History Main / KarmicJackpot

* In ''Literature/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon,'' Bell undergoes a lot of hardship to protect and rescue the Xenos (sapient monsters); particularly Weine. This pays off in the fourth season, when the Xenos show up as TheCavalry to save Bell's party from a monster horde and hold the line until the backup Hestia sent appears.

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': Mr. Ping gets fringe benefits of having adopted the panda who would become the Dragon Warrior, from his booming business to everyone singing his son's praises. It becomes clearer, however, that for him having Po in his life is all he wants. [[spoiler:He then learns to manipulate chi to save Po and bring him back from the spirit realm.]]

* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'': After [[IChooseToStay sacrificing forever his chance to go back to his own time for the greater good]] at the end of ''-REVELATOR-'', come the GrandFinale in ''-STRIVE-'', the plucky British time traveler Axl Low is [[EarnYourHappyEnding finally reunited with his girlfriend Megumi]] after [[LadyOfBlackMagic I-no]] [[PetTheDog sacrifices herself to bring Megumi forward in time to him]].

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat and [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu the resulting loss of his Shinigami powers]], Ichigo lives as an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent. His friends, however, are able to realize that [[ChronicHeroSyndrome he hates no longer being able to protect people]]. When Ginjo offers him power in the form of a Fullbring, Ichigo accepts the opportunity to regain the power to protect others, only for [[spoiler:Ginjo to steal his Fullbring and reveal that he was using him all along. Rukia picks that exact moment to restore Ichigo's Shinigami powers, using a sword that contained the Reiatsu of every single Captain and Lieutenant from Soul Society, along with that of the Visored, Urahara, Yoruichi, and Isshin. Turns out, they had been planning to restore his powers for at least a year as thanks for defeating Aizen, and were forced to hurry up once they caught wind of Ginjo's schemes]].

** Protagonist Izuku Midoriya spent his entire life up to middle school as the only [[UnSorcerer Quirkless kid]] in his class, desperately wishing for a chance to become a hero like his idol All Might. For his good deeds, he gets far more than what he bargained for [[spoiler:and ends up with seven different Quirks, including All Might's Quirk. At the end of his first year of high school, he gets a chance to personally work with the top 3 pro-heroes, although the circumstances are far more tragic than he wanted.]]
** Rescue points in the U.A. Entrance Exams are deliberately designed with this in mind. A student passing the entrance exam is contingent on the number of points they collect. They are told that they can collect points by destroying robots designed to act as villains (referred to as "villain points"), showing the would-be student's physical might as well as their ability to think on their feet. What they ''don't'' tell the examinees is that they are also given points for committing heroic acts, referred to as "rescue points". Izuku Midoriya is able to pass the entrance exam despite not getting a single villain point by destroying the zero-pointer (a robot big enough to topple buildings despite not being worth any villain points) in an effort to save Uraraka when she's in danger from it.

* At the end of the Alabasta arc in ''Manga/OnePiece'', Luffy decides almost spur of the moment to save the life of [[ArcVillain Crocodile's]] [[TheDragon Dragon]] Nico Robin from the collapsing tomb they're in [[DeathSeeker despite her demands that he just leave her to die]]. This ultimately proves to be one of the best decisions he ever made. Not only does it end up landing him an incredibly intelligent, powerful, and (once she works through her inner demons) loyal {{True Companion|s}} for his crew, but [[spoiler:it's discovered years later that her ability to read Poneglyphs makes her one of the only people on the planet who would be able to find the location of the One Piece and help him become King of the Pirates.]]

* In ''Anime/SailorMoon'', Tsukino Usagi is often derided for being idealistic beyond reason, even in the face of absolute despair that would break the spirit of many a warrior, pushing them towards morally ambiguous choices for the greater good. However, given this show's position on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, Usagi gets justified time and again in her actions because she manages to achieve the absolute best results:

* In ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'', during the Alfheim arc, Kirito is trying to get to the top of the World Tree to rescue Asuna when he learns that the Salamanders, the strongest race, are planning on attacking a meeting of the Sylphs and the Cait Siths to stop their alliance from happening. While Leafa proposes that Kirito might be better off siding with the Salamanders, Kirito refuses to betray a friend for personal gain and instead thwarts the Salamander attack. As a result, the Sylph-Cait Sith alliance serves as TheCavalry during Kirito's attack on the World Tree.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}}'': The Madrigal family has spent fifty years using their magic powers to aid their village. When they lose their home and powers in the climax, the entire community gathers to help them rebuild their house.

** ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': In "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderJet Jet]]", Sokka protects the old man that Jet and his friends have attacked. The old man vouches for him when he tries to warn the village about what Jet plans to do.

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Teuchi the ramen vendor was one of the few people to treat Naruto like a human being during his childhood when he was a social pariah. By the time of ''Manga/{{Boruto}}'', Naruto, now not only the Hokage but a hero for saving the world is now his spokesperson and has helped Teuchi's ramen shop become a franchise.

* A weird ''villainous'' example happens in ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'' during the final act. The Bonne pirate family, which up to this point have been the game's primary antagonists, end up freeing Mega Man from Juno's trap, allowing him to save Kattelox Island from annihilation. This then enables the Bonnes to walk away with the gigantic Refractor being held within the ruins, allowing them to recoup the losses they've suffered at the hands of Mega Man and then some. Of course, [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain this being the Bonnes]], it comes full circle by the time the sequel takes place; it turns out Teisel blew almost the entire fortune on an ill-conceived department store venture (turned out stocking the store with only items ''he'' liked was a spectacularly bad idea, especially considering his horrendous taste), leaving them hardly any better off than they were when the first game started.

[[folder:FanWorks]]

* ''Webcomic/FiveYearsLater'' has this for the [[Franchise/DragonBall Saiyans]] in-story. In-story, the Saiyans, who originally were a failed and abandoned colony left on the brink of death before being brought to Planet Vegeta, did not kill the Truffles and worked with them to repay their kindness. The result was not only them evolving into an overall stronger species than in canon, but also being able to defeat Freeza, save their world, and become respected throughout the Andromeda and Milky Way Galaxies. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Their shared planet also became one of the most popular vacation spots in two galaxies]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'', one of the Chosen One's odd jobs is to collect a hefty gambling debt from a Woobie-type loser who plays the pity card to gradually shift as much of that debt to you as he can on the unlikely promise that he'll pay you back. Returning to the casino late in the game, he can be found sharp-dressed, flushed with cash, and willing to pay back 10 times the amount and throw in an appreciable supply of some valuable fusion cell as well.
** In Broken Hills, not asking for a reward from Marcus and the mine foreman will net you mid-tier guns worth about five times the initial cash reward, in addition to the karma bonus.

* Similarly, if you donate the correct amount of money to rebuild Luin in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', their restored weapon shop later will carry some of the most powerful weapons in the game.
* A minor example in ''Videogame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': If you give money to a beggar, you gain a buff called "The Gift of Charity", which boosts your barter skill for 12 in-game hours, saving you far more than that coin (or bottle of mead) that you just gave away. Then for extra VideoGameCaringPotential, you gain the buff when you give your adopted kid(s) a present.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' has this in the trial scene, and also its inversion - you can get random bystanders to testify against you if you've done something bad. It doesn't matter anyway, though, since if you get declared not guilty, [[KangarooCourt you still get arrested for a minor crime, and the chancellor uses creative paperwork to get you scheduled for execution anyway]]. Getting cleared just gets you a bag from sympathizers with one to six ethers depending on how many jurors voted guilty. If you help a young girl find her cat, it helps you get more jurors on your side.
* A weird ''villainous'' example happens in ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'' during the final act. The Bonne pirate family, which up to this point have been the game's primary antagonists, end up freeing Mega Man from Juno's trap, allowing him to save Kattelox Island from annihilation. This then enables the Bonnes to walk away with the gigantic Refractor being held within the ruins, allowing them to recoup the losses they've suffered at the hands of Mega Man and then some. Of course, [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain this being the Bonnes]], it comes full circle by the time the sequel takes place; it turns out Teisel blew almost the entire fortune on an ill-conceived department store venture (turned out stocking the store with only items ''he'' liked was a spectacularly bad idea, especially considering his horrendous taste), leaving them hardly any better off than they were when the first game started.
* In ''VisualNovel/HighwayBlossoms'', Amber finds a young woman named Marina broken down by the side of the road, trying to wave down someone to help her since her cell phone doesn't have power. Despite being a cynical loner who's annoyed by Marina's naivete, Amber agrees to help her and ends up traveling with her after Marina's car gets stolen and dismantled in their absence. As a result of helping Marina, Amber hears about a treasure hunt, finds buried gold, and ends up in a relationship with Marina.
* Enforced in ''{{ViideoGame/Pharaoh}}'': Answering requests from other cities (for goods, military aid, and very rarely, just money) is usually repaid by a small gift of goods, money, or increasing your Kingdom rating. On some levels it's often required to progress (for example, paying you back with copper before it's available for import or opening trade routes), and not answering them is an express ticket to lowered reputation and even defeat.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', Link's grandma gets sick and you have the option to heal her using a fairy. Doing so has Link's grandma make him soup that fills both his health and magic and doubles your attack power until the next time you get hurt. The best part is that each bottle holds two helpings which you can go back to get refilled for free at any time.

