History Main / BewareTheHonestOnes

* Komaeda in ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2''. He's chaotic, unpredictable, suicidal, and is absolutely obsessed with his vision of hope. But he's honest.

* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': Wilson Fisk is a person who, when he does tell a truth, is always twisting it to get people to do things that benefit him. It's how he's able to trick Ray Nadeem into thinking Nelson & Murdock were accomplices to him when they were actually the ones who put him away.

Even in a series where the characters aren't traditionally good or evil, [[TokenGoodTeammate there will be one who is an idealist]]. Perhaps they seem to have a strange compulsion [[ChronicHeroSyndrome to help others even when it isn't convenient]], or perhaps they [[LawfulNeutral live by a set of principles]]. From the point of view of the others, that character will be completely untrustworthy; everyone else can be depended upon to act in their own self interest, but [[EvilCannotComprehendGood nobody can predict the idealist]], especially when they decide to [[HonorBeforeReason uphold their ideals over their own apparent self-preservation]].

* Matsuda from ''Manga/DeathNote''. He's honest and idealistic to a fault, and more often than not makes a nuisance of himself. However, his attempt to infiltrate the Yotsuba Group provides vital information, even though it backfires, and [[spoiler: when Light Yagami reveals himself as Kira and starts gloating, [[BewareTheNiceOnes Matsuda is the first to whip out his gun and start shooting.]]]] This is, incidentally, something like the true inverse of BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork--the closest surviving thing to a good person does the shooting.
* Suzaku of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' - because of his idealism, he acquires a major case of ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.

* Nao Kanzaki starts the ''Manga/LiarGame'' described accurately as "Foolishly Honest," meaning she expects everyone else to be just as honest as she is by nature. As the Game progresses however, Nao begins to prove herself perfectly capable of deception, and manages several [[Awesome/AnimeAndManga Crowning Moments of Awesome]] through it. In fact, her lies have frequently ''relied'' on people being aware of her honest nature, since no one stops to think ''she'' might be lying.

* In ''LightNovel/RecordOfGrancrestWar'', Siluca's upbringing in an academy full of backstabbing, greedy assholes made her capable of dealing with any social situation...except conversations with country boy [[IdealHero Theo]]. His LoveConfession is actually hilarious because of this- you can ''see'' Siluca going through her mental toolbox and coming up short. [[spoiler:Though after taking a minute to think, she shows that [[TheBigDamnKiss she can be honest about her feelings too]].]]

** It's often implied that Superman knows this... and [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow Batman knows Superman knows this]]. The lie is mostly to satisfy the rest of the league (Superman may dislike Batman's tactics, but he trusts Bruce knows what he's doing and where to draw the line, however, if this became public, it might give license to less careful heroes to imitate Batman). Superman not acknowledging Batman's less savory tactics means the disagreement never spills into more public setting. Similarly, Batman will make it painfully clear to anyone who catches him in his lie and threatens to report him (thus making it an issue) that Superman probably already knows and hasn't done anything about it. If someone as honest as the Big Blue Boy Scout is cool with it, than it's cool.

* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'': Jack Sparrow [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on this in [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl the first movie]]. In [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd the third movie]], he pulls it off himself: Pirates can only be counted on to be greedy bastards, which is why there hasn't been a Pirate King in a while (the position is democratically-elected, and they all vote for themselves). So when the vote comes up, [[spoiler:Jack surprises everyone by voting for Elizabeth, making her win with two votes.]] He is definitely not an example himself, as he lies constantly and even the page quote is him being dishonest about his dishonesty.

* In ''Literature/AudreyWait'', the protagonist uses her national, live TV interview as a chance to spill the beans on everything leading up to this point, thus dispelling the gossip and rumours surrounding her (and helping out her friend Evan in the process by exposing their duplicitous label - on '''live television''').

** It comes back to bite him when she trades him for Will. When Barbossa objects because Jack is a Pirate Lord, she simply responds, "King".
** Actually, this is exactly what he wanted (him to end up inside the Dutchman as per the overall scheme) something Elizabeth catches in the middle of negotiations (and she actually goes along with it).
** It is later implied that that may also have been part of his elaborate scheme in the long shot, since [[spoiler:he was the one to bring Beckett there by giving Will his compass and pushing him off.]] This being Jack Sparrow, it is hard to tell at first.

