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Pet the Dog in Anime & Manga.
  • In the Ace Attorney manga, Robin Wolfe's treatment of his Hikikomori spider fanatic brother Bobby subverts this. Robin built a guest house called the "Den of Spiders", full of Bobby's collection of spiders and spider books, and it is revealed that it took a considerable amount of money to get all this and feed the spiders. However, the Den is also equipped with a chair with restraints, supposedly to protect Bobby from harming himself, but actually to keep him out of sight. Robin apparently sent Bobby on an errand to another city to give him work experience and confidence (which pleased him to be useful to his brother), as no company would hire him, but it was actually a ruse to get him away from home so he could use the Den of Spiders to torment Eddie Johnson, driving him to suicide. Bobby sees through most of Robin's attempts to seem like a loving older brother, and realizes Robin hates him. However, Lira, while saying that she hated her father for killing Eddie, but once loved him as her father, recalls a fond memory of him (badly) drawing her picture.
  • In the Osamu Tezuka manga/tokusatsu Ambassador Magma, Goa likes children despite being the Big Bad of the series.
  • Subverted in Azumanga Daioh with the Dirty Old Man Mr. Kimura. The characters spot him picking up trash and feeding stray animals, and suspect he may not be so bad after all... then they overhear an inappropriate comment of his and decide nope, he's still a pervert.
  • Psychopath Desty Nova from Battle Angel Alita gets this sort of moment only in unreality, when he's in Alita's mind trying to remake her memories and trap her in virtual reality. Part of the illusion puts him in the role of her father-figure. They share a truly empathic moment where Nova no longer seems insane, and he wishes that the moment could last forever... then he tries to defend Alita from the approaching "monster" even though (in the virtual-reality) it seems to be working toward a Heroic Sacrifice.
  • In Beauty Pop, Ozawa gets one by returning the scissors that his boss had stolen from Kiri. Sure, they were busted anyway, but it's the thought that counts.
  • Berserk:
    • The Count, the second major demon we see, has a young daughter named Theresia, the one thing he still cares about. When he's dying from Guts's attack, the Godhand give him a chance to be regenerated... if he sacrifices her like he did with her mother when he first became an Apostle. Anyone who makes a deal with the Godhand is destined to go to Hell when they're destroyed. The Count's choice: he dies, rather than give his daughter to the Godhand.
    • Father Mozgus is a Knight Templar, obsessed with torture and execution of "heretics". His assembled inquisitorial squad is composed of freaks...freaks that he personally rescued and gave a chance at something better. The man's priorities are backward, but he does have a charitable side.
    • Even post-Eclipse Griffith has a pet the dog moment when he saves none other than Casca, the woman he raped as Femto during the Eclipse in his crossing of the Moral Event Horizon, from some falling rocks when his new lackey Nosferatu Zodd was fighting Guts and caused their cave home to collapse. It's debatable whether or not this was influenced by Guts and Casca's child, which he used along with the Behelit-Apostle to be reborn as Griffith again.
      • Post-Eclipse Griffith did it again when he rescued Princess Charlotte from Emperor Ganishka in a very romantic fairytale fashion. Of course, since Griffith was all about enacting chivalric duties around the princess in order to get closer to the crown, this is possibly a subversion.
      • And oddly enough, right after the Eclipse, Griffith, in his alter ego form of Femto, refrains from blasting Guts and Casca away when the Skull Knight saved them. Of course, this brief Pet the Dog moment doesn't really amount to anything since he had just gotten through a heinous several chapter Kick the Dog moment.
    • Also Gambino, who pet a dog... at the same time kicking the dog several seconds later. That poor dog.
  • Sebastian Michaelis from Black Butler is a demon who owns the soul of the main character and will collect it someday, and has a huge soft spot for cats. Especially black ones.
  • Black Clover:
  • In Black Lagoon, Revy shows off how to really work a pair of guns by using some kid's popguns to hit cans. She even blushes after she realizes Rock was watching. Later, Rock and her meet the same kids, and she proceeds to hit the cans again... this time, with her dual Cutlasses.
  • Bleach: Ryuuken Ishida is initially introduced to the readers as bitter, sarcastic, unforgiving and hypercritical — the way he appears to his estranged son Uryuu, but there are hints of something very different Beneath the Mask.
    • In the Lost Agent arc, Ryuuken has to perform life-saving surgery on Uryuu after a run-in with the Arc Villain. Without prompting, Ryuuken calls Uryuu's friends to visit, worries about Ichigo being out after curfew, tells Orihime as much as he can deduce about Uryuu's attacker, and insists on driving her home because he's realised her life is in danger. Compared to his interactions with Uryuu, Ryuuken is amazingly kind and mild towards Ichigo and Orihime, suggesting that Souken was right about Uryuu misunderstanding his father's intentions.
    • Flashbacks confirm that Ryuuken's cultivating a mysterious facade. He and his fiancee are both deeply unhappy about their impending Arranged Marriage but he works very hard make her life as bearable as possible and takes his responsibility to look after her very seriously. Failing to protect her life triggers an Heroic BSoD. The woman he actually marries is proof beyond doubt that blood purity and Quincy tradition mean less to him than caring for the people he loves, driving his future anti-Quincy behaviour towards Uryuu.
  • Case Closed:
  • Doctor Jezebel Disraeli of Count Cain loathes all humans, especially his half-brother Cain, keeps a collection of eyeballs in jars (to which he hopes to add Cain's), as well as the preserved organs of his sisters and mother, and will take any excuse to cause some schmucks painful and gruesome deaths... but goodness gracious that man sure does love animals. He reacts with some horror at the suggestion of performing experiments on animals, protesting that he tests on humans instead, and several times through the series is shown tenderly cradling small fluffy things. His Sidekick Cassian even points out that "humans are the only creatures this man can't love." Freudian Excuse is in full play here.
