Teach Him Anger: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

The solution is to teach him or her anger and rage; rather than dealing with their anger in a healthy way (or more likely, sublimating it) instead channel it into their words and fists. In extreme cases, even going so far as to instill a killer instinct.

This can have two outcomes, one good and one bad.

 

 

The [[Springtime for Hitler|bad outcome]] happens when they learn anger [[Beware the Nice Ones|only to]][[Gone Horribly Right|o well]]. In some cases, these kind and caring pacifists subconsciously knew they were carefully balanced over a dormant volcano of potential violence and chose to keep it dormant at all costs. [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|And then their friends went and woke it up.]] If [[Phlebotinum]] is involved then it is likely paired with [[An Aesop]] against changing others to suit you...[[Space Whale Aesop|because]] they'll turn into [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] [[Unstoppable Rage|dynamos of destruction]] who revel in their new [[Super-Powered Evil Side]]. There may be a cry of "[[What Have I Become?]]"/"[[What Have I Done]]" if [[Kick the Morality Pet|someone they care for is hurt, or killed!]]

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* [[Tower of God|Baam]], for the life of him, could not conceive any reason why people would fight. The Rachel asked him what he'd do if somebody hurt her. He then understands.

** Headon takes this to the next level when he tells Baam that he won't see Rachel ever again if he doesn't take that test. This is more a case of evoking Baam's greatest fear. Headon being [[Jerkass|Headon]], {{spoiler|he doesn't mention that Rachel is in an adjacent cavern watching them.}}

* Well, in ''[[Katekyo Hitman Reborn]]'', this is pretty much what Reborn tries to teach Tsuna, which is part of his process of growing out of being a [[Butt Monkey|total loser]] and [[Character Development|becoming a real man]]. The Dying Will Bullets, to put it simply, either put Tsuna into a determined, unstoppable rage, or give him cold, calculating killer instinct. This is mainly played as having good results, with Tsuna gaining a backbone and the strength to protect his "family."

** This sounds like what would have happened if Otakus had written [[The Force Unleashed]]'s script...

* Gohan pretty much goes through this in the Cell saga of ''[[Dragonball Z]]''. It has good results when he finally achieves the Super Saiyan state, but when Cell forces him to go Super Saiyan 2 so he can have a worthy fight the opposite happens. [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] yes, but Gohan's actions later on cause Goku to make a [[Heroic Sacrifice]].

* In [[Fist of the North Star]], Shin unintentionally does this to Kenshiro. After thoroughly defeating him, Shin gloats to Kenshiro that the difference between the two is that Shin is filled with ambition and Kenshiro isn't. Kenshiro took this to heart, and by the second encounter it's the other way around, with Kenshiro burning with anger and ambition to save Yuria against a broken Shin from {{spoiler|Yuria's apparent suicide.}} The fight barely lasted 10 minutes.

* One ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'' strip has Greece trying to get the polite and soft-spoken Japan to become angry. He succeeds by telling him to think about wasting his money.

* In ''[[Pluto]]'', Dr. Tenma teaches Atom hatred in a desperate attempt to {{spoiler|awaken him from his coma. It works, and the extra hatred gives Atom the ability to fight Pluto.}}

** As it would turn out, Tenma also gave Atom {{spoiler|Gesicht's dying memories}} presumably to give him more hatred. As it turns out {{spoiler|Gesicht's final moments were so anti-hatred, it inspires Atom and Pluto to work together to save the world}}.

* The whole first half or more of ''[[Trigun]]'' is about this trope being pushed on Vash, the villains trying to make him snap and kill. Knives' whole life has been theoretically devoted to a [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]] against the human race, and he wants his brother to join him, or failing that to stop being so high-and-mighty.

** Wolfwood, who isn't a villain {{spoiler|even if he is working for them}}, is even more determined on this front; in the manga this leads to an epic moment where he pulls Vash's gun against his own face and demands, "shoot." Saying it would be worth his life if Vash would submit to reality and take up his role.

 

 

 

 

* The whole point of ''[[Anger Management]]''.

* ''The Waterboy''. Coach Klein told Bobby Boucher he could stand up for himself, and then he remembered all the people that had been mean to him over the years, and that was his "tacklin' fuel."

* In the Disney version of ''The Reluctant Dragon'', the boy tries to get the dragon to breathe fire, but can't because he needs to be mad to do so, and he's not mad at anyone. It's only when the boy insults his poetry that the dragon starts spewing flames.

* In ''[[Revenge of the Sith|Star Wars Episode III]],'' the Emperor did to Anakin. In ''[[Return of the Jedi|Star Wars Episode VI]]'', he tried to do to Luke. (Luke falls for it twice, but the third time he refuses to attack, and is promptly fried by a disappointed Sith Lord.)

* ''[[Star Trek (film)|Star Trek]] XI.'' Definitely example #2, as ALL Vulcans possess a violent beast beneath their calm exterior (and they're a lot stronger than humans). So, pushing Spock, who had {{spoiler|just lost his entire planet (including most of his species and his mother)}}, while necessary, was very painful for Kirk. ''[[Berserk Button|Very]]'' [[Curb Stomp Battle|painful.]]

* In ''[[Ben-Hur]]'', Quintus Arius talks about this.

* This is the means by which the bad guys seek revenge against Mr. Miyagi by transforming Daniel-san into the opposite of everything Miyagi taught him to be, in [[Karate Kid]] III.

