History Main / TheFightingNarcissist

The Fighting Narcissist is a common character type in action series, especially common in martial arts media. He is a formidable fighter who happens to be handsome, extremely so, and takes pride in that fact to the point of [[SevenDeadlySins capital sin]]. To him (and it's almost always ''him'', not ''her'') there is no one more beautiful or talented than himself, and to him both concepts are synonymous. He doesn't just happen to be both beautiful and talented, he's beautiful ''because'' he's talented, and vice versa.

If a hero actually proves himself superior in anything, the Fighting Narcissist [[BerserkButton does]] ''[[BerserkButton not]]'' [[BerserkButton take it well.]] His high opinion of himself does not allow him to take defeat in any way lightly, and any humiliation he is subjected to instills irrational hatred in him. [[MinorInjuryOverreaction Oh, and scarring him in ANY way, especially in the face,]] [[BerserkButton will enrage him]] [[AxCrazy to the point of murderous insanity.]] If he doesn't get killed (or [[DrivenToSuicide kill himself]]), expect him to act the part of BeautyToBeast, wear a mask, and BlackCloak, and [[HouseOfBrokenMirrors break every mirror he sees]].

He is selfish, vain, and confident of himself and condescending to anyone and everyone else. Physically, he tends to be slim, tall, and fair, but with defined musculature. He will have Caucasian features, even if he's not actually Caucasian. He will be [[CulturedBadass refined in speech and manners]], with a tinge of condescension in his speech. He is usually [[EvilIsSexy quite seductive]], perhaps even [[WickedCultured refined and charming]], but he is [[FauxAffablyEvil nowhere near as pleasing as he might seem at first glance]]. Beauty is an obsession to him, and often he describes his actions in these terms ([[CombatAestheticist "My fighting style is the most beautiful"]], or [[BloodLust "Seeing blood run is a thing of beauty"]], for example).

** Bass from [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic the classic series]]. He's [[GreenEyedMonster jealous]] of Mega Man's position as world champion and wants to kill him for that. And he's also extremely vain. ''[[EvilIsSexy And by lord, he is hot]].''

* ''Franchise/StreetFighter''[='s=] Vega/Balrog/Claw '''is''' [[TropeCodifier the best example]] of this kind of character. Rich, [[EvilIsSexy sexy and evil]] beyond belief, he leads a double life of a nobleman by day and an assassin by night. In all of his battles he wears his iconic mask just to make sure nothing so much as scratches his perfect face. Not to mention he joined Shadaloo because he just ''really loves'' killing people. He has a disturbing fixation on both Chun-Li and Cammy, considering Chun-Li the perfect rival in beauty and technique, and because Cammy was [[DesignerBabies made beautiful]] by Bison himself. The only reason he returns in ''IV'' is because he's looking for [[spoiler: the data on how to create spare bodies (AKA Seths) for Bison, which would theoretically allow him to [[{{Immortality}} live forever]]]].

* ''Franchise/StreetFighter''[='s=] Vega/Balrog/Claw '''is''' [[TropeCodifier the best example]] of this kind of character. Rich, [[EvilIsSexy sexy and evil]] beyond belief, he leads a double life of a nobleman by day and an assassin by night. In all of his battles he wears his iconic mask just to make sure nothing so much as scratches his perfect face. Not to mention he joined Shadaloo because he just ''really loves'' killing people. He has a disturbing fixation on both Chun-Li and Cammy, considering Chun-Li the perfect rival in beauty and technique, and because Cammy was [[CloningBlues made beautiful]] by Bison himself. The only reason he returns in ''IV'' is because he's looking for [[spoiler: the data on how to create spare bodies (AKA Seths) for Bison, which would theoretically allow him to [[{{Immortality}} live forever]]]].

