History Main / NeutralnoLonger

* ''WesternAnimation/AnimalFarm1954'': Benjamin knows full well that [[FullCircleRevolution the pigs are becoming tyrants]], yet doesn't speak up against it. [[spoiler:It's after his friend Boxer is betrayed and sold to the knacker's that Benjamin makes up his mind to spearhead the second revolution.]]

** Luke Skywalker in ''Film/ANewHope'' after his MuggleFosterParents are [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive massacred by stormtroopers]]. Prior to that, his attitude about the war was "[[TemptingFate it's all such a long way from here]]."
** Played with Grand Moff Tarkin demonstrates the Death Star's ability to be a roving KillSat on the planet Alderaan in the hopes that other systems who want to join the Rebel Alliance would think twice. Leia states it will backfire. In the first three movies, there is no apparent sign of this happening. It certainly does so in the expanded universe / Legends continuity, but we see no evidence in the films proper.

* ''Film/{{Dogma}}'' had the character of Azrael, the FallenAngel. During the war in heaven between {{God}} and [[TheDevil Lucifer]], he refused to take a side, stating that he was a muse, [[LoverNotAFighter an artist who had no place on the battlefield]] (a view apparently not shared by other muses such as Serendipity, who argues that Azrael was simply being cowardly). Upon God's victory, She cast Azrael into hell along with the rest of the rebel angels. Cue massive RageAgainstTheHeavens.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': The Romulans insisted on remaining neutral in the war between the Dominion and the Federation/Klingon alliance. The Federation was taking such heavy casualties that Starfleet realised they could not win the war without gaining allies. The only race powerful enough to make a difference was the Romulan Empire, who had no reason at all to drop their neutral stance due to the fact their three major rival powers were exhausting themselves while they watched from the sidelines in the hope they could mop up the Alpha Quadrant after the war was over. [[spoiler: Sisko decided to do something to bring the Romulans into the war on the Federation's side and recruited Garak to come up with the franchise's best example of a BatmanGambit to achieve it.]]
* The Archangel Gabriel on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' pulls off one of these. It's a combination of the two types: on the one hand, he has bonded with planet earth and its denizens, i.e. the good guys in this story, and wouldn't be doing this otherwise. On the other, it wasn't enough to make him take sides until Lucifer went and started slaughtering his friends and girlfriend at the pagan god convention, so if Luci hadn't [[KickTheDog Kicked The Dog]], he mightn't have had to face Gabriel.

* In the earliest episodes of ''Series/DoctorWho'' the Doctor was nowhere close to the altruistic hero he is now. He traveled mostly to satisfy his own curiosities. It wasn't until his seventh serial, "The Sensorites", that he did the right thing precisely ''because'' it was the right thing to do.

* During ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'''s Clan Invasion, [=ComStar=] -- an NGOSuperPower that manages the SubspaceAnsible network in the Inner Sphere -- remained neutral, providing their services to the invading Clans so long as they left [=ComStar=] alone. Eventually, [=ComStar=] gets wind that the end goal of the Clans is to retake PlanetTerra, effectively their Mecca, which is inconveniently the headquarters of Comstar. After a schism with their leadership, [=ComStar=]'s new leader challenges the Clans to a Trial Of Possession, unveiling the fact that for the past three hundred years, [[SuperweaponSurprise they have been amassing an army]] backed up by LostTechnology that they have salvaged and stolen, including interstellar warships. [=ComStar=] kicks the crap out of the Clans, forcing a truce and giving the Inner Sphere time to rebuild for a counterattack.
** They also broke their neutrality to leak video evidence of the Kentares Massacre to the Inner Sphere due to the sheer atrocities being committed. This directly led to the Combine losing as they vastly demoralized Combine military forces and [[RageBreakingPoint drove Davion forces into a frenzy out of sheer rage.]]

