I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Difference between revisions
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[[File:caliban.jpg|link=X-Men (Comic Book)|frame| They become friends later.]]
{{quote|Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own.
|'''H. Jackson Brown, Jr.'''}}
A character decides that he or she would do all they can to see the person they like be happy rather than doing their best to end up with that person. Thus, the character acts against his or her own interests, often [[Shipper on Deck|supporting relationships between their beloved and another person]]. Intended to show the person as noble and selfless but can fall flat [[Informed Attribute|if the plot hasn't shown them to be a couple yet.]]
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Also see [[Romantic False Lead]], [[Insecure Love Interest]].
Contrast [[Murder the Hypotenuse]], [[Green-Eyed Monster]], and [[Love Makes You Evil]]. Compare/contrast [[
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* '''NOTE:''' This happens a lot in anime and manga. It may be easier to list examples that subvert, avert, or invert this trope, or are otherwise exceptions.
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* [[Unlucky Childhood Friend|Renji Abarai]] from ''[[Bleach]]'' on many occasions gives up chances to be with Rukia despite practically living and dying for her, wanting for her to survive and be happy. Ichigo has a moment like this as well. At the end of her rescue arc, Rukia decides to remain in Soul Society to speed her recovery process, rather then return to the real world with Ichigo and co. It is obvious that Ichigo expected her to come back with him, despite the fact that all of her family and friends are in Soul Society and she is no longer under arrest.
** Also [[Your Mileage May Vary|arguably]] Ishida's feelings for Orihime.
* The fourth episode of ''[[
* A really tragic case of both halves of a separated couple failing to reunite because they think the other would be happier without them forms the central conflict of the second half of ''[[Nana]]''.
* In the manga ''[[Yami no Matsuei]]'', Tatsumi's alter-ego, Butler, tries to force the love of his life, Luka (Tsuzuki's alter-ego), into marriage with the rich His Lordship (despite the fact that she does not love His Lordship) so that she might be financially secure.
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* In ''[[Kaleido Star]]'', ex-magician/now businessman Kalos Eido has been in love with his right-hand and companion Sarah Dupont for years, but since Sarah ditched her singing career to work with him, he feels horribly guilty and [[Cannot Spit It Out|doesn't dare to ask her out]].
* Much of the drama in the second season of ''[[Da Capo]]'' arises from one character refusing to accept this concept. It only makes the shipping wars worse.
* In ''[[Blood
** Hilariously enough, once {{spoiler|Saya makes it clear that she returns Haji's unspoken feelings, ''Solomon'' invokes this trope, and decides that even though they'll never be together romantically, he'll still do his damnedest to protect her so she can get the chance to be happy with Haji.}} Not so hilariously, {{spoiler|this gets him killed by his former comrades, with Saya being none the wiser.}}
* ''[[Victorian Romance Emma]]'' has Eleanor and Hans fitting into this category.
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** Even more touching is how Jiraiya also did, if not similar, the exact same thing. After Tsunade lost both her little brother and her lover, Jiraiya never took that chance to get a [[Relationship Upgrade]] even after Dan was out of the way. Choosing to just stay on a friendship basis with Tsunade and support her in any way he can besides being lovers, fearing that becoming attached to her would just break Tsunade's heart again if she lost him. And {{spoiler|she did}} which just makes you want to use up nearly every tissues you have in your house when you realize everything in hindsight.
** In an extremely roundabout way this turns out to be {{spoiler|Itachi}}'s plan all along. They're not lovers but it fits otherwise.
** It's unclear whether Sakura truly loves Naruto or not,as she wanted to release Naruto from his promise of a lifetime, but when a nameless ninja gives her a love letter, she immediately thinks of Sasuke and replies she already is in love with someone else. Though it is possible she hasn't realized her feelings or they are simply just nonexistent.
***
* A possible interpretation for the acceptance of the other four girls of Rin's decision to choose [[Genki Girl|Asa Shigure]] in ''[[
** Except for one, as since Polygamy is legal she is still hoping he will decide on the [[Tenchi Solution]].
* ''[[Inuyasha]]'': when wealthy nobleman [[Romantic False Lead|Kuranosuke Takeda]] proposes marriage to Sango, Miroku spends most of the episode conspicuously refraining from offering any input whatsoever - much to the frustration of [[Shipper on Deck]] Kagome, who badgers him about it until he calmly points out that if it would make her happy, Sango would be ''much'' better off marrying Takeda than she would be continuing on with them on their quest to kill the [[Big Bad]].
* In ''[[Fruits Basket]]'', the Yuki Fan Club is rebuked for not wanting this, especially since their non-reciporated love would only make him loathe them. {{spoiler|In the manga, their leader Motoko gives up on Yuki.}}
* In ''[[S-Cry-ed]]'', {{spoiler|Scheris' last moments can be considered part this, part [[Heroic Sacrifice]]. She knows damn well that Ryuhou loves Mimori, not her, but she can't stand to let him die, even if that means losing her own life and another woman getting him.}} Possibly subverted in that {{spoiler|Ryuhou later cites her death as an example of [[It's Not You, It's My Enemies|why it's a bad idea to love him]], when he tells Mimori that starting a relationship won't be happening.}}
* Played with and then [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|heartwarmingly]] averted in ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]''. [[Snark Knight|Yue]] starts out [[The Matchmaker|supporting a relationship between Negi and Nodoka]], but ends up [[Matchmaker Crush|developing feelings for Negi herself]]. Since Yue's a chronic bookworm, she's read enough Japanese literature to know that [[Love Triangle
* Similar to the ''Negima'' version, in ''[[Hayate the Combat Butler]]'', Hinagiku chooses not to pursue Hayate because she has befriended Nishizawa who was interested first. She has so far made certain that Hayate returns Valentine's Day chocolate to Nishisawa; and has dressed up as a Power Ranger to stick her arms in frogs and [[I Have the High Ground|stand on a tall building]] despite being afraid of heights.
** Hina even 'forces' Nishizawa to go deliver the correct chocolates to him to convey her feelings (Ayumu had given him 'obligation' chocolates, and then run away, but had intended on giving him 'romantic' chocolates).
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** Athena plays this role (even though there isn't a counterpart romance, yet) after she's been saved, hearing Hayate's words of admiration for Nagi.
** Nishizawa works for Hinagiku's favor as early as Hina admits that she likes Hayate. Ayumu manages to convince Hayate to walk her home, and their conversation is about how Hayate feels about Hinagiku, which then gets related back to her. Almost as if both girls are frustrating the other's attempts to work this trope.
