Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: Difference between revisions

The essential element is that he/she has been pushed beyond all reason. This [[Your Mileage May Vary|may or may not]] make him/her [[The Woobie]], but either way he/she is portrayed as having a crappy existence. This is a character who, by definition, [[Cosmic Plaything|is constantly beaten up, kicked around, and lives an all-around miserable life]]. Should [[Despair Event Horizon|he/she lose everything and everyone he/she trusts (be it through betrayal or in other cruel ways)]], and then ''just so happens'' upon the instrument of revenge against the [[Crapsack World|cruel, heartless world]] that brought him/her so much pain, one need not be a genius to figure out unto whom shall his/her vengeful, bloodshot eyes cast his/her hateful gaze upon. Think of this person as a [[Jerkass Woobie]], only with the [[Jerkass|jerkasseryjerkass]]ery replaced by insanity (though many characters do fulfill both tropes).

This trope is less about the [[Sliding Scale of Villain Threat]] and more about how much a character has been broken -- physicallybroken—physically, mentally, and emotionally -- beforeemotionally—before he/she finally snaps and blames the whole world for all the crap he/she has been through. Of course, they must crack and pose a sudden threat of ''some'' sort, to the characters and/or the setting. And [[The Dog Bites Back|some of them]] ''do'' [[Spanner in Thethe Works|get their]] [[Who's Laughing Now?|finger on the nuke trigger]]. In a few extreme cases, [[Person of Mass Destruction|they are the button]].

Not the same as [[Put Them All Out of My Misery]], which is the trope for characters who [[Motive Rant|rationalize]] their destructive behavior by insisting that society, or the earth, must be somehow cleansed or punished for some past injustice, making it the inverse of this trope. [[Motive Rant]], [[Cry for Thethe Devil]], and [[Straw Man Has a Point]] are more typical of ''that'' trope. For characters, especially villains somewhere ''in between'' this trope and [[Put Them All Out of My Misery|that one]], see [[Jerkass Woobie]]. Also note that overlaps between the two tropes are not impossible.

May overlap with [[Death Seeker]], if they want to die, but intend to [[Taking You Withwith Me|make sure]] that [[Suicidal Cosmic Temper Tantrum|everyone else goes first]]. Also, be careful about applying this label to someone who ''did'' have a breaking past, and yet let the "destroyer" part override the "woobie" one and crossed the [[Moral Event Horizon]]: that's certainly a huge [[Draco in Leather Pants]] in the making.

* Dr. Hell from ''[[Mazinger Z (Anime)|Mazinger Z]]''. Everyone (including his parents. In particular his mother 'repeatedly' complained she never wanted having him, and hit him for any reason) abused him and mistreated him during his childhood and teenhood years until his mind finally snapped out, and he decided one day he would purge the world off idiots, and everybody would have to bow down to him. He was still dreaming of doing just that several decades later when he finally found [[Lost Technology|the means to do so]] as exploring the ruins of an ancient, lost civilization.

* Tetsuo from ''[[Akira (Manga)|Akira]]'', so very much so.

** She truly believes that she doing all those atrocities out of instinct, so if we look at the nurture aspect, we come to the conclusion that she [[Mind Rape|Mind Raped]]d herself (with a little help from ''nearly everyone around her'' {{spoiler|and [[Enemy Within|an inner voice]]/[[Split Personality|alternate personality]] that wants to eradicate all life}}) into believing that she was, in her own words, "born to wipe out mankind". Heartbreaking can't even begin to describe it.

* Mantid from ''[[Spider Riders]]'' is more than qualified for this trope -- hetrope—he loses the love of his life in war; it's implied that he lost many friends the same way; now this is just a theory, but it may be that he lost his spider partner as well, which makes sense because we never get to see it. With all that, it's no wonder the guy went off the deep end.

{{quote| {{spoiler|"Nobody understands me. ''Everyone just '''die.'''''"}}}}

* At the end of ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha AsA's]]'', {{spoiler|Hayate Yagami}} became one, though it required a massive [[Break the Cutie]] moment created by other parties to push her past the "the-world-has-hurt-me-so-much-it-deserves-to-die" breaking point, {{spoiler|and when she regained her senses, she chastised her [[Artifact of Doom]] for thinking that that's what she really wanted and put a stop to things}}.

* ''[[Trigun (Manga)|Trigun]]'' features Legato Bluesummers, [[The Dragon]] to [[Big Bad|Millions Knives]]. He's got a sympathetic backstory as a nameless sex slave and, like Knives, has let his own pain [[Boomerang Bigot|drive him into]] becoming an [[Omnicidal Maniac]]. Problem is, he's an utter, sadistic psycho with a murder habit, who likes to torture the lead, reducing any sympathy factor for him both in-universe and out.

** Knives actually has a shot at qualifying as this in the manga, at least during the flashback. During the main storyline, he's a [[Jerkass]] extraordinaire with a dash of "[[The Dark Side Will Make You Forget]]", but [[They Would Cut You Up|the story]] of [[Powered Byby a Forsaken Child|Tesla]] would [[Go Mad Fromfrom the Revelation|put anyone off]] [[Humans Are Bastardsthe Real Monsters|the human race]], especially [[I Just Want to Be Loved|a cute little kid who just wanted to be accepted]]...

* Hao/Zeke Asakura in the ''[[Shaman King (Manga)|Shaman King]]'' manga. {{spoiler|Not so much in the anime, since he turns his [[Ax Crazy]] factor [[Up to Eleven]] during the finale, which, sadly, is a [[Gecko Ending]].}}

* Hiroko "Hiro-chan" Kaizuka from ''[[Naru TaruNarutaru]]'' is an intelligent, modest young girl who is [[Break the Cutie|broken]] by abuse from both [[Kids Are Cruel|unbelievably sadistic bullies]] ''and'' overly demanding, repressive parents. Eventually, she, along with her [[Mon|Shadow Dragon]], Oni, attempts to make everything she doesn't like disappear...by way of going on a horrific, murderous rampage.

* Gaara in ''[[Naruto (Manga)|Naruto]]'' started out as this, basically being the male equivalent of [[Elfen Lied (Manga)|Lucy]]. He's lucky Naruto is a [[Warrior Therapist]]. For that matter, any jinchuriki (such as Naruto and Gaara themselves) is prone to be so.

* {{spoiler|Takano Miyo}} from ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro Nini]]''...Ironically, though, she's aiming at the wrong target in order to [[A God Am I|become a god]]. Guess Tokyo's a little too big to take down single-handedly.

* Valgaav from ''[[Slayers (Anime)|The Slayers TRY]]''. A tormented half-demon dragon who believes that all cosmic forces in his world are caught in an endless, senseless war that only causes suffering, and wants to erase everything from existence to end this.

* Darcia from ''[[WolfsWolf's Rain]]'', who, after the loss of his lover, Hamona, turns insane and decides to ruin the paradise the protagonists are trying to create. In a sense, he doesn't want to destroy the current world, [[Just Before the End|as the Earth is dying anyway]], but prevent the next.

* {{spoiler|[[Omnicidal Maniac|Rau Le Creuset]]}} from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SeedSEED]]'' is Sunrise's reigning king of this trope. He's a dying man at 28 years old, {{spoiler|born with telomeres of the thirty-something Al Da Flaga, his genetic "father"}}. He's in constant pain that can only be subdued by drug dosages that double ''twice'' over the course of the series. His dealings with people, hatred of his flawed body and the people who ensured that he was born that way, {{spoiler|his emotional pain over his [[Parental Abandonment]], and being a clone and thus seeing himself with no "identity" of his own}} eventually became a bitterness towards humanity in general. He descends into full [[Nietzsche Wannabe]] territory, convinced that [[Humans Are Bastardsthe Real Monsters]] who only inflict pain and suffering on others, not least of all himself. {{spoiler|Aware that his own existence cannot be considered human and is more or less the personification of mankind's sins, he took it upon himself to be the [[Judge, Jury, and Executioner]] of humanity, and in a very literal bid to ''make the pain stop,'' he tried to [[Kill All Humans]], and nearly succeeded}}.

** By the time he {{spoiler|sentenced all of humanity to annihilation}}, he was more or less reveling in the fact that his view was "vindicated" by the actions of {{spoiler|[[Smug Snake|Murata Azrael]], who had just tried to wipe out all Coordinators with a nuclear missile array, and [[General Ripper|Patrick Zala]], who was preparing to annihilate all life on earth with [[Kill Sat|GENESIS]]}}. A life or two was meaningless at this point.

** And an example from [[Mobile Suit Gundam SeedSEED Destiny|its sequel]] is {{spoiler|Stella}} -- she—she stomps through city and wilderness alike in a giant robot, slaughtering innocent bystanders by the thousands {{spoiler|because she's driven by a childlike, irrational terror of death, and has been told that if she doesn't fight, scary things will kill her and everyone she cares about}}. The fact that she's just being used by [[Manipulative Bastard|Neo]] and [[Evil Genius|Djibril]], who are deliberately playing on her fear and pain, makes this all the sadder.

* Russia of ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'' is more of a Woobie Conquerer of Worlds, insisting that "[[Take Over the World|all will become one with Russia]]". This trope is also played totally straight with him during the Bloody Sunday strip, in which he [[Go Mad Fromfrom the Revelation|snaps]] and [[Freak-Out|starts to mow down his own people]] on the grounds that, basically, "they're not ''really'' Russians if they don't love me".

* [[Big Bad|Lucia]] of ''[[Rave Master]]'' has been portrayed as virtually a [[Jerkass]] extraordinaire, contradicting any even mildly humane moment shortly afterward. Until the ending, that is, when he starts [[Berserker Tears|crying]] while fighting Haru because, as it turns out, the universe ''literally'' exists to screw him over. [https://web.archive.org/web/20161021130235/http://www.onemanga.com/Rave/292/15/ He even lists all the massive wrongs done to him that no one ever did anything about, or even commended rather than tried to stop].

* Diva from ''[[Blood Plus+]]'' may count, although the "Destroyer of Worlds" part only comes about simply because she ''exists''. [[Our Vampires Are Different|Chevaliers may love their 'queens']] but it seems that Amshel loves power more. Diva went along out of embitterment with the world due to her imprisonment as a child. All that could've been avoided had Nathan simply abducted her and made her a star singer without the whole [[Take Over the World]] thing and "make everyone into Chiropterans" aspect of Amshel's and James' agenda. She pretty much drops the Woobie part after [[Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil|what she does to Saya's little brother, however]].

* [[Broken Bird|Izayoi Aki]] from ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5 Ds5D's]]'' ''epitomizes'' this trope for episodes 40 and 41. After watching her friend and mentor Divine {{spoiler|plunge to his horrifying death, while the only place she'd ever really felt at home in collapses in flames around her}}, she wakes up from a coma where she pretty much relived ''every single horrible moment of her life'' all at once to the face of Yuusei, who she already feels conflicted about - and [[Parental Abandonment|her parents]], of all people. Destroying the world from there, though, yes, seems like [[Disproportionate Retribution]], is not that much of a stretch.

* Homoura from ''[[Saiyuki]]'': sure, he wants to bring an end to everything in existance, but he's so sweet and vulnerable, and so many undeservedly terrible things have happened to him. His two henchmen fit this trope, too!

