I'm thinking of books where the main character slowly rises to the top only to watch all of it crumble- whether that be due to them getting corrupted, or if they are manipulated into making decisions that lead to the eventual downfall of their empire. The only piece of media that has scratched the itch for me so far has been Requiem for Innocence, but I have yet to encounter anything like it.
by Feisty-Fan177