Pyrrhic Villainy: Difference between revisions

* Subverted in ''[[Code Geass]]''. One of the battles over Tokyo ends in {{spoiler|Suzaku firing a FLEIYA, which destroys most of the city, which is where Nunnally was at the time. Somehow, she lives. The worst part is that Suzaku swore up and down that he would never fire it, and only did so because he was getting torn apart by Kallen and [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|his "live" Geass activated]].}} This only works if you see Lelouch as a [[Villain Protagonist]] and not an [[Anti-Hero]].

* Seen in ''[[Hell Girl]]''. Yes, your contract with Enma Ai gives you what you want: to punish someone who's slighted you big time. However, by sending that person to Hell, you've condemned ''yourself'' as well, since when your life comes to an end, you will join them in Hell. See the mark on your chest? It'll remind you of the [[Deal with the Devil]] you made.

* Harry McDowell in the anime version of the game franchise ''[[Gungrave]]'' first just wanted enough power to live his life freely and protect the people important to him. With time he succeeds in rising to the top of [[The Syndicate|Millennion]] and making it more powerful than the law itself, but only by losing sight of his original goals and betraying almost everyone he cares about. He's driven to kill both Brandon, his best friend whom he relied on in all his life (leading to some spectacular [[Villainous Breakdown|Villainous Breakdowns]]), the fatherly prior head of the organization and his wife, Brandon's sweetheart. Twenty years later, though, he's finally able to face Brandon and come to terms with his life.

** Conversely, in the game's continuity he shows no remorse for killing Brandon/Grave (Harry in the game's storyline is depicted as little more than a complete prick). Either way he still wanted Mika, the innocent daughter of Grave's former love interest dead. {{spoiler|Harry even had Big Daddy used as a guinea pig and mutated him into an acid flame-spewing monstrosity, just to ''see what kind of effects Necro-Rise/S.E.E.D. would have on him'' and has no qualms about siccing Big Daddy on Grave as the [[Final Boss]] of the game. As a result, Harry dies, Grave lives, and moves on with his "life" with Mika.}}