History DarknessInducedAudienceApathy / FanFics

* ''The Titan's Orb'' by Old Man Dusters, has often been accused of this -- largely due to the many HumansAreBastards moments and the AdaptationalVillainy of several canon characters (most notably, Twilight and Celestia). And it only goes UpToEleven in the second part -- [[spoiler:while an AuthorsSavingThrow does reveal said Adaptational Villainy to be a sham caused by the BigBad being TheCorrupter and a ManipulativeBastard, a downright-relentless series of YankTheDogsChain moments (E.g.: DiabolusExMachina-style MindRape from said Big Bad, who's an InvincibleVillain; DroppedABridgeOnHim-style deaths of several likeable {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s) nevertheless seems to be overriding that and making things extra bleak.]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fic ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/1029/whiplash Whiplash]]'' (by [[https://www.fimfiction.net/user/Molotov+Cocktail Molotov Cocktail]]) has gotten some flack for featuring -- among other things -- a cliched combination of HumansAreBastards and nuclear warfare, a ButtMonkey protagonist who gets a rather-ridiculous amount of NoSympathy from others (Including some he's supposed to help, no less!) even after they know about his DarkAndTroubledPast of being the LastOfHisKind, a borderline-MoralEventHorizon-crossing Celestia who's willing to let innocent members of another species die horribly in a rather-convoluted plan to save Equestria from yet another looming threat, and a GainaxEnding ResetButton that's left some wondering whether or not anything's actually been resolved. In fact, even the author seems to have realized this -- the (currently unfinished) sequel is noticeably LighterAndSofter (despite some retained dark elements here and there), and more readers seem to feel that this group of protagonists has a decent shot at invoking EarnYourHappyEnding.

* ''Fanfic/TheirBond'' is a {{doorstopper}} of a ''Zelda'' fic that [[SlashFic ships Zelda and Impa]], but it's also a DarkFic with emphasis on the "dark". There's a major plot thread about Zelda dealing with her DarkAndTroubledPast. The first 20 chapters alone go into great detail about how [[BrokenBird deeply troubled]] Zelda is but there's little levity between the chapters of [[DrivenToSuicide suicidal]] depression and descriptions of her [[spoiler:past abuse and RapeAsBackstory]]. It doesn't get much better when other characters are revealed to have their own problems, such as [[spoiler:Link's]] [[TheAlcoholism alcoholism]]. This can make the story difficult to get through.

* In the MLP story ''FanFic/HarmonyTheory'', some readers are starting to feel this way, due to very little being revealed about the central mystery, despite being on chapter thirty-four and with ''over five hundred thousand words in'' with no end in sight and the villains-especially Max Cash-managing to turn around any victory the heroes do have, and coming out on top, anyway. No matter how hard the heroes have fought, it can occasionally feel like they have very little progress, while the villains seem to continuously gain progress with their mysterious plans, only being slightly inconvenienced. The fact that it takes place in a BadFuture where a pony can get a cutie mark/talent glyph in '''killing''', [[spoiler: Celestia and Luna are both trapped in their respected celestial bodies]], there is a rogue {{War God}}dess running around, planning to turn the world to ash, and the two countries that used to be Equestria are on the brink of war and even with the world at stake, many of them stubbornly refuse to work together, just might have something to do with that.

* ''Fanfic/APuppetToHerFame'' is notorious for its grim dark and ''heavy'' levels of abuse. Even MLP story reader ObabScribbler acknowledged that the story was difficult even for ''her'', stating she felt horrible after finishing up a reading afterwards.

* A ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fic/series, ''The Titan's Orb'' by Old Man Dusters, has often been accused of this -- largely due to the many HumansAreBastards moments and the AdaptationalVillainy of several canon characters (most notably, Twilight and Celestia). And it only goes UpToEleven in the second part -- [[spoiler:while an AuthorsSavingThrow does reveal said Adaptational Villainy to be a sham caused by the BigBad being TheCorrupter and a ManipulativeBastard, a downright-relentless series of YankTheDogsChain moments [[note]]E.g.: DiabolusExMachina-style MindRape from said Big Bad, who's an InvincibleVillain; DroppedABridgeOnHim-style deaths of several likeable {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s; etc.[[/note]] nevertheless seems to be overriding that and making things extra bleak.]]

