Sandbox / Magnificent Bastard Theatre

Seymour: Every household in America? Thousands of you eating... that's what you had in mind all along, isn't it?
Audrey II: No shit, Sherlock.
Seymour: We're not talking about one hungry plant here, we're talking about world conquest.
Audrey II: And I want to thank you.

— Little Shop of Horrors

Throughout centuries, theatres around the world have showcased characters with brilliance and charm while also aweing the audience with their devious stylishness. These characters stand out as the most memorable.

All spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned!

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The following have their own pages:

• Disney
• Pokémon

Creators

William Shakespeare

Examples

• Antony and Cleopatra: The cunning Octavius Caesar aims to seize control of Rome and rebuild it as an Imperium with himself at the head. Manipulating Antony and Cleopatra both, Octavius acts to remove the pirate Sextus Pompey without Antony's assent and seizes his lands, also removing their fellow Triumvir Lepidus from power. Octavius also proceeds with marrying his sister Octavia to Antony, knowing Antony will be unable to resist Cleopatra, allowing Octavius to lay another charge against Antony in making war on him. Finally Octavius wins the war with Egypt, resulting with Antony and Cleopatra's deaths, admitting sympathy for them despite everything and ordering them to be given an honorable funeral before going on to reign as Rome's first true emperor.
• Hamlet: King Claudius, in many productions, is depicted as a more respectable figure than the stereotypical overambitious royal. Taking advantage of his skill at murdering in ways that give him Plausible Deniability, he kills his brother by poisoning him and making it look like a snakebite, then subsequently marries his brother's widow Queen Gertrude and claims the Danish throne. A charming conversationalist with considerable language skills, he manages to secure the support of nearly the entire court. Spying on his nephew Prince Hamlet, he determines he's planning something and arranges for him to be sent to England on a diplomatic assignment, later plotting to have him killed after he determines he's too dangerous to live. When Laertes returns from France and tries to overthrow him, Claudius manages to get him on his side and rope him into another attempt on Hamlet's life. Only being exposed and killed due to Laertes seeking forgiveness before he dies, and still managing to end Hamlet's life, Claudius demonstrates why he's one of Shakespeare's most iconic and enduring villains.
• Henry IV & Henry V: Prince Hal is a manipulative boy who begins the first play as a wastrel in slums, alongside Sir John Falstaff. Proving his worth by leading an army to crush the Percy rebellion, Hal is able to manipulate the masses into supporting him, only to discard them when they are no longer of use and coldly rejects Falstaff upon claiming the throne. Later crowned King Henry V of England, Henry launches a war against France where he constantly outwits and bests the enemy forces, taking Harfleur and later disguising himself as an army man to learn the mood of his troops before spurring them on to victory with the glorious St. Crispin's Day speech, ending the play the victorious heir of the French throne by right of conquest.
• Julius Caesar: Mark Antony is a loyal man of the titular Julius Caesar's who participates in his schemes to help rise to the top of Rome. After Caesar is assassinated, Antony pretends to align with the conspirators before giving a rousing eulogy where he provokes the crowd into fury at Caesar's death. Making them love Caesar and then revealing Caesar had promised every citizen money in his will, Antony is later able to defeat them on the field as well, ending the play ruling Rome as one of the new Triumvirate.
• King Lear: Edmund of Gloucester, the literal bastard son of the Duke of Gloucester, executes a plan to consolidate power and play even his own family as pawns while vowing to make the gods themselves "stand up for bastards." A ruthless but deeply charismatic schemer who plays everyone for his own benefit, Edmund frames his brother for treason and convinces him to flee into exile while manipulating his father into granting him Edgar's legitimate birthright, before exposing Gloucester's sympathy for King Lear and handing him off to the Duke of Cornwall. As the Duke of Gloucester, Edmund schemes for the throne of Britain itself and seduces Lear's own ambitious daughters to further his own power. Even on his deathbed, Edmund finally finds the grace to defy his own bastardly nature and rescinds the order he had previously given to execute Lear and Cordelia—a sentiment which, tragically, is too late.
• Macbeth: The Weird Sisters, a trio of witches, use their prophetic visions to manipulate the events of the work. Informing Macbeth of his destiny to succeed the throne of Scotland, the witches inspire him to murder King Duncan and his own friend Banquo, becoming a tyrant. Lulling Macbeth into a false sense of security, via prophecies that rely on Exact Words, the witches inspire the war between Macbeth and Prince Malcolm for the throne, ending victorious with their prophecies fulfilled as Malcolm takes the throne.
• The Tempest: Prospero is the exiled Duke of Milan and a skilled sorcerer who spots his usurping brother Antonio. Conjuring a storm to shipwreck them, Prospero uses his enslaved spirit Ariel to torment Antonio and his allies, thwarting schemes by the drunk Trinculo, Stefano and the wicked Caliban to take control of his island. Prospero also manipulates his daughter and the King of Naples' son into falling in love, all while ensuring Antonio succumbs to remorse before forgiving him and reassuming control of his own Dukedom.

