History JerkWithAHeartOfGold / Literature

* Jondalar, the secondary protagonist of ''Literature/EarthsChildrn'', has anger and jealousy issues and can be a bit of a judgmental dick at times, but has a kind and generous heart at his core. He regrets causing harm to others, tends to hurt people more out of thoughtlessness than malice and will do his best to make amends.

* ''Literature/{{Edgedancer}}'' (a novella of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive''): Stump is unpleasant, off-putting and seems to really dislike the children she's supposed to take care of as the owner of an orphanage, often assuming that they fake illnesses to get free food and bedding. As it turns out, some of this is an act - she literally cannot take as many children as she should or would like to, because she has neither the space nor funding, so she tries to scare them away instead. [[spoiler:Also, she's a burgeoning Truthwatcher and is unconsciously healing the children, which is why they always seem to "give up the act" after a few days]].

** Morris the talking cat is snarky, self-centered, and contemptuous of just about everybody. [[spoiler: When he and Dangerous Beans, one of the talking rats of the troupe he travels with, are both killed, he sacrifices one of his nine lives to save Dangerous Beans. He notes that at least once he returns to the land of the living he won't remeber it, so he can keep up his own self-image.]]

* ''Literature/ACourtOfThornsAndRoses'': Lucien makes it no secret that he despised Feyre and wouldn't mind her getting killed when she first comes to live in Prythian, in no small part due to the feeling being mutual. However, he later grows to genuinely care for her and tries to be a good friend.

* Both [[IdiotHero Matteo]] and [[TheStoic Asher]] in ''Literature/SomeoneElsesWar''.

* [[HistoricalDomainCharacter LBJ, of all people]] in [[Literature/TheMirage The Mirage]]. Despite being an [[TheGeneralissimo Authoritarian Tyrant]] who [[GeneralRipper constantly wages wars of conquest]] and ruthlessly [[ThePurge worked to exterminate]] the [[AssholeVictim Kennedy]] [[HereditaryRepublic Dynasty]] he did also work to dismantle the [[AbsoluteXenophobe Southern Segregation system]] and seemed to legitimatly belive he was [[TheFundamentalist doing God's work]] by trying to unify America under a somewhat competent government as opposed to a patchwork of Tinpot Dictators of Warlords. Kinda [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] by the fact that every once in a while his personality switches to that of '''our world's LBJ ''', so it could be assumed that all the good stuff is done in that state while the Mirage LBJ is nothing more than an [[CompleteMonster irredeamable scumbag]].

* ''LightNovel/AscendanceOfABookworm'': When introducing an annoying ManChild named Sylvester to Myne, Ferdinand promises that he has a good heart under his terrible "everything else". This is confirmed when he gives up on an exchange of chefs after being told the chefs he wanted to obtain were trained to work in very new type of business their employer invested a lot in and later donates the meat from a hunt to an orphanage.

** Alsebra, the dragoness who joins the 109th Dragon Squadron in book three, is rough around the edges, likes to show off her superior intelligence to other dragons and can be whimsical at times, but is otherwise also quite personable and truly cares about her squadmates -- dragons and humans alike.

* Kyle from ''Literature/TheHost''.

* Ronan Lynch from ''Literature/TheRavenCycle.'' He's a brooding, violent punk who will pick a fight with anyone, but he adopts a baby bird and loves his friends and family dearly (with the exception of his older brother, [[JerkAss Declan]]).

* Vidia from the ''Literature//DisneyFairies'' series is usually described as the nastiest fairy, and has been shown time and again to be condescending to others, and only care about herself. Yet in ''Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg'', she shared the last of her dust to save Neverland, and has occasionally shown a soft spot for Prilla.

* Alec Lightwood and Jace Wayland from ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments''. Alec only acts like a {{Jerkass}} because he's [[ManlyGay scared of Clary stealing Jace from him.]] [[LoveRedeems He lightens up when he meets Magnus, though.]] Jace is introduced as a [[FightingNarcissist narcissistic, sarcastic young Shadowhunter]], but he lightens up when he meets Clary, making it another case of LoveRedeems. [[spoiler:It's heavily implied that Jace's {{Jerkass}} tendencies come from [[AbusiveParents being raised by Valentine]]]]

** Ribela of Defwode spent many years travelling in the etheral void with no contact with any other human being, working against the Enemy from the shadows. As a result, when she is called back to the real world, she quickly turns out to have the social skills of Attila the Hun. She is abrasive, hardly appreciates other people's efforts, tends to make backhanded compliments when she ''does'' try to show appreciation and [[DoesNotLikeMen holds prejudices towards men]]. Still, she is generally well-meaning and firmly on the side of good. Also, [[DefrostingTheIceQueen she does gain some humility and warm up throughout the series]].