** Galad is probably the best example in the series of this trope. His step-sister says of him, "He always does the right thing, no matter who it hurts." He is introduced to the main characters and the reader when he calls the guards to deal with a peasant boy ([[TheChosenOne Rand]]) who has fallen over the wall of the royal palace and is being taken care of by the crown princess. She's apparently in no danger, and her brother is with them too, and no one wants Rand to be possibly thrown in jail over an innocent accident, but to Galad the rule about how to handle intruders doesn't allow for exceptions. Later, he joins the [[KnightTemplar Whitecloaks]] on the strength of their ascetic philosophy, even though his mother and sister are members of or at least connected to the Aes Sedai, who the Whitecloaks all see as Satanic witches. Still later, when he suspects that his superior officer in the Whitecloaks killed his stepmother, [[spoiler: he kills him]].

* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/TimeEnoughForLove'' Lazarus Long comments that "business" politicians are usually honest (in the sense that they stay bought) whereas "reform" politicians tend to be ''stupidly'' dishonest, [[KnightTemplar because they are capable of doing literally anything that they believe is in the best interests of the "People."]]

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Stannis is feared by schemers like Varys and Littlefinger because his self-righteousness and refusal to compromise make him much less amenable to providing an environment for their unhindered scheming. Cersei also says it when she declares to Sansa that her first defence after losing the battle would be to seduce the victor but this would be useless against Stannis.
* Michael in ''Series/PrisonBreak''. Linc knows he is going to be executed but at least he has the satisfaction of knowing that Michael went to college and will have a good life. Except not because Michael cannot let Linc die for a crime he didn't commit so he gets himself sent to prison on purpose to rescue him.
** Michael's idealism is a source of conflict throughout the show. It takes place in a CrapsackWorld so they should probably run far away but Michael wants to take down the company.

** See ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'' for the coolest HeelFaceTurn ever.

* The Business Plot, a reported conspiracy that intended to overthrow the American government in 1933 and install a fascist dictatorship, supposedly fell victim to this when the conspirators chose Marine Major General [[EmbarrassingFirstName Smedley]] Darlington Butler to lead the coup. Butler instead chose to reveal the plot to the government, which fairly quickly brought an end to the conspiracy. They probably picked him because he was the commanding officer of the force that was ordered to crack down on the Bonus Army, a group of impoverished UsefulNotes/WW1 veterans who were rendered homeless and jobless by the Great Depression, camped out on the national mall in Washington DC to request that the government pay them their support bonuses a bit earlier than initially agreed to, citing the hardship of the Great Depression as the reason they needed help more immediately. The particularly ''brutal'' crackdown against the bonus army was cited as a major factor sealing the fate of Herbert Hoover's reputation, but was part of what '''endeared''' Hoover to the conspirators of the Business Plot. They probably figured since Butler led that crackdown, he would be a natural choice for their plans. Fortunately for the nation, they figured wrongly. Then again, maybe Butler was just smart enough to realize he wouldn't get away with it. Everyone [[IncrediblyLamePun already knows]] that TheButlerDidIt. Of course, the idea also had the rather serious flaw that Butler was an outspoken critic of Fascism who had actively campaigned for the president they expected him to overthrow.

** It's often implied that Superman knows this... and [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow Batman knows Superman knows this]]. The lie is mostly to satisfy the rest of the league (Superman may dislike Batman's tactics, but he trusts Bruce knows what he's doing and where to draw the line, however, if this became public, it might give license to less careful heroes to imitate Batman). Superman not acknowledging Batman's less savory tactics means the disagreement never spills into more public setting. Similarly, Batman will make it painfully clear to anyone who catches him in his lie and threatens to report him (thus making it an issue) that Superman probably already knows and hasn't done anything about it. If someone as honest as the Big Blue Boyscout is cool with it, than it's cool.
* While Franchise/WonderWoman's ([[DependingOnTheWriter usual]]) insistence on truth, trying to reform her enemies and taking down her opponents without killing them fits right in with the heroes she spends time with they're not the only ones she interacts with, nor is earth the only realm she operates on. To gods and monsters her motivations and behavior are much more likely to be upsetting, confusing and surprising.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', Grunkle Stan wears a set of [[ItMakesSenseInContext magic dentures]] that force him to always tell the truth. Things quickly take a turn for the worst as Stan blurts out every truth that comes to his head.

