History Main / TheGoodKing

The Good King is honorable, virtuous, wise, and understanding. He treats his subjects with respect (no matter how seemingly unimportant they are), [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure governs the land fairly]], is a [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Royal Who Actually Does Something]], and [[ModestRoyalty feels no need to flaunt his considerable power]]. The Good King also tends to be soft-spoken, but when he raises his voice, [[BewareTheNiceOnes you’d better listen]]. You might mistake his kindness for weakness, but you would do well to remember that [[GoodIsNotSoft good does not always equal soft]].

In terms of the ranks of AuthorityTropes, the tropes that are equal are TheHighQueen, GodSaveUsFromTheQueen, SheIsTheKing, IronLady, and PresidentEvil. The next steps down are TheEvilPrince, PrinceCharming, PrinceCharmless, WarriorPrince, TheWisePrince, and all PrincessTropes. The next step up is TheEmperor. See also BenevolentMageRuler if the Good King is also a spellcaster.

%% ** King Triton from ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid''; although he's heavy-handed in a FantasyForbiddingFather kind of way, it's always with Ariel's safety in mind.

* King Atticus in ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain''. As King of the Corgis, he clearly cares about his people and is a good, sweet dog who will bravely defend his friends and subjects to the bitter end. He goes to help Tulip on her journey both because she's a kid who needs help and because he knows that traveling the train could help him find ways to better the lives of his subjects (such as the truce he formed with the turtles). He's constantly helping Tulip with her problems, gives her advice, and proves again and again to be a good friend, a good ruler, and a good dog.

* ''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.

* In ''Fanfic/TheBridge'', Godzilla Jr. may be a bit quick to the trigger if he thinks he's being attacked but has grown up to fill this role nicely for most of the Terran kaiju. While he doesn't act like he's above anyone, most neutral kaiju and the Defender faction do think of him as their leader with his allies' loyalty being earnest by selfless acts on Junior's part. Eventually the humans even christened him ''King of the Monsters'', with his constant defense of them earning a lot of support. Cue him getting thrown into Equestria, a matriarchy where the last few kings were [[EvilOverlord less than stellar]], and it raises a few eyebrows. Still, he doesn't lose stride. Horde of gyaos bearing down on Canterlot? He'll take them on himself. Promising magical prodigy inspired by him having power troubles? Take her on as a pupil and guide her in a fatherly way. He still has flaws, but over time most of Equestria warms to him.

** King Nefertari Cobra cares deeply about his people. When a revolution takes place within his country, he's more concerned that his subjects are unhappy than he is about his own safety. [[spoiler:Even someone like Monkey D. Dragon deems him as such and shows displeasure on his assassination, supposedly by the hands of Sabo]].

* Elyon Escanor in ''ComicBook/{{WITCH}}'' is a magnificent queen for Metamoor, even putting herself at risk just to ''learn'' how to rule her subjects better. She's the last descendant of a long line of wise queens... With her evil brother Phobos being the sketchy successor for her mother.
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%%% NOTE: maybe move to HighQueen?
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* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fic ''FanFic/TheStarsAscendant'' is about Celestia struggling with whether she has truly remained a good king in forcing Twilight to hide what was going on from her friends and trying to dissuade her student from facing a threat she was capable of defeating head-on because Celestia didn't believe in her enough.
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%%% HighQueen?
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%% * Ned Stark in the ''Series/GameOfThrones'' / ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' fic ''Fanfic/TheJoinery''. His in-universe nickname is even "the Good King", though it is used more sardonically by the end of the story.

* In ''Fanfic/TheBridge'', Godzilla Jr. may be a bit quick to the trigger if he thinks he's being attacked but has grown up to fill this role nicely for most of the Terran kaiju. While he doesn't act like he's above anyone, most neutral kaiju and the Defender faction do think of him as their leader with his allies' loyalty being earnest by selfless acts on Junior's part. Eventually the humans even christened him ''King of the Monsters'', with his constant defense of them earning a lot of support. Cue him getting thrown into Equestria, a matriarchy where the last few kings were [[EvilOverlord less than stellar]], and it raises a few eyebrows. Still, he doesn't lose stride. Horde of gyaos bearing down on Canterlot? He'll take them on himself. Promising magical prodigy inspired by him having power troubles? Take her on as a pupil and guide her in a fatherly way. He still has flaws, but over time most of Equestria warms to him.
* In ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/251660/tales-from-the-dark-side-of-the-mirror Tales From the Dark Side of the Mirror]]'', King Tirek the Selfless, who in contrast to his self centered main self is an incredibly benevolent ruler. Not only was he willing to help Equestria out whenever they needed him (though he'd had to deal with his evil brother), after the Evil Princesses were stopped and he's aided in defeating Lord Scorpan, he sends Centaurs to give Equestria a mana transfusion from his own kingdom to revitalize the country's soil and Cloud Gremlins to rebuild the pegasi cities.

