill Ozai's son, Zuko, as punishment for attempting to usurp his brother Iroh's birthright. Afterward, the worst period of the 100-Year War ''really'' begins[[note]]not that the later years of Sozin's reign, or the entirety of Azulon's, weren't already disastrous[[/note]], coming to a head when Ozai [[spoiler:attempts to use Sozin's Comet to ''burn the entire Earth Kingdom to the ground''.]] |
| 426 | %%* Francine in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' episode ''Francine Frensky, Superstar!''. |
| 427 | * ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' |
| 428 | ** In "Operation: C.A.N.N.O.N.", Numbuh 1 leaves for a vacation, and after an ambush by some of their enemies, Numbuh 4 takes command and starts bossing the others around. As he grows increasingly mad with power, he works his friends to exhaustion building a giant "clam cannon". It only works because the hastily-made weapon blows up in the faces of the Delightful Children From Down the Lane, who were trying to turn it against the KND. |
| 429 | ** In "Operation: I.T.", due to abusing some LoopholeAbuse, [[BigBad Father]] manages to become Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door. His first plan after getting this position is to use the treehouses as giant broccoli factories. Numbuh 362 and Numbuh 1 manage to oust him before the end of the episode, letting the [[RightfulKingReturns former take her job back]]. |
| 430 | * The beginning of the Capture the Flag five parter of ''WesternAnimation/CraigOfTheCreek'' deals with Xavier, king of the other side of the creek, winning over the other kids and convincing them to make him their king by being their only source of snacks. However, he quickly proves to be a [[TheCaligula petty and petulant]] dictator, banning any games he’s not good at, and generally treating everyone just like he does on his side (i.e. [[BadBoss not very well.]]) It’s up to Craig and friends to fight back against his tyranny and [[LaResistance take back the creek.]] |
| 431 | * In ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'', a series of pranks in "Eye for an Eye" escalates to Vlad [[spoiler:becoming Mayor of Amity Park and him doing this.]] Eventually things went back to being (relatively) normal. |
| 432 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': |
| 433 | ** In "Future Stock", an [[HumanPopsicle unfrozen]] shady businessman from TheEighties takes over Planet Express and ends up trying to sell it to Mom's Friendly Robot Corporation. He's only thwarted when he dies from his bone-itis just as he's about to complete the merger. |
| 434 | ** In "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back" Morgan Proctor, Hermes' replacement bureaucrat, is not only an insufferable bossy-boots but tries to pressure Fry into having a relationship with her. |
| 435 | ** In "Birdbot of Ice-Catraz", Bender briefly took over from Leela (who was busy at an environmental protest) as captain of the Planet Express ship, and proceeded to boss Fry around and generally be a jerk. |
| 436 | ** Happens to Bender again when he becomes the new ruler of [[SpaceRomans Osiris IV]] in "A Pharaoh to Remember", where he works his subjects like slaves building a giant monument to himself in a desperate bid to be remembered. |
| 437 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheHairBearBunch:'' The bears trick Peevly into taking a long vacation, thinking the zoo will be unsupervised during his absence. Unfortunately, Peevely is replaced by the efficient and intimidating Mr. Grunch, who cracks down on any shenanigans. Naturally, the bears try to get Peevly back. |
| 438 | %%* The time auditor from an episode of ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'', DVD (he removed the vowels from his name in order to be more efficient). |
| 439 | * Lieutenant Major Goose in the ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode "New Teacher". After they get a new teacher by the name of Mr. Simmons, the kids refuse to take him seriously and perform a series of pranks, eventually causing him to get frustrated and quit. However, he is then in turn replaced by a strict military martinet (Major Goose), and the kids waste no time in hatching a plan to get Mr. Simmons back. |
| 440 | * Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''. When Buck Strickland is in the hospital, he appoints {{Jerkass}} Vickers to run things while he's gone. However, it turns out Buck actually did ''all'' the things Vickers does, he just does them in secret instead of announcing them. |
| 441 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' |
