Line #46 Main/MoralEventHorizon


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5	[[quoteright:292:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BlackholeDiagramSilly_Laugh2_8331.png]]
6	[[caption-width-right:292:Once they cross that red line, there's no turning back.]]
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12	->''"Tarkin, if ever there was a shred of humanity in you or these twisted creatures of yours, it's dead now. You're at war with'' life itself. ''You are enemies of the universe... your Empire is doomed."''
13	-->-- '''Princess Leia Organa''' (after Grand Moff Tarkin [[EarthShatteringKaboom wipes out Alderaan]]), ''Radio/StarWarsRadioDramas''
14
15	The Moral Event Horizon is the deed that renders a villain irredeemable. Named after the event horizon of a UsefulNotes/{{black hole\|s}}, it is no longer possible for a villain past the Moral Event Horizon to be redeemed. If they try to, it will be [[ReformedButRejected rejected]], {{ignored\|Epiphany}}, or [[HeelFaceDoorSlam otherwise prevented from succeeding]]. If they do redeem themselves, then they never actually crossed it in the first place.
16
17	Note the word ''irredeemable'' at the beginning of this article. It is a demonstration of ''permanent'' evil. This is the moment which confirms that this character will always be a bad person. The moment where you realize that it's simply not possible for them to cleanse themselves of their guilt. The moment any FreudianExcuse they may have [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse loses all meaning]]. Their existence is a blight on humanity. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis They. Are. Evil.]]
18
19	The deed is characterized by the following aspects:
20	* The evilness of the deed stands out in the story and the résumé of the character. It's likely to subvert or negate any (potential) redeeming or mitigating aspects they had prior.
21	* The event is played seriously and is not negated through NegativeContinuity or BlackComedy.
22	* There is often a shift in the way the character is perceived by the narrative and other characters. If they weren't a villain or played seriously before, they are now.
23
24	When people decide in-universe that someone has crossed this line, the character in question is considered BeyondRedemption.
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26	If you want to stay in the relativistic physics' picture of the (moral) event horizon, there ''is'' a trope that would be the equivalent of quantum physics' wave-mechanical tunneling (which is light getting "out" of a black hole ''without'' passing back over its event horizon) - DeliveranceFromDamnation - but the two tropes are just as difficult to reconcile with each other as their physics model counterparts are; and deliverance from damnation is very much the same actually impossible exception wave mechanical tunneling is.
27
28	The [[EvilCounterpart Good Counterpart]] to Moral Event Horizon is HeroesFrontierStep, when a character commits a noble deed that firmly establishes that they are indeed heroic and even pure.
29
30	Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease Whether or not a real person has crossed this line is ''way'' too debatable and controversial; we already have enough trouble with fictional characters.
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32	[[foldercontrol]]
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34	[[folder:Compare with]]
35	[[index]]
36	* AbusiveOffspring: Characters who are nasty towards their parents can cross this, as it's essentially [[UngratefulBastard spitting on one's upbringing for no good reason]] if the parents are [[GoodParents particularly kind people]]. If the nastiness turns [[SelfMadeOrphan murderous]], it's even more likely to cross the line.
37	* AbusiveParents: Characters who abuse their children often cross this. ''Especially'' if this abuse turns [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil sexual]], [[OffingTheOffspring deadly]], or both.
38	** PimpingTheOffspring: A parent prostituting their own children is virtually always this.
39	* AndThatsTerrible: When the writers [[ViewersAreMorons feel the need to explicitly point out when this occurs]].
40	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: A race or group is treated, justifiably or not, as so innately evil that they're over the line by default.
41	* AtrocityMontage: A montage depicting horrific events fold out such as crimes, accidents and disaster. If any character is responsible for it, then they cross the line.
42	* ApocalypseHow: Causing one of these (Or maybe even ''multiple'' of them) is a likely line crossing.
43	* BadBoss: Characters who abuse their subordinates often cross this.
44	* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Characters who abuse animals often cross this.
45	* BaitTheDog: A villain sets up a moment that endears them to the audience, only to commit a deed to show how utterly despicable they are.
46	* BeyondRedemption: When a character InUniverse crosses a line of evil that makes someone else give up trying to redeem them.
