History JerkWithAHeartOfGold / VideoGames

*** Miu is a brash, loudmouthed girl who makes frequent sex jokes, saddles people with insulting nicknames, and brags about her smarts and good looks to anyone who will listen. However, that said, she still wants to use her talent to help people and is horrified by the death of [[spoiler:Kaede]]. Though she ends up [[spoiler:getting killed after a botched attempt to murder Kokichi]], she did it because she thought the outside world needed her more and Shuichi notes that she actually does a lot to help the group.
*** Tenko Chabashira ''hates'' "degenerate males" and is hostile towards any boy who gets too familiar with it and tends to react violently at the drop of a hat. That being said, she's very empathetic to both victims and culprits alike, tries to offer emotional advice to Shuichi and Himiko, and even [[spoiler:volunteers to be a conduit for her rival, Angie, so Himiko can speak to her. Unfortunately, this costs Tenko her life.]]

** From ''Videogame/EarthBound'', we have Mr. Everdred, a thief who jumps from a roof to attack you. However, after beating him ([[BonusBoss or not]]), he tells you to come back after [[spoiler:rescuing Paula]], at which point he gives you ''ten thousand dollars''. You're supposed to use the money to help the Runaway Five, though, so you don't get to spend it. Awwww.

** Satoru Mashita from ''VisualNovel/DeathMark''. His lines are filled with derision and sarcasm, but he cares greatly for human life and is very protective of everyone around him.

*** The Man From The Curiosity Shop sees nothing wrong with blatantly selling stolen goods, and is [[FantasticRacism rather racist to anyone who isn't human]], but he seriously cares for Kafei. It's especially telling that Kafei went to this guy for help rather than ''his own parents'' when he was cursed.
*** The head carpenter Mutoh is abrasive, arrogant, angry, and obnoxious to just about everyone. However, he happens to be one of the few people in Clock Town who isn't rude or even condescending to Deku Scrub Link. Instead he talks kindly and sincerely apologizes that the kid (believing him to be a tourist) came all that way for what ended up being a rather disappointing carnival.

** [[TheAce Dante]] himself counts. He's abrasive as all hell at first (especially in ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening 3]]''), and initially acts like a HandsomeLech towards Lady, but it's implied that he does a lot of ''pro bono'' jobs when people actually can't afford his services, and comes around to saving the day simply because it's the right thing to do. He's actually got a kind side to him and is perfectly willing to [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman accept demons that choose to be good]], and even [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre console them]] as [[HighHeelFaceTurn Trish]] and [[HappilyAdopted Lucia]] can attest, and more or less plays BigBrotherMentor to Nero by the finale of ''4''.

* Subverted, almost, in ''Jewel Knights Crusaders''. The main star makes it abundantly clear that he is a jerk almost all the way through. Whenever he shows the tiniest bit of kindness, he subverts it. Except a couple of times when he doesn't.

** Groose from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' starts off trying to sabotage Link's chances in the Bird Races by locking up his Loftwing and then ramming into and throwing eggs at Link with his lackeys in the race itself, all so he can get to be the one to go out with Zelda. He's eventually shown to be quite noble when the situation calls for it, though; most notably, [[spoiler:he helps Link fight the Imprisoned with a bomb-launching apparatus that he built specifically for that purpose, saves Zelda's life by running to catch her when Demise throws her body through the air, and warms up to Link over the course of the game]].

* Gadd from the ''VideoGame/{{Guild Wars}}'' expansion ''Eye of the North''. He starts out as a complete jerkass, bossing the player's group around, mocking you in a very condescending manner, and often repeating things IN CAPS in case you "weren't listening". At the end of the G.O.L.E.M. mission, Oola arrives, saying she has bad news. A confused Vekk asks what Gadd is upset about now, to which Oola sadly replies, "He was trying to boost the power of the last Golem. There was an explosion. He didn't make it. I'm sorry." In other words, he (perhaps knowingly) sacrificed himself to give your team a better chance of surviving. Suddenly, he doesn't seem like such a bad guy after all...

* Haseo from ''[[VideoGame/DotHackGUGames .hack//G.U.]]'' starts as grade-A JerkAss in ''.hack//Roots'', slowly develops into this throughout the game, and by the end of Volume 3, he has apparently dropped his jackassery.

* ''Videogame/{{Mother}}'':

* ''StreetFighter'':

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'':

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* Haseo from ''[[VideoGame/DotHackGUGames .hack//G.U.]]'' starts as grade-A JerkAss in ''.hack//Roots'', slowly develops into this throughout the game, and by the end of Volume 3, he has apparently dropped his jackassery.

* Herschel Biggs from ''VideoGame/LANoire'' is not the most sociable character to be partnered because he works alone. However, near the end of the second Arson case, he begins to like Cole.
* Joel from ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs''. He starts out as a huge jerk in the beginning of the game, mostly due to his [[CynicismCatalyst Cynicism Catalyst]], (a.k.a [[spoiler:Sarah's death]].) But, as the game progresses, his heart of gold shines through with his new found relationship with his surrogate daughter Ellie.
* Francis from ''VideoGame/Left4Dead''. He [[MemeticMutation hates almost everything except vests]], and his background info shows that he is a rebel and enjoys the zombie outbreak because he can now kick some ass without the law standing in this way. During the game, he loves to bust Bill's chops, but shows respect if Bill happens to die. He also shows a bit more emotion to Louis if he gets killed, saying things like "He didn't deserve this." When it comes to survivors being low on health, he shows the most concern to Zoey, and if any survivor is incapacitated twice, Francis will express grave concern for the victim as he helps them up.
** Rochelle of ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' will say this almost word for word about Nick in the sequel if he pulls her up after she's fallen from a ledge.
** Francis shows more "gold" than "jerk" when it comes to [[spoiler:talking about Bill's death in The Passing, referring to Bill as a good man and how he would have shot Nick for being so disrespectful and rude]].
** Nick himself has shades of this. While he starts off as an extreme Jerkass, he does seem to become more friendly with his fellow survivors during the course of the game. For example, sometimes when Ellis dies, he'll say "You know all those things I said about you, Ellis? I was joking..."
* Agate Crosner of the ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'' trilogy. He first comes off as this when he confronts Joshua's team, but gradually develops into a respectable fighter. More so that he develops into a big brother figure to the team. [[spoiler: This is due to his time being with the Ravens. He was their leader]].
* Gala from ''VideoGame/LegendOfLegaia'' starts out as a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. He constantly insults Vahn and Noa at first, demeaning their violent ways and quite openly displaying his disdain at being forced to help them. Eventually, he'll lighten up and become friendlier with the rest of your team, though he still occasionally argues with Noa.

** Mido from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' starts off as the only Kokiri who hates Link, to the point that he spreads rumors that Link was the one who was responsible for the Deku Tree's death. By the time you meet him again as an adult, he has begun regretting his mistreatment of Link, and he asks Adult Link (who he does not recognize as Link) to convey his regret to Link if possible.
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', the Man From The Curiosity Shop sees nothing wrong with blatantly selling stolen goods, and is [[FantasticRacism rather racist to anyone who isn't human]], but he seriously cares for Kafei. It's especially telling that Kafei went to this guy for help rather than ''his own parents'' when he was cursed.
*** Similarily, the head carpenter Mutoh is abrasive, arrogant, angry, and obnoxious to just about everyone. However, he happens to be one of the few people in Clock Town who isn't rude or even condescending to Deku Scrub Link. Instead he talks kindly and sincerely apologizes that the kid (believing him to be a tourist) came all that way for what ended up being a rather disapointing carnival.

** Groose from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' starts off trying to sabotage Link's chances in the Bird Races by locking up his Loftwing and then having him and his lackeys ram into and throw eggs at Link in the race itself, all so he could get to be the one to go out with Zelda. He's eventually shown to be quite noble when the situation calls for it, though; most notably, [[spoiler:he helps Link fight the Imprisoned with a bomb-launching apparatus that he built specifically for that purpose, saves Zelda's life by running to catch her when Demise throws her body through the air, and warms up to Link over the course of the game]].