* ''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.
* ''Fanfic/ABoyAGirlAndADogTheLeithianScript'':
** The main characters often discuss the nature of kingship and the qualities required for being a good king, lord or leader.
** During one of those discussions, Fingolfing, High King of Noldor, states a good king needs to make sacrifices for their people since without people there can't be any king.
--->'''Fingolfin:''' "Nay, lads, do you not see that duty does bind lord no less than liege, that a king's task may require him to die, if that death may save the folk he rules? Or, if there is no people, how can there be any King?"
** Poor parental skills aside, Elu Thingol is a very hands-off monarch whose authority is unquestioned because he lets his subjects do as they please, as long as they aren't harming each other.
** Finrod is King of Nargothrond. He cares for his people and works hard to provide food and shelter for all of them.
** Finarfin never wanted or expected to be crowned king, but he is very benevolent, he's willing to acknowledge his mistakes, and he tries to rule the Noldor with fairness and wisdom. His brother Fingolfin has admitted that his little brother was a better king than him.

** King Nefertari Cobra cares deeply about his people. When a revolution takes place within his country, he's more concerned that his subjects are unhappy than he is about his own safety.

-->-- '''Franchise/{{Conan|TheBarbarian}}''', ''Literature/TheScarletCitadel''

** 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 Due to the Dead

* ''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]].

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

In terms of the ranks of AuthorityTropes, the tropes that are equal are TheHighQueen, GodSaveUsFromTheQueen, TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask, SheIsTheKing, IronLady, and PresidentEvil. The next steps down are TheEvilPrince, PrinceCharming, PrinceCharmless, WarriorPrince, TheWisePrince, and all PrincessTropes. The next step up is TheEmperor. See also BenevolentMageRuler if the Good King is also a spellcaster.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twI3qZ6_8PQ "The Cost of the Crown" by Creator/MercedesLackey is sung by a monarch about the burdens they have to suffer as a leader.

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'':

If the work takes place during a war, expect this king to be [[FrontlineGeneral on the front lines]] and always putting TheMenFirst. When it comes to the actual battle, the Good King tends to lead the charge and is often [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking more formidable in combat than any of his soldiers]].

** King Richard the Lionheart (a ''literal'' lion) from ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973''. Everything gets better once he arrives and he takes the kingdom into his paws; [[TheEvilPrince Prince John]] is imprisoned and Robin Hood gets a HappilyEverAfter ending with Marian.
** King Stefan (Princess Aurora's father) from ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'' is an affable fellow looking out for the well-being of his kingdom.
** 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.

** 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 Due to the Dead

* In ''Fanfic/PurpleDays'', after countless {{Groundhog Day Loop}}s, much humiliation and humility, vast amounts of empathy and knowledge, [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire Prince Joffrey Baratheon]] rises to this in the Blackworks loop, with Sansa at his side as TheHighQueen. They make tremendous progress improving the lives of the smallfolk, from the Royal Legions that accept all and guarantee advance strictly by merit rather than blood, to the massive trading companies and countless foundries, mills, and lumberyards they establish to inject and generate cash into and from the Crownlands. They are so successful they attain OneHundredPercentAdorationRating with ease and the UndyingLoyalty of their armies, to the point they can withstand the rebellions of Renly, Stannis, and the false Aegon. Only Daenerys manages to crush the realm, and even then it cost her [[PyrrhicVictory two dragons, most of her army, and all probability of anyone in Westeros willingly joining her]].

!!Examples:

