Ugh, I hate doing this, but I have to.
Here's an index of characters doing things against their will for certain reasons.
Compare A Slave to the Index, Help! Help! This Index Is Being Repressed!. If it's stronger than reluctance, it's Rebel Tropes.
Tropes:
- Apologetic Attacker: I'm so sorry to hurt you.
- Baby as Payment: I've been forced into a Leonine Contract that means surrendering my own child.
- Break His Heart to Save Him: It hurts to do it, but I must. It's for his own good.
- Could Say It, But...: I'm helping you willingly, but I need to act like I don't want to.
- Dangled by a Giant: I'm so overmatched that I have no real options.
- Dislikes the New Guy: I'd rather not have this new guy around, but everyone else is on board.
- Don't Make Me Destroy You: I don't want to hurt you, but if you force a fight, I will
- The Drag-Along: I'd rather stay home, but I've been shoved into this dangerous adventure by my 'friends'
- Fighting Your Friend: It always hurts to fight a friend, especially if they're my Best Friend.
- Forced into Evil: I'm only doing evil because I was forced to, not because I want to.
- Forgiven, but Not Forgotten: I won't seek revenge for what you did to me, but I'm not willing to completely reconcile with you either.
- Friend-or-Idol Decision: I don't want to give the MacGuffin away, but if it's necessary to save my friend...
- Getting Smilies Painted on Your Soul: I'm happy, but I wouldn't be if I had my right mind.
- Gilligan Cut: I won't do it! No way, no where, no how! [cut] Hey look, I'm doing it.
- Giving Them the Strip: It's a choice between preserving my freedom and preserving my modesty, and I choose freedom.
- A God I Am Not: Yes, I'm powerful, but that doesn't mean I'm that powerful.
- Got Volunteered: I was forced to do something thanks to the other characters.
- Grudging "Thank You": I don't like you, but since you helped me...I guess I'll thank you.
- Hero, Rival, Baddie Team-Up: I have to team-up with my rival and my enemy to defeat a common enemy.
- Hesitant Sacrifice: I'd like to save everyone, I just don't want to die in the process.
- Hospital Visit Hesitation: I care about my sick family member, but I don't want to see them like that.
- I Can't Believe I'm Saying This: I don't want to say this to you, but...you're right.
- I Don't Want to Ruin Our Friendship: A failed romance would make things awkward between us, so maybe it's best to leave things as they are.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: I want that person for myself, but I can see they'd be happier with someone else, so I won't press it.
- Life-or-Limb Decision: Being forced to cut off a body part to escape a trap.
- Making the Choice for You: Having trouble deciding, but now I'm being forced to choose against my own will.
- Mandatory Unretirement: I don't want to come out of retirement!
- Mid-Suicide Regret: I changed my mind about killing myself, but it may be too late.
- Murder by Suicide: Making a person take their own life.
- Driven to Suicide: Making life unbearable until they kill themselves.
- Ordered to Die: Ordering them to kill themselves.
- Psychic-Assisted Suicide: Death by illusion.
- Suicidal Sadistic Choice: I have a Sadistic Choice where my only option is to die.
- "No Peeking!" Request: A character has to look away while another performs an action right outside their view.
- Peer-Pressured Bully: I apologize if I had been a bully towards you. I only did it because my peers forced me to.
- Prized Possession Giveaway: I wouldn't normally give my most precious belonging to anyone, but I know you'll take care of it.
- Reluctant Fanservice Girl: I would prefer to dress modestly, but somehow I always end up having to wear something Stripperiffic (and sometimes I end up not wearing anything at all).
- Reluctant Gift: I don't want to give up this gift.
- Reluctant Mad Scientist: I don't want to make evil weapons, but I'm forced to.
- Reluctant Monster: I look scary, but I'm actually nice.
- Reluctant Psycho: I'm crazy, but I try not to let it cause problems for others.
- Reluctant Retiree: I don't want to retire, but I have to.
- Reluctant Ruler: Why am I a king when I don't want to be?
- Reluctant Warrior: I don't want to fight you, but I guess I have no choice.
- Resigned to the Call: I don't want to be the hero, but I'll do it anyway.
- Sadistic Choice: No matter which one you choose, someone's gonna suffer and not choosing isn't an option.
- Shoo the Dog: Sorry, Boy, I wanna, but... I can't take you with me.
- Shoot the Dog: I don't want to do something morally questionable, but there's no other option.
- Sparing Them the Dirty Work: My friend can't bring themselves to kill you, so I will.
- Stop Worshipping Me: Who are these people and why did they construct a bloody church in my honor?!
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: I don't want to team up with you, but I have no choice.
- Unwilling Roboticisation: I'm only made a robot against my own will.
- Unwilling Suspension: I don't want to hang around, but someone made me do it.
Sorry this page had to end, but that's just how it works.