History Main / KidWithTheLeash

* [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/Worm Taylor]] is this towards ''the Endbringers'' in [[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/with-friends-like-these-altpower-taylor-worm.312205/ With Friends Like These]].

* Deconstructed/subverted in ''TheBartimaeusTrilogy'': Nathaniel (an apprentice magician) firmly believes that demons are AlwaysChaoticEvil, and that elaborate incantations and [[ExactWords careful wording]] are necessary to keep enslaved summons in check. While this is not entirely unjustified (Bartimaeus is very open about his willingness to free himself by killing Nathaniel if he had the chance), Bartimaeus -- the demon -- is often [[NobleDemon more moral]] than Nathaniel. He complains about being given less-than-ethical tasks, and there are hints throughout the series that both the djinni and the boy would be better off if Nathaniel relaxed the restraints and simply ''trusted'' him.

* The Stark children's direwolves in ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' have grown up into ''extremely'' dangerous animals. All of them (apart from, ironically, [[spoiler:Lady, who despite having never put a paw wrong, was ordered to be killed]]) have had to be confined [[spoiler:or driven away, later to terrorise a country,]] at one time or another for everyone's safety. The worst offender was Shaggydog, who was nigh-uncontrollable, due to the kid being troubled four-year-old Rickon. But yet the wolves have also saved their owners' lives on several occasions.

* ''MinaAndTheCount'': Vampire mellows out for a little girl.

* At the start of ''Webcomic/CobwebAndStripes'', [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} Betelgeuse]] is firmly tethered to Lydia and can't go very far from her.

* The Stark children's direwolves in ASongOfIceAndFire have grown up into ''extremely'' dangerous animals. All of them apart from, ironically, [[spoiler:Lady, who despite having never put a paw wrong, was ordered to be killed]], have had to be confined [[spoiler:or driven away, later to terrorise a country,]] at one time or another for everyone's safety. The worst offender was Shaggydog, who was nigh-uncontrollable, due to the kid being troubled four-year-old Rickon. But yet the wolves have also saved their owners' lives on several occasions.

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': The Heterodyne family of serves as a family of [[PsychopathicManchild psychopathic]] {{mad scientist}}s with the leash to Castle Heterodyne.
** Agatha is one of the few any empathy, kindness, or respect for other humans. However, Agatha has to watch how she orders the Castle. It tends to interpret her orders... creatively.
** Agatha's father and uncle were the "Heterodyne Boys", heroic adventurer sparks who tried to help other people as well. This trope applies in several more cases, too--the Heterodynes had ''lots'' of servants to the line, including the Castle itself, the Jagers, and the people of Mechanicsburg. Agatha, through her mother's CompellingVoice, also has some degree of control over several of the geisterdamen, the slaver wasps and creatures, and anyone infected with the new slaver wasps.

* Lydia Deetz from the [[AnimatedAdaptation cartoon version]] of ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'' is the only character who can keep the eponymous AntiHero under control. Of course, it also helps that saying "Beetlejuice" three times imprisons him as well as releases him, in case he gets too out-of-control.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', the GrimReaper is forced to become the best friends of Mandy (a sociopathic CreepyChild) and Billy (who's dumber than pond scum).
* ''MinaAndTheCount''. Vampire mellows out for a little girl.

* At the start of ''Webcomic/CobwebAndStripes'', [[Film/{{Beetlejuice Betelgeuse]] is firmly tethered to Lydia and can't go very far from her.

* Mike holds the leash of Vyvyan on ''Series/TheYoungOnes''.

TheKidWithTheRemoteControl, but with a twist: the controlled partner or servant is [[ShootTheDog pragmatic at best]], and [[HeroicComedicSociopath a raving loon at worst]]. The loyalty of the servant varies, but the typical example is essentially a portable version of SealedEvilInACan -- though a very loyal one is can be even creepier. The servant [[TokenEvilTeammate openly admits]] his opinion that the best way to deal with obstacles and enemies is [[MurderIsTheBestSolution through complete annihilation]]. The kid (who is usually younger) is the moral compass who has to keep it under control (with a little help from the RestrainingBolt), and more importantly not fall victim to temptation.

This is one of two things that can result from trying to control SealedEvilInACan. For the other, more cynical outcome, see EvilIsNotAToy. Compare GuardianEntity and MoralityChain; when the restraining is more emotional.

* The protagonist of ''SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'', who keeps [[OmnicidalManiac Omnicidal]] SociopathicHero Gig on a very short leash by having imprisoned Gig's soul inside his/her own body and extracting minuscule amounts of godly power from Gig as a form of lease for having him stay there. Gig, on his side, finds the protagonist repellently noble and constantly tries to goad the protagonist into doing acts of evil or tempting him into accepting more of his powers, which will grant Gig more control over the protagonist's body.

