History Main / TheParanoiac

* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', this can well be considered General Ironwood's fatal flaw. He brought an army to the Vytal festival because he was worried about security, ignoring both the unfortunate implications of Atlas sending an entire army to basically occupy a sovereign nation, and the mounting anxiety and fear people would naturally feel from having an army float over their heads, especially since Grimm are attracted by negativity. After [[spoiler:Cinder hijacks his army and use them against Vale]], it gets worse. When the audience next sees him, he is working on a plan to combat [[BigBad Salem]], but is so paranoid about her figuring it out that he doesn't even let the governing council of Atlas in on it, which further enflames the tension between Atlas and its poorer sibling Mantle, since all they can see is that the general of Atlas is redirecting vital resources from civilian sectors to military for no good reason, something that ultimately lets [[spoiler:[[TheCracker Watts]] get an entry into Atlas' security system]]. He finally manages to overcome his paranoia near the end of volume 7, agreeing to work with a political rival he had previously distrusted for the sake of Mantle and Atlas' safety. [[spoiler:Only for Cinder to press his TraumaButton, convincing him that he's played straight into Salem's hand, and going full dictator out of fear]].

** Batman himself is frequently accused of being a paranoiac; how much this is true is a case of DependingOnTheWriter, but he has certainly demonstrated many paranoid traits (though it certainly doesn't help that he lives in a world where crazy is commonplace and [[ProperlyParanoid a lot of people really are out to get him]]), including a grim attitude, ControlFreak tendencies, {{Jerkass}} tendencies, and a habit of resorting to violence to solve his problems, with some stories going so far as to imply that being the Batman is simply an excuse for Bruce to take revenge for the murder of his parents by beating the crap out of criminals every night. He also has a grim and bleak view of the society he lives in -- mostly because that society [[WretchedHive is Gotham City]], and his explicit reason for choosing a bat as his gimmick is to [[TerrorHero scare the hell out of his enemies]]. [[SubvertedTrope However]], most stories portray him as someone who, despite being a major cynic and pessimist, actually ''does'' somewhat trust his allies (he's just acutely aware that he lives in a world where MindControl and DemonicPossession are real threats and ''can'' turn his teammates against him against their own wills) and who is actually a humble man who has decided to sacrifice his life to the cause of saving others from the evil that took his family away from him. [[DoubleSubversion But then again]], [[ComicBook/Robin1993 considering some]] [[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmericaTowerOfBabel of the morally]] [[ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis questionable lengths that]] [[ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal he's gone to]] to spy on his allies without their consent and come up with plans to take them down behind their backs, one has to wonder.

* Grant [=McKay=] from ''ComicBook/BlackScience'' is a genius physicist whose brilliance is hampered by his extreme narcissistic paranoia. He sees oppression and greed everywhere, often without evidence, and rejects all authority figures, regardless of their merit. He also has a huge victim complex, seeing himself as a put-upon everyman who's being held back by [[BlamingTheMan The Man]]. In a rather telling scene, he goes on a bitter, rambling diatribe about how history is WrittenByTheWinners and how [[SmallNameBigEgo great people like him who do the real work]] are always forgotten.

* Red Alert in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'', perhaps as a result of being {{Brainwashed}} a couple of times, perhaps not. At first, it looks like he's making progress, but then Rung gets shot (non-fatally) by accident and he goes quickly downhill until he attempts suicide, believing that whoever shot his therapist will come after him next. [[spoiler:There ''is'' [[ProperlyParanoid a conspiracy going on involving Rodimus]], and Red Alert had even stumbled on it. In ''ComicBook/TheTransformersTitansReturn'', it's revealed that the reason why Red Alert is so paranoid was that millions of years ago, Sentinel Prime used shadowplay to turn him into a sleeper agent.]] Whirl also has a few traits of this, typically answering the door with a loaded gun even though he's on an Autobot ship and the war is over, but it's not as emphasized as Red Alert's.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Hypnota was always a secretive person due to being a stage magician who publicly identified as male most of the time and having been assigned female at birth. Then their twin sister, the one person they truly trusted, shot them in the head in a training accident. Nothing could convince them that this ''was'' an accident, and they became a control freak of a terrifying magnitude using their hypnotic meta-abilities to turn people into essentially slaves and then selling many of them to Saturnian Empire slavers as they no longer trusted or cared for anyone but themselves. Their lack of empathy is implied to be mostly due to brain damage changing them, but they always held their secrets close.

