History Main / BrokenAce

** Wrestling/{{Sting}} is a subversion: In the mid-1990s he struggled with substance abuse and his family life, but like Shawn Michaels above, became a Born-Again Christian and turned his life around.

[[folder:Literature]]
* Haru's friend Taku from ''Literature/AccelWorld'' is a friendly, smart, athletic...pretty much everything Haru wishes he was. All of this masks Taku's extreme resentment and jealousy of ''Haru''. Taku is horribly insecure about his relationship with his girlfriend Chiyu because he believes that Chiyu secretly loves Haru instead of him. In his eyes, Chiyu always looks happier hanging out with Haru than she does when she is with him. All of Taku's achievements -- athletics, academics -- were done for the sole purpose of making himself better boyfriend material than Haru. Taku even went so far as to use [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Acceleration]] to improve his performance -- he didn't actually achieve anything through effort alone. He also installed a virus in Chiyu's neuro-link so he can spy on her at any time, making him borderline StalkerWithACrush material. While Taku does turn over a new leaf after Haru forces him into a tie, it's later revealed that he was hazed during kendo practice when he was younger,with other students practicing thrusting techniques on his neck so much that he became suicidal at times, and given that a thrust attack {{trigger}}s him, he suspects he won't be able to do kendo in high school, since thrusting is legal in high school competitions. Subsequent arcs reveal that [[NotSoDifferentRemark he's ultimately just as capable of self-loathing as Haru is]], but doesn't deal with it in as constructive of a manner.
* ''Literature/AccidentalDetectives'': In ''Madness at Moonshiner's Bay'', Sheriff Leroy was a rising FBI star (and a pretty athletic-looking guy) before he was forced to arrest his own brother Clem for murdering his uncle -- although he was actually framed -- and also compromised his principles by hiding evidence in the case in a failed attempt to keep Clem from going to prison. When Clem was convicted anyway, he felt that he'd betrayed his principles for nothing, causing him to resign from the FBI and become an apathetic, rural sheriff [[FormerlyFit who doesn't watch his weight]].
* Kazuo Kiriyama from ''Literature/BattleRoyale'' can master almost any skill. Combined with his inability to feel emotion due to brain damage which [[CursedWithAwesome makes him the perfect killer]]. [[spoiler:It's only as he dies does he regain emotion and the first thing he feels is regret over everything he's done.]]
* ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'': Helmholtz Watson is intelligent and handsome, but he's also depressed because of his soul-crushing job that revolves around mindless propaganda. He needs to create something meaningful, but that's not an option in a society where everyone's a hedonist.
* ''Literature/CiaphasCain''. Capable, intelligent, handsome -- and a compulsive liar desperately trying to hide what he sees as his own fundamental lack of courage and decency in a culture obsessed with martyrdom. It's fairly obvious in his memoirs that Ciaphas is ''incapable'' of giving himself credit for any achievement because he has to justify any noble act with ignoble intentions.
* ''Literature/ACourtOfThornsAndRoses'': Rhysand is incredibly skilled but also very, very broken. Beyond the trauma of being a SexSlave, he's got a shockingly low sense of self-worth, feeling that he's never given enough for his people, and puts on so many masks because he's afraid no one will love what they see underneath.
* ''Literature/{{Deverry}}'': Rhodry ap Maelwaedd. A brilliant fighter and battle leader, he is very intelligent, willing to work past cultural and societal constraints and bias, successfully ruled a rhyn for many years, and can be very quick to notice small things and take advantage. Also severely prone to terrible bouts of depression called ''hiraedd'', often takes on far more responsibility then is remotely necessary, blames himself for things that are in no way his fault, is often subject to ''severe'' honor before reason [[spoiler:and becomes a Death Seeker, with only his honor keeping him from suicide]].
* In the ''Literature/DreambloodDuology'', [[TheAce Ehiru]] is introduced as Hananja's favourite and the best Gatherer currently alive. However, messing up only once eats almost all of his confidence away and his lauded incorruptibility and devotion to Hananja's Law make him susceptible to being manipulated, creating a downward spiral of insecurity about his abilities and worth.
* ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'':
** Seiji Yagiri. Handsome, smart...and huge {{Yandere}} [[ALoveToDismember for a girl's head]].
** Namie, as well. In the novels, she's always described as an [[AloofDarkHairedGirl incredibly stunning young woman]] and she has enough smarts to give ''Izaya'' a run for his money. She's also rich, as well as the [[spoiler:previous]] head of Yagiri pharmaceuticals. Oh, and did we mention she's a virtually emotionless {{Jerkass}} who's [[BrotherSisterIncest madly in love with her brother]]?
** Another example is Shizuo Heiwajima's younger brother, Kasuka. Rich, talented, brilliant, beautiful and...''off''. The fact that he [[spoiler:[[UnholyMatrimony hooked up with a serial killer]]]] should tell you just ''how'' off. Even [[spoiler:said SerialKiller]], Ruri, described him as being out of his mind.
** Izaya Orihara. Smart, rich, connected, {{Bishonen}}, good at fighting, and an incredibly awful [[TheSociopath sociopath]] underneath, who will go as far as tricking girls into making {{Suicide Pact}}s with him ForTheLulz and manipulate other people for the same reason. If not for [[spoiler:Shinra]], he'd be a downright monster.
* Ender Wiggin from ''Literature/EndersGame'' may be only 10, but he is one of these. Everyone in Battle School (with some exceptions) loves him. He is the best in the standings, his free-time practice sessions are attended by many people throughout the school, he has the best army in the school and is one of the best tacticians ever. But he feels isolated from his friends and unloved. This becomes very apparent in'' Ender's Shadow'', as Bean is really Ender's only confidant. He is a poor, lonely boy with the weight of the world on him.
* In ''Literature/FateZero'', practically every Ace among the Masters. Kiritsugu and his status as the number one competitor, along with everything ''else'', including Saber? [[spoiler:Horrible life prior to meeting Maya and Iri, emotional issues, has no choice but to sacrifice his family for his dream, has the worst compatibility with his Servant out of the seven Masters]]. Kayneth and his prestigious magical talent and status as a Lord? [[spoiler:Horrible luck, his fiancée is in love with his Servant, overwhelmingly arrogant]]. Kotomine and his superhuman abilities and immense talent for anything and everything he does? [[spoiler:None of it means anything to him because of his soul-afflicted emptiness]]. Tokiomi and his incredible magical skill and having the strongest Servant in the entire Nasuverse? [[spoiler:His Servant fully plans to betray him, and he tore apart his own family due to his misguided attempts to make his daughters "equals" while holding true to Magus philosophy]].
** Among the Servants, Lancer, Berserker, and Saber all qualify. Lancer is easily the most skillful combatant out of the lot, but he has terrible luck, bad compatibility with his Master, and [[spoiler:a curse that makes women fall in love with him, including said master's fiancée]]. Berserker is one of the strongest Servants in the Nasuverse, capable of giving even [[StoryBreakerPower Archer]] a hard time even while handicapped by a sickly Master, but he's insane, and so fixated on Saber that he tends to have tunnel vision and thus get blindsided whenever she's around [[spoiler:because of his intense guilt over betraying her and sleeping with Guinevere]]. Also, again, he's handicapped by his Master's frail condition. Saber is the best all-around combatant, and has the strongest overall abilities statwise, but she has the worst Master/Servant compatibility in the war ''bar none'', and is consistently a victim of circumstances, or her Master's underhanded tactics. In addition, [[spoiler:she's badly hampered by her guilt complex over her kingdom's fall, and her worry over Irisveil, who is literally dying in front of her with no way to stop it]]. And that's just how bad things are for them at the ''start'' of the conflict; by the end, everything is at least an entire order of magnitude worse for all three of them.
* The Saber of the related ''Literature/FateStrangeFake'' (aka [[spoiler:Richard the Lionheart]]) initially appears to be a handsome KnightInShiningArmor who is as clever, multiskilled, and charming as he is chivalrous and noble. However, many of the characteristics that made him likable as a person also made him [[TheCaligula an unstable and destructive ruler who bled his country dry and dragged it into war for thoughtless and ultimately pointless reasons]], and Saber himself readily admits that his eventual assassination was entirely deserved.
