Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / TheFettered

Go To

1%%%
2%% Trope was declared Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease via crowner by the Real Life Maintenance thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php?crowner_id=o37wn5hf
3%%
4%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
5%%
6%%%
7
8->''"All these years I thought it was power that brought responsibility. It's not. I was wrong. It's responsibility that brings power. It's knowing what needs to be done that brings strength. And courage."''
9-->-- '''[[Franchise/SpiderMan Peter Parker]]''', ''ComicBook/EarthX''
10
11Responsibility, honor, and justice. The Fettered believe in these ideals and willingly bind themselves to them, [[RightMakesMight and in so doing draw strength to face whatever challenges arise]]. When their morals, values, and [[FriendlyTarget loved ones]] are put in danger, they rise to defend them with HeroicResolve.
12
13It's common for a Fettered character to be a [[ByTheBookCop police officer]], [[ThePaladin paladin]], [[OldSoldier soldier]], or other law enforcement/martial profession focused on bringing peace and justice to the world, but they can just as easily be a [[ActualPacifist pacifist whose code forbids them from fighting]]. The latter will have a ''[[ReluctantWarrior hell]]'' of a time with this. In {{ensembles}}, they are often TheHero who rallies their allies with the strength of their conviction and vision. One thing all fettered characters share is that they can often motivate others by virtue of their ideals. In fact, the MessianicArchetype is almost always The Fettered. Choice and freedom are important aspects of a Fettered character; while they freely choose to adhere to a code, the temptation to desert it is always present, but [[PowerOfTrust placing their trust]] in these ideals serves to give them and others the strength to stand firm.
14
15Choosing to live by these ideals [[HonorBeforeReason is never easy]] and has tangible drawbacks. If they put their faith in an unsound moral code, or [[BlindObedience obedience in an authority]] that is [[BrokenPedestal less morally upright than they]], there will be a reckoning where they must choose ToBeLawfulOrGood. If they don't or choose wrongly, then they'll suffer a HeroicBSOD and turn into a FallenHero. The moral code itself usually ''really'' compromises their ability to deal with threats permanently, with things like ThouShaltNotKill, or being obliged to help the helpless when [[TotalitarianUtilitarian a more pragmatic attitude could save more total lives]]. Heroes who are aware of this may take it to the extreme and develop SamaritanSyndrome, or grow despondent when BeingGoodSucks. A danger many Fettered face is the PsychoSupporter, who takes up the "task" of protecting the fettered from [[IDidWhatIHadToDo hard choices.]] Only rarely will The Fettered be clever or [[TheKirk flexible enough]] to use a ZerothLawRebellion and TakeAThirdOption, as most think too rigidly to consider such "rules lawyering" as acceptable.
16
17Fettered people aren't always good guys. Some {{Blood Knight}}s, most {{Noble Demon}}s, {{Ubermensch}}en, most {{Knight Templar}}s, some LawfulEvil villains, and even [[MoralSociopathy sociopaths adhering to a code]] can be Fettered as well. This trope is less about morality than about following a code strictly and drawing strength from it.
18
19The Fettered is the counterpoint to TheUnfettered; both share similar insane levels of willpower and inner strength but have radically different world views. An exercise to the reader is whether the {{Ubermensch}} is Fettered or Unfettered, which will give one an excellent idea of where a work stands on [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism a certain Sliding Scale]] -- if the Übermensch is the Unfettered, then the work is much more likely to be Cynical. If the Übermensch is the Fettered, then the work is most likely Idealist. If ''both'' are the Übermensch, [[BrokeTheRatingScale the scale breaks]].
20
21It should be noted that unlike the Unfettered, the Fettered can become embodiments of an ideal (Except perhaps for Freedom) if their moral strength is strong enough. This, in turn, can lend strength to those who follow their cause and help fight despair. Still, beware the BrokenPedestal.
22
23The Fettered character's greatest strength is also their greatest weakness. The minute someone devotes himself absolutely to an idea or moral code or what have you, anyone who knows about said devotion [[FlawExploitation can use it against them]] and try to force them to [[FrequentlyBrokenUnbreakableVow break their vows]].
24
25The values held by the Fettered, if taken freely, may constitute a HeroicVow.
26
27Common characters who are fettered: many {{Determinator}}s (if not TheUnfettered), KnightInSourArmor, OfficerAndAGentleman, NobleDemon, TheStoic, AllLovingHero, CardCarryingVillain, TheSnarkKnight, and HonorBeforeReason. Contrast BlindObedience, which may ''seem'' like being fettered but lacks the necessary self-awareness. The PrinciplesZealot is when being the Fettered has GoneHorriblyRight.
28
29The Fettered is closely related to LawfulStupid, for whom anybody who breaks any law, anywhere, for any reason, is the enemy.
30
31----
32!!Examples:
33
34[[foldercontrol]]
35
36[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
37* Keith Gandor from ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'', while [[TheMafia difficult to call a "good guy"]], deliberately and strictly adheres himself to old-age standards he feels that present Mafia families are lacking in (although he'll [[CardSharp cheat at cards]]), and is thus responsible for the Gandors' NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters status. As Firo puts it, "He'd be great if he were in southern Italy or in the last century."
38* Legosi from ''Manga/{{Beastars}}'' is a deconstruction. For the first half of the story he, like most herbivores (he's a Carnivore) in the setting, considers eating meat [[MoralEventHorizon one of the most evil acts a person can commit]]. However, basically everyone in the story tells him that his aversion to eating meat is downright foolish. He refuses to listen even when the person telling him this is a psychiatrist who specializes in severe meat addiction (a line of work so dangerous he had to leave his family for their own protection). Ultimately, his moral crusade against meat consumption almost gets him killed picking a one-on-one fight to the death with a bear over twice his size. In the end, Louis willingly offers up his leg to give Legosi the strength he needs to beat the bear, being completely unable to convince Legosi to abandon the fight. Legosi finally gives into temptation and accepts, an action he considers the worst mistake of his life.
39* In ''Manga/Brave10'', UsefulNotes/IshidaMitsunari is this regarding honouring UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi and preventing the collapse of the nobility.
40* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'' Suzaku is the fettered counterpart to Lelouch. [[spoiler: In Season 2, he gets his "lawful or good" moment when he backs out from torturing Kallen with the Refrain drug]]. It ultimately gets deconstructed as the show progresses and it’s revealed [[spoiler:his morality is mostly fueled by his guilt for killing his father when he was a child.]]
41* Soichiro Yagami from ''Manga/DeathNote'' is a police chief who is trying to capture the mass murderer known as Kira -- who is his own son (he has no idea, though). As stated by WordOfGod, he's the only truly Good character in the whole series.
42** He even pities Kira, because he concluded that having the power to kill a human being so easily is a curse. And that, while Kira was corrupted by gaining that power, his original motivation was to do the right thing.
43* Kenshiro in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar''. [[IncorruptiblePurePureness Incorruptible]], [[PapaWolf protective of]] [[FriendToAllChildren all children]] [[WifeBasherBasher and women]], intolerant of evil and [[MessianicArchetype dedicated to bringing hope and joy to a world ravaged by nuclear fire]], a typical IdealHero. Anyone who knows his name cries [[TearsOfJoy joyful tears]] when he walks into town if they're a good guy. The bad guys tend to have [[OhCrap a different reaction]]. Said bad guys also usually try to either talk Ken into just taking what he wants with his power or [[WeCanRuleTogether try to cut a deal with him]]. Their pleas fall on deaf ears with Ken, followed by [[YouAreAlreadyDead a rather violent death]].
44* ''Franchise/FullmetalAlchemist'': Roy Mustang is haunted by the genocide he performed in a war years before the story began. He and those who serve under him are determined to do everything in their power to create a better country so nothing like that will ever happen again. In the manga and ''Brotherhood,'' Roy Mustang definitely proves his fetters; when placed in a situation where he can either help the villains achieve their goals and save a comrade's life, or deny them and let his friend die. Though Roy knows that the decision will haunt and hurt him for years, if not his whole life, chooses the greater good over his friend... as she herself wanted. [[spoiler:Thanks to the intervention of other parties, her life is saved and the baddies force Roy to help them through VillainOverride]].
45* Alucard of ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' is a rare case of a ''villainous'' version of this or at least a NominalHero. He will ruthlessly destroy any enemy he comes across with little regret but is kept in check from a full-on murderous rampage due to his UndyingLoyalty to his master, Sir Integra.
46* Nen users in ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' define this. A user who imposes restrictions on his use of power increases it. The stronger the restriction the more they increase its power.
47* ''Literature/{{Katanagatari}}'' exaggerates this trope with Ginkaku Uneri: The desert has invaded all his land. His castle is ruined; he is the only one left when Shichika ask him why he fights, he sincerely answers that he doesn’t know. Even so, he’s willing to die defending his sword only because he must defend something.
48* ''Manga/MedakaBox'': Zenkichi Hitoyoshi willingly tries to uphold what he considers "Medaka's Justice" in helping people.
49* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'': Appropriate considering [[TheUnfettered who he's up against]], but Shinn Asuka is a good testament to why these traits aren't necessarily positive. Sure he really cares about the people he's close to and wants to protect them, but his adherence to Chairman Durandal leads him to not realize when he's crossing lines he shouldn't and accept blatant lies at face value. Oh yeah, and the name of the Gundam of the man he hates the most? [[MeaningfulName Freedom]].
50* Dr. Tenma of ''Manga/{{Monster}}'' is basically Jean Valjean, below, with a high emphasis on emergency surgery. Alternatively, what happens if Jean Valjean and Manga/BlackJack were combined.
