History Main / TheKingdom

* ''Comicbook/TheKingdomDC'' - a comic book series sequel to ''Comicbook/KingdomCome''

* ''Series/{{Kingdom}}'' - a British comedy with Creator/StephenFry playing a lawyer who happens to be named Peter Kingdom

''The Kingdom'' may refer to the trope about a monarch's territory. If you're looking for that, see below.

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->''Last Rule of Politics: Kingdoms are good. [[TheEmpire Empires are evil]].''
-->-- Rule 133 of ''Website/TheGrandListOfConsoleRolePlayingGameCliches''

TheEmpire is evil. TheFederation is generally good, often neutral and occasionally evil. The Kingdom, on the other hand, is almost always good.

Often very small, sometimes just a single city-state or a castle with a few outlying villages, but it often has wealth or power beyond its size, usually large natural deposits of precious metals or GreenRocks, sometimes as a result of some form of AppliedPhlebotinum. (May be somewhat larger in a FeudalFuture.) Often containing large stretches of the GhibliHills and {{Arcadia}}, punctuated by the ShiningCity.

The Kingdom is the DamselInDistress of nations, almost always being the one to fall under a witch's curse or be invaded by TheEmpire. Usually the standard setting for {{Fairy Tale}}s, and when it's not, will often look as if it came out of a fairy tale anyway, even if it's in a sci-fi setting. If a kingdom ''is'' doing something evil, the king has most likely been deposed, or {{brainwashed}}, or replaced with an [[FakeKing evil duplicate]], or hasn't been paying enough attention to the EvilChancellor's extra-curricular activities with the troops. Remember, [[FisherKing a kingdom is only pure if the "true" monarch is in charge]]. TheEvilPrince is not a "true" monarch, mind you. Nor is the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen]] if she decides to take over by killing her husband, which happens quite often; in fact, [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen a Queen in charge is often a bad omen]] [[TheHighQueen (though there are exceptions).]] And [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin obviously]], nor is the PuppetKing.

Since EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses, any self-respecting Kingdom has one. She is usually [[TheOjou benevolent and loved]] by the citizens, as well as [[BeautyEqualsGoodness gorgeous, of course]] and is commonly TheHero's love interest. (The obvious exception being when TheHero is, himself, the heir to the throne or a young and probably deposed king trying to save his own kingdom -- in these cases, he will likely either marry a princess from another royal line or uplift a kindhearted peasant girl into an honorary princess.)

One of the most common forms of MagicalLand.