* The child in [[http://notalwaysright.com/revenge-is-a-treat-best-served-sweet-part-2/21708 this]] ''Website/NotAlwaysRight'' story is [[NiceToTheWaiter polite to the ice-cream store worker]], despite his mother insisting that good manners are wasted on the minimum wage ([[KickTheDog to the worker's face!]]). The worker, in full view of the rude mother, makes the kid a giant sundae with all his favorite toppings and refuses to charge him for it. He brings his friends the next day, and she treats them all again for half-price.

* ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'': [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain Sir Pentious]] is treated as a joke and a weakling by everyone but his Egg Boiz. Even when he plans a HeroicSacrifice, it's turned into a SenselessSacrifice when he's vaporized instantly without doing any damage. [[spoiler: Evidently, the unknown rules that get one into Heaven include intentions as a factor, since Sir Pentious becomes the first AscendedDemon ever to make it in.]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E19CrusadersOfTheLostMark "Crusaders of the Lost Mark"]] has a very well earned one. [[spoiler:After helping their enemy Diamond Tiara learn the true meaning of her cutie mark and make a HeelFaceTurn, the Cutie Mark Crusaders decide they don't need their own cutie marks, and they should spend their time helping other people find their own callings or meaning to their cutie mark. At this, the CMC [[SweetAndSourGrapes immediately get their own cutie marks]].]]
* Villainous example [[AntiVillain sort of]] is Stormer from ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'', who has always been in a better karmic situation than ''any'' other member of the cast. Her status as the TokenGoodTeammate of the Misfits often allowed her to escape whatever karmic justice the other Misfits endured. She was the only one to get a genuine love interest, and towards the end of the series, the Holograms began to see her as a friend. (All while staying in good standing - more or less - with her own band and ''without'' any of the angst the Holograms had to go through.)
* [[Characters/StevenUniverseGregUniverse Greg Universe]] from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' gave up a career as a rock star to be a father to his motherless son. He spent literally all the money he had on making sure that Steven was well-cared for, built a house for Steven and the Gems to use while living out of a van himself, and even paid for the damages Steven's alien guardians did to the local town, never wanting anything more than his son's happiness in return. His reward for this? [[spoiler:He got a royalty check for a song of his that his sleazy ex-manager sold to a fast-food corporation without his permission. A check for TEN MILLION DOLLARS.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In "[[Recap/TheLoudHouseS3E11PastureBedtimeShopGirl Shop Girl]]", Leni attempts to update her wardrobe at Reininger's two-day 25% blowout sale. However, she doesn't get anything the first day due to letting other customers walk all over her. Her siblings decide to teach her to be more aggressive so she can get what she wanted, and while it helps Leni finally succeed in getting the wardrobe items she wanted, she ultimately decides that she likes being nice to people more than being aggressive. As a result, she gives away all the clothing she wanted to customers who needed them more than she did, such as an elderly lady who was looking for a polka-dotted swimsuit to give her granddaughter for her birthday, a woman who was trying to find a sweater that was made with a fabric she wasn't allergic to, or giving up her place in the check-out line in order to help a man find the perfect tie for his 25th wedding anniversary. As a result, Leni gets a box of chocolates (from the grandmother), lunch for herself and her siblings (all bought for by the woman who got the allergen-friendly sweater), and a fro-yo gift card (from the guy Leni helped pick out a tie for and his wife). Furthermore, Leni's generosity catches the attention of the store's manager and she offers Leni a part-time job at Reininger's with a 50% employee discount bonus because Leni's actions have proved she's a kind spirit who knows how to help people with fashion.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Timmy gives up the last bit of wish-granting lemonade to a young boy who needs a drink instead of using it to wish for money (usually against Da Rules) for tickets to Crash Nebula On Ice. Said boy turns out to be the son of Doug Dimmadome, who owns the stadium the show is at. It's subverted a bit in that he still can't give them tickets but puts them to work selling drinks at the show so they can see it. Timmy and his friends aren't ''completely'' happy about the situation but they accept what they can get and take some solace in being better off than Vicky (who is there as part of the show... in the role of one of the villains who gets humiliated by Crash Nebula).
* ''WesternAnimation/TheGhostAndMollyMcgee'': In "[[Recap/TheGhostAndMollyMcGeeS1E36HomeIsWhereTheHauntIs Home is Where the Haunt Is]]", Molly and her family are stuck living in the woods after [[SuddenDownerEnding getting kicked out of their house at the end of "Out of House and Home".]] Molly [[StepfordSmiler tries to pretend that everything is normal]], but when Andrea Davenport discovers her secret Molly thinks Andrea is just going to blab to everyone and embarrass her. It later turns out Andrea actually rallied the townsfolk to raise the money for the [=McGees=] to pay off their mortgage and get their home back, as thanks for everything Molly and her family has done to help the town of Brighton.