| 442 | ** In the first season, [[spoiler: Tarrlok]] becomes this after ascending to de facto ruler of Republic City. His first action is to impose [[FascistsBedTime harsh curfew measures]] on [[spoiler: non-benders, then cuts off their power to force them outside so he can arrest them.]] |
| 443 | ** In Season 3, [[BombThrowingAnarchists the Red Lotus]] assassinates the Earth Queen, creating a power vacuum in the Earth Kingdom. While the Earth Queen ''was'' a selfish woman who made her subjects pay impossibly high taxes in order to indulge herself in luxuries, her replacement, Kuvira, turned out to be much worse, as she is somewhat of a fascist dictator, [[spoiler: who'll even kill her own fiance to achieve her goals.]] |
| 444 | %%* Mr. Grump in "Madeline's Holiday With Mr. Grump" on ''WesternAnimation/{{Madeline}}''. |
| 445 | * In ''WesternAnimation/MyAdventuresWithSuperman'', IronLady [[BlackBossLady Amanda Waller]] acted as TheStarscream to GeneralRipper Sam Lane in their efforts to take down Superman at the behest of the U.S. government. Because Lane wasn't willing to endanger civilians for revenge, [[spoiler:Waller betrays him by freeing the [[RecruitingTheCriminal criminals they recruited]] to make him look incompetent so she could steal his position out from under him]]. |
| 446 | * In Season 2, Episode 24 of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Diamond Tiara is chosen as the new editor-in-chief for Ponyville's school's newspaper. She goes so far as to call her role a "new regime" while describing it and twists the newspaper into a muckraking gossip rag that humiliates most of the population of Ponyville and gets the Cutie Mark Crusaders ostracized for their role as "Gabby Gums". After the Crusaders apologize, Diamond Tiara is demoted and replaced by the much more benevolent Featherweight. |
| 447 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'': The BigBad of the second half of Season 11 is the Ice Emperor, who took control of the once-peaceful Never-Realm and caused an [[EndlessWinter eternal winter]]. [[spoiler:It's revealed in "[[Recap/NinjagoS11E125Corruption Corruption]]" that this is the result of the exiled formling [[MeaningfulName Vex]] [[CriminalAmnesiac manipulating the memory-wiped]] [[AnIcePerson ice ninja]] Zane into thinking he was the disgraced ruler of the realm and leading him to "take back" his role as the emperor.]] |
| 448 | * Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse''. [[spoiler:Boscha ends up ruling over the survivors at Hexside after the Collector takes over the Boiling Isles, and while she acts as the same haughty AlphaBitch she's been all series and is running the place into the ground, the narrative paints her as a young girl who's hopelessly out over her depth and just wants things to go back to normal with only the fear of showing weakness (and Kikimora encouraging all her worst impulses) keeping her from stepping down to let better qualified people take over.]] |
| 449 | * In ''WesternAnimation/OzzyAndDrix'', this is how addiction is depicted: Hector taking up smoking cigarettes in one episode; from the perspective of the cells inside of him, a pushy guy named [[PunnyName Nick O'Teen]] makes his way into the brain, ousts the Mayor and starts ruling the body with an iron fist, controlling Hector's thoughts and desires. |
| 450 | * In ''WesternAnimation/PotsworthAndCompany'', there was one episode where the villain, tired of her son's failures, fired him and hired a replacement who was so terrible the heroes tricked her into firing him and rehiring the original BigBad. |
| 451 | * In an episode of The Hub's ''WesternAnimation/{{Pound Puppies|2010}}'', "[=McLeish=] Unleashed", Mr. [=McLeish=] finally gets the promotion he's been stumping for, and his position as head dog-catcher is taken over by the even more dangerously ambitious Milton Feltwaddle (last seen in "Toyoshiko! Bark Friend Machine"), who proceeds to turn Shelter 17 into a heavily-secured [[PoundsAreAnimalPrisons dog prison]]. [[StatusQuoIsGod Fortunately]], the Puppies manage to sabotage Feltwaddle's regime change and get [=McLeish=] to go back to his old job. |
| 452 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'': |
| 453 | ** One episode has Gus appointed as Acting King of the Playground while King Bob is away. His insane edicts culminate with enslaving the entire playground and forcing everyone to dig in the "cookie mines" (nobody's brave enough to ask why he expects to find cookies underground). |
| 454 | ** Randall became one of these after blackmailing King Bob with a photo of a dress he was forced to wear by his sister. |