Standalone Plays

Examples

• Ace Attorney:
  • Farewell, My Turnabout (2016): Shelly de Killer is an international assassin who mixes classy professionalism with a sinister edge. Upholding a moral code that strongly emphasizes trust between him and his clients to ensure their safety and his eluding of the law, Shelly is hired by actor Matt Engarde to kill his rival Juan Corrida, with Shelly kidnapping Maya Fey to force her friend Phoenix Wright to acquit Engarde in return for Maya’s life. Detaining prosecutor Franziska von Karma by shooting her in the arm in order to make the trial easier for Phoenix, Shelly eventually reveals himself on the final day of the trial by sneaking up behind the judge and holding him at gunpoint in order to claim Engarde’s assistant Adrian Andrews of being his client so she can take the fall. Discovering Engarde’s plan to betray him, Shelly promises to hunt down Engarde for the rest of his life should he be declared not guilty, making his elegant leave afterwards.
  • Turnabout Gold Medal (2019): This version of Godot is a prosecutor turned president of the World Judicial Union who, sensing corruption within the organization, devises a grand scheme to expose Vice-Chairman Antino Nivantess’s misconduct. Knowing that a microchip containing the Union’s shady deals has been stolen by a defense attorney, Godot secretly creates the Judicial Olympics to weed out the possible suspect, getting Chairman Jack Crowmack on his side by making it out to be a show of power. Inserting himself into the trial to find attorney Maldea Valenbough’s murderer, Godot, having known that Kojiro Fukashigi was behind the microchip’s theft, deduced the chip was hidden in the Olympic’s gold medal, and swapped it with a fake one so that Nivantess could reveal the passcode to get in. With his plan deliberately wasting everybody’s time in order to properly suss out the mastermind, even framing Phoenix for Maldea’s murder at one point, Godot continuously feigns impotence to get Nivantess to reveal himself, swiftly taking him down and even offering Phoenix the position of Union director as thanks.
• Agrippina: Empress Agrippina the Younger is the cunning, manipulative wife of Emperor Claudius. Hearing that Claudius has perished at sea, she schemes to get her son Nero on the throne, teaching him to endear himself to the commons and convincing her lovers Pallas and Narcissus to vote for crowning him. When it turns out Claudius has survived and wants to name his general Otho his heir, Agrippina slanders Otho before flirtatious noblewoman Poppea, pursued by both Otho and Claudius. She persuades Poppea to pay Otho back by blackening his name, and Poppea informs Claudius Otho has betrayed him. Enraged, Claudius denounces Otho and, at Agrippina's prompting, names Nero his heir. Her schemes are almost thwarted when Pallas and Narcissus realize she has played them both and tell Claudius she tried to crown Nero in his absence. But Agrippina turns their accusations around by explaining that she simply wanted to keep the throne safe from other claimants until Claudius's return: didn't Nero step down from it the moment he heard that Claudius survived? Even Pallas and Narcissus are impressed by Agrippina's skill in manipulation, and Agrippina happily sees Claudius confirm her beloved son as the next Emperor of Rome.
• Attila: Odabella is a young woman whose city is attacked by Attila the Hun. After her father is killed by the invaders, Odabella vows revenge and continues to fight the Huns herself, impressing the Huns with her battle skills. Captured, she charms Attila with an impassioned aria about her love for her country and the courage of her fellow countrywomen. Soon she saves him from a murder attempt, since she does not want her revenge to be stolen from her, and Attila announces he will marry her. At the wedding, she lures him away from the Huns to and where her two co-conspirators are hidden, lets him hear "The Reason You Suck" Speech from each of them and stabs him with his own sword that he had previously given her, crying out that it is a sacrifice to her father.
• Cats: Macavity, the Mystery Cat, is a conniving criminal cat rightly feared by the other Jellicles. Having earned a reputation for breaking every human law yet never being at the scene of the crime, Macavity introduces himself by using his hypnosis to distract the Jellicles, giving him the chance to track down Old Deuteronomy. When the cats think they've saved him, Macavity reveals that he had already captured and replaced the elder, then proceeds to defeat Munkustrap and Mungojerrie before trying to kidnap Demeter as well. With his crime completed, Macavity causes a power outage, disappearing before the lights come back up.
