History Main / TheProudElite

** Kuchiki Byakuya is a noble and a Captain, and he comes across as cold and arrogant. However, he has a deeply engrained sense of honor and cares passionately for those few people who make their way into his heart.

* ComicBook/EmmaFrost of the ''ComicBook/XMen''. As a member of the Hellfire Club, she was literally one of the most influential people in the world, and is known to be incredibly wealthy. She herself says she has the best body money can buy, and is a very powerful telepath, and since she got together with ComicBook/{{Cyclops}}, she's basically second-in-command of the X-Men, third if ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} happens to be around. She's also a complete bitch who can't go a day without acting like one. But no matter her flaws, she genuinely cares for all her students, and genuinely loved Cyclops.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* Sebastian Michaelis from ''Manga/BlackButler'' is a suave but aloof demon currently posing as the butler to the Earl Phantomhive. He is quite intelligent and there is very little he cannot do. Being a demon, he is one of the few examples who don't have a warmer side; he truly does care nothing for humans beyond their use as tools and food.

* ''Manga/DeathNote'': Namikawa Reiji, the member of the Yotsuba Group who Light initially contacts, is cold, calculating, and very intelligent. He's at the top of the business world and keeps everyone around him at a reserved distance.

[[folder:Comics]]

* Reggie Mantle from ''The Franchise/ArchieComics''. He comes from a well-to-do family, gets high grades, is captain of whatever sports team is the focus of the story, tends to have women swooning over him, and ''boy does he know it''. Hilariously, he's a triple-layered jerk: Aloof and rude to people in general, beneath that a fun-loving prankster JerkAss to his circle of friends, and ''beneath that'' has a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold genuine heart]] and sincerely cares deeply about his friends.
* ComicBook/EmmaFrost of the ComicBook/XMen. As a member of the Hellfire Club, she was literally one of the most influential people in the world, and is known to be incredibly wealthy. She herself says she has the best body money can buy, and is a very powerful telepath, and since she got together with ComicBook/{{Cyclops}}, she's basically second-in-command of the X-Men, third if ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} happens to be around. She's also a complete bitch who can't go a day without acting like one. But no matter her flaws, she genuinely cares for all her students, and genuinely loved Cyclops.

[[folder:FanWorks]]

* Mr Darcy from ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'' is perceived as extremely arrogant and completely uncaring of those around him, to the point that even those who acknowledge his good looks and wealth dismiss him as someone not worth getting to know. However, this impression is unintentional, and he is, in actuality, a morally upright, deeply caring man who is very socially awkward, and a tiny bit of a snob.

* Ian Kabra from ''Literature/The39Clues'' fits this trope perfectly. He's dark, described in the books as being very good-looking, and is extremely full of himself. He starts off pretty evil, but [[HeelFaceTurn turns out to have hidden morals]].

* Cort Myshtigo in ''Literature/ThisImmortal'' comes off as a cold and arrogant EntitledBastard who flaunts his family's influence, as well as his own as a wealthy and influential galacto-journalist, but he shows surprising insight into the cultural differences between Vegans and humans as well as into the personalities of those around him. [[spoiler:He also shows surprising depth by being able to play that role ''and'' see through Conrad's motivations while dying of an incurable desease. His humor in his last letter to Conrad helps to endear him to Conrad even more.]]

* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'': Creator/{{Benedict Cumberbatch}}'s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes has a bit of this: he's a tall, aloof, stylishly dressed InsufferableGenius who can be pretty offputting in how he relates to others, but there are people he [[MoralityPet genuinely cares for]].

[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'': Imperial Stormtroopers have been trained differently from the regular RedShirt guardsmen, and most of them are from a high class of society, looking down on the lowly CannonFodder. They also have better weapons and flashier uniforms.
** Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines, fits this trope to a T. Raised a noble from birth, he often came off as cold and overly analytical to his brothers. Thanks to his insistence he could improve upon their own tactics if he put his mind to it, many of them considered him an InsufferableGenius. Despite this, he really did care and wasn't as arrogant as he appeared, though only a few people got to see that side of him.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', Squall Leonhart is a tall, dark, handsome, proud, [[TheStoic stoic]], quietly dismissive {{Jerkass}} (although he has a compelling FreudianExcuse). When it comes to [[LoveInterest Rinoa]], however, he gets all squishy and emotional. And when he finds out his TrueCompanions are NotQuiteDead, he's visibly pleased.

* Ian Kabra from ''The39Clues'' fits this trope perfectly. He's dark, described in the books as being very good-looking, and is extremely full of himself. He starts off pretty evil, but [[HeelFaceTurn turns out to have hidden morals]].

* [[HandsomeDevil Ian Kabra]] from ''The39Clues'' fits this trope perfectly. He's dark, described in the books as being very good-looking, and is extremely full of himself. He starts off pretty evil, but [[HeelFaceTurn turns out to have hidden morals]].

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* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'': {{Benedict Cumberbatch}}'s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes has a bit of this: he's a tall, aloof, stylishly dressed InsufferableGenius who can be pretty offputting in how he relates to others, but there are people he [[MoralityPet genuinely cares for]].