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''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."
* ''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/TheAdventuresOfStrongVanya'': By all indications, the old blind Tsar is popular and well-beloved. He follows the kingdom's laws, even those ones which he does not like, and is willing to pass over his crown to someone trustworthy. When Vanya questions a farmer's son's ability to rule a kingdom, the old Tsar assures him that a good ruler needs a good heart rather than blue blood.
* ''Literature/TheApprenticeRogue'': Artamos feels horrible about [[spoiler: giving into his feelings for Leona]] because his king is such a benevolent and trusting guy.
* 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.
* 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/{{Beowulf}}'', speaking of King Scyld of the Danes, just comes out and says "he was a good king." Or, more accurately, "Þæt wæs gōd cyning," "That was [a] good king." Seamus Heaney's more literal translation has it as "That was one good king," which loses something.
* 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.
* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'':
** Brothers Peter and Edmund become Good Kings after the events of ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'', with their sisters Susan and Lucy becoming [[TheHighQueen High Queens]]. However, this is mostly an InformedAbility, as we barely see any of their reign.
** Caspian tries hard to be the Good King. He mostly succeeds, but has several brief moments of weakness during ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader''. Again, Aslan seems to consider humility an important part of being a good king: when he crowns Caspian, he says that if he'd felt that he was ready for the role, it would have been proof that he was not.
** King Lune lectures Cor on how [[WithGreatPower all the privileges of a King are paid for by being first in battle and last in retreat, and carrying the burdens of an entire country on one's shoulders]] make being a ruler somewhat a case of being BlessedWithSuck. He also shows himself to be both compassionate (showing mercy and cordiality to Rabadash) and a strong leader, [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking fighting at the front when]] [[spoiler: Calormene invades Archenland]].
** King Frank worries about his lack of education, but is assured by no less than Aslan himself that his practical knowledge, humility and willingness to lead by example mean he "will have done all that a king should do".
** King Tirian, who is AFatherToHisMen, leads from the front, is compassionate towards Jill in the midst of battle, and never gives up on Narnia, also counts. Aslan Himself praises Tirian for his good leadership.
** In general, pretty much everyone who's ruled Narnia or Archenland is The Good King or Queen, other than the White Witch and the Telmarines.
* 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/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]].
* 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.
* ''Literature/ADealWithADemon:'' Sol is the King of the dragon demons and treats them very well by showing them great care and respect. He only goes into a marriage with a human because a half-human child is granted immense magical power and would help keep his people safe in the future.
* ''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).
* 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.
* 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]].]]
* ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'':
** Solomon is said by Thomas Aquinas to be the wisest king in all creation, by virtue of asking God for wisdom in acting out his kingly duties rather than more frivolous academic knowledge.
** Those who truly ruled justly are rewarded on Jupiter, the sixth sphere of Heaven, where the rulers are so in tune with the other's needs that they move their souls to spell out praises of justice and form a giant eagle that speaks for all of them in one voice. Dante only individually talks to the kings who form one of the Eagle's eye, including [[Literature/BooksOfSamuel King David]], Emperor Constantine, and two pagans who were loyal to God despite that being lost to history and to Dante.
* In ''Literature/EddieLaCrosse'' novel ''The Sword-Edged Blond]'', 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/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/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]].
* 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/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".
* In ''Literature/KingCrow'', King Cormac is peaceful and kind. The neighboring king, Bregant, is anything but.
* ''Literature/LeftBehind'': Jesus Christ, when He restores the world after it has been devastated in the Tribulation.
* In ''Literature/LegendsOfDune'' novel from the ''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.
* The Appendices for ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' says that Aragorn and Éomer became this for Gondor and Rohan respectively, after the One Ring is destroyed and the Age of Men began.
** Théoden, before falling under Saruman's spell, was very much a Good King. Once he recovers, he leads his people to Helm's Deep to protect them from Saruman's army.
** King Bard of Dale is also described as being a good King, rebuilding Dale, and being in good relations with the Dwarves of Erebor as they re-established their Kingdom.
** In "[[Literature/TheSilmarillion The Silmarillion]]" there is Finwë, who leads the Noldor Elves to Valinor. Most of the Kings of the Noldor serve as this, though Finwë's oldest son [[ByronicHero Feanor]] is certainly not.
** Elros Half-Elven, the First King of Númenor, 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 Númenor... except towards the end, whereupon they started verging on TheEmperor.
** The Elven Lord Celeborn of Lothlórien (despite [[JustTheFirstCitizen not actually being King]], at his own decision) definitely also fits the trope. He and his wife [[TheHighQueen Lady Galadriel]] as a RulingCouple have made Lothlórien a peaceful, safe, and prosperous place to live for the local wood-elves for ''millennia''. He also leads his people into battle against armies of Orcs numerous times, most notably when he and Galadriel capture Dol Guldur and destroy the source of its corruption after the War of the Ring.
* 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.
* ''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.
* 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."
* 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.
* Gaborn in the first part of ''Literature/TheRunelords'' constantly ponders morality and questions himself in a desperate attempt to be one, struggling against the limits of his role as Earth King and with [[PoweredByAForsakenChild the necessary evil of endowments]] when pitted against foes who are much more ruthless and rapacious than him. His and Iome's fathers aren't perfect but they live up to it in the end as well. Raj Ahten [[StartOfDarkness started down his path to evil]] with [[WellIntentionedExtremist similar good intentions]], though tainted by pride.
* ''Literature/RWBYFairyTalesOfRemnant'': 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.
* ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' has King Haarahld of Charis, and later, his son King (and later Emperor} Cayleb.
* In ''Literature/TheSaxonStories'', Uhtred assesses [[UsefulNotes/AlfredTheGreat King Alfred]] as such, even though he disliked him on a personal level.
-->"He saw his life as a duty to his god and to the people of Wessex and I have never seen a better king, and I doubt my sons, grandsons and their children’s children will ever see a better one. I never liked him, but I have never stopped admiring him."
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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 TheChainsOfCommanding.