* Lee Chaolan from ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}''...somewhat. While he ''does'' prize elegance in battle greatly, defeating him is much more likely to make him determined to improve himself and/or his tactics than to make him declare a vendetta against you specifically. In other words, while he tends to ''assume'' that he's at the zenith, he's still capable of accepting that he hasn't achieved it yet, and is more likely to blame himself than you. Think of it as trying to deserve his own narcissism. On one hand, he fits this trope in a lot of aspects: he was TheDragon to Heihachi, and later, to Kazuya, while having no loyalty towards them (and probably having plans to [[TheStarscream take them down eventually]]); one of his post-match animations in 5 is he saying ''“You need to fight with more class”''; his fighting style is faster and more acrobatic; and his motivations are ultimately the pursuit of more power and trying to get revenge on Kazuya and Heihachi for the humiliation he’s gone through by their hands. On the other hand, he takes defeat by Lars pretty well, makes an alliance with him that goes past his immediate goals [[spoiler:(he admits owing a lot to Lars and repairs Alisa after the events in Scenario Campaign)]], appears to treat women fairly, and, among the characters directly related to the Mishima Family [[spoiler:(Lars notwithstanding)]], he is the most moral one (though that’s not to say he is a [[ALighterShadeOfGrey nice person]]). Maybe he’s a {{Subversion}}?

%%* Col. William Tavington from ''Film/ThePatriot'' certainly seems to qualify.

-->-- '''Vega''', ''Franchise/StreetFighter''

* ''Anime/RedBaron'' has Dr. Marilyn, who is obsessed with defeating the Red Baron "beautifully", and is a ProudBeauty MsFanservice [[FemmeFatale who knows how to use her feminine wiles]] on top of it.

* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Gilgamesh is a king of this trope (amongst the many other things he is king of) and hits practically every part of it spot-on. In the Unlimited Blade Works route, he passes over a perfect opportunity to kill all the main characters in one fell swoop [[spoiler:because part of the house they were fighting in was on fire, and ''it was getting soot on his clothing''.]] His earlier appearance in ''LightNovel/FateZero'' has his attitude towards Berserker turn from bored indifference to a genuine rage the moment when Berserker steals one of Gilgamesh's rare swords, and he angrily tells him "how dare you lay your filthy hands on my treasures". Later in the story, he even [[spoiler:abandons several of his unique one-of-a-kind superweapons from his HyperspaceArsenal, because they had been used to attack an ugly EldritchAbomination and had gotten muddy and slimy as a result.]]

* Hysteria [[RedBaron the Elegant]] from ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', known as the warrior with the 'most beautiful technique'. She [[CatchPhrase hates being ignored more than anything.]]

** Cell after achieving his Perfect form -- even more so in ''[[Anime/DragonBallZKai Kai]]'', where he breaks the fourth wall to stroke his ego:

* Yuda of ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', quite possibly the TropeMaker and TropeCodifier in Japanese media. Pretty much any character that follows this archetype in any Japanese work is somehow based on him. His rivalry with Rei was based on proving his Nanto Kokaku Ken style was ''more beautiful'' than Rei's Nanto Suicho Ken.

* [[MadArtist Deidara]] from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' becomes crazy hysterical from having his "[[MadBomber art]]" looked down on. He also shows signs of [[GreenEyedMonster acute jealousy]].
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'':
** Asuka might qualify. The mere thought of no longer being the best pilot decreases her performance to the point where she can't fight anymore, which in turn makes her undergo a complete mental breakdown and become suicidally depressed. Then comes ''End of Evangelion'' where she returns for one final fight but this time, she's [[TheBerserker extremely pissed]], tearing her foes apart with bare hands and screaming at full volume the whole time. Hey, what happened to "a fight should be clean and elegant, without waste"?
** Mari from ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' demonstrates tendencies of this with her CloudCuckooLander BloodKnight personality.
* ''[[Manga/BakiTheGrappler New Grappler Baki]]'' averts this trope for the most part, which fits its motto of "the strong is the beautiful." [[http://www.manga123.com/read/New-Grappler-Baki/30/13/ See this]] for an example; some kind of "practical beauty." Kureha Shinogi, however, is VERY MUCH a straight example.

* Suzuki/Suzuka from ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' kills anyone who refuses to add Beautiful to his name.

* Minor Comicbook/{{Superman}} foe Barrage, who wears PoweredArmor but refuses to cover his face due to his vanity.

