Several historical figures are known by the epithet the Bad:
- Arnulf, Duke of Bavaria (died 937)
- Charles II of Navarre (1332–1387), King of Navarre and Count of Évreux
- Haakon Sigurdsson (c. 937–995), de facto ruler of Norway from about 975 to 995
- William I of Sicily (1131–1166), second King of Sicily
In the spaghetti Western film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Lee Van Cleef played the second titled character.