[[folder: ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'']]

* ''Fanfic/AllHeEverWanted'': When almost every character is either an unlikable bastard/bitch or being constantly tortured, readers may not be sure who to root for at all. Or if there's any character worth rooting for. Especially considering that in canon ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'', all nations are given at least some sympathetic and/or kind moments, even the worst {{Jerk Ass}}es... and yet the fic removes almost all of them; i.e., seeing Prussia as a megalomaniac, abusive, rapist [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazi]] CardCarryingVillain when he's at most a HotBlooded ButtMonkey in canon is all kinds of NO.
* ''Fanfic/AllYouNeedIsLove''. Even if it is a CrackFic and based on ''Manga/DeathNote'', it can be hard to maintain interest when everyone is either [[JerkAss an asshole]] if not outright villainous, [[TooDumbToLive an idiot]] or a ButtMonkey. Or a combination of the three.
* ''Fanfic/AmbienceAFleetSymphony'': Ties in with AudienceAlienatingPremise. Even if one able to get past Damon's questionable behavior, almost everyone is revealed to not have clean hands, the obvious villains notwithstanding. Even the "good" factions that Damon works with aren't above things such as highly questionable experiments, hostage-taking, and "[[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness retiring]]" people. This makes it really difficult to cheer for anyone.

* Some readers of ''Fanfic/Digimon02TheStoryWeNeverTold'' were either turned off by the much more cynical and angsty version of the story compared to canon to the point of being grimdark, or the fact that certain characters ([[SourSupporter Matt]], [[AlphaBitch Mimi]], and [[KidsAreCruel Cody]] in particular) [[TookALevelInJerkass are much more unpleasant than they ever were in the show]]. However, once [[spoiler: Ken dies]], [[CharacterDevelopment most of their jerkass traits disappear]] and the series slowly but surely becomes more optimistic as the Digidestined starts to make their own resolve, thus subverting this trope over time.
* ''FanFic/DumbledoresArmyAndTheYearOfDarkness'' and its sequels ''want'' to be a "serious" take on the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' series. Unfortunately, the author has mistaken gratuitous gore and bloodshed for seriousness. People die ''en masse'' even when canon insists they lived, morally-ambiguous characters are transformed into pure evil, ''nobody'' gets out without severe injury (physical or mental), and if it looks like something good is about to happen, the heroes will destroy it with their own stupidity or selfishness--and yet the narrative expects us to sympathize with them, especially in the case of Neville Longbottom. Once hailed as a work of art, it's now seen as a mass of potential buried in overdone "drama".

* As if ''VideoGame/HammerBrother'' couldn't possibly have more going against it, the fact that it ends with the eponymous hero being eaten by the Buried Alive Model makes all the suffering you went through all for naught. Even before that, a near complete lack of power-ups, [[PlatformHell absurd difficulty]] and [[RatchetScrolling getting stuck at random]] makes the already horrible fangame even worse. On top of that, it tries to mimic ''VideoGame/BrutalMario'', but fails to understand why that game's darkness worked.
* ''Fanfic/{{Heimatfront}}'', a crossover series, takes place in Nazi Germany during the last days of the war, focuses on Maria Nitzchmann (aka [[Anime/GirlsUndPanzer Miho Nishizumi]]), a BDM conscript, who delivers some tanks to the German army, but finds herself caught up in the fighting, and wants to do what she can to ensure a more favorable outcome for Nazi Germany. Unfortunately, not only [[ForegoneConclusion do you know how this will end]], especially considering [[FailureHero Maria's lucky to even survive her battles]], but when [[spoiler:Maria finds out about the Holocaust]], her superior, Roy Messner (aka [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Roy Mustang]]) bluntly tells her that he knows about it, too, and essentially says she has two choices- fight a losing battle and essentially enable crimes against humanity to continue, or let Germany fall to its enemies, who will take revenge on the people. It's historically accurate, but not only do you know Maria won't succeed, you have to question whether she should.

