History Main / EunuchsAreEvil

In terms of physiology, pre-pubescent and post-pubescent castration have rather different outcomes -- the former renders the subject pretty throughly nonsexual, while the later does not. In either case, because the practice of human castration ended around the time the study of endocrinology got started, so the knowledge base is limited and ArtisticLicenseBiology is inevitable.

* In TheEighties pulp series ''Doomsday Warrior'', Colonel Killov, the head of the KGB in the InvadedStatesOfAmerica, was born without testicles, and the only sexual thrill he gets is from killing people. Apparently he's [[OmnicidalManiac planning to get the ultimate thrill by destroying the world.]] Needless to say, this series doesn't go for subtlety in portraying the {{Dirty Communist}}s.

* [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/star-wars-quest-lukes-balls-a-fan-theory/ One theory]] from ''Website/{{Cracked}}'' proposes that Darth Vader of ''Franchise/StarWars'' fame lost his genitals in the same lava pit that [[EvilCripple destroyed his limbs]] on Mustafar. According to this theory, TheEmperor wanted to recruit Luke to TheDarkSide not just as another Sith apprentice, but also as a viable source of sperm for a SuperBreedingProgram. (If you're wondering how a eunuch could also be a BassoProfundo, castration only creates a soprano if done ''before'' puberty, in which case it prevents the voice from changing.)

* Somewhat {{subverted}} by Count Hasimir Fenring in ''Literature/{{Dune}}'', he's a scheming member of the imperial court who may have poisoned Emperor Shaddam's father. But when ordered to kill Paul he refuses ([[spoiler: turns out, he's a failed attempt at a Kwisatz Haderach due to a genetic defect that made him sterile]]).

* Played with in ''Literature/{{Everworld}};'' Hel's harem-city is guarded by eunuchs, but one of them purposefully slips Jalil a hint that [[spoiler:Galahad's sword could hurt her]], which helps them escape.

* {{Inverted}} with Sazed in the ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' series, who is probably the nicest character among all the main characters of the series, and then [[spoiler: he becomes the new god of the setting and saves it from total annihilation]].

** Possibly {{inverted}} by [[spoiler: Theon Greyjoy]] who is a jerk with his manhood intact, but manages to become more sympathetic after a TraumaCongaLine which is heavily implied to have involved emasculation.
** {{Subverted}} with the Unsullied, an army of eunuch slaves; their evil actions aren't based in scheming, but in being broken tools often wielded by tyrants. As part of their training, they literally have to kill a puppy and a baby, though this is less malicious and more because they're forced to do so.

* ''Literature/SheWhoBecameTheSun'': AntiVillain general Oujang is this. When he was a child, his family was executed for treason, and after he begged for mercy, he was only spared on the condition of getting castrated. Even 20 years later, he pursues revenge, and is willing to mistreat his army and kill the only person he loves for it.

If a villain like this has supernatural powers, it could overlap with VirginPower and DisabilitySuperpower. Failing to avert the [[AnimalsFearNeutering fate of the very castration that the animal so feared]] can be the FreudianExcuse for animal examples of this trope. Many, but not all male examples are {{Sissy Villain}}s. It may or may not overlap with PureIsNotGood: a villainous eunuch may be characterised as pure due to his lack of sexual development,[[note]]though in some cases, sex can still occur after castration[[/note]] or as impure due to his physical mutilation. This type of character frequently has an EffeminateVoice.

Compare EvilCripple and DepravedDwarf. Oh, and this trope has nothing to do with UsefulNotes/{{Unix}} outside of {{pun}}s.

* In ''Manga/RedRiver1995'', it's revealed that [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Urhi Shalma]] was [[GroinAttack forcibly made a eunuch]] when he was a child, because he was the SoleSurvivor of the royal family of a kingdom that was conquered, and the conquerors didn't want to risk him having heirs. He only reveals that he's a eunuch towards the end of the series, when it's necessary [[MamasBabyPapasMaybe to clear up rumors that he's secretly Juda's father]].]]

* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' downplays this with [[spoiler:Juuzou Suzuya]], castrated with a ''hammer'' (among other tortures) by the [[OurGhoulsAreCreepier ghoul]] who {{raised|ByOrcs}} him. While not a straight-up villain, he ''is'' a PsychopathicManchild--though his upbringing kind of justifies that, and he becomes more stable and empathetic through his work partner's caring influence.

