Neutral Good: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

The [[Character Alignment]] of sweetness and light. A '''Neutral Good''' character will usually comply with laws if doing so benefits the greater good, but rebel against those they consider unjust or which conflict with the greater good.

Their are different kinds of Neutral Goodness:

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, before you all run up to this alignment expecting it to hand out unconditional love and [[The Cake Is a Lie|free cake]] a small word of [[Beware the Nice Ones|caution]]: if this alignment is combined with [[Good Is Not Soft|Good Is Not]] ''[[Good Is Not Soft|Soft]]'', things can get [[Vigilante Man|interesting]] and you could end up with a [[Discworld|Granny Weatherwax]] Type neutral good character. That is to say, someone who will always, always do what they believe is right, and won’t let either [[Lawful Good|laws]] or [[Chaotic Good|personal freedoms]] get in their way. If played properly alongside [[Good Is Not Nice|Good Is Not]] ''[[Good Is Not Nice|Nice]]'', this trope can be downright [[Knight Templar|scary]].

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* Even though there are some situations where they can't always use this method, [[Lawful Good]] characters believe the best way is to have a specific, strict code of conduct, whether self-imposed or codified as a law. Their first impulse when making a moral decision is to refer back to this code; those with externally imposed systems (codes of laws, hierarchies, etc.) will try to work within the system when those systems go wrong. Depending on whether they are more Lawful or more Good, they will either refuse to break the code even though it would hurt someone, or else break it only very reluctantly, and only when it would hurt someone if they kept their code. [[Lawful Good]] characters have to be very good at [[Taking a Third Option]].

* Most [[Chaotic Good]] characters don't constantly break the law, but they cannot see much value in laws (or, for weaker-CCGs, do not see the value in laws that do not function solely to punish evil). They believe that their own consciences are their best guides, and that tying themselves to any given code of conduct would be limiting their own ability to do good. They do not get along with anyone who tries to instill any kind of order over the [[Chaotic Good]] character or others, believing these people to be restricting their freedom and the freedom of others; however, most [[Chaotic Good]] characters will respect the right of others to impose strong codes of conduct on themselves. [[Chaotic Good]] characters often focus very strongly on individual rights and freedoms, and will strongly resist any form of oppression of themselves or anyone else.

 

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* [[Superhero]]es who have to deal with an [[Untrusting Community]]

* [[Badass Pacifist]]

* [[Knight in Shining Armor]], if not [[Lawful Good]]

 

 

{{noreallife|this is a trope about how characters are depicted in media. Real people are far more complex than fictional characters, and cannot be pigeonholed this way. (For that matter, many if not most fictional characters cannot be pigeonholed this way, either; see below for the standards on whether to use this trope at all.}}

* [[Hajime no Ippo|Ippo]] is so polite, nice and well-meaning that it almost hurts sometimes, feeling sympathy to almost all of his opponents. That said, his devotion to winning even during the toughest of odds leaves him to do whatever it takes, but he still is extremely polite to his opponents even after they lose.

* [[Liar Game|Nao Kanzaki]] is about as Neutral Good as it gets - yes, she'll trick people, but only if they don't trust her enough to believe that she's really looking out for them. And she is - she pays off all her opponents' debts after beating them, even though this will almost certainly leave her with an unpayable (in the 'billions of yen' range) debt at the [[Dark Tournament|Liar Game Tournament's]] end.

** Winry is also Neutral Good.

* Gintoki from ''Gintama'' fits in this alignment. Usually, he is a useless lazy bum who is happy to go along with rules. However, he won't hesitate to break all rules and throw himself in fire when it comes to protecting those he cares about, whether it is his [[True Companions]] in danger or a child Gintoki promised to reunite with his mother.

* In ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', Sanya, the Russian Knight Of The Cross, appears to be more ambivalent about following laws and order, and is more devoted to the simple act of rescuing innocents and fighting evil.

 

** In his later days (in the movies, mayhaps) Spock tends to flow a bit in to this as well, actually allowing emotion in order to quell his internal conflicts.

* Miles O'Brien from ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' has no problems with orders and laws but will break or bend them for the greater good.

* Karl ("Helo") Agathon from ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'', probably the most purely ''good'' character on the show. A strong case might be made for his being [[Lawful Good]], but his willingness to go beyond or disobey orders puts him more in the Neutral Good category.

** Also, Kaylee and Wash from the same show. Though they may have chaotic good leanings. They are just generally good, happy (for the most part) people who always try to do what they believe is right. They are also the two least violent people in the show making them [[Technical Pacifist]].

* Hercules, as depicted in ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]''.

* Lee Free Sr. in ''[[Everyday Heroes]]'' balances out here. His motivation, defense of the little guy against the system is Chaotic Good but as a skilled and knowledgeable lawyer he uses the law

* Criminy in Sinfest. Jesus being here should be a no brainer. Fuschia started as [[Chaotic Evil]] but eventually moved to Neutral Good by 2010.

 

== Web Original ==

* [[The Medic|Codex]] and [[Genki Girl|Clara]] from ''[[The Guild]]'' both seem to fit into this, or at least balance out Vork's [[Lawful Good]], Zaboo's [[Chaotic Good]], and the [[Neutral Evil]] of Tink and Tordek

 

== Western Animation ==