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!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Manga/Acca13TerritoryInspectionDept'' takes place in Dowa Kingdom. It is less of a fairy tale story, though - it is about government agency workers, most of whom are over 30, and the titular 13 districts include ones that [[RealPlaceBackground bear striking resemblances]] to modern [[BigApplesauce Man]][[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity hattan]] and UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}. The heir-to-the-thone business is present, though, as is the beautiful princess loved by everyone - and the RoyalBrat with his eyes on the throne...
* Later ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' entries like the notion:
** The Sanc Kingdom in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' (princess: Relena Peacecraft).
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' has Orb Union (princess: Cagalli Yula Athha).
*** And Kingdom of Scandinavia as well (princess: Lacus Clyne. not really, but close -- Clyne family is related to Scandinavian royalty)
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' has Azadistan (princess: Marina Ismail), a ''very'' thinly veiled {{Expy}} of Iran, which was TheKingdom in RealLife until fairly recently. Azadistan is a deconstruction, since [[spoiler: it's really anything but peaceful or homogeneous. They conquered Kurdistan years ago, look down on Kurds or outsiders of really any type, are home to a boatload of religious extremists, and it's garnered the name [[FanNickname Povertistan]] for a reason. The country soon descends into civil war, with the idolized princess being quite ineffectual, and has to be saved by the Gundams.]]
** In fact, the original ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'''s Republic of Zeon started off sort-of Kingdomish (Princess: Artesia Sum Deikun). Once it was taken over and renamed into a Principality by Zeon Sum Deikun's EvilChancellor and his family, though, it moved rapidly towards TheEmpire.
* Fleed from ''Anime/UFORoboGrendizer'' -one of the ''Anime/MazingerZ'' series- fits into this, in spite of being the entire planet. Benevolent monarch? Checked. A prince who is also TheHero (Duke Fleed) and a Princess [[spoiler:(Maria Grace Fleed)]]? Checked. Princess has a romantic relationship with one of the heroes [[spoiler:[[Anime/MazingerZ Kouji Kabuto]]]]? Checked. GhibliHills surrounding the ShiningCity? Checked. Invaded -and conquered- by TheEmpire? Checked.
* Windbloom from ''Anime/MaiOtome''.
* Altea in ''Anime/GoLion'' (princess: Fala).
* ''Franchise/LupinIII'': The franchise occasionally uses this trope, but none are as easily described as Miyazaki's first feature film.
** ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'' was a dutchy; a small kingdom ruled by a Duke. The duke and his wife died in a large fire, while his daughter was at a religious convent. The [[EvilChancellor Count]] was in a different castle, and now rules as regent. He plans on marrying Clarisse to become regent-for-life and discover the secret to the Cagliostro kingdom.
* The Kingdom of Forland in ''Manga/MurderPrincess'' (princess: Alita Forland).
* Fanelia and, to a lesser extent, Asturia in ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne''. No princesses in Fanelia, sadly, but much of the action of the series involved the king fighting off TheEmpire so he can take the throne. Asturia is a pawn of TheEmpire under the old king, but has a plethora of princesses, and as soon as one gets married and a clear line of succession is restored, they pull a HeelFaceTurn. Despite being a Duchy, Freid might almost count, although things don't turn out too well for them; the new ruler [[spoiler:is not the heir by blood right]] and they wind up conquered by and ultimately cooperating with TheEmpire.
* The Kingdom of Tristain in ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero''. To be fair, most of the other nations in the setting are kingdoms as well, but Tristain is ''[[TheKingdom The]]'' [[TheKingdom Kingdom]].
* The Valley of the Wind in the anime version of ''Manga/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind''. Though not surrounded by GhibliHills, it keeps some points for being the film that kick started Creator/StudioGhibli in the first place.
* The ''Anime/PrettyCure franchise'' has [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure the Garden of Light]], [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar the Land of Fountains]], [[Anime/YesPrettyCure5 the Palmier Kingdom]], [[Anime/FreshPrettyCure the Sweets Kingdom]], [[Anime/SuitePrettyCure Major Land]], [[Anime/SmilePrettyCure Märchenland]], and [[Anime/DokiDokiPrecure the Trump Kingdom]]. Several more appear in the movies.
* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' has the Kingdom of Ostia (princess: [[spoiler:Arika Anarkhia Entheofushia of Vespertatia]]), a FloatingContinent which, according to the back story, was stuck in the middle of a war between the Hellas Empire and the Confederation. [[spoiler:It was later destroyed in order to save the Magical World from the plan of the NebulousEvilOrganisation, and as a result, its princess was used as the scapegoat due to the displacement of its inhabitants.]]
* A few of these pop up in ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''.
** One two-part episode came with all the trimmings, including an EvilChancellor trying to usurp TheGoodKing, as well as a [[PrincessClassic beautiful princess]] for Ash and his friends to protect.
** ''Anime/PokemonLucarioAndTheMysteryOfMew'' takes place at an ancient castle ruled by [[TheHighQueen a beautiful queen]]. The kingdom's backstory tells of how a [[KnightInShiningArmor brave knight]] [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificed his life]] to stop a war.
* ''Anime/PanzerWorldGalient'': The Kingdom of Arst was a peaceful, idyllic, ancient country, ruled by a benevolent monarch. It was conquered by [[BigBad Marder]]'s army in the first episode. It had no princess [[spoiler:-unless you count Chururu after hooking up with Jordy-]], but it had a queen (Felia) and a prince ([[TheHero Jordy]]).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Marvel is full of examples:
** Wakanda is an african absolute monarchy ruled by the Black Panther. It is one of the oldest nations on Earth and one of the most advanced.
** Dr.Doom's Latveria often fluctuates between this and an attempted Empire.
** Atlantis, ruled by Prince Namor.
** Attilan, the largest and oldest Inhuman settlement on Earth (and sometimes the moon) is ruled as an absolute monarchy.
** The Asgardians (as well as most other Earth-connected pantheons of gods) acts as an absolute monarchy ruled over by the most powerful god in the pantheon known as the sky father/mother.
** Elsewhere in the 10 (formally 9) realms there are the Frost Giants, Fire Demons, Dark Elves, Light Elves Dwarves and Angels also exist within monarchies. As do the dead who did not earn a place in Valhalla and are thus instead sent to Hel ruled over by the god queen Hella.
** Several of the primitive tribes and nations in the savage land are kingdoms.
** The Moleman is the king of Subterrania and rules over the moloid natives.
** Deadpool's ex-wife, Shiklah, is the queen of the underworld which turns out to be a subterranean kingdom of monsters and supernatural beings who have taken refuge under New York City.
** There are many Kingdoms among the diverse nations of Weird World.
** Sky Island, a floating island populated by an Inhuman offshoot subspecies called Bird-People are ruled as a monarchy by the old golden age hero Red Raven.
** Each of the various Hell Lords and gods of death control their own realms of death as their own personal kingdom.
** And all of that is before you consider extraterrestrial kingdoms (such as the Kree and the Skrulls) extradimentional kingdoms (such as Annihilus's negative zone and the non-616 versions of many of the above)
* Atlantis from the DC Universe.