** Miki also seems to be working this angle. Having stated pretty clearly that she likes Hinagiku, she plays out [[Batman Gambit
* [[Subverted Trope|Subverted]] in ''[[Revolutionary Girl Utena]]'' in regards to the [[Love Triangle]] between [[One-Scene Wonder|Ruka]], [[Defrosting Ice Queen|Juri]], and [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing|Shiori]]. Whereas Juri is struggling with her unrequited love for Shiori, Shiori believes Juri is making fun of her and only associates with her out of pity, leading to extreme bitterness, making Juri believe that her cold demeanor and fencing skills are unlikable assets. When Ruka arrives after [[Ill Girl|recovering from illness]], {{spoiler|he dates Shiori for a short spell, sleeps with her, and uses her for a duel against Utena. It turns out that he used his duel to humiliate Shiori and call her out on her behavior, and then he breaks up with her in front of the entire school. In the end, Ruka seemed like a [[Manipulative Bastard|prick]] like most of the male cast initially, but he pulled out these stunts to free Juri from her destructive relationship with Shiori.}}
** {{spoiler|'''However''', he also completely destroyed the emotionally-fragile Shiori (after having very likely taken her virginity, which surely wasn't necessary for his plans) and arguably crossed the line when he ''sexually assaulted'' Juri. Good intentions or not, he could have made her hate him ''without'' pinning her up against the wall, stealing a kiss, and possibly groping her in a very uncomfortable and squicky scene.}}
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* In the ''[[Gungrave]]'' anime Brandon Heat left his sweetheart Maria so she and Big Daddy can be together. Some subversion occurred because he never thought that Big Daddy could ever hurt her.
* ''[[Toradora!]]'' is basically this trope turned [[Up to Eleven]] and repeated three times.
* Disturbingly enough this happens in ''[[Ranma
** Love potion stuff is scary.
** Ranma does this in the manga after Akane slaps him in order to protect Shinnosuke from him in a fight. At that point, he's completely convinced she's in love with Shinnosuke, so he tells her goodbye and leaves, thinking that he'll never see her again. In the manga, this is milked for all the angst it's worth; whereas in the anime, a lot less focus and time are spent on this trope.
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* Yuzu Yamamoto in ''[[Bitter Virgin]]'' liked the main lead Daisuke Suwa. She was quick to notice that Daisuke was developing feelings for Hinako Aikawa, and after some wrestling with the issue decided to support Hinako. Up until {{spoiler|she inadvertently learned Hinako had given birth to a child}} and ends up blurting this out to Daisuke. Unknown to her, Daisuke was fully aware of this already and it only cements her status as [[Unlucky Childhood Friend]]. Also, resident [[Yandere]] Kazuki also has a moment of this when she comes to the same realization as Yuzu. Though in her case she's only stepping aside temporarily as everyone is certain the relationship will ultimately fail.
* In ''[[Mirai Nikki]]'', [[Yandere|Yuno]], ''of all people'', does this in later chapters. {{spoiler|She has near-death experiences in chapters 22 and 23, and both times she was ready to die in order to save Yukiteru from the 4th--either from blowing herself and the 4th up with a grenade or taking a missed shot from Yukiteru while being held as a human shield by the 4th. Later, when Yukiteru's parents die and he swears to kill the rest of the diary holders (and explicitly mentions killing her) so he can [[A God Am I|become a god]] and bring back his parents, Yuno, with a smile on her face, responds:}}
{{quote|
* ''[[School Rumble]]'' mixes this trope liberally with [[All Love Is Unrequited]], especially after [[Cerebus Syndrome]] kicks in:
** There's the resolution to the Karasuma/Tenma/Harima arc, {{spoiler|which ends with Harima driving Tenma to the airport so she can join Karasuma in America, which also allows him to indirectly confess to her after 20-odd volumes of the manga.}}
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* For Shi Ryuuki in ''[[Saiunkoku Monogatari]]'', wanting his beloved to be happy means bootstrapping his country's progress toward gender equality ahead about a century, making it possible for women to serve as government officials so that Shuurei can fulfill her lifelong dream of doing just that. Conveniently, this also turns out pretty well for Saiunkoku as a whole.
* In ''[[Junjou Romantica]]'', Usagi trips over this trope when Misaki's brother (who doesn't know Usagi and Misaki are lovers) persuades him that Misaki would be happier living with him and his wife, since Misaki's never really known what a proper family is supposed to be like. Because Misaki [[Cannot Spit It Out|has never been able to just ask for what he wants]], he goes along with this, even though it's making him miserable (though Usagi figures it out in one of the series' [[Tear Jerker|most touching scenes]]).
* A very strange example happens in the anime version of ''[[To
** When Lala finds out that Haruna also has a secret crush on Rito, she decides that Haruna and Rito need to be together so they will both be happy. Although that doesn't mean Lala has changed her plans for ''her'' and Rito to also be together.
** When Lala approaches during Rito's accidental confession to the rest of the gang (intended for Haruna alone), she's overjoyed at his (apparent) acceptance of the [[Tenchi Solution]].
* ''[[Ouran High School Host Club]]'' has this in both the anime and the manga. In the anime Eclair lets Tamaki jump off the bridge after Haruhi. In the manga {{spoiler|Kaoru}} tells Haruhi that he loves her, but {{spoiler|that he loves his brother more. In the end he tells Hikaru he'll step out of the battle for Haruhi's heart and support him in trying to win it.}} And, {{spoiler|Hikaru}} tells Tamaki to finally realize his feelings for Haruhi because he wants to fight for her on equal ground, even though he would have an advantage with Tamaki still [[Oblivious to Love]].
** In the recent chapter (76) {{spoiler|Tamaki has had to cut all ties with Haruhi at his grandmother's wishes. Haruhi took it a bit hard initially, skipping school to think.}} This short dialogue goes on while Hikaru and Kaoru go to Haruhi's apartment to drop off her bag:
{{quote|
'''Kaoru:''' "Hika--!!''
'''Hikaru:''' "Just joking! ... Don't you think it would be a waste... if I said that I don't really wish for this to happen?" }}
** How could you forget about Kasanoda?! {{spoiler|he protected her secret even if that made people that he was gay and give up her first love without even declare it for no cause problem to Haruhi}} "let's be friends!" TOT
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* In ''[[Sakende Yaruze]]'', Misao pulls a form of this when she leaves Shino after she gets pregnant to not get in the way of his potential career. Nakaya, their son, does the same thing 17 years later when, after coming to live with Shino for a while, he decides to move out to make way for Tenryuu, his father's [[Love Interest]].
