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Analysis / Aristocrats Are Evil

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As mentioned on the main page, although the aristocracy as a whole is lumped together as one big evil and corrupt class in this trope, different titles get different degrees of villainization.

Earls tend to be good but quite elderly and senile, while it is rare to see a Marquess in anything other than a particularly faithful historical adaptation. Baronets were quite often villains in both Victorian Melodrama and Wodehousian comedy (not to mention the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Ruddigore), probably due to the fact that baronetcies could be more or less openly bought, indicating that the character is not only Nouveau Riche but also ambitious and seeking to rise beyond his station (the worst social sin in Victorian Britain). Queens/Kings have an equal chance of being good, evil, or anywhere in-between. And, of course, Princesses are more likely than not to be good — but not always.

The title Sir is the best of the lot, being martial, unprepossessing, and upwardly mobile. Even actors like to be called Sir.

The title Lord is somewhat problematic as strictly speaking any British or Irish Peer (other than a Duke or Duchess) would be addressed as such. For instance, a character named 'Lord Bloggs' might be the Earl of Bloggs, or the Marquess of Bloggs, or so on. The title "Lord —" is also a favorite of a certain type of supernatural villain (Lords Vader and Voldemort, most famously), but are really a separate trope — normally not real aristocrats, and normally not powerful simply because of their titles.

The Prince will almost always be charming, even in the rare cases where that is not actually his name. However, there are two uses of the term. The Prince may be the son of a King, or it may be used to refer to any ruler or leader (re: Machiavelli). If an evil prince ever appears in fiction, be sure to check that it is not in fact the latter. And of course, the Evil Prince may be out to kill the good one.

A Governor tends to be ambitious and sleazy, if not outright evil, especially in works set during a time of chaos and war.

If it's an Action-Adventure story, you can bet anyone with the title Lady will be a Lady of War.

If there's a Queen then she will be regal and respected or God Save Us from the Queen! Conversely, a Prince is much more likely to be The Wise Prince; compare Fisher King.

Don't even get us started on Emperors or Chancellors.

While East Asian and pre-Columbian noble titles are usually translated — Huangdi and Tlatoani are all simply Emperors, and treated as such — the Middle East has an aristocratic hierarchy of its own. Sheikhs and Sultans used to be romantic but since the 1970s oil embargo, they're almost universally bad news in fiction: typically depicted as corrupt, greedy, lecherous, fat, and smug. Emirs have roughly the same connotations, but the title is even more besmirched because of its use by terrorist leaders. Caliphs, however, are a rarity. This is mostly because the title, while extremely prestigious, was powerless on its own most of the time and is completely gone today, the only claimant being a raving terrorist. That being said, in the short period where the caliphs were relevant — the early Middle Ages — they can be seen in "Arabian Nights" Days stories. While these caliphs are usually benevolent, beware of Grand Viziers.

Squires tend to be Quintessential British Gentlemen. They are likely to be rather gruff but good-natured under all that. They tend to either be a retired military officer, or a father obsessed with marrying off his daughters, or with a wife with the same obsession. They are also often seen as the assistant to a Knight in Shining Armor, often a young Knight-in-Training.

Chiefs tend to be a leader of a tribal community, generally a barbarous one. They will likely be badass because their culture insists that Asskicking Leads to Leadership and may even have gotten their job from Klingon Promotion. Alternatively, they are chief of a tribe that has acculturated itself to mundane lifestyles. In that case, expect him to wax poetic about the Good Old Ways.

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