History Main / FightingFromTheInside

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': They don't call him the Dragon Reborn because just because he's a stone-cold bugger. He actually gets Lews Therin Telamon, the Lord of Morning, in his head along for the ride! Only, nobody told Lews Therin. He thinks he just blacked out and someone is inside ''his'' head. Independent of that, Lews Therin is batshit crazy and the Dragon Reborn will be soon, too.

* Akihito matches this trope a few times in ''LightNovel/KyoukaiNoKanata'' when his youmu half tries to break free. Unfortunately for him (and [[spoiler: Hiroomi]] at one point), it's usually a losing battle.

* ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'': After Tiol gets monster {{Nanomachines}} and the accompanying software put into him as a result of MadScientist Yatsubiyashi's experiments, he seems to be little more than a monster himself. But when the ArtificialIntelligence in charge of the Kuzusuhara ruins Tsubaki hacks him, he regains some measure of agency, which is followed by him [[ThePowerOfLove catching sight of his love Sheryl,]] which makes him snap back into full consciousness, albeit with damaged memory and struggling to retain his humanity against the software. While Tiol's been given RestrainingBolt programming limiting him, through ThePowerOfHate against Akira (being a GreenEyedMonster over Sheryl), he can break through those limitations. Which actually makes him ''more useful'' to Tsubaki, since that programming kept him from building fliers and other things as a MookMaker.

* Happens in the first big battle in ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}''

* In the ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'' fanfic ''FanFic/HeroesOfTheDesk'', Valla is brainwashed. We are treated to several instances of her consciousness futilely resisting...until her controller orders her to [[spoiler:kill fellow Nephalem Johanna]]. She turns away and blasts her former minder, having defeated the {{Brainwashing}} purely through ThePowerOfHate. Fellow Heroes notice her now-bare BloodKnight tendencies, including making a public speech about how the blood of her enemies will "fill the lakes, rivers, and oceans."
* ''FanFic/TheImmortalGame'':

* ''FanFic/MegaManDefenderOfTheHumanRace'':

* ''FanFic/NightmaresAreTragic'': The climactic battle in this retelling of "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E2ElementsOfHarmony The Elements of Harmony]]" is not so much the one between the Mane Six and Nightmare Moon, as it is the one between Princess Luna and her [[DemonicPossession possessing Nightshadow]] inside Nightmare Moon's form.
* The ''FanFic/PonyPOVSeries'': At one point in the [[BadFuture Dark World]], Twilight ends up having to do this during the fight with [[TheStarscream the Valeyard]] -- she tries to use the Memory Spell on him, but he's [[CrazyPrepared prepared for this]] and ends up implanting a [[HoistByHisOwnPetard copy of his personality in her mind]]. It very nearly consumes her, but she manages to fight it long enough for her friends to destroy it by [[spoiler: ''smashing her head'', allowing her Element to regenerate a new one without the infection.]]
* ''FanFic/RainboomsAndRoyalty'': Ditzy manages to shake off Nightmare Moon's [[BrainwashedAndCrazy corrupting influence]] when presented with an image of her daughter, Dinky.

** Hawke, If a Mage, confronts Idunna about the disappearance of two Templars when she is revealed to be a Blood Mage and holds Hawke under the influence of Blood Magic, she forces them to slit their throat with a knife. Just before doing so, they resist, stating that they "Will not be toyed with" then breaks the influence, much to Idunna's shock.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' has an example in the ''Future Past'' DLC, which revolves around a BadFuture in which the player character was possessed by the BigBad. The Avatar in this timeline is still resisting as best they can, by sending Chrom's party back to their home timeline for fear of killing him again, or begging the survivors of that timeline to MercyKill them. In the DLC's climax, they're able to retake control of their body [[HeroicSacrifice long enough for Lucina to strike home with the Exalted Falchion to slay the possessed Avatar once and for all]] -- [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration you can even see]] the Avatar's map sprite turn green, the color for an allied unit.

* In ''[[VideoGame/SystemShock System Shock 2]]'', the U.N.N. commander William Diego manages to resist [[TheVirus The Many's]] control over him long enough to ''[[{{Determinator}} remove the parasitic worm from his head by himself]].'' He also is the ''only'' character we hear of in the game that ever manages to completely fight off the HiveMind's effects.