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[[folder:FanWorks]]
* ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'': In this story Shinji and Asuka travel to the Empire of Avalon, a state that spans a chunk of TheMultiverse, ruled by a -real nice- family of gods. King Daniel and Queen Rayana are benevolent, well-meaning and pretty amicable, and they genuinely try to help people and made good for their subjects. It is also mentioned several times that Avalon has many enemies that are constantly threatening its borders.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films - Animated]]
* The setting of much of the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon, especially ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' and ''Disney/SleepingBeauty''. Subverted in Disney/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs because of [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen the Queen]]. [[Disney/{{Aladdin}} Agrabah]] is technically a Sultanate, but it has elements of The Kingdom as well, especially once that little EvilVizier problem was taken care of.
** Arendelle, inspired by Norway, from ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' falls under this category. Queen Elsa accidentally thrusts Arendelle into an "Eternal Winter". [[spoiler: At the end, she manages to thaw the Kingdom.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* Naboo in ''Franchise/StarWars'' (Queen: Amidala/Padme), which portrays this despite being a ''planet''. {{Planetville}} in action, folks. The Naboo monarch is elected by popular vote, [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything and serves terms of four years.]]
* Druidia from ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'' (Princess: Vespa) is also a planet kingdom, and one with its own enclosed atmosphere.
* The Danish ''Film/OlsenBanden'' movies tend to take place in such a version of Denmark, with the title gang of bumbling sympathetic petty criminals often foiling the plans of [[TheEmpire villainous international capitalists]], thereby saving the entire country.
* In ''Film/{{Scanners}}'', the MegaCorp [=ConSec=] fills this role, recruiting the heroic [[TheDrifter drifter]] Cameron Vale to neutralize the diabolical saboteur who has sworn a vendetta against them. Making them a weapons corporation is part of the film's [[GreyAndGrayMorality elaborate plot]] to make us not really care about the stakes; the movie aims less for mere entertainment and more for making you uncomfortable.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The Star Kingdom of Manticore from David Weber's ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' series. The Applied Phlebotinum that makes this work is the Manticore Wormhole Junction, which allows the Kingdom to become massively wealthy through the sheer volume of trade the Junction supports.
** In the recent books, though, it got subtly subverted by the fact that first the Star Kingdom of Manticore itself finally discovers joys of imperialism (WordOfGod has it that its name is now the Star [[TheEmpire ''Empire'']] of Manticore), and second that the previous [[TheEmpire Empires]] are now either more or less good guys, or fair game for them.
* The [[Literature/LandOfOz Kingdom of Oz]].
* The Old Kingdom in Creator/GarthNix's ''Literature/OldKingdom'' books. It has no other name, which fits as it is magically kept in MedievalStasis in contrast to its neighbor to the South. And if the rightful rulers are not present, the Kingdom ''will'' fall into disrepair.
* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the Literature/{{Discworld}}'s city-state (and former kingdom) of Ankh-Morpork. Despite being a CityOfAdventure and frequently a geographical DistressedDamsel, it is ruled by the Patrician [[ManipulativeBastard Havelock Vetinari]], since the line of kings ended ...[[TheCaligula messily]], and as they assert in ''Guards! Guards!'', you'd be hard-pressed to find an eligible virgin amid its masses, let alone a [[PrincessClassic pretty princess]]. However, it ''does'' have a wise, just and benevolent FisherKing who keeps the peace, saves the city and shapes it to his will. [[SubvertedTrope He'd just much rather you thought of him as]] [[RightfulKingReturns that nice policeman Captain Carrot]].
** Played a little straighter (though not much) with the kingdom of Lancre, which is highly magical, presided over (currently) by a good and just king and queen, and ''actually'' ruled by a rather democratic mob of witches (who are in turn bossed about by Granny Weatherwax).
*** Well, the royalty in Lancre don't actually do anything; their job is to look official, the peoples' jobs are to politely ignore the royalty and get on with whatever they happen to do with themselves, and the thing in charge is actually the land itsself.
* Andor in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' fits this trope perfectly.
** Except for the bit about a [[TheHighQueen Queen]] in charge being a bad omen ...
* In the story "The Eternal Champion" by Creator/MichaelMoorcock, Ekrose is summoned to help the human kingdom of Necranal, which is at war with the Eldren. At first, it is played straight, but as the story progresses, Ekrose finds this trope becoming subverted with the human kingdom, with FantasticRacism having a much larger role in the war than expected. It turns out to be played straight with the [[spoiler:Eldren]] kingdom.
* The land of Osten Ard in ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn'' has several political regions based on various {{Fantasy Counterpart Culture}}s, but the most typical of this trope is Erkynland, modeled strongly on Medieval England and home of TheHero, Simon. It rose to domination of Osten Ard on the strength of King Prester John's prowess in battle and remains there through the present time of the story. In contrast with the typical use of the trope, the majority of human nations in Osten Ard are mundane, but they are built on a land steeped in magical powers that humans only vaguely comprehend.
* This trope is almost certainly why the area governed by BigBad Galbatorix in the ''[[Literature/InheritanceCycle Eragon]]'' books rules an empire.
* Creator/MercedesLackey's ''Literature/TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'' are, well... fractured fairy-tales in exactly that setting, with enough variety built in that there will always be a beautiful princess, a tyrannical king, a scheming chancellor, etc. available whenever The Tradition requires one.
