The Dark Side Will Make You Forget: Difference between revisions

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''I think I miss you less and less
''I think I miss you less and less
''As every day goes by,
''As every day goes by,
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''Johanna.''|''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (theatre)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'', "Johanna Quartet"}}
''Johanna.''
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|''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (theatre)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'', "Johanna Quartet"}}


Character is an explicit good guy. Either in order to achieve a goal or by being forced into doing so by someone else, they have 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 character, and they will be a completely different person they were before they tried to use the power. They may or may not [[Heel Realization|realize it]], and [[Ignored Epiphany|may keep going even if they do]]. It can be a gradual process, as [[It Gets Easier]] (In video games, this is usually regarded as [[The Corruption]]).
Bob is an explicit good guy. Either in order to achieve a goal or by being forced into doing so by someone else, Bob has 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 Bob, and he will be a completely different person than he was before he tried to use the power. Bob may or may not [[Heel Realization|realize it]], and [[Ignored Epiphany|may keep going even if he does]]. 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]].
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]].


This trope is usually pretty sad, actually, since in a sense it makes the evil character themselves a victim of evil.
This trope is usually pretty sad, actually, since in a sense it makes the evil character themselves a victim of evil.
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