History Main / MustMakeAmends

* Constantly happens in the ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' series starting from season 8 to 16. After an engine makes [[RuleOfThree three mistakes]] in their given job due to their FatalFlaw or [[IdiotBall is just being plain incompetent]], and after The Fat Controller calls them out for causing "confusion and delay", the engine will begin making things right with absolutely no problem at all. The engine finishes their job on time and The Fat Controller praises them by calling them "really useful engines".

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'': After learning the real reason why her husband never returned home, Imelda decides, despite not being able to forgive him right away, to make up for the years of resenting him by saving him from the FinalDeath.

* ''{{Series/Frasier}}'': In a mid-season 10 episode, it is Frasier's son's bar mizvah and Frasier wants to give a blessing in Hebrew to his son. At his radio station works Noel Shemsky, a huge Trekkie and fluent in Hebrew, and Frasier asks him for help. As the time to do this is around a Trek convention, Noel asks Frasier to get him Creator/ScottBakula's signature. Frasier attempts but fails to get there in time because of traffic. Noel still teaches him the words. After the lesson Frasier feeling guilty, spends an undisclosed amount of money buying an authentic wig from one of the Original series' most famous episodes as an apology. Noel is shocked with emotion [[spoiler:especially as he taught Frasier what to say, but in Klingon out of anger at the first failure. And Frasier ends up reciting it to his son in front of the entire audience]].

'''Superman:''' That's just the beginning! Next, I intend hunt up [[Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} some heavy-duty super-help]]! And then, I'm going to take down Mongul, no matter where in the universe he may be hiding — and recover the Crystal Key... of die trying!

* ''Anime/{{Doraemon}}'': Occurs in [[Recap/Doraemon1979E1759SoapBubbles "Soap Bubbles"]]. The Soap Bubble Straw causes people to want to make up for their bad deeds, no matter how minor they are.

* Scorpion from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat'' cannot get over the fact that [[spoiler:Sub-Zero, who at the time was Noob Saibot, murdered his family and clan]] and is constantly after revenge.

* Franchise/IronMan: Tony Stark, after the events of ''Comicbook/CivilWar''.

* In ''Film/IronMan'', Tony Stark realizes what enormous damage his company's hyper-effective, super-powerful weapons (which he designed himself) are doing to the world, and is subsequently so horrified he shuts down the weapons department of Stark Industries and becomes a superhero to do damage control, also becoming TheAtoner in the process.

* In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' when [[spoiler: Shion Sonozaki]] kills [[spoiler:Satoko Hojo]] in the underground torture chamber, she believes at first that she's avenging her [[spoiler: essentially dead boyfriend Satoshi Hojo]]. Then she tries to talk to his shadow that has appeared on the wall (she's gone nuts at this point), when she realizes the last words of him were: [[spoiler:"Take care of Satoko for me"]]. She literally pisses in her pants at the realization, but realizes she's already crossed the MoralEventHorizon and [[IgnoredEpiphany goes off to finish her sister, whom she still thinks is guilty]].

* In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' when [[spoiler: Shion Sonozaki]] kills [[spoiler:Satoko Hojo]] in the underground torture chamber, she believes at first that she's helping her [[spoiler: essentially dead boyfriend Satoshi Hojo]]. Then she tries to talk to his shadow that has appeared on the wall (she's gone nuts at this point), when she realizes the last words of him were: [[spoiler:Take care of my little sister [Satako] for me]]. She literally pisses in her pants at the realization, but realizes she's already crossed the MoralEventHorizon and [[IgnoredEpiphany goes off to brutally murder more people]].
** This particular example is played straight in a later arc, however, [[spoiler:when Shion and Satoko are shown to be much closer, with Shion acting as Satoko's surrogate big sister. Shion at one point says that [[PastLifeMemories she remembered the above mentioned brutal murders (but dismissed them as nightmares)]] and it's implied she's subconsciously trying to make up for it]].

