History Main / AlwaysSaveTheGirl

** In this case, it seems like the Guru just hadn't explained it properly. Aang doesn't have to ''stop loving'' Katara, as he seems to think, he just needs to let go of that attachment (temporarilly) in order to reach a higher state of being. An example of how this attachment gets in the way of his Avatar duties might be his rushing off to save her rather than taking 5 seconds to calm down, clear his mind, and [[spoiler:unlock the final chakra, which would have given him full control of the Avatar State, made savings her much easier, and possibly allowed him to stop the coop in Ba Sing Se as well]]. Aang IS only twelve, but he really could have saved the girl AND the world in this case if he had just stopped to think about it.

-->''"Setting fire to an entire city for the sake of one woman seems...excessive."''
-->''"Fuck the city. I'd burn the whole world to save her."''
-->--'''Majesty''', '''Caine''', ''ActsOfCaine''

As long as the hero [[TakeAThirdOption takes a third option]] or at least [[DirtyBusiness shows a decent amount of angst]] over the decision, the audience ''may'' sympathize. But MoralDissonance can result if the hero seems to make the choice a little too easily, or if the exchange of life is ridiculously high. It can go full-on WallBanger if the couple in question were StrangledByTheRedString or [[TheDulcineaEffect if they've only known each other for a short time]]. Then again, it could also be done in such a way that makes the audience feel [[KickTheSonOfABitch the hometown/nation/world deserved it]] [[HumansAreBastards for relentlessly abusing the hero.]]

See also HostageForMacGuffin.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* The FullMetalAlchemist manga features a subversion. Ed's love interest is used as a hostage by one of the more AxCrazy villains in the story, who tells him to obey some murderous orders from the military higher ups. Ed seems to comply pretty quickly, but in reality he is already planning to TakeAThirdOption.

* In ''Chaos;Head'', Takumi could have let Norose use Noah II to greatly improve the world but he saved Rimi instead.
** Of course, That's assuming the psychopathic Norose would use the Noah II as he claimed he would.
*** Of course he fucking wouldn't have. Norose was a CompleteMonster of the highest order.

* In TheCastleOfCagliostro Lupin's original intention is a simple snatch and grab of the high-quality plates used to make near perfect counterfeit bills, then a pretty girl is chased past him by bad men with guns and the movie happens.

** However, CodeGeass is somewhat of a subversion of the trope, since while Lelouch does [[{{AlwaysSaveTheGirl}} choose the girl over everything else,]] in both cases [[spoiler: it backfires, causing him to suffer defeat, and lose the girl anyway.]]

* Sanji from ''{{One Piece}}''. Possibly one of his major character flaws, actually.

* Played very straight by Shinji in ''RebuildOfEvangelion'': "What happens to me doesn't matter. What happens to the world doesn't matter. But Ayanami... At least Ayanami... I'll definitely save her!"

* Belldandy in [[OhMyGoddess Ah! My Goddess]], makes it clear she puts Keiichi's life ahead of all others, once allowing the cutting of the Universal superstring rather than killing him when he is possessed by the Lord of Terror, ends up taking the third option to save the day
* {{Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann}}, just like everything else, takes this trope and cranks it past absurdity all the way into heartbreaking. While there is the excuse of having to fight off the evil swarm, the last few episodes boil down to Simon's perfect willingness to march into Hell to come for Nia. Even when it costs [[spoiler: him enough energy to create detrius galaxies and fill the cockpit with blood, the lives of the Gurren Brigade, and comes close to destroying the universe.]] That's some goddamned love.
** Possibly subverted when Nia stands in the way of [[spoiler: a continent-sized drill needed to gattai with the moon. Her being MadeOfExplodium at this point, using it would turn her, Simon, and the moon-mech up into pulp.]] Turned right-side up again when [[spoiler: he notices she's still wearing the engagement band. She falters for a moment, asking him to come and save her, and]] he pushes through for her sake.

* Subverted at the last second in ''WeissKreuz.'' This is pretty much Youji's default mindset, but he ends up [[spoiler:killing the woman he loves in order to save his teammates]].

