History Main / AristocratsAreEvil

* In Haitian Voodoo, Baron Samedi is the Loa (or god) of death. (He also has many other incarnations with that title, including Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix, and Baron Kriminel.) Seeing as he's supposedly one of the most powerful and wisest of the Loa, it's unclear why he's "only" a Baron or even needs a title at all. While most myths about him don't truly depict him as evil, they do tend to depict him as a trickster, who is noted for disruption, obscenity, and debauchery, often at the expense of mortals.

* Countess Isabella "Ivy" Valentine from the ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'', better known as Ivy. She's may not be evil by choice, but still a KnightTemplar and a DarkActionGirl.

* Baron Karza from the Franchise/MarvelUniverse - Nemesis of the {{Micronauts}} as well as being an expy from the toyline of that same name. Given that the title baron is at the low end of the hierarchy, one has to wonder why Karza didn't promote himself when he gained control of the Microverse. It should be noted that in the toyline, Karza was but one of several characters (along with Force Commander) below an underboss called Red Hawk and an Emperor called Magus.

* The Duchess from ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland''. She may be a subversion though, as she's mostly just a MoodSwinger and is [[NoSenseOfPersonalSpace almost unsettlingly]] nice when in a good mood.

It might have been an early way to appeal to the masses, or just due to the way [[BlueBlood aristocrats]] tended to look down on the general public. But it was then and is now ''really'' popular to cast [[BlueBlood aristocrats]] as villains. A variety of MeaningfulTitles exist - people with feudal titles are very commonly evil. Popular titles are '''Count'''[[note]]in Britain, they're guaranteed to be foreign, since the equivalent local rank is "Earl"[[/note]], and '''Baron''' -- two titles which are rarely seen on a good guy. (Oddly enough, a '''Countess''' has a better-than-even chance of being a decent woman.) And though it doesn't show up a great deal, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast you should break out in a cold sweat]] when you meet a '''Viscount'''. Unless it's Viscount [[MemeticBadass Horatio Nelson]]. Interestingly, both counts and barons are fairly common titles among Continental Europeans, but rare among the English, which may suggest a regional bias in which aristocrats are cast as villains.

* Duke Leto Atreides from ''Literature/{{Dune}}'', as mentioned above - Practically TheMessiah.

MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate is also related, insofar as the title of "[[NotThatKindOfDoctor Doctor]]" gives the MadScientist some implied legitimacy.

For the modern version of this trope, see CorruptCorporateExecutive, and to a lesser extent, NouveauRiche.

* "The Baron" (no real name given) is a recurring enemy in the Dutch ''BassieEnAdriaan'' - television series (although it's unknown if he actually is a baron or simply gave himself this title because he considers himself to be a criminal mastermind)

* In ''[[Literature/TenSixtySixAndAllThat 1066 and All That]]'', while kings can either be Good Kings and Bad Kings, all Barons in history are wicked, with the sole exception of Simon de Montfort.

* Count [[strike: [[MyNameIsNotDurwood Vulgar]]]] Veger from ''{{VideoGame/Jak 3|Wastelander}}'': evil, HolierThanThou, and a prime example of how TheFundamentalist operates when everything goes to hell.

* In the ''DragonAge'' universe, Ferelden's history included the evil King Arland, whose reign was so despotic that even the politically neutral Grey Wardens took up arms against him.

* ''DragonAge'' has several Arls (the equivalent of an Earl). ''Origins'' features the machinations of Arl Rendon Howe, who - among his other sterling achievements - arranges the brutal murder of his best friend/liege lord and his entire noble household, then lays claim to his lands.

* ''DragonAge: Origins: Awakening'' has the Baroness, an Orlesian noblewoman who demanded tribute from her peasants in the form of ''their children''. When they got fed up and torched her house, she cast a spell that dragged them all into death with her.

It might have been an early way to appeal to the masses, or just due to the way [[BlueBlood aristocrats]] tended to look down on the general public. But it was then and is now ''really'' popular to cast [[BlueBlood aristocrats]] as villains. A variety of MeaningfulTitles exist - people with feudal titles are very commonly evil. Popular titles are '''Count'''[[hottip:*:in Britain, they're guaranteed to be foreign, since the equivalent local rank is "Earl"]], and '''Baron''' -- two titles which are rarely seen on a good guy. (Oddly enough, a '''Countess''' has a better-than-even chance of being a decent woman.) And though it doesn't show up a great deal, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast you should break out in a cold sweat]] when you meet a '''Viscount'''. Unless it's Viscount [[MemeticBadass Horatio Nelson]]. Interestingly, both counts and barons are fairly common titles among Continental Europeans, but rare among the English, which may suggest a regional bias in which aristocrats are cast as villains.

* From the ''Literature/CarrerasLegions'' series, the Marchioness of Amnesty (as in Amnesty International), as part of a future UN that's become a true world government, and over the centuries became a FeudalFuture government. The original Marquis of Amnesty[[hottip:*:who basically bought the title and position with gold from Terra Nova, paid by Carrera's ancestor to buy arms to fight the proto-United Earth forces]] and the two marchionesses who have been shown to hold the title prior to [[spoiler:Captain Wallenstein]] being made Marchioness of Amnesty in ''The Lotus Eaters'' resemble the stereotypical depiction of the Creator/MarquisDeSade.

* The Marquis de Sade may or may not have embodied this trope while alive, but over the years his name has become virtually synonymous with perversion and evil. Since he's one of the best-known historical Marquises, most fictional characters with the title will evoke his reputation.

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* The Duke in Creator/JamesThurber's ''Literature/The13Clocks'' has killed time, so that his thirteen clocks do not move, and sets {{Impossible Task}}s to the princes who want to marry his nieces. [[spoiler: Finally he reveals that she is not his real niece but a princess he kidnapped and intends to marry; he let the princes try their luck because he was under a curse.]]

* Duke Felmet from Terry Pratchett's ''Wyrd Sisters'' is the murderer of King Verence I and scarily insane. Although compared to his Duchess he is warm and fuzzy.
** Another evil Pratchett example is the Duke of Sto Helit from ''Mort''. However his title is inherited by Mort and, ultimately, Susan.

*** Whatever translation that one puts on Vlad the Impaler's rank...it was considerably higher than Count. Or, to put it another way...calling him "Count Dracula" would have all but guaranteed your impalement.

* The ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]'' series has roughly 14 evil kings, 2 evil queens, 1 evil baron, 3 evil counts, and an evil major among various others.

* Most aristocratic titles began as non hereditary offices, which were usurped by the people holding them, via power and wealth often amassed through corruption through corruption. Hence the hereditary aristocracy originated in acts of evil. That said, most modern aristocrats descend from families which either bought their position or were raised to that position in the last 5 or 6 centuries.

Several of these kinds of aristocrats together form a DeadlyDecadentCourt.

The title '''Sir''' [[KnightInShiningArmor is the best of the lot]], being martial, unprepossessing, and upwardly mobile. [[KnightFever Even actors like to be called Sir]].

See also '''TheBaroness''' and '''TheCaligula'''. A young aristocrat may fall under RoyalBrat.

* In the SixteenThirtyTwo series aristocrats or at least aristocracy tends to come off as evil at first but more complications come later. Even in the first volume Gustavus Adolphus is generally good.