** David Madsen, Chloe's step-dad, is a paranoid RightWingMilitiaFanatic who constantly gives Chloe orders and slaps her if Max doesn't intervene when he finds drugs in her room. It soon becomes clear that he has PTSD from his time in the military, and the only way he knows how to relate to people is to treat them as soldiers, making him the DrillSergeantNasty. [[spoiler:He saves Max from Jefferson in episode 5, and if Max chooses to tell him that Jefferson has already killed Chloe, David will kill Jefferson in revenge]].
** Frank Bowers, Chloe's dealer, first shows up waving a knife at Chloe and demanding she pay back the money he loaned her. He's also been providing Nathan Prescott with drugs to sell on campus, and in one conversation there are numerous choices that will make him try to kill you, which will lead to his death [[KickTheDog and the death of his dog]]. However, if you talk to people and pay attention, it soon becomes clear that he's a nice guy under his prickly exterior; he rescued his dog from a fighting ring and got the whole thing shut down by the police, he genuinely loved Rachel Amber, and he loaned Chloe that money as a friend (only to discover later that she had been planning on skipping town and never paying him back). If you manage to navigate the last conversation with him correctly, he gives the girls what they need and later texts them an offer to hang out. [[spoiler:He also shows up at Chloe's funeral in the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending]]. In the prequel, he saves Chloe's life multiple times and easily forgives the much smaller amount of money she owes him, which helps explain why in the original game she told Max that he wasn't as bad as he seemed.
** In ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrangeBeforeTheStorm'', Drew seems like a standard JerkJock, picking on Nathan for being a nerd. He gets pissed at Chloe if she intervenes. However, in episode 2 it's revealed he dotes on his (extremely nerdy) little brother Mikey, and immediately puts aside his conflict with Chloe in order to keep Mikey safe. Depending on Chloe's choices, [[spoiler:either Drew or Mikey will end up in the hospital]]; either way, Drew will thank Chloe for doing her best to help. It's also revealed that Nathan's father put Drew's father out of a job and left him homeless, so while his rage at Nathan isn't justified, it's certainly understandable.
* ''VideoGame/{{Lunar}}'':
** Nash from the original. He's egotistical and frequently abrasive, but he goes quite far out of his way to help Alex out and is one of the few people in Vane to recognize that Mia is actually quite stubborn and strong-willed underneath her sweet personality. By [[FakeDefector pretending to switch sides]], he gets the team to the Frontier, and nearly dies for it when Xenobia figures out what he's up to. He goes from annoying to downright heroic.
** In the remake, ''[[VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar Lunar: Silver Star Story]]'', Nash is a borderline case: he's a jerk from the instant you pry him from that ridiculous trap he ended up in; he [[FaceHeelTurn sells you out to Ghaleon once or twice]]; but at the end of the game you find that all he's done, he's done [[LoveMakesYouEvil for love of Mia]]. Mia slaps him into sensibility, and he rejoins you as an invaluable mage in the taking down of Ghaleon.
** Ghaleon also may count in this category. He is the [[BigBad main villain]] in the first game and one of the last bosses in the second game, but his [[FinalSpeech long-winded death speech]], gift of an ass-kicking sword, and a couple of fairy gardens show you he really did mean well.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'', a rampant Durandal was the BigBad. In ''Marathon 2'', he's mission control. In ''Marathon Infinity'', he saves the player rather than himself from imminent death - [[spoiler: twice. And he died permanently both times. And Durandal's driving ambition in the first two games? ''To make himself immortal, no matter the cost to anybody else.'']]
* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
** Wrex from the first game is the most cynical and jaded of the party members. However, if the player helps him reacquire his grandfather's old armor [[spoiler:he'll note during his HeroicBSOD that Shepard's done more for him than any of his family.]] If he survives for the sequel, [[spoiler:he becomes the Overlord of the Krogans of Tuchanka, determined to drag them kicking and screaming into a new future.]] He also happily greets Shepard upon meeting him/her, noting that their time spent was one of the best times of his life. He is almost [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld 1000 years old]].
** Commander Shepard is capable of fitting the trope as well, depending on the player's choices. It's a good way to rack up paragon and renegade points at the same time.
** Also Miranda Lawson, who may be working with a terrorist organization and be a bitch at times, [[KnightTemplar but she works for what she believes is the greater good]] and ruthlessly protects those that she cares about. [[DefrostingIceQueen Also she will generally warm up to people after a while.]] By ''3'', [[CharacterDevelopment the Jerk part is completely gone.]]
** Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jhilani, surprisingly. Don't misunderstand, she's a rude, antagonistic bitch who tries media smear jobs on Shepard ''twice'' for ratings. But in Mass Effect 3, if the player manages to refrain from punching her long enough, it becomes apparent that this time she isn't attacking Shepard for ratings--she's genuinely distraught over the fate of Earth and is angry with Shepard for seemingly abandoning it. If the player then takes a paragon option, Shepard talks her down and reassures her that s/he's trying everything he can. [[HeelFaceTurn al-Jilani then goes on to give such a heartfelt plea for aid over the extranet that war relief donations pour in.]]
** By the time ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' rolls around, Jack has become one, [[spoiler: as well as a BadassTeacher]].
** Javik from the ''From Ashes DLC'' morphs into one over the course of the third game. (A very drunk) Tali even calls him out on it, commenting that despite his [[AloofAlly aloofness]], rudeness and CulturalPosturing, Javik has ''obviously'' become fond of the rest of the squad, especially [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee Liara]], and has come to have particular respect for Shepard, despite their almost completely opposite methods if Shepard is a paragon.
** In the ''Omega DLC'' for ''3'', Paragon Shepard and Nyreen can nudge [[NobleDemon Aria T'loak]] into this territory.
** [[SpaceRomans Turians]] in general. They're militaristic, [[HumorlessAliens humourless]], [[LawfulStupid law anal]] SpacePolice that caused a nasty FirstContact with humanity, but decades later, when Earth is invaded by the Reapers in ''3'', they're the only Council race to immediately offer humanity their assistance.
* VideoGame/MaxPayne from the eponymous series. Bitter, jaded, cynical, depressed, sarcastic, alcoholic, short-tempered, brusque at best to what few friends he has, and frighteningly competent in the area of killing people... yet he is still a decent (but ''deeply'' broken) man at heart who wants to protect the innocent and punish the wicked. His unflinching dedication to doing the right thing even in the face of overwhelming odds is what keeps him an AntiHero rather than a SociopathicHero or VillainProtagonist.
* [[QuirkyMinibossSquad The Bonne Family]] from ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends''. They're willing to lay waste to cities in the pursuit of treasure, but when an island of people is going to die they drop everything to help out. In the sequel they steal everything that isn't nailed down from Saul Kada ''except'' the toilet paper, because they can't bring themselves to go that far.
--> '''Tiesel:''' Take everything that isn't nailed down! I don't even want a toothpick to be left!\\

'''Tiesel:''' (Pauses to think) We may be pirates, but we're not barbarians! Let them keep the toilet paper.
* Zero from ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' and ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero]]''. He acts cold towards anyone, even his ''own partners X and Axl''. It was all just an act; he just had too many betrayals and tragedies going on with his life. However, he really ''is'' a nice guy, and is someone who is ready to fight for the people who he cares for the most.
** Omega-Xis from ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce''. He starts out viewing humans as blundering inconveniences, but does come to genuinely care for his host as a friend. He also shows genuine horror in 3 when [[spoiler: Luna is temporarily deleted by Joker, and when Ace and Acid sacrifice themselves to save him and Geo from a self-destructing Joker.]]

** Axel isn't the ''nicest'' person but he ''does'' genuinely care for his friends. When the others start joking around during the shelter segment, he scolds them for not being worried about Petra's safety.

* ''Videogame/{{Mother}}'': Gang leader and misguided youth, Teddy. After initiating a tussle with Ninten, Teddy joins up with the party and helps greatly with their quest.
** From ''Videogame/EarthBound'', we have Mr. Everdred, a thief who jumps from a roof to attack you. However, after beating him ([[BonusBoss or not]]), he tells you to come back after [[spoiler: rescuing Paula]], at which point he gives you ''ten thousand dollars''. You're supposed to use the money to help the Runaway Five, though, so you don't get to spend it. Awwww.
** Fassad/Yokuba from VideoGame/Mother3. For pretty much the entire game he's been a {{Jerk Ass}} in various ways- torturing Salsa, corrupting Nowhere Islands, and [[spoiler: if it weren't for him, the REAL {{Jerk Ass}}, Porky/Pokey might have died from the start, (depending on if he's really capable of dying) and would not have succeeded in manipulating the islands' inhabitants anyway, and also, he wouldn't have gotten the idea to pull the Needles in the first place.]] But you figure out that last one right as you discover that [[spoiler: Fassad/Yokuba = Locria. (That explains why he's so ugly) And his room is in the classic Magypsy style. Then Pokey/Porky goes on the intercom and says get out of there.]] And right in the next room, [[spoiler: there's a little mouse. He says, "Squeak squeak squeeeak. (I don't think Locria is coming back anymore. Oh, me? I'm a mouse Locria liked to dote over. He had a creepy "Nwehehehehe" laugh, so he might've seemed like a mean person in most people's eyes, but he was very nice to me, at least. Do you think he'll be coming home soon? I'm so lonely.)" Considering you humiliated him, made him reconstruct himself, left him to drown in sewage for hours, and since your ultimate goal is to pull the Seventh Needle, effectively killing him once and for all, it may make some feel guilty for leaving this little, insignificant mouse all alone. Even for killing the {{Jerkass}}.]]
* Johnny Cage from ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', especially in the new timeline established by ''9''. He initially comes off as an insufferable movie star with an overinflated ego, and spends his entire chapter in ''9'' making a complete ass of himself, hitting on Sonya much to her chagrin. But he is horrified at the idea of killing a defeated opponent, and later on good naturedly brushes off Jax beating him up towards an argument. By the time of the sequel, he's considerably mellowed out, and is an affable and approachable mentor to the new generation of heroes, and [[TheHeart keeps Sonya from]] [[KnightTemplar going too far]]. He's also an [[GoodParents endearingly doting and understanding father]] to Cassie Cage, and possibly the series' best dad.
* Neeshka from ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' can be a bit of a jerk, but a careful player can bring out her softer side. Likewise, Gann in Mask of the Betrayer comes across as an arrogant, uncaring person, but is revealed to be quite the opposite if a female character gets enough Influence with him.

