Ineffectual Loner: Difference between revisions

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* Nao Yuuki from ''[[Mai-HiME]]'' is mostly this, but not because she's ineffective. Rather, she's utterly disinterested in the battles the other HiME are involved in, preferring her own path of preying on creeps she lures to her via the internet. And when she works with the others to stop the {{spoiler|Sears Foundation's invasion of Fuka Academy}}, she's just as effective there. However, almost immediately afterwards, she's {{spoiler|1=framed for attacking another HiME and loses her eye in the ensuing battle}}, causing her naturally distrustful personality to blow into full on paranoia, leading her to take out her feelings of revenge on everyone she almost trusted until the events of the [[Grand Finale]].

** Natsuki Kuga from the same series is a by the numbers case of this. Pretty much every solo action we see her undertake onscreen doesn't work, or blows up in her face. Her attempt to dissuade any Hime from showing up to Fuuka in the first episode really sets the stage for this. From there, there's her plan to deal with the {{spoiler|panty thief orphan}}, her discovering and attacking {{spoiler|Alyssa Searrs}}, and her attempts to deal with {{spoiler|the seemingly traitorous Nao}}. Ironically, this all leads up to her final confrontation with {{spoiler|Shizuru}}, which she only wins because she acknowledges that she's not alone in the world, and thus {{spoiler|super-powers up Duran to the same level as Shizuru's Kiyohime}}, allowing her to carry out her plan: {{spoiler|eliminate Shizuru (and by extension, herself) in order to give Mai a clear shot at ending the entire Festival, thus sacrificing herself for the good of others.}} Quite the full circle of [[Character Development]]. Her special in the 25th episode even has her acknowledging the power of [[Power of Friendship|friendship]] and [[Power of Love|love]].

{{quote| "The feelings Shizuru had for me and the feelings Mai and Tate had for each other made me realize people can't live alone. It might seem obvious to anyone else, but it was an important truth I discovered only recently."}}

{{quote|"The feelings Shizuru had for me and the feelings Mai and Tate had for each other made me realize people can't live alone. It might seem obvious to anyone else, but it was an important truth I discovered only recently."}}

* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'': Former [[Idiot Hero]] Judai chooses to fully embrace this role right before his token female love interest feels like making her move. No one said [[Character Development]] was easy.

** He has every reason to stay away from other people though: He is a magnet for megalomaniacs who plot world domination and evil supernatural beings and holds both a [[Super-Powered Evil Side]] and Season 3's main villain within his body. And after the hell he went through for three whole years, who can blame him for being a little more mopey than before?

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* [[The Punisher]] and [[Blade]], whenever they showed up alongside ''[[Spider-Man (Comic Book)|Spider Man]]'' or other more idealistic [[Superhero|superheroes]]. (Note that, in their own series, their values were more [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism|"realistic"]] than those they considered naive.)

* During the [[Batman: No Man's Land|No Man's Land]] storyline, [[Batman]] became this by cutting himself from [[Badass Family|all his allies]] and forbidding them to help. Finally, he realized this approach was counterproductive and recalled them all.

{{quote| '''Batman''': I need your help. I thought I could - [[I Work Alone|I thought I ]]''[[I Work Alone|needed]]'' [[I Work Alone|to do this alone - a "back to basics" approach]]. I was ''wrong''. No ''one'' person can do this alone. No Man's Land is too big... too... ''dark''. The only way to bring light back to Gotham is [[The Power of Friendship|working together]]. [[True Companions|All of us]].}}

{{quote|'''Batman''': I need your help. I thought I could - [[I Work Alone|I thought I ]]''[[I Work Alone|needed]]'' [[I Work Alone|to do this alone - a "back to basics" approach]]. I was ''wrong''. No ''one'' person can do this alone. No Man's Land is too big... too... ''dark''. The only way to bring light back to Gotham is [[The Power of Friendship|working together]]. [[True Companions|All of us]].}}

** It's [[Aesop Amnesia|a cycle he regularly goes through]]. Attempt to drive away all the people he cares about, go [[Darker and Edgier|darker and grimmer]] than usual, then realize/give in to the fact that he needs them.

{{quote| '''Batman''': I want to thank you all for coming on such short notice... and... Before we get into ''why'' you're here, I wanted to say... well, I just... I... I ''know'' that I'm not an ''easy person'' to know. That's all.}}

{{quote|'''Batman''': I want to thank you all for coming on such short notice... and... Before we get into ''why'' you're here, I wanted to say... well, I just... I... I ''know'' that I'm not an ''easy person'' to know. That's all.}}

*** Short version: Batman is ineffectual at ''being'' a loner.

* The titular [[Sandman]] gives off the impression that he's quite the loner, but he's often got a lover or a raven to keep him company.