History Main / RetiredOutlaw

See also CivilianVillain, ReformedButRejected.

* Jericho in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' is a retired raider, although he doesn't seem to be happy living in Megaton. Also, [[spoiler:Billy Creel might have killed Maggie's parents and "adopted" her.]]

Let's face it, the outlaw life isn't for everyone. Sure, being outside the law gives you freedom, but you face freezing, starvation, and getting ventilated by bullets on a regular basis. And forget about establishing normal relationships. So some outlaws try to go straight.

This trope often overlaps with RetiredBadass and RetiredGunfighter, but doesn't have to. Some outlaws retire specifically because they don't have the {{Badass}} attitude necessary to succeed in the field.

* YamatoNadeshiko LoveFreak Miyu from ''SuperGals'' is a former gang leader. When the show starts she's dating the police officer who arrested her...

* In ''ShanghaiNoon'', we have Roy O'Bannon, who starts the movie as an outlaw, but by the end of the movie, he's softened up quite a bit. At the end of the movie, it is revealed that [[spoiler:he has become a lawman, and that his real name is Wyatt Earp.]]

* As mentioned above, several western notables accomplished this in real life. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday both [[HeelFaceTurn switched sides]] between outlaw and lawmen at various points in their lives. It was easier for a person to start over in eras before computer networks.

An {{Outlaw}} who is trying to add "former" to his description.

Let's face it, the outlaw life isn't for everyone. Sure, being outside the law gives you freedom, but you face freezing, starvation, and getting ventilated by bullets on a regular basis. And forget about establishing normal relationships. So some outlaws try to go straight.

In fiction, they generally break down into two broad categories.

* Outlaws who try to go directly from "fugitive" to "law-abiding citizen" with no steps in between. Generally this involves changing his name, moving to a different territory, or otherwise obscuring his identity. How well this works depends on the story, but usually at least the main characters will discover the retired outlaw's secret.
* Former outlaws who've served their time in prison, paid their debt to society, and just want to put it behind them. These generally appear in stories returning to the same territory where they committed their crimes, as that's where their wife or surviving relatives live. The UntrustingCommunity certainly hasn't forgotten the former outlaw's foul deeds, and often they haven't forgiven them either. Sometimes the retired outlaw can earn the town's trust and grudging respect, sometimes not.

This trope often overlaps with RetiredBadass and RetiredGunfighter, but doesn't have to. Some outlaws retire specifically because they don't have the {{Badass}} attitude necessary to succeed in the field.

* Both ClintEastwood and MorganFreeman's characters in ''{{Unforgiven}}''.
* ''OnceUponATexasTrain'' has a band of retired outlaws who are reunited for one last job when their leader is finally released from prison.

* There's a kids' song by Tom Chapin called "Billy the Squid" about a squid outlaw who at the end of the song retires to the suburbs with "Clamity Jane" (yes, the whole thing is a HurricaneOfPuns).

[[AC:VideoGames]]

* John Marston[[spoiler:'s family]] in ''RedDeadRedemption'' is a textbook example of the "going straight to law-abiding citizen" variety. His new life as a simple rancher went pretty well for him -- at least, until the FBI's predecessor kidnapped his family and ordered John to capture or kill his former gangmates.

* Film/TheGreyFox [[BasedOnATrueStory is factually-based movie]] about a former stagecoach robber in the WildWest who, after spending 33 years in prison, moves to British Columbia [[TwilightOfTheOldWest in the early 1900s]] to quietly spend the rest of his life as a law-abiding citizen. However, while there are no more stagecoaches to rob, trains soon prove to be an all-too-tempting target for the restless retired outlaw.

* Jean Valjean of ''LesMiserables'' is a mixture of both types. He tries to go straight after getting out of prison, but discovers that so long as people know he's an ex-con, they'll never give him a fair chance, so he's forced to create a new identity to become an honest man. This violates the terms of his parole, turning him into a fugitive.

* Jericho in ''[[{{Fallout}} Fallout 3]]'' is a retired raider, although he doesn't seem to be happy living in Megaton. Also, [[spoiler:Billy Creel might have killed Maggie's parents and "adopted" her.]]

* [[spoiler:Habara]] in ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' is already a variation of "served her time, wants to put it behind her" by ''the eleventh grade''. Namely, in the third grade [[spoiler:she known as Archdemon]] has been a {{bully}} of EnfantTerrible proportions and was only stopped after an [[TheAlliance alliance]] of kids from ''around the town'' were succeeded in ''making a draw with her''. While she's now a sweet girl... UntrustingCommunity hits on her hard, as all the guys of her age in town [[NeverLiveItDown are still too scared about her to date her]].

* A storyline in the newspaper comic ''{{Latigo}}'' starting [[http://riphaywire.com/latigo/?p=3 here]] concerns an ex-gunman who goes straight after four years in prison, and becomes the preacher in the town of Rimfire. It originally ran in 1981.

