History Main / GoodHurtsEvil

* In the crossover event ''Our Worlds at War'', Darkseid proved instrumental to the heroes’ victory. But his powers had been stripped from him, and in order to restore his full strength so he could help them, Franchise/WonderWoman had to give up a piece of her soul, placing it inside Darkseid. Naturally, when the day is won, Darkseid goes on to gloat about how his victory is complete, while Wonder Woman lost hundreds of Amazons in battle and had to give up a piece of her own soul. Looks like things suck for Diana…until Darkseid gets home and he finds himself being uncharacteristically merciful to someone. It turns out that because Wonder Woman now has a piece of her soul in Darkseid, he now has a sliver of compassion in his otherwise black heart. This causes Darkseid to scream in agony.

* Slightly Zigzagged in ''TabletopGame/TheDarkEye'', where demons take additional harm from priests, holy objects and grounds, but the effect is not restricted to good deities.

* Chernobog in ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'' is driven away by the forces of "the sacred".

** Gollum feels pain when he comes into physical contact with the enchanted rope the Elves gave to Sam. Also his aversion to the sun might qualify.
** So does the Nazgûls' fear of running water; the power of Vala Ulmo still runs strong in Middle-Earth's waters.

** Then, it's subverted at Mount Doom, where Sam pulls out the vial for some kind of help... only to watch in terror as it grows dim. Mount Doom, apparently, is an evil so absolute, even the (reflected) glory of God gives way.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter''. ThePowerOfLove his mother gave him is powerful enough to melt faces and make the most powerful of curses backfire. However, since the universe is mixed with MagicAIsMagicA, the BigBad is able to take steps to prevent its effects against him.
** Voldemort is still hit with this at the climax of book five, when he [[spoiler:succeeds in possessing Harry. He tries to goad Dumbledore into attacking Harry in hopes of killing them both at once. Harry is in so much pain that he finds himself wishing Dumbledore would do it, since it would mean he could see Sirius again - and Harry's thoughts of Sirius cause Voldemort so much agony that he never even ''tries'' the possession tactic again.]]
** The Dementors can be fought off by summoning a creature made of concentrated positive emotion (love or happiness). Dementors are embodiments of depression they qualify as MadeOfEvil, and that Patronuses are made of good (and are immune to all Dark magic).
* In ''Literature/GoodOmens'', the demon Ligur is rather nastily killed by holy water. Holy water's typical effect on demonic entities such as demons and vampires in fantasy fiction is a common type of this trope.
** Something of a subversion in that it wasn't sprinkled at him with a chant by a robed holy man; it was weaponized into booby traps and squirt guns by another demon who premeditated his defense.
** The good/evil lines on ''Literature/GoodOmens'' are all blurred, which is sort of the point; Crowley isn't very evil, but he is still a demon and he still treats holy water with the caution a chemist gives to concentrated acid.
* All over the place in ''Literature/LeftBehind'', of course, but most {{squick}}ily in ''Glorious Appearing'', where a would-be rapist of a returned immortal Christian bursts into flames--but only after being allowed to begin the attack, and even though traditional narratives allow for less violent methods of defense, such as intangibility.

*** One Red Court vampire's[[note]]These are not succubus-type as the White Court, rather living bat-like beasts who masquerade as humans[[/note]] hand actually caught on fire when she touched Micheal, the "Fist of God", at a neutral grounds party. She wasn't even attacking him, just casually touching him in an attempt at mind games. Needless to say it backfired horribly for the deranged incestuous monster.

** Among demons, holy items and rituals work against most any evil so long as the wielder has ''faith'' in the item or symbol. So Harry would gain no protection from a cross, unlike Michael, but he would gain it from his silver pentacle, a symbol of his faith in good magic and order. Likewise, only a few Medicine Men in the Ute tribes and others from the South West USA would have the knowledge to call on the rituals to banish a {{Skinwalker}}.
** Then among the Fallen Angels [[spoiler:this is averted. When Harry had the shadow of a Fallen inside his head, he could go into a church with no trouble. Eventually, he postulated it wasn't this trope that caused them to avoid being in churches longer than needed. It was being on the holy ground made them remember His Love and Glory, the purpose they once had, the fulfillment they had at acting in His Name, and finally [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone asking themselves what if siding with Lucifer was a mistake and all the angel had done was for nothing]].]]

* ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsmen'' The plot is kicked off when [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Ravenna]] discovers that her dark power is growing weaker because [[BigGood Snow White]] has came of age, and thus is fairer than her, and that her innocence and purity is causing Ravenna's power to wane.

* ''SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsmen'' The plot is kicked off when [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Ravenna]] discovers that her dark power is growing weaker because [[BigGood Snow White]] has came of age, and thus is fairer than her, and that her innocence and purity is causing Ravenna's power to wane.

