History Main / ForcedToFeelEmpathy

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': [[TheHighQueen Blue Diamond]] is revealed to have this as her main power. She can force other Gems to feel the overwhelming sorrow and pain she's experienced since the death of her sister Pink Diamond. Blue's baseline mood simply makes the Gems around her cry, but when she [[EmotionBomb weaponizes her emotions]], she can utterly immobilize the toughest warriors and even affect humans. The only Gems ever shown to be able to resist Blue's grief bomb are Garnet--and even then it took every ounce of HeroicWillpower she had to stand up--and Lapis Lazuli, whose [[TraumaCongaLine millennia-long history of abuse]] has rendered her TooBrokenToBreak ("I've felt ''worse''"). [[spoiler: After Blue Diamond's HeelFaceTurn, she instead makes other Gems feel relaxed and happy, as she's finally processed her sadness.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BigGuyAndRustyTheBoyRobot'': In "Moon Madness", Rusty is able to save himself by tricking Edie the soulless AI into thinking the backup copy of his human emotion grid is the chip she needs to rule the world. It ends with her realizing the error of her ways and playing video games with rusty.

* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': This is the principle behind the Indigo Tribe, a Lantern corps based around empathy. They find heinous people and force them to feel empathy for their victims.
* ''ComicBook/OurWorldsAtWar'':The event ends with a shred of Wonder Woman's kindness remaining in Darkseid of all people. The Lord of Apokolips considers this as horrible -- if not moreso -- a price as the thousands of Amazon lives lost in the War.
* ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange2023'': The first major ArcVillain of the run, [[spoiler:General Stephen Strange,]] is too powerful for even Stephen and Clea to defeat. Stephen instead subdues his foe by having the Freaky Doctor Zee bombard [[spoiler:General Strange]] with psychedelics, creating an opening for Stephen to perform PsychicSurgery and transplant a portion of his conscience into his opponent. Now forced to feel guilt and empathy for the first time in thousands of years, [[spoiler:General Strange]], a ShellShockedVeteran waging a ForeverWar, collapses from the sheer weight of his actions.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'': This is what results from using the Nightshade Rage against the FinalBoss. Kefka will realize that destroying everything means he has to destroy himself, and he starts hitting himself for 9999 damage a piece.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': We learn of the Ritual of Restoration, a curse that restores a vampire's soul. The curse was placed on Angel, forcing him to repent for all of the death and devastation he wrought as Angelus. After he becomes Angelus again, Willow is forced to cast the curse in hopes of saving the world.
* ''Series/TheLibrarians2014'': In one episode, a fairy is rampaging across a town that she'd been forced to keep safe for the last thirty years, under the auspices of a wish she'd granted a young boy. Another boy freed her from the snow globe she was bound to, and Cassandra points out that the fairy owes him a wish, now. He wishes for the fairy to know what it was like to be afraid, after having heard it didn't know or understand fear. Overwhelmed by the emotion, the fairy declares that if knowing the feeling of fear was what it meant to be human, it was punishment enough, and she is allowed to depart, having decided to spare the town.

* ''Series/TheSandman2022'': In the [[Recap/TheSandman2022S01E10LostHearts Season 1 finale]], Dream of the Endless "ends the dreams" of an [[ItMakesSenseInContext entire convention's worth]] of {{Serial Killer}}s, causing them all to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone gain a conscience for the very first time]]. As they shuffle outside wearing {{Thousand Yard Stare}}s, one is seen calling the police to turn herself in, and another commits suicide.

* ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'': After being captured by Negabreel, the EnemyWithout embodiment of Breel's sins, Keene finds out he intends to kill the other Breel in order to absorb his virtues and become a complete soul. Grilling him on this, Keene asks what he intends to do once he gains Breel's empathy and realizes he's killed someone, which Negabreel cannot comprehend. To prove he wouldn't regret such a thing, Negabreel harmlessly absorbs a small fraction of empathy and is immediately overloaded with the guilt of everything he's done and intends to do.

* ''Series/TheSandman2022'': In the [[Recap/S01E10LostHearts Season 1 finale]], Dream of the Endless "ends the dreams" of an [[ItMakesSenseInContext entire convention's worth]] of {{Serial Killer}}s, causing them all to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone gain a conscience for the very first time]]. As they shuffle outside wearing {{Thousand Yard Stare}}s, one is seen calling the police to turn herself in, and another commits suicide.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': We learn of the Ritual of Restoration, a curse that restores a vampire's soul. The curse was placed on Angel, forcing him to repent for all of the death and devastation he wrought as Angelus. After he becomes Angelus again, Willow is forced to cast the curse in hopes of saving the world.
* ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': In the final season, the Chronicoms invade Earth, forcing the team to go on a trip through time to stop them. In the series finale, Daisy's half-sister Kora (who died in the main timeline) is revealed to be the key to reprogramming the Chronicoms to feel empathy so they choose to live on Earth alongside humans peacefully.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'': This is what results from using the Nightshade Rage against the FinalBoss. Kefka will realize that destroying everything means he has to destroy himself, and he starts hitting himself for 9999 damage a piece.

* ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'': After being captured by Negabreel, the EnemyWithout embodiment of Breel's sins, Keene finds out he intends to kill the other Breel in order to absorb his virtues and become a complete soul. Grilling him on this, Keene asks what he intends to do once he gains Breel's empathy and realizes he's killed someone, which Negabreel cannot comprehend. To prove he wouldn't regret such a thing, Negabreel harmlessly absorbs a small fraction of empathy and is immediately overloaded with the guilt of everything he's done.

* ''ComicBook/OurWorldsAtWar'':The event ends with a shred of Wonder Woman's kindness remaining in Darkseid of all people. The Lord of Apokolips considers this as horrible - if not moreso - a price as the thousands of Amazon lives lost in the War.

* {{Literature/Animorphs}}: The Howlers are Crayak's elite shock troops, aliens with all kinds of augmentations and abilities that make them better killers including a species-wide shared memory. When Jake morphs into one, he expects its mind to be a BloodKnight, but instead finds it's basically a child that considers war as a game with other children. The Howlers are neutralized as a whole when Jake manages to insert the memory of his and Cassie's BigDamnKiss in their shared memory, resulting in the Howlers trying kissing during their next genocide.

How to deal with TheSociopath? You can [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath talk down the monster]] or you can magically or psychically give them the feelings that they lack. This will lead to the sociopath in question beginning to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone feel horror and shame for all of their sins]], leading to a VillainousBreakdown especially if they actually didn't want emotions. If the sociopath wanted emotions to begin with and it proves to be too much for them, this can lead to a case of BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor."

* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Demon lord Neron has taken the love of Wally and Linda West have for each other in exchange for releasing the souls of The Rouges from demons that were attacking the city. Because he is a JerkassGenie, releasing the souls still means the demons are wrecking the city. But Linda and Wally's love is so great, Neron feels empathy and compassion and can't function as a demon lord, so he begs the couple to take their love back. They only agree to do so if he saves the city and now having compassion, Neron agrees.

* ''ComicBook/MightyMorphinPowerRangersBoomStudios'' puts a darker spin on its campy source material, explaining that the "moon dumpster" that contained Rita Repulsa for 10,000 years forced her to experience the pain of ''every single person'' she hurt in her intergalactic warmongering. She would have been released much sooner had to learned the lesson and expressed true regret for her actions, but alas, no.

* ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange2023'': The first major ArcVillain of the run, [[spoiler:General Stephen Strange]] is too powerful for even Stephen and Clea to defeat. Stephen instead subdues his foe by having the Freaky Doctor Zee bombard [[spoiler:General Strange]] with psychedelics, creating an opening for Stephen to perform PsychicSurgery and transplant a portion of his conscience into his opponent. Now forced to feel guilt and empathy for the first time in thousands of years, [[spoiler:General Strange]], a ShellShockedVeteran waging a ForeverWar, collapses from the sheer weight of his actions.

* ''Film/TheNeverendingStoryIITheNextChapter'': Bastian defeats the EvilOverlord Xaida by wishing that she has a heart. She then sheds a [[SingleTear single tear]] [[TearsOfRemorse of remorse]], which [[SwissArmyTears magically undoes all the damage]] she caused to Fantasia.

-->-- '''Bastian''' to Xayvide, ''Film/TheNeverendingStoryIITheNextChapter''

* ''Film/TheNeverendingStoryIITheNextChapter'': Bastian defeats the EvilOverlord Xayvide by wishing that she has a heart. She then sheds a [[SingleTear single tear]] [[TearsOfRemorse of remorse]], which [[SwissArmyTears magically undoes all the damage]] she caused to Fantasia.

** Trillian [[spoiler:uses it on Zaphod when she's angry at him -- which [[GoneHorriblyRight works too well]], causing him to not only sympathise with her but also understand some things about her that she wasn't admitting to herself.]]
** Marvin [[spoiler:cripples an army of Vogons by afflicting them with his overwhelming depression.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': In "I Second That Emotion," Bender flushes Nibbler down the toilet. [[FriendToAllLivingThings Leela]] is heartbroken, and Bender's indifference leads [[MadScientist the Professor]] to install an empathy chip so Bender can feel the pain he caused. This leads to Bender flushing ''himself'' down the toilet to retrieve Nibbler.

[[AC:Western Animation]]

[[AC:Comics]]

* ''ComicBook/TheImmortalThor'': Thor grants Toranos the power of Thor by tricking Toranos into grabbing Mjolnir. Because the Thor decided who was worthy, and whoever is worthy holding the hammer gains the power of Thor, Toranos becomes a version of Thor, complete with all the mercy and restraint that entails. Toranos throws away the Hammer but is still overwhelmed by guilt and runs away.

