Turncoat: Difference between revisions

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* ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'': In [[Ben Counter]]'s ''[[Horus Heresy]]'' novel ''Galaxy In Flames'', {{spoiler|Lucius}} motivated by [[Green-Eyed Monster|envy]] of how {{spoiler|Tarvitz}} took command, betrays {{spoiler|the last survivors of Horus's treacherous attack}}.

* In [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]]'s ''[[John Carter of Mars|Chessmen of Mars]]'', the ancient I-Gos is perpetually praising his days. So thorough is his admiration that he [[Turncoat|changes his loyalties]] on realizing who is [[The Hero]].

{{quote| ''Then I did not fully realize the cowardice of my jeddak, or the bravery of you and the girl. [[Good Old Ways|I am an old man from another age and I love courage]]. At first I resented the girl's attack upon me, but later I came to see the bravery of it and it won my admiration, as have all her acts. She feared not O-tar, she feared not me, she feared not all the warriors of Manator. And you! Blood of a million sires! how you fight! I am sorry that I exposed you at The Fields of Jetan. I am sorry that I dragged the girl Tara back to O-Tar. I would make amends. I would be your friend. Here is my sword at your feet.''}}

{{quote|''Then I did not fully realize the cowardice of my jeddak, or the bravery of you and the girl. [[Good Old Ways|I am an old man from another age and I love courage]]. At first I resented the girl's attack upon me, but later I came to see the bravery of it and it won my admiration, as have all her acts. She feared not O-tar, she feared not me, she feared not all the warriors of Manator. And you! Blood of a million sires! how you fight! I am sorry that I exposed you at The Fields of Jetan. I am sorry that I dragged the girl Tara back to O-Tar. I would make amends. I would be your friend. Here is my sword at your feet.''}}

* In ''[[Discworld]]'', Nobby Nobbs is famous in times of war for exactly this. He hovers around the edge of the battlefield, swiping boots off the fallen soldiers and will just move in with whoever he thinks is winning. The generals used his uniform as an indicator to tell who was winning.

* In Mercedes Lackey's ''The Black Griffon'', two of Urtho's generals seem to be carrying the [[Idiot Ball]] for most of the book; they're constantly losing troops of all species by attempting flashy, dangerous tactics which would lead to glorious victories, if only they actually worked; it later comes to light that these losses are intentional, as they have been working for the enemy for some time.

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** In "[[The Scarlet Citadel]]" Amalrus, who lured Conan into an inverted [[Cavalry Betrayal]].

* Happens in [[John Le Carre]], along with [[The Mole|moles]], with regularity, since that's the whole point of having agents and double agents. As one character put it:

{{quote| ''Don't feel too bad. Christ himself only had twelve, and one of them was turned.''}}

{{quote|''Don't feel too bad. Christ himself only had twelve, and one of them was turned.''}}

* In ''[[Harald]]'', the leader of [[Royal Brat|King James]]'s secret police betrays him when {{spoiler|James makes a [[Heel Face Turn]].}}