History Main / TheKingslayer

*** Just prior to the events of the game, Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak set off the {{Civil War}} by killing Torygg, the High King of Skyrim. Skyrim is fiercely divided on whether this was a lawful duel for the High King's throne in the old way (as Ulfric and those under his banner see it) or a murder and usurpation of the throne due to Ulfric's use of the [[MakeMeWannaShout Thu'um]] against Torygg (as the Empire sees it).

*** Aegon II was poisoned as Cregan Stark approached the city towards the end of the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. Even though Cregan was fighting against Aegon II, he still felt a King's murder should be punished. He arrested many of those present, sending most of them to the Wall, executing those who refused to take the Black, but pardoning Corlys Velaryon under political pressure. Who poisoned Aegon is still unclear though.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', [[TheDon Capone Bege]] gets a kick out of killing leaders. He began with gang leaders and moved up to world leaders once he gained power and influence. He has no aspiration to take their power, however. He just likes to off the person in charge because [[ForTheEvulz he likes watching the violence ensue as people fight for the throne]].

** Lelouch killed his father, Emperor Charles, by geassing "god" to erase the king from existence. No one would ever have found out about it (as only Suzaku and C.C. witnessed this) except Lelouch freely ''[[RefugeInAudacity boasted about it]]'' to the Imperial Court, at a televised conference, in front of millions of people watching worldwide!
** In the GrandFinale, Suzaku kills Emperor Lelouch as Zero which is intentional as part of their Zero Requiem plan. He also did this before when he was a child, murdering his father the Prime Minister to stop the HonorBeforeReason fuelled destruction of Japan in the face of the power of Britannia's forces.

* On the ''WebVideo/DreamSMP'', Technoblade has killed 4 people on the SMP while they were in positions in power; he accidentally killed [[PresidentEvil Schlatt]], the Emperor/President of Manberg, when the latter got caught in the crossfire of his Secretary of State, [[TheMole Tubbo's]] execution, he killed Tubbo again after he was named president by Wilbur after they retook L'Manberg from [[TyrantTakesTheHelm Schlatt's dictatorship]], and he assassinated George after Dream made him king of the Greater Dream SMP. The latter two are not considered canon deaths, though.
** [[TheStarscream Quackity]] also gets in on the action [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal after one mistreatment too many]] by his boss and romantic partner, when he assassinates Schlatt while escaping the country after his resignation as Vice President of Manberg, resulting in the loss of Schlatt's second canon life.

A character, for one reason or another, assassinates the King, the Emperor, the President, that one powerful guy whose position has massive mystique and glamor and charisma attached to it, no matter how badly they chose to use it. Usually the one to kill him is of the PraetorianGuard or someone equally close and trusted. However, it doesn't need to be a betrayal: it could perfectly well be an absolutely lawful execution after a fair trial. It won't matter to the people. They have ''slain'' a ''King''.

* On the ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'', Technoblade has killed 4 people on the SMP while they were in positions in power; he accidentally killed [[PresidentEvil Schlatt]], the Emperor/President of Manberg, when the latter got caught in the crossfire of his Secretary of State, [[TheMole Tubbo's]] execution, he killed Tubbo again after he was named president by Wilbur after they retook L'Manberg from [[TyrantTakesTheHelm Schlatt's dictatorship]], and he assassinated George after Dream made him king of the Greater Dream SMP. The latter two are not considered canon deaths, though.

** The Witch King of Angmar mortally wounds King Theoden during the Battle of Pelennor Fields. His niece, Eowyn, slays him before Thoden's final moments.

** The Witch King of Angmar mortally wounds King Theoden during the Battle of Pelennor Fields. His daughter, Eowyn, slays him before Thoden's final moments.

* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Miko kills Lord Shojo because she believes it's what her gods want her to do.

* In ''VideoGame/RuneScape'', your objective in the aptly named ''Regicide'' quest is to assassinate King Tyras. As it turns out later, King Tyras was [[NiceJobBreakingItHero one of the good guys.]]
** During ''The Fremennik Isles'' quest, the player must slay the Ice Troll king and [[DemandingTheirHead bring back his head]] to the burgher of Neitiznot.

* ''Literature/{{Heimskringla}}'': Three years after King Olaf Haraldsson's death the Battle of Stiklestad, Kalf Arneson, one of Olaf's chief enemies at Stiklestad, conspires with other Norwegian chiefs to bring back Olaf's son Magnus from exile, overthrow the Danish rule, and make Magnus king instead. Kalf is subsequently one of Magnus' closest advisors; however their relationship deteriorates until Magnus forces Kalf to visit the battlefield of Stiklestad with him and tell him how his father Olaf died. From Kalf's account of the scene, Magnus realizes that Kalf witnessed Olaf's death up close and takes this as evidence that Kalf himself has given Olaf the deadly wound. Kalf denies it, but fearing Magnus' anger he leaves Norway to live in exile. Years later, Magnus' successor Harald (Olaf's half-brother) allows Kalf to return on the condition that Kalf must join Harald's war expeditions; soon after, Kalf is killed in battle with the Danes under [[UriahGambit circumstances that suggest Harald was intentionally trying to get him killed.]]