* In ''Fanfic/TheJadedEyesSeries'', the author said they wanted to write a Harry Potter darkfic, and ''lord'' but it shows. It starts with a six-year-old Harry not only being beaten and abused by the Dursleys to such extent that he ought to be ''dead'' (how a six-year-old survives being kicked around a basement by his considerably larger uncle is never made clear), and apparently not one single person in the neighborhood or school notice any of his copious injuries. From there, Harry murders all three Dursleys in their sleep, sets out on his own, and every single person he meets from there on out are either selfish or put through circumstances that are horrible. Characters like Lily and James Potter, Dumbledore, and Lupin are given RonTheDeathEater treatment so they're completely unlikable, but the characters who show UndyingLoyalty to Harry come across as equally horrible because they know he's doing things like dissecting kidnapped Muggles and overlook it because he's somehow just that charismatic. When the protagonist is a nihilistic kid who only views others as tools, the supporting cast are either {{Jerkass}}es or his enablers, and [[spoiler:the story ends with his helpers gladly helping him take over the world and murder countless Muggles and his adopted mother magically aborting her conscious-but-unborn baby so she can birth him after he's turned into stone]], the entire thing is incredibly unpleasant. Oh, and it goes on for nearly ''seventy chapters''.
* ''FanFic/LatiasJourney'' is a prime case of such, right where the ''Your Secret Admirer'' prequel (which [[DarkerAndEdgier goes to hell rather quickly]] in its own right) left off. Almost right out of the gate, there is plenty of moments of over-the-top violence, GratuitousRape, sex, profanity, and Creator/Ri2's [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking refusal to]] [[ShowDontTell show and not tell]] with a side-order of {{Wangst}} (Mostly from the titular heroine, but May also has her moments of such as well.) and {{Flanderization}}, among the cast. The real kicker is that Latias [[StrangledByTheRedString falls in love with the Ghost King]], the ''being responsible for destroying Latias' home in the first place.'' The author himself eventually gets fed up with making the characters suffer and decides to give them all a happy ending at the last minute, except for James who is left in outer space.

* ''Fanfic/APuppetToHerFame'' is notorious for its grim dark and ''heavy'' levels of abuse. Even MLP story reader ObabScribbler acknowledged that the story was difficult even for ''her'', stating she felt horrible after finishing up a reading afterwards.
* ''Fanfic/RequiemForALoud'' is about Lincoln Loud suffering from neurofibromatosis[[note]]A condition that causes tumors to form in the brain, spinal cord, and nerves[[/note]] and is only given about two-to-three weeks to live. While the whole terminal illness concept has been [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny done to death already]], the story manages to work around it by showing how Lincoln dying is affecting those around him (i.e. his friends and family). By exploring the characterization and how they're dealing with the situation, the story manages to be quite depressing given that each of his 10 sisters has reacted ''very'' badly towards Lincoln's imminent death. Overall, everything just seems to be crumpling apart for them.
* In ''FanFic/TheRivalPrefectsTrilogy'', no reason is given for the rivalry between the two prefects so it might be difficult to care about who comes out on top. [[spoiler:The fact that one of them gets turned to stone and remains conscious afterwards also makes for a rather dark ending.]]
* ''FanFic/TheRoadToCydonia'' reveals itself as this soon after ''Fanfic/ReflectionsLostOnADarkRoad'' begins; ''Manga/InuYasha'' shows up as a more idealistic figure, but is revealed as AllJustADream of a schizophrenic psionic Kagome. [[spoiler: Or rather her mother]]. But even that pales before the introduction of the ''FanFic/DarkTitans''--all are quickly neutralized by UNETCO forces, upon which they are repeatedly subjected to [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids intense, prosthelytizing cynicism]].\\
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Starfire runs right into Herb of the Musk, [[spoiler:who is so dedicated to JustFollowingOrders that despite realizing that she's desperately trying ''not'' to kill him, he just uses her hesitation to [[CurbStompBattle casually beat her unconscious]]. X-COM then {{Mind Rape}}s her to try to deduce her origins. Only the appearance of the other Titans proves her a non-combatant (due to voluntarily allowing their minds to be read), which leads them to instead cautiously draft her and return her to the rest of the Titans with the intention of turning her into an ally while they research the dimensional crossover. When most of the other Titans petition for national citizenship to register to fight the aliens, it is mentioned that according to UN legislation [[InhumanableAlienRights aliens have no rights]], and she's ''not'' an exception.]]\\
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Jinx makes a friend for the first time since she left both the HIVE Academy and the Titans, [[spoiler:a rogue alien clone of Akari Unryuu, only for X-COM to accidentally-on-purpose return her to alien control, rather than let her die, so they can [[PlayingWithSyringes experiment on her to discover weaknesses in human-ethereal hybrids.]]]]\\
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Raven gets a pat on the head by VideoGame/XCom psi researchers, who refuse to acknowledge her EldritchAbomination father as a "demon" rather than an alien, instead encouraging her to abandon her training and tap into her new-found MindControl abilities, as being in the X-COM dimension actually dulls Raven's darker emotions and demon power and allows her to tap into her human-side's powers instead. [[spoiler:This presents other dark temptations, however, and after a return to Azarath, she gets DrunkOnTheDarkSide, [[RelationshipResetButton bringing the Raven/Ryoga/Jinx love triangle back to square one]] (if not pulling a flat-out three-way ShipSinking) via [[MindRape mind raping Jinx into forgetting her love for Ryoga]] and (in Ryoga's eyes) crossing the MoralEventHorizon. Also Jinx starts to believe thanks to this [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor that being a heroine just isn't her calling in life]].]]\\
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Titans!Ryoga efforts at bonding with his fellow Titans are at one time mocked by his militaristic counterpart, saying that pretending to be a NiceGuy will compromise his ability to command a team in the field. The two Ryougas spend much of the story unable to see eye-to-eye for a variety of reasons.\\
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Cyborg gets it the lightest--his courageous superhero act is typically less valued by X-COM, who want him to [[StayInTheKitchen Stay In The Lab]] building superweapons. He tried to skirt both areas, helping in the lab and in the field. [[spoiler: He decides to shut down the empathic parts of his mind to be more effective, [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul with the predictable backfire that follows]].]]\\
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All in all, you don't read the fic wondering what will happen to anyone from the X-[=COM=]verse, as it's mentioned multiple times that they will likely all die in the titular assault on Cydonia. Some profess that they don't care if they live or die, or [[AndThenWhat what happens to their civilization after they kill all the aliens]], as long as there is a civilization at all to return to, so why should the reader? What you wonder is if Our Heroes the Teen Titans will make it out of the Waffen-XX dimension ''alive'', or if they'll even get to ''[[DyingAsYourself die sane.]]''\\
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Though, conversely, many characters speak often about the end of the war and their desire to survive it, [[spoiler:for example, X-COM's Ryouga, who has slowly and painfully found a way out of his previous depression, and Ryu, who hopes to rebuild his family dojo and have a family, and the Amazons who want to rebuild their village after the terror site, but all have heard that Cydonia is likely to be a suicide mission and as a result of recent alien assaults on X-COM bases, morale is at a low point. Mental states are further stretched thin by efforts to investigate other dimensions and attempt to return the Titans to their home.]]