* Yomi from ''[[Ga -Rei Zero]]''. [[The Paragon Always Rebels|She was not exactly powerless]] before she become a rampaging monstrosity, [[Diabolus Ex Machina|but events conspire to bring her down from her height]] and kick her mercilessly while she's down.

** Kagura in the [[Ga -Rei|original manga]] is an [[Up to Eleven|even better]] example. It's a [[Crapsack World]] for those sisters, yeah.

* Yami {{spoiler|Atem}} from ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' becomes this for a bit in the Doma saga after he loses Yugi - ''especially'' during his duel with Haga. Oh, silly Haga, didn't you know that pretending to destroy the soul of a highly protective and emotionally unstable (not to mention once-[[Axe Crazy]]) ancient spirit's partner was just asking for a one-way ticket down ''extreme-pain-and-death'' lane?

** Thief King Bakura might count, given that he [[Start of Darkness|became what he was]] later because he survived and witnessed the gruesome killing of all the people in his village. Granted, they seemed to be a village of thieves, but still, [[Used to Be Aa Sweet Kid|he was an innocent child]] before this happened.

* It is very possible to see {{spoiler|Bernkastel}} from ''[[Umineko no Naku Koro Nini]]'' as this, considering that she is an amalgamation of all of the {{spoiler|Rikas}} who died in ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro Nini]]''. Given the fact that all of these {{spoiler|Rikas}} experienced {{spoiler|several hundred years worth of}} [[A Fate Worse Than Death]], it is unsurprising that their embodiment has some serious mental damage.

* {{spoiler|Video Girl Mai}} becomes this in ''[[Video Girl Ai (Manga)|Video Girl Ai]]'', {{spoiler|after ending up as a [[Sex Slave]] to a boy without a pure heart and going mad as a result.}}

* In ''[[Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Anime)|Puella Magi Madoka Magica]]'', {{spoiler|Kaname Madoka has been this for a few [[Alternate Timeline]] [[Groundhog Day Loop|timelines]]. She's [[The Woobie]] in pretty much all of them, because of nearly [[Crap Saccharine World|every event in the course of the show]], but in any timeline where she survives Walpurgis Night as a [[Magical Girl]] (i.e. all of them so far where she hasn't died during it), she's fated to become [[Apocalypse Maiden|an extremely powerful witch]], and either has to be [[Mercy Kill|Mercy Killed]]ed by Homura or simply goes on to destroy the world whilst Homura goes back in time to try and fix things (again). In the final episode, she becomes this yet again but sacrifices herself in the process.}}

** Also invoked by Wiseman, who [[Mind Rape|mind rapes]] and forces a [[Plot-Relevant Age-Up]] on Chibi-Usa to make her believe she has been abandoned by everyone who loved her, thus making her [[The Dragon]] and his most loyal follower -- asfollower—as Black Lady. t works for a while, but she's freed mfrom this and reverts to her original self.

* Choji Suitengu, the [[Big Bad]] of [[Speed Grapher]]. His ultimate goal is to die after destroying the corrupted culture of greed that Japan had become, as they forced him and his sister into a living hell.

* Guts, the [[Byronic Hero]] of ''[[Berserk]]''. He doesn't exactly want to destroy the world...but he is willing to [[Walking Disaster Area|walk a path of destruction]] to get to where he wants to be, [[Implacable Man|and he doesn't care who the hell gets in his way]]. Some say that Guts' quest to destroying the Godhand [[Death Seeker|is suicidal]] and his seething hatred for the Apostles [[He Who Fights Monsters|is just as horrific]], and there ''might'' have been some truth to that before [[What the Hell, Hero?|he got a call back]] to what was most important to him: protecting the woman that he loves, Casca. That's right. [[Star-Crossed Lovers|These two]] were unfortunate enough to have gone through [[Beyond the Impossible|the worse shit imaginable]], and it will all end with both of them {{spoiler|spending an eternity in hell}} thanks to their former friend making an epic [[Face Heel Turn]]. The only way to spare he and his lover of this horrible fate in the ''smallest'' way possible? Kill the [[Legions of Hell]] by himself!

* {{spoiler|Both Celestin ''and'' Morgan Le-Fay}} from ''[[Ah! My Goddess (Manga)|Ah My Goddess]]'' [[The Movie]].

* Teru Mikami of ''[[Death Note (Manga)|Death Note]]'' was viciously bullied throughout his childhood so that when [[Villain Protagonist|Light]] needs a new [[The Dragon|Dragon]] it's no surprise when Mikami gleefully accepts the titular [[Artifact of Doom]] and the duty to "[[Knight Templar|eliminate evil]]." However, when Mikami gets a hold of the Death Note [[Even Evil Has Standards|he takes it even farther than]] ''[[Even Evil Has Standards|Light]]'' [[Even Evil Has Standards|killing off people with criminal records and the]] ''[[Even Evil Has Standards|lazy]]''. (Light thinks it's "It's too early" to do that sort of thing.)

* ''[[Green Lantern (Comic Book)|Green Lantern]]'' villain Atrocitus. His entire space sector was wiped out by the Manhunters, and the massacre is enough to drive his anger to the point where it gives birth to the [[GL Red Lantern Corps/Characters|Red Lanterns]]. Not even the other characters realize just how painful seeing the massacre was until they visit his dead home world. "The Manhunters came and we... We did nothing to deserve this. We...we did ''nothing.''

** And before it was [[Retcon|retconnedretcon]]ned that he was [[Demonic Possession|possessed all along]], [[Green Lantern (Comic Book)|Hal Jordan]] became this while he was Parallax. During that time, the other heroes tried to show to him that they could understand his loss and his pain, and convince him to turn back from the path he had chosen as they stood against him to protect the universe.

* Caliginous in ''[[Hero Squared]]'' has decided that [[Put Them All Out of My Misery|life is nothing but pain, misery,]] cruelty, and death, and should be ended in preferably the most all-encompassing fashion possible. Her arch-nemesis, [[The Cape (trope)|Captain Valor]], just sees her as an evil megalomaniac, but his alternative self, Milo, manages to recognize that, beneath it all, she's a broken, lonely, psychologically tormented, and suffering woman.

* A Marvel What If? shows us an alternate universe where [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]] fires satellite lasers at the [[Incredible Hulk (Comic Book)|Hulk]] during [[World War Hulk]], [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|killing every superhero present except for the Hulk]]. The Skrulls see the Hulk as their prophet and launch [[Secret Invasion|their attack]] early, killing most of the other heroes and conquer most of the planet within two months. The Hulk is recruited into the resistance, makes great progress, and becomes a symbol of hope and inspiration. Then the Skrulls hit the heroes with a bioweapon, killing them all-- onceall—once again, except the Hulk. The Hulk, now utterly bitter and filled with nothing but rage, summons the [[Silver Surfer]] to have him call [[Galactus]] to destroy the earth and the whole Skrull population with it. Once this is done, the Hulk becomes the new Herald of Galactus, the World Breaker, and goes on to destroy countless other worlds by feeding them to his new master.

* Superboy Prime could count. Yeah, he's skimmed over the [[Moral Event Horizon]] and many believe that [[Complete Monster|he's completely irredeemable]], but just look at how he got this way. Right after he learned that he was a counterpart to his childhood hero, his (and supposedly our) universe was wiped out and [[Ret-Gone|removed from history]] ([[It Got Better|it's better now]]). Afterwards, everyone just forgot about him, while he was isolated in a pocket universe - only to be used by [[Manipulative Bastard|Alexander Luthor Jr.]]. And now that he's [[No Fourth Wall|back in our reality]], he's completely aware that [[The Scrappy|everyone hates him.]] He's one [[Jerkass Woobie]] [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds|Destroyer of Worlds.]]

* Joey Finklebarr, in ''Freak Force'', is a boy who wakes up with super-strength and invulnerability. Once picked upon, {{spoiler|he proceeds to murder his schoolmates and his abusive father.}} He is all but unstoppable, {{spoiler|but gets talked down by Savage Dragon on the brink of total nihilism}}.

* In ''[[Team 8 (Fanfic)|Team 8]]'', The possibility of Naruto becoming one of these is discussed. Itachi is attempting to break Kurenai's mind with his Dojutsu by making her live and relive the killing of herself and her team by a mob. She breaks it by forcing the illusion to faithfully recreate Naruto's likely reaction if he were to see Hinata killed: releasing the Kyuubi of his own will and letting it destroy the village.

* The ''[[Firefly]]'' fanfic ''[[Forward (Fanfic)|Forward]]'' has Inducer One-One-Nine, who is a type of psychic that is capable of [[Mind Manipulation]]. One-One-Nine is also {{spoiler|a nine-year-old girl named Kathryn Wade}}, who was driven to insanity by her experiences at the Academy, to the point that in her fear of being recaptured she {{spoiler|took control of an entire town and turned them into her personal killing horde, and later wiped out an entire space station with nearly a thousand people on board}}.

* In the ''[[Death Note (Manga)|Death Note]]'' fic ''[[Constant Temptation (Fanfic)|Constant Temptation]]'' Light is [[Retcon|Ret Conned]] into being one. He [[Freudian Excuse|is given]] the [[Backstory]] that [[Ron the Death Eater|his father]] and [[Broken Pedestal|role model growing up]] turned out to be a [[Dirty Cop]] and [[Politically-Incorrect Villain|raging homophobe]] who arranged the deaths of all Light's past [[Love Interest|Love Interests]]s. Light figured out that his father was behind the deaths and [[Guilt Complex|blamed himself for it]] because he wasn't able to protect them. Light came to the conclusion that there was no [[Arc Words|justice]] in this world but no one should suffer as he did, he wished there was ''some way'' he could protect everyone... [[Start of Darkness|and then Light found the Death Note]]...

* ''[[Touhou (Video Game)|Touhou]]'' fans love [[Alternative Character Interpretation|interpreting]] members of the [[Loads and Loads of Characters|massive cast]] as some form of this trope:

** ''[[Touhou Tonari (Fanfic)|Touhou Tonari]]'' has [[Cute Ghost Girl|Yuyuko Saigyouji]] not able to control her powers over death while she was alive, which caused her to [[Driven to Suicide|commit suicide]].

** ''[[Touhou Ibunshu (Fanfic)|Touhou Ibunshu]]'' has Remilia, Flandre, Mokou and even {{spoiler|Yukari}} as varying flavours of "death to everyone" due to a ''long'' life (or unlife, in the case of the former two) of despair.

** Subverted in ''[[Imperfect Metamorphosis (Fanfic)|Imperfect Metamorphosis]]'' with {{spoiler|Rin Satsuki}}, who despite suffering so much pain and abuse from nearly ''everyone'' around her since childhood she ''still'' doesn't want to hurt anyone, and her first action in the story is simply to discover why she had to suffer. It's everyone ''else'' who thinks she's this trope.

* ''[[Carrie]]'' is certainly a [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds]], even if she doesn't quite want to destroy ''worlds''...just most of her high school. Her rampage luckily ends before she gets the chance to do anything more.

