History Main / HeroicNeutral

* ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'': During the Universe Survival Saga, Android 17 passes up Goku's invite to represent Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power because he doesn't want to abandon his post at the nature reserve, even after Goku informs him that their entire universe will be destroyed if they lose. 17 goes on to say that if their universe is to be destroyed and everyone is to be erased, then "so be it," and wishes Goku luck.

%%[[folder:Music]]
%%* "Want You Gone" by Music/JonathanCoulton is about a character who is [[InvertedTrope Villainous Neutral]]. See VideoGame/Portal2.
%%[[/folder]]

* Bizarrely, this tends to be the attitude of the Upper Planes -- the actual, card-carrying ''angels'' -- in ''TabletopGame/PlaneScape''. Despite being vastly more powerful than most [[PlayerCharacter Player Characters]] and at least ostensibly on the same side, the supposed great warriors of Good stay on their own planes and act superior unless ''personally'' attacked. The Upper Planar major campaign [[NonPlayerCharacter [=NPCs=]]] consist of a racist demagogue, a Machiavellian schemer, a condescending academic, an egomaniacal merchant, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking a couple of ordinary merchants]]. The only exception, Unity-of-Rings, performs small acts of charity -- but adamantly refuses to do anything that would actually require his incredible angelic powers.

The biggest irony is that Evil [[EvilCannotComprehendGood can't seem to get it into its head]] that Alice would not be a problem for them if they just stopped bothering her. But Evil being what it is, the bad guys cannot simply overlook someone who has [[BadassBystander more than enough power to kick their asses]]. If Alice is not recruited or killed, they think, [[DoUntoOthersBeforeTheyDoUntoUs surely she'll bring all of their plans to ruin]]. So they poke the metaphorical beehive, thus [[SelfFulfillingProphecy causing the very defeat they were trying to prevent]], because ''[[NeutralNoLonger now]]'' Alice is motivated to destroy them.

An unaligned character who has the qualities of a protagonist but no motivation to enter the plot.

The defining characteristic of the Heroic Neutral is simple: if you don't mess with them, they won't mess with you. Oh, Alice will get angry if you mess with [[{{Protectorate}} her close family and any]] {{Love Interest}}s she might have. Occasionally, she ''may'' even take an interest in what is happening in her own neighborhood. But intervening beyond that is just "meddling".

Alice is principled and skilled, and frankly she'd make a great hero. But all she wants is to [[HomeSweetHome live in peace]]. Out there, the Forces of Good and Evil may be fighting to the death, but she doesn't care. She'll turn down HeroesRUs as easily as she'll turn down Villains "R" Us, and turn them both down for the same reason: she doesn't want to get involved.

The biggest irony is that Evil [[EvilCannotComprehendGood can't seem to get it into its head]] that Alice would happily stay neutral and not be a problem for them if they just stopped bothering her. But Evil being what it is, the bad guys cannot simply overlook someone who has [[BadassBystander more than enough power to kick their asses]]. If Alice is not recruited or killed, they think, [[DoUntoOthersBeforeTheyDoUntoUs surely she'll bring all of their plans to ruin]]. So they poke the metaphorical beehive, thus [[SelfFulfillingProphecy causing the very defeat they were trying to prevent]], because ''[[NeutralNoLonger now]]'' Alice is motivated to destroy them.

* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' reveals that after defeating Rodrigo Borgia at the Vatican, Ezio seems to feel his battles are over; after all, even though he let Borgia live, the Pope is now scared shitless of him and he's also lost the Apple of Eden. And [[spoiler: Minerva's]] warnings of destruction speak of an event that will happen far into the future, so there's nothing Ezio himself can do about it in his lifetime, and he's quite looking forward to retiring to Monterrigioni and living the rest of his life in peace with his family. Of course, while the Pope is content to leave Ezio alone and merely focus on consolidating the Templar's power, Ezio didn't take his ''son'' Cesare into account, who leads an army against Monterrigioni, destroying the city, steals back the Apple, and [[spoiler: kills Ezio's uncle Mario]]. Ezio pays him back by returning to Rome, setting up a proper Assassin's Guild, pretty much steals the city out from underneath the Borgia, and also completely destroys Cesare's army and finances. Late in the game, when Cesare comes to beg his father for more money to continue his war, Rodrigo instead reams him out for his stupidity by telling him Ezio would have left them alone if Cesare hadn't attacked Monterrigioni in the first place.

* Painfully deconstructed in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. The protagonist, Shinji Ikari, has no desire to pilot a cybernetic mecha monstrosity and save the world from eldritch horrors. He's a deeply depressed kid who drifts through life on autopilot, doing whatever people tell him to so they'll stop bothering him. [[GoMadFromTheRevelation This goes about]] [[RealityEnsues as well as]] [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds you would expect.]]

* Literature/CiaphasCain basically just wants to have a peaceful retirement on a quiet out-of-the-way planet, but the Imperium seemingly needs him all the time and of course his 'reputation' makes them call on him all the more often, a reputation that only grows every time they do. Of course when he's seemingly found his peace, the baddies always seem to come across the galaxy to find him.

