It’s all the time unhappy when heroes fall from the sunshine. They usually begin with one of the best intentions, however in attempting to behave on them, they conflict with the world at giant. That conflict mires their journey in hardship. The heroes develop to resent their circumstances, turning to excessive measures to proper these wrongs. This destiny can befall even the noblest of souls. That stated, one group appears extra vulnerable than most.
Writers usually painting kings going dangerous. These characters undergo the identical descent however on a grander scale. They start as benevolent rulers who wish to shield their folks. They could even have some revolutionary coverage to propel their realms to greatness. Finally, although, their ambitions and private grudges get the higher of them. Abusing their authority to focus on their enemies, these misguided monarchs run their realms into the bottom. Energy can corrupt one of the best of males.
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10 Thorin Oakenshield
Dwarves in Center-earth have a pure love of gold, however Thorin Oakenshield takes it to the acute. The Hobbit revolves round his quest to reclaim his kingdom of Erebor, which was seized by the dragon Smaug. Fortunately, the heroes cleverly eliminate the creature and restore Thorin’s kingship. The stage appears set for him to return Erebor to its former glory, however fortune will get the higher of him.
Thorin begins hoarding his innumerable wealth. The Males of Lake-town and the Elves of Mirkwood plead with him to assist restore the dragon’s injury, however he flatly refuses. Any try to alter his thoughts meets with anger and violence. The Dwarf is even prepared to go to conflict to defend his booty. He solely redeems himself by aiding these damaged folks towards the larger menace of the Orcs. As Oakenshield lays dying, he admits the folly of his greed to his Hobbit buddy. House is much extra helpful than gold.
In Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy, this obsession is amplified into “dragon illness,” a cinematic metaphor for greed’s corrupting affect.[1]
9 Macbeth
Prophecies hardly ever finish effectively in fiction. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth receives one such premonition from three witches. The troublesome trio tells the Scottish warrior that he’ll sooner or later declare his nation’s crown. He has no such aspirations till his conniving spouse spurs him to grab his future. This stress prompts Macbeth to kill the present king and usurp the throne. The ability play fills him with guilt. He’s decided to show issues round, but it surely’s to not be.
Macbeth grows more and more unstable. He is aware of that he doesn’t deserve his kingship, and that data makes him consider that everybody’s out to take it. The ruler begins executing folks for the only of suspicions. Within the course of, he turns right into a prototypical tyrant. This downward spiral ends with each him and his spouse dying in a brutal battle. What else may you count on from a Shakespearean tragedy?
Paradoxically, Macbeth is notorious amongst actors for the so-called “Scottish Play” curse—many theater troupes keep away from even saying its title aloud backstage.[2]
8 Harold
Assembly your girlfriend’s dad and mom is all the time awkward, particularly in the event that they’re royalty. King Harold is the prim and correct ruler of Far, Far Away. Shrek 2 opens with him inviting his daughter and son-in-law to a royal ball, however his pleasure evaporates as soon as he sees that Shrek is an ogre. Unable to simply accept a monster into his household, he places a success on the husband. This act appears petty, but it surely’s truly a projection.
Harold is secretly the Frog Prince. Cursed to stay as an amphibian, he solely turns into a human by fairy magic and real love. It’s straightforward to think about such an expertise making him self-conscious. When an identical curse renders his daughter an ogre, he naturally takes drastic measures to make sure a good-looking prince adjustments her again. Shrek is a large slap within the face to that plan. After all, as soon as Harold witnesses how a lot the newlyweds love one another, he sees the error of his methods. He even sacrifices his human kind to save lots of them. Harold is a greater man as a frog.
Actor John Cleese’s dry, royal tone turned Harold into one of many franchise’s most beloved aspect characters.[3]
7 Aerys II Targaryen
Regardless of how lengthy they rule the Recreation of Thrones world, the Targaryens have a questionable report of kingship. The worst instance is Aerys II Targaryen. He begins his tenure simply sufficient—throwing vigorous events, touring the realm, and treating his topics with respect. That upbeat perspective paves the best way for a profitable kingdom. The great instances don’t final perpetually, although.