* An ''ComicBook/{{Archie}}'' comic story had Jughead driving Reggie crazy with his lame puns and wordplay to the point where reggie was losing his marbles. When Archie tells Jughead this, Jughead feels guilty about it and runs to make amends. But all he could offer Reggie was "I didn't mean to make you crazy," which drives Reggie completely over the edge.

* In ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', Sylar attempts one of these during Volume 3. [[ChronicVillainy It didn't take.]]

* An episode of ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' had one of the main characters accidentally shoot a suspect, who turned out to be a cop. Cue the BigNo.
** Also happens in ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' when Elliot realizes that a little girl falsely accused an innocent man of being her rapist, under pressure from Elliot himself and the shrink. The guy does ''not'' forgive Elliot since his life is already ruined, but Elliot throws himself wholeheartedly into finding the true culprit - and does so.
** And it's happened on the original ''Series/LawAndOrder''. When Claire Kincaid died, a drunk driver picked the worst possible time to kill someone in a hit-and-run. Jack covered up evidence to get him a murder one conviction --and death penalty. Only at the last minute -- and after much shaming by Jamie -- did he change gears and let evidence of the defendant's drunkenness in.

* In ''Anime/YuGiOh'', After seeing his little brother hypnotized by Noah, Seto not only made his mission to [[IKnowYoureinThereSomewhereFight save him]] but also to make things right with Mokuba as [[WasTooHardonHim felt guilty]] for how he treated him.

** This particular example is played straight in a later arc however, [[spoiler:when Shion and Satoko are shown to be much closer, with Shion acting as Satoko's surrogate big sister. Shion at one point says that [[PastLifeMemories she remembered the above mentioned brutal murders (but dismissed them as nightmares)]] and it's implied she's subconsciously trying to make up for it]].

** Of course, Knives does not much care about that part, concludes with [[JerkassHasAPoint justification]] that HumansAreBastards, goes AxCrazy and makes a good shot at a KillAllHumans plan. And Vash spends the next several decades feeling he has to make amends for that, somehow, until Knives ''uses him to blow up a fucking city'', and then he feels the need to make up for ''that''. Then Knives does it again, although Vash managed to evacuate that one first.

* In ''Manga/{{Tsukigasa}}'', Azuma feels incredibly guilty about cutting off Kuroe's arm, but doesn't know how to make amends. Eventually he gives Kuroe a blade and tells him to do whatever he likes to even the score but it's only when they finally are completely honest about everything that it gets resolved and Azuma can let go of some of the guilt.

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'' mocks this trope in the second season. [[UpperClassTwit Iok Kujan]]'s actions cause a Mobile Armor -- a massive, powerful KillerRobot -- to be re-activated, and his subordinates [[GoThroughMe sacrifice themselves]] to ensure his survival. When [[ChildSoldiers Julietta Juris]] finds Iok, he's become convinced that he has to destroy the Mobile Armor personally or else he won't be able to face his men in the afterlife (Julietta's reaction is stunned disbelief). Not only is this stupid (because his weapons can't even scratch the Mobile Armor's paint) and not only does it risk turning his mens' deaths into a SenselessSacrifice, but Iok's actions ruin Tekkadan's plans to take down the monster, allowing it to reach and destroy an entire farming village, killing everyone there.

* Franchise/GreenLantern: Hal Jordan completely loses his sanity and decides to fix his failure to save Coast City... by killing the Green Lantern Corps, killing Sinestro, and then killing the universe... so he could remake reality "right". Fittingly, after all this nonsense, He went on to try and make all of ''that'' right, and ended up sacrificing himself to save the world (of course, he got better). Then a few years later, Creator/GeoffJohns {{retcon}}ned the whole thing to Jordan being possessed by a killer space bug made out of fear...

'''Superman:''' That's just the beginning! Next, I intend hunt up [[Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} some heavy duty super-help]]! And then, I'm going to take down Mongul, no matter where in the universe he may be hiding — and recover the Crystal Key... of die trying!