* Celeste Jolicoeur from ''VideoGame/TheOuterWorlds'' is ''the'' FashionDesigner in the wealthy, decadant city of [[CrapsaccharineWorld Byzantium]]. Virtually everybody in that city is pompous, vain, and materialistic, and Celeste is no excepton. But while for most of the city, that's ''all'' they are, Celeste is really decent underneath it all. When [[AmbiguousDisorder awkward]], [[ThePigPen grease-stained]] WrenchWench Parvati comes in asking about nice clothes for a date, Celeste is quite happy to remind all in earshot that she ''is'' the best, but she's also sincerely delighted to help the young woman find love. Both Celeste's fashion assistance and her kind words help Parvati overcome [[ShrinkingViolet her shyness]].
* Several heroes in ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' fall into these if they're not being total NiceGuy:
** Torbjorn is a grumpy and RacistGrandpa against Omnics due to distrusting them and [[TheCassandra his paranoia unchecked]] led to the horrific Omnic Crisis that justified his hatred. However, his reasoning to fight in the Omnic Crisis isn't merely an excuse to scrap as many Omnics as he could but due to pure altruism in protecting humanity. Perhaps that's why he got himself a wife and 8 children in a healthy family.
** Symmetra is a condescending elitist and an agent of Vishkar, believing in their brand of order and goes along with their oppressive methods to assert dominance which she believed to be for the greater good, and also dislikes large crowds due to autism. Because of this, her interactions include looking down on certain other people and antagonizing a heroic freedom fighter Lucio for opposing Vishkar's actions and no 'positive' interaction, enforcing the 'Jerk' part. Unlike Vishkar who seems to be just doing it for profit, Symmetra hates unnecessary killing, is genuine in trying to improve the world welfare and wanting people to prosper in it, which is why she doubted Vishkar's method (only following to it due to manipulation and her upbringing being raised by them since childhood). She even befriended a poor little girl out of whim and desired to improve her life.
** Jack Morrison once used to be a completely charismatic and friendly NiceGuy who led the Overwatch against the Omnic Crisis and plays out like a complete [[{{Face}} babyface]]. And then he was faced with the harsh facts that corruption is growing within his group, and then he was betrayed by his best friend in a battle that resulted both of them thought to be dead. Jack survived, but then became bitter and donned the identity of Soldier: 76, trading his old idealism with cynicism, now he's a grumpy 'end-justifies-the-means' guy who'd do amoral strategies like planting mines, stealing things and brutalizing his target (who mostly happen to be really bad guys) just to get to his goal of... uncovering the mystery behind Overwatch's disbandment. But his old habits die hard, he'd rather let a gang of thugs escape when he could wipe them out himself just so he could cover a little girl from getting blown up by said thug's grenades. He'd deny that he's a hero, but the girl knows that at heart, he still is. His voicelines sometimes show that he still cared for his comrades, this is why in [[MemeticMutation the fandom meme]], he's known as [[TeamDad "Dad 76"]].

*** Shinjiro Aragaki is a grumpy, unfriendly, and uncooperative loner... [[http://youtu.be/HT42iC6fFMM who is very fond of animals and loves cooking shows!]] A lounge conversation with Aigis reveals that Shinjiro buys expensive dog food for Koromaru, out of his own pocket, while another one informs the player that he had been already feeding Koromaru back when the dog still lived at the shrine (this is also implied in the ''Persona 3 Portable'' Drama CD).
*** ''Persona 3 Portable'' also brings Shinjiro's HiddenHeartOfGold to the forefront in the Female Protagonist's route. During his Social Link, he's genuinely friendly from the start, is surprisingly cooperative with her, and only shows a (very) brief {{Tsundere}} side right before the OptionalSexualEncounter. [[spoiler: Which makes sense, as he'll die in a few days ([[MultipleEndings or so he thinks]]) and ''really'' doesn't want another thing to regret]]. AllGirlsWantBadBoys [[AvertedTrope be damned]]!
*** Another example may be Hidetoshi Odagiri. Though he is strict, stern, and often cold to most, he eventually shows signs of holding a heart of gold as he truly believes that upholding the law will help everyone in the end. At the end of his S. Link, he decides that he wants to try being softer and ask others for their opinions. He even makes it clear that he's thinking about [[spoiler:becoming a teacher]] in order to help set the foundations for a better future and [[spoiler:admits that much of his [[CharacterDevelopment previous jerkish behavior was naive]]]]. Sure, he's a [[{{Jerkass}} hardass]], but he's also got very good intentions at heart. In fact, it's implied that he only ever wanted so much power so that he would be able to help and promote fairness for as many people as possible. [[HiddenDepths Huh]].

*** Kanji Tatsumi is a rather awkward nice guy with a bit of a temper, who acts like a {{delinquent}}. At one point he threatens to tear down Chinese Diner Aiya because the manager misplaced his order… before Kanji corrects himself and adds that he'll rebuild it twice as good; he's gonna RENOVATE his ass. Kanji also likes to sew and make stuffed animals (very well-made ones at that) for other people.

** ''VideoGame/Persona5'': Many of the Phantom Thieves and their accomplices are this, as their mistreatment at the hands of society has turned them rather cynical. For instance, Sojiro Sakura is extremely distrustful of you for your first few months in Tokyo, despite being a man willing to take in both you and Futaba, while Ryuji Sakamoto acts like a delinquent due to the rest of the school doing nothing when he was physically and emotionally abused by a teacher, but is also willing to whatever it takes to protect other students from said teacher and other corrupt adults.

** N from ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite''. At first, he seems to be a driven jerk who hates humans and only cares for Pokemon, even calling out Professor Juniper on having nothing against relationships between the two, and that he is revolted by even the idea of the Pokedex itself. [[spoiler: But at the end of the game, it is revealed that he didn't think there were Pokemon that liked humans, even though he himself could talk to them - he'd been raised with Pokemon abused by humans. And it turns out his constant battles with you were (unsuccessful) attempts at confirming his beliefs.]]
** Lusamine from ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon'', [[{{Jerkass}} in contrast to]] [[BitchInSheepsClothing her original game counterpart]] is this. Despite being selfish, and (at first) very controlling towards her children, as well as harshly admonishing them for leaving her and stealing Cosmog and Type: Null from her, she is otherwise a very well-meaning, decent, and empathetic person, and cares for her kids enough to try and protect them and the Pokémon she loves from Necrozma. After the Necrozma incident, she realizes her mistakes and becomes determined to make it up to those she had hurt in her goal to stop Necrozma. Her response to Hau's surprise at the familial connection between herself and her children sums her up best.
--->'''Lusamine:''' Those wretches beside you left me. But I will still save them
* The Prince of ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'' (before [[DarkerAndEdgier the]] sequel, [[JerkAss anyway]]) is arrogant, spoiled, sarcastic, reckless, stubborn, and obsessed with 'honour and glory' to the point where he accidentally unleashed hell for it, but he is also very brave, well-meaning, and totally, heartbreakingly desperate for his father's approval, even though his father obviously already adores him.

* Jean Descole from ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' immediately comes across as selfish and short-tempered. He isn't above terrorizing entire towns to find the Azran Legacies in them, and he kidnaps and attacks many people throughout the series. However, he also goes out of his way to make sure innocents aren't killed in his schemes, such as when he [[spoiler:corrects Luke's predictions about where the specter will appear so those areas will be evacuated beforehand]] and [[spoiler:sends the losers of the game for eternal life safely back to London when he blows up the Crown Petone, even though he makes it seem like they're dead to the remaining players]]. In ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheAzranLegacy'', he even [[spoiler:takes injury from a laser-shooting Azran robot pushing Luke out of its way.]]
* ''VideoGame/RandalsMonday'': Randal is a surprisingly decent guy at times. He genuinely cares about Matt and feels guilt for his actions. But he's always handy with a good quip or tell off to the average person on the street.
* In his debut, Franchise/{{Ratchet|AndClank}} was [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness shockingly different]] from the Lombax we know and love today. Over the course of the game he bounced between JerkWithAHeartOfGold and plain old {{Jerkass}}; granted, he had a reason for the [[HeroicBSOD poor behavior]] in [[MilesGloriosus one case]] and, near the game's end, Clank actually {{invoked|Trope}} this trope.
--> '''Clank''': This is the Ratchet I always knew was there.
* Jake in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6''. He's the [[DeadpanSnarker master of snark]], and can't seem to go 5 minutes without a sarcastic comment. Plus, let's not forget he's a mercenary. And yet, he risks his own life to save Sherry countless times, and [[spoiler: in the end, takes back his demand for 50 million dollars in exchange for his blood (which will save the world), and instead says 50 bucks will do.]] Also, [[spoiler: in a hidden cut scene after Ada's campaign, he helps a middle eastern boy by saving him from several huge B.O.W.s in exchange for a mere apple]].
* [[spoiler:Capelli]] in the end of ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}} 2''. He eventually goes to this in the third game.

