History Main / AlwaysSaveTheGirl

** Throughout the series, Prince Callum proves he is willing to do just about anything to protect his love interest, Rayla, including performing Dark Magic (something he despises) and hurling himself off a cliff before mastering the mage wing spell--something he achieves through [[ThePowerOfLove focusing on his love for her]].

* ''Film/CloudAtlas'': Hae-Joo and Sonmi have this trope going on.

* Invoked in ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' episode "Clouds on the Horizon". [[spoiler:Not wanting to put Luz and King in unnessecary danger when the time comes to stop the Day of Unity, Eda instead sends them (along with Willow, Gus, and Hunter) on the significantly safer mission of busting Luz's girlfriend Amity out of her house when she was grounded by her EvilMatriarch of a mother. All the kids end up getting involved with the Day of Unity anyways, but points for effort.]]

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Guts only cares about one thing aside from slicing monsters apart and that is former love of his life and former Hawks Captain Casca. While their first meeting was hostile, after Casca grudgingly [[IntimateHealing keeps his body]] warm with her own, Guts forms strong feelings for her. He was more than ready to fall off a cliff with her and had no qualms blocking arrows shot at her [[TakingTheBullet with his body]], it's these acts that ultimately cause Casca to fall for him, as she claimed no man had ever shed blood for her in battle before. Guts goes above and beyond protecting her, [[GroinAttack brutally]] defending her from violating monsters and going near when he couldn't save her from Griffith in the [[{{Mordor}} Eclipse]] Guts becomes borderline insane.

* In ''Manga/InuYasha'', Sango's inability to live without Miroku shows how damaged she really is after losing everything she loved, and she'll do anything, ''anything'', to save him. [[spoiler: When she fails, she finally gives up and asks to die with him.]]

* ''Anime/WeissKreuz'':
** Subverted at the last second. This is Youji's default mindset, but he ends up [[spoiler:killing the woman he loves in order to save his teammates]].
** Aya also makes it pretty clear that he doesn't give a single fat damn about Weiss's mission to make the world a better place if it interferes in any way with his ability to [[BigBrotherInstinct protect his little sister]].

As long as the hero [[DirtyBusiness shows a decent amount of angst]] over the decision, the audience might sympathize. This is less likely if the couple in question were StrangledByTheRedString or [[TheDulcineaEffect if they've only known each other for a short time]]. Given sufficient set up, the audience might also feel that [[KickTheSonOfABitch the hometown/nation/world deserved it]] [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer for relentlessly abusing the hero and/or the love interest in general.]]

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'':

* ''LightNovel/TheHeroIsOverpoweredButOverlyCautious'': Seiya was {{summon|Everymanhero}}ed to Gaeabrande to save it from demons. While he's very dedicated to preparing and training as much as possible to ensure his success, he'll still prioritize saving his friends over the world, [[spoiler:as shown when he refuses to sacrifice Elulu to gain the only weapon that can kill the Demon Lord]].

* Invoked in the final case of ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney Ace Attorney: Justice for All]]'', when Phoenix's longtime assistant Maya is kidnapped by an assassin who blackmails him (you) into getting your new client off the hook ''no matter what'' and only giving you ''one day in court'' to get it done, whereas you would normally get three. High-stakes and very difficult, but by this point, being the third game with Maya having been by your side, she's very dear to both Phoenix and the player, so you're willing to go all out to get her back, but the situation changes when you found out that [[spoiler: your client, for the first time ever, actually ''is'' guilty, and in order to get him off, you would have to accuse an innocent woman and get her thrown in jail for the rest of her life]]. Even though Maya's life is on the line, she very much wants Phoenix to disregard this trope completely and [[spoiler: convict your client,]] even though it means that she would die, but depending on how low you're willing to go to help her, that might not deter you very much. [[spoiler: Everything turns out okay in the end, regardless of whether or not you want to throw an innocent person under the bus to save Maya,]] but it all serves to make you reflect on ''your'' morality toward the situation.

-->'''Shala'Raan:''' I don't give [[PrecisionFStrike a vorcha's ass]] about the fleet! I was trying to protect you, Tali!

* ''VideoGame/TheDig''. When [[spoiler:Maggie Robbins dies]] towards the end of the game, Boston Low can [[spoiler:resurrect her using the crystals]], going against good sense and breaking his promise to her (since they've already seen Brink [[FantasticDrug regress into violent paranoia from using them]]). If he chooses to do this, she will [[spoiler:commit suicide by throwing herself off a cliff so you can't resurrect her again]]. At the end of the game, the [[spoiler:Cocytans will resurrect her and Brink]], and her attitude towards you will depend on your choice - if you [[spoiler:kept Boston's promise]], she's happy to see him and hugs him, while if you [[spoiler:resurrected her]], she's furious [[WhatTheHellHero and immediately decks him]].

