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1[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/SupermansGirlFriendLoisLane https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/superdickerygocart.jpg]]]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:[-Because of Superman's enemies, Lois Lane must live in the [[Website/{{Superdickery}} Popemobile go-kart]]. AndThatsTerrible.-] ]]
3
4->''"No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try... the ones I love will always be the ones who pay."''
5-->-- '''Peter Parker''', ''Film/SpiderMan1''
6
7Heroes have a dangerous job. They can accept that--[[SamaritanSyndrome for themselves]]. But [[BeingGoodSucks not for their loved ones]].
8
9LoveHurts. Add the SortingAlgorithmOfMortality, and it's just plain unbearable. TheHero has a ready and willing {{Love Interest|s}} who makes him happy, who would be good for him, with whom [[OneTruePairing even the fans want to see him]]. No LoveTriangle, no MayflyDecemberRomance, no VirginPower, no TwiceShy--things could be perfect. It's plain as day that he cares more about her than anything else... plain to everyone, including the BigBad. TheHero knows that his enemies will never let him have a love life in peace; they'll [[TargetedToHurtTheHero strike down the people dearest to him]] first chance they get. The only way to protect his beloved from becoming BigBad cannon fodder is by letting her go. Despite what a noble, selfless move it is, the spurned Love Interest's reaction will usually be, "Screw the danger! I don't care!", to show [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan they love]] TheHero just as much.
10
11This adds ItsPersonal flavoring to a StoryArc, as a safe(r) relationship is the reward to look forward to once you've defeated the threat and made the world a safer place.
12
13It never seems to occur to anyone that telling the BigBad you've broken up is '''not''' generally going to get you released from his dungeon with an apology and a consolatory cappuccino. [[MartyrWithoutACause The argument also gets rather silly]] when the hero spends every waking moment in his civvies in or around said quasi-love interest's company; thus any villain looking at the situation would need PsychicPowers to realize they're [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend not a couple]]. Of course, anyone with that level of understanding realizes that they are emotionally attached no matter what they say. Justified or not, this fear is why TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife.
14
15Though in all fairness, in a practical sense, this should actually ensure that the hero's loved one should be granted PlotArmor from this method. But the sad fact of the matter is that all too often it doesn't. In fact, the only way that a character would be safe is if they are considered [[DemotedToExtra too minor for writers to care about]]. (And, even then, [[FriendlyTarget these characters are not always safe, either]].) However, there are also other certain flaws to consider, as villains are normally not known for being discriminate about their potential victims. So sadly, heroes, even if you do convince your enemies that your loved ones are random strangers you never heard of, chances are [[AndYourLittleDogToo they will most likely go after your loved ones anyways]]. (Not to mention that normally heroes save anyone whom their enemies attack, regardless of whether if the Hero personally knows them or not, because it's the right thing to do.)
16
17Usually unnecessary if the {{Love Interest|s}} is [[ActionGirl a badass]] [[BattleCouple too]]. Compare IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy and HeroHarassesHelpers. A sub-trope of ItsNotYouItsMe and CelibateHero. May overlap with LovedINotHonorMore. May lead to GoodIsNotNice. Often the rationale behind passing the LeaveYourQuestTest. When the love interest is the one who breaks things off for this reason, that's LoveCannotOvercome. See also SuperheroesStaySingle. If it's between parent and child, see GiveHimANormalLife and DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou.
18
19----
20!!Examples:
21
22[[foldercontrol]]
23
24[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
25* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Guts is one of the branded, someone who bears the mark of sacrifice, and so ghosts, zombies, and the legions of hell are [[DoomMagnet drawn to him]], which means ANYONE near him is a target (as shown by a priest and his daughter who get murdered just for being near him). This is exacerbated by the fact that Guts is a JerkAss who doesn't care how many people are killed in the crossfire as long as he gets his revenge.
26* ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'': This is a big part of Kaori Kanzaki's decision to sever ties with her comrades and friends of the [[UsefulNotes/JapaneseChristian Amakusa Church]] in the backstory. Despite (or indeed ''because of'') her powers as a [[KungFuJesus Saint]], she was never able to prevent them from being hurt in their battles, so she left in hopes that they would be safer without her drawing more dangerous foes to them. This gets {{deconstructed}} in that the Amakusas ''hate themselves'' for seemingly being so weak they couldn't support her and needed her to win their battles. This comes to a head in Volume 16 [[spoiler:when they fail to defeat Acqua of the Back and can only watch in despair as Kaori fights him alone and force him to lengths they could never dream of...and then promptly turned on its head when Kaori herself realizes she doesn't have the power to defeat Acqua alone and that her desire to "protect" them was in many ways just her being unable to have faith in their own strength and conviction. Cue [[ThePowerOfFriendship Kaori calling out to the Amakusa to join her in fighting him, which they do without hesitation and with joy in their hearts]]]].
27* ''Manga/CityHunter'': This is [[UnresolvedSexualTension the true problem]] in [[HitmanWithAHeart Ryo]] [[LovableSexManiac Saeba]] and [[{{Bifauxnen}} Kaori]] [[{{Tsundere}} Makimura]]'s relationship, as he's perfectly aware of the numerous enemies he has as a sweeper, and said enemies had already targeted Kaori during the course of the series since they usually can't beat him one on one.
28* ''Anime/CodeGeass'': At one point during the second season, some of Lelouch's flunkies (rightfully) think he is doing this with Shirley. When a body double mix up at his school leads to problems maintaining his cover, one points out that it could all be solved simply by getting Shirley involved. Lelouch is reluctant, however, as being near him is a surefire way to get killed [[spoiler:like his half-sister Euphemia]] and [[spoiler:he had already mucked up her life horribly, both [[LaserGuidedAmnesia by tampering extensively with her memories]] and accidentally killing her father]]. Unfortunately, [[spoiler:she dies anyway soon afterward]]. Even with all of this AdaptedOut in the AlternateUniverse CompilationMovie, [[spoiler: he still dies as part of the Zero Requiem, just with her now being there when it happens.]]
29** Done again with Kallen later on, twice. [[spoiler:When the Black Knights lure Lelouch into an execution, he lies to Kallen in order to be spared his execution. Episodes later, he {{shoo|TheDog}}s her away one last time before kicking off his plan for world peace that would make him the most hated person on earth and [[ThanatosGambit end in his death]]]] to make sure [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy she gets a happy ending]].
30*** Surprisingly, [[spoiler:''this one works''! And, thanks to Kallen working out the details of Zero Requiem, she didn't even end up hating him for it]], although her [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDXON8jAfcI image song]] and character poem imply that she harbours regret for not figuring out what [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim he was trying to do]] sooner, and only realising it when [[spoiler:he dies]].
31** This is also the main reason he makes up the masked persona of Zero to lead the rebellion: he doesn't want Nunnally to be in any danger, and she ''would'' be if word got out that Lelouch was the leader of the rebellion.
32* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'': Rin Souma breaks up with the only person who ever actually loved her so that he won't get in trouble with Akito (who has already told Rin he [[SadisticChoice knows about the relationship]] and [[DestinationDefenestration pushed her out a window]]).The only problem? Rin '''doesn't tell Haru why she's doing this'''. The reason she gives is not "Akito knows and we'll get in trouble". It's "I'm tired of you". This leads to a really bad case of [[LockedOutOfTheLoop Poor Communication Destroys the School]] involving [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Black Haru]] and a bucket of water.
33* The ''Manga/{{Gokusen}}'' anime tries a slightly less orthodox method in this. [[BadassTeacher Kumiko/Yankumi]] tries to live a double life as a teacher and as an heiress to a Yakuza clan. She tries VERY hard to not get her lives to overlap one another, but no matter how hard she tries, if she has to fight any bad gangsters/thugs chances are at least ONE of her students will be involved whether they like it or not. But to be fair this was also to protect her teaching job; while it has been endangered, she never actually lost her job in the anime.
