Line #75 Main/RebelliousSpirit


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4	->''"I aim to misbehave."''
5	-->-- '''Malcolm Reynolds''', ''Film/Serenity2005''
6
7	The Rebellious Spirit is an individual who has a beef with society. A large one. One large enough to make that person want to break all the rules, just '''because'''.
8
9	Rebellious Spirits go ''beyond'' the stereotypical "rebellious teen" and include people who flagrantly violate rules and social norms, act eccentric or weird, and often don't care what people think about them. Sometimes they even lack normal friends and usually lack [[RebelRelaxation good posture]]. They may be ChaoticGood, ChaoticNeutral, or ChaoticEvil, but they are ''by definition'' chaotic.
10
11	Note that this usually does not mean that the individual will lack their ''own'' rules; it's just that their rules tend to be different from those of everyone else in the given scenario. It will usually be everyone else's rules who this individual will be rebelling against, not their own. Someone who doesn't have rules at all, will probably be ChaoticEvil, or periodically do things purely ForTheEvulz in any case.
12
13	Sometimes, this person is the AntiHero or even TheUnfettered. Can often prove to be a CombatPragmatist when the fighting starts. May feature in an AllGirlsWantBadBoys plot. A character of this type can be interpreted to be the {{Ubermensch}}. Compare CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority.
14
15	----
16	!!Examples:
17	[[foldercontrol]]
18
19	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
20	* Eren Yeager from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', a rebellious youth that spent his childhood getting into fights and accusing others of being livestock for accepting life within the Walls. He turned out to be ProperlyParanoid, but remains openly critical of others that ''don't'' want to fight the Titans head-on, and his career within the military is filled with him calling people cowards and challenging every social norm.
21	* Ange from ''Anime/CrossAnge'' will [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight ignore orders]], question authority, [[TakeAThirdOption take third options]], break out any hostages you've taken, and [[DefiantToTheEnd defy you until the very end]]. In fact, characters who get along with her best, like Tusk, Hilda and Sala, are universally the ones who let her wild nature run riot and accept her "as is". And this is what the BigBad Embryo seems to be utterly [[EvilCannotComprehendGood incapable of understanding]] in the GrandFinale: [[spoiler:the more he imposes himself onto Ange, the stronger her will to resist him becomes]].
22	* Azaka Kokutou from ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'' is this explicitly (highlight of this is her unabashedly declaring [[BrotherSisterIncest her love for her brother]] and moving away to be adopted by her uncle and to enroll in a boarding school specifically so Mikiya will stop seeing her as his little sister), thanks in no small part to her origin being ''taboo''.
23	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Naruto Uzumaki hated the fact that his village ignored him. So what does he do? Defy all the rules and uses his ninja skills to play pranks on unsuspecting villagers/ninja (including the Hokage), his worst prank being when he defiled the somewhat sacred Hokage monument. Of course he gets more heroic as the series went on, but he still has a problem with authority, preferring to do things his own way instead of listening to his superiors. Considering his early experiences with adults, he can't really be blamed.
24	* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesRubyAndSapphire: Ash's Treecko was once a rebellious, stubborn member of the Treecko community, refusing to leave its home tree despite the fact it's on the verge of dying and doing everything it can to protect it despite his community's insistence to leave and find a new tree. After joining Ash's team, Treecko still maintains a rebellious, aloof attitude but it eventually learns to loosen up a bit.
25	* Mugen from ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo''. A true ChaoticNeutral, it helps he comes from Ryukyu (think: seediest place of the Edo period) and did all his surviving on the streets. He basically lives to break stereotypes, making him he logical foil to LawfulNeutral [[TheStoic Stoic]] {{Samurai}} Jin.
26	* Yusuke Urameshi from ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' fits this trope to a T at first. Since LonersAreFreaks he eventually changes to fit a more heroic archetype. [[spoiler:It turns out he was picked as Spirit Detective for this ''very reason.'' The former Spirit Detective was too straight-laced and [[GoMadFromTheRevelation went crazy finding out that humans were capable of worse acts than demons]].]]
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Comic Books]]
30	* ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'': John Constantine is the very definition of a Rebellious Spirit. Indeed, this is literally his cosmic role - he and his family line are the "laughing magicians", whose purpose is to pervert the efforts of both Heaven and Hell in acting superior to normal people.