'''Starkiller:''' I don't care about any of that. I'm leaving TheEmpire behind.
** In ''The Force Unleashed II'', Starkiller is called out several times by Rahm Kota about how he doesn't care about the war between TheEmpire and the Rebel Alliance and just wants to rescue Juno.

* ''VideoGame/TheDig''. When [[spoiler:Maggie Robbins dies]] towards the end of the game, Boston Low can [[spoiler:resurrect her using the crystals]], going against good sense and breaking his promise to her (since they've already seen Brink [[FantasticDrug regress into violent paranoia from using them]]). If he chooses to do this, she will [[spoiler:commit suicide by throwing herself off a cliff so you can't resurrect her again]]. 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 sequel lets your ''PlayerCharacter'' do this, if you romance [[spoiler: Anders. You can let him live after he blows up the Chantry... despite all the fallout that comes with the decision, such as Sebastian swearing vengeance]].

* ''VideoGame/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 his promise to her. If he chooses 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.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'':
** Accelerator doesn't care if you're an angel, an esper, or the entire world's military forces combined; he won't let ''anything'' happen to Last Order.
** There's also Touma, who will help anyone in need. Usually this help involves punching someone in the face. While everything around him is exploding. During one arc, several factions are trying to capture, rescue, or kill Orsola Aquinas due to her supposed knowledge of The Book Of Law. When Touma rescues her, she is surprised and charmed to find that he didn't care about the knowledge at all. He was the only person who cared about ''her''.

* Sousuke winds up facing this dilemma in ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'' when Kurama gives him five minutes to surrender both Kaname and the Arbalest before he blows up Jindai High. In this case, while Sousuke rejects leaving everyone to die out of hand decides he's going to TakeAThirdOption and save them all, Kaname and Al argue that probability of such a plan working is [[MillionToOneChance 1%]]. Sousuke recognizes that they're right, but also can't deny that [[LoveMakesYouCrazy love has made him irrational enough to bet on that 1%]]. [[spoiler:And he pulls it off... only for Leonard to show up with the Belial to critically (though not mortally) injure Kyoko, CurbStomp the Arbalest and give Kaname the SadisticChoice to either surrender or watch Sousuke and Kyoko die. She surrenders without a second thought.]]

* ''LightNovel/TheHeroIsOverpoweredButOverlyCautious'': Seiya was {{summon|Everymanhero}}ed to Gaeabrande to save it from demons. While he's very dedicated to preparing and training as much as possible to ensure his success, he'll still prioritize saving his friends over the world, [[spoiler:as shown when he refuses to sacrifice Elulu to gain the only weapon that can kill the Demon Lord]].

* ''Literature/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'' puts this mentality through a [[DeconstructedTrope much more cynical lens]] with Motoyasu, as he ''insists'' on coming to the rescue of every cute girl he meets. Problem is, not only is this mentality born from a selfish desire for a harem that he's nursed from the very start of the series, said cute girls are either perfectly capable of fighting for themselves, never need his help in the first place and ultimately end up resenting him for his forced assistance (Raphtalia and Filo), or are all too keen on taking advantage of it for their own selfish gain (Malty and the rest of his party), and to the point of using him as a glorified attack dog. What's more, this winds up putting said girls in danger by repeatedly antagonizing the person he blindly assumes is "brainwashing" them (Naofumi), and to the point where he outright tries to either maim or kill them without sparing even a second to consider his actions.

-->'''Lina''' (as she's right about to cast the Giga Slav): "God damn it... If I cast this spell, the world will go to Hell... But I choose Gourry over all of this world!!"

** This happens again in the show's sequel ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion'' where Homura's desire to save and protect Madoka [[spoiler: leads her to hijack Madoka's power, redo her CosmicRetcon and trap Madoka and the entire universe in what is essentially a LotusEaterMachine. Sayaka, [[OurAngelsAreDifferent a part of the Law of Cycles who knows Madoka better than anyone]], gives her a royal chewing out for this]].

** ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'' protagonist Ludger is frequently characterised as being willing to put the life of [[TheNotLoveInterest someone he loves]], either [[TagalongKid Elle]] or [[BigBrotherMentor Julius]], over the safety of the world, even if it puts him at odds with others he cares about:
*** In Chapter 12, [[spoiler:Elle's father is revealed to be a Fractured version of Ludger who failed to complete Origin's Trial. When it was discovered that Ludger's daughter would be the Key of Kresnik with the powers needed to save their world, [[BigBad Bisley]] and Ludger's friends and family try to convince him to give her up for the sake of their world. Ludger refuses and ultimately kills Bisley, Julius, and his friends, when Bisley tries to kidnap the newborn Elle]].

*** In a [[AlternateUniverse Fractured Dimension]] featured in ''VideoGame/TalesOfAsteria'', a Fractured version of Ludger kills [[spoiler:a Fractured version of Elle's father]] for trying to sacrifice Elle to save the world, saying that he'll protect her even if it makes the entire world his enemy.