* In ''Fanfic/TheUltimateEvil'' (an AlternateUniverseFic of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures''), in addition to the canonical Pan'Ku Box, we're introduced a DemonSlayer who has several weapons that hurt demons on touch (like magical dust and blessed daggers). However, her crucifix [[NoSell doesn't work on]] Bai Tza.

** This belief goes at least as far back as the writing of the New Testament: In Literature/TheFourGospels, the IncorruptiblePurePureness of Jesus is so intolerable to demons that any people they possessed would start throwing a fit in his presence, which Jesus always put a stop to by ordering the demons to GetOut because 1) he didn't want or need to be endorsed as the Son of God by demons, and 2) he had great compassion for the people suffering under such a state. (However, in Literature/TheBookOfActs, some wannabe exorcists try to use the name of Jesus--and Paul--as a magic spell and are violently disabused of the idea that such a thing could be invoked frivolously.)

* ''Videogame/KingdomHearts'' plays this very straight in the ending of the first game when the light of the titular power destroys the game's BigBad.

* In ''MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic,'' ''Fanfic/NightmaresAreTragic'', the [[DemonicPossession Night Shadows]] are damaged by sufficiently strong love. When Luna realizes that her [[spoiler:OneTrueLove has finally been reborn and is threatened by Nightmare Moon]] she uses this to [[spoiler:break the Night Shadow's hold on her soul and begin FightingFromTheInside to keep it from using their shared form to kill the Mane Six]].

* PlayedForLaughs in ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD''. Praying to God, or being the target of a benevolent prayer, causes demons sharp headaches. Even after becoming demons, Asia and Xenovia remain devout, and [[AmusingInjuries frequently forget this]]. Until Issei asks ArchangelMichael to let them pray without the pain.

* ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'': Demon sorcerer Shendu cannot touch the Pan'ku Box without hurting himself, but he needs it [[SealedEvilInACan to release his siblings]]. He tries a variety of methods to take it, such as having his minions grab it (the J-Team distracts them), using a staff to push it (it electrocutes him), and covering his hands with clothes (it works, but the cloth bursts into flame).

--->'''Shendu:''' No! We can't touch it, remember!\\
'''Valmont:''' YOU can't! ''(wills his body into grabbing the box)''

* On MightyMorphinPowerRangers, the Zeo Crystal is harmful to any evil being who touches it. Supposedly, Lord Zedd lost his skin when he tried to pick it up.

* In ''MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic,'' ''NightmaresAreTragic'', the [[DemonicPossession Night Shadows]] are damaged by sufficiently strong love. When Luna realizes that her [[spoiler:OneTrueLove has finally been reborn and is threatened by Nightmare Moon]] she uses this to [[spoiler:break the Night Shadow's hold on her soul and begin FightingFromTheInside to keep it from using their shared form to kill the Mane Six]].

* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'''s god constructed Katana. Any evil that comes in ''contact'' with it is obliterated spectacularly. Its the only thing Aku ''fears'', having been nearly completely destroyed by it and Jack on multiple occasions. Also doesn't help that Jack himself is the embodiment of TheParagon with IncorruptiblePurePureness to back up the sword's strength.

* The main villain of ''[[VideoGame/Gobliiins Gobliins 2]]'', Amoniak, is defeated by drinking a goodness potion, but instead of turning him good like his two henchmen, it destroys him and he is later found in the land of the dead.

* The main villain of Gobliins 2 "Amoniak" is defeated by drinking a goodness potion, but instead of turning good, it kills him. This is lampshaded in the third game when Blount is temporarily sent to the land of the dead, you find "Amoniak was here" graffitied on the wall.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDxD''. Praying to God, or being the target of a benevolent prayer, causes demons sharp headaches. Even after becoming demons, Asia and Xenovia remain devout, and [[AmusingInjuries frequently forget this]]. Until Issei asks ArchangelMichael to let them pray without the pain.

* Used and subverted on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Vampires have weaknesses to holy water, crosses, and the like, ([[WordOfGod apparently]], because Christians are the ones who have done the most monster hunting) but said protection in no way extends to the people fighting against them. If fact, the blood of a Slayer is said to be particularly tasty to vampires (and, if Spike is to be believed, is a potent aphrodisiac for them as well).

* On MightyMorphinPowerRangers the Zeo Crystal is harmful to any evil being who touches it. Supposedly Lord Zedd lost his skin when he tried to pick it up.

** Amazingly, it happens also in the {{Grimdark}} ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'': to humans, the Emperor is absolute good... And munitions filled with byproducts of the Golden Throne he's trapped on (AKA the Emperor's ''crap'') can hurt demons.