History Main / CartesianKarma

Can lead to MyGodWhatHaveIDone moments, even OutDamnedSpot if the character feels perpetually guilty by their previous actions upon being dealt Karma. A heroic or moral enough character, if determined and truly guilty, will probably [[MustMakeAmends try to reconcile]] with their past actions in order to fix their record and deal with the situation.

* Discussed and ultimately defied in ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'': Higuruma is a lawyer whose cursed technique involves charging his opponent with a crime. He once uses it to charge Yuji with something Sukuna committed while controlling his body ([[spoiler:wiping out thousands of people during the Shibuya Incident]]). Yuji immediately pleads guilty, but Higurama explains afterward that [[ItsAllMyFault no matter how at fault he feels]] Yuji is not ''legally'' responsible for things Sukuna did with his body.

* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'': Sure, Bucky was under mind-control from HYDRA for all of his career as the Winter Soldier. That hardly means he's off the hook for decades of terrorism and assassinations, forcing him to stay in hiding from the authorities at the start of the movie. Despite his reassurance to Steve that he's no longer doing these kind of things, [[spoiler:it's easy for Zemo to cast blame on Bucky for bombing the U.N. building just by wearing a scarf and a prosthetic mask]]. Only Captain America (and his followers) believe he's innocent, and it's more for emotional than rational reasons. T'Challa doesn't accept the brainwashing argument as an excuse [[spoiler:for the death of his father]], and pursues Bucky as Black Panther to kill him, [[spoiler:only relenting when he learns it was actually Zemo]]. Neither does Tony Stark when he finally learns [[spoiler:the Winter Soldier is responsible for the murder of his parents. He goes ballistic, and none of Cap's words are enough to calm Iron Man in his attempt to vaporize Bucky. However, at least part of Tony’s rage is that Steve knew this, and didn’t tell him]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'', Elastigirl takes down the Screenslaver and has him arrested. He turns out to be a decoy Screenslaver who was an UnwittingPawn that Evelyn used, and is actually an innocent pizza delivery guy.

Well unfortunately not always. There are some possible problems with characters regaining their focus that, should they occur, need to be faced.

* In ''Literature/TheRedVixenAdventures'', Ali is arrested for the crimes she committed as a slave, [[spoiler: but is acquitted of most, though not all of them.]]

* ''Series/BabylonFive'': When [[spoiler: Michael Garibaldi]] was brainwashed into betraying [[spoiler: Captain Sheridan]] so he could be turned over to the authorities on Earth, he is declared ''persona non grata'' aboard Babylon 5. [[spoiler: He ultimately averts this trope by planning and leading Sheridan's rescue himself, with the help of Franklin, Marcus, and the Mars Resistance.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', Superman is captured and brainwashed by Darkseid into believing that he was his son and attacking Earth, in order to destroy his reputation as a hero, causing many of his former allies (like Professor Hamilton) [[HeelFaceTurn to turn his back on him]]. It took the Man of Steel several years to regain people's trust, and even by the time of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' many ''still'' want to hold him accountable for his actions while under Darkseid's control.

* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/42374949 Kill count]]'' is a ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' AU where devices called Karma Balances can reveal a person's kill count. These kill counts also count when someone was an [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Akuma]] or had a [[{{Tulpa}} sentimonster made from their emotions]], even when it was out of their control and Ladybug was able to bring the dead back. Ondine is barred from various swim tournaments because she drowned over two million people in Paris as Syren, while Adrien [[spoiler:was forced to lay low and even step down as Chat Noir after it was found out that as Chat Blanc he killed the entire world]].

* {{Downplayed}} in ''Fanfic/TwoLetters'': Marinette came to [[TheResenter resent how]] it felt as though the people of Paris were taking her presence completely for granted, to the point that they were ''letting themselves'' get akumatized for the pettiest and most trivial of reasons. She was also frustrated by repeat offenders like Xavier Ramier, who seemingly weren't even ''trying'' to deal with their issues in other ways, just letting Hawkmoth transform them whenever they felt like venting (even though the show has shown that akumatization is almost always involuntary once someone is angry enough and hit by Hawkmoth's butterfly). This ultimately led to her [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere deciding to give up being Ladybug]], passing on the Earrings to a questionable successor whom Marinette describes as ''exactly'' what the citizens of Paris deserve.

* {{Downplayed}} in ''Fanfic/TwoLetters'': Marinette came to [[TheResenter resent how]] it felt as though the people of Paris were taking her presence completely for granted, to the point that they were ''letting themselves'' get akumatized for the pettiest and most trivial of reasons. She was also frustrated by repeat offenders like Xavier Ramier, who seemingly weren't even ''trying'' to deal with their issues in other ways, just letting Hawkmoth transform them whenever they felt like venting. This ultimately led to her [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere deciding to give up being Ladybug]], passing on the Earrings to a questionable successor whom Marinette describes as ''exactly'' what the citizens of Paris deserve.