  • In Darker than Black, Dolls are a frequent outlet for characters to do their dog-petting. Dolls are people who have been left shells of their former selves, and it's indicated that enterprising people are fond of selling them as sex slaves. Both the protagonists and their more sympathetic antagonists treat the Dolls they work with kindness, and some of those characters evidence a willingness to kill anyone who harms those Dolls.
    • In particular, November 11, previously showcased to be a callous and cold-blooded killer, becomes infinitely more likable when his close friendship with and concern for July are demonstrated.
  • In Deadman Wonderland apparently Ax-Crazy Senji (aka Crow) cheers for Ganta at the latter's second match and gives Ganta's move's a name despite having had an eye surgically removed because he lost to Ganta at his first match. Meanwhile, mole You's brutal behavior is because 1) he's in prison and 2) he needs to save as much money as he can to buy his little sister's freedom. Ironically she probably doesn't deserve it. Genkaku, shown in a flashback to his past, was revealed to have a humanizing moment while taking care of a small, wounded kitty. Unfortunately for everyone, it dies.
  • Light Yagami gets a couple of these in Death Note, both with family members. He offers to run an errand on his sister's behalf, with no apparent ulterior motive — this gets him into position to commit one of his most heinous acts of the first arc, when he tricks and murders Naomi Misora. Much later, in the manga, he talks his father out of quitting his police job; the motive is purely that Soichiro has risen to the top of his profession and Light can't let him give it all up. Again, this is despite the fact that Light's own actions are responsible for the Kira case, which is destroying Soichiro, and that in a few chapters' time Light will rationalise, accept and plan for Soichiro's murder, although he never has to carry it out. While over in animeland that doesn't happen, Light is so far gone by the same point in the anime that when he can't go through with the murder of his sister, it manages to come off as a Pet the Dog!
    • Can't Shoot The Dog?

  • Cross Marian from D.Gray-Man fits. He has shown many Jerkass moments, including his Trickster Mentor moments, but he's not a complete jerkass. He fits more with Jerk with a Heart of Gold. Some moments with Allen, and comments made by him. Also, Anita's praise, and attitude toward him, also telling us that her mother felt the same. His protecting Lenalee on the ark, then agreeing to stay at HQ because she wanted him to, which ending up show his Fatal Flaw. His sadness when he found out about Anita's fate. For now, Allen and girls seem to show Cross' softer side. Allen also says that Cross has tons of things he got from his lovers underneath his bed at mother's house-pictures, accessories, and silverware. He apparently hangs on to things from his lovers. While we see him in his room in Chapter 167, we see he has a few pictures on his shelves as well. Possibly pictures of his lovers, friends, or even family. But the fact he even keeps pictures in the first place seems to show he's not heartless, and he does, and can, care for people, even to the point of having keepsakes.
  • Alluded to in the Digimon Adventure 02 series, when the homicidal BlackWarGreymon takes a fondness for a flower and Tai's Agumon. He's not really evil, just suffering from a bad case of Clone Angst, and is destroying things to find a purpose for his synthetic life.
  • Dragon Ball:
    • Piccolo was pure evil in Dragon Ball. Then he gets stuck raising his archenemy's adorable little son, who doesn't understand why people don't think he's just awesome. Piccolo develops a soft spot for Gohan, performs a Heroic Sacrifice on his behalf, and, despite some early denial, is an official good guy from there on out. Piccolo also got the chance to pet many other dogs after that, most notably Dende and the planet Namek, which he actually started caring about. The original Piccolo wouldn't have given them a second thought.
    • In Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta gets several, becoming more and more obvious, but the first that was definitely intended as such is when he gets together with Bulma; has a son, Trunks; reacts to protect his son's life; and is then is later motivated by the lives of his wife and son throughout the Buu Saga. The end of the saga even shows him sharing food with the good Majin Buu at Bulma's party, despite suggesting to kill him a while ago.
    • There are many subtle hints of Fat Buu's inner kindness during his rampage around Earth. At one point he approaches a drowning man who is screaming for help, apparently with the intention of helping, but when the man realizes who has come to his aid, he screams and Buu kills him for being "mean". He later befriends a blind kid (and heals his blindness) who is unafraid of him because he cannot see Buu (and when he can see, he still isn't afraid; as he notes, Buu is the first person he's ever seen). Finally this culminates in Buu making friends with Mr. Satan and a little puppy, cementing a Heel–Face Turn.
    • Android 16 is revealed to be a Friend to All Living Things, despite being on a mission to murder the kindest person on the planet.
  • In Durarara!!, despite being a HUGE jerkass, Izaya only shows to care for Shinra the most. This might have to do with something that happened during middle school (which is implied to be Izaya stabbing Shinra who tried to befriend him during that time) and Izaya regretting what he did because the mention of what happens sends him into silence. In retrospect, Shinra is not really involved in any of his plans (might have to do because he’s The Medic). Finally, during the Valentine’s extra in the novel, Shinra is depressed during Valentine’s Day because Celty wouldn’t want chocolate because she wouldn’t be able to eat it. Izaya comes over and convinces him to go out and buy chocolate for her because it was the thought that counted.
    • His whole past in Volume 9 is full of this. He befriends Shinra because he's interested in "observing" him. However, the two really seem to hit off a good friendship in middle school. And then Shinra takes a knife wound for him when a student named Nakura tries to stab Izaya. Izaya panics the entire time until he gets it together and asks Shinra to lie about who stabbed him so he can get revenge on Nakura for causing him harm. To everyone else outside of this event, they label Shinra as his only friend.
