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9* ''Literature/{{Achoo}}'': The cow can be a bit blunt with her descriptions of the other animals' misbehaviour, but she means well.
10* ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio'': Pinocchio himself is not the friendliest person ever, but he is still a selfless "boy" who would help unknown people and even antagonists provided they haven't done a grave fault. It is also clear that he loves his parental figures. The Fairy states that Pinocchio is this, because he had wept over her supposed grave, noting that despite his faults he does have a heart and therefore he has a chance of redemption.
11* Henny in ''Literature/AllOfAKindFamily'' is devious and likes to cause trouble for people, but nonetheless cares deeply for her sisters and baby brother. She was also quick to defend Guido, a young orphan boy who was being harassed by a shopkeeper, and when she conned a doll from a charity, she ended up giving it to a homeless girl.
12* Gilbert Blythe of ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' starts off the series this way. He calls the girls names and pins their braids to their seats, but always apologizes for going too far (like [[BerserkButton calling a certain red-head "Carrots"]]). Eventually, he outgrows the jerk side.
13** In Gilbert's case this is actually something of a SubvertedTrope. Among all the girls except Anne, it's widely understood that Gilbert is just a NiceGuy who teases the girls he likes (which is not uncommon for 11-year-olds).
14** There are also Mr. Harrison and Norman Douglas.
15* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl''. Played straight from the second book onwards, where Artemis has moments of genuine concern for his allies, and the fairies go from being EnemyMine to being friends.
16** Commander Root also fits the trope really well.
17* ''Literature/AscendanceOfABookworm'': When introducing an annoying ManChild named Sylvester to Myne, Ferdinand promises that he has a good heart under his terrible "everything else". This is confirmed when he gives up on an exchange of chefs after being told the chefs he wanted to obtain were trained to work in very new type of business their employer invested a lot in and later donates the meat from a hunt to an orphanage.
18* ''Literature/BazilBroketail'':
19** Bazil is this towards Relkin. He tends to belittle him and underappreciate his services, but he still treats him as his little brother and is always there for him. It's actually a really common tendency among dragons and their dragonboys. The former may act outwardly dismissive or downright nasty towards the latter, but they are in fact very protective of them and threatening or harming the dragon's (or dragoness') boy in any way is the shortest route to pushing their BerserkButton.
20** Ribela of Defwode spent many years travelling in the ethereal void with no contact with any other human being, working against the Enemy from the shadows. As a result, when she is called back to the real world, she quickly turns out to have the social skills of Attila the Hun. She is abrasive, hardly appreciates other people's efforts, tends to make backhanded compliments when she ''does'' try to show appreciation and [[DoesNotLikeMen holds prejudices towards men]]. Still, she is generally well-meaning and firmly on the side of good. Also, [[DefrostingTheIceQueen she does gain some humility and warm up throughout the series]].
21** Swane is blunt and reckless, often acting nastily towards other dragonboys and endangering himself or others. However, he is still a loyal companion who does care about his teammates.
22** Despite his aggressive demeanor, Rakama is still a loyal companion who eventually befriends his biggest rival in 109th and truly cares about his colleagues, as evidenced when he beats up a young UpperClassTwit in retaliation for assaulting their fellow dragonboy Curf.
23** Alsebra, the dragoness who joins the 109th Dragon Squadron in book three, is rough around the edges, likes to show off her superior intelligence to other dragons, hates being nice and can be whimsical at times, but is otherwise also quite personable and truly cares about her squadmates -- dragons and humans alike.
24** In spite of his all his flaws — arrogance and prejudices in particular —Count Trego repeatedly proves that he is a decent man at heart. Though he considers himself superior to General Baxander (who, despite his rank, is a commoner with no title), he does not rub it in his face and cooperates with him just fine. Also despite his biases towards women, he still treats them with respect. Moreover, he eventually sheds his prejudices entirely and develops a genuine bond of companionship with his Argonathi allies — including Lessis.
25* Creator/DavidEddings likes this one. Silk, Belgarath, and Beldin in ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', Sparhawk in ''Literature/TheElenium''...
26** In the ''Belgariad'', Prince Kheldar (aka, Silk) is a spy/merchant/assassin/thief (usually simultaneously), is constantly throwing smartass remarks into people's faces, and he's known to purposely needle minor characters by talking about identified weak spots--whether it's purposely getting history wrong, or just exposing them to his own memorable personality. Likewise, Beldin likes annoying Belgarath, who is also capable of messing with people. It definitely says something about the average level of personal interaction in this universe that ''Polgara'' is the TeamMom of the bunch, despite having a personality abrasive enough to strip paint. On the other hand, they do care deeply about their friends and family, and don't (usually) don't indulge in gratuitious collateral damage.
27* In ''Literature/TheBookOfTheDunCow'', Chauntecleer the rooster's HairTriggerTemper causes him to constantly verbally abuse Mundo Cani, and he can sometimes be quite selfish. However, he is also the leader of the good guys and shows many times that he does care about his wife, land, and people.
28* ''Literature/BooksOfTheRaksura'': In ''The Cloud Roads'', Selis acts perpetually aggrieved with everyone around her, but was a SecretSecretKeeper for Moon because he was kind and reliable, and later risks her safety to give him some much-needed help. She thaws a bit after leaving the village, implying she was just [[SourOutsideSadInside miserable living there]].
29* Rosa Hubermann of ''Literature/TheBookThief''.
30* ''Literature/CaptivePrince'': Prince Laurent is publicly known as a "cast-iron bitch" and is outright cruel to Damen at first, but has fleeting, carefully hidden moments of kindness. He has a good relationship [[NiceToTheWaiter with the palace slaves]] and, once they're alone, teaches a few tricks to a child who'd just lost a family member.
31* ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' has Willy Wonka. He is a cheerful and pleasant person most of the time -- really FunPersonified -- and a zig-zagged BenevolentBoss with regards to his Oompa-Loompas (his workers and test subjects). His [[TheWonka eccentric nature]] does have downsides, however. He's an InsufferableGenius, and those who don't heed his instructions and warnings and get themselves into trouble in his crazy world will get NoSympathy from him; he's [[SkewedPriorities often more concerned about their trouble affecting his sweets]] and a DeadpanSnarker with regards to their fates. Still, he ''does'' try to get them rescued/restored by any means possible as soon as possible; even in the darkest adaptation, the [[Theatre/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory 2013 stage musical]], it's possible that two brats' [[DeathByAdaptation demises]] can be reworked into offstage DisneyDeath. And while he doesn't always show it, he is quite capable of empathy, concern, kindness, and incredible generosity to those he finds worthy.
32* James Adams in the Literature/CHERUBSeries fits this trope nicely.
33* Several characters in ''Literature/ChroniclesOfMagic''; most notably being Skeeter Traps, who tends to show her concern for others via punching and insulting them.
34* Dedicate Rosethorn from the ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' books is irritable, snarky, refuses any and all help when she desperately needs it, and constantly threatens gruesome deaths on her charges. Yet she gives a great deal of herself helping others - nursing the sick and restoring medicines in ''Briar's Book'', leaving Summersea to save the village in Melting Stones (never mind that she's just returned from a war and is completely spiritually exhausted). She also adores her student, Briar, however much she tries not to show it.
35** Tris also is like this, and so are some of the other teachers and secondary characters, like Dedicate Crane.
36* Lord Wyldon of Cavall from the Literature/TortallUniverse is a bit of a jerk towards women, believing that they should StayInTheKitchen and putting Keladry of Mindelan on probation for her first year as a page, despite the law that says that noble girls can try for knighthood. On the other hand, he has a sense of honor and fair play, feels ashamed upon realizing that he almost refused to let Kel continue despite how good she was, and admits that she may be the best knight he ever trained.
37* In ''Literature/ClaudiusTheGod'', Claudius describes his lifelong friend Herod Agrippa as "a scoundrel with a golden heart." His description of what this entails is classic Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
38* ''Literature/ACourtOfThornsAndRoses'':
39** Lucien makes it no secret that he despised Feyre and wouldn't mind her getting killed when she first comes to live in Prythian, in no small part due to the feeling being mutual. However, he later grows to genuinely care for her and tries to be a good friend.
40** Feyre, in all the books. In the first, she's racist and suspicious of the Fae, but gradually shows a more compassionate side to them. In the second and third, her compassion is often hidden by coldness and anger, but it's still very present for her friends, both her races and her people.
41** Rhys's secretive nature and plotting make him mysterious at best and outright cruel at worst; no one knows what he's thinking, and he'll do anything to get the results he wants, including mock, drug, or torture. The cruelty is just an aloof act, however. His secrecy ''is'' genuine and does cause him to make mistakes or hurt others, but Rhys is actually quite kind, giving positions to those the rest of Pyrithian considers undeserving, pushing for social reform to help the oppressed women and lesser Fae, and helping Feyre through her abuse and trauma in the second book.
42* Courtney Milan's ''Cyclone'' series has Adam [[SirSwearsALot Fucking]] Reynolds - a billionaire tech entrepreneur who's foul-mouthed, foul-tempered, blunt, and hypercritical of everyone around him, a well-meaning but seriously imperfect father who kept his son in the spotlight from infancy, and [[spoiler: a cocaine addict]]. WordOfGod is that his real-life models included Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, and Mark Zuckerberg. But, while his company has some ethical issues, he can usually be counted on to do the right thing in a real crunch, he's very receptive to criticism, and he has [[EveryoneHasStandards standards]]. (He's also a fan favorite verging on MemeticBadass.)
43* Superintendent Andrew Dalziel from the ''Literature/DalzielAndPascoe'' novels and TV series. He comes across as your typical overweight northern alcoholic bigot; but if you serve under him, despite the verbal abuse you'll get, he'll do his damnedest to fight tooth and nail for you. He's is an overweight, apparently bigotted, sexist old-fashioned copper who insults just about everyone he meets. On the other hand, he will fight like hell to protect any member of his team, did everything he could to advance Peter Pascoe's career (in the novel where Pascoe's promotion to Inspector is announced, it is revealed that Dalziel kept the news back from him initially because Pascoe's friends had just been murdered and Dalziel wanted him to be in a position where he could enjoy the news) and took the announcement of Wield's homosexuality in his stride and did everything he could to protect him from a genuinely bigotted superior.
