History Main / PowerfulPeopleAreSubs

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* ''Series/{{Castle}}'': ZigZagged in "[[Recap/CastleS2E16TheMistressAlwaysSpanksTwice The Mistress Always Spanks Twice]]". The BDSM club where the BodyOfTheWeek worked is patronized by various powerful men, but on the other hand, the domme who runs it is herself a retired attorney. And then there's the various CasualKink moments this episode where Beckett, the homicide detective, acts domineering over Castle, the millionaire crime novelist, as well as a male suspect who was a sub client of the aforementioned BDSM club.

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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* {{Implied}} in ''Fanfic/AGoodCompromise'', which opens with professor and combat veteran [[TheCaptain Captain Tyria Sark]] engaging in some light bondage with her husband where she's the one tied down.

* The ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/ValesUnderground'' makes Cinder an example. She's a psychopathic, sadistic mob boss who keeps everyone under her thumb. However, she also seems to enjoy it when guys are rough with her during sex.

* The ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fic “[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14090706/1/Different-manor Different manor]]” explores the idea that Harry fundamentally resents the responsibility he’s been forced to take on due to the prophecy and his status as the "Boy-Who-Lived", to the extent that one of the reasons he falls for Daphne Greengrass is that she takes charge and just asks him to submit to her, basically allowing him to get away from his responsibilities and let her deal with things. Even when presented with the power of the Elder Wand (which is noted to have a corruptive influence on most of its wielders), Daphne reflects that the Wand can’t work on Harry because all he truly wants is to submit to her rather than to rule on his own (Daphne is tempted by the wand herself but is able to put that desire aside by focusing on her desire for Harry himself).
* A ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/29203539 So Let's Go Home and Draw the Curtains]]'' set after the Crimson Flower storyline has Edelgard publicly as the powerful, strong, and independent [[SheIsTheKing emperor]] of Adrestia, who keeps Byleth merely as a lowly advisor and aide that [[BeneathNotice nobody acknowledges]]. In private, they are secretly married and he is unquestionably the dominant in their bedroom, as she finds joy in letting go of her responsibilities by submitting to him and treating him as her master.

* Prevalent in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', its author Creator/RobertJordan having [[AuthorAppeal a flair for the kinky]]. Specifically, it's actually invoked by the Sea Folk, whose marriage vows include a requirement that one member of the couple is always in command while in public, and always submissive in private, something that Lan and Nynaeve don't realize when they ask the people to perform their wedding ceremony.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''The Literature/NewJediOrder: Destiny's Way''. Luke complains to his wife Mara Jade (both of them senior Jedi Masters) that Fyor Rodan, a New Republic politician, addressed him simply as "Skywalker" during a discussion about the Jedi Order's role in the Yuuzhan Vong War. In response, Mara cracks that he could've addressed him as Master, "Like I do sometimes."
* Pecora is the [[MaouTheDemonKing Demon King]] in ''Literature/IveBeenKillingSlimesFor300YearsAndMaxedOutMyLevel'', which makes her one of the most powerful individuals in the world. Yet for years, she has been looking for a CoolBigSis figure to boss her around, which she finds in Azusa. Playing into this, she will reject Azusa's requests if the latter politely asks, but she will eagerly oblige if the witch outright demands her to do so. While it's unclear whether being domineered is sexual to her, she does get blushed when domineered.

* ''Series/NipTuck'': A powerful CEO who comes into the [=McNamara=]/Troy practice for surgery turns out to be the sub to a ridiculously aggressive dominatrix. Sean walks in on the guy being tortured with fish hooks and immediately threatens to call the cops. The man claims it's a way to punish himself for having to fire people constantly.

* In ''Series/TwinPeaks'', the manager of Horne's Department Store, who secretly recruits underage girls into prostitution/drug rings, turns out to enjoy being bound and gagged.
* In the episode "Change" in ''Series/SilentWitness'', the BodyOfTheWeek is a wealthy CEO whose secretary tries to cover up that he liked being tied up, gagged and whipped in the bedroom to avoid tarnishing his reputation.