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

** Also ''BatmanForever'', but subverted as Batman knows he wouldn't be able to save either the girl or Robin, then he goes and saves both anyway because he's [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower just that good]].
** An episode of BatmanTheAnimatedSeries has Harley Quinn try to invoke this as a SadisticChoice, telling Batman he can either catch her, or save Catwoman from a ConveyorBeltODoom. Batman [[TakeAThirdOption pulls the factory's power switch]].
--->'''Harley:''' Good choice. ''Help.''
* Deconstructed in the ''StarWars'' prequel trilogy. In ''[[StarWars Revenge of the Sith]]'', Anakin Skywalker turns to the Dark Side, kills off all the Jedi, and turns a Republic into an Empire to save the life of his wife Padme Amidala. She dies anyways, and he likely caused her death through a self-fulfilling prophecy.
* In the original trilogy, duruing Episode V, Luke goes off to save Han and Leia from Vader, without finishing his Jedi training and despite Yoda's warning that "save them you might, but destroy all they have fought for you will"

* There's the choice given in the first ''{{Film/Spider-Man}}'' film where Peter is forced to choose between Mary Jane's life and the lives of some children in a cablecar. It appears for a moment as if he's chosen MJ, but actually he's [[TakeAThirdOption Taken a Third Option]].

-->'''Hellboy''': "Hey, you on the other side. Let her go. Because for her [[LikeABadassOutOfHell I'll cross over, and]] '''[[LikeABadassOutOfHell then]]''' [[LikeABadassOutOfHell ... you'll be sorry.]]"
** In the second film however, this is played straight by both Abe and ''Liz''. Abe tries to save his porcelain princess by giving her brother the {{Macguffin}} that controls the Golden Army (the one, which, you know, nearly drove humanity extinct last time it was used,) while Liz, after being told by an ''Angel of Death'' that Hellboy would bring about the Apocalypse, ''tells Hellboy's Angel of Death to sod off and save him anyway.'' This is also a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming, since it shows just how much Liz really trusts Hellboy, but she still screwed the world to save her boy.

* In ''[[IndianaJones Raiders Of The Lost Ark]]'', Indy offers to let the Nazis keep the Ark in exchange for Marion, threatening to destroy the Ark if they don't comply. Belloq calls his bluff and Indy gets captured.
** Of course, until the Ark is opened, Indy doesn't believe it has any supernatural powers; he just thinks it's an ancient artifact. A very valuable artifact of immense cultural significance, but still just an artifact.
*** ...until the faces [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel started melting]].

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted at first]] in ''[[AustinPowers The Spy Who Shagged Me]]'' where Austin decides to save the world and let the GirlOfTheWeek die, [[spoiler:but later DoubleSubverted when he lets Dr. Evil escape so he can use Evil's [[TimeTravel time machine]] to [[StableTimeLoop save her]].]]
* In {{The Spy Who Loved Me}}, {{James Bond}} chooses to defy his superiors to save Anya Amasova from the villain's lair, which is about to be torpedoed by the navy. Considering that she said she would kill him as soon as the mission was over, this proves that he really did love her.
* In {{GoldenEye}} he subverts this trope by telling [[FaceHeelTurn Trevelyan]] to [[WhatTheHellHero go ahead and kill]] [[HeroesWantRedheads Natalya]], but this is actually a BatmanGambit. Of course, he ends up saving her.
* A gender flip of this occurs in the 2010 version of ''TheWolfMan'' Gwen protects Lawrence from the police in the hopes of finding a cure... even though this almost certainly means someone innocent is going to get killed or savaged by a werewolf.
* Subverted in ''PlunkettAndMacleane'' when despite [[spoiler: Plunkett's warnings he'll be captured, Macleane attempts to to go back and save Lady Rebbecca despite the risks. It is a trap and General Chance is waiting to arrest him]].

* AttackOfTheClones: play with the trope. Anakin finally accept to continue the more important mission while Padmé seems to be hurt. But when a clone trooper rescue her, she can rise without even taking his hand.

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Subverted hard in ''{{Discworld}}'' with [[TheCape Captain Carrot]], who says "Personal isn't the same thing as important" and, while he wanted to get [[ActionGirl Angua]] back, joined Vimes's group to stop the war in ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'' instead of going off by himself after her. Of course, Angua is a ''[[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf]]'', and Carrot knows it, so he rarely thinks she's in any actual danger.
** Played somewhat more straight in ''Discworld/TheFifthElephant'': though there wasn't a crisis in Ankh-Morpork that needed dealing with, he immediately resigns his commission and goes after her when she leaves the city.
*** But also subverted there in that he ''informs the proper authorities first''. He's not rash, even when he ''is'' doing the romantic thing.
**** Subverted AGAIN with Susan and that whole time-crisis bit, although it was [[spoiler: an old man, and Time and Existence were almost destroyed because of it. (Apocalypse averted?)]]
* Subverted in Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm novels--the hero's professional standards don't allow him to jeopardize the mission for "irrelevant females."

* [[TheActsOfCaine Caine]] says it straight in ''Heroes Die'': "I'd burn the world to save her".
* From ''TheDresdenFiles'':
--> Bianca (a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Red Court Vampiress]]): "You would risk war between the Wizards and the Red Court for one person?" (referring to his love interest, Susan, who was already half-turned into a vampire herself)
--> Harry: (slams his staff down on the floor) "For one person! For one life! For one soul!"

** Painfully subverted in ''[[WhamEpisode Changes]].'' [[spoiler:Susan has crossed the line and become fully vampire. Harry uses her as a human(ish) sacrifice to wipe out the Red Court entirely, winning the war and saving countless lives the Reds would have ended in the future.]] Not that there was much in the way of better options at the moment.
* From ''TheWheelOfTime'', Perrin Aybara. Ye Gods, Perrin Aybara.
** "It can all burn, if it keeps her safe!"
*** Don't forget Rand. The list of women in his head? Pushing his own power to make Bella run faster to save Egwene? Trying to bring the girl back to life? Balefire+ Rahvin.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* An episode of ''StarTrekVoyager'' deconstructed this, in a situation where the Doctor had to quickly choose between life-saving surgery for Harry Kim or for a {{Redshirt}}. He instinctively chooses Harry, then agonizes about it to the point that [[spoiler:the Captain has to erase and reset his memory]].
** Not to mention the amount of times Janeway risked everything to save Seven of Nine (Dark Frontier, Equinox, Endgame). While only ever presented as a surrogate mother/daughter relationship, this obsession for saving Seven would prove fertile ground for J/7 slash writers.
** Kira in ''StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' found out about Odo's feelings about her when she encountered an alternate future where she had died when the Defiant crashed on a planet and the crew formed a town. The cast were subject to TheTimeTravellersDilemma as going back to change things would result in those being born in the town never existing. Odo pretty much committed chronocide, not just on himself but on the crew of the ''Defiant'' ''and their descendants'' without even thinking about it. Unlike many instances of this trope, however, Kira's knowledge of this would create a rift between them that would take months to heal.

** [[StarTrekTheOriginalSeries James Kirk]] risks everything to save one person time and time again. That person reciprocates in equal measure. This person is, of course, [[TheNotLoveInterest Spock]].
*** This is even more intriguing when one takes a look at "City on the Edge of Forever," which seems to be setting viewers up for this and then subverts it... brutally.

** Then you have Rory-
-->'''The Doctor:''' [[spoiler:All of creation has just been wiped from the sky. D'you know how many lives have now never happened, all the people who never lived? Your girlfriend isn't more important than the whole Universe.]]
-->'''Rory:''' [[spoiler:* punches him* She is to me!]]
* ''FarScape'' makes this brutally clear at around the middle of the fourth and final season. Scorpius is on the ship and John is convinced he's only there because he craves the wormhole knowledge in John's head. So far over past seasons, Scorpius threatening John, his family, even the entirety of Earth hasn't made John give in. Meanwhile Aeryn, angry that she has done everything she can think of to tell him that she wants a relationship with him, confronts him on his emotional deadness...and John performs a neat trick that shuts down the comms long enough for him to explain that, yes, he'd let anything else be destroyed, but Aeryn [[spoiler:and her child]]? Not in this universe. But if Scorpius knew that, he'd come after her ''immediately'' and he won't let that happen.
** Next episode, she gets kidnapped by Scarrans with similar designs on wormhole knowledge, forcing Crichton into a deal with Scorpius--trading the wormhole knowledge for his help in rescuing her. Whoopsidaisy.

* Subverted in an episode of ''BuckRogers'': the Evil Alien Computer put Buck through having to choose between Wilma Derring and Hawk (an alien from a Proud Warrior Race of birdmen). He chose Hawk because he guessed that Wilma was really a double put in by the Evil Alien Computer because the REAL Wilma Derring wouldn't have been such a wuss.
* ''{{Supernatural}}'' is a rare subversion where the heroes are more concerned with their [[HeterosexualLifePartners Heterosexual Life Partner]] than with any love interests. Especially the moment in "All Hell Breaks Loose" where the hellgate opens - Sam, Ellen and Bobby try and shut it; Dean gets pinned to a grave by the Yellow-Eyed Demon, and Sam immediately goes to save his brother, leaving Ellen (who is a woman, but not a love interest) to try and shut one door by herself.

* John Connor in ''TheSarahConnorChronicles'' finds Cameron--his Terminator love-interest--with her chip missing. Ignoring Judgment Day's impending arrival and his mission to stop it, he leaves his mother, and joins forces with a rogue T-1000 liquid metal Terminator, jumping to the future in order to rescue her. In jumping after Cameron, John seems to have erased himself from the timeline, veritably sacrificing himself and his position of mankind's savior to save the "woman" he loves.

** Also a fundamental part of Paul Ballard's personality - first he saves [[spoiler: Mellie]], then he gets to work protecting [[spoiler: Echo from ''everything.'']]

* In the fifth season finale of ''BuffytheVampireSlayer'', Buffy would rather allow the fabric of reality to rip apart and condemn everyone on Earth to a horrible death than kill her sister, Dawn.

* In {{Bones}}, agent Booth won't hesitate to jump in to prevent anyone from hurting or threatening Bones. Which only strengthens their {{UST}} only more, of course.
* On {{The X-Files}}, this isn't even a thought for Mulder in terms of Scully; he seems to do it on pure instinct.
** Mulder is so predictable when his partner is taken, that the villains of the story exploit it. In the 1998 movie "Fight the Future", one of Syndicate suggests that instead of killing Mulder, they must "Take away what he holds most valuable. That with which he can't live without." with the next scene showing Scully staring off into the horizon. True to form, Mulder doesn't hesitate to save her, even when it includes going to Antartica and breaking into a top-secret space craft.

[[folder: Real Life]]
* This mindset is used as the US Army's policies against both Fraternization (relationships between soldiers when one is subordinate to the other) and women joining combat-heavy MOSes. In the former, a superior's decisions could possibly be affected by a conflict of interests, and in the latter, the belief is that men are prone to protect women even if the situation doesn't warrant their protection.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* AlphaProtocol allows you to either plays it straight or subverts it. You even gets tailored answers about it, [[WhatTheHellHero calling you out]] or [[WorthyOpponent congratulating you]] about it.

** LesYay example: Fang in Final Fantasy XIII would do anything up to and including [[spoiler:causing the apocalypse--''twice''--]]if it meant keeping Vanille safe.
--->''Fang: "I'm not kidding when I say the world can burn if that's what it takes to save Vanille."''
* In one of the more poignant scenes in ''TalesOfSymphonia'', it is established that Colette will have to sacrifice her life and become an angel to save their world. Lloyd doesn't like this, and is just barely convinced by everyone, ''including her'', that this is for the best. A subversion? Not quite. After several plot twists and a BossRush, Lloyd and party run off with Colette after all. And if that wasn't enough of a double subversion, Lloyd argues in a skit that because he was willing to sacrifice Colette for the sake of the entire world, he's a horrible person and a hypocrite.

** Their decision to screw Cruxis and rescue Colette after all may also have had something to do with the aforementioned BossRush attacking the party. Object lesson, after the good guys are finished with the MacGuffinGirl [[MacGuffinDeliveryService Delivery Service]], thank them and leave while they still think they're doing the right thing.

*** "I...I broke him"

* Taken to a literal extreme in the ending of 2008 version of ''PrinceOfPersia'', where [[spoiler:the Prince releases the very same god of darkness he just sealed in order to revive his female sidekick Elika - who was ''the person he was helping to seal that god in the first place''.]]

* The end of the 2006 ''SonicTheHedgehog'' has [[spoiler:Elise debating whether to destroy the time-destroying evil sun god if it means she'll never meet Sonic, who thankfully assures her that the world's more important]].

** This persists in Chain of Memories, where Sora tells Namine to shatter his heart and memories if it will mean saving her from harm at the hands of Marluxia, and that he'll still protect her even without his memories. Marluxia is amused at the naivete of this strategy, saying that Sora will be ''comatose'' if he loses his memories and unable to do anything. Of course, then something happens that challenges this claim, so it's unknown exactly ''what'' would have happened had Sora followed through with his initial plan.

** Not only that, [[spoiler:there's literally [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption NO WAY to save her]] - you go to save her, she's a decoy and the real Trish is among the doctors. You save the doctors, she's the real Trish.]]
* Partially subverted in TheDig. When [[spoiler:Maggie Robbins dies]] towards the end of the game, Boston Low can [[spoiler:resurrect her using the crystals]] against good sense, and breaking your promise to her. If you choose to do this, she will [[spoiler: commit suicide, die again and hate your guts forever]]. At the end of the game, the [[spoiler: Cocytans will resurrect her and Brink]], and her attitude towards you will depend on your choice.

** The game contains not only the aforementioned deconstruction but also the possibility for aversion in that your character can choose to rescue either of their crew mates, romantic interest or not. [[spoiler: Kaidan's]] confusion when male Shepard chooses to save him over [[spoiler: Ashley]] is another deconstruction. [[spoiler: Kaidan was GenreSavvy enough to assume that he was the one who was going to die.]]
*** He fails to consider that Shepard might be of the [[StraightGay "always save the guy"]] variety.
**** [[GenreSavvy Because it's not an option in ME1]].
***** [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Though it was originally going to be]].

* Brutally subverted in {{Tenchu}} 4 when Rikimaru killed Kiku to kill Onikage. Granted she ordered him to do it but still...
* In [=~Yo-Jin-Bo~=], the guys often mention how they are MoreExpendableThanYou and are willing to sacrifice as many of their own lives as are necessary to save yours. Sayori, of course, is less than pleased with this.
* In [[ArmoredCore Armored Core 4]], this is Gender-swapped, [[MissionControl Fiona Jarnefeldt]] is hinted at being in love with the PlayerCharacter- but this is made clear if you're doing poorly on a particular mission on Hard Mode-- the enemy has sent forces to destroy the city that you're trying to protect, and you can't use your radioactive [[DeflectorShields Primal Armor]], or you'll risk harming the innocent civilians of the city... if your [[HitPoints AP]] falls below 25%, she'll choose to save you instead, and activate your Primal Armor anyways.

* Lost Magic for the DS has one of the most obnoxious examples of this. [[spoiler: The BigBad asks the character to hand over the MacGuffins or else she'll kill the girl. If the player refuses, the girl disappears and the hero goes mad over her loss, gets brainwashed by the BigBad, starts working for her, and hands over all the MacGuffins he had, all by the end of the next cutscene. The player then has to go around killing people and doing the BigBad's bidding.]]
* TheForceUnleashed: Starkiller disobeys a direct order from his master, Darth Vader, and rescues Juno Eclipse from The Empirical.
-->'''Juno''': I've been branded a traitor to TheEmpire. I can't go anywhere, do anything.
-->'''Starkiller''': I don't care about any of that. I'm leaving TheEmpire behind.
* DragonAge has a heartbreaking example, though it can be avoided by multiple ways, like [[TakingAThirdOption accepting the deal]] that Morrigan offers near the end of the game. Still, if [[spoiler: a female Warden romanced Alistair, he chooses to deliver the final blow to the Archdemon, killing himself in the process because he won't let the woman he loves die. [[TearJerker And no, he can't be persuated out of his decision.]] ]]

[[folder: Webcomic ]]

** To be fair to Fiona, look at her life in [[spoiler:- the real world-- no friends, poor relationship with her family, ostracized at school. Oh, and ''her mother had tried to kill her''. Even before the dream with Lia in it, she'd only been happy when she was dreaming.]] Yes, she's giving up her [[spoiler:real life]], but I'd call this more of a ScrewDestiny.
* GirlGenius averts it [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080414 here]]:
-->How can I justify letting all that death and destruction happen ''again'' - just because ''I'' fell in ''love''?

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* In ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Aang thinks the only way he can open up all of his chakra (and thus be able to save the world) is to give up Katara. He doesn't. [[spoiler:He didn't need to either, which the Guru would have known if he knew anything about past Avatars like [[HappilyMarried Roku]] and [[{{Casanova}} Kuruk]].]] {{Gender Flip}}ped with [[LoveRedeems Mai and Zuko]].