31	* ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'': The series chronicles the title trickster's attempts to follow this part of the Loki story... by defying the ''other'' part of the Loki story where they go evil and wreck everything.
32	-->'''Loki:''' I am myself, and will not sit long in any box built for me.
33	* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Spider-Man is generally a rogue free spirit hero who defies the local authorities constantly and performs acts of vigilantism. He also generally scoffs at help and is a purely solo act hero contrasted to the Avengers. Nowadays, he's more mature and dedicated to working together with people and being more considerate of the law.
34	* ''ComicBook/WhiteSand'': Kenton continuously goes against his society's expectations (AsskickingLeadsToLeadership, power supersedes ability, etc.), mostly to show his father that he's wrong.
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Fan Works]]
38	* ''Fanfic/AllForLuzReaction'': Eda at one point calls out to Luz to never trust the government.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
42	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Abby is like this, being a chaotic teen who encourages Mei to "fight the power" and relishes the opportunity to commit "the perfect crime" in her words.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
46	%%* [[Creator/MarxBrothers Harpo Marx.]]
47	%%* ''Film/AceVentura''.
48	* Charlie of ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'' drifts into this sometimes; it's not as clear at the beginning, but by the time he [[spoiler: nearly gets himself expelled]] for a prank he is showing more traits of this. When [[spoiler: he actually does get expelled]], though, it's a much more principled matter.
49	* Literary[=/=]{{Film}}[=/=]TruthInTelevision example: ''Literature/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas'' features two characters (Raoul Duke and his attorney Doctor Gonzo) who run a two-week, Sixties-style drug binge through the streets, hotels and convention centers of early-[[TheSeventies Seventies]] UsefulNotes/LasVegas, with no real motivation beyond seeing how much they can get away with. And they get away with a lot: showing up stoned at an anti-drug convention, chasing motorists down the Strip, trashing two hotel rooms, racking up several hundred dollars in room-service charges and never paying... TruthInTelevision part comes in when you realize that this novel is based on two real-life wild weekends spent in UsefulNotes/LasVegas by Hunter Thompson and Oscar Acosta. Thompson also viciously pranked friends and strangers alike, set out to spraypaint "Fuck the Pope" on a yacht due to compete in the America's Cup the next day, chronically missed speaking engagements just because they ''were'' scheduled, and, decades before Sacha Baron Cohen, constantly reported people instantly willing to believe vicious and absurd rumours ''he'd just invented''.
50	* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': Emma Russell, and [[DownplayedTrope to a lesser extent]] Madison Russell, both have rebellious streaks. When things get serious, Madison doesn't hesitate to steal a keycard and defy a Monarch scientist's shouts, [[spoiler:nevermind stealing the ORCA from a group of armed mercenaries whom are holding her under house arrest]]; and she makes her dislike of Jonah as clear as she can without getting herself into serious trouble when she's with him. Emma's bio reveals that she has a history as a maverick environmentalist who was arrested a few times, and she's willing to forego Monarch's legal efforts to combat the government [[spoiler:and turn traitor to Monarch altogether as well as forsake most of her morality]], if she thinks it'll stop the world from making a disastrous mistake and will make her son's death matter.
51	* ''Film/LawnDogs'' has two of these as its main characters. Adult Trent and kid Devon both have no friends their age. Trent does crazy things like holding up traffic just so he can skinny-dip off of a bridge. Devon is even crazier. She violates rules frequently, such as leaving town when told specifically not to, and even breaks the law and steals chickens for fun. She has many weird eccentricities as well.
52	* ''Film/SpecialFemaleForce'': Cat is the most free spirit and spunky of the team, and actually joined the police force just so she could spite her sexist SDU boyfriend and show him that women can be capable officers. She also does all sorts of things the other girls find bold, such as [[GratuitousEnglish randomly speaking in English]], [[SleepsInTheNude sleeping naked]] in [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl their shared dorm room]] and being confrontational towards their rival team in the academy.
53	* ''Film/WishYouWereHere1987'': Lynda’s outspoken, bold nature puts her at odds with the polite English society of the time.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Literature]]
57	* The Steel General, from Creator/RogerZelazny's ''Literature/CreaturesOfLightAndDarkness'', is an immortal cyborg who has dedicated himself to supporting insurrections across the universe, coming to be known as "The Prince of Revolution". He plays a mean banjo, too.