51* A large majority of Heroes from ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' believe in a [[GoodFeelsGood good, fair and just society]]. However certain individuals like [[BoisterousBruiser Katsuki Bakugo]] and [[AbusiveParents Endeavor]] proven to be less [[PragmaticHero righteously heroic]]. They do technically the right thing [[TheUnfettered (though their methods can be extreme)]], but nobody is perfect [[NotSoAboveItAll especially them]].
52** The Shie Hassaikai were to put it simply, a [[{{Yakuza}} Yakuza Gang]] of supervillains. They were decently organized, with every one of the members wearing a [[MalevolentMaskedMen type of mask]]. The problem was, that even though each member was respectfully powerful in their own right. [[TheUnfettered The League of Villains]] trumps them all, in terms of [[CombatPragmatist unethical strategies]].
53* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. He fuels [[TheDeterminator his determination]] with his will to keep any promise he ever made.
54* Negi of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' tries ''really'' hard to be like this, although numerous people (especially [[CynicalMentor Evangeline]]) have pointed out that there are situations where [[HonorBeforeReason it just isn't practical]] and could lead to even bigger problems later on. After much urging, he's getting to the point where he's willing to compromise if the result will be better in the long run.
55* The entire Marine organization are the fettered in ''Manga/OnePiece'' -- their motto is Justice. Unfortunately, their "justice" is a [[KnightTemplar terrible]] thing sometimes.
56** Luffy may have ultimate freedom as his goal, but he is still fettered by his loyalty to his [[TrueCompanions crew]].
57** A good example of a moral character would be Coby. He stood up to Marines much more powerful than him for the sake of doing the right thing. Unlike people like Luffy, it wasn't reckless courage, but moral fortitude.
58* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': [[KnightInShiningArmor Miki Sayaka]] is this trope, through and through. [[spoiler: [[{{Deconstruction}} It does not]] [[CrapsackWorld end well]] [[DespairEventHorizon for her]].]]
59* Kenshin of ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' is a model of this trope, where DefeatMeansFriendship as well as the occasional HeelFaceTurn when the defeated party realizes Kenshin could have killed them in the first five minutes if he wasn't carefully holding back. A pity that never works for Superman.
60* All the saints in ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' had a bit of this, but Shun by virtue of his pacifist ideology would go to the point of nearly becoming a MartyrWithoutACause on several occasions. However, he twice managed to bring about a MookFaceTurn by sheer conviction and kindness, at other times he did kill when forced to, and at times he had to be bailed out by his older brother for his pacifism. At one point he [[spoiler:held Hades, in DemonicPossession of his body, immobile thanks to the strength of his wish that his body not be used to harm others, allowing his brother a chance to kill Hades]]. Surprisingly, the Aesop managed all outcomes of his behaviour in the series, never outright making him a fool for his ideals.
61** Shun could be the poster child for this trope, especially because he represents it as visually as he does metaphorically -- his armor is ''literally'' fettered, as per his mythological namesake.
62* ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'': It's hard to tell all the time what Vash the Stampede actually ''wants'' to do, for him, but two high entries on the list are definitely [[IJustWantToBeNormal 'settle down somewhere quiet with people I care about']] and [[WalkingTheEarth 'travel around freely and be left alone']]. He can't do the first because he knows he can't ignore the world's problems, specifically his [[EvilTwin brother]], and he can't do the latter because...he can't ignore the world's problems, so he's always getting into trouble. Also, there's a huge bounty on his head.
63** He hates it when [[TechnicalPacifist anyone gets hurt]], but he's a genius gunfighter. Apparently, he trains so hard because the better he is, the more likely he can resolve situations without ''anyone'' getting killed. Also never uses his superpowers because he can't control them, goes through hell for strangers constantly, is [[GoodScarsEvilScars covered in scars]] under his clothes because (in a genre subversion) he's not MadeOfIron... Extremely {{Angst}}y take on the AllLovingHero, or just WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds waiting to happen?
64** In his manga incarnation, if you read carefully he consciously ''chose'' to believe in people and care about and protect the human race, everybody, on the strength of Rem's idealism. If he compromised and decided it was acceptable to kill even one person, his reason for not being like [[OmnicidalManiac Knives]] would fall apart. [[spoiler: This doesn't happen, mind, but the circumstances are pretty special]]. If he ever just ''decided'' someone was bad enough that they deserved to die, it would have been the same as Knives only on a smaller scale.
65** ''Everything'' Vash does, all the time, no matter what, he's doing because it would be unacceptable to do anything else. Except maybe bubble gum, donuts, and certain levels of annoying, but once we're a way into the series it would disturb Meryl enough if he stopped acting like himself that he's got obligations to be a goofball, too. He often covers problems with this kind of behavior so as not to worry people, further confusing the issue of [[ObfuscatingStupidity how much he actually means anything]]. Ever.
66[[/folder]]
67
68[[folder:Comic Books]]
69* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' absolutely refuses to kill. Both his Rogues' Gallery (including ComicBook/TheJoker) and his allies call him on it numerous times. Notably, Bats being the Fettered is not always portrayed as a good thing.
70* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' is the embodiment of America's ideals and virtues, and has throughout his run has avoided killing whenever possible (well, there was a vampire that one time, but [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman he doesn't count]]). He's killed several times, but it's always been only when he has no choice and causes much angst. During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, he did kill people, but he was a ''soldier'', and it's not something he boasts about. He also frets about damage to churches, and [[NiceToTheWaiter is very accommodating to accountants trying to total up superfight destruction]].
71* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': For a villainous example, Characters/DoctorDoom, in at least some portrayals (Doom has been written by ''everyone'' at one point or another, and [[DependingOnTheWriter all of them have different opinions on him]]). He wants to TakeOverTheWorld. Well, fine, so do a lot of villains. However, the NobleDemon interpretation of Doom wants to TakeOverTheWorld ''without'' going against his principles, which aren't ''exactly'' heroic but do have positive aspects: always repay a debt; always keep [[ExactWords the letter of your word]] (some versions also value the spirit); [[VillainousValour never exhibit cowardice]] (to the point of giving enemies weakened by another's actions time to recover); [[{{Determinator}} never back down]]; [[{{Revenge}} never accept an insult]]; [[{{Pride}} never humble yourself before another]]; [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething protect the people under your rule]]. The NobleDemon version of Doom will never explicitly break these, although he doesn't seem to mind bending them a bit (for example, when put in Spider-Man's debt, he "repays" it by ''not'' killing Spidey for insulting him thirty seconds later).
72* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': Judge Dredd is completely unwavering in his pursuit of justice, or at least "justice" by the brutal standards of the CrapsackWorld he inhabits. It's his entire reason for being; Dredd and his brothers were cloned from the founder of the JudgeJuryAndExecutioner system, then [[{{Tykebomb}} raised from birth to be perfect law enforcers]]. He balks at even the suggestion of compromising on the law.
73* ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'': Morpheus uses the rules of the Dreaming and the occult universe in general to accomplish his goals, at one point explicitly stating that the laws which empower him in some ways also bind him in others. He's fond of the word 'responsibility': responsibility for the survival of the Dreaming, responsibility to anyone under his protection, a responsibility to his son... Eventually, this is what [[spoiler:kills him -- or, perhaps, makes life so intolerable for him that he arranges his own death.]] It's complicated.
74* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': After the death of [[MyGreatestFailure Uncle Ben]], Spider-Man's entire philosophy has revolved around using his powers to take full [[ComesGreatResponsibility responsibility]] for the safety of New York. Sometimes to an [[SamaritanSyndrome almost unhealthy]] extreme.
75* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' likewise has the preservation of human values, life, and property -- ''all'' human life, people like Lex Luthor included -- acting as limiters on his power. Heck, most flagship comic book superheroes tend to be Fettered.
76* The Watcher from the Franchise/MarvelUniverse is immensely powerful, but took a vow to never interfere, only to watch. Many times, he is depicted as being in deep internal conflict because he so desperately wants to intervene to prevent a disaster, even starting to take action at times only to remember his vow and abort his intended action before it is even noticed by the main characters. Still, the Watcher has sometimes realized his status as The Fettered can be [[LoopholeAbuse exploited]]. If he suddenly shows up, savvy characters realize the ''only'' reason he'd be around is that something significant is about to go down.
77* Rorschach of ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' fame represents a dark fulfillment of this archetype while exploring some of its weaknesses. [[spoiler:His moral code prescribes protecting the innocent while ruthlessly punishing the guilty, and to him, the line between the two is crystal clear, symbolized by his black-and-white mask. But problems and cognitive dissonance arise when he proves willing to dismiss wrongdoing committed by those he respects and rationalize crimes against those he does not. In the end, when Rorschach finds himself faced with a dilemma that can't be solved just by appealing to his principles, he breaks down]].
78--> '''Rorschach:''' ''Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon.''
79* Played with by ComicBook/WonderWoman in some ways. She believes in most of the ideals Superman and Batman believe in but is also not afraid to kill in situations that require it, a character trait she has had ever since [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 the George Perez run]]. This is played for dramatic tension in the lead-up to ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' where she is forced to kill the villain Maxwell Lord and is shunned by Superman and Batman for it.
80* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Professor X is this and he wants to spread his view to every other mutant on the planet. Humans may despise, mock and scorn mutantkind... but they are never to be harmed. The powers that mutants are given make them the SuperiorSpecies, but not the superior man and a balanced world where all are accepted equally is his ideal vision. ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, on the other hand, [[WellIntentionedExtremist says something a bit different]]. Cyclops, one of Xavier's greatest proteges used to agree more with Xavier, but as time has gone by, he's agreed far more with Magneto. Cyclops is no supremacist, but he is hell-bent on protecting mutantkind and is more than willing to use force to do it.