* 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.
* ''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.
* ''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.]]
* ''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.
* 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.
* Firestar, the main character in the first series of ''Literature/WarriorCats'', becomes this after becoming leader of [=ThunderClan=]. He comes to be regarded as one of the greatest leaders who ever lived and gives up his ninth life to save the Clans.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/BabylonFive'' offers a few examples among the Centauri emperors:
** Turhan (first emperor to be seen during the series), near the end of his life, wanted [[spoiler:to formally apologize to the Narn and their government for what the Centauri did to the Narn people and homeworld during their occupation. The first step towards healing both races and true peace was one that his health ultimately prevented him from taking, before being replaced by the insane Cartagia as Emperor.]]
** After rising to the throne Londo would have wanted to be one, but [[spoiler:the Drakh had put a Keeper on him to use him to turn the Centauri Republic into a puppet state and build up the military to fight against the ISA]]. [[MagnificentBastard Londo being Londo]], [[spoiler:he manages to turn it against the Drakh]].
** The novels reveal that Vir eventually becomes one after Londo's death, starting with putting Londo's master plan in action and [[spoiler:freeing the Centauri from Drakh control]].
** Mentioned in the novels, Emperor Kran, who was in charge at the time of the Earth-Centauri first contact. Inheriting a nation divided and on the verge of a civil war from his weak-willed predecessor, he reunited the Centauri Republic through sheer charisma and genius and was planning to initiate reforms to better the conditions of the poorer Centauri, even touring the poorer areas of the homeworld with the nobles in tow to show them the need for the reforms. Sadly, he was killed by a commoner during one of such tours before he could even start.
** The expanded universe give a few more examples:
*** Kran's unnamed successor. We don't know much, except that when the Centauri Great Houses brought the Republic on the verge of a war with Earth with their politicking and [[SpacePirate privateer]] raids on Earth merchant ship he clamped down on the Houses and eliminated the causes for the whole crisis and the raids before apologizing to Earth Alliance. That was after [=EarthForce=] had ''attacked and destroyed a Centauri naval base for giving sanctuary to privateers one time too many''.
*** Rafani, ruling at the end of the 20th century and the first years of the 21st, most notable for trying to end the cold war with the Orieni Imperium-and, when the Orieni were caught red-handed in supporting [[SpacePirate Drazi raiders]] operating on the fringe, reuniting (most of) the divided Centauri Houses to fight the enemy. It says a lot that the Centauri-Orieni War doesn't get really ugly and the rebellious House Syma doesn't try a coup until after he dies in a shuttle accident and that the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Drakh]] may have organized the shuttle accident just to get rid of him.
* In ''Series/ChinesePaladin'', the King of Nanzhao fulfills the criteria of being a genuinely honorable, honest, decent man, HappilyMarried to TheHighQueen...except that he ends up sentencing her to death at the EvilChancellor's instigation to appease the rioting masses, and nearly causes his young daughter's death as well. He is able to reconcile with his daughter, but she and the other heroes are forced to work around, rather than with him, during the end battle.
* ''Series/TheCrown2016'' starts during the final years of George VI's life and reign. Having helped bring England through World War II, he's universally beloved. He also takes his responsibilities and the limits on his power very seriously, advising his daughter Elizabeth on how to deal with prime ministers and paperwork. When he dies of cancer, the whole country goes into mourning.
* ''Series/DeusSalveORei'': King Augusto of Artena is a benevolent and kind ruler that not only looks after his kingdom's well-being but also that of his allied realm of Montemor. He provides water in exchange for resources and never exploits them more than he requires (it helps he is friends with Montemor's royal family).
* ''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.
* ''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 Stark 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. However, his FatalFlaw is that the man is honourable to a fault, and as such is a terrible diplomat.
** Robb Stark aspires to this and embodies some aspects of the trope. Like his father, he's honourable and excels in battle... however, also like his father, his honour is his FatalFlaw as he can't work in the world of diplomacy.
---> '''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]] (outside of choosing a heir in a ruling dynasty as was the case with the successor of King Jaehaerys), 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.]]
** ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'' begins with King Jaehaerys having delivered a decades-long rule of peace and prosperity to Westeros, and the story proper starts almost twenty years into the reign of Viserys. Viserys himself, while unexceptional to a fault, has avoided major screwups in his reign.
* As of Season 4 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.
* ''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.
** The novel ''Kahless'' reveals that the real Kahless didn't start out this way. He was merely a lieutenant to a warlord before being forced to kill the warlord's son in a duel for insubordination. He then fled the warlord's wrath along with a friend who was the one with honor and spent all this time trying to teach Kahless how to be a good man.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Implied to be the case with King Cole from the classic nursery rhyme. While we don't get much information about him, he is implied to have been a kind ruler and a CoolOldGuy, being described as a "merry old soul".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* King Alteon of Swordhaven in the Creator/ArtixEntertainment games, but especially ''VideoGame/AdventureQuestWorlds''.
* ''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 genuinely that she was redeemed and abandoned her purpose of bringing ruin. When his strength finally faded from age, he cast himself into Chaos to stave it off 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.
* ''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.]]
* ''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.
* ''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.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' has several examples.
** In general throughout the series, Emperor Uriel Septim VII serves as one [[spoiler: up until his death in ''Oblivion''.]] He's a [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure fair and balanced ruler]] who keeps the Cyrodiilic Empire whole through multiple crises and intervenes directly to kick off the plots of ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' and ''Morrowind''.
** [[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.
** Ysgramor, the [[LongDeadBadass ancient]] Atmoran hero and FounderOfTheKingdom of Skyrim, is considered the standard of what a king should be by the [[HornyVikings Nords]]. He was a wise GeniusBruiser and PapaWolf who led a BadassArmy in conquering Skyrim from the hated Falmer (Snow Elves). Obviously, the elves have a very different opinion...
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'':