34* In ''Anime/HirogaruSkyPrettyCure'', Sora starts having nightmares of her FirstFriend Mashiro getting hurt after she became Cure Prism. Thus, she tries to handle things on her own as Cure Sky. Thankfully, Mashiro is able to get through to Sora and this helps unlock their CombinationAttack.
35* ''Anime/KnightHunters'': Yuriko, Sakura, and Aya-chan get this treatment, via the main characters simply disappearing and never seeing them again -- for good reason, since the ones who ''don't'' get this treatment (such as Ouka and, in ''Weiß Kreuz [[OddlyNamedSequel2ElectricBoogaloo Glühen]]'', Asami) always end up dead.
36* ''Manga/KomiCantCommunicate'': After discovering that Yamai had kidnapped Tadano to get him out of the way so she could be closer to Komi, Komi worries that him being her friend will put him in danger. He decides to remain her friend, responding with a MeaningfulEcho of "I choose my own friends", exactly what Komi had said the previous day to Yamai.
37* ''Anime/MelodyOfOblivion'' has a Melos warrior using this excuse on a woman even after he has already kissed her 73 times.
38* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Izuku Midoriya does a (mostly) platonic variation of this, following the Paranormal Liberation War. Since he comes to grasp that [[BigBad All For One]] is going to hunt him down, he decides to abandon the U.A. High to avoid placing any of his friends in danger just by being near him. It's only ''mostly'' platonic because one of those people he tries to keep safe is his ImpliedLoveInterest, Ochako Uraraka. This is ultimately {{Deconstructed}} when [[spoiler:Class 1-A decide to go after him anyway, knowing that his ChronicHeroSyndrome would just run him ragged, especially with heroes like Endeavour pushing him, and they tell him they ''want'' to help him. This turns into a fight as Izuku is utterly terrified of All for One harming them and is trying to get away from them.]]
39* ''Anime/MyHime'': Mai tries to push Yuuichi away because the defeat of a [=HiME=] leads to the death of her most important person [[spoiler:and she had just watched her brother Takumi die after the defeat of his roommate and girlfriend Akira]]. She fails [[spoiler:and Yuuichi dies after his [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Unlucky Childhood Friend]] Shiho is defeated]].
40* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' uses this one when Negi tries to convince his TrueCompanions that it would be a bad idea for them to follow him into the Magic World. Cue them all saying that they wouldn't care less and say that they're going with him anyway, for his own safety. This backfires ''entirely'' as everyone takes it as evidence that they ''need'' to go with him.
41** This is actually portrayed as a character flaw of Negi's: he constantly wants to keep his friends out of harm's way and do everything dangerous himself, ignoring the fact that he probably would be dead by now if his friends weren't around to help him.
42* ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'': X is unwilling to add another Pokémon to his team in fear that Team Flare will hurt them trying to get to him. This despite the fact that Chespin obviously likes him.
43* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'': Kenshin leaves to Tokyo to face Shishio on his own and not put the lives of his girlfriend Kaoru and the rest of his TrueCompanions at risk. [[spoiler:It doesn't work, they join him anyway]].
44* ''Anime/SailorMoon'': The [[SecondActBreakup Second-Season Breakup]] revolved around this. Mamoru doesn't give a clear reason at all for why he's dumping Usagi and it takes about 15 episodes until they actually talk about the prophetic dream that caused the whole situation. The kicker -- said dream was sent by ''Mamoru's future self'' to "ensure their love was strong enough" to take on the Black Moon Clan.
45* This is why Fuu's father, [[spoiler:the Sunflower Samurai]], left his family in ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo''; [[spoiler:he was a Christian in isolationist Japan, so if he was caught, his entire family would be executed.]]
46* ''Anime/SandsOfDestruction'': Morte pulls a non-romantic version on Kyrie and Taupy, attempting to convince them to leave because the World Salvation Committee is hunting her and she understands if they'd rather not get involved. They decide to stay, of course.
47* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'': The reason why [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Yusuke Urameshi]] keeps [[{{Tsundere}} Keiko]] in the dark about his life as a spirit detective is out of fear that if she knows it then it will only be a matter of time until she is in danger. [[spoiler:Naturally, later on in the 2nd arc, it fails miserably and she [[WhatTheHellHero calls him out on this]] but, to be fair, at least she wasn't killed off at the end of that arc]].
48[[/folder]]
49
50[[folder:Comic Books]]
51* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'':
52** This is the reason the Silver Agent gave his first girlfriend for breaking off their relationship. In reality, he had learned that he was sterile, but didn't want to tell her the truth so she could move on.
53** Sticks, a sentient gorilla trained in combat, is unable to join a band because of his constant fear that that super-villains trying to exploit him would endanger his fellow band members.
54* This is the reason Franchise/{{Batman}} tries to avoid getting serious with anyone, why he has so few friends, and why he's a {{Jerkass}} to a majority of his sidekick squad. It's not that he wants to be, he just wants to protect them, because the things ''his'' RoguesGallery does are better not seen by anyone, really. Plus, he doesn't want anyone else growing up like him, bitter and angry at the world, and he's trying to avoid causing anyone pain from when he inevitably falls in combat or finally snaps. [[CrapsackWorld Batman's world is not happy.]]
55** And he's not wrong: considering the whole thing about Jason Todd (just for starters; if you want more, try ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'' or ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily''), you can see that even ''in'' costume, it's hard to hang around Batman.
56** Although speaking of Joker, he's actually something of a subversion. While he won't think twice about attacking a Robin or a ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, it's been noted numerous times that Joker's had the ability to discover who Batman really is, and could potentially attack those close to him in their civilian lives, but never has because he simply doesn't ''care'' who Batman is behind the mask. Barbara being paralyzed in ''The Killing Joke'' was actually totally unrelated to her life as Batgirl.
57* In the season 8 ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' comics, Buffy is woken with a TrueLovesKiss, which we initially think was from Xander. It turns out it was from Satsu, a Slayer who is [[HoYay in love with Buffy]]. Buffy tries to dump her due to how much danger she would be in by being her love interest. [[MasterOfTheMixedMessage Then Buffy sleeps with Satsu. She again invokes this trope, then sleeps with her again]].
58* ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'': John Constantine really ''ought'' to do this. But often doesn't.
59** The only person to survive prolonged exposure to him is his mate Chas. Which makes the fate of Chas' young sidekick namesake in TheMovie particularly unfortunate...
60** John's young wife Epiphany not only survived prolonged exposure to him, but also [[spoiler:outlived him]]. At least until the Vertigo Universe was affected by a paradox caused by the Flash, and integrated to the New 52...
61* Subverted in ''ComicBook/{{Generations|MarvelComics}}'' #3: After rescuing Amiko from Comicbook/{{Sabretooth}}, [[ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} Logan]] tells Laura this is why he can't be in her life when she chides him for not spending a night with his daughter. Laura immediately points out that not being in Amiko's life made no difference, and Creed targeted her ''anyway''.
62* Defied in ''ComicBook/NewAvengers''. Both ComicBook/DoctorStrange and ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} attempt to refuse an offer of membership because they have enemies, people are out to get them, etc. Luke Cage has to remind them that they're all heroes and they ''all'' have enemies.
63** Strange, at least, has a point though--''his'' enemies are on a [[EldritchAbomination completely]] [[GodOfEvil different]] [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils scale]] from the kind of villains the other Avengers usually fight, especially a street level character like Cage. On the other hand, they are also so powerful and evil that they generally threaten the planet/universe and often other heroes anyway, so Strange joining or not doesn't make them any more or less of a target.
