History GreyAndGrayMorality / AnimeAndManga

* The battles between Marines and Pirates in ''Manga/OnePiece'' depends on viewpoint character. Both sides have their fair share of good and evil members. Marines can be distinguished by their sense of justice -- [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure moral]] or [[KnightTemplar absolute]] -- while pirates either travel just [[WalkingTheEarth for the thrill of adventure]] or to RapePillageAndBurn. To drive the point home, the end of the [[TheAlcatraz Impel Down arc]] reveals that [[spoiler:Hanybal was desperate not to let its inmates break free, knowing they are hardened criminals who still pose a threat to the world's security]]. The Straw Hat Pirates are one of the few relatively good pirates, and even then [[HeroicNeutral they'd rather stay away from the struggles between pirates and Marines]] [[ItsPersonal so long as it doesn't affect their merry band of]] TrueCompanions -- which, unfortunately, given [[CrapsackWorld the world's state of affairs]], [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive more often than not does]].

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Neither the Magic nor the Science side are portrayed as entirely good nor evil. Both sides do very shady things behind public eye and do what they think is best for everyone. Some characters in each side are [[AntiHero Anti Heroes]] at best while others are KnightTemplar or WellIntentionedExtremist at worst.

* ''LightNovel/CrestOfTheStars''. Both warring factions are morally ambiguous: Leaders of [[TheEmpire Humankind Em]][[SpaceElves pire Abh]] want to establish everlasting peace and prosperity, but they try to achieve it by [[GalacticConqueror conquering the Galaxy]] and subjugating humankind to their benevolent but authoritarian reign, which, among other things, deprives them of freedom of interstellar travel. On other hand, their enemies, [[TheFederation United Humankind]] want to preserve their independence and freedom of space travel and trade, but they are prone to use underhanded tactics against Abh, are blatantly racist towards them and plan to enslave Abh after the war is over.

* ''LightNovel/{{Maoyu}}'' deconstructs the BlackAndWhiteMorality prevalent in many other fantasy works when the Demon Queen reveals the truth to the Hero about the human-demon conflict: neither side are wholly good nor evil, just the individuals and their actions. On one hand, the war helped unite feuding kingdoms against a common enemy. On the other hand, opportunists came in to exploit civilians and get rich off the war. Both the Demon Queen and the Hero, who can pride themselves of ALighterShadeOfGrey, now set off to cut through the war and find a more peaceful solution.

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': Chapter 55 drives this home repeatedly, showing just how blurred the lines have become. Ultimately, every group seems to believe their actions are necessary or justified, and getting their hands dirty for the sake of the greater good. [[spoiler: Hange and Levi brutally torture a captured enemy for information, while Erwin and Pixis plot to overthrow the rulers and install Historia as a [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]]. Armin openly considers the advantages of a FalseFlagOperation, and reminds the others that from here on out they will have to kill people for nothing more than because they are from another Branch -- stating that they are no longer "good people"]].

* The third season of ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', ''Slayers TRY'', falls under this, especially compared to the other seasons and most media, although it shows shades of ALighterShadeOfGrey at times. This particular plot calls out the [[{{God}} Shinzoku]] as self-righteous, hypocritical cowards, and the BigBad and the [[SealedEvilInACan greater being possessing him]] seek to destroy the world and then rebuild it so it will be free of the eternal battle between Shinzoku and Mazoku, something that was only started in the first place because the Lord of Nightmares found it funny, which affects the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Mazoku]] and what they desire -- [[OmnicidalManiac namely, the total destruction of everything, period]].

* In ''LightNovel/SuteraretaYuushaNoEiyuutan'', the humans on the planet Randolia are all brought there from various worlds by goddess Claire, and have wildly varying ethics and motivations for joining the fight. The local demons, while defending their home, are also of a broad spectrum of morality. Aside from superficial differences, a truly impartial observer would have great difficulty understanding what the fuss is about.

** ''Manga/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind'': Of all the various factions, the closest any come to being completely "good" or "evil" are the Forest People, who are [[NobleSavage deeply spiritual nature lovers]], but they can also be [[CantArguewithElves deeply pragmatic in their attitudes toward other peoples]] and the [[HumansAreBastards greedy, selfish]] [[AndManGrewProud pre-apocalyptic]] peoples who led the world to destruction and even they did [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans what they thought was the right thing]] in the end.