A wave of misfortune quickly plagues Aerys. His household suffers a number of losses because of miscarriages, stillbirths, and deaths. These powerful breaks irritate the king’s present temper swings, making him suspicious of each state of affairs. The issue worsens as soon as he’s taken captive by rebels. After his rescue, the king lets nobody close to him. He sees everybody as an enemy, resulting in numerous executions in dozens of varieties. Burning folks alive turns into a selected favourite. This unchecked sadism earns Aerys the moniker of “The Mad King,” and it’s this picture that evokes his personal bodyguard to kill him.
In HBO’s Home of the Dragon, his paranoia serves as a cautionary echo for future Targaryen rulers, reminding followers that insanity runs deep in that bloodline.[4]
6 Arthas Menethil
The Warcraft universe is filled with evil to battle. Standing towards that evil is Arthas Menethil. The prince of Lordaeron trains as a knight to defend the dominion towards the Lich King’s monstrous legions. His zeal for safeguarding the Mild turns into an inspiration for all, however that enthusiasm is a double-edged sword.
Arthas resorts to more and more drastic measures to wipe out the Scourge. He slaughters a whole metropolis contaminated with the magical plague, driving his allies away within the course of. Afterward, his desperation prompts him to wield a cursed sword. Though this artifact grants him the ability he seeks, it perverts him into the Lich King’s servant. His new grasp then orders him to assault his personal kingdom and kill his father. These actions let Arthas assume the Lich King’s mantle, unleashing hellish armies from his icy throne. Happily, a recent batch of heroes vanquishes the fallen paladin and frees his soul from being exploited within the afterlife. In the end, the misguided defender can relaxation in peace.
Blizzard writers have cited Anakin Skywalker’s fall in Star Wars as inspiration for Arthas’s tragic corruption arc.[5]
5 Zeus
The king of Olympus has numerous depictions, however few are extra twisted than God of Battle. In its reimagined model of Greek mythology, the sport collection sees Zeus rescue his fellow gods from their titan father, Cronos, who consumes them out of concern they’ll overthrow him. This concern inadvertently turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy, because the gods do defeat the titans. Main the cost is Zeus, who ushers in an period of prosperity. Certain, he could present favoritism to some events, however he appears to prioritize equity total. That coverage adjustments as soon as Kratos kills Ares.
The vengeful Spartan opens Pandora’s Field, gaining the ability to conquer the God of Battle. Although technically sanctioning this mission, Zeus doesn’t depend on the world’s evils—contained within the Field—to envelop him afterward. This occasion turns him into the paranoid tyrant that he had beforehand fought towards. Not solely does he punish his household for the slightest error, however he tries to kill Kratos to forestall him from killing the opposite gods, Zeus included. As soon as once more, this preemptive try ends in catastrophe, because the Spartan burns Olympus to the bottom. The cycle continues.
By God of Battle III, Kratos and Zeus full a father-son tragedy that mirrors the traditional Greek theme of sons overthrowing their fathers.[6]
4 Radovid V
Few monarchs in The Witcher are completely good, however Radovid V provides all of them a run for his or her cash. Beginning as a preteen prince of Redania, he turns into the following king after his father’s assassination. Sadly, the true energy comes from the high-ranking officers who steer the realm by the following conflict. Radovid stays misplaced within the shuffle, disillusioned with how the higher class overlooks his dad and mom’ contributions. He due to this fact vows to make his mark in historical past. For higher or worse, he does.
