History Main / NoCureForEvil

* Averted and lampshaded in ''Literature/NightWatch'' to underline that the Light and the Dark Ones are NotSoDifferent.

The two exceptions to this clause are [[HealingFactor self-regeneration]] and necromancy--regeneration because it only applies to themselves, and necromancy due to ImmortalityImmorality and the general creepiness of TheUndead. Many examples of the former tend to have powers that [[VampiricDraining vampirically drain]] other people's LifeEnergy to heal the user.

* Averted in ''ComicBook/StarWarsLegacy''; Cade's healing power which can heal almost anything insanely fast and bring back the recent dead, is a DarkSide power: it works by forcing the Living Force into a person rather than working with it.

* Used interestingly in the books and comics of the Franchise/StarWarsLegends. TheEmpire, in adaptations that aren't wholly simplistic, isn't simply evil. They tend to have access to the same level of technology that [[LaResistance The Rebellion]]/[[TheAlliance New Republic]] has, including medical technology, which they use whenever it's needed. This includes prosthetics. But while the Rebel side likes to heal wounds and/or replace limbs with prosthetics covered in synthskin, the Empire is somewhat more likely to just [[WeCanRebuildHim mech everything up]], not caring quite so much about how it looks. This is a bit odd, considering the [[FantasticRacism prejudice against cyborgs]], which is more blatant in the Empire, but that's how it goes. Naturally this is not a hard and fast rule.
** In addition, some Sith possess the ability to keep grievously injured beings alive for far longer than should be possible, but don't seem to possess true healing powers. Note the Emperor in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', who is able to keep Anakin alive long enough for him to be cyborged but does nothing to repair his extensive burns.[[note]]The reasoning here is to keep Darth Vader dependent on Sidious and the poor cybernetics keeping him alive. It makes Vader less likely to kill his master and take his place.[[/note]] Darth Sion from ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' is this power taken to extremes--sheer force of will is the only thing keeping his broken body alive, and ''boy'' is it doing a good job.

* In the Revised ''TabletopGame/StarWarsD20'' RPG and Saga Edition. Healing is generally a Light Side power and is impeded by having a Dark Side score. Dark Siders can still enter a restorative [[RestingRecovery Force trance]], heal themselves through VampiricDraining, and use the potent Dark Transfer power for healing that can outstrip its Light Side counterpart. Vampiric draining and self-regeneration are generally exceptions to this trope, so it's still played straight.

* Also done in ''VideoGame/JediKnightIIJediOutcast'' and ''VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy'', with healing being a light side power and drain being a dark one. However, the player is allowed to mix and match powers however they like without affecting the game or the final choice of whether to turn to the dark side or not.

** Averted with a vengeance in most fights with [[BigBad Caius]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII-2''. This asshole is one of very, very few enemies in the game to have access to a Regen effect that, to add insult to injury, cannot be dispelled (the heroes have nothing comparable) and is ''the only one'' to have Reraise on him at all times (justifying how he can appear as a RecurringBoss so much). Particularly infuriating incarnations of Caius have him perform the Regen effect immediately prior to unleashing a barrage of attacks whose priority levels do an excellent job of tossing the heroes around like ragdolls--and by the time the attacks stop, [[RageQuit the Regen has restored him to full health]].

* ZigZagged in ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'': The first game gave the (evil) orks a healer unit, but Chaos has nothing (the Space Marines and eldar have healers). In the following expansions, the (good) Imperial Guard never got a healing spell/unit, the Necrons just resurrect their dead troops, while Dark Eldar have only one unit who can LeechLife from enemies. The Tau aren't all that evil, but only one of their units can heal itself (by eating dead bodies). The Sisters of Battle have a fast-healing spell, but it's tied to a single squad and costs resources.

* Even the [[BigBad Big Bads]] have Priests or similar classes on their side in ''VideoGame/FireEmblem''. In fact, the closer you are to the final battle, the higher the probability is that the enemy has at least one Priest/Bishop with Physic (long-range healing) or Fortify (heals all units of the same affiliation within a ten-tile range, or in some cases, all units on the map). Some bosses also have self-regenerating abilities, most notably the three final bosses of ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Radiant Dawn]]'', who possess the Mantle skill.

* Averted in the companion book series for the TCG ''MagicTheGathering'', where [[BigBad Yawgmoth]] of Phyrexia is also one of the greatest healers in existence...If you don't mind being turned into a Magitech cyborg monstrosity.