* Mike holds the leash of Vyvyan on ''TheYoungOnes''.
* At one point in ''TheGirlFromTomorrow'', one of the protagonists has the BigBad under control with a device that controls his every movement. Eventually he's trusted enough to go places - heavily guarded and with the device at the ready - and saves a boy from drowning in order to convince his master that he's undergone a HeelFaceTurn so he'll deactivate the device. It works, much to the distress of the title character, who doesn't buy it.

* [[Literature/Worm Taylor]] is this towards ''the Endbringers'' in [[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/with-friends-like-these-altpower-taylor-worm.312205/ With Friends Like These]].

* ''{{Nora}}'': Magari Kazuma is a rare example of a KidWithTheLeash who really isn't shy about yanking it; both he and the Dark Liege view his contract with [[{{Hellhound}} Nora]] ''entirely'' through the lens of "obedience training" ([[DogsAreDumb not]] [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass that]] [[GeniusDitz you]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity can]] [[BookDumb really]] [[HotBlooded blame]] [[IdiotHero them]]).

* In ''{{Cyborg 009}}'', we have a boy (0013) and a MysteriousWaif (Princess Ishuki) as the controllers of two enormous, murderous robots. Neither case goes well.

* The title characters of ''UshioAndTora''. Ushio's the kid who keeps the demon Tora at heel with a magic spear, as the two begrudgingly cooperate in fighting demons.

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'': Weirdly enough, [[BenevolentAI The Machine]] is this for [[SociopathicHero Root]]. [[TeamDad Finch]] and [[ChronicHeroSyndrome Shaw]] both act as [[MoralityChain Morality Chains]] for her in a variety of ways (ironic given the fact that Shaw's almost as violent as Root is), but The Machine is the thing truly [[ThouShaltNotKill keeping Root in check]], especially in season three. (By season four, she's [[SanityStrengthening graduated]] more towards being a legitimate good guy [[spoiler: [[SanitySlippage until]] Shaw [[UncertainDoom disappears]], that is]].

* ''BlueBeetle'': Jaime Reyes with the [[PoweredArmor scarab]]. Much of the dialogue between the two consist of Jaime rejecting its suggestions to [[MurderIsTheBestSolution kill somebody]]. According to Metron, it shouldn't even ''have'' a "non-lethal setting."

* ''{{Bastard}}'''s [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Dark Schneider]] was all about this. A virgin maiden's kiss and a spell released him from his childish body and transformed him onto the cruel, evil and horny black mage.

* On ''TheMuppetShow'' and all movies featuring the Muppets, Floyd seems to be the only one who can keep Animal under any sort of control.

* Yukki fills this role in ''Manga/MiraiNikki''. He is the only one that can stop [[{{Yandere}} Yuno]] whenever she tries to kill people. Considering they are in a [[ThereCanBeOnlyOne life or death survival game]], he has to let her loose more often than most.

* ''[[DNAKPTS4TV Death Note: The Abridged Series (Kpts4tv)]]'':

* Lest everyone forget...look no further than JourneyToTheWest - this is very essence of the dynamic between Xuanzang and Sun Wukong.

* ''Manga/InuYasha'', initially; in early episodes Kagome made Inu-Yasha behave himself with the help of a magic necklace that slammed him to the ground when she said the command word (''osuwari'', or "Sit"). She never actually ''stops'' doing this, but in later episodes it's usually provoked more by [[BelligerentSexualTension romantic-comedy wackiness]] than actually restraining him from violence.
** Except in regards to his SuperPoweredEvilSide.

* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'', the fox spirit Reynardine possesses one of the Antomony's old toys. Unfortunately for Rey, because she owns his current host, she also owns him; he more or less has to do as she says. The court isn't very happy about it, but confiscating Reynard wouldn't be a legitimate ownership transfer and could free him. As of Chapter 52, [[spoiler: Antimony has given Reynard to Kat rather than give him to her father.]]

* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'', the demon Reynardine possesses one of the protagonist's old toys. Unfortunately for Rey, because she owns his current host, she also owns him; he more or less has to do as she says.
** Later revelations indicate that this wasn't necessarily entirely unintentional, though whether the ownership deal was a part of the plan is unclear. In this universe it seems that "demon" is a pejorative term more an anything in this universe, in any case.

* Komachi and her "sidekick" Kikuchiyo in ''[[SamuraiSeven Samurai 7]]''.

* In ''{{Terminator}} 2: Judgement Day'', John Connor discovers early on in the film that he has complete verbal control over the Terminator cyborg played by Schwarzenegger. Of course, he also learns he has to [[LiteralGenie word his instructions carefully]] -- an instruction to not kill anyone leads to a guard getting shot in the leg, with the explanation, "[[OnlyAFleshWound He'll live]]."
* The premise of ''DannyTheDog'' (known as Unleashed in some countries) is a variation in which a gangster has raised a man as a dog - a dog with deadly martial arts skills - who, when he has his collar removed, serves his master's whims rather than his own, mainly debt collection and pit fighting. [[GladiatorRevolt Guess what happens...]]