44* All ''three'' of the main protagonists in ''Literature/DeepSecret'' are this. Rupert is a self-centered workaholic who has a tendency to miss the forest for the trees, but it's partially to stop himself from caring ''too much'' about his job and becoming emotionally ruined. Maree is an IronWoobie who's life is currently at a ''serious'' rough patch, who's developed an extremely prickly exterior to keep herself from hurting even more. And Nick is, well, [[TeensAreMonsters fourteen.]] (But he also has an overbearing mother he's trying to push away.)
45* Commander Sam Vimes, of the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' City Watch, is reputed as a hard-faced, hardheaded, cynical, foul-tempered, arrogant thug. Yet even the most dangerous mob boss in the city respects him as a straight-arrow, unbribeable (and though this is helped by his being the wealthiest man in the city, he was giving half his pay before that to the widows and orphans of the Watch), almost painfully-upright man who ''always'' does the right thing and never lets the Watch overstep its authority. He is, in fact, one of the most powerful authorities in the city, who hates and distrusts authority -- as the Patrician says, "practically Zen".
46** {{Invoked|Trope}} and demolished with regards to Albert, Death's manservant. "And it's no good thinking you can appeal to my better nature under this here crusty exterior, 'cos my interior's pretty damn crusty as well." [[spoiler: He ''was'' the head of Unseen University at its most cutthroat, after all.]]
47** Despite her intimidating demeanor, Granny Weatherwax is a good witch, albeit with much reluctance. She's hard and sharp as flint, but that's because she likes to test people; as Tiffany Aching notes in ''Literature/AHatFullOfSky'', witches do their hardest work on "the edge" (between life and death, right and wrong, and so on), and "the edge is no place for people to break."
48*** In ''Literature/{{Wintersmith}}'', Granny makes very, very sure that Tiffany is out of sight before she takes in the kitten Tiffany left on her doorstep. She has a reputation to maintain.
49** Moist von Lipwig fits this to a degree (though he is more of a reformed GentlemanThief), in that all his plans are self-serving, but he usually manages to do a ton of good deeds along the way. In ''Literature/MakingMoney'', he reflects: "Am I really a bastard or am I just really good at thinking like one?"
50** Nobby. Vimes probably sums him up best when he describes him as someone you can trust with your life — but you'd be daft to trust him with half a dollar.
51** Rincewind is sarcastic, can be a bit mean spirited and insists that he's a DirtyCoward who cares only about himself. However, he's "a good man at heart" and is not as selfish as he pretends to be.
52** Maurice the talking cat is snarky, self-centered, and contemptuous of just about everybody. [[spoiler: When he and Dangerous Beans, one of the talking rats of the troupe he travels with, are both killed, he sacrifices one of his nine lives to save Dangerous Beans. He notes that at least once he returns to the land of the living he won't remeber it, so he can keep up his own self-image.]]
53* Vidia from the ''Literature/DisneyFairies'' series is usually described as the nastiest fairy, and has been shown time and again to be condescending to others, and only care about herself. Yet in ''Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg'', she shared the last of her dust to save Neverland, and has occasionally shown a soft spot for Prilla.
54** Taken much further in the movies. In ''Great Fairy Rescue'', Vidia gets Tink captured by humans but feels regret almost immediately. She goes for help and leads the expedition to rescue Tinker Bell, admitting her mistake when they were almost at the house. Later, she pushes Tink out the way and is trapped in a jar, and when rescued by the same fairy that she saved earlier, she becomes [[SixthRanger a permanent member of Tink's gang.]]
55* ''Literature/DragonAndDamsel'': Azrael the Third is temperamental, and gets angry if Bernadette brings up certain topics or investigates things personal to him. But he never attacks her, saves her life even after she entered his family tomb, and heals her wounds.
56* ''Literature/EarthAnd'': Gradin. He's the grumpiest misanthrope in any sector of space and grumbles in every scene he's in. He also agrees to teach Jarra to fly, [[BigDamnHeroes regularly rescues people in trouble even when he thinks they're idiots]], takes part in saving Athens from fire and gets the authorities data on the type of radiation that has spiked in New York, meaning that people can be treated quickly.
57* Jondalar, the secondary protagonist of ''Literature/EarthsChildren'', has anger and jealousy issues and can be a bit of a judgmental dick at times, but has a kind and generous heart at his core. He regrets causing harm to others, tends to hurt people more out of thoughtlessness than malice and will do his best to make amends.
58* ''Literature/{{Edgedancer}}'' (a novella of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive''): Stump is unpleasant, off-putting and seems to really dislike the children she's supposed to take care of as the owner of an orphanage, often assuming that they fake illnesses to get free food and bedding. As it turns out, some of this is an act - she literally cannot take as many children as she should or would like to, because she has neither the space nor funding, so she tries to scare them away instead. [[spoiler:Also, she's a burgeoning Truthwatcher and is unconsciously healing the children, which is why they always seem to "give up the act" after a few days]].
59* The title character of ''{{Literature/Eloise}}''. While certain parents take offence at her being ThePrankster, in reality Eloise is shown especially in the adaptations as a caring, generous person, giving gifts to Plaza Hotel employees and the less fortunate.