47	* BlackWidow & TheBluebeard: While abusing a spouse is bad enough, killing a succession of them is a major crossing.
48	* BlamingTheVictim: Blaming someone for the tragedies that happened to them is heinous.
49	* BreakTheCutie: Torturing and breaking down the innocent [[TheCutie cutie]] is likely going to get someone on this trope depending on how severe it is. Or they can get TheCutie to [[FaceHeelTurn cross]] [[CorruptTheCutie it themselves]].
50	** KillTheCutie: Actually ''killing'' them is even worse, and an almost guaranteed line crossing.
51	* BullyBrutality: Bullies who go beyond giving their victims black eyes and wedgies by severely injuring them are line-crossers.
52	* BullyingTheDisabled: Ostracizing or mocking someone's disability is a sick act.
53	* CardCarryingVillain: Self-aware evil is irredeemable when it feels pride rather than shame.
54	* ChildEater[=/=]EatsBabies: A villain who only targets defenseless children for the purpose of eating them often crosses the line by default, as it combines WouldHurtAChild and ImAHumanitarian.
55	* ColdBloodedTorture: For obvious reasons, torture is nearly always over the line. It's very unlikely that a redeemable character would have the right mindset to go through with inflicting that much pain and suffering unto another person. There ''may'' be an exception if [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique it's done to obtain vital information]] and/or if the "[[AssholeVictim victim]]" ''[[PayEvilUntoEvil really]]'' deserved it, but even then, it can easily be portrayed as crossing the line too.
56	* CompleteMonster: A character that's pure evil. Not everyone who crosses the Moral Event Horizon become this, but a Complete Monster has not only crossed it, but lives on the other side of it.
57	* CopKiller: When a murderer demonstrates their lack of regard for morality by killing representatives of law and justice. May not be a line-crossing if the cop in question [[DirtyCop was an asshole who deserved punishment]], [[AssholeVictim though]].
58	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Inflicting painful and hideous deaths to your victims, especially innocent or sympathetic ones, is a line-crossing.
59	* ADeadlyAffair: When an affair turns into a crime scene. [[AnyoneCanDie Victim(s) can vary.]]
60	* DeathOfAChild: If a child or any prepubescent animal is shown to be explicitly murdered in an inhumane manner, this is all but guaranteed to royally piss off the audience at whoever did it, especially any MoralGuardian who happens to be watching the deed.
61	* DefiledForever: In a setting where SexIsEvil and/or where NatureAdoresAVirgin.
62	* DesecratingTheDead: Mutilating a person's dead body is often a line-crosser, as [[DueToTheDead respecting the dead is often seen as an important virtue]].
63	* DespairEventHorizon: Some characters who lose all hope can be more likely to cross the Moral Event Horizon. Driving someone else across the DEH can easily be a crossing of the Moral Event Horizon as well.
64	* DesignatedHero[=/=]UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Audiences think the characters deserved to be condemned, even if the author makes their actions justified or reasonable.
65	* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: Giving up an advantage just to hurt someone, while definitely stupid, petty, and pointless, can also be a line-crossing if it involves a truly heinous act due to the underlying thought process: they care less about winning and [[ForTheEvulz more about inflicting harm, and they're totally willing to throw away what was a guaranteed victory just to indulge in petty cruelty]].
66	* DirtyCop / KillerCop: Usually they often cross the line especially if they are deliberately aiding and abetting criminals as well as killing good cops that try to stop them, or are violent, hateful sadists who treat being a cop as carte blanche to maim and kill people and ruin their lives.
67	* DirtyCoward: In some cases, characters who put their lives before others to the point that they don't care if others die or suffer are line-crossers.
68	* DisproportionateRetribution: Sometimes, the retribution is disproportionate enough that it causes the person who committed it to cross the line, and [[HeWhoFightsMonsters often it does]].
69	* DogKickingExcuse: Deliberately targeting bad people just because it presents a good excuse for doing something heinous to them is still crossing it because, at the end of the day, they really only cared about inflicting serious or fatal harm on someone and just needed a good excuse for doing it.