* Charles Dawson from ''Literature/TheFerrymanInstitute'' is revered as the best Ferryman the Institute has had in centuries, having an unbroken success-streak exceeding a century. The only problem is that that the constant work with death -- the various departed souls having to say goodbye to their friends and loved ones, as well as the trauma of their deaths -- combined with the constant workload that being the best entails, has left him with a sense of ennui and depression. Combined with him being too stubborn to ask for emotional support, this has caused Charles to retreat for days at a time without telling anyone, avoiding work whenever he could and only coming in at the barest minimum.
* "Boy" Staunton from ''Literature/FifthBusiness'', with a side of {{Manchild}} as his chosen name [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin indicates]].
* ''Literature/AFrozenHeart'', a half-PerspectiveFlip literary adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'', Hans is handsome, charming, and a prince. However, desperate hunger for recognition, severe DaddyIssues, and seeking glory [[spoiler:corrupt him.]] He's ignored and [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex overshadowed by his 12 older brothers]]. In the book, which gives him a more expansive backstory, most of his brothers constantly bully him, ranging from verbal abuse to ''throwing items at him'' for simply daydreaming. His mother loves him but is too weak to spend time with him, and [[DaddyIssues his father coldly regards him as a nuisance]] and sends him to do horrific tasks. Despite this, [[WellDoneSonGuy Hans often daydreams about having a loving and caring father, even as an adult]]. It's even heavily implied that he is a self-harmer. He ends up [[spoiler:becoming more and more power-hungry until he becomes cruel and willing to kill to fulfill his ambition]]. By the time the book ends, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Hans is starting to regret his actions]], but has done enough damage to be sent back to the Southern Isles to be humiliated and punished by his family.]]
* Seth Carl from Isobelle Carmody's ''Literature/TheGathering''. He's described by protagonist Nathaniel as "looking like one of those perfect guys from coke ads". He's popular, attractive, the son of a local police Sargent and almost everyone likes him. He's also a struggling abused teenage alcoholic who almost sells the group out to the titular Gathering.
* Lance from the ''Literature/{{Gone}}'' series. He is smart, athletic, handsome, and was popular before the poof. He also suffers from FantasticRacism.
* Crowley from ''Literature/GoodOmens''. He's a NobleDemon, with a confident, attractive facade (implied to even have an aggressively cool haircut that only looks good on someone like him) and a quick wit. He has a relentlessly stylish apartment full of fancy gadgets, he always seems to have the best of everything and drives the coolest of {{Cool Car}}s. However, in spite of the book's ensemble cast, he stands out as pretty much the main viewpoint character, whose thoughts we hear the most, and behind the painfully cool exterior, he's frightened, weary, and eventually very angry, which causes him to rebel against both Heaven and Hell. He's definitely not the slick bastard he appears to be on the outside, but unlike a lot of these characters it ends up making him stronger and extremely sympathetic.
* ''Carl Literature/{{Hamilton}}'' series is a famous, highly decorated SEAL-trained intelligence operative, independently wealthy, a gourmet chef and wine connoisseur and fluent in four languages. He is also crippled by a complete inability to handle romantic relationships, not being able to confide in anyone concerning his work, and increasingly guilty conscience about killing people for what later may turn out to be no good reason.
* ''Franchise/HannibalLecter'' takes on shades of this in the ''Hannibal Rising'' prequel novel, when his FreudianExcuse of horrific childhood ordeals is revealed. In his adulthood, he is quite happy where he is.
** Within the same series, the titular villain of ''Red Dragon'' sees himself as hideous due to a childhood of abuse from fellow children and parental figures for his then-severe cleft palate and inability to speak clearly. It's gradually revealed that--as an adult--he's grown into a handsome bodybuilder with a good career, a large estate, enough intelligence and technical know-how to elude top FBI agents for months, and only a small facial scar and slight lisp left of his initial deformation. Tragically, he's so emotionally damaged he remains mostly unable to benefit from all this, if not outright oblivious to it.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** The titular character excels in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Quidditch, and, to a lesser extent, other fields in magic. However, Harry develops major insecurities as a result of his abusive childhood and the pressures the wizarding world dumps on him.
** Albus Dumbledore is talented, powerful, and famous bordering on revered for defeating Grindelwald and leading the fight against Voldemort, both of whom are said to have only feared him out of all wizards. As the books go on, it becomes clear that he's also a deeply lonely man whose intelligence does not prevent him from making emotional mistakes. The "broken" part really kicks when his DarkAndTroubledPast is revealed in book seven.
** Tom Riddle was an example during his schooldays -- a prodigy, incredibly popular, disguising his true nature. In this case, he's an out-and-out murderous lunatic instead of just "messed up" or "morally ambiguous", driven by his fear of death.
** Severus Snape. Brilliant student who improved his potion textbook. But he was also a non-socialized CreepyChild, allegedly created ''many'' curses alongside his potions,[[note]]In actuality, it was several helpful spells and only a ''single'' Curse,[[/note]] destroyed his one chance of a happy life upon using a ''massive'' slur against his OnlyFriend, and is so bitter over his bullying at the hands of the hero's father and the abuse he suffered at the hands of his parents and everyone around him... that he takes up to use his position as a Hogwarts teacher to torment not only TheHero, but his friends, and ''especially'' an innocent boy named Neville Longbottom.
* The titular ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya''. Talented in pretty much everything she does (especially music and studies), bright, cheerful, charismatic -- and dangerously out of reality, as well as so spoiled and pushy that she treats other people like toys. (Poor Mikuru). [[spoiler:And then we have her massive RealityWarper powers]]. The series is about Kyon and the SOS Brigade attempting to keep her worst traits at bay.
* ''Literature/HoratioHornblower'' is a brilliant sea warrior whose men are devoted to him, who managed to make several women fall in love with him, and who managed to manipulate the French into two of their greatest military disasters in history (Trafalgar and Russia). He also absolutely hates himself.
* The Victors of ''Literature/TheHungerGames''. Everyone celebrates their triumph except... most of them.
* Tiberius from Robert Graves' ''Literature/IClaudius'' is portrayed this way -- he's immensely strong and healthy, one of Rome's greatest generals, an excellent administrator, and a student of philosophy. Unfortunately, he's cursed with moral weakness and a domineering mother, and he ends up becoming a reclusive, paranoid, murderous pervert.
* The protagonist of ''Literature/{{Imaro}}'' is the greatest fighter in the world, bigger and stronger than just about everyone, and seems to quickly become great at everything he puts his hand to. He wins every battle, however impossible. But all the pain and horror he has to go through wears him down more and more, as does the fact that he keeps getting rejected by everyone he seeks acceptance from -- and the mental scars just make him even more incapable of really reaching out to someone, leading to more rejection. At one point, his love interest knows that when he starts thrashing in his sleep she has to clamp her hand over his mouth because the ruthless mercenaries he leads ''must not know'' that their supposedly fearless leader suffers from nightmares that cause him to wake up screaming in terror.
* Kvothe from ''Literature/TheKingkillerChronicle'' is pretty, magically-gifted, superlative at everything he does, but poor, arrogant and a wreck in the present day.
* Raymond Shaw from ''Literature/TheManchurianCandidate'' is a war hero and a rising star in politics, but his issues with his mother allow him to become a brainwashed assassin.
* Attorney ''Literature/MickeyHaller'' from the Bosch series. Despite being a crack defense attorney with a well-known reputation for his veracity in defending his clients (especially in later books), he is full of self-loathing for defending the guilty and the strain his work puts on his relationship between his first ex-wife and their daughter. Doesn't help that his personal life is somewhat of a trainwreck -- something always seems to knock him down when things start to go well.
* ''Literature/LesMiserables'':
** Mayor Madeleine is the most beloved man in town, but he's actually Jean Valjean, an ex-convict with a compulsion for self-sacrifice bordering on madness.
