History Main / FromCamouflageToCriminal

* A number of ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' villains have some sort of military background prior to turning to a life of crime. Mitch Bolton (from Season 3's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS3E16AndS3E17WarZone War Zone]]"), [[ThoseWackyNazis Stan]] [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Gorman]] (from Season 6's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS6E22TheSoulOfWinter The Soul of Winter]]"), [[BodyguardBetrayal Theodore]] [[MurderDotCom McNeely]] (from Season 9's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS9E16SixHours 6 Hours]]")... just to name a few. Of these villains, however, there is none more notorious and loathsome to earn this dishonorable mention than [[AxCrazy Victor]] [[SerialRapist LaRue]].

* ''Series/DarkWinds'': Frank Nakia is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran. After coming home, he become involved with murder and bank robbery as part of the radical Buffalo Society.

* ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'':
** WellIntentionedExtremist[=/=]AntiVillain Kuze was once a soldier of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces, before becoming extremely disillusioned with his work and deserted from his North Korean outpost.
** The episode "JUNGLE CRUISE" has Marco Amoretti, a former [[DividedStatesOfAmerica American Imperial Navy]] special warfare operator-turned-SerialKiller after being driven insane by atrocities he was ordered to commit in [[WorldWarWhatever World War IV]] as terror tactics against anti-AE guerrilla forces. Batou came across some of Amoretti's handiwork in the war while stationed there with a [=JGSDF=] Ranger contingent and is determined to stop him.
** Some of the Individual Eleven terrorists investigated by Section 9 were career airmen/officers with the Japanese Air-Self Defense Forces and were hinted to be involved in assassination and bombing attacks throughout Japan.
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Hody Jones was once part of the Fishman Island's Neptune's Royal Army before he became the captain of the New Fishman Pirates. Likewise, one of the Super Rookie pirates X. Drake was once a Rear Admiral in the Marines.

* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' is set in 1870s Japan following the UsefulNotes/MeijiRestoration. A number of villains are unemployed former {{samurai}} and {{ronin}} who turned to crime.

* ''Series/PeakyBlinders'' is about the rise to power of the eponymous gang in Birmingham after WWI. Arthur, Tommy and John all served in a tunnelling unit in France, doing arguably the most difficult and dangerous kind of work there is to do on a freaking battlefield. Some of their squadmates end up working with the gang from time to time, like BadassPreacher Jeremiah, literal ShellShockedVeteran Danny and FriendlySniper Barney, and even the intellectual Freddy Thorne. Their recurring ally [[KosherNostra Jewish gangster]] Alfie Solomons also has some service under his belt, as do plenty of other people on the scene. There's a clear disparity between the men who were of conscription age during the war and the characters who never saw the horrors of the battlefield, with Polly blaming most of the boys' ruthless actions on the things they saw and endured in the war. The Shelbys are especially shown to have grown much more organised due to their time in the military, with Tommy's gang leadership position tying into his higher rank in the unit, even though Arthur's older than him. The Blinders, the Lee family and Alfie are all shown using the same kind of booby traps they used to place in their trenches, with the targets usually recognising the patterns.

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'s'' version of ComicBook/{{Deadshot}} is a former US Army sniper whose [[ShellShockedVeteran traumatic experiences]] resulted in the dissolution of his marriage. After he was imprisoned for drawing a gun on his wife, Lawton was approached by an agent of H.I.V.E. who offered him money and freedom in exchange for killing a man named Andy Diggle and the rest is history.
* On occasion, the VillainOfTheWeek was ex-military, like a crew in season one that robbed armored cars using tactics they picked up in their Special Forces training, or an officer in the second season who supplied his gangster Foster brother with assault rifle shipments.
* As always, Deathstroke is an example, despite his AdaptationNationality. Here, he was an Australian secret agent who turned to mercenary work after a mission went horribly wrong (he lost the woman he loved and was injected with a PsychoSerum that gave him superpowers), and ended up working with several violent criminals and cutthroat corporate executives to terrorise his perceived enemy.

