History Main / InUniverseCatharsis

* In ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' Gohan gets the chance to pummel his absent and neglectful father when Captain Ginyu takes over his body.

* In ''Fanfic/HopeOnADistantMountain'', Makoto goes back into the Hope's Peak Academy as seen in a sandbox version of the D-7 simulation, a virtual reality program designed to push students past their emotional limits to test their mettle via [[DeadlyGames Deadly Games]][=.=] He does this in order to better understand the events that happened to him and their effects on his psyche, and fortunately, there are AIs there to explain things to him. [[spoiler: Or unfortunately, given they still want to help Makoto "grow".]]

--->'''Demetri:''' Man, that felt ''good''! ''(to Kyler on the ground)'' [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch Bitch]]!

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': [[spoiler:"For the Future" sees [[Characters/TheOwlHouseLuzNoceda Luz]] undergo a '''massive''' case of this with Camila telling her how much she loves, appreciates and understands her, while also affirming to Luz that it's okay to stumble and fail citing how she thought that moving to Gravesfield would increase Luz's father Manny's chances of survival, but especially how she failed Luz by encouraging her not to be true to herself out of fear that Luz would have to endure all of the same hardships that Camila did. Camila reaffirming to her daughter that it's okay to be weird and nerdy and not to fear failure prompts TearsOfJoy from her just before she finally realizes what she always wanted. To be understood by the mother she loves so very much. This then causes a second example of this with Luz's Palisman awakening to her clear joy and delight]].

* ''Series/BattleStarGalactica2003'': In "Flight of the Phoenix", [[FaceHeelTurn Sharon Valerii]] turns a virus back on the Cylons that leaves a squadron [[SittingDuck floating helplessly in space]]. The Colonial ''Viper'' pilots seize on the opportunity to get some revenge after months of being pursued by the Cylons by opening fire on the disabled ships.

* In ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'', the first times Gina Lestrade is testifying in court are when [[spoiler:she's committing perjury under the threat of Magnus [=McGilded=] and as the defendant for a murder]]. When she's vindicated of all charges and made as an inspector under Tobias Gregson, the next time she's testifying in court is as a mere witness for a different case. She comments on how much of a relief it is for her to take the stand with low stakes for once.

* Shaundi's LoyaltyMission in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' culminates in this: after taking up the suggestion to [[EverybodyMustGetStoned get stoned]] from [[spoiler:her LiteralSplitPersonality, the "Classic" Shaundi]], the two of them discover that the drug gave them superpowers. [[spoiler:The "New"]] Shaundi also discovers that [[spoiler:her old self]] ''can'' have great ideas, while the latter acknowledges that the former is not as stuck-up as she thought, and the two of them finally reconcile. Cue a cathartic superpowered race between the two (and the Boss) and a playful rooftop duel. And ''then'', after the battle against Veteran Child, she defuses a SadisticChoice situation where [[spoiler:VC takes both of her selves hostage and forces the Boss to choose between them--by each of her selves killing his copy holding the ''other'' Shaundi: not only does this show their acceptance of each other, but also finally breaks Shaundi's fears of being a permanent DistressedDamsel for life]]. Really, the whole mission is just one long catharsis for her.

->''[[AC:Do you know what? Given the soul-crushing amount of arbitrary deaths decent people die for no reason [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 in this galaxy]], it is surprisingly refreshing to see it happen firsthand to someone [[AssholeVictim who absolutely deserves it]].]]''

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'': When the Reds and Blues finally get to beat the tar out of [[spoiler:ManipulativeBastard Felix]], it is ridiculously satisfying, for them and the audience.

* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': After titular the boys' mission to Russia, Mother's Milk watches the recordings of Russian scientists experimenting on the supe Soldier Boy. Given that Soldier Boy murdered M.M.'s father, he doesn't even blink watching the horrific pain Soldier Boy is put through.

* Wiki/TheOtherWiki defines it [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharsis here]], mentioning that some modern psychiatrists call this ''closure''.

->''[[AC:Do you know what? Given the soul-crushing amount of arbitrary deaths decent people die for no reason [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 in this galaxy]], it is surprisingly refreshing to see it happen first hand to someone [[AssholeVictim who absolutely deserves it]].]]''

There is also a more serious form of catharsis where psychological ills are healed through ceremony or painful experiences. Basically, usually as a major plot point, a character either seeks or inadvertently goes through an experience that normally only a NightmareFetishist might seek, and it helps them deal with a medical, psychological, etc. condition. [[CatharsisFactor When a story does this for a reader in the real world]], it's YMMV. When it occurs InUniverse, it's less subjective. May take the form of PercussiveTherapy, PowerFantasy, an EscapistCharacter or a CatharticScream.

* Defied in ''Film/AmericanPsycho''. The film closes with Bateman, in the middle of a MotiveRant to himself, realizes that even admitting he is a CardCarryingVillain to himself does not give him any catharsis.