* The last king of Auru from ''Webcomic/{{Plume}}'', after his ascension to the throne via [[CainAndAbel fratricide]], becomes obsessed with the idea that someone will dispose of him the same way. Almost becomes a SelfFulfillingProphecy when his actions [[spoiler:cause Corrick to dream of and consider murdering him]].

* ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'': Red is constantly on alert regarding the eggs' safety compared to the other birds' and occasionally tends to overreacting toward the smallest things that could be a threat to them, like stray leaf. Given how the pigs never stop trying to steal them for King Pig's meal, [[ProperlyParanoid he's technically not wrong]].

* Sauron and Morgoth from the ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' verse both fit this disorder, particularly as they get progressively weaker over the Ages and increasingly spiteful, envious, controlling, petty, and grandiose as a direct result of that. Sauron especially, as by the end, he simply wants to control absolutely everything and is completely enraged by ''any'' challenge to his authority.

* [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderPrincessAzula Azula]] from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' becomes this at the second to last episode.[[spoiler: After Mai and Ty Lee betray her at the Boiling Rock, and her father Ozai essentially betrays her by making her a puppet Fire Lord, Azula's mind starts to slip and she imagines that ''everyone'' is waiting to betray her. She banishes servants for leaving a pit in her cherries (could be an attempt to assassinate her by choking her on a cherry pit!), the Dai Li for taking a bit too long to respond to her summons, and her maids Lo and Li for questioning her mental well-being. After Zuko (with Katara's help) defeats her in an Agni Kai for the position of Fire Lord, she suffers a total mental breakdown when she realizes that she has no one left on her side.]]

* ''Literature/TheCaineMutiny'' gives a good example of this trope in the form of Captain Queeg. An inadequate man for his position, his toxic leadership forces his executive officer to relieve him during a typhoon. The resulting trial revolves around whether or not Queeg suffered this disorder, or was merely an unpleasant person.

* The society of ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'' is run by The Computer, a well-meaning civil service AI... but in the wake of an ancient disaster, the first files it could find that weren't moved off-site or corrupted were [[RedScare civil defense documents from 1957]], and things rapidly went downhill from there. While nowadays many threats against Alpha Complex are [[ProperlyParanoid real]], It's just as likely to misinterpret some random bit of evidence and send a Troubleshooter team off on a wild goose chase.

* Azula from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' becomes this at the second to last episode.[[spoiler: After Mai and Ty Lee betray her at the Boiling Rock, and her father Ozai essentially betrays her by making her a puppet Fire Lord, Azula's mind starts to slip and she imagines that ''everyone'' is waiting to betray her. She banishes servants for leaving a pit in her cherries (could be an attempt to assassinate her by choking her on a cherry pit!), the Dai Li for taking a bit too long to respond to her summons, and her maids Lo and Li for questioning her mental well-being. After Zuko (with Katara's help) defeats her in an Agni Kai for the position of Fire Lord, she suffers a total mental breakdown when she realizes that she has no one left on her side.]]