* Assistant United States Attorney Chuck Rhoades on ''Series/{{Billions}}'' is a sub; his wife Wendy is his dom.
* The trope shows up occasionally in ''Series/CriminalMinds'':
** When the protagonists visit a BDSM event while trying to track down a killer using not-''Literature/FiftyShadesOfGrey'' to lure his victims, the woman they talk to says that the people she sees most are high-powered women looking for a submissive outlet.
** In another episode, they suspect a school principal who's introduced being very aggressive and authoritative in punishing one of the students, to the point that Blake feels the need to step in and stop him. When they discuss his habits with the prostitutes who've been killed, he admits that he pays them to cut him, rather than to let him cut them, as they'd assumed.
* ''Series/LasVegas'': At one point, based on some suggestive camera footage they stumble across, Danny and Mike (mistakenly) believe that their boss Ed, a hard-ass ex-CIA agent who runs the casino, was having an affair with Monica Mancuso, an ill-tempered GoldDigger who bought the casino and regularly feuded with Ed. In an ImagineSpot, both Ed and Monica are in turn portrayed as submissives to the other behind closed doors.
* ''Series/FeelGood'': George, a high school teacher by profession and generally sane and responsible, is this in the bedroom. Mae lampshades it when she's amused by the fact that George's new boyfriend Elliot wants to talk about his feelings.
-->'''Mae''': You hate talking about your feelings! Doesn't he know that you just want to get pushed around like a slutty bag of beans?

* ''Film/JasonX'': The sleazy college professor is not only shown being [[SextraCredit seduced by one of his students in exchange for a higher grade]] but dresses up as a woman and engages in submissive roleplay.
* ''Film/TheGeneralsDaughter'': Colonel Moore is shown to have been the submissive party in the late Elizabeth's BDSM play, inverting their official mentor-protegé relationship.

* Prevalent in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', its author Robert Jordan having a flair for the kinky. Specifically, it's actually invoked by the Sea Folk, whose marriage vows include a requirement that one member of the couple is always in command while in public, and always submissive in private, something that Lan and Nynaeve don't realize when they ask the people to perform their wedding ceremony.

* ''Series/Angel'' despite being his "sire" powerful vampire Darla enjoys being abused by the villainous Angelus, Angel commenting that she actually likes pain in the episode "Quickening". Similarly powerful vampire Drusilla seems to enjoy the same, asking Darla to hold her head underwater when they bathe together and Spike in "Lover's Walk" commenting that he intends to tie Dru up and torture her until she loves him again. Wesley also hints at this, implying he knows someone who can provide them with handcuffs and later referring to "Miss Spanksalot".
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'';
** in the episode "Dead Things" despite declaring she will never trust him hugely powerful vampire slayer Buffy allows herself to be handcuffed during sex with her vampire lover Spike. She later comments "He's not getting any gentler" whilst rubbing her sore wrists. He subsequently seduces her into having exhibitionist sex with him on the balcony at The Bronze, Buffy eventually breaking down and tearfully telling the truth to her friend Tara, asking "Why do I let him do these things to me?".
** in the episode 'Dirty Girls' hard core warrior slayer Faith recounts to Spike how she used to enjoy dressing up as a schoolgirl and being whipped by an old boyfriend.

* ''Series/DesperateHousewives'': eminent doctor and pillar of the community Rex Van De Kamp likes being dominated in bed. When his Dominatrix Maisie Gibbons is arrested he asks his StepfordSmiler wife Bree to take over the role. She agrees but insists on rinsing the handcuffs through the dishwasher first.

* ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss'': Prince Stolas is a prominent member of Hell's aristocracy and, as evidenced by his [[SexForServices transactional relationship]] with Blitzo, an absolute power-bottom.

* ''Series/Angel'' despite being his "sire" powerful vampire Darla enjoys being abused by the villainous Angelus, Angel commenting that she actually likes pain in the episode "Quickening". Similarly powerful vampire Drusilla seems to enjoy the same, asking Darla to hold her head underwater when they bathe together and Spike in "Lover's Walk" commenting that he intends to tie Dru up and torture her until she loves him again.

* ''Manga/NanaAndKaoru'': Female lead Nana Chigusa is the [[StudentCouncilPresident vice president of the student council]] and aspires to be an attorney, but you wouldn't know it when she's having one of her "breathers" with her boyfriend and dom Kaoru Sugimura.

* In ''Undercover'', a policewoman goes [[DirtyHarriet undercover as a prostitute]] in an upper-class brothel to investigate a murder. Many of her "clients" are high-powered men who are submissives in the bedroom.

