History Main / DevilsAdvocate

* Austin of ''Creator/{{Shoddycast}}'' fame recently created the series [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2L8kOnz4_w&t=1240s Devil's Advocate]], which argues in the favor of video game villains using actual legal terms. In the very first episode, he does it very literally by arguing that draining Argent Energy from Hell in ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' qualifies as ''Jus ad Bellum'', just cause for war, making the demons' war against humanity entirely justified.

* Austin of ''Creator/{{Shoddycast}}'' fame recently created the series [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2L8kOnz4_w&t=1240s Devil's Advocate]], which argues in the favor of video game villains using actual legal terms.

The Devil's Advocate is a person who attempts to provide justification for something that opposes their personal viewpoint in a particular instance. The Devil's Advocate may have been [[EnforcedTrope appointed]] to provide this viewpoint, or may be [[{{Padding}} stalling for time]], but in the truest sense of the trope is attempting to leave the argument having settled on the best possible result, [[TrueNeutral even if that result is different from their preferred result]]. A person enacting this trope may be seen as either fair or [[ConflictBall argumentative]], depending not only on how [[MoodWhiplash suddenly]] and fervently they change their position, but also on how often they take the opposing side, and more importantly, [[RuleOfFunny whether they bother announcing beforehand that they're attempting this]].

* Austin of ''Creator/{{Shoddycast}}'' fame recently created the series [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2L8kOnz4_w&t=1240s Devil's Advocate]], which argues in the favor of video game villains.

* The Creator/DanBrown novel ''Literature/AngelsAndDemons'' depicts a "devil's advocate" whose job it was to provide negative information on each candidate for Pope. [[DanBrowned The devil's advocate procedure has never been used in the papal selection process]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/devilsadvocate.png]]

* Video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLTN558ewqo "Sexual Assault Is Way More Common Than You Think"]] with Creator/RachelBloom has a rather literal (but also actual) version. Devil has hired an attorney named Jeremy to argue that rape culture is just a trendy term that incorrectly implies all men are super pro-rape; he also brings up false accusations and the fact that men are victims of rape, too.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Now, just because he's tryin to lead you into sin and suffering and eternal damnation doesn't mean that you shouldn't listen to him for a moment."]]

[[folder:Advertisement]]
* An advertisement for Regis University, a Jesuit college in Denver, read "A faith-based university not afraid to play the devils advocate."

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]

[[folder:Live Action Television]]

* In ''{{TabletopGame/Exalted}}'', this is The Ebon Dragon's original [[PlanetOfHats Hat]], and it's obvious when you see his character sheet: all beings that exist ([[TheFairFolk and some that don't]]) ''always'' have Virtues, which color their actions and interactions with others. The Ebon Dragon (''nee'' The Dragon's Shadow) is defined by his lack of Virtues, making him an excellent {{foil}} to all the other entities. [[TheSacredDarkness If not for his darkness, Creation would suffer from endless ruinous light of the Holy Tyrant]]. TED used to be genuinely caring of Creation. The Exalts broke the Ebon Dragon by making him an actual being instead of just The Shadow of All Things, turning him from Devil's Advocate into [[NiceJobBreakingItHero just a plain devil.]]

[[folder:Visual Novel]]
* In the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' games, the rival prosecutors sometimes become this, rather than your true opponent. In the [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney Phoenix Wright trilogy]], once he warms up to Phoenix, Edgeworth isn't acting as a prosecutor because he wants him to fail, but because he wants all the holes in the logic of the case to be filled satisfactorily; and in [[VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney Apollo's arc]], Klavier Gavin is always focused on finding the truth instead of getting a guilty verdict, being the only prosecutor in the series that had this as his goal from the beginning of his career.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* Webcomic/KarateBears actually [[http://www.karatebears.com/2011/11/devils-advocate-advocate_16.html advocate for the devil's advocate!]]

* In the book of Job in Literature/TheBible, some interpret Satan himself as taking this role against Job when he says to God that the only reason that Job follows God is because Job has a really nice life and if that changed, Job would curse God. God takes him up on it.
** It should be noted that Satan [[MeaningfulName is Hebrew for "the accuser"]]. His entire character was originally this trope.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': Riker often plays this role. When a crew member suggests a course of action, Riker either suggests something else or says why they should not do it. This is part of his job as First Officer, to make sure TheCaptain considers all options and consequences. In "Measure of a Man", a scientist wants to disassemble Data for study, and Data refuses as a sentient being. A hearing is held to determine whether Data is sentient. Picard is Data's defense counsel, and Riker is appointed as the prosecution - so he has to argue that Data isn't sentient. He risks summary judgement against Data if he slacks off on the job. Riker feels guilty about doing it, but Data is grateful - or anyway as grateful as an android who allegedly has no emotions can be - since if Riker had refused to do it, they would have decided against Data (for if he isn't a sentient being, he lacks the right to bodily autonomy; such are the rules of procedure in the 24th century).

* ''Series/HeadOfTheClass'': in a school debate club meet Alan, [[Series/FamilyTies an Alex P. Keaton conservative type]], has to extemporaneously defend a position he is personally against. He wins the debate.

