History Main / ReluctantMonster

* While no [[OurDragonsAreDifferent creature in]] [[SapientSteed the British]] [[LivingShip Aerial Corps]] is more vicious than most men (certainly no more vicious than any ''soldier''), {{Temeraire}} in particular seems frequently befuddled and occasionally offended over how readily most humans are frightened by a barn-sized predator with sharp claws the size of a woman's forearm and a maw that can devour a cow in three bites.

* ''Series/TheMunsters'': They're monsters ripped from the old UniversalHorror movies, but they act as a fairly typical, if eccentric, working-class family that can't understand why most strangers seem to turn pale and run whenever they see them.

* ''Loopy de Loop'', a wolf character from Creator/HannaBarbera.

* In Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation, [[FanNickname Secret]] is, on paper, an EvilCounterpart to the [[KnightInShiningArmor Knights In Shining Armor]] of the setting, the Solars, since she is a Death Knight, has the requisite RedEyesTakeWarning, and got her Exaltation from a DealWithTheDevil. But in practice, she's more like this: she tries to avoid hurting people when possible, she doesn't follow her lord's orders, and [[spoiler: she only made her Deal because she [[IDontWantToDie was afraid of dying]] of the plague that ravaged her island]]. She's [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0096.html still a minor]] WalkingWasteland, however, and she infrequently has bursts of Resonance, which she gains from the aforementioned disobeying of her lord, and they are [[NightmareFuel not pretty]]. Corollary to this, she is [[{{Understatement}} not a fan]] of these outbursts, and is currently looking for ways to get out of her plight, [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0283.html such as sorcery]].

--> '''Secret:''' Ah. Well. Me being all... death. I've been thinking it might be better for me to learn how to do more... healthy things... More non-killing options.

--> '''Misho:''' ''(after nearly choking from surprise)'' Really? Secret, why would you want to learn sorcery.

* In Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation, [[FanNickname Secret]] is, on paper, an EvilCounterpart to the [[KnightInShiningArmor Knights In Shining Armor]] of the setting, the Solars, since she is a Death Knight, has the requisite RedEyesTakeWarning, and got her Exaltation from a DealWithTheDevil. But in practice, she's more like this: she tries to avoid hurting people when possible, she doesn't follow her lord's orders, and [[spoiler: she only made her Deal because she [[IDontWantToDie was afraid of dying]] of the plague that ravaged her island]]. She's [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0096.html still a minor]] WalkingWasteland, however, and she infrequently has bursts of Resonance, which she gains from the aforementioned disobeying of her lord, and they are [[NightmareFuel not pretty]]. Corollary to this, she is [[{{Understatement}} not a fan]] of these outbursts, and is currently looking for a way to get out of her plight.

* In Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation, [[FanNickname Secret]] is, on paper, an EvilCounterpart to the [[KnightInShiningArmor Knights In Shining Armor]] of the setting, the Solars, since she is a Death Knight, has requisite RedEyesTakeWarning, and got her Exaltation from a DealWithTheDevil. But in practice, she's more like this: she tries to avoid hurting people when possible, she doesn't follow her lord's orders, and [[spoiler: she only made her Deal because she [[IDontWantToDie was afraid of dying]] of the plague that ravaged her island]]. She's [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0096.html still a minor]] WalkingWasteland, however, and she infrequently has bursts of Resonance, which she gains from the aforementioned disobeying of her lord, and they are [[NightmareFuel not pretty]]. Corollary to this, she is [[{{Understatement}} not a fan]] of these outbursts, and is currently looking for a way to get out of her plight.

* In Webcomic/{{KeychainOfCreation}}, [[FanNickname Secret]] is, on paper, an EvilCounterpart to the [[KnightInShiningArmor Knights In Shining Armor]] of the setting, the Solars, since she is a Death Knight, has requisite RedEyesTakeWarning, and got her Exaltation from a DealWithTheDevil. But in practice, she's more like this: she tries to avoid hurting people when possible, she doesn't follow her lord's orders, and [[spoiler: she only made her Deal because she [[IDontWantToDie was afraid of dying]] of the plague that ravaged her island]]. She's [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0096.html still a minor]] WalkingWasteland, however, and she infrequently has bursts of Resonance, which she gains from the aforementioned disobeying of her lord, and they are [[NightmareFuel not pretty]]. Corollary to this, she is [[{{Understatement}} not a fan]] of these outbursts, and is currently looking for a way to get out of her plight.

