History Main / SympatheticMurderBackstory

* Part of Kalix's backstory in [[LonelyWerewolfGirl Lonely Werewolf Girl]] is she killed her father. It's part of the reason she is so lonely.
* {{Rebecca}} definitely fits, and is in fact one of the most interesting examples of this trope. The reader discovers [[spoiler: the title character was in fact a horrible person, whom Maxim killed.]] It was definitely murder, and the reader is absolutely meant to sympathize with [[spoiler: Maxim]] (although the revelation still has negative consequences for [[spoiler:his relationship with his new wife]]).

* We're introduced to ''Film/AssassinsCreed'' protagonist Callum Lynch as a death row inmate awaiting his execution in a Texas prison. After [[DeathFakedForYou his execution is faked]] and he wakes up in Abstergo Industries, we learn that [[AssholeVictim his victim was a pimp]].

* In the [[JodieFoster Jodie Foster]] film ''The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane'', protagonist Rynn hides the secret that [[spoiler: she poisoned her abusive mother.]] The details on just how she did this turn out to be significant for what happens in the rest of the movie, too.

* In ''Discworld/{{The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents}},'' we learn that Maurice once [[spoiler: ate a talking rat. However, he was only a dumb animal at the time, and had no way of knowing until he gained his intelligence from said meal.]] The guilt is shown to be why he's so careful about what he eats.

!!!!As this is a [[DeathTrope Death Trope,]] beware unmarked spoilers.

-->'''Lan:''' I still feel guilty about [the crime], though.
-->'''Tuck:''' Well, you'd be a pretty poor excuse for a human being if you didn't!

* Lan, the protagonist of ''[[Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar Brightly Burning]]'' had a TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening when a gang of bullies tied him up and whipped him. The people investigating this incident are quite distrustful of Lan because of his actions, and a whole lot of psychological and legal problems are only avoided because 1) he was clearly acting in self-defense, ignorance of his powers, and under extreme emotional duress while committing the manslaughter (as the book debates in detail) and 2) A ''[[AFormYouAreComfortableWith literal]] [[CoolHorse angel]]'' of that country's belief system vouches for Lan and works '''extremely''' hard to make sure his emotions don't snap like that again.

Murder is serious business. Taking the life of a sentient being is a deeply ingrained taboo in the human psyche. In stories that do ''not'' frequently involve death (action, horror, thriller, etc.) the intentional extermination of another human being is a big fucking deal. Of all the troubled backstories Bob can have ([[DeceasedParentsAreTheBest dead]]/[[AbusiveParents abusive]]/[[ParentalAbandonment absent]] parents, CynicismCatalyst, [[RapeAsBackstory rape]], [[DoomedHometown doomed hometown]], etc.) revealing him to be a murderer simultaneously makes him a bad guy and the woobie. The revelation may make his friends question just what makes a 'bad guy' if someone can commit murder and still be a sane, whole person.

* We find out fairly early on that Harry Dresden of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' killed his mentor, Justin, and it was clearly self-defense (even if it takes thirteen books to find out the finer details, if you're killed when attempting to psychically enslave your sixteen-year-old foster son/apprentice and trying to kill him when he resists, it can safely be put under justifiable homicide). Unfortunately, Harry used magic, and using LifeEnergy to kill for any reason is addictive BlackMagic. The Wardens do not see it as sympathetic, which is further complicated by the fact that in this setting, they're usually right.

** Actually that was manslaughter. It was in a BarBrawl and he didn't intend to murder him.

* Both Eve and Roarke in the ''InDeath'' series turn out to have murder in their backstories. As a child, Eve [[spoiler:stabbed her father to death in self-defense when he raped and beat her]]. Roarke, meanwhile, turns out in ''Vengeance In Death'' to have [[spoiler:gone on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge and killed several men involved in the rape, torture, and death of Summerset's daughter Marlena]].

* In [[SilentHill2 Silent Hill 2,]] James eventually discovers that [[spoiler: he smothered his wife to death either to end her suffering, to get her out of his life or both,]] this presumably being the reason the Town is tormenting him. Depending on the ending you get, this could serve to make him more sympathetic or to make him look like a monster though.

* One of ''SuikodenV'''s biggest {{Tear Jerker}}s occurs when Lyon reveals [[spoiler: she was a former member of Nether Gate, an assassin's guild in service to Falena's royal family. They took her in while she was still a child an trained her. She was eventually rescued by the prince's father, Ferid, who gave her the name Lyon, and she goes on to become the prince's bodyguard as her way of repaying Ferid's kindness.]]