%%* {{Downplayed}} in ''Fanfic/TwoLetters'': Marinette came to [[TheResenter resent how]] it felt as though the people of Paris were taking her presence completely for granted, to the point that they were ''letting themselves'' get akumatized for the pettiest and most trivial of reasons. She was also frustrated by repeat offenders like Xavier Ramier, who seemingly weren't even ''trying'' to deal with their issues in other ways, just letting Hawkmoth transform them whenever they felt like venting. This ultimately led to her [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere deciding to give up being Ladybug]], passing on the Earrings to a questionable successor whom Marinette describes as ''exactly'' what the citizens of Paris deserve.

* {{Downplayed}} in ''Fanfic/TwoLetters'': Marinette came to [[TheResenter resent how]] it felt as though the people of Paris were taking her presence completely for granted, to the point that they were ''letting themselves'' get akumatized for the pettiest and most trivial of reasons. She was also frustrated by repeat offenders like Xavier Ramier, who seemingly weren't even ''trying'' to deal with their issues in other ways, just letting Hawkmoth transform them whenever they felt like venting. This ultimately led to her [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere deciding to give up being Ladybug]], passing on the Earrings to a questionable successor whom Marinette describes as ''exactly'' what the citizens of Paris deserve.

%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1323309821010240100
%% Please start a new thread if you'd like to suggest an image.

-> '''Tom:''' She’s annoyed with me for something that someone else did with my body. Possession is nine-tenths of my identity.

* This sort of thing appears to happen a lot in ''Franchise/StarTrek''. A character is temporarily possessed by a more powerful force or otherwise suborned against their will to perform actions contrary to their own interests or inclinations. But they then carry on in post afterwards with no sanctions once they're free of possession, or can demonstrate that they were not in control of themselves at the time. [[note]]This appears to be a "Get Out of Jail Free" card in the ST continuum.[[/note]] The only time this issue appears to have been addressed is when Captain Picard was assimilated into the Borg Collective and is used to co-ordinate their strategy against the Federation. The pilot of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' opens with a freed Picard ferrying Commander Sisko to his new command. Sisko is one of the very few survivors of the Borg attack that used Picard to plot and lead its strategy. Sisko's commanding officer and his wife were killed in that offensive. Therefore his attitude to Picard is one of very thinly disguised hostility, loathing and hatred. Picard understands this, realizes this is part of his Cartesian Karma, and allows Sisko to express his deep hostility and bitter resentment.

* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': Ingrid the Snow Queen exploits this by taunting Elsa that Anna imprisoned her in an urn - as an example of how their family bond is not strong. She failed to mention she used the Spell of Shattered Sight to turn Anna into a {{Jerkass}} who wouldn't have done it otherwise.
* Skylar Storm from ''Series/MightyMed'' has only joined forces with the Annihilator at the start of season 2 because he corrupted her powers prior to claiming them. With the exception of Kaz and Oliver in which they're easily forgiving towards her when she's back to fight for the side of good after her powers were removed again, none of the superheroes in the titular hospital were welcoming towards her. There are some who don't know she was being brainwashed at the time, and there are some who know but couldn't care less of it. Alan took advantage of the karma she's getting as a chance for him to get liked. Of course, it didn't last long when he tries to destroy her attempt to make amends that the superheroes stopped turning against her, and that they turned against him once again.
* ''{{Series/Arrowverse}}'': {{Series/Supergirl|2015}} ends up getting this herself for her rampage against National City near the end of season 1. Because the public has no idea that she was infected with red kryptonite at the time as the reason for said rampage, [[HeroWithBadPublicity they started treating her like a pariah]] by the time she's cured, with [[CoolBigSis Alex]], [[MuggleBestFriend Winn, and James]] the only ones who remain supportive of her because they know the truth.
* ''Series/JessicaJones2015'':
** Kilgrave kidnaps Hope Schlottman, and as one final command to her, he makes her shoot her parents after Jessica reunites her with them. Hope is charged with murder and Jessica spends a good portion of the season trying to gather evidence on Kilgrave for use defending Hope at trial.
** A father whose young son was acting up on a drive. While the car was stopped at a light, Kilgrave got in and made the guy drive on. Kilgrave got irritated by the kid's crying, so he made the father abandon his son on the side of the road. The man spent a week as Kilgrave's chauffeur and when he was finally released, he was arrested for child endangerment, his wife left him and he lost his job.
** Even though Jessica was under Kilgrave's control when he made her kill Luke's wife Reva, Luke is still pissed at Jessica, though it's over the fact that she pursued him and slept with him, all while keeping the truth about something so big from him.
* {{Series/Smallville}} has a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] example in the episode Unsafe, which has Clark marry Alicia in Las Vegas after she tricks him into wearing a necklace made of red Kryptonite. While Clark doesn't face any real consequences since the marriage isn't legal, his mother treats him with as much anger and disappointment as if he made a stupid decision of his own free will despite knowing that he was drugged against his will and does things while on red Kryptonite that he'd never do in his right mind.

* The TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms have a lot of this.

