Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism/Fan Works


 * Shinji and Warhammer 40 K and Fairly English Story are both cynical, with heroes that do awful things and who have significant character flaws. However, both have a brighter aspect in that however monstrous the heroes may be, they are dedicated toward making the world a better place and have the strength and skill to do so. In Shinji and Warhammer 40 K, this makes it slightly more idealistic than the original. Where Fairly English Story lands in relation to its parent source is...debatable.
 * Ranma ½ fanfics in particular are known for being more cynical than their source, often playing the more comedic elements straight.
 * Necaberints Phalanx is an interesting case. It's military sci-fi with a child soldier set in the Gears of War universe and things keep getting worse. The main character has had a terrible life, like everybody else, and he's a going rather insane. It sounds like a complete wad of Dark Fic. It's actually rather cynical for a fic about a video game set in a post-apocalyptic hellhole where the good guys are Fascists. The themes of friendship, love, loyalty, camaraderie, and trust appear often and frequently, without the characters being Nakama, they would have all certainly died by now. It's a realistically idealistic work with cynicism jutting into it.
 * A good study on the differing ends of the scale occurs in Tiberium Wars. On the one hand, the story is cynical itself, with cruelty, necessary evils, senseless death, and disturbing brutality and violence. This is shown particularly well in a brutal moment where a Nod officer has to execute his own wounded because they'll slow his able-bodied troops down while retreating. On the other hand, the story also shows compassion, loyalty, and friendship are powerful forces that can let leaders command their men successfully and can let the dog soldiers on the ground survive the worst. The idealistic side is shown in a scene where Commander Karrde addressed a unit that had been maule dunder his command, asking for volunteers for a dangerous mission. He expects them to refuse or deride him for getting so many of the troops killed, only to have the entire unit volunteer, believing that his command was the only thing that got them out of the battle alive.
 * Although never idealistic, With Strings Attached has the four gradually move from wide-eyed wonder and genuine heroic tendencies to exhausted cynicism by the end, to the point where they refuse to rescue Lyndess, who saved their lives in the First Movement. Slightly justified in that A) they didn't know if the curse on her had ended when the Dalns gods left, and it would have taken them weeks to get her home if it hadn't; and B) she was a skahs, and they were sick, sick, sick to death of skahs.
 * Harry Potter and The Methods of Rationality plays up the Crapsack World aspects of the Potterverse, but also has some genuine Heartwarming Moments. May be going for Earn Your Happy Ending.
 * Drunkard's Walk is generally idealistic. Most of the characters are shown to be (or become) decent people at heart, and it's very difficult to find character who is both truly selfish and not batshit insane.
 * The Emiya Clan is all over the place on this one, probably due to the different authors that make up the community and the many different stories and crossovers being written. Some stories, focusing on harem antics, family comedy, or the power of friendship are idealistic. Others, focusing on the more traditional Nasuverse angles, wars, and the criminal underworld, are extremely cynical.