58	* Jack Random of the ''Literature/{{Deathstalker}}'' series is literally described as a "professional rebel." [[TheEmpire The same establishment]] has been his enemy through all his insurrections, but he takes it as his entire role in life.
59	** Eventually he successfully brought down his enemy and became a key leader in society's reformation... only to discover that the changes were too limited for his tastes. So he created an insurrection ''against the government he just helped found''. His reasoning was that there should always be somebody to oppose the government lest it fall to evil.
60	* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', the entire ''race'' of gnomes is reportedly made of this trope, happily trouncing all over even those rules which go without saying in normal society, like "Do not attempt to eat this giraffe".
61	** The Nac Mac Feegles (possibly a variety of gnome) happily rebel against any and all authority.
62	** Despite being LawfulGood in the extreme, Sam Vimes shows tendencies in this direction as well, even after becoming a Duke. This is probably why he employs at least one gnome - later revealed to be a Feegle raised by gnomes - in the Watch.
63	* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has the titular Harry Dresden, who thoroughly enjoys thumbing his nose/snarking at any and every possible authority figure in range - something which he jokingly attributes to "having watched ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'' at a formative age. It gets commented upon by other characters, and it's pointed out (and he eventually realises) that his instinctive rebellion against anything that might infringe on how he chooses to live his life is actually the cause of a lot of his problems. In time, he moderates this somewhat and points out to his apprentice, Molly, in ''Literature/ColdDays'', that while the White Council (a BigGood of the GoodIsNotNice variety) should be stood up to and called to account at times, flipping them off for the sake of flipping them off is pointless and self-defeating in the long run.
64	* Gale from ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', to an extent. Given [[CrapsackWorld where]] [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans he lives]], one can definitely see where he's coming from.
65	* Lisbeth Salander of the ''Literature/MillenniumSeries'' is not only this, but also borderline insane.
66	* Most if not all of the greasers in ''Literature/TheOutsiders'' are this, but Dallas "Dally" Winston is specifically stated to go around actively attempting to break laws.
67	* Creator/AynRand tends to write her heroes this way; [[Literature/TheFountainhead Howard Roark]], [[Literature/{{Anthem}} Equality 7-2521]], [[Literature/AtlasShrugged Dagny Taggart, Hank Rearden, and John Galt]] are all this.
68	* ''Literature/TheStainlessSteelRat'': an almost childishly rebellious hyperactive action hero. Slippery Jim is at war with normal society as much as the villains, and his greatest weapon is his willingness to transgress the bounds, rules and world-view of other people. That said, he's also TheFettered, being an ActualPacifist.
69	* In ''Literature/TheSupervillainySaga'' by Creator/CTPhipps, this is the attitude of Gary Karkofsky a.k.a Merciless: The Supervillain without Mercy. He constantly flouts the law, society, and its rules more or less because he can. Even the fact he's a supervillain seems to be just because he dislikes any kind of authority or order.
70	* Tasha Ozera from ''Literature/VampireAcademy'', is a voice for social reform, who flagrantly violates rules and social norms.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
74	* The punk vampire Spike a.k.a. William "the Bloody", from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
75	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
76	** The Doctor was this on his home planet. Partly because he found Time Lord social norms unbearably boring, and partly because he was disgusted and disturbed by their practices and elitism, he stole an antique time machine from a museum and ran away to explore the universe as an act of rebellion, since Time Lords are masters of time travel yet refuse to ever use their powers and preach non-interference.
77	** The Fourth Doctor has this as a character trait. He absolutely detests authority and rebels against it on principle, occasionally in his later tenure even to ChaoticStupid levels. A great example is when he spends his entire trial in "The Deadly Assassin" drawing funny caricatures of the prosecution.
78	* Chiana in ''Series/{{Farscape}}''.
79	* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': Good ol' Mal. See above quote. Sure, you follow the rules on his ship (...to a degree...) but he does so love messing with the Alliance for sheer joy of it.
80	* ''Series/{{House}}'', who gets away with it because he's [[BunnyEarsLawyer just that good]].
