History Main / MoralityKitchenSink

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': At the furthest extreme of the Hero end we have Michael Carpenter, [[RedBaron the Fist of God]], who only fights monsters, has a grand total of one recorded instance of swearing in the series proper (which was in a side story), and is all around about as wholesome as a person can be. Slightly away from the good extreme would be the majority of the series other heroes e.g. [[TheHero Harry Dresden]], he's a generally upstanding guy with a '''''massive''''' case of ChronicHeroSyndrome, but isn't above a bit of pragmatism if it's necessary. More towards the middle of the scale is [[MagicalSociety The White Council]] which is made up of plenty of KnightTemplar {{Jerkass}}es, but has methods which are shown to oftentimes be necessary. The main representative of dark grey is John Marcone, who is a ruthless crime boss, but ends up [[EnemyMine joining forces]] with Dresden more often than opposing him and '''''[[BerserkButton will not]]''''' [[EvenEvilHasStandards tolerate any violence against children]]. And when it comes to his usual criminal activities, he believes, as characters of his type often do, that crime's going to exist no matter what, and it's better than it be controlled by someone like him than descend into every-gang-for-itself warfare. As for the monsters of the setting, we have any one the supernatural villains, e.g. the Skinwalker, a terrifying and sadistic monster whose [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm true form]]'s mere sight is enough to send Harry into a HeroicBSOD. To top it off, we even have BlueAndOrangeMorality in the form of [[TheFairFolk the fae]], whose Winter Court [[spoiler:guards the universe against monsters from Outside, who don't ''enter'' reality so much as ''parasitize'' it]], and whose Summer Court [[spoiler:protects the universe from the Winter Court]]. On top of that, we find that Winter has the ability to be ''logical'' and stay its hand when it's best to in the long term, while Summer is more prone to going off half-cocked (and when a fae as powerful as the leaders of the courts does that, we can be talking armageddon.)

%% * ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes''

** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'', despite (or perharps ''because of'') its {{Disneyfication}} from the [[Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame source material]], which ran on GreyAndGrayMorality. [[GentleGiant Quasimodo]] and the [[AllLovingHero Archdeacon]] are the only truly good characters in the movie (and even the former has several LetsGetDangerous moments). Esmeralda is a KnightInSourArmor. Clopin and the gypsies in general are {{Unscrupulous Hero}}es. Phoebus is a PragmaticHero in sour armor [[spoiler:who later has a HeelFaceTurn]]. The crowd of Parisian citizens start off as a bunch of bullies that mock Quasimodo, but [[EveryoneHasStandards end up siding with the heroes when Frollo goes too far]] and accept Quasimodo at the end. Even [[BigBad Judge Frollo]], for all his [[ChurchgoingVillain nasti]][[EgocentricallyReligious ness]], [[TheSociopath sociopathy]] and [[WouldHurtAChild monstrosity]], is given a very humane and relatable moment in his VillainSong "Hellfire."

** What demonstrates this trope is that none of the characters are truly consistent to their ideas. The Comedian's facade of cynicism shatters utterly [[spoiler:and he turns out to be a lonely, self-loathing wreck who is truly pathetic on the inside. Dr. Manhattan, the most seemingly misanthropic of the superheroes, gives the ultimate HumansAreSpecial speech in the book. Ozymandias and Rorscharch follow an HourglassPlot: they at first see each other as being a guilty liberal (Ozymandias) and a fascist (Rorscharch). The morally absolute Rorscharch, who once justified Harry Truman's UsefulNotes/AtomicBombingsOfHiroshimaAndNagasaki, is stunned when Ozymandias launches a similarly brutal attack using the same justification. This time Rorscharch takes the opposite tack and denounces this action, willing to die rather than uphold this facade.]] According to WordOfGod, this was intentional to show that all the characters, at their core, [[{{Hypocrite}} fail to follow through on their respective ideologies.]]

** Probably the closest this game has to a bad guy is a tie between the Warriors of Kukulcan or the Grand Duchy of Dracule. The former is an unholy mix of a {{Mayincatec}} ReligionOfEvil and TheHorde, united and driven by the worship of the god Kukulcan and [[AbsoluteXenophobe their hatred of everyone else]]. The latter is basically Transylvania under the rule of Vlad the Impaler, with all the [[FamilyUnfriendlyViolence brutality]], [[DecadentCourt corruption]], [[MightMakesRight barbarism]], [[EvilOverlord brutal kings]] and [[TheDungAges harsh lifestyles for the common folk]] turned UpToEleven.

