History Main / FatalFlaw

Note the resemblance to the SevenDeadlySins [[hottip:*:(in fact, all of them except Sloth are in the list above)]]. Also see VirtueViceCodification for a more comprehensive list of vices identified by various authors throughout history.

** The Solars, Lunars, Dragon-Blooded and Sidereals all get various versions of the Great Curse, a psychological affliction thrown at them by the Primordials for besting them in war. The Solars and Lunars enter a brief psychotic period called a LimitBreak (ranging from berserker rage[[hottip:*: Berserk Anger.]] to uncontrolled crying at the suffering of the world[[hottip:*: Heart Of Tears.]] to becoming cold and uncaring about the suffering of others[[hottip:*: Heart Of Flint.]] to despising others falts[[hottip:*: Contempt Of the Virtuous.]] and well... being a jerkass[[hottip:*: Deliberate Cruelty.]]), the Dragon-Blooded get a lighter version of the same, and the Sidereals [[ASimplePlan can't seem to make any of their big plans work right]].

* ''Literature/TheApprenticeRogue'': [[spoiler: Falita is consumed by her greed and steals Leona's necklace, which leads to tragedy.]]

* [[Literature/HarryPotter Voldemort]]'s FatalFlaw is {{pride}}. It's not so much petty, plain-old narcissism and arrogance than it is outright full-blown megalomania. He's the smartest and most powerful wizard in the world and he knows it, so he tends to go out of his way to add a flair of grandeur and grace to his plans while attempting to achieve his objectives in the way he thinks will be more terrifying. For example, he challenges Harry to a duel in the graveyard sheerly for amusement, when the most pragmatic option would be to simply give the ''Avada Kedavra'' right there and then when Harry was tied up and couldn't escape. Thus, he doesn't realise that other people could learn about his Horcruxes, or find them, and he certainly doesn't realise that attempting to kill the boy destined to defeat you may result in that boy being actually able to defeat you. And thus, Harry Potter was given the weapons to destroy Voldemort.
** Voldemort also cannot understand [[ThePowerOfLove love]], though he can't help that - he's TheSociopath whose complete incapability for love and compassion were caused by the fact that his mother coerced his father with love potion, which is not true love.

** And then there's Harry himself, whose FatalFlaw is his [[ChronicHeroSyndrome "saving people thing"]]. He's willing to do anything in order to save the people he cares about.
*** In another sense, Harry's fatal flaw is that he has a martyr complex that keeps him from asking for help or back-up at times when it would really be a smart idea. He does this to keep the people around him safe but it tends to really work against him. [[spoiler: Voldemort uses this to manipulate him into events that lead to Sirius's death.]]
** Sirius's recklessness - basically, his FatalFlaw is being a LeeroyJenkins.

** When he was young, [[TheDumbledore Dumbledore]] had a whopping case of {{Pride}}, [[spoiler: planning to create a "new world" with [[ThoseWackyNazis Grindlewald]] in which wizards would rule over muggles.]] He snapped out of it [[spoiler: with the death of his sister]] and spent more than a century deliberately avoiding powerful positions because he didn't trust himself (Headmaster of Hogwarts not being that powerful a job, apparently).
*** It's ''not'' that powerful a job. It's no more powerful than the principal of your high school, or the Dean of your university. In other words, lots of influence over the educational institution itself, but no power over you once you no longer attend.

** I don't think it's that he refuses to see that everything is Cathy's fault, (he gives quite a brutal TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to her even as she's dying), so much as his obsession over her is so strong he can't break it even when he knows it's making things worse for everybody (including himself).

* ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. Some examples:
** Cersei Lannister: Obsession with power.
** Daenerys Targaryen: ChronicHeroSyndrome.
** Tyrion Lannister can't stop being [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] even if he is in big trouble and saying something gets him in even more trouble.
** Tywin Lannister: Hatred for his son Tyrion.
** Viserys Targaryen: Arrogance and obsession with being the rightful king (even against a horde of ProudWarriorRaceGuys).
** Jaime Lannister: Rashness and impatience.
** Sansa Stark and Quentyn Martell's belief that they are in a typical fantasy story.
*** Every great House is [[PlanetOfHats expected to act a certain way]] for good or ill. Starks are always honorable, [[HonorBeforeReason no matter what]]. Tullys place family above everything else. Baratheons [[{{Determinator}} never give up]] [[PyrrhicVictory no matter how much it costs them]]. Lannisters, Targaryens and Greyjoys are obsessed with domination. Arryns are too arrogant. Martells are [[RevengeBeforeReason too caught up with vengeance]]. Boltons are too violent. Freys feel inferior toward the other Houses.

* Wrestler/Raven's is his selfishness; one of his catchphrases is even "What about ''me''? What about ''Raven''?"

* Wrestling/Edge was too HotBlooded and also overconfident.

* Wrestling/Raven's is his selfishness; one of his catchphrases is even "What about ''me''? What about ''Raven''?"

* DolphZiggler is too HotBlooded and easily frustrated by failure.

* {{Raven}}'s is his selfishness; one of his catchphrases is even "What about ''me''? What about ''Raven''?"

** ''Literature/BookOfEsther'' - Haman's doesn't understand that he's just a despot's favorite. He can be replaced at a whim.

** ''Literature/BookOfEsther'' - Haman's conceit. He doesn't understand that he's just a despot's favorite and that he can be replaced at a whim.

** Nate's need to prove that he's as capable as Michael in a tough situation.

* VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} is populated with the likes of Arthas, Grom, Tyrande, Illidan and Kael'Thas [[WellIntentionedExtremist who use drastic but well-intentioned methods when dealing with a crisis]].

** Theatre/{{Othello}} is too rash, not to mention gullible (to be more precise, he believes the people he shouldn't and doesn't believe the ones he should) and prone to jealousy.
** Theatre/{{KingLear}} is far to proud. This causes him to exile and disown his beloved, youngest daughter who tells him the truth and gets himself stabbed in the back by his two eldest daughters who tell him what he wants to hear.

Note the resemblance to the SevenDeadlySins. Also see VirtueViceCodification for a more comprehensive list of vices identified by various authors throughout history.

** His grandfather Thror became so greedy and obsessed in filling his halls with gold that it would attract Smaug and eventually led to the downfall of Erebor.

* [[FullMetalJacket Sgt. Hartman]]'s inability to deal with issues without using force.

* Whether it be a raging inferiority complex, self-endangering recklessness, an Oedipus complex, alcoholism, bizarre neo-mystic delusions, or a complete disregard for one's own life, pretty much ''everybody'' in ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' had at least one of these. Quite a few have more then one.