64* Used in a ''very'' interesting way. Up until the "Darkest Hours" storyline in ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'', Spidey had no idea that the person wearing the ComicBook/{{Venom}} symbiote was Flash Thompson, one of Peter's dearest friends, but ComicBook/TheAvengers did. ComicBook/CaptainAmerica uses this knowledge to confirm that [[spoiler:Peter Parker is back in the saddle and that Doc Ock was no longer influencing him, knowing the whole "secret identity" bit]]. Of course, Spidey didn't have to ''like'' it.
65** Peter also does this to explain to Anna Maria [[spoiler:the whole deal with him and Doc Ock]]. She actually takes it quite well.
66* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
67** For decades, this was used as one of the reasons that Superman couldn't marry ComicBook/LoisLane. Of course, she was publicly known as "Superman's Girlfriend", she had an [[TooDumbToLive almost suicidal capacity for putting herself in danger]], and he probably spent as much time at the Daily Planet as Superman as he did as Clark. {{Lampshaded}} in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanDoomsday'' when Lois points out everyone attacks her ''anyway'' because they think they're an item.
68** In ''ComicBook/KryptonNoMore'', Clark has lunch with Lois, and he thinks as he eats [[https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JNO4lvo4jOg/TWz_UFdH-LI/AAAAAAAALSA/ors2V4NkFSc/s1600/sm+308-04.jpg that he always resisted a romance due to the danger it might cause Lois]].
69** Non-romantic variant: When Superman first meets ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton1959'', she wants to live with him, but he sends her to an orphanage because he is afraid that his enemies will target her if they find out about his cousin. He was proved right in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004'': as soon as Kara arrives on Earth, she is attacked by super-villains and kidnapped by ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}.
70** In ''ComicBook/SupergirlCosmicAdventuresInThe8thGrade'', Superman tells his cousin that she has to keep her powers secret and learn to control them before becoming Supergirl because his enemies would attack her.
71** The storyline ''Superman: Ending Battle'' featured Manchester Black learning Clark's secret. To get his revenge on Superman, he uses his mental powers to command ''every villain in the whole world'' to kill anyone who has ''ever'' shown Clark Kent one iota of kindness. The hit-list includes ComicBook/LexLuthor, the Daily Planet staff, his parents, his ''first grade teacher'', his old football coach... ComicBook/LexLuthor is informed of who Superman is as well; he finds the whole thing hilarious and plans to sit back and relax while Superman spends the rest of the day fighting and panicking. Come nightfall, Lex sits down to his computer deciding its time to destroy the Man of Steel utterly...just in time, of course, for Manchester Black to have a change of heart and [[StatusQuoIsGod wipe the knowledge clean again]].
72* In the ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' comic book, Peter breaks up with MJ to "keep her safe". It doesn't work, and MJ is still thrown into dangerous situations, so they get back together. Yup, we thought it was stupid, too.
73** She split up with him, first, for being Spider-Man and therefore incredibly heartbreaking and high-maintenance.
74** In this case, the problem is that Peter Parker and Mary-Jane go to the same school and, in this verse, many of Spidey's enemies know full-well that he is really Peter Parker, so the school and everyone he knows are under constant threat anyway. Probably didn't much help that both [[ComicBook/XMen Kitty Pryde]] ''and'' [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Johnny Storm]] start going to his school as well. If Peter ''really'' wanted to protect his loved ones, he should probably have had himself and everyone he knows put into protective custody and his school probably should have been shut down, while Peter continued his education in a secure [[=SHIELD=]] facility.
75* ''ComicBook/{{X 23}}'' provides a non-romantic version with her parting from her Aunt Debbie and cousin Megan. Unlike most, she gives them this speech, along with directions to a money stash and instructions on how best to go underground...''after'' their house was blown up and they were nearly tortured to death to punish her.
76-->"How... how will you find us?\
77"I said, how will you find us?"\
78''[...]''\
79"Goodbye, Megan."
80* In a way, ANY given costumed super hero with a secret identity can be quite susceptible to this. (Even characters who don't have a secret identity are not immune from this as well.)
81** An example for the above statement would be Benjamin Grimm, AKA [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Thing]], who left his fiancee at the altar because of this--he saw Spidey, Daredevil, Banner and Namor sitting together talking at the wedding, and realized that ''all four'' of them had lost the women they loved.
82[[/folder]]
83
84[[folder:Fan Works]]
85* This is given as the reason why Cullen puts up with the harassment from admirers at the Winter Palace ball in ''[[Fanfic/TwiceUponAnAge All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird]]''. He ''could'' chase them off by informing them that he's in a relationship with the [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Lady Inquisitor]], but she's afraid someone would hurt him to get to her - and the way some of the ball guests are acting, he's legitimately concerned that one of them [[MurderTheHypotenuse might hurt]] ''her'' to get to ''him.''
86* Played straight and downplayed in ''Fanfic/BackToTheFuturePrequel'': Doc breaks off his friendship with Marty in order to protect him from a vengeful former schoolmate and from being contaminated by Doc's reputation. [[ForegoneConclusion Of course,]] [[SubvertedTrope they get back together.]]
87* Varric contemplates the trope in ''Fanfic/BeyondHeroes: Of Sunshine and Red Lyrium''. [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition The Inquisitor]] is [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII Bethany Hawke]], and he observes her lack of {{love interest}} and wonders if she's refusing to get involved with anyone because of this. He's partially correct.
88* ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'': [[http://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/posts/2353727/ In chapter 13]] Asuka argues she could not have anyone close to her because [[BigBad Winthrop]] would have used them against her.
89-->''“If I’d had anyone close to me, Winthrop would just have used them as more leverage against me.”''
90* Played with in ''Roleplay/DCNation'' with the {{Original Character}}s. Green Shield only kept her heroing life a secret until she could figure out how to come out to her folks...only for her kid sister to run off with one of the team's enemies. Travis Gray, and the Zukov siblings never bothered - the siblings only care for each other for the most part, and Travis was living on the streets. Fauna keeps hers because the [[CapeBusters activist movements]] she works with and her [[ActualPacifist strictly-pacifist Commune]] would certainly condemn her choice, and she doesn't want them "paying for" her private decision.
91* In ''Fanfic/FallenKing'', this is Joey's reason for splitting off from Tristan and Tea. Someone will always be after the Puzzle, and by staying apart there's a chance someone else can help before the world ends.
92* In ''Fanfic/FistOfTheMoon'' this is the reason Ranma is reluctant to stay at Rei's shrine--the chaos that follows him will likely wreck the place. S/He ends up rooming with Makoto, because it's easier to fix an apartment or move to a new one.
93* This trope, ConflictingLoyalty, the LoveTriangle, and being LockedOutOfTheLoop is responsible for most, if not, all the [[LoveHurts issues]] between [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Orihime]] and [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Edward]] in ''Fanfic/TheFlowerPrincessAndTheAlchemist''.
94* Barely averted in the ''Manga/YuGiOh'' story ''Fanfic/AGameOfMasques'' - both Yugi and Yami make angsty plans to leave each other behind to protect them from their respective enemies, but just as they start to put them in motion realize they're both doing the same thing and laugh it off.
95* Deconstructed in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/19782238 Girls Like Us]]''. Laurel is asked to speak to The Flash on Iris' behalf, and learns Barry is in love with Iris, but believes this trope due to Oliver. This hits Laurel's RageBreakingPoint, and she gives him (and by extension Oliver) a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, and spells out it isn't the life and enemies of a vigilante that'll keep him from being with Iris. It's that he doesn't trust or respect her, proven by the fact that he hasn't told her any of this, including his identity.
96* In ''Fanfic/InFlight'', [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Shirou]] leaves [[{{Tsundere}} Rin]] and Saber behind in England when he runs away before the Mage's Organization does something horrible to him due to this trope, especially as they rely on and belong to said organization.