* ComicBook/ArchieComics used this trope every so often, with either Archie or Betty encountering a poor-looking man who they help out, while Reggie mocks them for it. Later, either the poor guy turns out to be a wealthy man who lends Archie a fabulous car for a week, or Reggie ends up stranded at a mall with no money to call for a tow truck after his car broke down.

* After Jiro kills a table of International affiliates and frames The Farm for it in ''ComicBook/GetJiro'', he is able to smuggle Bob's sous chef -- who Bob used as nothing but arm candy in a skimpy outfit -- away to Jean Claude's restaurant, claiming that Rose kidnapped her and is using her as a hostage. She clearly prefers working at Jean Claude's humbler establishment and nurses a wounded Jiro back to full health after Bob discovers that Jiro was behind it. After successfully overthrowing Bob and Rose's culinary empires, she helps him rebuild as co-chef at his new sushi restaurant.

* Countless fairy tales. [[http://www.authorama.com/grimms-fairy-tales-38.html The Queen Bee]] and [[https://www.surlalunefairytales.com/a-g/diamonds-toads/diamonds-toads-tale.html Diamonds and Toads]] are classic examples, but there are literally hundreds of others. ''Literature/TheStarMoney'' is remarkable for featuring an almost literal jackpot (as in money falling from the sky).

* In ''Fanfic/TheChildOfAzkabanLonelyHarvest'', after Harry was discovered in Azkaban, Sirius was finally given a trial when they convince Fudge and Dumbledore how little sense it made for him to be the traitor. What follows is a trial where Sirius was finally able to explain himself calmly and rationally, [[spoiler: Harry's aura preventing damage to his mind]], making it clear that he himself was not a Death Eater and puts Bartemius Crouch's methods as an Auror under investigation. The real clincher was when Sirius made it known that he was fully willing to take veritaserum. He is found innocent of all charges, is reimbursed handsomely for his wrongful imprisonment, is allowed to take up full legal status as Harry's guardian, and is promised to be let off with a warning for his unregistered state as an animagus as long he registers properly shortly after his time as St. Mungos's.
* Courtney in ''Fanfic/CourtneysCrusadeForRedemption''. Courtney has managed to salvage her friendship with Gwen and get a decent, loving boyfriend, plus fixing her previously badly damaged reputation.
* In ''FanFic/TheFifthAct'', Cloud, freshly sent back in time, begins pursuing Sephiroth with an obsessive zeal. However, early on he meets Genesis Rhapsodos, and in a moment of pity, gives him one of his rare water vials to heal his degradation. A grateful Genesis, seeing as Cloud wants to confront Sephiroth, convinces the aloof General to visit Wutai so they can meet. Later on, being in perfect health allows him to bond more readily with Sephiroth and Angeal, strengthening their friendship and preventing Sephiroth's [[FallenHero descent into madness]]. Finally, in the end, it's Genesis who blows up a defenseless Jenova, breaking her hold on Cloud.
* ''Webcomic/FiveYearsLater'' has this for the [[Franchise/DragonBall Saiyans]] in-story. In-story, the Saiyans, who originally were a failed and abandoned colony left on the brink of death before being brought to Planet Vegeta, did not kill the Truffles and worked with them to repay their kindness. The result was not only them evolving into an overall stronger species than in canon, but also being able to defeat Freeza, save their world, and become respected throughout the Andromeda and Milky Way Galaxies. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Their shared planet also became one of the most popular vacation spots in two galaxies]].

