History HeelFaceRevolvingDoor / Literature

* The ''Literature/PleaseDon'tTellMyParentsImASupervillain'' series has the protagonist Penelope Akk. In ''Supervillain'', she bounces between villainy and trying to change to being a hero with an occasional neutral act before settling on being a villain. In the ''Literature/PleaseDon'tTellMyParentsIBlewUpTheMoon'', she takes another stab at being a hero before causing mayhem in the [[spoiler: Jupiter colonies]], followed by another attempt at going hero in ''Literature/PleaseDon'tTellMyParentsIveGotHenchmen'' which gets her forbidden from superpowered fights (while also downplaying her villainy to PokeThePoodle). Then in ''Literature/PleaseDon'tTellMyParentsIHaveANemesis'', she's almost a pure hero until the end, when [[spoiler: she gets ejected from her body]] and she takes a turn towards the brutal to win in ''Literature/PleaseDon'tTellMyParentsYouBelieveHer''. After her story ends, she shows up occasionally in other stories with no sign of villainy.

* Elijah Knight/[[spoiler:Nico Sever]] in the''Literature/TheBeginningAfterTheEnd'' [[spoiler:He goes through one the entire series as he begin as Grey's best then turns into his ArchEnemey after Grey kills Cecilia though it is an accident as Cecilia threw herself on Grey's sword to save Nico from his tormentors though Nico is unaware and assumes Grey killed her on purpose. Later, after his reincarnation as Elijah he becomes Arthur's best friend who is the reincarnation of Grey but Nico's memory is sealed by Agrona so they can acquire vessel for the legacy turned out to be Cecilia. After Elijah's reawakening as Nico then his mind is raped by Agrona his hatred for Arthur amplifies even more. In Volume 7, he confronts Arthur but almost Loses to Arthur if not for Cadell's intervention, however. Arthur is able to get to Tessia to safety then Arthur is assumed dead by Sylvie pulls a HeroicSacrfices to save Arthur. In Volume 9, He confronts Arthur again to complete his revenge after some exchange Arthur beats him in one blow, however. In the process Nico breaks free from Agrona's brainwashing after Cecilia heals his core then decides to make an alliance with Arthur in order to save Cecilia though he has not forgiven Arthur/Grey yet.]]

* Scott from ''Literature/ThePowerOfFive''.

* In the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'', the morally ambiguous Sister of the Dark Nicci gets the experience of serving just about every major faction. By the end of the series, she's gone from a totally innocent girl, to a supporter of the Fellowship of Order, to a respected Sister of the Light in service to [[{{God}} the Creator]], to a member of the secretive Sisters of the Dark who serve the [[{{Satan}} Keeper of the Underworld]], to [[spoiler: TheDragon of the Imperial Order under Emperor Jagang, then known as Death's Mistress]], to [[spoiler: a TrueNeutral wanderer teetering between the sides as she fulfills her personal quest to discover the meaning of existence]], to [[spoiler: the hero's BlackMagicianGirl lieutenant.]] In the end, it turns out that she is ultimately [[spoiler: on the good side, and she remains one of Richard's most trusted allies up to the end of the series and beyond.]]

* Elijah Knight/[[spoiler:Nico Sever]] of the''Literature/TheBeginningAfterTheEnd'' [[spoiler:He goes through one the entire series as he begin as Grey's best then turns into his ArchEnemey after Grey kills Cecilia though it is an accident as Cecilia threw herself on Grey's sword to save Nico from his tormentors though Nico is unaware and assumes Grey killed her on purpose. Later, after his reincarnation as Elijah he becomes Arthur's best friend who is the reincarnation of Grey but Nico's memory is sealed by Agrona so they can acquire vessel for the legacy turned out to be Cecilia. After Elijah's reawakening as Nico then his mind is raped by Agrona his hatred for Arthur amplifies even more. In Volume 7, he confronts Arthur but almost Loses to Arthur if not for Cadell's intervention, however. Arthur is able to get to Tessia to safety then Arthur is assumed dead by Sylvie pulls a HeroicSacrfices to save Arthur. In Volume 9, He confronts Arthur again to complete his revenge after some exchange Arthur beats him in one blow, however. In the process Nico breaks free from Agrona's brainwashing after Cecilia heals his core then decides to make an alliance with Arthur in order to save Cecilia though he has not forgiven Arthur/Grey yet.]]