* ''Fanfic/ScarTissue'': Shinji would never leave Asuka or go away because he defiled her and betrayed her when she needed him the most, which led to her very horrible and extremely painful death. So he remains by her side and tries to protect her and take care of her, not matter what, even though he thinks she hates him, because he feels he owes it to her.

* In the beginning of ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'', Prince Jewelius usurps Equestria's throne by holding Princess Celestia, Shining Armor and Twilight's friends responsible for the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E26ACanterlotWeddingPart2 Changeling invasion]] on the grounds that [[MadeOutToBeAJerkass they refused to believe Twilight's misgivings regarding the impostor Cadance]] and [[VillainHasAPoint focused too much on the wedding to be properly prepared against the (at the time) unknown attackers]]. They (along with Princess Cadance and Princess Luna) are banished from Equestria, but they return to Canterlot one week later, determined to redeem themselves in the eyes of Twilight and everypony who suffered from the invasion that they inadvertently allowed to occur.

** Specifically, Sara makes a very dumb wish which is then granted, and spends the rest of the movie trying to undo the mistake by winning her (half) brother back, since Jareth doesn't allow takebacks on wishing.

* This is also the plot to the classic film ''Film/MagnificentObsession''. The life of wealthy asshole Merrick is saved at the expense of a brilliant, beloved and selfless elderly doctor's. The doctor's widow blames Merrick, he responds by stalking her and ends up causing a car wreck that blinds her. Merrick becomes a doctor himself so he can operate on the widow and fix her eyes.

* Roland, the "good guy" in ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'', ends up [[spoiler:letting Jake, a boy he has grown to love]], fall to his death by ''dropping'' him off an underground railway into a bottomless cavern in order to continue his quest. However, [[spoiler:Jake]] is only in the same universe as Roland because he re-incarnated there after being killed in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity. Roland unexpectedly ends up in [[spoiler:Jake]]'s New York at the point in time immediately before his death, and, because Roland still loves him and regrets his previous decision, takes the opportunity to prevent it. This not only saves [[spoiler:Jake]], but creates a horrible paradox solved only when Roland helps him cross again to his world, where he embraces him as a son and trains him to take part in his quest.

* Prince Galrion [[spoiler:later named Nevyn]] in the ''{{Literature/Deverry}}'' books spends several hundred years trying to teach magic to various incarnations of his lover Brangwen, after he had caused her death.

** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E12HellBent "Hell Bent"]], the Doctor has become TheUnfettered WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds desperate to [[spoiler: save Clara Oswald from her death by pulling her out of time at the last possible moment]], which creates a paradox that threatens to destroy the universe, alienates him from others, and triggers another, briefer AGodAmI moment. This is because [[ItsAllMyFault he believes he is partially, if not entirely, to blame]] for [[spoiler: Clara's death]] via his recent actions and choices, thus not living up to his "duty of care" as a Doctor. He hopes to make amends by [[spoiler:wiping her memories of him and dropping her off on Earth to live a nice, safe life free of his "bad" influence]]. His HeelRealization reveals to him that what he wants is a TragicDream and what he '''truly''' must make amends for is his misguided, selfish attempt to undo something he wrongly blamed himself for. In the end, [[spoiler:he is mind wiped of crucial memories of ''her'', forgetting even that he loved her; as well he's alone again for — after years of seeking it — he probably won't be able to return to his home world for a while as he's a wanted man]]. But he accepts this, noting that one must "Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends."

** And it's happened on the original ''Series/LawAndOrder''. When Claire Kincaid died, a drunk driver picked the worst possible time to kill someone in a hit-and-run. Jack covered up evidence to get him a murder one conviction--and death penalty. Only at the last minute--and after much shaming by Jamie--did he change gears and let evidence of the defendant's drunkenness in.
* The end of ''Series/{{Life on Mars|2006}}'' has the main character [[spoiler: betray his friends and leave them all to die, in order to return home. However, he decides he isn't really all that fond of 2006 after all, and jumps off of a roof in order to go back and save them. He still thinks he's in a coma, but he likes his coma dream better.]] Maybe. See the [[WMG/LifeOnMars WMG]] for more speculation.

