History Main / FakeKing

* ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireII'' features a variation on this. [[CloudCuckoolander Tapeta]] is the prince of Fort Nageur; unfortunately, he's shiftless, irresponsible and a hopeless romantic, and he's been abroad for quite some time (much of it spent [[BalefulPolymorph transformed into an even]] ''[[BalefulPolymorph bigger]]'' [[BalefulPolymorph frog]]). By the time he comes back as part of Ryu's party, an impostor has taken his place: said impostor claims that Tapeta is impersonating ''him'' and has him arrested. And the kicker? The people of Fort Nageur ''knew'' that Tapeta was the real deal; they just ''didn't care'', on the grounds they were probably better off with the phony.

* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', the heroes, originally from two sides of a ForeverWar, discover that their respective queens are [[RottenRoboticReplacement robots]] created by the Consuls, the supposed subordinates of the queens who are in-fact TheManInFrontOfTheMan, and the real queens need to be located and rescued. [[spoiler:The queens just happen to be Melia and Nia, who have {{previous|PlayerCharacterCameo}}ly appeared in prior games, therefore mixing this trope with {{Superdickery}} towards fans of the previous games, making them think it was a RogueProtagonist situation before the reveal.]]

* Teikun Ō/Di-Jun Huang, president of Zheng Fa, from ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth 2''. [[spoiler: The real president was assassinated years ago by a hitman hired by the president's own BodyDouble, who thought that since he was the one out there putting his ass on the line, he should have the power to go with it.]]

** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'' has this with the Goron Leader, who has been possessed by a Fused Shadow. Not quite an example as the other Gorons were wise to the change the moment it happened and sealed him in the Goron Mines.

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Ironclaw}}'' novel ''Scars'' has the apparently in hiding prince Fabrizio di Rinaldi hiring a bounty hunter to track down an imposter and bring him in. [[spoiler: But then she finds him and figures out that her quarry is the real thing and her client is the imposter and has a last minute change of heart.]]

* Happens completely by accident in ''Anime/TurnAGundam'' when Queen Dianna does a TwinSwitch with her IdenticalStranger Kihel Heim and war breaks out before they could switch back, meaning for a good portion of the series an impostor was ruling the Moon. [[spoiler: By the end of the series, they make the switch permanent, as Dianna is much happier living as a commoner, and Kihel is much happier being in a position of power where she could help people.]]

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' had [[spoiler:Astos]] who was pretending to be a king so he could trick you into getting him the crown from the Marsh Cave.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', of course, is known for this one. [[spoiler:Unlike in many cases, the real king is ''dead.'']]

* As eventually revealed, Mashiro in ''Anime/MaiOtome'' was passed off as the surviving princess after the attack that killed the King and Queen while the real princess ([[spoiler:Nina Wang]]) was spirited off elsewhere. Subverted given that she's allowed to remain on the throne anyway due to her CharacterDevelopment and the real princess never attempts to take the throne from her even after learning of her true heritage, and it's implied [[spoiler:that she may be a descendant of the ''original'' Queen of Windbloom, since the two look nearly identical]].

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' has [[TheReptilians a shapeshifting lizard]] impersonate [[EmperorScientist Princess Bubblegum]], PlayedForLaughs.

* In ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'', during the "Endgame" StoryArc, [[BigBad Dr. Robotnik]] replaced King Max with a robot double as part of his plan to finally defeat the Freedom Fighters.

*** The king of Samanao was kidnapped and replaced by a Boss Troll using the mod rod to take his form.

* ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2|CursedMemories}}'' gives us a fake [[spoiler:Overlord Zenon. The real Zenon is reincarnated as Rozalin.]]