* In the ''Literature/SkolianSaga'' by Creator/CatherineAsaro, the Skolian Imperialate is TheKingdom in the books which take place after ''Spherical Harmonics'', [[spoiler:in which the Ruby Pharaoh overthrows what is nominally Her Majesty's Government in a military coup and resumes direct rule]]. This is a rare case of TheKingdom being called an Empire. Indeed, even before the events of ''Spherical Harmonics'', the Skolian Imperialate is not TheEmpire -- it is TheFederation. Ironically, TheEmpire of the Skolian Empire series [[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny calls itself a "Concord"]].
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' subverts it with the Hapes Consortium. The Queen Mother Ta'a Chume (Hapes is a matriarchy) and her son Isolder first show up as potential allies (and in-laws, to Leia) in Literature/TheCourtshipOfPrincessLeia, but throughout the book it becomes clear that Hapes is heavily corrupt and that Ta'a Chume is an active participant in the DecadentCourt, having her elder son, his fiancee, and Isolder's fiancee all killed because she thought they were unworthy heirs. Things improve under Ta'a Chume's eventual daughter-in-law and successor Teneniel and her daughter Tenel Ka, but it still isn't a nice place.
* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'':
** In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Gondor is a ''kingdom''-in-exile. The line of kings there died out about 1000 years before ''Literature/TheHobbit'', and since then its fiefdoms have been ruled by the Stewards, making it a combination of this and TheFederation. The good news is that the last Princess of Gondor managed to marry the last King of Arnor, their fellow [[SpiritualSuccessor Successor State]] to the Kingdom of Númenor, and it is from this line that Aragorn, Chieftain of [[RacialRemnant the Rangers of the North]], descends from. The title of the last book (''The Return of the King'') [[LateArrivalSpoiler indicates]] [[RightfulKingReturns how Gondor turns out]]. Rohan is a more pastoral kingdom that still has its king, but is in a bad shape at the beginning of ''The Two Towers'' thanks to EvilChancellor Grima Wormtongue poisoning (both literally and figuratively) King Théoden. Fortunately, the king recovers after Grima is cast out and Rohan goes on to play a major role in saving Gondor.
** As shown in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', the kingdoms of the First Age of Arda were all Elven Kingdoms; humans only pop up in the last few centuries and remain in a very primitive state.
* Barrayar in the ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'' calls itself an empire. However, it is only composed of three planets, and it is in many ways closer to this then to being an empire. It has a fairly compact government and is only a medium-sized state by galactic standards, lacking the sprawl characteristic of both TheEmpire and TheFederation, as well as the spectacular tyrannies of many variations of TheEmpire. Moreover while it has a SecretPolice and a DeadlyDecadentCourt, both of these are rather toned down and are far less sinister than many variations of this trope; at least they are since Aral's Regency.
* The Kingdom of Delain in Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/TheEyesOfTheDragon''. The undetected cancer in its body is the evil ageless magician Flagg, whose machinations through the centuries have caused repeated disaster and turmoil in what might otherwise have been a peaceful land.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''{{Series/Merlin}}'' Camelot is essentially good, though the anti-magic stance makes some people feel differently. Arthur will obviously eventually make it more like the usual 'good' Camelot in time. There were aversions as well, Cenred's land for a while, for example. He only cared about himself and couldn't be bothered with the villages.
* The 2009 NBC series ''Series/{{Kings}}'' was set in the Kingdom of Gilboa, a modern-day monarchy ruled over by King Silas Benjamin, with the ShiningCity of Shiloh as its crown jewel. It is at war (but vying for peace) with the neighboring country of Gath.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* In the song One Tin Soldier, TheKingdom on the mountain has "treasure" and "riches" [[PerfectPacifistPeople which are actually just the concept of peace on earth]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Bretonnia in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' is a [[CrapsackWorld mercilessly dark]] parody of this trope, with Quixotic knights and kings living in luxury [[TheDungAges at the expense of the peasantry]] and a society kept in MedievalStasis while the rest of the world develops technologically. It's managed to remain independent of the rival human realm of TheEmpire thanks to the valor of its knights, magic that makes them ImmuneToBullets, and the fact that the local FairFolk are covertly manipulating their nation.
** Plus, of course, the Royal Air Force. The Bretonnians have easily the best aerial troops in the game.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' has an unusual example - the realm of Ultramar, eight systems ruled by the Ultramarines chapter of [[SuperSoldier Space]] [[WarriorMonk Marines]]. Its worlds manage to be both technologically-advanced and prosperous without turning into industrial hells, and under the benevolent leadership of the Ultramarines the citizenry is so happy that Ultramar is visible as a bright constellation of positive energy in [[HyperspaceIsAScaryPlace the Warp]]. The kicker is that Ultramar is ''part of'' the setting's [[TheEmpire Empire]], the Imperium of Man, a brutal totalitarian state.
* The Kingdom of Aldis in ''TabletopGame/BlueRose'' is an excellent example of this -- it's got all the trappings of a medieval fantasy kingdom, but magic and MagiTek are sufficiently advanced and widespread that it's at least as nice a place to live as a modern first-world country, with excellent medicine, sanitation and communications. They've even got legal and accepted same-sex marriage.
** Trappings is kind of the right word. The monarchy isn't hereditary, but is appointed by what amounts to an angel. Decisions are made via a small council where the monarch has 2 votes. The "nobility" is actually a civil service mandarinate, entered via egalitarian testing (including a morality test).
* Obviously seen in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', though "pure" cases may be a bit more rare than one would think -- official D&D settings tend to feature quite an oddball mix of cultures, and this variety extends to forms of government as well. Still, quite archetypical canonical examples like Cormyr in the TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms or the Kingdom (''nee'' Grand Duchy) of Karameikos on TabletopGame/{{Mystara}} definitely exist.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The Dukedom of Riskent in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars Original Generation'' (princess: Shine Hausen).
* Ferelden in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' is mostly good (until [[spoiler:Loghain takes over, anyway]]), just somewhat ineffectual.
* [[VideoGame/NeverwinterNights Neverwinter]] is technically a city-state and ruled by a Lord (who happens to lack [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses daughters]]), but otherwise fits this trope perfectly.