60* Jago Tlaloc in ''{{Literature/EndgameTrilogy}}''
61* Prince Octavian in ''[[Literature/TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms The Fairy Godmother]]'' wasn't bullying his youngest brother for the heck of it, he was trying to be CruelToBeKind and make Julian into "a Real Man".
62* Carrick from ''Literature/{{Flawed}}'' is rough around the edges and first treats Celestine coldly, but quickly warms up to her and proves to be a loyal, caring, and brave friend.
63* Both Alexander and Rachael from ''Literature/FortHope'' qualify. They start off as fairly unsympathetic figures, but they redeem themselves by the end of the novel.
64* Hank the Cowdog from [[Literature/HankTheCowdog the series of the same name]] isn't nearly as strong as he boasts he is, as smart as he boasts he is, or as charismatic as he boasts he is...but when the cards are down and someone's in danger, he still charges into battle as though he was.
65* ''Literature/HarryPotter'' has a number of examples, as a number of the "good guys" are still jerks on more than some occasions.
66** Sirius Black and as his best friend, James Potter fit as well. Numerous flashbacks show them being downright cruel to Snape on numerous occasions, and Lily originally disliked James for being a bully. However they seemed to be relatively popular and well liked and actively fought against Voldemort and the Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War.
67** While not a huge jerk, Horace Slughorn seems to be rather more concerned about his influence and knowing famous people than being a decent person, as well as being a bit 'old fashioned' (He seems to find the idea of [[FantasticRacism muggle-borns being really good witches novel]] but doesn't hold it against said witches and seems pleased by the surprise). However, [[spoiler:his terrible guilt over revealing how to make [[SoulJar Horcruxes]] to the young Tom Riddle as well as his willingness to personally fight Voldemort in the final book]] show that there's more to him than connections and influence.
68** Ron fits as well. Despite being [[DownplayedTrope considerably nicer]] than many examples, he is rather [[FieryRedhead hot-tempered]] and throws a number of fits when he is displeased with Harry and [[BelligerentSexualTension Hermione]]. Of course, when his best friends are [[BadassBookworm probably the most capable witch their age]] and TheChosenOne it's easy to feel like the third wheel, and in the end one of his defining traits is his UndyingLoyalty to his friends and family.
69* ''Literature/TheHeartsWeSold'' has at least three.
70** Gremma, Dee's roommate, is HotBlooded and sarcastic, and tends to lean towards a "punch first, ask questions later" mentality. However, she's Dee's closest friend in the world, and steps up to the plate when Dee needs her help.
71** Cora is an IceQueen [[spoiler:who once had someone killed for unknown reasons]], but she's the TeamMom, and [[spoiler:throws herself up against the Daemon, who she knows is dangerous when he's angry, to try and stop Riley from making a DealWithTheDevil, a choice that Cora thinks will ruin her life. (Riley's desperate enough that she doesn't care, but it was nice of Cora to try.)]]
72** The Daemon himself. He's cold, aloof, cynical, and prone to flashes of frightening anger, but [[spoiler:he's trying to prevent the world from being destroyed]], and he has rare PetTheDog moments that hint that ''does'' see the heartless troops as more than just a means to an end. In his case, it's more like a heart of bronze buried beneath several layers of ice, but still.
73* Literature/HerculePoirot frequently comes over as a vain, arrogant, egotistical jerkass, but underneath it all has a genuinely kind, decent heart.
74** Mr. Rafiel in ''[[Literature/MissMarple A Caribbean Mystery]]'' initially comes across as an impossibly rude old rich bastard, but turns out to be a surprisingly kind man under all his bluster. He and Miss Marple become fast friends over the course of the story. It also becomes clear that at least some of his rudeness and ill temper stems from poor health and chronic pain rather than his innate personality. He's well aware of his faults, and has a deep and genuine gratitude to those close to him for putting up with him.
75* [[HistoricalDomainCharacter LBJ, of all people]] in [[Literature/TheMirage The Mirage]]. Despite being an [[TheGeneralissimo Authoritarian Tyrant]] who [[GeneralRipper constantly wages wars of conquest]] and ruthlessly [[ThePurge worked to exterminate]] the [[AssholeVictim Kennedy]] [[HereditaryRepublic Dynasty]] he did also work to dismantle the [[AbsoluteXenophobe Southern Segregation system]] and seemed to legitimatly belive he was [[TheFundamentalist doing God's work]] by trying to unify America under a somewhat competent government as opposed to a patchwork of Tinpot Dictators of Warlords. Kinda [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] by the fact that every once in a while his personality switches to that of '''our world's LBJ ''', so it could be assumed that all the good stuff is done in that state while the Mirage LBJ is nothing more than an irredeamable scumbag.
76* Zaphod in ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' -- literally. He's a jerk, and he has the Heart of Gold.
77** Ford Prefect veers in and out of this trope - he's something of an asshole, but he ''did'' save his best friend Arthur from certain death and is passionately opposed to cruelty to any animal but geese.
78** Despite this, he did at one point (while trapped on Earth thousands of years in the past) take up cruelty to animals as a hobby, and has hinted that he is responsible for the shape of the giraffe's neck.
79* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': Katniss admits herself that she's not very friendly. There are quite a few times throughout the series where she has angry/rude outbursts. But they are often caused by the various stressful situations she's thrown into and the CrapsackWorld she lives in. Regardless, she still has a kind heart and would sacrifice anything in order to protect the people that she loves.
80** And [[TheAlcoholic Haymitch Abernathy]] has a prickly exterior that would put a cactus to shame, and is an unrepentant DeadpanSnarker, but under that, cares about all the Tributes he's mentored, and [[spoiler: is part of the underground resistance to the Capitol.]]
81* In ''Literature/IHaveNoMouthAndIMustScream'', UnreliableNarrator Ted had gone mad with [[ProperlyParanoid paranoia]] years ago and believed the others were out to get him, quietly resenting them in turn. Yet when push came to shove, he manages to prove HumansAreFlawed rather than the outright [[HumansAreBastards bastards]] [[BigBad AM]] labeled them, as at the earliest opportunity he's able to MercyKill everyone else and end their suffering while [[HeroicSacrifice turning down the opportunity to save himself]] knowing full well AM would inflict [[AndIMustScream unimaginable suffering upon him for this]].
82* Ronan Lynch from ''Literature/TheRavenCycle.'' He's a brooding, violent punk who will pick a fight with anyone, but he adopts a baby raven and loves his friends and family dearly (with the exception of his older brother, [[JerkAss Declan]]).
83** Started out as just a plain {{Jerkass}}, but after more character development in the second book [[TookALevelInKindness he got upgraded]]. Declan, however, stayed a {{Jerkass}}.
84%% * Kyle from ''Literature/TheHost2008''.
85%% * Aphrodite from ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight''.
86* Gabriel Lightwood from ''Literature/TheInfernalDevices''. He's surprisingly patient with Tessa while training her. Of course his {{Jerkass}} side comes out when he's frustrated and he is prone to taking out his anger on other people. He becomes much nicer in ''The Clockwork Princess'' when [[spoiler:his father is turned into a demon as a result of demon pox and he is forced to stay at the Institute.]]
87* Brendan Sealock, in William Barton and Michael Capobianco's collab novel ''Iris'', is a [[SophisticatedAsHell crude]], [[JerkJock cocky]], [[InsufferableGenius snarky]], and [[BloodKnight rather brutal]] GeniusBruiser...who occasionally displays a hint of a softer side. ("[[HiddenHeartOfGold Occasionally]]" being the operating word.)
88* ''Literature/ThatIrresistiblePoison'' by AlessandraHazard: Ksar is usually a jerk, but deep down, he cares about those close to him, and tries to do the right thing.
89* Nathan Hillary in ''Literature/KillTimeOrDieTrying'' is arguably this. His behaviour seem to be the result of an effort to keep things interesting rather than genuine malice.
90%%* Henry Bacon from ''Literature/TheLastDragonChronicles''.
91* In ''Literature/TheLongEarth'', Lobsang is a very arrogant AI/reincarnated Tibetan mechanic, but ultimately does care for the safety and values the friendship of Joshua Valiente.
92* Max herself from ''Literature/MaximumRide''. She can be particularly rude and such to other people, but she undeniably cares about the Flock and her mom and biological sister.
93* Gerald, Duke of Denver, the elder brother of ''Literature/LordPeterWimsey'' is an English country nobleman of the first water; a stubborn, reactionary, HotBlooded BoisterousBruiser. However, when given the choice between his own life and that of an innocent woman ([[spoiler:The woman is his mistress, and she is married to a deeply abusive man. Denver is accused of murder and she could provide him with an alibi, but then her husband would almost certainly beat her to death.]]) he chooses the former without hesitation. He is also extremely jerkish to Harriet Vane, but is so only out of concern for his brother's well-being. Harriet is of significantly lower status than the Wimseys and has ''quite'' the reputation and he is afraid she might be a GoldDigger. Once he is satisfied that she really loves his brother, he gives them permission to marry immediately and without comment.
94* The title character of the ''Literature/MediochreQSethSeries'' is an InsufferableGenius DeadpanSnarker with no respect for anyone except himself and his friends. He is, however, shown to be respectful and considerate to those who ''are'' his friends. He has a sort of {{Foil}} in the minor character of Professor God (yes, he actually [[BlasphemousBoast named himself after God]]), who ''also'' has a heart of gold but is so arrogant even ''Mediochre'' feels uncomfortable around him.
95* There are several examples among the prisoners in ''Literature/TheMentalState'', but Zack, the main character, is arguably the best example. He is perfectly willing to manipulate, humiliate and injure the people he supposedly cares about. It is difficult to tell how much he actually cares for people, being a sociopath, but there are several hints throughout the story that he is more sympathetic than he lets on. This is proven to be true in the final chapter in which he risks his life for someone he once loved.
