[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
->''To prevent the destruction of the world, I shall become the shadow of the Sanctuary forever.''
-->-- '''Revenger, Dragruler Phantom''', ''Anime/CardfightVanguard''

->''If life has days, it also has nights. If there's light, there's dark, too. There's lots of fun things to do in the dark.''
-->-- '''Grizzly''', ''Manga/ShirokumaCafe''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
->''In my defense, you look scary as hell. And, in our world, good guys don't dress up like bats. Also, good guys ''smile''. Why ''don't'' you smile?!''
-->-- '''Zack/Black Ranger''' to Franchise/{{Batman}}, ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueMightyMorphinPowerRangers''

->''Sometimes I have to remind myself, that darkness is not the opposite of good, just the opposite of light. Wonderful, amazing, and beautiful things happen in the darkness.''
-->-- '''Princess Luna''', ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendsForever'' #20

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
->''The powers of a person, or a wand for that matter, does not determine who you are - your choices do. And just because something might be what some people call Dark, does not necessarily mean it is evil. After all, even what is considered Light magic can still be used to harm innocent people.''
-->-- '''Nico''', ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7658547/1/Dark-Phoenix Dark Phoenix]]''

->''But the thing that people forget sometimes, is that even though appearances can be misleading, they're usually not.''
-->-- '''Hermione''', ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality''

->''If he was kind enough to help me back to my room, the least I could do was be civil. So what if he looked like a pedophile? He was kind enough to help a complete stranger, the least I could do was give my thanks.''
-->-- '''Light''', ''Fanfic/{{Seigikan}}''

->''"When you look at the sky and see a constellation… you know which stars belong together, because you can feel the invisible lines between them, built by legend, sustained by folklore… ''that'' is my name. I am the darkness that connects the constellations."''
-->-- '''A fae''', ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/43922223/chapters/110930229#workskin to fade away (to burn out)]]''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
->''Tender lumplings everywhere,\\
Life's no fun without a good scare!\\
That's our job, but we're not mean,\\
In our town of Halloween...''
-->-- "This Is Halloween," ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas''

->''Please do not fear us for we are not your foe. We may appear to be quite sinister, but in fact we are not so.''
-->-- The priest of the Cult of the Strange, ''WesternAnimation/WeAreTheStrange''
[[/folder]]


[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
->'''Judge:''' But why do you use a phrase like "Black is beautiful"?
->'''Steve Biko:''' Because black is commonly associated with negatives--the {{black market}}, the {{black sheep}} of the family--anything which is supposed to be bad.
-->-- ''Film/CryFreedom''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
->''In the end, walking the path of Dark is no more dishonorable than walking the path of Light, as long as it's done with clear intentions.''
-->-- '''Jimothi Tarrie''', ''Literature/{{Abarat}}''

->''Never fear the darkness, Bran. The strongest trees are rooted in the dark places of the earth. Darkness will be your cloak, your shield, your mother's milk. Darkness will make you strong.''
-->--- '''Brynden Rivers''', ''Literature/ADanceWithDragons''

->Farideh hardly knew what to say. All her life she'd been warned that she stood on the edge of utter damnation, that the wrong decision would awaken the fiendish blood that flowed through her and doom her as it had doomed every other tiefling. Since taking the pact, the worry that she'd leaped over the edge was as inescapable as a literal fall. But if Brysies Kaksitos had led the Toril Thirteen for the good of the world, if she took the pact for good reasons-perhaps, perhaps Farideh wasn't doomed. Perhaps none of them truly were.
-->-- ''Literature/BrimstoneAngels'', "Lesser Evils"

->It doesn't matter so much where you stand, but more which way you're facing.
-->-- ''Literature/CarpeJugulum''

->"You mustn't be afraid of the dark," he said, gently grasping my arm and making me shudder. "Night is purer than day; it is better for thinking and loving and dreaming. At night everything is more intense, more true. The echo of words that have been spoken during the day takes on new and deeper meaning. The tragedy of man is that he doesn't know how to distinguish between day and night. He says things at night that should only be said by day."
-->-- ''[[Literature/{{Night}} Dawn]]''

->''But maybe I shouldn't have been surprised: Even in Winter, the cold isn't always bitter, and not every day is cruel.''
-->-- '''Harry Dresden''', ''Literature/{{Changes}}''

->A young woman stood over Forthill, opposite of me, in a shaft of sunlight that spilled through a hole in a blacked-out window. She was dressed in a black suit, a black shirt, a black tie. Her skin was dark--not like someone of African ancestry, but like someone had dunked her in a vat of perfectly black ink. The sclera, the whites of her eyes, were black, too. In fact, the only things on her that weren't ink black were her eyes and the short sword she held in her hand, the blade dangling parallel to her leg. They were both shining silver with flecks of metallic gold. \\
She met my gaze calmly ... "Peace, Harry Dresden," she said, "I have not come to harm anyone."\\
[...]\\
"You're an angel," I said quietly. "An angel of death."\\
She nodded her head. "Yes."
-->-- ''Literature/GhostStory''

->''Sometimes it is easier to see the light when you stand in the darkness.''
-->-- '''Monday's Dusk''', ''[[Literature/KeysToTheKingdom Mister Monday]]''

->Light is the left hand of Darkness, and Darkness the right hand of Light.
-->-- ''Literature/TheLeftHandOfDarkness''

->She was a goddess of darkness as well as light. A Black Madonna: the blackness of death, but also the blackness of good soil, dark with decay, which gives rise to life.
-->--''[[Literature/TheMagicians The Magician King]]''

->There are things in the dark corners of the world that look like the nightmare children of Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft. Just looking at them is enough to make any sane person run screaming, but if you're brave or stupid or savvy enough to stop and talk to one, [[DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu you'll find to your surprise that you can get along okay]]. They're not ''safe'', of course; nothing in the magical world is really ''safe.'' But you can talk with them and trust them as well as the humans you meet here, and [[HumansAreBastards often better]].
-->--''[[Literature/AlexVerus Fated]]''

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
->''The deep and lovely dark. We'd never see the stars without it.''
-->-- '''The Twelfth Doctor''', who himself embodies this trope, ''Series/DoctorWho''

->''I'll become the greatest, kindest Demon King ever!''
-->-- '''Sougo Tokiwa''', ''Series/KamenRiderZiO''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
->''The good guys dress in black remember that\\
Just in case we ever face to face and make contact''
-->-- '''Creator/WillSmith''', "Film/MenInBlack"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Poetry]]
->Why are we so afraid of the dark?\\
It doesn't bite and doesn't bark\\
Or steal your sweeties for a lark\\
Or chase old ladies round the park.
-->-- '''Creator/JamesCarter''', "The Dark"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
->Tetsuo considered black mana to be a test of his honor. He appreciated the power of black mana and strove to use it without forsaking his honor. The Umezawa clan is full of "dark adepts" and "dark geniuses" who view the death and decay inherent in black mana as a natural counterweight to life and growth. Thus Tetsuo really has no qualms about using black mana. His honor caused him to rebel against his god-king and the Madaran Empire; thus he had no problem bringing black mana to bear against the Imperials.
-->-- ''[[TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering Champion's Trial]]''

->''You fear the dark. But here it's... inescapable. Remember where you are. This is Innistrad, where light only exists to cast shadow. Those shadows are twisting. Into threats so absolute, so relentless, that you'll have to keep fighting them just to survive. But survival is for the... uninspired. ''Victory'' is for the strong! And the strong are willing to embrace the darkness. This is my domain! So fall in, soldier. As the true enemy raises. Darkness is your only... hope.''
-->-- '''Liliana Veiss''', [[NightOfTheLivingMooks sending a horde of the undead]] against Emrakul, ''[[TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering Eldritch Moon trailer]]''

->If legends of noble monsters ever held true, Constantinople's Nosferatu are proof of those legends. Beneath the Cainites' deformed visages lie many of the virtues forgotten by Constantinople's other vampires. Most consider these beasts nothing more than scavengers of blood and information; in Constantinople, however, the Nosferatu do more than hoard secrets - they use them to try to avert the coming doom that they see. They, along with two other scion families, have become the unlikely champions of Constantinople, hidden by necessity from adversaries who would destroy them.
-->-- ''[[TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade Vampire: The Dark Ages]] - Constantinople By Night''

->''We strike from the darkness, but we are not of the night. Though born in darkness, we seek only the light.''
-->-- '''Corvus Corax''', Primarch of the Raven Guard, ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
->We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins. Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
-->-- ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood''

->''Though born of a vile source, these powers can be used for good or ill.''
-->-- '''[[TheOathbreaker The Oathbreaker Knight]]''', ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII''

->The gods gave Man the darkness so that he might sleep in peace, wrapping it around him as a blanket against the harsh light of day. The darkness reminds us of death, and thus, of sweet life. The darkness gives tone to the world, rich and varied.
-->-- Part of the [[MonsterCompendium Bestiary entry]] for the [[ElementalEmbodiment Leamonde Entite]], ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''

->Without darkness there can be no light... So how can darkness be truly evil?
-->-- Item description for [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Twin Form]], ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy''