* At the end of ''VideoGame/MonsterSanctuary'', [[spoiler:Marduk accepts arrest for the crimes he committed while possessed by the Mad Lord, because he's not sure how much agency he had.]]

* In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'', [[TheHero Nanashi]] can refuse to unseal the SealedEvilInACan, but then the being he made a DealWithTheDevil with can [[PeoplePuppets force him to do it]]. Many deaths later, he's called to a hearing for his execution. The ReasonableAuthorityFigure notes that if he's not always under full control over his body, even if his heart's in the right place, he can't be trusted.

* In ''VisualNovel/DaughterForDessert'', when Heidi tries to take the car keys from the very drunk protagonist, he calls her a “Nazi bitch.” When he goes back to the same bar another night, Heidi not only behaves coldly toward him, but charges him double for drinks.

* In ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'', Jayden renounced her faith by reciting a Heresy while under mind control and lost her white magic as a result. It takes a while for her magic to return.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', Superman is captured and brainwashed by Darkseid into believing that he was his son and attacking Earth, in order to destroy his reputation as a hero, causing many of his former allies (like Professor Hamilton) [[HeelFaceTurn to turn his back on him]]. It took the Man of Steel several years to regain people's trust, and even by the time of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' many ''still'' want to hold him accountable for his actions while under Darkseid's control.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': Both Mayor Adam West and Meg are apparently unwilling sleeper-agent Russian spies, the former of which has been outed. No consequences of this have come up so far, but it's hard to question it when one ponders how someone as suspicious and incompetent as Mayor Adam [[RuleOfFunny could have become Mayor in the first place.]]

* ''Fanfic/CrimsonAndNoir'': Compared to canon, the former Akumas faced this even after Crimson Beetle and Lady Noir told the public that they were made to do so by Monarch. Many former victims like Ivan, Aurore, and Mylene are orchestrated due to [[BrainwashedAndCrazy actions committed outside of their control]]. Both Marinette and Adrien are taking steps as both heroes and civilians to put a stop to this [[BlamingTheVictim victim blaming]].

* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/25927015/chapters/63016108 Crimson and Noir]]'': Compared to canon, the former Akumas faced this even after Crimson Beetle and Lady Noir told the public that they were made to do so by Monarch. Many former victims like Ivan, Aurore, and Mylene are orchestrated due to [[BrainwashedAndCrazy actions committed outside of their control]]. Both Marinette and Adrien are taking steps as both heroes and civilians to put a stop to this [[BlamingTheVictim victim blaming]].

Cartesian Karma are consequences a character has to face for actions they technically committed despite not being in full control of their body at the time.

* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'': Sure, Bucky was under mind-control from HYDRA for all of his career as the Winter Soldier. That hardly means he's off the hook for decades of terrorism and assassinations, forcing him to stay in hiding from the authorities at the start of the movie. Despite his reassurance to Steve that he's no longer doing these kind of things, [[spoiler:it's easy for Zemo to cast blame on Bucky for bombing the U.N. building just by wearing a scarf and a prosthetic mask]]. Only Captain America (and his followers) believe he's innocent, and it's more for emotional than rational reasons. T'Challa doesn't accept the brainwashing argument as an excuse [[spoiler:for the death of his father]], and pursues Bucky as Black Panther to kill him. Neither does Tony Stark when he finally learns [[spoiler:the Winter Soldier is responsible for the murder of his parents. He goes ballistic, and none of Cap's words are enough to calm Iron Man in his attempt to vaporize Bucky]].

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'': In "Mime for a Change", after the evil Mister Mime is turned back into Rainbow the Clown, his cheerful song of thanks is [[MoodWhiplash interrupted by the Girls beating the snot out of him]] and Rainbow being taken to jail for all the trouble his alter-ego caused. Though, since he was last seen at the Powerpuff Girls's party it can be assumed that they straightened everything out.

* {{Justified}} with the acamoth of ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening''. They can only possess mortals who have made a DealWithTheDevil and given their consent to be so possessed, and as such whatever they do with your body is considered your fault for letting them in in the first place.

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice,'' [[LegionOfDoom the Light]] manages to take control of the Justice League, and sends some of their strongest members through a [[TubeTravel Boom Tube]] to an alien planet called Rimbor to wreak havoc for [[ArcNumber sixteen]] hours. As a result, Earth suddenly stops being an InsignificantLittleBluePlanet and gets a lot of hostile alien attention, especially in light of [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividuals this whole "superpower" thing]]. Furthermore, the League members involved feel obligated to go to Rimbor and try to clear their name, which puts the League at a disadvantage against the Light's new plans.

* In the ''Literature/BookOfExodus'', the [[NephariousPharaoh pharaoh]] is punished for refusing to free the Hebrews by having the Ten Plagues continue until the final one kills all the Egyptians' firstborn sons. However, some translations specify God as having ''[[OmniscientMoralityLicense made]]'' the pharaoh refuse. What this says about free will (or how accurate a translation this was) is a frequent topic of religious scholars.