* Elijah/[[spoiler:Nico]] of the''Literature/TheBeginningAfterTheEnd'' [[spoiler:He goes through one the entire series as he begin as Grey's best then turns into his ArchEnemey after Grey kills Cecilia though it is an accident as Cecilia threw herself on Grey's sword to save Nico from his tormentors though Nico is unaware and assumes Grey killed her on purpose. Later, after his reincarnation as Elijah he becomes Arthur's best friend who is the reincarnation of Grey but Nico's memory is sealed by Agrona so they can acquire vessel for the legacy turned out to be Cecilia. After Elijah's reawakening as Nico then his mind is raped by Agrona his hatred for Arthur amplifies even more. In Volume 7, he confronts Arthur but almost Loses to Arthur if not for Cadell's intervention, however. Arthur is able to get to Tessia to safety then Arthur is assumed dead by Sylvie pulls a HeroicSacrfices to save Arthur. In Volume 9, He confronts Arthur again to complete his revenge after some exchange Arthur beats him in one blow, however. In the process Nico breaks free from Agrona's brainwashing after Cecilia heals his core then decides to make an alliance with Arthur in order to save Cecilia though he has not forgiven Arthur/Grey yet.]]

* Elijah/[[spoiler:Nico]] of the''Literature/TheBeginningAfterTheEnd'' [[spoiler:He goes through one the entire series as he begin as Grey's best then turns into his ArchEnemey after Grey kills Cecilia though it is an accident as Cecilia threw herself on Grey's sword to save Nico from his tormentors though Nico is unaware and assumes Grey killed her on purpose. Later, after his reincarnation as Elijah he becomes Arthur's best friend who is the reincarnation of Grey but Nico's memory is sealed by Agrona so they can acquire vessel for the legacy turned out to be Cecilia. After Nico's reawakening as Nico then his mind is raped by Agrona his hatred for Arthur amplifies even more. In Volume 7, he confronts Arthur but almost Loses to Arthur if not for Cadell's intervention, however. Arthur is able to get to Tessia to safety then Arthur is assumed dead by Sylvie pulls a HeroicSacrfices to save Arthur. In Volume 9, He confronts Arthur again to complete his revenge after some exchange Arthur beats him in one blow, however. In the process Nico breaks free from Agrona's brainwashing after Cecilia heals his core then decides to make an alliance with Arthur in order to save Cecilia though he has not forgiven Arthur/Grey yet.]]

** Vestara Khai from ''Literature/FateOfTheJedi'' was a Sith apprentice who fell in love with Luke Skywalker's son Ben, and killed her ArchnemesisDad to protect him before deciding that she wanted to become a Jedi. However, after pulling a PushedAtTheMonster on another Jedi to save Ben's life she [[IveComeTooFar decides that she's not cut out to be a Jedi]]. She plotted to kill her tribe's leaders in order to protect them, but ended up being forced to betray Ben's cousin to them and lead an assault on the Jedi Temple. Soon after, she helped Ben destroy the EvilGod Abeloth but was unable to face him after her betrayal and fled, getting promoted to Sith Lord and joining another faction of Sith. After the ContinuityReboot her ultimate fate is left unclear, but as Ben had descendants it's possible she returned to his side in the end.

* In ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'', the Winged Monkeys weren't bound specifically to the Wicked Witch, but rather to a Golden Cap. They're forced to follow the orders of whoever wears the cap to the best of their abilities. This includes the one who made the cap, the Wicked Witch of the West, and [[TheHero Dorothy]].

