History Main / TragicBigot

* {{Deconstructed}} with King Aultcray Melromarc in ''LightNovel/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero''. He has a deep hatred for demihumans because they killed his family and took away his younger sister from him, and in turn also despises the Shield Hero because demihumans worship him as a god. As a result, [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem he constantly goes out of his way to abuse his authority]] to make things harder for Naofumi, ranging from denying him support or rewards for his efforts to actively making him out to be a criminal, even risking war with other countries simply because of petty revenge [[MisplacedRetribution against a guy who hadn't personally slighted him in the least or even]] ''[[MisplacedRetribution known]]'' [[MisplacedRetribution about what happened to him.]]

* While many British characters in ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'' are racist without any excuse (due to DeliberateValuesDissonance), Barok van Zieks is the only one who fits this trope. Late into the first game, he reveals that he hates the Japanese because he once had a Japanese friend who "betrayed" him, though he doesn't elaborate further. The sequel reveals that [[spoiler: this friend, Genshin Asogi, was convicted of being the SerialKiller who had been killing London's nobles and sowing fear throughout the city. The same serial killer who ''murdered his brother Klint''. Of course, it was later revealed that while Genshin really did kill Klint, it was because Klint was the real SerialKiller -- [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone consumed with guilt over what he had become]], he admitted to Genshin that he was indeed the killer and requested a DuelToTheDeath, knowing that he would be killed. Barok even once suspected that Klint was the killer and had all the pieces to put the truth together, but subconsciously ''refused'' to put them together because that would mean accepting that his brother was a murderer.]]

* While many British characters in ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'' are racist without any excuse (due to DeliberateValuesDissonance), Barok van Zieks is the only one who fits this trope. Late into the first game, he reveals that he hates the Japanese because he once had a Japanese friend who "betrayed" him, though he doesn't elaborate further. The sequel reveals that [[spoiler: this friend was convicted of being a SerialKiller. The same serial killer who ''murdered his brother''. Of course, it was later revealed that while this friend did kill Barok's brother, it was because said brother was the real SerialKiller. Barok had all the pieces to find out, but subconsciously ''refused'' to put them together because that would mean accepting that his brother was a murderer.]]

* While many British characters in ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'' are racist without any excuse (due to DeliberateValuesDissonance), Barok van Zeiks is the only one who fits this trope. Late into the first game, he reveals that he hates the Japanese because he once had a Japanese friend who "betrayed" him, though he doesn't elaborate further. The sequel reveals that [[spoiler: this friend was convicted of being a SerialKiller. The same serial killer who ''murdered his brother''. Of course, it was later revealed that while this friend did kill Barok's brother, it was because said brother was the real SerialKiller. Barok had all the pieces to find out, but subconsciously ''refused'' to put them together because that would mean accepting that his brother was a murderer.]]

* Scar in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''. He hates all Amestrians, and State Alchemists in particular, due to the Amestrian military's attempted genocide of the Ishvalans. His bigotry is made even more sympathetic by the fact that most Amestrians, including Ed and Al at the beginning, are [[FantasticRacism pretty racist]] towards Ishvalans themselves.

* ''Heavily'' deconstructed in ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse''. [[spoiler:Part of the reason Belos/Philip hates witches so much is because his older brother Caleb was lured into the Demon Realm by a witch named Evelyn, never to be seen again. This quickly falls apart however, because when Philip went into the Demon Realm to save his brother and discovered that Caleb actually went in ''willingly'' to enter a romantic relationship with Evelyn, he flew into a rage, ''[[SiblingMurder stabbed Caleb to death]]'', and proceeded to spend over 400 years desecrating his corpse in his attempts to make a [[ReplacementGoldfish Grimwalker]] of Caleb that would obey him without question. Even his stated goal of protecting humanity from evil falls apart under the slightest scrutiny, since he has absolutely zero qualms about tormenting and trying to kill Luz, a 14 year-old human girl. In "Watching and Dreaming", the Titan spells out Belos's true motivations as "wanting to be the hero in his own delusion", thereby fearing what he can't control.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/OnePiece https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fisher_tiger_death_4.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Slavery and tolerance really don't go together.]]

*** Fisher Tiger is particularly tragic. In his early years, his prejudice against humans was relatively mild, but after he was MadeASlave, he began to hate them despite himself. In his mind, he knew all humans weren't alike and realized that hating them all was a horrible thing to do. He even freed both human and fishman when he attacked his former masters. But ultimately, he could never let go of how he was treated. He ''tried'', but he still couldn't stop himself from hating them. [[spoiler:To the point he died because he refused a blood transfusion from humans, much to his own disgust. He knew he'd die without it, he knew humans would gladly save him, but he ''still'' couldn't accept having human blood in him. However, he begged his crew not to tell the people of Fishman Island of his past as a slave or the ambush that killed him, hoping to stop the cycle of hate between the races.]]

* In ''Film/GetOut2017'', [[spoiler: Roman Armitage's hatred and manipulation of black people is caused by, of all things, losing an Olympic qualifier to Jesse Owens.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/OnePiece https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cannot_love_flipped_6042.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Slavery and tolerance really don't go together.]]