* Anime/{{K}} seems to take it a step further than this in that the conflict between HOMRA and Scepter 4 is never framed as a moral issue. Both sides attempt to protect the city from Strains, they just have [[OrderVersusChaos different ways of going about it]]. Many viewers tend to think of HOMRA as the [[ALighterShadeOfGrey lighter shade]], because their [[ThePowerOfFriendship Power Of Friendship]] side was shown in the first season -- as well as Misaki's raging anger at Saruhiko's HazyFeelTurn -- and Saruhiko's [[ThenLetMeBeEvil less than helpful reaction]]. However, Scepter 4 gets those moments in Season 2. The Green clan might look like a darker shade, and the other three clans do team up against them, however, they are more of a WellIntentionedExtremist type. Likewise, the Silver clan might seem to be completely good, and the Silver King is framed as the BigGood, but then again, they could have avoided conflict if he hadn't run away from his responsibilities for so long.

* The entire point of ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes''. This quote from Yang Wen-Li sums it up best:

** In the ''Mundus Magicus'' arc, it is revealed that [[spoiler:all Fate wanted was to ''save Mundus Magicus''... except his method risks lots of collateral damage (specifically, the ArtificialHumans that comprise majority of its population). Simply put, Negi and Fate are basically fighting over who can do a better job of saving it]].

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' is somewhere between this and TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil. At first, it appears to be a BlackAndWhiteMorality tale: [[MentorMascot Kyubey]] and the {{Magical Girl}}s fight to save the Earth and the universe, while [[BigBad Walpurgisnacht]] and the [[OurWitchesAreDifferent witches]] are OmnicidalManiac {{Eldritch Abomination}}s. However, the magical girls are {{Anti Hero}}ines at best, while [[spoiler: the witches are [[FallenHero fallen]] [[WasOnceAMan magical girls]] intentionally corrupted by Kyubey, whose plan to save the universe is to extract humanity’s despair for energy]]. Madoka is the only 100% good character [[spoiler:, and considering her witch form it’s more like 90% good]]. Everyone in the series has at least a little good and a little bad in them.

* The third season of ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}''. Slayers TRY, falls under this, especially compared to the other seasons and most media, although it shows shades of ALighterShadeOfGrey at times. This particular plot calls out the [[{{God}} Shinzoku]] as self-righteous, hypocritical cowards, and the BigBad and the [[SealedEvilInACan greater being possessing him]] seek to destroy the world and then rebuild it so it will be free of the eternal battle between Shinzoku and Mazoku, something that was only started in the first place because the Lord of Nightmares found it funny, which affects the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Mazoku]] and what they desire -- [[OmnicidalManiac namely, the total destruction of everything, period]].

* ''Manga/{{Dorohedoro}}''. With all the {{Villain Episode}}s, you can't help but realize that the setting is filled with {{Punch Clock Villain}}s and {{Anti Hero}}es in a CrapsackWorld.

* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' has made a point of this trope since [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam the original series]]. Although the antagonists, Zeon, are generally seen as more evil than the Federation, Zeon's causus belli are understandable and realistic, while the Federation commits its fair share of atrocities across the series as well. In the end, no one side can claim to be exclusively good or evil.

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* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'': In the third season, when the class learns that the reason Korosensei is going to destroy the Earth is that [[spoiler:he's a ticking antimatter bomb that will do it whether he wants to or not if he's left unchecked]], the class splits into two factions. One led by Karma that maintains that they should kill Korosensei and save the world, and the other led by Nagisa that instead wants to save him. The conflict is brief; they resolve it with a paintball war.

-->"If only [[BlackAndWhiteMorality absolute good and evil]] existed in this world like on TV dramas, how simple life would be for the people!"

-->The concept of portraying evil and then destroying it -- I know this is considered mainstream, but I think it is rotten. This idea that whenever something evil happens someone particular can be blamed and punished for it, in life and in politics is hopeless.