History TheStarscream / Literature

%% ** [[spoiler:Valentine saw Luke as this, although he really wasn't]].

* Recurring among villains in the JackRyan novels:

* [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Joruus C'baoth to Grand Admiral Thrawn]], for the time that they were a BigBadDuumvirate. C'baoth chafed under Thrawn's directions and constantly tried to get around his orders. Thrawn's CommanderContrarian, Captain Pellaeon, even said that [[EvilIsNotAToy taking an insane cloned Jedi Master off his planet and into the Imperial fleet]] was a bad, ''bad'' idea. Thrawn had plans for the stunts C'baoth pulled, but if the two of them hadn't been killed more or less at the same time at the end of the book, it's anyone's guess what would have happened.
** In the ''Literature/XWingSeries'', Kirtan Loor gradually moves away from loyal minionhood and towards this. When he's put in charge of the Palpatine Counterinsurgency Front on newly-captured Coruscant while everyone higher-ranked than he is leaves, he gets a lot of autonomy, allowed to harass and terrorize the New Republic any way he wants. Eventually he decides that while he's not an idiot and won't directly oppose [[BigBad Isard]], he's not terrified of her anymore, and she won't live forever. Not long after that thought hits, the head of the organization commissioned to neutralize the Palpatine Counterinsurgency Front tracks him down, but not to bring him to justice, just to get him to hit targets that head wants eliminated. Loor agrees, in part because otherwise he'd be either killed or taken to justice, but thinks that Flirry Vorru, too, won't live forever. At the end of [[spoiler: The Krytos Trap]] he does actually turn against them, but to try and seek sanctuary with the New Republic in exchange for some [[HisNameIs information]]. It doesn't work out.

* Literature/TrappedOnDraconica: [[EvilGenius Lucia]] plans to overthrow [[BigBad Gothon]] for reasons he will not disclose. [[spoiler: This is because he doesn't know them. Kazebar is possessing him.]]

* Saruman of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. Saruman was one of the Istari, agents sent from Valinor to assist the Free Peoples against Sauron. His initial intentions were beneficial; he desired the One Ring from Sauron and planned to use it as a means to permanently defeat him. However, during his time in Middle-earth, Saruman grew more and more proud of himself, and decided he could use his skill as a highly persuasive {{Consummate Liar}} to fool Sauron himself into an alliance, and instead use the One Ring to make ''himself'' the ruler of Middle-earth. Sauron caught on pretty quickly though, and Saruman became so terrified of his wrath that after his army was defeated he locked himself in his tower for the majority of the War of the Ring.

** During ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear'', the series' BigBad, [[MadScientist Borborygmus Gog]], is in the payroll of the Emperor, which he's fine with, and often subject to scrutiny and criticism from Darth Vader, which he definitely resents, but the Sith Lord is the Emperor's ranking representative, the one he sees the most. Gog adjusts elements of his big project, trying to figure out a way around TheForce that is Vader's biggest advantage so he can kill him. The project's name? Project Starscream.

* ''Literature/GhostInTheNoondaySun:'' First Mate Ringrose feels emboldened once Captain Scratch suggests he might make a good captain if Scratch is the unlucky man while they're DrawingStraws to determine who will be marooned. He tries to depose Scratch in a mutiny and later plots with Jack o' Lantern to undermine him during the treasure hunt. Since Scratch is a PointyHairedBoss and a multiple-murderer and Ringnose is more of a PunchClockVillain, Ringrose is a rare sympathetic Starscream.
* In the ''[[Literature/TheCrewOfTheCopperColoredCupids Copper-Colored Cupids]]'' short story ''[[https://thecrewofthecoppercoloredcupids.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/the-resurrection-of-the-wellsians/ The Resurrection of the Wellsians]]'', the alchemist Master Mandragora is introduced planning to betray the Governor, which he eventually does in the climax, calmly revealing that the titular monsters obey ''him'', not the Governor, before ordering one of them to kill the Governor.

* ''Literature/TheStarchildTrilogy'' has:
** In ''Literature/TheReefsOfSpace'', Machine General Fleemer is personally ambitious, and desperately wants the job of Planner--the leader of Earth, responsible for carring out the instructions of the great [[MasterComputer Planning Machine]], and has been secretly undermining the Planner and lying to the machine.
** In ''Literature/{{Starchild}}'', Machine General Wheeler is fiercely loyal to the Plan of Man, but thinks the current Planner is weak and insufficiently ruthless, and believes he would be much better at the job.

* ''Literature/LostVoices'': Anais, a RichBitch from Miami who transforms into a mermaid after Catarina's tribe sinks her father's yacht, joins the tribe and immediately starts plotting to overthrow Catarina. She wins the other mermaids' loyalty by helping them salvage flashy human trinkets from wrecks, while spreading rumors that Luce is trying to overthrow Catarina, even though Luce is the only mermaid who's completely loyal to her.

* In ''Literature/TreasureIsland'', there's George Merry, the drunken, bad-tempered, undisciplined right hand to Long John Silver. He repeatedly threatens Silver's schemes mostly through carelessness, but once they arrive on the island and seize the ship from the commanding officers, establishing Long John as the new captain, George starts actively and deliberately gunning for Silver's position, leading a brief coup attempt (which John is able to talk down with some very quick thinking) and ultimately turning to violence at the book's climax. The main thing that drives him here is his frustration with Silver's more AntiVillain tendencies.

* ''Literature/TheArtsOfDarkAndLight'': In [[TheEmpire Savondir]], there are more than a few hints that the [[WarriorPrince Red Prince]] has this attitude toward [[TheEmperor his father]] the King, possibly aiming at it by working together with [[MoreDeadlyThanTheMale Roheis]]. [[spoiler:This is actually a RedHerring, with the real conspirator being [[ManipulativeBastard Count Saint-Aglie]].]] His younger brother Duke Etienne in turn behaves this way [[TheEvilPrince against him]].

** Tom's Yeerk somewhat also fits this trope. Near the end of the series, after Visser Three is promoted to Visser One, Tom betrays his leader to further his own ambition.

* ''Literature/TheArtsOfDarkAndLight'': In Savondir, there are more than a few hints that the [[WarriorPrince Red Prince]] has this attitude toward [[TheEmperor his father]] the King, possibly aiming at it by working together with [[MoreDeadlyThanTheMale Roheis]]. [[spoiler:This is actually a RedHerring, with the real conspirator being [[ManipulativeBastard Count Saint-Aglie]].]] His younger brother Duke Etienne in turn behaves this way [[TheEvilPrince against him]].