->''Aw, we don't hate it. It's just kinda... scary. But the world's made of light AND darkness. You can't have one without the other, 'cause darkness is half of everything. Sorta makes ya wonder why we are scared of the dark.''
-->-- '''[[WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse King Mickey]]''', ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''

->''Master Eraqus, you see, is so afraid of darkness that he too has succumbed... Not to darkness, but to light! It shines so bright, he forgets that light begets darkness... Eraqus, such a fool! Light and darkness, they are a [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil balance]]! One that must always be maintained!''
-->-- '''Master Xehanort''', ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep''

->''Some call our realm a world of shadows, but that makes it sound so unpleasant... The twilight there holds a serene beauty... You have seen it yourself as the sun sets on this world. Bathed in that light, all the people were pure and gentle... But things changed once that foul power pervaded the world...''
-->-- '''Midna''', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess''

->''"Please... My appearance may be like this but I am no evil being."''
-->-- '''Gustave''', ''VideoGame/DragonProject''

->''"I am of Darkness now, but I have not fallen under the dominion of the Witch-king. My fight goes on."''
-->-- '''[[spoiler:Ringwraith Talion]]''', ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfWar''

->''"The weapon is evil, but the hand is just. I will bend this darkness to my will! I will protect the innocent!"''
-->-- '''Clarissa "Claris" Snowflake''', ''VideoGame/SakuraWars2019''

->''Though we strike at you from the shadows, do not think that we lack the courage to stand in the light.''
-->-- '''Zeratul''', ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}''

->''My magic may be dark, but it will bring light to the world.''
-->-- '''Oleander''', ''VideoGame/ThemsFightinHerds''

->''When the sky burns, it pays to have allies in the shadows.''
-->-- '''Shadow-Sage Iskar''', ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft: Warlords of Draenor''

->''Dark magic is generally not well regarded...but at a basic level, it is not innately evil.''
-->-- '''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Eirika]]''' (Anamnesis Lady variant), ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
->'''TT:''' They are enormous, ugly, and live in darkness.\\
'''TT:''' That doesn't necessarily make them bad.
-->-- '''Rose Lalonde''', ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
->460: I'd better have a real good excuse for being a necromancer if I'm Lawful Good.
-->-- ''Blog/ThingsMrWelchIsNoLongerAllowedToDoInAnRPG''

->''So yes, black mages often ''can'' be evil. But black as a color is not inherently evil. Being influenced by black’s philosophies does not necessarily mean that one will commit an evil act. That being the case, we cannot say that black represents evil. More closely aligned with evil than the other colors? Fine. More ripe with potential for evil? Sure. Evil? No. And that's a very important distinction.''
-->-- '''Mark Rosewater''', ''[[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr109 Making Magic: In The Black]]''

->''As a child, I was afraid of the dark. Over time, I learned nothing in the dark was going to hurt me, because darkness is just an absence of light. No monsters.''
-->-- Tumblr user '''Tii-Dragon''', [[http://tii-dragon.tumblr.com/post/84560703328/i-hate-it-how-people-use-the-word-phobia-to-describe in this response to a post about homophobia]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
->''Is it dark? Or is it simply misunderstood, like you?''
-->-- '''Malchior'''[[note]][[SubvertedTrope who actually turns out to be evil]][[/note]] to Raven, ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003''

->''Good guys wear black.''
-->-- ''Creator/{{Toonami}}'', in reference to ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''

-> ''Just because I seem creepy to you doesn't mean I'm a bad person. I'll have you know, I learned magic to help people, not hurt them. Sheesh. Appearances aren't everything, Sprig.''
-->-- '''Maddie Flour''', ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'', "Cursed!"


->致那黑夜中的嗚咽與怒吼
->誰說站在光里的才算英雄
->''("A tribute to the sobs and roars in the dark night\\
Who says only one who stands in the light count as a hero?")''
-->-- "[[AlternativeForeignThemeSong 孤勇者]]" ("Lone Warrior"), ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}''[[note]]The [[https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV15F411Y7D1?spm_id_from=333.905.b_72656c61746564.2 Cantonese fandub]]'s equivalent line translates to "Shouting in the pitch blackness, [[RageAgainstTheHeavens shaking even the heavens]]; You can be a hero even if you don't live in the light[[/note]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
->''If heavy metal ran the world, there'd be a lot of songs about war and a lot of songs about death, but nobody would actually die!''
-->-- '''Music/BruceDickinson'''

->''What If people stopped using the word "dark" to describe things that are "grim," "macabre," "bleak," or "evil?" Does word association subconsciously reinforce harmful thinking? Sorry for inevitably making everyone mad who reads this.''
-->-- '''Creator/SashaKimiatek'''
[[/folder]]

----