96* Alec Lightwood and Jace Wayland from ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments''. Alec only acts like a {{Jerkass}} because he's [[ManlyGay scared of Clary stealing Jace from him.]] [[LoveRedeems He lightens up when he meets Magnus, though.]] Jace is introduced as a [[TheFightingNarcissist narcissistic, sarcastic young Shadowhunter]], but he lightens up when he meets Clary, making it another case of LoveRedeems. [[spoiler:It's heavily implied that Jace's {{Jerkass}} tendencies come from [[AbusiveParents being raised by Valentine]]]]
97* Bruce the bear from the ''Mother Bruce'' series is short-tempered, grouchy and rude, but he ''does'' have a soft side, especially when it comes to his adopted goslings.
98* ''Literature/MrMen'': Mr. Clever and Little Miss Splendid are both egotistical, arrogant and tend to overestimate how clever/splendid they are, but it's shown in a number of stories and episodes of [[WesternAnimation/MrMenAndLittleMiss the 90s cartoon]] that they are far from bad people.
99* The ''No, David!'' books follow the formula that, as much of a hyperactive BrattyHalfPint David may be, at the end of the day he's still a kid with a good heart.
100* Nezumi from ''Literature/No6'' is nasty to most people, and violent at the very least provocation. But he also sings to Dogkeeper's dying pack members to ease their suffering, to say nothing of what he'll do [[HoYay where Shion is concerned]].
101* Sachar in ''Literature/{{Oblomov}}''. But he doesn't show his good side [[spoiler:until his master, the title character, dies.]]
102* Harvey in the ''Literature/OrigamiYoda'' books is this. Despite being rude to most of the other kids at his school, he joins them [[spoiler: against Rabbski.]] The others are OK with this, albeit grudgingly.
103* Willie Woodley from ''Literature/OutOfTheEasy'' isn't the nicest person around, however, she does care for the protagonist Josie in a way that Josie's mother, Louise, never did.
104* Raffe from ''Literature/PenrynAndTheEndOfDays'', acts aloof and belittling towards Penryn but [[spoiler:towards the end of ''Angelfall'', he does stupid things just to help her, up to and including risking his life at gunpoint to return her to her family]].
105* There are many, many world-weary, cynical characters in Boris Strugatsky's ''The Powerless Ones of this World''. While one of them is a genuine {{Jerkass}}, the others, despite having grown to be nasty old men that had explicitly given up on trying to achieve anything good or worthwhile with their superpowers, do at least come through to [[BigDamnHeroes rescue]] the main character Vadim (a fellow pupil of [[TricksterMentor "the Sensei"]]) from a tight spot.
106* Mr. Darcy from ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'' combines this with TallDarkAndSnarky. Miss Elizabeth's impression of him is clouded by his [[JerkassHasAPoint disdain for the behaviour of her other family members]] and his rudeness to [[BitchInSheepsClothing Mr. Wickham]]. However, Mr. Darcy is also very kind to his sister, [[HeterosexualLifePartners his close friend Mr. Bingley]], and [[NiceToTheWaiter his servants]], and as the novel goes on [[HeelRealization becomes aware of the problems with his behaviour]] and lets Miss Elizabeth know that he really does care for her.
107* ''Literature/ProjectTau'': The scientist Renfield doesn't show the Projects any more sympathy or compassion than his colleagues do, but he's the only one who actively stops Dennison from going too far, and attempts to set things right for Kalin.
108* ''Literature/QualiaThePurple'': Tenjou acts like a jerk towards Yukari but has actually always been doing her best to try to understand her better. This attitude only manifested after the event in their past.
109* Warbeak in ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' is an AxCrazy pest at first, but grows to become a loyal friend to [[TheHero Matthias]].
110* ''Literature/ReignOfTheSevenSpellblades'': Following a pretty brutal one-two punch of BreakTheHaughty in volumes 2 and 3, Joseph Albright matures from his original ArrogantKungFuGuy image into this trope. He's still a grouchy hardass, but he's shifted from [[CatchphraseInsult dismissing weaker classmates as "nobodies"]] to using his skills to help teach them so they can [[InsultOfEndearment stop being "nobodies"]], starting with Pete Reston as an understated thank-you for helping save his life.
111* The title character of ''Literature/RottenRalph'' decidedly [[CatsAreMean lives up to his name]], but he is a good cat deep down and he cares for his owner Sarah.
112* ''Literature/RoysBedoys'': Roys is sometimes disobedient or rude, but he never means to be truly bad and always makes up for his misdeeds.
113* Both Florida and Tiller from Sharon Creech's ''Ruby Holler''. They bond because of their similarity.
114* Gideon from ''Literature/TheRubyRedTrilogy''. Charlotte sometimes shows a softer side as well, though she's usually a very cold person.
115* Resus Negative from ''Scream Street'' may be skeptical, sarcastic and hot-tempered, but also means well.
116* ''Literature/TheSecretGarden'': Ben Weatherstaff, who believes that he and Mary are alike.
117** Mary and Colin themselves. The difference is that they don't end the book that way.
118* Marcia Overstrand in ''Literature/SeptimusHeap''. While most of the time she is an annoying bossy complainer, she cares deeply about Jenna and Septimus when they're in trouble.
119* Daylen in ''Literature/ShadowOfTheConqueror,'' is a self-admitted PsychopathicManchild, but he also earnestly wants to [[TheAtoner be a better man]], defend the innocent, [[MustMakeAmends make amends]] to the world, and [[GoodFeelsGood do good]].