* In ''[[Keroro Gunsou]]'', the normally [[Plucky Girl|cheerful]] [[Ninja]] Koyuki once wished [[I Just Want to Be Normal|to be an ordinary high schooler]]. Without her ninja skills, however, she was no longer able to see her friend Dororo. Still, Dororo was perfectly willing to let her live an ordinary life, even if it meant she'd never notice him again.
* Serves as one of the main [[Aesop
* Subverted in ''[[Hanasaku Iroha]]'', Igarashi wants Ohana to let go of her co-worker, Ko. So she can date him.
* Subverted in-story in ''[[Heartcatch Precure]]''. Ban has created a manga about Cure Blossom and Marine in which a story had Blossom discover Marine was in love with a guy named Ken, so she decides to help the two get together, only for her to realize that she had fallen for him as well. Ban has a brain fart and can't figure out what to do next, so Tsubomi and Erika act out an ending where they both drop their crushes and decide that their friendship and being Precures are much more important. [[Sure Why Not|He loves it and runs with it.]]
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* In the seinen [[My Balls]], {{spoiler|Minayo has finally encountered someone}} who doesn't get freaked-out by her drunk {{spoiler|nymphomaniac}} side, however he's fallen in love with {{spoiler|Elyse}} at this point. For a comedy/ecchi/romance manga it's kind-of a Tearjerker to see {{spoiler|Minayo comes to work with her hair cut and Elyse arrives and admits she accepts Kouta's feelings in a stealthy love declaration. Kouta}} was after all the first person to accept this side of her.
* Volume 3 of ''[[Poor Poor Lips]]'' has Ren learning about the cause of Nako's debt and deciding to do something about it {{spoiler|at the cause of her own chance to live a happy life with Nako}}. She tells Nako {{spoiler|through her goodbye letter}} to take this opportunity to make all of her dreams come true. {{spoiler|However, what Nako really wanted in the end.... was Ren}}.
* In ''[[
** Also pretty much every girl that was in love with Saito does this in the final episode of the anime {{spoiler|except Louise who's his bride}}.
* Elizabeth from ''[[Black Butler]]'' to the point where's she is willing to {{spoiler|give her own life away and drown}} just to see Ciel smile again.
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== Comic Books ==
* Zhantee in ''[[Elf Quest]]'' is hopelessly in love with Leetah even though she already has a lifemate, Cutter. When Zhantee develops the power to generate a protective shield he uses it on a number of occasions to save Leetah from attacks. The irony here is that the elves have open marriages and both Leetah and Cutter would have been happy to allow Zhantee into their relationship. Zhantee was just too shy to ask. {{spoiler|Zhantee later dies in Cutter's arms during a human-elf conflict, and as he dies he shows Cutter a vision of the child that he and Leetah could have had.}}
* David Qin in ''[[Strangers in Paradise]]'' realizes that Katchoo loves Francine more than she could ever love him, and retreats to Japan. {{spoiler|When Tambi tries to confront David concerning why he hasn't gotten Katchoo pregnant (in order to produce a family heir), he proposes that Tambi could carry this heir, on the condition that she leave Katchoo alone with Francine.}}
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* Lemont's aiming for this in regards to Susan in ''[[Candorville]]''. Of course, he's completely unaware that Susan's attempting an [[Operation: Jealousy]].
* In the [[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Books]] Mystique's relationship to her son Nightcrawler and her adoptive daughter Rogue is often coloured by the non-romantic version of this trope. This is especially obvious in the case of Rogue, with whom she had a by all accounts happy family life. At first Mystique thought that Professor X had brainwashed Rogue into joining the X-Men, but once she found out in UXM #178 that this was what Rogue actually wanted, she came to accept her decision and never once tried to make her reverse it. In UXM #185 story Mystique seriously considers allowing Rogue to be shot be Forge's Neutralizer to strip her of her powers, which would enable her to touch people, lead a normal life, and, not least, to return to live with her adoptive parents. However in the end Mystique decides against this because this would have happened without Rogue's consent. And so she manipulates events so that Storm, not Rogue, is hit by the Neutralizer (Mystique is after all a villainess).
* Pictured above, Kitty Pryde and Caliban, one of the Morlocks, also from ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]''. Short version: In one early encounter with the X-Men when most of the team was taken prisoner, Caliban fell in love with her, and she promised to stay with him forever if she helped them escape. He agreed, and they escaped, but she didn't keep her end of the bargain. Later, Calisto (the former leader of the Morlocks before Storm wrested that title away from her in ritual combat the first time) found out about the broken promise, and ordered Kitty kidnapped to make her own up to it. Eventually, Kitty decided she was bound to do as she promised and agreed to marry him, but he realized by then that she didn't love him, telling her he wouldn't hold her to that. They became close friends soon after. On a related note, Kitty was using the alias "Ariel" at the time, making this an unsubtle [[Shout-Out]] to ''[[The Tempest]]''.
* {{spoiler|Micah to Shane}} in ''[[Dalton]]''.▼
▲== Fanfic ==
▲* {{spoiler|Micah to Shane}} in [[Dalton]].
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== Film - Live Action ==
* The climactic scene of ''[[Casablanca]]''. In fact this trope could simply be renamed "We'll always have Paris."
** Rick gets all the recognition, but Victor Laszlo actually does the same thing
** Actually, Rick makes it quite clear that he wants Ilsa to go with Laszlo not to make her happy but because Laszlo's work fighting the Nazis is more important then they are. And her going with Laszlo will help him do his work better. Now, Laszlo, on the other hand, is this trope, as he wants Rick to keep Ilsa safe, even if it means Rick and Ilsa go off without him. Rick says that the happiness of all three of them doesn't count:
{{quote|
* As well as the (far less) climactic scene of ''[[Bruce Almighty]]'':
{{quote|
'''Bruce:''' No. I want her to be ''happy'', no matter what that means. I want her to find someone who will treat her with all the love she deserved from me. I want her to meet someone who will see her always as I do now, through Your eyes.
'''God:''' Now THAT'S a prayer. }}
* The end of ''[[There's Something About Mary]]'' shows Ted redeem his earlier behaviour by going out of his way to ensure Mary's happiness by reuniting her with her ex-boyfriend, {{spoiler|with the twist that Mary realizes that she'd ultimately be happiest with Ted after her brother DOES NOT FREAK OUT from Ted touching his ears, which is usually his [[Berserk Button]] with anyone outside of family}}.
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** Until the sequel, when he became a vengeful and slightly ridiculous drunk who went back on ''every single thing'' he said during the first movie.
** At least he gets some redemption in "At World's End." (Our destinies were intertwined, Elizabeth...but never joined.") {{spoiler|This is his rejection to Elizabeth's offer to join them in their escape from the Flying Dutchman, made the more poignant and heartbreaking when she sees him killed by Bootstrap Bill moments later. This was a man she contemplated marrying, afterall.}}
* The main character of ''[[The Butterfly Effect]]'' spends the whole movie going back in time to try to end up with the girl, mucking things up more and more, before figuring out that
** In an alternate ending, the character figures ''that'' out as well, and ''{{spoiler|strangles himself in the womb.}}'' [[Sarcasm Mode|God knows]] why they don't show [[Downer Ending|that one]] on TV...
*** It's also strongly implied that this alternate ending has happened MANY MANY times before to his mother with previous pregnancies...
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* A particularly excellent example is in the film ''[[Witness]]''. Even though Detective John Book has fallen in love with the Amish widow Rachel, he knows that he would never fit in with her people. He gives his blessing to her union with his rival Daniel (an Amish man who has loved Rachel long before Book arrived), knowing that in the long run he is the man who would make a better husband for her. An example of how affecting this trope is if written well.
* ''[[Some Kind of Wonderful]]'' is an instance where a woman decides that she wants her beloved to be happy. Keith Nelson has spent the entire movie pursuing the hottest girl in school, and by the end she's fallen in love with him. But she also realizes that he'd be much happier with his [[Wrench Wench|tomboyish best friend]] Watts (who is very obviously in love with Keith). In the end, Amanda tells Keith to go to Watts and tell her about his feelings for her.
** Considering that Keith had pursued Amanda for the entire movie (and for quite some time before) and that Keith had no particular reason for his abrupt change of heart except that [[Rule of Drama|the end of the movie had been reached]], this plotline could be considered a major
* Weebo in ''[[Flubber]]''. Which is just as well, as she's a non-humanoid robot in love with an (engaged) absent-minded professor.
** [[Tear Jerker]] / [[Fridge Horror]]: Weebo treats her beloved better than he treats his own.
* Aggravating example in ''[[Bollywood|Jab We Met]]'' when Aditya tries to reunited Geet and Anshuman. Subverted because {{spoiler|Geet is in love with Aditya at this point, and lets him know it. They then get married and presumably live happily ever after.}}
* [[The Lord of the Rings|Aragorn]] encourages Arwen to go to the Undying Lands, claiming that they can't be together because he is mortal and she an elf and eventually, they will part in death. Keep in mind that humans and elves have a different afterlife. Even in death, they will not be together. But {{spoiler|in the end, Arwen chose to live as a mortal, meaning that when she dies, she will go to the human afterlife.}}
* Brotherly version: In ''[[Brother Bear]] 2'', Koda asks the spirits to turn Kenai back into a human, so he can {{spoiler|be with Nita, [[Interspecies Romance|who is human]]}}.
* Used in ''[[Prime]]''. While there's no "other person," Rafi breaks up with Dave, despite his desire to have a baby with her, knowing full well that it's not the right choice for him (he's only 23, much younger than she). Ironically, his willingness to take a step that he KNOWS he's not ready for (he loves her so much he's willing to make that sacrifice) makes her love him even more, but because she loves him so much, she doesn't want to tie him down like that and knows he'll eventually regret the decision.
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* This is the whole plot of ''[[Cyrano De Bergerac]]'', and the inspiration of the [[Playing Cyrano|imitators of his method]].
* In [[Lois McMaster Bujold]]'s novel ''The Curse of Chalion'' Cazaril, the protagonist, decides he's not young or rich enough to be a good match for Betriz, who's half his age, and tries to set her up with his friend Palli. She however is having none of it. It's Cazaril she wants, especially if she can persuade him to shave off his beard.
* In ''[[The Brothers Karamazov]]'', Dmitri Karamazov plans to [[Driven to Suicide|commit suicide]] due to the circumstances immediately surrounding him and the disgrace he perceives is upon him, and decides that before he goes he's going to
* In [[Anne McCaffrey]]'s ''The Rowan'', Designated Best Friend Afra Lyon pines away for the title character, only to wait too long and watch [[Marty Stu]] Jeff Raven swoop in and claim her. (Though, being a powerful telepath, The Rowan knew that nearly all along, but doesn't want to ruin their friendship, admitting that she would've turned to Afra eventually.) Made creepier by the fact that Afra's loyalty is "rewarded" by hooking up with The Rowan and Jeff's ''youngest daughter, Damia''. (Does anyone know if [[Stephenie Meyer]] has ever read McCaffrey?)
** Seems to be a favorite trope of Dame McCaffrey. A similar situation develops in ''[[Pern]]'''s ''Harper Hall Trilogy'': Masterharper Robinton starts to get intimate with prized pupil Menolly, despite Menolly being involved with his other prized pupil, Sebell. Robinton nips it in the bud, citing their ages, positions, and her previous attachments. All this despite the fact that, as Menolly states, "[She] loved [him] first." (And later we find that Sebell not only knew all about Menolly's feelings but understood and accepted them <s> and probably would not have been adverse to going the Poly route</s>.)
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* Deconstructed in [[Jane Austen]]'s ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'': Elizabeth realizes that her happiness at Mr. Wickham's engagement to Miss King means that, while she cares about him, she was never ''in love'' with him. Were she in love with him, she would have nothing but contempt for him for choosing another girl.
** Played perfectly straight, on the other hand, by the considerable lengths Mr. Darcy goes to save Lydia Bennet from her own idiocy before she and the rest of her family are [[Defiled Forever]]. He's motivated in part by a sense of responsibility in not having spoken up about Mr. Wickham's true character before, but the rest of his motive is to protect Elizabeth and make her happy. Then he swears Lydia and the Gardiners to secrecy regarding his involvement, and when Elizabeth finds out anyway and tries to thank him, he refuses to accept her thanks on the rest of her family's behalf: "Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you."
* In ''[[Sense and Sensibility (novel)|Sense and Sensibility]]'', Elinor acts superior to the point of exasperation. {{spoiler|Her love interest is engaged to someone else}}. That [[Clingy Jealous Girl|someone else]] informs her of it in confidence (while harboring
* One of the more classic examples occurs at the end of [[Charles Dickens]]'s ''[[A Tale of Two Cities]]'' when Sydney Carton, knowing his beloved Lucie will never love him as she loves Darnay {{spoiler|uses his near identical likeness to Darnay to take his place on death row, allowing Lucie and Darnay to escape together while he is executed in Darnay's place.}}
* Troy, in the V.C. Andrews ''[[Casteel]]'' series, after finding out that he and Heaven (the protagonist) are uncle-and-niece (oh those wacky [[V. C. Andrews]] incestuous relationships), cuts off contact with her for her own good, {{spoiler|then inadvertently fakes his own death, then leaves Heaven alone for a while, believing he's dead, so she can date and marry Logan, then after a few years they get together for a last fling, during which Heaven's daughter is conceived}} and Heaven returns to live the rest of her life with Logan.
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* In the original ''[[Tarzan]]'', Tarzan and Jane are separated (seemingly for good) when Jane chooses to honor her obligations and stay with Clayton. Later, Tarzan ([[MST3K Mantra|somehow]]) receives word that he's Lord Greystoke, thus the title and wealth Clayton claims are his by right. Rather than using this newfound status to go fight for Jane, he chooses to go back to Africa, reasoning Jane would be happier in her world without having to try and make him fit. Naturally, the adaptations that don't completely ignore this (see: the movies and the Disney version) flip the genders on the trope and have Tarzan return to the jungle with Jane's blessing.
** In the second book, Clayton pulls this as well before he dies, having found out long ago who Tarzan is and why he denied it; his guilt over concealing it from Jane is what causes him to postpone their wedding.
* In ''The Iron Hand of Mars'' [[Marcus Didius Falco]] discovers that his patrician [[Love Interest]] Helena Justina is being courted by the Emperor's son Titus. Falco knows that she doesn't love Titus, but out of a belated sense of
* In one of the
{{quote|
* One of [[Alexander Pushkin]]'s most famous love poems ends with lines meaning "I loved you as sincerely and tenderly as I wish you would be loved by another man".
* Slote in The Winds of War. Later he ends up dying bravely and conveniently in battle. [[Death of the Hypotenuse|Of course he does.]]
* Viciously subverted with {{spoiler|Petyr Baelish}} in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''. While he didn't plan on {{spoiler|his beloved, Cat, getting killed, then resurrected as a merciless, grief-stricken zombie hell-bent on revenge}}, he didn't seem to much care about her feelings over {{spoiler|the fate of her husband}}. While he'd prefer her to be happy, he mostly just wants ''her''.
* In the ''[[Sword of Truth]]'' series, [[The Atoner|Nicci]] decides on this, both because her love was already fully in love with someone else before she met him, and because of her shame over [[Heel Face Turn|formerly]] being a villain. This becomes a source of particular anguish for her in the last three books, as several of the other characters begin [[Shipper on Deck|shipping]] them and encouraging her to be with him, leading her to repeatedly tell them that she is the [[Romantic Runner-Up]] [[The Atoner|Atoner]], ''not'' the pure-hearted love interest.
{{quote|
* ''[[The Picture of Dorian Gray]]'': [[Ho Yay|Basil to Dorian]].
* In the short story "Antinomy" by [[Spider Robinson]], Tom Higgins has spent decades trying to revive his lover Virginia Harding after she fell into a coma. When Virginia does eventually wake up, [[Amnesiac Lover|she initially doesn't remember him]]. Even worse, she develops an interest in his friend and younger co-worker Bill
* In [[P. G. Wodehouse|PG Wodehouse]]'s ''Hot Water'', when Packy recovers from [[Oblivious to Love]], he realizes it is his duty to help the woman he loves and her fiance.
** Wodehouse used this trope quite a bit. In ''[[Jeeves and Wooster (novel)|Thank You, Jeeves]]'', Bertie and Pauline are being forced into marriage; Bertie appeals to her love interest Chuffy to help him, but Chuffy refuses, since circumstances have convinced him that Pauline loves Bertie instead. He even gives Bertie a speech about doing the right thing and not breaking Pauline's heart.
* In ''[[The Hunger Games (novel)|Catching Fire]]'', Peeta is afraid that Katniss will sacrifice her life to save his; he shows her a picture of her family and Gale, telling her that she has something to live for. The implication is that he assumes she'll eventually marry Gale if she survives.
* In the ''[[Sherlock Holmes]]'' novel ''The Sign of Four'', Watson, ever the [[Nice Guy]], works hard to help Mary Morstan gain the fortune that is rightfully hers, even though he knows that having so much money will [[Uptown Girl|put her even more out of his league]] and prevent him from telling her how he really feels.
* Kerovan in ''[[Witch World|The Crystal Gryphon]]'' told Joisan he wasn't a "fit mate for any human woman"<ref>He's got [[Mark of the Beast|cloven hooves]] because his mother tried to make him the Witch World equivalent of [[The Omen|Damien Thorne]] (and she '''failed''').</ref> and tried to go off on a suicide mission once he'd got her to a safe haven. As she'd warned him, she [[Plucky Girl|tracked him down]], because she wanted them '''both''' to be happy.
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* In ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', Tara tells Willow "you have to be with the one you love." Tara is convinced that Willow will go back to her ex-boyfriend Oz, and is astonished and happy when Willow's answer is "I am."
** Interestingly, Oz's reaction (after the dust has settled) is the same as Tara's. One of the things he wants to know for sure before leaving is that Willow is happy.
** This is Angel's reason for leaving Buffy: he doesn't think she can be truly happy with him. This is an extreme case of
** Spike's currently doing this to Buffy in Season 9 for the ''exact same reasons'' as Angel, [[Foe Yay|ironically]] [[Ho Yay|enough]]. He thinks she'd be happier without him in her life and wants her to be with some normal guy, even though, once again, ''there is no "other guy"'' and she's been sending signals his way.
* Nicely understated and not melodramatic in [[Eureka]]. Jack Carter wants the best for Alison, even to the point of walking her down the aisle to marry another man even though he thinks she's making a mistake.
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** Played both straight AND subverted by Arnold J. Rimmer as he realizes that Nirvana Crane has willingly surrendered her existence on the hologram ship so that he may get a position in her place. He immediately turns in his resignation to return to the Red Dwarf, stating that "we won't be apart, we just won't be together" and in doing so quoting exactly a romantic movie he saw at the start of the episode. He instantly realizes this and adds "I can't ''believe'' I just said that!"
** Averted by Lister, who pursues his dream girl Kochanski through a time hole after finding a picture of himself marrying her. When he finds her hotel room and he sees another man's shoes, he realizes that the groom in the photo is not himself, but the other guy. As he abandons the idea of getting together with her (and bemoaning the yuppie type of man she probably married), she opens the door and invites him to meet her new husband, who turns out to be himself from several years in the future.
