History Main / ConscienceMakesYouGoBack

* {{Played with}} in ''WesternAnimation/{{Home}}'', [[spoiler:Oh has a minor HeroicBSOD when he tries to get Tip to go onto the Boov dropship to save her and fails before going himself. He does return, though. However, if he hadn't gone, the Boov mothership would have been destroyed by the Gorg, killing all the Boov and the Gorg likely would have destroyed Earth out of spite]].

* Used but [[DownplayedTrope severely downplayed]] in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory''. After Woody and Buzz escape from Sid and race for the moving van, Buzz gets stuck in the fence. Woody, already safe aboard the van, hesitates only a moment before racing back to help him. According to the directors, originally Buzz was supposed to call for Woody's help, creating a bit of tension over whether Woody would run to save him or not. But they realized that by now the characters' friendship had already been well established, and instead Woody runs to help Buzz after being told "I'll catch up".

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Fry is about to leave Leela, who is chasing him, trapped in a cryogenic chamber for a thousand years. Conscience gets the better of him, and he changes it to five minutes: 'you owe me one.'

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': In [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E05ImperialSupercommandos "Imperial Supercommandos"]], Fenn Rau, a prisoner of Phoenix Squadron, accompanies Ezra and Sabine to Concord Dawn to find out what's happened to the other Journeyman Protectors. After finding out that they've been wiped out and the party responsible, the Imperial Supercommandos, are returning, Rau is sent to retrieve the ''Phantom II'', and takes the opportunity to steal the ship and escape. He's nearly ready to jump into hyperspace when he eventually decides to go back, rescuing Ezra, Sabine and Chopper in the nick of time.

** Two deleted scenes really help expound on why Amanda would feel this awful: The first is of her in the lobby of his apartment building, seemingly there to scope out the layout for when she comes back to abduct Adam. He walks down the stairs and sees her, and although he doesn't know her, he strikes up a conversation; he sweetly compliments her hair, invites her out to see his friend's band, and asks if he can take her picture, to which she genuinely smiles and says yes. He went out of his way to be really friendly and kind to her, honestly hoping to "see her around," and she paid it back by putting him in a death game. The second is a scene of her having a very vivid nightmare of hearing something go bump in the night while she's the only one awake in the warehouse, and when she goes to investigate, she sees Adam's ghost, who rushes her and [[SdrawkcabSpeech speaks in a garbled moan, which, when played in reverse, is him asking her, "How could you do this to me?"]] She immediately bolts awake, breathing frantic, and covered in sweat.

* ''Film/SawIII'' reveals that after Amanda helped John (Jigsaw) set up the bathroom trap from the first film, she was overwhelmed with guilt over trapping [[NiceGuy Adam,]] who fans agree genuinely didn't deserve to be tested, and for accidentally putting the key to his shackle in the tub that drained out when he woke up inside it, signing his death warrant and prompting John to lock him in the bathroom to starve to death. She sneaks back in behind John's back and [[MercyKill mercy kills Adam,]] [[BleedEmAndWeep sobbing the whole time, begging him to stop fighting back]] as he thrashes and tries to resist with the strength he has left, eventually going still.

* ''Film/SawIII'' reveals that after Amanda helped John (Jigsaw) set up the bathroom trap from the first film, she was overwhelmed with guilt over trapping [[NiceGuy Adam,]] who fans agree genuinely didn't deserve to be tested, and for accidentally putting the key to his shackle in the tub that drained out when he woke up inside it, signing his death warrant and prompting John to lock him in the bathroom to starve to death. She sneaks back in behind John's back and [[MercyKill mercy kills Adam,]] [[BleedEmAndWeep sobbing the whole time, begging him to stop fighting back]] and he thrashes and tries to resist with the strength he has left.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': After Frieza is sliced into quarters by his own energy disc, Goku had every intention of leaving him to die with the planet he destroyed. Then [[VillainsWantMercy Frieza starts pleading for his life]]. For several seconds, Goku is frozen in place, conflicted about what he should do, and yells at Frieza for asking for mercy when he never gave it to anyone. After several more seconds, Goku gives into his conscienceness and gives Frieza enough energy to leave the planet. Unlike most examples, Goku immediately regrets it given that Frieza is an UngratefulBastard who mocks him for his mercy and then tries to shoot him in the back.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': There is point in the game when Seymour, gone into one of many OneWingedAngel forms, confronts the party. [[HeroicSacrifice Kimahri volunteers to hold him off so that everyone else can escape]]. Yuna, distraught at the prospect of losing her oldest friend, eventually stops everyone and invokes this. Both her and Tidus' words convincing Wakka, then Rikku, then Lulu and then Auron to turn tail and go back to help him.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Fry is about to leave Leela, who is chasing him, trapped in a cryogenic chamber for a thousand years. Conscience gets the better of him, and he changes it to five minutes: 'you owe me!'