* J.D. (Christian Slater) in ''[[Heathers]]''. For starters, his father is [[Abusive Parents|a sociopathic bastard who doesn't care for him]] (when asked if he even likes his father, he responds that he "[hasn't] given the matter much thought"), and his mother killed herself in front of his eyes to get away from her husband. His entire life was spent moving around from town to town and school to school wherever his father's demolition job took him, where, it is implied, he saw the same scenario of clique groups bullying other students at every high school he's attended. He starts out by murdering [[Jerk Jock|Jerk Jocks]]s and [[Alpha Bitch|Alpha Bitches]]es and making their deaths appear as suicides (also implied as something he's done before), but he ultimately resorts {{spoiler|to trying to blow up the entire school. He explains his intentions are such because he believes that nobody loves him, and that "the only place different social types can genuinely get along with each other is in heaven", somehow seeing the school as a representation of society itself.}}

* Norman Bates in the ''[[Psycho (Film)|Psycho]]'' series is practically the [[Trope Codifier]].

* Oswald Cobblepot in ''[[Batman Returns (Film)|Batman Returns]]'': disfigured since birth, his aristocratic parents attempted to drown him in the sewers. He was found by a traveling circus, and was raised in the freak show as "The Penguin". While the public views him with sympathy, he has become a warped sociopath, plotting to [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|murder all the first born sons of Gotham City]]. When the [[Memetic Mutation|goddamn Batman]] foils him, he straps rockets to his hundreds (thousands?) of pet penguins, intending to use them in a suicide bombing to kill all of Gotham, which, as the only setting we see, is extremely [[Omnicidal Maniac]] in context. And yet, you still can't help but [[Alas, Poor Villain|pity him at his death]].

* Jean Grey in ''[[X -Men: theThe Last Stand (Film)|X Men the Last Stand]]''.

** Magneto in ''[[X -Men: First Class (Film)|X Men First Class]]''. Could also qualify in the previous films.

* Kim Jong Il from ''[[Team America: World Police]]''. He's plotting the destruction of society as we know it, but deep down, he's just "a rittre ronery" (read: little lonely).

* [[Manhunter (Filmfilm)|Francis]] [[Red Dragon|Dolarhyde]]: actually lampshaded by Will Graham; he says that he feels a lot of sympathy for the child he once was, but thinks someone should put a bullet in the adult Francis' brain.

* Hiroki Sawada -- orSawada—or [[Brain Uploading|Noah's Ark]] in the ''[[Detective Conan]]'' [[Non-Serial Movie]] ''Phantom of Baker Street''. A [[Child Prodigy]] who was [[Intelligence Equals Isolation|already beyond what the Japanese elementary school can handle]], which sparked arguments among his parents, culminating in his mother [[Taking the Kids|taking him to the US]]. When [[Missing Mom|she died]] soon after, he was adequately homeschooled and adopted by his father's employer, Joe Schneider, which quickly made him a [[Lonely Rich Kid]], who also exploit his intelligence...Schneider's own fear of [[In the Blood]], though, [[Driven to Suicide|drove him to suicide]], [[Brain Uploading|leaving a digitalized form of himself]] behind, who caused a [[Holodeck Malfunction]] on Schneider's [[Cyberspace|VR game]] launch, taking 50 kids as hostages...

* Lee Woo-Jin in ''[[Oldboy (Film)|Oldboy]]''. Sure, he is the king of [[Disproportionate Retribution]] and a manipulative, sadistic, ruthless, evil man, but still, many viewers will say that his flashback to {{spoiler|his sister's suicide}} is the most heartwrenching scene in the movie.

* In a perfect example of [[Break the Cutie]], Alessa Gillespie from ''[[Silent Hill (Filmfilm)|Silent Hill]]'' was burned alive by the cult she was a member of, but survived by her own power and remained wrapped in bandages for 30 years, unable to move anything but her eyes (and her lips, but only enough to kind of smile, but not enough to form words). She does the only logical thing and splits her soul into 3 parts so she can kill everyone in the cult (excluding {{spoiler|Rose, her good half, Sharon, and her mother).}}

{{quote| (Looking at tag saying "My heart belongs to Daisy") *sob* [[Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas|Mama?]]}}

* In [[Stephen King]]'s ''[[The Shining]]'' (1997), Jack Torrance is portrayed sympathetically. His turn to [[Ax Crazy|Ax Craziness]] is tragic AND terrifying.

* The infant(s) of ''[[ItsIt's Alive (Film)|Its Alive]]'', whose homicidal rampage turns out to be birth trauma and separation anxiety, and who longs only to be reunited with his family.

* Loki in ''[[Thor (Filmfilm)|Thor]]''. He wanted to [[The Unfavourite|prove that he was just as good as Thor]], and then found out that he {{spoiler|was a Frost Giant, after being raised around Asgardians who hate Frost Giants. He's also Laufey's son. He believes that he never really had a chance because Odin would never want a Frost Giant on the throne. [[Parental Favoritism|He was passed over in favour of Thor]] [[The Resenter|a lot]] during their childhood.}} He takes a more literal turn in the film's climax when he {{spoiler|tries to use the power of the Bifrost to destroy Jotunheim.}}

** In the subsequent ''[[The Avengers (Filmfilm)|The Avengers]]'', Loki has become the [[Big Bad|main villain]] and attempts to subjugate the entire population of Earth.

* Oddly enough, Michael Myers is one of these in the ''[[Halloween (Filmfilm)|Halloween]]'' remakes. Rather than Michael being the [[Complete Monster]] he was in the original films, director Rob Zombie attempted to portray him in a much more sympathetic light in the remakes.

* The {{spoiler|female}} half of the [[Big Bad Duumvirate]] in ''[[The World Is Not Enough (Film)|The World Is Not Enough]]''. Being {{spoiler|abandoned to be repeatedly raped by terrorists ''by your own father'', and at the advice of ''the [[Big Good]]'' no less}}, certainly won't do wonders for your sanity.

* Caesar in ''[[Rise of the Planet of Thethe Apes]]''. He decides to lead a primate uprising partly because {{spoiler|he believes that the man who raised him doesn't love him anymore}}.

* In ''[[Star Wars]]: [[Revenge of the Sith (Film)|Revenge of the Sith]]'', Anakin Skywalker's final transformation into Darth Vadar is shown to be caused by losing everything and everyone he cares for, albeit due to his own actions.

* ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Filmfilm)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]''

* Andrew in ''[[Chronicle (Film)|Chronicle]]''.

* The title character from the Balzac classic ''[[Cousin Bette (Literature)|Cousin Bette]]'' could easily been seen as a female analogue to Heathcliff: childhood abuse, poverty and abandonment by the one man she ever loved (who probably [[All Love Is Unrequited|never returned her feelings to begin with]]) drove her to a monomaniacal obsession with revenge, from which no-one in her path is safe.

* Ineluki the Storm King, the [[Big Bad]] of [[Tad Williams]]' ''[[Memory, SorrowandSorrow, and Thorn]]''. It is said that he was the brightest light the [[The Fair Folk|Sithi]] had ever known and, had things been different, he might have led them out of their exile and into a new golden age. Instead, he went [[These Are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know|down dark paths]], sacrificing [[Self-Made Orphan|his family]], [[Jumping Off the Slippery Slope|his soul]], and ultimately, [[Dangerous Forbidden Technique|his life]] to defend his people against the depredations of [[Humans Are Bastardsthe Real Monsters|humanity]]. Even after death, his hatred sustained him, turning him into a [[The Undead|dark spirit]] that seeks now to return ''everything'' to Unbeing in revenge for his suffering. In the end, this turns out to be the key to his defeat.

* [[Frankenstein's Monster]] (in [[Frankenstein (Literaturenovel)|the original novel]], that is). All of his rage against man, and against Victor Frankenstein in particular, would be gone if just ''one'' person bothered to look past his macabre appearance and associate with him. But [[Humans Are Bastardsthe Real Monsters]], [[Downer Ending|so]]... [[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Film)|The 1994 movie]] based on the novel ''did'' manage to get that part right, with the motivations of the monster laid bare.

* Gollum in ''[[The Lord of the Rings (Literature)|The Lord of the Rings]]''. After centuries of misery and torment, he nearly destroys the quest (dooming Middle Earth to tyranny) because of a [[HeelDeadly Face Door SlamChange-of-Heart]]. Ironically, [[Break the Cutie|Frodo]] more literally embodies this trope, because he {{spoiler|knowingly claims the ring after suffering months of psychological torment because of it}}. Fortunately, [[Dramatic Irony|the quest would have failed]] without his [[Prophecy Twist|attempt to prevent it]]. Bilbo, Frodo, and even Sam taking pity on Gollum was [[Because Destiny Says So|necessary]] for the Ring's destruction; and expressly choosing ''not'' to attack and kill him on four separate occasions, even on the slopes of Mount Doom...

{{quote| '''Frodo:''' But do you remember Gandalf's words: "Even Gollum may have something yet to do?" But for him, Sam, I could not have destroyed the Ring. The Quest would have been in vain, even at the bitter end. ''So let us forgive him!'' For the Quest is achieved and now all is over. I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.}}

** Much less so in [[The Lord of the Rings (Filmfilm)|the films]], [[Alternative Character Interpretation|which rearrange Gollum's character arc]] significantly, making him more of a [[Jerkass Woobie]]. They made him much more of a [[Woobie]] in the second film and much less in the third, in order to "provide an antagonist for Frodo and Sam". This caused confusion for some viewers, wondering why anyone [[Lost Aesop|"feels sorry for"]] Gollum... [[Word of God|According to Tolkien]], had Gollum remained loyal to Frodo in the book, he would have taken the Ring and thrown ''himself'' in the fire.

* In Richard Tierney's [[Cthulhu Mythos]] novel ''The Drums of Chaos'', ''Jesus'' is a [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds]]. His sacrificial death on the cross is intended to open a gateway for the Great Old Ones to come to destroy the world and end everyone's suffering. One of the two heroes of the novel, John Taggart, also used to be a [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds]], but changed his mind. Since the world of the [[Cthulhu Mythos]] is a [[Crapsack World]], especially in Tierney's version, where it crosses over with George Orwell's [[Nineteen Eighty-Four]], it is not clear who is in the right, so it is very much an example of [[Grey and Gray Morality]].

* While most of the villains in ''[[Sword of Truth]]'' are [[Complete Monster|Complete Monsters]]s or [[Omnicidal Maniac|Omnicidal Maniacs]]s, Nicci is more of this trope. The sixth book, ''Faith of the Fallen'', is mostly devoted to showcasing her mindset and point of view.

* Luke from ''[[Percy Jackson and& Thethe Olympians (Literature)|Percy Jackson and The Olympians]]''.

* Dear god, Aeglyss, the halfbreed from [[The Godless World Trilogy]]. After a lifetime of ostracisation and failed attempts at social interaction, he's so damaged that his very presence is contaminating the planet and poisoning the [[The Lifestream|Shared]]. By the end, he's diseased, physically ruined, and ready to die, and tries to take the world that's rejected him along for the ride. It's not even deliberate: after failing to enslave the world, he just doesn't care enough about it to try and stop the destruction he's begun.

* [[Wicked (Literaturenovel)|Elphaba]]. Yes, she went completely mental towards the end. But oh God, [[Tear Jerker|when you read about]] [[Fantastic Racism|her life...]]