* ''Manga/PandoraHearts'' is all over the place. This trope becomes most distinct after it's revealed that [[spoiler:Jack isn't the squeaky-clean hero everyone believed him to be but rather a TragicVillain driven to insanity by his [[LoveMakesYouCrazy love for Lacie]]. Furthermore, Oswald/Glen isn't the ManipulativeBastard BigBad he's been portrayed as but an endearingly socially awkward WellIntentionedExtremist who hasn't handled being betrayed one too many times by those close to him so well]]. And that's only ''two'' [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters of the characters]].

* ''Anime/YuGiOhArcV'' [[DarkerAndEdgier eventually]] [[CerebusSyndrome divulges]] into this [[spoiler:when the MythArc [[AnotherDimension interdimensional]] war was revealed]]. Sort by factions and individual characters, we have: White (the You Show Duel School, Yuya, Yuzu and Gongenzaka) vs. Lighter Grey (Yuto [[spoiler:plus [[HeelFaceTurn Selena]]]]) vs. Darker Gray (the BigGood LDS, Kurosaki [[spoiler:and [[TheHero Yuya]]'s [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Berserker mode]] for kicking only [[KickTheSonOfABitch assholes]]]]) vs. Black ([[spoiler:[[ForTheEvulz the]] [[LackOfEmpathy heartless]] [[AcademyOfEvil Aca]][[WarForFunAndProfit demia]]]]). Yugo at first was a big question mark, but turns out to be [[spoiler:White]], and the [[spoiler:Synchro Dimension is mostly Dark Grey with a few lighter exceptions]]. [[spoiler:Sora]] seems to go from Dark Gray to Black with a few PetTheDog moments, before beginning a HeelFaceTurn due to a HeelRealization. Unusual for a ''[[Franchise/YuGiOh YGO]]'' franchise because it focuses on [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters a lot more characters]] at the same time than its predecessors, allowing for more shades of conflict during one arc. More amazingly, the anime has a [[GenreShift change in genre]] and in morality within only about ''30'' episodes, impressive for a Shonen series.

* ''Literature/LesMiserables'' is also a book with LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters that are, morally, all over the map. The character who ''does'' believe in BlackAndWhiteMorality, InspectorJavert, is no worse than LawfulNeutral but believes with all his might that Law = Good and anyone who breaks the law is evil forever. In this light, he continually tries to arrest Jean Valjean, a petty crook who skipped parole but did a HeelFaceTurn and made good. When Valjean's selfless virtue finally proves Javert's mindset wrong, the resulting cognitive dissonance makes him [[DrivenToSuicide throw himself off a bridge]].

* Given that ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters and no clear heroes or villains, it's no surprise that the morality spectrum comes in about a thousand shades of gray. You've got extremely honorable, well-meaning people like Ned Stark and Brienne of Tarth, bastards like Gregor Clegane and Ramsay Bolton, and more [[AntiHero Anti-Heroes]] and [[AntiVillain Anti-Villains]] than can be listed. Among the "anti-"s, fans can't even agree which ones of them are anti-''heroes'' and which are anti-''villains''. It's largely a matter of perspective.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Or rather, white and black plus a thousand shades of grey. Between Ned Stark on the one hand and Ramsay on the other, every one of the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters has his own unique shade of grey.

* ''FanFic/{{SPECTRUM}}'', a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfiction, being an Anti-TCB deconstructionist story, falls squarely in the camp of "Conversion is bad and wrong" in its portrayal of the central conflict, factions and characters may range from one end of the [[{{Pun}} spectrum]] to the other.
** True to the source material, [[TheKingdom Equestria's]] Royal Family and the Element Bearers are presented as the most unambiguously "good" characters. Some form of SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome, though, in how obviously out of their depth the Element Bearers and Lyra are in the face of a global conflict. As such, expecting the show's heroes to solve the crisis on their own is never even suggested – instead, Princess Celestia chooses to call on international support. Not all of the Equestrians are inclined to side with humanity, as shown with Catseye and Icewind. And while Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood are on the side of good, both are still shown to carry around a lot of emotional baggage. The closest thing to a straight up MessianicArchetype is Princess Cadance.