70	* DomesticAbuse: Characters who abuse their families/spouses/lovers often cross this.
71	* DrivenToMadness: Deliberately driving someone insane can cross this, even moreso if it causes them to [[DrivenToSuicide do suicide]].
72	* EarthShatteringKaboom: Destroying an entire planet, particularly a populated one, is a major line-crossing.
73	* ElderAbuse: [[WouldHarmASenior Harming a senior]] is already often portrayed as a line-crossing, but deliberately targeting the elderly specifically can easily come across as even worse, especially if the abuser is supposed to be taking care of them.
74	* EngineeredHeroics: Deliberately endangering people so they can swoop in and be TheHero can absolutely be a line-crossing.
75	* EvilFeelsGood: Being on TheDarkSide after a FaceHeelTurn makes a character feel good committing evil deeds.
76	* EvilIsPetty: Heinous, loathsome acts committed in response to petty and trifling slights (''especially'' if they are imagined, or so infinitesimal that no one else would reasonably care after the first minute) are often a Moral Event Horizon because the act is both grossly [[DisproportionateRetribution disproportionate]] to the situation at hand and backed with a sense of self-righteousness.
77	* FaceHeelTurn: A character on the side of good turns bad and allies with a villain (or group of villains) and is forever affiliated with them.
78	* FalseFriend: Forming a friendship with another character, only to reveal at a later time that this "friendship" was all an act instigated [[ItsAllAboutMe for their own benefit]], is often crossing the line.
79	* FalseRapeAccusation: Accusing someone of [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil such an unforgivable crime]] when you know they aren't guilty is an unforgivable act in itself.
80	* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Rewarding selfless acts of kindness with wanton cruelty can absolutely be a line-crossing.
81	* FamilyExtermination: The killing of entire families, especially the hero's loved ones, is a major crossing of the Moral Event Horizon.
82	* FateWorseThanDeath: If murder is a line-crossing, then doing something ''even worse than that'' to one's victims surely counts as well.
83	* FauxAffablyEvil: Many AffablyEvil characters can become this when they cross the line.
84	* FinalSolution: Genocide, the act of wiping out an entire people, is one of the most monstrous acts that a person or a society can commit, and is a serious line-crossing.
85	* ForcedToWatch: Forcing someone to watch the torture or murder of those they care about is almost invariably a line-crossing.
86	* ForTheEvulz: Many usually KickTheDog for no reason than EvilFeelsGood and to get a sick kick at others' expense.
87	* FreudianExcuse: Villains are often the way they are because they were on the receiving end of someone crossing the line.
88	* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: When a villain’s sad past makes absolutely no impact on the villain having crossed the line.
89	* GodzillaThreshold: Sometimes a situation becomes so desperate that even heroes must do the previously unthinkable or forbidden.
90	* GuiltByAssociationGag: Punishing someone for what someone else has done can be considered this due to how unfair it is.
91	* HateCrimesAreASpecialKindOfEvil: Acts of cruelty motivated by bigotry are treated as being especially awful.
92	** PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: If the bad guy is motivated by hatred for a group of people.
93	* HateSink: Characters meant to be wholeheartedly despised, especially [[CompleteMonster those of the worst kind]], have a tendency to cross the line to show that they are meant to be despised.
94	* HeelFaceDoorSlam: A HeelFaceTurn and/or an apology is ''attempted'', but for whatever reason(s) is rejected; in other words, it's too little, too late. Also, a villain who kills someone just as they are about to make a HeelFaceTurn often crosses this.
95	* HeWhoFightsMonsters: A seeker of vengeance becomes more and more like the villain they seek to destroy, until they ultimately become either just like them or worse, often marked by an act that crosses the Moral Event Horizon.
96	* HeroKiller: A villain, who kills or killed the heroes. Crosses the line if the hero was loved by the characters and the audience or sympathized with him.
97	* HonorRelatedAbuse: Characters who abuse their families/friends in the name of honor often cross this.
98	* IDidWhatIHadToDo: When a character does something irredeemably in the name of the greater good (or, less favorably, ''believes'' that it was for the greater good) while being at least nominally aware of the gravity of their actions.