97* In ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero'', [[OCStandIn Michikyuu Kanae]] gave a speech about how she's just bringing trouble on the SOS Brigade [[spoiler:before attempting to slide to another world... at which point Nagato [[DefiedTrope engages the Dimensional Anchor, trapping her]]]].
98* ''Fanfic/PhoenixsTearReignition'': Due to [[AdaptationOriginConnection his history with Durahan]], Hare fears that the evil general will start coming after the rest of the Searchers if he figures out that he's part of the rebel group. So he attempts to leave after they learn about the Tear, only for Genki and the others to veto that idea, insisting they stick together. Holly specifically points out that chances are high they'll have to deal with Durahan ''eventually'', given how they're working against Muu.
99* This is the justification behind the friendship between Naofumi Iwatani and Princess Melty in ''Fanfic/FamilyOfTheShield'', due to the living hell he's been put through due to both Meltys' Father and Older Sister essentially [[KidnappedByTheCall kidnapping him from his world]] and slandering his name just less than a day after arriving with a FalseRapeAccusation. The only safety net he had to protect himself and the family Naofumi created was due to his "Savior of the Heavenly Fowl" identity, and that in all likelihood now that King Aultcray is aware of this personage Naofumi has; he'd likely try to do another round of unjustified [[KickTheDog Dog-Kicking]]; which would be made worse since Aultcray knows that his youngest daughter Melty had been traveling with Naofumi for a while.
100* In ''Webcomic/ScarletLady'', a Kwami Swap AU of ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'', despite [[AdaptationalWimp Marinette not being Ladybug]], she spends Seasons 1 and 2 [[BadassNormal still helping Chat Noir deal with the]] [[VillainOfTheWeek Akumas]] since the [[NominalHero titular character]] (read: Chloé) [[TheLoad is at best incompetent at her job]], [[TheMillstone and at worst either intentionally causing Akumas or]] [[MurderTheHypotenuse trying to help them harm or kill Marinette for being near Adrien]]. [[BattleCouple During all of this,]] Adrien/Chat Noir [[PromotedToLoveInterest falls in love with the civilian Marinette]], while Marinette in this AU [[LovesMyAlterEgo eventually falls in love with Chat]]. However, during "Evilustrator", after Marinette and Chat Noir barely escape Evillustrator's trap with their lives, Chat reluctantly breaks off his partnership with Marinette out of fear of nearly losing her, since she's been repeatedly put in mortal danger and even nearly killed multiple times, and begs her to avoid participating in Akuma fights. This trope is partially Deconstructed when Marinette vents to both [[BigGood Master Fu]] and [[ClarkKenting Adrien himself]] that she feels awful she can't help since Scarlet Lady is "just the worst", and [[NoSocialSkills Adrien]] [[InnocentlyInsensitive attempts to assure her it's for the best, unaware he's not helping her calm down]].
101* This trope and ConflictingLoyalty are responsible for the issues getting between [[Manga/LuckyStar Kagami]] and [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Homura]] in ''Fanfic/StarsAbove''.
102* This is why Lori and her sisters stayed out of Lincoln's life for eight years in ''Fanfic/StuporHeroics'': since they were superpowered beings on both sides of the law, it meant Lincoln had a huge target on his back due to their many enemies who could go after him. Lori felt keeping silent about their relationship was the best way to keep him safe.
103* In ''Fanfic/ThreeStrikes'', The reason that Trigger’s family didn’t tell her about their dark past, particularly, her father, [[spoiler:Pixy's]] time in [[spoiler:A World With No Boundaries]], was so she wouldn’t have to live constantly looking over her shoulder for people that would want revenge on them.
104* This is why Jenny is reluctant to marry Pete in the ''{{Series/Adam-12}}'' “[[https://m.fanfiction.net/s/6570493/1/A-Wedding A Wedding?]]” which is part of a series by Aussielover. Jenny is concerned her abusive father will hurt her or Pete. Pete doesn’t let it deter him and she does agree to marry him. Her dad does show up later in the series but they fight through it together.
105[[/folder]]
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107[[folder:Films --Animation]]
108* In ''WesternAnimation/SupermanDoomsday'', Superman and Lois get into a fight over Superman's refusal to reveal his identity to her (despite her clearly knowing who he is, she just wanted him to finally admit it). He claims that he's doing this to protect her and not compromise her safety. Lois then argues that her safety was compromised the moment they met, and the entire city thinks they're dating anyway.
109* {{Discussed|Trope}} in ''WesternAnimation/TheDeathOfSuperman''. Superman criticizes ComicBook/TheFlash (Barry) for revealing his identity to Iris and the risks of having her knowingly be close to a superhero. Barry replies that it's those risks that make him think it's worthwhile, which puts Superman into a dilemma and makes him decide to go clean with Lois and tell her that Superman and Clark Kent are the same.
110[[/folder]]
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112[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
113* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'': Peter [[spoiler:tries to end his relationship with Gwen this way, but ultimately changes his mind]]. However, [[spoiler:after Gwen consequently dies during Spidey's fight with Green Goblin in ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'', Peter is left broken,]] and reveals [[spoiler:in ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' that he never had another romantic relationship to ensure it couldn't happen again]].
114* ''Film/AnimalKingdom'': Joshua is compelled to dump his girlfriend after his criminal family inform him she knows too much about their dealings. [[spoiler:Even this doesn't stop Joshua's paranoid Uncle Pope drugging and strangling her.]]
115* ''Film/{{Apache}}'': Massai attempts to use this argument to dissuade Nalilne from accompanying him: telling her that wives are for men who do not have to keep looking over their shoulder. Nalilne ignores him and just keeps following him until he gives in.
116* The ending of most ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' romantic subplots. In the original Tim Burton films, though, he took a [[RealityIsUnrealistic painfully realistic]] look on this trope, though technically only one relationship ended this way (unmarked spoilers, for Batman fans might typically view this all as ItWasHisSled):
117** In ''Film/Batman1989'', Bruce had originally viewed this as his issue with Vicki, until [[TheReveal he told her]]. This was broken up by The Joker coming in. Vicki ended up dumping ''him'' because she couldn't handle it. This ends up haunting him for the rest of the Burton-Shumacher quadrilogy.
118** In ''Film/BatmanReturns'', his issue had been the way he ended with Vicki, leading him to try to get over it with [[DatingCatwoman Selina Kyle]]. Once again, he is the one dumped, as Selina is AxCrazy by the end of the movie and attempts murder-suicide with her ex-boss, which also caused a TearJerker.
119---> '''Catwoman:''' Bruce... I would love to live with you in your castle... forever just like in a fairy tale... (scratches Batman's face) [[NoPlaceForMeThere I just couldn't live with myself]], so don't pretend this is a happy ending!
120* ''Film/TheCobbler'': Max's father explains that he left his family and went undercover because he feared for their lives and this was the only way he could protect them.
121* In the ''Film/IronMan'' movies, Tony Stark subverts this and in doing so shows why it's not necessarily a bad thing. He reveals his identity as Iron Man to the world, and makes no particular secret of his love for Pepper Potts either (though it's not clear if he himself 100% realizes how deep it is)... and what ensues in [[Film/IronMan2 the subsequent]] [[Film/IronMan3 movies]] shows that secret identities are not necessarily bad ideas.
122* The first ''Film/SpiderMan1'' film: Peter gives Mary Jane the JustFriends excuse when she finally tells him she loves him, after nearly losing her to a SadisticChoice. (And let's not forget that he ''did'' lose a love interest in an almost identical scenario in the comic books.) All three movies nonetheless climax with villains luring Spider-Man by [[DamselInDistress holding Mary Jane hostage]], whether they're together or not.
