History Main / DebtDetester

* Peter from ''Literature/{{Divergent}}''. After bullying Tris mercilessly and ''molesting'' her, he saves her life in ''Insurgent'' because she saved his.

* Loki in ''Comicbook/TheSandman'' turns out to have... strong views.

* [[EvilSorcerer Raistlin]] from ''{{Literature/Dragonlance}}'' is not altruistic (except in certain very specific circumstances) but he hates the idea of being dependent on another person and as such if he feels he's in your debt he ''will'' repay you, with a good turn he feels is exactly equivalent in value to what you did for him- indeed, the last few chpaters of ''Dragons of Spring Dawning'' is basically an extended sequence of him paying off all his debts to the other protagonists so he feels can go his own way in peace. Later on, he trains his apprentice Dalamar to believe this as well.

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* Shang in ''{{Mulan}}'' spared the titular's character's life after she dishonored the Chinese army in return for her saving his life during the Huns' attack.

* The faeries in ''TheDresdenFiles'', although it's not so much that they ''dislike'' being in debt as that if someone helps them, they're compelled by their nature to render aid in return, so they're irritated by open ended obligations.

* Loki in Comicbook/{{Sandman}} turns out to have... strong views.
--> '''Loki:''' "...I will be under an obligation to ''no one."''

-->-- '''Thresh''', ''TheHungerGames''

* ''TheHungerGames'':

* In Film/Constantine, [[spoiler:Satan]] appears to be one as he did not like owing Constantine a favor for getting him to save the world from [[spoiler:Satan's son.]] The debtor does find a price Constantine is willing to accept, then regrets it.

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* Entry 68 of the EvilOverlordList on ThisVeryWiki states -- "I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they'd better save my life again."

* The faeries in ''TheDresdenFiles'', although it's not so much that they ''dislike'' being in debt as that if someone helps them, they're compelled by their nature to render aid in return.

* This is one of [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Comicbook/Lucifer Lucifer's]] defining characteristics.

* ''YuGiOh'': Kaiba claims that Tea helping [[MoralityPet Mokuba]] escape from the Rare Hunters is the only reason he's helping Yugi find his friends. Then he uses it as his reason for saving Tea's life. Considering all the times he makes a point of explaining how he's only "helping" [[TrueCompanions the gang]] out of selfish reasons, it's pretty easy to say it's only a shield for his HiddenHeartOfGold.

* The faeries in ''TheDresdenFiles'', although it's not so much that they ''dislike'' being in debt as that if they make bargains they're compelled to keep them.

* Shran on ''StarTrekEnterprise'', vis-a-vis Archer.
* In ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Q. In one of the early Q episodes Picard shelters Q after Q has been [[MortalityEnsues made mortal]] temporarily. Q hates that he owes Picard a favour and tries to get Picard to name a favour so he can resolve the obligation.

* Shang in ''{{Mulan}}'' spared the titular's character's life after she dishonored the Chinese army in return for her saving his life during the Mongol's attack.

** Katniss herself is an example of this trope, going on to think in the next sentence:

Contrast IOweYouMyLife, a more long term, friendly, and annoying variation of this. Unrelated to WorkOffTheDebt. Occasionally overlaps with BecauseYouWereNiceToMe, albeit rarely. [[IThoughtItMeant Has nothing to do with disliking mortgages.]] Has nothing to do with detesting a [[{{Fanfic/Debt}} certain Hetalia fanfic either.]]

* In ''ArakawaUnderTheBridge'', the protagonist has always lived by this principle, paying all debts as quickly as possible, but he finds himself in a quandry when a crazy woman who lives under a bridge [[IOweYouMyLife saves his life]].

* In HarryPotter, James Potter saved Snape's life and it's implied that Snape protects Harry because he regrets not being able to save James' life in return. Or at least that's the story in the first few books, until it's revealed that he also loved Lily.

* From ''{{Gargoyles}}'', after Macbeth helps Demona kill Gillecomgain: