History Main / TheMccoy

The [=McCoy=] is HonorBeforeReason and BewareTheHonestOnes personified, and may occasionally be a StrawmanEmotional. Will sometimes use SaveThisPersonSaveTheWorld and / or ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder.

* Katara from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. She once detained the group for three days by dyeing Appa's tongue purple with berries (so as to make him look sick) to help a village who lived on a polluted river, even destroying the factory that polluted it, in spite of being on a tight schedule.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill was a [=McCoy=], while [[UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt FDR]] was a Kirk. Whether Marshall or [[UsefulNotes/JosefStalin Stalin]] was TheSpock depends on how you view Stalin.
** [[TheSpock Spocks]] seem to end up as a NumberTwo in RealLife as much as Hollywood.
* Maria Theresa often seems to come off as a [=McCoy=]. Like [[UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill Churchill]], she had her [[LadyOfWar ruthless side]] though. It comes with [[ToughLeaderFacade the job]].
* St. Ioannes Chrysostomos became during his tenure as Patriarch of Constantinople famous for almost continuously chewing out the city's population for their extravagance and reminding them to care for the socially disadvantaged in weekly {{Rousing Speech}}es; so much that he was removed and exiled. Repeatedly.
* A number of political controversies seem to be about [[EmotionsVsStoicism McCoyness versus Spockness]].
[[/folder]]

*** Original version: This trope is the reason why Alicia [[DidntThinkThisThrough screws up big time]] in the ''Feoh/Ur [[StoryArc Arc]]''. To illustrate, she sacrifices the fortress she is supposed to defend in exchange of a number of hostage nuns, which allows the Black Dogs an easy [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs win]]. [[StupidSacrifice Yeah]].

* Maria Theresa often seems to come off as a [=McCoy=]. Like [[UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill Churchill]], she had her [[LadyOfWar ruthless side]] though. It comes with [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask the job]].

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] in ''Anime/DeathParade'': [[TheNameless The dark-haired woman]] is brought on as Decim's assistant to fulfill this role, in contrast to his [[TheSpock Spock]]. She's empathetic, emotionally intelligent, and outspoken. She never fails to speak her mind about how flawed she believes the system is, and is openly defiant towards Decim's methods. However, she doesn't directly interfere with his work until she [[spoilers:realizes that she is a dead human]], which [[ItsPersonal ups the ante]] for her. After this, she [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight interjects herself]] in the next job, being honest with the guests about their circumstances, and does her best to get them [[RuleOfEmpathy to do what's right]] with a PatrickStewartSpeech.[[/folder]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', this role is shared by [[TheLancer Yos]][[ButtMonkey uke]] and [[TheChick Ri]][[MissionControl se]], who tend to be two of the more emotional members of the Investigation Team. Interestingly enough, [[spoiler:when the group is considering whether to throw Namatame into the TV, Yosuke is the primary supporter of this move, while Rise is against it(but will go along with it if the protagonist can't talk Yosuke out of it)]].

* [[TheHero Lloyd Irving]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has spades of this. While [[TheChick Colette]] is [[TheChosenOne The Chosen]] and works hard to bring about the regeneration of the world through a set quest procedure [[spoiler: until it turns out to not be the case at all with Cruxis]], Lloyd doesn't follow tradition and urges others, in his own [[IdiotHero short-sighted viewpoints]], from [[FantasticRacism half-elves discriminated]] to Exspheres [[spoiler: and [[PoweredByAForsakenChild what they're used for]],]] to make their own decisions and accept/help each other along the way.

The [=McCoy=] is another part of the FreudianTrio, along with TheKirk and TheSpock. (Specifically, the Id.) Where the former is rational and [[TakeAThirdOption intuitive]], and the latter is [[TheStoic cold]] and logical, the [=McCoy=] is [[HotBlooded emotional]] and [[TheHeart humanistic]]. He cares about others deeply; for him doing the right thing is not a question of convenience or moral relativity, but about the concrete reality ''right now''. Which is to say, someone like TheKirk cares about saving people; the [=McCoy=] cares about making things ''right''. If the [=McCoy=] is placed in front of the ToBeLawfulOrGood choice, he will ''always'' choose the "Good" option in a heartbeat. He will eschew any and all attempts at engaging in careful deliberation and weighing of the options, and will even frequently openly disparage his allies if they try to do so; accusing them of wasting valuable time and resources sitting around on their hands and [[ContemplateOurNavels contemplating their navels]] instead of trying to save the people who are suffering and dying right now. This often leads the heroes into hot water as this concern for others blinds him to complications in the MoralDilemma of the week and leads him to advocate (or take it upon himself to do) "the right thing", regardless of how disastrous it would be in the short or long run.

* ''LightNovel/AscendanceOfABookworm'': Sylvester is a ManChild who, while ruthless in public, can be soft to a fault when it comes to his own family members, to the point of spending years tolerating a ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections attitude from some of them. His two childhood companions grew up to be [[TheSpock a coldly rational result-oriented person]] and someone who is [[TheKirk well-balanced]] compared to the two other members of the group.

