History Main / TheGoodKing

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Film -- Animated]]

[[folder: Film -- Live Action]]

* ComicBook/IncredibleHulk:

** After becoming king of the Planet Sakaar, the Hulk actively worked to rebuild his new kingdom, maintain peace with the resident StarfishAliens, and was more than willing to spend the rest of his life ruling Sakaar peacefully. Unfortunately [[ComicBook/WorldWarHulk it didn’t take long for Sakaar to be destroyed by an outside source.]]

* Tgchan's Super Clothing Damage Adventure! No, seriously. Tgchan is a website that combines ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' with ''LetsPlay/TwitchPlaysPokemon'', and SCDA is one of its shows. The Good King in this series is something between "Physical God" and "Demented Crazy Person", but is generally a likable guy who rules over the world with ForTheLulz and ForTheEvulz. The fact that he gives superpowers to children, which don't kill anyone (but damage clothes, hence the title) says a lot. The fact that he's so crazy that he broke the fourth wall to the tgchan audiences years ago says even more. His first act with the current audience is to request their help in making an aspiring high-school student's dreams come true! Dawww...

** Ultimately, in the season finale, [[spoiler:Bran is crowned King of the Six Kingdoms, becoming King Bran the Broken. An auspicious choice for many reasons: Bran never wanted to be king and never sought power, [[BenevolentMageRuler he can use his powers as the Three-Eyed Raven to help guide the realm]], and he is the first king of Westeros to be [[ElectiveMonarchy elected by a council]], a trend which will hopefully continue as the series has demonstrated [[TheCaligula the most fatal flaw of absolute monarchy]] many times. Meanwhile, the North becomes an independent realm and Sansa becomes the Queen of the North.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BarbieInThePrincessAndThePauper'': King Dominic is kind and understanding, and his kingdom is in such good shape that he is willing to share his wealth by [[ArrangedMarriage marrying Princess Anneliese]] to save her kingdom from going bankrupt (a rather selfless act considering he probably had richer prospects with bigger dowries to choose from). At the end of the film, Dominic teams up with [[spoiler: Julian]] to [[spoiler: stop the BigBad Preminger from finishing off his scheme to take over Anneliese's kingdom]]. He also doesn't think less of Erica after finding out she is actually a pauper [[spoiler: and in fact, ends up marrying her, showing that he doesn't heed to class hierarchies]].

* While not the original, Myth/KingArthur is the TropeCodifier and adaptations featuring him usually portray him as this, although there is no evidence before the 11th century explicitly naming him as a king as opposed to a military leader.

[[folder:Tabletop Game]]

* The Literature/TortallUniverse's Jonathan of Conté wanted to be this since the beginning; at the end of the first book, he says that his usurping cousin has done the kingdom a favor by sending him into danger because people will think twice before they take on a prince -- or a king -- who can defeat demons. As a grown man, he works toward reforming his country's laws to prevent abuse of power by his nobles. While he's a fairly good king, he's not necessarily a nice ''person'', who can often be stuck-up, arrogant, and commanding even to his closest friends. Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan in particular is very critical of him. In response, he tells her about TheChainsOfCommand.

* Tamar Anolic's AlternateHistory novel ''Literature/TriumphOfATsar'' portrays Tsar Alexei II as this, in contrast to his father Tsar Nicholas II. While Alexei acknowledges that his father and mother were loving parents and absolutely devoted to each other, he is also keenly aware of his father's mistakes in utterly ignoring the Duma and refusing to listen to his capable ministers, and vows not to make the same mistakes.

** The Burnt Ivory King in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' stands out as the only truly benevolent ruler in the game, which especially stands out since one of the themes of the game is "What makes a good king?" The Burnt Ivory King set up his kingdom around an ancient evil to contain it, then put his throne at the very threshold of that evil just so he could be the first line of defense. He took a creature of darkness as his bride and loved her so genuinly that she was redeemed and abandoned her purpose of brining ruin. When his strength finally faded from age, he cast himself into Chaos to stave it of one last time. Compared to the cruel and hedonistic Iron King, the foolishly fanatic Sunken King, the paranoid king of Olaphis, and well-meaning but short-sighted Vendrick, the Burnt Ivory King stands out as an example of a true monarch.

** King Richard the Lionheart (a ''literal'' lion) from ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood''. Everything gets better once he arrives and he takes the kingdom into his paws; Prince John is imprisoned and Robin Hood gets a HappilyEverAfter ending with Marian.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'': Wily planned that King would invert the trope, but after his defeat, King plans to become like a straight example. On the other hand, if Wily can be considered a "king", he would [[TheCaligula invert]] the trope.

** The Origami Craftsman wanted King Olly to be this in his message on him, but Olly took offense to the message on his body and [[GoneHorriblyWrong inverted the trope]].

* ''Literature/RWBYFairyTales'': In "The Indecisive King", the king is renowned far and wide for being a wise, kind and generous man. People come to him from all over the land to ask for his help in solving their problems. He doesn't turn anyone away. When he receives the grieving widow, who has lost everything, he even lets her stay in the castle for as long as she needs to get back on her feet. When he is given a mystical crown that shows him an insolvable problem, it shatters him. He becomes obsessive, surly and begins making bad decisions until the widow steps in to guide him back to who he used to be. By the time they eventually marry, he is once more regarded as wise and kind, but she becomes renowned for being an even wiser queen.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'':
** The nameless King of Vale. When a war was threatening to engulf the entire world, he [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething took to the battlefield personally]] and defeated all comers. The other kings, terrified of his power, offered him their crowns. Instead, he chose to allow them to remain largely as they were before the war and only used his victory as leverage to create an Academy in each Kingdom. These Academies would train Huntsmen and Huntresses to fight the Grimm, rather than relying on armies that could easily be turned on each other. By the time of the story, the Academies still stand, and the world has entered an unprecedented era of peace. [[spoiler:It is strongly implied that the King was one of Ozma's previous incarnations, which is why the later incarnation Ozpin was able to become headmaster of Beacon Academy at such a young age: He ''built'' it]].
** The [[ShowWithinAShow In Universe Fairytale]] "The Undecisive King", despite the title, is about a king who was known far and wide for ruling well and giving good advice. His decisionmaking only faltered when a stranger gave him a crown that could foretell the future, but only showed him a future choice with no good options. He nearly fell into despair trying to find a solution to the unwinnable problem, until a widow he had previously offered a place in his court saved him.

* In Creator/JackKirby's ''ComicBook/NewGods'', there's Highfather, ruler of New Genesis, a wise and kind leader who assumed the position after his wild youth and espouses a philosophy of freedom and pacifism. Notably, he tends to avoid acting as a king--he rules with a very light touch and is more of a spiritual leader who serves to interpret the Source. This is to contrast with Darkseid, who rules with an iron fist.

* ''Fanfic/ADiplomaticVisit'': King Leo, the easy-going merlion king of Aquastria, introduced in chapter 8 of ''Diplomat at Large'' after a previous mention in chapter 21 of the first story.

* The Literature/TortallUniverse's Jonathan of Conté wanted to be this since the beginning; at the end of the first book, he says that his usurping cousin has done the kingdom a favor by sending him into danger because people will think twice before they take on a prince--or a king--who can defeat demons. As a grown man, he works toward reforming his country's laws to prevent abuse of power by his nobles. While he's a fairly good king, he's not necessarily a nice ''person'', who can often be stuck-up, arrogant, and commanding even to his closest friends. Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan in particular is very critical of him. In response, he tells her about TheChainsOfCommand.

