History HisOwnWorstEnemy / FanWorks

* ''Fanfic/HeroClassCivilWarfare'': Bakugou and Izuku were chosen to lead their respective teams as Paragon and Kingpin in order to give them both a chance to address their biggest issues: Bakugou's self-obsessive attitude and Izuku's tendency to be avoidant and self-sabotaging.

* ''Fanfic/PurpleDays'': Following his HeelRealization, Joffery decides across all of his lives, the only one who has hurt him more than Balish is Joffery himself.

* ''Fanfic/DannyPhantomStranded'': ''Mistaken'' centers around how Poindexter has unintentionally trapped himself in a SelfInflictedHell due to his obsessive desire to make others pay for how he was bullied during his short life. After learning how much his old crush Stacy has grown and changed over the years, Poindexter starts to realize how he's been completely unable to do the same, leading him to wonder "Have I been bullying myself without even realizing it?"

* ''Fanfic/FantasticFoxesOfZootopia'': {{Discussed}} in ''Size Matters''. While Rattigan has been gone for years, Basil finds himself starting to suspect that he might be behind several recent crimes, and is worried that he's letting fear cloud his better judgment. Dave reassures him, encouraging him to trust his instincts.

* ''Fanfic/TheVigilanteBossAndHisFailedRetirementPlan'' has Futaba and Ojiro team up to ruin Bakugou's reputation through FlawExploitation: they spread the word of what a BarbaricBully and utter {{Jerkass}} he is. Katsuki does nothing to help his case; when students from other departments meet him, they're astounded to learn that he's even ''worse'' than the rumors. Ojiro complains that their efforts feel unsatisfyingly redundant, since Katsuki's effectively destroying his own reputation just by being ''himself''.
* In ''Fanfic/VoyagesOfTheWildSeaHorse'', Nabiki tells Ranma's three fiancées that it's their own fault Ranma pushes them away. Their constant efforts to make him choose one of them makes him uncomfortable and their constant infighting, which Ranma is often dragged into, irritates him. The girls agree to a truce so that Ranma can get to know them and choose one of them on his own, a decision which sees all of the relationships deepen.

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12309322/1/The-Fractured-Mirror The Fractured Mirror]]'': Lincoln almost ends up killing himself trying to become talented like his sisters. It isn't until later on when it's revealed he's been a talented [[spoiler:artist]] this entire time. However, due to his how critical he was of his [[spoiler:art]], he never considered it to be a genuine skill.

* In the ''Fanfic/LadyBugOut'' AU, Alya, Adrien and Lila all effectively sabotage themselves:
** Alya [[NeverMyFault refuses to admit]] that it was wrong to post the picture she took of Ladybug and Chat Noir KissingUnderTheInfluence of Oblivio's LaserGuidedAmnesia... despite the fact that she ''clearly knew'' otherwise, given how desperately she tried to hide the truth. But when Marinette and most of the class calls her out on this, she insists she has every ''right'' to misrepresent Ladybug. She then doubles down and insists that Ladybug and Marinette betrayed ''her'' by [[StartMyOwn starting their own blog]] and revealing the truth. Even after Lila [[LiarRevealed tells a lie]] that even ''Alya'' can't deny, revealing that Marinette [[CassandraTruth was right to warn her]], she continues to insist that Marinette has to make amends with ''her'' instead, unable and unwilling to swallow her pride enough to admit her mistakes.

** Lila is so used to manipulating others with all her lies that once she's [[LiarRevealed exposed as one]], she has no idea how to go about fixing the problem. Aside from continuing with the same tactics, refusing to accept that they're no longer effective.

* ''Fanfic/AndrogyninjasADropOfPoison'': As much as Ino desperately wants to [[WeUsedToBeFriends fix her broken friendship with Sakura]] after it becomes clear that Sasuke is no longer an obstacle, her [[{{Pride}} stubborn pride]] keeps working against her. When Shikamaru suggests she simply [[StatingTheSimpleSolution talk to her]] about what happened, she loudly denies having any interest in doing so, and continues shunning and ignoring Sakura... while seething with envy over her befriending Hinata and Shino.

* ''Fanfic/DenounceTheEvils'': After Team Rocket disbands, Jessie, James and Meowth find themselves having to deal with their respective traumas and inner demons, along with the consequences of the poor reputations they built up during their criminal career.