* ''Series/PeakyBlinders'' is about the rise to power of the eponymous gang in Birmingham after WWI. All three Shelby brothers who run the gang are decorated war heroes, and many of their most loyal followers served with them. Their martial skills come in handy on countless occasions. The recurring [[KosherNostra Jewish mob]] boss Alfie Solomons was also an army captain, and in the fifth series, Arthur Shelby mentions that the Titanic Gang - a FightingIrish crime syndicate with whom the Shelbys briefly skirmish - were "very capable soldiers". Given when the show is set, it would be quite likely that most of the male characters would have served during the war in some capacity.

* A number of ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' villains have some sort of military background prior to turning to a life of crime. Mitch Bolton (from Season 3's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS3E16AndS3E17WarZone War Zone]]"), [[ThoseWackyNazis Stan]] [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Gorman]] (from Season 6's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS6E22TheSoulOfWinter The Soul of Winter]]"), [[BodyguardBetrayal Theodore]] [[MurderDotCom McNeely]] (from Season 9's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS9E16SixHours 6 Hours]]")... just to name a few. Of these villains, the ever-loathesome [[AxCrazy Victor]] [[SerialRapist LaRue]] has earned a dishonorable mention.

* A number of ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' villains have some sort of military background prior to turning to a life of crime. Mitch Bolton (from Season 3's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS3E16AndS3E17WarZone War Zone]]"), Stan Gorman (from Season 6's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS6E22TheSoulOfWinter The Soul of Winter]]"), [=Theodore McNeely=] (from Season 9's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS9E16SixHours 6 Hours]]")... just to name a few. Of these villains, the ever-loathesome [[AxCrazy Victor]] [[SerialRapist LaRue]] has earned a dishonorable mention.

* A number of ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' villains have some sort of military background prior to turning to a life of crime. Mitch Bolton (from Season 3's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS3E16AndS3E17WarZone War Zone]]"), Stan Gorman (from Season 6's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS6E22TheSoulOfWinter The Soul of Winter]]"), [=Theodore McNeely=] (from Season 9's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS9E16SixHours 6 Hours]]")... just to name a few.

* The title character in ''Series/{{Barry}}'' is a ShellShockedVeteran of Afghanistan; after returning home with PTSD and depression and no applicable civilian skills, he is manipulated by a family friend into becoming a hitman. At the start of the show, Barry's depression is back, and he's looking for a way out of his life of crime.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamByGaslight'', [[spoiler:the {{serial killer}} "UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper" (AKA [[AdaptationalVillainy Commissioner James Gordon]]) is a [[BadgesAndDogTags soldier-turned-cop]]-[[LawmanGoneBad turned-homicidal-vigilante]]. He served as a [[CombatMedic battlefield surgeon]] in the Union Army during the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar. Though he was [[ShellShockedVeteran broken by his combat experiences]], seeing fellow soldiers dying from venereal diseases spread by the {{camp follower}}s drove him further off the edge, instilling him with a violent hatred of prostitutes. After the war, he joined the Gotham City Police Department and eventually rose to the rank of Commissioner, but his [[KnightTemplar extremist views on enforcing law and order]] led him to begin secretly murdering [[DisposableSexWorker prostitutes]], along with other types of people whom he blamed for Gotham's moral corruption. The fact that Gordon is a war veteran with plenty of fighting experience, in addition to being a tall and muscular [[BoxingBattler boxing champion]], allows him to seriously challenge {{Franchise/Batman}} and give him a lot of trouble during their final duel.]]