* ''[[
* An interesting subversion occurs on ''[[In Plain Sight]]'' with one of the witness couples. They were a very unhappy but very devout Catholic couple when they see a priest murdered. Because of their faith they cannot get divorced, even though it is quite obvious they hate each other at this point. {{spoiler|1=To make a long story short she has found someone else that she likes and they both know this, but she wouldn't dare cheat. He ends up faking his death so that she can move on. She is not his beloved, but she is his wife and he admires her very much, and in order for her to be happy she can't be tied to him. So he fakes his own death and gets WitSec to help him get relocated again. At the end the man she really loves is comforting her as he sneaks out the back.}}
* On ''[[Battlestar Galactica
** In "Rapture" Lee orders Dualla to undertake a risky rescue of Kara Thrace. Dualla knows perfectly well what motivates this order and is not happy about it, but obeys her husband and superior officer anyway.
* Patrick from ''[[Coupling]]'' almost does this to Sally: "You need Mr. Amazing, Mr. Incredibly-Superbly-Fantastic-Ness. In your heart, I'm sure you know I'm right." Subverted because {{spoiler|he was talking about himself}}.
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** After their roles are reversed in mid-season seven, Barney does it for Robin, saying that even though her choosing Kevin over him made him mad, she's his bro and if she's happy, he's happy, regardless of who she is with.
*** ''And'' Ted does it back to Barney in the same conversation, encouraging Barney to go after Robin after he realizes what happened between them that caused the aforementioned role-reversal even though Ted himself had been in the middle of asking Robin to consider getting back together with himself, until Barney insists that Robin's not in love with him, so if she's happy with Ted, he'd be fine with it. When Robin rejects him, he quite calmly assumes it's because of Barney, and doesn't seem to believe her denial, possibly setting him up for this trope again given that Robin and Barney are set on a [[Will They or Won't They?]] track. Seriously, this entire group is so concerned about making each other happy to the detriment of their personal desires they seem to keep accidentally screwing up each other's lives due to [[Poor Communication Kills]].
**** They really are. In the season 7 finale {{spoiler|Robin tells Barney that she really is happy for him after he and Quinn announce their engagement. Between Barney joking about this being their last chance to run away together and the flashforward to Robin being the bride at his future wedding, it seems like they're both taking the
* In the Chinese drama ''Sword and Fairy'' [[Action Girl|Yue Ru]] settles for this after realizing there's no way in hell the hero is going to abandon his [[First Girl Wins|true love]] for her.
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* Subverted in [[Mariah Carey]]'s song "Butterfly" - she sings that she'll allow her lover to fly away and experience other things because if he's truly hers, he'll come back to her eventually.
* In Choidos's song "Lindsay Quit Lollygagging" the singer is coming from the second version of this perspective.
{{quote|
Do anything to make her happy
Even if it means my being miserable
As long as she's loving life }}
* Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughta Know" subverts this trope with the opening lines: "I want you to know/I'm happy for you./I wish nothing but/The best for you both." followed by an extended F-U to the guy she's singing to.
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* "Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me)" by [[Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons]].
* John Mayer has an unreleased song called "Man on the Side" that invokes this:
{{quote|
Playing the part of the queen
Taking my own advice
I'm giving up tonight
Good luck to you and the king. }}
* Snow Patrol's "You Could Be Happy".
* This trope is implied in the chorus of [[Journey]]'s "Separate Ways":
{{quote|
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched and went our separate ways
[[If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...|If he ever hurts you]]
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you
Though we touched and went our separate ways }}
* "Just To See You Smile" by [[Tim McGraw]] has this trope.
* "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5.
* "Say Good-bye" by [[Skillet]] is a man begging his girlfriend to put off "saying good-bye", but the bridge says
{{quote|
It hurts but I'm giving you my word
I hope that you're always
Happy like we were
Happy like we were }}
* [[Robert Schumann]]'s setting of Antonio von Chamisso's ''Frauenliebe und -leben'', in the second song "Er, Der Herrlichste von Allen". Some of the lines translate as:
{{quote|
thou mays't not know me, lowly maid, lofty star of glory!
Only the worthiest of all may make happy thy choice,
and I will bless her, the lofty one, many thousand times.
I will rejoice then and weep, blissful, blissful I'll be then;
if my heart should also break, break, O heart, what of it? }}
** The pathetic thing here, though, is that at this point in the narrative, the Man of her Dreams has made NO indication that he was interested in, or involved with, anyone. The protagonist is merely assuming she's unworthy ''a priori.''
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* Blue October's "Hate Me" is this in spades. The whole song is the speaker leaving his girlfriend, asking her to hate him because he recognizes that he's a terrible person, and he'd rather her be happy than let him drag her down. In fairness, it sounds like he's right.
* "She's in Love" by Mark Wills, as indicated in the second verse:
{{quote|
Learned to get on with my life
I just want what's best for her, so I lied... }}
* [[Chuck Berry]]'s "Have Mercy Judge" is about a guy who knows his girlfriend will cheat on him while he's in jail; he's okay with it, and says he'll love her all the more once he gets out.
* "Smile" by Lonestar:
{{quote|
Laugh, so you can't see me cry
I'm gonna let you go in style
And even if it kills me, I'm gonna smile }}
* Deathcab for Cutie's "Someday You Will Be Loved"
* [[Adele]]'s "Someone Like You", the whole song is heartbreaking, how much she wants her love back, then includes these lines at the start of the chorus
{{quote|
I wish nothing but the best for you two }}
* [[Celine Dion]]'s "I Love You, Goodbye."
{{Quote|Oh, I don't want to leave you
Baby, it tears me up inside
But I'll never be the one you're needing
I love you, goodbye
Baby, its never gonna work out
I love you, goodbye}}
== Mythology and Religion ==
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** While not quite the same, [[The Chick|Colette]] cares so much about [[The Hero|Lloyd]], that's she's willing to {{spoiler|[[Heroic Sacrifice|give up her life]] so that the world will be Regenerated, so that he'll be able to live happily in a peaceful world. [[Your Princess Is in Another Castle|Doesn't work:]] Because [[Light Is Not Good]], meaning what the [[Big Bad]] [[Evil Plan|wanted would happen]], and her [[And I Must Scream|"death"]] would hurt Lloyd more than anything- [[What the Hell, Hero?|so he stops the salvation of the world]] [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|by killing an Angel]], [[Heel Face Turn|fighting a former ally]], however, his luck runs out against the [[Big Bad]]. Until [[Turncoat|Yuan]]'s [[La Résistance|organization]] interferes.}} After she's restored to her former self, she never considers doing that again.
* Vincent Valentine does this in ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' to everyone on the planet's lasting regret.