*** Duke Vedam Dren. As Duke, he exercises the empire's authority over the Vvardenfell district (where the game takes place) and is genuinely interested in protecting and helping the people there. He makes you swear an oath to do so before he'll give you permission to build a stronghold and, if you are in House Hlaalu, will give you quests in this vein.
*** On the other hand is the actual King of Morrowind, Helseth, who averts this by being a MagnificentBastard who lies, cheats, and murders his way to power. Despite this, he is still the [[BlackAndGrayMorality Gray]] to [[spoiler:Almalexia]]'s [[BlackAndGrayMorality Black]] in the ''Tribunal'' expansion.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', Uriel Septim VII's son Martin. He was a well HiddenBackupPrince turned a ''very'' UnexpectedSuccessor. However, he comes to embrace the role and later [[spoiler: [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices himself]] to defeat [[BigBad Mehrunes Dagon]] and stop Dagon's LegionsOfHell from bringing about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt]].
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'':
*** Various Jarls (read: kings of individual counties within the province of Skyrim) provide examples. Most noticeable is Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun, whose first desire is to protect his people, regardless of the cost. The other Jarls run the gamut from corrupt and idiotic to fair and benevolent.
*** An even stronger candidate is Brunwulf Free-Winter, who takes over as Jarl of Windhelm if the player helps the Empire win the Civil War. Within hours of being made Jarl, he pardons and retains most of Ulfric's court staff, offers lodgings for the deposed pro-Stormcloak Jarls, and meets with the Dunmer of the city to discuss renovations with the slum in which Ulfric forced them to live. What a NiceGuy.
* 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/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.
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'', the good kind is the one who originally sends you on your quest.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', the unnamed King of Fabul, and King Giott of the Dwarves. [[spoiler: As well as the true king of Baron. At the end of the game, [[TheHero Cecil]], [[QuirkyBard Edward]], [[BareFistedMonk Yang]] and [[{{Ninja}} Edge]] become kings of their respective countries.]]
** ''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.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', Edgar plays this role with the kingdom of Figaro. He insists on paying for goods when castle shopkeepers protest, and he's secretly providing aid and intelligence to LaResistance against TheEmpire.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', Regent Cid is the affable leader of Lindblum (unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be able to keep it in his pants.)
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'', Noctis' father, Regis Lucis Caelum, is a compassionate and even-tempered man, who at the onset of the game is slowly sacrificing his own life to maintain an evil-deflecting barrier over the capital of Insomnia. Noctis himself develops into the trope over time, as he inherits the power of Kings and saves the world from the Starscourge.
* 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.
* 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.
* ''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.]]
* [[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".
* 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.]]
* Zelda's father in ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games, where he always puts the needs of his people first. King Dorephan in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' is the Zora king that not only looks out for his own people but also the safety of the Hylians when he expresses worry that the dam bursting would affect them and not his people. He has no objections to [[spoiler: his daughter proposing to Link]], presumably on the grounds that such an arrangement would bring her happiness. The king also [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome is said to have defeated]] a [[EliteMook Guardian]] by himself by tossing it off a cliff.
* 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/NeverwinterNights'': Lord Nasher Alagondar fits the trope, even though he's technically not a king but the ruling lord of a city-state. He cares deeply for his subjects and is quite willing to personally take the field in their defense.
* ''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.]]
** The path of Alexei II if Sergey Taboritsky reunifies Russia is remarkably similar. The man once known as Michał Goleniewski was a former Soviet officer (in the NKVD) and also [[DeadPersonImpersonation masqueraded as a long-dead royal]], though his awareness of his not being the real deal is apparent from the start and he remains a cryptocommunist throughout his supposedly monarchistic reign. In sharp contrast to the [[spoiler: Holy Russian Empire]] on which Taboritsky, [[spoiler:unleashes a series of disastrously nightmarish horrors in the name of hastening the real Alexei's return]], Goleniewski's Russian Empire is a [[TheGoodKingdom beacon of relative calm and freedom]] in the chaos and misery that is Russia, shattered after Taboritsky's death. This leads to Goleniewski [[HundredPercentAdorationRating enjoying the same massive popularity]] as Rurik, to the point that the many among the public who know that he is a false Tsar simply don't care.
* 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.
* In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' has several. [[spoiler:They're all the same person, each in different timelines]].
** [[FounderOfTheKingdom King Aquila of Mikado]] was by all accounts one, having built Mikado Castle and founded the Samurai Order to protect the kingdom from invaders. Even in the present, the Samurai are reluctant to break his laws.
** Akira, the local ReasonableAuthorityFigure, is the de-facto leader of the surviving citizens of Tokyo, which was glassed over twenty years ago. After hiring the party to kill the demon plaguing them, he ensures that they would never be forgotten by rebuilding the country under the name of their country, the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado. Jonathan realizes that this would make him [[spoiler:King Akira of Mikado]].
** Although he drags the party into [[KlingonPromotion killing the his predecessor]] for the throne, the newly crowned King Akira of Tokyo wants nothing more than to make the strong and weak equal, which goes against everything his world stands for. His subjects notice that quality of life has improved dramatically since he took power.
* In the second installment of the ''VideoGame/SonicStorybookSeries'', Sonic and the Black Knight, Myth/KingArthur WAS one of these, but became corrupted by [[ArtifactOfDoom the malevolent scabard of Excalibur]] and Sonic is then tasked with killing him before he destroys the entire realm. By the end of the game, not only is King Arthur revealed to be a fake but the true King Arthur is revealed to be [[spoiler: Sonic himself due to Caliburn accepting him as his master.]] Making his involvement in the story a retroactive case of this.
* 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.
** 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]], leading to the events of ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing''.
* 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.
* [[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.
* Lord British of the ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' games is intended to be this, though [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment some]] [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation disagree]].
* ''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/{{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/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/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.