->'''Noah''': So what are you gonna do? You're just gonna lock your doors and crawl back into your shell? You're one of the good guys, Matt. You have a responsibility. You're not a coward.\\
'''Matt''': You know, some days...maybe you just can't save the whole world. Some days you're better off just getting your own house in order.
-->-- ''Series/{{Heroes}}''

* The Dude from ''Film/TheBigLebowski'' fits this, since he only [[HumbleGoal wants a new rug]] and then gets dragged into a kidnapping plot.

* In the first movie, the titular ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' just wants to live in his swamp by himself. He ends up going on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona for the sake of getting all of the fairy tale creatures out of his swamp after Lord Farquaad sends them there. While Farquaad keeps his ends of the bargain, CharacterDevelopment along the way on Shrek's part meant that [[LonelyAtTheTop he abandoned the few people who genuinely liked him no longer do]], making Shrek realize how desperately lonely he really was.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' just wants to live in his swamp, and later settle down with this Princess turned Ogre. The plot views it differently.

The defining characteristic of the Heroic Neutral is simple: she'll leave you alone if you leave her alone. Oh, Alice will get angry if you mess with [[{{Protectorate}} her close family and any Love Interests]] she might have. Occasionally she ''may'' even take an interest in what is happening in her neighborhood, but intervening beyond that is just "meddling".

Alice is principled and skilled, and frankly she'd make a great hero, but all she wants is to [[HomeSweetHome live in peace]]. Out there, the Forces of Good and Evil may be fighting to the death, but she doesn't care. She'll turn down HeroesRUs as easily as she'll turn down Villains "R" Us, and for the same reason: she just doesn't want to get involved.

It is the [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive job of the plot to make Alice care]]. Heroic Neutral types DefaultToGood not so much because of inherent valour as because Evil is [[VillainsActHeroesReact more likely to earn their ire]]: kidnap their loved ones, threaten their home village, etc. And Alice will do ''whatever it takes'' to return things to the way they were. If Evil starts it, she [[NeutralNoLonger will finish it]]. And then she'll go right back home until some idiot tries to mess with her again.

Now, the biggest irony is that Evil [[EvilCannotComprehendGood can't seem to get it into its head]] that Alice would happily stay neutral and not be a problem for them. But Evil, being what it is, cannot simply overlook someone who has [[BadassBystander more than enough power to kick their asses]]. If Alice is not recruited or killed, they think, [[DoUntoOthersBeforeTheyDoUntoUs surely she'll bring all of their plans to ruin]]. So they poke the metaphorical beehive, thus [[SelfFulfillingProphecy causing]] the very defeat they were trying to prevent, because ''[[NeutralNoLonger now]]'' Alice is motivated to destroy them.

It can be {{Justified|Trope}} if Alice has already spent most of her life fighting the forces of evil and [[RetiredBadass now feels she's earned the right to sit this one out]]. From her perspective, it's time for younger heroes to take up the slack. In this case, she may break neutrality only to provide indirect assistance: handing over the FreeSamplePlotCoupon, giving them her MacGuffin, serving as MrExposition, etc. The protagonists will still have to do the dirty work, but Alice at least got them started.

** To a lesser extent, this also involves anyone who has the same goals that they do. Luffy stood opposed to Hody Jones not because Hody wanted to kill all humans or because of the FantasticRacism involved; Luffy stood opposed to Hody Jones because they both wanted to be King of the Pirates. It just so happens that beating the tar out of Hody was also a heroic act, since it put down a genocidal tyrant. But Luffy didn't care about that in the slightest; he just wanted to make sure nobody but him was going to be Pirate King.

* Cloud, Vincent, Cid, Yuffie, and Red XIII all start as this in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. It's actually fairly common for Final Fantasy games to have their character start as this. Hell, only Tifa and Barrett start with good intentions, and even then Barrett's a GoodIsNotNice AntiHero.
%%* Squall in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' is another example.
%%** So's the entire cast apart from Rinoa. They're paid professional soldiers. Squall takes by far the longest to become genuinely heroic though.
%%* Steiner in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' starts somewhere between this and LawfulStupid.
%%** Amarant remains this throughout.

* ''VideoGame/InFamous'' has elements of this, particularly at the beginning. Cole just wants to be left alone and to protect his friends. His villainous path actually starts with him deciding to screw over others so he can provide those closest to him with a reliable source of food.

