History Main / SaveTheDayTurnAway

* 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 {{sculpt|ors}}ress 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.
* 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.
* This is typical in a day's work for ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'', who will often rescue people from burning buildings or beat down a supervillain, only to have to swing away almost immediately after because he's a HeroWithBadPublicity, and because in his origin story, his lust for glory led to his uncle getting killed.
* The original eight-page ''ComicBook/SwampThing'' story features Alex Olsen, turned into a shambling plant monster by his traitorous lab partner. Alex kills his partner before he can murder Alex's beloved, but she's terrified of him and he can't speak to explain himself; he sadly turns away and returns to the swamp.
* In the ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse and ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'' this is Paperinik's true cross as a superhero: he knows that he could finally be respected and admired even in his civilian identity if he renounced his SecretIdentity (and, given it's ComicBook/DonaldDuck, that's something he ''really'' needs and deserve), but if he did so he'd endanger them, so he'll ''never'' take off the mask (and if someone finds out [[LaserGuidedAmnesia he'll wipe their memories]]).

* ''Film/SwampThing'': Dr. Holland saved Alice and Jude, even killed Dr. Anton Arcane, but due to his botanical transformation Dr. Holland can never continue his work or be with Alice.
* ''Film/TheToxicAvenger'' subverts it optimistically, Melvin's transformation into a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength has improved his social life, his standing in the community, and is generally beloved and worshipped as the first superhero from New Jersey.
* ''Film/RoboCop2'': The movie begins with OCP's legal team forcing Murphy to turn away from his wife and kid. Murphy doesn't want to give up on trying to connect with them, but his family are freaked out by his visits to their home -- and are threatening to sue OCP -- so Murphy lies to his wife and convinces them that he isn't really her husband reborn as a warrior of living steel, but a robot built in honor of Murphy's memory.

* ''Film/{{Fluke}}'': The hero having saved his child, he lets his ex-wife know that he was her husband. But he must leave his family because he is no longer Tom; he is a dog now.
* ''Film/Blade1998'': 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/SpiderMan1'': Peter kisses Mary Jane and leaves her because he is Spider-Man now. As the sequels demonstrate, she loves Spider-Man too.

* ''Film/GhostRider2007'': Johnny defeats 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.

* ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'': Max turns away from Joe's Citadel right after returning the wives and saving Furiosa's life, knowing he does not belong there.
* ''Film/TheSearchers'': A more subtle example, but after spending years searching for his niece and saving her from the Indian tribe that kidnapped her, protagonist [[Creator/JohnWayne Ethan Edwards]] lingers in the doorway of his family's house and then leaves, rather than join his family in the house to celebrate the girl's return. Even the shot composition illustrates that Ethan's dark AntiHero tendencies (not to mention the undercurrent of racism that drove his quest) won't allow him to live a normal, happy life.
* ''Film/{{Hancock}}'': [[spoiler:The entire movie is based on this trope. He had to do it prior to the movie, and has to do it again at the end.]]

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.