123* In ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'', [[spoiler: as ComicBook/DoctorStrange works to {{unperson}} Peter [[ItMakesSenseInContext in order to repair the space-time continuum]] at the end of the film, Peter promises M.J. and his BestFriend Ned that he'll come find them again. However, after seeing them happy and safe without him around, he can't bring himself to go through with it [[MentorOccupationalHazard after having already lost Aunt May]] and leaves.]]
124[[/folder]]
125
126[[folder:Literature]]
127* In Stephen Marley's ''Literature/ChiaBlackDragon'' series, Chia (an immortal lesbian BlackMagicianGirl) knows that her nemesis, [[TheChessmaster Nyak]], will kill any woman she loves, which discourages her from pursuing relationships. Sometimes she does anyway, and the other girl is invariably killed by Nyak.
128* At the end of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles: Literature/{{Changes}}'' Harry sends [[spoiler:his daughter to be placed in a foster home without him knowing where]] so that his enemies can't find her. In ''Literature/GhostStory'', we find out the person he entrusts this to does one better and [[spoiler:puts her in a house guarded by angels. Specifically, Michael's house]].
129** ''Literature/PeaceTalks'': The trope becomes deconstructed, and almost leads to Harry and Ebenezar coming to blows. [[spoiler:Ebenezar insists Harry should send Maggie away to avoid making her a target. Harry, on the other hand, believes that being present in Maggie's life allows him to both give her the parental affection she needs to turn into an emotionally functional human being (unlike Harry) and protection. He angrily points out what Ebenezar's parenting style has already done to their family; it turned Harry's mother into the kind of person Demons and Winter Fae speak fondly of and drove her into the hands of the White King, directly causing her (and possibly Harry's father's) premature death. It also left Harry to the tender mercies of the American foster care system and [[EvilMentor Justin DuMorne]] and forced him to become a killer before his seventeenth birthday in order to survive. Maggie's time in her first foster home led to her being abducted and nearly killed by the Red Court, and directly caused Maggie's mother's death. Michael's home is well-protected, but that didn't stop Nicodemus from making an attempt on the Carpenter family, and Michael is probably one of the handful of people with an even more impressive list of enemies than Harry or Ebenezar.]]
130* ''Literature/GriffinsDaughter'': Ashinji won't cop to his feelings for half-elf Jelena, partly because of their vastly different social standings (he's elf nobility, she's basically a second class-citizen), but mostly because he fears his sadistic brother, Sadaiyo, will hurt her just to spite him. [[spoiler:He's right]].
131* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Harry gives Ginny this speech in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince The Half-Blood Prince]]'', right after they get together. Ginny doesn't buy it for a second. Rather than react with surprise or tears, she says she understands what he's doing and patiently lets him get on with it. Her later actions in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'' indicate that, as far as she's concerned, they're still a couple. Harry, amusingly, has absolutely no way of dealing with this and gives in, causing Ron to give Harry the IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer speech when he has trouble letting go. Of course, it's not as though Ginny isn't fighting Voldemort almost as hard as Harry himself.
132* ''Literature/InCryptid'': Invoked and lampshaded by Enid in ''No Place Like Home'' when she asks Fran if Jonathan told her about the [[KnightTemplar Covenant]], who are monitoring them and could consider her a collaborator if she stays with them. Defied by Fran when she points out that she can take care of herself and she came to Michigan with Jonathan because she ''wanted'' to. [[spoiler:She and Jonathan end up getting married and having children.]]
133* In ''Literature/TheLicaniusTrilogy'', Caeden tries to keep his distance from princess Karaliene despite his romantic feelings for her. Flashbacks reveal his PsychoExGirlfriend Nethgalla has a habit of murdering women he like, then shapeshifting into them to get close to him again. [[spoiler: It's already too late, though]].
134* In the ''Literature/NightHuntress'' books, this is why [[spoiler:Cat leaves Bones]] when the government {{vampire hunter}}s are closing in, reasoning that they will be safe without the extra attention.
135* In a ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' anthology by Creator/MichaelStackpole ("Wolf and Raven"), Wolfgang Kies attempts to break up with his girlfriend (rescued in an earlier story) to protect her from his enemies. It doesn't work, and she is targeted anyway. The last story leaves it ambiguous as to whether they stayed together.
136* Luke Skywalker from ''Franchise/StarWars'' goes through a rare variation of this. In the ExpandedUniverse, his various love interests have [[DisposableLoveInterest bad things happening to them]]. He eventually concluded that the time he dabbled in TheDarkSide caused this and he had to protect [[OfficialCouple Mara Jade]] from it (it was about as necessary as you'd think). He only [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther proved his love for her]] by doing that. This was also one of the reasons for the Jedi's controversial tactics in recruiting infants before they had conscious memories of their birth family and in forbidding close emotional ties. A Sith or other enemy could hold a loved one hostage or hurt them to turn the Jedi to the Dark Side. It's even stated outright by Jedi-hunting characters that you hit their allies or Padawans first to make the Jedi weaker. In theory, if a Jedi loves no one and nothing but the Order, duty, and the Force, then the enemy hasn't anything to work with.
137* ''Literature/Tempest2011'': At the beginning of ''Tempest Revealed'', the half-mermaid Tempest has broken up with her selkie boyfriend Kona and gotten back with her previous boyfriend, the human Mark. She makes regular visits to San Diego to visit him and her family. But after her dad is almost killed by a giant octopus, Tempest realizes that as long as she has ties on land, her loved ones will be targets. She breaks up with Mark again and returns to the ocean. [[spoiler:They get back together after [[BigBad Tiamat]] is defeated and Mark proves himself as a BadassNormal.]]
138* ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'': A version of this is done in ''Literature/NewMoon'', when Edward leaves Bella, telling her she'll never see him again, in order to keep her safe. Not played exactly straight because he's not protecting her from his enemies so much as [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampires from]] his own "insatiable" [[HorrorHunger thirst for her blood]]. In actuality, he left her unprotected from his enemies.
139* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'':
140** By the fourth book Rand has three love interests. He is the ChosenOne in a CrapsackWorld. He does not handle being the chosen one well in general, and what would happen to his love interests if his enemies find out about them is one of his many worries. The three of them handle it with varying levels of grace, but they're considering the possibility of polygamy. It helps that one of them is from a culture where that is acceptable.
141** The inspiration for his behavior was Lan's treatment of Nynaeve.
142** Rand also takes a similar approach towards his father, Tam al'Thor, and his hometown, the Two Rivers. He figures that the less his enemies know about his attachment to them, especially [[HappilyAdopted his adoptive father]], the safer they will be from the possibility of attack.
143[[/folder]]
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145[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
146* In ''Series/The100'', Lexa had a girlfriend named Costia who was kidnapped, tortured, and killed by the Ice Nation because they believed she knew Lexa's secrets. This was what led to Lexa deciding that love both [[LoveHurts hurts]] and [[LoveIsAWeakness is a weakness]].
147-->'''Clarke:''' So you just stopped caring? About everyone? ''[Lexa nods]'' I could never do that.\
148'''Lexa:''' Then you put the people you care about in danger, and the pain will never go away.
149* Jim Kyle of Wilfred Greatorex's ''1990'' eventually officially divorces his wife so that the evil government at least can't inflict ''legal'' punishments on his wife and children for his part in LaResistance.
150* Jack Bauer's reason for not telling anyone other than a select few people that he was alive following the events of the fourth season of ''Series/TwentyFour''. Most importantly, Audrey Raines.
151* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': Subverted when Oliver tries to distance himself from [[spoiler:Sara]] because [[spoiler:Slade]] intends to destroy everything he cares about. She points out that this is stupid. Their enemy knows he cares about her, has a grudge against her too, and isn't going to leave her alone just because they broke up.
152** Oliver pulls this again in the first episode of season three, this time on Felicity, after the restaurant where they are having their first date is blown up. It feels more than a little contrived, since she works with him both in his vigilante career and in his Oliver Queen identity, and spends most of her time with him regardless. She cannot be in all that much less danger just because they are not romantically involved.
