History Main / GoodCopBadCop

* Occurs in ''[[Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy I, Jedi]]'' with Corran Horn as the good cop and Luke Skywalker as the bad cop. It works quite well, because the perp is a rogue Force-sensitive, and the "cops" have the area blanketed by a [[AntiMagic ysalamiri]]'s effect - the bluff is that Luke has disabled the perp's Force powers, and is telepathically berating Corran for coddling the prisoner. All Luke has to do is stand there glowering, and an angry Skywalker, prequels notwithstanding, is a terrifying sight indeed.

** [[UpToEleven And then they switch]].

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': As the Winchester brothers are often ImpersonatingAnOfficer they sometimes play this while interviewing witnesses, with the more caring Sam as good cop. However in Season Six, Sam loses his soul turning him into a callous sociopath. He therefore naturally falls into the bad cop role, as only Dean has the required empathy.

-->'''Shepard:''' My name is Shepard. I'm a Spectre.
-->'''Kelham:''' Prove it.
-->[''Shepard draws his/her gun and presses it against the criminal's face'']
-->'''Shepard:''' I don't have to prove anything. Spectres are above the law. Are we clear?
-->'''Kelham:''' [--...crystal...--]
-->''(a while later)''
-->'''[[DeadpanSnarker Thane]]:''' That may go down in history as the shortest interrogation ever.

-->'''Oswald Cobblepot''': What's that? Good cop, [[TerrorHero batshit insane]] cop?!

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by the Penguin in ''Film/TheBatman'' in regards to Bruce and Jim Gordon:
-->'''Oswald Cobblepot''': What's that? Good cop, [[GoodIsNotSoft batshit insane]] cop?!

* A ''Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}'' issue introduces a new variant: [[TheCowl Bad Cop]], [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk Giant Monster]].

* In ''Comicbook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'' Whirl, an ex-cop, catches one of the little enemy robots running away, and without being asked, simply beats him up in private until he promises to answer the questions of the other Autobots. Whirl's tendency toward police brutality is, in fact, revealed to have been the reason for the start of the entire Cybertronian Civil War. He brutally beat Megatron when the latter was arrested following a bar brawl. [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil This convinced Megatron]], who up until then was an ActualPacifist, that violence really ''was'' the best means of achieving social change.

* In one ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' strip, [[CloudCuckoolander Pig]] thinks it's "Good Cop, ''Fat'' Cop."

* ''Series/TheProfessionals''. In "Slush Fund", a South African hitman gets into an altercation with Bodie who's handling the PerpSweating. Cowley enters the cell and puts a stop to their fight, then tries a softer approach. The hitman is a former member of BOSS so isn't impressed, citing a variation on the trope name. "He's the bull and you're the china shop."

** [[PoliceBrutality Renee Montoya]] and [[BaldOfAwesome Crispus Allen]]: she's Bad, he's Good.

* ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'': Kim Kitsurugi is always a ByTheBookCop, and the PlayerCharacter is always at least a bit of a disheveled DefectiveDetective. Despite this, the player can play either good or bad cop in interrogations, and Kim will efficiently play the other side while maintaining his ConsummateProfessional nature. If the player is compassionate or even [[ApologisesALot self-effacing and apologetic]], Kitsurugi will be coolly authoritative and unyielding. If the player is [[CowboyCop harsh and domineering]], Kitsurugi will be the comforting voice of reason offering a much less stressful way out of the situation.

* ''Film/CatsAndDogsTheRevengeOfKittyGalore''. A couple of dogs from PAWS are PerpSweating a cat working for MEOW. When one dog objects to the rough stuff, the cat tells them off for trying the [[{{Pun}} "Good dog, bad dog"]] routine.

* ''Webcomic/{{Outsider}}'': Invoked by Jardin in his internal dialogue [[https://www.well-of-souls.com/outsider/outsider035.html when Beryl and Fireblade first approach him after the failed interrogation]]. Beryl introduces herself and says that she's taking him to see the ship's diplomatic officer, then introduces Fireblade and notes her title and role, and that she's in charge of overseeing Jardin's security and ensuring good behavior on his part.
-->'''Beryl:''' [Fireblade] warns that though you are being allowed to move without restraint, she will not tolerate any misbehavior.\\
'''Jardin:''' [''internal''] Ah. The old "good elf, bad elf" routine.

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueAction'' continues the trend in a scene where Batman and Superman interrogate Deadshot, except Superman says he's sick of playing Good Cop all the time and makes Batman switch roles with him. Deadshot is utterly unfazed and even slightly amused by [[AllLovingHero Superman]]'s pathetic attempts at being mean and intimidating... but ''[[TerrorHero Batman]]'' trying to be ''nice'' is [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness so out-of-character]] that Deadshot finds him even ''scarier'' that way than normal, and quickly breaks down and says he'll talk just to get him to stop.

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* In ''[[ComicBook/TheMultiversity Mastermen # 1]]'' the Human Bomb heals rapidly from a beating by [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Leatherwing]]. [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Overman]] offers him a chance to make it easy on himself and speak instead of getting a second beating.