->'''Roy:''' Please don't mention that incident within earshot of my father. I'm begging you, here.

* ''Webcomic/MurphysLaw'': When the party fights Tinder, Matt [[http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac294/caffeineincluded/NoMore.png runs away at first]]. Then, when the battle turns bad, he starts to question whether letting them die is okay, eventually going back after Tinder talks about planning to eat Radic.
* In ''Webcomic/RedsPlanet'', [[http://www.redsplanet.com/comic/rp/ch03/chapter-three-39/ Red's refusal to take Tawee is undermined by the pathetic sight of him sitting there as she walks away.]]
* ''LabRat'' takes place between ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' and ''VideoGame/Portal2''. Doug Rattman makes it to the surface after [=GLaDOS=] has been defeated, but decides to go back into the Enrichment Center after seeing Chell dragged in by the Party Escort Robot. [[spoiler:After all, he was the one who set her first in line for testing.]]
** Companion Cube: "Then you really are crazy."

* In Music/TupacShakur's song "Brenda's Got a Baby," the eponymous Brenda gives birth at school after being abandoned by her boyfriend [[{{Squick}} (who was also her 20-something cousin)]], and not being sure what to do next, leaves the baby in the trash. But she hears the baby crying, and can't bring herself to abandon it, so she takes it out and attempts to raise it, but it does not end well.

** Played straight in "Frigid Hare", when a penguin he's been trying to get rid of gets captured by an Eskimo. At first he goes "Oh, well. I'm not my penguin's keeper" and sets back to his hole. Moments later, he pops back up with a horribly guilty look on his face and goes back to save him, but not before he tries to explain himself to the audience.

** Played straight in "Frigid Hare", when a penguin he's been trying to get rid of gets captured by an Eskimo. At first he goes "Oh, well. I'm not my penguin's keeper" and sets back to his hole. Moments later, he pops back up and goes back to save him, but not before he tries to explain himself to the audience.

* David tries desperately not to do this in ''Film/WereTheMillers'' , but he does.

* This happens to Gordon in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine''. After Henry gets sick after taking the regular coal instead of the special coal, Gordon initially kept quiet about his condition and is focused on setting the record for pulling the Express on time, but as he was seconds away from the station he is guilt-stricken and decides to go back to help Henry.

Compare ContagiousHeroism, EveryoneHasStandards and ReturningToTheScene.

* ''Film/SawIII'' reveals that after Amanda helped John (Jigsaw) set up the bathroom trap from the first film, she was overwhelmed with guilt over trapping [[NiceGuy Adam,]] who fans agree genuinely didn't deserve to be tested, and for accidentally putting the key to his shackle in the tub that drained out when he woke up inside it, signing his death warrant. She sneaks back into the bathroom behind John's back and [[MercyKill mercy kills Adam,]] [[BleedEmAndWeep sobbing the whole time, begging him to stop fighting back]] and he thrashes and tries to resist with the strength he has left.

* ''Film/SawIII'' reveals that after Amanda helped John (Jigsaw) set up the bathroom trap from the first film, she was overwhelmed with guilt over trapping [[NiceGuy Adam,]] who fans agree genuinely didn't deserve to be tested, and accidentally putting the key to his shackle in the tub that drained out when he woke up inside it, signing his death warrant. She sneaks back into the bathroom behind John's back and [[MercyKill mercy kills Adam,]] [[BleedEmAndWeep sobbing the whole time, begging him to stop fighting back]] and he thrashes and tries to resist with the strength he has left.

