History Main / Wellintentionedextremist

[[VisionaryVillain A villain who has an overall goal]] which the heroes [[VillainHasAPoint can appreciate in principle]], but whose methods of pursuing said goal (such as mass murder) are [[DontShootTheMessage problematic]]; despite any sympathy they may have with their cause, the heroes have no choice but to stop them. Taken to extremes, they may fully believe that UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans. Such an idealistic extremist is likely to be either a TotalitarianUtilitarian or a PrinciplesZealot, depending on whether they’re aiming ForHappiness or ForGreatJustice. The most well-written examples of this trope are the kind that the reader/viewer stops just short of agreeing with.

[[folder:Web Video]]
* The Director of Project Freelancer in ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' summed up his philosophy with this line: "When faced with extinction, every alternative is preferable." This led to him performing highly unethical and illegal research on fusing Artificial Intelligences with elite human operatives, which ended in plenty of deaths and more than a couple of breakdowns of sanity (for both humans and AIs). It's mentioned that entire sections of ethics law regarding [=AIs=] were added and rewritten once the full extent of what he had done was revealed.
* Duncan, from ''WebVideo/ArbyNTheChief'', simply wanted to remove game police. If he had to ban other people, so be it. To be fair, he at least refused to [[spoiler: participate in Clyde's plan to bring down the network.]]
* In ''WebVideo/BelkinusNecrohunt'', Nathaniel has claimed that "the ends justify the means" as an explanation for some of the shadier activities the Witchtakers have done, such as how frequently they engage in RecruitingTheCriminal without disclosing it to the public. In the GrandFinale, [[spoiler: Chandrelle has a similar mindset, claiming that everything she's done was for the sake of achieving a True Resurrection]], which helps Nathaniel realize that he can never be sure what "the ends" will be until they happen and that the Witchtakers need to be more focused on "the means", [[spoiler: which is why he makes Renee his successor]].
* ''WebVideo/FortniteTheMovie'': Jokeman Ranch. If not for his deeds, everyone would be dead. The only thing between White Skull and world domination was Ranch himself, but after he is killed by a character, The Oni is finally able to enact his plan to dominate the world.
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* ''WebOriginal/FortniteTheMovie'': Jokeman Ranch. If not for his deeds, everyone would be dead. The only thing between White Skull and world domination was Ranch himself, but after he is killed by a character, The Oni is finally able to enact his plan to dominate the world.

** [[BigBad Makuta Teridax]] was alluded to be this, as revealed by his lines in the film ''Mask of Light'' and Toys/{{LEGO}}'s internal documentation, which stated he was a misguided but noble villain under the influence of his [[MaskOfPower Mask of]] [[EvilMask Shadows]]. He terrorized the Matoran, sought to kill the heroic Toa and blocked the passage to their home Metru Nui so that [[PhysicalGod the deity]] [[BigGood Mata Nui]] would never awaken. Makuta argued that keeping Mata Nui in a coma "spares him pain". He was right -- Mata Nui's body was under the island where he had imprisoned the Matoran; if he woke up, he'd destroy it and kill his own people. Franchise co-creator Christian Faber described Makuta as an illness that ultimately strengthens one's body, serving a good cause via bad means. In later media, this side of Makuta was {{retcon}}ned. The movie ''Legends of Metru Nui'' painted him as fully evil, thinking he'd be a better god than Mata Nui, and author Greg Farshtey further re-imagined him as a CompleteMonster who put Mata Nui to sleep not for his protection but to kill him.

* ''WebOriginal/FortniteTheMovie'': Jokeman Ranch. If not for his deeds, everyone would be dead. The only thing between White Skull and world domination was Ranch himself, but after he is killed by a character, White Skull is finally able to enact his plan to dominate the world.

* ''WebVideo/FortniteTheMovie'': Jokeman Ranch. If not for his deeds, everyone would be dead. The only thing between White Skull and world domination was Ranch himself, but after he is killed by a character, White Skull is finally able to enact his plan to dominate the world.

* Tuyet from ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', who keeps trying to take over the universe because she genuinely believes that she can make it a better place. Unfortunately, her definition of "better" involves hundreds of innocent people being slaughtered, the Toa being brainwashed into [[KnightTemplar Knights Templar]], and the Matoran living in fear in a BigBrotherIsWatching version of Metru Nui, as seen in an alternate reality.

* '''The problem is the 'problem'''':
** [[WindmillCrusader The Extremist has a goal that more or less everyone can agree is misinformed, insane, or both]] — they're willing to [[ShootTheDog make]] [[AMillionIsAStatistic (huge)]] sacrifices in the name of [[AllForNothing a completely useless goal]]. For example, they might try to fix the endemic and civilisation-destroying catastrophe of ant-theft... by organising the sacrificial murder of the entire population of New Delhi as an offering to a non-existent supernatural entity that they think will solve the problem with its magic.

Compare with NecessarilyEvil, where the villain in question has a HeelRealization and recognizes that he deserves punishment (of course, he may always choose to just [[IgnoredEpiphany Ignore That Epiphany]]). See also ALighterShadeOfGrey. A staple trope of the MasterComputer [[AIIsACrapshoot gone mad]]. If the positive intention is overthrowing an evil government, the Well Intentioned Extremists will be an example of TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized. If the positive intention is helping a friend — realizing things that said friend sees as immoral — the Well Intentioned Extremist will be an example of PoisonousFriend. If his extremism actually ''succeeds'' in making the world a better place, it's TheExtremistWasRight. The SmallStepsHero desperately wants to avert this trope. The CompleteMonster will instead [[NotsoWellIntentionedExtremist subvert this trope]].

* In the ''Podcast/SickSadWorld'' episode "Cult Classics", Mari and Jasmine remark that cult leader Jim Jones had good ideas about religion and the Bible, but his context for them was awful.

* The Director of Project Freelancer in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' summed up his philosophy with this line: "When faced with extinction, every alternative is preferable." This led to him performing highly unethical and illegal research on fusing Artificial Intelligences with elite human operatives, which ended in plenty of deaths and more than a couple of breakdowns of sanity (for both humans and AIs). It's mentioned that entire sections of ethics law regarding [=AIs=] were added and rewritten once the full extent of what he had done was revealed.
* Duncan, from ''Machinima/ArbyNTheChief'', simply wanted to remove game police. If he had to ban other people, so be it. To be fair, he at least refused to [[spoiler: participate in Clyde's plan to bring down the network.]]

** [[WindmillCrusader The Extremist has a goal that more or less everyone can agree is misinformed, insane, or both]] — they're willing to [[ShootTheDog make]] [[AMillionIsAStatistic (huge)]] [[SenselessSacrifice sacrifices]] in the name of [[AllForNothing a completely useless goal]]. For example, they might try to fix the endemic and civilisation-destroying catastrophe of ant-theft... by organising the sacrificial murder of the entire population of New Delhi as an offering to a non-existent supernatural entity that they think will solve the problem with its magic.

* WellIntentionedExtremist/{{Machinima}}

* WellIntentionedExtremist/{{Toys}}