* ''Fanfic/TheKarmaOfLies'' has this accompany several characters' [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty Karma Houdini Warranties]] running out:

** Chloé combines this with EarnYourHappyEnding. With her own warranty running out, she makes a serious effort to change her ways and stop being such a SpoiledBrat. This pays off; over time, she's able to forge a tentative friendship with Marinette, who acts as her HonestAdvisor and keeps her on the right path. By the climax, she's managed to [[spoiler:gain her trust, become the Bee Heroine once more under a new name, and ultimately gets to reveal herself alongside the rest of Paris' heroes, having earned her place as one of her TrueCompanions]].

* ''Fanfic/{{Medicated}}'': Yunan gets elevated from somewhat struggling future military cadet to the person she is in [[WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}} canon]] in large part to helping defend Marcy from bullies, all without knowing she's the adopted daughter of Andrias. Her complete unawareness of this actually got her an even bigger boon from Andrias than if she had known Marcy's identity at the time.
* ''Fanfic/QueenAnnesLegacy'': UsefulNotes/MaryTudor's absolute refusal to resent her half-siblings UsefulNotes/ElizabethI and [[OriginalCharacter Ambrose]] for their mother's crimes ultimately work out for her in the end. She finds love and has a happy marriage with Philip of Bavaria, has four children of her own, is re-legitimized and restored to the succession, and one of her daughters even marries Archduke Ferdinand. When she dies, it isn't as a tyrant but as a beloved figure throughout England, with everyone heavily mourning her death. [[spoiler:And in the end, her own claim to the throne is vindicated, when her son Philip Tudor marries Ambrose's eldest daughter and heir Joan, ensuring that Mary's descendants will rule England from that point onwards, with her grandson George declared as Joan's heir and the future king]].

* Within the massive crossover fanfic, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11851775/1/Steven-Universe-Blackthorned Steven Universe Blackthorned]]'''s Multiverse Madness Arc, [[MinorMajorCharacter Jase O'Conner]], despite being only barely superhuman, helped save his fellow [[WesternAnimation/TotallySpies spies: Alex, Sam, and Clover]]. [[spoiler:He even got a shot in at [[BigBad Elvin]] that helped the main heroes push Elvin's attack back to finish him off.]] What does he get as a reward? [[spoiler:[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11851775/33/Steven-Universe-Blackthorned A roll in the hay with all three of them]], and he originally had trouble talking to them before being quite shy.]]

* In ''Fanfic/AndHellFollowedAfterHim'', Rokuro 'Rock' Okajima negotiates the lives of Roanapur's criminal bigwigs and heavy hitters, with Ramna promising to spare them, as his quarrel was with Mousse. The end result? Revy and Eda reward Rock with a threesome, which leads to Rock being in a relationship with both women.
* In the ''Franchise/{{Frozen}}''/''WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}}'' crossover ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/42725691/chapters/107334591 Frozen Roses & Butterflies]]'', Isabela is the only member of the Madrigals to refuse to go along with Alma's plan to send Mirabel away when she doesn't get a gift, ultimately deciding to run away with her sister. In turn, when the family begins to lose their powers due to the magic weakening, Isabela doesn't suffer any ill effects as she was willing to put her family before herself, which was the reason the Miracle began in the first place. Not to mention, her new father happens to be close to the royal family, meaning that Isabela grows up as the best friend (and LoveInterest) of the crown princess.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' story ''[[https://www.deviantart.com/famguy3/art/Kids-Next-Door-Operation-Q-U-E-S-T-964611118 Operation Q.U.E.S.T.]]'', Cree is revealed to have been secretly helping the main group of heroes with saving Sector V and the other children that [[BigBad Greta Stuffum]] tricked and captured as part of a RedemptionQuest and it's clear she's not expecting any reward from this, only for TheStinger to reveal that [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Numbuh 362]] took notice of her actions and, as thanks, allows her to become a teen spy, effectively giving her a clean slate.

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': Mr. Ping gets fringe benefits of having adopted the panda who would become the Dragon Warrior, from his booming business to everyone singing his son's praises. It becomes clearer, however, that for him having Po in his life is all he wants. [[spoiler:He then learns to manipulate chi to save Po and bring him back from the spirit realm]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Timon and Pumbaa come to help in the climax, despite being outcasts that spend their time chasing buzzards. They say it's worth facing danger for Simba's sake. Simba smiles and, at the end, makes them part of the Pride.

