History Main / YouDirtyRat

* The title rats of WebVideo/{{Jerma985}}'s ''WebVideo/RatMovieMysteryOfTheMayanTreasure'' are a pack of oversized talking rats that kill a group of artifact hunters and steal their treasure, only to be stopped by the Cat Police. [[spoiler:Not that it matters, since [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext the world explodes shortly after.]]]]

* The beginning of ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniIIRevenantKingdom'' begins with the King Leonhard of Ding Dong Dell, a kingdom of cat people, murdered by his EvilChancellor Mausinger, a snarling RatMan, and Leonhard's [[AChildShallLeadThem young son and the protagonist,]] CatBoy Evan, overthrown and exiled. [[spoiler: However, it ends up [[SubvertedTrope subverted]]--Mausinger was a dear friend of the king's who worked with him to [[FantasticRacism end the oppression of his people]], who had been discriminated against by the cat people for generations, but he was [[ToxicFriendInfluence manipulated by outside forces]] into thinking the only way to end the cycle was [[WellIntentionedExtremist with a coup.]] He is ultimately forgiven both by Evan [[DeadPersonConversation and Leonhard,]] and becomes a just ruler in his own right.]]

* The primary antagonist of ''Animation/BlackCatDetective'' is a rat who leads a swarm of rodent bandits, regularly stealing and committing robbery while Black Cat and his team of feline policemen tries to thwart their actions. Said rat ends up being given the name "One-Ear" at the end of the pilot episode, when the feline police defeats his gang and Black Cat managed to shoot down one of it's ears.

* ''Literature/TheWindInTheWillows'': Averted with Mr. Rat, a kindly bohemian fellow and the best neighbour you could hope for. Of course, he's a ''water'' rat, which are technically voles and therefore less disreputable than true rats.

* [[WesternAnimation/TheItchyAndScratchyShow Itchy]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' is a rare "mean mouse" example.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' subverts this to hell and back with Ratbert, who is actually extremely friendly and cheerful.
* Averted in one ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' strip where he meets three rat siblings, Rip, Bob, and Juanita, who are friendly.

* [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} The Skaven]] came over as main villains in the games [[VideoGame/WarhammanerDarkOmen Shadow of the Horned Rat]] and ''VideoGame/VerminTide'', where they're every bit as scummy as they are in the tabletop game.

** Averted even further in the SpinOff [[WesternAnimation/PixarShorts short]], "Your Friend the Rat", in which Remy and Emile try to argue for the reconciliation of humans and rats, using historical facts presented to various styles of animation. Among other things, they explain that ThePlague was actually caused by fleas that got attached to black rats, not by the rats themselves, and in fact, the brown, or Norway, rat, the kind of rat that Remy and Emile are, had supposedly helped to end the Plague. And then this is alternately played with and double-subverted during the end credits, when a cautionary message allegedly from the clip's producers scrolls by to remind the audience that rats are vicious, unsanitary, pestilent vermin, and anyone who interacts with them do so at their own risk, as Remy and Emile can be heard vigorously protesting in the background.

* David the rat nothlit in ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', although he was forced into rat morph to keep him from threatening the rest of the group. He does return just as evil in a later book, though.

* Played straight in ''Literature/TheBookOfTheDunCow'' with Ebenezer Rat, an egg-eating and violent rat, although it should be noted that he is nowhere near the most evil character in the book [[spoiler: and [[RedemptionEqualsDeath dies in battle]] with one of the real villains]].

* Templeton Rat from ''Literature/CharlottesWeb'' isn't actively evil, but he's certainly [[JerkAss selfish, arrogant, and greedy]]. He has to be bribed into helping Wilbur the Pig.

* Rats in ''Webcomic/InOurShadow'' are an entire species of XenophobicHerbivore {{Dirty Cowards}} who can't feel safe unless every other species is either cowed into submission, either through the "submission signal" broadcast throughout the Northern Hemisphere or brute force, or extinct.

* Subverted in ''Animation/{{Ratatoing}}'', a cheap knock-off of ''Ratatouille''. Rats are both heroes and villains, being a {{Mockbuster}}.

* Rats in ''Webcomic/InOurShadow'' are an entire species of XenophobicHerbivore DirtyCowards who can't feel safe unless every other species is either cowed into submission, either through the "submission signal" broadcast throughout the Northern Hemisphere or brute force, or extinct.

* [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} The Skaven]] came over as main villains in the games [[VideoGame/WarhammerDarkOmen Shadow of the Horned Rat]] and ''VideoGame/VerminTide'', where they're every bit as scummy as they are in the tabletop game.

For the trope that depicts mice in a negative light, see MalevolentMice.

* Marine Officer Nezumi from the Arlong Arc in ''Anime/OnePiece'' qualifies for this trope, as his name is an anagram for the Japanese word for "rat" ("mizune"). Additionally, he wears a grey hood with artificial rat ears and has whiskers on his face, giving him a rat-like appearance.

* Marine Officer Nezumi from the Arlong Arc in ''Anime/OnePiece'' qualifies for this trope, as his name literally means "rat". Additionally, he wears a grey hood with artificial rat ears and has whiskers on his face, giving him a rat-like appearance.