History Main / KnightinSourArmor

* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': Despite being an obvious [[TheCynic cynic]] and despite being [[ItsAllAboutMe very self-pitying]] over his son's death in the destruction of San Francisco, [[Characters/MonsterVerseMarkRussell Mark Russell]] is still vehemently disgusted by the [[EcoTerrorist eco-terrorists]]' plan to put billions of people in mortal danger, and he even foregoes pursuing the escaping eco-terrorists (whom have Emma and Madison) in Antarctica because he sees that the G-Team are in mortal danger and will likely die if he doesn't go back for them.

* Alternative Universe Superman in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueGodsAndMonsters''; Hernan has seen injustice, he knows about prejudice, racism, xenophobia, and poverty. He knows that most of the world doesn't hold a favorable view on him, he knows that he often gets blamed of things he doesn't do, he knows that America has an ugly side, and yet he fights monsters and villains in order to protect the people who despise him so much.

* Ratchet from ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' has seen what the worst of war can bring out of the Autobots as [[TheMedic a medic]] and mentor to Omega Supreme. Yet, not even his [[TheCynic cynic]] attitude can completely jade his loyalty for his people. Overall, the series' theme seems a bit sourer than any other ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' series.
** In ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', not only does Ratchet carry on this trait, but most of Team Prime, even [[BigGood Optimus himself]], carry bits of it with them after spending hundreds of millennia fighting against the Decepticons and losing their home.
** Dinobot in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' becomes one as he lightens up and becomes less of a TokenEvilTeammate. He generally has nothing but ''contempt'' for the Maximals' exploration and research missions, feeling their time could be better spent fighting the Predacons, and he absolutely ''despises'' the thought of returning to Cybertron as a Maximal (even once opting to stay behind alone). That all said, while he complains every step of the way, he ''never'' hesitates to take part in these missions, and helps them try and return to Cybertron every time the opportunity arises, simply because it's what his Maximal allies want.
** Silverbolt became one in ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'' after being reformatted, as a result of trying to reconcile his established KnightInShiningArmor personality with the fact that as a Vehicon, he enjoyed murder, mayhem, and general evilness.

* Warhawk (a member of the Justice League in the future time period of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'') is very much like this, along with GoodIsNotNice, sharing both traits with [[Comicbook/NewGods Big Barda]], who is also a member at this time.
* Buttercup of ''Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls'' is the BloodKnight of the trio and can act like this a ''lot'', seeing as she represents the Spice aspect of Professor Utonium's original recipe.
* Zodac from ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002'', is like this, but wasn't always. He was once a KnightInShiningArmor type, but after King Hsss killed his brother in the original war with the Snake-Men centuries ago, he became colder and harsher in his ways. In the present-day storyline, he barely avoids crossing the line into KnightTemplar territory when Hsss returns.
* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': [[Characters/SamuraiJackJack Jack]] himself has hit this territory as of [[SamuraiJack/TropesSeason5 Season 5]]. While he continues to fight [[BigBad Aku's]] forces, he's become completely and utterly ''broken''. Having been trapped in the BadFuture for fifty years without [[TheAgeless aging]] or finding a way back to the past, Jack has become little more than a shell going through the motions, and even finds himself [[TalkingToThemself arguing with his own subconscious]] over how hopeless his situation has become. This is visually reflected by his new outfit, a suit of dark-colored samurai armor that has replaced his original pristine white gi.
* [[Characters/DCAUBatman Batman]] hits this wall in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' ("I Am the Night") where he starts the episode dwelling on whether or not he's wasting his life trying to fix a city beyond repair then gets even more jaded when a sting operation goes wrong and Jim Gordon ends up severely injured in the process, enough to incite a TenMinuteRetirement. He gets past it by the end but, as shown by later installments of the DCAU, over time he becomes permanently sour thanks to tragedy, loneliness, and his personal vendetta against crime taking its toll. [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond Terry McGinnis]] does help him open up somewhat but his jadedness never truly fades.

* ''Franchise/XMen'':

* Sheriff 'Monk' [=McGinn=] in ''Film/GangsOfNewYork''. He starts out as an Irish {{Ronin}} [[PsychoForHire muscle for hire]] with dozens of notches on his [[DropTheHammer shillelagh]], and is viewed with contempt until we find out he's really this. Then he goes out with a [[KirkSummation rousing speech]] and puts the villain in his place, which, unfortunately, Bill the Butcher [[ShutUpKirk does not]] respond [[DroppedABridgeOnHim well to]].