* Almost every kingdom in a ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' game ever. The only real exception is Alexandria in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', during Queen Brahne's reign.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'''s Figaro probably is the most remarkable. Figaro Castle itself is in fact a machine that can travel underground between the two deserts on the continent, and its King, Edgar, is one of the heroes that resist the evil Empire. It doesn't have a Princess though, much to Edgar's dismay.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' invokes this trope to the letter. The Archadian empire invades the smaller, peaceful kingdom of Dalmasca, which even sports a beautiful princess.
** While it is not called a kingdom, the FreestateAmsterdam that is Fisherman's Horizon qualifies, especially when put next to [[TheEmpire Galbadia]] and [[TheFederation Esthar]].
** Zig-zagged with the Kingdom of Concordia from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0''. It begins as generally virtuous matriarchal nation ruled by TheHighQueen, and allies itself with Rubrum against the [[TheEmpire Militesi Empire]]. It is even the first to call for a ceasefire and negotiations to end the war between nations. However, [[spoiler: the queen is assassinated shortly after the ceasefire announced and Class Zero is framed for it. The despotic new king quickly changes sides and aligns himself with Milites.]]
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' has the Kingdom of Lucis, with the crown prince of the kingdom as the protagonist. It has lost large amounts of territory to the Empire of Niflheim. It's not just the job of the king to protect Lucis, but the future of the entire world.
* This article reads like a description of the kingdom of Hyrule (princess: Zelda) from ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series. Hyrule seems to be working more like a [[TheFederation a loose confederacy]] that a centralized kingdom, but the general theme is the same.
* The eponymous setting of ''VideoGame/TheNeverhood'' is a bare-bones version of TheKingdom, with very few residents besides the king himself.
** Mostly because he was forced into hibernation before he could finish populating it.
* The Mushroom Kingdom from ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' is an obvious example. It has Princess Peach, though all other officials are strangely absent...
** Some tie-in media includes her father, a King, who is a [[TheDitz complete moron]]. However, [[CanonForeigner he's never mentioned in the games aside from]] ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''.
* Wyndia counts as this (to greater or lesser extent) in every ''Franchise/BreathOfFire'' game it appears in (all but the fifth), and in the fourth also is part of TheFederation against TheEmpire (which respectively fit these tropes). There is some minor subversion of this in the second, though, involving [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer the Obligatory Princess]].
* The ''FireEmblem'' series has several. And it's usually of the "Sacked by TheEmpire" variety.
** FE 4 is notable, as TheEmpire, Grandbell starts off as this, then it goes on a warpath, invading several countries simultaneously (And winning). Then an AntiVillain comes into power-- and it goes back to being TheKingdom for about 9 years. Then... [[EvilPrince his son takes control]]... and it becomes TheEmpire. Until TheHero kills both the AntiVillain of a previous Emperor and his son, then he and the Princess take control of the Empire, and it goes back to being TheKingdom.
* Fantasinia [[spoiler: and ''Bronquia'' (probably Embellia too)]] in ''VideoGame/YggdraUnion'' - except that the princess, Yggdra, is TheHero instead of the love interest.
* The Pharastia Kingdom of ''VideoGame/VanguardBandits'' is cleanly this in the Kingdom Branch of the game. [[spoiler: Then Subverted on the Empire Branch, as it becomes clear that the Kingdom isn't fully on the up-and-up either. A harsh lesson for the hero to learn, after a lifetime of idealizing it.]]
* Despite being technically a Principality, Gallia in ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'' counts. The ruling dynasty, especially its Archduchess is loved by the people. It's another story, however, when it comes with both the bureaucracy and aristocracy in general.
* Rakios in ''VisualNovel/EienNoAselia.'' The king is probably the least sympathetic character in the game after Soma, but Lesteena is nice. [[spoiler:And just before she moves to assassinate him to save the country, someone else does it for her.]]
* The Kingdom of Boron in the [[VideoGame/{{X}} X-Universe]] qualifies, though its government is technically a constitutional monarchy akin to modern-day Great Britain (i.e. Queen Atreus is a figurehead for an elected government). They're portrayed as good guys, are constantly under threat from the [[ProudWarriorRace Split]] [[TheEmpire Dynasty,]][[note]]though the Boron alliance with the [[HumansByAnyOtherName Argon]] [[TheFederation Federation]] keeps them at bay somewhat,[[/note]] and have the smallest territory of the Commonwealth races. They've also got a few unique pieces of AppliedPhlebotinum, such as ion weapons.
* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' there's the planet of Alderaan, which has been called the soul of TheRepublic.
* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', though always referred to as TheEmpire, the Septim Empire is ''much'' closer to this trope, along with elements of TheFederation. It is a largely benevolent force of good throughout the series and backstory, espousing fairly liberal cosmopolitan beliefs while setting up [[ProudMerchantRace trade and mercantilism]] ties which peacefully tie the provinces together. Personal freedoms are also fairly unrestricted, with certain (logical) exceptions, such as working to eliminate open FantasticRacism between the races it governs and quashing some of the more [[ScaryAmoralReligion dangerous extremist religions]]. Even its harshest critics tend to admit that the Empire generally acts in the best interests of Tamriel as a whole, though its vast bureaucracy often bogs it down.
* ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'' has a good kingdom that is turned to evil when the Queen has the King murdered during a war. The resistance centers around the last legitimate heir ([[spoiler:or so he thinks]]) to the king that managed to escape assasination. The Princess on the other hand is misguided by her mother, and only a EnemyMine situation gets her on the right side eventually.
* Kryta, the last standing human kingdom in ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'', and the homeland of the playable humans. Fittingly enough, ruled by TheHighQueen who's a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, and in a state of constant siege from all directions. This is actually a regression from the original ''VideoGame/GuildWars'', where humans ruled most of the known world. It's implied that TheEmpire still exists far beyond the sea, but has closed its borders, kicked out all non-humans, and is inaccessible anyway because of the [[EldritchAbomination Elder Dragons]] blocking all the sea routes.