* In most cases, anyone with enough money can hire a lawyer to be their Devil's Advocate. In certain countries (such as the U.S.), a lawyer is appointed to this position by the state when no such lawyer can be found.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' Spock occasionally performs the duty of the Devil's Advocate, typically countering [[TheMcCoy McCoy]]'s or [[TheKirk Kirk]]'s spontaneous, GutFeeling-inspired actions.

* ''WebComic/PleaseListenToMe'': Not All Men Man insistis on playing Devil's advocate in a conversation about sexism, [[http://www.listen-tome.com/save-me/ bursting through a wall]] to do so.

* Video [["Sexual Assault Is Way More Common Than You Think"]] with Creator/RachelBloom has a rather literal (but also actual) version. Devil has hired an attorney named Jeremy to argue that rape culture is just a trendy term that incorrectly implies all men are super pro-rape; he also brings up false accusations and the fact that men are victims of rape, too.

* This is actually fairly common in fanfictions with either a DracoInLeatherPants or some other, typically antagonist, character, double points if they're the main character.

* [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Spock]] would occasionally perform the duty of the Devil's Advocate, typically countering [[TheMcCoy McCoy]]'s or [[TheKirk Kirk]]'s spontaneous, GutFeeling-inspired actions.
** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In "Measure of a Man", a scientist wants to disassemble Data for study, and Data refuses as a sentient being. A hearing is held to determine whether Data is sentient. Picard is Data's defense counsel, and Riker is appointed as the prosecution - so he has to argue that Data isn't sentient. He risks summary judgement against Data if he slacks off on the job. Riker feels guilty about doing it, but Data is grateful - or anyway as grateful as an android who allegedly has no emotions can be - since if Riker had refused to do it, they would have decided against Data (for if he isn't a sentient being, he lacks the right to bodily autonomy; such are the rules of procedure in the 24th century).
** Riker would often play this role. When a crew member suggests a course of action, Riker either suggests something else or says why they should not do it. This is part of his job as First Officer, to make sure TheCaptain considers all options and consequences.
* [[PlayingWithATrope Discussed]] (and sometimes used) in ''Series/QuantumLeap'', between Sam and Al.
* The Devil's Advocate ball gets passed around the cast of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', but tends to land in Xander's lap as often as not. The opposing viewpoint is commonly prefaced with "Not to be the bad guy here, but..." or some form of "I don't want to be ''that'' guy, but..."
** In the Season 3 episode "Graduation Day: Part 1" Xander actually prefaces a sentence with "I don't mean to play devil's advocate here, but..."

[[folder:Web Original]]

* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''; Homer states that he's about to "play devil's advocate" in regards to helping Krusty... it then cuts to him playing a pinball game called "Devil's Advocate".
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': Blue Zircon is essentially forced to take up take up this role when Steven is put on trial by the Diamond Authority for [[spoiler: [[SinsOfTheFather Rose's supposed murder of Pink Diamond]].]] Steven is blatantly in a KangarooCourt and the Diamonds (mainly Yellow) are dead set on a guilty verdict, but they still feel obliged to give him a chance to defend himself. [[spoiler: Except not really. It quickly becomes apparent that [[DeconstructedTrope the "Devil's Advocate ensuring a fair trial" angle is just for show]]; the second Zircon starts winning and ripping apart the prosecution's flimsy argument, Yellow Diamond throws a tantrum and smashes Zircon unconcious, declaring Steven guilty right than and there.]]

Possibly named for the canon lawyers appointed by the Catholic church to provide an opposing argument for canonization, which may have itself been named for the idiomatic meaning of this phrase. As with other adversarial proceedings (such as civil and criminal trials), the idea is to thoroughly test an idea or proposition before acting upon it, on the assumption that any concept that withstands intense criticism has a better chance of being correct.

* Many schoolchildren do this in their essays.

* Thomas Aquinas acted as his own Devil's Advocate in his works.

* KarateBears actually [[http://www.karatebears.com/2011/11/devils-advocate-advocate_16.html advocate for the devil's advocate!]]

* In the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' games, the rival prosecutors sometimes become this, rather than your true opponent. In the VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightTrilogy, once he warms up to Phoenix, Edgeworth isn't acting as a prosecutor because he wants him to fail, but because he wants all the holes in the logic of the case to be filled satisfactorily; and in [[VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney Apollo's arc]], Klavier Gavin is always focused on finding the truth instead of getting a guilty verdict, being the only prosecutor in the series that had this as his goal from the beginning of his career.

* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' invokes this trope, but does not actually use it [[http://xkcd.com/164/ here]]. The trope itself is used without NameDrop in [[http://xkcd.com/106/ the Wright Brothers example]]. Used and namedropped [[http://xkcd.com/1432/ here]], with a character getting LiteralMinded about it [[{{Troll}} just to be annoying]].

* In the CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers AU/Reboot fic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6434636/1/Heroes_For_Earth Heroes for Earth]], Wheeler gets upgraded into this role due to being the most social-savvy Planeteer; this is particularly interesting when he's talking with Gi who is very eco-savvy but social naive due to having been homeschooled by her parents.

Not to be confused with the movie ''Film/TheDevilsAdvocate'', which is about more a literal interpretation of this phrase.