* The ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'' (particularly the [[ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate universe]]) loves to kick [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] in the nuts when he's down, and he's quick to point out that NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished, but Lord bless him, he keeps on keeping on. This [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WoJV4NLxqg End Credit song]] of ''Film/SpiderMan2'' emphasizes such a point.

** For much of his series, at least until he met [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsXMan X-Man]] was fully convinced that people, human and mutant alike, sucked. Since he was regularly persecuted, never thanked and most people were utterly terrified of him (and not entirely without reason), it's hard to argue against this. But he still saved people, because that's what heroes do.

* ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'': Kento Nanami retired as a jujutsu sorcerer at a young age after the death of his partner made him conclude that "being a sorcerer is shit". He then went on to become a salaryman for a few years, before eventually concluding that "work is also shit" since his bosses only really cared about money. Since both prospects were "equally shit", he decided to return to being a sorcerer since he felt it was what he was better suited to... or so he claims. What really prompted his return to sorcery [[GoodFeelsGood was being thanked by a baker after he exorcized a curse that was giving her shoulder pain]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' [[spoiler: Prince Zuko becomes this after his HeelFaceTurn and becoming the SixthRanger and TheAtoner. And while he's on the side of good now, he's still as grumpy and [[EmoTeen emo]] as ever and still firmly believes that Aang's silly ideas about pacifism [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids should remain in air temple preschool where they belong]], for Aang misses the bigger picture]].

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' has Stan, a young boy who knows most of the things he will do won't change anything, but he keeps doing good deeds regardless because it's the right thing to do.

* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': Jack himself has hit this territory as of [[SamuraiJack/TropesSeason5 Season 5]]. While he continues to fight [[BigBad Aku's]] forces, he's become completely and utterly ''broken''. Having been trapped in the BadFuture for fifty years without [[TheAgeless aging]] or finding a way back to the past, Jack has become little more than a shell going through the motions, and even finds himself [[TalkingToThemself arguing with his own subconscious]] over how hopeless his situation has become. This is visually reflected by his new outfit, a suit of dark-colored samurai armor that has replaced his original pristine white gi.
* Batman hits this wall in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' ("I Am the Night") where he starts the episode dwelling on whether or not he's wasting his life trying to fix a city beyond repair then gets even more jaded when a sting operation goes wrong and Jim Gordon ends up severely injured in the process, enough to incite a TenMinuteRetirement. He gets past it by the end but, as shown by later installments of the DCAU, over time he becomes permanently sour thanks to tragedy, loneliness, and his personal vendetta against crime taking its toll. [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond Terry McGinnis]] does help him open up somewhat but his jadedness never truly fades.

* Coltaine and to a lesser extent Win'Tyr of ''LetsPlay/DungeonsAndDrogans''.

* Chilchuck from ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'', has this as the reasoning behind him being an adventurer who is OnlyInItForTheMoney. He sees people who claim to work for free as the least deserving of trust as there is nothing in place to ensure it, and the way things are set up for adventurers jumping from one job to the next based solely on pay and not completion is the fastest way to end up with no jobs other than potentially criminal ones. Things just do not work out well for anyone but those who approach the matter as anything other than employment.

Generally, these characters fit one of two personality types. Members of the first type are former {{Wide Eyed Idealist}}s who have come to [[TookALevelInCynicism accept]] that their world is on the cynical end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, but who [[TheIdealist still find something beautiful in their former ideals]] that they want to hold on to. Those of the second type are born cynics, who would make natural {{Jerkass}} [[AntiHero antiheroes]], but who nevertheless have devoted themselves to a code of honor or fair play. In either case, these people tend to have gone through (often painful) CharacterDevelopment in their past, meaning that they are normally older than the average hero.

Generally, these characters fit one of two personality types. Members of the first type are former {{Wide Eyed Idealist}}s who have come to [[JadeColoredGlasses accept]] that their world is on the cynical end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, but who [[TheIdealist still find something beautiful in their former ideals]] that they want to hold on to. Those of the second type are born cynics, who would make natural {{Jerkass}} [[AntiHero antiheroes]], but who nevertheless have devoted themselves to a code of honor or fair play. In either case, these people tend to have gone through (often painful) CharacterDevelopment in their past, meaning that they are normally older than the average hero.

