7. Gilles de Rais
Gilles de Rais, a French nobleman and military leader, is infamous for his alleged crimes, overshadowing his earlier achievements. Born around 1405, he was a companion to Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years’ War and was appointed Marshal of France in 1429. After the war, de Rais’s behavior became increasingly erratic; he was accused of abducting, torturing, and murdering numerous children. In 1440, he was arrested, tried, and executed for these crimes.