* The Eastern Kingdom of Mikado in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV''. However, it subverts some elements of this as it's fairly clear from the start it has its own faults, mainly a brutally classist FantasticCasteSystem, hiding the demons lurking just underneath the capital, and the hoarding of knowledge and relics by the Monastery. Further horrors come out to light, and in the end the bucolic kingdom must face the reality of what it is.
* As far as kingdoms to rescue, there's [[VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing one called 'Loathing']] that could use an adventurer or two. No official princesses, though. There's a rebellious one that hangs around, but she's not said to be part of the actual political hierarchy.
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[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Trent and Mercia fill this role during the "Storm Breaker Saga" of ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', though they're treated a little more cynically than most.
* The Tower in ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod''. Ruled by King Zahard, it gets by pretty well, however, there is a reason why the heroes are StickingItToTheMan: The inner section of the Tower is a giant [[TheThunderdome Thunderdome.]] Being tested on each floor, people are trying to reach the top to fulfill their greatest wishes, often harming each other. Usually, thousands of people give up, get injured, fall into despair or die for every person that reaches the top. Rules of power conservation tend to tear apart families and the [[BlueBlood Ten Great Families]] aren't really nice to their relatives. The Kingdom is [[SubvertedTrope not a very nice place to live in anymore]] and people want to change that.
* Wonderland of ''Webcomic/AliceAndTheNightmare'' seems to be this - people are happy, the world is advanced and while a queen rules, there's also a president. The only problems are occasional FantasticRacism (although discouraged by authorities) and the fact that the queen may actually be evil.
* ''Webcomic/AwfulHospital'': After defeating Balphin and sending Fern back to The Hospital, Celia founds a new kingdom, with herself as queen. It grows to be vast, indeed: encompassing every cadaver of Fern within the Morgue.
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[[folder:Web Original]]
* The Kingdoms within the British/Restored Empire from ''Literature/DecadesOfDarkness'' fits this trope more or less.
* The City of Axiflos in ''Roleplay/OpenBlue'' is a neutral city-state that was forced to defend itself from larger neighbors whoo tried to force it to join their sides. Suffice to say, it can't really be considered a DistressedDamsel, as centuries of defensive buildup has turned it into a StoneWall that not even the largest empires dare to invade nowadays. Such was its reputation that the [[TheFederation Axifloan Coalition]] was named after it.
* ''WebAnimation/TheBearShow'' (For the most part) takes place in Bearland which Mario, John Cena and the rest visit a lot. But it is always in danger, like banks getting robbed, people getting kidnapped etc.
--> '''Mario:''' Why do people always get kidnapped behind our backs!?
--> '''John Cena:''' Because Villains are [[DirtyCoward Wusses.]]
--> '''Mario:''' Well you are right about that.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Equestria]] fits the description quite nicely, even though technically (as it's ruled exclusively by [[PrincessesRule Princesses]]) it's a Principality rather than a proper Kingdom.
** The same with the Crystal Empire, as it's only TheEmpire in name only (it's tiny and - at least in recent times - good, governed by a Princess and formerly ruled by a King).
* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** The Northern Water Tribe fits this trope better than the actual Earth ''Kingdom'' (which is more like a [[TheFederation monarchical federation]]) in [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original show]], being a good-aligned state that comes under siege by TheEmpire. It even has a princess, Yue.
** The Earth Kingdom itself is sort of this, in the sense that it's implied to be a great place to live in whenever its monarch is capable and virtuous, but a total mess whenever its ruler is either weak and ignorant enough to be manipulated by an EvilChancellor (like in the original show) or outright evil themselves (like in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'').
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'': In "King Yakko" [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Yakko became king]] of a country so small a magnifying glass was needed to see it on the map, whose economy was based on production of anvils. And then they were invaded by a neighboring dictator who wanted their national product, which the royal house of Warner was only too glad [[AnvilOnHead to give him]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Most real-world kingdoms and small countries see themselves as The Kingdom, especially the governments themselves.
** Most constitutional monarchies see themselves this way, especially the ones in Europe and the Commonwealth. This is especially true since the two main powers of the Cold War were far bigger federal unions, the USA and the USSR.
* For many Brazilians, the Empire of Brazil under [[TheEmperor Dom Pedro II]]. It was a sad inversion of GoodRepublicEvilEmpire.
* Kingdoms in RealLife can differ much. There were kings like Louis XIV of France who reigned absolutely and could say "UsefulNotes/LEtatCestMoi" (well okay, not really, but let's just consider 'absolutist' rulers absolutist for the sake of simplicity, m'kay?), medieval kingdoms where the power of the king was limited by his vassals (UrExample for the anglosphere could well be the way the barons of England forced King John to sign the Magna Carta), and nowadays we have many representative constitutional monarchies which are essentially republics with a crowned head of state. In the past, there were even [[ElectiveMonarchy kingdoms where the king was elected]]! (the workings of which paralleled the 'noble republics' of Italy where a small group of wealthy families monopolized power, the only difference being councils of nobles versus councils of wealthy merchants and freemen voting for the top dog. And a certain amount of pomp and grandeur).
* Of course, in actual fact a Kingdom formed itself by binding together smaller polities and expanded by conquering bigger polities. For a long time, the argument that justified the Kingdom, aside from "Divine Right of Kings" was that a large area of land cannot be effectively governed by the classic republican states on the order of Ancient Athens and Rome, or the medieval city states such as in Italy or the Hanseatic League. UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution changed that by converting France from an absolute monarchy to a republic that was even more centralized and organized than UsefulNotes/LouisXIV ever dreamed of, and which under UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte became an Empire which was even more absolute and controlled by a single individual than any state before and after.
[[/folder]]