120-->'''Sain:''' "So, he's secretly a softie?"\
121'''Ahrek:''' "[[HiddenHeartOfGold Deep down, yes.]]"
122* [[Creator/SimonaAhrnstedt Simona Ahrnstedt's]] male protagonists have a tendency to be this. Seth in "Överenskommelser" and Markus in "De skandalösa" are especially prone to being jerks, but Gabriel in "De skandalösa" has his bad moments too. And yet, they always turn out to not be so bad after all...
123* ''Literature/SheilaRaeTheBrave'': Sheila Rae may be a show-off, and she does tie Wendell up and growl at animals, but she also cares greatly about Louise, getting her teddy back from Capone the dog and attacking the monster that was apparently in her closet.
124* OlderThanRadio: Literature/SherlockHolmes. Can be kind of a conceited asshole (especially toward the police detectives and poor Watson); but he more than once shows genuine kindness and concern for the well-being of his clients, and occasionally fails at hiding his genuine affection for Watson (particularly when Watson is hurt or endangered in some way). At one point he gives Watson a large sum of money by purchasing his medical practice for a very high price, but does it secretly through a relative so that Watson only learns of his involvement and generosity years later.
125* ''Literature/{{Skellig}}'': Skellig is cynical, snarky and rude, but he's a good guy at heart. [[spoiler:He helps cure Michael's baby sister's condition before disappearing, for no other reason than because he could.]]
126* ''Literature/{{Slugfest}}'': Yash has entitlement issues and admits that he has been a JerkJock who picked on people in the past, but is a lot closer to a LovableJock than a JerkJock for most of the story. He can accept most setbacks and disappointments quickly and knows better than to make efforts at invoking ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections. More importantly, he starts doing nice things for most of the RagtagBunchOfMisfits in his summer school gym class (such as stopping his teammates from destroying a model one of them is carrying) until they evolve into TrueCompanions.
127%%* Both [[IdiotHero Matteo]] and [[TheStoic Asher]] in ''Literature/SomeoneElsesWar''.
128* [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]] with [[JerkassWoobie The Hound]] from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. He's basically a PsychoForHire who does whatever he's told to, but he has a good FreudianExcuse and has a soft spot for [[MoralityPet the Stark sisters]]. But then he does something like [[spoiler: kill a child]] or [[spoiler: [[NearRapeExperience almost rape]] said MoralityPet]] which makes you really doubt it. Overall, he's more of a PsychoForHire with a [[DownplayedTrope very, very tarnished heart of bronze.]]
129 ** Also works with Jaime as the books progress. The jerk in him is easy enough to spot, but after reading his perspective, you realise that from his point of view, all he has ever done is really for love. He fiercely defends Brienne when someone insults her (when she isn't even there), will jump into a bear bit to save Brienne, and has the head of a girl's rapist presented to her. He also warns a man who is interested in said girl to only do something if she wants it.
130* In ''Literature/SpaceMarineBattles'', over-captain Vallax. He's a glory-stealing, egoistic jerkass, but has some (faint) sense of honor and wounds up [[spoiler:comitting HeroicSacrifice to save his men.]]
131* When Russell's sister Cheri is introduced in the second ''Literature/SpellsSwordsAndStealth'' book, she loudly complains about the lack of alcohol, mocks her fellow ''SS&S'' players' newbieish choices in their characters, and is more concerned with what kind of loot they'll get. In contrast to the {{Jerkass}}es that made up the gaming group from the first book, Cheri quickly warms up to the rest of the group and throws all her support behind Russell when he confides to her his suspicions that there's more than meets the eye in the modules he's been running.
132* In the ''Spilling Series'' by Creator/SophieHannah, several characters apply, but none moreso than Simon Waterhouse. Yes, he's arrogant, and his best friend Charlie describes him as "weird and frigid and socially inept", but when push comes to shove he generally ''is'' a good person and he does care about protecting innocent people, as well as [[MoralityPet Charlie]] [[DeadpanSnarker Zailer]].
133* Prospero Beneforte in Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's HistoricalFantasy novel ''Literature/TheSpiritRing'' is egotistical, greedy, and often mean (though not outright cruel) to his daughter Fiametta, and is never without a vicious word denigrating anyone he considers a rival. Even so, he does love his daughter and there are clear signs that his "greed" is the need of a man whose work is costly and who is trying to put together a good dowry so his daughter may marry comfortably. He even laments that the only dowry he may be able to offer is his skills, taught to Fiametta to profit any husband she may take.
134* ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse:'' Booster Terrik is very much this. To most people, and in most situations, he's very much a JerkAss (''especially'' to Corran Horn). He's got a big soft spot [[PapaWolf for his daughter Mirax and adopted son Wedge]], though. And generally when we see Booster, one or the other (if not both) is either present or involved in the same situation.
135* Captain Flint spends most of the first ''Literature/SwallowsAndAmazons'' book as an antagonist. Then the Swallows figure out who stole his manuscript (in the process clearing their own name) and he warms up to them considerably.
136* Ted the [[LivingToys talking teddy bear]] from the ''Literature/TalesFromTheWyrdMuseum'' books comes off as mouthy and abrasive, but eventually begins to truly care for the child protagonist, Neil, regarding him like the son he never had [[spoiler:(Ted is the ghost of an American GI who died in World War II)]].