** Knuckles the Echidna is one of the most prolific examples. He is shown to be quite rude, hot-tempered, and anti-social, but he's also been said to have "a trusting heart, and wants to believe there's goodness in everyone" and can prove to be a helpful hand for Sonic and the gang. This element of his character really comes into play in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', when he saves Rouge from falling into the lava and then actually apologized for hurting her. In ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic '06]]'', he was noticeably upset when [[spoiler:Sonic was temporarily dead]]. Knuckles is also generally a nice person when he's in a good mood.

** [[TheRival Shadow the Hedgehog]] is more than willing to fight the other heroes should they get in his way and pretty apathetic to things that don't relate to his goals, and can be quite of a rude and egotistical {{Jerkass}} at times, but he's always at the frontlines whenever a new threat arises and is capable of working with the heroes too when they're on the same page. He also cares very much for his two teammates, and his late surrogate sister Maria, not to mention that he cares for the well being of everyone else (even Sonic), even if he doesn't always express it.

* Patroklos from ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur V]]''... is an example of this trope that somehow goes wrong. He's a callous ass who thinks more with his brawns or 'famed reputation' than his brains, is abrasive to others, but otherwise is trying his damndest to do the right thing from his POV, even if he becomes an easy prey for manipulation, as well as trying to be a good brother for his sister Pyrrha, even if sometimes he has his downfalls, he does care about her and ultimately accepts her for what she is. [[TheScrappy Too bad he's done some things that makes the fandom already lost big trusts on him that his heart of gold looks eclipsed by the 'Jerk' part.]]

** Satoru Mashita from ''VisualNovel/DeathMark''. His lines are filled with derision and sarcasm. But he cares greatly for human life and is very protective of everyone around him.

* Dias Flac from ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'', except when speaking to Rena.
* In ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'', you have as an optional character Roger S. Huxley, a Menodix (essentially a small boy with a raccoon's tail). For most of the game, he alternates between being a jerk and immature (although he is only 12). But should he (re)appear in a later cutscene where he is injured after destroying a transporter jammer (which character does this out of Nel, Albel, or Roger is decided by the player's choices earlier in the game), it turns out that for all his flaws, his heart is in the right place. This same scene could be considered a [[Heartwarming/VideoGames moment of heartwarming]].

** Dan Hibiki might be an obnoxious MilesGloriosus who gleefully takes credit for other people's work and fancies himself a [[SmallNameBigEgo much better fighter]] than he [[JokeCharacter actually is]] while secretly despising people "cooler" than him, his heart is in the right place and his intentions are good, allowing him to become friends with both Sakura and Blanka.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'':
** Jade and Anise are perfect examples, as both are regularly rude and snarky, but also genuinely care about their companions.
** And from the same game, [[DefrostingIceQueen Tear Grants]] can be very icy and blunt at times, but she noticeably softens up as the story progresses.
** Even Luke, the main character, starts out as this before his ImportantHaircut and CharacterDevelopment. And Asch keeps it up for the whole game, although the emphasis there is on the "jerk" part.
** Natalia is a true RoyalBrat who routinely bosses Luke and Guy around and only gets to join the party by blackmailing Luke. She is also responsible for many humanitarian and philanthropic works throughout her kingdom and doesn't hesitate to use her HealingHands if she sees someone suffering in front of her. By the end of the game, [[CharacterDevelopment she's lost the jerk part entirely]].
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'':
** At first, the mercenary Kratos appears to be traveling with the party only for the money, and then on top of that [[spoiler:he betrays you!]] But, it turns out he's not as much of a jerk as Lloyd first thinks [[spoiler:and he comes back to your side in the end]].
** Zelos fits this trope even better. While he is a teasing, arrogant and carefree HandsomeLech who starts off with a dislike for half-elves, he does make a clear effort to overcome that prejudice and even uses his status to prevent new laws that would further the horrible treatment of half-elves from being passed. He also shows genuine concern for Sheena, and he cares deeply for his little sister [[spoiler: despite the fact that her mother murdered his. Actually, much of his actions during the game are for the sake of his sister because he believes the fact they sentenced her for something she didn't do to be unfair]]. Also, like Kratos, [[spoiler: he betrays you at one point but [[FakeDefector comes back to yourside in seven of the eight endings.]] Even in the one where he doesn't rejoin he [[AntiVillain he helps you one last time before he dies]].]] When conditions place him closest to Lloyd, he also shows that he believes that Lloyd was right that status and race mean nothing.
** Yuan from the same game is a borderline example. He's cold, standoffish, and generally impatient with the main cast for the entire game, refusing to acknowledge them as anything but grudging allies...when he's not actively trying to kill them. But it turns out that all his actions are pushing toward a goal of trying to save the world from the BigBad, and [[spoiler:grant Martel, his fiancee, the peace she deserves.]] There's a sidequest near the end in which you return the [[spoiler:engagement]] ring he dropped in a mandatory cutscene early in the game, at the end of which he's willing to literally beg Lloyd to give it back to him.
* Yeager of ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' is a minor recurring villain with a German accent, crazy speech, and constantly meddles in things on both sides of a conflict so he can keep the profits coming in as a weapons dealer. Then Raven sees fit to inform that he's just laying the nutjob act on a little thick. THEN you find out [[spoiler:he's been donating to an orphanage all this time and raising two of the orphans like his own daughters.]]
* Miguel Caballero Rojo in ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}} 6''. He is a jerk to everyone except his sister. When he found out about her plans in marriage, he tries to murder him, but relents anyway for the sake of her happiness.
** Anna Williams, to a somewhat lesser extent. Sure, she's an assassin with a blood feud against her sister Nina, but she's nowhere near as brutal about it as Nina is and there are strong hints throughout the series that, deep down, she wishes their rivalry could just end.
* Dr. Neil Watts from ''VideoGame/ToTheMoon''. At first, he's a total smartass and enjoys being sarcastic, mean and doing INCREDIBLY stupid things (like riding a horse backwards), but when it comes to Eva trying to [[spoiler: move River from Johnny's memories so he can go to the moon]] he FIERCELY tries to prevent that, believing that that would make Johnny miserable, proving that he does in fact care!

** Hakurei Reimu is occasionally played as a {{Stoic}} Jerk with a Heart of Gold, when the fans aren't joking about how her approach to solving a problem is thuggish (or genocidal). She will constantly mention how her job as a shrine maiden is to exterminate youkai, cue the ending cutscenes of most games where she will have a casual tea party with the final boss (who's usually a youkai) and regularly has said youkai over to her place for a boozefest in the manga. It's constantly mentioned that strong youkai are fond of her, whether she likes it or not, since it means less followers for her shrine as the humans are scared off by their presence. The books say that the main reason for her role as a youkai exterminator is the fact that the very existence of the barrier that keeps Gensokyo alive depends on the human-youkai balance where one must fear the other (the human side being the regular villagers in this case), meaning she has no choice but to do her job. Toyosatomimi no Miko, whose magic ability lets her see the true desires of anyone she meets, explicitly stated that deep down, beneath all her anti-youkai rhetoric, [[HiddenHeartOfGold Reimu genuinely wants peace between humans and youkai without any violence involved]].
** Marisa also counts, she can be a mean, mischeveous, [[ConsummateLiar liar]] and [[KleptomaniacHero thief]], but she thinks, and tells to [[AllLovingHero Hijiri Byakuren]] humans needs to be protected from unchecked youkai ([[LetsYouAndHimFight which causes Byakuren to attack her, since when she was sealed it was youkai who were getting exterminated]], and so she thinks Marisa is just another [[FantasticRacism racist]]. There are apologies on boths sides afterwards). She also puts apart her own curiosity and interest in ransacking the Mountain to help the Kappa and Tengu with their problems in Mountain of Faith, and is nice enough to have earned a sort of big sister position to the three mischievous fairies.
** Many Touhou characters can be considered like this. Of course, sometimes it's really "obnoxious with a heart of gold", or "lazy with a heart of gold", or "utterly crazy but with a heart of gold".
* Teagan from ''VideoGame/UncommonTime'' is a very dark and borderline deconstructionist take on this. She is motivated by a genuine desire to protect Alto and look out for her best interests, but the stress of fighting against Alto's powerful family and dealing with Alto's StepfordSmiler tendencies made her snap, and she now dismisses Alto as a BrokenBird and an idiot who can't think for herself. Her belligerence doesn't stop at Alto, either, and she's particularly mean to Meirin. To her credit, [[spoiler:when Alto finally snaps and voices all the resentment she's kept bottled up, Teagan immediately has a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment and profusely apologizes. She becomes much less hostile after this and makes genuine attempts to be friendlier with the rest of the cast. Alto still refuses to forgive her for the years of verbal abuse, however, saying the damage has already been done.]]
* Taking its cues from ''Franchise/IndianaJones'', Nathan Drake of the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' series fits this trope.
* Tenmyouji in ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward''. He's a GrumpyOldMan to the core who isn't afraid to call it like he sees it; he also won't hesitate to choose "Betray" in the AB Game. But... everything he does, he does for the benefit of his grandson, Quark. And although it takes a while for him to warm up to others, he's an extremely steadfast and true friend once someone earns his trust. [[spoiler: His curmudgeonly attitude ''might'' have something to do with the fact that [[VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors he's]] been chasing his lost love [[NotAsYouKnowThem all his life...]]]]
* From ''VideoGame/WildArms3'': Maya may seem harsh, but beside the obvious motivation of wanting to get rid of other Drifter competitors, she does have a sweet spot for Virginia, protecting her in her own way (and literally saved the party's life at least once).
* Geralt of Rivia, of ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'' series, is this canonically. Thanks to his life and the [[CrapsackWorld world in which he lives,]] he has become very [[KnightInSourArmor cynical and jaded,]] and he takes great pains to [[TrueNeutral take no sides in any debate]] and maintain a veneer of cool professionalism. But he's very protective of his few friends, and deep under his facade has something very close to ChronicHeroSyndrome. This is probably {{Justified|Trope}}, as Witchers are supposed to be jerks due to their mutations cutting off higher emotional states. Geralt is fully aware he's not a ''total'' jerk and that frustrates him. Amusingly, other witchers apparently see him as a drama queen.
* Neku Sakuraba of ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' hates people in general and at the beginning of the game does his best to shut them out. But after playing the Reaper's Game for 6 days, he starts becoming a lot more friendly and tolerant, though he still maintains his DeadpanSnarker POV.