** Averted with a vengeance in most fights with [[BigBad Caius]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII-2''. This asshole is one of very, very few enemies in the game to have access to a Regen effect that, to add insult to injury, cannot be dispelled (the heroes have nothing comparable) and is *the only one* to have Reraise on him at all times (justifying how he can appear as a RecurringBoss so much). Particularly infuriating incarnations of Caius have him perform the Regen effect immediately prior to unleashing a barrage of attacks whose priority levels do an excellent job of tossing the heroes around like ragdolls--and by the time the attacks stop, [[RageQuit the Regen has restored him to full health]].

* ''Defied'' in ''Manga/YuGiOh'' Pretty much every arc villain has a way to regain Life Points during a duel, justified because it makes them harder to beat. The biggest examples include Yami Marik (who ''needed'' them to power up Ra so many times), Yami Bakura (whose Dark Sanctuary healed him every turn) and Dartz, whose ridiculously broken deck eventually raised his Life Points to 20,000, a record that would hold until ''[[Anime/YuGiOhZexal Zexal]]''

* In ''Series/{{Charmed}}'', this trope is partially invoked, as, though there is no evidence that evil beings cannot heal one another, it is a known fact that Whitelighters are unable to heal demons (initially an unfortunate implication for the then-part-demonic Cole).

** The [[ReligionIsMagic Cleric]] class lets Good clerics (and some Neutral ones) cast Cure Wounds spells spontaneously as an exception to their usual VancianMagic, while Evil clerics are stuck with Inflict Wounds and have to prepare their healing magic in advance. This can be an advantage if the cleric has TheUndead in their entourage, since Inflict spells [[ReviveKillsZombie heal]] them.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/JediKnightIIJediOutcast'' and ''VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy''. In the former, [[AntiHero Kyle Katarn]] has a [[GrayAndGreyMorality more neutral outlook]] at first, and has a mix of dark and light Force powers (including self-regeneration), before becoming a Jedi. His more relaxed perspective on dark vs. light becomes part of his curriculum in the latter game, and players can mix-and-match powers irrespective of their ultimate choice of which path to follow, and can easily heal, drain, or perform both, since the game lets you keep all your Force powers.

* ''Defied'' in ''Manga/YuGiOh''. Pretty much every arc villain has a way to regain Life Points during a duel, justified because it makes them harder to beat. The biggest examples include Yami Marik (who ''needed'' them to power up Ra so many times), Yami Bakura (whose Dark Sanctuary healed him every turn) and Dartz, whose ridiculously broken deck eventually raised his Life Points to 20,000, a record that would hold until ''[[Anime/YuGiOhZexal Zexal]]''

* Averted by Raven of the ComicBook/TeenTians. She is a half demon and uses dark/shadow magic, but one of her magic abilities is to heal people by taking the inuries into her own body and then healing herself. This can often prove to be very painful.

* Averted by Raven of the Teen Tians. She is a half demon and uses dark/shadow magic, but one of her magic abilities is to heal people by taking the inuries into her own body and then healing herself. This can often prove to be very painful.

* ''Franchise/GearsOfWar'' has the Kantus, the spiritual leaders of the Locust Horde. They can revive and heal their fellow Locust using their [[MakeMeWannaShout screams]], similar to the Archvile from ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''. Naturally, [[ShootTheMedicFirst it's a good idea to kill them first]].

* ''Defied'' in ''Main/YuGiOh''. Pretty much every arc villain has a way to regain Life Points during a duel, justified because it makes them harder to beat. The biggest examples include Yami Marik (who ''needed'' them to power up Ra so many times), Yami Bakura (whose Dark Sanctuary healed him every turn) and Dartz, whose ridiculously broken deck eventually raised his Life Points to 20,000, a record that would hold until ''[[Anime/YuGiOhZexal Zexal]]''

The two exceptions to this clause are [[HealingFactor self-regeneration]] and necromancy -- regeneration because it only applies to themselves, and necromancy due to ImmortalityImmorality and the general creepiness of TheUndead. Many examples of the former tend to have powers that [[VampiricDraining vampirically drain]] other people's LifeEnergy to heal the user.

* Used interestingly in the books and comics of the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse''. TheEmpire, in adaptations that aren't wholly simplistic, isn't simply evil. They tend to have access to the same level of technology that [[LaResistance The Rebellion]] / [[TheAlliance New Republic]] has, including medical technology, which they use whenever it's needed. This includes prosthetics. But while the Rebel side likes to heal wounds and/or replace limbs with prosthetics covered in synthskin, the Empire is somewhat more likely to just [[WeCanRebuildHim mech everything up]], not caring quite so much about how it looks. This is a bit odd, considering the [[FantasticRacism prejudice against cyborgs]], which is more blatant in the Empire, but that's how it goes. Naturally this is not a hard and fast rule.
** In addition, some Sith possess the ability to keep grievously injured beings alive for far longer than should be possible, but don't seem to possess true healing powers. Note the Emperor in Film/RevengeOfTheSith, who was able to keep Anakin alive long enough for him to be cyborged but did nothing to repair his extensive burns.[[note]]The reasoning here is to keep Darth Vader dependent on Sidious and the poor cybernetics keeping him alive. It makes Vader less likely to kill his master and take his place.[[/note]] Darth Sion from Knights of the Old Republic 2 is this power taken to extremes- sheer force of will is the only thing keeping his broken body alive, and ''boy'' is it doing a good job.
*** ''Literature/ShadowsOfTheEmpire'' went into this slightly more. For a brief point it went into Darth Vader's POV where it was stated that he could heal himself with the power of the dark side, except the moment it began working, Darth Vader instinctively felt positive and let go of the hate needed to fuel the power.
** In ''Literature/{{Allegiance}}'', Mara Jade is the Emperor's Hand, a sort of all-purpose Force-Sensitive agent with some training. An ally of hers is horribly wounded and slowly dying, and she's helpless to do anything but try to take him to a medical capsule. The narration states that the Emperor has taught her techniques to heal herself with, but nothing she can apply to someone else.
* Averted in the ''[[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Wheel of Time]]'' novels. In the first few pages of the first book, TheDragon Ishamael uses a healing weave fuel by the True Source to heal Lews Therin's mind - brutally horrific healing, yet effective.
** Also, the Forsaken Semirhage is the greatest Healer in the world, in either the Second Age or the Third, and a sadist as well - she causes great pain and suffering to her victims in the short time her healing takes. Joined the side of the Dark One because the Aes Sedai intended to bind her from her pleasures with an unbreakable and life-shortening bond. Further refined her abilities under the Dark One, to the point of being able to torture victims to death by careful overstimulation of ''pleasure centers'' in their brain.

* In ''Anime/GateKeepers21'', the DarkerAndEdgier sequel, the Ghost Girl has the Gate Power of Consumption. When Ayame rejects her, Ghost Girl's rage warps her Gate into a Black Gate; which forces her power to do the opposite. In this case, Resurrection, which pushes the ResetButton and actually does the impossible, restores everyone the [[TheHeartless Invaders]] have recently consumed. Whether this was intended or not is debated; even by the characters in the story.

* Averted in ''Jedi Outcast'' and ''Jedi Academy''. In the former, [[AntiHero Kyle Katarn]] has a [[GrayAndGreyMorality more neutral outlook]] at first, and has a mix of dark and light Force powers (including self-regeneration), before becoming a Jedi. His more relaxed perspective on dark vs. light becomes part of his curriculum in the latter game, and players can mix-and-match powers irrespective of their ultimate choice of which path to follow, and can easily heal, drain, or perform both, since the game lets you keep all your Force powers.

* Averted and inverted in ''VideoGame/DungeonCrawl''. Some of both good and evil gods give methods of healing to your character. On the other hand, spells that heal you are only contained in Necromancy school, which the good gods forbid you from using it.
* ''VideoGame/CityOfVillains'' bends the rule slightly with the healing-oriented powerset Pain Domination for villain archetypes as a counterpart to the hero-exclusive Empathy powerset (the most healing-oriented powerset in the game, where most powersets are more oriented on buffs and occasionally debuffs). Pain Domination is described as, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin manipulating the pain of others]], which has a decidedly more villainous slant than the concept of having [[EmpathicHealer empathic powers]].

** Of the five colors, green and white are most associated with good ([[LightIsNotGood though the standard caveat applies]]) and are the only sources of unconditional healing for the player. Black, the most typically evil color ([[DarkIsNotEvil if not necessarily]])), can only gain life by draining it from creatures and players first.

* Zig-zagged in the Revised ''TabletopGame/StarWarsD20'' RPG and Saga Edition. While healing is generally a Light Side power and is impeded by having a Dark Side score, Dark Siders can still enter a restorative [[RestingRecovery Force trance]], heal themselves through VampiricDraining, and use the potent Dark Transfer power for healing that can outstrip its Light Side counterpart.

* Onikage from the ''VideoGame/{{Tenchu}}'' series also averts this : if his health gets too low, he will chug a healing potion to get back to full health. Though, just like you, it ''does'' leave him vulnerable for a couple of seconds : attack him fast enough and you will both prevent him from healing ''and'' get a free potion from him !