81	* Although not as hard-core as the others, the titular Lucy Ricardo from ''Series/ILoveLucy''.
82	* Malcolm and his brothers from ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' rebel against authority often because they think is fun, though there have been times where they rebel for good reasons.
83	** Francis was sent off to MilitarySchool for his behavior, and when Hal went to visit him, he told Francis how disappointed he was that he refused to change his ways. As they were saying their farewells, Francis confronted Commandant Spangler for chastising another student for having an untucked shirt, which happened after the young man hugged his father goodbye. Spangler then told Hal how Francis likes to cause trouble, listing several times Francis organized a series of non-violent acts of civil disobedience to protest the [[DisproportionateRetribution harsh punishments meted out to other students for minor grievances.]] When Francis tries to explain, Hal tells him to "shut up" and hugs him.
84	** Malcolm has rebelled against his school to protest some sort of inane rule, [[LoopHoleAbuse like how he created an independent student run literary magazine after a story that featured a number of swear words was rejected from the school's official magazine.]] Said story was about sexual-harassment.
85	** Dewey, after Malcolm had him accidentally transferred to the special-ed class, used his rebelliousness to get an actual curriculum aimed at special-ed students to be taught to his new class.
86	* The Series/SonsOfAnarchy as a whole were founded on this theme. Then they strayed...
87	* Damon Salvatore from ''Series/TheVampireDiaries''.
88	* Alex in ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' has elements of this (when she's not being a borderline SuperVillain instead)
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Music]]
92	* Parodied in Music/TheLonelyIsland’s "Threw It On The Ground", which is about a {{hipster}} who wants to show the world that he refuses to be part of "the system". He does this by being a {{Jerkass}} to everyone he meets, and throwing everything they give him on the ground, [[HairTriggerTemper for completely imagined slights]], then [[NeverMyFault blaming their negative reactions]] on "the system".
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
96	* Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin. Some words: Arrive, raise hell, leave. And another three. Trust no one.
97	* Homicide makes no attempt to hide that he is against authority. He wears it on his sleeve, literally.
98	* Dennis Rivera, rarely seen in the World Wrestling League not putting forward the challenging question, "Puerto Ricans, why don't you rebel?". It's not a [[TheGimmick gimmick]] either, he's a member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Roleplay]]
102	* ''Roleplay/DawnOfANewAgeOldportBlues'':
103	** As a social outcast and self-described punk, Zia has no qualms with sticking it to society and breaking the rules.
104	** Jae {{used to be a sweet kid}}, but having to deal with strict parenting has devolved her life into spitefully rebelling against anything that her parents want her to do.
105	** Growing up with rebellious parents fostered a rebellious attitude in Lenore. She considers herself a punk, and highly values her freedom.
106	** Nadine doesn't care about the establishment, or the rules, or the opinions of anyone who tries to impose on her, and will stubbornly fight against it all. This extends to the members of the punk gang that she leads, especially the outspoken and politically-charged Luna.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
110	* Characters of chaotic alignments in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' and derived systems have this as one of their core traits. While they may acknowledge the usefulness of all people abiding by the same rules, they themselves have trouble abiding by any rules but their own.
111	* In ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'', this trope can be said to apply to most shadowrunners, i.e. PlayerCharacters. Even amongst the misfit criminals-for-hire that are shadowrunners there are extremes; players with the "uncouth" drawback simulate characters so free-spirited they're unable to perform even basic human interaction properly and several shamanistic totems, especially [[{{Satan}} the Adversary]], encourage this kind of attitude in their shamans.
112	* The [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orks]] of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' invert this: "[[FunetikAksent Yoofs]]" who have difficulties fitting in with an AlwaysChaoticEvil society may get tired of being told to do whatever they feel like. Some of these malcontents run off to join the Stormboyz, Orks obsessed with military discipline, marching, and uniforms. Since they make good JetPack-equipped assault infantry, the rest of the Orks put up with their deviant behavior.
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:Theatre]]
116	* The ''Theatre/MrsHawking'' play series: The protagonist Mrs. Hawking has some serious issues with the Victorian society in which she lives and has dedicated herself to working against it.
117	* In "Defying Gravity" in ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'', after learning the truth about the Wizard of Oz, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) declares "I'm through accepting limits 'cause someone says they're so / Some things I cannot change, but till I try I'll never know!" and begins her "campaign of terror."
