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1-> ''"Right or wrong is not what separates us and our enemies. It's our different standpoints, our perspectives that set us apart. Both sides blame one another. There is no good or bad side. Just two sides with different views."''
2-->-- '''Squall Leonheart''', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII''
3
4In an all-grey conflict, neither side is [[BlackAndWhiteMorality totally good nor completely evil]]. [[BothSidesHaveAPoint Both sides have a strong, justifiable reason for fighting]], and contain a mixture of people of all kinds, from admirable, upstanding individuals to vicious, slimy scumbags.
5
6In most cases, [[ALighterShadeOfGrey one side has better reasons and more good people than the other]]. The protagonists usually fight for this better side, and if they don't, they'll switch sides before the end. While the audience roots for the better side, they still have [[SympatheticPOV sympathy for the opposition]], and often specific characters from the other side will be seen as a WorthyOpponent.
7
8The result of such a conflict depends on where the story lies on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism. At the idealistic end, both sides will eventually realize that fighting is futile and end up putting aside their differences to learn from each other and make a new and better world. At the centre, one side usually ends up crushing the other; this brings about peace, [[PyrrhicVictory but of a hollow, depressing kind]], as a faction with noble ideals has been destroyed. At the cynical end, both sides gradually become more extremist and less sympathetic as the war drags on until eventually [[MightMakesRight the stronger side]] utterly defeats the other, leading to harsh oppression (and/or elimination) of anyone who holds the weaker faction's views, which eventually results in the stronger side [[WrittenByTheWinners writing history books painting them as the noble heroes triumphant against the evil dissidents who threatened their ways]]. That, or both parties simply end up destroying each other, [[DownerEnding so no one wins in the end]].
9
10In some cases, the story will end with both sides [[EnemyMine teaming up]] against an unambiguously evil [[ConflictKiller third faction]], who may even have been [[LetsYouAndHimFight behind the war]] [[GreaterScopeVillain in the first place]], a la DivideAndConquer. When this villain is defeated, the grey sides almost invariably [[FireForgedFriends decide to live in peace]] (in the harsher version, the casualties from fighting that villain may find that there is actually now enough of whatever they fought over for all the survivors. Ultra-harsh version of this has the realization that the resources have been spent on the war).
11
12A result of the above is that Grey and Gray Morality has one potentially great advantage: It can be easier to maintain suspense regarding the ending. In a BlackAndWhiteMorality, BlackAndGrayMorality or even WhiteAndGreyMorality situation, the ending is [[TheBadGuyWins almost]] always a ForegoneConclusion; [[TheGoodGuysAlwaysWin good wins in the end]], it's just a matter of how. In a Grey-and-Gray situation, either side might conceivably win, or both, or neither. Another great advantage of this kind of moral model is that the experience can end up entirely different between two viewers: one viewer may prefer to side with Faction A over Faction B for any number of different reasons, and another viewer may think the opposite for other reasons. Properly written, this can make for some ''very'' interesting story-telling. VideoGames in particular are a good medium for this, due to their interactive nature.
13
14Can be the result of a long-term GrayingMorality of a Black and White narrative.
15
16Note that the sides often will still be DressCodedForYourConvenience.
17
18Contrast with BlackAndWhiteMorality. Compare BothSidesHaveAPoint, BlackAndGrayMorality, WhiteAndGreyMorality, ProtagonistCenteredMorality, EvilVersusEvil, GoodVersusGood, MoralityKitchenSink, OrderVersusChaos, TheHorseshoeEffect and ALighterShadeOfGrey. FeudingFamilies and CycleOfRevenge stories tend to fall under this, as do many depictions of historical wars. A MobWar may be this, but may instead fall under BlackAndGrayMorality or EvilVsEvil. See GreyAndGrayInsanity, when this type of thinking is a sign of a character's mental instability. See also {{Morality Tropes}} and {{Philosophy Tropes}}.
19
20Any betrayals within a Grey and Gray Morality Universe will, by their very nature, be {{Hazy Feel Turn}}s.