The [=McCoy=] is another part of the FreudianTrio, along with TheKirk and TheSpock. (Specifically, the Id.) Where the former is rational and [[TakeAThirdOption intuitive]], and the latter is [[TheStoic cold]] and logical, the [=McCoy=] is [[HotBlooded emotional]] and [[TheHeart humanistic]]. He cares about others deeply; for him doing the right thing is not a question of convenience or moral relativity, but about the concrete reality ''right now''. Which is to say, someone like TheKirk cares about saving people; the [=McCoy=] cares about making things ''right''. That is to say, when placed in front of the ToBeLawfulOrGood dilemma, the [=McCoy=] will always choose the "Good" option in a heartbeat. This often leads the heroes into hot water as this concern for others blinds him to complications in the MoralDilemma of the week and leads him to advocate (or take it upon himself to do) "the right thing", regardless of how disastrous it would be in the short or long run.

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mccoy_and_spock_tos_350.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Dammit man, dare we call ourselves human if we'' don't'' act?! '''[[InsultBackfire What do you mean]], [[PunyEarthlings 'Thank you'?!]]'''"]]

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] in ''Anime/DeathParade'': [[TheNameless The dark-haired woman]] is brought on as Decim’s assistant to fulfill this role, in contrast to his [[TheSpock Spock]]. She’s empathetic, emotionally intelligent, and outspoken. She never fails to speak her mind about how flawed she believes the system is, and is openly defiant towards Decim’s methods. However, she doesn’t directly interfere with his work until she [[spoilers:realizes that she is a dead human]], which [[ItsPersonal ups the ante]] for her. After this, she [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight interjects herself]] in the next job, being honest with the guests about their circumstances, and does her best to get them [[RuleOfEmpathy to do what’s right]] with a PatrickStewartSpeech.[[/folder]]

* [[TheNameless The Dark-Haired Woman]] is brought on as Decim’s assistant specifically

** ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' presents us with Liam Kosta, the former crisis relief specialist, who acts with his heart and pretty much only his heart. He doesn’t think things through, instead letting his emotions drive him all the way. This causes a near diplomatic incident, compromises the security of the Nexus space station, and almost causes a rescue mission to end disastrously.

* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'' has several:
** Among the FreudianTrio of Sanakan-Hugh-Kyril, [[ScreamingWarrior Sanakan]] is the HotBlooded one out of the three, though she has yet to [[LeeroyJenkins act on impulse]].

** This trope is the reason why Alicia [[DidntThinkThisThrough screws up big time]] in the ''[[StoryArc Feoh/Ur Arc]]'' of the story's original version. To illustrate, she sacrifices the fortress she is supposed to defend in exchange of a number of hostage nuns, which allows the Black Dogs an easy [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs win]]. [[StupidSacrifice Yeah]].
** In the remastered version, Alicia has this trope written all over her face when she, her seconds, and Kyril arrive at an orc den. Believing that there are innocents inside the cave, Alicia resolves to rescue them even without Kyril's help. On a humorous note, she is surprised that he nods his head, since she expects that TheSpock next to her would leave the captives to their fates.

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] in''Anime/DeathParade'': [[TheNameless The dark-haired woman]] is brought on as Decim’s assistant to fulfill this role, in contrast to his [[TheSpock Spock]]. She’s empathetic, emotionally intelligent, and outspoken. She never fails to speak her mind about how flawed she believes the system is, and is openly defiant towards Decim’s methods. However, she doesn’t directly interfere with his work until she [[spoilers:realizes that she is a dead human]], which [[ItsPersonal ups the ante]] for her. After this, she [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight interjects herself]] in the next job, being honest with the guests about their circumstances, and does her best to get them [[RuleOfEmpathy to do what’s right]] with a PatrickStewartSpeech.[[/folder]]

[[/folder]]

** Among the FreudianTrio of Sanakan-Hugh-Kyril, [[ScreamingWarrior Sanakan]] is the HotBlooded one out of the three, though she has [[GeniusBruiser yet to]] [[LeeroyJenkins act on impulse]].
** Claudia puts HonorBeforeReason, who acts as a contrast to the [[PragmaticHero pragmatic]] [[TheSpock Kyril]] and the [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure mediator]], [[TheKirk Celestine]].
** In the remastered version, Alicia has this trope written all over her face when she, her seconds, and Kyril arrive at an orc den. Believing that there are innocents inside the cave, Alicia resolves to rescue them even without Kyril's help. On a humorous note, she is surprised that he nods his head since she expects that TheSpock next to her would leave the captives to their fates.
*** This trope is the reason why Alicia [[DidntThinkThisThrough screws up]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero big time]] in the [[StoryArc Feoh/Ur Arc]] of the story's original version. To illustrate, she sacrifices the fortress she is supposed to defend in exchange for a number of hostage nuns, which allows the Black Dogs [[ToWinWithoutFighting an easy]] [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs win]]. [[StupidSacrifice Yeah]].

%%* Anne Shirley in ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables''
%%* Matteo in ''Literature/SomeoneElsesWar''.

* Katara from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. She once detained the group for three days by dyeing Appa's tongue purple with berries to help a village who lived on a polluted river, even destroying the factory that polluted it, in spite of being on a tight schedule.

* Katara from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. She once detained the group for three days by dying Appa's tongue purple with berries to help a village who lived on a polluted river, even destroying the factory that polluted it, in spite of being on a tight schedule.

* Katara from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. She once detained the group for three days by essentially poisoning Appa (well, she just fed him berries to turn his tongue purple, but she had no idea whether he could safely eat them) to help a village who lived on a polluted river, even destroying the factory that polluted it, in spite of being on a tight schedule.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', this role is shared by [[TheLancer Yos]][[ButtMonkey uke]] and [[TheChick Ri]][[MissionControl se]].