** After Persephone did some renovating, [[AHellOfATime the Underworld]] was given three judges consisting of three kings who were this in life--Rhadamanthys (the judge of the men of Asia and Lord of [[{{Heaven}} Elysium]]), Aeacus (the judge of the men of Europe and keeper of the keys to the Underworld) and Minos (the judge who casts the final, deciding vote).

* ''VideoGame/FableIII'' portrays the Player Character's father (the Hero of ''VideoGame/FableII)'' as this. The PC may also fit this trope, if the player so chooses.
* [[VideoGame/KingsQuest King Graham]] of Daventry, naturally. His son, Alexander, also becomes this for the Green Isles in the sixth game.
** King Edward, Graham's predecessor, was known as "King Edward The Benevolent".

** [[WrittenByTheWinners Imperial propaganda]] ''claims'' that this is the case for Tiber Septim, [[FounderOfTheKingdom founder of the Third Cyrodiilic Empire]]. For the most part, he played it straight, uniting all of Tamriel within one empire for the first time in history and generally being a benevolent emperor. However, he did make some morally questionable moves during his reign, such as demanding that his bastard child with the young Queen Barenziah of Morrowind be [[GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion magically aborted]] because it would be inconvenient to his legitimate heirs, and claiming that he was betrayed by his [[CourtMage Imperial Battlemage]], Zurin Arctus, when Arctus did exactly what Septim wanted him to do - if anything, Septim betrayed Arctus. Following his death, Septim [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascended]] to godhood as the [[DeityOfHumanOrigin deity Talos]]. Part of Talos's realm of influence includes being the "God of Good Governance", essentially making him the god of the trope.

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
** Par for the course in most games. The king who sends you on your quest is usually good.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'': From what is seen in the game, King Lorik seems to be popular among the people of Tantegel. He also helps the Hero out by giving him items and money and saving his progress.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'':
*** King James is well-beloved by his subjects and does his best to be a fair and wise ruler.
*** Played with Prince Wilbur. While he's not a particularly competent king, Wilbur is a kind man who wants the best for his people but understands that he is incapable of giving it to them.
* The ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series is rife with these, though more often than not they tend to be [[SacrificialLion killed off rather early]] to set the protagonist on their journey. TheHero of each game traditionally becomes this at the end.
* ''VideoGame/{{ULTRAKILL}}'': According to a book in level 2-2, '''Death at 20,000 Volts''', King Minos was considered a fair ruler by his people back when he was alive, and when [[spoiler:Gabriel]] killed him, Minos' people mourned for his death. [[spoiler:According to the lore of Minos Prime, Minos felt that eternal suffering for love was an [[DisproportionateRetribution unfair punishment]], so he turned [[CirclesOfHell the Circle of Lust]] into [[{{Utopia}} a thriving paradise]] out of kindness for the sinners.]] Even after his death, his legacy as a benevolent king is still fondly remembered by his people.

** ''VideoGAme/FinalFantasyV'', [[spoiler: Galuf is revealed to be the king of Bal.]] There's also King Tycoon, who is the only monarch that takes the threat to the crystals seriously--Walse admits the problem but continues to exploit them because of public opinion, and Queen Karnak is suffering DemonicPossession already.

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'', both Emperor Peony of Malkuth and King Ingobert of Kimlasca are this, though they may dip into Jerk With A Heart Of Gold tendencies now and again.
* In the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' franchise, the King of the Mushroom Kingdom is a swell guy...even though we don't see much of him.
** Bowser also shows shades of this trope, despite being a [[CardCarryingVillain self-professed tyrant]], in the {{RPG}}s where he's portrayed as a BenevolentBoss who commands his troops through respect and admiration rather than fear.

* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'':
*** King Maric, who died before the events of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', is said to have been a Good King. He was also one of the leaders of LaResistance during the Orlesian Occupation. His son, King Cailan, is a lesser example as from all indications, he was indeed a brave and reasonably good ruler, who unfortunately let his own [[GlorySeeker need for glory]] cause him to relegate much of the actual ruling to [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask his wife]] and [[EvilChancellor her father]]. And as it turns out, he ended up being ''[[WrongGenreSavvy horribly wrong]]'' about being a WarriorPrince after all!
*** [[spoiler: Alistair]], despite his ''strong'' reservations, may become this if the player makes the right decisions during the game.
*** Bhelen Aeducan will become this if you choose him as King of Orzammar. In his rule, he'll abolish the caste system and give the casteless basic civil rights, even allowing them to become soldiers, which gives him the manpower enough to put the war against the darkspawn in, for the first time ever, Orzammar's favor. [[GoodIsNotSoft But he'll also become a ruthless king, mercilessly assassinating and executing his political rivals]].
** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', Viscount Dumar is one of a few people who actively tries to prevent war with the Qunari in the city, but unfortunately his [[SlaveToPR unwillingness to upset]] the nobles lead him to be less than successful at this and [[spoiler: eventually leads to his death.]]
*** During Act 3, many nobles seem to believe [[AlmightyJanitor Hawke]] would be one of these, and [[spoiler: if Hawke supports the Templars at the end, they actually do end up begging him/her to take the throne. Hawke only rules for a short time, however.]]
*** If the ''Exiled Prince'' DLC is installed, Hawke's companion Sebastian is conflicted about this. He's the only surviving member of the recently-murdered royal family of Starkhaven, which makes him the ruling prince by right; but he's also a priest who has taken vows. He admits to having wanted the crown when he was younger, but certainly not at the expense of his family's lives, and notes that now that he "might be decent" as ruler, he's not sure it's the right path. Hawke ultimately can push him in one direction or another, but in the next game, it's confirmed that he's on the throne; supplemental material, such as the ''Knight Errant'' comic books, suggest that he's at least trying to be this.
** As of the end of the ''Trespasser'' DLC for ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', Kirkwall's viscount is [[spoiler:Varric, Hawke's best friend]]. He gets the job in part because he was funneling so much money into the reconstruction and revitalization of the city-state even ''before'' getting a crown, so he's almost guaranteed to fall into this trope as well.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** The series portrays Franchise/MickeyMouse as this. With some WarriorPrince mixed in for good measure.
** [[spoiler:The real Ansem is revealed to have been this in ''II'', ruling Radiant Garden with such wisdom that he was nicknamed "Ansem the Wise". While he did do some dubious experiments involving Hearts and the Heartless, he immediately pulled the plug on it when he realized the dangers inherent in such research. Too bad he had [[BigBad Xehanort]] as his apprentice.]]

* King Alteon of Swordhaven in the Creator/ArtixEntertainment games, but especially ''VideoGame/AdventureQuestWorlds''.
* Played with quite a bit in ''Blood Omen: VideoGame/LegacyOfKain''. Much of the second half of the game involves Kain being drawn into a war against the Nemesis, a TinTyrant with armies clad in red armor and SpikesOfVillainy. At one time the Nemesis was King William the Just, a kind ruler who eventually let his power go to his head. Kain travels back in time to assassinate him and prevent the war entirely, but he does so during the era in which William was still well-loved by his people...[[NiceJobBreakingItHero resulting in a vampire purge that leaves Kain the last of his race.]]
* Duke Edmun Dragonsbane from ''VideoGame/DragonsDogma'', while not a king per se, still plays with the trope. At first he seems like a benevolent duke [[spoiler: who was a previous Arisen]] but as the game progress, he is actually quite insane. [[spoiler: In one sidequest, you catch him as he strangles his young wife while screaming "Lenore," the name of his previous wife; afterwards he locks her in the manse for her behavior (mainly flirting with you). In the end, it's revealed that rather than slaying the dragon, he agreed to his offer to leave Gransys in exchange for power and glory (as shown in one ending). After you slay the dragon, he [[NoImmortalInnertia loses his immortality and youth]], believing that you must have made the deal with the dragon and makes you into a fugitive, forever banning you from the Noble's Quarter.]]



* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls''
** The Burnt Ivory King in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' stands out as the only truly benevolent ruler in the game, which especially stands out since one of the themes of the game is "What makes a good king?" The Burnt Ivory King set up his kingdom around an ancient evil to contain it, then put his throne at the very threshold of that evil just so he could be the first line of defense. He took a creature of darkness as his bride and loved her so genuinly that she was redeemed and abandoned her purpose of brining ruin. When his strength finally faded from age, he cast himself into Chaos to stave it of one last time. Compared to the cruel and hedonistic Iron King, the foolishly fanatic Sunken King, the paranoid king of Olaphis, and well-meaning but short-sighted Vendrick, the Burnt Ivory King stands out as an example of a true monarch.
** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'': For a guy who ruled over a city called "The Profaned Capital", Yhorm the Giant is suggested to have been a benevolent and much-loved ruler in his day. While his family had, in times past, brutally conquered various nations, when he came to the throne, his country was facing dire threats from outside, and the people petitioned him to protect them. Yhorm did so, personally fighting on the front lines to defend his people, keeping the kingdom safe by his own hand. When things calmed down, he assured his people of his devotion by giving them a weapon to which he has a fatal weakness, so that if he ever failed in his duty, they would have the means to wrest him from his throne.
* Myth/KingArthur of ''VideoGame/{{Guenevere}}'', much like his mythical inspiration.

* All three kings in the ''VideoGame/HeroOfTheKingdom'' series are this, and also {{Reasonable Authority Figure}}s who are willing to trust the heroes on the grounds that they are a source of good in the kingdom.

* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', if he survives the first game, Urdnot Wrex returns to his homeworld and begins forcefully taking control of the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy krogan race]], sometimes diplomatically, other times with ([[AsskickingEqualsAuthority necessary]]) force. With the krogan on the path to extinction due to a combination of a DepopulationBomb and their own self-destructive tendencies, Wrex introduces massive reforms to curb his race's bloodlust and bring their numbers back from the brink. By the time of ''3'', Wrex has become arguably the most powerful krogan in the galaxy and, with Shepard and Mordin/Wik's help, Wrex is on the path to leading the krogan into a new golden age and cultural renaissance.
* ''VideoGame/TheNewOrderLastDaysOfEurope'': "King" Rurik II ([[NapoleonDelusion in reality]] former-Red Army Major-General Nikolai Krylov) is this trope despite his [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} apparent insanity]]. He listens to his advisors, develops the kingdom in a rational manner, and enjoys good popularity with his people. He maintains the best parts of the defunct Soviet Union (like the trade unions so his subjects enjoy good working conditions and workplace democracy) but fuses it with [[DaysOfFuturePast Kievan and Muscovite aesthetics]]. [[spoiler:As he lies dying of old age shortly after reunifying Russia, he admits with his last words to his children that it was all an act he put on to get people behind him and fix his broken country.]]
* ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' has King Krichevskoy, ruler of The Netherworld. All of his vassals speak fondly of him long after his passing, [[TheLancer Etna]] holds him in extremely high regard after he had saved her life and took her in, and the [[VideoGame/DisgaeaDimension2 Krichevskoy Group]] sees Laharl as an InadequateInheritor of his father's position.[[spoiler: He even fulfilled the HeroicSacrifice part of this trope by sealing away [[TheDreaded Tyrant Overlord Baal]] at the cost of his life.]]
* Queen Gwendholyn of ''VideoGame/PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords'' is, to all appearances, a just and benevolent ruler who wants to protect her people. The player character is deeply loyal to her.

** King Terenas Menethil was the beloved ruler of Lordaeron for untold decades, the primary figure in the formation of the original Alliance of Lordaeron which led to their victory in the Second War, and also helped rebuild Stormwind after its destruction at the end of the First War once the Second War had ended. Unfortunately, his son Arthas ends up being corrupted by the Scourge and murdering him, and the absence of his leadership was likely a large part of the reason Lordaeron fell so easily to the Scourge. [[TheEvilPrince Obviously, the "newly crowned" "King" Arthas is not nearly as benevolent to "his" people and lands.]] However.....

* [[http://www.herogames.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-22741.html The Benevolent Overlord List]].

* In Creator/AchievementHunter's "King" Let's Plays, Michael is often given the title of "The Good King", owing to the effort he put in and his concern for his subjects. This is opposed to First King Geoff, [[GRatedDrug High King Ray]], [[ForTheEvulz Mad King]] Ryan, and Fool King Gavin.

* Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGummiBears'' and Creator/HannaBarbera's ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' run around more or less the same concept: a secret community of magical creatures whose existence is only known for a few human allies and some villains. Both shows happen in a fictional medieval kingdom and both shows have the resident King to be quite representative of this trope; gentle, benevolent, and nice with the humble servants like the local page.

* [[UsefulNotes/PedroII Emperor Dom Pedro II]] of Brazil. He was an abolitionist, a cultured man, and a sponsor of the arts and sciences, using his power in a benevolent way. He was also a massive advocate for the freedom of his people, with freedom of speech, civil rights, economic development, and democratic representation flourishing under his rule, and was willing to accept that the monarchy's days were numbered and that Brazil's future would best be served by a transition into a republic.[[note]] Admittedly, the ''reason'' for this sentiment was due more to sexism than anything — the only issue he had was a daughter, Maria, and Pedro did not believe she was capable of ruling his vast empire, nor did he think anyone in his government would support her. The other reason was that he was unwilling to shed blood to fight back against the eventual republican coup, even though he clearly had the support of the people. (Bizarrely, even the coup plotters greatly admired him, to the point where they ''seriously regretted'' launching the coup in the first place after he actually abdicated.)[[/note]] He is still a national hero and highly respected in Brazil to this day.

* To this day the French call [[UsefulNotes/LEtatCestMoi Henri IV of France]], founder of the Bourbon dynasty, ''le bon roi Henri'' – "Good King Henry." He was kind to his subjects, religiously tolerant in an era of fanaticism and religious war, devoted to ensuring national prosperity (the phrase "a chicken in every pot" as shorthand for "everyone doing well economically" is derived from his statement that, God willing, he would ensure that every peasant in France would have "a chicken in his pot every Sunday") and [[BoisterousBruiser a famously good time]].

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1495107495031273400
%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.

%% * Kimba and his father before him from ''Manga/KimbaTheWhiteLion''.
* Hotohori in ''Manga/FushigiYuugi''. He rules with fairness and he really is a NiceGuy. It's just too bad he got chi-blasted by Nakago, because after that, the Konan Empire started falling apart, despite Houki and Boushin's best efforts.
%% * Sinbad of Sindria and Alibaba's father in Balbadd in ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic''.
* ''LightNovel/FateZero'': Saber, Rider, and Archer were all considered great kings in their times. Due to DeliberateValuesDissonance, they all hold themselves to vastly different standards. Saber isolated herself from her people and her emotions in order to be as [[TheUnfettered effective and just as possible]]. Rider was the opposite, his passionate love for his people allowing him to empathize with and inspire them. They both strongly disagree with each other's method of ruling; in particular, Saber believes that she wasn't isolated ''enough'' and wants to go back in time and never become king so that someone else could do a better job. And of course, Archer is just a [[{{Jerkass}} giant asshole]] who was nonetheless "good" due to MightMakesRight and DivineRightOfKings.
* The King of the World from ''Manga/DragonBall'' is a minor character, but is shown to be a kind and noble ruler (and later in the story, one of the few Earthlings to figure out that normal means will just get people killed against Cell.)