** [[Characters/BatmanTheRiddler The Riddler]], for much the same reasons as [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Doctor Doom]] -- he assumes that Batman and everyone else is jealous of his [[InsufferableGenius "obvious" intellectual superiority]] and dismisses every defeat he's had as Batman somehow cheating. He occasionally has his moments of clarity where he realizes [[HisOwnWorstEnemy he's doing himself in with his riddle gimmick]], but StatusQuoIsGod and something usually happens to push him bAck over the edge.
** [[Characters/BatmanTheScarecrow The Scarecrow]] was violently bullied in his youth and was left with a crippling inferiority complex that developed into an obsession with fear and a career in supervillainy, his "gimmick" being scaring people to death with hallucinogenic drugs. Like most Batman villains, he is prone to BadBoss behaviour and violent overreactions. He also believes that the entire world runs on fear; hard to get a bleaker worldview than that.
** [[Characters/BatmanTwoFace Two-Face]], though "officially" diagnosed as having a SplitPersonality, probably fits this better than anything. He has BlackAndWhiteInsanity and a [[JadeColoredGlasses bleak worldview]] down to a tee, as he literally makes nearly every decision [[HeadsOrTails based on a coin flip]] (and has a FreakOut if he ever loses said coin) because he thinks all laws and rules [[StrawNihilist are based on random chance]]; he has [[HairTriggerTemper an explosive temper]], and once killed a lackey over [[DisproportionateRetribution spilling a drink]]; he murdered his mistress, [[ComicBook/BatmanDarkVictory Janice Porter]], because "Harvey Dent is a married man" and later was livid to learn that [[ComicBook/GothamCentral Renee Montoya]], whom he had been stalking, was a lesbian and [[InsaneTrollLogic accused her of tricking him]]. Works such as ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'' suggest that much of this attitude was present even before he became Two-Face, as that story showed a grim and humourless Harvey Dent willing to break the law to defeat the mob, having zero time for human relationships (including his wife) and maybe-or-not being the SerialKiller who was murdering mobsters and served as the BigBad of the plot. A [[AbusiveParents drunken and abusive father]] is also a consistent feature of his backstory, as is the implication that Harvey is mistrusting and pitiless as a result.
** [[Characters/BatmanRasAlGhul Ra's al Ghul]] has all the hallmarks of a paranoiac {{Narcissist}}ic cult leader. Most notably, he is a ControlFreak whose League of Assassins has a policy of [[YouHaveFailedMe punishing failure with death]], something that rarely seems to produce results but ''would'' serve the purpose of [[DivideAndConquer making the world's deadliest assassins more eager to succeed than turn against him]]. In addition, he never once [[NeverMyFault accepts responsibility]] for messing up his family nor any blame for any of the murders and atrocities he has committed over the centuries or plans to commit in the future. He is also prone to {{Revenge}} on everyone who isn't Batman, whom he admires and perhaps secretly [[GreenEyedMonster envies]], although his gigantic ego is rebuffed by the Detective's refusal to [[WeCanRuleTogether marry his daughter and become his heir]]. He is [[MisanthropeSupreme utterly cynical about the rest of humanity]] and is a firm believer in MightMakesRight and ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption, punishing any follower (or Dark Knight) who disagrees with him with [[SadistTeacher object lessons]]. Essentially, he comes across as a man who secretly fears that he [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex isn't as special as he always thought he was]] and falls back on increasingly violent and extreme methods to both prove that wrong and [[TheManBehindTheCurtain stop anyone from questioning his superior image]].

** [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] is the archetypal paranoid narcissist, and his creator Creator/JackKirby has even occasionally referred to him as paranoid. The absolute monarch of the tiny nation of Latveria where he has fostered a cult of personality around himself, Doom frequently [[ThirdPersonPerson refers to himself in the third person]], accepts [[NeverMyFault zero responsibility]] for any of his mistakes and failures, and is completely convinced that the reason that the Fantastic Four are fighting him is because their leader Reed (and everyone else, but especially Reed) is and always had been insanely envious of Doom's own [[InsufferableGenius "superior" brilliance]], when in reality, [[GreenEyedMonster it's Doom who is envious of Reed]].
* ''ComicBook/NewGods'': [[Characters/NewGodsDarkseid Darkseid]], the EvilOverlord of Apokolips, shows many signs of a paranoiac {{Sadist}}. Though always a total bastard, Darkseid became insanely mistrustful and paranoid after his mother Heggra, who had manipulated and controlled him his entire life, murdered the only woman he ever loved via Darkseid's own underling Desaad, with Darkseid responding by ordering Desaad to murder Heggra back, and then treating him and every other underling with even more cruelty and mistrust than before. Questioning Darkseid is an instant death sentence, and his ultimate ambition is to control all life everywhere and eradicate TheEvilsOfFreeWill, including love, happiness, and hope, [[DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans turning the universe into a bleak, miserable dystopia where everyone suffers]] and [[AGodAmI worships him as God]].

* ''Film/{{The Magnificent Seven|1960}}'': Lee is a jumpy paranoid wreck due to the repeated and near-constant attempts on his life from individuals trying to [[ThePerilsOfBeingTheBest kill the famous gunslinger to take his fame]].

