History EvenEvilHasStandards / LiveACtionTV

** Marcus's neighbors might be willing to [[spoiler:pool their money to get Marcus killed out of retaliation for the death of a neighbor they loved, but when Marcus takes one of them hostage, they're all willing to leave Marcus alone and have him and Clint settle the issue themselves if it means saving the hostage. When Clint decides to stab Michelle, Marcus's ex-wife who had nothing to do with the situation, instead of honor the deal, they all kill Clint instead]].

** It would be a real stretch to call Jonathan "evil" (at his worst, he's simply a source of annoyance), but he is visibly shaken and horrified by Warren's cold-hearted nature and monstrous sadism. He had signed up for James Bond villain style shenanigans to fuel his nerdy interests, not murder and worse.

*** While he also uses it to bring his daughter to his side, he genuinely opposes Slade's siege because he doesn't want to see the entire city destroyed.
*** [[BlueAndOrangeMorality His actions may only make logical sense to him]], but his love for his daughter is genuine. The fastest way to end up at the top of his kill list is to threaten Thea's life, and he even ends up [[spoiler:sacrificing himself to save her life without hesitation]].
*** He sides with [[spoiler:Damien Darhk]] as a way to protect Thea, but once it's clear that [[spoiler:Darhk has completely lost his mind and is now determined to destroy the entire world, he quickly switches back.]] Even then, despite being his ally, he never reveals Oliver's identity to him.
** ComicBook/RasAlGhul leads the League of Assassins, which does everything the name implies, but even he was disgusted by The Undertaking, Malcolm Merlyn's plan in the first season to [[spoiler: destroy the Glades]] in order to [[WellIntentionedExtremist save Starling City from itself]]. The act is such a violation of the League's code that [[spoiler: he now wants to kill Malcolm personally]].

* ''Series/BabylonFive'': Londo Mollari is this in some ways. Among other examples, even though he was in favor of retaking the Narn homeworld, he objected to the use of [[DeathFromAbove Mass]] [[ColonyDrop Drivers]] to bombard the planet. Although his objection is purely a diplomatic one (treaties banning mass drivers) and not humanitarian issues, there are still lines that he thinks shouldn't be crossed, even in service of the Centauri Republic.

*** While he also uses it to bring his daughter to his side, he genuinely opposes Slade's siege because he doesn't want to see the entire city destroyed.
*** [[BlueAndOrangeMorality His actions may only make logical sense to him]], but his love for his daughter is genuine. The fastest way to end up at the top of his kill list is to threaten Thea's life, and he even ends up [[spoiler:sacrificing himself to save her life without hesitation]].
*** He sides with [[spoiler:Damien Darhk]] as a way to protect Thea, but once it's clear that [[spoiler:Darhk has completely lost his mind and is now determined to destroy the entire world, he quickly switches back.]] Even then, despite being his ally, he never reveals Oliver's identity to him.

* ''The Cursed'', a Korean Horror Mystery series that was shown on Creator/{{Netflix}} has an evil shamaness Jin-Kyung and her suppliers/enforcers capture the journalist Jin-hee. Jin-Kyung then takes half her minions to go hunt the young shamaness So-Jin, she then tells the remaining enforcers to kill Jin-hee and since Jin-hee is pretty and they can rape her first for a bit of fun. As soon as Jin-Kyung leaves, one enforcers yells out that she's such a psychopath and who does she think they are. The guy turns to Jin-hee and tells her, that they're not like that and they just plan to quickly kill her and dump her corpse. Note that these guys are brazen enough to kidnap a cop and torture him with pipe beatings.

* ''The Cursed'', a Korean Horror Mystery series that was shown on Creator/{{Netflix}} has an evil shamaness Kim Jin-Sook and her suppliers/enforcers capture the journalist Jin-hee. Jin-Sook then takes half her minions to go hunt the young shamaness So-Jin, she then tells the remaining enforcers to kill Jin-hee and since Jin-hee is pretty and they can rape her first for a bit of fun. As soon as Jin-Sook leaves, one enforcers yells out that she's such a psychopath and who does she think they are. The guy turns to Jin-hee and tells her, that they're not like that and they just plan to quickly kill her and dump her corpse. Note that these guys are brazen enough to kidnap a cop and torture him with pipe beatings.

