Always Lawful Good: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

{{quote|''"How do we know which side that bird is on? Why shouldn't it be leading us into a trap?"<br />

 

A [[Planet of Hats|whole race or culture]] of fair and benevolent beings. Obviously, inverted [[Always Chaotic Evil]]. Sadly enough, not [[Truth in Television]], but that's why these races exist: to show humans that they need to improve themselves.

This trope is certainly [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism|very idealistic]] and is used mostly in shows with [[Black and White Morality]]. The more cynical shows love to [[Light Is Not Good|subvert it]].

 

 

'''Note that before adding examples to this list, just like [[Always Chaotic Evil|its evil counterpart]], [[Lawful Good]] is only the [[Trope Namer]]. Also, like Always Chaotic Evil, [[Always Lawful Good]] also does not necessarily mean that everybody of the race is of the same good alignment. While a race can literally be Always [[Lawful Good]] and apply for this trope, this also extends to races that are also Always [[Neutral Good]] and Always [[Chaotic Good]], or races that have [[Lawful Good]], [[Neutral Good]] and [[Chaotic Good]] individuals, but no evil individuals of any kind.'''

* Archons in ''[[Age of Wonders]]''.

* The Hazers from [[Clifford Simak]]'s ''[[Way Station]]''.

** For that matter, most of Star Fleet itself is portrayed as something like this (with a few bad seeds), until the existence of Section 31 was revealed (AFTER Gene Roddenbury' s death of course).

* ''[[Redwall]]'': Mice, otters, hedgehogs, moles, hares, badgers, squirrels. Shrews are generally [[Chaotic Good]] (but always chaotic); voles are good but sometimes whiny.

* [[Color Coded for Your Convenience|Metallic]] [[Our Dragons Are Different|dragons]] in older versions of, what else, ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]''.

** Also, Paladins are a literal example. Or at least up until the fourth edition, where they were allowed to be any alignment so long as it matched their patron god.

{{quote| '''Roy's Deva''': ''[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0490.html People forget how crucial it is to keep trying, even if they screw it up now and then. They figure that if they can't manage it perfectly every waking second, then they should just pick some other alignment because it'll be easier. But it's the struggle that matters. It's easy for a being of pure Law and Good to live up to these ideals, but you're a mortal. What matters is that when you blow it, you get back up on the horse and try again.]''}}

*** Best part? This is a high quality [[Real Life]] Aesop - good people screw up. Doesn't mean we shouldn't stop trying to be as good as we can be.

* Vorlons in ''[[Babylon 5]]'' turn out to be another subversion as they are just as petty and terrorizing as their opposing species, the Shadows; while Kosh was literally [[Lawful Good]] (for certain values of Lawful; he had no qualms about encouraging [[The Chosen One]]--{{spoiler|all three parts of...him? Her? Them? Anyway, Sinclair, Delenn, and Sheridan}}--to bend the rules when necessary to maintain long-term order) the Vorlons as a whole turn out to be merely Always Lawful (Ulkesh being definitely [[Lawful Evil]]).

* The Eternals in [[Doctor Who]] were originally intended to be this, although not much is revealed about them in the show and the [[Expanded Universe]] depicts them as having their fair share of villains. Some other species, such as Star Whales and Thals, have also only been seen in a positive light so far.

** Though the RPGs have introduced exceptions.

 

{{reflist}}