* In ''Literature/HorusHeresy'', Jaghatai spends most of ''Scars'' tip-toeing between siding with Leman Russ (who's an asshole, but a good guy), and Horus (evil, but the Khan [[IGaveMyWord promised his help to him]]). A conversation with Magnus (evil, but convincing him to join the good guys), combined with encounter with Mortarion (evil ''and'' asshole) convince him to choose Russ' side.

There are many innocents in the epic battle between good and evil. Some people will join on the side of good because [[RapePillageAndBurn the evil invaders]] [[DoomedHometown destroyed their home]]. A lot of people will join on the side of evil because EvilIsSexy, RuleOfCool, or [[CardCarryingVillain just 'cause]].

* In the MagicalGirl CrisisCrossover ''FanFic/ShatteredSkiesTheMorningLights'', the BigGood Fantine initially refuses to use her incredible powers to stop the story's LegionOfDoom from waging war on reality. Moreover, she refuses to let the survivors of said war fight back, for fear of losing the only ways to repair the damage to the multiverse. She changes her tune when [[spoiler:[[BigBad Joker]] unleashes a SpaceTimeEater EldritchAbomination which consumes countless timelines in the [[Anime/PrettyCure Precure]] universe. Forced to act to prevent [[NoNameGive "the entity"]] from doing even more harm, Fantine sacrifices all but a fraction of her power to banish "the entity" back to where it came. In the aftermath, she tells the survivors that given what's happened, she can no longer stop them from fighting.]]

* In the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark tried to be neutral so they could trade with both England and France, "unfortunately" they had a very big fleet at that time, making England scared that France would get to use the fleet. So they bombed it in 1807, an act that made Denmark join the war on France's side.
** {{UsefulNotes/Denmark}} was neutral in WWI and would have probably been so in WWII as well, if it hadn't been for Germany invading the country in 1940, making them technically no longer neutral.
** {{UsefulNotes/Belgium}} initially declared neutrality in both World Wars, only to be ''twice'' invaded by Germany on their way to France.
* Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Switzerland announced it would abandon its longstanding financial neutrality and deny use of [[SwissBankAccount its banking system]] to persons or entities under international sanctions.[[note]]To put this into perspective, they didn't even do this to ''[[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany the Nazis]]'', who had an unacted on plan to invade and take over Switzerland (granted, if they had joined in implementing financial sanctions against Nazi Germany, the probability that they would get invaded would have increased).[[/note]]

** When the Cold War began, the Truman administration was quite indifferent to what happened in mainland east Asia, cutting off aid to Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT in the critical year of 1946, and then, after the Communists took over China, withdrawing American forces from Korea and declaring South Korea to be outside the American "defense perimeter in Asia". When the North Koreans then promptly invaded South Korea with Soviet and Chinese backing, the U.S. intervened on the South Korean side.
** When Lyndon Johnson became President, he declared that he was "not going to send American boys halfway around the world to do a job that Asian boys can and should do for themselves". When it became apparent in 1965 that South Vietnam was months if not weeks from falling to the Communists, however, ''and'' Communist forces fired on a U.S. naval vessel in the Gulf of Tonkin, he did exactly that.
** Contrary to popular belief, the U.S. was largely neutral in the Arab-Israeli conflict until the early 1970s, and did not, for example, intervene to open the Strait of Tiran in 1967 despite an earlier promise to do so. But during the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when the Soviet Union sent a massive airlift of supplies to the Egyptians and the Syrians, the Nixon administration decided to send an American airlift of supplies to Israel. This is only a partial example, however, since the United States only sent supplies, and did not intervene directly.
** In 1990, American ambassador April Glaspie met with then-ruler of Iraq Saddam Hussein to ask him about the troops he was massing on his border with Kuwait and the threats he was making toward Kuwait. He apparently assured her that he was just saber-rattling to win diplomatic concessions on a border dispute, and she seemed to have understood him to say that he was committed to resolving the dispute peacefully. She famously assured him, however, that the U.S. has "no opinion on your Arab-Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait....the Kuwait issue is not associated with America", and he may have taken that as a green light to invade Kuwait. Suffice it to say that when he did, the U.S. sent troops to the Persian Gulf, first to defend Saudi Arabia, but then to liberate Kuwait.
** Later in that decade, during the Balkan wars that followed the break-up of Yugoslavia, the United States did not intervene for several years in the war in Bosnia but did finally decide to back Croat intervention on the side of the Bosniaks against the Serbs, after watching Serb attacks on Sarajevo and other Bosnian towns on the news every night for years. Then, when the Serbs went to war in Kosovo to attempt to prevent that province from breaking away, the U.S. decided to intervene directly, launching an air campaign against Serbia.
** Also during the 1990s, the United States was neutral in the civil war in Afghanistan between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance, even as the Taliban took over most of the country, pushing the Northern Alliance into a tiny strip of territory in the north. After September 11, 2001, however, the United States intervened in Afghanistan on the side of the Northern Alliance and removed the Taliban from power. The "civil war"/insurgency continues to this day, however.
** Also happens ''within'' the United States -- at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Kentucky was a slave-holding state that identified culturally with the South but one that didn't have much appetite for secession (its governor Beriah Magoffin was Southern-sympathizing and bristled at President Lincoln's call for troops to serve in Union armies but believed slave states should remain in the Union and the Constitution). For the first several months it tried to stay neutral, its legislature refusing to vote on a bill of secession and instead passed a bill asking both sides to leave them alone. Then, Confederate General Leonidas Polk occupied the town of Columbus that summer, spurring the legislature (which at this point had become pro-Union enough to override the governor's vetoes) to start passing legislation blatantly against Confederate efforts but not the Union's -- ''this'' in turn pissed off pro-Confederates in the western and central parts of the state, who [[StartMyOwn established their own state government]] that joined the Confederacy that December. Kentucky's stance was sorted out by 1862, with the state effectively in Union hands thanks to General Ulysses Grant, the original pro-Union government remaining in effective control, Governor Magoffin resigning, and the rival pro-Confederate government existing only on paper having been forced to flee to Tennessee.

This Trope comes in two varieties.
* The first kind is rather straightforward. The neutral party is [[HeroicNeutral initially undecided until the villains press their]] BerserkButton. Then the neutral party will oppose the villains from then on.
* The second kind is less frequently used. As it turns out, sometimes heroes and villains are really bad at making first impressions. After initially meeting the heroes, the neutral party will decide that evil is so much cooler and join them, or vice versa. This isn't a HeelFaceTurn or a FaceHeelTurn, because these people were neutral at the start of the story and would have remained so if the villains and/or heroes weren't a bunch of a-holes. They will often only go out of their way to oppose someone out of vengeance.

Compare DefaultToGood, HeroicNeutral, LetsGetDangerous. Hope that no NeutralityBacklash kicks in, when the winning side resents the person who only signed on at the last minute. Contrast ChoosingNeutrality, where someone evil or good shifts to neutral. Compare MoralDisambiguation.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': Android 16 starts out as a GentleGiant who refuses to fight anybody except Goku (due to his programming) and instead prefers to interact with the wildlife. When he realises the malevolence behind Cell, a wicked monster that will annihilate all life on Earth simply ForTheEvulz, he spurs into action and, as a inspiration to {{Badass Pacifist}}s everywhere, gives Cell the toughest fight he had encountered so far, coming close to killing him outright.

* ''Anime/MonsterRancher'': One episode focuses on Captain Jim, who runs a restaurant and ferry service by the Yellow River. Initially, he dismisses the threat Moo poses, declaring that he'll serve anyone who pays him properly. When the arrowheads attack his ferry while he's trying to escort the Searchers across, however, he naturally defends himself, and ultimately [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices his boat]] protecting them. Afterwards, he goes on to continue the fight against Moo, spearheading his own resistence movement.

* Though none of them are remotely badass, in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4967518/5/Adamantine-Mist Adamantine Mist]]'' all the civilians of [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Nerima]] set out to destroy Ranma's would-be fiances after Shampoo attacks [[FriendToAllLivingThings Kasumi]]. This is done through actions like delaying orders to Ukyo's restaurant or flat out refusing to sell to Shampoo's and Cologne's cafe.

* ''Fanfic/GuardiansWizardsAndKungFuFighters'': Shortly after Elyon is brought to Meridian, Phobos orders an attack on [[KnowledgeBroker Charles Ludmoore]], in order to cut off his support to the Rebellion. Doing this violates the neutrality accord which Ludmoore operates on, and he escapes to join the Rebellion directly. [[spoiler:Which is all part of Ludmoore and Cedric's LongGame, and [[BatmanGambit the reason why]] Cedric manipulated Phobos into order the attack.]]

* ''Fanfic/TheNewAdventuresOfInvaderZim'': Throughout Season 1, Gaz makes it clear that she is totally indifferent to the fight for the fate of the Earth. However, during the seasonal StoryArc's climax, she decides to aid Zim by [[spoiler: giving him the location of [[LostSuperweapon Project Domination]]]], [[EvilIsPetty purely to spite Dib]] and in the hope that her hated rival Viera will get killed in the process. However, Season 2 reveals this was a one time thing, and that she's gone back to being neutral.

* The hidden runners of ''Fanfic/TheSevenHunters'' were originally neutral to Redclaw's schemes. [[DisproportionateRetribution After the slaughter of an entire pack]] [[SoleSurvivor with the exception of one child]], Viscond, the leader of another pack, decides they can no longer remain neutral to the conflict. Harthron, the highest ranking hidden runner in all the land, at first wants to remain out of the conflict and hide, but later comes to the realization that running and hiding will no longer work. The combined efforts of the hidden runners help out greatly in the battle in the Great Valley.

* The Ents in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheTwoTowers''. They initially decide to remain neutral, and only change their minds when Treebeard comes across a [[BerserkButton field of felled trees]]. This trope does not apply as much to the book; the Ents hold Entmoot, and decide to attack Saruman. Either way, the outcome is an awesome CurbStompBattle.

** Expanded in ''Film/BlackPanther2018'': while Wakanda is open to the rest of the world, they still keep the truth of their civilization being highly advanced thanks to vibranium a tightly-guarded secret, due to a long-standing tradition of staying out of the affairs of other nations. Killmonger intends to end this tradition by starting armed uprisings across the globe using Wakandan weapons, which eventually inspires T'Challa to offer his kingdom's technology for the world's betterment.

* The [[spoiler: centaurs]] in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' are pretty much this, continually declaring their refusal to meddle in human affairs until [[spoiler:Hagrid, carrying a (seemingly) dead Harry, berates them for being a "cowardly bunch o' nags". Subsequently they show up firing arrows to assist Hogwarts in the FinalBattle.]]

** Most of the main characters in ''Literature/DeathStar'' are working for the Empire, whether enlisted or conscripted and [[ResignationsNotAccepted kept from leaving]]. Many of the cast dislikes the Empire, but having no non-propagandistic knowledge of the Rebel Alliance they assume [[GoldenMeanFallacy it's no better]], so all they're doing working on the battle station is keeping themselves intact. The moral complacency of most characters is jarred after [[TestedOnHumans Despayre]] and shattered after [[EarthShatteringKaboom Alderaan]]. Old archivist Atour Riten explicitly states in his narration that for all his life he's been apolitical, just a historian, but now that changes -- killing billions of people just like that ''is evil''.

** However, it should be noted Queen Mab of Winter was angry and does want her vengeance against the Red Court, for this infraction and another action taken in a previous time, she simply is waiting for a time that would best suit her. So she, through a long gambit, [[spoiler:got Harry Dresden to fight in her personal courtyard wielding Summer-enhanced fire, and destroy her wellspring. This action draws the ''entire'' Winter Army away from the boarders and]] allows Titania to move her forces for their vengeance. Mab would wait a few years until [[spoiler:Harry's child was taken and he needed her help in saving her, and so Harry became her Knight]]. Then her vengeance would be wrought on the Court with [[spoiler:Harry using the Court's own truly dark ritual to destroy every single Red Court vampire]].

* In a Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse novel, the entire plot is revealed to have been a ploy by Starfleet Intelligence to bring the Klingons out of their neutral state in regards to Federation-Romulan negotiations on the side of the Federation by making the Romulans appear to be dishonorable and underhanded (not a difficult task, mind you). This results in the Treaty of Algeron, when the Romulans close their borders for several decades in exchange for the Federation banning all cloaking research.

** Cassian spends most of Season 1 ping-ponging back and forth on his views of the Rebellion, but even when he feels more in favor of it instead of apathetic and resigned, he is determined not to get swept up in the cause and primarily wants to find some place to live his own life away from the Empire's heavy hand. In the end the events of the season, his own past experiences, his time in the hellish prison on Narkina 5, Nemik's manifesto, and Maarva's speech lead Cassian to offer his services to the Rebellion without any hesitation in the final episode.
** While as of the end of the first season the Empire hasn't turned everyone, or even most people against it (the first season takes place roughly 5 years before ''Film/ANewHope''), but more and more you can see in the background that anti-Imperial sentiment is becoming more widespread and open. The most obvious case is the planet of Ferrix, where Cassian spent most of his life. A CloseKnitCommunity that mostly specialized in working on ships, Ferrix had barely tolerated the Empire early in the season, and aside from doing work on starships, they mostly ignored the Empire, and were happy to deliberately sabotage the attempts of the LawEnforcementInc company that the Empire contracted and put in charge of the sector. Then the Empire started directly overseeing the region, complete with a crackdown that included torture and execution of locals and the Empire inserting itself into every local custom and matter until at the end of Season 1 there is a massive riot against Imperial control.

---> '''Eighth Doctor''': I don't suppose there’s any need for a "Doctor" any more. Make me a ''Warrior'' now.
** In "The Day of the Doctor", it's revealed that this eventually lead to the War Doctor's grim realisation that there was only ''one'' way to end the Time War, which he [[GenocideDilemma avoided enacting]] until he finally left with no other option.

* ''Series/BabylonFive'' sees a CivilWar break out between the Earth Alliance military. One side being run by the tyrannical [[PresidentEvil President Clark]] and the [[LaResistance resistance]] being led by [[TheHero Captain John Sheridan]]. Originally, the different alien governments only provide support by announcing that they will do nothing to aid the Earth Government against Sheridan's rebellion. After hearing that Sheridan had been captured, all of the alien governments vote to provide full military support to aid the resistance in overthrowing Clark, both out gratitude to Sheridan for all he did for them in the Shadow War, as well as knowing that, along with his atrocities, Clark would also make Earth extremely isolationist or hostile to their different races. They note it as a rare occasion where the smart political decision is also the good moral decision.

* During ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'''s Clan Invasion, [=ComStar=] -- a NGOSuperPower that manages the SubspaceAnsible network in the Inner Sphere -- remained neutral, providing their services to the invading Clans so long as they left [=ComStar=] alone. Eventually, [=ComStar=] gets wind that the end goal of the Clans is to retake PlanetTerra, effectively their Mecca, which is inconveniently the headquarters of Comstar. After a schism with their leadership, [=ComStar=]'s new leader challenges the Clans to a Trial Of Possession, unveiling the fact that for the past three hundred years, [[SuperweaponSurprise they have been amassing an army]] backed up by LostTechnology that they have salvaged and stolen, including interstellar warships. [=ComStar=] kicks the crap out the Clans, forcing a truce and giving the Inner Sphere time to rebuild for a counterattack.
** They also broke their neutrality to leak video evidence of the Kentares Massacre to the Inner Sphere due to the sheer atrocities being committed. This directly lead to the Combine losing as they vastly demoralized Combine military forces and [[RageBreakingPoint drove Davion forces into a frenzy out of sheer rage.]]

* The third act of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' revolves around Hawke finding it increasingly difficult to remain neutral as the tensions between the Mages and Templars rise in Kirkwall. At the end of the game, [[spoiler:Anders destroys the Chantry]], leaving there no middle ground left and no way to resolve the situation peacefully, forcing Hawke to pick a side.

** Kreia from the second game is similar. She will chide the player for specifically Light Side or Dark side acts, seeing them as StupidGood and ChaoticStupid respectively. In the end she comes down on the Dark Side end, but it seems to be out of convenience more than actually accepting the Sith philosophy.

* ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' continues this. When you side with the Railroad, the Institute or the Brotherhood of Steel, there comes a point in the main quest line that throws you into a conflict between the Brotherhood and the Institute (Railroad [=PCs=] are working with the Institute while secretly organizing a synth rebellion). Picking one side means making enemies of the other. If you side with the Minutemen, you have to get expelled from the Institute before their quest line can proceed. You can also make enemies of the Brotherhood to take them out optionally in the Minutemen ending.

** Many of the characters in the original ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden|I}}'' are TrueNeutral and forced out of retirement. Most of them join LaResistance because TheEmpire attacked/drafted them, but one notable occasion has LaResistance itself drafting a forger who [[IJustWantToBeNormal wants live a quiet life]].

* Played with in the second ''VideoGame/{{Avernum}}'' game: the Empire-Avernum War is interrupted by the Vahnatai, who start out as "neutral" in the sense that they're targeting ''all'' humans due to the theft of their revered Crystal Souls. When Imperial involvement in the theft is exposed -- and, more importantly, when your party clears the Avernites of any wrong-doing -- the Vahnatai side with your people against the Empire.

** The high elves originally wanted to stay out of the various wars, and only aided the Alliance enough to defeat the Horde during the Second War. While some remained part of the Alliance, the majority retreated to their nation and tried to ignore the Third War... until the Scourge invaded and killed ninety percent of their population. The survivors tried to make amends with the Alliance, but their liaison took every opportunity to try and undermine them, eventually leading to their racial FaceHeelTurn.

* In the early timeline of the [[{{VideoGame/X}} X-Universe]] the Boron are relatively small and weak and just want to be left alone. The Argon are emphatically ''not'' small and weak, but they too have chosen to remain neutral. The Split, a trigger-happy race of violent psychopaths, hate the Boron and start a war with them. The poor militarily-inferior Boron are reduced to just their home sector, and this slaughter finally moves the Argon to pity. They renounce their neutrality, turn on their war machine on the Split and [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] them back to their home sectors. A long alliance with the Boron results.

* In ''[[VideoGame/TearsToTiara2 Tears to Tiara 2]]'', the [[GeniusLoci city of Tartessos]] honors an ancient treaty to the Barcids to serve as the capital of Hispania. It then proceeds to remain completely indifferent besides having its groundkeeper tag along with the Party, despite being invaded and having its walls broken down. Finally when it witness Monomachus' LastStand defending it, it joins in the fight and easily wins with StoryBreakerPower. Though it pretty much goes back to being neutral right after, being originally a city of [[TheFatalist the dragons]] [[OurDragonsAreDifferent and all]].

* In ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'', the Romulan Republic PlayerCharacter is this. They start out as a simple farmer on the Romulan colony world Virinat, trying to make some semblance of normalcy since [[Film/StarTrek2009 the Hobus supernova destroyed Romulus]]. Then, General Hakeev of the Tal Shiar decides to be a dick and invade your home. This sets off events that see the the manipulative Tal Shiar and Romulan Star Empire destroyed and the much more peaceful Romulan Republic established. All at your hands.

* In an online game called ''Memesville 2'', one of the neutrals (who just had to survive to win) was trying to help those who were being lynched if they were neutrals like him. Then one Villain, who could changed who she appeared as, lied to him to try and live, but failed. Then they killed the one guy he KNEW was a Neutral. His response? [[HeelFaceTurn "... ... ... Alright, villains. Thanks for choosing my side for me."]]

* In ''Roleplay/TheGamersAlliance'', [[TheAtoner Jahi]] and the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]] clan she has gathered around herself have chosen to settle into living in Alent's [[TheCityNarrows Threshold district]] after entering the Land of the Living, staying out of the conflicts their new home is involved in. However, when agents of the demon hordes infiltrate Alent and keep harassing Jahi in order to force her to side with her old demonic allies, Jahi does her best to not choose any sides until it gets personal as both demons and humans cross the line and hurt her loved ones. She ultimately unleashes the darkness she has kept in check and embraces it, choosing to side with the [[SuccubiAndIncubi Eastern Horde]] but not on their terms but her own terms, and her newfound ruthlessness in dealing with both enemies and allies alike quickly proves that bringing out the darkness within her [[GoneHorriblyRight may not have been a great idea]].

* ''Literature/MagicMetahumansMartiansAndMushroomCloudsAnAlternateColdWar'': The ''Yuzhou de fangshi'' [[WarriorMonk monks]] at the Xuchan Shrine stay neutral for much of the Chinese Civil War, until the PLA accidentally bombs the shrine while driving out Kuomintang forces in the region. The survivors then flee to Nationalist territory and provide their services to Chiang Kai-shek.

* The Flutter Ponies in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie1986'' are the only creatures which can drive off the overwhelming purple glop known as Smooze, but they insist it's "not their fight." It takes a RousingSpeech by the Ponies' human ally, Meagan, to convince them to help.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': Kanan meets an ancient force-welding being called The Bendu who is AboveGoodAndEvil and prefers to live in isolation on the unmarked planet Atollon where Phoenix Squadron has made their hidden base. When [[spoiler:Grand Admiral Thrawn finds their hideout,]] Kanan tries to get his help but The Bendu is having none of it, then he [[BerserkButton calls him a coward]] this finally spurs him into [[spoiler:changing into a massive [[ShockAndAwe thunderstorm]] which then precedes to [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor attack both the Empire and Rebellion indiscriminately.]]]]

** The U.S. didn't really start to help the Allies in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII until after the fall of France, and did not get into the war until after Pearl Harbor, and did not declare war against Germany until after Germany declared war against the U.S.

** Later in that decade, during the Balkan wars that followed the break-up of Yugoslavia, the United States did not intervene for several years in the war in Bosnia, but did finally decide to back Croat intervention on the side of the Bosniaks against the Serbs, after watching Serb attacks on Sarajevo and other Bosnian towns on the news every night for years. Then, when the Serbs went to war in Kosovo to attempt to prevent that province from breaking away, the U.S. decided to intervene directly, launching an air campaign against Serbia.
** Also during the 1990s, the United States was neutral in the civil war in Afghanistan between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance, even as the Taliban took over most of the country, pushing the Northern Alliance into a tiny strip of territory in the north. After September 11, 2001, however, the United States intervened in Afghanistan on the side of the Northern Alliance, and removed the Taliban from power. The "civil war"/insurgency continues to this day, however.

* Italy in both World Wars. In UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, Italy was supposed to immediately enter the war on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary, but refused due a loophole and stayed neutral for about a year before entering the war ''against'' them. In UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, it happened TWICE. First, Italy was supposed to join Germany as soon as France and Britain declared war, but stayed neutral until the war appeared to be already won and attacked France and a small British colony just for show, only to get held off by the French and find out the hard way that the British Empire wouldn't surrender. In 1943, an invaded Italy sued for peace and became neutral again until the German reinforcements sent to help the defense were ordered to become an occupation force.

--> '''Federal President Ignazio Cassis:''' To play into the hands of an aggressor is not neutral. Having signed the Geneva convention of human rights, we are bound to humanitarian order.

* Benjamin Martin of Film/ThePatriot.