  • All Diclonii and Slipets in Elfen Lied are dog petters by default. Diclonii will kill anyone, men, women, children, their own parents. However, not one instance is ever noted of one harming an animal, with the anime showing a dog even biting a diclonius, and the diclonius just petting it to make it feel better.
  • Jinnai to Ifurita in the last episode of El-Hazard: The Wanderers: "You did a good job." Too bad she wasn't awake to hear it.
  • Hiruma from Eyeshield 21:
    • He's the bossy, trigger-happy, insult-spouting quaterback/captain of the Devil Bats, but he gets a Pet the Dog moment or two. In Episode 14, Hiruma is impressed enough by the determination of Yukimitsu during the "Tower of Hell" try-outs that he lets him on the team, even though the huge bag of ice Yukimitsu had been carrying to the top of the tower had melted.
    • He and the Ha-Ha Brothers (the juvenile delinquents who used to harass Sena) get one later in the manga when they attempt to protect Mamori and Suzuna from the freakishly big and strong Gaou (who wasn't specifically intending to hurt them, but was single-mindedly stomping up into the stands to confront a heckler).
    • Even Agon, whose described by Sena as flat out evil, shows that he's actually capable of compassion. It's implied that he wanted his brother by his side during the World Cup, despite his supposed dislike of "talent-less" people.
    • Clifford D. Louis, Jerk Jock and egomaniac gets one when he invites Sena to play at Notre Dame after the final arc.
    • Gaou's honest admiration for Marco and open liking for Worthy Opponents (like Banba, Kurita, Riku) help to humanize the massive Blood Knight.
    • Even the montrous Mr Don has a moment where he stops a stampede of fans just so he could sign a little boy's football and give him a speech about what it means to be an athlete. He passes off a chance to flirt with an attractive girl and it's not to show off. The little boy was honestly in line first and that mattered to Mr Don.
    • In fact, almost everyone who is shown as jerks or villain is shown to have this side. Miracle Ito later supports Sakuraba's football career after for a long time trying to dissuade him from it, Rui Habashira built snowman for Devilbats before their game against Alexanders, and later hide his identity in World Cup as to not make his teammates worrying about his performance in local games, Mizumachi shows his respect to Kobanzame, Kakei admitting that Sena is worthy of Eyeshield 21 title, and so on, and so on.
  • Fairy Tail:
    • In the Galuna Island Arc, Zalty really Urtear in disguise, repairs the village that had been wrecked earlier.
    • After Gajeel joins Fairy Tail, Team Shadow Gear isn't too keen on the idea after Gajeel brutalized them the last time they met; Gajeel simply tells them to beat him up until they're satisfied. When Laxus starts beating up Gajeel himself (not out of concern for Shadow Gear, mind you, but only because the act brought Fairy Tail bad rep) and Shadow Gear tells him to stop before he goes too far, Laxus attacks Shadow Gear while telling them to get out of the way. Gajeel then steps in and intercepts his attack, before asking everyone if they're satisfied and walking away.
    • After boasting that he and Sting killed the dragons that raised them, Rogue then redeems himself by comforting his Exceed while Sting continues to make an ass of himself.
  • Fullmetal Alchemist:
    • Riza Hawkeye's softer side is best shown whenever she's around her beloved pet dog, Black Hayate. Although her training methods are a bit harsh...
    • Pride shows... something at least close to affection for Mrs. Bradley. He tells a story at one point in which she risks her life to save him from an oncoming car (not knowing that he would have handily survived a collision). The selflessness of the action shocked Pride, and he remarks that he'd never before known what it was like to have a mother, and called the time he'd spent with her "pleasant". Fortunately for him, he's the only homonculus to survive the series, and gets to be raised from scratch by the same woman.
    • Scar, who first appears as a hypocritical murder who goes around killing alchemists and then turns out to be a cat (and apparently, panda) loving person.
    • Solf J. Kimblee gets a warped one during the Ishval flashbacks. When Major Armstrong lets a pair of Ishvalans he was supposed to kill escape, Kimblee promptly blows them up — in an attempt to save Armstrong from court martial.
    • Roy Mustang also has a moment in an episode of Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) in which he and Riza adopt Black Hayate. "Dog, huh? ...I LOVE dogs!" (Although, his motivation is that you can "treat them like a jerk and they'll still love you".)
  • In Fushigi Yuugi, Nakago gets one of these in a flashback revealing he rescued Soi from being gang-raped.
    • Suboshi also gets a major Pet the Dog moment when he gives his twin older brother Amiboshi a potion that will make him lose all memory, including memory of Suboshi himself, so that Amiboshi can live a happy, innocent life. Given that Amiboshi is Suboshi's last living family member, and that Suboshi had been absolutely devastated when he earlier thought Amiboshi to be dead (enough to slaughter the whole family of the guy he thought of as the murderer), it's actually one of the most legitimately moving sacrifices in the series.
      • On the other hand, he ruins it a bit by immediately afterwards trying to murder Miaka.
    • Soi's moments of vulnerability with Nakago, of all people, serve this function.
  • In Girls und Panzer, Maho Nishizumi, the main character Miho's older sister and technically the main antagonist, gets her share of these.
    • In Episode 6, after hearing that Mako's grandmother has collapsed and been hospitalized, she loans the use of her helicopter so that Mako can reach the hospital in time.
    • In Episode 8, she, in spite of seeming cold and aloof to Miho, insists on her mother staying until the end of the match. After the match, when Miho wins, Maho says Miho's victory was the result of superior tactics and good leadership.
    • In the prequel manga, Little Army, Maho gives Emi, who dislikes her, some ointment after she hits her head on the side of the tank.
    • Said prequel manga also reveals the true motivation behind Maho's actions. She is determined to be the best Nishizumi heiress she can so that her sister Miho can live and do tankery the way she wishes.