* ''Literature/{{Heimskringla}}'': Three years after King Olaf Haraldsson's death the Battle of Stiklestad, Kalf Arneson, one of Olaf's chief enemies at Stiklestad, conspires with other Norwegian chiefs to bring back Olaf's son Magnus from exile, overthrow the Danish rule, and make Magnus king instead. Kalf is subsequently one of Magnus' closest advisors; however their relationship deteriorates until Magnus forces Kalf to visit the battlefield of Stiklestad with him and tell him how his father Olaf died. From Kalf's account of the scene, Magnus realizes that Kalf witnessed Olaf's death up close and takes this as evidence that Kalf himself has given Olaf the deadly wound. Kalf denies it, but fearing Magnus' anger he leaves Norway to live in exile. Years later, Magnus' successor Harald (Olaf's half-brother) allows Kalf to return on the condition that Kalf must join Harald's war expeditions; soon after, Kalf is killed in battle with the Danes under circumstances that suggest Harald was intentionally trying to get him killed.

* ''Literature/{{Heimskringla}}'': Three years after King Olaf Haraldsson's death the Battle of Stiklestad, Kalf Arneson, one of Olaf's chief enemies at Stiklestad, conspires with other Norwegian chiefs to bring back Olaf's son Magnus from exile, overthrow the Danish rule, and make Magnus king instead. Kalf is subsequently one of Magnus' closest advisors; however their relationship deteriorates until Magnus demands of Kalf to visit the battlefield of Stiklestad with him and tell him how his father Olaf died. From Kalf's account of the scene, Magnus realizes that Kalf witnessed Olaf's death up close and takes this as evidence that Kalf himself has given Olaf the deadly wound. Kalf denies it, but fearing Magnus' anger he leaves Norway to live in exile. Years later, Magnus' successor Harald (Olaf's half-brother) allows Kalf to return on the condition that Kalf must join Harald's war expeditions; soon after, Kalf is killed in battle with the Danes under circumstances that suggest Harald was intentionally trying to get him killed.

** At his wedding to Margaery Tyrell, [[TheCaligula Joffrey Baratheon]] is poisoned by his grandmother-in-law Olenna Tyrell, as she fears his [[RoyalBrat cruelty]] towards her granddaughter (though a reread of the positioning during the wedding shows it is likely one of Margaery's brothers, Garlan Tyrell, may have carried it out). Joffrey's uncle Tyrion Lannister is blamed for the murder and eventually convicted, but escapes Westeros before the sentence can be carried out.
** Queen Cersei Lannister is the mastermind behind the death of her husband, King Robert Baratheon by letting her cousin, Lancel, gave more potent drink to Robert, which got him killed by a boar during their hunting trip. Later on, Lancel wasn't proud for what he had done and took a HeelFaithTurn which got Cersei exposed for adultery and murder by the ChurchMilitant.

** Balon Greyjoy apparently dies when he falls of a bridge during a storm. However, shortly after this his villainous brother Euron "Crow's Eye" Greyjoy returns to the Iron Isles and takes control of them. A vision by the Ghost of High Heart implies a Faceless Man, who specialize in deaths that [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident look like accidents]], was hired by Euron to perform the deed.
** [[TheSociopath Lord Roose Bolton]] murders his King Robb Stark during [[NastyParty The Red Wedding]], which he planned with Lord Walder Frey, after which the Boltons take control of the North.

** Brienne undergoes similar prejudice when she is thought to have killed Renly Baratheon, having been found in his tent with him just after he dies. In reality he was murdered by a shadow assassin conjured by a witch who was in league with Renly's brother Stannis Baratheon, though as Stannis had more right to the Iron Throne, and [[TheEvilPrince Renly]] was clearly TheUsurper and intended to kill Stannis that day this doesn't seem so great a crime. Later Renly's secret lover Ser Loras Tyrell meets Brienne and demanded she be punished for Renly's death, even though the Tyrells are currently allied with the Lannister regime Renly intended to overthrow.
** Stannis may be considered partially guilty of the deaths of all the other four Kings in the War of the Five Kings, though from his perspective they are all [[TheUsurper usurpers]]. After his defeat at the Blackwater with the assistance of the Red Witch Melisandre he uses three leeches filled with King's Blood thrown onto a brazier to curse Joffrey Baratheon, Balon Greyjoy, and Robb Stark, who all die shortly after this.