153** When Oliver sleeps with Isabel, he says it's because it's better if he's involved with someone he ''doesn't'' care about (as opposed to Felicity, whom he's giving this explanation to) because of this trope. [[spoiler:Ironically Isabel turns out to be a villain, so it's not like this makes things safer.]]
154* ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'': Neurotic werewolf George falls in love with his coworker Nina, but struggles with how much to tell her about his condition, and when. He tries to dump her several times, with nebulous claims of "darkness" and "a bad side of me", but she sticks with him.
155* ''Series/{{Bones}}'': Booth breaks up with Camille after the latter was poisoned by a serial killer they were on the trail of, believing their line of work to be too high-risk to be caring for one another at that level. He’s also forced to reject Brennan’s proposal later because of a serial killer, but things work out better when the guy is dead.
156* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': Queen Maeve with Elena. Or rather, her ''teammate''. After keeping it bottled up for years, Maeve finally tells her ex-girlfriend Elena this is the reason they can't be together. Homelander [[EntitledToHaveYou views Maeve as his]], and has violently murdered at least one Hollywood producer who flirted a little too much with her. On finding out that Maeve was with Elena, he [[ForcedOutOfTheCloset outs her spitefully]] in revenge on live national TV.
157* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Buffy tries this with Riley... ''after'' finding out that he fought demons as well.
158-->'''Buffy:''' You don't know what my life is like.\
159'''Riley:''' But I'm dying to find out.\
160'''Buffy:''' Dying being the operative word here.
161* In ''Series/CriminologistHimuraAndMysteryWriterArisugawa'', Moroboshi kidnaps Arisugawa to try and provoke Himura, and then targets three women that are close to him. Realising that she won't stop, and that he ''will'' give into his [[ReluctantPsycho dark urges]] if any of them are hurt, Himura slips away from them and confronts Moroboshi by himself. Arisugawa is very displeased about his decision and [[AngerBornOfWorry lets him know it]] when they're able to track him down again.
162* ''Series/Daredevil2015'':
163** Wilson Fisk is a rare case of this happening to a ''villain''. After Vanessa is poisoned, he tries to send her to another country.
164** Matt tries to isolate his Daredevil activities from Foggy and Karen, which doesn't help when Karen is kidnapped by the Hand.
165* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': Crichton does this without actually telling Aeryn that's why he's virtually ignoring her. She gets angsty, he starts doing the local equivalent of sniffing pixie dust, and the bad guy ''knows anyway'' because it's frelling obvious, especially considering [[spoiler:she's pregnant]] at the time. Eventually he lets her in on his fears and they quietly make out after [[BluffTheEavesdropper loudly saying]] "So it's over, then."
166* In ''Series/TheFBI'', central protagonist Inspector Lewis Erskine avoids romantic entanglements because his wife was killed in an ambush intended for him. He also tells one potential LoveInterest that he wouldn't encourage his daughter to marry an FBI agent either.
167* ''Series/GeneralHospital'': {{Wangst}}-y hitman Jason Morgan invokes this trope any time a woman tries to get close to him.
168** Most notably, his ex-fiancée Sam [=McCall=], whose getting shot prompted Jason to leave her for her own protection. Many Jason/Sam shippers still aren't happy.
169* ''Series/{{Graceland}}'': Jakes broke up with Cassandra in the backstory so that his job as an undercover agent wouldn't endanger her and their child. In the second season, Jakes tries to give up the job in order to be a father to his son - only to find that it's too late and there's no place for him in their lives.
170* ''Series/{{Grimm}}'': Nick's aunt Marie tells Nick that he should break up with [[MeaningfulName Juliet]] because of this trope, and he considers it but doesn't do it. When his best friend (who is part of TheMasquerade but should be his enemy) gets beaten up for being his friend, Nick tells him he won't ask him for help anymore, but Monroe tells him he can ask for as much help as he wants. [[spoiler:His mother]] later tells him that he shouldn't live like she did, being afraid of getting to close to people in fear of them getting hurt.
171* The first episode of ''Series/{{Highlander}}: The Series'' played this absolutely dead straight between Duncan and Tessa.
172* ''Series/KnightRider'' (2008): This is the (frankly, lame) excuse Michael Knight gives for the fact that the first time he meets his son is at the funeral for young Mike's mom.
173** Granted, the CartwrightCurse has bitten Michael before; he was widowed ''at the altar'' in "The Scent of Roses".
174%%* Kyle does this to Amanda in the third season of ''Series/KyleXY''.
175* In one episode of ''Series/TheMandalorian'', the titular character is tempted to stay on the peaceful planet Sorgan. However, he is aware that word about him helping the villagers will spread and attract unwanted attention. His initial plan is to leave the child with Omera to grow up happy and safe; but a bounty hunter after the child shows that the child won't be safe on Sorgan as long as there is a bounty on him, forcing both the Mandalorian and the child to leave.
176* Played with in ''Series/{{Misfits}}''. At Nathan's urging, Curtis says this to Sam. They do break up--but only because Sam recognized the line from Spider-Man and got angry.
177* ''Series/PennyDreadful'': Vanessa essentially uses this excuse to break off an impending sex scene with Ethan. In this case, the enemy is as much [[spoiler:Satan]] as [[EnemyWithin herself]], as sex is one way of triggering her ApocalypseMaiden status.
178* Inverted in ''Series/{{Psych}}''. After being kidnapped by Yin, Abigail breaks up with Shawn for good because she has dreams of her own she can't achieve if she's dead.
179* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': This is the entire romantic plot line of approximately the first 7 seasons:
180** Inverted in season nine, where Lois gives this speech to Clark, about why it was logical that [[Franchise/{{Superman}} The Blur]] didn't tell her his identity, based entirely on this trope. Amusing because Clark was just about to tell her he was the Blur.
181* ''Series/StrangerThings'': Part of the reason Eleven never made contact with Mike and his friends since her disappearance is because it would have put them in massive danger, even though her staying away is emotional torment for both her and Mike. When she finally returns, it's because Hawkins needs to be saved from the invasion of the Upside Down.
182* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' used this trope in "Provenance". Sam tells Sarah they can't be together, which is wise since [[CartwrightCurse everyone he sleeps with dies]]. Later [[spoiler:he sleeps with Madison in "Heart". She almost immediately keels over]].
183** In season 8 he simply disappears from Amelia's life - twice! - with no explanation or any hint of what he does with the rest of his time.
184** Dean pulls this on Lisa when Sam shows back up in the sixth season premiere: he evacuates her and Ben to Bobby's for a few days and then has them move to Michigan to try to keep them safe. [[spoiler:It doesn't work.]]
185** Castiel also pulls this on Dean in season 8 while the two of them are trapped in Purgatory, first by fleeing from Dean immediately after they arrive and avoiding him for weeks to prevent the leviathans chasing him from attacking Dean as well, then by deliberately letting go of Dean's hand as they attempt to escape Puragatory, because he believes he deserves punishment and penance and that Dean is better off without him.
186* Kreegan, the protagonist of ''Touching Evil'' takes this to the extreme towards the end of the series. After the criminals he is investigating attack his family, he arranges for them to be put into WitnessProtection to keep them safe- and makes sure he doesn't know where they've been sent. One of the few examples where the couple never see each other again.
187* This is why Cole is afraid to let anything romantic happen between himself and Mel in ''Series/Tracker2001''. He’s worried he’ll get distracted and one or both of them will get hurt by the fugitives.
188* Stefan from ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'' distances himself from Elena in order to protect her and her friends and family.
189* ''Series/TheXFiles'':
190** Mulder tries to use this reasoning on Scully. Needless to say, it backfires.