  • For all his lack of social skills and obsession with wiping out all goblins from the world, Goblin Slayer is surprisingly capable of treating people with kindness every now and then.
    • Even after the debacle in the Water Town sewers that nearly saw his entire party killed, with Goblin Slayer himself barely holding together, his first and foremost concern is making sure his teammates are safe, even taking a moment to reassure a heavily injured Priestess that she was not to blame for the fight going south.
    • After Sword Maiden tries to reach out to him due to her own trauma with goblins, Goblin Slayer rebuffs her, arguing that their experiences were too different for him to truly empathize with her. As she's on the verge of a breakdown, however, Goblin Slayer promises to come to her aid if goblins should trouble her again. When Sword Maiden asks if he would also protect her in her dreams, Goblin Slayer retorts with a yes. "Because I am Goblin Slayer". Having been riddled with horrific nightmares about goblins, Sword Maiden is able to sleep peacefully after this.
    • After rescuing Noble Fencer and learning the fate of her party, he allows her to join the mission to kill the Goblin Paladin, even though the death of her former party can ostensibly be pinned on her lack of foresight. When she kills a Goblin Shaman in a fit of PTSD-driven rage, while they're supposed to be infiltrating an occupied fortress, Goblin Slayer ultimately shrugs it off and doesn't chew her out for it. After the Shaman's death blows their cover and the party finds itself cornered, Noble Fencer blames herself for her earlier blunder; not only does Goblin Slayer reassure her, he swears that he will retrieve her stolen sword and kill not just every single goblin in the fortress, but all the goblins. Finally, he has Noble Fencer cause an avalanche in order to wipe out the goblins after he kills the Goblin Paladin, which drags him as the rest of the party is shielded by Priestess; the first thing Goblin Slayer does after digging himself out of the snow is retrieve the sword's scabbard from the Goblin Paladin's corpse, before returning both items to her and fulfilling his promise. Noble Fencer breaks down in tears after this.
    • During their first adventure together, Goblin Slayer's party rescues an elf scout who had been captured and subjected to all kinds of abuse by her goblin captors. She turns up again several volumes later, covered in scars and with only one working eye left. Upon recognizing her, Goblin Slayer assures her that the goblins that tormented her are all dead; she sheds a Single Tear in response.
  • Great Teacher Onizuka: Tomoko serves this purpose for Miyabi and Urumi (the first thing Urumi does upon reuniting with Tomoko after a long absence is to make her sit, beg, and roll over).
    • It's played more straight when the picture that Urumi hid behind a massive firewall was a picture of a young Miyabi, Tomoko and Urumi as friends.
    • Also with the Vice Principal Uchiyamada who loves his daughter more than anything.
  • Gundam
    • After spending the entire series as a dangerous enemy with a grudge against Garrod, Ennil El unwittingly strikes up a genuine friendship with Toniya, one of the Freeden's crew, and shows that she's not that happy with what her life is. Later, when they're all captured by the New Federation, Ennil betrays the crew but makes a point of trying to get Toniya protected in the deal she strikes.
    • Domon Kasshu starts off Mobile Fighter G Gundam as a huge Jerkass, but a couple of things early in the series establish that he's not a total one: first, he helps some orphans when their little sister is kidnapped. Then, in the Neo-Mexico episode, he's very gentle with the terminally ill Gina Rodriguez (the first adult he's unreservedly kind to) and helps her brother dodge the authorities.
  • Haou Airen: Or better said, the kitten named Miruku.
  • Doctor Clive in Haré+Guu is kind to Marie, even wearing the ridiculous outfits she gives him.
  • Kyon in The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. Generally said, his treatment of Yuki Nagato, going so far as to threaten to use Haruhi to reconstruct the universe because of her. Given to that he previously was presented as an apathetic cynic, this is a good way to go.
  • Hellsing:
    • Alucard gets one when he pats Seras on the head and smiles fondly at her.
    • Anderson acts very friendly towards the children back in the orphanage, and hoped he could bring them to the museum where Maxwell and Integra had their talk.
  • In Hetalia: Axis Powers, Russia may be a Psychopathic Manchild, but he does truly care about his older sister Ukaine (his scarf that he wears all the time was a gift from her). And there was that one time Lithuania falls asleep and wakes up on a relatively sane Russia's shoulder.
    • Prussia, who has Jerkass tendencies, gave Hungary his cloak when her shirt was ripped.
      • And he also fawns over what/who he finds cute, like his pet chick and North Italy.
    • Switzerland would be a lot less likeable if it wasn't for the fact that he dotes on his adopted sister all the time.
    • In Chibitalia's stories, Austria is portrayed as the Stern Teacher. But when Holy Roman Empire left and Chibitalia was late for work because he was saying goodbye to HRE, he told Chibitalia to take the day off. And later he and Hungary were seen doing his chores for him.
      • Austria gets another, somewhat lesser, one in regards to Chibitalia earlier on when he lets Chibitalia sit and listen to him practice piano instead of sending him off back to work when he notices him listening at the door.
  • Ino-Head Gargoyle: It's revealed that Rin saved Shizuka's cat from the fire he set at her apartment. Later on he's revealed to have been Good All Along.
  • Inuyasha:
  • In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, most of the villians kick puppies, cats, and other people around like a day job, but Kars in Battle Tendency saves a dog from drunken drivers. As long as something isn't interfering with his plans, Kars will protect it.
  • Vanilla from Kaiba is a corrupt and callous ship's sheriff who takes bribes as a matter and is perfectly willing to summarily execute stowaways. (In Kaiba, people's memories can be stored on chips and transferred to other bodies, so this is not quite as bad as it seems, but Vanilla still shows no remorse for the execution even after the stowaway was found not to have transferred her memories to a chip.) His lecherous infatuation with Chroniko (Kaiba in a young girl's body) is also really creepy. Eventually, though, it is revealed that Vanilla became a sheriff in order to raise enough money to buy a body for his mother, and that deep down he genuinely cares about Chroniko, to the point that when they are being shot at by police, he transfers Kaiba's rather than his own memories to another body, sacrificing himself in the process.