* ''Film/{{Predators}}'': Royce is a CombatPragmatist who doesn't hesitate to abandon any one of the team that gets injured or falls behind, unless it's [[TheChick lone female]] Isabelle. The fact that he shrugs and moves on any time she deliberately stays behind to help the others makes it seem more like a spinal reflex on his part than adherence to an honor code.

** At the end of Season 1, [[spoiler:Lelouch drops everything in the middle of the key battle and goes off to save his sister Nunnaly]], and again in Season 2 when [[spoiler:Lelouch does the same thing when Kallen is captured,]] and this time someone even {{lampshade|Hanging}}s how it reeks of preferential treatment, and how absurd it is to choose one life over an entire country. Doesn't stop him from doing it anyway. However, ''Code Geass'' is somewhat of a subversion of the trope, since while Lelouch does choose the girl over everything else, in both cases [[spoiler:it backfires, causing him to suffer defeat, and lose the girl anyway]].

* This is how Raven reacted when Credenza was lost in Book 5 of ''Webcomic/{{Archipelago}}''.

* The BigBad of Arc One in ''VideoGame/Wizard101'' is Malistaire, who used to be the professor of the Death school of magic before his wife Sylvia, who was the professor of the Life school, passed away from an incurable illness. He was highly skilled at Death magic and deeply admired across the Spiral, but he [[ExcessiveMourning went off the deep end soon after she died]] and set off bring her back by any means necessary, enacting a plot to steal a book of powerful magic in order to awaken the Dragon Titan, who has the power to resurrect the dead. In the process, he's left multiple worlds across the Spiral in violent chaos, which you'll now have to traverse and repair to eventually get to him and stop his plan, because the Dragon Titan is extremely dangerous and will quickly lay waste to the land again if awoken.

* The BigBad of Arc One in ''VideoGame/Wizard101'' is Malistaire, who used to be the professor of the Death school of magic before his wife Sylvia, who was the professor of the Life school, passed away from an incurable illness. He was highly skilled at Death magic and deeply admired across the Spiral, but he [[ExcessiveMourning went off the deep end soon after she died]] and went on a mission to bring her back by any means necessary, enacting a plot to steal a book of powerful magic in order to awaken the Dragon Titan, who has the power to resurrect the dead. In the process, he's left multiple worlds across the Spiral in violent chaos, which you'll now have to traverse and repair to eventually get to him and stop his plan, because the Dragon Titan is extremely dangerous and will quickly lay waste to the land again if awoken.

* The BigBad of Arc One in ''VideoGame/Wizard101'' is Malistaire, who used to be the professor of the Death school of magic before his wife Sylvia, who was the professor of the Life school, passed away from an incurable illness. He was selfless, highly skilled in his school of magic, and deeply admired across the Spiral, but he [[ExcessiveMourning went off the deep end soon after she died]] and went on a mission to bring her back by any means necessary, enacting a plot to steal a book of powerful magic in order to awaken the Dragon Titan, who has the power to resurrect the dead. In the process, he's left multiple worlds across the Spiral in violent chaos, which you'll now have to traverse and repair to eventually get to him and stop his plan, because the Dragon Titan is extremely dangerous and will quickly lay waste to the land again if awoken.

** Deconstructed in ''VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma''. Junpei willing to go to any lengths to protect her is the main cause of friction between them as most of the time Akane doesn't ''want'' to sacrifice other people to save herself. Most of the WhatTheHellHero speeches he gets from her (and one ArmorPiercingSlap) involves sacrificing someone to protect them or suggesting it. In one particular ending [[spoiler: he performs HeroicSacrifice to save her... and sends her over DespairEventHorizon as she watches him die]].

** This happens again in the show's sequel ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion'' where Homura's desire to save and protect Madoka [[spoiler: leads her to hijack Madoka's power, redo her CosmicRetcon and trap Madoka and the entire universe in what is essentially a LotusEaterMachine]].

** In the Heaven's Feel route, things take a different turn than normal as [[IdealHero superhero]]-[[TheIdealist wannabe]] Shirou basically says [[spoiler:"Screw all that other stuff, I'm saving Sakura even if she might start devouring the town or go berserk."]] When asked directly whether he wishes to save the girl or protect the town and by extension his ideal itself, he picks the girl despite the destruction this will probably entail. If you don't do it, you get a bad end. To make things worse, she knows and realises this, and is desperately torn between wanting Shirou and wanting Shirou to be happy. Inevitably she can only sit and watch as he throws away his ideals in order to save her.

** In ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'', [[spoiler:the ''entire plot'' is centered around Junpei saving Akane from dying as a child, to the point where ''she'' set it up that way. Though to be fair, if Junpei succeeds in this, it leads to the ending where every single person who possibly can be saved is saved. However, there's also an ending where Ace [[KillEmAll kills]] ''[[KillEmAll everyone]]'' [[KillEmAll else]], including Junpei and Akane, and the earliest way to get yourself stuck into that route is to force your way through Door 3, betraying Lotus and Clover for the sake of not having to separate from Akane]].