History UnintentionallyUnsympathetic / AnimatedFilms

* ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'': Vanellope. While Ralph is justifiably criticized for being overprotective and clingy towards her, Vanellope's own misdeeds are not condemned (even by those who suffer from them). She is seemingly unappreciative of Ralph's enormously impressive effort to save ''Sugar Rush'', which ''she'' broke in the first place, and abandons her game for ''Slaughter Race'', not discussing the move with others. It doesn't help that game-jumping was associated with the BigBad and even Ralph in the previous film; Ralph's actions were not intended to be permanent, not to mention having a much worse situation there than Vanellope does in this film.

** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls1'': Sunset Shimmer's transformation into BigRedDevil and brainwashing Canterlot High were supposed to be [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide corrupted]] into [[EvenEvilHasStandards worse than she, who previously refused to harm Spike, would willfully act]], leading to her remorse and HeelFaceTurn. However, her [[AlphaBitch cruel and manipulative actions]] throughout the movie, including her origin-story comic, make it seem like she was [[SpoiledBrat this way]]. The sequel, ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks Rainbow Rocks'', pulled a SalvagedStory, making the school [[ReformedButRejected unforgiving and distrustful]] of Sunset, making her redemption feel earned. Despite her improvement, Sunset's hostile treatment by other students may still be difficult for some to sympathize with.

* ''WesternAnimation/Beowulf2007'' tries to portray Grendel as a tragic and childish monster who only attacks Heorot because its noise causes him great pain due to cranial deformities giving him a grotesquely oversized and completely exposed eardrum. However, he obviously enjoys killing, to the point where he falls asleep while mumbling the word in an obsessive way. He is also clearly capable of communicating with humans, as he speaks intelligibly to Beowulf at the end of their fight (it's just that, by that point, Beowulf is so fired up that he isn't interested in talking), yet his only way of dealing with the problem from the beginning is wreaking havoc and butchering people. He even defies the warnings from his mother, a much more [[PragmaticVillainy pragmatic villain]] than himself, that his raids aren't just morally wrong (which she doesn't care about) but ''stupid'', since humans are ''incredibly dangerous''. At the end of the day, he is still what many monsters in stories are: a big bully who loves violence.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook'': We're supposed to root for and relate to Mowgli, but he comes off as less heroic and more bratty, selfish, and self-absorbed than the filmmakers probably intended. He doesn't seem too upset with leaving behind his wolf family and initially gives no good reason for wanting to stay in the jungle (despite the massive danger that entails) besides "it's more fun". The only guardian he seems to listen to is Baloo, and that's only because Baloo appeals to his more playful side unlike the strict Bagheera. And finally, he leaves his two guardians without even a care just because a pretty girl flirted with him. It also does not help that Mowgli is also a PinballProtagonist who gets easily and quickly overshadowed by any animal character he's sharing the spotlight with, so doesn't get much time for development beyond his original protests before getting shunted off to the next scene.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Klaus}}'': Klaus and Alva pull a WhatTheHellHero when it's revealed by Ms. Krum that [[spoiler: Jesper was only delivering presents and encouraging the villagers to be nice to each other so he could go home]], acting like he betrayed them and [[PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure turning their backs on him when his father shows up to take him away.]] But while Jesper did have selfish motivations, it's hard to blame him for wanting to get the hell out of Smeerensburg [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking when all the villagers were constantly attacking and trying to kill each other, he was treated with hostility and suspicion merely for trying to do his job, and it's perpetually freezing cold and snowy there.]] Not even Klaus and Alva were all that nice to him when he first showed up, so Jesper had every right to want to leave. True, Jesper wasn't initially acting out of the goodness of his heart, but [[BecomingTheMask he did come to genuinely care for them and the village]] after discovering GoodFeelsGood, so the whole thing feels incredibly disingenuous.