* ''The Cursed'', a Korean Horror Mystery series that was shown on Creator/{{Netflix}} has an evil shamaness and her suppliers/enforcers capture the journalist Jin-hee. The shamaness then takes half her minions to go hunt the young shamaness So-Jin, she then tells the remaining enforcers to kill Jin-hee and since Jin-hee is pretty and they can rape her first for a bit of fun. As soon as she leaves, one enforcers yells out that she's such a psychopath and who does she think they are. The guy turns to Jin-hee and tells her, that they're not like that and they just plan to quickly kill her and dump her corpse. Note that these guys are brazen enough to kidnap a cop and torture him with pipe beatings.

*** While he also uses it to bring his daughter to his side, he genuinely opposes Slade's siege because he doesn't want to see the entire city destroyed.
*** [[BlueAndOrangeMorality His actions may only make logical sense to him]], but his love for his daughter is genuine. The fastest way to end up at the top of his kill list is to threaten Thea's life, and he even ends up [[spoiler:sacrificing himself to save her life without hesitation]].
*** He sides with [[spoiler:Damien Darhk]] as a way to protect Thea, but once it's clear that [[spoiler:Darhk has completely lost his mind and is now determined to destroy the entire world, he quickly switches back.]] Even then, despite being his ally, he never reveals Oliver's identity to him.

** Gareth has done a lot of very nasty things as [[TheDragon the chief enforcer]] first for Richard and then for [[spoiler:Madalena]], who is a ''completely'' ruthless ruler, (and he subverted this trope in the first season when he appeared to balk at torturing people, then stated that [[TortureTechnician he had no problem with torture]] and rather likes it, he just didn't intend to obey the person ordering him to do it because he was still only loyal to Richard) however in the second season he gets freaked out by [[spoiler:Madalena's]] intention to acquire BlackMagic that you have to [[DealWithTheDevil sell your soul]] in order to use. As he later states, there's a fine line between being a horrible person and being a genuinely evil one, and he doesn't cross that line.

** Despite claiming to be willing to get rid of Rose once she finds a more appropriate host Lady Cassandra thinks [[TheEugenicist Rose is such a rare breed of pure human stock]] that she is willing to protect her [[GrandTheftMe as long as she remains as her vessel.]] Rose is also the person Cassandra shows the greatest amount of respect towards and the only one she recognizes as her equal due to her materialist view, despite the ressentment and classist hatred she feels towards her. If given the opportunity to regain her wealth, she may have fully embraced her as her equal and surely [[ProudBeauty enjoys her new appearance as Rose.]]

** ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'': Damien Darhk [[spoiler:murdered Laurel Lance without any hesitation, even laughing while he did it]], but upon witnessing [[spoiler: his daughter being turned into a demon]], he told her sister Sara that he would take it back if he could. He even worked with his sworn enemies the Legends to take his daughters place, giving her a heartfelt apology for turning her into a monster as he died.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': In "[[Recap/InterviewWithTheVampire2022S1E6LikeAngelsPutInHellByGod Like Angels Put in Hell by God]]", Lestat de Lioncourt, a merciless vampire, disapproves of rape, stating to Claudia that what [[ImpliedRape Bruce did to her]] "was in very poor taste." However, this doesn't make Lestat any less evil than Bruce because he's threatening Claudia in this scene, and as terrible as her experience was with Bruce, Lestat assures her that what he'll do to her is ''worse''. ("I won't snap your leg, defile your pocket, and zoom off on a motorbike. I'll turn your bones to dust.")

** Uncle Junior is upset when one of the dealers associated with the family sells to a child, leading to that child's death, and he has said dealer killed.

