According to ThatOtherWiki, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima_Syndrome Lima Syndrome]] is the phenomenon in which abductors develop sympathy for their captives, named after the abduction of the Japanese Embassy in Lima, Peru in 1996 by members of a militant movement. Within a few days, the hostage takers set free most of the captives, including the most valuable ones, due to sympathy.

In fiction, there are a number of reasons why this would happen. Maybe one or more of the kidnappers don't agree with the plan, or they just don't feel up to hurting innocents. Maybe the villain has decided that he doesn't have the heart to keep his prisoner locked up. Or maybe he's just doing what's necessary, and generally feels bad about it.

Usually the one to develop sympathy for a captive [[HighHeelFaceTurn will be the female]], because it's generally assumed that [[DoubleStandard women are]] [[CloserToEarth much more in touch with their emotions]] and so more likely to empathize with others. If it's a man, expect his captive to be [[TheDulcineaEffect female]].

This person is also likely to be the one in charge of tending to the captives, bringing them food or [[FlorenceNightingaleEffect healing their wounds]], and thus has a greater chance of developing an attachment and growing to actually care about their well-being.

Or it may be that one of the prisoners is particularly [[TheWoobie prone to inspiring sympathy]]. See PregnantHostage for a specific example of this type of character.

In many stories this type of behavior will often preclude a HeelFaceTurn, or cause a HelpFaceTurn for the villain if he is a captive of the good guys and is treated surprisingly kindly.

See StockholmSyndrome for the reverse situation. The two may often go hand in hand if the feelings are mutual between the abductor and their captive.
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!!Examples:

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[[folder: Anime ]]

* Piccolo from ''DragonballZ'' eventually came to care for Gohan, leading up to his HeelFaceTurn.
* [[spoiler: Natasha]] from GGundam, towards [[spoiler: Argo Gulskii]].
* ''TransformersRobotsInDisguise'': [[NobleDemon Sky-Byte]] accidentally takes a tower full of humans hostage, and goes to great lengths to protect them. "My hostages need me!"
* ''GunXSword'': After Michael Garret develops a StockholmSyndrome to The Claw, he is assigned on training observed by his [[TheDragon second-in-command]] [[DarkActionGirl Fasalina]]. She was an ex-prostitute, but eventually she genuinely fell in love with Michael and even had sex with him.
* Considering how their relationship is shown in the comics, some speculate that if Tino/Finland from AxisPowersHetalia has StockholmSyndrome, then his "partner" Berwald/Sweden paralelly has Lima Syndrome. He might have started thinking of Finland as a mere companion for his journey, then [[strike: fell in love with him]] became genuinely fond and protective of him.
* In AiNoKusabi, Iason Mink's WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove thoughts make him develop this towards his "pet" Riki.

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[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* CarlBarks realized to his horror that he'd implied this accidentally in ''Back to the Klondike'': "Scrooge picked her up and carried her out to his claim and made her go to work. It didn't look like kidnapping, yet it was. He was taking the law into his own hands and that is not lawful. And what did he do with her at night?" DonRosa intentionally milked this for all it was worth in ''[[TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck The Prisoner Of White Agony Creek]]''.

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[[folder: Film ]]

* ''TheWorldIsNotEnough'' combines this with StockholmSyndrome in the case of [[spoiler: Electra King]].
* Happened in ''Ruthless People''
* More a case of [[AntiVillain the captor being a pretty much decent guy,]] but in ''DogDayAfternoon'' the hostages are treated incredibly well and probably weren't even in any real danger. One of the main character's associates ''lets one of the hostages hold his gun'' during a memorable look inside.
* Also happens in ''Ransom'', where one of the kidnappers (the one played by [[NewKidsOnTheBlock Donnie]] [[BandOfBrothers Wahlberg]]) is a PunchClockVillain who feels sorry for their captive (Mel Gibson's character's son) and even tells his brother and fellow criminal that he wants the kid to be free as soon as they have the ransom. [[spoiler: He's shot to death by a sniper, though]].
* Happens in the movie ''The Big Hit'' with the kidnapper played by ''[[TheDeparted Mark]]'' [[TheHappening Wahlberg]]. Must run in the family.
* Though it is quickly forgotten, [[Film/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]] is actually supposed to be the Beast's prisoner in exchange for letting her father go. He eventually lets her go too.

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[[folder: Literature ]]

* In ''The Confessions of ArseneLupin'', Lupin is captured by a mother-and-son team seeking revenge. The son, who was [[FlorenceNightingaleEffect tending his wounds]], ends up setting him free, because [[spoiler:he was actually a woman in disguise, and had fallen in love with Lupin]].
* ''Red Fox'' by Gerald Seymour. A hard-headed British businessman is kidnapped by a teenaged terrorist, and after his initial attempts to escape fail, starts putting into practise the methods he'd been taught in a hostage seminar (which he'd walked out of thinking it was all rubbish). He's therefore able to postpone his death until the authorities find him, and is [[StockholmSyndrome quite distraught]] when the terrorist is shot by a sniper.

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[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

* In ''TrueBlood'', Jason begins to feel sorry for a vampire that he and Amy have kidnapped for the purpose of harvesting his blood, and begins sneaking him bottles of synthetic blood to keep him alive. Unfortunately, it doesn't end well.
*On ''{{Lost}}'', Sayid falls in love with Nadia while interrogating (torturing) her for information. He ends up bringing her food and helping her escape.

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[[folder: Music ]]

* There's an implication of this in the lyrics of the {{Nirvana}} song ''Polly''.

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[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* In ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', Harley Quinn's origin is Lima Syndrome turned MadLove.
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