'''Basic Trope''': Characters or creatures which could be described as "dark" are on the side of good.
* '''Straight''':
** A group that look like demons from Hell are protecting a human nursery.
** A {{Necromancer}} who learned how to summon the undead with the intent of sending them to do dangerous jobs, such as mining, so the living would not be at risk.
* '''Exaggerated''':
** An entire planet of demons from Hell is in every other way a SugarBowl.
** An ''EldritchAbomination'' is helping an old lady cross the street while stopping time to make sure it doesn't interfere with traffic.
** TheSacredDarkness
** The AllLovingHero [[FaceOfAThug looks and dresses in a manner that would surely make them mistaken for a villain]].
* '''Downplayed''':
** A gang of intimidating looking [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels bikers]] look after a neighborhood.
** A [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels biker gang]] is composed of [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Jerks With A Heart Of Gold]] who follow the GoodIsNotNice policy.
** A {{Necromancer}} is on the side of good, but is an AntiHero, making him more of a Morally Grey good guy.
** Dark Is Neutral: {{Necromancer}} [[ChaoticNeutral Neville]] summons the dead for [[TheHedonist his own desires]] but he treats his undead {{Mook}}s [[BenevolentBoss pretty well]], no matter how good or bad their performance is.
* '''Justified''':
** The dark race was created by the BigBad but rebelled.
** They ''like'' looking intimidating and ferocious. It scares enemies off so that they don't have to fight, and [[DarkShepherd it helps them frighten those who aren't as moral as themselves into behaving.]]
** MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch
** Dressing in dark colors makes it easier to be stealthy at night.
* '''Inverted''':
** DarkIsEvil
** LightIsGood
** LightIsNotGood
** In a setting where LightIsNotGood is in full effect for the villains, an [[AngelicAbomination unsettling]] angel-like being shares their aesthetic and abilities but [[CreepyGood is firmly on the side of good]].
* '''Subverted''':
** A race of noble but scary looking creatures are deep-cover operatives of the BigBad.
** The evil looking creatures complain that everyone treats them like monsters, and [[ShamingTheMob when the crowd is shamed by their own prejudice]] the monsters take the opportunity to eat them.
** The trope is played straight, but at some point members of the race have a FaceHeelTurn for whatever reason, leading to DarkIsEvil.
* '''Double Subverted''':
** A race of noble but scary looking creatures in deep cover for the BigBad join the other side when it turns out that the BigBad was lying.
** The mob-eaters are revealed to have become HeWhoFightsMonsters; the ones not part of people munchers are still good, and deal with their wayward comrades accordingly.
** Said captor [[LightIsNotGood mainly dresses in white clothes]] and has a clean, well-kept appearance.
** But they make an EvilCostumeSwitch into something [[LightIsNotGood symbolizing light]] and/or were actually {{Fake Defector}}s.
* '''Parodied''': A race of demons from Hell wear "We aren't evil" t-shirts, fight crime, and have a theme song all about how they're not evil.
* '''Zig Zagged''':
** A fearsome-looking demon turns out to be ChaoticStupid.
** A [[IncorruptiblePurePureness pure hearted]] hero who looks like a demon from hell has a SuperpoweredEvilSide who looks like an EldritchAbomination. However, on closer inspection, the 'evil' side is actually a more WellIntentionedExtremist.
** Alice meets a character who looks like an evil monster, but turns out to be good. She then meets ''another'' character who looks like an evil monster, but [[DarkIsNotEvil despite what she learned from her past experience]], the character really is evil.
** There's a correspondence between "dark" or "light", knowledge on how to control it, AND moral character.
** BlackMagic is the magic of raw emotion. TheSociopath and people with poor impulse control are usually BlackMagic users. So are idealists who have for a motto ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight.
** The character bounces between dressing in dark evil-looking clothes and [[LightIsGood gentle light colors]] at the drop of a hat.
* '''Averted''':
** There is no correspondence between "dark" or "light" appearance and moral character.
** [[GreyAndGrayMorality There is no good or evil in the story.]]
* '''Enforced''': As per the producer's orders, the writers added a dark-themed hero not only to capitalize the archetype's profitability, but also to add an aesop "never judge a book by its cover."
* '''Lampshaded''': "I just assumed you were a..." "A demon? Was it the horns or the leathery wings?"
* '''Invoked''': TheMole who appears to be a demonic creature plays on the AllLovingHero's good nature to convince everyone that the only evil thing about him is his appearance.
* '''Exploited''': The darkness part is part of a ZeroApprovalGambit.
* '''Defied''': A race of demons from Hell strive to live up to their fiendish appearance.
* '''Discussed''': "What, you assume we're evil just because of the red horns, forked tail and pitchfork? What's wrong with you?"
* '''Conversed''': "Whoever designs all these races must have a twisted sense of humour".
* '''Implied''': We never really learn what that diabolical-looking man's motivations are, but he never does anything that could be considered evil.
* '''Deconstructed''':
** Although they're not evil, [[FantasticRacism everyone assumes they are]], and to some extent their moral nature is influenced by their lives under such a stigma.
** After being called evil many times, [[ThenLetMeBeEvil Alice gradually snaps and becomes evil]].
* '''Reconstructed''':
** Because they're not evil but everyone assumes they are, some of the most noble and good act as ambassadors to change public perception of their race.
** Alice contents herself with snarky comments to those who call her evil, despite her goodness.
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Go see DarkIsNotEvil. Don't worry, he's a great trope once you get to know him.
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%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
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%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???