* ''Film/FourteenBlades'' features a particularly powerful Court Eunuch, [[EvilChancellor Jia]], as one half of a BigBadDuumvirate. [[spoiler: Until the other half decides he has [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived his usefulness]], that is.]]

* {{Played with}} in ''Literature/{{Everworld}};'' Hel's harem-city is guarded by eunuchs, but one of them purposefully slips Jalil a hint that [[spoiler:Galahad's sword could hurt her]], which helps them escape.

** The only other Calormene men drawn without beards (and with similar clothes to the aforementioned deaf-mute attendants) are the slaves who [[TooImportantToWalk carry Lasaraleen's litter]], another historically common role for eunuchs. Lasaraleen isn't ''evil''--in fact, she's depicted as SpoiledSweet, and even as a helpful friend to the heroine Aravis--but she ''[[AmbiguousInnocence does]]'' thoughtlessly accept her culture's injustices like {{slavery|IsASpecialKindOfEvil}} and {{arranged marriage}}s.

%%* {{Played straight}} in Creator/GoreVidal's ''Literature/{{Julian}}'', set at the court of Julian the Apostate.
* ''Literature/KushielsLegacy'': {{Inverted}}. Two minor characters are eunuchs: Erik, a Skaldi boy in the Marhkagir's harem, who is shattered by his experience, but ultimately helps Phaedra escape, and Sunjata, an ex Carthaginian slave who'd been freed by Melisandre in the past, then recruited into the Unseen Guild but turns out to be good. Both are portrayed as victims of this.

* ''Literature/TheNeanderthalParallax'': {{Inverted}} with the Neanderthals, whose punishment for violent crimes is castration (of male criminals -- we don't learn what happens to female ones), precisely ''because'' it kills their aggression afterward, thus making them less likely to commit new crimes. [[spoiler:Cornelius Ruskin]] is given this treatment by Ponter after he discovers that he'd raped Mary, with the same results. He begins feeling remorse at what he'd done to her and Quasir, Mary's boss. In fact he comes to hate violent men like him, and even engineers a virus which targets human males. [[spoiler:Unfortunately this gets loose and kills two men. Cornelius kills himself in guilt over it, since he didn't intend for this to happen.]]

* Evil Eunuchs have been a staple villain in China for centuries--the trouble started in the [[OlderThanFeudalism Latter Han period]], where the Emperor would end up in a power struggle between his relatives and the imperial court, and the eunuchs who served him would be trusted with state secrets (''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'' chronicles such a power struggle that sees [[FatBastard Dong]] [[EvilChancellor Zhuo]] rise to power).

* The VillainOfTheWeek of one episode of ''Series/{{Alcatraz}}'' was a serial poisoner who had lost his testicles when a bully threw a firecracker at him.

* Smoothie from ''Series/{{Happy}}'' is a sadistic TortureTechnician whose name refers to his lack of a penis. Overheard dialogue in the second season implies that [[spoiler: he cut off his own penis as a child and displayed the severed parts at his school's science fair.]]

* Averted in ''Series/MagnificentCentury'', where the eunuchs in the RoyalHarem and are more like {{Gay Best Friend}}s to the women there. Of special note is Sümbul, who becomes the closest and most reliable confidant of [[FieryRedhead Hürrem Sultan]], one of Suleyman's wives.
* ''Series/MiamiVice'': Frank, a.k.a. "the Savage," is a former CIA operative who used to work in Vietnam. He was emasculated by a prostitute he mistreated and subsequently became a serial killer of prostitutes, stabbing almost 90 women to death and writing "VC Whore" on the wall in the victim's blood.
* [[spoiler: The Carver]], one of the primary antagonists in ''Series/NipTuck'' was revealed as this as a plot twist and part of his character motivation. It was a genetic abnormality caused by [[spoiler:his parents being siblings.]]

