History Main / FoolForLove

* ''Literature/TheKeptManOfThePrincessKnight'': Matthew's female friend Vanessa, the AdventureGuild's appraiser, is an otherwise-intelligent woman who has had a string of worthless boyfriends that mooch off her income and frequently cheat on her: Watkin was a violent drunk who finally punched the wrong guy and was disappeared by a mobster, Tiny had a gambling habit that ended with him getting his arms cut off, Olaf cheated on her until he died of an STD, Oscar was a drug dealer who was trying to extort sex from Arwin when Matthew first met her and was then killed off by a rival gang, and her current squeeze Sterling is a GiftedlyBad StarvingArtist [[spoiler:who found Oscar's stash and has been selling it]].

* A ([[HoYay maybe]]) platonic version of this is Kamina from ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' initially appears to be a big, boastful, fearless meathead, but his bluster is both a cover for his inner doubts and a way to inspire courage in others, ''especially'' his {{Blood Brother|s}} Simon. He admits to Yoko in episode 8 that he'd have given in to despair long ago if it were not for his absolute faith in Simon, and [[spoiler: shortly thereafter goes on his first mission where he and Simon fight separately...and only Simon comes back alive.]]

-->'''Mittens''': C’mon, Mittens -- get a hold of yourself. Quit swooning already. You know better than this. He’s just another run-of-the-mill Olympian Greek god. A sawbuck a dozen.

* Riley Biers from ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} Eclipse]]'', who did everything in the name of his lover, Victoria. [[spoiler: He was only a pawn to her.]]

** [[TheHero Guts himself]] also qualifies for this trope. He's the [[RatedMForManly most macho]], most badass character in the story, but ''damn'' if he doesn't [[LoveInterest love Casca]], traveling across treacherous terrain and battling unspeakable enemies [[FindTheCure all for her wellbeing]]. Even before things [[StarCrossedLovers took a turn for the worse in their relationship]], Casca was one of those few individuals whom Guts showed his [[RealMenHateAffection softer]], [[WarriorPoet emotional]], and even [[ManlyTears vulnerable]] side to. His situation is very much the dark and tragic example of this trope, because [[spoiler: [[TheOphelia Casca goes insane and amnesiac]] after [[GoMadFromTheRevelation her traumatic experience during the Eclipse]] [[AmnesiacLover and ceases to remember Guts]]]]. [[HeartbrokenBadass Guts is not very happy]] [[RoaringRampageofRevenge for a long while.]]

* Ironically, Sousuke [[ConsummateProfessional of]] [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove all]] [[TheStoic people]] in ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'' grows into unrepentant FoolForLove when he finally recognizes his feelings for Kaname.

* {{Wolverine}} sure seems like an uncaring loner until you look at the gaggle of one true loves he has loved and lost throughout the years.

* In ''Manga/FinderSeries'' Asami Ryuichi is usually a cautious and very intelligent man. But when his lover Akihito gets kidnapped by an old enemy he makes several highly questionable choices to get him back. From embarking in a rescue mission with two still unhealed gunshot wounds to cutting deals with other criminal organizations.

* ''Series/BatesMotel'': Sheriff Alex Romero is a dangerous, never-smiling policeman of ''very'' questionable morals who will not hestitate to kill if he deems it necessary, and at first glance doesn't seem to have a romantic or even somewhat soft bone in his body. He is also [[StarCrossedLovers helplessly in love]] with [[BrokenBird Norma Bates]], for whom he becomes a gentler, kinder person; he shows her incredible tenderness and would do anything for her. She is the only person in the entire series who [[WhenHeSmiles ever makes him smile]].

* Gretchen from ''Theatre/JasperInDeadland'' has a rather negative opinion of life itself, and often implies that she prefers being dead and doesn't care about her [[GhostAmnesia losing the memories of her life]]. Despite this, she's immediately intrigued by Jasper's love for his lost "[[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend friend]]" Agnes, and ends up guiding Jasper through Deadland because she's falling in love with him.

[[/folder:]]

* ''Series/BatesMotel'': Sheriff Alex Romero is a dangerous, never-smiling policeman of ''very'' questionable morals who will not hestitate to kill if he deems it necessary, and at first glance doesn't seem to have a romantic or even somewhat soft bone in his body. He is also [[StarCrossedLovers helplessly in love]] with [[BrokenBird Norma Bates]], for whom he becomes a gentler, kinder person who shows her incredible tenderness and would do anything for her. She is the only person in the entire series who [[WhenHeSmiles ever makes him smile]].

'''Galavant:''' Well... [[BitchInSheepsClothing She fell softer.]]\\

* Music/LordHuron's song " Fool for Love" is about a man challenging a rival to the death for the hand of a girl he loves. [[spoiler:He ends up losing badly and getting likely [[DownerEnding fatally wounded]], and though he admits he was an idiot to challenge a bigger, stronger man, he argues that there was no other choice due to this trope.]]

* The typically caustic Chazz/Jun from Anime/YuGiOhGX always goes crazy in the presence of Alexis/Asuka and always tries to impress her, [[HopelessSuitor but always fails]].

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità]]'': Germany and Japan, who were both hardened and distrusting, couldn't help but fall in love with [[{{Keet}} Italy]]. Not that they cared.

** A villainous, [[AlasPoorVillain yet quite tragic]], example in the Count. He was once a KnightTemplar who fought pagans, but he maintained a family life with his wife and daughter. He loved his wife dearly, but when he found out about [[SilkHidingSteel her unfaithfulness]], his world comes crashing down [[spoiler: and he ended up sacrificing her to the God Hand to become an emotionless demon [[DespairEventHorizon in his moment of despair.]]]]

This type is vulnerable to TheDulcineaEffect and BecauseYouWereNiceToMe, dropping their responsibilities and self-interest so they can stick their neck out for some person they just fell in love with. In all other respects they're a [[ConsummateProfessional level-headed professional]], or a WildCard who doesn't trust anyone but themselves, which makes people who know them wonder why they only lose their head when there's romance involved. Maybe they're a ChivalrousPervert who can't say "no" to a pretty guy or lady who asks for help. Maybe on the inside, they [[IJustWantToBeLoved just want to be loved]], or they're a KnightInSourArmor who wants to find just one person in their rotten world who they can believe in. Maybe being a [[TheChampion champion]] for someone is what gives their life a sense of meaning. Regardless of their reasons, if you ask them why they always fall for it even though they've been burned before, they'll straight up tell you, "I'm a sucker for romance," or, "I'm just a fool for love." In a way, they have the same attitude towards romance that the KnightInSourArmor has toward heroism.

This has been a ''very'' common trope in popular music, and was particularly in vogue in TheFifties. The idea is that for better or for worse, you have to be a fool to fall in love, but songs can portray it either idealistically or cynically.

* A ([[HoYay maybe]]) platonic version of this is Kamina from ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' initially appears to be a big, boastful, fearless meathead, but his bluster is both a cover for his inner doubts and a way to inspire courage in others, ''especially'' his {{Blood Brother|s}} Simon. He admits to Yoko in episode 8 that he'd have given into despair long ago if it were not for his absolute faith in Simon, and [[spoiler: shortly thereafter goes on his first mission where he and Simon fight separately...and only Simon comes back alive.]]

[[folder:Films, Animated]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'', Megara ended up enslaved to Hades because she sacrificed herself for a boyfriend who didn't remain true to her. As a result she lost her faith in men, but when she finds herself falling in love with Hercules--[[InLoveWithTheMark whom she's supposed to be manipulating on orders from Hades]]--she sings a song called "Won't say I'm in love" in which her head is telling her to get a grip, but the [[GreekChorus Muses]] are telling her to listen to her heart.

[[folder:Films, Live Action]]
* In ''Film/{{Inception}}'', professional extractor Cobb keeps a projection of his deceased wife Mal locked up in a level of his subconscious because he was never able to let go of her, even though the last thing she did before she committed suicide was frame him for killing her. Indeed, the reason he can't move on is that he blames himself for [[spoiler:planting the idea in her head which made her convinced that the real world they had returned to was actually the dream (and vice-versa), and that the only way to return to reality was for them to kill themselves]]. When Cobb's projection of Mal gets out of control and starts trying to kill the members of the inception team during the operation on Fisher, his teammates reproach him for having hidden her existence from them when she posed such a danger to the mission, and for hesitating to ShootTheDog when all their lives are at stake.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* Damon from ''Literature/VampireDiaries'' is definitely one of these, in the same vein [[Series/BuffytheVampireSlayer as another snarky vampire]]. He spends 146 years searching for Katherine and falls for her doppleganger, Elena to whom he is just as loyal to, if in his own crazy way.
* Sherlock Holmes in ''Series/{{Elementary}}'' is implied to be this. Joan deduces in the pilot that a big part of his motives from his DarkAndTroubledPast has to do with his own [[TheLostLenore lost lenore]].
** Revealed to be [[spoiler:true]] and then [[spoiler:''painfully'' subverted when it is revealed his [[TheLostLenore lenore]] was never really lost and was playing him the whole time.]]

* Chandler from ''Series/{{Friends}}'' is typically a StepfordSnarker and commitment phobic because of his difficult childhood. However in his few early relationships he's extremely devoted and romantic buying Janice a draw and spending days hunting down a childhood book for Kathy. When he gets together with Monica he comes up with romantic speeches that ''any'' guy would be proud of, let alone a cynic who claims all relationships are doomed. Ironically out of the three guys (both of which are viewed as better with women than him) he's the first to get married and actually make a relationship work.

--> ''The moment that you speak''
--> ''I want to run and play hide-and-seek''
--> ''I want to go and bounce the moon''
--> ''Just like a big toy balloon''
--> ''You and I, we are just like a couple of tots''
--> ''Running along the meadow''
--> ''Snatching up all those forget to be nots''

* In ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'', Megara ended up enslaved to Hades because she sacrificed herself for a boyfriend who didn't remain true to her. As a result she lost her faith in men, but when she finds herself falling in love with Hercules--[[InLoveWithTheMark whom she's supposed to be manipulating on orders from Hades]]--she sings a song called "Won't say I'm in love" in which her head is telling her to get a grip, but the [[GreekChorus Muses]] are telling her to listen to her heart.

* Ironically, Sousuke [[ConsummateProfessional of]] [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove all]] [[TheStoic people]] in ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic''' grows into unrepentant FoolForLove when he finally recognizes his feelings for Kaname.