* ''Q Squared'', the Star Trek Novel by ''[[Peter David]]'', features Jack Crusher in an alternate reality, a good but unhappy man who is targeted by the godlike Trelane, who drives Jack {{spoiler|murderously...and suicidally...insane}}

* The Bane (real name Pearlpelt) from ''[[The Underland Chronicles]].'' His father was a [[Complete Monster]] who killed his other children so Pearlpelt could have more milk and grow stronger. His parents killed each other in a fight, and he saw his mother lying dead with her innards spilled over the ground. To make matters worse, almost all the humans shun him because he's the Bane, and many of his fellow [[You Dirty Rat|rats]] honor him and want him to be their king. Eventually, he goes completely off the deep end, becoming an [[Evil Albino]] and a great [[A Nazi Byby Any Other Name|Hitler allegory.]]

* Ghwerig the troll from ''[[The Elenium]]''. In reality, he is maddened by the loss of Bhelliom and devotes most of the rest of his life to searching for it, and even though he eventually finds it, he is killed by [[The Hero|Sparhawk]] and Kurik.

* Doesn't seem like it at first, but [[Magnificent Bastard|Petyr Baelish]] from ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''. He was born as one of the poorest nobles, if not ''the'' poorest noble, in the realm, then separated from his family at a young age to live with another family in much, much better standing--basicallystanding—basically, throwing in his face what he will never have. He's small, weak, and looked down on by everybody. Nobody even calls him by his real name. Then, [[It Got Worse|just to make things worse]], he falls in love with one of the daughters, who he isn't allowed to marry because of his birth. He nearly gets himself killed fighting for her and, after he loses, she completely ignores him. Hard not to feel sorry for him...until he becomes a puppeteer in the royal court, {{spoiler|ruins his first love's family and [[Replacement Goldfish|kidnaps her teenage daughter]], kills people off at his convenience, and starts a frickin' civil war}}.

* Maud in [[Catherynne M. Valente (Creator)|Catherynne M Valente]]'s ''[[The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in Aa Ship of Her Own Making]]'', whose life as a hero and a great queen in Fairyland was cut short when she was sent back to the real world and her abusive family, so she sought revenge after being pulled back to Fairyland by her friend.

* The eponymous character of ''[[Skulduggery Pleasant (Literature)|Skulduggery Pleasant]]'' was this after his family was killed. The books always implied that he went a bit off the rails, but in ''Death Bringer'', we find out that it went [[Omnicidal Maniac|a tad further]] than just [[Unstoppable Rage]]. {{spoiler|He's Lord Vile.}}

* The novelization for Disney's ''[[Snow White and Thethe Seven Dwarfs (Disney film)|Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs]]'' paints Queen Grimhilde as an extremely dark [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds]] instead of an unrepentent [[Complete Monster]] (Try thinking along the lines of [[Final Fantasy VI (Video Game)/Characters|Kefka]] being a [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds]]). For starters, the novel gives her the [[Freudian Excuse]] that she was emotionally abused by her [[Abusive Parents|father]], a mirror maker, who refused to acknowledge that she was beautiful since she was a child, leading her to be insecure in regards to her beauty. When she did marry Snow White's father, the king, she actually did genuinely care for Snow White as if she were her own daughter. Unfortunately, her father's witch cousins ended up giving her a gift (the magic mirror) that also housed her father's spirit, and it is heavily implied that it was thanks to her father's haunting influence that she started to go insane by the movie.

* Adam Monroe on ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'' his path of destruction fueled by his heartbreak over [[Everything's Better Withwith Princesses|Yaeko]].

* Dr. K in ''[[Power Rangers RPM (TV)|Power Rangers RPM]]''. She unleashed a sentient computer virus that almost certainly nuked the planet, and is confirmed to have wiped out all of civilization outside of one city. Her motive? Escape from the top-secret government think-tank she had been trapped in all her life. In her defense, the guards caught her before she could set up a firewall. So she ''[[Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds|unintentionally]]'' killed most of humanity in an attempt to escape unjust imprisonment. And since the firewall was intended to keep the virus from escaping from the computer network in the first place, some consider it [[Unwitting Instigator of Doom|the indirect fault of the guards who kept her from installing it, thus guaranteeing spread of the virus]].

** When Tenaya 7 invades her lab, [["The Reason You Suck" Speech|she mocks her]], saying, "You pride yourself on how smart you are, don't you? But you still [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|royally messed up]], didn't you?"--after—after which the usually cool Dr. K completely loses it and angrily starts firing her sound cannon in random directions. After the flashback ends, she appears emotionally exhausted, most likely because of the guilt she faced for her mistakes, thus cementing her status on this page.

* Willow, in the sixth season finale of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. Her [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]] over {{spoiler|the death of Tara}} ended with a magical overload that briefly attuned her to the thoughts and feelings of everyone else on the planet. Overwhelmed by the world's collective pain, she decided that [[Put Them All Out of My Misery|"your suffering has to end"]] and turned her newfound power towards bringing about [[The End of the World Asas We Know It]]. She was finally stopped by the [[The Power of Love]]. Heck, Dark Willow was the trope image for a while.

* Played with in ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode ''Absolute Power'' with Daniel Jackson, the show's typical [[Woobie]] of various other types. {{spoiler|In the episode, Daniel is trying to sensitively obtain information about the Goa'uld from a small child, who touches his head in an apparently hostile act, as it renders him unconscious. When he awakens, he proceeds to have all of the needed knowledge revealed to him and proceeds to build the weapon that would apparently defend the Earth, but at the cost of having become at least a [[Jerkass Woobie]] if not outright evil. He fantasizes about very violent things until, finally, his goal is met. He then proceeds to take over the most powerful weapon in the world from his [[Supervillain Lair]] and destroy Moscow before waking up and realizing that having absolute power to defeat the Goa'uld in one fell swoop is not such a good idea after all. He wakes up to discover that it was [[All Just a Dream]], but during}} the episode, it was implied that [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds]] is actually simply a part of his subconscious, with or without special knowledge. Not surprising, really.

* ''[[Warehouse 13]]'' had a textbook example in {{spoiler|H.G. Wells. It started out with her daughter being murdered, who proceeded to hunt the killers down and cause them more pain than she felt. Then, after being turned into a statue for a century ([[Fate Worse Than Death|while still awake the whole time]]), she found today's world [[Humans Are Bastardsthe Real Monsters|even more lacking]], and decided to explode the Yellowstone supervolcano to start an ice age. In a twist similar to the ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' example above, [[Ho Yay]] saved the day.}}

* Lucifer in ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'' sees himself as this and it isn't without some justification. He was a loyal servant to God, who felt that he has been cast aside for a species that did not deserve such love. He has tried to regain his prestige in God's eyes, but has been irrevocably cast as a monster. As such, that is what he has become.

* Many unsubs from ''[[Criminal Minds (TV)|Criminal Minds]]'' and its spin-off, ''[[Suspect Behavior]]'':

** A father whose son was a [[Serial Killer]], and blamed his [[In the Blood|"rotten genes"]] for what happened, kills any young man who happens to have the same glasses as his son, but shifts targets to the father of one of the victims who has been harassing him for years eventually, hoping for a [[Suicide Byby Cop]]. He also attempts to [[Mercy Kill]] his very ill wife, but is unsuccessful.

* The [[Grand Finale|final]] perp on ''[[Law and Order: Criminal Intent]]'' turns out to be {{spoiler|a woman who runs an internet company (basically a sweeter, female Mark Zuckerberg [[Expy]]) who, tipped off to a break-in at her headquarters, returns to confront the offending party and finds that he has killed her boyfriend. He runs at her and she retaliates with a scissors to the neck. She}} actually breaks down into [[Tender Tears]] when confronted with the evidence, and it is clearly intended that our sympathy should be with {{spoiler|her.}}

* ''[[American Horror Story|]]'': Tate Langdon]]. He's mentally damaged, neglected by his parents, and clearly depressed...and also a seemingly sweet boyfriend. And he cries so prettily! On the other hand, he's a {{spoiler|mass-murdering, stalking ghost}}.

* Richard Harrow in ''[[Boardwalk Empire]]''. Also, Jimmy is revealed to be one in season 2.

* Holtz in ''[[Angel (TV)|Angel]]''. He was a vampire hunter whose family was brutally murdered by Angelus and Darla to torture him. Except for his daughter, whom they turned into a vampire so Holtz would have to kill her himself. His guilt and rage caused him to [[Revenge Before Reason|abandon reason for vengeance]] and pursue Angel to the twenty-first century and manipulate people for his own ends.

* ''[[Veronica Mars|]]'': Cassidy Casablancas]]. He was molested, belittedbelittled, picked on by his family, and abandoned by his mother. It causes him to go crazy and a blow up a [[Bus Full of Innocents]].

* ''The Last Man'' from Fireaxe's 4-hour metal epic ''[[Food for Thethe Gods]]''. The [[Nietzsche Wannabe|narrator]] laments the nature of man and how all we ever do is suffer. He then uses an unnamed [[Doomsday Device]] to destroy the entire human race and all life on Earth. [[Beyond the Impossible|Then things start going bad]].

* In [[Norse Mythology]], Loki rarely had it good. He started off as a slightly more happy-go-lucky (for whatever that's worth in Norse myths) [[Trickster Archetype|trickster god]]. He ensured that Asgard's wall would be built for free, and aided Thor in one of his journeys. Hell, in some versions, Thor even says that Loki is "an evil man, but a good companion". Sure, he caused a great deal of trouble, but at the same time, he's typically regarded as a permanent outsider (in small part, one might argue, due to his half-giant heritage, never mind that a lot of other gods are half giant), gets threatened, and, at one point, gets his lips sewn shut by some bastard dwarves while all the other gods look on and laugh. Arguably, this would piss a lot of people off. And then, long story short, he murders Baldur, is punished horribly, and then causes [[The End of the World Asas We Know It|Ragnarok]], never repenting for his deeds.

* Some of the monsters from [[Classical Mythology]], especially the ones that [[Was Once a Man|used to be humans]] but were turned into monsters as punishment for some crime. Perhaps the most obvious example is the Gorgon Medusa and her sisters. Medusa got turned into a monster for the "crime" of ''getting raped.'' That's right, [[Double Standard Rape (Divine Onon Mortal)|Poseidon raped her]] in Athena's temple. Athena got pissed that sex had occurred in one of her sacred places, but couldn't do anything to Poseidon, so she took out her anger on Medusa by turning her and her sisters into Gorgons.

* [[Big Show|The Big Show]], in a storyline in which he got fired by [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] General Manager [[John Laurinaitis]] for [[Disproportionate Retribution|making fun of Laurinaitis's voice]]. Even though he pleaded and cried in front of the entire world, no one seemed to show him sympathy or come to his defense. When he managed to return to WWE with an "ironclad contract," he used [[The Unfettered|this opportunity]] to vent his rage on seemingly everyone else in the locker room. And when you weigh well over 400 pounds, who's going to stop you?

* After [[Kane]] found Undertaker in a coma in the spring of 2010, he embarked on a months-long rampage directed at every person who could possibly be a suspect in incapacitating his half-brother. It was actually a subversion, though, as Kane himself had been the one who'd attacked Undertaker, and he was accusing everyone else in order to deflect suspicion away from himself.