* Connor does this in ''Series/{{Primeval}}'', in episode 5 of series 5, though he shows the intention a little before hand.

* [[spoiler:Faldio]] from ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles''. [[spoiler:After shooting Alicia to bring out her Valkyria powers, [[IDidWhatIHadToDo he justified his actions to Welkin, Captain Varrot and to himself that it needed to be done for Gallia's survival]]. After spending some time in confinement, he began to regret his actions and went to [[TakingYouWithMe kill himself and Maximilian]] at the [[MilitaryMashupMachine Marmota]], even apologizing to Welkin and Alicia that his reasoning did not justify his actions]].

* Victor Lazarin from ''VideoGame/WildStar'' invented the "Everlife Elixir," which mutated into the Contagion that nearly wiped out his species, and then invented the Vitalus Serum that lets them keep together what little shreds of themselves--physically and mentally--they have left. These days, he's working tirelessly for a cure alongside being instrumental to solving numerous epidemics on the Exile fleet.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', Hawke feels that [[spoiler:Corypheus]] is his/her responsibility as s/he was the one who woke him, and agrees to help due to wanting to fix that mistake. [[spoiler:This is one of the reasons s/he is willing to sacrifice him/herself later in the story.]]

* ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'': An enraged Linkara destroys a pocketwatch belonging to the mysterious antagonist known as the Gunslinger, and is horrified to find out a) that the Gunslinger is trying to free his home dimension from a ruthless tyrannical government, and b) without the watch, he can ''[[YouCantGoHomeAgain never go home]]''. Linkara immediately pledges all his resources to trying to fix the problem. [[spoiler: And makes good on it too.]]

* [[AntiVillain Redcloak]] from ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' [[WeHaveReserves ordered thousands of hobgoblins that he was in command of into certain death]] without thinking or feeling anything because of the ancient grudges between goblins and hobgoblins. After a hobgoblin saved his life during the battle, however, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Redcloak reacted with horror to everything he he had done and become]], and promptly led the hobgoblins to a smashing victory, even sometimes putting his own life at risk in order to save those of his men.

* Earl Warren was [[UsefulNotes/AmericanCourts Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States]] from 1953 to 1969, and he led the Court in a highly liberal direction that included major rulings in favor of equal civil rights for African-Americans and other minorities, voter rights, rights of the accused, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. Before that, during the 1940s, he was Attorney General of California and pushed the federal government to intern the Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast. Many people believe he realized [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone just how awful that decision was]] and tried to make up for it with his time on the Supreme Court.
* The Nobel Prize. Alfred Nobel was an inventor and industrialist who invented both dynamite, one of the first smokeless powders, and who was heavily involved in armaments manufacture. Upon reading a [[ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated prematurely published obituary]] which identified him as a "merchant of death" who "became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before," Nobel became obsessed with cleaning up his legacy, and significantly revised his will so that most of his estate would go to establishing the prizes. It seems to have worked, since he is remembered today almost exclusively in connection to the awards.
* After the success of Creator/PeterBenchley's novel ''{{Literature/Jaws}}'' and the [[{{Film/Jaws}} movie]] based on it, sharks were slaughtered en masse out of misguided fear that they actively hunted people. This panic--dubbed [[http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-10-31/news/fl-endangered-sharks-20101030_1_nurse-shark-bull-shark-tiger-sharks "the Jaws effect"]]--ended up driving a third of all shark species to the brink of extinction. Benchley came to regret the role he'd played in this, eventually [[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/06/0606_shark5.html becoming a conservationist]] and dedicating the rest of his life to trying to teach people that sharks are not the monsters he had portrayed them as.