* ''Film/{{Cannonball}}'': Jim and Maryanne, the young racer couple in the Corvette, are already dead last (of all the protagonist racer teams) when they decide to stop and take Linda (Coy "Cannonball" Buckman's girlfriend) to a hospital after the poor parole officer gets thrown out of a racing car at high speed (courtesy of the driver being shot in the head). As they sit in the hospital waiting to know if Linda is okay, they angst that they are definitely going to arrive dead last for sure but unknown to them all the other protagonist teams are disqualified or killed by the film's events, so when they arrive they get the trophy (and the $10,000 purse).
* ''Film/DogSoldiers'': Cooper defies a direct order to shoot one of Ryan's dogs in order to complete his Special Forces training, making it clear he ''can'' kill a dog if he needs to but absolutely ''will not'' without a good reason -- as it turns out, him being failed by Ryan for this reason alone was a LifesavingMisfortune. [[spoiler:Not only that, but Cooper and the dog Sam are the two sole survivors at the end of the film]].
* Franchise/MonsterVerse:
** ''Film/Godzilla2014'': Albeit with both parties unaware of the fact. [[spoiler:Right when Godzilla is being pinned down by the [=MUTOs=], Brody sets fire to the nest and draws the female's attention, giving Big G an opening to stand up and regroup. His assistance is rewarded when, just as the female MUTO is about to kill him, Godzilla appears out of nowhere to bite on the [=MUTO's=] neck and let Brody get away]].
** ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'': [[spoiler:After having his heart restarted, Kong with some motivation from Jia decides to help and save Godzilla, who was about to be killed by Mechagodzilla and after Kong destroys Mechagodzilla, he earns Godzilla's [[WorthyOpponent respect]] and they part ways on even terms, and Kong gets to live in his new home on Hollow Earth.]]
* ''Film/HomeAlone2LostInNewYork'': Kevin thinks he's been terrible over Christmas and decides to stop the Duncan's Toy Store bank robbery both to do a good deed and protect the kids in the hospital. [[spoiler:He even leaves a note to apologize to Mr. Duncan for breaking the window, so as to trip the burglary alarms. Mr. Duncan eyes the paper, noting that it's Plaza stationery, and he's grateful to Kevin for saving the donation money. So he sends enough presents to fill several bedrooms in the Plaza, to the suite where the family with the surname [=McCallister=] will be staying. Kevin wasn't expecting any presents, let alone one as a reward for doing good]].
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
** ''Film/BlackPanther2018'': M'Baku has a mutual one with T'Challa. After T'Challa spares him during their duel, M'Baku keeps him alive through near-death as a repayment for his kindness. Later, M'Baku pulls a BigDamnHeroes to help T'Challa in his hour of need and is rewarded by having his tribe gain the respect of the others and becoming one of the king's advisers. In ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' he is promoted to [[spoiler:an Avenger in the final battle and leads his tribe into the fray with glee]].
** ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'': MJ gets a happy ending after [[spoiler:revealing to Peter that she knows he's Spider-Man and learns that he returns her romantic feelings. She also reveals that Quentin is a fraud, and fights back when the man traps her and her friends. Cue her ending up with Peter, which is all she wanted]].
* ''Film/OurMissBrooks'': In the cinematic finale to the series of the same name, Miss Brooks finally gets rewarded for her series-long string of good deeds and selflessness, when Mr. Boynton proposes.
%%* ''Film/SlumdogMillionaire''
* ''Melvin and Howard'' is based on the never-verified story (possibly inspired by the urban legends detailed below) that Howard Hughes promised part of his fortune to a guy who stopped to give him a ride in the middle of the desert.

* In ''[[Film/{{Selfless}} Self/Less]]'', [[spoiler:Mark Bitwell]] gets this at the very end of the movie. [[spoiler:He donates his body for shedding so his daughter's hospital bills can be paid. Not only does he come back to life at the end, when Damien chooses to die instead, but Damien leaves Mark and his family enough money for them to live in the Caribbean.]]

* ''Film/RoughNight'': It appears as though aspiring political candidate Jess Thayer will face the end of her career and her future marriage when the stripper at her bachelorette party is killed by accident, but by the time the film is over, [[spoiler: it is revealed that they actually killed a wanted drug dealer and diamond thief, as well as disarming and capturing his two colleagues. As a result, not only do all five women get cleared of a potential murder charge, but the night's events actually end up boosting Jess' campaign popularity and turning them into media sensations.]]
* ''Film/BillyMadison'': After growing up a bit, Billy decides to call a former classmate and apologize to him for bullying him. The classmate (who is implied to be a SerialKiller) not only crosses Billy's name off of his personal hit list ends up saving his life at the climax of the story, by shooting a crazed, gun-toting Eric.