** Many Toreador vampires in the subscribe to this trope. Yes, they're obssessed with art and beauty. They also have access to {{Au|raVision}}spex and [[SuperSpeed Celerity]].

* UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat was [[AgentPeacock fabulous]] in terms of dress sense, thought himself [[AGodAmI the son of Zeus]] and we all know [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority what a great fighter he was]].

** Many Toreador vampires in the subscribe to this trope. Yes, they're artists and often dilettantes. They also have access to {{Au|raVision}}spex and [[SuperSpeed Celerity]].

* Minor {{Superman}} foe Barrage, who wears PoweredArmor but refuses to cover his face due to his vanity.

** Kimblee's a bit paranoid about getting blood on his [[BadassInANiceSuit suit]], [[MadBomber not that it ever stops him]]. He also seems to care quite a bit for his [[NiceHat hat]], too.

** Likewise, the Lasombra are an aristocratic and regal clan... who have trouble with personal grooming, due to that whole [[MissingReflection "lacking a reflection"]] thing. They're said to keep ghouls around mainly to make sure their appearance is immaculate and punish anyone who leaves a hair out of place. They've also got access to [[SuperStrength Potence]] and [[CastingAShadow Obtenebration]], which means those punishments are gonna ''hurt''. On a side note, they tend to fill their homes with portraits of themselves; general clan opinion is that sitting for one portrait per century is acceptable, but more than that is just vanity.

He is selfish, vain, and confident of himself and condescending to anyone and everyone else. Physically, he tends to be slim, tall, and fair, but with defined musculature. He will have Caucasian features, even if he's not actually Caucasian. He will be [[CulturedBadass refined in speech and manners]], with a tinge of condescension in his speech. He is usually [[EvilIsSexy quite seductive]], perhaps even [[WickedCultured refined and charming]], but he is [[FauxAffablyEvil nowhere near as pleasing as he might seem at first glance]]. Beauty is an obsession to him, and often he describes his actions in these terms ([[BadassBoast "My fighting style is the most beautiful"]], or [[BloodLust "Seeing blood run is a thing of beauty"]], for example).

Related to BeautyIsBad, and AgentPeacock. Contrast ArrogantKungFuGuy, who, while also condescending of others and a powerful fighter, is not obsessed with his looks nor inherently evil, and GorgeousGeorge, whose obsessions lead to [[AmbiguouslyGay ambiguity]] more than arrogance and is friendly with the females to heighten the ambiguity. Spiritual brother to the SmugSuper. Often a successful blow to the face will be a BerserkButton. The Fighting Narcissist also parallels the CombatSadomasochist in terms of the SevenDeadlySins: where the Narcissist has Vanity[=/=]{{Pride}} as a staple, the Sadomasochist is into Lust. In Manga, this type of character is referred to as the ''narusisuto'', a long-haired, effeminate self-admirer.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Yumichika Ayasegawa, one of the ''very'' rare heroic examples because he may be a subversion. He certainly insists on presenting himself as such a person, but the reality is [[HiddenDepths more complicated]]: his fight with [[EvilCounterpart Charlotte Cuuhlhourne]] reveals he's actually sacrificing his real self for the sake of his squad's philosophy due to his belief that UndyingLoyalty is much more important than his own desires. Charlotte is used to lampshade this by genuinely being what Yumichika is pretending to be...but looks-wise, he's a mix of TheBrute and MagicalGirl. When they fight, HilarityEnsues, followed by MoodWhiplash to [[TheReveal reveal]] the truth about Yumichika.\\\

* ''Manga/DGrayMan'': Cross Marian is a very powerful general and very vain about his appearance. When he shoots the [[{{EliteMook}} level 4 akuma]] he says he can forgive it [[spoiler: killing most of the science department]] but he can't forgive it ruining his clothes.

-->'''Hinata:''' Huh?! How can you be in love with yourself? You're the most vain person that I've ever met. How can you be so narcissistic?\\

* Hysteria [[TheRedBaron the Elegant]] from ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', known as the warrior with the 'most beautiful technique'. She [[CatchPhrase hates being ignored more than anything.]]