* While Franchise/WonderWoman's (DependingOnTheWriter usual) insistence on truth, trying to reform her enemies and taking down her opponents without killing them fits right in with the heroes she spends time with they're not the only ones she interacts with, nor is earth the only realm she operates on. Among gods and monsters her motivations and behavior are much more likely to be upsetting, confusing and surprising.

->With his greatest enemy right there, he used everything at his disposal. He grabbed the letter opener from the bedside table and stabbed it toward the Queen’s eye, he swung down the lamp, he tried to electrocute her with the power cable, and he tried to strangle her.\\

* [[spoiler:Hakuryuu]] from ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'' is very honorable, started the story as very naive and his Djinn describes him as "painfully honest". He's also a KnightTemplar with BlackAndWhiteInsanity who only cares for his last remaining sibling and it's unable to leave his hatred behind.

* Ned Stark from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. He puts HonorBeforeReason and inadvertently furthers [[spoiler:Petyr Baelish]]'s [[ThePlan plan ]] purely because he insists on being honest and giving his treasonous opponents a fair chance. Indeed, it is precisely the fact that he puts HonorBeforeReason [[spoiler:that leads Baelish to regard him as expendable; he is too unpredictable and incapable of being negotiated with.]]

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Stannis is feared by schemers like Varys and Littlefinger because his sense of self-righteousness and refusal to compromise make him much less amenable to providing an environment for their unhindered scheming. Cersei also says it when she declares to Sansa that her first defence after losing the battle would be to seduce the victor but this would be useless against Stannis.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Stannis is feared by schemers like Varys and Littlefinger because his sense of righteousness and refusal to compromise make him much less amenable to their unhindered scheming. Cersei also says it when she declares that her first defence after losing the battle would be to seduce the victor but this would be useless against Stannis.

** It's often implied that Superman knows this... and Batman knows Superman knows this. The lie is mostly to satisfy the rest of the league (Superman may dislike Batman's tactics, but he trusts Bruce knows what he's doing and where to draw the line, however, if this became public, it might give license to less careful heroes to imitate Batman). Superman not acknowledging Batman's less savory tactics means the disagreement never spills into more public setting. Similarly, Batman will make it painfully clear to anyone who catches him in his lie and threatens to report him (thus making it an issue) that Superman probably already knows and hasn't done anything about it. If someone as honest as the Big Blue Boyscout is cool with it, than it's cool.

** It's often implied that Superman knows this... and Batman knows Superman knows this. The lie is mostly to satisfy the rest of the league (Superman may dislike Batman's tactics, but he trusts Bruce knows what he's doing and where to draw the line, however, if this became public, it might give license to less careful heroes to imitate Batman). Superman not acknowledging Batman's less savory tactics means the disagreement never spills into more public setting. Similarly, Batman will make it plainfully clear to anyone who catches him in his lie and threatens to report him (thus making it an issue) that Superman probably already knows and hasn't done anything about it. If someone as honest as the Big Blue Boyscout is cool with it, than it's cool.

* Komaeda in "VideoGame/SuperDanganRonpa2". He's chaotic, unpredictable, suicidal, and is absolutely obsessed with his vision of hope. But he's honest.

** Earlier in BeastWars, Dinobot has no problem with Megatron's plan of [[spoiler: going to prehistoric earth to kill the original Optimus Prime while he was in his 4 million year stasis.]] His initial problem with Megatron was he got them stranded on the [[spoiler: incorrectly assumed]] wrong planet and Megatron's cowardice in the face of a challenge to honorable combat when called out on his incompetence. Later, when Megatron is proven right, Dinobot temporarily switches sides back to Megatron until Megatron proves to be the liar once again. Through out his time with the Maximals, Dinobot makes no secret that he still views himself as a Predicon and will return to them once they get back to Cybertron.

[[folder:Anime]]

-->'''Maryse:''' Never trust a species who cannot lie. They'll find much more inventive ways to stab you in the back.

* In ''The Resurrection of Literature/FatherBrown'', the titular priest immediately and repeteadly denies that there was anything miraculous about his seeming resurrection from the dead. It later turns out that [[spoiler: his mock death and resurrection had been arranged by hid enemies, who were planning to later denounce him as a fraud. They couldn't imagine that Father Brown would be too honest and humble to claim a miracle for his God and Church.]]