** To be fair, {{spoiler|it probably wouldn't have mattered. We're talking about [[Mad Scientist|Hojo]] here. If Vincent hadn't given Lucretcia the
* In ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'', Locke's beloved Rachel returns to life just long enough to release him and tell him to be happy with his new love, Celes.
* Snake's jealousy of {{spoiler|Naomi for her relationship with his best friend}} is quite clear in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 4'', but at the same time he becomes {{spoiler|furious with her when she breaks his heart}}.
* In ''[[Lufia]] 2'', [[Unlucky Childhood Friend|Tia]] tries to talk Maxim out of being a warrior, because she cannot endure the thought of something happening to him in battle. She decides to give him up when she realizes that this is a part of Maxim which makes him happy, surrendering him both to his passion for battle and his future wife Selan.
* In [[Mass Effect|Mass Effect 2]], Tali says this to Shepard if he tries to pursue a relationship with her due to her [[Bubble Boy|quarian physiology]].
{{quote|
** Subverted if Shepard chooses to pursue it anyway.
{{quote|
'''Tali''':{{spoiler|(''nervously'')I..I..I wouldn't blame you if, but...(''quietly'') Oh, thank you. You don't know what that...thank you.}} }}
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNixoKm9T7w Link to the full thing.]
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* [[King's Quest IV]]: Despite being head over heels infatuated with Rosella, and with his {{spoiler|kidnapper}} promising the [[Standard Hero Reward]] of marrying them, Edgar says it with a single red rose under the door of her prison - the key's attached. {{spoiler|[[Earn Your Happy Ending|It works out for them in the end]].}}
* In ''[[Persona 3]] [[Updated Rerelease|Portable]]'', if you're playing as a girl you have the option to start a romantic relationship with [[Stoic Woobie|Shinjiro Aragaki]]. He knows he's going to die soon in one of 3 different ways, so even though he loves the protagonist, he knows that starting a relationship would cause her nothing but pain, so he does his best to deter her for her own sake. With enough persistance you can get him to overcome this (ending in an implied [[Optional Sexual Encounter]]), but even when you talk to him after that he still tries to keep telling you that you're better off with somebody else.
* At the end of ''[[Paper Mario:
* Implied to be the reason {{spoiler|1=GLaDOS}} sends Chell away at the end of [[Portal 2]]; hints in the tone and contents of the ending songs indicate she {{spoiler|lied about deleting Caroline}} to drive Chell out of the Aperture Science Testing Facility because she knew {{spoiler|the machine would drive her into an amoral testing frenzy again}}, and wanted Chell out of her reach before she lost control.
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** Also deconstructed: This is basically Shirou's default state towards anyone. To clarify, unlike normal people who can somewhat create their own happiness, Shirou, thanks to his lack of any concept or sense of self, always places the need of others before his own and is completely unable to create his own happiness and has to live through others.
* Nayuki in ''[[Kanon]]''.
* Shima-kun from ''[[Clannad (visual novel)|Clannad]]'', who wishes for Misae to find her happiness, since he's worried about her.
** The Kyou route revolves around deconstructing this trope, showing just how awkward and painful it would be in reality.
* In almost all endings to ''[[Frozen Essence]]'', {{spoiler|Zareh}} helps Mina be with her chosen love interest and bids her farewell in spite of {{spoiler|having been in love with Mina for a thousand years and being the one who unsealed her from her prison in the first place}}. This is the most prominent in Rune's path where {{spoiler|he tells Mina that she will never be happy if she doesn't see Rune again, risks being captured and exposed to let Mina reunite with Rune, and tells Mina in the Light End to let go of him and focus on her future with Rune instead}}. What really makes this sad is that Mina doesn't even realize the full significance of this because {{spoiler|she's lost all her memories of her past - and by extension, Zareh - so she doesn't even know who this person comforting her in her dreams is}}. However, this is brutally subverted in {{spoiler|Zareh}}'s own Dark End where he [[Yandere|snaps]] after being rejected by Mina and keeps her captive to prevent her from leaving him.
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* Occurs fairly early on in ''[[Questionable Content]]'': [[The Reveal|Faye finally explains to Marten]] why she's been putting out such drastically mixed signals towards his romantic overtures and why she can't have a relationship with ''anyone'' right then, especially the kind Marten wants. She agrees to seek help for her issues, but only on the condition that Marten doesn't try to wait for her.
* Torg has had a crush on Zoe for most of ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'', but he never tells her how he feels, and at one point even resolves never to speak to her again, because he's worried that Oasis (a [[Yandere|crazy jealous]], immortal assassin) will kill Zoe for getting between her and Torg. Currently, Torg is actively searching for a way to permanently stop Oasis, in part so that he and Zoe can finally be together.
* In ''[[
* ''[[
* In ''[[General Protection Fault]]'', {{spoiler|Nega-Ki}} is shown developing some feelings for Nick, having been repulsed by Nega-Nick's cruelty, and after {{spoiler|charging him to distract him and [[Redemption Equals Death|getting mortally wounded]] in the process}}, tells her counterpart to love him and promise her they will be happy together. Trudy also has this mindset for Nick, combined with being [[The Atoner]], in the To Thine Own Self arc.
* In ''[[Order of the Stick]],'' [[Half-Human Hybrid|Therkla]] confesses her love for [[Spoony Bard|Elan]], who's already dating [[Chaotic Good|Haley]], though she's been missing for months and may well be dead. Therkla says that if Elan will be with her now, she'll willingly step aside if Haley ever comes back into the picture. [[First Girl Wins|Elan still declines]], however.
* Happens twice in [[Something
* It happens often in ''[[Sonichu]]'' where Chris-Chan and some other characters say that.
* In [[Nerf Now]], Heavy Weapons Guy and Heavy Weapons Girl compete for the Medic's attention during a battle. Then they are shot at by a soldier, and Medic uses the medigun on HWGirl first, basically choosing her over HWGuy. During the celebrations after the battle, HWGuy spies on them...and his only reponse to seeing them kiss is a small smile before he leaves so as not to come between them.
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** In a twist, Mako admits to having strong feelings for Korra as well and knows how much it hurts her to see him with Asami.
* In the ''[[Simpsons]]'', near the end of the episode where a woman replaces Krusty. They're about to get married, when Bart shows her a compilation of clips showing how he used to treat his previous wives. She is unbothered by this, however Krusty realises he'd only hurt her and leaves the altar.