* In Webcomic/{{Exalted}}, [[FanNickname Secret]] is, on paper, an EvilCounterpart to the [[KnightInShiningArmor Knights In Shining Armor]] of the setting, the Solars, as she is a Death Knight, has requisite RedEyesTakeWarning, and got her Exaltation from a DealWithTheDevil. But in practice, she's more like this: she tries to avoid hurting people when possible, she doesn't follow her lord's orders, and [[spoiler: she only made her Deal because she [[IDontWantToDie was afraid of dying]] of the plague that ravaged her island]]. She's [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0096.html still a minor]] WalkingWasteland, however, and she infrequently has bursts of Resonance, which she gains from the aforementioned disobeying of her lord, and they are [[NightmareFuel not pretty]]. Corollary to this, she is [[{{Understatement}} not a fan]] of these outbursts, and is currently looking for a way to get out of her plight.

* The entire population of monsters in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' are one, despite being monsters, they are far from being evil. [[spoiler: Even for a seemly sinister being like [[BrokenBird Flowey]] is sympathetic once we get to know his [[IJustWantToHaveFriends true nature]]. The only malicious beings are none other than the [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters humans]].]]

* The entire population of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' are one, despite being monsters, they are far from being evil. [[spoiler: Even for a seemly sinister being like [[BrokenBird Flowey]] is sympathetic once we get to know his [[IJustWantToHaveFriends true nature]]. The only malicious beings are none other than the [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters humans]].]]

* The entire population of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' are one, despite being monsters, they are far from being evil. [[spoiler: Even for a seemly sinister being like [[BrokenBird Flowey]] is sympathetic once we get to know his [[IJustWantToHaveFriend true nature]]. The only malicious beings are none other than the [[HumansAreTheRealMonster humans]].]]

The very extreme of MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch -- unless [[NotEvilJustMisunderstood they're all like this, that is]]. If the character is of great size, they may be a GentleGiant. If they're "ugly", they might be a GorgeousGorgon. Compare NonMaliciousMonster and MonsterAdventurers. Likely to result in VanHelsingHateCrimes.

* SelfDemonstrating/{{Bizarro}} is often written as possessing all of ComicBook/{{Superman}}'s heroic tendencies, but with such a... well, ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin bizarre]]'' view of the world that his attempts to express them only cause disaster.

Conflicts between the Reluctant Monster and the people trying to kill them can range from {{Fantastic Racis|m}}t [[KnightTemplar Knights Templar]] who just kill monsters out of hatred, or otherwise good people with the FreudianExcuse of having lost loved ones or their homes to other members of the Monster's species. The latter can be played as WhiteAndGreyMorality, such as the Monster apologising for their species' actions while dissociating themselves from the incidents, which can in turn drive the people in question to forgive and [[TheAtoner seek forgiveness themselves in turn]].

In darker stories, people [[VanHelsingHateCrimes will try to kill them]], and it's easy to fall into depression. Occasionally there are other, more traditional members of their kind who ''do'' terrorize humanity, but the Reluctant Monster's mild temperament sets them apart from their own kind just as much. In more traditional groups, they're the MinionWithAnFInEvil.

True heroes look past appearances and befriend them, even [[ZombieAdvocate advocating better treatment]]. Usually, TheChick notices [[WhyIsntItAttacking they aren't attacking]] and discovers their true nature.

The very extreme of MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch. If the character is of great size, they may be a GentleGiant. If they're "ugly", they might be a GorgeousGorgon. Compare NonMaliciousMonster and MonsterAdventurers. Likely to result in VanHelsingHateCrimes.

* Satsuki Kiryuin from "Anime/KillLaKill" [[spoiler: trying to buy out her evil mother's trust before the big betrayal; by all means necessary.]] Sadly enough, her initial efforts were in vain.

* Shades of this, mixed with BadPowersGoodPeople, color the God of Poverty in ''{{Kamichu}}!''.

* The title character of ''Literature/TheBF'' is the only giant who eats vegetables instead of humans. He's also a midget runt (for a giant) so the others enjoy beating him up.

* ''Loopy de Loop'', a wolf character from HannaBarbera.

* In Ovid's telling of [[GreekMythology Medusa]], she was a beautiful maiden who laid with Poseidon in Athena's temple. In some tellings, she's raped. For this "offense," she's cursed by Athena with living serpent hair and a terrible visage that would turn men who looked upon it into stone. Thus, Medusa's powers are unintentional and unwanted. Perseus, who eventually kills her, believes that the punishment is well-deserved. The trope is averted in earlier myths, however, which describe Medusa as one of three monstrous sisters, the Gorgons. Perseus kills Medusa simply because she is the only mortal Gorgon.

* The TOS ''Series/OuterLimits'' episode "Behold, Eck!" was [[WorkingTitle originally titled]] "The Reluctant Monster". The titular creature is a meek, polite two-dimensional being from AnotherDimension who accidentally winds up in our world and wreaks unintentional havoc while the heroes figure out how to send him home.

** ''Discworld/UnseenAcademicals'' has [[spoiler:Nutt, an orc pretending to be a goblin-thing because of the stigma surrounding orcs. (Orcs were created by an EvilOverlord to be used as super-soldiers in some war]].