# Outlaws who try to go directly from "fugitive" to "law-abiding citizen" with no steps in between. Generally this involves changing his name, moving to a different territory, or otherwise obscuring his identity. How well this works depends on the story, but usually at least the main characters will discover the retired outlaw's secret.
# Former outlaws who've served their time in prison, paid their debt to society, and just want to put it behind them. These generally appear in stories returning to the same territory where they committed their crimes, as that's where their wife or surviving relatives live. The UntrustingCommunity certainly hasn't forgotten the former outlaw's foul deeds, and often they haven't forgiven them either. Sometimes the retired outlaw can earn the town's trust and grudging respect, sometimes not.

* [[spoiler:Habara]] in ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' is already a variation of Type II by ''the eleventh grade''. Namely, in the third grade [[spoiler:she known as Archdemon]] has been a {{bully}} of EnfantTerrible proportions and was only stopped after an [[TheAlliance alliance]] of kids from ''around the town'' were succeeded in ''making a draw with her''. While she's now a sweet girl... UntrustingCommunity hits on her hard, as all the guys of her age in town [[NeverLiveItDown are still too scared about her to date her]].

* John Marston [[spoiler:'s family]] in ''RedDeadRedemption'' is a textbook example of the first category. His new life as a simple rancher went pretty well for him -- at least, until the FBI's predecessor kidnapped his family and ordered John to capture or kill his former gangmates.

* [[spoiler:Habara]] in ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' is already a variation of Type II by ''the eleventh grade''. Namely, in the third grade [[spoiler:she known as Archdemon]] has been a {{bully}} of EnfantTerrible proportions and was only stopped after an {{alliance}} of kids from ''around the town'' were succeeded in ''making a draw with her''. While she's now a sweet girl... UntrustingCommunity hits on her hard, as all the guys of her age in town [[NeverLifeItDown are still too scared about her to date her]].

* ''{{Alias Smith and Jones}}'' has two outlaws trying to retire, but forced into the BoxedCrook role in order to get a pardon.

See also {{Civillain}}, ReformedButRejected.

* Earl from ''MyNameIsEarl'' tries to do this by creating "good karma" through good deeds. Unfortunately, all the bad karma from before is conspiring to make his life impossible.

[[AC:{{Literature}}

* [[Spoiler: Ronald]] in ''TheWarriorsWay''.

* ''Alias Smith and Jones'' has two outlaws trying to retire, but forced into the BoxedCrook role in order to get a pardon.
* The Townes Van Zandt song ''Pancho and Lefty'' has Lefty, who retired to Ohio after his compadre Pancho was killed. [[spoiler: The song implies Lefty sold Pancho out for the reward money as a nest egg.]]
* ''Once Upon A Texas Train'' has a band of retired outlaws who are reunited for one last job when their leader is finally released from prison.
* There's a kids' song by Tom Chapin called "Billy the Squid" about a squid outlaw who at the end of the song retires to the suburbs with "Clamity Jane" (yes, the whole thing is a HurricaneOfPuns).

* ''The Gunfighter'' has two men who do this. One succeeds, the other fails. The one who succeeds becomes a town marshal.
* Earl from ''MyNameIsEarl'' tries to do this by creating "good karma" through good deeds. Unfortunately, all the bad karma from before is conspiring to make his life impossible.
* A storyline in the newspaper comic ''Latigo'' starting [[http://riphaywire.com/latigo/?p=3 here]] concerns an ex-gunman who goes straight after four years in prison, and becomes the preacher in the town of Rimfire. It originally ran in 1981.
* YamatoNadeshiko LoveFreak Miyu from ''SuperGals'' is a former gang leader. When the show starts she's dating the police officer who arrested her...
* Jericho in ''[[{{Fallout}} Fallout 3]]'' is a retired raider, although he doesn't seem to be happy living in Megaton. Also, [[spoiler:Billy Creel might have killed Maggie's parents and "adopted" her.]]

* In ''MysticRiver'' Jimmy Marcus was a juvenile delinquent and later the leader of a fairly sophisticated group of thieves. He retired for good after the combination of going to prison and his wife's death while he was inside, leaving him to raise their daughter when he got out, and now owns a convenience shop in town. Although the younger generation has no idea what he did, some of the neighborhood's older residents have never stopped thinking of him as a thief.
* John Marston [[spoiler:'s family]] in ''RedDeadRedemption'' is a textbook example of the first category. His new life as a simple rancher went pretty well for him -- at least, until the FBI's predecessor kidnapped his family and ordered John to capture or kill his former gangmates.
* As mentioned above, several western notables accomplished this in real life. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday both [[HeelFaceTurn switched sides]] between outlaw and lawmen at various points in their lives. It was easier for a person to start over in eras before computer networks.

->"''And all the ''federales'' say\\

Out of kindness, I suppose."''

-->"And all the ''federales'' say\\

Out of kindness, I suppose."\\
-- ''Pancho and Lefty'' by Townes Van Zandt

* In Shanghai Noon, we have Roy O'Bannon, who starts the movie as an outlaw, but by the end of the movie, he's softened up quite a bit. At the end of the movie, it is revealed that [[spoiler:he has become a lawman, and that his real name is Wyatt Earp.]]
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* Both Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman's characters in ''Unforgiven.''