** His nemesis Inspector Javert is also an example of this. Javert is the most feared policeman in France. He is described as a [[https://www.google.com/search?q=%22monstrous+saint+michael%22&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS839US839&oq=%22monstrous+saint+michael%22&aqs=chrome..69i57.10031j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 "monstrous Saint Michael"]]. But his zealotry is motivated by the fact he is the bastard son of a convict and a fortune teller, which he is deeply ashamed of. He seems to have some sort of mental illness and suffers from BlackAndWhiteInsanity so bad that [[spoiler:when his worldview is destroyed]] he [[spoiler:kills himself rather than compromise any further]].
* Prince Geordo in ''Literature/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'' is skilled at absolutely everything, such as being more efficient in Catarina's farm than the girl herself, but his lack of struggles left him with an inability to understand those of others (especially Alan's), as well as being bored at everything since [[NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction all things come off as too easy for him]].
* Maxim from the first ''Literature/NightWatchSeries'' novel is good-looking, fairly intelligent, and a very successful businessman and he looks down at the less successful. While some of his murdering of Dark Others isn't his fault (he had DetectEvil ability and wasn't in on TheMasquerade), it's noted that he has no real comprehension of love -- pretty much, when given a choice between punishing evil and doing good, he chose the former.
* Lancelot in ''Literature/TheOnceAndFutureKing'', who falls in love with Arthur and becomes so obsessed with becoming the greatest knight in the world (so that Arthur will love him back) that he gives his entire childhood in the pursuit of this dream. Throughout the book, he is shown to be extremely uncomfortable in his own mind and is quite self-loathing. Guinevere mellows him out a bit, eventually.
-->'''Guinevere:''' Three years is a long time for a boy to spend in one room [the armory] if he only goes out of it to eat and sleep and to practice tilting in the field. It is even difficult to imagine a boy who would do it unless you realize from the start that Lancelot was not romantic and debonair. Tennyson and the Pre-Raphaelites would have found it difficult to recognize this rather sullen and unsatisfactory child with the ugly face, who did not disclose to anybody that he was living on dreams and prayers. They might have wondered what store of ferocity he had against himself, that could set him to break his own body so young. They might have wondered why he was so strange.
* Besides ''Literature/TheOnceAndFutureKing'', Lancelot also qualifies in ''Literature/LeMorteDArthur'', where he does all his fantastic deeds just to win Guinevere's attention. It does not end well.
* Juan Cabrillo from Literature/TheOregonFiles is a talented ex-CIA agent, AFatherToHisMen who are themselves a BadassCrew of former military and government men and women, and captain of the ''MV Oregon,'' a high-tech spy ship [[WhatAPieceOfJunk disguised as a rusting tramp steamer.]] However, he is deeply troubled by his wife's death, which, while caused by her own alcoholism and driving under the influence, he believes himself responsible for due to being away on "business" with the CIA for extended periods of time, thus causing her to take up the bottle out of loneliness. On top of (and possibly due to) this is his severe case of ChronicHeroSyndrome to the point that he ''must'' help someone need, even if doing so would result in worse consequences down the road. He also grapples with ethical issues stemming from his heroic tendencies clashing with the morally ambiguous nature of being a mercenary, at one point musing that if he killed someone in cold blood, even if the person [[AssholeVictim deserved it,]] it could take away a part of his soul and take him down a path that would make him [[NotSoDifferentRemark no better]].
* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'':
** Luke Castellan is this trope all over. He's handsome, popular, talented, and a trusted authority figure. He's also a manipulative turncoat who's trying to overthrow the gods, and he seems increasingly scared and unhinged with each book. This is later revealed to be because [[spoiler:his mother was cursed and went completely insane when he was a baby and his father, Hermes, left him with her. Associating with an evil primordial entity who hurt him from the start probably didn't help.]]
** Percy himself becomes this by [[Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus the sequel series]], and even he admits his unhappiness [[NotSoDifferentRemark let him understand Luke better]]. Sure, he's powerful, handsome ([[CluelessChickMagnet albeit obliviously]]), and respected by pretty much everyone around him -- but it's because he's saved the world twice over, and [[ShellShockedVeteran that doesn't come cheap]]. It's made clear by the end of ''The Blood of Olympus'' that the events of the series have left him even more [[DeathSeeker depressed]], [[MomentOfWeakness angry]], and [[DesperatelyCravesAffection insecure]] than ever.
* Erik, aka ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', is a genius in nearly every field of science and art, and posseses [[BeautifulSingingVoice the most beautiful voice]] of anyone on the face of the earth. But due to his deformities, he is shunned by society, and holes up in the shadows and catacombs of Paris, becoming a psychopathic murderer.
* The entire point of the poem "[[http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/richard-cory/ Richard Cory]]". Richard Cory is a kind, rich gentleman who gets along with everyone he meets, regardless of their social station, has women dreaming of him, and men wanting to be him. And then he inexplicably commits suicide, and no one knows why.
-->...we thought that he was everything\\
To make us wish that we were in his place.\\
So on we worked, and waited for the light,\\
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;\\
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,\\
Went home and put a bullet through his head.
* Daylen in ''Literature/ShadowOfTheConqueror,'' due to having both [[RetiredMonster the experience of age]] and [[FountainOfYouth the vigor of youth]], excels at a number of things: [[MasterSwordsman swordsmanship]], [[TheEngineer engineering]], [[GoodWithNumbers mathematics]], [[GadgeteerGenius sunforging]], [[WrongContextMagic Lightbinding]], [[AcePilot flying]], and [[TheStrategist military tactics]]. He's also a former EvilOverlord whose [[TheEmpire empire]] collapsed when the entire world declared war against it, and who is currently ravaged by the [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone soul-crushing guilt]] at the epicenter of the story's DysfunctionJunction.
* Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'':
** Melkor. The name means "He Who Arises in Might", and he is explicitly called the greatest of the Ainur. This goes to his head, and he eventually winds up getting a new name...Morgoth, the Dark Enemy.
** The Elf Prince Fëanor is possibly the greatest [[OurElvesAreDifferent Elf]] to have ever lived, "For Fëanor was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind: in valour, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and subtlety alike: of all the Children of Ilúvatar, and a bright flame was in him." He's a great craftsman, charismatic enough to make most of the Noldor (one of the Elf tribes) follow him from Valinor to Middle-Earth and he has seven sons. He's also incredibly arrogant and a bit of a creep ([[IncestSubtext he was really touchy and possessive about his niece Galadriel]]), threatens his half-brother Fingolfin out of fear they will take the throne, and obsessed with the Silmarils he made, the three greatest jewels ever made. When [[GodOfEvil Morgoth]] steals the Silmarils Fëanor and his sons swear the Oath of Fëanor, to get the jewels back no matter what. This leads to Elves killing each other and many of the troubles over the next 600 years, even though Fëanor died soon after reaching Middle-Earth. His actions mean he will not reincarnate from the Halls of Mandos until the end of the world.
** ''All'' of his seven sons, but especially Maedhros and Maglor. They are valiant, noble warriors and Maglor perhaps the greatest musician of all Elves, but they are exhausted by the evil oath they have sworn and the atrocities they have committed. By the end of the First Age, Maglor is the only brother still alive, and wanders the shores of Middle Earth in self-imposed isolation and constant pain.
** Also Boromir from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. He's a proud and gallant warrior, greatly admired for this by his people (and his younger brother) but the pressure put on him by his position as heir to Gondor's ruler and his belief that Sauron could never be beaten fed his obsession with the Ring and made it easy for him to fall for the temptation.
** Túrin Turambar. He's one of the most badass heroes to have ever lived, killing Glaurung [[MonsterProgenitor Father of Dragons]]. However, his actions lead to a lot of suffering (though its unclear how much is Túrin's fault and how much is Morgoth [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane cursing his family]]) and [[spoiler:he ends up [[DrivenToSuicide killing himself]]]].
* Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant is the best detective the Irish Sanctuary (or possibly any sanctuary) has, is skilled with both magic and hand-to-hand combat, and was one of the best soldiers during the war, being part of a seven-man cell called the Dead Men who went on suicide missions but always survived. He's also [[DemBones a living skeleton]]. His friends and allies all warn his new protégé that he is horribly damaged by his family's murder and is renowned for his UnstoppableRage when people he cares about are in danger. This doesn't worry Valkyrie at all until she learns that [[spoiler:Skulduggery is so broken his [[DespairEventHorizon darker thoughts and desire for revenge]] turned him into [[NamesToRunAwayFrom Lord Vile]], the most infamous general of [[BigBad Mevolent]]'s armies, who was hell-bent on the annihilation of all life]]. Made worse because the [[AbusivePrecursors Faceless Ones]] spent a year torturing Skulduggery, making him a ''little'' bit more unhinged than normal (including threatening someone sent to keep an eye on him with a gun) [[spoiler:and separating the Lord Vile part of [[EnemyWithin Skulduggery's psyche]] into a separate AxCrazy entity]].
* ''Literature/SongAtDawn'': Dragonetz appears to be the perfect knight: strong, gallant, and handsome, but he's also bitter, disillusioned, and afraid of marriage because he thinks he'll screw it up.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''
** Robert Baratheon is remembered as a handsome, virile warrior but he degenerated physically and morally after becoming king. He understands how out of depth he is with running a kingdom and would have preferred a life of wandering.
** Eddard Stark is seen as the model of a liege lord, but he is plagued by feelings of inferiority and fears his family will pay for the things he allowed to happen during the rebellion against the Targaryens.
** Tywin Lannister is the most powerful and rich lord in Westeros but in reality, he's a man who still resents his father's past failings and remains broken by the death of his wife (and resents the son who whose birth caused her death).
** Jon Snow is easily [[TheAce the most talented swordsman around, one of the smartest recruits, honorable and dutiful]] but he's also [[ConflictingLoyalty conflicted]], with [[WellDoneSonGuy insecurity issues]] and [[KnightInSourArmor carries burdens]] [[AChildShallLeadThem he's probably too young for]].
** Jaime Lannister, who's renowned as the greatest swordsman in the kingdom and a member of TheBeautifulElite, but had his reputation permanently soiled in his youth by [[TheKingslayer one dishonourable act]] that he nonetheless regards as the finest thing he ever did, increasingly falling under ThenLetMeBeEvil as a result. And that's before his BreakTheHaughty ordeal that culminates in [[spoiler:him losing his sword hand, and hence the one ability he's always defined his self-worth by]].
** Robb Stark becomes this as the books progress, becoming a YoungConqueror at the age of 15 and [[LivingLegend gaining a fearsome reputation as 'The Young Wolf' who's never lost a battle]], but he frequently comes across as being overwhelmed by the pressure he's under. This worsens when despite all his success in the field, his own political errors cause the war to slip away from him. Perhaps the clearest illustration of this comes in ''Literature/AGameOfThrones'' when Robb, in a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome, successfully earns the Greatjon's respect by [[DefeatMeansFriendship having his direwolf chew off two of the man's fingers for bearing steel against him]]... and later confides in his brother Bran [[BeneathTheMask that he was terrified throughout, that he's scared of a lot of his bannermen, and he wishes their father was still there.]]
** Oberyn Martell. A dashing Lothario, prince, peerless warrior, poet, scholar, and a whole bunch of other impressive talents. He is also ''utterly'' consumed with avenging his sister's death even 15 years later. [[spoiler:Said obsession with revenge costs him his life, even if his poisoned spear [[TakingYouWithMe finished off Gregor Clegane later on.]]]]
* In ''Literature/SpaceMarineBattles'', Cato Sicarius becomes this after ''Fall of Damnos''. He considers Damnos to be his greatest failure (it is, in fact, the first time he's ever lost as a Captain) and is tormented by the fact, has {{Past Experience Nightmare}}s about the [[HeroKiller Undying]] and believes that he'll be punished severely for what happened there. [[spoiler:He's not, and manages to dig out of his HeroicBSOD when the Ultramarines retake Damnos.]]
* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'':
** Kaladin is an interesting version of this trope. He starts out as an Ace, charismatic leader, excellent spearman, trained in medicine, pays bribes to protect his men and get new untrained boys into his squad where he can watch over them. But after he's betrayed he's definitely broken. The skills are all still there, but he has trouble finding the will to use them anymore.
** As it turns out, all of the Knights Radiant are this. Being broken is a prerequisite to being a surgebinder, as the "broken" bits are what allow [[BondCreature Spren]] in to form the bond that gives them abilities.
--->'''Kaladin:''' You want too much of me. I'm not some glorious knight of ancient days. I'm a broken man. Do you hear me, Syl? I'm ''broken''.\\
'''Syl:''' That's what they ''all'' were, silly.
* Of ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'': Athos is outstanding for his looks, thorough education, martial prowess, and social graces. Unfortunately, he is also a somewhat misogynistic alcoholic with truly terrible luck. He is less misogynistic then horribly distrustful of women because he married the patron saint of BitchInSheepsClothing, Milady de Winter. Athos really achieves Broken Ace in the later books, when [[spoiler:his faith in Royalty is shattered when the king takes his son's fiancee as his mistress]].
* Wander, in ''{{Literature/Wander}}''. She's skilled enough to have survived since she was eleven, but it comes at the extent of nearly all her interpersonal skills. Dagger is ''horrified'' by how far she's willing to go at times, and it's outright stated that a part of the reason she decided to save him was that she hoped he could teach her to be around people again.
* Denth from ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'' is friendly, charming and good with words, despite being a mercenary. [[spoiler:He also happens to be obsessed with revenge, and will do anything to get it, including torturing and killing innocent people. He can't move past the issue that broke him in the first place, even when given the opportunity to heal]].
* ''Literature/WhenRabbitHowls'': Not so much a ''broken'' ace as a [[SplitPersonality fractured]] one. Truddi Chase is a successful real estate entrepreneur and talented artist, but the psychological aftermath of her [[RapeAsBackstory horrifically]] [[AbusiveParents abusive]] childhood has left her with paranoia, emotional distancing, and difficulty with relationships. Then there're the ninety-and-change multiple personalities.
* The ''Literature/NeroWolfe'' book ''Literature/WhereTheresAWill'' has Eugene Davis. A "brilliant" attorney who was considered the best in the city, and with the potential to make history before he fell in love with a GoldDigger who dumped him for a wealthier man, leaving Davis as a self-loathing [[TheAlcoholic alcoholic]] who can't find joy in anything anymore.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Jack Bauer from ''Series/TwentyFour'' is lauded by his colleagues for his service to his country, but his penchant for justice has made him do terrible things.
* Raven Reyes from ''Series/The100'' had, by age 18, become quite possibly the best mechanic on the Ark, a master at operating in Zero-G, and a certified badass, who traveled down to Earth solo in a space shuttle she rebuilt herself. Yet almost everything in her life ''not'' related to those skills is a complete mess. [[ParentalAbandonment She was abandoned by her mother,]] loses her boyfriend to another girl [[AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder after just two weeks of separation,]] [[WheelchairWoobie becomes paralyzed in her left leg]] [[DontYouDarePityMe and resists others' attempts to help with her condition,]] [[NeverBeHurtAgain acts distant towards the men she sleeps with so she won't become attached,]] [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl and tends to put all other moral concerns on the backburner when her (former) boyfriend's safety is at stake.]]
* Grant Ward from ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' starts off as the perfect spy, TheBigGuy for Coulson's team of specialists. He wasn't the most sociable, but even that gave him a James Bond-like quality, forgoing a social life for king and country. Still, he becomes friends with the rest of Team Coulson and has a budding romance with Skye. Then it later turns out that he's TheMole working for HYDRA, and he betrays SHIELD and his friends. Then we learn the circumstances of his recruitment and just how screwed up his life was up to that point. At the end of the season, Ward's mentor is killed and he's arrested for his crimes and attempts suicide in jail. In the second season, Coulson and his crew make it ''very'' clear that they do not trust or forgive him for his actions. When circumstances require them to work together again, pretty much everyone wants to kill him. Even when he gives some FreudianExcuse, he's shut down by Agent May, whose PTSD is often a plot point ("We all have our traumas, Ward, didn't turn any of us into psychopaths.") He escapes at the end of that mission and became a recurring villain until his death in the third season.