* Toma E. Fiore from ''Manga/FairyTail'' is the King of Fiore and is considered a good king in spite of his limited screen time. While we haven't seen much of his governing skills, the fact that Fiore overall is a peaceful nation outside of the dark guilds lends credence to his ability, and he clearly shows concern for the people as his first order of business during the Grand Magic Games after learning about the upcoming dragon attack is to evacuate the citizens and plead the wizard guilds to help battle the oncoming enemy. He's also a very personable fellow.
* In ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold'', the Raja is shown to be a good and benevolent ruler, beloved by his subjects.
* ''Manga/YonaOfTheDawn'': Yona's father was a good man, but a bit ineffective as a king. The land withered under his rule despite his best efforts, and the best that could be said about him was that he prevented war. Of course, due to ValuesDissonance, this led to the nobles deriding him as a coward. His replacement, Soo-Won, is much more effective... but he earned the throne by murdering a man who saw him as a son, and encouraged his allies to act like common bandits against his own people to force them to acknowledge him.
* The King of Midland in ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' looks to be this, but ends up being more of a deconstruction by the end. He is kind, honorable, intelligent, and has led his country through lifetimes of warfare, and in a DecadentCourt, he is willing to reward the Band of the Hawk irrespective of their common birth. As it turns out, though, BeingGoodSucks--he's become so emotionally distant from his wife that she's cheating on him, he's under so much stress that it's heavily implied that his attempts to uplift Griffith are his plan to retire, and his love for his daughter has been badly warped to the point of lust. When things start going south, he snaps completely and spends the last few years of his life as TheCaligula.

%% * Vertigo's series ''{{ComicBook/Fables}}'':
%% ** Ambrose/Flycatcher (He even got a TPB/Storyarc called "The Good Prince").
%% ** King Cole is shown to be a Good King, back when he still had a kingdom.
%% * Marvel's ComicBook/BlackPanther, superhero and ruler of Wakanda.
* In ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'', we have Odin, king of the Aesir. Though he can be a bit imperious or cold, he means exceptionally well and has led his people through countless struggles--which is good, when he's one of the most powerful entities in the Marvel Universe.
%% * In ''ComicBook/TheInhumans'', there's Black Bolt, king of the eponymous Inhumans.
* In Creator/JackKirby's ''ComicBook/NewGods'', there's Highfather, ruler of New Genesis, a wise and kind leader who assumed the position after his wild youth and espouses a philosophy of freedom and pacifism. Notably, he tends to avoid acting as a king--he rules with a very light touch and is more of a spiritual leader who serves to interpret the Source. This is to contrast with Darkseid, who rules with an iron fist.
%% * ComicBook/ConanTheBarbarian eventually becomes this.
%% * In ''Comicbook/{{Scion}}'', there is King Dane of the Heron Dynasty.

* ''ComicBook/SubMariner'': Namor's attitude toward the outside world tends to change DependingOnTheWriter but one thing is always constant; he loves Atlantis and his people and will do anything to protect them.

%% * As the events of ''Comicbook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderThePromise'', set between the events of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', show, being a good king can actually ''cause'' conflicts, as trying to do right by their own people sets Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei]] at loggerheads over [[spoiler: the Fire Nation colonies built on Earth Kingdom land.]]
%%
%% This does not explain how they are good kings.
%%
* King Clarkie II in ''ComicBook/StrontiumDog''. While he is naïve, childish and more than a little spacey, he is also deeply committed to the welfare of his people, including mutants, and firmly anti-Kreeler. It takes a bit of effort to get him going, but once he has been prodded into action, he will always do the right thing.

* ''ComicBook/TheScrameustache'': Iridia's father, the King of Sharbakan. While he can take foolish decisions, he rules with the best intentions for the good of his people.
* ''ComicBook/TheKryptonChronicles'' miniseries, which explores the history of Krypton and Franchise/{{Superman}}'s lineage, has Erok, the first bethgar (a Kryptonese term roughly equivalent to "king" or "emperor") to unify the continent of Urrika, ten millennia before the birth of Superman. He created the first law and justice system which ended blood feuds, outlawed cannibalism and human sacrifice, and institutionalized the hereditary system of last names.
* ''ComicBook/WarlordOfMars'': Doble subversion. Tardos Mors is the proud, virtuous, and benevolent Jeddak of Helium... Until ''Tyrant of Mars'' rolls out, where he turns into an EvilOverlord bent on a genocidal campaign against the polar races of Barsoom [[spoiler: after he comes back to life]]. Then it's revealed [[spoiler: that is actually a double created by an evil White Martian spirit and the real Tardos is dead]].
* In ''ComicBook/{{Chlorophylle}}'', Mithron XIII is depicted as a benevolent ruler, a Reasonable Authority Figure, a very nice person, and is adored by his people. When an attempt is made on his life in Zizanion le Terrible, it is a shock for both him and the population that someone would want him dead.

* ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'': Daniel, God Emperor of Avalon, is determined to be a benevolent, just ruler and he is downright committed to improve the lives of his subjects and help whoever he meets. The story begins when he meets the main characters - Shinji and Asuka - and offers his help just because he feels it is the right thing to do.

** Odin is strict but fair, working hard to repair much of the damage his brutal father, Bor, had done (to the other realms/Asgard's relationship to them, and Asgard's society), as well as that done by the brief reign of his despotic older brother, Cul, the God of Fear (Earth had to be effectively rebooted from a back-up afterwards). He's not always the nicest monarch or the best father, but he is a just and pragmatic ruler who brought peace to the Nine Realms and maintains it, he encourages a meritocracy, and is remarkably free of FantasticRacism - his adopted son is an unusually short Frost Giant, his chief adviser is a relatively weedy Light Elf with a strange skin disorder, and his grandson is half-human (he's also fine with Thor marrying another human, Jane, and makes pointed comments encouraging him to pop the question).

[[folder: Film -- Animated ]]

** The Sultan in ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' becomes a good ruler in the end; he was always nice, but in the movie was insignificant because he had been controlled by an EvilVizier. In the series, he develops into The Good King. He expresses, at one point, genuine surprise that there are impoverished people living in his kingdom - though his inflection indicates a compassionate concern for them.

%% * Heath from ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndThePea''.
* The pharaoh of ''WesternAnimation/JosephKingOfDreams'' is more benevolent than the pharaohs of ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt''. Appointed Joseph governor of the Nile knowing he was not Egyptian.

* ''WesternAnimation/BarbieInThePrincessAndThePauper'': King Dominic is kind and understanding, and his kingdom is in such good shape that he is willing to share his wealth by [[ArrangedMarriage marrying Princess Anneliese]] to save her kingdom from going bankrupt (a rather selfless act considering he probably had richer prospects with bigger dowries to choose from). At the end of the film, Dominic teams up with [[spoiler: Julian]] to [[spoiler: stop the BigBad Preminger from finishing off his scheme to take over Anneliese's kingdom]]. He also doesn't think less of Erica after finding out she is actually a pauper [[spoiler: and in fact, ends up marrying her, showing that he doesn't heed to class hierarchies]].