* ''Film/GalaxyQuest'': Guy Fleegman, as a running gag. Having played a minor role on the original show, he sneaks along with the other protagonists thinking they're doing a revival. When he realizes he's on an actual ship and everything is for real (and thus dangerous), he becomes convinced he's the requisite RedShirt and is doomed to die. [[spoiler:Fred convinces him that he's actually the plucky ComedyRelief, who has much higher chances of survival. In the end, he not only survives but becomes a regular crew member and cast member when they do an actual revival.]]
* The TropeNamer for GeneralRipper from ''Film/DrStrangelove'', who is convinced that the Communists are poisoning the water supply with fluoride to contaminate our [[MemeticMutation PRECIOUS BODILY FLUIDS]].

Paranoid Personality Disorder is highly co-morbid with several other disorders, including [[{{Narcissist}} Narcissism]], [[TheSociopath Sociopathy]], and [[{{Sadist}} Sadism]]; many sociopaths are basically aggressive paranoiacs, sharing a bleak view of the world and basic mistrust of others, but deciding that attack is the best form of defense. Sadists are very often paranoiacs who have learned to take perverse satisfaction in controlling or avenging themselves on others (as opposed to viewing it as NecessarilyEvil, WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou, or other such JerkJustifications); indeed, since sadism is not currently an official psychological diagnosis (for reasons more of politics and research rather than the idea that it doesn't actually exist), many sadists are diagnosed as paranoiacs instead of an alternative (when they aren't diagnosed as TheSociopath). Paranoia also often goes hand in hand with TheSchizophreniaConspiracy (especially in fiction, much like how HollywoodTourettes tends to be confined by compulsive profanity even though this is only one way Tourette's Syndrome can manifest in RealLife).

Paranoid Personality Disorder is highly co-morbid with several other disorders, including [[{{Narcissist}} Narcissism]], [[TheSociopath Sociopathy]], and [[{{Sadist}} Sadism]]; many sociopaths are basically aggressive paranoiacs, sharing a bleak view of the world and basic mistrust of others, but deciding that attack is the best form of defense. Sadists are very often paranoiacs who have learned to take perverse satisfaction in controlling or avenging themselves on others (as opposed to viewing it as NecessarilyEvil, WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou, or other such JerkJustifications); indeed, since sadism is not currently an official psychological diagnosis (for reasons more of politics and research rather than the idea that it doesn't actually exist), many sadists are diagnosed as paranoiacs instead of an alternative (when they aren't diagnosed as TheSociopath). Paranoia also often goes hand in hand with TheSchizophreniaConspiracy (especially in fiction, much like how HollywoodTourettes goes hand in hand with compulsive cursing to a much greater degree than actual Tourette's Syndrome does).

Paranoid Personality Disorder is highly co-morbid with several other disorders, including [[{{Narcissist}} Narcissism]], [[TheSociopath Sociopathy]], and [[{{Sadist}} Sadism]]; many sociopaths are basically aggressive paranoiacs, sharing a bleak view of the world and basic mistrust of others, but deciding that attack is the best form of defense. Sadists are very often paranoiacs who have learned to take perverse satisfaction in controlling or avenging themselves on others (as opposed to viewing it as NecessarilyEvil, WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou, or other such JerkJustifications); indeed, since sadism is not currently an official psychological diagnosis (for reasons more of politics and research rather than the idea that it doesn't actually exist), many sadists are diagnosed as paranoiacs instead of an alternative (when they aren't diagnosed as TheSociopath). Paranoia also often goes hand in hand with TheSchizophreniaConspiracy, (especially in fiction, much like how HollywoodTourettes goes hand in hand with compulsive cursing to a much greater degree than actual Tourette's Syndrome does).

Paranoid Personality Disorder is highly co-morbid with several other disorders, including [[{{Narcissist}} Narcissism]], [[TheSociopath Sociopathy]], and [[{{Sadist}} Sadism]]; many sociopaths are basically aggressive paranoiacs, sharing a bleak view of the world and basic mistrust of others, but deciding that attack is the best form of defense. Sadists are very often paranoiacs who have learned to take perverse satisfaction in controlling or avenging themselves on others (as opposed to viewing it as NecessarilyEvil, WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou, or other such JerkJustifications); indeed, since sadism is not currently an official psychological diagnosis (for reasons more of politics and research rather than the idea that it doesn't actually exist), many sadists are diagnosed as paranoiacs instead of an alternative (when they aren't diagnosed as TheSociopath).