History Main / TakeOverTheWorld

* RussiaTakesOverTheWorld, which was popular during the RedScare in the 1950s and 1960s. The advent of detente however led to...

There have been several country-specific [[SubTrope SubTropes]] which have been popularized in American thought and media, each country taking its turn to be the boogeyman for a few decades. These would include:

* After [[spoiler:Chao Lingshen]] is revealed as the BigBad of the Mahora Festival in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', we finally get a peek at her character bio. Listed under her Likes? World Domination.

* Kuvira is given a vision of herself doing this by the Swamp in ''FanFic/RepairsRetrofitsAndUpgrades'', showing how far her megalomania would have developed had she not been stopped.
* ''FanFic/OjamajoDoremiRiseOfTheShadows'': This is the goal of Black Queen. However, she doesn't just want to rule the world; she wants to destroy all Light Beings so her kind, the Shadows, can rule all worlds.

* In ''{{VideoGame/Nefarious}}'', this is the goal of the main character [[VillainProtagonist Crow]].

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''

* In ''WebComic/CommanderKitty'', both AntiHero CK ''and'' BigBad Zenith [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2009/01/25/groovy/ seem to have galactic]] [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2010/07/04/nothing-like-a-good-rant/ conquest on their agendas]]. Of course, CK's is [[AllJustADream limited to his dreams]].

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'': "Everyone will become one with Russia." Alternately, The Awesome [[MemeticBadass Prussia]] [[MemeticMutation will seize your vital regions.]]

* ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn's'' BigBad [[spoiler:Byakuran]] actually ''has'' taken over the world [[spoiler:millions of times over. Being able to share his consciousness across parallel universes, he has become supreme ruler of all but one.]]
* ''Manga/DragonBall''

* Kuroda from ''Manga/NekoDeGomen''

* [[Manga/SquidGirl Ika Musume's]] ultimate goal is to take over the world in order to punish humans for polluting the oceans and harming the ocean life. Thus far, her invasion has stalled at the beach house where she first made landfall.

* Subverted in ''FanFic/QueenOfAllOni''. The Enforcers assume, due to their experience with past {{Big Bad}}s, that this is [[VillainProtagonist Queen Jade's]] ultimate goal. However, Jade knows that [[TaughtByExperience aiming for a goal that large is what led to said past Big Bads being defeated]], and as such is more small-scale -- she merely wants enough power to ensure she's never defeated, in order to maintain the comfortable and hedonistic life style she's created for herself.
* ''FanFic/ShadowsAwakening'': One thing that the BigBadEnsemble has in common is that they all want to rule the world.

* JapanTakesOverTheWorld, which was influenced by Japan's powerful economy that emerged in the 1970s and the spread of its pop culture in the 1980s. However, this time it was about economics and not military and politics. The lost decade of Japan in the 1990s which led to an economic and production standstill has led to another East Asian superpower filling this role, which would be...
* ChinaTakesOverTheWorld, a concept that has gained influence in the 1990s with the rise of the Chinese economy and manufacturing. The economic liberalization and large population which has also made the Chinese an influential target for corporations and movie studios back this claim alongside China's powerful army. With a recession in the 2010s and an increased desire to perpetuate a trade war to avert this trope however, this trope may now be discredited.

* {{Eurabia}}: Fundamentalist Muslims take over Europe if not the whole world and turn it into a repressive theocracy.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

** The Doomster also pulled it off in ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'', complete with building an army with hybrid Doombot and Iron Man technology and giving himself a castle the size of Latveria. [[spoiler:Then the heroes beat him up and Odin blows him to vapor with a lightning bolt]].
** In the aftermath of the Onslaught Saga, Franklin Richards created an alternate Earth and Doctor Doom conquered THAT before getting bored with the absolute power over it he'd usurped from Franklin Richards' weird computer overseer thing.

* ComicBook/LexLuthor's original goal was to take total control of Metropolis as a foundation for taking over the world, and from there the rest of the universe. Then ComicBook/{{Superman}} showed up and started ruining all of his plans. Now his goal is to get rid of Superman so he can get back to his original goal and soothe his massive ego.
* Parodied by Disney Italy's comics linked to the character of Paperinik:

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* From ''Comicbook/TheAvengers'' #290, in one of his few impressive moments Dr. Druid points out to the Super-Adaptoid the importance of thinking things through:

* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'': Dogbert has taken over the world a few times. In one arc he does so through hypnosis, but abdicates after he gets bored. He's also taken over the company frequently, usually becoming obscenely wealthy and retiring within a matter of days.

* Played straight in Mark Waid's ''ComicBook/{{Empire}}'' limited comic series. The supervillain mastermind Golgoth actually conquers the world. All opposition is crushed, all superheroes are defeated, and Golgoth is still victorious at the end of the tale. Needless to say, it's a VERY dark story. However, Golgoth finds that ruling the world is not exactly easy, either.

* "Rule the world" is the key phrase that Piffany taught Yeagar to differentiate between the good guys and the bad guys in ''ComicStrip/{{Nodwick}}''.

* In the backstory of ''Fanfic/AgesOfShadow'', [[FallenHero Jade]] tried to do this with her newfound power, but that just led to her being [[SealedEvilInACan sealed away]]. Once reestablishing contact with Earth (well, an AlternateUniverse version, anyway), she tries to do this the old fashioned way via her [[ReligionOfEvil Shadow Walkers]] conquering lands by force. And when that fails, she decides on a more direct approach, having the Walkers gather the soul energy needed to make her strong enough to escape her imprisonment and conquer the world directly [[spoiler: by pulling it into the Netherworld with her]].