** Burr Redding, a middle-aged drug dealer and member of the Homeboys prison gang (a faction of black inmates in Oz), also happens to be a {{shell shocked|veteran}} [[TheVietnamVet Vietnam veteran]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamByGaslight'', [[spoiler:the {{serial killer}} "UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper" (AKA {{Commissioner|Gordon}} [[AdaptationalVillainy James Gordon]]) is a [[BadgesAndDogTags soldier-turned-cop]]-[[LawmanGoneBad turned-homicidal-vigilante]]. He served as a [[CombatMedic battlefield surgeon]] in the Union Army during the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar. Though he was [[ShellShockedVeteran broken by his combat experiences]], seeing fellow soldiers dying from venereal diseases spread by the {{camp follower}}s drove him further off the edge, instilling him with a violent hatred of prostitutes. After the war, he joined the Gotham City Police Department and eventually rose to the rank of Commissioner, but his [[KnightTemplar extremist views on enforcing law and order]] led him to begin secretly murdering [[DisposableSexWorker prostitutes]], along with other types of people whom he blamed for Gotham's moral corruption. The fact that Gordon is a war veteran with plenty of fighting experience, in addition to being a tall and muscular [[BoxingBattler boxing champion]], allows him to seriously challenge {{Franchise/Batman}} and give him a lot of trouble during their final duel.]]

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:

** In ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'', Erik "Killmonger" Stevens is a former US black-ops operative turned international criminal and the usurper of Wakanda's throne.

* Cain Miro of Creator/RogerCorman's ''Film/{{Gunslinger}}'': An ex-Confederate soldier turned gun-for-hire. He takes the job as hired muscle for the film's BigBad both for the money and a chance for revenge on the town's mayor (Cain's former commanding officer, who Cain considers a traitor and a coward).

* ''Film/{{Juggernaut|1974}}'': While defusing the bombs planted by Juggernaut, the BombDisposal officer realises they resemble a particular German TimeBomb used during World War 2, and tells the police to consult a man he served with during the war who has experience with such devices. He turns out to be Juggernaut.

** Burr Redding, a middle-aged drug dealer and member of the Homeboys prison gang (a faction of black inmates in Oz), also happens to be a {{shell shocked| veteran}} [[TheVietnamVet Vietnam veteran]].

* The Blacksmith from ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'' Season 2 is actually [[spoiler:Colonel Ray Shoonover, Frank Castle's former officer. He and some of his most [[AFatherToHisMen loyal men]] became drug dealers after the war and he is partially responsible for the massacre of the Castle family]].

** {{ComicBook/Deadshot}} AKA Floyd Lawton (from ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' and ''Arkham Origins'') is stated to be this according to his ''Origins'' bio. He was originally a [[ColdSniper sharpshooter]] in an unspecified military unit until he was dishonorably discharged for his reckless behavior, after which he put his [[ImprobableAimingSkills incredibly deadly marksmanship]] to use working as a [[ProfessionalKiller hitman]] for the criminal underworld, much like Deathstroke (see below).
** {{ComicBook/Deathstroke}} AKA Slade Wilson (from ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOrigins'' and ''Arkham Knight'') has pretty much the same exact backstory as his counterpart from the comics. He was originally a U.S. Army special forces veteran who was physically enhanced to become a {{supersoldier}}, and after leaving the military he decided to become a mercenary and assassin for hire. In ''Knight'', he also serves as one of the co-commanders of the Militia (see below).

** Sonny Wortzik in ''Film/DogDayAfternoon'' tries to keep the police from storming the bank by saying that he and his cohort were in the Army in [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam]], and have no problem getting violent with the hostages. While at the time it seems like a desperate bluff, later on, he is seen showing some of the hostages how he learned to march and handle a gun during training. His relationship with the hostages makes it pretty clear he doesn't intend to hurt them, however. In fact Sonny subverts nearly all of the stereotypes associated with this trope; despite his bluff he isn't ruthless and has no intention of hurting innocents, he badly fumbles the robbery because he hasn't put any real planning or thought into it, ands while he has some level of StreetSmart, (for example [[CanAlwaysSpotACop he correctly sees through a ploy where a cop disguised as a civilian tries to worm info out of him]]) he in totally over his head all throughout the film.