[[AC: Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'': Played for laughs in the 2020 ParodyCommercial "5 Hour Empathy", where a straight white man expresses a desire to understand the [[UsefulNotes/BlackLivesMatterMovement racial unrest going on in the country]]. The voiceover (done by the black Creator/KenanThompson) offers him 5 Hour Empathy, an energy-drink like substance that would give him empathy for other demographics. "Cool," he says, except he's completely reluctant to trying it and defensively claims that he's not a racist when pressed by the voiceover. The man then elects to jump out the window rather than empathize. Meanwhile, his white wife claims that she doesn't need it because she's a woman, to the voiceover's offense.

[[AC: Literature]]
* {{Literature/Animorphs}}: The Howlers are Crayak's elite shock troops, aliens with all kinds of augmentations and abilities that make them better killers including a species-wide shared memory. When Jake morphs into one, he expects its mind to be a BloodKnight, but instead finds it's basically a child that considers war as a game with other children. The Howlers are neutralized as a whole when Jake manages to insert the memory of his and Cassie's BigDamnKiss in their shared memory, resulting in the Howlers trying kissing during their next genocide.
* ''[[Literature/InheritanceCycle Inheritance]]'': [[spoiler:Eragon ultimately defeats Galbatorix by casting a spell that forces him to feel the pain of all the lives he's ruined. Galbatorix is so overwhelmed by the emotions that, after begging Eragon to make it stop to no avail, he magically detonates himself in a powerful explosion.]]
* ''Literature/QuantumDevilSagaAvatarTuner'': When Sera was a child, being an EmissaryFromTheDivine, she was only able to communicate with the EldritchAbomination god who created her, and was completely incapable of even perceiving the existence of most humans. Since emotions are purely a human-exclusive trait that her creator lacks, she was also incapable of perceiving the existance of emotions as well. This, coupled with her PhysicalGod powers, resulted in many, ''many'' deaths, up until a psychic doctor went through a FreakOut and decided to MindRape her by linking her mind with that of the thousands of people dying as a result of her powers. This killed the doctor, but Sera definitely started understanding human emotion after ''that'' one. She also got TraumaInducedAmnesia and lost most of her own abilities and the ability to communicate with her creator god, so by the time the Embryon meets her she seems like a kind-hearted girl absolutely obsessed with helping everyone.
* ''Literature/{{Ward}}'': Cradle, a sociopathic supervillain, is given feelings of empathy and guilt by fellow cluster member Rain, causing him to feel regret for his past actions. However, [[IgnoredEpiphany this only convinces him that he needs to drain Rain's shard more quickly]] before those feelings cause him to give up on his plans altogether, because [[SunkCostFallacy he's gone too far to stop now.]]

[[AC: Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheNightmaresOfFuturesPast'': Harry's final duel with Voldemort ended when Harry used their mental connection to dump all his feelings into Voldemort's head. Since most of those emotions revolved around his anger and grief at losing everyone who ever mattered to him, over the course of a 13-year constant war, the result was a form of torture that immediately reduced Voldemort to screaming, making him an easy target. Unfortunately, since everyone who ever mattered to Harry was dead at that point, it was a rather hollow victory -- kickstarting the plot, as Harry sets out to [[PeggySue try again]].

[[AC: Live Action Film]]
* ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'': The Point of View Gun was designed by the supercomputer Deep Thought, and causes the target to see things from the shooter's point of view.
** Humma Kavula wants to use it to convert more people to his religion, and blackmails Zaphod into retrieving it for him.
** Trillian [[spoiler:uses it on Zaphod when she's angry at him -- which [[GoneHorriblyRight works too well]], causing him to not only sympathise with her but also understand some things about her that she wasn't admitting to herself.]]
** Marvin [[spoiler:cripples an army of Vogons by afflicting them with his overwhelming depression.]]

[[AC: Web Video]]
* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': Attempted in campaign 2: After the Nein defeat Trent Ikithon, Caduceus repeatedly casts Command on him, ordering him to "empathize" with the suffering he has caused. It's ultimately subverted as [[GameMaster Matt]] eventually states that, although Command can force an attempt at an action, the individual also has to be capable of the action in the first place, and Trent's LackOfEmpathy is too strong for the command to have any effect on him.

[[AC:VideoGame]]
* ''Videogame/Persona5'': Making their targets feel empathy towards their victims is one of the effects of Phantom Thieves stealing their metaphorical hearts (another is reconnecting them with their conscience). The Phantom Thieves typically target only the most unrepentant psychopaths and narcissists who walk over other's heads and, often, corpses, but after they are done with them, the targets usually break down crying, overwhelmed by the suffering they themselves have inflicted upon their victims.

* ''ComicBook/DrStrange2023'': The first major ArcVillain of the run, [[spoiler:General Stephen Strange]] is too powerful for even Stephen and Clea to defeat. Stephen instead subdues his foe by having the Freaky Doctor Zee bombard [[spoiler:General Strange]] with psychedelics, creating an opening for Stephen to perform PsychicSurgery and transplant a portion of his conscience into his opponent. Now forced to feel guilt and empathy for the first time in thousands of years, [[spoiler:General Strange]], a ShellShockedVeteran waging a ForeverWar, collapses from the sheer weight of his actions.