** Two deleted scenes really help expound on why Amanda would feel this awful: The first is of her in the lobby of his apartment building, seemingly there to scope out the layout for when she comes back to abduct Adam. He walks down the stairs and sees her, and although he doesn't know her, he strikes up a conversation; he sweetly compliments her hair, invites her out to see his friend's band, and asks if he can take her picture, to which she genuinely smiles and says yes. He went out of his way to be really friendly and kind to her, honestly hoping to "see her around," and she paid it back by putting him in a death game. The second is a scene of her having a very vivid nightmare of hearing something go bump in the night while she's the only one awake in the warehouse, and when she goes to investigate, she sees Adam's ghost, who rushes her and [[SdrawkcabSpeech speaks in a garbled moan, which, when played in reverse, is him asking her, "How could you do this to me?"]] She immediately bolts awake, covered in sweat, breathing frantic.

** Two deleted scenes really help expound on why Amanda would feel this awful: The first is of her in the lobby of his apartment building, seemingly there to scope out the layout for when she comes back to abduct Adam. He walks down the stairs and sees her, and although he doesn't know her, he strikes up a conversation; he sweetly compliments her hair, invites her out to see his friend's band, and asks if he can take her picture, to which she genuinely smiles and says yes. He went out of his way to be really friendly and kind to her, honestly hoping to "see her around," and she paid it back by putting him in a death game. The second is a scene of her having a very vivid nightmare of hearing something go bump in the night while she's the only one awake in the warehouse, and when she goes to investigate, she sees Adam's ghost, who rushes her and [[SdrawkcabSpeech speaks in a garbled moan, which, when played in reverse, is him asking her, "How could you do this to me?"]] She immediately bolts awake, covered in sweat.

** Two deleted scenes really help expound on why Amanda would feel this awful: The first is of her in the lobby of his apartment building, seemingly there to scope out the layout for when she comes back to abduct Adam. He walks down the stairs and sees her, and although he doesn't know her, he strikes up a conversation; he sweetly compliments her hair, invites her out to see his friend's band, and asks if he can take her picture, to which she genuinely smiles and says yes. He went out of his way to be really friendly and kind to her, honestly hoping to "see her around," and she paid it back by putting him in a death game. The second is a scene of her having a very vivid nightmare of hearing something go bump in the night while she's the only one awake in the warehouse, and when she goes to investigate, she sees Adam's ghost, who [[SdrawkcabSpeech speaks to her in a garbled moan, which, when played in reverse, is him asking her, "How could you do this to me?"]]

* ''Film/SawIII'' reveals that after Amanda helped John (Jigsaw) set up the bathroom trap from the first film, she was overwhelmed with guilt over trapping Adam, who fans agree genuinely didn't deserve to be tested, and accidentally putting the key to his shackle in the tub that drained out when he woke up inside it, signing his death warrant. She sneaks back into the bathroom behind John's back and [[MercyKill mercy kills Adam,]] [[BleedEmAndWeep sobbing the whole time, begging him to stop fighting back]] and he thrashes and tries to resist with the strength he has left.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E16TheWatersOfMars "The Waters of Mars"]]: The Doctor is leaving Bowie Base One and its crew to their unalterable fates. He can hear their frantic efforts to survive turn to failure as more and more of them fall to the waterborne virus, culminating in the self-destruct of their shuttle. Then he remembers his own words: "I'm not just a Time Lord, I'm the last of the Time Lords." And he returns to save those he can.[[note]]Of course, this example is... well, let's just say "complicated" by the fact that to save those people would be to alter a fixed point in time, an act which could possibly destroy time itself. Part of the reason he went back was because he was sick of failing people, yes, especially in light of the fact that he thinks he's going to die soon. But when he actually ''does'' save them — or at least thinks he has — he goes absolutely, terrifyingly [[AGodAmI guano]]. The whole exercise was about power as much as conscience.[[/note]]