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Willy Wonka, as per usual, is the wonderfully eccentric, world-famous chocolatier seeking to leave his factory to someone who believes in his craft the way he does. Having faith that Charlie Bucket would make a fine heir, Wonka sets things up to ensure that Charlie obtains a Golden Ticket, while feigning annoyance with him once they properly meet to hide his intentions. Throughout the classic trek through the factory, Wonka happily showcases his numerous inventions and creations, while being comically disinterested in the safety of his guests, with no less than three of the bratty kids having their lives put in danger. In the show's finale, Wonka secretly tests Charlie by first scamming him out of a lifetime's supply of candy to see his humility, then by leaving him alone in his precious Imagining Room to witness his creative character. With Charlie having proven himself the perfect successor, Wonka congratulates him and assures him he'll do wonders before leaving for the real world to bring forth new creations.
• Chicago: Billy Flynn is Velma Kelly's greedy, smooth-talking lawyer. After learning of Roxie Hart's incarceration and seeking to earn more money, Flynn decides to become her lawyer as well. Over the span of several weeks, Flynn teaches Roxie how to earn sympathy from the public whilst also manipulating multiple reporters into thinking she killed her victim in self-defense. During Roxie's trial, Flynn cajoles Roxie's husband, Amos, into forgiving Roxie, making her more sympathetic to the jury. In the film, Billy also accuses a district attorney of tampering with evidence incriminating Roxie, evidence Flynn fabricated himself, while also using the evidence to get Velma acquitted. Due to Flynn's conniving words, Roxie is declared not guilty, and Flynn walks away having won another case.
• Clue: The Musical: Mr. Boddy is reimagined here as The Host of the game, helping the audience solve the mystery of his murder. When the pieces are selected, Boddy antagonizes all of the suspects one by one, incriminating them in the process, before having a waltz with them to make clear he holds no ill will towards his eventual killer. After leading the suspects on a chase through his manor and submitting to his fate, Boddy reveals that he's hired a detective from outside of the box, throwing the suspects into a frenzy. Continually resetting their minds to force them to cooperate, Boddy gives the detective the hints she needs to identify the killer. No matter who killed him and whether or not the audience wins, Boddy resets the suspects' minds to continue his little game of murder, reveling in the immortality he has.
• Death Note: The Musical: L Lawliet, despite having less resources and allies than the source material, is no less of a Worthy Opponent for Light Yagami. Introduced when he tricks Kira into revealing his location by using a body double, L proclaims that he will find and capture Kira no matter the cost. After quickly realizing that Light and Kira are one and the same, L introduces himself to his enemy to mentally shake him, manipulating him at every opportunity he has to gain more evidence of his guilt, evidence that eventually convinces even Light's own father. When Light attempts to use Misa to learn his name, L reveals that he had already deduced her identity as the second Kira and has her arrested, carting her away to a dark cell to isolate her and prevent her from aiding Light. Although he's ultimately beaten by Light and Rem, L remains calm, boldly telling Light that he still hasn't won before he dies.
• The Dog in the Manger: Tristan is Teodoro's roguish and snarky but devoted servant. After Teodoro falls in love with Countess Diana but can't have a relationship with her due to their different social standing, Tristan poses as a Greek merchant and convinces an elderly, lonely nobleman that Teodoro is his long-lost son, thus making sure Teodoro and Diana can marry. Meanwhile, Diana's aristocratic suitors Federico and Ricardo decide to kill their lucky rival, and Tristan, whom they try to hire for the job, quickly realizes what they are up to and successfully pretends to be a hitman, simultaneously saving Teodoro's life and swindling Federico and Ricardo out of more than a thousand gold pieces. He never answers for either of his cons, and by the end of the play he is only showered with more rewards for his ingenuity, with Teodoro privately declaring that Deceit itself should build a monument to Tristan.
• Faithful Robot, by Stanisław Lem: Graumer is a highly cunning and daring robot obsessed with the idea of creating a human. Using Batman Gambit trickery, he gets employed by Klempner and becomes an excellent housekeeper and consultant, all the while secretly robbing Klempner to buy supplies for his "perfect human" project. He succeeds with the latter and intends to poison Klempner, but changes his mind when Klempner refuses to hand Graumer over to the police. Graumer tries to convince Klempner and his creation to share the house peacefully, but it's in vain: they quarrel, and each tells the other that he can keep Graumer. Disappointed, Graumer gives both of them poison and escapes, apparently planning to try creating a perfect person again.