* Kara "Starbuck" Thrace from ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003''. Top notch pilot, expert markswoman, fine brawler--but suffering from memories of an abusive childhood, a morass of self-esteem and self-loathing issues, and unsure of how to have a life beyond being TheAce. And of course [[FromBadToWorse it just gets worse]] halfway through the fourth season when she finds out [[spoiler:she's been DeadAllAlong]].
* ''[[Series/RuPaulsDragRace Canada's Drag Race]]'': Tynomi Banks is one of the most famous {{drag queen}}s in Canada after making a name for herself in the crowded Toronto scene, and she was long considered a shoo-in for the inevitable [[ForeignRemake Canadian remake]] of ''[=RuPaul=]'s Drag Race''. When she made her entrance in the Season 1 premier, ''all'' the other queens [[MassOhCrap shat themselves]] because Tynomi's reputation preceded her. But once the season was underway, it became clear that while Tynomi is a skilled performer, competition is not her strong suit. She only lasted four episodes and performed poorly enough to land in the bottom for three of them, and you could see her resolve crumble each episode until her elimination.
* Roan Montgomery from ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' is a ChickMagnet despite his age but beneath it, he's a JadedWashout.
* Jeff Winger from ''Series/{{Community}}'' is good-looking, has a gift for gab, and is liked by everyone -- but his masculinity hides his issues with his estranged father and his fear that no one will like his vulnerable side. He calls himself "broken" in Season 4.
** Even more so Rich from pottery class, who has a load of mother issues after his brother died. On the outside, he comes over as the allegedly most charismatic and cool character on the show.
* Rebecca Bunch from ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'' is a fantastic lawyer who has graduated from both Harvard and Yale. She is also filled with self-doubt, self-hatred, massive anxiety, and depression. When she screws things up with Josh Chan (the guy who she moved to West Covina for), she sings to herself, "You Stupid Bitch," which is all about her self-loathing:
-->''You ruined everything, you stupid bitch.''\\
''You ruined everything, you stupid, stupid bitch.''\\
''You're just a lying little bitch who ruins things''\\
''And wants the world to burn.''\\
''Bitch. You're a stupid bitch.''\\
''[[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And lose some weight.]]''
* ''Series/DearWhitePeople'': Troy. He's very much the BigManOnCampus, beloved by the majority of the Student Body. It quickly becomes apparent during his spotlight episode that his father puts an insane amount of pressure on him to be the model black student, to the point that Troy resorts to drugs to help cope with the stress.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** Some incarnations of the Doctor from fall under this trope, especially in the revived series, which ''starts'' with the premise of the Doctor being forced to kill his own species offscreen.
*** The First Doctor begins to develop into one of these once [[TeamDad Ian]] and [[TeamMom Barbara]] leave the crew and the Doctor begins to come to terms with [[YouCantGoHomeAgain the massive predicament he's in]], while simultaneously suffering a string of adventures with major {{Downer Ending}}s. After Steven says ScrewThisImOutOfHere at the end of "The Massacre", he has a full-blown HeroicBSOD and is far more delicate and fearful afterward.
*** The revived series has gone on to show he was broken before he became an ace, growing up he spent his nights in a barn crying himself to sleep, his OnlyFriend eventually went insane and became his ArchEnemy and he eventually admitted the real reason he left Gallifrey was that he was scared.
*** The Tenth Doctor is confident and cavalier on the outside, but he suffers from survivor's guilt and verges on self-loathing on the inside.
*** The Eleventh Doctor is a charming, charismatic, moral, slightly eccentric, ChasteHero on the outside. At first, his confidence seems genuine, but as time passes it quickly becomes apparent that Eleven is just as riddled with grief, rage and self-loathing as Ten.
*** [[Creator/JohnHurt The War Doctor]] is the only doctor who is openly this.
*** The ultimate NiceGuy Fifth Doctor had become this by the end of his run resulting in him becoming the DarkerAndEdgier 6th and 7th Doctors. The same thing then happened when the Eighth Doctor transitioned to the War and 9th Doctors.
** "The Daleks' Master Plan": Sara Kingdom is Mavic Chen's best agent, a hero in her organisation, said in awed tones to have "[[TheStrengthOfTenMen the strength of ten men]]". She shoots Bret Vyon (a "traitor" allied to the Doctor) and was sent to murder the Doctor and his companion too, and would have done it if they hadn't been accidentally teleported to the planet Mira. While on Mira, the Doctor confronts her, clearly in a disturbed psychological state, and she eventually admits Bret was her brother. She [[HighHeelFaceTurn joins the Doctor's side soon afterward]].
** Captain Jack Harkness, later of ''Series/{{Torchwood}}''. Dashingly handsome, brave, cocky and nigh-immortal...but after being abandoned by the Doctor for [[CameBackWrong being]] [[FantasticRacism "wrong"]], suffering trauma after his repeated deaths, seeing everyone he loves die in battle or of old age, and now having [[spoiler:being forced to allow his own grandson to be killed]] he's definitely a Broken Ace. He also has a DarkAndTroubledPast. He still feels guilt over getting his brother captured by a vicious alien race. Even during his time as a temporal agent, it wasn't all gallivanting through history and screwing [[ExtremeOmnisexual anyone and everything]] (although there was a fair bit of that too). He has a chunk of memory the size of 2 years missing, although he completely forgets about it after meeting the Doctor.
* ''{{Series/Euphoria}}'': On the field, Nate Jacobs is a star quarterback for his high school football team. Off the field, he's a mess of neuroses.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** It is shown that Jaime is incredibly bitter about his reputation as the 'Kingslayer' and that no matter what he does, he'll always be remembered as someone who will change sides at the drop of a hat.
** Oberyn Martell is by most measures one of the biggest Aces seen in the series, being charismatic, an extremely adept politician, an incredibly skilled fighter, and a big hit with ladies and men alike (and yes, the feeling is mutual). However, the brutal death of his sister at the hands of a Lannister-hired assassin is shown to be eating away at him from the inside. And it ends up manifesting itself in a case of RevengeBeforeReason that sees him [[spoiler:being killed in a manner every bit as horrific as his sister, by the same man nonetheless, all because he refused to kill an injured but still very combat-capable warrior until he'd admitted that Tywin Lannister ordered the death of Oberyn's sister]].
* The Crane brothers in ''Series/{{Frasier}}''. For all their success as psychiatrists, it doesn't spare them from the fact that both of them suffer from deep-seated parental issues and are both hapless with women, even though, oddly, they never seem for want of one.
* James Gordon of ''Series/{{Gotham}}''. Gordon might be a rookie detective, but he's a former soldier and a very good hand-to-hand combatant, effortlessly disarming and taking down a large heavily-armed man and then later delivering a beatdown to two mob enforcers among other badass moments. He's also [[MrFanservice good looking]] with a [[EvenTheGuysWantHim laundry list of admirers]] who will always strive to do what is right and clean up Gotham. However, most of his admirers are AxCrazy and he's constantly fighting with his own dark side which others take note of. Also, there are frequent hits on his life (by two of his admirers even) and the lives of those close to him. In addition, Galavan worming in his way out of justice, combined with Gordon netting a 40-year sentence for his vigilante execution, seems to have stripped Gordon of any notion that the law can work in Gotham which is what he firmly believed separated the villains from the heroes.
* This seemed to be a central theme in the NBC series ''{{Series/Heroes}}''. Having superpowers didn't cure the characters of their painful pasts, past mental issues, or dark secrets.
* Applies to roughly half the cast on ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'', with the other half simply being broken.
** Frank Pembleton is a brilliant detective whose analytical mind is unparalleled. He's also an arrogant, snobby moral absolutist who is hated by everyone except for his immediate family and his partner Bayliss.
** Kay Howard is one of the best detectives in the department. However, having spent a lifetime of having to be OneOfTheGuys to get respect from her male colleagues has left her out-of-touch with her own feminity and unable to relate to other women.
** Al Giardello and Stanley Bolander are the most wizened and experienced out of the cast and pretty much universally beloved by the squad. They're also self-loathing wrecks of human beings, and working Homicide for decades has left their personal lives entirely destroyed.