** In the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls1 the first movie]], [[BigBad Sunset Shimmer]] transforming into [[BigRedDevil a demon]] then brainwashing Canterlot High and trying to murder the heroes was supposed to be her [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide corrupted]] into [[EvenEvilHasStandards worse than she, who previously refused to harm Spike, would willfully act]] thus her [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone remorse]] and HeelFaceTurn afterward. But this [[PetTheDog one moment]] was offset by Sunset's otherwise entirely [[AlphaBitch cruel and manipulative actions]] throughout the movie, with her origin-story comic making it look like she was aways [[SpoiledBrat this way]] rather than turning cruel as Princess Celestia stated. Demon Sunset stated they were already planning on conquering Equestria making their actions seemingly no worse than what Sunset was already planning negating the impetus for their redemption. Thus many fans [[FanWank assumed she was only faking remorse to get off easier]] until the sequel ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks Rainbow Rocks]]'' pulled a SalvagedStory by having the school [[ReformedButRejected be just as unforgiving and distrustful of Sunset]] putting her thought enough hardship for her redemption to feel earned (so successfully it contributed to later series redemptions, and [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Starlight Glimmer's]] in [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic the parent series]], to also seem unearned for [[ToughActToFollow failing to measure up to it]]). Although it may still be difficult for some to sympathize with Sunset being treated in a hostile manner by the other students even though she has improved, making the moral of the story seeming like "you must forgive those who abused you in the past, or you are a bad person" to some people.
** [[spoiler:Wallflower Blush]] from ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsForgottenFriendship Forgotten Friendship]]'' was supposed to be sympathetic due to years of resenting [[ForgettableCharacter being ignored and forgotten]] boiling over when Sunset Shimmer's [[InnocentlyInsensitive disregard]] made them think Sunset was undeserving of [[HeelFaceTurn her redemption]] and popularity. But [[spoiler:aside from her introduction where it's unclear how hard she tried, Wallflower was never shown trying to get noticed, and admitted to [[LaserGuidedAmnesia erasing embarrassing memories of herself]]]] making their problems seem self-inflicted. Sunset was never any more guilty of disregarding them than rest of the school, causing some to go so far as to compare singling out Sunset, [[RevengeByProxy then her friends]], out for random revenge with [[ArtifactOfDoom a dangerous item]] to a school shooting. %%Entry approved at https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15194292110A03429900&page=9#comment-211 Don't edit without approval

** Queen Novo was [[https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvnH2CNVtKw/WfTUtLCH9AI/AAAAAAAC41Y/98wEO0DjrBgiMPwxU933lCAAtOwfZ5AnQCLcBGAs/s1600/Capture.JPG the least popular new main character]] despite being the BigGood. She was meant to be a benevolent queen initially refusing to fight the Storm King due to not wanting to endanger her people or risking her powerful Pearl of Transformation falling into the wrong hands, but would have been persuaded to help fight if not for [[spoiler:Twilight attempting to steal the Pearl]] due to being too quick to lose trust in Novo. But due to them being the first thing to come to Princess Celestia's mind when the Storm King invaded[[note]][[ProductionLeadTime it was written before the gained other possible allies]] in [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic the series]][[/note]], many thought Novo was an ally under expectation or obligation to aid the heroes only to be inexplicably distrustful toward them (''Literature/TheStormyRoadToCanterlot'' would [[AllThereInTheManual justify that]] but it's canonically suspect and not alluded to in ''The Movie''). The Storm King and his army being defeated by [[spoiler:thirteen ragtag individuals without the Pearl]] made Novo and her people look [[DirtyCoward excessively cowardly]] for running and hiding rather than standing and fighting against such seemingly easy to beat foe. Even many who defend her actions as pragmatically justifiable felt Novo's lack of positive contribution left her and her people [[spoiler:(save Princess Skystar who Novo grounded over)]] having done nothing to deserve their happy ending after abandoning Equestria in its hour of need.

* ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'': Vanellope. While Ralph is justifiably called out for being overprotective and clingy with her, Vanellope's own misdeeds don't draw much condemnation from the narrative or any of the characters (even those who suffer most from them). To wit -- she seems to show little appreciation for Ralph's enormously impressive effort to save ''Sugar Rush''; ''she'' was the one responsible for breaking the arcade by stealing control to use the shortcut Ralph made during the day (as opposed to waiting for a player to try it or trying it herself after-hours); and [[spoiler:she decides to abandon her own game for ''Slaughter Race'' and never bothers to discuss the move or its ramifications with the people she's leaving behind, such as Ralph and the other ''Sugar Rush'' racers. There's also the fact that permanently game-jumping was overwhelmingly associated with the BigBad in [[WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph the previous movie]] -- a move from which Vanellope herself heavily suffered, as said villain was shown to have usurped her life]]. The original film even treated Ralph [[spoiler:game-jumping without considering the consequences]] negatively, and he did it never intending to [[spoiler:be gone permanently]] -- not to mention having a much worse situation there than Vanellope does in this film.

* ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'': Belle is meant to be sympathetic in her SmallTownBoredom and in feeling out of place as a bookworm and a dreamer among her small-minded neighbors. Some viewers see her as a snob, however, who looks down on her neighbors for the simple fact that, as poor, hardworking peasants, they have no time for books or dreams of adventure. The fact that Belle is literate at all, that she has plenty of time to read rather than working, and that her father is an inventor with no apparent "real job," has convinced many viewers that she and Maurice must be much wealthier than their neighbors (although the film never says so), which make her "snobbery" seem even worse. And this doesn't even touch on critics' claims of Stockholm Syndrome in her relationship with the Beast.

** In the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls1 the first movie]], [[BigBad Sunset Shimmer]] transforming into [[BigRedDevil a demon]] then brainwashing Canterlot High and trying to murder the heroes was supposed to be her [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide corrupted]] into [[EvenEvilHasStandards worse than she, who previously refused to harm Spike, would willfully act]] thus her [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone remorse]] and HeelFaceTurn afterward. But this [[PetTheDog one moment]] was offset by Sunset's otherwise entirely [[AlphaBitch cruel and manipulative actions]] throughout the movie, with her origin-story comic making it look like she was aways [[SpoiledBrat this way]] rather than turning cruel as Princess Celestia stated. Demon Sunset stated they were already planning on conquering Equestria making their actions seemingly no worse than what Sunset was already planning negating the impetus for their redemption. Thus many fans [[FanWank assumed she was only faking remorse to get off easier]] until the sequel ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks Rainbow Rocks]]'' pulled a SalvagedStory by having the school [[ReformedButRejected be just as unforgiving and distrustful of Sunset]] putting her thought enough hardship for her redemption to feel earned (so successfully it contributed to later series redemptions, and [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Starlight Glimmer's]] in [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic the parent series]], to also seem unearned for [[ToughActToFollow failing to measure up to it]]).

* ''WesternAnimation/OpenSeason'': Elliot is supposed to be seen as a foolish but well-meaning character who [[IJustWantToHaveFriends just wants to befriend Boog]] since he is regularly bullied by [[JerkJock Ian]] and hunted down by [[BigBad Shaw]]. That being said, he gets Boog in trouble with the law, relocated from his loving owner, and humiliated in the forest. He twists the knife by revealing he never even ''tried'' to get Boog home and just wanted his company. Accordingly, he instead comes off as a self-centered and remorseless jerk.

* ''WesternAnimation/OpenSeason'': Elliot is supposed to be seen as a foolish but well-meaning character who [[IJustWantToHaveFriends just wants to befriend Boog]] since he is regularly bullied by [[JerkJock Ian]] and hunted down by [[BigBad Shaw]]. That being said, he gets Boog in trouble with the law, relocated from his loving owner, and humiliated in the forest. He twists the knife by revealing he never even ''tried'' to get Boog home and just wanted his company. He instead comes off as a self-centered and remorseless jerk.

* Elliot from ''WesternAnimation/OpenSeason''. He's supposed to be seen as a foolish but well-meaning character who [[IJustWantToHaveFriends just wants to befriend Boog]] since he is regularly bullied by [[JerkJock Ian]] and hunted down by [[BigBad Shaw]]. That being said, he gets Boog in trouble with the law, causes Boog to become relocated from his loving owner, repeatedly gets Boog humiliated in the forest, and reveals he never even ''tried'' to get Boog home and just wanted his company, making him come off as a self-centered and remorseless jerk to many.

* ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'': Vanellope. While Ralph is justifiably called out for being overprotective and clingy with her, Vanellope's own misdeeds don't draw much condemnation from the narrative or any of the characters (even those who suffer most from them). To wit -- she seems to show little appreciation for Ralph's enormously impressive effort to save ''Sugar Rush''; ''she'' was the one responsible for breaking the arcade by stealing control to use the shortcut Ralph made during the day (as opposed to waiting for a player to try it, or trying it herself after-hours); and [[spoiler:she decides to abandon her own game for ''Slaughter Race'' and never bothers to discuss the move or its ramifications with the people she's leaving behind, such as Ralph and the other ''Sugar Rush'' racers. There's also the fact that permanently game-jumping was overwhelmingly associated with the BigBad in [[WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph the previous movie]] -- a move from which Vanellope herself heavily suffered, as said villain was shown to have usurped her life]]. The original film even treated Ralph [[spoiler:game-jumping without considering the consequences]] negatively, and he did it never intending to [[spoiler:be gone permanently]] -- not to mention having a much worse situation there than Vanellope does in this film.