• Gianni Schicchi: Gianni Schicchi himself is a crafty and knowledgeable lowborn man, scorned by Blue Blood Florentines. When the snobbish Donatis ask him for help in altering the will of their recently-deceased patriarch Buoso, Schicchi at first only agrees because his daughter is in love with Rinuccio Donati. However, he quickly devises a plan of posing as Buoso, since no one yet knows of the latter's death, and dictates a new will to a notary. He hands out minor parts of the fortune to members of the family, but leaves the best part to "devoted friend Gianni Schicchi". The Donatis are outraged, but he reminds them that they will be convicted as accomplices if they expose the fraud. He throws the Donati family, sans Rinuccio, out of the house that now belongs to him, and his daughter now has a dowry and can marry Rinuccio. Gianni cheerfully addresses the audience, saying that if they enjoyed the performance, they might feel more lenient towards him than Dante did, and gives them the signal to applaud by starting the applause himself.
• Heathers: The Musical (2022 filmed stage version): Jason "JD" Dean is a teenage rebel with a desire to "fix" Westerburg High School. Wooing Veronica Sawyer with his smooth attitude, JD lets Veronica inadvertently kill Heather Chandler with drain cleaner, then influences her to write a fake suicide note. When Veronica is tormented by the cruel jocks Kurt and Ram, JD immediately devises a scheme and manipulates Veronica into helping him kill the pair. JD soon punishes Heather Duke for nearly driving Heather MacNamara to suicide by blackmailing her. When Veronica finally abandons him due to his murderous ways, JD manipulates everyone in the school to signing a fake suicide note and vows to destroy the entire school to try and win Veronica back. When foiled by Veronica, a JD saves both Veronica and the school from his own bomb, admitting he doesn't understand why Veronica wants to save the students but that she nonetheless won and deserves to live before admitting he still loves Veronica and asking her to make things better in a more moral way.
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying: J. Pierrepont Finch, a window washer in New York City, decides to make a name for himself in the world of business through illegitimate means. Beginning by pretending to know the president of the company, Mr. Biggley, to get a job in the mailroom, Finch later turns down an offer to head the department, making his supervisors promote him to a junior executive for his "selflessness". After discovering that his new secretary is Mr. Biggley's mistress, he tricks her into flirting with his supervisor, getting him fired and taking his job. Forging a fake connection with Mr. Biggley by pretending to share his alma mater, Finch outs the Vice President of Advertising as an alumnus of a rival school and takes his job, later conning Mr. Biggley by stealing a coworkers idea and passing it off as his own. When the idea falls apart, Finch saves his own job by outing his coworker Bud Frump as Mr. Biggley's nephew to the Chairman of the Board, who then fires Frump and, upon his retirement, has Filch take his former position.
• L'elisir d'amore: Dr. Dulcamara is a charming, charismatic Snake Oil Salesman. When Nemorino asks him if he stocks the elixir of love, Dulcamara turns from brief confusion to taking the idea and running with it, successfully selling Nemorino a bottle of wine as the "elixir". Nemorino is so confident in its magic that he does win over his beloved Adina by inadvertently Playing Hard to Get, and Dulcamara is quick to declare it the "elixir"'s work. He leaves the village in triumph, as customers chase after him and beg for a bottle of the "elixir", while the villagers praise him and ask him to come back soon.
• The Little Prince (1974 musical): The self-styled "snake in the grass" retains the affable sincerity of his literary counterpart and takes advantage of the live-action medium to become far more theatrical. The snake tempts the Prince into accepting the inevitability of death by means of an elaborate song-and-dance number, during which he cheerfully implies he's Satan himself, and yet never once does he present himself as anything but wishing well for the Prince.