* In ''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', when [[spoiler: Durkon becomes a vampire, his actual soul/consciousness is a trapped observer of the machinations of the vampire spirit now controlling his body. When the vampire needs Durkon's memories, Durkon is able to use ExactWords and YouDidntAsk to stymie his efforts and ultimately overpower him.]]

* The world of ''WebComic/StandStillStaySilent'' is ridden with a disease that is a death sentence for the majority of people and animals infected with it, but changes a small portion of its victims into horribly mutated zombies of sorts that attack anything that moves or makes noise in their vicinity (hence the RuleNumberOne from the title). Some of those seen up close have been seen calling for help or regaining awareness long enough to stop an attack or letting themselves get a MercyKill.

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'':[[spoiler:''The scarab'' fights back against the Reach once it's put on-mode, by purposefully stalling and making poor tactical decisions.]]

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E10Midnight "Midnight"]]: The Doctor gets possessed again ([[TraumaCongaLine in the same incarnation]]), this time by an UltimateEvil he never comes close to understanding. [[CanOnlyMoveTheEyes While trapped in his own body]], he somehow manages to hook his foot on a chair while being dragged to his death.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Miss Goldenweek hypnotises Luffy to be completely calm and not wanting to save his friends. After said friends were completely encased in wax, there was a shot of a pissed off Luffy unable to do anything but angrily grit out "this is some good tea" repeatedly, attempting to not fall fully under control.

* Ringo, who has been possessed by Black Dainn, does this during his Piledriver sequence in ''[[VideoGame/{{Boktai}} Boktai 2]]''. Every time you land a hit, rather than seeing the superimposed image of the immortal screaming in pain, you instead see [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yYuvwlKw8c Ringo holding Dainn in a headlock]].

** In the GrandFinale, [[spoiler:Rex [[DownplayedTrope isn't able to completely resist the activation of Order 66]], but is able to hold it back just long enough to warn Ahsoka what's happening, give her a vital clue, and stop himself from shooting her dead right away. The ManlyTears he sheds while doing so make it clear that it's agonizing for him to do. Fortunately, Ahsoka is able to break the mind control by knocking him out and using a medical chamber to surgically remove the control chip in his head.]]

* ''Franchise/StarWars: Episode VII -- Film/TheForceAwakens'': [[spoiler:Rey fights off Kylo Ren's mental probing while captive on Starkiller Base. She defends her mind so well that she ends up bullrushing into his mind.]]

* ''Franchise/StarWars: Episode VII -- Film/TheForceAwakens'': [[spoiler:Rey fights off Kylo Ren's mental probing while captive on Starkiller Base. She defends her mind so well that she ends up reading his mind.]]

* In Critical Role, Matt Mercer uses this to flavor Yasha’s missed hits when she’s brainwashed and crazy.

* In ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo 7'', when Arle gets [[spoiler: possessed by Ecolo, she attempts and succeeds to stop him.]] Later in the game, Satan [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight sensed that Arle is]] [[spoiler: in fact possessed.]] And comes the boss battle, of course, with [[AutobotsRockOut some epic music.]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', this is one interpretation of the Skull Kid's actions at the end of the game. When Link summons the four giants to stop the [[ColonyDrop dropping moon]], the Skull Kid, [[spoiler:who is being mind-controlled by Majora's Mask,]] spasms wildly, clutches his head, and screams in a distorted voice. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Alternatively,]] it's also possible that he was just pissed/terrified/trying to deny that they had been released and is having a VillainousBreakdown.

* Subverted (and, in terms of plot, averted) in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks''. [[EvilChancellor Cole]], being as savvy as he is, removed the Princesses' spirit from her body before performing the soul-transfer ritual on it, specifically so it couldn't end like this. She still manages to fight the possession though-
- from outside.

* In ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' when fighting [[spoiler:the titular boss]] after being pushed below a certain health threshold the music suddenly turns somber and it begins to repeatedly and brutally stab itself in the abdomen trying to destroy [[spoiler:the infection controlling it]] before succumbing again. It continues to regain control a couple more times in the fight and tries again every time, giving the Knight precious breathing room to heal or attack relentlessly as well. This all culminates in [[spoiler: the Hollow Knight's shade appears when [[TrueFinalBoss The Radiance]] is defeated. Now free of its control it rips The Radiance's face open, expose its weak spot, and holds it open long enough for the Knight to shed its shell and finish it off by slashing it with its void tendrils.]]
* In ''VideoGame/JustShapesAndBeats'', one of the bosses is [[spoiler: a character who has been established as sympathetic and a close friend of the protagonist, infected by TheCorruption. The battle, fittingly set to the song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIC1aK6CleE Close To Me]], revolves around the friend's attempts to break free -- at the midpoint, they even [[HopeSpot seem to actually break out]] and try to crawl away, before being re-corrupted.]]