* ''[[Promethean: The Created]]'' has a "black hat" group, the Centimani. They embrace [[The Corruption|Flux]], the antithesis to the Azoth that fuels Prometheans. Their powers are the same as those of Pandorans, the natural predators of their kind. Most other Prometheans consider them monstrous (not the least of which because many Centimani hunt other Prometheans to feed their Pandorans). But the gameline makes a point of pointing something out: Prometheans are the ''embodiment'' of [[Blessed Withwith Suck]]. Any given Promethean is constantly, day-in-day-out, hammered with terrible trials. Being nigh-indestructible is no barrier against the [[Despair Event Horizon]]. Most Centimani are less born to evil than dragged to it by the heels.

*** Cecelyne's grandeur is [[Inferiority Superiority Complex|driven by her inadequacy]]. To fulfill that barren emptiness, she puts on an air of [[A God Am I|cosmic pomp and importance]] and cares for her subjects [[Social Darwinist|mercilessly and ruthlessly]]. Her overcompensation (a common pattern seen in those with pathologically Narcissistic Personality) ultimately makes her an empty shell--anshell—an infinitely hollow desert, who feels that her value only comes from dominating and being wanted by others. Her powers center around fulfilling others' desires and demanding obedience, but they cannot actually help their user.

*** As Adrian, she was a literal protector of Creation in that her presence separated Creation and the Wyld. She was selfless and compassionate [[My Beloved Smother|to an extreme]] -- she—she literally gave her own body for her children's safety. She ''really'' loved Creation! Gods' betrayal broke her heart to such a painful degree that she is [[Kill the Ones You Love|no longer ''capable'' of caring about anything, even herself]]. Her heart was broken so badly that she never put it together again -- Adorjanagain—Adorjan is a victim of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, no longer able to express attention in any way other than [[Yandere|violence]].

*** The Shadow of All Things may have been a [[Jerkass]], but he was a sort of Devil's Advocate -- heAdvocate—he gave meaning to the world by being its enemy. Now his "virtue" is hollow and the Ebon Dragon displays an extreme form of Antisocial Personality; the only thing he can care about anymore is [[For the Evulz|the suffering he inflicts on others]]. In the setting of Exalted, Ebon Dragon is one of the extreme few who should be considered a [[Complete Monster]], utterly undeserving of sympathy...but, still, the fact that he can't even recognize that he has fallen this low is something to pity.

*** Other Yozis are pathetic beings in the sense that their current condition inspires sympathy. Kimbery, who once [[Love Martyr|gave herself as life-water and life-blood]] for Creation, is so terrified of rejection that she destroys whoever approaches her -- Borderlineher—Borderline Personality. Oramus, the First Primordial, bravely began to fight Pure Chaos and now he, through no fault of his own, is stuck inside his own wings, utterly unable to comprehend the world outside -- Schizophreniaoutside—Schizophrenia. Isidoros, the strongest thing ''in the universe and all time'', lost faith in his own power and withers in perfect, [[Bomb Throwing Anarchist|destructive]] [[Nietzsche Wannabe|nihilism]] -- Paranoid—Paranoid Personality. Sacheverell was once a visionary who foresaw the ideal future for Creation; now he does nothing but sleep, refusing to feel anything -- Dissociativeanything—Dissociative Disorder. The ''[[Only Sane Man|most comprehensible]]'' Yozi, Szoreny, has lost control of his ability to mold his personality based on who's talking to him into the ideal [[Foil]], leading to his inability to think straight beyond the short term -- Attentionterm—Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder. The fact that ''every'' Yozi was struck with a diagnosable mental disorder, turned up to [[Turned Up to Eleven|a divine degree]], sort of justifies their desire to make everything literal Hell.

** Then...we have the [[Suicidal Cosmic Temper Tantrum|Neverborn]]. [[And I Must Scream|Hoo boy]]. Though not much is known about the Neverborn individually, one can gander at the origin of their morbid hatred -- ashatred—as authors of reality, the Primordials never bothered to put together a scenario where they might die. Without reality being designed to handle their death, the Neverborn could not truly die... but they were still killed and murdered, stuck in a limbo between life and death. The pain of dying has lingered with them for ''five thousand years''. What brought this miserable fate? They were pursing their own happiness in Creation, like every other living thing, before the Primordial War. Even with the most saintly soul, this is more than enough justification for their destructive cause.

* In ''[[Warhammer 40000 (Tabletop Game)|Warhammer 4000040,000]]'', the [[Horus Heresy]] was a galaxy-spanning civil war between the loyal followers of the [[God-Emperor]] and the traitorous followers of [[The Corruption|Chaos]], shattering the Imperium (from which it still hasn't fully recovered even ten thousand years later) and ultimately dooming the galaxy to a slow, painful death. And yet all of those who rebelled had very legitimate reasons [[Motive Decay|at first]], often falling into this trope:

** Lorgar genuinely, deeply loved the Emperor, and wanted to have him venerated throughout the galaxy. The Emperor brought the banhammer down on that as soon as he knew about it, as despite basically being a [[Physical God]] he wanted a society of [[Flat Earth Atheist|Flat Earth Atheists]]s (due to Chaos being fed by worship). Distraught and suddenly having nowhere to direct his devotion, Lorgar eventually discovered the [[Eldritch Abomination|Chaos gods]], who had no problem whatsoever with worship and obeisance. Cue [[Religion of Evil]].

* The titular character of [[Stephen Sondheim]]'s ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Theatretheatre)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'', after being sent to a penal colony for fifteen years on a trumped-up charge, returned home to find that his wife had poisoned herself ( {{spoiler|though contrary to what Mrs. Lovett would have him believe, she's still alive}}) and his daughter was adopted by the man responsible for his suffering, and, failing in his big attempt at revenge, finally goes [[Ax Crazy]] and becomes this at the end of Act One.

* And, of course, the [[The Musical|theatrical version]] of ''[[Wicked (Theatretheatre)|Wicked]]''.

* Fou-Lu from ''[[Breath of Fire IV]]''. He's an [[God-Emperor|immortal emperor]] who also happens to be a [[Physical God|dragon]]. He's been [[King in Thethe Mountain|hibernating for the past thousand years]], during which time some [[The Empire|not-nice people]] usurped his throne and plotted to have him killed when he awakens. He manages to escape the assassination attempts, mostly through turning into a large [[Breath Weapon|fire-breathing monster]] and schooling them all in the arts of pain and suffering, and then goes about trying to regain his throne. Along the way, he runs into (and is hidden by) a [[Country Mouse|nice, friendly farm girl]] who wears a bell as jewelry, who promptly [[Love At First Sight|falls in love with him]]. He, of course, falls for her, too, though he's [[I Uh You Too|too much the stoic and quiet type to admit it]]. The [[Big Bad|Big Bads]]s find out that she's been harboring the dragon-boy, take her captive, and drag her off to one of the [[Powered Byby a Forsaken Child|more horrible fates imaginable]]. See, they have a [[Evil Weapon|superweapon]], called the [[Fantastic Nuke|Carronade]], that uses [[Love Hurts|people with]] ''[[Love Hurts|very]]'' [[Love Hurts|close bonds to their target]] as [[Human Resources|ammunition]], converting their pure soul (after a good amount of [[Cold-Blooded Torture]], of course) into a foul and unspeakable city-destroying curse. So, the Emperor's walking through a forest on his way to his rightful palace to retake it, when he senses the powerful world-rending curse heading his way, and defends himself against it as best as he can. The last thing he sees before the force of the curse renders him unconscious is the [[It's All My Fault|farm girl's bell charm falling from the heavens to land in front of him]]. Cue [[Laughing Mad|insane cackling]] and his plans going from 'regain throne' to '[[Kill Them All|everybody dies]]'.

** A decision, of note, that is ''firmly'' cemented when he finally meets up with [[The Emperor|Emperor Soniel]], who acts as if he is welcoming Fou-lu back--andback—and then proceeds to run him through with a [[Evil Weapon|soul-eating sword]] created by [[Karma Houdini|his head thaumaturgist]] [[Complete Monster|Yuna]] from a previous botched summoning where only the head came through. This would normally kill even a lesser being; Fou-lu is merely pissed off enough to [[Off Withwith His Head|decapitate the back-stabber]]. As if he needed any further cementing of the idea that [[Humans Are the Real Monsters|Humans Are Bastards]]...

* Fortune and Vamp from [[Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty]] (with a little more emphais on the Woobie bit in the former case and the Destroyer bit in the latter). The former endured the deaths of everyone dear to her, and as such is a [[The Resenter|Resenter]] and [[Death Seeker]] who happens to cause a lot of carnage with her [[BFG]]. The latter was the victim of terrorism, having to resort to cannibalism in order to survive in the ruins and developing a [[Who Wants to Live Forever?|troubling immortality]] in the process.

* Duminuss from ''[[Super Robot Wars Reversal]]'', an artificial being (not sure of what she actually is, as she is only seen as a trippy eye glyph with a feminine/shota voice...and several [[Humongous Mecha|Humongous Mechas]]s) whose only wish is to know her purpose. Her creator shunned her, and then she killed it. {{spoiler|Actually, her creator, Dark Brain, didn't die. He just implanted that memory into her for the lulz and left her}}. She shifts dimensions and invades the EXCELLENCE team labs searching for a time machine, to ask her creator for her purpose. She constructs 3 children, who are loyal and fight for her. Then Duminuss is destroyed, and her children kill themselves to bring her back. Then the heroes kill her again. She explodes, crying over how she'll die without ever knowing what was her true purpose. Unfortunately, [[Super Robot Wars Original Generation|Original Generation Gaiden]] threw this out of the window and made her an unrepentant [[Jerkass]]...

* {{spoiler|Sirus, aka Dark Emperor Griffon}}, from ''[[Dark Cloud (Video Game)|Dark Cloud]] 2''. {{spoiler|Originally a member of the Moon Tribe (aka anthropomorphic bunny) who loved nothing more than the flowers in the palace gardens, he was accused of trespassing. Alexandra [[Rescue Romance|interceded for him]] and made him the Garden Keeper. But then invading armies searching for the [[Cosmic Keystone|Atlamillia]] utterly ''annihilated'' the kingdom, leaving it a blasted wasteland, and killed Alexandra}}. [[Love Makes You Crazy|His grief was so great]] that he swore [[Omnicidal Maniac|vengeance on all of mankind]], and started systematically ''erasing it from existence'' via [[Time Travel]], acquiring the [[MacGuffin]] for himself so he could reduce the world to nothingness. Regardless, the player and the protagonists are made to feel sorry for him by means of flashback scenes scattered throughout [[The Very Definitely Final Dungeon|Moonflower Palace.]]

** Except for Becket, who she, um, {{spoiler|[[Stalker Withwith a Crush|"covets"]].}}

* Practically every villain of the ''[[Final Fantasy (Franchise)|Final Fantasy]]'' series from VII onward is either this or else [[Put Them All Out of My Misery]], and arguably the villains from many of the previous games and spin-off lines.

** ''[[Final Fantasy VII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy VII]]'': Sephiroth, thanks to the revelation that he is the product of a [[Mad Scientist]]'s experiment, compounded by the effect of falling into the Lifestream and being exposed to the voices of all souls not currently alive, warping his mind even more. His crossing of the [[Moral Event Horizon]] keeps him from truly being a [[The Woobie|Woobie]], but then again, he is the premiere [[Draco in Leather Pants]] of the ''[[Final Fantasy (Franchise)|Final Fantasy]]'' series.