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'''s most troperriffic character and more [[MemeticMutation meme]] than man, Archer. He clearly means well and in a lot of ways is more successful at this than Shirou himself. [[spoiler:However, in UBW the "heart of gold" gets restored to the surface... and promptly hit with a {{reset button}}. And then restored again.]]
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' has got 'em all over the place:
** ''FE 6'' has both Hugh and his grandmother Niime (and their supports make it dead obvious). Chad and Rutger also count, as does Cath.
** Hector from ''FE 7'' is loud, brash, and reckless, but he's willing to abandon his lordly title and run away from home just to help his friends. Other examples include Legault, Vaida, Matthew, and Rath (though he's more "standoffish" than jerk).
** ''FE 8'':
*** Colm plays this trope so straight it's almost scary. Joshua and Cormag also count, helped by the fact that they all have their own MoralityPet.
*** Innes acts like a complete asshole to the mercenaries he's hired [[spoiler:in order to get them to abandon him and surrender so they'll at least survive. The mercenaries figure that out and say that they're staying around even ''after'' he fires them. After they save his ass, Innes re-hires them for double the pay they were originally getting. Douche, maybe. Well-meaning, certainly]].
** Then there's both Shinon and Soren from FE 9, though both can be seen as pretty tragic examples. Lethe and Sothe are also examples, and Naesala in a MagnificentBastard sort of way.
** Awakening has Virion, who initially strikes everyone as a spoiled, narcissistic and detached noble (not that it's entirely wrong), but not only do Support conversation confirm he has plenty of HiddenDepths (from dancing to cooking to even beating [[TheStrategist Robin]] at a strategic board game), but also a cheerful and optimistic leader who deeply cared about his subjects and [[MyGreatestFailure hasn't taken well]] its destruction.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'': Edge may be a perverted and arrogant ninja prince, who often flirts with Rydia, but his heart is in the right place at times.
*** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears'', Palom comes off as an InsufferableGenius, but he does care about his friends and [[spoiler: was willing to protect the crystal from the Mysterious Girl by ''turning himself into stone''.]]
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''
*** Subverted with Cloud himself. His arrogant, coldly professional mercenary thing is all a fabrication to protect him. It lasts about two hours of gameplay and then he reveals he is a brave and heroic man.
*** Barrett is hot-tempered and foul-mouthed, but he is absolutely dedicated to [[GreenAesop protecting the planet]], [[spoiler:or so he claims; in reality he just revenge against Shinra and uses his righteous cause as justification.]] He is also undeniably a brilliant adoptive father to little Marlene.

*** Cid Highwind, probably the ultimate example in the game. He smokes, he swears even more than Barrett does, he insults practically everybody he meets (including Cloud and his allies) and constantly loses his temper. However he also gave up his lifelong dream to save his assistant's life, genuinely tries to make amends to her when he wrongly blamed her for it, is the first party member to agree with Cloud to finish what [[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth Aerith]] started, and realises the need to protect the planet and becomes one of the most passionate members of the WRO.
*** Yuffie is a bratty thief girl who gives herself grandoise titles beyond her skill and reputation, initially joins the party entirely for selfish reasons and then [[SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear betrays them]]. But she only wanted their materia for noble reasons. And then when Aerith is murdered, Yuffie is the most visibly torn up of all of them, she jumps in Cloud's arms and cries into him.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Jecht is egotistical, arrogant, a drunk, and verbally abuses his son on a regular basis. Then he goes to Spira, where he makes Braska and Auron help other people because "it's the right thing to do", even if it means problems for him and his companions. He quits drinking after an incident because he thinks his family wouldn't be proud. He records a video stating how much he loves his son and how proud he is to be his father, though eventually stops because he's "not good at those things". After reaching Zanarkand, we learn that he planned to raise his son to be a blitzball star, had it not been because he got to Spira. Then he sacrifices himself in order to give peace to Spira (if only for a while), giving up his hopes to get back home. \\
\\
In ''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Dissidia]]'', he swallows his pride (for a while at least) and takes orders from [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII Emperor Mateus]] because he promised him that he would get back to his home world with his son. Besides that we learn that if he insulted his son it was because he wanted Tidus to stand up and prove him wrong. We get a hint of all this at the beginning of the game: Jecht was well-loved by his fans, to the point a blitzball tournament is named after him when he disappears.
*** Auron also qualifies; throughout the game, he is the source of all things cryptic, he gives Tidus snippets of essential information (e.g. [[spoiler: "Sin is Jecht."]]) while denying him any kind of explanation. He is aloof towards the rest of the party, and is particularly determined Yuna finish her pilgrimage, [[HumanSacrifice despite what it'll mean for her]]. Then it turns out he looked after Tidus for several years before the start of the game as a reasonable Mentor, and he was pushing Yuna and especially Tidus so hard because he wanted them to [[spoiler: break the eternal cycle and truly destroy Sin]]. And it works.
*** Lulu initially treats Tidus extremely poorly, rarely even speaking to him, aside from snark and a little bit of exposition. Later, it becomes apparent that she's just hesitant to open up to people because of a painful past ([[spoiler: [[MyGreatestFailure the death of her first summoner]]]], and losing her FirstLove come to mind). Eventually, she opens up to the player, eventually developing MamaBear tendencies towards Yuna, Tidus and Rikku. [[spoiler: Coincidentally, it's around the time Yuna and Tidus' growing attraction for each other becomes blatantly obvious]].
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' trilogy:
*** In the first game, Lightning is a moody, distant young woman who spends the opening hours [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale beating up]] and abandoning her party. Then you get the background as to why she's like that, and she noticeably softens up from then on.

* Rupert in ''VideoGame/FossilFighters Champions.'' He starts out as your rude rival and is a noted StopHavingFunGuy. However, when it's revealed that [[spoiler: his [[KnightTemplarParent glory-obsessed father is forcing him to win,]]]] he starts to warm up to you. He remains a bit of a {{Tsundere}}, though.
* Ryudo, from ''VideoGame/GrandiaII'', fits this trope to a tee. He starts off as a devil-may-care, potty mouthed jerk who only seems to be going along with the quest for money, but later reveals that most of it was just a bit of a coping mechanism, due to the rather low opinion most people have of mercenaries in his world. By the end of the game, he's transformed into a pretty likable and friendly guy, albeit one who can still curse like a sailor.

* Gadd from The ''VideoGame/{{Guild Wars}}'' expansion ''Eye of the North''. He starts out as a complete jerkass, bossing the player's group around, mocking you in a very condescending manner, and often repeating things IN CAPS in case you "weren't listening". At the end of the G.O.L.E.M. mission, Oola arrives, saying she has bad news. A confused Vekk asks what Gadd is upset about now, to which Oola sadly replies, "He was trying to boost the power of the last Golem. There was an explosion. He didn't make it. I'm sorry". In other words, he (perhaps knowingly) sacrificed himself to give your team a better chance of surviving. Suddenly, he doesn't seem like such a bad guy afterall...

* A fairly common character archetype in the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' universe, enough so that listing every example could take a while. In random villagers, it tends to be more prominent in GrumpyOldMan-style villagers who develop a curmudgeonly respect for you (such as Galen in ''A Wonderful Life'' and DS), while in bachelors and bachelorettes, it tends to go hand-in-hand with the {{Tsundere}} archetype (such as Gill in Tree of Tranquility/Animal Parade, and [[DependingOnTheWriter some incarnations]] of Karen).
* ''VideoGame/TheHouseOfTheDeadOverkill'' has detective Issac Washington who swears like a sailor (to the point of almost single-handily breaking the Guinness Book of World Records), is quite crude, and is introduced by cold-cocking G in the intro cutscene. In the end, G suspects that he puts on a though-guy persona, but cares deeply for G deep down. Washington doesn't object to this.

** Protagonist example with Jak in the second and third games; he was just the heart of gold in the first game, before two years of genetic experiments in prison. [[CharacterDevelopment We get to watch the heart of gold grow back]], [[AesopAmnesia shrivel]], and grow back ''again'' over the course of both games.