99	* ISurrenderSuckers: Deceiving the opposing side into lowering their guard with a faux surrender is a disgustingly underhanded tactic, is considered a [[UsefulNotes/TheLawsAndCustomsOfWar war crime]], and is often crossing the line.
100	* IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten: One is made to cross the line to prove their character.
101	* IgnoredEpiphany: A villain or morally gray character has a brief moment of realizing how bad their actions are, only to shrug it off a few moments later, knowing how far they've fallen.
102	* ImAHumanitarian: Willingly eating another person is one of the greatest taboos in many cultures, and as such is considered unforgivable, as it involves killing people for one's own enjoyment ''and'' [[DesecratingTheDead desecrating their corpse]] at the same time. This may be much more forgivable in [[NoPartyLikeADonnerParty survival scenarios]], if [[TheSecretOfLongPorkPies one is unaware of what they're eating]], or if they're from a culture where ritual cannibalism of the deceased is done out of respect.
103	** ToServeMan [=/=] SapientEatSapient: Eating other sapient beings, even if not of your own kind, is also quite monstrous.
104	* ImmortalityImmorality: Villainous immortality seekers are frequent line-crossers, as they typically pursue monstrous or morally bankrupt means of achieving it, and once they become immortal (or if they have been immortal for a while), they are extremely likely to engage in significantly more heinous and depraved acts as time goes on.
105	* IRejectYourReality: A character who rejects an obvious truth so that they can still commit evil without guilt has crossed the line because they absolutely cannot be reasoned with or otherwise deterred from the acts they know are evil. Trying to convince them to stop is futile.
106	* ItCanThink: A {{subversion}} of NonMaliciousMonster, where a violent creature that seemed to be acting purely on instinct is revealed to have the mental capacity to comprehend the morality of its actions, retroactively making its past behavior much more heinous.
107	* ItGetsEasier: The idea that doing something immoral (like killing someone) once can be very emotionally difficult, but afterwards, doing that same thing again is easier. This can result in a character's first kill being portrayed as the sign that they've fallen into darkness, as now that they've done it once, they're not going to hesitate to do it again.
108	* IveComeTooFar: When a character recognizes (or believes) that they have crossed the Moral Event Horizon and know that they don't have a chance of redemption anymore.
109	* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: A character skips over [[SlowlySlippingIntoEvil several progressively darker shades of gray]] and goes straight to crossing it.
110	* KangarooCourt: Deciding that the accused is guilty without any evidence can cross the line.
111	* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: Most often given to those who have crossed it and gotten away with past deeds.
112	* KarmicDeath: If a character crosses the line, they're more likely to die in a fittingly nasty way related to the nature of their evil deeds.
113	* KarmicRape: Particularly evil characters may end up on the receiving end of rape, especially if their crimes are related to sex.
114	* KickTheDog: An act which serves no purpose other than to mark the character as evil, which frequently overlaps with this.
115	* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Is at the '''very''' least extremely dishonorable, and is usually outright murder if they kill the person.
116	* KickTheMoralityPet: If Kicking The Dog wasn't enough, the evil character hurting the ones who brought out their inner humanity is worse - and, from a narrative standpoint, is a good way to cut off their most obvious path to redemption.
117	* KillThePoor: Killing those who are in poverty is a form of genocide, and therefore an obvious crossing.
118	* KinslayingIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Murdering your own relatives is treated as heinous.
119	* KnightTemplar: One of the most frequent crossers, as they're too deluded to realize that they're in the wrong or believe that the outcome will vindicate them.
120	** TautologicalTemplar: Even worse offenders at crossing the line than the KnightTemplar because they believe ''everything'' they do is good, no matter how monstrous.
121	* LackOfEmpathy: Not inherently a line-crosser, but is the root of many a line-crossing; characters who don't care about other people's feelings can engage in vile acts without guilt or remorse.
122	* MindControl: Forcibly overriding another person's free will is often treated as one of the worst things you can do to someone; it might even be considered a FateWorseThanDeath. Even BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood can come across as iffy, never mind it being done by a villain for selfish or evil purposes.
123	* MindRape: Psychologically torturing someone into insanity is quite depraved.