%%** Amuro Ray, originally a wangsty ClassicalAntiHero in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', develops into this in ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack''.

** [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars Dinobot]] too.

--> ''[[LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD End Game]]'' is about one who has forgotten those ideals.

These characters show up often in FilmNoir, DarkFantasy, and LowFantasy. Law enforcement is a particularly attractive career, but the Knight in Sour Armor will usually hold back from becoming a CowboyCop. Very frequently, they end up as TheMentor, a MentorInSourArmor, TheLastDJ, or a CoolOldGuy if they last long enough. As teammates, they are often the SourSupporter. They also frequently end up as {{Hero Antagonist}}s and extreme [[TheWoobie Woobies]]. This is often the final state of TheAtoner post-HeelFaceTurn. Despite their cynicism, they behave like TheAntiNihilist.

** [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Arturia Pendragon]] downplays this. By the start of the story, she had to contend with [[Myth/KingArthur the loss of her kingdom, Camelot, in part due to her own mistakes]], [[MercyKill had to put down an old friend who has fallen into complete madness thanks actions on both ends]], and [[FailureKnight failing to protect the one person she could consider her friend]]; all of which most definitely have caused her over moral and personal view of herselfto [[BreakTheCutie have been damaged]]. However, she still is able to hold to her beliefs([[LightNovel/FateZero despite getting mocked and ridiculed for having them]]), being driven ''because'' of said experiences [[MiseryBuildsCharacter to make herself and her ideals better than before]] in order to properly [[CrapsackWorld deal with the new world she's landed in]] and [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore THOSE earth-shattering events]].

* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': Despite being an obvious [[TheCynic cynic]] and despite being [[ItsAllAboutMe very self-pitying]] over his son's death in the destruction of San Francisco, [[Characters/MonsterVerseFamilies Mark Russell]] is still vehemently disgusted by the [[EcoTerrorist eco-terrorists]]' plan to put billions of people in mortal danger, and he even foregoes pursuing the escaping eco-terrorists (whom have Emma and Madison) in Antarctica because he sees that the G-Team are in mortal danger and will likely die if he doesn't go back for them.

* ''Fanfic/TheSeventhPlayer'' has [[BeastFolk Machaira Mekhit]], the titular seventh player of [[WebVideo/Dimension20 the Bad Kids]]. [[spoiler:From the day she was born, Machaira's life would be filled with obscene tragedy for someone as young as her, most of which over matters that she was powerless to control or change. It would begin with being born "primitive" (being born with fangs and growing up to be shorter and stockier than most tabaxi), which would result in a childhood filled with brutal abuse from her peers and neglect from the adults in her community, including her own parents, and would later go on to involve her nearly destroying her life once puberty hit her- she would go on to drink, do drugs, and have sex recklessly with people, which would result in her being further abused by others and being subjected to even worse cruelties of the world. While she comes out of it all with no illusions in regard to how horrible the world and the people in it can be, as well as a very brutal and savage warrior in a fight, she still hasn't lost her determination to do good in the world in spite of it all, nor has she lost the ability to be affectionate and loving towards those she knows she can trust.]]

* ''Fanfic/TheSeventhPlayer'' has [[BeastFolk Machaira Mekhit]], the titular seventh player of [[WebVideo/Dimension20 the Bad Kids]]. [[spoiler:From the day she was born, Machaira's life would be filled with obscene tragedy for someone as young as her, most of which over matters that she was powerless to control or change. It would begin with being born "primitive" (being born with fangs and growing up to be shorter and stockier than most tabaxi), which would result in a childhood filled with brutal abuse from her peers and neglect from the adults in her community, including her own parents, and would later go on to involve her nearly destroying her life once puberty hit her- she would go on to drink, do drugs, and have sex recklessly with people, which would result in her being further abused by others and being subjected to even worse cruelties of the world. In spite of all of this, she hasn't lost her determination to do good in the world, nor has she lost her affectionate and loving personality.]]

** Most clerics of [[http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Ilmater#Worshipers Ilmater]].