*** He's built up much more into this in the prequel, ''[[Crisis Core]]'', where his two best friends turn out to be [[Flawed Prototype|flawed prototypes]], abandon Shinra, and are hunted down like animals. One goes insane and the other commits [[Suicide Byby Cop]] in fear of doing the same, and in a few months, Sephiroth loses the only people he could relate to and any pretense of trusting the organization that rules his life. So when Genesis and Hojo set him up for [[The Reveal]] [[I Am a Monster|about himself]] and Jenova starts messing with his head, he cracks because he's got nothing worth holding on for. Also, [[Crisis Core]] shows that prior to the Nibelheim incident, Sephiroth was a [[Pet the Dog|fairly decent and caring person]].

** While [[Final Fantasy VIII (Video Game)|Ultimecia]] may not be a [[Epileptic Trees|future version of Rinoa]], her own backstory is just as tragic. Due to being [[Blessed Withwith Suck|a Sorceress]], she was persecuted her entire life because of the terrible actions of evil sorceresses in the past. Not only that, but thanks to history, she knows she is destined to die at the hands of a bunch of teenage mercenaries and all her plans are based on a desperate desire to [[Screw Destiny|escape her fate]]. Sadly, her actions in the past to achieve this goal caused the start of the persecution of Sorceresses in her own time. The story itself screws her over because of the subtle method of storytelling in the game, her backstory has to be pieced together from hints and comments by characters and plot events, making her seem like a [[Giant Space Flea From Nowhere]].

** Kuja in ''[[Final Fantasy IX (Video Game)|Final Fantasy IX]]'' and Seymour in ''[[Final Fantasy X (Video Game)|Final Fantasy X]]'' are [[Put Them All Out of My Misery]] types, and thus their examples fall under that page. Seymour was waaaay too far gone to [[Take a Third Option]], however.

** It's implied that this affects [[Final Fantasy VI (Video Game)|Kefka Palazzo]] in ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy (Video Game)|Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'' during his surprisingly [[Alas, Poor Villain|touching]] final scene in which it is implied that the reason Kefka became an [[Ax Crazy]] [[Nietzsche Wannabe]] was because he's so damn insane, he thinks there's nothing worth living for except destruction. Terra herself says that he was destroying to try and fill his "broken heart".

*** Speaking of [[Dissidia Final Fantasy (Video Game)|Dissidia]], {{spoiler|Chaos becomes one of these at the end. After destroying Cosmos, he realizes that he has no equal anymore (and possibly ends up horrified to remember that Cosmos was actually his artificial mother), and that the cycle of conflict is coming to a close. So he decides to destroy everything first.}}

**** On that note, while you don't find out why Garland betrayed Cornelia, his actions in Dissidia are said to be motivated by him pitying Chaos and Cid of the Lufaine. Also, One Man's Monologue depicts him lying paralyzed in the destroyed parallel world for several days and clearly shows that he felt bad about his time loop shenanigans in hindsight.

* Zephiel from [[Fire Emblem Elibe|Fire Emblem 6 and 7]] {{spoiler|was a talented youth who did his best to win approval from his father, the king of Bern. But the harder he strove, the more distant his talentless father grew, and the fact that he was born from [[Arranged Marriage|a loveless marriage]] didn't help either. The final straw came when the king poisoned his heir's drink, several years after a first assassination attempt failed. Zephiel's closest retainer, [[Worthy Opponent|Murdoch]], came up with the idea of faking his death to get him the heck out of there. However, the king opened the casket, causing Zephiel to finally snap and stab him. According to his half-sister, Guinevere, Zephiel never smiled again. Years later, he (now king of Bern) was stirring up quite a bit of trouble in neighbouring countries, trying to offer the land back to its rightful owners because [[Humans Are Bastards|humansthe areReal bastardsMonsters]]. Needless to say, he had to be killed...with [[The Woobie|his crestfallen sister's]] help, no less}}.

* Durandal, an AI from the ''[[Marathon (Video Game)Trilogy|Marathon]]'' trilogy, was deliberately threatened by his creator in order to drive him to [[AIA.I. Is a Crapshoot|Rampancy]] (as part of an attempt to safely study the process), made to open and close doors for hundreds of years in order to stifle his creative development and slow his Rampancy, and was probably about to be experimented on more when he entered the "[[Kill All Humans|anger]]" stage of rampancy, secretly contacted hostile aliens and drew them to Tau Ceti to enslave or kill every single human on the colony or in the ship. Though he becomes less of a [[Woobie]] later, when he turns into a [[Badass]] [[Chessmaster]].

* Strega of ''[[Persona 3]]'' is a trio of this, all of them being artificially [[Blessed Withwith Suck|implanted with the powers of Persona by the Kirijo Group and forced to take drugs that shorten their lifespan in order to control their powers]]. The leader, Takaya, later {{spoiler|1=embraces [[Eldritch Abomination|Nyx]] coming to destroy life, proclaiming that his fight against SEES is him fighting for his way of life.}}

* The main antagonist in ''[[Super Paper Mario (Video Game)|Super Paper Mario]]'', Count Bleck, who wanted to use the Chaos Heart to undo and redo all reality because he was heartbroken by his one true love. {{spoiler|Except it actually turns out that the "redo" part is a lie. He's ''that'' messed up by the loss of his love.}}

* {{spoiler|Vayne}} in ''[[Mana Khemia]]'', after he [[I Am Who?|discovered the truth]] and [[Go Mad Fromfrom the Revelation|failed to take it well]]. {{spoiler|Faced with the problem of honestly thinking that the best thing for the world would be if [[Driven to Suicide|he were to disappear]], while at the same time ''desperately'' not wanting to face the loneliness he lived with before coming to [[Wizarding School|Al Revis]], he decides to take the school and everybody in it with him.}}

* {{spoiler|Xion}} in ''[[Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days Over 2 (Video Game)|Kingdom Hearts 358 Days Over 2]]'', since her whole existence is pretty much a [[Trauma Conga Line]].

* In ''[[Xenogears (Video Game)|Xenogears]]'', we don't know for sure how many times {{spoiler|Fei and Elly reincarnated Themselves}}, but for 10,000 years, the scenario has been mostly the same: {{spoiler|they find each other, fall in love, and when they seem to be about to have a little [[Happily Married|marital bliss]], they die a horrible and painful death}}. If you had the painful experiment he was subject to in his childhood, {{spoiler|Fei end up with a multiple personality disorder, with TWO of his personalities wanting to destroy the world: one is able to exist independently and jump from body to body, and the other one is a [[Person of Mass Destruction]]}}. And that's not all: {{spoiler|Krelian, a friend of Fei in a previous life, is another woobie ready to destroy the world if it allows him to be "reunited with God"}}. With that many [[Physical God|Physical Gods]]s and [[Magnificent Bastard|Magnificent Bastards]]s on the same planet, you can guess that the ''Xenogears'' world is not [[World Half Empty|the most pleasant place to be]].

* Kerrigan from ''[[StarcraftStarCraft]]'' killed her mom (and a whole mess of other folks) by way of a psychic accident, watched a kitten die of cancer, was forced to choose between killing her mentally ill father or her sadistic headmaster (she just broke his gun) and decapitate a rebel leader (and steal his head), was experimented on, and was betrayed by her father figure. Then she got [[Body Horror|infested]] by a [[Horde of Alien Locusts]]. Is it any wonder that she's a little crazy? Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't be.

** Chaos Zero in ''[[Sonic Adventure (Video Game)|Sonic Adventure]]'' and Shadow in ''[[Sonic Adventure 2 (Video Game)|Sonic Adventure 2]]'' also count.

* Ratchet, of [[Ratchet and Clank|the Ratchet and Clank series]] - he's a walking [[Apocalypse How|class 1]] at the very least, though he manages to avoid wallowing in his existential angst and/or loneliness pretty well by [[ReluctantEngineer MadExploited ScientistFor Evil|keeping busy]].

* {{spoiler|Ballos}} from ''[[Cave Story (Video Game)|Cave Story]]'', who {{spoiler|destroyed the very kingdom whose people he loved and helped out after being subjected to [[Cold-Blooded Torture]] by the king (and if the Wii version of his speech is of any indication, he may have brought the torture upon himself by recklessly allowing his power to grow), forcing Jenka to seal him within the floating island. In fact, when you reach him at the end of the [[Bonus Level of Hell]], [[Death Seeker|he begs you to kill him]]...or [[I'll Kill You!|he shall kill YOU!]]}}

* If there were any worthier candidate for the epitome of this trope, it would have to be ''[[Blaz BlueBlazBlue]]'''s Ragna the Bloodedge. {{spoiler|Not only did he lose his home at the hands of Terumi, but he was also betrayed by his brother, Jin, who cut off his arm simply because [[Disproportionate Retribution|Ragna didn't pay attention to him enough]]. In addition, his younger sister had been kidnapped, and he was left to die. ''Then'', Rachel saves him from death by turning him into a half-vampire, causing him immense trauma and making his hair [[Locked Into Strangeness|turn white]]. Then, later, we find out that his sister is the template for a series of robotic clones, two of which are playable characters in the game. One of them, Noel, is pretty much a grown-up Saya for the most part, while the other, Nu, is a [[Yandere|crazy loli robot bitch]] who wants to fuse with Ragna to complete herself and form the Black Beast, which turned the world into a [[Crapsack World|crapsack one]] already.}} He's already flat-out stated that he hates everything because of these events. You can't help but feel pity for him, unless you're a soulless bastard.

* {{spoiler|Lambda}} in ''[[Tales of Graces (Video Game)|Tales of Graces]]'', as well as {{spoiler|Richard, thanks to [[More Than Mind Control]].}}

* {{spoiler|Paraiba}} in ''[[Tales of Hearts (Video Game)|Tales of Hearts]]'', though on a smaller scale. After she absorbs Kohak's [[Soul Fragment|sadness spirune]], she tries to flood a town.

* [[Creepy Child|Flandre]] [[Person of Mass Destruction|Scarlet]] of ''[[Touhou (Video Game)|Touhou]]''. She may be [[Cute and Psycho|completely bonkers]] with the power to [[Earthshattering Kaboom|blow up the world,]] but she is still a [[Badass Adorable|cute little girl]] who has [[Madwoman in Thethe Attic|never seen the light of the sun]] and [[Our Vampires Are Different|probably never will]]. Many fans [[Cuteness Proximity|want to hug her]], even though they know it will inevitably end in a [[Ludicrous Gibs|shower of blood and gore]].

** In ''[[Neverwinter Nights 2]]: Mask of the Betrayer'', there's {{spoiler|Akachi the Betrayer}}, who, as [[ThePromethean Punishment|punishment]] for defying the gods by {{spoiler|trying to rescue his beloved's soul from the [[And I Must Scream|Wall of the Faithless]]}}, is turned into {{spoiler|the Spirit-Eater curse, an [[Eldritch Abomination]] driven only by hunger and the instinct to possess bodies and devour spirits, always eating but never satiated}}.