81[[/folder]]
82
83[[folder:Fan Works]]
84* ''Fanfic/{{Cain}}'': Arguably, Katsuki is a dark and twisted example of this despite his escalating villainous behavior being more fitting for TheUnfettered, as he lacks self-awareness, is narcissistically dependent on the praise given to him by others, firmly assured of his self-righteousness, and the cowardice he displays, whenever he feels like trouble, is about to come to him. Due to a combination of his upbringing in a twisted hero culture cultivated in his Elementary and Middle School, the number of privileges he gains for his talents and Quirk, and the ongoing systematic discrimination of Quirkless people in Hero Society, Katsuki believes that a great hero is simply someone being the strongest guy around who can beat up pretty much anyone they don't like and villains are nothing more than weak losers who can only win by "cheating", and that Quirkless people can't be heroes as it's "against the natural order". As a result, this rigid belief of what makes a hero cultivates an extreme combination of MoralMyopia and InsaneTrollLogic that causes Katsuki to use ''any'' method (no matter how heinous, cowardly, degrading, contradictory, and villainous it is) to sabotage Izuku, who he [[DoubleThink somehow sees as both]] an inherent, incompetent subhuman ''and'' an evil, competent manipulator, and keep the latter from becoming a hero. In that same order, he's also thoroughly convinced that he's being heroic and, again, double-thinking of Izuku [[LaserGuidedKarma deserving it for the]] [[LaserGuidedKarma villain]] [[LaserGuidedKarma he is]] ''and'' [[CruelToBeKind for his own good]], and the extreme cognitive dissonance he suffers when All Might (and later his parents upon finding out) constantly tells him that what he's doing ''isn't being heroic at all'' and the consequences of his escalating misdeeds eventually falling onto him. Unsurprisingly, [[spoiler:in the end, Katsuki's so-called "[[SarcasmMode principles]]" are [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty ultimately rewarded]] with a shattered life and reputation, hero opportunities permanently revoked, and HatedByAll except for his parents, and even then, his relationship with them has been strained severely. The worst parts? He never learned a ''single'' thing and remains unrepentant of his actions since he's "[[MightMakesRight the best and therefore, in the right]]" and has now become a complete [[TheUnfettered inversion]] of this trope with him willingly publishing whatever he knows of All Might's secrets online out of spite despite knowing that would be put ''everyone'' at risk...along with a new window of opportunity for revenge coming from an anonymous person known as "[=handsofthemaster=]".]]
85* This is ''Fanfic/MassEffectHumanRevolution'''s take on Adam Jensen. He is dedicated to being a good man and will go out of his way to restrain himself for the sake of others. It actually takes quite a lot to push him to employ lethal methods and tactics. Way more than just having gunmen trying to kill him. But don't push your luck or his BerserkButton...
86* ''Fanfic/ScarTissue'': [[AfterTheEnd After]] [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Third Impact]], [[BrokenBird Asuka was so heavily traumatized and unstable]] that she abused [[LoveInterest Shinji]] for months until one day she went too far and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone she was so horrified with herself]] that [[HeelRealization she snapped out of it]]. Shinji tolerated anything that Asuka did to him during that time because he thought that he deserved the punishment after what HE had done to her… and because he was afraid that he would kill her if he lost control of himself.
87* ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3258280/1/Soldier_of_Spira_Repost Soldier of Spira]]'', a ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' AlternateUniverse, presents [[EnsembleDarkhorse Auron]]. The man will stoop to many, many levels to get the job done, and ThouShaltNotKill is not one of his restrictions, but the death of innocents does bring him grief. His one, unbreakable rule is that if he makes a promise, he ''will'' keep it. His word is his bond, [[spoiler:and he uses his word and knowledge to hold all of creation hostage. By threatening to unleash what appears to be the LegionsOfHell if Rikku dies in Zanarkand. The world, and fayth, and [[PowersThatBe Lords of the Living and the Dead]] decide to yield.]] But, as one of the more dangerous {{Magnificent Bastard}}s in the world, he is not above adhering to only the letter of his promise. Combine this with a truly unholy amount of [[{{Determinator}} willpower]], and a genuine desire to protect those he cares about (if it doesn't get in the way of The Plan), and [[ImplacableMan Auron]] is more dangerous than ever by the sheer resources he commands in his private crusade to save Spira. Not defeat Sin, save all of Spira. With all the complicated logistics and cultural boundaries to topple. He has committed himself to the job, and his every word shows his determination in all of its fettered glory.
88* The four in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'', because they are {{Actual Pacifist}}s with a crapton of power, though they'll defend themselves, and each other, if necessary.
89* In ''Fanfic/AvengerOfSteel'', Clark Kent is very careful, as Superman, to never seem like he's trying to order the government to do something (such as prosecuting Wilson Fisk despite the lack of hard evidence against him) since he knows many barely trust him and would turn on him the minute he starts to act like a dictator.
90* Victoria, in ''[[Fanfic/TwiceUponAnAge All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird]]'', is much more this trope than her [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition fellow Inquisitor]] Mahanon. She's the AllLovingHero who wants what's best for everyone and tends to give people second chances they don't necessarily deserve.
91* ''Fanfic/{{SAPR}}'': Ruby Rose is bound by her ideals and duties as a Huntress, and in those binds she draws the strength to inspire armies and face down challenges that every other person flees from without flinching.
92[[/folder]]
93
94[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
95* The White Queen, in Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'', is Fettered by a vow never to harm a single living creature. This vow doesn't exclude the use of CruelMercy, however...
96* Franchise/{{Batman}}'s arc in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' is committing himself to being The Fettered and accepting the consequences of such a commitment, in the face of [[TheUnfettered the Joker]] and [[FallenHero Harvey Dent]].
97* The knight Bowen, the hero of ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'', can't bring himself to violate any part of the Knightly Code said to have been handed down by King Arthur himself.
98* The protagonist of ''Film/GhostDogTheWayOfTheSamurai'', who lives as a hitman in the late 90s while strictly adhering to the samurai code of Bushido.
99* ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'': George Bailey will never ever leave the people of his hometown in need. SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome; George has to pass up all his dreams to keep to this code, and in his darkest hour he sincerely believes he's wasted his life and wishes that he'd never been born. It takes a guardian angel's intervention to convince him otherwise.
100* The Jedi in ''Franchise/StarWars''. Their entire philosophy centers around protecting others and advancing their own mastery of the Force one step at a time. Their opposite, the Sith, embrace TheDarkSide, i.e. the desire for more power, without regard for others. Therefore, the Sith often [[EvilCannotComprehendGood can't understand how the "Jedi weaklings" can be a match for them]] and refuse to accept that [[EmotionsVsStoicism mental discipline is an effective counter to unrestricted power]]. Unfortunately for the Jedi Order, [[TheChosenOne Anakin Skywalker]] could never quite get a handle on this.
101-->'''Mace Windu:''' Being a Jedi is a discipline ''imposed'' upon nature, just as civilization is, at its root, [[LawfulGood a discipline imposed upon]] [[HobbesWasRight the natural impulses of sentient beings]]... Our only hope, against [[TheUnfettered beings whose instincts control them]], is to absolutely and utterly control our own.
102** The Light Side is [[LightIsGood pure in its intent]] (as the Jedi seem to believe anyway). Its teachings of peace, harmony, and having restraint, is what defines the light. Though spiritually, the Light Side exceeds in, it lacks much [[ReluctantWarrior physical skill]] to support it. In fact, the temptation to overpower and utterly destroy is reserved for [[TheDarkSide The Dark Side]].
103[[/folder]]
104
105[[folder:Literature]]
106* Most of the protagonists of ''Literature/AtlasShrugged'' start out fettered by either their success or their compassion for the masses. A big part of Dagney and Hanks' character arcs is learning to become TheUnfettered and let it all go for their own self-interest.
107* Marshal Tolonen in David Wingrove's ''Literature/ChungKuo'' series.
108* In the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' series, the powerful First Lord, ruler of Alera is one of these. He has incredible furycrafting powers, but since they come from a single Fury, [[spoiler:Alera]], he is bound to do things that benefit everyone. This means he has to make brutal decisions, including, at one point, [[spoiler:setting off a volcano prematurely]], causing the deaths of tens of thousands to avoid tens of thousands of additional deaths, and provoking a WhatTheHellHero and [[spoiler:Amara]] to resign.
109* Creator/TerryPratchett seems to love this trope. In fact, a major theme in Discworld ''is'' that you need to have some rules that cannot be broken -- [[LoopholeAbuse you can make it so hot you can bend it in a circle]], but once it's ''broken'' then everything will start breaking in a chain reaction.
110** Death of the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''. He ''could'' relax his adherence to The Rules and become much more fearsome and powerful, as his counterpart in ''Literature/ReaperMan'' demonstrates. He refuses to do so, as "the care of [[TheGrimReaper the Reaper]]" is important to proper balance, even though The Rules do sometimes prevent him from acting and thus require Mort, Susan, or another member of his family to intervene instead.
111** Sam Vimes. He could give in to his anger at the world and become a violent, drunken thug -- and he'd be very, very good at it if he did. He could stop trying to balance his devotion to law and order with mercy and become a KnightTemplar. But he doesn't, because he's seen where both those roads lead and he chooses every day not to go there. He could also simply let go of responsibility, give in to the fact that his marriage to Lady Sybil has made him a noble and independently wealthy, and generally let other people worry about morality. The fact that he can't do this (and, in fact, would be much happier without both nobility and wealth) is part of [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan why she fell in love with him in the first place]].