 

* Dialed [[Up to Eleven]] in ''[[The Fionavar Tapestry]]'' trilogy by [[Guy Gavriel Kay]]. The race of Giants are the ultimate pacifists, unable to hate and unwilling to defend themselves. All but one refuse to even so much as ask for aid when they are being slowly tortured to death, because it would mean someone else has to battle on their behalf. {{spoiler|When they are rescued from the brink of extinction, they are still unable to hate on their own behalf -- only being forced to witness the brutal rape of someone else finally undoes their absolute pacifism. And even undone, they still never shed blood or directly fight in any way.}}

* The [[Novelization]] of ''[[Revenge of the Sith]]'' makes the Sith efforts to do this to Anakin more explicit - Count Dooku thinks that the plan is that he kills Obi-Wan, then Darth Sidious talks Anakin into joining the Sith, then Dooku surrenders and gets to sit out the war and become part of the developing Empire. [[The Uriah Gambit|It doesn't work quite like that.]]

 

 

== Live-Action TV ==

** In one fourth season episode, where an evil spider alien stole the most important aspects of the main cast's personalities (John's determination, Aeryn's self-control, Chiana's sex drive, Rygel's greed, D'argo's anger), Chiana proves it by trying to teach D'argo anger again by beating him up. It doesn't work, which is a really big problem.

* ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' has Kirk have to anger up Spock (who's on the feelgood spores) and then let himself get smacked around by an enraged Vulcan until he gets it all out of his system.

* In ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'', the Nameless One can teach an NPC how to get angry. The goal is to get her annoyed enough at her co-workers to gossip about them, though.

* In ''[[Sword of the Stars]]'', the second variant describes the training of Black Swimmers. The Liir are a species of [[The Empath|Empaths]] who are pacifistic as a result, but because they need to defend themselves ''somehow'' a special caste of volunteers known as the Black Swimmers keep them safe by teaching themselves how to hate and kill. Black Swimmers are basically irredeemably [[Ax Crazy]] by Liir standards and both sides are all too aware of this, but are nonetheless necessary for the race as a whole to survive. Their [[Initiation Ceremony]] involves 'drowning' the aspirant in liquid oxygen until they black out and [[Despair Event Horizon|abandon all hope]].

* The Beast does this to Will in ''[[Nintendo Wars|Days of Ruin]]'' in order to make him a satisfying opponent. His method of doing so? Killing civilians. It works well enough that the Beast is never seen again after that mission (presumed dead based on Caulder's lines).

 

* Related variation in ''[[Casey and Andy]]'', where Jen has to teach Quantum Cop how to lie. [[Chekhov's Skill|This pays off]] in the [[Grand Finale]].

* In the "That Which Redeems" arc of ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'', Torg tries this to multiple characters in the Dimension of Lame in order to get them to defend themselves against the [[Legions of Hell|demonic invasion]]. He fails; the people in the [[Do L]] are so [[Actual Pacifist|pacifistic]] that even a character who would be [[Axe Crazy]] in any other dimension can only manage to pound one demon on the foot with a hammer before breaking down into [[What Have I Done]].

 

 

== Web Originals ==

* In ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'', Caboose (a very nice, but exceptionally dumb member of Blue Team) was possessed by the AI [[Big Bad|O'Malley]]. Later, Caboose and Sarge are fighting two armies of flag-worshipping zealots. Caboose claims that "O'Malley taught me how to be mean"; by concentrating on things that make him angry (red bull, kittens with spikes on them), he proceeds to go crazy and wipe out both teams; before waking up with no recollection of his actions.

 

 

== Western Animation ==

* ''[[Family Guy]]'' does this when Peter decides to train Cleveland after his wife leaves him for Quagmire. It has unfortunates results as Cleveland rampages around Quagmire's house chasing him and revealing beds that pop out whenever he hits something. [[Hilarity Ensues]] but Cleveland finally snaps out of it and goes back to being his old self.

*** He [[Second Love|falls in love and gets married again]], and it [[The Cleveland Show|sticks]].

** At one point (deleted scene?) Peter tries to do this to a bunch of stereotypical British kids. His final solution is to show them the American version of [[The Office]].

* ''[[Storm Hawks]]'' has Junko pose as a wrestler to get the team into the Cyclonian's enemy base. Since he's normally a [[Gentle Giant]], Piper uses a [[Green Rocks|hypnosis crystal]] to give him a confidence boost. She then gives it to Finn along with instructions to only use it sparingly, along with the code phrase to turn off the conditioning should an emergency arise. Finn of course uses it so strongly Junko actually believes ''he'' is the Masked Masher and can't recognize his friends. It all comes to a head when Master Cyclonis puts them all in a cage match against the [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] Junko. Luckily Piper manages to remind Finn of the code phrase.

* Toph on ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'', due to [[Personality Powers]], has to teach Aang to use the head on, straight forward approach of Earthbending instead of his dodging, nimble approach with Airbending. Her [[Drill Sergeant Nasty]] tactics involve [[Freud Was Right|grabbing his (bag of) nuts]] and stealing his [[Iconic Item|staff]] to make him angry enough to stand up to her.

* Accidentally invoked by Megatron on ''[[Beast Wars]]'' when Scorpinok's mind-altering bug took away Optimus Primal's self-control and inner peace. His reasoning was that Optimus' calm exterior was a facade for a cowardly streak, but in fact it was a safety mechanism to control his [[Unstoppable Rage]]. With his peace removed, Optimus goes on a [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]], taking out the entire Predacon force single-handed before the Maximals manage to remove the bug that was slowly killing him. [[Beware the Nice Ones]] indeed.

* Plankton attempts to invoke this on [[SpongeBob SquarePants]] as part of a [[Batman Gambit]] to make Goo Lagoon a site for a new Chum Bucket. Spongebob, in response, decides to be "aggressively nice".

[[Category:Anger Tropes]]

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