• Little Shop of Horrors: The evil Audrey II is a carnivorous plant with aspirations of world conquest. Arriving to Earth during a solar eclipse, Audrey II preys on the insecurities of Seymour Krelborn, falsely promising him fame and fortune in return for fresh meat. Audrey II takes advantage of Seymour's love for the real Audrey by suggesting to make her boyfriend "disappear" and shortly thereafter tempts Seymour into luring his boss into its maws when the threat of being exposed arises. A sassy, smooth-talking manipulator even when its true nature is on full display, Audrey II successfully brought about the end of mankind and stands as the prime example of the dangers of falling into temptation.
• The Music Man: "Professor" Harold Hill is a Con Man who convinces towns into buying instruments and uniforms with the promise to form a boy's marching band before leaving with the money. When arriving in River City, Iowa, he starts his con by convincing the town that the recent pool table in the billiards parlor will corrupt the youth and the only way to save them is by forming the marching band. When Mayor Shinn or the school board try and ask for his credentials, Hill manages to distract them by leading them in barbershop quartets. He also manages to win good will of the librarian Marian Paroo after the band helps her brother Winthrop overcome his self-consciousness. The interactions in River City, as well as his relationship with Marian, start to convince Hill to abandon his life of crime and go legit. At the end of the musical, the good will the band brought convinces the townsfolk to overturn his arrest, and Hill manages to find his conscience because of the band.
• Pacific Overtures' "Chrysanthemum Tea": The shogun's mother, frustrated with her son's lack of response to the Americans, resolves to murder him so no one will accept their letter and deter them away. Gradually poisoning the shogun via tea, she distracts her son by having various people in his house give the shogun "advice," resulting in his death, with the mother having set a funeral up in advance.
• The Phantom of the Opera: The Phantom, born Erik, spent his childhood as a freak in the circus on account of his disfigured face. Helped by Madame Giry to escape, the Phantom sets up residence beneath the Paris Opera House, styling himself as a ghost to "haunt" the venue and have it perform to his expectations. A genius singer, composer and illusionist, the Phantom took Christine Diae and taught her how to sing so that she would glorify him on the world stage and eventually fell in love with her. When the Opera House's new owners attempt to defy the Phantom, he sabotages and murders to get his way, boldly presenting himself at the Masquerade and forcing the House to perform his masterpiece, Don Juan Triumphant. An attempt is made to catch him, but fails, the Phantom absconding with Christine, only releasing her when her compassion makes him realise his cruelty, letting her go so she can be happy. In the sequel the Phantom lures Christine back to him to give her a chance at a comeback, wins her back from Raoul and almost has a completely happy ending if Christine hadn't tragically died. Phantom still manages to end the story reconciling with his son, giving hope for the future. A tragic artist, the Phantom has seduced audiences for decades with his dark charisma and romantic Music of the Night.
• Something Rotten!: William Shakespeare is a famous English playwright who learns that his rivals, The Bottom Brothers, have used a Soothsayer to copy a play he would write in the future. Shakespeare would infiltrate the Bottom Brothers' acting troupe and encourage the brothers to continue making "Omelette", while convincing Nigel Bottom to give him Nigel's written work. After exposing the Bottom Brothers of using a Soothsayer to steal his work, Shakespeare will have their sentence reduce from execution to banishment to the Americas and Shakespeare would use Nigel's work to create the universally acclaimed Hamlet.
• Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark: The revised play's Norman Osborn is a scientist who believes in advancing the human race through genetic modification. Constantly working to achieve perfection, Osborn is transformed into the Green Goblin thanks to a failed experiment which kills his wife and erodes his sanity. Angered at humanity for ignoring his will, Goblin sets toward mutating the entire world. Starting his crusade by mutating his employees into the "Sinister Six" and terrorizing the city, Goblin then sets the Daily Bugle further against Spider-Man by revealing the connections between the two. Goblin then threatens Spider-Man's loved ones, forcing Spider-Man to confront him atop the Chrysler Building. When face to face, Goblin reveals that he deduced Spider-Man's secret identity and asks him to join him, before unveiling that he also took Mary Jane Watson hostage for leverage, engaging Spider-Man in a fight and only being stopped when he inadvertently flings himself off the building. Never ceasing to be theatrical and comical despite his madness, Green Goblin stands out as the single greatest villain Spider-Man faces.