* The king from ''Film/JackTheGiantSlayer'' is a decent guy. Aside from one serious blind spot - having an EvilChancellor early in the story - he's a good leader who handles himself well, deals with his subjects fairly, [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething and isn't above hard labor right alongside the common soldiers]] when necessary. He also shows remarkable restraint when dealing with Jack, refraining from [[CleaningThisGun trying to intimidate him]] once it's clear there's some chemistry between him and the Princess. He insists on fighting alongside the guards when the Giants attack and gives Elmont a "Hell no!" when asked to leave.
* In ''Film/WarCraft2016'', king Llane is ultimately a just and kind ruler, deciding to negotiate with orcs before going to an all-out war with them, promising Garona that he won't threaten her and giving her freedom, and ultimately [[spoiler:performing a Heroic Sacrifice so that humans and orcs may have a chance at peace.]]

%% * The Maori Chief in ''Film/DeadLands'' is portrayed as this, to contrast with the treachery and cruelty of the villain.
* In ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019:'' [[spoiler: After [[DestructiveSavior Godzilla]] defeats [[BigBad Ghidorah]] and reclaims his position as king, he's indicated to now be actively directing the other [[{{Kaiju}} Titans]] to act in ways beneficial to the world and human civilization, such as repairing environmental damage, while prohibiting them from attacking any human populations. Notably the humans come to view him as their savior as well.]]
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* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', this trope and its general implication, i.e., a good king is also a good man, is frequently examined and re-examined. It becomes clear that being able to rule doesn't necessarily correlate with being nice, decent, and kind.
** In general various characters fulfill certain archetypes of good Kingly behaviour. TheConqueror and YoungConqueror (Aegon I, Daeron I, Robert Baratheon, Robb Stark, Daenerys), TheCharmer or CharmPerson (Renly, Robert, Viserys I), and the RebelLeader (Robert Baratheon, Robb Stark, Stannis, Daenerys I). In most cases it becomes clear that the conventional image people have of these characters are just that, images. Renly gives this image but comes across in private as a sleazy treacherous character and is happy to starve hundreds of thousands of people and kill his older brother so he can usurp the throne, [[https://racefortheironthrone.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/chapter-by-chapter-analysis-acok-prologue/ this demonstrates his flaws]]. His elder brother Robert Baratheon, whilst being generous and kingly in image is actually someone who uses the office for the pursuit of wine, women, and song and is far suited to battle than peacetime. Likewise, Stannis Baratheon is painted as an EvilOverlord and potential tyrant, but his "tyranny" amounts to clearing out corruption, building a more centralized Kingdom, and meritocracy. He also fulfills the EqualOpportunityEvil trope in fantasy by welcoming Wildlings and other outsiders into his Kingdom as equal subjects. Also many of the people who criticize Stannis and oppose him (Littlefinger, the Tyrells, Renly, the Lannisters, Varys) are shown to be very corrupt and self-serving. Robb Stark and Dany, both being {{Young Conqueror}}s, have a hard time bluffing away their genuine inexperience and spend a lot of time trying to hide the fact that they are both in over their heads. No matter which persuasion they are, all of them have blood on their hands, have executed people, and fought wars that have hurt innocents.
** In the backstory, among the {{Posthumous Character}}s who have sat on the Iron Throne, those remembered as good are Aegon I, Jaehaerys I, and Baelor the Blessed. Aegon I and Jaehaerys I are both remembered as the greatest Targaryen kings; one established the dynasty and its basic institutions, the other consolidated it and presided over a GoldenAge by a series of diplomatic masterstrokes: he put the Faith on a leash, got rid of the right of [[DroitDuSeigneur First Night]], brokered a truce between FeudingFamilies, built roads, won a war without losing a single man, and developed a proper sewage system. Baelor the Blessed is considered a good king because of his religious piety which made him popular among the people, while the more educated nobility remember and regret his political mistakes and his propensity for BookBurning; he was not a bad king, but he did make some bad decisions (to the point that Tyrion calls him Baelor the Befuddled) and is mostly remembered fondly because he was highly religious. Aegon V, Aegon the Unlikely, was remembered quite fondly as well, mostly thanks to the influence of his boyhood protector Ser Duncan and his attempts to provide rights to the smallfolk, but this, coupled with the actions of his children, made him unpopular with the nobility and on his death, his reforms were undone by the Hand of the King Tywin Lannister who became popular among the same nobility, but disliked by the smallfolk.
** The ultimate definition of a good king comes from the WorkingClassHero Davos Seaworth (who was raised to nobility by Stannis): ''"There is much I do not understand, I have never pretended elsewise. I know the seas and rivers, the shapes of the coast, where the rocks and shoals lie. I know hidden coves where a boat can land unseen and I know a king protects his people or he is no king at all."'' Stannis comes round to this way of thinking eventually.
** Historically there have been other examples. Garth VII "Goldenhand" Gardener is known as this in the Reach. He defeated many of the Reach's enemies, ruled for 81 years, and brought three-quarters of a century of peace to the Reach, under which it truly flourished.
* Carrot of ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' is an interesting version of this trope. He’s the lost-long heir to the Throne of Ankh-Morpork and an embodiment of all the fantastic kingly tropes. [[OpenSecret While everyone knows or suspects that he’s the rightful king]], he doesn't want the job - [[KingIncognito he's content with being a watchman]] and he doesn't like that people tend to obey him because he's charismatic rather than because it's the right thing to do. Accordingly, he and Vetinari have an Understanding: Vetinari rules wisely, and so long as he does, Carrot keeps his head down (including destroying any evidence of his heritage), in return for the chance to occasionally make "suggestions". Since these are more or less exclusively for the good of the city ([[ManOfTheCity which both are devoted to]]), Vetinari doesn't mind.
** King Verence II of Lancre is a benevolent and hard-working ruler who, unlike most of his predecessors, takes his job quite seriously. Although well enough regarded by his subjects (albeit with a form of fond condescension), Verence's attempts at modernizing his rustic backwater of a mountain kingdom go almost entirely unappreciated by the people of Lancre, who are unsophisticated but practical rural folk who are more concerned about getting up at 5:00 in the morning to milk the cows than attending parliament. He may not be the most confident ruler, or even successful, since his subjects don't really care about what he's doing for them, but gods know he's trying his best and people do appreciate that much about him.
** The current Low King of the Dwarfs, Rhys Rhysson, and Mr. Shine, the Diamond King of the Trolls. The two of whom work together to finally bring peace between their two peoples after centuries of enmity. Of course, with Rhys, GoodIsNotNice definitely applies - the position of Low King is an elected one, and dwarf politics can get very nasty. As Cheery puts it, any dwarf up for the Low Kingship is not going to be the sort who's spent their time caring for wounded animals and singing hi-ho all the time.
** In ''Literature/FeetOfClay'', [[spoiler:the golems create another golem with the intent of making him a Good King. [[AxCrazy He didn't exactly turn out the way they hoped]].]]

** In "[[Literature/TheSilmarillion The Silmarillion]]" there is Finwe, who leads the Noldor Elves to Valinor. Most of the Kings of the Noldor serve as this, though Finwe's oldest son [[ByronicHero Feanor]] is certainly not.
** Elros Half-Elven, the First King of Numenor, seems portrayed as a very good King. After ruling for 410 years he willingly gave up his life. This counts for most of the Kings of Numenor... except towards the end, whereupon they started verging on TheEmperor.