* Emma Frost of the X-Men. As a member of the Hellfire Club, she was literally one of the most influential people in the world, and is known to be incredibly wealthy. She herself says she has the best body money can buy, and is a very powerful telepath, and since she got together with Cyclops, she's basically second-in-command of the X-Men, third if Wolverine happens to be around. She's also a complete bitch who can't go a day without acting like one. But no matter her flaws, she genuinely cares for all her students, and genuinely loved Cyclops.

* Koon from ''TowerOfGod'' is as cocky as they get. Hatsu loves to call him out for this. Problem is, Koon has something to back up his attitude.

* Dr. Nero, headmaster and founder of the eponymous school in the ''HIVESeries,'' fits this to a T. Always dressed in expensive suits and conducting himself as the successful man that he is and wants his students to emulate, it is only after six books that we find out he is a [[spoiler: HurtingHero, who lost Elena, "the only woman he ever loved" to Anastasia Furan, her own sister.]] This TragicVillain status is foreshadowed only by his numerous references to having watched many other G.L.O.V.E. members die through a variety of circumstances he obsessively tries to avoid. He spends an entire chapter in book two [[DrowningMySorrows drowning his sorrows,]] but never lets his weakness be seen to his students.

* A female example: Isabelle Lightwood from ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'', who has RavenHairIvorySkin, is extremely cold and proud, and actively partakes in Shadowhunters' FantasticRacism. She defrosts rather quickly, though.

* A female example: Isabelle from ''MortalInstruments'', who has RavenHairIvorySkin, is extremely cold and proud, and actively partakes in Shadowhunters' FantasticRacism. She defrosts rather quickly, though.

%%Note: Examples need to have more than just the character's name and the work they are from. Please include a description of how they fit the trope.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}}'': Imperial Stormtroopers have been trained differently from the regular RedShirt guardsmen, and most of them are from a high class of society, looking down on the lowly CannonFodder. They also have better weapons and flashier uniforms.

* In the 2013 stage adaptation of ''Theatre/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'', Willy Wonka becomes an example of this trope. He's fabulously successful and ''fiercely'' proud of his achievements as a chocolatier RenaissanceMan, and is far more interested in showing off the wonders of his factory and keeping the Golden Ticket tour group on schedule than getting to know them. And when the brats in the group get themselves into trouble despite his warnings, he has NoSympathy even when the consequences look to be lethal! However, there is indeed a sugary heart under the ice: His strange, beautiful factory, indeed all that he creates, is borne of a drive to make the world a lovelier place, and he doesn't care if a given "work" will make him money or not. He sees his imagination and artistic drive as what makes him ''truly'' elite, and when the adults on the tour pester him as to what the Chocolate Room is specifically ''for'' (as opposed to a personal work of art), he's rather hurt. And as it turns out, [[spoiler: he engineered poor Charlie Bucket's Golden Ticket find after meeting him while disguised as a tramp and realizing the boy might be a kindred creative spirit -- his frosty treatment of the boy during the tour is a facade]].

* In the 2013 stage adaptation of ''Theatre/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'', Willy Wonka becomes an example of this trope. He's fabulously successful and ''fiercely'' proud of his achievements as a chocolatier RenaissanceMan, and is far more interested in showing off the wonders of his factory and keeping the Golden Ticket tour group on schedule than getting to know them. And when the brats in the group get themselves into trouble despite his warnings, he has NoSympathy even when the consequences look to be lethal! However, there is indeed a sugary heart under the ice: His strange, beautiful factory, indeed all that he creates, is borne of a drive to make the world a lovelier place, and he doesn't care if a given "work" will make him money or not. He sees his imagination and artistic drive as what makes him ''truly'' elite but few around him understand, much less recognize, this. [[spoiler: It turns out that he engineered poor Charlie Bucket's Golden Ticket find after meeting him while disguised as a tramp, because he realized the boy truly appreciated his work and had a similar creative spirit.]]

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* Emma Frost of the X-Men. As a member of the Hellfire Club, she was literally one of the most influential people in the world, and is known to be incredibly wealthy. She herself says she has the best body money can buy, and is a very powerful telepath. She's also a complete bitch who can't go a day without acting like one, and since she got together with Cyclops,Moshe's basically second-in-command of the X-Men, third if Wolverine happens to be around. But no matter her flaws, she genuinely cares for al her students, and genuinely loved Cyclops.

* ''VideoGame/Warcraft'' the early Highborne Night Elves under Azshara believe themselves to be better than the other lowly Night Elves and separated themselves from them and hog all of the magic of the Well of Eternity to summon the Burning Legion. Azshara believes that the legion would come and wipe out all the impure of the world, and that Sargeras was the perfect mate for her.

* ''Manga/DeathNote'': Namikawa Reigi, the member of the Yoshuba Group who Light initially contacts, is cold, calculating, and very intelligent. He's at the top of the business world and keeps everyone around him at a reserved distance.