| 455 | ** In one episode King Bob himself devolves from a [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Reasonable pseudo-authority figure]] to an Egyptian tyrant after feeling like he'll be forgotten: being inspired by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, he renames himself "Pharaoh Bob" and forces everyone to build him a pyramid. |
| 456 | ** The principal who seeks to replace Principal Prickly, who is not only immune to the pranks by TJ at first go (and in fact gives an Early Room101 discipline) but plans to turn the school to Auschwitz or Airstrip One Elementary school. The only reason he doesn't end up being the next principal was because Prickly chose not to become a middle-school principal for the children’s sake (while claiming it was because of a poor pay offer). |
| 457 | ** One episode sees King Bob preoccupied with a biographer, leaving his usually reliable assistants to handle affairs of the playground. When there's an issue they're not sure how to resolve, they come upon rules created by one King Mortie. This seems to work out, but the rules become increasingly bizarre. (Turns out Mortie was Acting King of the Playground during the Great Depression Era and his rules were meant to ensure that the poor kids would always have something to play with.) T.J. and company want things to go back to normal, but King Bob's assistants get a little too comfortable dictating these rules and effectively establish a secret police to enforce things. But don't worry, King Bob sets everything straight. |
| 458 | * In ''WesternAnimation/SallyBollywood'', one of her teachers, Ms. Smith, is replaced by a very strict military woman named Ms. Chicago who pretty much runs the class like a boot camp. It's later revealed that Ms. Chicago is actually Ms. Smith in disguise who went "on holiday" to teach the class not take her for granted. |
| 459 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': |
| 460 | ** Subverted twice when surly assistant superintendent Leopold stomps up to the podium in Springfield Elementary's assembly hall, snarls something to the effect of "things are going to be ''very, very'' different around here", then cheerily introduces a much more endearing individual as the replacement faculty member. The first time is in "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" when announcing Ned Flanders as replacement principal, and the second time is in "The PTA Disbands" with Marge Simpson becoming a substitute teacher. |
| 461 | ** Inverted in "My Sister, My Sitter". After Lisa proves herself a reliable babysitter for the neighborhood, Homer and Marge leave her in charge when they go out. Lisa tries to be fair, but Bart (hating the idea of being babysat by his ''little'' sister) is as difficult as possible. After a series of pranks, he winds up breaking his arm in a fall. Naturally, it goes downhill from there. |
| 462 | ** Played straight in "The Parent Rap" when [[HangingJudge Judge Constance Harm]] (an exaggerated parody of Series/JudgeJudy) takes over for [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Judge Snyder]]. |
| 463 | ** Homer addressing employees after he takes over the power plant: |
| 464 | --->'''Homer:''' Today begins my reign of terr...iffic management!\ |
| 465 | '''Lenny:''' (relieved) I thought he was going to say "terror"!\ |
| 466 | '''Carl:''' I didn't think he was going there. |
| 467 | * Played on ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' with Bill Donohue in the "Fantastic Easter Special", who takes over the Catholic Church before Jesus makes him HalfTheManHeUsedToBe. |
| 468 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In the Umbara arc, Anakin is called away from his unit and Pong Krell takes over. Krell immediately starts ordering the clones on suicidal charges, scolding them for retreating from hopeless situations, and insisting on referring to them by their alphanumeric designations rather than their chosen names. In the final episode of the arc, he manipulates two units of clones into attacking one another, which finally pushes the survivors to mutiny against him. [[spoiler:Turns out he's fallen to the Dark Side and was planning on joining Dooku, making this a case of MoleInCharge as well.]] |
| 469 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/WordGirl'' episode "Banned on the Run", Mr. Big mind-controls the mayor of Fair City and forcibly takes his place, allowing him to come up with all sorts of silly laws and making the citizens miserable. In particular, he bans [=WordGirl=] and Captain Huggyface from being in the city. Despite this, [=WordGirl=] is able to stop Mr. Big and restore the original mayor by the end of the episode. |
| 470 | [[/folder]] |
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