* Some Haldane kings in the ''Literature/{{Deryni}}'' works are portrayed or described as this, notably Kelson. Brion's reign is to be more fully depicted in the upcoming prequel, but he appears in descriptions and flashbacks as this.
* Eon in ''Literature/BelisariusSeries''.
** Later Kungas too, though Kungas was a bit more grim and ruthless than Eon. Rao as well by being married to Shakuntala.
* ''Literature/DeltoraQuest'': [[spoiler:Lief grows into this after the first seven books reveal he's the heir to the throne]].
** Adin, the first King of Deltora, is also depicted this way (albeit with minimal detail).
* Literature/{{Babar}}, the famous king of the elephants, is known for being a noble, wise, and hardworking HonorableElephant who always rules with the interests of his subjects in mind.
* A few in Literature/TheBible: Melchizedek of Salem, David (barring his UriahGambit) and Solomon of unified Israel (until his downfall by 700 wives and 300 concubines and worshiping false gods), Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah (does reforms, and defending Jerusalem from Assyrians would count) and Josiah of Judah (does Religious reforms, and cleansing his whole kingdom and instituted Passover), Jehu of Israel (when purging the House of Ahab may be counted) and Cyrus of Persia (where he is noted for returning the Jews to their homeland). The ascended Jesus is the ultimate example.
* The Literature/TortallUniverse's Jonathan of Conté wanted to be this since the beginning; at the end of the first book, he says that his usurping cousin has done the kingdom a favor by sending him into danger because people will think twice before they take on a prince--or a king--who can defeat demons. As a grown man, he works toward reforming his country's laws to prevent abuse of power by his nobles. While he's a fairly good king, he's not necessarily a nice ''person'', who can often be stuck-up, arrogant, and commanding even to his closest friends. Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan in particular is very critical of him. In response, he tells her about TheChainsOfCommand.
* When ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' becomes the king of Aquilonia after killing [[TheCaligula the last one]] he becomes one of these. He institutes religious freedom, lowers taxes, and punishes nobles who mistreat commoners. Whenever Aquilonia goes to war, Conan personally leads his troops into battle rather than having one of his generals do it. True to his barbarian upbringing he is also modest, preferring simple garments (though made of fine fabric) to ornate and garish clothing. Despite some hiccups early in his reign, his people and his armies love and aspire to be loyal to him (rallying to him without delay when he shows up despite seemingly being dead not long before), and one religious sect aids him when he is disposed of in ''The Hour of the Dragon'' while stating that he will always be their king for what he did for them.
* The aptly-named King Håkon the Good of Norway, as described in ''Literature/{{Heimskringla}}''. He is mild, just, and generous, but also an excellent warleader who heads his troops in battle and mercilessly crushes Danish sea-raiders. He is so universally admired that, when he is killed in battle by his nephews the sons of Erik Bloodaxe, even ''they'' agree that he is the best king that Norway ever had or will have.
* ''Literature/TrappedOnDraconica'': King Alister of Britannia to contrast the EvilOverlord Gothon. His goodness is more indirect than others on this list: he has four superpowered daughters, and three of them decided to become superheroes due to their upbringing. [[spoiler: The fourth ''wanted'' to be a superhero to earn his affection and attention, but only caused trouble and so she fell to evil.]]

* After some unfortunate missteps in his youth, Emperor Gregor of Barrayar in the Literature/VorkosiganSaga qualifies, being intelligent, conscientious, and completely committed to using his power to build a fairer and more peaceful society on a collection of frequently war-torn planets. He also has the "soft-spoken" part down-pat, although Gregor ''never'' raises his voice--when he gets angry, it very much manifests as TranquilFury.
* ''Literature/AdventureHunters'': Because he shares the narrative, the reader can see that King Reyvas truly cares about his people and is simply driven to extreme measures to provide for them, thus making him a WellIntentionedExtremist.

* ''Literature/TenSixtySixAndAllThat'' classifies English monarchs as Good Kings or Bad Kings. The first Good King was either King Alfred or Good King Wenceslas; "it is not known, however, what King Wenceslas was King of."
* In ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'', the land of Prydain is blessed with a number of Good Kings, both TheHighKing who rules the whole country and the less powerful kings of the caers which comprise it. These include Math son of Mathonwy and his heir, Gwydion; King Smoit of Cadiffor; King Rhuddlum of Mona (and later his son, King Rhun); and eventually [[spoiler:Taran, the series protagonist, who is proclaimed High King at the very end]].
* ''Literature/TheApprenticeRogue'': Artamos feels horrible about [[spoiler: giving into his feelings for Leona]] because his king is such a benevolent and trusting guy.
* ''Literature/LeftBehind'': Jesus Christ, when He restores the world after it has been devastated in the Tribulation.
* In ''Literature/TheLostPrince'', the kings of the old royal house are remembered in legend as being Good Kings for the most part. When the RightfulKingReturns at the end of the novel, there's every sign that he's going to be a Good King himself.
* In ''[[Literature/EddieLaCrosse The Sword-Edged Blonde]]'', King Phillip of Arentia (Phil, to the protagonist) is the popular ruler of a prosperous, peaceful kingdom (which contrasts with much of the rest of the world). This is relevant in determining the villain's motive.
--> '''Eddie:''' Somewhere out there, you've got one hell of an enemy.\\
'''King Phil:''' ''Who?'' Arentia hasn't been at war for nearly fifty years. The crime rate's lower than it has ever been. We don't even have a death penalty anymore. And I don't mean to sound egomaniacal, but everybody seems pretty happy with the job I've been doing.
* In ''Literature/ThePrincessAndTheGoblin'' and its sequel, ''The Princess and Curdie'', the King (Irene's father) is described as the wisest man in the kingdom, and we are told that "he was a real king - that is, one who ruled for the good of his people and not to please himself."
* In ''Literature/GunsOfTheDawn'', King Luthrian IV of Lascanne is widely adored by his subjects, and his call to arms against invading republican revolutionaries from Denland is well supported. It doesn't hurt that he also has a good amount of PrinceCharming about him, being young, handsome, unmarried, and a good dancer — as the protagonist personally discovers. In the end, [[spoiler:it turns out that the war which he portrays as a heroic defence was actually the result of his own failed attempt to annex Denland by assassinating its king. He shows no remorse for the countless deaths his scheme caused, even after Denland has won and he's a fugitive. In fact, he has the gall to expect the protagonist to help raise rebellion in his name — instead, she shoots him]].
* In ''Literature/TheGoblinEmperor'' Maia aspires to be this, though he is technically an emperor. His habit to care even about those of his subjects who should be beneath his notice causes some confusion. And then there is [[spoiler: the pseudo-communist terrorist who [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame approves]] of his politics. Maia finds the terrorist's methods distasteful, but has to admit that he ''will'' improve working conditions in the factories because that's just who he is.]]
* In ''[[Literature/LegendsOfDune The Great Schools of Dune]]'' trilogy, Roderick Corrino is much more competent and honorable than his older brother Salvador. In fact, many people would much rather Roderick having been born first. Alas, it was the incompetent Salvador who became Emperor after the death of their father Jules Corrino. After Salvador's death, however, Roderick, who has never wanted the job, is crowned Emperor. He immediately sets out to restructure the military and the Imperial court, getting rid of career officers in favor of those, who are actually competent, and insists that the nobles [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething get their hands dirty]] in the service of the people, much to their grumbling. Unlike his brother, Roderick also makes sure that his wife Haditha is heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the Imperium. He also ends up ending the threat to the Imperium posed by the two extremes: the Butlerian anti-technology fanatics, led by [[KnightTemplar Manford Torondo]], and the progressively-minded [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Directeur]] Josef Venport of [[MegaCorp Venport Holdings]], a CorruptCorporateExecutive with [[NothingPersonal no moral qualms]]. At the end, he works out a deal with [[WasOnceAMan Norma Cenva]] to create the politically independent Spacing Guild to provide safe foldspace travel to all the worlds of the Imperium in exchange for the constant supply of spice to her Navigators. This is such a momentous event in human history that [[AlternativeCalendar a new calendar]] is established to mark it.