* The FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'', [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Sectonia]], is a [[TheCaligula sociopathic tyrant]] obsessed with her own beauty, which she claims ''[[AGodAmI rivals the gods]]''. [[spoiler:She used to be a well-adjusted, benevolent ruler, but years of staring into a [[MagicMirror Dimension Mirror]] tainted by [[LeakingCanOfEvil Dark Meta Knight]] caused her to BodySurf across countless life-forms in pursuit of her ideal. By the end of the game, she can [[ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis barely remember her true shape]] and [[DeathSeeker begs Kirby for "eternal beauty sleep", since all she has left to cling to is her {{Pride}} and even ''that'' is failing.]]

* [[AxCrazy Dilandau]] from ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'' is the epitome of this. "MY FACE!"

* Suzuki/Suzuka from ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', who kills anyone who refuses to add Beautiful to his name.

* ComicBook/DoctorDoom. When he was first introduced, those characters who managed to see his face (including Doctor Don Blake, the secret identity of the Mighty Thor of that era) recoiled in horror as if it was some horrific sight. Creator/StanLee himself sometimes joked that in his mind [[WordOfGod underneath the mask Doom's face was marred only by a small scar on one cheek that the narcissistic Doom viewed as nothing less than utter ruin]]. Later writers would merge the two ideas by claiming the accident that "ruined" his face left a small scar on one cheek... but he later put his famous metal mask on before it had fully cooled, which left him with full-face burn scars.
** A latter retcon (that claimed that Doom's experiment actually worked and he peeked into Mephisto's domain to seek his mother's soul, but an enraged Mephisto caused the apparatus to explode) would claim that the reason Doom so hurriedly donned the still white-hot mask was because needed it in order to shield himself from the mental assault he'd been enduring by Mephisto ever since the accident, rather than narcissism.

* Dark Schneider from ''Manga/{{Bastard}}'' is an AntiHero variant -- while he is a good-looking [[TheCasanova Casanova]] who spouts lines about the good-looking "hero" always beating ugly guys being a universal law, he's boorish, crass and a total perv.

Another particular characteristic of a Fighting Narcissist is his attitude towards sexuality. By his definition, any other person is inferior to him, so he [[{{Asexuality}} is often not actively sexually interested in anyone else.]] While often effeminate, he is rarely actively interested in men, although he might become obsessed with another fighter who's actually beautiful and talented as well. On the other side of the spectrum, his attitude towards women is almost universally, irredeemably bad. A Fighting Narcissist tends to abuse women and finds much amusement in it. If he actually considers a woman attractive, [[StalkerWithACrush it is to the point of obsession]], and this relationship can lead to massive amounts of BelligerentSexualTension. Conversely, if the Fighting Narcissist is effectively gay, he'll almost universally be an EffeminateMisogynisticGuy. The bottom line is that a Fighting Narcissist generally does not deign anyone to be worthy of his desire, and any desire he might have for someone is ALWAYS unhealthy.

-> ''I'm young, I'm fast, I'm pretty and can't possibly be beat!''
-> ''I'm the prettiest sight in the ring today. That's my label.''

* UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli was known to boast about his looks as well as his fighting skills. He once claimed to be "pretty as a girl". [[https://theundefeated.com/features/muhammad-ali-pretty-language-self-love-greatest/ Even in his old age, he boasted]] about being prettier than Creator/WillSmith who played him in ''Film/{{Ali}}''.

* Count Dooku from the ''Main/StarWars'' series has a lot of characteristics of this trope: he's a FauxAffablyEvil upper-class gentleman who is a MasterSwordsman and is also rather condescending to anyone who tries to fight him. To his credit, he is a very skilled duelist, although this backfires on him a couple of times - notably, thinking he was so awesome he could go up against [[OldMaster Yoda]] and win, or that he could troll [[TheChosenOne Anakin Skywalker]] into a rage and think that could end any way except badly.

* Lestat de Lioncourt from ''Literature/InterviewWithTheVampire''.
* China Sorrows from ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant''.
* UsefulNotes/SasakiKojiro from ''Literature/{{Musashi}}'' is both this and an [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Arrogant Kenjutsu Guy]].