* ''LightNovel/TrappedInADatingSimTheWorldOfOtomeGamesIsToughForMobs'': Deirdre Fou Roseblade is one of the heiresses of House Roseblade, which has a fearsome reputation. She likes men who have spines, which are very rare considering the general submissiveness of male nobles in the Kingdom. Hence when Leon stands up to her, she is immediately enticed by his brazen attitude and vows to make him "her pet".

* ''Series/Angel'' despite being his "sire" powerful vampire Darla enjoys being abused by the villainous Angelus, Angel commenting that she actually like pain in the episode "Quickening". Similarly powerful vampire Drusilla seems to enjoy the same, asking Darla to hold her head underwater when they bathe together and Spike in "Lover's Walk" commenting that he intends to torture her until she loves him again.

* Pecora is the [[MaouTheDemonKing Demon King]] in ''LightNovel/IveBeenKillingSlimesFor300YearsAndMaxedOutMyLevel'', which makes her one of the most powerful individuals in the world. Yet for years, she has been looking for a CoolBigSis figure to boss her around, which she finds in Azusa. Playing into this, she will reject Azusa's requests if the latter politely asks, but she will eagerly oblige if the witch outright demands her to do so. While it's unclear whether being domineered is sexual to her, she does get blushed when domineered.

Compare to AggressiveSubmissive for when someone has an aggressive personality but does a 180 when it comes to anything sexual, and BrainsAndBondage for when BDSM is favored by smart people (who are often powerful as well). See also BestHerToBedHer and AllAmazonsWantHercules, where the person is only willing to love someone that's stronger than they are.

* ''Series/TheAlienist'':
** The protagonist Laszlo Kreizler is an ambitious psychiatrist and quite a high-ranking member of the New York society, but there are some hints [[CasualKink that he enjoys a submissive role in romantic relationships]]. This shows up in his conversation with the professional dominatrix Mrs. Williams (he mentions that he enjoyed her stories of "men's vulnerabilities"), and in his relationship with Karen Stratton, who takes him to various kinky places. His relationship with his housekeeper [[spoiler:and subsequent LoveInterest]] Mary [[PowerDynamicsKink also has strong undertones of this kind]]: he is highly dependent on her due to his bad arm, and she enjoys his timidity whenever he needs her to do something for him (and whenever he pisses her off, she just leaves him on his own, and he cannot even tie his own shoelaces without her). Besides, while Mary was away, he sneaked to her room to sniff her clothes.
** There is also the unnamed brewery foreman who is one of Mrs. Williams' clients. In her own words, he's "used to giving orders", but "in here, he prefers taking them".

* ''Series/TwinPeaks'':
** The manager of Horne's Department Store, who secretly recruits underage girls into prostitution/drug rings, turns out to enjoy being bound and gagged.
** Ben Horne himself, who is one of the richest and most powerful people in Twin Peaks, [[PowerDynamicsKink has a markedly submissive relationship with Catherine Martell]] that involves [[IKissYourFoot him kissing her feet]] and her [[DeadpanSnarker replying to his compliments with sarcastic quips]]. [[spoiler:Then he's accused of murder and arrested, and she visits him in the jail. She takes off her shoe, and he kisses her foot, pleading her to confirm his alibi.]]

* Implied in ''ComicBook/TheAuthority''. Despite being the SupermanSubstitute of the team, Apollo seems to be the submissive in his relationship with ComicBook/{{Midnighter}}.

* Shades of this appear in {{Comicbook/Cyclops}} and [[ComicBook/EmmaFrost Emma Frost]]'s relationship with Frost frequently helping Cyclops to "relax" and "let go" during their downtime. Her DressedLikeADominatrix costume tendencies do little to dissuade this line of thought.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' creator Creator/HidekiKamiya once [[RuleThirtyFourCreatorReactions complained]] about how frequently {{doujinshi}} of the games made the title character, a HotWitch resembling a stereotypical domme in a HackAndSlash game that is frequently sexually suggestive, the more submissive partner in sex scenes. The fandom responded by making Bayonetta the dominant partner in later doujinshi.

* The ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fic "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/33823474/ Apex Predator]]" starts with Fleur Delacour observing that Harry is essentially this; while he's a powerful wizard and willing to take charge when lives are in danger, outside of a dangerous situation Fleur observes that Harry isn't that assertive, noting how he allowed his date at the Yule Ball to take charge rather than doing anything himself. This makes Harry well-suited to be a partner to a Veela, as they culturally prefer powerful wizards who will submit to their authority, many Veela content to have partners who are simply breeding studs (although Fleur has taken steps to ensure that Harry will receive emotional support beyond his "official" role as a sex toy).