** Daxter snarks at ''everyone'' and repeatedly tries to [[JustForPun weasel]] out of trouble, but he genuinely cares for his friends and risks his life repeatedly for them. Torn is a very bitter man who repeatedly berates J&D and periodically sends them on unpleasant and/or borderline suicidal missions, but he dropped his Krimzon Guard commission like a ''rock'' in order to do the right thing. Sig is a ruthless mercenary who's ''always'' willing to put his life on the line for his friends. Naughty Dog ''loves'' this trope.

* Subverted, almost, in ''Jewel Knights Crusaders''. The main star makes it abundantly clear that he is Jerk almost all the way through. Whenever he shows the tiniest bit of kindness, he subverts it. Except a couple of times when he doesn't.

** [[AntiHero Magnus]] is a mercenary who by his own admission is OnlyInItForTheMoney. He's blunt, rude, and the [[BrutalHonesty filter between his mind and his mouth seem to be nonexistent]]. But underneath the gruff exterior is a man who genuinely cares for others and is quite friendly once you get to know him.

** [[NatureSpirit Viridi]] starts off as a plain Jerkass when she first appears. She's bratty, short-tempered, and argumentative. [[spoiler: But as CharacterDevelopment kicks in and she's forced to aid Pit later in the game, she begins to warm up to him.]]

** The series has more than one, starting with the protagonist himself, Kyo Kusanagi. he's brash, arrogant, loud-mouthed, snarky and fully of himself... but he also genuinely cares for his family and friends (specially his girlfriend and his CoolBigSis of sorts), '''and Heaven help you if you hurt them'''. Not to mention the semi-canon KOF: KYO media lets us see how he behaves in his daily life, and even reveals some hidden insecurities that he must deal with.
** {{Deuteragonist}} K'. He's cold, rude and pretty much starts as a NinetiesAntiHero, but many others comment on how he's less mean than he seems to be. He'll deny it, but his behavior says otherwise; his friend and paetner Maxima notes that K' has a tendency to mask his relatively amiable actions with harsh words.

* ''VideoGame/{{Klonoa}}:''
** Popka from ''VideoGame/{{Klonoa}} 2: Lunatea's Veil.''
** Guntz/Gantz in ''Klonoa Heroes'' which travels over to ''Namco x Capcom'' but his Jerk part only shows to either strangers or when Janga's around.
* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'':
** Atton Rand. See "Han Solo." Then give him [[spoiler: the capabilities of a Sith]]. However, the influence system means you can nurture the heart, or crush it under your booted heel, depending upon how badly you give in to the VideogameCrueltyPotential.
** Jolee Bindo from the first game.
** The first game also has Bastila (though she is only really a jerk to the player and Carth) and Carth (just watch all the arguments over trust).

* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' the PlayerCharacter can be one, particularly if they play light-side on the TheEmpire. On the Republic side, the [[LovableRogue smuggler]] tends to be this, and will even lampshade it.
-->'''Smuggler:''' Well, you found my heart of gold.

* Jimmy, the main character of ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}''. In the opening cut scene Jimmy appears disrespectful to his mother and new step father and starts off quite unsociable. However he does mention that "I only give people what they have coming to them." He proves to be as good as his word, as his early missions involve protecting the Nerds from the Bullies. He goes out of his way to help the ugliest and least popular girls get their stolen items back and told the biggest kid in the school that "There are a lot of kids at this school who need a beating, and you're picking on the few who don't! So I want you to leave me and him (Petey) alone!"
* Frog from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', but only in the Japanese version - his dialogue was changed in the English translation such that he was chivalrous and polite (and with pseudo-Shakespearean syntax in the SNES version) instead of abrasive and aloof.

** ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': Mondo Owada. Being the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, he's quite rough around the edges and very quick to anger, even punching [[TheHero Makoto's]] lights out in the prologue as the latter tried to calm him down after [[JerkAss Byakuya]] sent him off the handle. However, he's really not that bad when you interact with him, as he shows that he does care about the team staying together, and if you finish his free time events, he expresses a desire to become a carpenter when he graduates high-school, having spent so long breaking things.
** ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'': Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, the Ultimate {{Yakuza}}. He starts out as a complete asshole who's more than willing to kill everyone to get off the island. But then he gets [[BreakTheHaughty stuck through the wringer]] during Chapter 2. Following this he becomes a lot closer to the group, still being a bit abrasive, but a competent leader who will warm to you all the same throughout his free time events.
** ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'': There are no less than three female gold-hearted jerks - [[DefrostingIceQueen Maki]] [[{{Tsundere}} Harukawa]], [[TheLadette Miu]] [[LovableSexManiac Iruma]] and [[ActionGirl Tenko]] [[DoesNotLikeMen Chabashira.]]
*** Maki is an AloofDarkHairedGirl who initially is cold, rude and holds herself aloof from the group, like Fuyuhiko before her. However, after her [[spoiler: true talent]] is revealed, she begins to form a bond with Shuichi and Kaito and becomes an important ally to Shuichi during investigations. By the end of the game she's become TrueCompanions with her friends and even [[spoiler: volunteers to die so Shuichi and Himiko can escape the killing game. After Ki-bo destroys the school, she is one of the survivors.]]
*** Miu is a brash, loudmouthed girl who makes frequent sex jokes, saddles people with insulting nicknames and brags about her smarts and good looks to anyone who will listen. However, that said, she still wants to use her talent to help people and is horrified by the death of [[spoiler: Kaede]]. Though she ends up [[spoiler: getting killed after a botched attempt to murder Kokichi]], she did it because she thought the outside world needed her more and Shuichi notes that she actually does a lot to help the group.
*** Tenko Chabashira ''hates'' "degenerate males" and is hostile towards any boy who gets too familiar with it and tends to react violently at the drop of a hat. That being said, she's very empathetic to both victims and culprits alike, tries to offer emotional advice to Shuichi and Himiko and even [[spoiler: volunteers to be a conduit for her rival, Angie, so Himiko can speak to her. Unfortunately, this costs Tenko her life.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Darksiders}}'' has The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse themselves, but especially [[TheGrimReaper Death]], as much as he might try to deny it. While he's snide and willing to do morally questionable things, he's still an honorable warrior, shows concern for those under him and anyone he helps (his brothers and the Makers/Hellguard, respectively), offers his aid to the Makers in overcoming TheCorruption almost unconditionally, and Uriel even acknowledges his noble nature when he does the same for her. Then there's the fact he stood up for all of mankind when his kinsmen wanted to slaughter humanity and take over Earth/Eden and went so far as to bear the burden of killing them all with the aid of the other Horsemen. As Karn puts it:
--> "You're a good man! Much more than your name would imply."
* Agent York from ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition.'' Parts of him are just [[CloudCuckoolander weird and aloof,]] but other parts of him won't hesitate to [[DeadpanSnarker snark those who have it coming]], and he has a noted disregard for [[NoSocialSkills the feelings of those around him.]] But despite this, he can be a surprisingly nice guy at times--whether it be something as minor as [[TheCatfish releasing a legendary fish out of respect for how many times she's evaded capture before,]] to something as major as [[spoiler: refusing to arrest a drug-dealing teenager when said boy seems genuinely sorry]]. And he is ''always,'' without fail, nice to his ImaginaryFriend, Zach. He just has to learn to [[CharacterDevelopment be nicer to other people, too.]]

* Charles the candy store owner in ''VideoGame/Delicious4EmilysTasteOfFame'' yells at everybody who walks into his shop and makes cracks at the title character's weight and perceived uselessness, but also offers to clean tables in order to lighten her workload and chews out her best friend Francois for not lending her a hand himself.

** Nero is prone to badmouthing the church, listening to loud metal in said church, not allowing anyone to work on his team (which consists of himself), back talking to Kyrie's brother, taking great pleasure in insulting basically the gods of Hell to their faces, and anything else that happens to come his way, including Dante. But in that titular scene in the prologue, you see that one smile he gives to Kyrie when she's on stage that makes women everywhere pine for such a sweet guy. There's also the scene at the end of the credits where Kyrie is looking all dramatic and thoughtful and Nero swaggers up behind her. She takes his hand - his ''demon'' hand - and gives it a little squeeze...which he returns. Then he promptly goes all bashful and can't look at her, with a dorky little smile on his face. [[BerserkButton Just don't screw with her. Ever.]]
** [[TheAce Dante]] himself counts. He's abrasive as all hell at first (especially in ''3''), and initially acts like a HandsomeLech towards Lady, but it's implied he does a lot of ''pro bono'' jobs when people actually can't afford his services, and comes around to saving the day simply because it's the right thing to do. He's actually got a kind side to him and is perfectly willing to [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman accept demons that choose to be good]], and even [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre console them]] as [[HighHeelFaceTurn Trish]] and [[HappilyAdopted Lucia]] can attest, and more or less plays BigBrotherMentor to Nero by the finale of ''4''.
* Mao in ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3|AbsenceOfJustice}}''. Sapphire out right points this out near the end of the game.