124	* MockingTheMourner: Anyone who harasses the bereaved, especially over their loved one's death, is considered having crossed the line into this.
125	** WouldYouLikeToHearHowTheyDied: Anyone who boasts about how they personally killed someone in front of their loved ones is a [[{{Sadist}} sadistic]] and thoroughly disgusting excuse for a human being.
126	* MonsterMisogyny: A character or creature targeting defenseless women exclusively often crosses the line by default from doing so.
127	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: The character will react with great remorse after they cross the Moral Event Horizon.
128	* NoPlaceForMeThere: When a character who has crossed it or inevitably will is trying to create a better world, but does so knowing that there will be no place in that world for people who commit monstrous acts like them.
129	* NoWomansLand: A race or group abuse women so they're over the line by default.
130	* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: Lying about the horrible atrocities you committed as being for a good cause is a great method to cross the line.
131	* NukeEm: If it's not a last resort, ordering the use of nuclear weaponry is very often portrayed as an irredeemably evil act, as such weapons cause indiscriminate destruction on such a massive scale that unless the GodzillaThreshold has been crossed, the results they bring would be viewed as a PyrrhicVictory ''at best'' by anyone with a functioning moral compass.
132	* OffingTheAnnoyance: Trying to murder someone because you feel annoyed with them is often crossing the line, because it's [[DisproportionateRetribution disproportionate]] and accompanied by a sense of self-righteousness.
133	* OmnicidalManiac: Trying to kill EVERYTHING almost certainly puts one past the line.
134	* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Truly malignant variants can permanently taint a character's reputation and cement themselves to be as unforgivable as they could be by others.
135	* OrderedToDie: Telling someone you have authority over to kill themselves. If a hero does this, it's hard to argue they're a "hero" any longer.
136	* PostGameRetaliation: Physically attacking a victor who won a competition fair and square can absolutely be a Moral Event Horizon, especially if it is a sucker punch, multi-person ambush, or when it involves weapons.
137	* PostSupportRegret: When a BigBadFriend crosses this, it results in a BrokenPedestal for their TrueCompanions, making them regret befriending them and vouching for them against everyone who said they were no good.
138	* PunishedForSympathy: In a cultural sense, a character showing sympathy for someone who has crossed it is considered just as bad as the line-crosser. That being said, this trope is also a good way of showing why a culture or world [[ItIsBeyondSaving is corrupt beyond saving]] if a character is punished for sympathizing with a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds or someone who was wronged by the system in the first place.
139	* RageAgainstTheLegalSystem: Criminals who are clearly guilty are usually met with utter contempt if they actively seek revenge against legal authorities for "unjustly" incarcerating them, because [[LackOfEmpathy they feel no remorse for their actions]] that got them incarcerated and [[NeverMyFault refuse to acknowledge that they did anything wrong]].
140	* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Rape is easily considered to be among the most evil acts anyone can commit, as it often leaves the victim [[RapeLeadsToInsanity horribly traumatized]] (sometimes to the point where it's treated as a FateWorseThanDeath) and, unlike other crimes such as [[SympatheticMurderer murder]] and [[CaperRationalization theft]], has no possible [[JustifiedCriminal justification]] that could make one sympathize with the aggressor: its sole purpose is always to satisfy the rapist's sick desires.
141	** HumanTraffickers: Since their entire business involves kidnapping young women and girls for the purpose of making them {{sex slave}}s, which combines the evils of both {{rape\|IsASpecialKindOfEvil}} and {{slavery\|IsASpecialKindOfEvil}} together.
142	** PaedoHunt: Sexual contact with a minor is treated as one of the vilest actions anyone can take, as it combines WouldHurtAChild and RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil.
143	*** ParentalIncest: Child sexual abuse becomes even more disgusting when the perpetrator is also the victim's parent.
144	** PostRapeTaunt: It's one thing to {{rape\|IsASpecialKindOfEvil}}, but boasting about it as well is an even bigger line-crosser.
145	** RapePillageAndBurn: Any one of those is crossing the line, doing them all at once on a large scale is an easy line-crosser.
146	** SerialRapist: ''Multiple'' rapes are much worse than a single one, as it establishes a behavioral pattern and a lack of regret, removing the already-feeble excuse that the assailant gave in to their urges in one moment of weakness.