* From the directors of the above mentioned Lost is ''Series/OnceUponATime''. On one end of the spectrum you have people like Prince Charming as the heroic, noble and sacrificial if not sometimes pragmatic hero. And on the other, you have people like [[spoiler: Peter Pan and the Black Fairy]], manipulative evil bastards (or bitches) who only cares about themselves. However, in between you have everyone else, including several villains like Regina and Gold who are on a road to redemption, villains like Cora who slowly became worse despite sympathetic beginnings, and TheMessiah who's also an Anti-Hero.

** Dark: [[spoiler:Emperor Palpatine]] is a tyrant who wants to manipulate, corrupt and conquer everything. He is petty, a toxic influence to the protagonists and his followers are true villains themselves. However, he sees himself as a NecessaryEvil to stop...

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', most of Team Aang is unequivocally good and the most powerful members of the Fire Nation are power-hungry imperialists, but almost everyone else falls somewhere in between. [[spoiler: Ba Sing Se]] turns out to be a CrapsaccharineWorld, and the Northern Water Tribe has some pretty sexist moments. The rank-and-file and civilians of the Fire Nation are more often misguided patriots than outright evil. You could make a decent argument that the whole series is a subversion of the AlwaysChaoticEvil trope.

** ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', despite (or perharps ''because of'') its {{Disneyfication}} from the [[Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame source material]], which ran on GreyAndGrayMorality. [[GentleGiant Quasimodo]] and the [[AllLovingHero Archdeacon]] are the only truly good characters in the movie (and even the former has several LetsGetDangerous moments). Esmeralda is a KnightInSourArmor. Clopin and the gypsies in general are {{Unscrupulous Hero}}es. Phoebus is a PragmaticHero in sour armor [[spoiler:who later has a HeelFaceTurn]]. The crowd of Parisian citizens start off as a bunch of bullies that mock Quasimodo, but [[EveryoneHasStandards end up siding with the heroes when Frollo goes too far]] and accept Quasimodo at the end. Even [[BigBad Judge Frollo]], for all his [[ChurchgoingVillain nasti]][[EgocentricallyReligious ness]], [[TheSociopath sociopathy]] and [[WouldHurtAChild monstrosity]], is given a very humane and relatable moment in his VillainSong "Hellfire."

** Near-black: Heather, the {{alpha bitch}}. She seems to enjoy her antagonist role a little too much to be a “gray”; but unlike Chris, she draws the line at the prospect of bloodshed.
** Dark gray: Duncan, the juvenile {{delinquent|s}}. He’s an experienced knife fighter and tends to view girls as objects, but he has too many PetTheDog moments to be a “black”.
** Neutral gray: Chef Hatchet, Chris' aide. He’s a textbook PunchClockVillain. He understands and accepts the role of hardship in separating the game's contenders from the pretenders, but when approached with proper deference [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure he can sometimes be persuaded]] to give the petitioners more help than his duties require [[TheStarscream or even technically allow]], although he won't do anything that would affect the course of the game.
** Light gray: Katie and Sadie, the [[HeterosexualLifePartners co-dependent clones]]. They’re friendly, loyal and supportive, but are also willing to [[BewareTheNiceOnes get their hands dirty to get what they want]].
** Near-white: Courtney, the [[GoGetterGirl Muskies' nominal leader]]. She is well-meaning and compassionate, but is also willing to do [[IDidWhatIHadToDo what she thinks she must]].

* ''Series/TheFive'': Mark is a decent person, who just wants to find Jesse. Pru is an alcoholic, but also a decent person at heart. Slade is decent and devoted to helping homeless young people, but willing to kill. [[spoiler: Frank]] is also sympathetic in spite of his crimes, along with Payne. But then you have people all the way down the scale, like Jakob Marosi.

** Light gray: Suzaku occupys a lighter shade of gray in the conflict, having genuinely good motivations and goals but performing quite a few semi-villainous actions to achieve them.

** Dark Grey: Charles, [[spoiler:Marianne, and V.V.]] are slightly worse then Suzaku, having understandable motivations but having both goals and actions that are far from ideal.

* [[https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042995 Stormwolf Adventures]] has multiple factions, who are from morally white to morally black:

See also ShadesOfConflict. When you've got a specific group to which this trope applies, you've got a FourPhilosophyEnsemble. Compare TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil along with WhiteAndGreyMorality. Contrast EvilVersusEvil, where nothing is good or even morally ambiguous about the characters. Also contrast GoodVersusGood where nobody is truly evil.

