The Dark Side Will Make You Forget: Difference between revisions

CharacterBob is an explicit good guy. Either in order to achieve a goal or by being forced into doing so by someone else, theyBob havehas to use [[The Dark Side]]. Using the power itself is a technically neutral action, and in theory, it should be possible to use it to achieve the goal in question. But [[The Dark Side]] being [[The Dark Side]], it doesn't work like that. By its very nature, the power will somehow effect an alignment change in the characterBob, and theyhe will be a completely different person theythan he werewas before theyhe tried to use the power. TheyBob may or may not [[Heel Realization|realize it]], and [[Ignored Epiphany|may keep going even if theyhe dodoes]]. It can be a gradual process, as [[It Gets Easier]] (In video games, this is usually regarded as [[The Corruption]]).

This is a fairly common method of making an evil character sympathetic—but not ''too'' sympathetic. Sure they had a good reason, at some point. But not anymore. In a particularly bad case, the character might not even remember what their original motive was, and substitute the old goal with explicitly evil ones. The redeemable ones can [[Restored My Faith in Humanity|usually be reminded at the last minute]]. Often the [[Justified Trope|justification]] for [[Motive Decay]].