147	* RealismInducedHorror: Realistically horrific acts are more likely to cross the line than fantastic ones.
148	* RedemptionRejection: A character rejecting an offer to [[HeelFaceTurn redeem himself]] is proof that he isn't willing to turn back from the line he crossed.
149	* ReformedButRejected: Frequently befalls those who crossed the line if they try to atone. This may or may not be reasonable depending on their pre and post line-crossing actions.
150	* RejectedApology: Sometimes, a character's actions cross the line to the point where he isn't forgiven for them no matter how apologetic he is.
151	* RevengeByProxy: Exacting revenge on someone innocent, especially if it's done in order to hurt someone connected to the person who the avenger wants revenge on, is treated as this.
152	* RevengeIsNotJustice: In some cases, characters who get revenge on those who wronged them can be labeled as line-crossers, especially if the law gets involved.
153	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: A character in the middle of one of these very well may do something that strikes beyond the pale.
154	* RonTheDeathEater: Works that arbitrarily villainize characters often have such characters crossing this line, or at the very least try to present them as having crossed it.
155	* SacredHospitality: In some cultures, such as ancient Greece, violating the bond of trust between host and guest is considered one of the worst things a person can do. This may be subject to ValuesDissonance nowadays, as hotels and faster means of transportation mean that spending a night in a stranger's house during travel (or letting a stranger stay at your place) is a rare occurrence and not something most people worry about.
156	* {{Sadist}}: A character who enjoys the pain and suffering of others and enjoys inflicting as much of it as possible is a frequent line crosser.
157	* SentencedWithoutTrial: Some (not all) would argue that people who cross this line are so obviously guilty that putting them through a trial would be a waste of time. Alternatively, sentencing someone without letting them speak up or framing them for a crime they didn’t commit could be a MEH crossing in itself.
158	* SerialKiller: Murdering multiple people as some sort of hobby can establish that the villain is especially sick and twisted, unless they're portrayed as a SerialKillerKiller who only murders {{Asshole Victim}}s that are even worse than themselves.
159	** SpreeKiller: They have a similar homicidal depravity as serial killers, but engage in their carnage much more publicly and quickly.
160	* ShamedByAMob: A large group of characters will show extreme disgust towards the one crossing the line. Conversely, a mob shaming someone runs the risk of crossing this if the shaming goes to the extremes.
161	* SinkTheLifeboats: Attacking fleeing people who are no longer combatants is one of the most dishonorable and despicable things one can do.
162	* SinsOfOurFathers: Can be considered this due to the family having no control over what the culprit has done.
163	* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Slavery is considered as this, as it involves treating another person as subhuman, forcibly stripping them of their freedom for the benefit of the slaver. Applies first and foremost for [[HumanTrafficking the slave traders]] who start it and the politicians who perpetuate it, and not ''always'' for those [[FreudianExcuse raised in a slavery-based society]] if they [[SympatheticSlaveOwner aren't cruel to the slaves]] and genuinely believe that HappinessInSlavery is the norm.
164	* SlowlySlippingIntoEvil: One common slow approach to crossing the line.
165	* SnuffFilm: When someone intentionally kills someone and records it by themselves, usually ForTheEvulz. This makes the murder much more heinous, as it demonstrates that the perpetrator enjoys killing so much that they want to preserve the moment so they can relive it.
166	* TheSociopath: One of the most frequent line-crossers, as a complete LackOfEmpathy, overarching egotism and grandiosity, ability to feign social cues to such an extent that it appears genuine to regulars, and willingness to escalate their depravity when they've grown bored with garden-variety cruelty are a lethal combination.
167	* SoiledCityOnAHill: An entire location that has crossed the line.
168	* StartOfDarkness: A flashback or prequel that shows where they crossed the line.
169	* StupidEvil: Characters who act like this tend to cross the line with alarming regularity, as the behavior is inherently pointless and purposeless and they also very frequently escalate their behavior when they've grown bored with garden-variety cruelty.
170	* SuicideDare: Telling someone to kill themselves is a heartless act to say the least, and becomes outright monstrous if the person should actually go through with it.