21
22[[noreallife]]
23----
24!!Example subpages:
25
26[[index]]
27* GreyAndGrayMorality/AnimeAndManga
28* GreyAndGrayMorality/ComicBooks
29* GreyAndGrayMorality/FanWorks
30* [[GreyAndGrayMorality/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
31* GreyAndGrayMorality/{{Literature}}
32* GreyAndGrayMorality/LiveActionTV
33* GreyAndGrayMorality/TabletopGames
34* GreyAndGrayMorality/VideoGames
35* GreyAndGrayMorality/WebOriginal
36* GreyAndGrayMorality/{{Webcomics}}
37* GreyAndGrayMorality/WesternAnimation
38[[/index]]
39
40!!Other examples:
41
42[[foldercontrol]]
43
44[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
45* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad:'' Atypically for a vintage Disney movie, neither Ichabod Crane nor Brom Bones are presented in a terribly flattering light: the former is a gluttonous golddigger, and the latter a trolling bully. Even Katrina, the girl they are sparring over, falls into this category with her pretty clearly encouraging the duo's conflict.
46* Both the humans and terrians ''WesternAnimation/BattleForTerra'' have their own reasons. Terrians may have been PerfectPacifistPeople but [[spoiler: their devastating wars in the past]] acted as a catalyst for their society along with strict approval on any innovations [[spoiler: until they had to use past weaponry when the humans launched a full-scale invasion]]. Humans, at least the faction led by [[GeneralRipper General]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist Hemmer]], are InvadingRefugees who lived their lives on a crumbling GenerationShip ([[spoiler: including dwindling air supplies]]) and Terra ''has'' to be colonized quickly before the aging ship fell apart, since the humans don't have time to search for another, uninhabited world.
47* Nobody in ''WesternAnimation/ParaNorman'' is outright evil. [[spoiler: The evil witch who's cursed the town and all of its inhabitants is lashing out in anger after [[TragicMonster she was unjustly branded a witch and murdered by a]] KangarooCourt of [[KnightTemplar Puritan extremists.]]]] The zombies, [[spoiler: AKA those same Puritan extremists, [[WouldHurtAChild murdered an innocent child]] just for claiming she could see ghosts, but the zombie curse has meant they've spent [[FateWorseThanDeath the last few centuries in ceaseless agony]], have had a lot of time to realize [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone how horribly they screwed up]], and are actively trying to [[TheAtoner help Norman and his friends undo the curse.]]]] The closest thing to a genuinely evil and dangerous force in the movie [[spoiler: are the ''living'' townspeople, who are [[HumansAreBastards far more violent]] [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters and dangerous than the zombies]], and like the Puritan zombies [[HistoryRepeats back when they were alive]], try to lynch Norman and his friends for claiming to see ghosts.]]
48* ''Animation/VukTheLittleFox'': Both the fox protagonists and humans just want to survive. The movie [[SympatheticPOV centers on the foxes' point of view]], all other creatures are [[CallARabbitASmeerp referred to by the names they foxes give them]] and humans are TheFaceless, making them appear threatening and alien. But neither "side" is evil. Livestock are given personalities and are arguably some of the film's [[EnsembleDarkhorse most popular characters]], but the foxes are [[DesignatedHero not presented in a negative light]] for slaughtering them. Yet from their POV, [[DesignatedVillain humans are monsters and dogs are their henchmen]] for killing forest animals and protecting their livestock, whom they then also eat.
49[[/folder]]
50
51[[folder:Music]]
52* Music/TheMonkees' song "Shades of Grey" is about this.
53-->''But today there is no day or night\
54Today there is no dark or light\
55Today there is no black or white\
56Only shades of grey''
57* A Music/BillyJoel song with the same name as the above is about how he goes from the BlackAndWhiteMorality of youth to this, while simultaneously warning of BlackAndWhiteInsanity. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4tDP-yMwXI Or does he?]]
58* French singer Music/JeanJacquesGoldman titled one of his songs "Entre gris clair et gris foncé" ("Between Light Gray and Dark Gray"). Specifically, its lyrics are about the increase of ambiguous morality in fiction.
59-->''[[GoodIsBoring Dulled good guys]], [[EvilIsCool troubling bad guys]]\
60Devils aren't so [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience black]] anymore\
61Nor whites [[LightIsNotGood wholly innocent]]''
62* Music/AngelsAndAirwaves have "Epic Holiday", from the ''Love'' album.