* Subverted (and, in terms of plot, averted) in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks''. [[EvilChancellor Cole]], being as savvy as he is, removed the Princesses' spirit from her body before performing the soul-transfer ritual on it, specifically so it couldn't end like this. She still manages to fight the possession though- from outside.

* In ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'':
** [[spoiler:Princess Peach does this when she's possessed by the Shadow Queen in the final battle, after the latter's invincibility is broken. She even manages to use her healing magic from the first ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' on the party, so they can battle the evil demon with all their strength.]]

* As a pretty sucky version of this, Ciel of ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' could only limit her Roa persona enough to kill everyone in her village ''slower'' than Roa normally would. And maybe less painfully. That's after weeks of shutting herself in her room so she wouldn't slaughter her unknowing family. Nevertheless, by the time Arcueid shows up to kill her, her effort has been in vain and the entire town has been turned to The Dead. It's implied that every host of Roa is like this because it isn't straight possession so much as adapting the host to his goals. Wherever he shows up on his reincarnation is generally a town full of The Dead by the time Arcueid stops him. Shiki is the hero, so in the route where Roa enters him he resists well enough to destroy Roa and also have partial control over his body. [[spoiler: It also helps that Roa did it in a bit of a different manner, AND there was less time at stake. Shiki was still approaching the point of no return, though.]]

** Later hinted that the BigBad-controlled Klaus Wulfenbach is this, as he promises to "do everything in his power" to help his son, even as the control forces him to act against the heroes.

* In the ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' story, Hush, Superman ends up under Poison Ivy's mind control. Batman, [[ComicBook/TheLongHalloween having been under the influence of it once himself,]] noted that while Ivy's manipulating you to do what she wants, your mind is completely aware of what's going on and trying to fight it. He notes that Superman, despite having been sent to fight him, still appears to be holding back. He and Catwoman are able to snap Superman out of it by kidnapping Lois and putting her in danger, knowing that no amount of mind control would stop him from trying to save her.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
** In ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'', Superman fights the black Kryptonite corruption, describing his symptoms and asking ComicBook/JimmyOlsen for help.

* An inversion with Shogun in ''Comicbook/{{Wolverines}}'', who is made up of two distinct personalities sharing one body: A former Delta soldier named Sharp, and the evil demon ninja Ogun. Sharp is actually more of an antihero with shades of TheAtoner, while Ogun is a far more malevolent and constantly fights him for control, with shades of TeethClenchedTeamwork when it's in their best interests. Which personality is in control is hinted at by their speech bubbles: Sharp's are the standard fare, however Ogun's are solid black with red text. As Ogun was weakened following an encounter with Wolverine when he possessed Sharp's body, the strength of his influence is directly related to the body's condition; as the body -- and Sharp with it -- nears death, Ogun becomes stronger.

* In ''Literature/TheHost'' by Stephenie Meyer, this trope is central to the entire plot. Most of the book concerns the struggle of Melanie the human girl against Wanderer, the parasite alien controlling her body.

* ''Fanfic/SenkiZesshouSymphogearWXDUnlimited'': Strangely, [[Literature/{{Worm}} Annette Hebert]] somehow survived having her consciousness from being completely subsumed by [[Anime/SenkiZesshouSymphogear Fine]], causing Fine to have to fight off attempts from her to regain control of their body. Though Fine did eventually win the fight for control, Annette still subconsciously influences Fine's actions at times.

[[quoteright:350:[[Franchise/{{Superman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fighting_from_the_inside.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Seriously, [[AllLovingHero Superman]] is the last person [[HeroicWillpower you should try to take control of.]]]]

->''"I keep the wolf from the door''\\
''But he calls me up''\\
''Calls me on the phone''\\
''Tells me all the ways that he's gonna mess me up''\\
''Steal all my children if I don't pay the ransom''\\
''And I'll never see them again if I squeal to the cops"''

* In the neutral route final boss fight for ''VideoGame/''Undertale'', [[spoiler:the 6 human souls used to make [[EldritchAbomination Omega Flowey]] offer help throughout the fight as your opponent gets more and more frantic, eventually mounting enough resistance to finish him off themselves.]]