* Before the rewrite, ''FanFic/SonicXDarkChaos'' had this in spades and was strongly criticized for it by several reviewers. The Sonic characters were [[TookALevelInJerkass even bigger jerks]] than their original depictions. The ''extremely'' grimdark setting didn't help, with the entire universe doomed in an over-the-top CosmicHorrorStory filled with [[{{Gorn}} gruesome violence]] and a generous topping of EvilVersusEvil and BlackAndGrayMorality for good measure. Maledict and Tsali being absurdly overpowered didn't help. The author [[AuthorsSavingThrow rewrote it several years later partially to avoid this trope]] - while the setting is actually ''darker'' than before, the story itself has [[BittersweetEnding a somewhat more upbeat conclusion]].
** This trope is also why the author discontinued the prequels ''Fall of the Seedrians'' and ''Battlestar Dandelion''. In particular, the latter has Tsali (a genocidal mass-murdering fox android) as the [[VillainProtagonist protagonist]] against the Metarex in a blatantly EvilVersusEvil war, while Hertia and her people slowly descend into religious fanaticism, civil strife, and HeWhoFightsMonsters in their desperation to stay alive. And pretty much all of them are DoomedByCanon anyway.

* Like its name suggests, ''Fanfic/TheAssassinationOfTwilightSparkle'' deals with the emotional and political fallout of Princess Twilight's murder. Its sequel fic, ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/140415/aftermath-of-a-fallen-star Aftermath of a Fallen Star]]'', attempts to expand upon this before devolving into a {{Deconstruction}} of Equestria's SugarBowl setting, including mental illness induced suicide, rape, terroristic bombing, lack of even a shred of empathy on the part of Canterlot's citizens to the point of AristocratsAreEvil, the existence of Unicornia, a separatist nation of [[FantasticRacism Unicorn Supremacists]] allied with ''Tirek'', a draconian law dictating a pony must take a job corresponding with their Cutie Mark and falsifying ones Cutie Mark to work in any other field is ''[[FelonyMisdemeanor an act of fraud and punishable by imprisonment]]'' and an on going conspiracy by Duke Blueblood to overthrow the Royal Sisters and place his pureblood Alicorn daughter on the throne, all happening right under Celestia's nose without her knowledge. It got to the point more than one viewer was hoping Canterlot would eventually meet the same fate as the one in ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestria''.

* Another ''Manga/DeathNote'' fanfic, ''Fanfic/ThoseWhoStandForNothingFallForAnything'', can easily induce apathy in many readers. While it IS supposed to be satirical, it's difficult at times to care about the characters when they're not only mostly sleazy politicians, but exhibit few redeeming qualities among them and seem increasingly bent on making their lives and each other's miserable. L and Light are the worst of the bunch, and so far they've not gotten much comeuppance for any of the rotten things they do.
* [=KnightMysterio=], the author for ''Fanfic/WakingNightmares'', is aware of this and has mentioned in [[http://knightmysteriolibray.tumblr.com/post/73693935391/knight-do-you-know-of-the-trope-called this tumblr post]] that he is attempting to make sure that this does not happen. (Given that the story has '''''[[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos Slenderman]]''''' as the main villain.)

* Excessive darkness is an all too common problem in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' fanworks. The game does has a very dark phase, but the fanworkers fixate on that dark phase and make it the bread and butter of their fanwork, with the resulting art/fic being ridiculously melodramatic, {{wangst}}y, and worst of all, boring. It also tends to parallel the rather creepy tendency of some fans to take VideoGameCaringPotential centered on the Second Generation characters to the extreme of viewing them almost as if they were the fans's real life children, focusing only on their difficult backstories and reducing them to {{woobie}}s to coddle and adore and project issues on. (Often while [[HypoCrite ignoring/handwaving]] the First Generation characters' also rather harsh problems.)\\

* In the MLP story ''FanFic/HarmonyTheory'', some readers are starting to feel this way, due to very little being revealed about the central mystery, despite being on chapter thirty-four and with ''over five hundred thousand words in'' with no end in sight and the villains-especially Max Cash-managing to turn around any victory the heroes do have, and coming out on top, anyway. No matter how hard the heroes have fought, it can occasionally feel like they have very little progress, while the villains seem to continuously gain progress with their mysterious plans, only being slightly inconvenienced. The fact that it takes place in a BadFuture where a pony can get a cutie mark/talent glyph in '''killing''', [[spoiler: Celestia and Luna are both trapped in their respected celestial bodies]], there is a rogue {{WarGod}}ess running around, planning to turn the world to ash, and the two countries that used to be Equestria are on the brink of war and even with the world at stake, many of them stubbornly refuse to work together, just might have something to do with that.

%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!

%%

* In the MLP story ''FanFic/HarmonyTheory'', some readers are starting to feel this way, due to very little being revealed about the central mystery, despite being on chapter thirty-four and with ''over five hundred thousand words in'' with no end in sight and the villains-especially Max Cash-managing to turn around any victory the heroes do have, and coming out on top, anyway. No matter how hard the heroes have fought, it can occasionally feel like they have very little progress, while the villains seem to continuously gain progress with their mysterious plans, only being slightly inconvenienced. The fact that it takes place in a BadFuture where a pony can get a cutie mark/talent glyph in '''killing''', [[spoiler: Celestia and Luna are both trapped in their respected celestial bodies]], there is a rogue {{WarGod}}ess running around, planning to turn the world to ash, and the two countries that used to be Equestria are on the brink of war and even with the world at stake, many of them stubbornly refuse to work together, just might have something to do with that.

%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!

%%

* ''Fanfic/AllHeEverWanted'': When almost every character is either an unlikable bastard/bitch or being constantly tortured, readers may not be sure who to root for at all. Of if there's any character worth rooting for. Especially considering that in canon ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'', all nations are given at least some sympathetic and/or kind moments, even the worst {{Jerk Ass}}es... and yet the fic removes almost all of them; i.e., seeing Prussia as a megalomaniac, abusive, rapist [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazi]] CardCarryingVillain when he's at most a HotBlooded ButtMonkey in canon is all kinds of NO.

* Before the rewrite, ''FanFic/SonicXDarkChaos'' had this in spades and was strongly criticized for it by several reviewers. The Sonic characters were [[TookALevelInJerkass even bigger jerks]] than their original depictions. The ''extremely'' grimdark setting didn't help, with the entire universe doomed in an over-the-top CosmicHorrorStory filled with [[{{Gorn}} gruesome violence]] and UnfortunateImplications, and a generous topping of EvilVersusEvil and BlackAndGrayMorality for good measure. Maledict and Tsali being absurdly overpowered didn't help. The author [[AuthorsSavingThrow rewrote it several years later partially to avoid this trope]] - while the setting is actually ''darker'' than before, the story itself has [[BittersweetEnding a somewhat more upbeat conclusion]].

** And there's a big case of the aforementioned inversion in the ''Fanfic/MyBravePonyStarfleetMagic'' series. It's a [[ClicheStorm maelstrom of sentai cliches]], [[UnfortunateImplications cases of racism and sexism]], and a few cases of [[MoralEventHorizon line-crossing by the]] [[DesignatedHero so-called heroes of Starfleet]]. (Especially in regards to what happens to Ace Ray.) And yet, everything'll just turn out rosy for the heroes in the end. Doesn't help that the Mane Six are shadows of their former selves. (Nevermind the fact that [[spoiler: Twilight dies]] in episode 16 of the second sequel, or Princess Cadance being [[DesignatedMonkey the author's chewtoy]] [[DisproportionateRetribution just because she got happily married.]]) Of course, the villains suffer from [[GenreBlindness a dose of incompetence]], [[GenericDoomsdayVillain being generic in their evilness]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking how by-the-numbers their plans are]] pretty much negates any chance of them being [[RootingForTheEmpire rooted for to kick the asses of]] the "heroic" cast right out of the gate.

* Before the rewrite, ''FanFic/SonicXDarkChaos'' had this in spades and was strongly criticized for it by several reviewers. The Sonic characters were [[TookALevelInJerkass even bigger jerks]] than their original depictions. The ''extremely'' grimdark setting didn't help, with the entire universe doomed in an over-the-top CosmicHorrorStory filled with [[{{Gorn}} gruesome violence]] and UnfortunateImplications, and a generous topping of EvilVersusEvil and BlackAndGrayMorality for good measure. Maledict and Tsali being absurdly blatant {{Villain Sue}}s didn't help. The author [[AuthorsSavingThrow rewrote it several years later partially to avoid this trope]] - while the setting is actually ''darker'' than before, the story itself has [[BittersweetEnding a somewhat more upbeat conclusion]].

* ''Fanfic/WhatHaveYouDone'' and its sequel ''Even As...'' have garnered this reaction, postulating that if [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E25ACanterlotWeddingPart1 Chrysalis had not bothered to banish Twilight Sparkle to the caves after her argument with her friends]], Twilight would have taken it badly enough to [[spoiler:free [[MadGod Discord]] from his imprisonment]] and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere bugger off]], with much {{Wangst}}ing. Said friends, meanwhile, are [[spoiler:rejected by their Elements of Harmony]] for a momentary error (and WordOfGod is that [[spoiler:[[BlueAndOrangeMorality even the Elements don't really understand what they're doing]]]]), and with both them and Celestia cast in the wrong by the narrative, the only character available to root for is [[MamaBear Twilight Velvet]], a borderline OCStandIn JerkSue (with a dose of UnreliableNarrator).

** And there's a big case of the aforementioned inversion in the ''Fanfic/MyBravePonyStarfleetMagic'' series. It's a [[ClicheStorm maelstrom of sentai cliches]], [[UnfortunateImplications cases of racism and sexism]], and a few cases of [[MoralEventHorizon line-crossing by the]] [[DesignatedHero so-called heroes of Starfleet]]. (Especially in regards to what happens to Ace Ray.) And yet, everything'll just turn out rosy for the heroes in the end. Doesn't help that the Mane Six are shadows of their former selves. (Nevermind the fact that [[spoiler: Twilight dies]] in episode 16 of the second sequel, or Princess Cadance being [[DesignatedMonkey the author's chewtoy]] [[DisproportionateRetribution just because she got happily married.]]) Of course, the villains suffer from [[GenreBlindness a dose of incompetence]], [[GenericDoomsdayVillain being generic in their evilness]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking how by-the-numbers their plans are]] pretty much negates any chance of them being [[RootingForTheEmpire rooted for to kick the asses of]] [[ThirtySuePileup the "heroic" cast]] right out of the gate.

* ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestria'', not only in the main story, but in many side-stories as well ([[DarkerAndEdgier especially]] ''Project Horizons''). People have called it ''[[UpToEleven even more depressing]]'' than the ''{{Fallout}}'' canon, because of a simple reason: there is only so much horror that can be placed in a video game before it becomes impossible to sell, while a fan fiction doesn't has the same restrictions... and there are so many [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rapes]], [[{{Gorn}} brutal deaths]] (and especially "[[DroppedABridgeOnHim pointless]]" deaths), [[ApocalypseAnarchy post-apocalyptic inhumanity]] and SceneryGorn of beloved Equestrian locations (more often than not loaded with ''literal'' {{Gorn}}) before people call it quits. The flashback sequences to pre-cataclysm Equestria are even worse triggers of this, because they all showcase much-beloved F.I.M. characters (especially the Mane Six) devolving into complete {{Jerkass}}es because of the pressures of the Great War and DoomedByCanon to die in said war, so why bother?

* ''FanFic/LatiasJourney'' is a prime case of such, right where the ''Your Secret Admirer'' prequel (which [[DarkerAndEdgier goes to hell rather quickly]] in its own right) left off. Almost right out of the gate, there is plenty of moments of over-the-top violence, GratuitousRape, sex, profanity, and Ri2's [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking refusal to]] [[ShowDontTell show and not tell]] with a side-order of {{Wangst}} (Mostly from the titular heroine, but May also has her moments of such as well.) and {{Flanderization}}, among the cast. The real kicker is that Latias [[StrangledByTheRedString falls in love with the Ghost King]], the ''being responsible for destroying Latias' home in the first place.'' The author himself eventually gets fed up with making the characters suffer and decides to give them all a happy ending at the last minute, except for James who is left in outer space.

* Like its name suggests, ''Fanfic/TheAssassinationOfTwilightSparkle'' deals with the emotional and political fallout of Princess Twilight's murder. Its sequel fic, ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/140415/aftermath-of-a-fallen-star Aftermath of a Fallen Star]]'', attempts to expand upon this before devolving into a {{Deconstruction}} of Equestria's SugarBowl setting, including mental illness induced suicide, rape, terroristic bombing, lack of even a shred of empathy on the part of Canterlot'a citizens to the point of AristocratsAreEvil, the existence of Unicornia, a separatist nation of [[FantasticRacism Unicorn Supremacists]] allied with ''Tirek'', a draconian law dictating a pony must take a job corresponding with their Cutie Mark and falsifying ones Cutie Mark to work in any other field is ''[[FelonyMisdemeanor an act of fraud and punishable by imprisonment]]'' and an on going conspiracy by Duke Blueblood to overthrow the Royal Sisters and place his pureblood Alicorn daughter on the throne, all happening right under Celestia's nose without her knowledge. It got to the point more than one viewer was hoping Canterlot was meet the same fate as the one in ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestria''.

* Like its name suggests, ''Fanfic/TheAssassinationOfTwilightSparkle'' deals with the emotional and political fallout of Princess Twilight's murder. Its sequel fic, ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/140415/aftermath-of-a-fallen-star Aftermath of a Fallen Star]]'', attempts to expand upon this before devolving into a {{Deconstruction}} of Equestria's SugarBowl setting, including mental illness induced suicide, rape, terroristic bombing, lack of even a shred of empathy on the part of Canterlot'a citizens to the point of AristocratsAreEvil, the existence of Unicornia, a separatist nation of [[FantasticRacism Unicorn Supremacists]] allied with ''Tirek'', a draconian law dictating a pony must take a job corresponding with their Cutie Mark and falsifying ones Cutie Mark to work in any other field is ''[[Felony Misdemeanor an act of fraud and punishable by imprisonment]]'' and an on going conspiracy by Duke Blueblood to overthrow the Royal Sisters and place his pureblood Alicorn daughter on the throne, all happening right under Celestia's nose without her knowledge. It got to the point more than one viewer was hoping Canterlot was meet the same fate as the one in ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestria''.

* Like its name suggests, ''Fanfic/TheAssassinationOfTwilightSparkle'' deals with the emotional and political fallout of Princess Twilight's murder. Its sequel fic, ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/140415/aftermath-of-a-fallen-star Aftermath of a Fallen Star]]'', attempts to expand upon this before devolving into a {{Deconstruction}} of Equestria's SugarBowl setting, including mental illness induced suicide, rape, terroristic bombing, lack of even a shred of empathy on the part of Canterlot'a citizens to the point of AristocratsAreEvil, the existence of Unicornia, a separatist nation of [[FantasticRacism Unicorn Supremacists]] allied with ''Tirek'', a draconian law dictating a pony must take a job corresponding with their Cutie Mark and falsifying ones Cutie Mark to work in any other field is ''[[Felony Misdeamenor an act of fraud and punishable by imprisonment]]'' and an on going conspiracy by Duke Blueblood to overthrow the Royal Sisters and place his pureblood Alicorn daughter on the throne, all happening right under Celestia's nose without her knowledge. It got to the point more than one viewer was hoping Canterlot was meet the same fate as the one in ''Fanfic/FalloutQuestria''.

** And there's a big case of the aforementioned inversion in the [[Fanfic/MyLittleUnicorn My Brave Unicorn: Star Fleet Magic]] series. It's a [[ClicheStorm maelstrom of sentai cliches]], [[UnfortunateImplications cases of racism and sexism]], and a few cases of [[MoralEventHorizon line-crossing by the]] [[DesignatedHero so-called heroes of Starfleet]]. (Especially in regards to what happens to Ace Ray.) And yet, everything'll just turn out rosy for the heroes in the end. Doesn't help that the Mane Six are shadows of their former selves. (Nevermind the fact that [[spoiler: Twilight dies]] in episode 16 of the second sequel, or Princess Cadance being [[DesignatedMonkey the author's chewtoy]] [[DisproportionateRetribution just because she got happily married.]]) Of course, the villains suffer from [[GenreBlindness a dose of incompetence]], [[GenericDoomsdayVillain being generic in their evilness]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking how by-the-numbers their plans are]] pretty much negates any chance of them being [[RootingForTheEmpire rooted for to kick the asses of]] [[ThirtySuePileup the "heroic" cast]] right out of the gate.

* As if ''VideoGame/HammerBrother'' couldn't possibly have more going against it, the fact that it ends with the eponymous hero being eaten by the Buried Alive Model makes all the suffering you went through all for naught. Even before that, a near complete lack of power-ups, [[PlatformHell absurd difficulty]] and [[RatchetScrolling getting stuck at random]] makes the already [[DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible horrible]] fangame even worse. On top of that, it tries to mimic ''VideoGame/BrutalMario'', but fails to understand how that game's darkness worked.

* ''Fanfic/RequiemForALoud'' is about Lincoln Loud suffering from neurofibromatosis[[note]]A condition that causes tumors to form in the brain, spinal cord, and nerves[[/note]] and is only given about two-to-three weeks to live. While the whole terminal illness concept has been [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny done to death already]], the story manages to work around it by showing how Lincoln dying is affecting those around him (i.e. his friends and family). By exploring the characterization and how they're dealing with the situation, the story manages to be quite depressing given that everybody has reacted ''very'' badly towards Lincoln's imminent death. Overall, everything just seems to be crumpling apart for them.

* As if ''VideoGame/HammerBrother'' couldn't possibly have more going against it, the fact that it ends with the eponymous hero being eaten by the Buried Alive Model makes all the suffering you went through all for naught. Even before that, a near complete lack of items, [[PlatformHell absurd difficulty]] and [[RatchetScrolling getting stuck at random]] makes this already horrible fangame just as bad as Sonichu.

* Pretty much everything ever written by Dakari-King Mykan is either this, or inverts it [[Webcomic/LasLindas Las Lindas-style]]. In a nutshell, the fanfics that play this straight involve either [[Anime/DigimonAdventure02 Daisuke/Davis Motomiya]] or [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans Beast Boy]] [[TookALevelInJerkass level-grinding in douchebaggery]] [[DidNotGetTheGirl because they didn't get Kari/Terra (respectively)]], and pushing away their friends...or their friends turning unsympathetic for no reason. And needless to say, it's all downhill from there. Expect [[DownerEnding bad endings should those happen.]] [[FanFic/TheEndOfEnds The End of Ends]] being especially bad in this regard. (Except for the other Titans [[UnintentionallySympathetic being woobies]] compared to [[UnintentionallyUnsympathetic Count Logan]].) In short, it's virtually impossible to be invested in any of his fanfics...unless you're [[BileFascination masochistic enough]] to put yourself through reading them.

* As if ''VideoGame/HammerBrother'' couldn't possibly have more going against it, the fact that it ends with the eponymous hero being eaten by the Buried Alive Model makes all the suffering you went through all for naught. Even before that, a near complete lack of items, [[PlatformHell absurd difficulty]] and [[RatchetScrolling getting stuck at random]] makes this already horrible fangame just as bad as [[https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Celebrian Celebrian]].

* As if ''VideoGame/HammerBrother'' couldn't possibly have more going against it, the fact that it ends with the eponymous hero being eaten by the Buried Alive Model makes all the suffering you went through all for naught. Even before that, a near complete lack of items, [[PlatformHell absurd difficulty]] and [[RatchetScrolling getting stuck at random]] makes this already horrible fangame just as bad as Fanfic/MyImmortal.

* As if ''VideoGame/HammerBrother'' couldn't possibly have more going against it, the fact that it ends with the eponymous hero being eaten by the Buried Alive Model makes all the suffering you went through all for naught. Even before that, a near complete lack of items, [[PlatformHell absurd difficulty]] and [[RatchetScrolling getting stuck at random]] makes this already horrible fangame hard to play without Game Genie.