** In this case, it seems like the Guru just hadn't explained it properly. Aang doesn't have to STOP LOVING Katara, as he seems to think, he just needs to let go of that attachment (temporarilly) in order to reach a higher state of being. An example of how this attachment gets in the way of his Avatar duties might be his rushing off to save her rather than taking 5 seconds to calm down, clear his mind, and [[spoiler: unlock the final chakra, which would have given him FULL control of the Avatar State, made savings her much easier, and possibly allowed him to stop the coop in Ba Sing Se as well]]. Aang IS only twelve, but he really could have saved the girl AND the world in this case if he had just stopped to think about it.
*** A pretty decent reason that Avatars are not told they are Avatars until they are 16.

* In one arc of the '90s ''Series/{{X-Men}}'' series, time-travelers kill the young Professor X, resulting in a [[BadFuture Bad Present]] where all mutants are constantly at war with the Sentinels... and the [[FutureBadass Future Even-More-Badass]] Storm and Wolverine are married. When Bishop comes from the future to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong, Wolverine initially refuses to help, somehow knowing that fixing the past would prevent him and Storm from getting together. When Bishop straight up asks if Wolverine is really willing to allow the devastating war to happen so he can be with Storm; Wolverine says yes without hesitation. After things are set right, there's hints that they both realize something happened, but nothing comes of it.

* A villainous example in ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': "Deep Freeze" has Mr. Freeze encounter a crazed mogul, Grant Walker, who wants to use his technology to freeze the entire planet, killing everyone except those on his island. In exchange for his cooperation, Walker offers to revive Freeze's wife. Freeze is willing to go along with the plan until Batman points out that Nora would be waking up to a cold, dead world, whereupon Freeze releases Batman and Robin and helps them defeat Walker.
* Disney's {{Hercules}} pulls this [[spoiler: with Hercules giving of his powers to make Megara safe. It leads to FridgeHorror when you consider what would have happened if an unlucky accident hadn't killed Megara and returned his powers.]]
* CodeLyoko: Jérémie rescue Aelita from drowing. Ulrich was right here, and he's the best of the team in all sports, while Jérémie is a nerd.

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* The first volume of ''JohnDiesAtTheEnd'' ends with David Wong explaining that the forces of darkness have "checkmated" him now that he is in love with Amy. The shadow people drive this point home by demonstrating how easy it would be for them to retroactively kill Amy if he ever steps out of line.

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* This can be avoided by multiple ways, like [[TakingAThirdOption accepting the deal]] that Morrigan offers near the end of the game, but if [[spoiler: a female Warden romanced Alistair, he chooses to deliver the final blow to the Archdemon, killing himself in the process because he won't let the woman he loves die. [[TearJerker And no, he can't be persuated out of his decision.]] ]]

** An episode of BatmanTheAnimatedSeries has Harley Quinn try to invoke this as a SadisticChoice, telling Batman he can either catch her, or save Catwoman from a ConveyorBeltODoom. Batman just smiles, reaches over, and [[TakeAThirdOption pulls the factory's power switch]].

* In ''KingdomHearts'', Sora commites a HeroicSacrifice in order to save Kairi. However, "saving her" is equal to "recreating the {{Big Bad}}s oportunities to end the world, which he just foiled a few minutes ago". Exspecially [[WallBanger stupid]], because Sora's also the only one who could stop this EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, since he's the one with the Keyblade. In the manga adaption, he at least throws Donald the Keyblade before comitting suicide, so his friends can take over the task. Turns out to be pointless, because it disappears as soon as he's gone anyway.

** Also a fundamental part of Paul Ballard's personality - first he saves [[spoiler: Mellie]], then he gets to work protecting [[spoiler: Echo from ''everything''.]]

*** Of course, [[spoiler: the world isn't screwed in the end anyway, thanks to [[BigDamnVillains Kaworu]], of all people.]]

* In ''{{Bleach}}'', Ichigo goes nuts trying to save Rukia and later Orihime. Which he's romantically interested in is [[ShipToShipCombat anybody's guess]].

** The game contains not only the aforementioned deconstruction but also the possibility for aversion in that your character can choose to rescue either of their crew mates, romantic interest or not. [[spoiler: Kaidan's]] confusion when male Shephard chooses to save him over [[spoiler: Ashley]] is another deconstruction. [[spoiler: Kaidan was GenreSavvy enough to assume that he was the one who was going to die.]]

*''{{Mai-HiME}}'', when Mai's Most Important Person is revealed to be Yuuichi.

Used to be named SaveTheGirlScrewTheWorld, but people kept [[FreudWasRight getting that backwards]].