  • Kaze No Shojo Emily: All of Emily's aunts (except Aunt Laura) are abusive and horrible in their own ways, but Aunt Ruth supports Emily getting a higher education when Aunt Elizabeth doesn't, and also vouches for Emily when she's suspended.
  • In Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, Then-Dragon Kisara is shown petting the dog, or rather cat, thus endearing her to fellow rabid cat-lover Miu and eventually leading to her break with Ragnarok and joining the side of good.
    • Much more recently, Saiga Furinji had his very own Pet the Dog moment by disabling attacking opponents without actually killing them, administering medicine for one ally's paralyzed arm, and commending Kenichi for his effort in protecting Miu.
    Saiga: (to Kenichi) A man like you is worth trusting.
  • Kotoura-san:
    • In Episode 8 Haruka has a flashback on how her mother took cared of her when she was ill — before recognizing her telepathic abilities. That's a far cry from how the mother was later on, which is easily summarized as being an Abusive Parent.
    • Haruka's mother is given another moment in Episode 9 when Manabe proudly declares that he would never abandon Haruka no matter what happens. Although her mother says something along the lines of "do whatever you want", Manabe immediately starts having perverted thoughts, provoking a momentary Mama Bear moment in her to protect Haruka from his usual attempted advances. (Which is usually Played for Laughs) It was enough for Haruka to briefly feel her mother's feelings prior to her mental breakdown and abandonment.
  • Lady!!: When Madeleine, Mary and Thomas cruelly break the news of Misuzu's death to Lynn, Sarah (who up to that point, had been completely cold and aloof to her) sits down with Lynn and gently explains what happened, in a manner respectful to Misuzu's memory.
  • Paul von Oberstein in Legend of the Galactic Heroes is, if not evil, an unashamedly unlikable guy, to the point of letting a planet of people die because it would be good propaganda (in the anime anyway). However, in the second season we learn that he has taken in and dotes upon an elderly dalmatian he found in the street. Though we only see it once on screen it's mentioned a few more times, most notably his last words are to request someone take care of the dog. In his case, it doesn't indicate his underlying heart of gold. He's just a jerk who really likes his dog.
  • In Episode 6 of the animated adaptation of Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!, as motivation to do better on her upcoming math exam, Rikka asks Yuuta to come up with a better (read: more fitting of her Ms. Imagination status) e-mail address to replace her strangely bland existing one. After doing ... well enough, Yuuta comes up with one that Rikka adores; he presents it to her in Dark Flame Master mode, no less.
  • Subverted by Precia Testarossa in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. After many episodes of Fate insisting that her mother, Precia, had a good side deep within her, we finally get to see Fate's precious memory of a kind Precia playing with a younger her. Then we get to the end of the episode, where Precia reveals in a thoroughly nasty way that even when this moment truly happened... Fate is a clone, said precious memory wasn't hers but of her original, Precia's daughter Alicia, oh, and that she had always hated Fate for not being a perfect Replacement Goldfish of poor Alicia and would prefer it if she died, effectively turning her Pet the Dog moment into a Moral Event Horizon.
    • Other villains in the series get straighter Pet the Dog moments. Even Mad Scientist Jail Scaglietti got one in StrikerS Sound Stage X when all he requested in exchange for important information on the current incident's Big Bad and Mysterious Waif was enough wine for one so he can properly honor the death anniversary of one of the Numbers. Just shows how much of a monster and absolutely over-the-top case of Love Makes You Evil Precia is.
    • Fate, during her early days as an antagonist, has a straight and often literal example with Arf. She, encountering a dying wolf cub, risks her life with her self-taught skills in forming contracts with familiars to save her. When Arf learns that familiars vanish after fulfilling their contracts, Fate decides to leave the terms of the contract open so that Arf can stay alive. Arf thus follows Fate out of personal loyalty and a debt of gratitude.
      • The very first thing that Fate is shown doing in the first season's opening is petting Arf, and she does so several times during the season proper.
    • In Episode 2 of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's, Signum took the time to repair and return Vita's precious hat before entering the fray against the TSAB.
  • Maria no Danzai:
    • Maria may have secretly become a serial killer out for revenge, but she still has the heart to look out for those who can't look after themselves, such as Yajima and Atsuki. She encourages Yajima to stand up to Kowase and helps Atsuki stay sober. She's well aware this isn't enough to offset her own sins, however.
      • She does this again with Yashima when the girl admits to Maria she was at the place where Kowase disappeared but didn't want to tell the authorities out of fear. While this is partly to protect herself so the police don't connect her to Kowase's disappearance and murder when she tells Yashima to stay silent, Maria genuinely tries to comfort her and wants her to keep quiet about being with Kowase when he disappeared because she doesn't want her to be traumatized by the abuse she suffered under him or by the police suspecting her for Kowase's disappearance.
    • For what it's worth, when Maria turns on the waterworks upon being questioned about what she said to Shikimi, Kinugawa apologizes and doesn't push the matter any further (though it's also played as him being just gullible enough to buy the act).
  • Subverted in Monster. Sure, it looks like Johan has a soft spot for children, volunteering at an orphanage between murdering in cool blood and preparing himself to become the next Adolf Hitler, but that's only until you hear the disturbing ideas he's planting in their impressionable little minds...
    • Subverted again at around the same time: Johan reuniting Schuwald with his long lost son...until it became immediately apparent that he did it to stall the investigation into the death of Schuwald's original suspected "long lost son" (who he killed). And when the private investigator tries to pursue the case anyways, he Mind Rapes the guy and pushes him to his death. Yeah, Johan's kind of a dick.