137* Wakatake of ''Literature/TanteiTeamKZJikenNote'' is egocentric and has a bad temper. However, it is quite obvious that he doesn't seem to have much evil intentions, has a hart of justice, and will help out his friends when the need arises.
138* ''Literature/TimeScout'''s Skeeter Jackson is a thief and a ConMan who ruined people's vacations, even lives. Of course, he had a little bit of an excuse, but, in the end, he was just drifting. He stole, he gambled, he drank, and he gave most of his money to charity. Wait, charity?
139* Ripred the Gnawer (read: rat) from ''Literature/TheUnderlandChronicles'' is this. He's an antisocial semi-loner with only a small band of outcasts around him, and doesn't respect anyone unless they earn it from him. He has his moments, such as in ''Gregor the Overlander'' comforting Gregor after one of the quest members dies and he feels it's his fault, but in ''Gregor and the Code of Claw'', [[spoiler:we learn he had a family that drowned in an event described in ''Gregor and the Mark of Secret''. He had a daughter, named Silksharp, that liked to do math puzzles and was apparently not very strong-bodied. Lizzie, the middle child of Gregor's family, reminds her of him. One of the moments of the book is him comforting Lizzie in the middle of the night after she has a panic attack.]]
140%% Most of the bikers from ''Literature/TheUnexpectedWitness.''
141* "Literature/TheWrongWayToUseHealingMagic" Rose is abusive and puts her rescue team under [[TrainingFromHell a hellish training]], but only so that her team is fast and strong enough to rescue and survive in war.
142* Rose Hathaway from ''Literature/VampireAcademy'' is definitely not the most outwardly kind person, though in ''Blood Promise'' Sydney comments on how Rose seems so friendly and sociable towards her. She has no trouble insulting people, being [[BrutalHonesty Brutally Honest]] with Lissa, and exposing weaknesses in other people (like revealing the dirt-poor background of Mia Rialdi). Yet she also goes our of her way to protect the people she cares about.
143* In William King's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Literature/SpaceWolf'' novel ''Ragnar's Claw'', after the inquisitor tells the injured Ragnor that other Marines have repaired his gear, she tells him that one, Sven, said that he's not an armorer and Ragnar can do it himself next time, whatever the sergeant said. Ragnar laughs and assures her that Sven has a good heart under his harsh manner.
144* Jayfeather from ''Literature/WarriorCats''. He's quite grumpy and sarcastic to the cats around him, but he's completely loyal to his Clan and does care about his Clanmates.
145** Also Yellowfang. She's grumpy, and has a short temper, but the Heart of Gold is definitely there.
146** Clear Sky as well. Sure, first he takes a Level in Jerkass, but later on, his encounters with Gray Wing show there's still a heart
147* Mat Cauthon in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime''. Also, everyone else to a lesser extent.
148-->''The Amyrlin gave an exasperated sigh. “You remind me of my uncle Huan. No one could ever pin him down. He liked to gamble, too, and he’d much rather have fun than work. He died pulling children out of a burning house. He wouldn’t stop going back as long as there was one left inside. Are you like him, Mat? Will you be there when the flames are high?”''
149* Julia in ''Literature/WhenYouReachMe'' could be a jerk at times, even to Annemarie and especially to Miranda, but she truly cared for Annemarie. Miranda even found out that part of how Julia treated her was how she had treated Julia in the past and, after making the first move, Miranda did find Julia to be nice.
150* Both main characters in ''Literature/TheWishList''. Meg can be a spiteful little horror, but quickly cottons on when she has gone too far (such as when she tells Lowrie that "it's a bit late for this life" and then immediately realises the full ramifications of what she has said) or when things are deadly serious (her reaction to Belch's pitbull savaging Lowrie, and her attempts to get Belch to stop the attack; an attempt which saves Lowrie and saves herself from hell.) Lowrie, for his part, is a grumpy old man, but is still sensitive enough to take Meg's issues in life and her desire for retribution against her abusive stepfather seriously. Both characters, in this way, demonstrate hidden sensibilities even if they are outwardly not particularly nice.
151* Vivia of ''Literature/TheWitchlands'' is abrasive, easily annoyed, and when informed that her brother has died, her first reaction is one of pure joy, as one more obstacle in her way has been removed. This being said, she's just as dedicated to the well-being of Nubrevna as Merik is, gives up food she's stockpiled for the poor of Lovats and is absolutely overjoyed upon learning that Merik is alive, not blaming him for his actions as [[TheCowl Fury]] at all and helping him out the best she can.
152* Hareton Earnshaw of ''Literature/WutheringHeights'' is a rude, boorish, illiterate young man prone to inarticulate outbursts of rage -- but he has a hell of a FreudianExcuse (having been raised first by the violent alcoholic Hindley -- who tried to kill him at age two by throwing him off a railing -- and later by [[VillainProtagonist Heathcliff]], who deliberately kept him as uncivilized as possible to ruin his life, and mocked and tormented his whole life by almost everyone he meets) -- but in the end he's willing to stand up to Heathcliff and he ends up proving one of the more decent people in the book.

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