History Main / RefuseToRescueTheDisliked

When this trope is applied specifically to a hostage situation, it's YouCanKeepHer. May lead to MurderByInaction if the hero ''does'' decide to leave them to their fate. If they refuse to save someone because it's not their problem, it's BystanderSyndrome. If they react to the disliked's predicament with glee, especially if the disliked is beyond rescuing, that's AndThereWasMuchRejoicing. Contrast SaveTheJerk (a hero saves a jerkass), SaveTheVillain (a hero saves a villain), VillainousRescue (a villain saves a hero), ComplainingAboutRescuesTheyDontLike and UnwantedRescue. Compare MistreatmentInducedBetrayal, and CallousnessTowardsEmergency (where a Jerkass refuse to save someone from danger). Also see DelayingTheRescue.

In some cases, this doesn't last long. The hero will eventually end up saving the villain, jerk, or annoyance, albeit with some reluctance. Sometimes, it could be their [[ConscienceMakesYouGoBack conscience that causes them to return to help the unlikable person.]] Sometimes, they'll get [[WhatTheHellHero called out by their friends]], either being told that [[NotSoDifferentRemark they're no better than the enemy]], that [[RousseauWasRight the villain/jerk isn't such a bad guy]], or that they're {{no|True Scotsman}} [[ATrueHero real hero]]. Villains who eventually save the life of those they don't like can be due to [[PragmaticVillainy pragmatic reasons]] or [[PetTheDog to show that he isn't that bad after all.]]

When this trope is applied specifically to a hostage situation, it's YouCanKeepHer. May lead to MurderByInaction. If they refuse to save someone because it's not their problem, it's BystanderSyndrome. If they react to the disliked's predicament with glee, especially if the disliked is beyond rescuing, that's AndThereWasMuchRejoicing. Contrast SaveTheJerk (a hero saves a jerkass), SaveTheVillain (a hero saves a villain), VillainousRescue (a villain saves a hero), ComplainingAboutRescuesTheyDontLike and UnwantedRescue, and compare MistreatmentInducedBetrayal, and CallousnessTowardsEmergency (where a Jerkass refuse to save someone from danger). Also see DelayingTheRescue.

--->'''Scientist:''' ''(through the walkie talkie)'' I just found... [[BlatantLies no sign of stragglers]].

* You can pull this on the Citadel Council in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''; because they questioned you, mocked you, and even screwed you over by colluding with Udina to ground your ship down because it's considered politically inconvenient - when the geth arrive and the ''Destiny Ascension'' calls for help, you can have the opportunity to simply stand back and watch, as the fleet obliterates the ''Destiny Ascension'' (one of the dialogue options even says "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Let the Council die!]]") so that the Alliance can swoop in and destroy the remaining geth and focus on Sovereign later. This, however, comes with the caveat that will worsen relations between humans and the Council-aligned alien species, not to mention the 10,000 casualties from the ''Destiny Ascension'''s destruction.

** In "[[Recap/BeavisAndButtheadS8E22GoingDown Going Down]]", a woman is trapped in an elevator with Beavis and Butt-Head after they goof around with the controls. She devises a plan to escape through the roof hatch, but after the duo keeps irritating her with their sex jokes, she tricks them into helping her escape and outright leaves them behind.

** In "Shirley the Medium", Courage grabs Eustace and tries to carry him away from [[ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext a demonic entity that was trying to drag Eustace into a money box]], only to ''throw'' Eustace at the monster.

* RefuseToRescueTheDisliked: [[spoiler:Sonic [[SaveTheVillain saves Knuckles]], his enemy at the time, from drowning in the flooding labyrinth because it's the right thing to do. However, when Robotnik is falling to his [[NeverFoundTheBody apparent death]] after Super Sonic completely destroys his giant mech and tips it over as a final insult, Sonic floats there and glares at his arch-nemesis, doing ''nothing'' to save him. While Sonic has sympathy for Knuckles because their caretakers wiped each other out and left them both orphaned, Robotnik has affected, endangered, and offended the hedgehog, those he holds dear, and nearly everyone else ''so many times'' with his callousness and lack of remorse (including trying to ''crush'' him and his adoptive parents under the aforementioned mech's foot moments before) that he's [[TranquilFury completely done with the doctor]], deciding that letting him off easy like their last climactic battle isn't worth the risk]].

* In ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022'', Sonic [[SaveTheVillain saves Knuckles]], his enemy at the time, because it's the right thing to do. However, when Dr. Robotnik is falling to his [[NeverFoundTheBody apparent death]] at the end, Sonic stands there and glares.

** In "Distorted World", Ange understandably refuses to rescue the unruly citizens of the Misurugi Empire, having already been turned on by them at the very beginning of the series. Only makes sense to ditch someone if they're not clearly going to change for the better. They specifically wanted Ange to help them get to the shelter, but she does a BoomHeadshot on one of them and remarks that she doesn't care if they die.

'''Jack:''' [[DogBitesBack An old friend? No. You? ''Yes.'' ]]

* ''Fanfic/FacingTheFutureSeries'': {{Downplayed}} in "Laws of Attraction" when Sam and Paulina are both captured and imprisoned by Walker. After escaping her own cell, Sam tries to come up with a valid reason to leave Paulina behind, but can't go through with it.

* ''Fanfic/KarmicBacklash'': This RecursiveFanfiction to ''Fanfic/TheKarmaOfLies'' does a HeinousnessRetcon to the events of the previous story and the HumiliationConga Adrien suffered by revealing that, contrary to what the events of the original Fic showcased and Marinette said, she ''did'' had evidence of Lila's thieving of the Agreste fortune and Adrien not giving the Cat Miraculous to Mayura willingly but decided to not do anything because she just does not likes Adrien ''[[AssholeVictim that]]'' much. Everybody who discovers this fact ([[IHaveNoSon even Marinette's parents]]) are [[DeconstructedTrope beyond disgusted]], with even the ones who maintain sympathy for Marinette admitting that Adrien also annoyed them for the stupid things he did and deserved ''some'' kind of karmic backlash, but [[EveryoneHasStandards destroying an innocent man is going too damned far]].

* ''Fanfic/TheScorpionJar'': {{Discussed}} when a reporter asks Izuku if he [[DisproportionateRetribution might have gone too far]] in exposing the corruption at [[SuckySchool Aldera]] and getting Katsuki and all the bullies there arrested. Izuku counters by showing off just how bad the {{Barbaric Bully}}ing had gotten, and notes that Katsuki was a particularly big believer in MightMakesRight, and was growing up into TheSocialDarwinist. Given how much he ignored the importance of heroes ''saving'' people, and his obvious bias against Quirkless people, he suggests that Katsuki might have deliberately chosen to let any Quirkless civilians he encountered die rather than "waste his time" protecting them.

** When Zuko [[spoiler:suffers a heart attack]] while they're discussing the reparations, Katara outright refuses to help him, going so far as to freeze her own feet to the ground. If not for Iroh forcing her to act, she would have happily watched them die.

* ''ComicBook/Supergirl2005'': Subverted. In the "Day of Dollamker" arc, Cat Grant is kidnapped by the eponymous villain, and ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, who has been the target of Cat's vicious and smear campaign for one whole year (which Cat is utterly unapologetic about), is sorely tempted to ignore her pleas for help. When she finally bursts into Dollmaker's lair, the villain wonders why Supergirl is rescuing someone whom she cannot stand.

* In ''Film/Aquaman2018'', after battling both [[RuthlessModernPirates Jesse and David Kane]] who were keeping a bunch of Russian sailors captive, Arthur decides to walk away and leave the two alone. When Jesse [[UngratefulBastard shoots at him]], however, Arthur did not hesitate to leave the two behind to drown while David is [[EntitledBastard demanding he help his father out]] -- in which Arthur flat-out tells them that they don't deserve mercy after they murdered countless innocent people. However, this does eventually backfire when [[CreateYourOwnVillain David becomes Black Manta in return]].

* In ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction'', Optimus Prime claims he refuses to keep defending the humans like he did for the first three movies. He's started to become fed up with them, claiming he won't forgive them for KSI, Cemetery Wind, siding with Lockdown at killing his friends, and building Galvatron. Ratchet and Leadfoot's deaths were what caused him to lead the Autobots to fight for themselves and not anyone else. Cade Yeager then pleads humans don't deserve to go extinct and that they make mistakes. By the end of the film, Optimus seems to have regained enough faith that he wants any future threats to leave Earth alone.

* You can pull this on the Citadel Council in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''; because they questioned you, mocked you, and even screwed you over by colluding with Udina to ground your ship down because it's considered politically inconvenient - when the Geth arrives and the Destiny Ascension calls in for help, you can have the opportunity to simply stand back and watch, as the fleet obliterates the Destiny Ascension (one of the dialogue options even says "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Let the Council die!]]") so that the Alliance can swoop in and destroy the remaining Geth Fleet and focus on Sovereign later. This, however, comes with the caveat that will worsen relations between humans and the Council-aligned alien species, not to mention the 10,000 casualties from Destiny Ascension's destruction.

'''Jack:''' An old friend? No. You? ''Yes.''

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** Subverted during [[Recap/DragonBallZAbridgedM7 the second movie with Cooler]]. Despite Piccolo strongly implying that he only intends to Gohan and will leave behind the rest of the group that has been captured (Gohan being the only person Piccolo has a true bond with at that point), Piccolo does wind up saving everyone, aside from Goku and Vegeta, who save themselves. That said, it's worth noting that Piccolo found Gohan in a group with everyone else at the same time, so they might have just gotten lucky...

** Subverted during [[Recap/DragonBallZAbridgedM7 the second movie with Cooler]]. Despite voicing a willingness to save only Gohan and leave behind the rest of the group that has been captured (Gohan being the only person Piccolo has a true bond with at that point), Piccolo does wind up saving everyone, aside from Goku and Vegeta, who save themselves. That said, it's worth noting that Piccolo found Gohan in a group with everyone else at the same time, so it's not like he actually got a chance to leave anyone behind...