171	* SuicideIsShameful: Suicide is considered as this crossover by some cultures.
172	** SuicideAttack: Especially when it's used as an underhanded tactic [[TakingYouWithMe to kill one's adversaries]].
173	* TeamKiller: Killing one's own teammates is a reprehensible act.
174	* ThenLetMeBeEvil: Deeming someone as evil without having done anything evil, and after getting fed up they decide to become evil or at least act the part. If mistreated and abused for no reason their persecutors have ironically crossed the Moral Event Horizon themselves. Their first unambiguously villainous act may well be their Moral Event Horizon.
175	* ThisIsUnforgivable: An in-universe proclamation that the Moral Event Horizon has been crossed. See also ThisMeansWar.
176	* TragicMistake: The line is accidentally crossed. May or may not be irredeemable depending on how they handle it.
177	* TragicVillain: A character believes they've crossed the Moral Event Horizon, and has nothing left to do but continue to be evil despite regretting it.
178	* TreacheryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: When betraying someone is considered to be crossing the line, ''especially'' if the betrayal was planned in advance.
179	** ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Repeatedly betraying others will easily make one cross this by default.
180	** KinslayingIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Murdering a member of your own family is considered to be an especially vile act of betrayal.
181	*** GenocideFromTheInside: Wiping out your family is bad enough, but extending it to your entire species is an extreme case of this.
182	*** {{Matricide}}: A character killing their own mother is considered to be heinous in most cases.
183	*** OffingTheOffspring: Parents killing their children is considered this.
184	*** PaterFamilicide: A male character killing their family and then themselves or leaves town is considered to be heinous.
185	*** {{Patricide}}: A character killing their own father is considered to be heinous most of the time.
186	*** SelfMadeOrphan: A character killing their own parents is considered to be heinous most of the time.
187	*** SiblingMurder: A character killing their own sibling is considered to be heinous.
188	** YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[LackOfEmpathy Treating others as expendable pawns]] is bad enough, but murdering them after they do what you want is a whole other level of depravity.
189	* TheUnfettered: Willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, even if it means crossing the line.
190	** CorruptCorporateExecutive: One of the most frequent line-crossers as they are willing to do ''anything'' for [[{{Greed}} monetary gain]].
191	*** WarForFunAndProfit: Even to the point of starting a war.
192	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: Sometimes certain things the player can do will push their character over it.
193	* WarCrimeSubvertsHeroism: Soldiers crossing the line to show WarIsHell.
194	* WhereIWasBornAndRazed: Destroying one's own homeland is a reprehensible act.
195	* WidowMistreatment: Treating a woman badly in a vulnerable situation like the death of her spouse is a good way to cross the line.
196	* WouldHarmASenior: In many cultures, showing respect to the elderly is valued very highly, so hurting a senior citizen often crosses the line.
197	* WouldHitAGirl: For a man, hurting an innocent woman may be considered as crossing the line.
198	* WouldHurtAChild: Children are usually at the mercy of adults, so a grown-up abusing their power to injure someone much younger than them is almost always over the line, [[DeathOfAChild especially if said actions results in the child's death]].
199	* YouMonster: Characters will get called this, indicating that they've severely crossed the line.
200	* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: Bands of rebels (especially guerilla fighters) tend to be frequent crossers because in times of tyranny or occupation, you can't afford to ''not'' get your hands dirty, and the higher the stakes and the more powerful the opposition, the higher the chance of doing something truly heinous is. They may react to it with [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horror]], [[IDidWhatIHadToDo resignation]] or, far less favorably, [[HeWhoFightsMonsters by setting it as a benchmark for future actions]].
201	* ZombifyTheLiving: Subjecting people to a death far worse than normal death, by making them into undead, is a cruel deed.
202	[[/folder]]
203
204	[[folder:Contrast with]]
205	* AdoptTheDog / PetTheDog: An action by a morally neutral or ambiguous character that is meant to elicit audience sympathy for the character.
206	* AllCrimesAreEqual: When all bad deeds, whether big or small, are treated as equally unforgivable, although the punisher [[HeWhoFightsMonsters may cross it if it is taken too far]].