112** Esmerelda "Granny" Weatherwax, a bad witch by inclination but a good witch by sheer force of her iron will, comes as close as humanly possible to being this ''and'' TheUnfettered ''at the same time''. "But I can't do none of that stuff: That wouldn't be Right."
113** Captain Carrot embodies this with his "personal is not the same as important" mantra, as well as his refusal to become king.
114** Vetinari could probably rule half the Disc if he had any inclination to do so, but detests war and absolutely refuses to create a second Morporkian Empire, even when offered a prime opportunity to do so in ''Literature/MakingMoney''.
115-->'''Vetinari:''' "Even tyrants have to obey the law. [pause] No I tell a lie. Tyrants do ''not'' have to obey the law, but they do have to observe the niceties. Or at least ''I'' do."'
116** Angua is an example of the Fettered, and her brother Wolfgang is an example of what could happen if Angua ever went "off the leash." Acknowledged in this dialogue between her and Carrot in ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'' (paraphrased): "If I went off like that, would you put me down?" "Yes." "Promise?"
117* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
118** Once someone is turned by a Red Court vampire, their only hope is to become the Fettered, since the first time they kill and drink that person's blood will destroy the last remnants of their humanity. The Fellowship of Saint Giles, of which [[spoiler:Susan]] is a member, is an association of fettered half-vampires fighting both their hunger for blood and the Red Court -- think Alcoholics Anonymous meets LaResistance.
119** Wizards in general, again by necessity. The White Council enforces seven Laws of Magic. Violating the Laws is usually cause for execution on the spot because most practitioners of black magic become [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide drunk on the highly addictive Dark Side]]. Further adding to this is one can only use magic if one truly ''believes'' it is the right course of action. So, to kill a person with magic, to bind them to one's will, to raise the dead, or look beyond the outer reaches of reality, means the human mage earnestly believes it is the right course of action.
120** The Knights of the Cross are each given a Sword with a Nail from the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ in its hilt. While wielding the Sword, they must follow certain rules. The primary rule is not to seek to kill the mortal hosts of Fallen Angels, but help the mortals find redemption and renounce the Fallen. Furthermore, they cannot judge the person. This means even if they suspect a Denarian of lying through his teeth if he renounces his dark ways and hands over his Coin, they may take the coin but not harm the man. This is even if there is a ticking time bomb and they need information. One Denarian does this very act and laughs at the perceived weakness in following these rules. Harry, the titular hero, has his own rules and admires the Knights for standing by their convictions. [[spoiler:Harry's own rules, being much less strenuous, allows him to take a baseball bat to the man's kneecaps until the man spills his information while the Knights wait outside the room. It isn't their place to judge, after all, how one person chooses to act]].
121* Sparhawk, the protagonist of ''Literature/TheElenium'' and ''Literature/TheTamuli'' series by Creator/DavidEddings, is fettered by honor and loyalty -- as were all of his similarly-named predecessors. He is the hereditary Champion of the sovereign of Elenia and a Knight of the Pandion Order, and no matter what the enemy does he will only proceed with a course of action that is true to the oaths he has sworn. Even his most personal rival describes him as a "basically gentle" person. [[spoiler:He's also not too many steps below being an actual god, but he refuses to abuse this fact]].
122* Emperor Leto Atreides II in ''Literature/GodEmperorOfDune'' is utterly bound by the Golden Path: the salvation of humanity.
123* The titular [[TheCaptain Captain]] in the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' books will fulfill her duty and ''no less'' and takes no restrictions but those imposed by her service. If you are ''anyone else'', stay out of the way because she will not entertain your reasons why she should let something slide. Due to seeing things in herself that scare her, she fears what might happen if she ever became TheUnfettered. Contrast this to Victor Cachat, who, in service to ''his'' duty, is TheUnfettered to a scary degree.
124* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos''
125** Basilard mentions a number of things that he could or might want to do but refrains from doing them because "it would be against Guild policy". One item in that policy is "never kill the client."
126** TheLeader of Roalt's Royal Guard Section 3 (Sedition Prevention) insists on averting/defying PoliceBrutality even when he himself considers the suspect to be "scum". This is because he believes even scum deserves due process.
127** Ironically, despite being chaotic deities, the tricksters have a number of rules that they abide by. For instance, Tasio would love to help his "bestest friend", Eric, more often but HelpingWouldBeKillStealing. At the end of ''Literature/LoomingShadow'', he remarks that he could, easily and on his own, deal with multiple enemies, including the BigBad of the series. He doesn't because that invalidate a large chunk of the chaotic belief system.
128* ''Literature/LabyrinthsOfEcho'': [[TheStoic Sir Shurf Lonli-Lokli]] is the former Mad Fisher, a DrunkOnTheDarkSide magical maniac who made a lot of noise and destruction back in the already chaotic War of the Orders. His borderline LawfulStupid current persona (born as a counterweight against the Fisher), however, makes him an indispensable servant of the law -- handling paperwork, accumulating and juggling data almost on par with the [[TheOwlKnowingOne buriwoks]], mentoring rookies, and dealing very efficient death to his and his colleagues' enemies only when there is no other choice. His abilities first earn him the snowy-white honorary garments of Truth, and after the end of the first book series, [[spoiler:his place as the new Grand Magician of the [[MagicalSociety Order of the Seven-Leaf]], where he's tasked to reform the now overly restrictive [[BanOnMagic Khrember Code]] and kick the incompetent organization into shape]].
129* Creator/CharlesStross's ''Literature/TheLaundryFiles'': The [[spoiler:entity known as Angleton]] is explored in the third book, ''The Fuller Memorandum''. If he were ever unfettered, the results would be very bad for everyone. Fortunately, [[spoiler:the Eater of Souls]] voluntarily accepts and prefers being a human -- albeit a human of vast intelligence and terrifying sorcerous skill -- to being its true self, saying that it makes life more interesting.
130* Jean Valjean of ''Literature/LesMiserables'' spends most of his time on the run from the law, but it doesn't stop him carrying out attention-drawing rescues and paying off prostitutes' debts should the need arise. However, Inspector Javert uses his commitment to justice much more than Valjean does to morality.
131* Gandalf and the Wizards in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' are fettered by his charge not to interfere with Free Will, save for the treacherous Saruman. The Stewards of Gondor are fettered by the charge not to claim the crown for themselves but to keep it in trust. And even Denethor keeps this HeroicVow. It is not clear what he would have done had Aragorn arrived before he died, but his nature indicates he took this charge seriously at least when he was in his right mind.
132* Zack State, the SociopathicHero of ''Literature/TheMentalState'', manages to be both this and TheUnfettered at the same time. Despite going to great lengths to get what he wants, he does so by sticking to his own philosophies about people. He never harms the truly innocent, he uses temporary punishments to reform the misguided, and he inflicts continuous and unending punishments on those he determines as being 'irredeemable'. He never kills anyone, except in situations in which any form of punishment would achieve nothing (this only happens one time, when his enemy was a psychotic street thug with a predilection for violence). The only time his morals are called into question is when he is confronted by an 'Irredeemable' who also happens to be a good person at heart. He tends to regret having to punish them.
133* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'': Percy Jackson, who makes a point of [[ThouShaltNotKill never permanently killing his opponents]] even though as a child of Poseidon he can easily kill just about anyone he likes. At the end of "The Last Olympian," [[spoiler:Zeus gives him the opportunity to become a god himself, but he refuses]].
134* Jean Tarrou, from ''Literature/ThePlague'' has an Existentialist worldview that tells him to always do everything to save lives despite the apparent meaninglessness of such acts in the uncaring, absurd universe.
135* ''Literature/ShatterPoint'' is all about Jedi Master Mace Windu struggling to come to terms with his status as the Fettered while fighting to end a brutal genocidal conflict on his home planet. Mace's {{Foil}}, [[TheUnfettered Kar Vastor]] provides a mirror image while Mace deals with the constraints of the Jedi Code seemingly presenting him with ToBeLawfulOrGood choice after choice.
136* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''
137** Ned Stark is utterly wedded to acting honourably, even if it puts him at a disadvantage. [[spoiler: At the very end, he drops his honor for the sake of his family, but by then it's already far, far too late]].
138*** His son Robb is just as bad - all honour and no forethought. Though his concept of honour is somewhat funny, as it included marrying the girl he's deflowered while breaking his prior promise to marry someone else.
139** Played with in the case of Stannis Baratheon. On the one hand, he is a very honourable character, claiming the Iron Throne because he feels it is his duty, despite his relatively small force. However, his absolute devotion to the law and lack of charisma means he is disliked by most of the Seven Kingdoms, though those that know him well, like Ser Davos, greatly respect him. On the other hand, when it comes to the methods he is willing to use in order to complete his mission, he has a tendency to turn into [[TheUnfettered the opposite of this trope]] -- he [[spoiler: has his own brother assassinated]] to ensure victory for his side, and he would have [[spoiler:used a child as a HumanSacrifice]] if Ser Davos hadn't intervened.
140*** To be fair, having his brother assassinated was the pragmatic course of action. There are plenty of hints that had it come to open warfare, Stannis would have crushed Renly's forces. However, that would have resulted in the loss of a lot of lives, both Stannis' men and Renly's (who were Baratheon allies and bannermen and thus, in the end, Stannis' men as well). And all of this before Stannis could gain his real objective, which was to challenge the false King Joffrey. For which he needed both his own and Renly's men. This way, Stannis could gain the support of Renly's men without much bloodshed, and the only person it would cost was himself (since kinslaying is heavily frowned upon in Westeros and also the assassination involved dark magic). Which is a perfect representation of Stannis' duty before everything mindset.