63--> ''Nobody's right\
64Nobody's wrong\
65Life's just a game\
66It's just one epic holiday''
67* The Music/DaveMason song "We Just Disagree"
68--> ''So let's leave it alone, 'cause we can't see eye to eye\
69There ain't no good guy, there ain't no bad guy\
70There's only you and me and we just disagree''
71* Music/{{Sabaton}}'s song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxkeOkaVRLo "Father"]] discusses the controversy over the career of 20th century German chemist Fritz Haber, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1918 for inventing the process to generate ammonia from pure hydrogen and nitrogen. As the song notes, this process enabled both dramatic improvements in the food supply through the use of synthetic fertilizers, and dramatic improvements in explosives. Haber was also a key figure in the German [[DeadlyGas chemical weapons program]] during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.
72-->''Haber-Bosch, the great alliance\
73Where's the contradiction?\
74Fed the world by ways of science\
75Sinner or a saint?\
76\
77Father of toxic gas and chemical warfare\
78His dark creation has been revealed\
79Flow over no-man's-land, a poisonous nightmare\
80A deadly mist on the battlefield''
81[[/folder]]
82
83[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
84* ''Literature/ReynardTheFox'' fables evoke this. Reynard is a trickster, and frequently the bane of other characters, but all characters are flawed. They are all animals (just like we are) and act according to their instincts. Reynard is the folk hero, but is not "good" or "bad", he is just as flawed as all the other characters.
85* Similarly, Wolf and/or Coyote, depending on the region and tribe (and even storyteller). Sometimes, he's a Prometheus-like creature who stole fire from the Gods to give birth to or help humanity. Sometimes he's just looking for a meal, and isn't any more harmful than WesternAnimation/BugsBunny. Sometimes, he's a rapist coward who murders men, women, and children by tricking them into deadly games. One rape of a woman leads him into pitying her and helping her give birth, while other tales have him return food and protect those he stole from. He's a complicated case.
86[[/folder]]
87
88[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
89* The Revolution vs Palaestra conflict in Super World Of Sports, a {{homage}} to the various [[RivalDojos dojo wars]] of sumo wrestling and another form of the Wrestling/{{All Japan|ProWrestling}}Wrestling/{{New Japan|ProWrestling}} rivalry. It crossed over into BlackAndGreyMorality when Geki Dojo entered the picture though, as their manager KY Wakamatsu was transparently evil.
90* Wrestling/VinceRusso believes pro wrestling ought to work this way where the concept of a {{heel}} and a {{face}} isn't a line down the middle and characters should act naturally to achieve their objectives rather than abiding by their defined alignment. Unfortunately he isn't very good at making this happen so when it's attempted it just ends up confusing and everyone winds up with weak characterizations across the board.
91* While observing the happening of various promotions in the USA and Japan, ''Pro Wrestling Is Art'' found this response.
92-->“Pro Wrestling Is Destroying Someone Else’s Dreams To Achieve Yours”
93-->– Ice Ribbon – 2011-12-25 – Korakuen Hall – Tokyo, Japan
94* Kyle O'Reilly vs Wrestling/AustinAries in Wrestling/RingOfHonor. Kyle O'Reilly was correct about Aries abandoning the company for not giving him enough money even though he was being paid more to do less work than any other wrestler in ROH. That Aries told a sob story about the ''Film/TheWrestler'' to make people think he was leaving the industry entirely only to turn around and sign with ROH's all but official at the time arch rival Wrestling/{{TNA}}. But he failed to acknowledge that Aries at least admitted he had a problem and was (supposedly) trying to become a better person. For the most part, fans treated O'Reilly as the {{face}} but did have sympathy and respect for Aries.
95* The feud between Las Sicarias (Wrestling/IvelisseVelez and Wrestling/MercedesMartinez in this case) and The Twisted Sisters (Wrestling/{{Holidead}} and Thunder Rosa). The former were [[NobleDemon faces with a heel mission statement]], the latter [[SpiritedCompetitor heels with a face outlook]]. They had many of the same straight heel groups to beat up on such as the Cutie Pie Club and the same hapless friend to tend to ([[Wrestling/BlackRose La Rosa Negra]]). Over time their rivalries over TagTeam title belts became overwhelming, making them forget their enemies (which is fine on paper, winning belts is the job) and their friend (which is less fine, though her [[PragmaticVillainy loyalties would be in conflict]] if they hadn't).
96[[/folder]]
97
98[[folder:Radio]]
99* In ''Radio/TrollCops'', [[WellIntentionedExtremist the Magpie]] [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong comes back from her]] BadFuture with a very strong belief in a clear BlackAndWhiteMorality, getting her in trouble very quickly. In the first midseason finale, Rose finally drills home for her the fact that there is no black and white, and what really exists is one of these.