* Saeko Busujima in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11905736/1/Fate-Gamer-Night-SE Fate: Gamer Night]]'' is a variation. With Shirou, she proves to be very submissive once he bests her but she's still a sadist with others. Shirou doesn't realize quite ''how'' submissive she is until he has to take her as a {{Familiar}}[[labelnote:*]]Doing so would allow Shirou to bypass her innate magical resistance and empower her further and would make it harder for Rin to potentially hypnotize her[[/labelnote]] and he notices that Saeko's relationship tab labels her as his SexSlave.

* This is a pretty common portrayal of Samus Aran in sex-themed ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' fanfics, and possibly even moreso if it's ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' related. Sometimes the [[WorldsStrongestMan galaxy's greatest bounty hunter]] just needs to submit and let someone else take the lead in bed.

* A non-BDSM variation occurs in ''Film/LoveStory''. The protagonist Oliver is a successful lawyer, and his wife Jennifer is a housewife... and yet, he is the usual target of [[DeadpanSnarker her sarcastic quips]]. Moreover, when he finds out that [[spoiler:Jenny is terminally ill]], it is ''she'' who comforts ''him'' rather than the other way round.

* ''Literature/QueenOfZazzau'': Amina is a princess, later a queen regnant, but her lover is the Hausa WarGod. Their first time together (a couple pages after agreeing to the pact) has definite BDSM tones, with Dafaru choking her and Amina referring to enjoying her own humiliation.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Dean Winchester, who is a highly effective monster hunter and BloodKnight, is portrayed as rather submissive in his love scenes, and when he finds himself temporarily in Heaven, he complains about the lack of triplets and latex.

* ''Webcomic/BloodBank'' stars Shell Overlord, a powerful vampire with a huge amount of guilt over enslaving humans. This results in him doggedly pursuing the protagonist One (the only human immune to his mind control pheromones) so One will step on him.

There's an old cliche that powerful people tend to be submissive when it comes to sex. For one reason or another, they prefer being subs in BDSM or are otherwise submissive during sex. This often relates to power-play. Another reason why this trope can occur is that the person is a leader most of the time so they enjoy having someone else take the role instead.

This often pops up as a joke as well. For example, the serious executive, or another high-ranking individual, has a secret thing for femdom. This is to a certain extent TruthInTelevision, much to the delight of unscrupulous journalists everywhere (many a politician has had their career ended after being busted with a dominatrix). Of course, this is not always the case. Indeed, many people are very consistent: wanting to be either leader or follower in all aspects of their life.

!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16729628090.00646800 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.

* A non-BDSM variation occurs in ''Film/LoveStory''. The protagonist Oliver is a successful lawyer, and his wife Jennifer is a housewife... and yet, he is the target of [[DeadpanSnarker her sarcastic quips]], and when he finds out that [[spoiler:Jenny is terminally ill]], it is ''she'' who comforts ''him'' rather than the other way round.

** The protagonist Laszlo Kreizler is an ambitious psychiatrist and quite a high-ranking member of the New York society, but there are some hints [[CasualKink that he enjoys a submissive role in romantic relationships]]. This shows up in his conversation with the professional dominatrix Mrs. Williams (he mentions that he enjoyed her stories of "men's vulnerabilities"), and in his relationship with Karen Stratton, who takes him to various kinky places. His relationship with his housekeeper [[spoiler:and subsequent LoveInterest]] Mary also has strong undertones of this kind: he is highly dependent on her due to his bad arm, and she enjoys his timidity whenever he needs her to do something for him (and whenever he pisses her off, she just leaves him on his own, and he cannot even tie his own shoelaces without her). Besides, while Mary was away, he sneaked to her room to sniff her clothes.

** Ben Horne himself, who is one of the richest and most powerful people in Twin Peaks, has a markedly submissive relationship with Catherine Martell that involves [[IKissYourFoot him kissing her feet]] and her [[DeadpanSnarker replying to his compliments with sarcastic quips]]. [[spoiler:Then he's accused of murder and arrested, and she visits him in the jail. She takes off her shoe, and he kisses her foot, pleading her to confirm his alibi.]]

* ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss'': Prince Stolas is a prominent member of Hell's aristocracy and, as evidenced by his relationship with Blitzo, is an absolute power-bottom.

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