    • He also has a touching moment just before this where he sheds Tender Tears over Karl's Orphan's Ordeal, which will really do your head in by Fridge Horror once you get a few issues further into the story. The possibility the tears might still be real only adds Mind Screw to the already fairly Mind Screwy characterization.
  • Moriarty the Patriot: Takeuchi has mentioned a number of actions he wrote William taking in chapter two as a way to ensure people would still like andsympathize with William despite his murderous actions. These include William lowering his new tenants' rent, cheerfully interacting with and buying fruit from the local vendors, and helping the local townsfolk.
  • Naruto:
    • Yakushi Kabuto, an affable, manipulative, and sadistic bastard, yet he has several instances of this, like healing Hinata while being disguised as an ANBU, willingly providing information about Orochimaru's lair to Naruto as well as information of Akatsuki to Konoha, and recently it is hinted that he deliberately guided Konoha's intelligence team to Madara's base of operations. Although his true motives are still unknown.
    • While ultimately a man with good intentions, the Fourth Kazekage kicked puppies like no tomorrow in order to save his village. His desperate attempts ruined his youngest son Gaara's childhood, making him believe that he was never loved and would never be loved and driving him so insane that he ended up becoming a sociopathic Serial Killer by the age of twelve. Ironically, it was these desperate attempts to save Suna that would get him killed at the end, but it wouldn't be by Gaara's hand — it would be by Orochimaru's. His Pet the Dog moment comes after his death when he is revived by the Edo Tensei. After confronting Gaara and being defeated by him, he finally admits the truth about Yashamaru and admits that he was a horrible parent. He and Gaara make their peace, before he is sealed way, entrusting the safety of Suna to his son and successor.
  • In Negima! Magister Negi Magi:
    • Chachamaru Pet The Cat(s) when she — after performing many acts of kindness in town from catching errant balloons stuck in trees to helping old ladies cross the overpass — rescued a stray kitten in a box going down a river, which followed her afterwards implying she knew the animal. From this the heroes tailed her to discover that she feeds and takes care of a number of stray cats in her spare time. This made for quite a very happy scene, so naturally, the pair of heroes said (with Tender Tears) "Aww! She's not so bad!". The more Cynical Chamo (who has a Heart Of Gold as well) reminded them she's a robot.
    • Known Jerkass Tosaka turned his character around a bit when he protected Ako from giving up her slave rights to safety, called off his blackmail of Negi, saying he was just bored, and later told Negi in all details that his Missing Mom, Princess Arika, was a really sweet person whom he looked up to. He denies being a good character in almost every appearance thereafter... Even right after his biggest Pet the Dog moment ever: his Heroic Sacrifice to save Ako's life.
    • During his fight with Rakan, Fate pets the dog. In a flashback anyway. Turns out his minions' loyalty stems from the care he gave them as orphans from the great war, and they are just the ones who chose to stay with him—he sent the other 57 off to school. Even Rakan notes that it's surprisingly nice of Fate. Granted, Fate's boss is the one who caused the war in the first place, but taking care of the war orphans is far from the more normal Big Bad tactics of killing everyone. Combined with his sudden growth spurt and visible emotions, Fate seems quite different.
      Anon #1: Fate Tertium Averruncus promotes destruction of entire civilizations, squishing innocent passerby with giant monoliths, and completing primary education. What a nice chap.
      Anon #2: Well it's only fair that they have a future before he destroys it.
    • Fate also has another one during his Comically Serious moment.
  • Gendou Ikari, of all people, gets one in Neon Genesis Evangelion. He does openly praise Shinji at least once in the main series.
    • Asuka's normally a Jerkass rather than a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, but she does get a couple moments of kindness. One of the obvious ones in the original series is going out of her way to have a celebratory dinner where all three pilots can enjoy. She wanted an extravagant steak dinner, but after finding out Rei was a vegetarian, she changed her mind.
  • One Piece:
    • The earliest example in the series is that of The Lancer, Zoro. His reputation as a pirate hunter had him portrayed as a heartless monster, but when he eats a poorly-cooked and filthy rice ball a sweet little girl he saved earlier made for him, and asks Luffy to tell her it was good, you know he's a massive softy at heart.
    • Cruelly subverted with Captain Kuro. When Kaya shows up at the coast where his crew was facing off against Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp, he shows a bit of surprise and concern. She offers him her fortune in exchange for him leaving, and he replies that that wasn't all that he wanted: what he wanted most was peace of mind, living surrounded by the comfort and tranquility that he had had for the past three years as her butler. He reaffirms his plan to kill her, and she threatens him at gunpoint to leave. This prompts him to go into a speech about what they had been through in the past three years, speaking of it fondly and making everyone think that he might have developed a soft spot for her after all... and then he uses the fact that her guard was down to take the pistol from her hands and say that he had endured the past three years only to kill her, stating his hatred for having to yield his pride so much to her. Kaya is reduced to tears, and Kuro soon finds himself on the receiving end of Luffy's fury.
    • When we first meet Captain Smoker, we're led to assume he's a ruthless commander. However, to show he's not such a bad guy, we get a scene with a little girl accidentally spilling her ice cream cone on Smoker, and the girl's father freaking out because a superhuman monster has just been offended by his daughter, and Smoker leans down... and almost worriedly says, "Oh gosh. My pants ate your ice cream. They're so mean — here's some money to buy some more, okay?" And he hands her the series' equivalent of fifty dollars, or some other ridiculous amount. Smoker winds up as more of a respectful antagonist of the Straw Hats than the Knight Templar or corrupt government agent archetype that most One Piece Marine captains fit.