* 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/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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* OlderThanDirt: Perhaps unsurprisingly, UsefulNotes/AncientEgyptianHistory gives us an example. Starting no later than the Middle Kingdom's Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1802 BCE), Egyptian texts ascribe to King Sneferu of the Old Kingdom Fourth Dynasty (reigned c. 2613-2589 BCE, give or take) many of the classic characteristics of this trope. Middle Kingdom texts trying to link the current monarch to a prior golden age of splendor, prosperity, and justice tended to try to link the king to Sneferu, who was always portrayed as a wise king willing to take the counsel of his priests and advisors and who made Egypt beautiful. As the Middle Kingdom was characterized by a flowering of Egyptian literature, with texts composed during this era copied continuously for the next 2,000 years, the court of Sneferu became a default setting for any Egyptian trying to present a didactic story presided over by a great and just king. Interestingly, Sneferu's reputation is pretty well deserved: Sneferu built the first true pyramid (the Red Pyramid at Dahshur), and what records exist from his incredibly ancient reign suggest that he really did reign well and prosperously.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenceslaus_I,_Duke_of_Bohemia Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia]], is the inspiration of the traditional Christmas carol 'Good King Wenceslaus' listed above under folklore. Immediately following his murder by his brother he was adopted as a local saint, and though he was only a duke, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I posthumously conferred the regal dignity and title of king upon him in honor of his legacy.
* Bhumibol Adulyadej, King Rama IX of Thailand, is known for being RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCF2jqYEnKw personally visiting areas and people in need]] to understand their problems. Thailand had two civil wars over the past few years over political reasons, but the one thing both sides agreed upon, in both wars, is that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2orcn5tw3m8 their king is a wonderful man]]. After an exceptionally popular, seven-decade reign; his death at the age of 88 years in late 2016 was universally mourned by the people of Thailand.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_VI King George VI]], king of England during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. He was humble, modest to the point of being shy, and suffered from a speech impediment. George VI is one of England’s most fondly remembered monarchs.
* Juan Carlos, king of UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}, who led his country from the dictatorship of Franco into a first-world democracy and a member of UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion. He got a reputation when he single-handedly stopped an attempted coup by Franco's former military men in 1981. Has become a MemeticBadass when he told Hugo Chavez to [[ShutUpHannibal shut up when Hugo was making light of the deaths during Franco's regime]]. Him saying "Why don't you just shut up" became a very popular ringtone in the Spanish-speaking world. His [[GreatWhiteHunter elephant-hunting activities]] and a series of scandals of many kinds really damaged his popularity among Spaniards, though, as most polls showed. Many analysts consider this drastic reduction in popularity the real reason behind his unexpected abdication.
* King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth Dragon King of Bhutan, was the first king to lead his country out of isolation from the rest of the world, introduced modernization such as television and the internet, created the Gross National Happiness Index to rule based on what would make his subjects happy rather than just focusing on the economy, and finally abdicated and ordered parliamentary elections, on the basis that it had been found that countries with parliamentary democracies were happier than monarchies.
* UsefulNotes/AlfredTheGreat. He saved Wessex from Viking Invasion after the Vikings had nearly conquered it. He then started a system of burghs to protect the country and started an education system. His actions eventually united England. There's a reason he's the only English king to be given the moniker "the Great".
* Sultan Suleiman TheMagnificent of the Ottoman Empire is fondly remembered by the Turks for his tolerance and fair rule, ushering in his reign a period of peace and stability later sultans would try to emulate. In Turkish, his title translates to "Law-Giver".
* [[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.
* Christian IV of Denmark is, despite his horrible war record that later almost destroyed the country, universally respected as a great ruler. He loved art and music and budgeted many musicians to play at his court, was a FriendToAllChildren, was a very upbeat man even in his elderly days, ruled justly, and was a joy to be around.
* While the results varied on the monarch and often had a bit of ValuesDissonance, the [[UsefulNotes/TheSoundOfMartialMusic House of Habsburg]] (the Austrian branch at least) for all their flaws strove to uphold this trope as per their duty. The last Austro-Hungarian Emperor, Karl/Karoly IV in particular's still highly regarded for his humility, efforts to end [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the Great War]] and dedication to serve (and hold intact) the Empire...[[ForegoneConclusion which went horribly wrong]]. If anything, his reign is something of a tragic deconstruction similar to Brazil's Emperor Dom Pedro above: his work to alleviate the sufferings of his people, holding the various realms together and generally being the OnlySaneMan among the Central Powers would have helped the Habsburg monarchy endure into the 20th century and beyond if not for the strains of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI ultimately tearing the Empire at the seams.
* 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]].
* Emperor UsefulNotes/{{Trajan}}, the second of the "Five Good Emperors of Rome." He extended Rome to the pinnacle of its size and power, but what really makes him this trope is that his reputation has survived, unblemished, through ''nineteen centuries'' of scholarship, making him one of the most triumphant aversions of the ValuesDissonance that sometimes comes with naming historical figures as this trope. It was customary afterward for the Senate to pray when recognizing a new emperor that he be as good as Trajan.
* Rama IV of Thailand (better known to English-speakers as King Mongkut) is revered as one of its greatest monarchs[[note]]which is why ''Theatre/TheKingAndI'' and ''Film/AnnaAndTheKing'' are shunned by the Thai people and government[[/note]]. He revolutionized their science, technology, and to a lesser extent their society. To say nothing of his BatmanGambit against imperialism, in which he westernized the country to the point where the West couldn't invoke WhiteMansBurden and invade.[[note]] They took pieces anyway, but Siam itself remained independent.[[/note]]
* Umberto II, last king of Italy, managed to prove himself this both as Lieutenant General for the Realm (basically, his father Vittorio Emanuele III made him regent after Italy switched sides in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII because he himself was tainted by having supported the Fascist regime while Umberto was a known opposer of both Fascism and Nazism), when he managed to avoid the secession of Sicily without spilling a single drop of blood, and in his brief reign (35 days) where, in the face of the many irregularities in the referendum that had seen the Italians choosing the republican regime, he single-handedly defused any chance of a civil war while ''still'' [[WhatTheHellHero calling out the government for proclaiming the Republic before the official results were announced]].
