9 Most Manipulative Characters In TV History

"Humanity is overrated."

A rare example of a protagonist who is characterised by an almost pathological compulsion to deceive and manipulate. Although his motivations can be viewed through a prism that casts them in an ethical light, given his desire to cure uncommon ailments, House has almost no regard for the moral agency, or decision making capacity of others.

House consistently deceives and misleads his patients, giving false premises as the basis for providing them with risky medical treatments. He also misleads his hospital administrator, the uneviable Dr Lisa Cuddy, into giving the green light for treatments that she would otherwise veto.

House consistently plays God with his patients lives, and demands a reverence commensurate with such a role. The cranky doctor is also not immune from deception for personal gain, deceiving fellow medical professionals and his superiors in order to illicitly obtain a Vicadin prescription. He's also not above hiring a private investigator to pry into the personal lives of his colleagues, and friends.