* The Abrahamic faiths repeatedly avert this. In UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}}, rabbinical literature describes [[Literature/BookOfDaniel Daniel and his companions]] as eunuchs (which makes sense, since they were advisors of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar). This later came in handy in [[DisabilityAlibi discrediting charges of sexual immorality]], as detailed in Literature/TheTalmud. Meanwhile, in UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}}, UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} praises eunuchs for their purity in the [[Literature/TheFourGospels Gospel of Matthew]], and the first Ethiopian Christian was a eunuch. (On the other hand, Abrahamic ''civilizations'' tended to play it straight; eunuchs in the medieval and early modern courts of both Christian and Muslim monarchs uniformly[[note]]Except sometimes in the UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire, where--in addition to the straight version of this trope--eunuchs could also be considered pure ([[OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous even angelic]]) in other depictions, as mentioned above under Art.[[/note]] had nearly as bad a reputation as they did in the Sinosphere.)

* Interestingly played with in ''VideoGame/ChinaTheForbiddenCity'': While investigating a murder case that only ends with more murders, the player interacts with a great deal of Eunuchs (who are normal servants in the city). Since most are obedient, quiet and merely more then {{Non Player Character}}s, two are a important part of the plot and - of course - in on the murder plot. Though them being evil is less contributed to them being Eunuchs as them being able to move freely around the city.

* [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/star-wars-quest-lukes-balls-a-fan-theory/ One theory]] from ''Website/{{Cracked}}'' proposes that Darth Vader of ''Franchise/StarWars'' fame lost his genitals in the same lava pit that [[EvilCripple destroyed his limbs]] on Mustafar. According to this theory, TheEmperor wanted to recruit Luke to TheDarkSide not just as another Sith apprentice, but also as a viable source of sperm for a SuperBreedingProgram. (If you're wondering how a eunuch could also be a BassoProfundo, castration only creates a soprano if done BEFORE puberty, in which case it prevents the voice from changing).

* A canine example of this appears in the ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' episode "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS1E2LawnmowerDog Lawnmower Dog]]". The neutered family dog Snuffles is accidentally given super intelligence. After he builds himself an android body, He demands to know where his balls are. Snuffles then enslaves humanity for the many crimes against dogkind.

-> ''"Why is it no one ever trusts the eunuch?"''

So you've got a villain and you've got to give him a RedRightHand, and your protagonist is the manliest of men. So, why not make your villain a {{Foil}} and remove his male gonads? Especially prevalent in fantasy and historical fiction, the Evil Eunuch is simultaneously creepy and effeminate--think SissyVillain meets VirginShaming. Since testosterone increases muscle gain, a villainous eunuch's ''lack'' of testosterone makes him unlikely to have a HeroicBuild. Instead, he tends to be either a FatBastard (especially since castration also decreases metabolism and energy levels, hence the LazyNeuteredPet) or LeanAndMean. Eunuchs also tend to have less bodily and facial hair than intact men do, which lends itself well to comparisons to {{reptiles|AreAbhorrent}}. Throw in a CreepyHighPitchedVoice [[note]]along with CreepyLongFingers and CreepilyLongArms (and long ''legs'', which tends to overlap with EvilIsBigger) if the writer is going for accuracy[[/note]] if he was castrated before puberty, and you've got a great recipe for an ObviouslyEvil foe. And of course, the limited sex drive makes this trope likely to overlap with the NoLoveForTheWicked.

Eunuchs tend to be EvilChancellor types, in keeping with the myriad historical records of ruthless and power-hungry eunuchs in societies like the UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire, Ottoman UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}}, and ImperialChina. These empires appointed eunuchs to key court positions under the assumption that since they couldn't have children, they'd be more inclined to serve the good of the empire instead of trying to accumulate power for their families (which was an especially important factor in places like Byzantium and China, where usurpers who aimed to start their own imperial dynasties weren't uncommon). As it turned out, the lack of a family to enrich didn't stop eunuchs from seeking to enrich ''themselves'', and in fact, gave them that much more time to scheme and plot, and that much less incentive to ensure they didn't destabilize the empire for future generations. So employing eunuchs didn't do much to solve the problem, and in some ways made it worse. Meanwhile in post-Roman Europe ("Roman" here encompassing the Byzantine, or more properly Eastern Roman, Empire) or a setting based thereon, if a eunuch appears in a PeriodPiece, he's likely a [[DisabilitySuperpower castrato singer]] who behaves not unlike the usual [[ThePrimaDonna Prima Donna]] celebrity.

* Possibly inverted in a lot of art from the UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire, which [[OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous depicted angels as androgynous]]--sometimes attributed to an association between [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels]] in {{heaven}} and eunuchs at the imperial court. The straight form of this trope did manage to coexist in Byzantine culture with the more angelic and pure associations, though.