* "LetsPlay/DreamSMP" Due to the ever changing enviroment of morality conflict for the server control.

** White: Stormwolf, defenders of free will and the main protagonists. They only get violent with really bad criminals. Half of them are abuse survivors who want nobody to auffer the same fate.

** White: Stormwolf, defenders of free will and the main protagonists. They only get violent with really bad criminals.

** Gray: Scavenger Army, then [[spoiler:Rey by herself]]. She is driven by revenge and wants to atone, can be brutal to enemies, but she has a very good reason to want revenge and doesn't attack innocents.

** Dark Gray: The Children of Oda Nobunaga want to see Japan unified and bring Oda back to life... and will do anything to do so.
** Dark: [[spoiler:Emperor Palpatine]] is a tyrant who wants to manipulate, corrupt and conquer everything. He is petty, a toxic influence to the protagonists and his followers are true villains. However, he sees himself as a NecessaryEvil to stop...
** Black: The Black Legion are the true villains of the story. They are also tyrants like Palpatine who use worlds like factory farms, a lot of members eat people, and they all worship their leader, the Dark One, as if he is a god. [[spoiler:Said leader isn't just a tyrant who corrupts people, but he is behind some of the imprints which force innocent people to be obsessed with abusers with no means of escape.]]

** True to the source material, [[TheKingdom Equestria's]] Royal Family and the Element Bearers are presented as the most unambiguously "good" characters. Some form of RealityEnsues, though, in how obviously out of their depth the Element Bearers and Lyra are in the face of a global conflict. As such, expecting the show's heroes to solve the crisis on their own is never even suggested – instead, Princess Celestia chooses to call on international support. Not all of the Equestrians are inclined to side with humanity, as shown with Catseye and Icewind. And while Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood are on the side of good, both are still shown to carry around a lot of emotional baggage. The closest thing to a straight up MessianicArchetype is Princess Cadance.

* ''Anime/YuGiOhArcV'' [[DarkerAndEdgier eventually]] [[CerebusSyndrome divulges]] into this [[spoiler:when the MythArc [[AnotherDimension interdimensional]] war was revealed]]. Sort by factions and individual characters, we have: White (the You Show Duel School, Yuya, Yuzu and Gongenzaka) vs. Lighter Grey (Yuto [[spoiler:plus [[HeelFaceTurn Selena]]]]) vs. Darker Gray (the BigGood LDS, Kurosaki [[spoiler:and [[TheHero Yuya]]'s [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Berserker mode]] for kicking only [[KickTheSonOfABitch assholes]]]]) vs. Black ([[spoiler:[[ForTheEvulz the]] [[LackOfEmpathy heartless]] [[AcademyOfEvil Aca]][[WarForFunAndProfit demia]]]]). Yugo [[spoiler:and the Synchro Dimension]] didn't appear enough to sort into these shade of conflict while a few of the {{Asshole Victim}}s are just {{Jerkass}}es. [[spoiler:Sora]] seems to go from Dark Gray to Black with a few PetTheDog moments, before beginning a HeelFaceTurn due to a HeelRealization. Unusual for a ''[[Franchise/YuGiOh YGO]]'' franchise because it focuses on [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters a lot more characters]] at the same time than its predecessors, allowing for more shades of conflict during one arc. More amazingly, the anime has a [[GenreShift change in genre]] and in morality within only about ''30'' episodes, impressive for a Shonen series.

** What demonstrates this trope is that none of the characters are truly consistent to their ideas. The Comedian's facade of cynicism shatters utterly [[spoiler:and he turns out to be a lonely, self-loathing wreck who is truly pathetic on the inside. Dr. Manhattan, the most seemingly misanthropic of the superheroes, gives the ultimate HumansAreSpecial speech in the book. Ozymandias and Rorscharch follow an HourglassPlot: they at first see each other as being a guilty liberal (Ozymandias) and a fascist (Rorscharch). The morally absolute Rorscharch, who once justified Harry Truman's UsefulNotes/AtomicBombingsOfHiroshimaAndNagasaki, is stunned when Ozymandias launches a similarly brutal attack using the same justification. This time Rorscharch takes the opposite tack and denounces this action, willing to die rather than uphold this facade.]]
*** According to WordOfGod, this was intentional to show that all the characters, at their core, [[{{Hypocrite}} fail to follow through on their respective ideologies.]]