The Witcher video games present Radovid mature into an unhinged madman. He initially appears to be a robust ruler to rally behind. By rigorously selecting his allies, he rebuilds Redania right into a mighty kingdom. Actually, it’s the one one sturdy sufficient to oppose the Nilfgaardian invasion. The darkish aspect to these energy performs is a brutal purge of suspected enemies. Chief amongst them are the mages, thanks largely to Philippa Eilhart. This sorceress killed Radovid’s father and groomed him as her political pawn, so he retaliates by gouging out her eyes and forming a witch-hunting militia. The irony is that these extremes gasoline an assassination plot by Redania’s former advisor.
In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, his sinister tone was heightened by the voice actor modeling Radovid’s speech on a number of real-world dictators.[7]
3 Aquaman
Amidst all its superhero escapades, DC affords a traditional story of a warrior king retaking his kingdom. Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, is the son of a human lighthouse keeper and the exiled queen of Atlantis. His mom hides him from her underwater realm, however he quickly returns to the ocean because the rightful inheritor. Arthur’s pure love of marine life evokes him to defend the ocean with all his coronary heart, but his humble human upbringing makes him a peaceable bridge between Atlantis and the floor world. Then once more, this equilibrium can simply go sideways.
The Flashpoint Paradox presents a dystopian timeline the place Atlantis is at conflict with Themyscira. It begins when Arthur has an affair with Marvel Girl, which doesn’t sit effectively together with his spouse. Sadly, the ensuing conflict ends with the queen’s loss of life. The heartbroken Aquaman activates the Amazon princess, and their battle splits the DC Universe down the center, drawing each heroes and villains to battle. Their explosive clashes go away the planet a devastated smash. Not less than this final result solely happens in an alternate actuality.
Jason Momoa’s trendy movie portrayal additional explores Arthur’s battle between humanity and royalty, echoing this theme of duality.[8]
2 Simba
The Lion King is all about Simba rising into an ideal ruler. The Disney traditional positions the younger feline as the following in line for the Pleasure Lands’ throne. His father, Mufasa, teaches him in regards to the delicate stability of nature and the way all creatures command respect. Though a horrible tragedy causes Simba to stray from his position, he in the end assumes duty for his kingdom, saving it from his usurper uncle’s ruination. Issues are trying up till the sequel rolls round.
The Lion King II: Simba’s Pleasure sees the monarch at conflict with a separatist faction. A number of lions stay loyal to his evil uncle. Afraid of being backstabbed as his father was, he banishes these detractors from the Pleasure Lands. Ostracizing them to a wasteland additional inflames the outsiders, which, in flip, results in retaliation from Simba. The king quickly goes to conflict over these variations. Solely his daughter can cease the bloodshed. She falls in love with one of many outsiders and factors out how related they are surely to the Pleasure Lands’ lions. This realization prompts Simba to welcome the outsiders again, turning into a king for all his topics.
Like its predecessor, the sequel attracts closely on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, additional cementing Simba’s story as a royal tragedy turned redemption arc.[9]
1 Arthur Pendragon
Even legends are fallible. Arthur Pendragon is a folks hero whom destiny ordains as Britain’s best defender. Figuring out his royal roots, the magical Woman of the Lake items him an ancestral sword known as Excalibur. He makes use of this weapon to fight mortal and supernatural foes throughout the land, guided by the wizard Merlin. These exploits culminate in a flourishing kingdom known as Camelot. The king even ordains a spherical desk for his knights, signifying his view that each one males are created equal. The merciless twist is that one in every of these trusted knights begins Arthur’s downfall.
The hero quickly finds himself combating these closest to him. His queen, Guinevere, falls in love together with his best knight, Lancelot. This affair sows seeds of turmoil in Arthur’s coronary heart, inflicting him to model these two as traitors. Compounding his distress is his illegitimate son, Mordred, whose military brings chaos to the dominion. Arthur kills his incestuous spawn, however the bloody battle additionally claims the king’s life, thereby ending Camelot’s heavenly period.
The prophecy that Arthur will return “when Britain wants him most” continues to encourage trendy retellings from The Inexperienced Knight to BBC’s Merlin.[10]