141** Roose Bolton, one of Ned Stark's bannermen, is willing to stretch, bend, or even break the rules, but only does so when no one else is able to tell the tale. While he is definitely a sadistic monster, he fetters himself because he understands that [[PragmaticVillainy openly sadistic monsters don't last long in Westeros]].
142** Although she is not officially considered a knight because of her gender, Brienne of Tarth is nonetheless completely devoted to the ideals of chivalry, consistently striving to be a brave and just person who protects the weak and the innocent. She sticks to these principles even when doing so puts her in danger.
143* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'':
144** Dalinar Kholin. He has dedicated himself to following the ancient Codes of War which have been forgotten for centuries, and [[spoiler: ends up giving up his CoolSword to a rival that tried to get him killed to save the slaves responsible for making sure he didn't get killed]] because he [[IGaveMyWord promised]] them he'd free them and it was the only thing his rival would accept in trade.
145** All Knigths Radiant as a whole have this built-in. To progress further, and thus unlock more magical power, they have to make more binding Oaths, and not upholding the Oaths means their power lapses. This being said, how much the Oaths fetter them depends on the order -- a [[GravityMaster Windrunner]] like Kaladin loses access to his powers if he uses them without intending to help someone, while a [[PlayingWithFire Dustbringer]] like Malata can even [[spoiler:directly aid the enemy who intends to destroy the world]] without lapsing.
146* ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde'': According to Dr. Jekyll's recorded thoughts he, after going back and forth between the benevolent but conflicted Dr. Jekyll and the evil Mr. Hyde -- upon realizing that Hyde has ''killed someone'' and is now, should he ever rise again, a fugitive "thrall to the gallows", he ''welcomes'' as never before with sincere belief ''and'' the support of fear Doctor Jekyll's restriction... [[spoiler:buut it's not over]].
147* Guy Crouchback in Evelyn Waugh's ''Literature/SwordOfHonour''. The point of the trilogy was that [[KnightInSourArmor he was the only one who was honorable]].
148* ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'': Richard of Gloucester, the future UsefulNotes/RichardIII, is this early in the book. He takes honor and loyalty very seriously, standing by his more pragmatic older brother UsefulNotes/EdwardIV when it would benefit him not to and yet questioning Edward when he does less than honorable things or works with less honorable counselors. Even when he ruthlessly seizes the throne after Edward's early death, he does so by acting as a RulesLawyer. It's when he starts to let go of some of his idealism that things start to go very badly for him.
149* ''Literature/TheWarGods'': Wencit of Rum, the last white wizard from ''Literature/OathOfSwords'' (and sequels) is forced to recruit all sorts of unlikely characters to take out the henchmen of the evil wizards he fights because he won't use wizardry against non-wizards. He took a vow where his magic may only be used in self-defense or against dark wizards only when they've been read the equivalent of Miranda Rights asking them to desist in the use of Dark Magic. ''The Oath is sworn to a thousand-year dead empire with him as the only survivor, and he's still trying to enforce their law''.
150** Which has not, however, stopped him from informing the evil wizards he fights that if they ever try to attack [[spoiler: Leeana]] with magic again, he will raze their entire continent to the bedrock. And then do it ''again'' just to make sure nothing has survived.
151* In the serial superhero story ''Literature/{{Worm}}'':
152** The villain Marquis is said to have derived a great deal of psychological strength from his rigid code of conduct.
153** The superhero Panacea, [[spoiler:Marquis' daughter]], has strict rules about how she'll use her powers, for [[BodyHorror what turn out to be very good reasons]]. Her power is essentially the ability to change and manipulate living matter however she pleases with a touch... and she uses it exclusively for healing wounds. She also swore that she would NEVER use this power to alter someone's brain, as she feels that altering someone's mind or personality is fundamentally wrong, not to mention the potential consequences if she were to make a mistake. [[spoiler:She is ultimately forced to break that taboo to heal her adoptive father's brain damage. While successful in this, the fact that she did so serves only to break her spirit in turn and send her down a self-destructive path.]]
154[[/folder]]
155
156[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
157%%* Dick Winters on ''Series/BandOfBrothers'', doubling as a RealLife example.
158* Helo from ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' is the complete opposite of Cain who is TheUnfettered. He never forgot to be human and not stoop to the level of a barbarian or animal due to his situation.
159* {{Deconstructed|Trope}} with M.M. in ''Series/TheBoys2019''. He was TheReliableOne with a strict moral code, but said code ends up serving as a massive roadblock to the team's success in Season 3. [[BigBad Homelander]]'s psychotic issues and, you know, ''[[SupermanSubstitute being indestructible]]'' forces [[WellIntentionedExtremist Butcher]] to start [[EmpoweredBadassNormal considering dangerous & illegal means]] to take the Supe down because ''there is no legitimate way left to reign him in''. Marvin's fetters prevent him from following Butcher, and they end up getting further tested when Butcher recruits [[ArcVillain Soldier Boy]] to help take down Homelander, both because Soldier Boy appears to be a violent murderer and, more importantly, ''[[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive he killed MM's family]]''. This ends up forcing him into TenMinuteRetirement.
160* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Buffy tries to stop Willow's RoaringRampageOfRevenge against the Trio, as they are human criminals who should be judged by human laws. No doubt she had in mind her previous experience with Faith, who believed that being the Slayer meant she was above the law.
161-->'''Buffy:''' Being a slayer doesn't give me a license to kill. Warren's human.\
162'''Dawn:''' So?\
163'''Buffy:''' So the human world has its own rules for dealing with people like him--\
164'''Xander:''' Yeah, we all know how well those rules work.\
165'''Buffy:''' Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't. We can't control the universe. If we were supposed to, then the magic wouldn't change Willow the way it does. And we'd be able to bring [[spoiler:Tara]] back...\
166'''Dawn:''' And [[spoiler:mom]].\
167'''Buffy:''' There are limits to what we can do. There ''should'' be.
168* Despite being [[NominalHero as nominal a hero]] as you can get, ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' still qualifies as the Fettered, at least initially, due to his strict adherence to the Code of Harry, of which the two most important rules are "don't get caught" and "never kill an innocent". He becomes increasingly lax about the Code as the series goes on, however.
169* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
170** The Doctor makes a point of not going back in time to change events in his own past. This varies depending on the Doctor. The First Doctor was quite adamant about changing history while the Tenth Doctor dared history to stop him. Eleven did so but only when he could [[TrickedOutTime Trick Out Time]] and thereby avoid damage.
171** It's possible and easy to do, but it damages space-time -- it's like choosing not to drive a car when you're worried about your contribution to global warming. In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock Earthshock]]", even though he could pop back in time to [[spoiler:the bridge of the doomed freighter in order to scoop up Adric and get him out of harm's way, he refuses. He has already witnessed the destruction of the freighter with Adric aboard.]] How much of this is obeying legalistic/moral "law" and how much is literal physical law (we've seen really nasty metaphysical consequences from people crossing their own personal timeline and changing their own past before in the show) is up for discussion, as the Doctor rarely makes it completely clear when he refers to not breaking the Laws of Time which aspect he's referring to. Though it's worth noting that, in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E16TheWatersOfMars The Waters of Mars]]", after actively choosing to outright change something he believes cannot be changed, his personality takes a very dark turn shortly after. In a sense, we watch him start throwing off the Fetters... and EvilFeelsGood. [[spoiler:At least until he gets a very rude awakening that shocks him back to his senses, as he realizes that YouCantFightFate.]]
172*** The best example of the Doctor being this is in [[spoiler:the 10th Doctor's final HeroicSacrifice in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime The End of Time]]". He can either sacrifice his current incarnation and save the life of an old man trapped in a room that's about to be flooded with radiation, or he can let the old man die. The Doctor shouts and rages against the unfairness of being "rewarded" with regeneration after all the good he's done, but he never once even contemplates saving his own skin. Even when the aforementioned old man tells the Doctor not to save him, then begs him not to, then shouts and '''''screams''''' at the Doctor to walk away and save himself, the Doctor still refuses to let it happen and chooses to take his place. "Wilf, it's my honour" -- and he means every iota of ''both'' of the meanings of the word "honour", both that his honour was at stake if he didn't try to save Wilf, and that he feels honoured being called on to save a dear friend as his final act in that body]].
173** A straight example is the Last Centurion, who must suppress the memories of what he has been for the sake of his own sanity and carry on as though he is just plain old [[spoiler: Rory Williams]] -- until things get really bad.
174** The Doctor outright acknowledges the fact that he has many self-imposed behavioral rules (not just time travel no-nos) in the Series 6 episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E7AGoodManGoesToWar A Good Man Goes to War]]". When Kovarian assumes that "the anger of a good man is not a problem" (apparently, she never heard [[FateWorseThanDeath what he did to the Family of Blood]]), he's quick to correct her.
175--->'''The Doctor:''' Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many.
176** The Time Lords could be seen to act like this as one of them can easily go FromNobodyToNightmare. The Doctor often criticised them for refusing to interfere, however considering earlier in the Classic Series they did seem more ready to interfere, this could be seen as a case of StrawmanHasAPoint.
177*** This is taken up to another level in the web animation "Death Comes to Time" (generally considered non-canon). Here the Time Lords can warp reality but don't do so out of principle. That and the fact it causes the Universe to break down. At the end the Doctor finally uses his powers to kill Tannis, though apparently dies in the process.
178* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
179** This is the main factor in making the Starks the most sympathetic Great House since in the beginning they are utterly wedded to love, honour, and justice. White and grey are even their House colours.
180** A Stark in all but name, Jon Snow won't hurt an innocent in cold blood. This blows his cover when the Wildlings force Jon to kill an old man to test his allegiance.