118	* ''Theatre/WesterosAnAmericanMusical'': Nymeria Sand's response to one of her two sisters pointing out that all three of them are in the middle of an AdaptationalEarlyAppearance is "No one tells us where to go".
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Video Games]]
122	* The Minmatar in ''VideoGame/EVEOnline'' are characterized as loving freedom so much after having been enslaved by the Amarr for a thousand years that a large number of them can't even live comfortably with the government they themselves formed.
123	* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIVTheLostAndDamned'' has Johnny Klebitz of the eponymous Lost Motorcycle Club. Almost everyone he meets treats his attempt at sticking it to the man as unimportant, which irritates him more than being treated as a dangerous outlaw would.
124	* ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'': As a child, Dys scorns Sol if the latter tells him that their parents will protect them from monsters. This gradually intensifies during his growth, to the point of [[spoiler:disappearing after setting off a bomb on the walls]] little after turning eighteen if left to his own devices.
125	* In ''VideoGame/NoUmbrellasAllowed'', Nari prides herself in her artistry and is determined to become famous like her father someday. She also paints in public to defy AVAC's law against it, [[spoiler:and she sets the Bunker of Freedom of fire in revenge against the Stabilizer for scamming and harming her friend Bokho.]]
126	* This serves as both the central theme and your main weapon in ''VideoGame/Persona5'', as your Phantom Thief outfits and Personas are literally forged from your will to rebel.
127	* ''VideoGame/PowerGigRiseOfTheSixString'' has the Rise Clan. They will not put up with anyone who exerts any sort of control over them, legal or otherwise, and do not care who knows it. They don't like the Followers of Zhen, whom they feel are chained to a useless restrictive dogma, and see The Riffriders clan as a group that is all talk and spends too much time having fun and not enough actually rebelling against things. The only reason other Rise members can put up with each other is that they all agree that control sucks and don't care what other Rise members, or anyone else for that matter, thinks of them.
128	* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' is a downplayed example. He always lives by his own rules and disregards authority, particularly in some of the western-made continuities. However, in the main continuity, he never goes against the law for the heck of it, nor does he have a problem with society in general.
129	[[/folder]]
130
131	[[folder:Web Original]]
132	* Billy/Dr. Horrible in Creator/JossWhedon's supervillain musical ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''. At one point he summarizes his goals as "Anarchy! [[LogicBomb Which I run!]]"
133	* Victor from “I Dated A Teenage Cyclops”, a story in ''Website/TheWanderersLibrary''.
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Western Animation]]
137	* Toph from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', in spite of -- or because of -- her upper-class background and upbringing. Which makes what she became between the end of ATLA and the time of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''[[note]]A police chief[[/note]] all the more ironic. Though from what we saw in TLOK flashbacks, her daughter Suyin took up the torch.
138	* In "Over Bearing" on ''WesternAnimation/CareBearsWelcomeToCareALot'', prim and proper Peter becomes this after Funshine Bear and Grumpy Bear start encouraging him to break rules. "I want to break all the rules in Care-a-Lot! I'll jump in the leaves! I'll yell in the house! I'll never follow another rule again! I'm a bear in the woods and I listen to no man! Mine!"
139	* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'' had the two undergo this so Pumbaa can escape a wedding. Surprisingly, the bride [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys immediately falls for him]]. It was only after Pumbaa reveals he's always been a nice guy that she cancels the wedding.
140	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' the animated series, Electra and her associates are this, with Electra far beyond the others -- we don't know why they're against Greek heroes or "the establishment" other than that they seem to be a TakeThat at Goths and Hipsters. Electra is even worse since she can summon the Furies when she's upset, usually when someone disagrees with her views.
141	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': Mr. cat loves breaking all the rules just because he can since he thinks it makes things more interesting.
142	* In the episode "Mona Leaves-A," Lisa Simpson of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' inherits her late grandmother's "rebellious spirit." This later turns out to be part of Mona's [[MyDeathIsOnlyTheBeginning posthumous]] [[ThePlan plan]] as she and the rest of her family use their inheritance to help Homer escape from Mr. Burns.
143	[[/folder]]

Context Main / RebelliousSpirit