* Duncan of ''Literature/RangersApprentice'' is very much this trope. He is wise, fair, and even willing to look the other way (to a certain extent) when [[CowboyCop Halt]] pulls one of his shenanigans. He's also shown to be a good man in general, and a MasterSwordsman who leads his armies into battle. However, when it comes to a ToBeLawfulOrGood decision, he'll always choose Lawful, as he believes that WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility.
** In the sister series ''Literature/{{Brotherband}},'' Erak proves himself to be this. He's smarter than he acts [[SmarterThanYouLook (though that's not particularly difficult)]], a fair judge, and knows where he's weak, and gets people he trusts to take care of those issues.
* ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'' has Czar Alexander, who is such an unusual variation as a Good Emperor (though also a king--that is what "czar" means, after all, and he fits this type far closer than that of a regular TheEmperor). He is a military leader, but also a ruler who cares about his people, and has (for example) made cleaning up environmental damage from the old Soviet Union a major priority for his government.
* ''Literature/CodexAlera'':
** Gaius Sextus, despite all his machinations and plotting that causes infighting between some political factions, deeply cares about his people. He lacks many of the classist, racist, and misogynistic tendencies that other nobles have. He will ShootTheDog but do so with reluctance and hatred for the man who places him in that spot. In the second book, he collapses from exhaustion when trying to defend another coastal city from a powerful hurricane by attacking it without anyone knowing he is trying to help. Come ''Princeps' Fury'' when the old man is dealing with a serious issue beyond anything the country has faced, he enters this conversation with a woman who holds no love for the man.
--->Isana stared at Gaius for a moment. Then she said, "How can you live with yourself?"\\
The First Lord stared at her for a moment, his eyes cold. Then he spoke in a very quiet, precise, measured voice. "I look out my window each day. I look out my window at people who live and breathe. At people who have not been devoured by civil war. At people who have not been ravaged by disease. At people who have not starved to death, who have not been hacked apart by enemies of humanity, at people who are free to lie and steal and plot and complain and accuse and behave in all manner of repugnant ways because the Realm stands. Because law and order stands. Because something other than simple violence shapes the course of their lives. And I look ... at the very few who have had the luxury of living their lives without being called upon to make hideous decisions I would not wish upon my worst enemies, and who consequently find such matters morally appalling when they consider them--because they have not had to be the ones that dealt with them." He took a short, hard swallow of wine. "Feh. Aquitaine thinks me his enemy. The fool. If I truly hated him, I'd give him the Crown."
** The successor [[spoiler:Gaius Octavian aka Tavi]] is just into the first months of his official rule at the end of the series. Right away, he has issued reforms and declarations that even Gaius Sextus was slow to move on for political reasons. He has [[spoiler:brought the three surviving great enemies of Alera in as allies and states within his country, giving each one equal standing as any human citizen. He has abolished slavery and given equal rights to women. He led the armies of a unified human and Wolf-man force to kill the last Queen of the Vord on their soil, dealing the deathblow personally, given a measure of forgiveness to a man who betrayed his grandfather and led to the deaths of many people]]. His last act in the book [[spoiler:with the help of a dying GeniusLoci, is to enable all races, not just humans, access to fury-magic and it be learned rather than inherited by bloodlines]].
* ''Literature/HouseholdGods'': Marcus Aurelius is portrayed as a compassionate, generous, and reasonable man, who will deliberately refrain from indulgences while treating even a common citizen like Umma/Nicole respectfully as he's an ardent Stoic. TruthInTelevision: the real man was famous for his integrity, being called the "last of the good Emperors".
* ''Literature/TheMarvellousLandOfSnergs'':
** Merse II is constantly throwing parties for his subjects. When Joe and Sylvia go missing for the second time, he undertakes their search in person.
** On the eve of his birthdays, King Kiul walks through Banrive's streets to talk to the common people and pat children's heads affectionately. It is said his kingdom has thrived during his rule.
* Unlike just about everyone else in ''Literature/TheThebaid'', King Theseus is a good guy. Despite having just returned from a tiring campaign, he welcomes refugees into his kingdom and leads the armies of Athens to force Creon to allow the widows of Argos to give proper DueToTheDead.
* ''Literature/TheToughGuideToFantasyland'': Good kings are down to earth types, who can be discerned by the fact they don't hoard wealth or abide by elaborate ceremonies and have a plain-spoken manner.
* The ancient king Nohadon mentioned throughout the ''Stormlight Archive'' series, particularly in ''Literature/TheWayOfKings2010'' was a key figure in helping humankind on Roshar survive a disaster that caused its near-extinction, as well as later in life during peaceful times disguised himself as a commoner and travelled alone from one end of the continent to the other on-foot with little-to-no belongings, and documented his experiences as well as lessons learned in his book-within-a-book also titled ''The Way Of Kings.'' This book was an integral part in Dalinar Kholin's reformation from a BloodKnight and tyrant into arguably the only decent ruler (or man) among his peers, years before the first book in the ''Stormlight'' series takes place.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** Cersei notes to Margaery Tyrell, upon Tommen's coronation in Season 4's "First of His Name," that Tommen has the potential to be the first of these in ''fifty years''. Joffrey was king for about three years, and Robert for about 17 (in the TV timeline). The Mad King ruled for over 20 years. She doesn't mention Aegon V by name, but she was apparently referring to him (Aegon V ruled for over 25 years, so there's no way she's talking about his father Maekar). Judging by Tommen's ideals of monarchy (holiness, justice, strength, and wisdom), she could well be right. Sadly [[spoiler:[[DrivenToSuicide now we know he won't]]. His lack of experience prevents him from being effective in any of these areas. Tywin wastes no time convincing Tommen that true wisdom is recognizing when others know things you do not, which allows pretty much anyone to manipulate them. When the Faith Militant rises up again and imprisons Loras, Tommen is too indecisive and fearful to really take action against them. Then Margaery gets taken away as well and Tommen doesn't do anything. Then he further allows the Faith Militant to basically take over the crown and constantly change the laws of the Kingdom. While Joffrey was a terrible king because he subjected the kingdom to his cruel whims without concern for the consequences, Tommen is so indecisive that the kingdom is instead subject to the whims of everyone but himself. Ultimately, he throws himself out a window when Cersei finally moves against her enemies, that being quite literally the only power he possesses at that point.]]
** Ned excels at two things: battle and administration. He is so loved by his bannermen and the smallfolk that his death at the hands of Southern rulers motivates them to ''never again submit to the Iron Throne'' and wage a civil war to avenge him.
** Robb Stark aspires to this and embodies some aspects of the trope.
---> '''Talisa:''' What kind of king do you want to be? \\
'''Robb:''' I dunno [{{beat}}] the good kind.
** Tywin presents King Baelor Targaryen as a test case on how Baelor fit the picture of a Good King but actually was not a technically good ruler. On the other hand, Oberyn Martell, in the Histories and Lore, seems to like him for his attempts to bring peace to Dorne and arrange a marriage contract between the Targaryens and the Martells.
** Ultimately, in the season finale, [[spoiler:Bran is crowned King of the Six Kingdoms, becoming King Bran the Broken. An auspicious choice for many reasons: Bran never wanted to be king and never sought power, [[BenevolentMageRuler he can use his powers as the Three-Eyed Raven to help guide the realm]], and he is the first king of Westeros to be [[ElectiveMonarchy elected by a council]], a trend which will hopefully continue as the series has demonstrated [[TheCaligula the most fatal flaw of absolute monarchy]] many times. Meanwhile, the North becomes an independent realm and Sansa becomes the Queen of the North.]]
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'': to the Klingons, Kahless is seen as a combination of this and the MessianicArchetype. He was the first person to unite the Klingon people into the Klingon Empire and gave them the laws and the honor codes that make them ProudWarriorRaceGuys.
** Interestingly, ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'' presented Chancellor Gorkon as this. Intentionally modeled both in appearance and manner on Abraham Lincoln, he was presented as intelligent, wise, cultured, and, astoundingly for this franchise, more forward-thinking than the main characters.