** If there's anything Johnny Sack would never do it's [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes cheat on his wife]].

** In the Season 2 episode "The Happy Wanderer" [[JerkAss Richie Aprile]] of all people actually tries to prevent Tony's childhood friend and gambling addict Davey from becoming buried in debt. Though he does later try to attack him this is only after Davey messed him about.
** While Johnny ends up taking a plea deal he still refuses to rat out any of his associates.

*** While he also uses it to bring his daughter to his side, he genuinely opposes Slade's siege because he doesn't want to see the entire city destroyed.
*** [[BlueAndOrangeMorality His actions may only make logical sense to him]], but his love for his daughter is genuine. The fastest way to end up at the top of his kill list is to threaten Thea's life, and he even ends up [[spoiler:sacrificing himself to save her life without hesitation]].
*** He sides with [[spoiler:Damien Darhk]] as a way to protect Thea, but once it's clear that [[spoiler:Darhk has completely lost his mind and is now determined to destroy the entire world, he quickly switches back.]] Even then, despite being his ally, he never reveals Oliver's identity to him.

** Kai Winn is a zealous, scheming, weapons grade prick of a woman. But while she is a reprehensible person, she's not without some small redeeming virtues. She never collaborated with the Cardassians during the occupation, immiedtaly switches sides when it turns out a Bajoran extremist group she supported was backed by the Cardassians, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking finds]] [[SmugSnake Weyoun]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking an insufferable tool like all the heroes do]].

** ''SeriesIn '''Series/PersonOfInterestm i/PowerRangersInSpace'' had Ecliptor, one of the first major villains with a code of honor, who viewed BigBad Astronema like a daughter and would have done anything for her. To a lesser extent, Astronema herself was this, thinking the Power Rangers killed her parents, raised to believe [[NecessarilyEvil she had to be evil in order to really get revenge]]. Her true kindhearted nature shines through with moments like [[WouldntHurtAChild she saved a child and its mother from one of her own soldiers]]. She even does a HeelFaceTurn. Unfortunately the GreaterScopeVillain Dark Spector has her captured and then BrainwashedAndCrazy. She gets better in the end.

* ''Series/{{Castle}}'': In “Sucker Punch”, gangster Finn Rourke tells Beckett that he might be a thief and a killer, but he draws the line at running drugs. When he found out about a dealer in his territory, he sent his knife man (the VictimOfTheWeek) to deal with it.

* ''Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon'': When Queen Beryl realizes that Metaria cannot be controlled and will destroy the world, she decides to try to go against it, ordering Jadeite to kill Endymion (who'd sealed Metaria in his own body). Unfortunately for her, this leaves her to be killed by Princess Serenity as she loses the vast majority of her powers.

** While [[EvilIsSexy Captain Hook]] has no problem extracting Aurora's heart and using it to control her to get what he wants, he pulls an impressive BulletTime maneuver to retrieve it when it's nearly knocked into a portal, explaining that he "bristles at the thought of a woman losing her heart...unless it's over me."

** ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'':
*** Damien Darhk [[spoiler:murdered Laurel Lance without any hesitation, even laughing while he did it]], but upon witnessing [[spoiler: his daughter being turned into a demon]], he told her sister Sara that he would take it back if he could. He even worked with his sworn enemies the Legends to take his daughters place, giving her a heartfelt apology for turning her into a monster as he died.* ''Series/TheATeam'': In one two-part episode, the titular team go on a mission to rescue someone from some pirates who were hired by a gangster. Later, the pirates end up teaming up with the A-Team when the gangster turns out to be a Nazi.

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'':
** Malcolm Merlyn spends a lot of his time in the HeelFaceRevolvingDoor thanks to this trope.
*** While he also uses it to bring his daughter to his side, he genuinely opposes Slade's siege because he doesn't want to see the entire city destroyed.