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'':
** Sten, the blunt and stoic Qunari companion. He comes from a culture with ''very'' different views on just about everything, and Sten's not afraid to disagree with how you do things. He also likes kitties. And cookies. And he's actually a pretty nice guy when you get to know him and earn his respect. His sense of humor is just a little dry.
** The player can turn [[BlackMagicianGirl Morrigan]] into this. When Morrigan first joins the party, she's vicious, caustic, and is absolutely against the idea of WeHelpTheHelpless, making it difficult to perform altruistic tasks with her in the party without sinking her approval. However, as the game progresses, and if the player gets her approval high enough, she begins expressing affection for him or her, and is more likely to go along with doing the right thing without (much) complaint. If the player succeeds in raising her approval high enough, she will admit to genuinely considering you a friend, or if the player is a male character and romancing her, will openly admit to loving him (though also expressing confusion over what it means). The Witch Hunt DLC allows the player to take this to its full conclusion, with the right choices ending with the Warden and Morrigan staying together. This is even better seen in her return appearance in ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Inquisition]]'' where she is considerably [[TookALevelInKindness more polite]], especially if she was [[LoveRedeems romanced]], and even more so if she and the Warden are [[HappilyMarried still together]].
** And of course, the Warden him/herself can be played this way.
* From ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', Snarky!Hawke is completely irreverent, constantly making jokes [[DudeNotFunny even when it is completely uncalled for]], and generally seems to enjoy [[TheGadfly screwing around with often distraught people who ask him/her for help in the most outrageous ways just to see their reactions for his/her own amusement]]. After screwing with said people, s/he is willing to selflessly throw him/herself in harm's way for their sake, and will go to any lengths for his/her friends and family.
* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'', TheSpymaster of the Blades in Morrowind and primary QuestGiver for the first at of the main quest, Caius Cosades, is this. He comes across as a bit of a GrumpyOldMan and the other Blades call him "sour" and "a worrier." Despite this, he obviously cares very much about the PlayerCharacter and instructs him/her [[spoiler:upon being recalled to the Imperial City]] to continue to do what is in the best interests of the people of Morrowind.

* In ''VideoGame/EternalSonata'', the StandardizedLeader avatar character Allegretto is noted for being something of a Jerkass, but the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 UpdatedRerelease goes a long way towards making him this instead by omitting at least one scene in which he displays some heavily jerkass behavior and heavily altering others or adding additional material to portray him in a more favorable light.
* ''VideoGame/EtherVapor'''s main protagonist, Luca is surprisingly this. During the beginning of the game, he's the usual JerkAss, refusing to identify himself and his motives to his soon-would-be ally Sana and mocking Chaldean officers. That is until Teatree comes in where he [[spoiler: tells her to bail out after her defeat and hopes she made it out]]. Justfied by the fact they both [[spoiler: pilot mind-linked craft.]]

* Haseo from ''[[VideoGame/DotHackGUGames .hack//G.U.]]'' starts as grade-A JerkAss in ''.hack//Roots'', slowly develops into this throughout the game, and by the end of Volume 3, he apparently has dropped his jackassery.

*** Part of the reason he resists allowing Phoenix to take his case in ''Turnabout Goodbyes'' despite having been accused ''of murder'' is because it would potentially ruin Phoenix's career if Phoenix lost; and since Phoenix would have to go up against the [[TheDreaded infamous]] Manfred Von Karma, Edgeworth has reason to believe that Phoenix has no chance. He also apologizes for telling Phoenix that he's a horrible defense attorney, stating that he'd only been trying to make Phoenix go away, and he hadn't really meant it.
*** He helped Phoenix stall for time in Case 2-4 of ''Justice for All'' in order to give Gumshoe time to [[spoiler:find Maya, who had been kidnapped by an assassin]], ''despite not even knowing about it''. All he knew was that Phoenix was freaking out about ''something'', so he just jumped in to help draw out the trial and requested a ten-minute recess so he could ask Phoenix what was going on.
*** In ''Trials and Tribulations'', he charters a private jet and flies back from overseas the ''instant'' he hears that Phoenix [[spoiler:might be dying in Case 3-5. (He's mostly fine, as it turns out, but since this was after he had plunged off a burning bridge into a rapidly-flowing river famous for killing many people in the middle of winter, the concern was justified.)]] Directly afterwards, he ''risks his career'' for Phoenix's sake [[spoiler:by pretending to be a defense attorney in order to defend Iris on the first day of her trial, as Phoenix had not yet been released from the hospital.]]
*** In ''Dual Destinies'', he [[spoiler: helps Phoenix get his badge back as the new Chief Prosecutor, gets Phoenix to defend one of his innocent subordinates (Simon Blackquill), prosecutes a trial for Athena so they can work together with Simon, Apollo, and Athena to uncover the elusive Phantom, and shows genuine concern for Phoenix, his daughter, and his proteges.]]
*** In ''Spirit of Justice'', he [[spoiler:charters another jet, this time to take a party of five or six to Khura'in to rescue Maya, and acts as legal and emotional support for Phoenix while he's there. (It's implied that he also watches over Trucy, who smuggled herself along with them, during the final trial.) He also prosecutes in the DLC case because a powerful family was trying to keep the matter from going to trial.]]
** Franziska von Karma in the second game. She has a nasty temper and a tendency to [[WhipItGood attack people with a whip]] when she doesn't get her way. However she is kind to Adrian Andrews and she [[spoiler:cried when Edgeworth showed brotherly affection for her]]. Also, in the third game, she seemed hurt when Pearl yelled at her.

** Shi-Long Lang from ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' appears at first to be a total jerk who irrationally hates prosecutors, but near the end he helps Edgeworth take down the real mastermind behind a smuggling ring, as well as taking a bullet for [[spoiler:his traitorous assistant]]. And he continues to be useful in the sequel, even when its shown that his initial distrust of prosecutors was justified.
** A straighter example like the prosecutors from the other games is naturally Simon Blackquill. Yeah, he's a convict who loves his sword metaphors, has broken his cuffs just to test his deft swordplay at hapless defense attorneys, sicced his pet hawk on them and even The Judge, refuses to give opening statements, and even laughs at the attorney's more outlandish guesses, being willing to go through with even the most ludicrous farces. All that aside, he [[spoiler: took the heat for Athena in the murder of her mother, is willing to be executed just so she can live a happy life even if they are both innocent of the crime, has some genuine PetTheDog moments with not only the attorneys but also witnesses like Hugh O Conner and Sasha Buckler, and is a pretty affable guy when he's declared innocent much like Edgeworth above.]]
** From the same game [[spoiler: Hugh O’Conner himself. Turns out, he's not a genius and the only reason he was getting good grades was because his parents bribed the teacher Aristotle Means because they were fed up with him failing for 7 years in a row. He's willing to take the heat for both Robin and Juniper if it means they go free, even using InsaneTrollLogic to try and convince the court that he's serious. He's thankful to Athena for helping his friends and himself, and genuinely wanted his friends to trust him. But it's covered under a layer of smug perfectionism, rough and stubborn "genius" attitude and mocking "mouth breathers" like Athena and Apollo.]]

** Mr. Resetti tends to [[BerserkButton rage at players who constantly reset the game]], to the point where he tricks them into thinking [[DeletionAsPunishment he erased their games]], but at heart he's just advocating them to play the games like they're living their lives, as SaveScumming isn't the way the game is meant to be played. His older brother Don at one point shows up in his place to appologize for his outbursts being a blight in their family's reputation. Notably, Resetti himself is self-restrained the first time you reset the game, warning you not to get too intimidated by his harshness if you keep resetting the game.

* Borador "Goldhand", the Dwarf Rogue in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateDarkAlliance'' ''II'' initially comes across as a greedy, bad-tempered old fart, until you learn his motivation: [[spoiler:his OnlyInItForTheMoney attitude stems from his desire to save his clan from a massive debt.]]
* Kazooie, the loudmouthed bird from ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie''. She doesn't show it much, but she does care about Banjo deep down. When she and Banjo get separated in the beginning of ''[[VideoGame/BanjoKazooieGruntysRevenge Grunty's Revenge]]'', she's happy as a clam to see him again. She also occasionally lets slip her concern for other characters; there is a scene in ''Banjo-Tooie'' where, during the sidequest to save the frozen baby aliens, Kazooie goes "Aww..." out of pity, before catching herself and pretending she doesn't actually care.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' uses this trope quite alot.
** There's the titular witch herself. She can come off as a [[SociopathicHero Sociopathic Heroine]] at first glance due to her causal sadism when killing angels and causing [[PersonOfMassDestruction horrendous collateral damage]] during her fights that would have most normal people arrested for vandalism years ago. She can also deal out enough snark to give ol' ComicBook/SpiderMan lessons. But underneath it all is a girl who genuinely cares for her friends and unless you want a [[DraggedOffToHell first-class, one-way, all-expense-paid trip to Inferno]], don't even ''entertain'' [[MamaBear the idea]] [[BerserkButton of harming them]].

** Enzo is an overweight loudmouth with a foul mouth and short fuse, but as Bayonetta herself notes in the sequel, he's a [[HiddenDepths surprising family man]].