* In ''Webcomic/LatchkeyKingdom'', after Willa breaks Ash's Titan trap by falling into it, Ash uses her guilt to talk her into performing her backup plan of planting [[StickyBomb Sticky Bombs]] all over the Titan.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'': In the episode "Pokémon Scent-sation!", Ash, after being banned from the Celadon Gym for [[FelonyMisdemeanor insulting the perfume they make there]], forms an EnemyMine with Team Rocket to get in to compete with Erika for the Rainbow Badge. As it turns out, the Rockets were just using him as part of a plan to break into the gym and steal the ingredients for said perfume, taking it a step further by planting bombs that set the building ablaze. Ash immediately realizes that it's all his fault for helping Team Rocket inside in the first place, and makes up for his blunder by helping manage the fire and risking his life to save Erika's Gloom.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13156407/10/Heated-Storm-Yields-a-Wild-Horse-s-Heart Heated Storm Yields a Wild Horse's Heart]]'', once Nabiki proves to Shampoo that "Girl Ranma" and "Boy Ranma" are the same person, Shampoo decides to make up for trying to kill Ranma and/or split him from Nabiki by offering for her and Nabiki to both marry him.

* In the beginning of ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'', Prince Jewelius usurps Equestria's throne by holding Celestia, Shining Armor and Twilight's friends responsible for the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E26ACanterlotWeddingPart2 Changeling invasion]] on the grounds that [[MadeOutToBeAJerkass they refused to believe Twilight's misgivings regarding the impostor Cadance]] and [[VillainHasAPoint focused too much on the wedding to be properly prepared against the (at the time) unknown attackers]]. They (along with Cadance and Luna) are banished from Equestria, but they return to Canterlot one week later, determined to redeem themselves in the eyes of Twilight and everypony who suffered from the invasion that they inadvertently allowed to occur.

* In the beginning of ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'', Prince Jewelius usurps Equestria's throne by holding Celestia, Shining Armor and Twilight's friends responsible for the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E26ACanterlotWeddingPart2 Changeling invasion]] on the grounds that [[MadeOutToBeAJerkass they refused to believe Twilight's misgivings regarding the impostor Cadance]] and [[VillainHasAPoint focused too much on the wedding to be properly prepared against the (at the time) unknown attackers]]. They (along with Cadance and Luna) are banished from Equestria, but they return to Canterlot a week later, determined to redeem themselves in the eyes of Twilight and everypony who suffered from the invasion that they inadvertently allowed to occur.
** Twilight later on has this mindset after discovering that [[spoiler: [[LoveInterestTraitor Jewelius]] is every bit as evil and selfish as her friends (whom she similarly disowned) [[CassandraTruth said he was]]. She escapes from Canterlot and flees to Ponyville with the Elements of Harmony to reconcile with her loved ones and bring the tyrant down]].

* ''Film/{{Legend 1985}}''. Lily touches one of the unicorns, making it vulnerable to attack and leading to its death. She tracks down the other unicorn and finds Brown Tom guarding it.

'''Lily:''' I'm -- I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Please, please forgive me.\\

'''Lily:''' Try and understand. I'm only trying to make things right. Darkness has sent the goblins back for the mare. It's not safe to stay here. You'll have to hurry! Leave now! Go!

* ''Manga/DragonBallZ'': This is Vegeta's primary reason for choosing to fight Majin Buu alone, partly because he was responsible for Majin Buu being revived in the first place and Gohan apparently being killed by the monster, and partly because he wants to make amends for Goku dying during the Cell Games since, in letting Cell absorb 18 and become Perfect because of his own {{Pride}}, it ''was'' his fault the entire mess with Cell got so bad.
* ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'': After he discovers how evil Zamasu is, as well as the fact that he's participating in a genocide of all mortals in Future Trunks' timeline, Gowasu decides to go to the future to help stop said genocide, since ''he'' was the one who chose Zamasu as his apprentice and eventual successor in the first place.

* ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' has this with Audrey, Sweet, Mole, Vinny, Cookie and Ms. Packard after witnessing [[BigBad Rourke]] punching Milo in the face and breaking the photo of his grandfather in front of him.