* ''FanFic/DungeonKeeperAmi'': Discussed by [[TeenGenius Mercury]] and [[TokenEvilTeamMate Jadeite]]. Due to the tremendous forces arrayed against Ami, both the [[GodOfEvil Dark Gods]] and their followers, and the [[GodOfGood Light Gods]] and ''their'' followers; it is speculated that if she ever wants to get home, Ami is going to have to do this.

* From ''[[Comicbook/TheAvengers AVENGERS]]'' #290, in one of his few impressive moments Dr. Druid points out to the Super-Adaptoid the importance of thinking things through:

* ChinaTakesOverTheWorld, a concept that has gained influence in the 1990s with the rise of the Chinese economy and manufacturing. The economic liberalization and large population which has also made the Chinese an influential target for corporations and movie studios back this claim alongside China's powerful army. With a recession in the 2010s however, this trope may now be discredited.

* In ''Film/TheInvisibleMan'', this becomes Griffin's plan after he goes insane.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

* Malladus from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'', apparently, [[spoiler:until his revival is about to be undone and he decides that an EarthShatteringKaboom is good to go as well.]] At least [[MagnificentBastard Ganon(dorf)]] was modest enough to limit himself to just Hyrule...
** Hyrule is pretty much the center of ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' universe, so the whole world is screwed if Ganon takes over Hyrule.
* In Creator/ParadoxInteractive games like the ''VideoGame/EuropaUniversalis'' series or the ''VideoGame/HeartsOfIron'' series it's a challenge to take over the world before the time limit is reached. This is called a 'World Conquest' or WC in the community and is a common SelfImposedChallenge if attempted with a small, weak country.

* Many religious fanatics, from sociopathic crackpots who have no actual resources (e.g. UsefulNotes/CharlesManson and his Helter Skelter plot) to those who present an actual threat to the world (e.g. [[TheWarOnTerror Islamic terrorist groups like Al Qaeda]]).

* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' actually opens with Aku taking over the world. The entire thrust of the series was Jack trying to go back in time to [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong stop it from happening.]]

* The Brain of ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain''. Every episode ended this way, and every episode began with some inane plot to take over the world.

The result of world domination is sometimes subverted, parodied or deconstructed when the villain [[TheBadGuyWins actually succeeds]], and it turns out that ruling the world [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving isn't nearly as gratifying as they thought it would be]] -- exactly [[AndThenWhat what does one do]] with the world once one has it, after all? As any [[WhoWantsToLiveForever immortal]] would tell you, ideas to try for the world (whether utopian or dystopian) can be limited. Plus, once you're ruling the world, you literally have to be in charge of '''''everyone''''', and [[BizarreAndImprobableGiraffeHerdingTechniques that's like herding giraffes]]. Seven ''billion'' giraffes, as a matter of fact. You actually have to run things, and make sure it works, and dang, DystopiaIsHard. You will end up snapping or getting crushed under the workload of [[FascistButInefficient trying to dictate everything]]. If they did it with MassHypnosis to get rid of TheEvilsOfFreeWill, then it'll be considerably easier to rule... and so dreadfully boring they undo the whole thing just to have someone to talk to. No wonder that "illogical" [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum world destruction]] has an appeal that competes with world domination.

** Queen Atomia wants more power, and uranium, in order to expand her little self created empire to include the earth rather than only things of a microscopic scale.

* [[TheProtagonist Jio's]] goal in ''Manga/SixSixSixSatan'', by collecting all the O-Parts to rule the world.

* Since the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, the practice of large states attacking their neighbors in order to take territory for themselves has become obsolete.
** Russia, of course, [[UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}} did not get that memo]].

* The ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' games usually have Dr. Eggman trying to take over the world in some way or another.
** And by ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', [[TheBadGuyWins he actually]] ''[[TheBadGuyWins accomplishes]]'' [[TheBadGuyWins this goal]]!

* On the opposite side of the (old) world from Alexander, [[UsefulNotes/QinShihuangdi some other guy]] did take over the whole known-world to his people. His empire also did not last, ultimately because the penalty for lateness (death) was the same as the penalty for mutiny (death). When combined with a disregard for realistic timetabling, this ultimately led to an entire Army deciding that it might as well rebel and ''risk'' death than obey and die.
* Culturally, most Chinese cultures ultimately held that their nations were the ''only'' civilised nations on the planet. Ergo, to conquer the Chinese nations and [[ImperialChina rule a unified Empire of China]] was effectively to rule the (civilised) world. In three thousand years of history, no less than half a dozen nations managed to do this. After several non-consecutive centuries of political unity and cultural chauvinism, about four hundred years ago there became a serious case for asserting the pan-Chinese national identity as a valid one in itself.

* The Horned King in ''Disney/TheBlackCauldron'' plans to raise an undead army, kill all who stand in his way, and rule over whatever is left.

** In [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI the first game]], by the time Sora reaches [[Disney/{{Aladdin}} Agrabah]], Jafar has already conquered all of Saudi Arabia, and is actively seeking both the Keyhole (to kill everyone and send the world into the Realm of Darkness) and Jasmine (because she's 1/7th of a LivingMacGuffin to bring TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt).