So, it's been four years and there's still been no response to this. Should I just go ahead and change the trope page to make its definition less self-contradictory and absurdly strict?
Can the Unfettered's resolve be used against him? I mean it is one thing to be able to have unflinching determination, but can it be a weakness instead of a strength?
What I mean is this: the Unfettered is so obsessed with winning that he would trudge forth in spite of the fact that he is mortally wounded. Or some other extreme example.
Anyone care to weigh in?
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It's a bit of a non-issue; of course the Unfettered is willing to sacrifice himself (or fight even while sustaining lethal injuries) if it achieves his goals. You can't say that it is using his Unfettered resolve against him, since that is exactly what the Unfettered is always willing to do regardless.
At best, an opponent who knows someone is Unfettered can use that knowledge to help *predict* him, but that kind of dynamic holds true for virtually every character trait. Just as a mastermind can arrange for a situation where The Fettered will have to let an evil plot succeed (or a bad guy escape) so as not to compromise on his principles, a mastermind can arrange for a situation where The Unfettered will sacrifice someone/something to achieve a goal, but there is another (hidden) measure that will prevent such a sacrifice from allowing the goal to be achieved regardless.
Trope namer? The Haruchai from the Thomas Convenant series were mentioned, but no one brought up the eponymous Unfettered Ones from the very same series? Individuals who broke from their society or cultural boundaries in order to chase a singular vision or aspect of lore?
Is Jack Bauer Unfettered?
I edited him in as I thought he was canonical, being an extreme "end justifies the means" guy. However, I'm willing to acknowledge I should have read the trope definition better. Having gone back over it, I still think there's a case: one example from the start of Season 2, where, despite being a good guy, one of his first actions is to shoot an imprisoned suspect and *cut off his head*, just to give him an 'in' with the bad guys of the moment. Or asphyxiating his brother with a plastic bag to get information in a later series. He does have regrets and feelings, but they don't stop him breaking all the rules in pursuit of his purpose.
Any 24 fans care to weigh in?
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Unfettered isn't about "ends justifies the means", really. The Unfettered doesn't care about "justifying the means" — whether they're justifiable or not is irrelevant to him. More to the point, Jack isn't an Unfettered, because he can be distracted from his main purpose. It's not simply how far will he go if he needs to, it's "can he be pushed into doing something that interferes with his goal". And he can be.
For instance, in the first season, Gaines makes him follow instructions by threatening Kim; and in every season, there's at least a couple of times that he allows trying to protect or save someone else to get in the way of what he needs to do.
...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.
It seems like the criteria for this trope are a little messed up, in terms of internal consistency. In particular, the whole "actively prioritizing Nakama and being completely willing to throw them all away in that order" strikes me as contradictory to the spirit of this trope.
Realistically speaking, an Unfettered has to be willing to sacrifice/leave behind Nakama without much hesitation if he has to, not if it is convenient. There's an extremely crucial difference between the two. Likewise, one does not have to actively make a list of "Which Nakama I Care About/Need the Most, 1-10" and throw them away in that order at the first convenient opportunity.
Otherwise, you're looking at something of a Sociopathic Hero that's just motivated by some chosen goal, instead of a person willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish a goal.
Remember "whatever it takes" is NOT "use any and all means to further the goal without hesitation or effort to find an alternative method that can both further the goal and avoid massacring 200 orphans because they're in the way".
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