History Main / HistoricalVillainDowngrade

*** [[YourMileageMayVary It depends quite a bit on which gospel you cite]]. The gospels believed to have been written later (Matthew and John) portray Pilate in a rather more sympathetic light than the earlier ones (Mark and Luke).

But the thing is:There are [[AdolfHitler certain]] [[JosefStalin characters]] [[EmperorCaligula in history]] whose actions can't be depicted realistically on, say, a children's TV series.

That's where the HistoricalVillainDowngrade comes in. You don't need to dwell, for example, on the fact that [[GodwinsLaw Adolf Hitler]] was responsible a systematic genocide which resulted in eleven million deaths; it is enough for audiences to know that he was [[{{Understatement}} a very bad man]]. Likewise, you might present Caligula as a lech with a [[AGodAmI god complex]]. No need to get into the {{squick}}y details of his life.

* ''{{Asterix}}'' depicted roman orgies as just involving a lot of eating and drinking. The, erm, more mature elements are not mentioned.

* {{Dracula}} may be pretty bad...but he is absolutely ''nothing'' compared to Vlad the Impaler, upon whom the character is based. (Though this is complicated by several {{Historical Villain Upgrade}}s Vlad received from his enemies, particularly Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus).
** Well, it all depends. Dracula is a lone monster, but it's implied that he has grand ambitions, and intends to spread vampirism far and wide. He's just stopped before his plans come into fruitition. Meanwhile the historical Vlad the Impaler, while a brutal warlord, wasn't much more cruel than others to hold such position in his time.

* In ''CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'', Hitler is depicted as being a hate-filled man. No need to get into the sordid details of the Holocaust.
** Though he manages to poison the titular superhero with his DeathGlare alone.
* One episode of ''{{Histeria}}'' indicated that the Worlds Oldest Woman had met Hitler. Granted, the scene showed her shouting down to him in what was clearly FireAndBrimstoneHell.

* [[http://www.canadianlegends.ca/Products.asp This]] action figure of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_john_a_macdonald Sir John A. MacDonald]] comes with a brief biography (obviously written for children) in which it is stated that he and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Riel Louis Riel]] "[[{{Understatement}} did not get along very well.]]" [[YourMileageMayVary While historians will disagree about who]], [[GrayAndGrayMorality if anyone]], was the "[[HistoricalVillainUpgrade villain]]" in this case, the fact of the matter is that Macdonald and Riel fought two wars against each other at the conclusion of which Riel was executed.
* King Richard the Lionheart of England tends to be rosily portrayed in English HistoricalFiction. [[{{Understatement}} Not so much]] in the places he went to during TheCrusades, where he had a MoralEventHorizon[=/=]CompleteMonster reputation. Similarly Romanian culture fondly remembers Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, also known less fondly as Vlad the Impaler or {{Dracula}}. In history, who's a hero and who's a villain can depend very largely on where you live today.

** According to the gospels, Pilate only said he could find no fault in Jesus. He still had no problem sentencing him anyway just to keep the mob happy.

* In media based on the New Testament of TheBible, Pontius Pilate is often portrayed as reluctant to sentence Jesus to execution. This is unlikely given that Pilate was recalled to Rome because the ''[[TheEmpire Romans]]'' though he was [[EvenEvilHasStandards too brutal]]

* {{Dracula}} may be pretty bad...but he is absolutely ''nothing'' compared to Vlad the Impaler, upon whom the character is based. (Though this is complicated by several {{Historical Villain Upgrade}}s Vlad received from his enemies, particularly Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus).

* In media based on the New Testament of TheBible, Pontus Pilot is often portrayed as reluctant to sentence Jesus to execution. This is unlikely given that Pilot was recalled to Rome because the ''[[TheEmpire Romans]]'' though he was [[EvenEvilHasStandards too brutal]]

* In media based on the New Testament of TheBible, Pontus Pilot is often portrayed as reluctant to sentence Jesus to execution. This is unlikely given that Pilot was recalled to Rome because the [[TheEmpire ''Romans'']] though he was [[EvenEvilHasStandards too brutal]]

* King Richard the Lionheart of England tends to be rosily portrayed in English HistoricalFiction. [[{{Understatement}} Not so much]] in the places he went to during TheCrusades, where he had a MoralEventHorizon[=/=]CompleteMonster reputation. Similarly Romanian culture fondly remembers Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, also known less fondly as Vlad the Impaler or {{Dracula}}. In history, who's a hero and who's a villain can depend very largely on where you live today.