* Played with in ''Film/TheBradyBunch''. After Marcia's obnoxious date to a school dance badmouths Marcia and tries to choke out her male friend for trying to defend her, her lesbian friend punches him out cold. Marcia mistakenly believes that her male friend defended her honor, which leaves the girl genuinely heartbroken due to her crush on her [[AllLoveIsUnrequited going unrequited]].[[note]]due to both Marcia being unaware of her feelings and even if she ''were'' aware, their IncompatibleOrientation and all[[/note]] [[spoiler:Fortunately for her, the {{Jerkass}}'s sometime girlfriend consoles her, which leads to ''them'' falling in love. They are last seen in the audience sitting together, happily cheering on the Brady Kids' act in the talent show.]]

* In the Literature/ApprenticeAdept book ''Split Infinity'', Stile's first encounter with Neysa the unicorn culminates with Neysa running towards a cliff, with Stile hanging on for dear life on her back. He thinks she's trying to commit suicide rather than be broken, so he risks his neck to talk her down, gambling that she'd respond to his tone rather than his words. He didn't know that unicorns were sapient and she understood every word. He also didn't know that unicorns were {{Voluntary Shape Shifter}}s and that she was planning to kill him by leaping off, then changing to her firefly form, leaving him to fall to his death. By speaking from the heart, he not only saved his own life but gained his closest friend and ally on Phaze.
* ''Literature/AndAnotherThing'': Constant Mown manages to talk Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz‎ out of [[spoiler: destroying the planet of Nano and the last humans in the universe]] by playing to the letter of Vogon law (They were legally no longer [[spoiler: "Earthlings", but "Nanites"]]or however they'd like to put it, so destroying them would result in an embarrassing amount of paperwork for Jeltz). Turns out he saved the entire ship as well, since if they hadn't retreated at that very moment [[spoiler:the NotQuiteDead Thor would've destroyed the ship.]]
* Interestingly, a [[ShowWithinAShow novel within a novel]] in ''Literature/SlaughterhouseFive'' said the story of Jesus delivered the wrong Aesop, in that it showed that the Romans made the mistake of picking on the wrong man, one who was the son of God, so the message came across as, "Make sure that whoever you pick on [[InnocentBystander isn't important]]". Instead, it says that Jesus should have been a nobody, a bum, and when the Romans crucified him, God should have appeared and decided to adopt this worthless bum as his son.
* ''Literature/CradleSeries'': In ''Ghostwater'', Lindon finds a broken construct in a pool of magical water. It’s nothing but a random speaker that fell in the water and slowly gained intelligence over fifty years, but Lindon is still nice to it, patching it up as best as he can. Dross, as he becomes known, helps Lindon a bit, but there's not really much he can do that Lindon couldn't do on his own. [[spoiler:Then Lindon accidentally finishes the Ghostwater AI project, turning Dross into a full Presence on par with what the gods use. Suddenly he has access to TrueSight, CombatPrecognition, and PhotographicMemory]], all because he was nice to a literal piece of trash.

* ''Series/DeadMansGun'': In "The Healer", [[spoiler:Bob Morris]] is the only one of Dalton Coe's enemies who Coe spares. He's also the only one of the group to show reluctance toward threatening or shunning Dr. Butler or display even a little remorse for whipping Coe and running him out of town before he was an outlaw.
* On ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow'', one episode has Drew conspiring with his villainous boss Mr. Wick to secure both of them promotions. By the end of the episode, Mr. Wick has been ousted for unrelated reasons, but Drew still gets the promotion. At this point, Drew reveals the entire scheme to the higher-up out of guilt but only succeeds in impressing the higher-up with forthright honesty because Drew made the confession when it was absolutely in his best interest to shut up.
* A minor example in the ''Series/{{CSI}}'' episode "Turn, Turn, Turn": Nick's small act, giving a vagrant money for coffee, not only turns the guy's life completely around (he cleans up, kicks intoxicants, and goes to college), it yields a witness in the case Nick's working, a year later.
* Averted in ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'''s ChristmasSpecial "[[Recap/BlackadderSS2BlackaddersChristmasCarol Blackadder's Christmas Carol]]". After being taken advantage of by everyone he knows because he's so charitable Queen Victoria is about to make him rich as a reward, but unfortunately he chose that day to do a FaceHeelTurn and he throws her out.
* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E18Arena Arena]]", Captain Kirk is pitted against the Gorn captain in one on one combat by the SufficientlyAdvancedAliens called "Metrons". When Kirk wins, he refrains from killing the Gorn captain. Because of this, the Metrons release both ships when (according to an unaired line in the original script) they had planned to kill the victor (who was the greater threat).
* Discussed in ''Series/DeadliestCatch'', season 3. After a pretty terrible king crab season so far, the ''Time Bandit'' pulls an unlucky fisherman from another boat out of the water. Afterwards, the ''Time Bandit'' has successive strings of pots so full of crab, they make their quota in a couple of days. It was a record-setter.
* ''Series/StorageWars''' Barry Weiss, buys up a locker for $2.50 that no one else was interested in, as a courtesy to the seller. The locker turns out to be holding several glass fly catchers which amount to $2k.