* As of season four of ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'', Arthur is this - though he still makes plenty of mistakes along the way.

* In ''Series/StargateSG1'', Harry Maybourne, after seasons of being an annoying SmugSnake, eventually settles down on a primitive planet and gains kingship among the people by translating Ancient writings that told the future. Though he ''was'' manipulating the people of the planet for his own gain, he was still a good king that helped the people with his modern knowledge in various ways (such as introducing a legal code, irrigation, and crop rotation). Even after revealing that he was merely translating prophecies and intending to step down as king because of it, the people were still loyal to him and wanted him as their king.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has the Draconian Emperor during 2540 in ''Frontier in Space''. He is a ReasonableAuthorityFigure who doesn't favour war with Earth after one 20 years ago. The 15th Emperor of Draconia seems to have been this as well, when the Doctor saved Draconia from ThePlague he was made a nobleman.

* ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}'' tries to become this [[spoiler:after usurping his father]] by distributing money to the poor, giving land to the peasants, abolishing taxes, and dismantling the army. When an enemy invades his kingdom, he's forced to suspend all his reforms and is dubbed "King Pippin the Unpopular" for his trouble.

* With how much GreyAndGrayMorality shows up in ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', identifying a 'good' leader among the Inner Sphere Great Houses or Clans can be tricky. However, even with that said, [[https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Adam_Steiner Adam Steiner]] is recognized as one of the greatest Archons of the Lyran Commonwealth for a variety of reasons: he did not ascend to the throne by force, assigns positions based on competence and merit, despises nepotism and the idea of ArmchairMilitary "Social Generals" in the service, and tempered his passionate nature with deep reflection and careful thoughtfulness. Because of his plain-speaking and transparent manner, he was beloved by his people and his reign saw a period of relative peace and prosperity for almost 50 years despite shadowy internal conspiracies and attacks by adventurous Clans, successfully fending off both threats. Adam proved to be one of the most popular Archons ever and remained deeply respected by both Inner Sphere and Clan factions.

* Lord British of the ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' games is intended to be this, though [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment some]] [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation disagree]].

* [[TheHero Hamilicar Barca]] from ''VideoGame/TearsToTiara2'' at first very much planned on [[RefusalOfTheCall refusing the crown with his own life]]. But once he's king he fits the trope to a T, liberating Hispania from TheEmpire, forming alliances, encouraging trade, technology, and learning.
* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'' has an unconventionally played example. As Skelligans are basically [[BraveScot Scottish]] [[HornyVikings Vikings]], their idea of what constitutes a good king can be summed up as "awesome warrior who's favoured by the gods and will lead us to victory and glory in battle". Hjalmar An Craite fits up to this description exceedingly well, just like Bran before him. Even though he ends up neglecting Skellige itself due to leading men on big raids against Nilfgaard, the Skelligans [[BloodKnight don't mind because he's leading them to bigger and bigger battles]] and filling the longships with plunder. Hell, he even manages to unite the clans of Skellige and lead them to kick Nilfgaard's black-plated arses back down to the south in some possible endings. Cerys also qualifies as [[WomenAreWiser she's considerably calmer, more diplomatic, and a much better administrator than her brother]], and even though her reign is less popular with the Skelligans because she's not as much of a badass warrior, she does a better job of running the isles and allowing them to prosper.
* ''VideoGame/Warcraft3 / VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
** King Terenas Menethil was the beloved ruler of Lordaeron for untold decades, the primary figure in the formation of the original Alliance of Lordaeron which led to their victory in the Second War, and also helped rebuild Stormwind after its destruction at the end of the First War once the Second War had ended. Unfortunately, his son Arthas ends up being corrupted by the Scourge and murdering him, and the absence of his leadership was likely a large part of the reason Lordaeron fell so easily to the Scourge. [[TheEvilPrince Obviously, the "newly crowned" "King" Arthas is not nearly as benevolent to "his" people and lands.]] However.....
** Arthas in ''World of Warcraft'' is a rare ''villainous'' example. He's a Good King to the Scourge. Even though they are undead he can rather easily replace, he values his troops and doesn't like to waste them. He even forms genuine friendships with his more powerful subjects, such as Kel'Thuzad and Anub'Arak. It's bitterly ironic that he's applying the very advice his father (whom he murdered) gave him about how to be a good king in his leadership of the Scourge.
** According to the lore, King Llane Wrynn of Stormwind was one. His one flaw was that he was too trusting, resulting in Garona murdering him during a crucial time, resulting in Stormwind's fall during the First War. His son Varian eventually assumes the throne and appears to be this as well, although he is, at first, distrustful of the [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent worgen]] of Gilneas. After Varian's death, his son Anduin returns to the throne (he was previously the King of Stormwind during Varian's disappearance). Hopefully, he will be like his father and grandfather.

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': The King of Monsters, Asgore, is a much beloved figure by his subjects. The player hears conflicting accounts about him: some monsters say he is dangerous and the player will inevitably have to kill him to escape, others call him a "big fuzzy pushover". [[spoiler:He is in fact an extremely kind and caring person who is friendly with all his subjects and enjoys gardening and making tea in his spare time. However, he ''did'' declare war on humanity (after humans murdered his son) in a fit of rage, and he is also the most powerful monster in the Underground... and as much as he hates himself for it, he does believe he has to take the player's soul. His compassion is best shown before the final battle when he tells the player to take all the time they need to get ready to fight him and assures them that he isn't ready either.]]

* ''VideoGame/YesYourGrace'' puts the player in control of a small kingdom's King. Making him act as benevolently as possible is encouraged by taxes received by a happy population being higher.

* In ''VideoGame/WorldNeverland,'' each kingdom starts out with either a Good King or a [[TheHighQueen High Queen]] who rules with fairness and kindness. They can even become your friends if you [[WhatsUpKingDude talk to them frequently.]] It's even possible for the player to become the King or Queen, though it takes a while--and you can be [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential not so nice if you wish.]]

* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'': For a guy who ruled over a city called "The Profaned Capital", Yhorm the Giant is suggested to have been a benevolent and much-loved ruler in his day. While his family had, in times past, brutally conquered various nations, when he came to the throne, his country was facing dire threats from outside, and the people petitioned him to protect them. Yhorm did so, personally fighting on the front lines to defend his people, keeping the kingdom safe by his own hand. When things calmed down, he assured his people of his devotion by giving them a weapon to which he has a fatal weakness, so that if he ever failed in his duty, they would have the means to wrest him from his throne.
** The Burnt Ivory King in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' stands out as the only truly benevolent ruler in the game, which especially stands out since one of the themes of the game is "What makes a good king?" The Burnt Ivory King set up his kingdom around an ancient evil to contain it, then put his throne at the very threshold of that evil just so he could be the first line of defense. He took a creature of darkness as his bride and loved her so genuinly that she was redeemed and abandoned her purpose of brining ruin. When his strength finally faded from age, he cast himself into Chaos to stave it of one last time. Compared to the cruel and hedonistic Iron King, the foolishly fanatic Sunken King, and well-meaning but short-sighted Vendrick, the Burnt Ivory King stands out as an example of a true monarch.

* Literature/{{Babar}} is the king of the elephants.