{{quote|
* In "[[Futurama|Bender's Big Score]]", Fry acts at first to disrupt Leela and Lars' budding relationship, because he is desperately in love with Leela himself. He eventually learns the trope lesson to a T, and goes so far as to reunite the two even after they've broken up on their own. Complicated because {{spoiler|it turns out that Lars ''is'' Fry, a duplicate created by time travel that lived in the past for twelve years before learning the lesson, having his hair burned, voice changed and freezing himself again}}.
** Ironically, Lars himself does this. {{spoiler|Upon learning that as a duplicate created from time travel he was inevitably doomed to die soon, he calls off the wedding because he wished to spare Leela the pain of her husband dying.}}
*** {{spoiler|"Lars" also does this back in the past and the narwhal he bonded with, which is what helps him realize and grow as a person enough to start this whole chain of wanting his beloved to be happy.}}
** In the episode "Bendless Love", Bender dates fellow bending unit Angline long enough to drive her back into the arms of her ex-husband Flexo. After Flexo gets pinned under an unbendable girder, Bender bends it off of him so they can be happy together.
* In [[American Dragon: Jake Long]], the Huntsclan has finally gathered together the artifacts they needed and in the configuration required for the Huntsmaster to wish away all magical creatures. {{spoiler|Rose promptly interrupts him and instead wishes away all of the Huntsclan members in lieu of the magical creatures, in her ultimate act of betrayal. Jake obviously doesn't want Rose to be annihilated with the rest of them, so he takes over and wishes that Rose was never a part of the Huntsclan to begin with. So, she is saved, but since he only met her because she had been in the Huntsclan, their romance is deleted from history. However, she ''somehow'' manages to remember it later anyway...}}
* ''[[Danny Phantom]]'' in one episode where after much struggling to accept [[Dating Catwoman|Danny and Valerie together]], Sam slowly and silently lets the two pursue their relationship. Lucky for her, [[It's Not You, It's My Enemies|Valerie breaks up with Danny]] before the relationship could even start, giving Sam a lucky pass.
* In the ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'' episode "Things Change", Beast Boy encounters a Schoolgirl bearing a striking resemblence to his once petrified former girlfriend Terra. Eager to resume the relationship, he is met with considerable resistance on the part of the Schoolgirl when she repeatedly explains to Beast Boy that she does not wish to be associated with Terra, or Terra's bad deeds. Ultimately, Beast Boy realizes the strain he has put The Schoolgirl through when she explains that, though he may enjoy being a Titan, ''she'' [[I Just Want to Be Normal|just wants to be normal]], and he leaves the Schoolgirl to enjoy a normal life, and attend to his responsibilities.
** A variant happens in the ''[[Teen Titans Go!|Teen Titans Go]]'' comics continuing the series, when Terra's brother shows up looking for her. Beast Boy tells him about the Schoolgirl and he goes to look at her from afar, {{spoiler|recognizing her as Terra,}} he is amazed that she looks happier now than she ever did in her life. He leaves without speaking to her, but she notices him out of the corner of her eye and seems happy to see him.
** Also with Raven towards Robin. It is revealed that Raven had feelings for Robin. But after seeing how happy Robin is with Starfire she is glad that he is with someone that makes him happy.
* AndrAIa in ''[[
** Hexadecimal does this too in season 4. She is the only one that can stop Daemon's infection from destoying the entire Net, but only goes through with it because destroying the Net means destroying Bob. She even tells Dot to take care of Bob right before performing her [[Heroic Sacrifice]].
* [[Dogged Nice Guy|Cody]] on ''[[Total Drama Island]].'' He liked Gwen, but was a bit oblivious to the fact that Gwen was clearly the [[Official Couple]] with his friend Trent. Once he figured it out, though, he decided to help set them up together.
** Interestingly averted in Season 3. By this point Gwen and Trent have broken up, and Cody makes it clear that he's hoping she'll give him another chance. However, he's once again oblivious to the fact that she likes somebody
* Happens briefly in ''[[Anastasia]]'' when Dimitri decides to go back to Russia without the massive monetary reward offered to him for reuniting Anastasia and her grandmother because, as he says, "princesses don't marry kitchen boys." But of course, {{spoiler|he comes back when she gets her dumb ass in danger, and she goes and makes ''her'' beloved happy by renouncing her crown and eloping with him}}.
* In an episode of ''[[Family Guy]]'' where Peter was lost at sea and presumed dead, Lois ended up remarrying Brian (who has always held a torch for Lois), When Brian discovers that Lois and Peter are having an affair behind his back he goes to confront them, but overhears Lois breaking off the affair with Peter because of the commitment she made to Brian. In response, Brian promptly agrees to end the marriage so Lois can go back and be with Peter.
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* There's a direct-to-DVD movie called "Pollyworld", which is based on the "[[Polly Pocket]]" toyline. When Polly and her friends find out that Polly's <ref>almost</ref> future stepmother was trying to trick Polly's father into having her sent to a boarding school, they catch the whole confession on camera and save it to a DVD. However, Polly invokes this trope be deciding not to show the DVD to her father, even though it would mean that she wouldn't have to leave her friends. She decides that it wouldn't be fair to get in the way of her father's happiness. Moreover, she drives this point home by destroying the DVD. {{spoiler|Luckily, her father finds out anyway, and everything turns out right in the end.}}
* ''[[Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers|Galaxy Rangers]]'' had a heart-breaking one. Shane [[Cannot Spit It Out|couldn't admit his feelings to his fellow Supertrooper, Darkstar]]. She ends up running off with [[Jerkass]] Stingray and becoming a wanted criminal while he was spared a de facto execution by becoming a [[Hunter of His Own Kind]]. A couple years later, Darkstar and Stingray are hired thugs for a corrupt [[Cattle Baron]], and Shane is sent to take them down. Shane tries to rebuild things with Darkstar, but Darkstar makes it very clear that she's staying with Stingray. Shane and Stingray have a classic [[Showdown At High Noon]] (we ARE talking about a [[Space Western]]). Shane defeats Stingray...only to turn and walk away, sparing them both. Darkstar is holding her lover and sobbing, unable to understand why Shane isn't arresting them. Lucy Martin and Doug Pries managed to act the hell out of it.
{{quote|
'''Shane:''' I know, Darkstar. I know you don't. Take care of yourself, Darkstar. Take real good care of yourself...and take care of him, too... }}
* Mocked at the very end of season 4 of [[The Venture Brothers]]. When The Outrider tells Dean "you should be happy as long as she's happy", he curses him back with a [[Precision F-Strike]].
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[[Category:Love Tropes]]
[[Category:Bollywood Tropes]]
[[Category:Rule of Romantic]]
[[Category:Hedonism Tropes]]
[[Category:Motivation Index]]
[[Category:Unrequited Love Tropes]]
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