207	* DesignatedVillain / DesignatedEvil / UnintentionallySympathetic: The work portrays characters as having crossed the line, but audiences disagree.
208	* EasilyForgiven: Sometimes, acts that seem unforgivable are shrugged off in-universe.
209	* EasyRoadToHell: Similar to AllCrimesAreEqual, except that all crimes automatically condemn those committing them to {{Hell}}.
210	* EvenEvilHasStandards: A villain isn't considered purely, irredeemably evil because he is against a Moral Event Horizon even if he crossed another one.
211	* EveryoneHasStandards: Even though they may disagree on where the line is, most people believe there are lines that shouldn't be crossed.
212	* FelonyMisdemeanor: When something that isn't really that big a deal is treated as utterly unforgivable, although the punisher may cross it for real if he takes it too far.
213	* HeelFaceTurn: In which a villain turns good.
214	* HeroesFrontierStep: The good deed that shows a character will become a true hero.
215	* GodzillaThreshold: What would normally cross the line is now necessary to prevent worse.
216	* KillingInSelfDefense: One of the few situations where taking a life is seen as definitely not crossing the line.
217	* LikeAGodToMe: Nearly the opposite of this trope. A character has done something so ''awesome'' that other characters fall over themselves to praise them.
218	* MattressTagGag: Almost always PlayedForLaughs. The act of removing the tag from one's mattress or pillow is considered a deplorable and horrifying act by other characters.
219	* AMillionIsAStatistic: A DoubleStandard where a far larger act that hurts many more individuals are less likely to be seen as crossing the line than smaller, more personal evildoing. (An exception is is if this attitude in-universe is used to demonstrate their callousness.)
220	* NeverLiveItDown: An AudienceReaction wherein something is never forgotten or forgiven, no matter how justified, minor, or redeemed it actually is or becomes.
221	* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: An InUniverse trope regarding characters having done something that no one will forget... or let ''them'' forget.
222	* PayEvilUntoEvil: The reprehensible act is not viewed as a Moral Event Horizon since [[AssholeVictim the victim deserved it]]. It still may cross the line if it is [[DisproportionateRetribution excessive]], hurts innocents in the process, or is an act of pure malice with [[DogKickingExcuse a convenient excuse attached]].
223	* PokeThePoodle: A half-assed attempt at villainy.
224	* ShootTheDog: A heinous act that is done for the greater good.
225	* WhatMeasureIsAMook: A DoubleStandard where killing or violence that would normally be over the line is overlooked or deemed justifiable when done against {{Mooks}}.
226	[[/index]]
227	[[/folder]]
228
229	[[noreallife]]
230	----
231	!!Example subpages:
232	[[index]]
233	* MoralEventHorizon/AnimeAndManga
234	* MoralEventHorizon/ComicBooks
235	* MoralEventHorizon/FanWorks
236	* [[MoralEventHorizon/AnimatedFilms Films — Animated]]
237	* [[MoralEventHorizon/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
238	* MoralEventHorizon/{{Literature}}
239	* MoralEventHorizon/LiveActionTV
240	* MoralEventHorizon/{{Music}}
241	* [[MoralEventHorizon/MythsAndReligion Mythology and Religion]]
242	* MoralEventHorizon/ProfessionalWrestling
243	* MoralEventHorizon/TabletopGames
244	* MoralEventHorizon/{{Theatre}}
245	* MoralEventHorizon/VideoGames
246	* MoralEventHorizon/VisualNovels
247	* MoralEventHorizon/WebAnimation
248	* MoralEventHorizon/{{Webcomics}}
249	* MoralEventHorizon/WebOriginal
250	* MoralEventHorizon/WesternAnimation
251	[[/index]]
252
253	!!Other examples:
254	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
255	* ''ComicStrip/{{Crankshaft}}''. The September 2013 plot arc has Crankshaft get even surlier than usual because a new co-worker is challenging his reign of smug, curmudgeonly idiot incompetence; his response is to try to 'scare' her into letting him be the festering asshole using his hard life as an excuse to be the antisocial clod he was born to be... by trying to run her over with his school bus.
256	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MoralEventHorizon