* Dr. Gregory House from ''Series/{{House}}''. Not only is he the greatest diagnostician, but he has also mastered all the manipulative aspects of human sociology and psychology. In addition, he speaks several languages, plays a mean guitar, and has the expertise needed to turn his own apartment into an ICU. Despite all this, he still manages to have no social skills, has no friends, and is an unapologetic, drug-addicted criminal.
* Barney Stinson of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' tries very hard ''not'' to be this trope, but he isn't nearly as good as hiding this fact as he thinks he is. His over-the-top, self-aggrandizing "awesomeness" is his way of overshadowing all his emotional issues.
* ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'':
** [[TheStoic Hiiro Kagami]]/Kamen Rider Brave, genius surgeon with a stellar career at an age where most other doctors are starting out as interns (like his colleague [[TheHeart Emu Hojo]]). His coldly perfect exterior covers a mass of issues from being [[NoSocialSkills unable]] to relate to people on a personal level, defending against the pressure of his job and having no life outside of it as a result to [[ItSAllMyFault blaming]] himself for his girlfriend's death.
** [[TokenEvilTeammate Taiga Hanaya]]/Kamen Rider Snipe, genius radiologist and CR's first Kamen Rider, able to spot an early phase of Game Disease with ordinary technology of his field. Fast forward five years, he is a broken shell of [[TookALevelInJerkass a once-kind man]] fighting for revenge -- the only thing he can do after he lost everything.
* ''Series/{{Limitless}}'': a former government investigator who Rebecca remembers as an intelligent peer and who went into the private sector for a seven figure salary. After going on the run from Morra and losing her access to the [=NZT=] pills he gave her, she's a physical and mental wreck with a string of arrests for petty crimes and is living in a trailer in the woods.
* Jack Shephard of ''Series/{{Lost}}'' -- brilliant, handsome, athletic, charismatic doctor on the outside. Angry, emotionally-abused, masochistic, repeatedly-relapsing addict with a [[ChronicHeroSyndrome messiah complex]] on the inside.
* Don Draper of ''Series/MadMen''. Creative director/shaman of both the older Sterling Cooper and the new Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Incredibly handsome and charismatic. Able to bed any woman pretty much just by looking at her. Has won multiple advertising awards and manages to accept them while cutting a [[SharpDressedMan dapper figure]]. He achieved this by stealing another man's identity to get away from his dirt poor abusive upbringing. His marriage to Betty showed the [[DysfunctionJunction consequences]] of a Broken Ace marrying a StepfordSmiler. A major part of Season 4 was about surveying the wreckage of that union.
* ''Series/{{MASH}}'':
** In the haunting episode "Heal Thyself," the camp's talented and charismatic new surgeon, a veteran of a front line aid station, has a complete mental breakdown during a particularly long and gruesome O.R. session that stretches across a couple of days. They find him crouched down in the Col. Potter's tent, doing the ThousandYardStare, and [[ScrubbingOffTheTrauma compulsively scrubbing his hands to wipe off the imaginary blood that he is convinced they are still coated in]].
** Hawkeye has signs of this through the mid and late seasons from the stress of saving the lives of soldiers that are just going to get killed later anyway. But the final episode is when he really is broken because he inadvertently caused a mother to kill her own child.
* Cheon Song-Yi from ''Series/MyLoveFromAnotherStar'' is one of the most famous actresses in Asia but her money is being squandered by her mother and her father was driven out due a misunderstanding, and she misses him terribly. She is also worried about her appearance to the point where she has to be camera ready even when she is going to the hospital.
* ''Series/{{Nikita}}'' is the best covert operative Division created but she hates them for turning her into a killer who is unable to live a normal life.
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': Zelena is an incredibly talented witch, one of the most powerful magic users in the series, and is smart enough to create a spell powerful enough to overwrite one of the Laws of Magic. She is also incredibly bitter due to being abandoned by anyone who could love her and is desperate to find anyone who could unconditionally love her.
** Dr. Literature/{{Frankenstein}} goes through this in Season Two. In his cursed identity as Dr. Wael, he's a stereotypical arrogant hypercompetent surgeon, but when the curse is lifted he goes through a mini TraumaCongaLine and loses all confidence in himself and medicine in general, descending into alcoholism and depression. Which is a problem when an out-of-towner crashes his car and Wael is the only one who can save his life. [[Literature/LittleRedRidingHood Ruby]] helps him get over it and he resumes work as the town doctor, with some much needed perspective and humility.
* Nathan Ingram from ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' was a world-renowned software engineer and CEO, but he's actually covering for the real genius, his friend Harold Finch. Nathan was actually TheAlcoholic and his family life was in shambles.
* ''Series/PoliticalAnimals'': Douglas Hammond appears to be the responsible and successful twin. He was his mother's campaign manager for her presidential run, is her right-hand man while she is Secretary of State, and is about to marry his beautiful and accomplished fiancee. However, he also displays serious self-doubt and anxiety and seems compelled to take on responsibility for his dysfunctional family's well-being. An argument with his father revealed that he feels responsible for the failure of [[spoiler:his mother's presidential campaign]] and he later reveals to Susan Berg that he's even having cold feet about [[spoiler:his engagement]].
* [[SixthRanger Tommy Oliver]] has shades of this by the time of ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder''. Age 26, he's spent about a quarter of his life as a soldier in an ancient fight against evil, and the series implies that he might have difficulty knowing [[SecretIdentityIdentity where Tommy the Power Ranger ends and Dr. Thomas Oliver begins]].
* Spencer Hastings from ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars''. A perfectionist, beautiful AcademicAthlete. She also comes from a wildly dysfunctional family (made entirely of other Broken Aces), suffers from a semi-dormant mental disorder as well as substance abuse, is in a very toxic AlphaBitch vs. {{Starscream}} "friendship" with another Broken Ace, Allison, from whom she borrowed some disturbing FilleFatale tendencies. As [[GeniusDitz Hanna]] puts it, no one should have been surprised when Spencer was admitted to BedlamHouse.
** All of the aforementioned Hastings family fit this category, as they unquestionably fit TheAce part in achievements, status and even looks, they also each carry a can of worms -- [[AloofBigSister Melissa]] with her [[spoiler:secret pregnancy]], [[MamaBear Veronica]] with her [[spoiler:secret illness]], and [[AmoralAttorney Peter]] with his [[spoiler:secret affair with the Dilaurentis twins, Jessica and Mary, with whom he had given birth to no less than ''three'' children out of wedlock -- Jason, Alex, and Spencer herself.]]
*** Even the two men who planned to marry into the Hastings family, the equally creepy [[HotForStudent Ian]] and [[HospitalHottie Wren]], could fit the trope, though Wren gets the prize for {{Foreshadowing}} his psycho HiddenDepths as early as Season 2, while the depths of his sketchiness are only revealed [[spoiler:five seasons later]].
** The Only family that can hold a candle to the Hastings are the Dilaurentis family, so chock-full of secrets and craziness each of them get WalkingSpoiler status, even though they are -- or used to be, the most beloved, respectable families in Rosewood. [[spoiler:That applies even for the ones who didn't know they were part of the Dilaurentis family, like Spencer herself.]]
* ''Series/{{Rake}}'' has a few:
** Misty Partridge goes from being a highly respected ex-prostitute / lawyer who returns from America ''addicted to drugs'' and even makes a drunken pass at Barney in an attempt to get drugs.
** Cleaver Green, himself to a much lesser extent as he is more able to bounce back, despite being a drunken, drug-addicted JadedWashout.
** David Potter becomes a tragic version in Season 4. [[spoiler:After Scarlet's sudden death, he goes to trial for murder, is accused of being a domestic abuser, and loses his reputation.]]
* ''Series/RedDwarf'''s Arnold J. Rimmer is a literal example of the trope. Sucked dry of his negativity and neuroses (themselves powerful enough to destroy a LotusEaterMachine) by an EmotionEater, he ''immediately'' turns into [[TheAce Ace Rimmer]] (what a guy!). Eventually, he [[spoiler:becomes the next Ace Rimmer -- as each one dies, he recruits the next, and so on, until it finally reaches Arnie himself. It is mostly his neuroses that hold him back -- but, luckily for him, the Red Dwarf universe has it set that pretty much every Rimmer gets redeemed]]. Before then, he makes an awesome LastStand at the end of Series 6.
* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'':
** An early episode had J.D. competing (purely in his own mind) with another intern named Nick to see who was the best between them and who should be the unofficial leader of their group of interns. Eventually, J.D. has to concede defeat, as Nick can match JD's medical knowledge while also being more handsome, less socially awkward, more charismatic, less of a [[ProfessionalButtKisser suck-up]] and even has the girl J.D. likes interested in him. Hints are dropped throughout the episode, however, that Nick is a StepfordSmiler who is barely repressing all his insecurities and inner turmoil. At the end of the episode Nick realizes he's not going to be able to save the life a 7-year-old kid, (who likely ''couldn't'' have been saved because sometimes that's the reality of medicine and health care) and Nick [[HeroicBSOD completely breaks down]] as a result and quits working at Sacred Heart.
--->'''Nick:''' That kid is eventually gonna die. Whether it's today, or tomorrow, or a month from now. There's nothing I can do. Nothing works. Now his parents want to talk to me, what am I supposed to tell them?! "Peter lived a good long seven years"? Seven years, man! ... ''[whispers]'' It's not fair. I hate this place, I hate this job. I can't do it anymore. [[MadnessMantra I'm done. I'm done. I'm done]]. ''[[[BrokenTears starts crying]]]''\\
'''J.D.:''' ''[internal monologue]'' The scariest thing is I thought he was stronger than all of us.
** A little later in the series, they brought in Doctor Kevin Casey. He was played by Michael J. Fox, and they gave the character severe OCD to help explain the tics caused by Fox's Parkinson's Disease. His OCD made him an incredible doctor ''and'' surgeon, as his compulsive need to study meant that he had read every book he could get his hands on multiple times and perfected his physical dexterity, performing complex operations in a fraction of the time a normal surgeon would require. He's also incredibly nice and wise, giving helpful advice to everyone in the hospital, helping them fix their lives. So, having humiliated Turk in the OR, Cox in front of his interns, and JD by destroying his ego with an off-hand comment, all three seek him out to confront him. And they find him trapped in the scrub room outside the OR, unable to leave because he's been compulsively washing his hands for hours. He's on the verge of tears but he just can't leave.
** Dr. Cox himself could be seen as this. He's intelligent, witty, well respected, perhaps the best Doctor at Sacred Heart and keeps in fantastic shape for a man his age. However, he's also bitterly lonely, broken shell of a man who hasn't had a meaningful relationship in years. He gets somewhat better as the show goes on, after his ex-wife returns, and he becomes a father.
* Series/{{Sherlock}} is, [[Literature/SherlockHolmes as always]] the world's greatest detective, he's both [[GeniusBruiser one of the smartest people you'll ever meet and a very capable fighter]] and regularly [[InsufferableGenius enjoys making the police look like idiots.]] But at the same time he's a self-destructive drug addict who can't measure up to his AloofBigBrother, seems to have something of an InferioritySuperiorityComplex and has a very co-dependent on his best/only friend John Watson (who is himself a bit of a broken ace) [[spoiler:and that's not even mentioning his sister.]]
%%* ''Series/TheShield'': By the GrandFinale, Vic Mackey certainly earned this honor. NEEDS TO BE EXPOUNDED ON.
* Several examples on ''Series/{{Smallville}}'':
** Lionel Luthor: Of the VillainWithGoodPublicity variety, Lionel is the BigBad of Seasons 1-3. He's a MagnificentBastard, CorruptCorporateExecutive, and CulturedBadass with more money than God, and the ears of kings, sultans, and presidents. He's respected by those who don't know how evil he is, feared by those who do and has the entire world at his beck and call. He's also a damaged, empty man who has immense difficulty identifying with other people and is trapped in a mutually self-destructive relationship with his son, a relationship he is unable to salvage even after a HeelFaceTurn. He's burned every bridge he's got to get where he is and is revealed to be a SelfMadeOrphan who's still running away from his [[AbusiveParents abusive]], [[TheAlcoholic drunken]] parents.
** ComicBook/LexLuthor: Lionel's son. On the surface, he's got it all: wealth, power, women, immunity from prosecution. Underneath, he's self-loathing, [[WellDoneSonGuy caught up in a desire for parental approval]] that he'll ''[[ArchnemesisDad never]]'' get, before or post-FaceHeelTurn, haunted by the deaths of his [[MissingMom mother]] and brother, and consumed by his need to control the people around him. He blows up every friendship he ever has in his drive for success and his eventual slide into cackling supervillainy is as tragic as it is inevitable.
** Jason Teague: He's a good-looking football coach, secretly dating one of the hottest girls in the school. His family is rich, he's a former star player himself, and he's able to lie and cheat at Lex's level. Unfortunately, he's pretty eaten up by his mommy issues, has no self-esteem, and is nearly incapable of taking any action his [[EvilMatriarch mother]] (Season 4 BigBad Genevieve Teague) doesn't approve of.
** ComicBook/GreenArrow[=/=]Oliver Queen: A heroic example. In one life Oliver is the heir to an immense fortune, a oligarch playboy with more women than he can handle and a life most people only dream of. In his other life, he moonlights as a BadassNormal {{Superhero}} saving more lives before nine A.M. than most people do before lunch. And yet neither of these is the real Oliver Queen. Inside he's hollow, convinced that his life is a sham, and manifests numerous self-destructive tendencies including [[TheAlcoholic alcoholism]], the inability to commit to anything, and a total disregard for his own safety that's both impressive and frightening. His commitment to saving the world overshadows everything else he does, leading to bouts of drinking, a temporary drug addiction, and culminating in his InterruptedSuicide in Season 9.
** [[TheBaroness Tess]] [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Mercer]]: A female variant. Much like Lionel and Lex, whom she succeeds as leader of [=LuthorCorp=], Tess is an incredibly rich young woman, who has successfully escaped an abusive home life. She speaks two or three different languages, is extremely attractive, and has the money and power to do whatever she wants. She also has horribly low self-esteem, [[MisanthropeSupreme no faith in humanity]], and a fatalistic need for a [[MessianicArchetype Messiah]], all stemming from having given up on her former idealism and desire to change the world in favour of moving up in the world. As the show progresses, her [[TheAce ace]] facade disintegrates more and more, and the BrokenBird underneath is increasingly exposed. Alliances with [[GovernmentConspiracy Checkmate]] and [[TakeOverTheWorld Major Zod]], and an eventual HeelFaceTurn have all failed to give her the sense of self-worth she's seeking.
* In ''Series/TheSopranos'', Tony Soprano is the mob boss of all New Jersey; charismatic, powerful, ruthless, and has keen business acumen. Underneath it all, he suffers from some ''serious'' ParentalIssues and other mental problems, which cause him to have panic attacks.
* [[TheSmartGuy Sang-woo Cho]] in ''Series/SquidGame'', Gi-hun's [[ChildhoodFriends childhood friend]] was a ChildProdigy who received a business degree from Seoul National University, the most prestigious university in Korea. He became a successful businessman but by the start of the series he's a fugitive wanted for [[RichesToRags embezzling large sums of money from his clients which he then lost in bad investments]], putting him in even ''deeper'' debt than Gi-hun who's a [[TheGamblingAddict gambling addict]] that relies on [[LoanShark loan sharks]] to get by.
* John Sheppard on ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' is undeniably a ColonelBadass and AcePilot who's not afraid to kick some ass in order to defend the city of Atlantis. He also has severe self-loathing, intimacy, trust, and abandonment issues which come into play when people under his command or close to him die because of the inherent danger of his job.
* Dr. Bashir, CMO of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': brilliant, charming, funny, athletic, genuinely caring enough to make [[spoiler:ex-torturers HeelFaceTurn out of love]]... and needy as hell, [[InnocentBigot ignorant of his own privilege]], and convinced that he's a fraud and that everything he's achieved is fake [[spoiler:due to his extremely illegal genetic enhancements, which were given to him by his parents without his consent and if discovered will lead to him losing everything]].