* In ''{{Drowtales}}'', this happens to Ariel Val'Sarghress. She is ordered to kill Mir'kin Vel'Vloz'ress, and while she initially is reluctant after she's told [[SadisticChoice her other option]] is killing her also-a-kid cousin, one of her few allies, she reluctantly does the deed and sports a ThousandYardStare in the immediate aftermath. Not long after she accidentally kills Yafein Val'Sullisin'rune's slave Maya in a fit of rage after he pushed her BerserkButton while she's in the middle of a HeroicBSOD resulting from the disappearance of her best friend. It's clearly hinted that the resulting [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone My God What Have I Done]] moment resulted in PTSD. It's particularly disturbing when you remember that due to her species' slow aging process, she was physically still a small child at the time.

* The backstory for {{Storm}} has her killing a man who tried to rape her. And this is why she tries not to kill the rest of the time.

* In {{South Pacific}}, "the Frenchman," Emile de Becque, had to flee his homeland because he killed a man. But it's okay because the victim was a bully!

old

Meet Bob. He's a member of the TrueCompanions, he has personality traits, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and maybe even a romantic interest. After a few adventures with his friends, it's time to learn a bit about his past. As it turns out, the horrible secret he's been concealing all this time is... he once killed a man. The other characters are horribly shocked. While some will be able to look past his crime, a few may never forgive him and their relationship will become strained. To the viewer, Bob is obviously deeply emotional by what he's done; he probably still has nightmares about the murder, and he prays every day he could take it back. Bob continues to be the lovable (or [[TheScrappy not so lovable]]) character he always has been, but the audience henceforth views him in a newfound light. This, dear troper, is Murder as a Sympathetic Backstory.

Meet Bob. He's a member of the TrueCompanions, he has personality traits, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and maybe even a romantic interest. After a few [[HaveAGayOldTime gay]] adventures with his friends, it's time to learn a bit about his past. As it turns out, the horrible secret he's been concealing all this time is... he once killed a man. The other characters are horribly shocked. While some will be able to look past his crime, a few may never forgive him and their relationship will become strained. To the viewer, Bob is obviously deeply emotional by what he's done; he probably still has nightmares about the murder, and he prays every day he could take it back. Bob continues to be the lovable (or [[TheScrappy not so lovable]]) character he always has been, but the audience henceforth views him in a newfound light. This, dear troper, is Murder as a Sympathetic Backstory.

* ''VideoGame/FearEffect'': ''Retro Helix'' reveals that [[spoiler: Glas had a brother named Drew. Drew shot him in the back, and would have murdered him for money and perceived betrayal that caused the loss of his right arm. A struggle broke out, Glas grabbed the gun and fired, killing his brother. There are hints that Jin AKA Yim Lau Wong (King of Hell) manipulated Drew into doing this. Unfortunately, one thing that ruins the scene is that Glas is unable to punch people out. He could have simply punched Drew out, which wouldn't have been too hard, considering the guy was unarmed and had only one arm]]!

* We find out fairly early on that [[TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] killed his mentor, Justin, and it was clearly self-defense (even if it takes thirteen books to find out the finer details, if you're killed when attempting to psychically enslave your sixteen-year-old foster son/apprentice and trying to kill him when he resists, it can safely be put under justifiable homicide). Unfortunately, the Wardens do not see it as sympathetic, which is further complicated by the fact that in this setting, they're usually right.

* In ''Series/TerraNova'', Commander Taylor [[spoiler: killed his commanding officer when he arrived in alternate past earth to relieve him of command of the Terra Nova colony shortly after he learned the truth about the project - that those behind Terra Nova were trying to find out how to make the portal go both ways so they can exploit the resources on the Terra Nova side.]]
** There is also some fan speculation that this trope is being setup as the background for Tim Curran in following seasons. In the 1st season, he is sentenced to exile for a murder; later, he is recruited by Taylor to spy on the sixers.

If Bob's reveal of his backstory comes with a {{flashback}}, expect it to take almost the [[DayInTheLimelight entire episode.]] It will likely go over Bob's every single option in the situation. You will watch as the victim pleads for his life, or, alternately, goads Bob. [[ADeathInTheLimelight The eventual death will definitely be utterly heartbreaking.]] If the flashback continues after the murder, expect Bob to express [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone "My God, what have I done!"]] or at least [[TheseHandsHaveKilled stare down at his hands with horror.]] Extra {{angst}} and [[TheWoobie woobie]] points if he has to kill a parent/sibling/spouse/child/old friend/[[KickTheDog dog]].

90% of the time, Bob was ''forced'' to commit the murder. He might have done it in self-defence, to save someone he loves, a Bad Guy might have put a gun to his head and ordered Bob to kill Alice, Alice might have begged Bob for death, Bob might have [[JustFollowingOrders just been following orders,]] there was a horrible accident, the list goes on. If the character ''wasn't'' forced into the murder by a third party, expect the victim to have been an [[AssholeVictim Asshole Victim]] (see also [[GoodVictimsBadVictims Good Victims Bad Victims]]).