* ''Literature/BazilBroketail'': Bazil is this towards Relkin. He tends to belittle him and underappreciate his services, but he still treats him as his little brother and is always there for him. It's actually a common tendency among dragons and their dragonboys. The former may act outwardly dismissive or downright nasty towards the latter, but they are in fact very protective of them and threatening or harming the dragon's (or dragoness') boy in any way is the shortest route to pushing their BerserkButton.

* Sir Gerald, father of ''Literature/LordPeterWimsey'' is an English country nobleman of the first water; a stubborn, reactionary, HotBlooded BoisterousBruiser. However, when given the choice between his own life and that of an innocent woman ([[spoiler:The woman is his mistress, and she is married to a deeply abusive man. Sir Gerald is accused of murder and she could provide him with an alibi, but then her husband would almost certainly beat her to death.]]) he chooses the former without hesitation. He is also extremely jerkish to Harriet Vane, but is so only out of concern for his son's well-being. Harriet is of significantly lower status than the Wimseys and has ''quite'' the reputation and he is afraid she might be a GoldDigger. Once he is satisfied that she really loves his son, he gives them permission to marry immediately and without comment.

* ''Literature/TheSecretGarden'': Ben Weatherstaff, who believes that he and [[SpoiledBrat Ma]][[NoSocialSkills ry]] are NotSoDifferent.

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* [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]] with [[JerkassWoobie The Hound]] from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. He's basically a PsychoForHire who does whatever he's told to, but he has a good FreudianExcuse and has a soft spot for [[MoralityPet the Stark sisters]]. But then he does something like [[spoiler: kill a child]] or [[spoiler: [[NearRapeExperience almost rape]] said MoralityPet]] which makes you really doubt it. Overall, he's more of a PsychoForHire with a [[DownplayedTrope very, very tarnished heart of bronze.]]
** Also works with Jaime as the books progress. The jerk in him is easy enough to spot, but after reading his perspective, you realise that from his point of view, all he has ever done is really for love. He fiercely defends Brienne when someone insults her (when she isn't even there), will jump into a bear bit to save Brienne, and has the head of a girl's rapist presented to her. He also warns a man who is interested in said girl to only do something if she wants it.
* Creator/DavidEddings likes this one. Silk, Belgarath and Beldin in ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', Sparhawk in ''Literature/TheElenium''...

* Gabriel Lightwood from ''Literature/TheInfernalDevices''. He's surprisingly patient with Tessa while training her. Of course his {{Jerkass}} side comes out when he's frustrated and he is prone to taking out his anger on other people. He becomes much nicer in ''The Clockwork Princess'' when [[spoiler:his father is turned into a demon as a result of demon pox and he is forced to stay at the Institite.]]

* OlderThanRadio: Literature/SherlockHolmes. Can be kind of a conceited asshole (especially toward the police detectives and poor Watson); but he more than once shows genuine kindness and concern for the wellbeing of his clients, and occasionally fails at hiding his genuine affection for Watson (particularly when Watson is hurt or endangered in some way). At one point he gives Watson a large sum of money by purchasing his medical practice for a very high price, but does it secretly through a relative so that Watson only learns of his involvement and generosity years later.

* Julia in ''Literature/WhenYouReachMe'' could be a jerk at times, even to Annemarie and especially to Miranda, but she truly cared for Annemarie. Miranda even found out that part of how Julia treated her was how she had treated Julia in the past and, after making the first move, Miranda did find Julia to be nice.

* Vivia of ''Literature/TheWitchlands'' is abrasive, easily annoyed, and when informed that her brother has died, her first reaction is one of pure joy, as one more obstacle in her way has been removed. This being said, she's just as dedicated to the wellbeing of Nubrevna as Merik is, gives up food she's stockpiled for the poor of Lovats and is absolutely overjoyed upon learning that Merik is alive, not blaming him for his actions as [[TheCowl Fury]] at all and helping him out the best she can.
* Hareton Earnshaw of ''Literature/WutheringHeights'' is a rude, boorish, illiterate young man prone to inarticulate outbursts of rage - but he has a hell of a FreudianExcuse (having been raised first by the violent alcoholic Hindley - who tried to kill him at age two by throwing him off a railing - and later by [[VillainProtagonist Heathcliff]], who deliberately kept him as uncivilized as possible to ruin his life, and mocked and tormented his whole life by almost everyone he meets) - but in the end he's willing to stand up to Heathcliff and he ends up proving one of the more decent people in the book.