History Main / BenevolentAlienInvasion

** YMMV but the occupation of Germany and Japan probably had more to do with Allied becoming GenreSavvy and wanting to avoid the conditions that led to World War II.

** YMMV but the occupation and financing of Germany and Japan was probably an [[GenreSavvy attempt to prevent the recreation of the circumstances that led to World War II]].

*** A lot of people also forget that while Cylons can ressurrect, they need to ''die'' to be able to do. And the experience has been shown to traumatise some quite badly. Blowing themselves up is simply a desperate tactic for the Resistance once Cylons tighten security.

*** A lot of people also forget that while Cylons can ressurrect, they need to ''die'' to be able to do. And the experience has been shown to traumatise some quite badly. Blowing themselves up is simply a desperate tactic once Cylons tighten security.

** It's easier to make that argument about the early days of the Republic, when conquered peoples could get citizenship. Once they started literally enslaving conquered populations ''en masse,'' there was nothing remotely benevolent about it.
*** Citizenship for foreigners actually came later in the empire. It was an innovation during the Republic's twilight days and carried on throughout the Empire (which actually didn't expand all that much - pretty much Britannia, a bit of Germania, Egypt, and Syria were the only real additions post-Republic - all of which got benevolent treatment).

** The remake for those that want to know; [[spoiler:The aliens are a bunk of {{Jerkass}}es who want to KillAllHumans for messing up one of the few planets that can support life, said aliens just happen to have also messed up their own planet the ''same way'' as humans.]]
*** Er, the aliens ''didn't'' mess up their own planet, at least by their own words. Klaatu said that their sun was dying.
*** "So, Our Planets doomed, We want yours"
* A humorous variant from outside of science fiction, the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso "What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?"]] segment from MontyPython's ''Life of Brian''.

* The bizarre men-in-black-alike "Whisper Men" from ''Knowing'' were this. They realized Earth was going to be destroyed by a supernova, so they decided to save the animals and humans of Earth and transport them elsewhere. Of course they were ''really, really'' creepy about it and spent most of their time scaring the shit out of everyone, but arguably that's not their fault: they apparently can't talk per se and are rather horrifying to behold.

* ''Infinite Space'', with the big evil empire that comes to the SMC [[spoiler:and then captures it. When you talk to random people thereafter, they'll tell you they're happy of having been invaded because of the superior tech.]]

* Kate Elliot's ''Jaran'' series involves the vast Chapalii Empire, who simply absorb the Earth and humans into their Empire without effort or aggression. Even though they've received many technological benefits from being ruled by the Chapalii and very little in the way of drawbacks, the humans still rebel.

* An episode of the new ''OuterLimits'' played with this when non-corporeal aliens were allowed to settle on Earth... and to inhabit the bodies of dead humans.

Okay, so they don't pee gasoline. Not to mention the first thing they did after taking over TheWhiteHouse was paint the fences.

The unifying element is always that the aliens actually are benevolent (most of the time, or at least toward humanity), and humanity is all the better for their having been invaded. Thus {{V}} doesn't count because the aliens only pretended to be benevolent.

* Played with in Bruce Coville's ''My Teacher is an Alien'' series. The various alien species are shocked at mankind's violent ways and fear what will happen if we achieve space travel. They come up with four possible solutions. The first is to leave us alone and hope we destroy ourselves. The second is to blow us up for our own good. The third is to erect some kind of barrier (or sabotage our scientific progress) so that we never escape our own solar system. The fourth proposed solution is basically this trope; the aliens will contact us and give us the technology and knowledge we need to end wars, eradicate disease and poverty, etc. However, because we are dangerous sociopaths they will need to take over the planet first to make sure we don't abuse these gifts.

* ''TheCulture'', from Iain M. Banks' series of novels, does not generally invade other civilizations, but does spend half its time galivanting through the cosmos looking for species to help out and improve (if they fall within certain criteria) through the agency of Contact. To an extent, 'helping' other species is the means by which the Culture justifies its own existence.

* The bizarre men-in-black-alike "Whisper Men" from ''Knowing'' were this. They realized Earth was going to be destroyed by a supernova, so they decided to save the animals and humans of Earth and transport them elsewhere. Of course they were ''really, really'' creepy about it and spent most of their time scaring the shit out of everyone, but arguably that's not their fault: they apparently can't talk per se and ar rather horrifying to behold.

* The backstory of ''Expedition'', a science fiction art book Wayne Barlowe about a joint human-alien expedition to a primitive planet called Darwin IV (the aliens came and helped humanity clean up their act).

* ''Earth: Final Conflict'' counts, though not all the Taelons were equally benevolent. Also a case of a relatively benevolent alien conqueror trying to protect Earth from a far less benevolent would-be conqueror, if I remember correctly.
** I'd contest this. A lot of Taelons really are benevolent, bringing huge leaps and advances to humanity, Da'an being the poster child for caring. It's just that other Taelons (*cough*Zo'or*cough*) are also manipulative and don't care one whit for humans except as tools in their quest for survival as a species. Problem is they're more human than they are willing to admit to themselves, being all over the spectrum of nice<->bastard.

** On the other hand, the humans certainly don't do themselves any favours, seeing as the Cylons are holding all the cards. It enters WallBanger territory when you realise that one dying race of around 40,000 people is '''suicide bombing''' another race that is both numerically superior and functionally '''immortal'''. TooDumbToLive?