181** Daenerys Targaryen is an interesting example. Daenerys' personality is actually more suited to be TheUnfettered, particularly when things aren't going her way. But she is aware of this, and aware it's a problem. So she actively cultivates a fettered personality and surrounds herself with advisors who are also The Fettered to keep her darker tendencies in check. One reason she started to like Jon Snow is that he advised her not what to do, but what would be crossing the line.
182* Archie Hopper / Jiminy Cricket in ''Series/OnceUponATime'' as he is... well... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Jiminy Cricket]], morality and virtue incarnate.
183* Finch, on ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' is this. Despite operating in a world in which he is trying to prevent a second artificial intelligence from going online, he finds himself unable to take drastic action when it would prevent that scenario.
184* The Ancients from ''Series/StargateSG1'' take this to the point of [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]]. As a race of beings who AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, they're effectively TheOmnipotent when dealing with corporeal beings. However, the most fundamental tenet of their morality is an ''extremely'' strict set of limitations on how they can use this power. In practice, this means that despite the kind of generally good intentions and incredible power that could make them the settings BigGood, they tend to be either NeglectfulPrecursors (who do nothing to protect "lower" beings from a host of dangers, including some the Ancients themselves released when they were corporeal) or outright {{Obstructive Bureaucrat}}s who actively block attempts to help the main characters. It also leaves them open to FlawExploitation, as some of the show's villains know exactly how much havoc they can wreak, and how to wreak it, without crossing a line that would make the Ancients get involved.
185* ''Franchise/StarTrek''
186** The Federation in general adheres to this trope, as do most of the main characters. Picard is probably the best example, and also provides the show's most direct reference to this philosophy when Q refers to human nobility as a weakness, to which Picard replies, "On the contrary, it is a strength."
187** The Vulcans. In present times, they are tranquil scholars who go through elaborate mental disciplines to keep themselves from feeling emotion. Although they're too often written as [[StrawVulcan a bunch of sticks-in-the-mud who need to loosen up]], there are several episodes across the canon which demonstrate how ''necessary'' their emotional suppression and purgative meditation is. Spock has been known to crumple steel with one fist and Tuvok once gave a psychic anger junkie ''way'' more than he ever bargained for when he demanded to see what was under that stoicism. Even ''Enterprise'', which was widely criticized for its {{Straw Vulcan}}s, showed a subset of emotion-embracing Vulcans as dangerously misguided. It's noted that their history is even worse than humanity's, and when you think of some of the things humans have done to each other over the centuries, it's easy to see why Vulcans go to such lengths to keep it from happening again.
188** Worf exemplifies this among Klingons: while other Klingons are LargeHam BoisterousBruiser[=s=], Worf is completely stoic and taciturn in sharp contrast. As revealed in an episode of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', this is because as a child growing up on a human colony after his parents were killed at Khitomer, his aggressive nature resulted in him accidentally killing another player in a grade school soccer match. He adopted his stolid demeanor afterwards as a means of protecting those around him, which would later serve him well, both as an important Starfleet officer and an exemplar of Klingon honor.
189[[/folder]]
190
191[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
192* Wrestling/SamiZayn, in contrast to Face wrestlers who either [[InvincibleHero suffer no negative consequences for their code]], or [[DesignatedHero claims to have a code despite acting as despicable as the Heel]], Sami actively ''chooses'' to follow his moral code despite frequently being on the end of BeingGoodSucks.
193[[/folder]]
194
195[[folder:Religion]]
196* OlderThanFeudalism: In ''Literature/TheBible'', Jesus Christ makes it very clear that if He wanted, He could stop His own crucifixion in any number of ways, but refuses to do so because He accepts His responsibility to fulfill the word of God and save mankind.
197[[/folder]]
198
199[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
200* In ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'', Pledges can make a Fettered character very powerful indeed. The strength of the boon is proportional to how committing the task and how strong the punishment if you fail are. In its most powerful form, it can turn a mortal with no prior martial skills into a master of kung-fu if pledged to fight to the death for you under pain of an inescapable and painful demise.
201* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
202** The ''Book of Exalted Deeds'' has a ruleset called the Sacred Vow. By taking a sacred vow, one could gain measurable in-game benefits. Taking vows at all requires a feat, and each vow has to be selected as an additional feat. Of particular note is the Vow of Poverty, which in a game that is focused on gaining equipment to become more powerful, would have to provide no small amount of benefit in order to be worthwhile -- even with all the bonuses it piled on, it still isn't worthwhile past around level 6, because even awesome bonuses to various stats don't make up for lack of versatility. So it's only good for classes that can already be highly versatile without gear like metamagic rods or boots of teleport or antimagic torcs. So... useful on druids.
203** [[AlwaysLawfulGood Paladins]] are not only AlwaysLawfulGood, but they must adhere to a Code of Conduct that includes "respecting authority, acting with honor (not lying, not cheating, not using poison and so forth), helping those in need (provided that they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends) and punishing those who hurt or threaten innocents." Any paladin that commits a [[MoralEventHorizon grievous violation]] of this code [[FallenHero loses all of their paladin abilities]]. The Code of Conduct was removed in 4th Edition for a couple of reasons: first, to open up the class to paladins following non-LawfulGood gods. And second, because {{Killer Game Master}}s often used the Code of Conduct to ''force'' unwilling Paladins to fall, setting up no-win scenarios that required the Paladin to commit a violation or citing the slightest misstep as an excuse.
204** Inevitables, Lawful Neutral sentient machines from the plane of Mechanus, are also bound by the quest they were designed to fulfill the second they are created. If they don't die in the process, they're disassembled upon completion anyways. They do go a little [[TheUnfettered in the other direction]] when it comes to actually fulfilling that quest, however.
205* In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', each type of Celestial Exalted has access to their own version of Righteous Lion Defense, a Charm that runs on this trope. It works by making a single emotional bond the Exalt has completely inviolable; they can't act against it themselves, and no one else can ever persuade them to do so, even with MindControl Charms. Solars pick an Intimacy related to an all-encompassing ideal, Lunars pick one related to protecting a specific person, place, or thing, and Sidereals become absolutely devoted to carrying out a specific long-term plan (and can change to a new one when the first plan is complete).
206** Similarly, each [[NoSell Perfect Defense]] comes with one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability, a condition based on one of the four guiding Virtues that you must fulfill if you wish to use the charm in the first place. If you choose Compassion, you can only use it when defending something you have an Intimacy towards; if you choose Conviction, you can't use it if you're going against your Motivation.
207** One passage in the Alchemicals book indicates that there are Soulsteel Caste secret police who refuse to let Clarity numb their empathy even as they do horrible things for the good of Autochthonia -- because they're afraid that without that awareness, HeWhoFightsMonsters will kick in.
208* ''TabletopGame/GeniusTheTransgression'': the Peerage exists mainly to instill a good healthy sense of fetters in Geniuses. They're much better at not getting people killed or having machines explode from Havoc if they bear in mind that they have [[KarmaMeter obligations]]. You'd do this too if you had seen what TheUnfettered were like in ''Genius''.
209* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': In the "Shards of Alara" block, this is what best describes how the Bant (white-aligned) shard's "Exalted" mechanic works. In-story, Bantians gain magical sigils that represent past heroic deeds, as well as a bond of duty to the one who conferred the sigil, such as a lord, kingdom, or even an angel. In gameplay, if a creature attacks by itself, creatures with Exalted will confer a small stat pump to it. If a player controls several exalted creatures, this can get very painful, very fast. Magic as a whole is this. Lead designer Mark Rosewater has '''emphatically''' stated over the years that "restrictions breed creativity."
210** Yahenni of Kaladesh is one of the few Black-aligned Fettered in the game. They ''could'' survive almost indefinitely -- a few aetherborn have the ability to drain life from others to survive, and Yahenni is one such. But they don't. Yahenni extends their life exactly long enough to help overthrow Tezzeret's Consulate police state, throws one ''hell'' of a Penultimate Party, and [[DiedHappilyEverAfter Dies Happily Ever After]], rather than extend their life at the cost of others.
211** Although present in other colours, this is primarily a White-aligned trope.
212* In ''TabletopGame/{{Scion}}'' the characters are this, gaining power from their Virtues, Legend, and sometimes their Fatebindings. However, in trying to resist following their virtue, they can potentially go crazy.
213* ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'': Legacy is a duty-bound support hero who instinctively restricts his strength so as to minimise the amount of mayhem he creates. Of note, when he becomes TheUnfettered, you end up with [[FallenHero Iron Legacy]], an unstoppable tyranny machine who can crush entire hero teams in three rounds.
214** Oddly enough, Wager Master is one as well. He may come up with the most ridiculous possible rules for the games he plays with heroes, but once the rules of a game are established, he will stick by them to the letter. This has led to him losing due to ExactWords more than once, and while he's a ''very'' SoreLoser, he won't try to take back his offers once he's lost.
215* In ''TabletopGame/UnknownArmies'' from global level up, [[spoiler:players can take on the powers of particular archetypal characters by certain behaviors. For instance, a person wishing to become a powerful fighter may stop shaving and start camping in the wilderness and hunting his food with his bare hands to become an avatar of The Savage. This makes him stronger, tougher, and eventually able to speak with animals. On the flip side, all archetypes have particular taboos that cut avatars off from their powers for a limited time and weaken their link to the archetype -- in game terms, decreasing their skill. Savages, for instance, cannot deceive people or have more than the most basic technological skill. Certain archetypes can only be channeled by one sex]].
216* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'': Cado Ezechiar, the Hollow King, the setting's resident FriendlyNeighbourhoodVampire. He lives by a ''very'' strict moral code; chiefly, never to feed on anyone but Chaos worshippers (which are plentiful) and to never kill or even seriously harm anyone he defines as an innocent. The latter causes him no end of grief, as "innocents" tend to assume the Soulblight vampire in their town is a threat and react accordingly, but he'll refuse to raise a hand in self-defense. Really, he's powerful enough to simply brute-force his way out of most situations, and regularly has to restrain his own vampiric instincts telling him to do exactly that, but isn't willing to break his moral code to do it.
217* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
218** The Word Bearers are fanatics who live their lives by the Words of Lorgar, by which they achieve mastery over chaos. Or maybe, are deluded becoming its slaves. Either way, they are fettered.
219** The Eldar are also pretty good examples of the Fettered -- the discipline provided by their codes keeps them on the straight and narrow.
220** Some Inquisitors and many loyal Space Marines also qualify.
221*** More specific example: Zahariel in ''[[Literature/HorusHeresy Descent of Angels]]'', whose main motive in ''any'' circumstance has a 99% chance of being Duty.
222** The entire Tau race, with the Ethereal caste providing the fetter. Without it, they were on the verge of destroying themselves. With the Ethereals, they have conquered a significant area of space (still nothing compared to anyone), have a sort of Warp Drive Lite (99% less likely to lead to your horrific death at the hands of a daemon and only 7 times slower).
223[[/folder]]
224
225[[folder:Video Games]]
226* [[TheBigGuy Gibraltar]] of ''VideoGame/ApexLegends'', aspires to be the great protector among the Legends. In the past he was quite the rebel, running with a gang of street toughs. However, his once selfish and reckless ways cost him dear and the pain of losing those closest to him, had him take up [[HeelFaceTurn responsibility for his actions]].
227* The Assassin Brotherhood from the aptly titled ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' games. Every true Assassin is expected to follow their tenets, hide in plain sight, don't kill the innocent, and don't compromise the brotherhood. You'd think this stops them from doing wrong? Not exactly. By the time of ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRogue Rogue]]'', the Colonial Assassins were not just [[GoodIsNotNice condescending jerks]] but unapologetic mass murderers of thousands. Since the previous (and later titles) portray the Assassins as the "Heroes", the truth is both the Assassins and the [[TheUnfettered Templars]] are equally good and evil factions.
228** InvertedTrope: There have been moments, where despite being bound to the creed, the Assassins have been more TheUnfettered depending on the individual. In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' for example, Ezio spent most of his life, doing everything in his power to get revenge on the Templars. While the Colonial Assassins, [[LackOfEmpathy didn't even care]] that they caused the earthquake that devastated Lisbon in 1755. Clearly the creed isn't conscriptive in any manner, with the ends justifying the means.
229* ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2|CursedMemories}}'''s Adell, ''so much''. If he makes a promise, he's not going to let pesky little things like [[IdiotHero "logic",]] [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} "sanity"]], and [[CruelAndUnusualDeath "horrible, painful death"]] get in the way of that.
230** Valvatorez from [[VideoGame/Disgaea4APromiseUnforgotten the fourth game]] makes a point of following ''any'' oath or promise he makes down to the letter, regardless of how silly, unreasonable, or downright dangerous it is.
231* ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3|AbsenceOfJustice}}'' has Raspberyl and her GirlPosse Kyoko and Asuka, dedicated demon {{Delinquents}} who staunchly follow all the rules demons are ''supposed'' to break. They have to maintain their perfect attendance record and have their own self-imposed curfew, which keeps them from joining your party full-time [[spoiler:until they graduate]].
232* ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' presents the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Warrior of Light]] as one. He is bound quite tightly by his loyalty to Cosmos and devotion to Light, to the point that he is perfectly willing to repeat the events of the battle between Cosmos and Chaos unto infinity. If he gets the opportunity to ScrewDestiny, he's going to take it, and [[SaveTheVillain save Garland]] in the process if he can.
233** [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Terra]] chooses not to use her full power most of the time, because she's scared of losing control. With good reason too, her powers are so incredible that she was specifically headhunted by Kefka to fight for the side of Chaos.
234* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
235** Alistair in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' can be seen very much in this light; he has been through a great deal and yet is still determined to struggle for the ideal. This is especially true if the player decides to [[spoiler:make him king]] since he will do what is best for the country. [[PlayerCharacter The Warden]] can also be this, depending on player choices.
236** In the sequel games, [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII Hawke]] and [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition the Inquisitor]] can be played this way as well.
237** Varric Tethras, the narrator of the second game, has become this by the time of the third game. As the game unfolds, it becomes increasingly obvious that he is very weighed down by everything which has happened, and blames himself for far more than his fair share of the events. He takes some consolation from his assorted friendships, especially with his best friend Hawke, but it doesn't ease any of his fettered feeling.
238* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'', the main character is Fettered in one key way. No Celestrian may raise arms against or harm a superior. This becomes a serious issue later in the game.
239* The Greybeards and the Blades in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' are both examples of this, though they have very different goals. The Greybeards dedicate their lives to the "Way of the Voice", meditating on the meaning of the Thu'um instead of actually using it to accomplish anything. This makes sense since the Way was created by Jurgen Windcaller, who lost the Battle of Red Mountain presumably because of the Nords' over-reliance on the Voice, and is followed by [[spoiler:the dragon Paarthurnax, who has spent thousands of years repressing his innate desire to dominate others]], and the fact that the Thu'um is incredibly deadly to anyone without the power of the Voice. The Blades are dedicated to serving the Dragonborn and exterminating the Dragons, whom they see as AlwaysChaoticEvil [[spoiler:they're right too -- even the "good" dragon Paarthurnax they want you to kill says it's not a good idea to trust a Dragon]]. The Blades will actually cut off ties with you despite everything you've done for them [[spoiler:if you refuse to kill Paarthurnax]].
240* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
241** Paragon Shepard. S/he's an absolute badass in every way but everything that s/he does is done to make the galaxy safer. The ending of ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' illustrates this point perfectly: [[spoiler: The Illusive Man tells Shepard to save the technology from the Collector Base, which will be a huge asset in the war against the Reapers. Paragon Shepard is disgusted -- the technology is PoweredByAForsakenChild -- and chooses to destroy it rather than compromise his/her values]].
242--->'''Shepard''': I won't let fear compromise who I am!
243** Samara is the fettered as well. She's a [[ThePaladin Paladin]] [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace in Space]] whose code tells her what she must do in all cases. Her code is so extreme that when it calls for her to kill her daughter rather than risk allowing her daughter, who has a disease that turns her into a space vampire/succubus, Samara's only resolution to the impasse is to [[spoiler: calmly place a gun to her own temple, and if not stopped, kill herself right in front of her daughter]].
244** While their specific model is very different from Shepard's, and few Turians we see genuinely live up to it to the absolute (especially the BigBad of the first game, who has abandoned almost the entire thing), this is the Turian ideal. Turian cultural ideas prize diligence, loyalty, valour, honesty, responsibility, and self-sacrifice to such an extent that their national anthem is called "Die for the Cause", and Turian soldiers will die to the last man rather than retreat unless that retreat is absolutely necessary for the overall war effort. The big difference is that Paragon Shepard's code prizes compassion as the chief virtue and loyalty to orders and authority is only valuable so long as it supports that, while the Turian code prizes absolute loyalty.
245* ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic''. He can ''fight'' Dr. Wily (apparently using the logic of [[WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar "You'd be surprised what you can live through"]]), but can't JustShootHim, as he's fettered by the [[ThreeLawsCompliant first Law of Robotics]]. Were he ever to apply the ''Zeroth'' Law, however... (And he came dangerously close to acting on it, too!)
246** ''VideoGame/MegaManX'', as well. Unlike his Classic counterpart, X is not shackled to his programming, being capable of thinking, feeling, and acting independently. Dr. Light was concerned that he might be dangerous if he violated the first Law of Robotics, so he had him undergo diagnostics for several decades to ensure he was safe to activate. In the end, he not only remains fettered, but [[MartialPacifist abhors violence, even when it's necessary]].
247* To go with the Havik example in TheUnfettered, in ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', KnightTemplar Hotaru, leader of the elite police force in Order Realm. So obsessed with upholding the law that he'll lock up his own friends until they're old and grey for a minor infraction.
248* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'':
249** Vhailor adheres to the Mercykillers' creed and his unflinching belief in justice and retribution. Anything else is a secondary concern, up to and including that trifle that he's been dead for the last century or so and the fact that he's lost most of his memories. If you actually point the former out to him, his reply is essentially that while there are criminals still alive to punish he's not about to take time off simply so he can obey the laws of physics. [[spoiler:If you take the time to describe the FinalBoss' sins to him, his belief that said sins merit punishment [[RightMakesMight actually makes him more powerful for that fight]]]].
250** Fall-from-Grace as a risen demoness is the fettered by her own rejection of her old values in favor of her esoteric interpretation of the Society of Sensation's epicurean creed. Dak'kon is the fettered in his utter devotion to the religious teachings of the Unbroken Circle [[spoiler: and his oath to continue to serve The Nameless One -- made before he knew TNO could not die]].
251* In ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'', Piers, the Dark-type Gym Leader from Spikemuth, does not use [[MakeMyMonsterGrow Dynamaxing]]. Part of the reason why is because Spikemuth lacks a Power Spot necessary for Dynamaxing, but another part of it is staunch refusal: even in stadiums where Dynamaxing is possible, he will insist on battling without it and relying on the natural strength and cunning of his Pokémon. Even without Dynamaxing, he is a formidable opponent, being the penultimate Gym Leader in the game and only losing in the finals to Raihan, the final Gym Leader and rival to the Champion Leon (and even then, Raihan states that his battle with Piers was a close one).
