History Main / PrinciplesZealot

* The setting of ''LightNovel/AvestaOfBlackAndWhite'' outright enforces this mindset for the characters with the BlackAndWhiteInsanity that permeates the series. The Commandments especially requires someone to stick to their principles like glue lest they suffer divine punishment, regardless whether it is a good idea or not. [[spoiler:A big part of the closing chapters is breaking this farce of a world that they call home to end this pointless war for good]].

** Parodied ''and'' played straight in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "Homer Vs. The Eighteenth Amendment": When a Prohibition law enacted 200 years ago is discovered in Springfield's Constitution, alcohol is outlawed. Unfortunately, this causes the same sociopolitical climate of the 1920s to return, with speakeasies and alcohol smuggling cropping up, including Homer, who is at the center of the crime ring, sneaking beer inside of hollow bowling balls through a complex system of pipes leading to Moe's Tavern. When Chief Wiggum is discovered, drunk, in the tavern, he's fired from the police force. When the police are unable to enforce the law, Rex Banner, a parody of Elliot Ness, with a no-nonsense humorless personality, from ''Series/TheUntouchables'', is brought in. When Homer's Duff supply runs out, he decides to make his own liquor, which starts failing after a while as well. Chief Wiggum, when found later, begs Homer to let him capture him. Homer agrees, but the punishment for breaking the prohibition law is by expulsion by catapult, out of town. When Marge steps up to try to defend Homer, [[StrawmanPolitical Banner starts to lecture the town about how the law should not be dictated by popularity]] (despite how the prohibition law actually caused ''more'' problems than it solved, much like the real-life Prohibition of the 1920s.), while not knowing that he's accidentally stepped into the bucket. When Wiggum has had enough, and decides that Banner has started talking out of his ass, he has the catapult launched, expelling Banner. The town clerk then finds that the law was repealed one year later, [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot meaning that all this strife and agony could have been avoided.]]

* In ''Film/TheHauntedMansion'', Ramsley's principles about honor and distinction are the reason why [[spoiler: he killed Elizabeth to stop Master Gracey from marrying a woman of such low social status]].

A Principles Zealot can be a WellIntentionedExtremist, BrokenSystemDogmatist, KnightInSourArmor, KnightTemplar, LawfulStupid, TheLastDJ, or even someone who ended up on the wrong end of [[SlidingScaleOfUnavoidableVersusUnforgivable that Sliding Scale]]. Contrast TotalitarianUtilitarian, who is ''another side'' of these four kinds of fanaticism: While the Principles Zealot cares only about principles, the Totalitarian Utilitarian cares only about results. Note that a fanatic doesn't have to fall into either of those two categories: their fanaticism can be about a ''[[MyCountryRightOrWrong cause]]'' or a ''[[TheFundamentalist belief]]'' instead.

A Principles Zealot can be a WellIntentionedExtremist, BrokenSystemDogmatist, KnightInSourArmor, KnightTemplar, LawfulStupid, or even someone who ended up on the wrong end of [[SlidingScaleOfUnavoidableVersusUnforgivable that Sliding Scale]]. Contrast TotalitarianUtilitarian, who is ''another side'' of these four kinds of fanaticism: While the Principles Zealot cares only about principles, the Totalitarian Utilitarian cares only about results. Note that a fanatic doesn't have to fall into either of those two categories: their fanaticism can be about a ''[[MyCountryRightOrWrong cause]]'' or a ''[[TheFundamentalist belief]]'' instead.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': ** Priyanka Maheswaran, Connie's mother, starts out this way. She was an ardent helicopter parent, closely watching her daughter's activities, and never going back on a rule that she enforces, but it's subverted in that this is only done for her safety, not out of malice. Her strict parenting methods begin to crumble when she discovers that Connie hid Rose Quartz' sword (a safety issue), and Connie needs it to defend from an attack by mutant gem experiments (gem shards forced into fusion) at Beach City Hospital:

A person who WillNotTellALie, for example, crosses over into Principles Zealot when they maintain truthfulness even in the face of horrible consequences that they know could be averted by telling a [[MetaphoricallyTrue Jedi Truth]]- or force everyone to tell the truth [[DisproportionateRetribution lest they suffer dire consequences.]] A hero who will commit any atrocity rather than [[IGaveMyWord break a promise,]] even if they were tricked into making it, is a Principles Zealot. Please note that such a Principles Zealot isn't necessarily more ''principled'' than someone who normally WillNotTellALie but can make exceptions in extreme cases. The difference is that the zealot refuses to see the big picture, clinging blindly to the principle and the principle only. This has a certain bloody-minded logic: the threat of looming negative consequences could always be a trick or illusion, or there might be an [[TakeAThirdOption escape route,]] but once you tell the lie to avoid it, there's a 100% certainty that you are now a liar. Psychologically, categorical imperatives can also be a source of immense power.

* Lisa Simpson of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' is a SoapboxSadie that believes fervently in being truthful at all times and standing for what she believes in, even if that means seeking out the truth and exposing it and destroying the lives of other people as a side-effect (and occasionally her own as well, although pretty obviously ''[[{{Hypocrite}} that]]'' wasn't part of her plan). On a couple of occasions this meant (unknowingly) dodging literal bullets. The only time she knowingly compromised on this (and even then, it was a last-second decision) was when she discovered the truth about Jebediah Springfield, since telling everyone that he was a murderous pirate would have effectively destroyed what little pride Springfield had.

* Parodied ''and'' played straight in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "Homer Vs. The Eighteenth Amendment": When a Prohibition law enacted 200 years ago is discovered in Springfield's Constitution, alcohol is outlawed. Unfortunately, this causes the same sociopolitical climate of the 1920s to return, with speakeasies and alcohol smuggling cropping up, including Homer, who is at the center of the crime ring, sneaking beer inside of hollow bowling balls through a complex system of pipes leading to Moe's Tavern. When Chief Wiggum is discovered, drunk, in the tavern, he's fired from the police force. When the police are unable to enforce the law, Rex Banner, a parody of Elliot Ness, with a no-nonsense humorless personality, from ''Series/TheUntouchables'', is brought in. When Homer's Duff supply runs out, he decides to make his own liquor, which starts failing after a while as well. Chief Wiggum, who was ousted from the police force, begs Homer to let him capture him. Homer agrees, but the punishment for breaking the prohibition law is by expulsion by catapult, out of town. When Marge steps up to try to defend Homer, [[StrawmanPolitical Banner starts to lecture the town about how the law should not be dictated by popularity]] (despite how the prohibition law actually caused ''more'' problems than it solved, much like the real-life Prohibition of the 1920s.), while not knowing that he's accidentally stepped into the bucket. When Wiggum has had enough, and decides that Banner has started talking out of his ass, he has the catapult launched, expelling Banner. The town clerk then finds that the law was repealed one year later, [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot meaning that all this strife and agony could have been avoided.]]

A Principles Zealot can be a WellIntentionedExtremist, KnightInSourArmor, KnightTemplar, LawfulStupid, or even someone who ended up on the wrong end of [[SlidingScaleOfUnavoidableVersusUnforgivable that Sliding Scale]]. Contrast TotalitarianUtilitarian, who is ''another side'' of these four kinds of fanaticism: While the Principles Zealot cares only about principles, the Totalitarian Utilitarian cares only about results. Note that a fanatic doesn't have to fall into either of those two categories: their fanaticism can be about a ''[[MyCountryRightOrWrong cause]]'' or a ''[[TheFundamentalist belief]]'' instead.

* [[HeroKiller Stain]] of ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' is a SerialKiller motivated by his very specific idea of what a "hero" is. He believes that [[SamaritanSyndrome heroes must never work for personal gain,]] [[ChronicHeroSyndrome only to sacrifice themselves for the people.]] Those who do are fakes who need to be snuffed out. The problem with this way of thinking is that these so-called fakes are quite good at their jobs and are beloved everywhere. To Stain, the only "true" heroes are All-Might and Deku, despite many other heroes still being good people who have saved countless lives. He also considers the idea of redemption to be utterly impossible.

A character who cares too much about their principles, often at the expense of caring about the results of their actions. While many characters believe in ideals like [[WillNotTellALie truth]], [[ForScience knowledge]] and [[ByTheBookCop the rule of law,]] these folks take it to [[UpToEleven uncomfortable levels.]] May be PlayedForLaughs, or played straight in [[SlidingScaleOfUnavoidableVersusUnforgivable one way]] or [[StrawCharacter another.]]

* Chi-Chi in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' she seems so caught up in wanting the best for her family that she fails to see the big picture. Her principles include believing that education and having a good source of income is so important to the point that she seems so narrow-minded. She means well, but her delving on this trope doesn't solve anything (while not wise, some of her viewpoints come off as justified since HeroisHeroismWontPayTheBills HeroismWontPayTheBills in their world).

* [[HeroKiller Stain]] of ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' is a SerialKiller motivated by his very specific idea of what a "hero" is. He believes that heroes must never work for personal gain, only to sacrifice themselves for the people. Those who do are fakes who need to be snuffed out. The problem with this way of thinking is that these so-called fakes are quite good at their jobs and are beloved everywhere. To Stain, the only "true" heroes are All-Might and Deku, despite many other heroes still being good people who have saved countless lives. He also considers the idea of redemption to be utterly impossible.

** The entire mainstream Brotherhood of Steel degenerates into this. They keep on getting more and more obsessed with keeping to the Codex as more and more schismatics splinters off from the mainstream thanks to the increasing insanity of trying to keep to all the rules. This is worsened by the fact that there is significant evidence that the Codex ''has'' been altered... to be more strict (for those that wonder why this is here and not under HonorBeforeReason, the Codex, at least by ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', includes parts about ''not'' helping outsiders, which is hardly heroic or idealistic), even as hiding in bunkers and keeping all pre-War tech to themselves becomes increasingly less of an option. Even though Nolan [=McNamara=], the elder of the Mojave chapter, is quite aware that the Brotherhood is actively stagnating he will not break the followings of the Codex, though if the Brotherhood forms a truce with the New California Republic and helps them win, they'll at least agree to patrol the roads (otherwise if the NCR are not around, they take the opportunity to try and harass travelers for tech).
** The Brotherhood have ''always'' been highly xenophobic and all about hoarding technology. In ''VideoGame/Fallout1'' they were so close to becoming total zealots that the assassination of just one of their leaders, Rhombus, leads to them becoming the Steel Plague, fanatics who actively hunt down anyone else with advanced technology and usher in an even darker age. Only the [[VideoGame/FalloutTacticsBrotherhoodOfSteel Chicago]] and [[VideoGame/Fallout3 Washington D.C. Brotherhoods]] have ever truly diverged from rigid adherence to the Codex, mainly due to being cut off from the central leadership.

* Pretty much every single "good" member of the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Imperium of Man]] that isn't a direct member of the local ChurchMilitant should be like this. Especially the soldiers and doubly so for the [[ThePoliticalOfficer Commissars]]. It's to the point that if you disobey an order but win a battle, where obeying an order would lose the entire war, you will be ''court-martialed and executed''. During active combat, so much as ''suggesting an alternate route'' could be, at officer's discretion, punishable by death.

* Kiyotaka Ishimaru from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' thanks to his talent as the Ultimate Moral Compass.

* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', Bahamut the Platinum Dragon is a LawfulGood deity, the most commonly worshiped GodOfGood in the Forgotten Realms, and generally a pleasant and peaceful fellow. However, Bahamut has followers called the Platinum Knights who take his stance against evil to an extreme. The Knights fight and kill anybody they deem unworthy of the Platinum Dragon's attention, including other worshipers of Bahamut, on the grounds that they aren't "loyal" enough or broke some part of Bahamut's teachings. This makes the Knights {{hypocrite}}s, since one of Bahamut's core tenants is not willingly doing any evil action, and killing innocent people while being {{Knight Templar}}s that act HolierThanThou with BlindObedience is pretty evil.

* In some editions of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', paladins and members of extreme alignments are like this or can be like this. This sort of character is often the cause of GoodVersusGood conflicts: you may have some LawfulGood GuardianEntity guarding some artifact or the like the [=PCs=] really need for some good purpose, but said guardian is duty-bound not to give it up to anyone, no matter what their good intentions.

See also TheDeterminator and TheFettered. Contrast HonorBeforeReason: Principles Zealot is a character type, while Honor Before Reason is a motivation/characterization. Honor Before Reason is explicitly idealistic and heroic, whereas Principles Zealot is an idealistic ''character'', but is on the cynical side of [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism that Sliding Scale]].

[[folder:Video Games]]