History Main / ZeroApprovalGambit

** The first half of the following chapter is one big rant against this trope and why it's such a bullshit idea. The second half is a hilarious send up of it. The whole thing reads like a TakeThat against the ending of CodeGeass.

* In {{Mass Effect 2}} Tali spoiler can pull one of these to exile herself from the fleet (and destroy her reputation) to save her father's.

** Particularly tragic since not only is there ''still'' a [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifice]] but [[spoiler: Snake needs to be the one to do it]].

This is an inverse of VillainWithGoodPublicity; compare GoodIsNotNice, NobleDemon, WhatTheHellHero, XanatosGambit. Can result in a HeroWithAnFInGood or a ZeroPercentApprovalRating (in fact, this can be the cornerstone of the entire gambit). See also GenghisGambit. Most of the time it involves becoming a SilentScapegoat.

[[folder:Theatre]]
* In ''{{Wicked}}'', Elphaba tells Glinda that no one can ever know the truth that she was only rebelling against an tyrannical Wizard.
* A big theme in ''IntoTheWoods''. The witch neatly sums it up:
--> "No, of course, what really matters is the blame. Somebody to blame. Fine, if that's the thing you enjoy, placing the blame, if that's the aim, give me the blame."
[[/folder]]

* Anthy from ''ShoujoKakumeiUtena'' combines this trope with TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask. It turns out [[spoiler: she's an ancient Goddess-Princess who watched her brother, the God-Prince, being blamed for all the evil on earth. As a child, she decided to take the blame and let herself be punished by the world for all eternity. She subsequently spends the entire series serene and calm, while suffering the anguish and hatred of the entire world... for her now turned evil prince and the fear to change.Yep a fine subversion here]]

* In ''{{The Simpsons}}'' episode "Separate Vocations", a distraught Lisa rebels against the school and steals all of the Teacher's Edition manuals and puts them in her locker. Bart the hall monitor who had been working with Principal Skinner as his partner finds out, and knows she could be expelled for her actions, so when he finds the manuals and asks who's responsible for their disappearance, Lisa is about to confess, but Bart steps in and takes the blame for his little sister to prevent her from getting in trouble, but also erasing all of the good deeds and positive reputation he had accomplished as hall monitor, earning him 600 days detention, but allowing Lisa to come to her senses and return to the good student she always was.

This is an inverse of VillainWithGoodPublicity; compare GoodIsNotNice, NobleDemon, WhatTheHellHero, XanatosGambit. Can result in a HeroWithAnFInGood or a ZeroPercentApprovalRating. See also GenghisGambit. Most of the time it involves becoming a SilentScapegoat.

* BoosterGold, who dooms himself to being seen as a fame-obsessed fool while he's saving the universe through time travel.

* In the first of ''TheGreenHornet'' movie serials, the Hornet frames himself for murder on his first costumed outing.

* The Question makes an assassination attempt against Lex Luthor in ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', in order to prevent a seemingly unavoidable future in which Superman kills Luthor and the Justice League JumpsOffTheSlipperySlope. He reasons that, since he's already considered a loose cannon by the public, his arrest and fall from grace will leave the rest of the Justice League relatively untarnished.

* Anthy from ''ShoujoKakumeiUtena'' combines this trope with TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask. It turns out [[spoiler: she's an ancient Goddess-Princess who watched her brother, the God-Prince, being blamed for all the evil on earth. As a child, she decided to take the blame and let herself be punished by the world for all eternity. She subsequently spends the entire series serene and calm, waiting for a Prince to appear, while suffering the anguish and hatred of the entire world... just to keep the world at peace.]]

** No, the happiest era known on the planet was ended by the Flood of Light, which was [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt rapidly destroying the world]] when the [[DarkIsNotEvil Dark Warriors]] showed up and saved the day.

A character attempting a Zero Approval Gambit will deliberately paint himself in a bad light in order to achieve some greater good. This might involve falsely confessing to a crime he didn't commit, or it might involve him being an enormous JerkAss contrary to his usual nature. The net result is that he will be hated, hunted or disgraced for all time. In short, he willingly becomes a HeroWithBadPublicity. Note that this isn't a short-term trick. A ZeroApprovalGambit is usually permanent or takes a huge amount of work to undo.

** [[spoiler: Hilariously, it's actually a pun and true. Lelouch played the VillainProtagonist Zero for the majority of the series, who is pretty universally approved. When he startsbeing evil as himself, then martyrs himself so the world can be peaceful, it works because, "Zero/Suzaku" is the murderer, and is again acting for peace. So Lelouch's plan was zero(as in none) approval of himself to lead to ZERO approval.]]

* In the movie version of ''Film/Watchmen'', [[spoiler:Dr. Manhattan lets the world think he's gone on a murderous rampage, so they'd unite against him instead of killing each other.]]