191** This is given as the reason why Mulder is not with Scully and William in season 9. This one is actually a subversion, since Mulder didn't want to leave, despite the danger; Scully convinced him to leave because she feared for both his and William's life if they remained together.
192[[/folder]]
193
194[[folder:Manhwa]]
195* ''Manhwa/MetalHeart'': Sia tried this to get away from Minwoo to protect him but he convinced her stay.
196[[/folder]]
197
198[[folder:Music]]
199* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8fFx8c3TJI How I Became The Bomb's ''Secret Identity'']]:
200-->''Girl, I know that what you need from me is looooove\
201 But I'm afraid that it's the one thing\
202 I can't, give uuuuup\
203 Cuz my enemies will find you, and kill you\
204 To get to meeeee''
205[[/folder]]
206
207[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
208* In the BodyHorror game ''TabletopGame/{{Abnormal}}'', the Witness has supports that they can Ask For Help in dealing with the Horror. However, a support can become Infected, making it easier to trigger the Utterly Consumed end condition and get a bad ending, and you might have to Drive Them Away instead.
209[[/folder]]
210
211[[folder:Video Games]]
212* In ''VideoGame/BaldursGate 2'', trying to romance drow priestess Viconia will end with this, as she's targeted by Lolth's Handmaidens and doesn't want to drag the protagonist into her mess. However in the expansion she will be amenable to starting over - she realizes that between having your soul ripped out and reclaimed, going to hell, climbing the path to godhood and having to put down your god-blooded half-siblings along the way, the Handmaidens are a minor trifle. Besides, marrying a god...
213* In ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'', Kanata tries a mundane version of this with Souma early in the year: as he and the other Oddballs have been made into villains in the public's eye, he worries that Souma might suffer too if he associates with him. He'd rather that he continue to be a good boy and only keep company with the 'right' people, as this way the world would be kind to him. Souma never gets a chance to respond at the time, but he makes it clear through the rest of the year that he does ''not'' like this idea, especially since he still feels guilty about his own (mostly unwitting) involvement in Kanata's scapegoating.
214* Between ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' and ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', [[spoiler:Rose fakes a miscarriage and a marriage to Roy Campbell to protect herself and her son from the Patriots, who would use them against Raiden.]] Of course, their relationship was already falling apart before any of this happened, but they worked it out in the end.
215** ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'': Raiden himself does this to his wife and son because his latest enemies ''rip the brains out of children and force-feed them violent training simulations''.
216* ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur]]'': Kilik knows that his longtime traveling companion Xianghua has romantic feelings for him, but his quest to destroy Soul Edge prevents him from wanting to get too close to her (Kilik's first love [[spoiler:and Xianghua's long-lost older sister]] Xianglian was killed by him while he was under possession of the Evil Seed). In Xianghua's ''SCIV'' ending, [[spoiler:he explicitly tells this to her as he grabs hold of the cursed sword. [[TakingYouWithMe She's not listening,]] [[TogetherInDeath no matter what.]] The official Soul Calibur V artbook revealed that they had an illegitimate child, Xiba, together.]]
217* The main plot of ''VideoGame/StarFoxCommand'' revolved around the fact that Fox kicked his girlfriend Krystal out of the team because life as a Star Fox member is so dangerous. [[WhatTheHellHero Pretty much everyone calls Fox out on this for being a phenomenally dumb move]], and Krystal ends up putting herself in harms way with Star Wolf. [[spoiler:Most of the multiple endings wrap this up in some way, sometimes happily, sometimes not.]]
218** It also repeats minorly with Amanda (Slippy's Girlfriend) and Lucy, Peppy's daughter.
219* ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasonsPioneersOfOliveTown'': Iori, one of the marriage candidates, has an assassin after him. His RomanceSidequest eventually reaches a point where he tries to get the PlayerCharacter to stop spending time with him for their own saftety. Appropriately, this happens in the last event of his RomanceSidequest before the PlayerCharacter can make him their official boyfriend.
220* Inverted in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'': Colette leaves behind TheHero, Lloyd, when she begins her journey of World Regeneration, after lying to him about letting him go with her, [[spoiler:[[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy the real reason being that]] [[HeroicSacrifice she dies at the end of her journey]], [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy and she didn't want him around for that]]]]. In the end, [[DoomedHometown Iselia]] is partially destroyed, and Lloyd goes chasing after her.
221* In ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines,'' you can meet a young woman named Heather Poe in the Santa Monica hospital, bleeding and in pain, but the doctor is tending to another patient, and you have the option to feed her some of your blood, healing her. If you do, you'll encounter her in the street not too long after; [[IOweYouMyLife she's extremely grateful for your help, and begs you to let her do anything in her power to make your vampire existence easier.]] You can either tell her to go away for her own good, or take her in, where her behavior will steadily get more eccentric in an effort to please you, from bringing a man home for you to feed from, to dressing however you ask. You're eventually given the option to [[ShooTheDog drive her out of your home for her own safety]], since by this point you're enbroiled in a great deal of conspiracy and violence. [[spoiler:If you keep her around, the Sabbat, a bloodthirsty vampire clan who is very much not happy with you, will kidnap and kill her, assumedly to spur you into shortsighted retaliation. However, the Unofficial Patch Plus GameMod (a necessity due to the game's ChristmasRushed nature) allows you to TakeAThirdOption by simply warning her to stay inside and out of sight.]]
222* Done indirectly by Goro Majima to Makoto Makimura in the conclusion of ''VideoGame/Yakuza0''. Rather than revealing her that he's the one who's been protecting her before, Majima would rather let her go and live a happy live with the doctor who taken care of her during her absence [[spoiler:after being shot by Lao Gui before]] and helping her from recovering from her blindness, because he doesn't want her to be exposed to more danger for being associated with an infamous Yakuza like him.
223[[/folder]]
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225[[folder:Web Animation]]
226* A platonic version occurs at the end of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' season three. [[spoiler:In the penultimate episode, Blake has a violent encounter with Adam, who is enraged that she's left the [[WesternTerrorists White Fang]] and gotten out from under his thumb. He not only stabs her, but promises to [[IfICantHaveYou "destroy everything you love,"]] and gets started by [[AnArmAndALeg lopping off Yang's arm]] when she tries to rescue Blake. In the season's denouement, we learn that Blake has run off on Yang and the rest of Team RWBY, presumably due to this trope. [[TearJerker Not that Yang knows this, leaving her feeling terribly betrayed after losing so much while trying to save her friend.]]]] This is [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] in Volume 4 when Blake panics over Sun getting badly injured, Sun calls her out over doing this:
227-->'''Sun:''' You think you're being selfless, but you're not. Yeah, that chameleon friend of yours got me pretty good, [[ThePowerOfFriendship but I'd do it all again if it meant protecting you]]. And I could promise Yang would say the same. You get to make your own choices, sure. But you don't get to make ours. When your friends fight for you, [[TrueCompanions it's because we want to]]. So STOP pushing us out! [[YouAreNotAlone It hurts more than anything the bad guys could ever do to us]].
228** This is further explored in Volume 5 when Ruby mentions Blake's name, sending Yang into a furor before she sobs to Weiss about her, implying that [[spoiler:whatever damage Adam did to Yang, it was a ''lot'' worse with Blake's disappearance.]] Ultimately in Volume 6, [[spoiler:despite Blake coming back to Team RWBY at long last, Yang hasn't forgiven her for her stunt and she needs to rebuild her trust in her.]]
229[[/folder]]
230
231[[folder:Webcomics]]
232* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'':
233** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the [[FourthWallMailSlot Q&A]]'s: Amanda asks [[BadassTeacher Raven]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-07-29 on a date]], Raven replies with this. Amanda's response:
234--->'''Amanda:''' Yeah, but [[LooseCanon this is all outside of continuity]].
235** It's implied to be the reason (or at least ''a'' reason) for Tedd's mom's departure: Not about her husband, but about Tedd himself.
236* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'':
237** Agatha hasn't chosen between Gil and Tarvek, but she is quite certain she wants both of them safely ''out'' of castle. [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090209 She doesn't want another --]] ''[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090209 anyone]]'' [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090209 dying on her behalf.]]
238** A [[LikeBrotherAndSister non-romantic]] version features in the backstory of Tarvek and his distant cousin[=/=]assigned [[McNinja bodyguard]] Violetta. Given that [[RoyallyScrewedUp an upbringing in House Strumovarus does not promote open and honest communication]] it was years before Violetta put all the pieces together, but Tarvek quietly framed her for incompetence and [[ReassignedToAntarctica arranged a reassignment to a dead-end position]] ''very far from him'' because he cared for her and knew things were deteriorating to the point where her next twelve replacements survived an average of three months.
239* ''WebComic/KillSixBillionDemons'': This is apparently implied in "The Wheel Smashing Lord" 2-39, even though the character in question is not honest about her motive. Allison is approached by [[spoiler: an incomplete-looking being that's implied to be the beginnings of the reincarnation of the devil Cio, her friend/lover who actually did get killed because of her already.]] She tells it that they are enemies from its former life, and it should stay away from her or she'll kill it. Note that while both fought side by side in the past, Allison has become the much more powerful one at this point.
240* In ''Webcomic/LeftoverSoup'', Jamie attempts this on Ellen, but she'll have none of it.
241-->'''Ellen:''' Oh my God, you're Spider-manning me, aren't you?
242* The title character of ''WebComic/TheLegendOfLucy'' hid her career as a bounty hunter from her friend Glenda because of this and thought she would want to break off their friendship after being kidnapped and attacked, but Glenda was all too happy to have the excitement in her life.
243* Vaarsuvius in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' #679. [[spoiler:V's mate Inkyrius has just filed for a divorce, and V chooses not to contest it despite wanting to. And V has a point; though Inkyrius has good reasons, Vaarsuvius knows that as the quest to save the world continues, V's bound to make more enemies. Enemies that might try and attack Inkyrius and their adopted children, as the Black Dragon did.]]
244* In ''Webcomic/RipAndTeri'', after catching one of his old enemies attempting to seduce Teri, the woman he loves, in an effort to get to him, secret agent Rip Dustin mentally prepares himself to tell her that he hates her in order to drive her away and ensure her safety from his many enemies - but he's unable to bring himself do so, and can only tell her that "I'll always love you." before leaving her. Needless to say, this doesn't have the driving-away effect he was hoping for. When the two are reunited a few strips later, Rip attempts to justify his actions with this trope, only for Teri to point out that it wasn't exactly working; she was in just as much danger as if they'd been together because their enemies ''still'' tried to use her to get to him - and in fact, ''because'' he wasn't around to protect her, she was out of her depth and therefore in an even ''more'' dangerous position.
245* In ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' Torg has put any potential romance with Zoe on hold for years (even calling her a "boring, dumpy chick" once) all in order to keep her safe from his [[{{Yandere}} psychotic stalker]] Oasis. This was further encouraged when [[spoiler:Torg's ArchEnemy (one of them, anyway) Lord Horribus killed an AlternateUniverse version of Zoe that Torg had been dating]].
246* Lampshaded and subverted in ''Webcomic/Sorcery101''.
247-->'''Mel''': You know how in almost every superhero movie, the hero breaks up with his girlfriend to protect her? And then she tells him, he's worth the risk? Well... you're not.
248* A platonic([[HoYay -ish]]) example happens in ''Webcomic/WeakHero''. After he starts getting targeted by Oswald's gang, Stephen deliberately distances himself from his best friend Gray so that Gray won't get involved and hurt. Gray stays by his side regardless, leading Stephen to take more drastic measures to protect him.
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251[[folder:Web Original]]
252* Himei tries to do this with Seiki in ''Literature/SailorNothing''. Tries, and fails.
253* Lampshaded, of course, in ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'', when Harry and Ginny use the various ''[[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Spider-Man]]'' movies as evidence for their respective sides of the argument.
254* Website/{{Cracked}}'s ''WebVideo/AfterHours'' program discussed the FridgeLogic inherent with the "Keep them in the dark" aspect of this trope. By not informing his loved ones, Peter Parker not only doesn't prevent them from becoming targets of villains seeking to hurt his SecretIdentity, but ''also'' prevents them from preparing for such a threat to occur.
255* In ''Literature/{{Twig}}'', Lillian and Sylvester agree to break up not only because their romantic relationship makes them immediately vulnerable to the predations of the [[TheCaligula Baron Richmond]], who [[EvilIsPetty delights in causing them even minor misfortune]], but because more broadly it threatens Lillian's ambitions of [[AcademyOfEvil academic advancement]] and makes it easy for people to attack her indirectly.
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258[[folder:Western Animation]]
259* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': After [[spoiler:his HeelFaceTurn in the third season, Zuko leaves behind his girlfriend Mai. As he explains to Sokka in "The Boiling Rock", "Everyone thinks I'm a traitor. I couldn't drag her into it." She is not happy about this and proves how wrongly he underestimated her [[TwangHello in spectacular style]]]]. [[spoiler:Of course, Mai ends up getting thrown in prison -- as does Ty Lee --, so maybe he had a point.]]
260* Terry [=McGinnis=] of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' gives his longtime girlfriend Dana Tan this speech in the FullyAbsorbedFinale episode "Epilogue" of ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]''. However, the scene appears to be a hypothetical one imagined by Terry rather than actually happening; at the end of the episode [[spoiler:he calls Dana to confirm a date they've scheduled, and is clearly planning to propose]].
261** Ironically it seems his choice is made when someone who knows him and the original Batman tells him not to distance himself from people who love him - so as to have a better life than the old man (Bruce Wayne).
262* ''WesternAnimation/CarmenSandiego'': This is the reason Carmen gives for [[spoiler:standing a now-amnesiac Gray up. Even if he ''wasn't'' made into a SleeperAgent by V.I.L.E., she can't bear to bring him back into her life, since that will make him a target of V.I.L.E.'s wrath.]]
263-->''"For whatever strange reason, Gray has a fresh start now. And having Carmen Sandiego back in his life would only complicate that."''
264* {{Inverted|Trope}} on ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': [[WrongGenreSavvy Valerie]], the [[DatingCatwoman "villainous" love interest]], decides not to pursue her relationship with Danny so she can hunt his SecretIdentity: "There's something important I have to do right now, and I don't want you to get hurt because of it." Hey, you can't please everyone. The irony here is that ''he's'' the enemy and already knew her secret identity, making the whole thing rather sad.
265* ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]'': Diana is flirting with Batman during a stakeout, and he gives a few reasons why they shouldn't. The third reason is the standard superhero wave-off of his enemies being a threat to anyone he's in a relationship with... which Diana answers by casually crushing the head of a stone gargoyle in her hand and asking "next?" It might make more sense to argue that ''he'' should worry about ''her'' enemies (though maybe not, given [[BadassNormal his impressive track record at taking on and beating superpowered foes]]).
266* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': Along with many other SuperheroTropes rolled into the episode called "The Beak". Phineas and Isabella [[ShipTease naturally]].
267* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': After the events of the first SeasonFinale ([[spoiler:a spaceship crashes into the town, and Lapis Lazuli performs a HeroicSacrifice to prevent Steven and the Gems from being harmed]]), Steven contemplates cutting his ties with his friend Connie (and humans in general) in "Full Disclosure", but ultimately cannot bring himself to do so and tells her the truth. He tried to end their friendship with a ''[[DumpedViaTextMessage text message]]'' but when Connie demanded that he say it to her face, he ultimately couldn't. Then, half a season later, Connie starts training to fight ''with'' Steven.
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