* [[ChildProdigy Computer Jack]] from ''Literature/{{Gone}}''. He starts out the series as part of Caine's group, mostly out of fear. He seems to be considering a HeelFaceTurn for a while, but Diana has to threaten him to get him to go tell Sam, the hero, how to survive his fifteenth birthday, saying that it's "time to do the right thing, even if it is for the wrong reason." He spends the first half of book 2 obviously on Sam's side, until Diana shows up and convinces him to pull a FaceHeelTurn and help Caine again. She does this by promising him "the ultimate technological challenge". He spends all of a few chapters on Caine's side, turns off the power permanently, and helps Caine remove uranium from the nuclear power plant. He's already wondering why he came back. He seems to disappear for a few scenes so that Sam and Caine can experience EnemyMine and team up against Drake, and then he's back on Sam's side. He stays on Sam's side through the entirity of ''LIES'', but he is also sick and not really in on the action at all. By ''PLAGUE'' however, he has finally accepted and grown into the hero mould permanently.

*** Except it isn't, Because she decides to go with [[TheHero Sam]] in PLAGUE [[spoiler: breaking up with Caine whilst pregnant with his demon child. Damn.]] So now she's a hero right? Wrong, seeing as she goes back to team evil [[spoiler: once her baby is born. But then seems to have a realisation that her daughters evil and seems to be trying to defy her.]] But oh, screw that, she's back on team evil by the end of the book.

* Literature/TheBible gives us an OlderThanFeudalism example in King Nebuchadnezzar, the best-known ruler of the Babylonian empire in the Old Testament. When first chronologically introduced, he was orchestrating the destruction of Jerusalem and taking many of the Jewish people captive. Later, through the efforts of the prophet Daniel in interpreting one of his dreams, Nebuchadnezzar turned to worshiping the true God and became a more noble ruler...only to later have AesopAmnesia and attempt to burn Sadrach, Meshach and Abednego in his fiery furnace for not bowing to his statue of gold (they got better). Following ''that'', he turned to worshiping the true God again...then sometime afterward allowed pride to get to his head and exalted himself, for which God punished him with seven years' madness. After THAT, Nebuchadnezzar had yet another HeelFaceTurn, this time staying Face for the rest of his life.
** The entire Israelite people, really, as portrayed in the Bible at least. They switch between following God with the utmost loyalty and ignoring His words completely near-constantly, typically depending on their leader at the time.

* In ''Literature/RevengeOfTheSith'''s {{novelization}}, Anakin Skywalker veers between Palpatine and the Jedi in a way that's much less sudden than how it seems in the movie, even leaning several times back towards the Light Side. [[ItWasHisSled We all know where he ended up]], obviously, but the pull of doing what [[MoralityChain Obi-Wan]] -- who wants him to defend and protect people -- and Padme -- who wants to love and be loved -- want are as strong as doing what Palpatine wants. It's just that Palpatine knew there was a contest going on and worked to throw it, though there were some tricky moments. Notably, after waking up on the slab and hearing that he's killed his wife, Anakin ''immediately'' tries to kill Palpatine with the Force -- but he's so much weaker than he used to be that he can't, and then he doesn't want to anymore. Palpatine's the only thing remotely like an ally he has.
* [[spoiler:Lord Scourge]] in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic: Literature/{{Revan}}''. At first, [[spoiler:he]] is a loyal subject of the [[TheEmpire Sith Empire]]. Then, [[spoiler:he]] is recruited by [[spoiler:Darth Nyriss]] in the plot to overthrow TheEmperor who plans to start another war with the [[TheFederation Republic]]. [[spoiler:Scourge]], remembering the result of the Great Hyperspace War, in which the Sith were driven to near-extinction by the Jedi, realizes another war could well spell the end of the Empire. However, over the years, he realizes that [[spoiler:Nyriss and her allies]] are too afraid to make a move and would rather play political games than do something to further their cause. Eventually, thanks in part to Revan's influence, [[spoiler:Scourge]] allies with Revan and Meetra Surik (the [[PlayerCharacter Exile]] from ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'') in order to kill the Emperor. However, when they reach the throne room and are ready to strike, [[spoiler:he has a vision of the Emperor's death and realizes it won't be then and there]]. [[spoiler:Scourge]] betrays the Jedi, [[spoiler:killing Surik]], and gets Revan imprisoned for three centuries. The Emperor misinterprets this as proof of loyalty and makes [[spoiler:Scourge]] his enforcer, who is also granted immortality.
** And in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' , set 300 years later, he [[spoiler: joins the [[PlayerCharacter Jedi Knight]] to help him/her ''finally'' kill the Emperor. Their success is debatable, as a message to the [[PlayerCharacter Sith Warrior]] suggests]].

* In ''Literature/StarWarsRevengeOfTheSith'''s {{novelization}}, Anakin Skywalker veers between Palpatine and the Jedi in a way that's much less sudden than how it seems in the movie, even leaning several times back towards the Light Side. [[ItWasHisSled We all know where he ended up]], obviously, but the pull of doing what [[MoralityChain Obi-Wan]] -- who wants him to defend and protect people -- and Padme -- who wants to love and be loved -- want are as strong as doing what Palpatine wants. It's just that Palpatine knew there was a contest going on and worked to throw it, though there were some tricky moments. Notably, after waking up on the slab and hearing that he's killed his wife, Anakin ''immediately'' tries to kill Palpatine with the Force -- but he's so much weaker than he used to be that he can't, and then he doesn't want to anymore. Palpatine's the only thing remotely like an ally he has.

* ''Literature/TreasureIsland'': One of the defining characteristics of Long John Silver, who makes whatever alliance is most profitable or convenient for himself.
-->'''Jim Hawkins (Narration)''': 'Then he [Silver] looked at me and nodded, as much as to say, "Here is a narrow corner," as, indeed, I thought it was. His looks were not quite friendly, and I was so revolted at these constant changes that I could not forbear whispering, "So you've changed sides again."
* In the ''Literature/{{Hurog}}'' series, the nobleman Garranon. He's a good guy on his own, but whenever someone threatens his family, he is willing to do whatever it takes to protect them, resulting in many HeelFaceTurn moments. [[spoiler: More precisely, he's initially a nice guy whom Ward likes. He then makes it clear he's willing to support slavery to save his brother's life, and drugs Ward in order to carry him off to the king's asylum, when Ward gets in the way of re-enslaving a slave. Later, he helps Ward's cousin out with some money, and joins the heroes. Then, he drugs Ward ''again'', after telling him that he has a son he has never even seen because the king keeps him at court all the time. Later, he's on the heroes' side again.]]
* [[spoiler:Lily]] in ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible''. In that case it's less that the character is intentionally trying to play the sides, and more that the character has enough common sense to see that the "heroes" and "villains" aren't all that different.
* Lord Gro from E.R. Eddison's pre-Tolkiensian fantasy ''Literature/TheWormOuroboros''. Not only is he an incredibly manipulative MagnificentBastard, but he has a soft spot for the underdog. Thus every time he pulls off a successful {{plan}} (and this happens frequently), he immediately goes and switches sides to support the people he just screwed over. This makes him by far the most awesome character in the book. Unfortunately, the stress of being the only non-BloodKnight in his world eventually gets to him, and he goes berserk and starts randomly killing people from both sides in the middle of a battle, leading to his death.
* Snape from ''Literature/HarryPotter'' quite often ''seems'' to be doing this. Numerous red herrings are thrown at the reader from all directions to make them think Snape is a bad guy one minute, and a good guy the next. Despite the reveal that he actually was [[spoiler: on Harry's side]] all along, his actual integrity and ''preferred'' alignment is still up for interpretation.
* [[spoiler:Yamato Masamoto]] from ''Literature/YoungSamurai: Way of the Warrior'' by Creator/ChrisBradford. He starts out as a full on {{Jerkass}} who despises Jack, pulls a HeelFaceTurn after [[spoiler:Dokugan Ryu]]'s attack, then pulls a FaceHeelTurn later on, ''then'' he pulls another HeelFaceTurn towards the end of the book and he and Jack become friends...

* In the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'', the morally ambiguous Sister of the Dark Nicci gets the experience of serving just about every major faction. By the end of the series, she's gone from a totally innocent girl, to a supporter of the Fellowship of Order, to a respected Sister of the Light in service to [[{{God}} the Creator]], to a member of the secretive Sisters of the Dark who serve the [[{{Satan}} Keeper of the Underworld]], to [[spoiler: TheDragon of the Imperial Order under Emperor Jagang, then known as Death's Mistress]], to [[spoiler: a TrueNeutral wanderer teetering between the sides as she fulfills her personal quest to discover the meaning of existence]], to [[spoiler: the hero's BlackMagicianGirl lieutenant.]] In the end, it turns out that she is ultimately [[spoiler: on the good side, and she remains one of Richard's most trusted allies up to the end of the series and beyond.]]
* Lampshaded in the ''Time of Troubles'' series by Creator/HarryTurtledove. A character is called a connoisseur of defection, changing sides five times. Both sides put up with him because he's such a damn good commander, and they feel that he can help them more while on their side than he can hurt them when he defects.
* ''Literature/MaximumRide'':
** Jeb Batchelder. Went from MadScientist to helpful parental figure [[spoiler:back to mad scientist, and he's been attempting to play the father figure again lately]]. Although another possibility is that he's [[spoiler:been good the whole time]] and that [[spoiler:his daughter]] Max refuses to let go of her hatred and accept that.
%% ** For the last couple of books [[spoiler:Angel has become this]].
* Sauron of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''. In The Beginning, he was good, a servant of Aulë the Smith. Then Morgoth, Black Enemy of the World seduced him to the side of evil, and he left with Morgoth to rule in Middle-Earth. When Morgoth was defeated in an ''incredibly'' destructive war, Sauron had a true change of heart, and genuinely wanted to help with the reconstruction and make Middle-Earth beautiful again. He was too afraid to surrender himself to the Gods and potentially face retribution, however, so he took advantage of the reconstruction to set himself up as the next Dark Lord.

* In ''Literature/RevengeOfTheSith'''s {{novelization}}, Anakin Skywalker veers between Palpatine and the Jedi in a way that's much less sudden than how it seems in the movie, even leaning several times back towards the Light Side. [[ItWasHisSled We all know where he ended up]], obviously, but the pull of doing what [[MoralityChain Obi-Wan]] - who wants him to defend and protect people - and Padme - who wants to love and be loved - want are as strong as doing what Palpatine wants. It's just that Palpatine knew there was a contest going on and worked to throw it, though there were some tricky moments. Notably, after waking up on the slab and hearing that he's killed his wife, Anakin ''immediately'' tries to kill Palpatine with the Force - but he's so much weaker than he used to be that he can't, and then he doesn't want to anymore. Palpatine's the only thing remotely like an ally he has.
* [[spoiler: Simon Heap]] in the ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'' series. He goes good guy-primary antagonist-AntiHero-good guy over the course of the series.
* This applies to ''five out of six protagonists'' in ''Literature/ScorpionShards'', the exception being the SacrificialLion. All five go bad and good again at least once, and some do so twice.
* [[spoiler:Alex]] of the ''Literature/AlexRider'' series starts off working for [=MI6=]. During ''Eagle Strike'', he leaves and becomes neutral, but then [[FaceHeelTurn joins Scorpia]] after the events of that book. He then goes back to [=MI6=] after an attempt on [[spoiler:Mrs. Jones]]'s life goes wrong.
* [[spoiler:Lord Scourge]] in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic: Literature/{{Revan}}''. At first, [[spoiler:he]] is a loyal subject of the [[TheEmpire Sith Empire]]. Then, [[spoiler:he]] is recruited by [[spoiler:Darth Nyriss]] in the plot to overthrow TheEmperor who plans to start another war with the [[TheFederation Republic]]. [[spoiler:Scourge]], remembering the result of the Great Hyperspace War, in which the Sith were driven to near-extinction by the Jedi, realizes another war could well spell the end of the Empire. However, over the years, he realizes that [[spoiler:Nyriss and her allies]] are too afraid to make a move and would rather play political games than do something to further their cause. Eventually, thanks in part to Revan's influence, [[spoiler:Scourge]] allies with Revan and Meetra Surik (the [[PlayerCharacter Exile]] from ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'') in order to kill the Emperor. However, when they reach the throne room and are ready to strike, [[spoiler:he has a vision of the Emperor's death and realizes it won't be then and there]]. [[spoiler:Scourge]] betrays the Jedi, [[spoiler:killing Surik]], and gets Revan imprisoned for three centuries. The Emperor misinterprets this as proof of loyalty and makes [[spoiler:Scourge]] his enforcer, who is also granted immortality.
** And in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' , set 300 years later, he [[spoiler: joins the [[PlayerCharacter Jedi Knight]] to help him/her ''finally'' kill the Emperor. Their success is debatable, as a message to the [[PlayerCharacter Sith Warrior]] suggests]].
* In Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz, the Winged Monkeys weren't bound specifically to the Wicked Witch, but rather to a Golden Cap. They're forced to follow the orders of whoever wears the cap to the best of their abilities. This includes the one who made the cap, the Wicked Witch of the West, and [[TheHero Dorothy]].
* Literature/TheBible gives us an OlderThanFeudalism example in King Nebuchadnezzar, the best-known ruler of the Babylonian empire in the Old Testament. When first chronologically introduced, he was orchestrating the destruction of Jerusalem and taking many of the Jewish people captive. Later, through the efforts of the prophet Daniel in interpreting one of his dreams, Nebuchadnezzar turned to worshiping the true God and became a more noble ruler...only to later have AesopAmnesia and attempt to burn Sadrach, Meshach and Abednego in his fiery furnace for not bowing to his statue of gold (they got better). Following ''that'', he turned to worshiping the true God again...then sometime afterward allowed pride to get to his head and exalted himself, for which God punished him with seven years' madness. After THAT, Nebuchadnezzar had yet another HeelFaceTurn, this time staying Face for the rest of his life.
** The entire Israelite people, really, as portrayed in the Bible at least. They switch between following God with the utmost loyalty and ignoring His words completely near-constantly, typically depending on their leader at the time.

* [[BastardBastard Ramsay Bolton]] in ''AClashOfKings'' starts out being a subject of the [[BigGood Starks]]. He then decides, in their absence, to [[spoiler: kidnap Lady Hornwood, forcibly marry her, rape her, and then starve her. Ser Rodrik Cassel hunts him down and unwittingly captures him in disguise, and he is brought to Winterfell as a prisoner. Theon Greyjoy discovers him after usurping Winterfell, and he becomes his ally. He escapes Ser Rodrik's counter-siege on Winterfell, and raises an army of Dreadfort men. They arrive at the siege, ostensibly as Stark reinforcements, where Ramsay (disguised in red armor) betrays Rodrik, destroys the Stark army, and enters Winterfell, where he captures Theon and burns the castle to the ground.]] An interesting example because, while he's always an evil guy, the people who count him as an ally or an enemy changes with the wind.

* In the [[Literature/OrigamiYoda Origami Yoda series]], [[spoiler: we have Harvey. [[HeelFaceTurn He suddenly decides to stop antagonizing Dwight]], but then has a FaceHeelTurn and becomes a jerk again. After that, he escapes being a total jerk, but is still a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.]]
* Jacin Clay from Literature/TheLunarChronicles switches back and forth between being a hero and a villain throughout the series. He starts off as a background antagonist, a guard of Head Thaumaturge Sybil Mira. Later, he sides with the heroes and implies that he only works for the antagonists because he has to. [[spoiler: Cue him betraying the protagonists to Sybil. Later, he makes another HeelFaceTurn that actually sticks. This stems from his loyalties lying with whichever side is best for keeping Princess Winter, safe from harm]].

* [[spoiler:Lord Scourge]] in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic: Literature/{{Revan}}''. At first, [[spoiler:he]] is a loyal subject of the [[TheEmpire Sith Empire]]. Then, [[spoiler:he]] is recruited by [[spoiler:Darth Nyriss]] in the plot to overthrow TheEmperor who plans to start another war with the [[TheFederation Republic]]. [[spoiler:Scourge]], remembering the result of the Great Hyperspace War, in which the Sith were driven to near-extinction by the Jedi, realizes another war could well spell the end of the Empire. However, over the years, he realizes that [[spoiler:Nyriss and her allies]] are too afraid to make a move and would rather play political games than do something to further their cause. Eventually, thanks in part to Revan's influence, [[spoiler:Scourge]] allies with Revan and Meetra Surik (the [[PlayerCharacter Exile]] from ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'') in order to kill the Emperor. However, when they reach the throne room and are ready to strike, [[spoiler:he has a vision of the Emperor's death and realizes it won't be then and there]]. [[spoiler:Scourge]] betrays the Jedi, [[spoiler:killing Surik]], and gets Revan imprisoned for three centuries. The Emperor misinterprets this as proof of loyalty and makes [[spoiler:Scourge]] his enforcer, who is also granted immortality.

* [[spoiler:Lily]] in ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'. In that case it's less that the character is intentionally trying to play the sides, and more that the character has enough common sense to see that the "heroes" and "villains" aren't all that different.

* Long John Silver in ''Literature/TreasureIsland'', to the point where its one of his defining characteristics:

** On the other hand, it's probably more appropriate to say Long John Silver's only on Long John Silver's side. He makes whatever alliance is most profitable or convenient for himself.

* [[spoiler:Alex]] of the ''Literature/AlexRider'' series starts off working for MI6. During ''Eagle Strike'', he leaves and becomes neutral, but then [[FaceHeelTurn joins Scorpia]] after the events of that book. He then goes back to MI6 after an attempt on [[spoiler:Mrs. Jones]]'s life goes wrong.

* [[ChildProdigy Computer Jack]] from ''Literature/{{Gone}}''. He starts out the series as part of [[FiveBadBand Caine's group,]] mostly out of fear. He seems to be considering a HeelFaceTurn for a while, but Diana has to threaten him to get him to go tell Sam, the hero, how to survive his fifteenth birthday, saying that it's "time to do the right thing, even if it is for the wrong reason." He spends the first half of book 2 obviously on Sam's side, until Diana shows up and convinces him to pull a FaceHeelTurn and help Caine again. She does this by promising him "the ultimate technological challenge". He spends all of a few chapters on Caine's side, turns off the power permanently, and helps Caine remove uranium from the nuclear power plant. He's already wondering why he came back. He seems to disappear for a few scenes so that Sam and Caine can experience EnemyMine and team up against Drake, and then he's back on Sam's side. He stays on Sam's side through the entirity of ''LIES'', but he is also sick and not really in on the action at all. By ''PLAGUE'' however, he has finally accepted and grown into the hero mould permanently.

* In ''RevengeOfTheSith'''s {{novelization}}, Anakin Skywalker veers between Palpatine and the Jedi in a way that's much less sudden than how it seems in the movie, even leaning several times back towards the Light Side. [[ItWasHisSled We all know where he ended up]], obviously, but the pull of doing what [[MoralityChain Obi-Wan]] - who wants him to defend and protect people - and Padme - who wants to love and be loved - want are as strong as doing what Palpatine wants. It's just that Palpatine knew there was a contest going on and worked to throw it, though there were some tricky moments. Notably, after waking up on the slab and hearing that he's killed his wife, Anakin ''immediately'' tries to kill Palpatine with the Force - but he's so much weaker than he used to be that he can't, and then he doesn't want to anymore. Palpatine's the only thing remotely like an ally he has.