* In ''{{Drowtales}}'', this happens to Ariel Val'Sarghress. She is ordered to kill Mir'kin Vel'Vloz'ress, and while she initially is reluctant after she's told her other option is killing her also-a-kid cousin, one of her few allies, she reluctantly does the deed. Not long after she accidentally kills Yafein Val'Sullisin'rune's slave Maya in a fit of rage after he pushed her BerserkButton while she's in the middle of a HeroicBSOD from the disappearance of her best friend. It's clearly hinted that the resulting [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone My God What Have I Done]] moment resulted in PTSD. It's particularly disturbing when you remember that due to her species' slow aging process, she was physically still a small child at the time.

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' you can meet a ShellShockedVeteran Asari named Aeian T'Goni, who after killing a large group of indoctrinated to reach a radio to call for help, had to kill the girl she was hiding with to avoid discovery, because she had broken her leg and couldn't stop whimpering.

** Not just Edward. In the ''Twilight Illustrated Guide'', it's revealed that every single one of the Cullens except for Carlisle had killed at least one person before the events of the first book. Bella, in her narration, praises them for sticking to the difficult lives they lead.

* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', [[spoiler:Susan]] had to kill an Aberration back when she was in her freshman year of high school. It's made worse because the immortals who asked her to do it basically tricked her into doing so, and made her think there was no one else who could and no alternative.

* Guts, from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', had to kill two major people in his pre-Hawks backstory apart from those he killed in battle as a child mercenary. [[spoiler: The first was Donovan, a pederast soldier in his adoptive father Gambino's band, who Guts killed in revenge for having raped him. The other was Gambino himself, who Guts had to kill in self-defense after Gambino lost his leg, got drunk one night and tried to murder him because he blamed the poor kid for the death of his lover from the plague. The latter killing affected him quite more strongly than the former, though he still has the aversion to being touched which came from Donovan's attack on him.]]
* ''Manga/{{Gravitation}}'': [[spoiler: Yuki killed someone but it was in self-defense, as they were trying to rape him.]] It ruined their life, so you will probably feel pretty sorry for them.

* In {{Drowtales}}, this happens to Ariel Val'Sarghress. She is [[spoiler: ordered to kill Mir'kin Vel'Vloz'ress, and then kills Yafein Val'Sullisin'rune's slave Maya in a fit of rage after he pushed her BerserkButton.]] It's clearly hinted that the resulting [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone My God What Have I Done]] moment resulted in PTSD. It's particularly disturbing when you remember that due to her species' slow aging process, she was physically still a small child at the time.

Murder is serious business. Taking the life of a sentient being is a deeply ingrained taboo in the human psyche. In stories that do ''not'' frequently involve death (action, horror, thriller, etc.) the intentional extermination of another human being is a big [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] deal. Of all the troubled backstories Bob can have ([[DeceasedParentsAreTheBest dead]]/[[AbusiveParents abusive]]/[[ParentalAbandonment absent]] parents, CynicismCatalyst, [[RapeAsBackstory rape]], [[DoomedHometown doomed hometown]], etc.) revealing him to be a murderer simultaneously makes him a bad guy and the woobie. The revelation may make his friends question just what makes a 'bad guy' if someone can commit murder and still be a sane, whole person.

90% of the time, Bob was ''forced'' to commit the murder. He might have done it in self-defence, to save someone he loves, a Bad Guy might have put a gun to his head and ordered Bob to kill Alice, Alice might have begged Bob for death, Bob might have [[JustFollowingOrders just been following orders,]] the list goes on. If the character ''wasn't'' forced into the murder by a third party, expect the victim to have been an [[AssholeVictim Asshole Victim]] (see also [[GoodVictimsBadVictims Good Victims Bad Victims]]).

* In ''Series/TerraNova'', Commander Taylor [[spoiler: killed his commanding officer when he arrived in alternate past earth to relieve him of command of the Terra Nova colony shortly after he learned the truth about the project. That those behind Terra Nova we tryng to find out how to make the portal go both ways so they can exploit the resources on the Terra Nova side.]]

* Lord John Roxton's past in ''SirArthurConanDoylesTheLostWorld''. He and his brother William joined an expedition to Kenya because Roxton and his father thought it would make more of a man out of William. The older Roxton brother was attacked by an ape and John tried to save him. It went wrong... and left him a broken man. Especially when it all comes back to haunt him in form of the expedition leader also appearing on the Plateau at one point.

* In the third season of {{Leverage}}, it's revealed that Eliot was once a [[ProfessionalKiller hitman]] who worked for the {{Big Bad}}. May be considered a subversion, in that it's not all that shocking a development, given [[TheBrute his current line of work]]- although he does say that the worst thing ever did occurred when he worked for said BigBad. It's been strongly implied that it involved [[spoiler: murdering children.]]