* In ''Series/Supergirl2015'', Lena Luthor is the CEO of a large successful business who's able to develop technological advances beyond what most of humanity can conceive. But an abusive family, several painful betrayals, and the world's judgment of her based on her last name has left her full of self-hatred. It first comes out prominently in [[Recap/Supergirl2015S3E5Damage a season 2 episode]] when Lena drunkenly reveals that deep down, she believes all the bad things people have said about her.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
** Dean Winchester is handsome, charming [[HandsomeLech ladies' man]] and badass [[HunterOfMonsters hunter]] on the outside, self-loathing bundle of [[TraumaCongaLine PTSD]] and [[WellDoneSonGuy daddy issues]] on the inside. His brother Sam is the brains of the operation (but no less [[BadassBookworm badass]]) and tends to be much more empathetic towards people in need, but is a nest of hatred, anger, and self-loathing and is driven primarily by revenge for much of the show.
** Every hunter is this in spades, to the point of only being good at what they do by being so horribly broken. Capable of fighting monsters, demons, and undead nightmares, hiding from (or staying on the run from) the police and FBI for the crimes they commit doing their jobs, and all of them make the hardiest survivalist look like a pansy. The only reason any of them live the life they do is that either they were raised into it, which is a whole mess of issues right there, or they experienced firsthand losing someone close to them because of the things that go bump in the night and became obsessed with revenge. John Winchester was arguably the worst we've seen, often being remarked on as a hunter of unparalleled skill but uncaring of anything that wouldn't lead him to the Yellow-Eyed Demon, to the point of being abusive and neglectful towards his sons and raising them as soldiers to fight an unending daily war (which Sam and later Dean resent him for).
* John Connor is the MessianicArchetype of the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' franchise who will eventually lead the human race to victory against the machines but ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'' shows the hell he went through to become what he is. He's also made rather questionable decisions [[spoiler:like trying to strike an alliance with a renegade faction of machines]].
* Possibly Charlie Harper from ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen''. Despite being a rich, handsome womanizer, many episodes indicate or imply that he is riddled with mommy issues. There is the possibility that his womanizing is a means of acting out said mommy issues or is even a means of overcompensating for repressed homosexuality/bisexuality or having been more abused or neglected than Alan when they were kids.
* ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy2019'' has a few examples of this.
** Allison Hargreeves. Rich and famous actress, with a handsome husband and a little daughter, beautiful and adored. But underneath that, she's a mess. And she loses both the husband and daughter pre-series. In reality, she's got issues galore, refuses to use her powers thanks to what it's done to her family, and more and more shows her cracks as an ex-child soldier from a dysfunctional family.
** Luther Hargreeves is a superhero, has superstrength, and is incredibly isolated thanks to his siblings leaving the Academy. He's never left home, he doesn't understand the world outside, and he clings to his father and the notion of saving the world. By Season 2, he's got a better understanding of how the world works, but he's still bad at interpersonal relationships and is spiraling ''hard'' over his father's abuse.
** Number Five seems cool, calm, and collected as he puts down anyone and everyone around him and works to prevent the apocalypse. But in reality, he's spiraling, PTSD-ridden, terrified of failure, desperate to protect his siblings, and talks to a mannequin (and thinks it talks back). Some of his scenes are heartbreaking, like the one in Season 2 where he tells his siblings, voice breaking, that he had to watch them die again.
** Diego Hargreeves is a skilled fighter, a witty person, and determined to save people and fight crime. He's desperately clinging to the idea of being a hero so that his childhood doesn't feel wasted.
* ''Series/VeronicaMars'' : PrincelyYoungMan Duncan is a straight A student, student newspaper editor, student body president, handsome, popular, and the son of the wealthiest, most beloved man in town -- he also has a particularly nasty type of epilepsy that causes violent fits, a pretty vicious mother, a recently murdered sister whose death caused him hallucinations, a need for antidepressants, and an ex who might be his half-sister. [[spoiler:to further BreakTheCutie, just when everything sorts itself out and it turns out he and Veronica aren't related, his other ex falls into a coma while pregnant with his baby. Sheesh.]]
* ''Series/TheWalkingDead2010'': Carol is one of the best fighters on the team; skilled, pragmatic, smart. She's a OneWomanArmy with a track record of being ''very'' deadly and ''very'' sly. But despite her status as TheUnfettered, she suffers from a crippling GuiltComplex that slowly eats away at her, eventually causing her to run away. After being incapacitated by a Savior, Carol has a brief [[spoiler:DeathSeeker moment when she admits that death would free her from all the horrible things she's had to do]].
%%* ''Series/WhiteCollar'': Neal is becoming this as more and more of his past is revealed.
* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': Leory Jethro Gibbs is a MemeticBadass, famed for his abilities as an investigator and looked up to as a father figure by his team; he's the best agent NCIS has, and the only reason he's not the director of the whole organization is because he doesn't ''want'' to be. He also has three broken marriages behind him, a wealth of dead friends, and never truly got over the murder of his first wife and daughter, with his career at NCIS being quite literally all he's got left in his life. He himself admits this, and tries to keep the yougner agents he takes under his wing from following in his footspets.
--> '''Gibbs:''' Do I look ''happy'' to you? You do the things I've done, you get what I've got; a bottle of scotch and a boat in the basement.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Manhua]]
* Sun Ce from ''Manhua/RavagesOfTime'' -- a [[OneManArmy warrior with few peers]] who can and ''has'' single-handedly torn his way through ''armies'', a MagnificentBastard even to the point of outdoing his oath-brother Zhou Yu (one of the Eight Geniuses), leader of an army at age twenty and military hegemon of southeastern China under his family banner by his mid-20s...but underneath it all, a boy still lashing out at a cruel world that got his beloved father Sun Jian killed ''right'' after ''finally'' showing his son some affection. Moreover, it's a father whose public reputation for loyalty to the Han Dynasty and righteousness is at odds with Sun Ce's own beliefs and public persona[[note]]and both Gan Ning and Cao Cao use this against Sun Ce in decrying him to his face[[/note]]. It doesn't help that in the side-novel ''Bofu'', he's got a case of the GreenEyedMonster regarding his younger brother Sun Quan.
[[/folder]]

Some of Blitzo's achievements in themselves embody ''both'' the "ace" and "broken" aspects: his aforementioned affairs with a pop star and a prince that were/are also really messed up, and the fact that he's able to out-drink the archdemon of [[SevenDeadlySins gluttony]] (which he explicitly boasts is because he had such an awful day).

* The alternate ComicBook/{{Superman}} from ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'', as presented in the comic prequel. It's explained that despite being the world's greatest superhero, Kal/Clark has harbored SurvivorGuilt over losing his original family and homeworld. Things got worse when he lost Lois, his unborn baby, and the city of Metropolis thanks to the Joker. [[StartOfDarkness This sent Clark off the deep end,]] [[BewareTheSuperman leading him to gradually turn the world into a dictatorship under his "protection"]].

* ''Webcomic/PurpleHyacinth'': Lauren is an investigator in the country's SecretPolice, and is secretly a Super. But she's also guilt-ridden at making a series of mistakes as a child that led to her parents and best friend getting caught in a terrorist explosion.
** This definitely applies to Kieran as well: During the explosion, the terrorists' secondary goal was to kidnap the child of a VIP. They couldn't identify the right boy and ended up kidnapping a bunch of surviving children - Kieran especially - and eventually decided to give them TykeBomb TrainingFromHell that got most of the kids killed, some in front of Kieran's face. Despite his status as a legendary serial assassin and mastery over dozens of skills, Kieran depreciates himself as a psychotic monster who can't help but follow the wrong people.

* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': Lemuel is a very skilled warrior, able to defeat his rather skilled brother Duane in duels with no pymary involved most of the time and outperform even more experienced fighters. He is also an extremely skilled Vliegeng rider, something that his fellow soldiers assumed he would never be able to achieve due to his caste. However he is not fully mentally stable due to the horrors of war he experienced at a young age and, [[spoiler:assisted Bastion in the murder and resurrection of his own brother]].