100--> '''Rose:''' Those of us who fight for good, even as grey as we are, do our best to save as many lives as we can. We do the best we can, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices. Sometimes we do unsavory actions like lying, cheating and stealing. Like taking bribes, helping criminals, or killing unsavory people. But despite all our problems we are still trying to do the right thing.
101[[/folder]]
102
103[[folder:Theatre]]
104* Part of what made ''Theatre/{{Carmen}}'' so controversial in its first run were the morally questionable actions of Carmen and Don Jose. On the one hand, Carmen starts out as an [[ManipulativeBitch emotionally manipulative]] FemmeFatale, whereas Don Jose starts out as a NiceGuy who can’t say “No.” On the other hand, by the end of the opera, Don Jose has become a CrazyJealousGuy, whereas Carmen dies [[DefiantToTheEnd defending her freedom from him]].
105* ''Theatre/CesareIlCreatoreCheHaDistrutto'' has Cesare Borgia as its protagonist, so obviously, the Borgias aren't going to get the HistoricalVillainUpgrade they're usually subjected to. But [[UsefulNotes/PopeJuliusII Giuliano della Rovere]], their enemy who eventually, some 15 years after this story, defeats them and becomes the history-writing victor responsible for said upgrade, is portrayed sympathetically as well. Both he and Cesare think they have the answers to the problems of the world, and aren't above murdering, lying and bribing their ways to power to enact the reforms they imagine.
106* ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods'' uses this in relation to fairy tales; for example, Jack might be the hero, but he still killed someone's son. The point of the musical is to show that people are not good or evil, but just people.
107-->''There are rights and wrongs and inbetweens''
108-->''No-one waits when fortune intervenes''
109** And from [[YouAreNotAlone "No One is Alone"]] ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xaxP_kErTU here]]), the heroes realise finally realise this
110-->''Witches can be right, giants can be good.''
111-->''You decide what's right, you decide what's good.''
112-->''Someone is on your side.''
113-->''Someone else is not.''
114-->''While we're seeing our side''
115-->''Maybe we forgot: they are not alone.''
116-->''No one is alone.''
117** The main characters' dilemma in the second act is choosing whether they want to give Jack to the giant and save themselves or spare him and let the giant kill everyone in the kingdom.
118* ''Theatre/PeerGynt'' plays this straight on the title character. Come the fourth act, he lampshades it heavily, relating this as his philosophy of life: balancing out the bad deeds with good ones. For instance, he deals with slaves, and also trades in pagan idols. For every pagan idol he sells, he makes sure a heathen is baptized.
119* ''Theatre/ThePillowman'' uses it to stunning effect. From the beginning, Tupolski is clearly the hero of the story, Katurian is a MagnificentBastard writer and murderer, and Ariel is the grey between the two, clearly being opposed to Katurian but constantly going against Tupolski. It's turned completely on its head when [[spoiler:Katurian is revealed to be innocent, or at least under extenuating circumstances for the three murders he ''did'' commit. From that point onward, Tupolski is still pushing to execute Katurian and Ariel loses all of his nerve. It ends on a technicality, that Katurian confessed to murders he didn't commit, and the agreement was that they would save his legacy if he confessed truthfully, so they are "entirely within [their] rights to burn all of Mr. Katurian's work".]]
120* [[Creator/KarelCapek Karel Čapek]], a moral relativist, intended this with ''Theatre/{{RUR}}'', writing in a commentary on the play, "General director Domin tries to prove that technical developments liberate man from heavy physical labor, and he is right. Alquist believes on the contrary that technical developments demoralize man, and I think that he is right too. Busman thinks that only industrialism is capable of meeting modern needs; he is right. Helena instinctively fears all this human machinery, and she is quite right. And finally, the Robots themselves revolt against all these idealisms, and it seems that they are right as well."
121[[/folder]]
122
123[[folder:Visual Novels]]
124* ''VisualNovel/ChuSinGura46Plus1'' features the stories of the Ako Ronin and their plot to assassinate Kira, the man they deem responsible for the death of their master. However, as former samurai they have no qualms about killing (considered an everyday occurrence for warriors in feudal Japan) and they were split into different factions of diverging interests at first, while the retainers of Kira only do their job of protecting their master, and consider the ronin to be violent people obssessed by revenge.
125[[/folder]]

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