* Augustus Sinclair in ''VideoGame/BioShock2''. A self-interested capitalist whose goal is to use Subject Delta to steal the technology of Rapture for profit, he nonetheless does go to great lengths to help Delta in his quest rather than leaving him to die and encourages him to show mercy. In the end, when [[spoiler:Sofia Lamb turns him into a BrainwashedAndCrazy Alpha-series Daddy, he encourages Delta to put him down and helps him with the last of his free will.]]

** Ragna the Bloodedge. For someone who is feared as the Grim Reaper, curses and trash talks a lot, just as long as you're not after his head, he is usually a nice man and an example of DarkIsNotEvil. This is lampshaded by Litchi when he decided to spare Arakune after she pleaded him to (he is also [[WouldntHitAGirl against beating up women for no reason]]). This is ''very contrasting'' with his complete {{Jerkass}} of a brother, Jin.

** Even Jin gets in on this, in the sequel. Jin was revealed to have the great deal of his Jerkass attitude from being BrainwashedAndCrazy by his EvilWeapon Yukianesa, and ends up being closer to this trope to anything else. By this point, he's closer to [[spoiler:his older self,]] Hakumen, than how he was in the first game.
** Rachel Alucard also qualifies. She's a jerk to everyone but especially to Ragna, and she can get downright nasty when she feels she's not being treated with the proper respect. At the same time, she's willing to go out of her way to help Ragna, even if it means upsetting her superiors.
** Bullet of ''Chronophantasma'' is abrasive, anti-social, ill-tempered and has a tendency to hold grudges, but she's ''not'' a villain. Only Bang gets to see the "Heart of Gold" part, though.

** Before Ragna, there was his spiritual predecessor, [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear Sol Badguy]]. Sol swears a lot, trash talks a lot, maintains an edgy, standoff-ish approach to strangers, and his idea of helping someone collect themselves is kicking them full-bore in the face. However, he has nothing but altruistic goals, and what few friends he does have, he's rather decent to. He also seems to have [[MoralityPet a soft spot for young girls]]: in ''Midnight Carnival'', he helps calm down Dizzy after she loses control of her Gear powers, and in ''Xrd'', he's rather mean and distrustful to Elphelt through the story, but when [[spoiler:she's being brainwashed and robbed of her will]], Sol was the most passionate of all the good guys in trying to save her.
* Anonymous from ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'' is a snarky, foul-mouthed {{Troll}} who loves chaos and lights people on fire for fun. He’s also Catie’s [[TrueCompanions truest companion]], who constantly supports her through all the hardships they face, and would lay down his life to keep her safe. Gradually, he comes to feel this way about [[BelligerentSexualTension Til]] as well.

** Vi is a very greedy, self-absorbed, and rude little bee. But during her adventure with Leif and Kabbu, she develops into a respectable adventurer into her own right. When people are kind to her, she's generally kind to them right back. She also comes to care about Kabbu and Leif's welfare after initially seeing them as a means to an end, often encouraging them to have fun while giving plenty of emotional support after [[spoiler:Kabbu defeats the Beast that killed his friends]] and [[spoiler:Leif finds out he's a cordyceps possessing the corpse of the actual Leif]]. And as greedy as she is, even she has limits: she's charitable to those who are literally starving and doesn't even think to ask to be rewarded for her generosity.
** Zasp of Team Mothiva is nowhere near as bad as his full-on {{Jerkass}} teammate Mothiva, but starts off rude and hostile towards Team Snakemouth. But after they save his life in Chapter 3, he begins to mellow out around them and turns out to be a pretty chill guy when Mothiva isn't around to trigger his old {{Jerkass}} behavior. He even [[spoiler:saves Leif's life in return when a Dune Scorpion almost kills him.]]

** King Hector IV of the termites is rather genial towards Team Snakemouth at first, but upon seeing Queen Elizant, who he hates, he flips out and makes a real ass of himself while refusing to help the Ant Kingdom fight the Wasp King. But he ''does'' come to take the matter seriously and agrees to help once Team Snakemouth proves themselves to him. And by the end of the game, [[spoiler:he's celebrating the Wasp King's demise with the rest of Bugaria at Elizant's palace, having moved on past his fanatical hatred for the queen.]]

* BugFables:

* BugFablesTheEverlastingSapling:

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'': Edge may be a perverted and arrogant ninja prince, who often flirts with Rydia, but his heart is in the right place at times.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears'', Palom comes off as an InsufferableGenius, but he does care about his friends and [[spoiler: was willing to protect the crystal from the Mysterious Girl by ''turning himself into stone''.]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''
** Subverted with Cloud himself. His arrogant, coldly professional mercenary thing is all a fabrication to protect him. It lasts about two hours of gameplay and then he reveals he is a brave and heroic man.
** Barrett is hot-tempered and foul-mouthed, but he is absolutely dedicated to [[GreenAesop protecting the planet]], [[spoiler:or so he claims; in reality he just revenge against Shinra and uses his righteous cause as justification.]] He is also undeniably a brilliant adoptive father to little Marlene.
** Cait Sith [[spoiler:or rather Reeve]] goes from a sleazy Shinra-supporting {{Jerkass}} to a good guy who is truly dedicated to saving the world.
** Cid Highwind, probably the ultimate example in the game. He smokes, he swears even more than Barrett does, he insults practically everybody he meets (including Cloud and his allies) and constantly loses his temper. However he also gave up his lifelong dream to save his assistant's life, genuinely tries to make amends to her when he wrongly blamed her for it, is the first party member to agree with Cloud to finish what [[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth Aerith]] started, and realises the need to protect the planet and becomes one of the most passionate members of the WRO.
** Yuffie is a bratty thief girl who gives herself grandoise titles beyond her skill and reputation, initially joins the party entirely for selfish reasons and then [[SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear betrays them]]. But she only wanted their materia for noble reasons. And then when Aerith is murdered, Yuffie is the most visibly torn up of all of them, she jumps in Cloud's arms and cries into him.
* Squall in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' is socially awkward, standoffish, and often quite rude, but underneath his emotional immaturity he's a decent kid.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Jecht is egotistical, arrogant, a drunk, and verbally abuses his son on a regular basis. Then he goes to Spira, where he makes Braska and Auron help other people because "it's the right thing to do", even if it means problems for him and his companions. He quits drinking after an incident because he thinks his family wouldn't be proud. He records a video stating how much he loves his son and how proud he is to be his father, though eventually stops because he's "not good at those things". After reaching Zanarkand, we learn that he planned to raise his son to be a blitzball star, had it not been because he got to Spira. Then he sacrifices himself in order to give peace to Spira (if only for a while), giving up his hopes to get back home. \\

** Auron also qualifies; throughout the game, he is the source of all things cryptic, he gives Tidus snippets of essential information (e.g. [[spoiler: "Sin is Jecht."]]) while denying him any kind of explanation. He is aloof towards the rest of the party, and is particularly determined Yuna finish her pilgrimage, [[HumanSacrifice despite what it'll mean for her]]. Then it turns out he looked after Tidus for several years before the start of the game as a reasonable Mentor, and he was pushing Yuna and especially Tidus so hard because he wanted them to [[spoiler: break the eternal cycle and truly destroy Sin]]. And it works.
** Lulu initially treats Tidus extremely poorly, rarely even speaking to him, aside from snark and a little bit of exposition. Later, it becomes apparent that she's just hesitant to open up to people because of a painful past ([[spoiler: [[MyGreatestFailure the death of her first summoner]]]], and losing her FirstLove come to mind). Eventually, she opens up to the player, eventually developing MamaBear tendencies towards Yuna, Tidus and Rikku. [[spoiler: Coincidentally, it's around the time Yuna and Tidus' growing attraction for each other becomes blatantly obvious]].
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' trilogy:
** In the first game, Lightning is a moody, distant young woman who spends the opening hours [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale beating up]] and abandoning her party. Then you get the background as to why she's like that, and she noticeably softens up from then on.
** Lumina in ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII'' constantly antagonizes Lightning and her former companions, but is hinted to be nudging them and several other people towards bettering their situations. [[spoiler:Then again, she is Lightning's LiteralSplitPersonality after all...]]

** Hakurei Reimu is occasionally played as a {{Stoic}} Jerk with a Heart of Gold, when the fans aren't joking about how her approach to solving a problem is thuggish (or genocidal). She will constantly mention how her job as a shrine maiden is to exterminate youkai, cue the ending cutscenes of most games where she will have a casual tea party with the final boss (who's usually a youkai) and regularly has said youkai over to her place for a boozefest in the manga. It's constantly mentioned that strong youkai are fond of her, whether she likes it or not, since it means less followers for her shrine as the humans are scared off by their presence. The books say that the main reason for her role as a youkai exterminator is the fact that the very existence of the barrier that keeps Gensokyo alive depends on the human-youkai balance where one must fear the other (the human side being the regular villagers in this case), meaning she has no choice but to do her job. Toyosatomimi no Miko, whose magic ability lets her see the true desires of anyone she meets, explicitly stated that deep down, beneath all her anti-youkai rhetoric, Reimu genuinely wants peace between humans and youkai without any violence involved.

** Hakurei Reimu is occasionally played as a {{Stoic}} Jerk with a Heart of Gold, when the fans aren't joking about how her approach to solving a problem is thuggish (or genocidal).