Being in the military can teach you some skills, but the skill that people most commonly associate with the military, (i.e. how to hurt or kill people) doesn't exactly translate well to civilian life. However, there is a way around that for more morally... ''flexible''... people; put those skills to work in crime, especially organized crime, and start picking apart [[{{Gangbangers}} the local competition]].

Many fictional criminals who come from a military background not only tend to be much more effective, dangerous, and capable than everyday thugs, but also tend to have a reputation for ruthlessness and cold-bloodedness when getting their hands dirty. As these guys have years of combat experience and military tactics up their sleeve, it's no surprise that they'll become TheDreaded to communities and other criminal organizations alike. Even the law has to be extra careful when pursuing one; if cornered, a soldier-turned-crook can give the good guys a ''[[CrooksAreBetterArmed nasty]]'' run for their money.

This trope is particularly common if the character in question is a ShellShockedVeteran who has been broken by their experiences, a SociopathicSoldier who was clearly a bad apple while in the service, and the ReturningWarVet who finds YouCantGoHomeAgain may be likely to fall into this. Because ElitesAreMoreGlamorous, expect a character doing this to be from a section of the military either known for being unusually badass or flat out special forces/covert ops.

While often exaggerated in the media, this is very definitely TruthInTelevision, in ways which can vary from the tragic to the terrifying. It is also OlderThanFeudalism, at the very least, as it was a significant factor in the ''coup d'etat'' staged by Critias and the other Thirty Tyrants in ancient Athens (of which the execution of Creator/{{Socrates}} was just one consequence). It also played pivotal roles in the 20th century, specifically in the rise of Fascism and Nazism, and conversely, in the Russian and Chinese revolutions.

* A number of ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' villains have some sort of military background prior to turning to a life of crime.

** The Lost Brotherhood in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIVTheLostAndDamned'' were founded by US Marines that met during the Vietnam War, but after the war ended they turned into a biker gang since they continued thirsting for violence. As for their current incarnation, Jim Fitzgerald and Clay Simmons originally belonged to the USMC and the US Army respectively and now use their skills to help the Lost.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheBadBatch'': The titular squad of ModifiedClones lack functioning inhibitor chips, causing them to be unaffected by [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Order 66]]. They refuse to serve the new Galactic Empire and go on the run, fugitives making their way as mercenaries for an InformationBroker named Cid.

** Season 4 episode "[[Recap/TheXFilesS04E16Unrequited Unrequited]]" focuses on a disgruntled Vietnam vet who can effectively turn invisible by exploiting people's ocular blind-spots and intends to use it to assassinate a major military official for having left many soldiers in Vietnam as secret POWs (including him).

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' - much like its TTRPG predecessor - features many war veterans turned criminals. V, the game's protagonist can very well be one (depending on player choices) before becoming an outlaw. Johnny Silverhand (the game's deuteragonist) was also a soldier before becoming an anti-corporate terrorist. Nearly every member of the Aldecaldo Clan that V runs into was a Militech soldier before becoming mercenaries and smugglers. Then, of course, there are the members of the 6th Street Gang - all of whom are ruthless street criminals who are fanatically loyal to the NUSA and the idea of Reunification. Adam Smasher was also a former soldier who was [[SociopathicSoldiers dishonorably discharged]] before he became an infamous merc and later on a corporate hatchetman.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' - much like its TTRPG predecessor - features many war veterans turned criminals. V, the game's protagonist can very well be one (depending on player choices) before becoming an outlaw. Johnny Silverhand (the game's deuteragonist) was also a soldier before becoming an anti-corporate terrorist. Nearly every member of the Aldecaldo Clan that V runs into was a Militech soldier before becoming mercenaries and smugglers. Then, of course, there are the members of the 6th Street Gang - all of whom are ruthless street criminals who are fanatically loyal to the NUSA and the idea of Reunification.

*** The Slavers from the ''Comicbook/ThePunisherMAX'' arc of the same name are hardened soldiers and war criminals from the Bosnian War. The fact that they're all former professional soldiers puts them well above the average Mafia goons and even have Frank on the ropes for a while.