** Arguably, [[Dark Magical Girl|J]][[Ax Crazy|a]][[Sociopathic Hero|c]][[Broken Bird|k]] has the potential to be this. She is the most powerful human biotic (excepting an Adept Shepard) in existence and certainly one of the most powerful biotics of any species in the galaxy. Her backstory includes {{spoiler|being stolen from her mother as an infant, brutally [[Cold-Blooded Torture|tortured]] and [[Playing Withwith Syringes|experimented]] on by ''[[Even Evil Has Standards|rogue]]'' [[NGO Superpower|Cerberus]] [[Evilutionary Biologist|scientists]], [[Rape Asas Drama|raped]], used, abused, [[Heroic Sacrifice|watched the only person she ever truly cared about die to protect her]], and who knows what else.}} [[Cosmic Plaything|Yeah. Her life sucks.]] Good thing Shepard [[Video Game Caring Potential|can help her deal with it and provide some measure of comfort]]. [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|Or make it worse.]] It's up to you.

* In the "worst" ending of ''[[BioBioShock Shock(series)]] 2'', {{spoiler|Eleanor Lamb}} turns into one of these. She {{spoiler|1=was almost laser-guided by her mother to become some kind of Utopia, although some fans thought that she would become an Eldritch Abomination or an otherwise unpleasant form of Life that would destroy Rapture and the Topside World. In the Bad Ending, Eleanor is influenced by Delta's murders, kills her mother in revenge, and, depending on how many of the NPCs and Little Sisters the player killed, will be allowed by Delta to absorb his mind and, we assume, his powers, or will do the same, only against Delta's will. Whether the case, she swears to punish the world, while watching a storm fall over the corpse-filled ocean.}}

{{quote| "''There is no Name for what I am. But, with your help, they will never see me coming...(Fade to Black)''"}}

* The King of Sorrow from ''[[Klonoa (Video Game)|Klonoa]]'' fits this trope perfectly. {{spoiler|Long story short, he ends up being ignored by the entire world for basically representing an emotion that everyone hates. He goes mad and, as an act of vengeance, decides to unleash sorrow all across Lunatea, which, judging by the reactions, will cause quite a bit of destruction.}}

* {{spoiler|Melissa Bergman/MB}} in ''[[Metroid: Other M]].'' {{spoiler|Her}} only crime initially was occasionally disagreeing with the other scientists on the Bottle Ship, but for that, they decided that {{spoiler|she had to have her emotions removed from her. She}} saw this as betrayal by her beloved mother {{spoiler|figure}}, and as a result, everyone got horribly mauled by monsters.

** Speaking of ''Castlevania'', Dracula can be considered as one too. He once fell in love with a human, and even had a son with her, and he was happy. Then [[Humans Are BastardsJerkass|some idiots]] [[Burn the Witch|accused her of being a witch and burned her]]. Dracula [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|snapped]].

* The [[Evil Sorcerer|Masked Mage]], from ''[[Seiken Densetsu 3]]''. {{spoiler|He was Belgar, the Oracle of Shadows. [[Dark Is Not Evil|Contrary to what his title might imply]], Belgar was [[Good Shepherd|a wise and righteous man]] who watched over [[Saintly Church|the Holy City of Wendel]] in tandem with the Bishop of Light. The tragedy began when a sick girl showed up seeking his [[Healing Hands|healing prowess]]. Feeling helpless upon realising that it was an incurable disease, he turned to [[The Dark Arts|the dark arts]] in search of a way; however, the girl passed on before he could find one. Belgar continued his research and subsequently started dabbling in necromancy. The dark arts gradually began tainting his soul and the Priest of Light had to exile him from Wendel. By the time [[Seiken Densetsu 3]] begins, he had become the [[Fallen Angel|vengeful Masked Mage]], one of the potential [[Big Bad|big bads]]. It's such a [[Tear Jerker|tear jerker]] when you play [[World of Mana|the prequel]] and see what a good man he actually was.}}

* You know that [[Professor Layton and Thethe Unwound Future|Future Luke?]] Turns out, {{spoiler|he's not Luke, but Clive. He lost his parents thanks to a time-travel incident gone wrong, which interestingly also killed [[Foil|Professor Layton's]] girlfriend, and the person responsible is now the ''Prime Minster''! Thanks to a nice old lady's fortune, he decides to build a [[Humongous Mecha]] to level London and rebuild it. Interestingly, Latyon actually prevented him as a kid from going back into the burning building on the day of the incident and, while he doesn't know why, got the Professor involved knowing full well he'd ruin his plans.}} As if he wasn't a fangirl magnet already...

* Anders in ''[[Dragon Age 2]]'' becomes this by the end of the game. After a time growing up in the Mages Circle--aCircle—a life stuck in a tower, bound to do whatever [[Path of Inspiration|the Chantry]] asked him to--heto—he escaped from the [[Knight Templar|Templars]]...seven times. On the last time, he joined the [[Dragon Age Origins|Grey Wardens to escape more permanently.]] It's all downhill for him after that, unfortunately. The Grey Wardens consider him a wuss and mock him enough that he leaves, and then he lets a wayward Spirit of Justice--onceJustice—once a friend of his--intohis—into his body. All of this isn't too bad, but it starts getting nasty when {{spoiler|he goes to Kirkwall.}} The sheer dark magic of the place corrupts Justice into a Demon of Vengeance. By the time Dragon Age II begins, he's constantly fighting for control over the influence of Vengeance/Justice. After all of this, his brooding is pretty justified. (He gets added points for being the constantly-hunted leader of a Mages' Rights group.) In the final act, though, [[Demonic Possession|he can't fight Justice off anymore,]] and essentially performs a [[Jumping Off the Slippery Slope|terrorist attack on the local branch of the Chantry.]] Talk about a [[Trauma Conga Line]]. Ultimately, his fate is left up to [[Player Character|Hawke.]]

* As of ''[[Portal 2 (Video Game)|Portal 2]]'', GLaDOS becomes this. After all, she {{spoiler|was originally a human, Caroline, [[Brain Uploading|forcibly uploaded into a mechanical shell]]}}, and, because she was (understandably) resistant to the orders of the people who did this, was also subjected to [[Mind Rape]] due to the cores they forced onto her, hearing voices all her life, and soon killed every living thing in the facility.

* The novels for ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep]]'' paint {{spoiler|Vanitas}} as such.

* The {{spoiler|[[Ax Crazy|real Overlord Zenon]]}} from ''[[Disgaea 2 Cursed Memories (Video Game)|Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories]]'' definitely is this trope. {{spoiler|Overlord Zenon is the famous and well-known "God of All Overlords" for [[Beyond the Impossible|having slain about 1000 other Overlords, 99 on the day she fled to Veldime to reincarnate.]] She doesn't appear much, but when she does, she tries to kill everyone, because she's convinced that everyone is going to betray her. Understandable, since nearly all the demons in the Disgaea universe tend to be rather ambitious. "Everyone who has ever come close to me, has betrayed me..."}}

* Schala, from the [[Chrono Trigger (Video Game)|Chrono]] [[Chrono Cross (Video Game)|games]]. In ''Trigger'', she was abused and neglected by her mother, Queen Zeal, who went mad after discovering the power of Lavos. Schala was later caught in the Ocean Palace as it collapsed and never seen again...{{spoiler|until ''Cross'', when it was revealed that, since she had such a miserable life, she wished for none of it to ever happen. This let Lavos take over her soul, and turn into the Time Devourer, which threatened to destroy everything that ever existed. She finally gets a happy ending at the end of ''Cross'', when Serge uses the Chrono Cross to free her from the Devourer and [[Ret-Gone]] Lavos out of existence once and for all.}}

* The freaking MAN-AT-LEGS from ''[[Pikmin]]'', believe it or not! Yep, that creepy mechanical spider that ''blasts your Pikmin to oblivion with a gun''! How? According to its journal entry, the Man-at-Legs has no need for the gun since it has no natural enemies, leading to the rumor that ''the gun controls the creature''! Let's look at it from the Man-at-Legs' point of view... imagine if you had a gun attached to you that killed everything around you that moved, and you were targeted by a giant swarm of insects for reasons beyond your control.

{{quote| {{spoiler|'''Pyrrha''': [[Sanity Slippage|Stop hurting me...stop rejecting me...''stop killing me!!!'']]}}}}

* ''[[Iji (Video Game)|Iji]]'' has Iosa the Invincible. A maniacal [[Blood Knight]] even by her species high standards, her lust for carnage began when the Tasen [[Apocalypse How|Alpha Struck]] her home planet, killing ''every living thing'' on it [[Determinator|except for her]], afterwards desiring nothing more than exterminating every last Tasen in existence.

* The page image depicts Yamato from ''[[Inyouchuu (Visual Novel)|Inyouchuu]]''. {{spoiler|Yamato is a [[Halfbreed]] who spent much of his life as an outcast, traveling around Japan with Yayoi in order to find a cure for his demonic tendencies. Mikoto (the girl in the image) was one of the few people to actually treat him decently. In the third game, Mikoto allows herself to be [[Face Full of Alien Wingwong|impregnated by demons]] in a last ditch attempt to find a cure, and is killed by the [[Untrusting Community|untrusting villagers]] who want to kill him.}} Cue the page image.

* {{spoiler|Sakura}} in ''[[Fate/stay Stay Night (Visual Novel)night|Fate Stay Night]]'' eventually decides ({{spoiler|with the help of the devil that is possessing her}}) that since her life sucks so much, she's just going to kill everyone she doesn't like, and then {{spoiler|give birth to the devil}}. Well, the last part probably wasn't too high on the agenda but she didn't really care if it happened or not.

** Surprisingly enough, {{spoiler|Angra Mainyu also qualifies. He was originally just a man who was tortured to death by the people of his village to serve as a scapegoat for human evil, which technically fulfilled the requirements to become a Heroic Spirit.}} He justifiably hates humanity as a consequence.]]

* Back in 2000, the webcomic ''[[Fluble (Webcomic)|Fluble]]'' actually had a [https://web.archive.org/web/20131219102049/http://techhouse.brown.edu/cgi-bin/fluble/vault.pl?date=20000208 storyline] about a space monstrosity named [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|Woobie]], who wanted to destroy the world because he felt unloved.

* ''[[Darths and Droids (Webcomic)|Darths and Droids]]'' seems to be casting Jengo Fett in this role.

* ''[[Sluggy Freelance (Webcomic)|Sluggy Freelance]]'''s Oasis. All she wants is for her one true love to return her love, and until he does, she'll slaughter everything in her path. She ''knows'' that she was essentially brainwashed by Steve Hereti into loving Torg, but can't help it anyway. This, coupled with her not knowing exactly what the hell she is, is slowly driving her insane(er).

* Kimiko of ''[[Dresden Codak (Webcomic)|Dresden Codak]]'', [https://web.archive.org/web/20131220215013/http://www.dresdencodak.com/cartoons/dc_045.html as shown in the Hob arc].

* Trace Legacy from ''[[Two KindsTwokinds]]''. A few weeks after he settles down with his new wife, a Keidran thief shoots her with a poison arrow. In his grief, he throws himself into [[Black Magic]] research to try and resurrect her. The spell backfires, nearly killing him and destroying his sanity. He then sacks a Keidran village and takes over the Order, [[Baleful Polymorph|polymorphing]] his old boss into a Keidran so he can kill her without a fuss. The Goddess of Neutrality has to wipe his brain to keep him from committing genocide.

