In fact, before World War II made Those Wacky Nazis the most popular shorthand for evil, comparisons to the pharaohs, along with other Biblical Bad Guys like Pontius Pilate and Judas Iscariot, were among the strongest insults thrown at politicians, in a predecessor to Godwin's Law (with comparisons to Attila the Hun also popular). The Trope Maker, Trope Codifier, and Ur-Example is probably found in the Book of Exodus in The Bible, with that nasty pharaoh as one of the villains of the Old Testament, making this Older Than Feudalism. Because Egypt is in North Africa, this trope can easily have Unfortunate Implications that, depending on the villain's skin tone, can overlap either with the Scary Black Man trope or with Orientalist stereotypes of cruel, decadent olive-skinned despots. And if the work in question isn't set in Ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh may be found sealed inside some kind of tomb or pyramid and will vow to curse any explorer who comes near, making the overlap with the Mummy even clearer. Chances are, you will see a striped head dress (called a nemes), some sort of ancient-looking robe or kilt (called a shendyt), and a sceptre. ![]() The appearance of this character is pretty recognizable. ![]() The other stock Egyptian-style villain, and a common boss in Shifting Sand Land, alongside the Mummy (which this guy is likely to become in death).
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