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sejong_the_Great King Sejong the Great]], who was the fourth king of Joseon Dynasty, is one of the most respected monarchs in the history of [[UsefulNotes/{{SouthKorea}} Korea]]. He created the Korean alphabet '[[http://www.omniglot.com/writing/korean.htm Hangul]]' from scratch for peasants who couldn't learn complex Chinese characters. He helped create the traditional Korean music notes with his own music skills. He began a series of military conquests to ensure that neighboring countries would respect their border. He let a genius commoner work in his court and develop automatic water clocks, sundials, and the world's first rain gauge. He published books about agriculture that would help peasants, researched and legislated laws that were so groundbreaking at that time that later kings didn't find the need to legislate new ones for ''centuries'', and set a precedent for future kings by trying to debate and cooperate with his subjects, not rule over them. This overworking combined with diabetes probably caused his death at age 52. Koreans are so grateful to him that even centuries after his death, they use his portrait on their money, named the main road that crosses downtown UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}} after him, built a statue of him in the middle of said road, and named the administrative city after him.
* Subverted with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_II_of_France King John II of France]], called ''Jean le Bon'' or "John the Good". Unfortunately in his day, "bon" could mean "brave", and John exemplified HonourBeforeReason. When his army lost the [[UsefulNotes/HundredYearsWar battle of Poitiers (a.k.a. Maupertuis)]], he refused to retreat, ended up in English hands, and had to be ransomed for three million gold écus and several French provinces (the biggest king's ransom in French history). He also gave his younger son Philip the Bold the duchy of Burgundy, without which there might not have been the internecine strife between the Armagnacs and Bourgignons and the English-Burgundian alliance that disastrously affected the reign of John's grandson, King Charles VI. No wonder there never was another King John of France...
* King Casimir III the Great of Poland. He rebuilt Poland financially, doubled the size of the kingdom, founded the first Polish university, gave Jews rights and protections as 'people of the king', encouraged Jewish migration, and reformed the law. He was sometimes called 'the Peasant King' because he was known for taking the side of commoners where the law didn't protect them from the nobility and clergy, or 'the Polish Justinian', for his reforms of judiciary system and work for unified legal code. A popular Polish proverb says he 'found Poland wooden and left brick', due to his support for urbanization (with over 100 towns founded during his reign) and fortification of the country.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudius Claudius]] was known as a [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure fairly kind and benevolent emperor]] particularly when compared to [[{{UsefulNotes/Caligula}} his predecessor]]. Not bad for a man who was hastily crowned by the fleeing Praetorian guards.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_I_of_Sweden Gustav Vasa Of Sweden]] is often considered to be this, despite his highly polarizing actions as king. Sweden fondly remembers him for freeing them from the yoke of King Christian II Of Denmark (who to this day is referred to as "Kristian Tyrann" or [[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Christian The Tyrant]] in Sweden), and is widely recognized as the father of modern Sweden, to the point that the Swedish Day Of Independence on June 6th is one of two commemorative events (the other being the signing of the 1809 government declaration) because that's the day when Gustav Vasa was officially crowned king in 1523, leading to the official dissolution of the Kalmar Union. However, for all of his accomplishments, Vasa is remembered for his vicious destruction of the catholic church and introducing Protestantism as the official religion of Sweden mainly so he could confiscate the Church's wealth. This, combined with his taxation policy, resulted in the "Dackefejden" (Dacke Feud), a peasant uprising in southern Sweden led by revolutionary Nils Dacke that took years to put down. Regardless, despite the controversy in his own time, King Vasa is still a beloved icon in Sweden and considered a national hero in the modern day.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olav_V_of_Norway King Olav V of Norway]] once joked that he never needed to bring bodyguards with him in public domestically because he had four million of them -- meaning the entire population of Norway at the time. Unlike the aforementioned examples, Olav was a constitutional monarch and had no ''actual'' power, but was extremely well-regarded in Norway as a symbol of national unity, to the degree that he was voted "Norwegian of the Century" in 2005 (fifteen years after his death) despite being born Danish.
** His father, Haakon VII (born Carl) was no slouch in this department either. While he, like his son and grandson, was a constitutional monarch, the mess known as World War II forced him into a more proactive role. During the war, Haakon became an important symbol of Norway's resistance against the occupation, especially since his refusal to acknowledge the Nazi-sanctioned parliament prevented it from legally seizing power from the Parliament-in-Exile. The elected parliament of Norway had, at one point, attempted to surrender, but Haakon told them to get their asses in gear and do the job they were elected for.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_Sicily King William II of Sicily]] enjoyed a relatively peaceful reign, as compared to those of his father and successor, and the years of his kingship are recorded as being a golden age of peace and justice; in the years after his death, he came to be remembered fondly by his people as "William the Good."
* A more modern version would be [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Céphas_Bansah Céphas Bansah]] King (more in a spiritual way) of the Ewe people in Ghana. He lives in Germany, where he runs a car service station. He manages most of the governing via Skype, but he regularly visits his people. He has raised several fundraisers to improve the standard of living for his people (often even paid much of the costs himself). Among other things, he has built water pumps and pipes, schools, hospitals, training centres, and even prisons.
* Peter I of Bulgaria had this reputation during the centuries following his rule. Inheriting a vast empire, he managed to keep the peace for 40 years, which was in stark contrast to his father Simeon's wars of conquest. While economy had suffered lasting damage from Simeon's wars, Peter's rule was remembered fondly enough that three future rebels claiming the Bulgarian throne following the Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria renamed themselves after him.
* Ethiopian Emperor [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menelik_II Menelik II]] was TheChessmaster in both war and diplomacy. He defeated an Italian invasion, making Ethiopia one of the only parts of Africa never fully colonized by Europe, and received diplomatic recognition of Ethiopia from many other European powers. He was an equally skilled internal reformer, cracking down on the slave trade, modernizing Ethiopia's governance, creating a new postal system and national bank, starting Ethiopia's railway network, and introducing electricity, telegraphs, and modern plumbing to his capital of Addis Ababa.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_the_Great Fredrick The Great]] was [[FairForItsDay way ahead of his time in several ways,]] including allowing freedom of speech, abolishing torture, and reducing the sentence for many crimes (which previously were punishable by death.)
[[/folder]]