* Way too many fanworks focusing on Parsee Mizuhashi to list here has this as a theme. Parsee being a GreenEyedMonster {{Youkai}} who [[EmotionEater feeds on jealousy]] and whose ability to [[HatePlague instill envy in the hearts of others]] is directly derived from [[PowerBornOfMadness her own jealousy of them]] has everything in her life revolve around how she's incapable of being content with what she has and always envies others for what they have that she lacks. The fact that she's [[ShipsThatPassInTheNight most often shipped with]] Yuugi Hoshiguma, one of [[WorldsStrongestWoman the strongest]] and [[AmazonianBeauty most beautiful]] women in the franchise, yet still somehow always finds ways to sour her own fortune underscores how Parsee herself is the biggest obstacle in her life that separates her from her own happiness.

** While Yuuri considers Viktor to be his greatest rival, his deeply rooted anxieties and self-loathing blinds him to his own worth. As a result, he's unable to see how much Viktor cares about him, or identify his own feelings for Viktor.

** In a {{Soulmate AU|Fic}} [[https://kazliin.tumblr.com/post/157334634302/ spin-off]] based off this 'verse, people have the name of their OneTrueLove appear on one wrist while the other has the name of their worst enemy. Viktor has Yuuri's name on both of his wrists, while Yuuri has Viktor's name on one and his own on the other. Yuuri assumes this is a sign that he's a {{Narcissist}}, and that Viktor is his enemy, but Viktor eventually realizes that it's the other way round; Yuuri's self-loathing and thoughtless actions nearly cost him his relationship with the love of his life.

* ''Fanfic/TheCuttingEdge'': Laurel struggles to see her own value as a person. When Sara points out that her knowledge of the future will eventually become useless due to all the changes that she's made, Laurel takes this to mean that she'll won't be needed after that point; after all, she's convinced that she's never been good enough for others just by herself.

* ''[[Fanfic/TheWolvesInTheWoodsMiraculousLadybug The Wolves in the Woods]]'':

* ''FanFic/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail'': In many ways, the biggest obstacle in Goh's way is Goh himself:

** Alya [[NeverMyFault refuses to admit]] that she betrayed Ladybug's trust or that she did anything wrong. No matter how much evidence stacks up, she ''insists'' that she's the victim and that others should apologize to HER instead. This persists even after Lila [[InternalReveal tells a lie even SHE can't deny]]; even after realizing that Marinette [[CassandraTruth was telling the truth all along]], she continues to insist that Mari must make amends to ''her'' instead, unable and unwilling to swallow her pride.

* ''Fanfic/{{Cain}}'': Katsuki is so [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered]] and used to getting his way that he winds up constantly sabotaging himself without realizing it. For instance, he tries to sabotage Izuku by forcing him through a ShamefulStrip at school, taking pictures and using them as 'evidence' that Toshinori is abusing him. He [[DidntThinkThisThrough doesn't consider]] the chances of Inko investigating and learning the truth, much less that Toshinori -- whom he wants to train ''HIM'' instead -- might not appreciate him painting him as a predator.

*** Her MoralMyopia and utter LackOfEmpathy for anyone she labels her enemy subsequently isolates her from the rest of the class when she tries convincing them to cross a line [[EverybodyHasStandards nobody else wants to cross]], causing them to recognize that she's a [[ToxicFriendInfluence toxic 'friend']] and cut her out of their lives.

* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/24278548 Remember Their Sins No More]]'', Catra's immense guilt over everything she did in the Horde manifests itself as extreme self-loathing. It gets so bad that she initially rejects Adora's marriage proposal because she considers herself undeserving of Adora's love and happiness. Catra is regularly tormented by nightmares of the [[Recap/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPowerS3E05Remember the]] portal [[Recap/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPowerS3E06ThePortal incident]] (which she considers [[MyGreatestFailure her greatest mistake]]) and vows to save Queen Angella, hoping that will make her feel better.

* ''Fanfic/TalesOfSonicTheHedgehog'': When Robotnik declares that Sonic is his greatest enemy, Hope [[ShutUpHannibal retorts]] that he's his own worst enemy, and that the main reason he fails is due to his insistence upon being evil. Robotnik is actually stunned speechless by her response.