    • Donquixote Doflamingo didn't have much revealed about him for the first half of the series; all we knew was that he was a Warlord with a personality rather similar to The Joker, and was involved in shady things such as the slave trade. He seemed to show shades of this shortly before the Dressrosa arc began: apologizing to Monet for asking her to basically kill herself, apologizing to Vergo since he'd be caught in the blast, and then apologizing to Baby 5 and her partner for getting hurt by Law since he sent them there. Even before this he didn't even kill Baby 5 despite her trying to kill him. But after a while in the Dressrosa arc, we find out that he's just like Arlong: his care for his crew is the only good quality that he has.
    • Capone Bege of the Worst Generation is a deliberate and obvious expy of mafia boss Al Capone. He's fleshed out during the Whole Cake Island arc, and while he's undeniably a wicked man, it's impossible to see him as being all bad when we see how he interacts with his wife and infant son.
  • Oreimo: "You... you... bastard son! Do as you wish! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT IT!"
  • Subverted in Parasyte when Shinichi's girlfriend starts worrying that he's slowly becoming a sociopath (a side effect of the parasite Migi partially breaking off into his bloodstream), she is adamantly relieved when she finds him comforting a dying puppy. Looks like her fears are unconfirmed after all...At least until he casually tosses its corpse into a trashcan. Doubly subverted, though, when after his girlfriend leaves Shinichi realizes how cold and inhuman he was becoming, pulls the pup dog out of the trashcan, and finds a tree to bury it under instead.
  • In Persona 5: The Animation, Makoto, who's initially trying to expose the Phantom Thieves before becoming one herself, has an anime-exclusive scene when she stops tailing Ren, the leader of the Phantom Thieves, to help an old woman who'd fallen. By the time she's finished helping the woman, Ren has caught his train and left Makoto behind.
  • For a large part of Petite Princess Yucie, Beth doesn't seem to be an overly sympathetic character — until you find out how she lets her fairy assistant spend the night.
  • Pokémon: The Series:
    • In "Attack of The Prehistoric Pokemon", Ash thought that his Charmeleon evolved into Charizard to rescue him from an Aerodactyl, only for Charizard to Flamethrower him in the face, indicating that Charizard's attitude hasn't changed upon evolution. However, when Aerodactyl was put to sleep by Jigglypuff's singing, he drops Ash, and Charizard quickly saves Ash from falling to his death. Next time Charizard appears, he's still a disobedient Wild Card. Makes one wonder...
    • Many of the main characters' rivals, while they can be rude and antagonistic toward the main characters, are shown to have softer sides when they take good care of their own Pokémon. Harley refers to his Pokémon as his "buddies" and was offended when May thought his Cacturne was scary, and Ursula comforted her Gabite after it lost to Dawn's Pachirisu in the Chocovine Contest.
  • In The Prince of Tennis, Ryoma Echizen and Kaoru Kaidoh are aloof, asocial, and kind of jerks sometimes. But the episode "Karupin's Adventure" showed that they both adore petting the cat, since Ryoma freaks out when he realizes his beloved Himalayan cat Karupin has been out of home and almost cries when his sempai return it to him, and a scene prior to the return has Kaidoh playing with the kitten and later blushing when one of his sempais notices he's in a good mood despite not dropping his antisocial facade.
  • Fakir from Princess Tutu has what you could call a "Pet the Duck" moment — when the typically cold and angry boy finds Ahiru (in her duck form) in his locker, he sneaks her under his coat, takes her outside, and then proceeds to feed her bread. He smiles at her before walking away. This happens a couple other times, until he's crying next to a lake and she swims up to him, where he actually HUGS A DUCK... which becomes priceless in another manner entirely when he finds out that said duck was his classmate.
  • Keith Green of Project ARMS is completely bloodthirsty and loves killing people...and falls in love with Katsumi when he's secretly holding her prisoner (she thinks he's just protecting her from further harm). And when he finds out that she'll be used for some dangerous purpose, he tries to help her escape.
  • Being a deconstruction of the Fighting Series Played for Laughs, Ramen Fighter Miki show us Kankuro, the Unknown Rival to The Bully Miki, who desperately wants her to at least remember his name. Miki tries to do it, but being The Bully, it does an Epic Fail:
    Kankuro: After being defeated again: Hold it, Onimaru Miki, No matter what, at the very least I'll have you remember my name, nya.
    Miki: [smiling] I remember it. It's Hatashi Jou note , right? She closes her door.
    Kankuro: Tomorrow, I'll start to use that name, nya!
  • In Ranma ½, Bumbling jerk of a dad Genma is shown tucking in a sleeping Ranma like a small child in one story. It subverted later, however, when Ranma wakes up and notices his food all eaten with a sign left saying "Yum!"
  • Xanxus in Reborn! (2004) gets one with a touching families stick together speech in the Future Arc... Right before blasting an enemy apart.
    • Hibari, who treats fellow humans like trash, is a softie when it comes to his cute pets. And in the recent chapters, he clarifies that he compared his companions to small animals not as insults because he believes that small animals have upstanding ways of living and surviving.
  • Genjou Sanzo from Saiyuki gets a ton of these. One that particularly works well is when, during "Burial" arc of Reload, he comes upon a sleeping Goku, smiles, and comments that Goku looks like a "daifuku." (A Japanese dessert, made of soft glutinous rice with some sweet filling within. He's saying Goku's got cute baby fat.) He then decides to let the kid sleep for a little longer.
  • Touka in Saki initially appears to be an arrogant Alpha Bitch. The series then proceeds to throw so many Pet the Dog moments at her, that by the end, she probably qualifies for sainthood.
  • Sailor Moon: Rei Hino is occasionally rude, bitter and vile towards Usagi Tsukino mainly because of her Dumb Blonde moments. Yet again, she does show sympathy/concern for her during some intense moments to prove she's not really that bad of a person.