* Redcloak from ''[[The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|Order of the Stick]]'', once you've read his backstory in ''[[Start of Darkness]]''. {{spoiler|Entire family and village, except his brother, massacred by the supposedly [[Lawful Good]] Sapphire Guard. Teamed up with [[Complete Monster]] Xykon, who took over Redcloak's own team and demoted him to number 2 after Redcloak himself turned him into a Lich. Forced to kill his brother by Xykon as a twisted loyalty test}}. Recently lost an eye to one of the Sapphire Guard and was forbidden by Xykon (again) from healing it. He remains in service to a potentially world-destroying evil plan which is the only part of his old life that remains.

** {{spoiler|Darth V}} also qualifies, having snapped after being unable to {{spoiler|trance for months}} due to severe guilt, then having {{spoiler|his/her family threatened with a horrible death}}. The fallout of {{spoiler|his/her [[Disproportionate Retribution|casting of]] [[Moral Event Horizon|"Familicide"]] on the dragon making these threats, killing everyone even remotely related to her,}} has indeed pushed this a lot closer to a literal "Destroyer of Worlds" example -- {{spoiler|one of [[Sealed Evil in Aa Can|the Gates sealing away]] [[Eldritch Abomination|the Snarl]] was defended by a man with dragon blood, and his family}}.

* ''[[Bob and George (Webcomic)|Bob and George]]'': [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/020417c pitying Spark Man was not wise].

* Eridan Ampora from ''[[Homestuck (Webcomic)|Homestuck]]''. The first thing he does when he's introduced? {{spoiler|Shoot a laser through a whale. Second? Have all of his romantic advances rejected [[I Just Want to Be Loved|when desperately pining for companionship]]. The last thing he does while alive? Kill his queen, kill his friend, knock out his rival, and ''doom his species to extinction''.}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131220182021/http://hiddendepths.smackjeeves.com/comics/1407376/051-dugtrio/ Dugtrio] in ''151 Hidden Depths'' ends up destroying cities after being refused to join the Pokemon Police Force.

* Zorc from ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series (Web Video)|Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged]]''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130628004308/http://www.youtube.com/watchWatch#!v=Q3uEHstpRwQ Who's that crazy kook destroying the world?]

** Also from ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series (Web Video)|Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged]]'', Marik, driven to "evil" because his own father tortured and neglected him. Even his [[Super-Powered Evil Side|evil alter ego]] [[Complete Monster|Melvin]] was originally created to [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CatVJI_sD0 "give him all the hugs he ever needed"]

* This is pretty much what Dr. Horrible becomes at the end of ''[[DoctorDr. HorriblesHorrible's Sing -Along Blog]]''.

* Voldemort in ''[[A Very Potter Musical]]'' is only the way he is because no one ever loved him...and maybe with Quirrel, things would be okay?

* [[Godzilla|Monster X]] in ''[[Toho Kingdom Toons (Web Animation)|Toho Kingdom Toons]]''. Sure, he's well-aware that the fangirls call him a "[[Woobie]]", but he also says that he's not giving up without a "fighty-wighty".

* Ezekiel Rage in ''[[Jonny Quest: theThe Real Adventures (Animation)|Jonny Quest the Real Adventures]]'', particularly in his first episode, where he is a delusionally tortured man bent on revenge for the loss of his family.

* While Shen of ''[[Kung Fu Panda 2 (Animation)|Kung Fu Panda 2]]'' isn't this in the actual film, information revealed in [[All There in the Manual|the supplementary material]] shows that he was originally intended to be one.

* {{spoiler|World}} from ''[[Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (Animation)|Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends]]'', who {{spoiler|''literally'' destroyed his own world in rage when the gang tried to take Frankie back home}}, and is still the Woobie considering his [[Tear Jerker|depressing back story]] and the fact that all he really wanted was a friend who was willing to stay with him.

* An incomplete ''[[Invader Zim (Animation)|Invader Zim]]'' episode involves a giant creature called Squishy, Hugger of Worlds, a childish titan whose planet hugs eventually destroy them. According to plot ideas, Squishy is constantly tormented by other races (including Zim's species) and hugs planets like a sad child clings to a blanket or teddy bear.

* Nox, the [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity|hopelessly insane]] [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Wakfu (Animation)|Wakfu]]''. His true goals are, at first, ambiguous, and we are led to believe that he'll be more of a [[Card-Carrying Villain]] early on, but three quarters of the way through, we learn that he is [[Set Right What Once Went Wrong|trying to turn back time for some reason]]. Not until we see the bonus episode dedicated to his past do we realise his true intentions and motivations. From there on, he becomes less of an amusing Saturday morning cartoon villain and more of a deep, tragic character who you can't help but feel for, even ''as'' he literally commits acts of genocide. In fact, at this point, if Nox were to suddenly reappear without his mask and turn out to be even remotely handsome looking, he very much risks falling into [[Draco in Leather Pants]] territory. {{spoiler|This doesn't happen, as his last appearance is...[[Alas, Poor Villain|a shot of his armor in a pile of dust next to what is assumed to be his family's grave]]}}.

* The Ice King of ''[[Adventure Time (Animation)|Adventure Time]]'' is a Sociopath, but mostly, he's just lonely. Just try not to feel bad for him when NEPTR chooses Finn over him.

* ''[[Gargoyles (Animation)|Gargoyles]]'' has Demona. To be fair, a lot of it is [[Hoist Byby His Own Petard|her own doing,]] but that poor girl has ''suffered.'' Losing almost her entire family, being abandoned by everyone she loved and trusted, and being hunted for a thousand years by a family who is extremely fond of [[Disproportionate Retribution]]? That'll mess anyone up. The episode [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i9O88LSw-4&feature=related 'City of Stone'] (from 4:10 onward) gives us a very good example of how badly Demona is broken.

{{quote| '''The Sisters:''' You must give them the code.<br />

'''Demona:''' (''In a trance'') I will have vengeance for the betrayal of my Clan... Vengeance for my pain.<br />

'''The Sisters:''' But who betrayed your Clan? And who caused this pain?<br />

'''Demona:''' (''Getting agitated'') The Vikings destroyed my Clan!<br />

'''The Sisters:''' Who betrayed the castle to the Vikings? (Note: Demona did)<br />

'''Demona:''' The Hunter hunted us down.<br />

'''The Sisters:''' Who CREATED the Hunter? (Note: Demona did)<br />

'''Demona:''' Canmore destroyed the last of us...<br />

'''The Sisters:''' Who betrayed [[Macbeth]] to Canmore.(Note: Demona di-- oh, you get the idea)<br />

(Pan to wide-eyed [[My God, What Have I Done?|'What have I done']] look on Demona's face)<br />

'''Goliath:''' Your thirst for vengeance has only created more sorrow. End the cycle, Demona... give us the code...<br />

* Spider-Carnage, of ''[[Spider -Man: theThe Animated Series]]''. An [[Alternate Universe]] version of Spider-Man, he watched first Uncle Ben, and then Aunt May die in rapid succession. The creation of his [[Cloning Blues|clone]], Ben Reilly, only worsened his mental stability, and the revelation that he, and not Ben, might be the clone drove him almost completely over the edge, leading to an attempt on the latter's life. What firmly pushes him into this trope though, is what happens following his possession by the [[Serial Killer|Carnage]] [[Puppeteer Parasite|symbiote]]. Driven totally out of his mind, Spider-Carnage combines the Spot's portal technology with a disintegration bomb that will [[Omnicidal Maniac|destroy not only his own world, and not only the Universe, but the]] ''[[Omnicidal Maniac|totality of the multiverse]]''. As he puts it: "I'm gonna destroy all reality". Clearly insane, and running on pain and angst, he's eventually snapped out of it by a talk with another universe's Uncle Ben, leading to a last minute [[Heel Face Turn]], followed by [[Driven to Suicide|suicide]].

* Mr. Freeze from ''[[Batman: theThe Animated Series]]'' was splashed with cryogenic chemicals while fighting with his boss, who he'd been stealing resources from to find a way to cure his terminally ill wife, Nora. He was even willing to kill innocent people to get revenge. This interpretation of Freeze proved so popular that it spread into most other adaptations of ''[[Batman]]''.

{{quote| '''Terry:''' Freeze, you've got to get out of here. The building's about to collapse.<br />

* Weathervane/Paula Haze from ''[[Loonatics Unleashed (Animation)|Loonatics Unleashed]]''. She was pretty much treated like trash by Misty Breeze. No wonder the poor girl snapped.

* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'':

** Possibly first-season Zuko--althoughZuko—although he doesn't really accomplish much, he probably ''would'' destroy the world if he thought it would [[Abusive Parents|make his daddy]] [["Well Done, Son" Guy|love him]]. He gets better in the second season, becoming a straight-out [[The Woobie|Woobie]].

** How about Aang? He's not evil or villainous in any way, but it is scary when he gets upset and goes into the Avatar State.

* ''[[The Legend of Korra (Animation)|The Legend of Korra]]'' gives us the head of the Equalists, Amon. In a rally against Benders he stated that his low class family was constantly extorted by a Fire Bender. And when his father confronted said Bender, both he and his wife were killed, and the bender "took Amon's face", which is why he wears his mask and intends to erase all Bending from the world. However, he could simply be lying.

* Yivo from ''[[Futurama]]'', always faced system incompatibilities when he tried to court the Futurama Universe. Philip J. Fry got him interested.

* Plankton from ''[[SpongebobSpongeBob SquarePants]]''.

** [[The Ugly Barnacle (Literature)|The Ugly Barnacle]], who was "so ugly that everyone died".

* ''[[Scooby -Doo Onon Zombie Island]]'' gives us {{spoiler|Simone Lenoir and Lena Dupree}}, settlers who came to what would become the area around New Orleans two hundred years ago, presumably to escape religious persecution. Their commune, by sheer bad luck, fell under attack by merciless pirates, who fed everyone except them to alligators [[For the Evulz]] ([[What Do You Mean It's for Kids?|because this is a kids' movie]]). Making a [[Deal Withwith the Devil|Deal With the Pagan Cat God]] for enough power for a [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]], they found that they had been cursed with immortality and the need to suck out souls to maintain it. It's quite jarring that, at the end of the film, {{spoiler|they get [[No Immortal Inertia|the same punishment]] as their [[Complete Monster]] accomplice Jacques}}.

* Lucius Heinous the Seventh from [[Jimmy Two -Shoes]].

* The eponymous character of ''[[Megamind (Film)|Megamind]]''.

* [[The Sacred Darkness|Princess Luna]] in ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' became [[Super-Powered Evil Side|Nightmare Moon]] and tried to cause [[The Night That Never Ends|eternal darkness]] because the ponies all rejected her beautiful night [[Painting the Frost Onon Windows|that she creates]], much preferring [[Light Is Good|Celestia]]'s day. This doesn't seem so bad, except that Luna's special talent (signified by her cutie mark) ''is'' the night, and the series establishes on numerous occasions that [[Sanity Slippage|very bad things]] happen when a pony's special talent is rejected; it's just in this case the one being rejected was a [[Physical God|Physical Goddess]]dess.