** Chloe combines this with EarnYourHappyEnding. With her own warranty running out, she makes a serious effort to change her ways and stop being such a SpoiledBrat. This pays off; over time, she's able to forge a tentative friendship with Marinette, who acts as her HonestAdvisor and keeps her on the right path. By the climax, she's managed to [[spoiler:gain her trust, become the Bee Heroine once more under a new name, and ultimately gets to reveal herself alongside the rest of Paris' heroes, having earned her place as one of her TrueCompanions]].

* In her effort to save Chloe from an incoming car, Marinette in ''Fanfic/NymphAndTheCorruptedMiraculous'' becomes injured in a way that leaves her in a wheelchair. Mayor Bourgeois rewards Marinette for saving her daughter by paying for all the expenses to make their life easier (like making her house wheelchair accessible) and Chloe decides to be friends with her (possibly out of guilt), ending her bullying. While Chloe still acts like a brat to others, Marinette is able to tone it down.

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', [[YouAreNumberSix Slave 23]] provides a bit of blood so that his master can perform an alchemical experiment. This results in the creation of a [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent homunculus]]. Out of gratitude, the flask-bound creature gives the slave a name ([[spoiler:Van Hohenheim]]), enough alchemical knowledge to make him one of the most powerful men in the country, and when the homunculus [[spoiler:tricks the king into sacrificing every living person in the country to create a Philosopher's stone, Hohenheim gets half the souls]], making him not only the sole survivor (other than the homunculus itself) but also immortal.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat and [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu the resulting loss of his Shinigami powers]], Ichigo leads a normal live in high school. His friends, however, are able to realize that [[ChronicHeroSyndrome he hates no longer being able to protect people]]. When Ginjo offers him power in the form of a Fullbring, Ichigo accepts the opportunity to regain the power to protect others, only for [[spoiler:Ginjo to steal his Fullbring and reveal that he was using him all along. Rukia picks that exact moment to restore Ichigo's Shinigami powers, using a sword that contained the Reiatsu of every single Captain and Lieutenant from Soul Society, along with that of the Visored, Urahara, Yoruichi, and Isshin. Turns out, they had been planning to restore his powers for at least a year as thanks for defeating Aizen, and were forced to hurry up once they caught wind of Ginjo's schemes]].

* ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'': [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain Sir Pentious]] is treated as a joke and a weakling by everyone but his Egg Boiz. Even when he plans a HeroicSacrifice, it's turned into a SenselessSacrifice when he's vaporized instantly without doing any damage. [[spoiler: Evidently the unknown rules that gets one into Heaven takes intentions as a factor since Sir Pentious becomes the first AscendedDemon ever to make it in.]]

** [[spoiler:After Alex gives up winning the wizard competition in the final round to help Justin when he got caught on a tree root when she was close to the finish line, allowing Justin to win. But Justin, realizing that wasn't for Alex for helping, especially when she can't be together with Mason without her powers, decides to confess what Alex did for him, and gives up the title of the Family Wizard to Alex.]]
** [[spoiler:Then Professor Crumbs, impressed with Justin's honesty, rewards him by retiring as Headmaster of Wiz-Tech and making Justin his successor, allowing Justin not to just keep and get his full wizard powers, but also allowing to continue his relationship with Juliet.]]

* ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'': In the first episode of the series, Shane, Tori, and Dustin on the way to class at Wind Ninja Academy stop help an old couple, who are having car trouble, despite Sensei warning them they will be expelled if they are late for class the previous day. [[SerendipitousSurvival Not only does this save them]] from being captured by Lothor when he was attacking the school and had taken all the students prisoner, it also causes them to be chosen as the Power Rangers.