* In ''ComicBook/XXXenophile'', the Eunuch is the one supervillain who is immune to Orgasm Lass's superpowers.

* In ''Fanfic/FranksNightOut'' [[spoiler:Frank]] becomes a bloodthirsty psycho after [[spoiler:Robert and Susan destroy his penis]], and the ending reveals he’s become a SerialKiller.

* [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/star-wars-quest-lukes-balls-a-fan-theory/ One theory]] on Website/{{Cracked}} proposes that Darth Vader of ''Franchise/StarWars'' fame lost his genitals in the same lava pit that [[EvilCripple destroyed his limbs]] on Mustafar. According to this theory, TheEmperor wanted to recruit Luke to TheDarkSide not just as another Sith apprentice, but also as a viable source of sperm for a SuperBreedingProgram. (If you're wondering how a eunuch could also be a BassoProfundo, castration only creates a soprano if done BEFORE puberty, in which case it prevents the voice from changing).
* At the beginning of ''Fanfic/FarceOfTheThreeKingdoms,'' the other characters all agree that the court eunuchs are primarily responsible for the downfall of the Han empire. However, they mostly come across as [[HarmlessVillain Harmless Villains]] unless you're He Jin, and are easily dealt with in the first few chapters... and when they're gone, the problems get much, much worse.

* In Star Wars, ''WesternAnimation/TheCloneWars'', there's a twofold example in the villains. One is in the brutal General Grievous, the right-hand man of Darth Tyranus, who willingly replaced more and more of his body with cybernetic parts until only his respiratory system and part of his face remain of his original flesh body. Then there's Darth Maul, who due to being sliced in half by Obi-Wan before the start of the show in The Phantom Menace also got unintentionally neutered. When he's rebuilt, he is given a completely cybernetic lower half rather like Grievous as well, leaving him without any equipment to speak of. Both characters have their missing genitalia alluded to a few times, such as when Ventress seductively tells Grevious "My dear general, you have ''nothing'' I could possibly want" while she caresses his face.
* There is a canine example of this in ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty''. The neutered family dog Snuffles is accidentally given super intelligence. After he builds himself an android body, He demands to know where his balls are. Snuffles then enslaves humanity for the many crimes against dogkind.

--->'''Ramsay Snow:''' ''[written note]'' "In the box you'll find a special gift... [[spoiler:Theon]]'s favorite toy. He cried when I took it away from him."

* Near the Thief's ending of ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryII'', the hero must sneak past several eunuchs to get into the palace at Raseir - while not explicitly stated to be evil, they're Mooks of the very evil dictator who you're trying to overthrow, and if they see you it's game over. In the Mage's or Fighter's ending, there is one eunuch that can spot you, and you need to take him out before reinforcements arrive.

* ''Manga/BlackButler'' has a female version: [[spoiler:Madam Red, a doctor who lost her unborn child and her womb in an accident. Having to perform abortions on prostitutes while she herself couldn't have children led her to snap, becoming one half of JackTheRipper along with Grell Sutcliffe.]]

* [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/star-wars-quest-lukes-balls-a-fan-theory/ One theory]] on Website/{{Cracked}} proposes that Darth Vader of ''Franchise/StarWars'' fame lost his genitals in the same lava pit that [[EvilCripple destroyed his limbs]] on Mustafar. According to this theory, TheEmperor wanted to recruit Luke to TheDarkSide not just as another Sith apprentice, but also as a viable source of sperm for a SuperBreedingProgram. (If you're wondering how a eunuch could also be a BassoProfundo, Vader actually used an artificial voicebox, since his throat has been burned too. Moreover, even if he hadn't needed his vocal cords replaced, he'd already gone through puberty by that point, so losing his balls wouldn't have changed his voice from Creator/HaydenChristensen back to Creator/JakeLloyd).

* Bombaata in ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'' is another example that only gets specified in the novelisation. This explains why he's the only man Taramis trusts around her niece Jehnna, and why Jehnna mentions that she hasn't known any real men. Going by Bombaata's BeardOfEvil and BadassBaritone (being played by UsefulNotes/WiltChamberlain and all), he presumably lost his 'nads ''after'' puberty.