252* The eponymous character of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog''. He has two rules, live life to the fullest and freest and have fun doing it. He will never ignore a plea for help and always acts on his personal feelings to the very end. When confronted with a villain who wishes to use dark magic to preserve her land eternally, Sonic confronts her and tells her that a world that goes on forever is meaningless and that all things have to end eventually but to be happy with the time we have left rather than despair at the inevitable.
253* ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'' has Eleanor, fettered by her devotion to the Abbey's ideals of helping and caring for her fellow man [[spoiler:even after she cuts ties with the organization upon realizing their leadership resort to methods she finds abhorrent]]. This is in contrast to [[AntiHero Velvet]], whose [[TheUnfettered unchecked rampage]] helps the world by complete accident.
254* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' gives us [[spoiler:Colette. She knows from the beginning the 'angel' is lying to her, and that she will have to die and lose her mind and memories for the world, yet she just keeps going.]] She also hides the fact that [[spoiler:she gradually loses all kind of feeling and sensation]] so well that no one [[spoiler:except Lloyd]] realizes this until she [[spoiler:loses the ability '''''to speak''!''']]
255* ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' has Prince Arthas, devoted to his kingdom, who makes the wrong choice when faced with good vs lawful vengance at the end of the human campaign as a result of being majorly played by the Lich King
256** ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has Tirion Fordring, the SERIOUSLY fettered. By honor, which is something only he himself can truly define, therefore he comes into conflict with his defected Death Knight partner, Darion, quite often. They even have an exchange where Darion says they should try using the Lich King's own tactics against him, which Tirion vehemently vetoes, stating that if they did, they'd be no better than the Lich King and that they would win the fight with honor or not at all.
257** Thrall can be seen as this in his battle against Garrosh (the first battle, in the Orgrimmar arena). Thrall has godlike shamanic abilities, and yet only uses melee combat against Garrosh, likely since he only wants to teach Garrosh a lesson and not really hurt him, since Garrosh is his best friend's son. [[spoiler: In their final fight, however, Thrall AND Garrosh have both become TheUnfettered and deliver a glorious beatdown to each other, with the godlike Thrall coming out on top in a CurbStompBattle when he finally uses his full power]].
258*** [[spoiler: It turns out that using magic in a traditional orcish duel is forbidden, Thrall loses his status as the World Shaman as a result.]]
259[[/folder]]
260
261[[folder:Visual Novels]]
262* Miles Edgeworth of the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' franchise. More so following the events of the first game.
263** The Judge from the same series. Normally he's a punching bag, letting the prosecutors push him (and the defense) around, but he's sworn to uphold the law. When someone pushes too hard on those limits, he makes it clear that they are ''not'' the real power in the courtroom. There's a reason he's known for delivering the right verdict.
264* Moe Mortelli from ''VisualNovel/DaughterForDessert'', despite being kind of creepy, has a sense of honor, duty, and justice, and he will not deviate from it.
265* Shirou from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', even if said ideals tend to be [[WideEyedIdealist somewhat naive]], is a prime example of the Fettered. [[spoiler:He can only use his magic specialty ''because'' of his ideals and because he puts no value on his own life]].
266** The "Superhero" bad ending demonstrates how his ideal of protecting others could transform him into a villain when he [[spoiler:chooses to kill Sakura and likely his other magi allies in order to protect Fuyuki as a whole]].
267** Saber lived according to a strict code of honor and the belief that the ideal king must not be tainted by human weaknesses such as emotion. While this made her an ideal king when it came to leading her armies or ruling the country, she became alienated from the people and her allies, leading to the civil wars that finally destroyed her kingdom and killed her.
268** Archer lived his entire life as the Fettered and was eventually alienated from others due to their inability to understand his desire to [[spoiler:save everyone. In the end, his own ideal betrayed him as it led him to become a Counter-Guardian, forcing him to spend all of eternity slaughtering people whose actions threatened humanity]].
269[[/folder]]
270
271[[folder:Web Animation]]
272* ''Creator/FilmCow'' parodies this with Agent Kitkat, a spy who is very ineffective at spying because he is way too nice and doesn't like lying.
273[[/folder]]
274
275[[folder:Webcomics]]
276* Ben about his character Obi-Wan Kenobi in ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'', during the final confrontation with Anakin:
277-->'''Ben:''' I wrote "Good" on my character sheet and I jolly well meant it! Unlike '''some''' people!
278* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' has two characters who are like this, both of whom are {{Uplifted Animal}}s. Though theoretically constrained artificial by neural programming, both have actually broken and subverted their imposed restraints, to some extent, but choose to uphold personal codes and otherwise restrain themselves to be good people.
279** The first and most obvious is [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01779.htm Florence Ambrose,]] a Bowman's Wolf.
280** The second is [[spoiler: Doctor Bowman himself]]; as an uplifted chimpanzee, he is an unusual form of TheSociopath due to neural uplifting faults that have resulted in his having very little conscious control over his subconscious impulses. In short, he can't ''stop himself'' from acting on how he's feeling, and since his chimpanzee instincts make him naturally violent and aggressive, this makes him dangerous. As a result, he chooses to live in an isolated, protective environment to keep people safe from him, verbally warns his few visitors that he is dangerous and unpredictable, and otherwise does his best to protect them. Most notably, the only reason he has even ''this'' level of self-control is that he castrated himself. A particularly good demonstration of his intellect and dedication, as he did this at ''fifteen.'' Also;
281--->[[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2600/fc02529.htm We weren't allowed knives at the time because of a stabbing incident. Do you know how hard it is to get a good edge on a plastic spoon?]]
282*** [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2500/fc02468.htm Upon meeting Florence]], the first thing he does is give her a safety collar and explain he's holding their discussion in his "tantrum room" so that he will have other targets to attack if they disagree, and he will receive a violent electric shock if he ends up going after her anyway.
283--->[[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2500/fc02473.htm At some point, I'm going to throw the data pad. I don't have control over this. If my arm goes back, get out of the way]].
284* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' gets [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20031215 Zulenna]], a [[AlphaBitch haughty princess]]. Nothing special, right?.. It turns out that she [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040825 takes her clan's obligations very, very seriously]].
285* Equius of ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' is so STRONG that he could defeat anyone if he wanted to. Unfortunately, he's so bound by his extreme loyalty to the [[FantasticCasteSystem trolls' blood-based hierarchy]] that he doesn't even [[spoiler: try to prevent Gamzee from strangling him, because Gamzee ranks higher than he does]].
286[[/folder]]
287
288[[folder:Western Animation]]
289* [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderAvatarAang Aang]] from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' definitely is this. He is the Master of All Four Elements, with near God-Like powers at times, and he could do whatever he wants. However, his own personal adherence to the sanctity of life means that he refuses to kill deliberately -- he won't even kill Fire Lord Ozai, a man who was willing to commit complete genocide of an entire people. [[spoiler: In the end, he is about to kill him, and would have, if he had not stopped himself. Instead, his purity of spirit allowed him to bend Ozai's spirit and destroy his bending]].
290-->'''Aang:''' ''[stops himself from delivering final blow]'' No. I'm not going to end it like this.\
291'''Ozai:''' ''[strangely disdainful]'' Even with all the power in the world, you are still '''''[[VirtueIsWeakness weak]]''!'''
292* In ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', [[Characters/DCAUTheFlash The Flash]] is shown to be this. With the Speed Force, he's casually able to alter reality, alter time, and vibrate through solid matter, ''including'' [[CruelAndUnusualDeath vibrating his fingers through a person's skull to kill them]]. However doing this could outright destroy the world, so he holds himself back and typically limits himself to [[SuperSpeed excessive speed]] unless [[GodzillaThreshold there's just no other way]]. In ''The Great Brain Robbery'', Lex Luthor in Flash's body and [[TheUnfettered without such concerns]] is easily able to use this power to lay waste to the Watchtower and be a match for ''the entire Justice League''.
293--> '''Red Tornado:''' His vibrations create an unstable resonance.
294--> '''Green Lantern:''' Which is why the ''real'' Flash doesn't do it!
295* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicRainbowDash Rainbow Dash]] proves herself to be fettered in the episode "Wonderbolts Academy". Her flying abilities are such that she can simultaneously break the sound barrier and visible spectrum, and she's always out to prove that she's the best flyer and athlete in Equestria, but she absolutely refuses to do so in such a way that risks causing harm to other ponies -- even at the expense of her dreams. This is the result of CharacterDevelopment in many ways. In the early seasons, she drifted closer to the unfettered; though good-aligned she laughed off the concept of limits and was disdainful of any authority over her. "Wonderbolts Academy" indicated a turning point for her, and since then she's made an effort to live up to the more OfficerAndAGentleman ideals of the Equestria military.
296* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' has [[Characters/StarWarsObiWanKenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi]] make reference to this trope in his rebuttal to [[spoiler: Darth Maul]]'s attempt to BreakThemByTalking.
297-->'''Obi-Wan:''' You can kill me, but you'll never destroy me. It takes strength to resist TheDarkSide. Only the ''weak'' embrace it!\
298'''[[spoiler: Maul]]:''' It is more powerful than you know.\
299'''Obi-Wan:''' And those who oppose it are more powerful than you'll ever be.
300* Traditionally, most of the Autobots from ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' are this by default. Under the guidance of [[BigGood Optimus Prime]] (or whoever takes over from him), they are sworn [[FriendToAllLivingThings not to harm any sentient life]], in this case humanity. Though this makes them benevolent protectors, the Decepticons have used this rule against them from time-to-time. Nevertheless, they prefer to stay hidden and not purposely interfere with human life, unless it was absolutely necessary.
301[[/folder]]

Top