*** He sides with [[spoiler:Damien Darhk]] as a way to protect Thea, but once it's clear that [[spoiler:Darhk has completely lost his mind and is now determined to destroy the entire world, he quickly switches back.]] Even then, despite being his ally, he never reveals Oliver's identity to him.

** Black Siren is a ruthless mercenary who enjoys killing, but even she is repulsed and terrified by Ricardo Diaz [[spoiler:setting his childhood bully on fire as revenge]]. Diaz’s actions also cause his ally [[spoiler:Anatoly]] to abandon him, as he believes that Diaz will only bring destruction if he takes control of the city.
** The series' version of ComicBook/AmandaWaller [[spoiler:gets a bridge dropped on her via BoomHeadshot in the Season 4 episode "A.W.O.L." when a team of Shadowspire agents take her and several A.R.G.U.S. employees hostage and the leader of the Shadowspire team notices that Waller will allow all of her employees to perish rather than accept his demands (or even try to pretend she will). As a result, he blows her away in disgust and starts to talk to the next-best agent.]]
* ''Series/TheATeam'': In one two-part episode, the titular team go on a mission to rescue someone from some pirates who were hired by a gangster. Later, the pirates end up teaming up with the A-Team when the gangster turns out to be a Nazi.

* ''Series/TheFlash2014'':
** Marlize Devoe works with her husband Clifford to absorb the powers of other metahumans and killing them, but upon seeing him force a security guard to shoot himself in the head with psychic powers, she leaves him and switches sides.
** Leonard Snart was a brutal thief who wasn’t above killing innocents if it distracted Barry long enough for him to escape. However, even before his HeelFaceTurn, he was shown to have standards; although he betrayed Barry by letting the criminals they were transporting loose, he also saved Barry's life in the ensuing fight. He also loved his sister dearly and hated his father for what he was doing to her. When it was revealed that Lewis Snart put a bomb in Lisa’s head to get Leonard to cooperate, the Snarts turned to Team Flash for help; the moment Lisa was safe, Leonard shot Lewis dead and turned himself in.

* ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'':
** Damien Darhk [[spoiler:murdered Laurel Lance without any hesitation, even laughing while he did it]], but upon witnessing [[spoiler: his daughter being turned into a demon]], he told her sister Sara that he would take it back if he could. He even worked with his sworn enemies the Legends to take his daughters place, giving her a heartfelt apology for turning her into a monster as he died.

* ''Series/Supergirl2015'':
** Otis Graves proves there are lines even he won't cross when he secretly spares a child Lex Luthor had ordered him to kill.
** Lillian Luthor may love her son and believe him to be unjustly imprisoned for trying to show the world that Superman and all other aliens are enemies of humankind, but once she learns the full breadth of her son's plan (involving [[spoiler:getting Kaznia to attack the US so he could be the hero for stopping them and then blowing up Argo just to kill Superman [wiping out all surviving Kryptonians but Supergirl])]], she slips Polonium-210 into Lex's tea. Except he's too smart to fall for that.
** Ben Lockwood may be a xenophobe of the highest order but he does believe he's defending Earth from possible monster threats. He's thus thrown to discover that all along, he's been nothing but a pawn for Lex and more so when he realizes this was never about "defending" Earth but just giving Lex more power and money.

* ''Series/PartOfMe'': While Gerardo is one of the main antagonists of the story and something of a {{Jerkass}}, he's nowhere near as bad as Carlos or Elena and is always uncomfortable with the evil depths they sink to, especially when they start getting people killed. As he himself says, he may be a swindler, but he's not a killer.

* Subverted in the ''Series/CowboyBebop2021'' episode "Blue Crow Waltz", which shows Spike's past as a hitman for the Syndicate. At the start of the episode, Spike lets a female witness leave a crime scene because she has her child with her, and a Syndicate rule is that you don't kill children. After massacring the Neptune gang, including several female gang members, he encounters an apparent InnocentBystander and likewise tells her to flee after she assures him she didn't see anything, only to shoot her InTheBack.