• Super Danganronpa 2: Sayonara Zetsubō Gakuen THE STAGE: Nagito Komaeda, the Ultimate Lucky Student, is the same carefree, hopeful Wild Card as his game counterpart. A well-intentioned teenager who will do anything to counter despair, Nagito often takes advantage of his luck in his goal to create hope no matter who has to die, such as setting up a murder plot and using Teruteru’s knowledge of it to make him the killer. Rewarded with a dossier after winning a game of Russian Roulette, after discovering his and his classmates’ past as Ultimate Despair, Nagito uses a fake bomb threat to set up his own murder, creating an impossible trial where everybody would be killed except for the traitor. While more comedic and less sinister than his original counterpart, Nagito nevertheless impresses and entertains even on stage.
• Swan Lake: Von Rothbart is an Evil Sorcerer who curses Odette and other maidens to become swans, with the spell becoming permanent if he's killed before it's undone. When Prince Siegfried falls in love with Odette and swears to love her, which can break the spell if they wed, von Rothbart separates the lovers and disguises his daughter, Odile, as Odette to seduce the prince and trick him into declaring his love for her. Siegfried confronts von Rothbart at the climax, which can end in several ways, including endings where he triumphs over the prince and claims Odette as his or holds him to his promise to his daughter. Even in endings where he's beaten, Von Rothbart refuses to give Odette up without a fight, and in some productions doubles as an advisor to the prince and queen, pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
• Tanz Der Vampire: The charismatic and soulful Count von Krolock introduces himself to Sarah as the angel she has been waiting for. Seducing her with his charm, von Krolock invites her to his Midnight Ball while ensuring heroes Alfred and Professor Abronsius find their way to provide a snack for his vampire court. Von Krolock entraps them within his castle, preparing a trap at the ball after he bites Sarah to show them as the only living souls there, with some productions even showing him and Sarah becoming a happy undead couple by the end.
• The Tragedy of Man, by Imre Madach: Lucifer openly decries God's work and appoints himself "the spirit of negation", intending to prove that mankind will perish for its own flaws. Causing the Fall of Man after being cast out of Heaven, he leads Adam in a dream through the ages, carefully choosing moments in which it's easier for him to make inequality and suffering look more evident than progress. Lucifer's "cold wisdom" allows him to raise doubts about the Creation and point out the flaws in every historical period while doing almost no misdeed directly. Taking advantage of both his own charm and God's inactivity through the play, Lucifer nearly drives Adam to suicide, his plan only thwarted at the last moment by Eve.
• The Visit: Claire Zachanassian is a billionaire and former resident of Güllen who seeks revenge against a shopkeeper named Alfred III for forcing her into prostitution and taking away her child after a paternity suit years ago. She begins her quest by buying out Güllen's industry, causing the town to go into a depression. Arriving in Güllen, she promises that she'll grant one billion francs to the poor populace should they kill Alfred, making it clear she won't leave until they do. Knowing full well that the townsfolk will do anything to get money, her actions force the town to go against their morals and face the reality of what Alfred has done. After they kill Alfred, Claire upholds her end of the bargain, delivers the check, and gets away with Alfred's murder while bringing Güllen out of their economic starvation.