* King Richard the Lionheart of England tends to be rosily portrayed in English HistoricalFiction. [[{{Understatement}} Not so much]] in the places he went to during TheCrusades, where he had a MoralEventHorizon[=/=]CompleteMonster reputation. Similarly Romanian culture fondly remembers Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, also known less fondly as Vlad the Impaler or {{Dracula}}. In history, who's a hero and who's a villain can depend very largely on where you live today.

Basically, this trope occurs whenever an historical villain's evil actions are either glossed over or reduced in severity, in order to make them palatable, even as a villain, to mainstream television audiences.

* [[http://www.canadianlegends.ca/Products.asp This]] action figure of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_john_a_macdonald Sir John A. MacDonald]] comes with a brief biography (obviously written for children) in which it is stated that he and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Riel Louis Riel]] "[[UnderStatement did not get along very well.]]" [[YourMileageMayVary While historians will disagree about who]], [[GrayAndGrayMorality if anyone]], was the "[[HistoricalVillainUpgrade villain]]" in this case, the fact of the matter is that Macdonald and Riel fought two wars against each other at the conclusion of which Riel was executed.

Basically, this trope occurs whenever an historical villain's evil actions are either glazed over or reduced in severity, in order to make them palatable, even as a villain, to mainstream television audiences.

There are [[AdolfHitler certain]] [[JosefStalin characters]] [[EmperorCaligula in history]] whose actions can't be depicted realistically on, say, a children's TV series.

Of course, [[YouShouldKnowThisAlready we all know]] what an HistoricalVillainUpgrade is: that's when you take an HistoricalDomainCharacter who is generally notable for being not a nice person (or at the very least, an opponent of whoever your hero happens to be) and transform them into full-on Hollywood-style villain.

But the thing is: there are actually [[AdolfHitler certain]] [[JosefStalin characters]] [[EmperorCaligula in history]] who are, objectively, [[CompleteMonster pretty evil]]. ''Too'' evil, indeed, for their actions to be depicted realistically on, say, a children's TV series.

* {{Dracula}} may be pretty bad...but he is absolutely ''nothing'' compared to Vlad the Impaler, upon whom the character is based.

->"[[TheCaligula Caligula]] was no Boy Scout; he did some things we can't even talk about."
-->--'''PinkyAndTheBrain'''

But the thing is: there are actually [[AdolfHitler certain]] [[JosephStalin characters]] [[TheCaligula in history]] who are, objectively, [[CompleteMonster pretty evil]]. ''Too'' evil, indeed, for their actions to be depicted realistically on, say, a children's TV series.
That's where the HistoricalVillainDowngrade comes in. You don't need to dwell, for example, on the fact that [[GodwinsLaw Adolf Hitler]] was responsible a systematic genocide which resulted in eleven million deaths; it is enough for audiences to know that he was a [[UnderStatement very bad man.]] Likewise, you might present Caligula as a letch with a [[AGodAmI god complex.]] No need to get into the [[{{Squick}} squicky]] details of his life.

Compare LighterAndSofter, PoliticallyCorrectHistory. Contrast HistoricalVillainUpgrade.

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* Various historical dictators will have their attrocities glazed over by the modern appologists, for political reasons.

->"[[TheCaligula Caligula]] was no boy scout; he did some things we can't even talk about."

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*SabrinaTheTeenageWitch's aunts met Caligula in one episode. No need to get boiled down in the whole "fetus-eating" thing.

*As the page quote suggests, this is LampShaded by PinkyAndTheBrain while discussing Caligula in one episode
*In CaptainPlanet, Hitler is depicted as being a hate-filled man. No need to get into the sordid details of the holocaust.

But the thing is: there are actually [[AdolphHitler certain]] [[JosephStalin characters]] [[TheCaligula in history]] who are, objectively, [[CompleteMonster pretty evil]]. ''Too'' evil, indeed, for their actions to be depicted realistically on, say, a children's TV series.
That's where the HistoricalVillainDowngrade comes in. You don't need to dwell, for example, on the fact that [[GodwinsLaw Adolph Hitler]] was responsible a systematic genocide which resulted in eleven million deaths; it is enough for audiences to know that he was a [[UnderStatement very bad man.]] Likewise, you might present Caligula as a letch with a [[AGodAmI god complex.]] No need to get into the [[{{Squick}} squicky]] details of his life.

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