* Juan Carlos, king of UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}, who led his country from the dictatorship of Franco into a first-world democracy and a member of UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion. He got a reputation when he single-handedly stopped an attempted coup by Franco's former military men in 1981. Has become a MemeticBadass when he told Hugo Chavez to [[ShutUpHannibal shut up when Hugo was making light of the deaths during Franco's regime]]. Him saying "Why don't you just shut up" became a very popular ringtone in the Spanish-speaking world. His [[GreatWhiteHunter elephant-hunting activities]] and a series of scandals really damage his popularity among Spaniards though, as most polls showed. Many analysts consider this drastic reduction in popularity the real reason behind his unexpected abdication.

* Emperor Trajan, the second of the "Five Good Emperors of Rome." He extended Rome to the pinnacle of its size and power, but what really makes him this trope is that his reputation has survived, unblemished, through ''nineteen centuries'' of scholarship, making him one of the most triumphant aversions of the ValuesDissonance that sometimes comes with naming historical figures as this trope. It was customary afterward for the Senate to pray when recognizing a new emperor that he be as good as Trajan.

** A central theme in this ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' fanfic. The main characters often discuss the nature of kingship and the qualities required for being a good king, lord of leader.

** The series portrays Franchise/MickeyMouse as this. With some WarriorPrince mixed in for good measure.

** 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]], leading to the events ot ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing''.

** 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.

* OlderThanDirt: Perhaps unsurprisingly, UsefulNotes/AncientEygptianHistory gives us an example. Starting no later than the Middle Kingdom's Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1802 BCE), Egyptian texts ascribe to King Sneferu of the Old Kingdom Fourth Dynasty (reigned c. 2613-2589 BCE, give or take) many of the classic characteristics of this trope. Middle Kingdom texts trying to link the current monarch to a prior golden age of splendor, prosperity, and justice tended to try to link the king to Sneferu, who was always portrayed as a wise king willing to take the counsel of his priests and advisors and who made Egypt beautiful. As the Middle Kingdom was characterized by a flowering of Egyptian literature, with texts composed during this era copied continuously for the next 2,000 years, the court of Sneferu became a default setting for any Egyptian trying to present a didactic story presided over by a great and just king. Interestingly, Sneferu's reputation is pretty well deserved: Sneferu built the first true pyramid (the Red Pyramid at Dahshur), and what records exist from his incredibly ancient reign suggest that he really did reign well and prosperously.