• Westeros: An American Musical:
  • Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish retains his manipulative brilliance while losing his petty sadism. After arranging both Jon Arryn's murder and Ned Stark's arrival in King's Landing, Littlefinger then betrays Ned, leading to the War of the Five Kings and his ascension to further power. Proving instrumental to the Battle of the Blackwater by convincing the Tyrell forces to join the Lannisters, Littlefinger then allies with Olenna Tyrell to assassinate King Joffrey Baratheon. Leaving for the Vale, Littlefinger uses Dontos Hollard to rescue Sansa Stark from the chaos, returning under the cover of darkness to rescue Sansa himself and kill Dontos. With his alibi set, Littlefinger then leaves with Sansa for the Vale, becoming the newest major lord and getting away with Joffrey's assassination.
  • Olenna Tyrell remains as delightfully cunning as ever. Pretending to be a senile old woman to hide her devious intelligence, Olenna very quickly views Joffrey Baratheon's sadism and decides that he must die for the sake of her children. After pretending to give Sansa a comforting ear, Olenna gives her a hairnet containing the poison that will kill him, choosing such a method to ensure she's nowhere near the groom when it happens. As a result, Tyrion is framed for the crime she committed while she votes him guilty, taking great pleasure in revealing her crime to the audience and leaving the musical having gotten everything she wanted.
  • Shae proves herself to be the only rational person in Tyrion's employ throughout her brief stint in the show. After realizing how desperate Tyrion is for her affections when he defies Tywin's orders, Shae takes advantage of this by conning him out of a house among other things, then points out the flaws in Tyrion's various plans as time goes on. When he puts her in more danger, she gets her revenge by helping Olenna frame him for Joffrey's murder, lying that he schemed the assassination with his wife Sansa. When he confronts her that night, Shae finally calls him out for his selfish attitude, never losing her fearless edge even when Tyrion grabs a crossbow and kills her.
• Wicked: The Wizard in the musical adaptation serves as a figurehead and icon for the people of Oz. Being a genuinely paternal figure to Oz, he tries to unite them by presenting them with an enemy. He begins robbing the sentient animals of Oz of their voices and their sentience. When his to-be protege, the magical Elphaba, challenges him on what he does, he declares her an enemy of the state, and when she returns, nearly convinces her to join him again, explaining that his lies are for the good of his people. Using his charisma and resources, he convinces Dorothy and her party to kill Elphaba. With Elphaba driven out and forced to fake her own death, The Wizard finds himself successful, only to leave Oz upon realizing that, in fact, Elphaba was his own daughter.

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