  • The Secret Garden: Mr. Craven took a loan from Max and was unable to pay it back due to his lack of cash. As a result, Mac tried to take over his house and possessions. Mary, fearing for her uncle, his paralyzed son, and her new home, urged Camila to pressure her fiancé to have mercy. Camila did so, and Max backed down and gave Mr. Craven a deadline to save money instead.
  • In Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, when Metal Sonic "kills" the real Sonic, he gives Old Man Hoot the clothes that he was apparently planning to leave him in his will.
  • Dr. Franken Stein. Violent. Borders on Insane. Repeatedly stated, once by himself, to be incapable of love. Hugs Marie and lets her cry into his chest when her New Old Flame B.J. dies.
  • Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Vuelke Shulz is a Zaltian Brigadier general who gets a lot of flack from his xenophobic commanding officer in the Gamillas navy, Goer. After Shulz is killed in action while fighting the Yamato, Desslar, the scheming ruler of Gamillas, promotes him and his men by two ranks: Shulz ends up posthumously outranking Goer. In addition, he grants Shulz's family and those of his subordinates honorary citizenship, putting them above most pure-blooded Gamillans.
  • Spiral's Eyes, Kousuke and Rio are originally portrayed as sociopaths, perfectly comfortable with killing anyone that gets in their way... and rather violently, especially in the manga. Eyes recalls killing several animals, culminating in a husky he strangled with a wire. There is a slight twist when Eyes is completely unaffected by the death of the cat he and Kousuke had just fed, but the camaraderie they show towards each other in later episodes, and their mutual concern for Rio while she's in the hospital somewhat negate it. Once Ryoko, Kanone and the Hunters are thrown into the mix, it becomes apparent that the Blade Children aren't inherently evil; they're just trying to survive. Twisted, but not evil.
  • A manga Expanded Universe tie-in to Star Wars gives Darth Vader a rather bizarre sort of Pet the Dog moment shortly before the events of Return of the Jedi. He massacres a group of Jedi survivors but takes a boy named Tao from the group as a secret apprentice (gamers may remember how badly this worked out for him last time). He tries to make Tao hate him and through hatred embrace The Dark Side but ends up finding both Tao's and his own hatred rather lacking. Eventually Palpatine catches him, and having somewhat better memory than Vader, is furious and forces Vader to cut him open with his lightsaber to cause a lingering, painful death. Vader secretly smuggles back to his ruined homeworld and gives him a dignified burial complete with a grave marker, and shows actual bona fide sadness and remorse. This is Darth Vader, and the events that would redeem him haven't happened yet. The canonicity of this manga is for now indeterminate but rather dubious.
  • Subverted in Tekkaman Blade II, where the new Tekkamen are shocked to see the alien Tekkamen they've been fighting mourn the death of one of them during a battle. They're actually reluctant to finish the battle once they realize the enemy is human (so to speak), until Aki transforms into a Tekkaman herself and proceeds to brutally slaughter the aliens herself.
  • Tenchi Muyo! GXP: Over the years of trying to steal away either one of the main character's girls, Seiryo Tennan gets a lot of well-deserved flak, either physically or mentally. Despite this, he does have some redeeming points about him, even managing to knock-out the feared Tarant Shank... with the unbelievably supposedly-unknown "backside" of a freakin' beam sword...! While his constant acts against the main characters do get annoying, he eventually gets better by having his family host Seina's "Political-based" wedding ceremony, and he even manages to successfully win over Kyo Komachi's heart with an earnest gift on her actual birthday. Aww...
  • In Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai, Midori knows that Akira, although very reserved, has a soft side since the day she saw him take home an abandoned kitten.
  • In Tiger & Bunny, the first hint that Barnaby isn't really the Glory Hound he often acts like is when he saves Kotetsu's daughter Kaede out of view of any cameras or witnesses other than Kotetsu himself in the second episode.
  • Jerkass coach Kashiwaba from Touch (1981) is constantly followed by a dog. He never even touches the poor thing on-panel, but still... when he's hospitalized he asks the baseball team to take care of the dog.
  • Galvatron, of all people, gets one in Transformers: ★Headmasters, part of the Takara anime series. He's moved to genuine sorrow and anger when Soundwave is killed, suggesting there's something halfway decent beneath the arrogant psychopath he normally appears as.
  • In Umineko: When They Cry, Rich Bitch Eva Ushiromiya is shown to truly love her husband Hideyoshi, and gets several scenes with him- their conversation in the first arc in particular. Arguably their relationship in itself counts if only for how happy they are together.
    • Beatrice, the antagonist for much of the series, is demonstrated to have a rather large soft spot for Maria, treating her better than she treats anyone else in the series, taking her on as an apprentice witch, and choosing her as her sole companion during her self-imposed exile. (It probably doesn't hurt that Maria has an obsession with occultism and hero-worships Beato.)
      • In reality it was that Maria was the one who Yasu/Beatrice III began to discuss the concepts of magic with and Maria believed in and played along with Yasu's power fantasy concerning Beatrice. It probably also helps that Yasu could sympathise with Maria due to Yasu's past.
  • Zatch Bell!:
    • Subverted in one episode, Kiyomaro and Gash see a giant-sized young man carting along a boy holding a spell book. The giant is shown helping kids in trouble, fixing a broken-winged bird, and helping little old ladies; they assume the giant is a kind "mamodo" (demon), but then are confused when they see him and the boy conjuring up a plan to destroy an elementary school. As it turns out, the boy was the mamodo, and he was downright rotten.
    • Played straight during the Faudo Arc during Rodeux's final moments when it was revealed that he had been trying to get his human partner to overcome her depression over an eye injury. Up to that point he had been shown to be a plain Jerkass.


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