History Main / SaveTheDayTurnAway

TheHero has defeated the villains who [[CursedWithAwesome Cursed Him With Awesome]] -- saved his loved ones in the process, turned some cynics into optimists, and used the only antidote for his mutation to selflessly cure the LittlestCancerPatient. His love interest still wants to be with him, even with his transformation and new powers... but he doesn't exist any more. He's a freak. He tells her the man she loved is gone, he's something else now, and he leaves. [[SayMyName She cries his name]] as he walks away into the night - to save the innocent and [[WeHelpTheHelpless help the helpless]].

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* Inverted with Ben Grimm/The Thing of the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour''. He constantly deals with the fear, rejection and scorn of the world at large because of his rocky exterior, bur he found love ''after'' the transformation into the Thing with blind sculptress Alicia Masters. Though he is very protective of her, as a SuperVillain's [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter daughter]] her odds of an uneventful life are already low. Also, in at least a few stories, he's less likely to terrify passersby than he is to be mobbed by people wanting his autograph; being a member of one of Marvel's most prominent superhero teams for a couple decades does that to a person. Ben Grimm is often known as "The Idol of Millions", and is one of the most popular heroes in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse. His fear of rejection mostly stems from self-loathing due to his appearance, and early encounters before his fame took off.

* ''Series/RobocopTheSeries'': At the end of the pilot episode, Murphy saves the city and comes to the conclusion that his wife and son must never know that he is Robocop. He knows that he can never act as a husband and a father to them, but he can be their savior.

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': The Dragon Reborn tries that at the end of season 1, firmly believing they have become dangerous to their friends and family.
-->'''The Dragon Reborn:''' I have a favor to ask you. Just one. Tell them I died here. Tell them I didn't make it back.
-->'''Moiraine:''' I cannot lie.
-->'''The Dragon Reborn:''' You'll work out a way.

* Aya in ''Anime/WeissKreuz'' walks away from his beloved little sister and the girl who has a crush on him at the finale of the first series, after saving both of them from the AncientConspiracy and their [[PsychoForHire Psychos For Hire]], because it's the only way he can protect them from the life he leads as an [[ProfessionalKiller assassin]].

* Franchise/{{Batman}}: At the conclusion of ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne'', Batman (who is unmasked) saves Jim Gordon's baby. Jim Gordon has suspected Bruce Wayne of being Batman throughout the whole arc. Gordon tells Batman that he's blind without his glasses, and that Batman should leave him before the police arrive. Batman leaves. Whether Gordon was lying is unknown, although other stories hint that he might know.

* ''Film/{{Blade}}'': The Daywalker kills Deacon Frost and saves the girl. He refuses to take the serum to cure his special blend of vampirism because there are more vampires that need killing, and he's going to be the one to do it.

* ''Film/GhostRider'': Johnny defeated Blackheart, but realizes that he can never have a normal life with the woman he loves. He use the spirit of vengeance to fight evil and walk the hero's path.

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'': In "The Greatest Story Never Told", Booster Gold spends the entire episode trying to woo the HotScientist on the side of stopping an experiment gone wrong. After he manages to save the day after having his [[BreakTheHaughty pride struck down]] from repeatedly failing to do, he turns away from the relieved Hot Scientist despite [[RobotBuddy Skeets]] telling him [[MySensorsIndicateYouWantToTapThat that was his cue]]. After an episode of CharacterDevelopment, Booster responds that getting the girl is for heroes, which [[HeroicSelfDeprecation he doesn't believe he is]]. Fortunately, she catches up with him in the ending and she asks him out, which he accepts.

'''Type 1''': The protagonist either is a newly-minted superhero or has [[EmergencyTransformation transformed]] into a [[BalefulPolymorph hideous]] yet benevolent creature. He must abandon his initial goals and romance to either walk the hero's path alone or find a means to counteract his current transformation ([[FailureIsTheOnlyOption good luck with that]]). The hero must tell his love interest that the man she loved is gone; only the heroic persona or hideous yet benevolent creature remains.

%%Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1654812162000206000
%%See thread to discuss an image.

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/Fallout1 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/219731_into_the_desert_7.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A bitter end.]]

* In ''VideoGame/SplinterCell: Conviction'', Sam pulls one on Anna after saving the president, though only if he [[spoiler: refuses to kill the BigBad]]. If he follows through, the scene immediately ends. Naturally, it doesn't take, since he's back for ''Blacklist.''

* ''Film/SpiderMan1'': Peter kisses Mary Jane and leaves her because he is Spider-Man now. As the sequels demonstrate, she loves Spider-Man too. The third film involves their marriage.

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': The Dragon Reborn tries that at the end of season 1, firmly believing [[spoiler:he]] has become dangerous to friends and family.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Spawn}}'': Spawn saved his widow Wanda's daughter Cyan from the clutches of pedophillic serial killer Billy Kincade, and defeated him without [[IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim killing him]]. Spawn realizes Wanda is happy with her new husband and their daughter and that his dream of being present in Wanda's life would largely be a downer. So he lets go, but not before he hands Cyan his wedding ring, and tells her she should go to her mother. Wanda is reunited with Cyan who simply tells her that she was saved by "the sad man". Wanda finds that Cyan is holding onto the wedding ring, she realizes that somehow the "sad man" is her dead husband. Spawn watches Wanda's reaction from afar, and then executes a textbook example of turning away.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/219731_into_the_desert_7.jpg]]

* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'': [[spoiler:Simon]] pulls a type two. He leaves his more responsible friend in control of the government either because he's a [[KnightErrant wandering hero type]] or he doesn't want to accelerate the death of the universe by using more Spiral Energy.