*** Fisher Tiger (see page image) is particularly tragic. In his early years, his prejudice against humans was relatively mild, but after he was MadeASlave, he began to hate them despite himself. In his mind, he knew all humans weren't alike and realized that hating them all was a horrible thing to do. He even freed both human and fishman when he attacked his former masters. But ultimately, he could never let go of how he was treated. He ''tried'', but he still couldn't stop himself from hating them. [[spoiler:To the point he died because he refused a blood transfusion from humans, much to his own disgust. He knew he'd die without it, he knew humans would gladly save him, but he ''still'' couldn't accept having human blood in him. However, he begged his crew not to tell the people of Fishman Island of his past as a slave or the ambush that killed him, hoping to stop the cycle of hate between the races.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'': King Triton has a hatred for humans and everything human-related after his wife Athena was killed by pirates as revealed in the prequel.

* While many British characters in ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'' are racist without any excuse (due to DeliberateValuesDissonance), Barok van Zeiks is the only one who fits this trope. Late into the first game, he reveals that he hates the Japanese because he once had a Japanese friend who "betrayed" him, though he doesn't elaborate further. The sequel reveals that [[spoiler: this friend was convicted of being a SerialKiller. The same serial killer who ''murdered his brother''. Of course, it was later revealed that while this friend did kill Barok's brother, it was because said brother was the real SerialKiller.]]

Another important distinction of the Tragic Bigot is that they aren't likely to resort to bullying or mockery like a standard bigot would. The Tragic Bigot doesn't see their hated demographic as inferior but as evil.

* Nighthawk from ''ComicBook/SquadronSupreme'' is kind of a double whammy. His parents were murdered by white supremacists so he hates white society, but he ALSO targets people like black drug dealers or pimps because he considers them race traitors who prey on their own kind. He also doesn't like fellow black superhero Blur and considers him an [[UncleTomfoolery Uncle Tom.]]

** The Enclave themselves could be seen as this, if you're willing to keep a ''[[ANaziByAnyOtherName really]]'' open mind. They were the descendants of members of the United States federal government and found themselves in the ruins of the world's most dominant superpower surrounded by people who had little to no concept of the ideals their ancestors died to uphold. As a result, they considered themselves to be the [[MasterRace only true Americans]] and saw the wastelanders as mutated trespassers. Despite not having the numbers to repopulate the country on their own, they were blinded by HonorBeforeReason and decided [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum they'd rather let humanity die than watch America fall completely]]. The PlayerCharacter of ''VideoGame/Fallout2'' can help the creator of their genocide virus, Lt. Col. Dr. Charles Curling, break through this delusion, upon which he [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realizes what he's done]] and turns on his own brothers to save humanity. After this and the destruction of their oil rig, the survivors are hunted down relentlessly by the New California Republic and Brotherhood of Steel. In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', RetiredMonster Onion Moreno was devastated by the loss of everything he had ever known and stated "kiss America goodbye, boys" as they were forced to flee Navarro.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' Plays this straight and also defies it. It's played straight for Dracula, who hated the humans after they took his (also human) wife, Lisa, and burned her alive because they thought she was a witch. However, Alucard, Dracula and Lisa's {{Dhampyr}} son, was there when they killed her, and her last words [[DefiedTrope made sure that he at least would not go down the same path]]:

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'':
** Soren in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance]]'' has a strong hatred of the laguz (a group of were-beast peoples) that comes as a shock, as it's completely out-of-place with his usual [[TheStoic stoic demeanor]] and [[TheSpock rational way of thinking]]. Only when Ike has a support conversation with Soren later in the game is the reason revealed: as a child, the laguz [[spoiler:abused him because he was a Branded--a HalfHumanHybrid between beorc (stock humans) and laguz. Both beorc and laguz generally despise branded, but the laguz are way more adept at spotting them for what they are, so his life around laguz was far more hellish.]])

* In ''Videogame/MassEffect2'' An asari in Illium lost her wife in the [[RobotWar Geth War]] and her daughters in the attack at the Citadel in ''Videogame/MassEffect1'', and is convinced that if only the asari existed, the galaxy would be a better place. You can talk with her, get her to open up and break down in tears about this terrible tragedy and the pain it still causes her, and convincing her to honour their memory by forgiving the aliens she holds responsible... only to overhear two racist asari thoughtlessly bitching about her and her family, because she's pureblood and she married an asari.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** Ingrid in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' has an unsavory grudge against the people of Duscur. Her [[AllThereInTheManual likes and dislikes information screen will tell you as much]]. This makes her relationship with Dedue rather complicated. But then, it is revealed that her reasoning for this is caused by [[ConspicuouslyPublicAssassination the assassination on her fiancé that was blamed on the people of Duscsur]]. However, [[spoiler: she does manage to realize the unfairness of her grudge and comes around eventually]].

* Tobias Whale in ''Series/BlackLightning'' hates black people an awful lot, despite actually not being white as he might first appear but [[BoomerangBigot in fact an albino black man.]] The reason is that his [[ParentalAbuse abusive father]] always made sure to rub in that Tobias' white skin meant he wasn't a "real" black person. Partially [[JustifiedTrope justified,]] as albinos of African descent tend to be looked down upon at best and murdered as disease-carriers or for their organs (something his boss, Lady Eve, lampshades in one episode) at worst.

->'''Eddie Valiant:''' Get this straight, meatball! [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I! Don't! Work! For Toons!]]\\

->'''Eddie Valiant:''' Get this straight, meatball! I! Don't! Work! For Toons!\\