* Wyndia counts as this (to greater or lesser extent) in every ''BreathOfFire'' game it appears in (all but the fifth), and in the fourth also is part of TheFederation against TheEmpire (which respectively fit these tropes). There is some minor subversion of this in the second, though, involving [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer the Obligatory Princess]].

** In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Gondor is a ''kingdom''-in-exile. The line of kings there died out about 1000 years before ''Literature/TheHobbit'', and since then its fiefdoms have been ruled by the Stewards, making it a combination of this and TheFederation. The good news is that the last Princess of Gondor managed to marry the last King of Arnor, their fellow [[SpiritualSuccessor Successor State]] to the Kingdom of Númenor, and it is from this line that Aragorn, Chieftain of the [[RacialRemnant the Rangers of the North]], descends from. The title of the last book (''The Return of the King'') [[LateArrivalSpoiler indicates]] [[RightfulKingReturns how Gondor turns out]]. Rohan is a more pastoral kingdom that still has its king, but is in a bad shape at the beginning of ''The Two Towers'' thanks to EvilChancellor Grima Wormtongue poisoning (both literally and figuratively) King Théoden. Fortunately, the king recovers after Grima is cast out and Rohan goes on to play a major role in saving Gondor.

* [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Gondor]] is a ''kingdom''-in-exile. The line of kings there die out about 1000 years before ''Literature/TheHobbit'', and since then has been ruled by the Stewards, making it a combination of this and TheFederation. The good news is is that the last Princess of Gondor married the last King of Arnor, their fellow [[SpiritualSuccessor Successor State]] to the Kingdom of Númenor. It is from the latter line that [[GovernmentInExile the Rangers]] were established. The title of the last book [[LateArrivalSpoiler indicates]] [[RightfulKingReturns how Gondor turns out]]. Rohan is also a Kingdom of sorts, and what parts of this Trope Gondor lacks, Rohan [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses makes]] [[EvilChancellor up for]]. Also, kingdoms are '''everywhere''' in the prequel ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''.
** In the First Age of Arda however The Kingdoms (that fit this trope) are the Elven Kingdoms. Human only pop up in the last few centuries and remain in a very primitive state.

* Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse subverts it with the Hapes Consortium. The Queen Mother Ta'a Chume (Hapes is a matriarchy) and her son Isolder first show up as potential allies (and in-laws, to Leia) in Literature/TheCourtshipOfPrincessLeia, but throughout the book it becomes clear that Hapes is heavily corrupt and that Ta'a Chume is an active participant in the DecadentCourt, having her elder son, his fiancee, and Isolder's fiancee all killed because she thought they were unworthy heirs. Things improve under Ta'a Chume's eventual daughter-in-law and successor Teneniel and her daughter Tenel Ka, but it still isn't a nice place.

* Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse subverts it with the Hapes Consortium. The Queen Mother Ta'a Chume (Hapes is a matriarchy) and her son Isolder first show up as potential allies (and in-laws, to Leia) in TheCourtshipOfPrincessLeia, but throughout the book it becomes clear that Hapes is heavily corrupt and that Ta'a Chume is an active participant in the DecadentCourt, having her elder son, his fiancee, and Isolder's fiancee all killed because she thought they were unworthy heirs. Things improve under Ta'a Chume's eventual daughter-in-law and successor Teneniel and her daughter Tenel Ka, but it still isn't a nice place.

* The Northern Water Tribe from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' fits this trope better than the actual Earth ''Kingdom'' (which is more like TheFederation), especially since it comes under siege by TheEmpire. It also has a princess, Yue. The three Water Tribes (including the Foggy Swamp Tribe) only have one evil character (Hama) in canon.
** The Earth Kingdom does fit a little, in that [[EvilChancellor Long Feng]] had been keeping the king oblivious to everything, and had been doing sort-of-evil things in his name.
** In the last season of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', the Earth Kingdom is in fact taken over by a WellIntentionedExtremist dictator named Kuvira and turned into the Earth ''Empire''.