*** The headmistress of Zipangu is actually the {{Orochi}}.

*** The king of Samanao was kidnapped and replaced by a BossTroll using the mod rod to take his form.

** ...and then ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII'' did it with {{God}}. Yes, that God.

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' loves this trope:
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'' did it with the king of Samanao, who'd been replaced by a troll in disguise. The headmistress of Zipangu is actually the {{Orochi}}.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' is another example, except that there isn't a Fake King, but a fake ''[[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Dowager]]''. She pretends to be the mother of the current King of Coburg, and takes complete advantage over him, performing acts such as destroying TheHero's DoomedHometown, recruiting monsters as soldiers, and executing anyone who defies her.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'' has a fake ''queen'' -- and a relatively obvious one at that. MagnificentBastard Ratigan forces a toymaker to create a robotic copy of the actual Mouse Queen, who -- standing in for the real deal -- will abdicate her throne in favor of Ratigan as the new king.

* In ''VideoGAme/{{Alundra 2}}'', the EvilChancellor Baron Diaz imprisons the king and has him replaced with ''a wooden manikin''. Probably the only reason the population falls for this is because the only people other than the nobles in the resistance who actually see the 'king' work for Diaz.

* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E6TheKingsDemons The King's Demons]]", which involves King John being replaced by a mind-controlled robot. Interestingly, the villain does nothing about the real King John; he just tours the counties, alienating local lords, while the king remains in London, utterly oblivious. [[TheyWastedAGoodPlot Not that much is made of this.]]

* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial ''The King's Demons''.

* ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'' has a fake ''queen'' -- and a relatively obvious one at that. MagnificentBastard Ratigan forces a toymaker to create a robotic copy of the actual Mouse Queen, who -- standing in for the real deal -- will abdicate her throne in favor of Ratigan as the new king.

** There might be just one story where an actual Vetinari impersonation is an important plot point (''Discworld/TheTruth''), and one more (''Discworld/MakingMoney'') where it happens as a more minor element. However, attempted coups of one kind or another have been the villain's goal so often in the series that ''Making Money'' [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on this trope by having an entire ward of a mental hospital populated by people suffering from [[NapoleonDelusion Vetinari Delusion]].

* In ''LightNovel/TheTwelveKingdoms'', Princess Joei takes up the role to usurp Youko's rightful place as the sucessor of her sister Joukaku. For worse, she captures and enchants Keiki (the only one capable of unmasking her), forcing Youko to face her. [[spoiler:When Youko allies with the Kingdom of En to retake her rightful throne, Joei is proven a false queen and is executed.]]

* Creator/LindsayDavis' ''The Third Nero'' is set in Rome in the 80's AD. A ''third'' pretender has arisen claming to be the Emperor Nero and wanting his Empire back. The narrator[[SnarkKnight Flavia Albia]] notes that even though enough people are still alive who remember Nero, the fact he died in miserable lonely circumstances witnessed by few, gave rise to the myth that he fled Rome waiting for the time to be right. people actually hope he'll return in triumph, depose the current paranoid sociopath who is ruling the Empire in a reign of fear and terror, and restore an era of peace and prosperity. albia notes that people are so despeate under Domitian's reign that they'll believe anything, and duly fail to remember Nero was a mad sociopathic sadist.

* Creator/LindseyDavis ''The Third Nero'' is set in Rome in the 80's AD. A ''third'' pretender has arisen claming to be the Emperor Nero and wanting his Empire back. The narrator[[SnarkKnight Flavia Albia]] notes that even though enough people are still alive who remember Nero, the fact he died in miserable lonely circumstances witnessed by few, gave rise to the myth that he fled Rome waiting for the time to be right. people actually hope he'll return in triumph, depose the current paranoid sociopath who is ruling the Empire in a reign of fear and terror, and restore an era of peace and prosperity. albia notes that people are so despeate under Domitian's reign that they'll believe anything, and duly fail to remember Nero was a mad sociopathic sadist.

* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': Serizawa scornfully calls Ghidorah a false king when it takes over as Alpha of the Titans [[spoiler:when they realize he's an invasive alien and not and an Earth-based lifeform]].