--> '''Harry''': ''Fuego''! '''Pyrofuego!''' Burn, you bat-faced greasy ''fucks'', '''''BURN!'''''

** In ''Death Masks'', after an enemy surrenders and then gloats about the fact that the Knights of the Cross can't touch him any more, even though they know the enemy is surrendering falsely and intends to continue doing evil, Harry turns a baseball bat on him.

** In ''White Night'', Harry flashes back to a training camp he was running for new Wardens. When two of the kid-Wardens end up kidnapped, tortured and ''eaten'' by ghouls, Harry is not satisfied with killing the ghouls, and instead makes them ''suffer'', for a ''long time'', to the point ghouls encountered later in the series are ''terrified'' of Harry's mere presence.

* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': After titular the boys' mission to Russia, Mother Milk's watches the recordings of Russian scientists experimenting on the supe Soldier Boy. Given that Soldier Boy murdered M.M.'s father, he doesn't even blink watching the horrific pain Soldier Boy is put through.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "The Ensigns of Command". Thanks to a treaty with the Federation, an alien race called the Sheliak has the legal right to wipe a human colony off of one of their planets. Picard spends a lot of time and effort trying to get the Sheliak to give them three weeks to evacuate the colony, but the aliens won't budge. Finally, Picard finds a loophole in the treaty, and invokes his right to a six-month delay. As the Sheliak start to agree to the three weeks instead, Picard cuts the transmission. The Sheliak immediately call back, but Picard calmly "lets the phone ring" for a while before answering.

* Played with on ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' with a FantasticRacist Vulcan who had tormented Sisko with his self-proclaimed superiority since their academy days. The crew was determined to put him in his place once and for all by beating him at a baseball game, which is Sisko's favourite passtime. [[CurbstompBattle It didn't work because Vulcans are three times as strong as humans on average]], but after managing to score a single run, they started celebrating as if they had won the entire game. It turns out, the best way to get under a petty Vulcan's skin is to be happy for no logical reason.
* ''Series/BattleStarGalactica2003'': In "Flight of the Phoenix", [[FaceHeelTurn Sharon Valerii]] turns a virus back on the Cylons that leaves a squadron [[SittingDuck floating helplessly in space]]. The Colonial ''Viper'' pilots sieze on the opportunity to get some revenge after months of being pursued by the Cylons by opening fire on the disabled ships.

** "Sing For The Moment" imagines a young man living in a broken home who escapes through listening to Eminem's music, and telling his critics that [[TakeThatCritics his child fans look up to him as a hero]].

*** [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 The third game]] adds some more (again, depending on player choices). The quarians and the geth can finally end their war. Mordin has the opportunity to deal with the guilt he's felt due to his involvement with the krogan genophage. Miranda finally confronts her father and ensures he won't get his hands on her sister. Shepard gets satisfying vengeance on Kai Lang, and at the end [[spoiler: willingly sacrifice his/her life knowing that doing so will end the war that's left them psychologically broken]].

* In ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings III'', characters suffer stress and may develop coping mechanisms to deal with it, ideally before they hit a mental breaking point. These coping mechanisms aside from passively making stress easier to manage, may also be actively indulged from time to time, such as a particularly vigorous self-flagellation session or a particularly large shopping spree to burn off a lump sum of stress.
* In ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'', the first times Gina Lestrade is testifying in court are when [[spoiler:she's committing perjury under the threat of Magnus [=McGilded=] and as the defendant for a murder]]. When she's vindicated of all charges and made as an inspector under Tobias Gregson, the next time she's testifying in court is as a mere witness for a different case. She comments how much of a relief it is for her to take the stand with low stakes for once.

-->''[[AC:Do you know what? Given the soul-crushing amount of arbitrary deaths decent people die for no reason [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 in this galaxy]], it is surprisingly refreshing to see it happen first hand to someone who absolutely deserves it.]]''

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'': [[spoiler:This is the intended purpose of the train. It appears to isolated individuals who are at the height of their emotional trauma and spirits them away to an alternate dimension where they must travel through various different worlds until they realize their have said emotional issues and work to resolve or come to terms them. A number counts down to how close they are to having that one, final cathartic epiphany about their trauma, at which point a portal opens that returns them to Earth. Well, [[DeathWorld assuming they last that long]].]]

There is also a more serious form of catharsis where psychological ills are healed through ceremony or painful experiences. Basically, usually as a major plot point, a character either seeks or inadvertently goes through an experience that normally only a NightmareFetishist might seek, and it helps them deal with a medical, psychological, etc. condition. [[CatharsisFactor When a story does this for a reader in the real world]], it's YMMV. When it occurs InUniverse, it's less subjective. May take the form of PercussiveTherapy, PowerFantasy or a CatharticScream.

** "Sing For The Moment" imagines a young man living in a broken home who escapes through listening to Eminem's music, and the way young people look up to him.