** To a lesser extent, this also involves anyone who has the same goals that they do. Luffy stood opposed to Hody Jones not because Hody wanted to kill all humans or because of the FantasicRacism involved; Luffy stood opposed to Hody Jones because they both wanted to be King of the Pirates. It just so happens that beating the tar out of Hody was also a heroic act, since it put down a genocidal tyrant. But Luffy didn't care about that in the slightest; he just wanted to make sure nobody but him was going to be Pirate King.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': The Straw Hats. Despite being the protagonists, many of their heroic exploits are a result of someone harming one of their own or someone they consider an ally (aka, a friend). Otherwise they wouldn't have fought at least half the antagonists in the entire series. This is supported by the fact that in spite of their kindness, they're ''[[ImNotAHeroIm pirates]]'', and are fully aware of it. Luffy himself has stated that while he likes heroes, he doesn't want to ''be'' one. Though his and Zoro's logic is that a hero is ''completely'' selfless and thus would feel pressured (they give an example of meat and booze respectably that a pirate would consume it while a hero would share it with everyone.) In addition, Luffy tends to befriend most people pretty easily and his BullyHunter attributes seem to be contagious amongst the crew.

* From the ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' series we have two odd examples, Koudelka Iasant, the main protagonist from the first game in the series, and Roger Bacon, a recurring character throughout the entire series. In between games the manga tie-in saw Koudelka gain god-like powers, a side-effect Of which is she humanity as insignificant and in ''Shadow Hearts'' is being tortured by the Big Bad to help summon Eldridge Horrors, but is So uninvested she goes into a meditative trance imitating a coma just to mess with him. However the second he threatens her son, [[PersonOfMassDestruction she starts glowing the walls start shaking]] and the normally unflappable Big Bad starts getting very serious. Once her son is out of danger, she is back to giving exactly two craps about humanity and only because her son is among them.

* In ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'', [[Film/MonsterVerse San and to a lesser extent Vivienne]] generally fit this trope. San is concerned about his and his [[BalefulPolymorph formerly-human]] "[[TwoBeingsOneBody sister]]"'s welfare (and [[{{Protectorate}} eventually puts Vivienne's specific welfare first]]), and beyond his curiosity, he generally holds neither malice nor generosity towards humans if they've neither earned his UnstoppableRage nor helped them out. Vivienne is TheConscience of the duo for this reason.

The defining characteristic of the Heroic Neutral is simple: she'll leave you alone if you leave her alone. Oh, she'll get angry if you mess with [[{{Protectorate}} her close family and any Love Interests]] she might have. Occasionally she ''may'' even take an interest in what is happening in her neighborhood, but intervening beyond that is just "meddling".

The defining characteristic of the Heroic Neutral is simple: she'll leave you alone if you leave her alone. Oh, she'll get angry if you mess with [[{{Protectorate}} her close family and any Love Interests]] she might have. Occasionally she ''may'' even take an interest in what is happening in her neighborhood, but intervening in matters beyond that is just "meddling". Alice is determined and skilled, and frankly she'd make a great hero, but all she wants is to [[HomeSweetHome live in peace]]. Out there, the Forces of Good and Evil may be fighting to the death, but she doesn't care. She'll turn down HeroesRUs as easily as she'll turn down Villains "R" Us, and for the same reason: she just doesn't want to get involved.

It is the [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive job of the plot to make Alice care]]. Heroic Neutral types DefaultToGood not so much because of inherent valour as because Evil is [[VillainsActHeroesReact more likely to earn their ire]]: kidnap their loved ones, threaten their home village, etc. And Alice will do ''whatever it takes'' to return things to the way they were. If Evil starts it, she [[NeutralNoLonger will finish it]]. And she'll go right back to being neutral until some idiot tries to mess with her again.

Now, the biggest irony is that Evil [[EvilCannotComprehendGood can't seem to get it into its head]] that Alice would happily stay neutral and not be a problem for them. But Evil, being what it is, cannot simply overlook someone who has [[BadassBystander more than enough power to kick their asses]]. If Alice is not recruited or killed, [[DoUntoOthersBeforeTheyDoUntoUs surely she'll bring all of their plans to ruin]]. So they poke the metaphorical beehive, thus [[SelfFulfillingProphecy causing]] the very disaster they were trying to prevent, because ''[[NeutralNoLonger now]]'' Alice is motivated to destroy them.

It can be {{Justified|Trope}} if Alice has already spent most of her life fighting the forces of evil and [[RetiredBadass now feels she's earned the right to sit this one out]]. From her perspective, it's time for younger heroes to take up the slack. In this case, her role may be to provide indirect assistance through some sort of PlotCoupon, a MacGuffin, serving as MrExposition, etc. The protagonists still have to do the dirty work to save the day, but Alice has pointed them in the right direction.

Heroic neutral doesn't mean that they are morally neutral and selfish, but they're not actively heroic.

The defining characteristic of the Heroic Neutral is simple: they want to be left alone. This extends to [[{{Protectorate}} their close family and Love Interest]]. Occasionally it ''may'' even extend to people in their general vicinity, but past that gets into dangerous "meddling." They are determined and skilled, but they just want to [[HomeSweetHome live out their lives in peace]]. Out there, the Forces of Good and Evil may be fighting to the death, but they don't care. He'll turn down HeroesRUs just like he turned down Villains "R" Us. Not all neutral characters are heroes or villains because they frequently just only for antagonists and characters.

It is the [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive job of the plot to make them care]]. Heroic Neutral tends to be called "[[DefaultToGood Good]]" mostly because Evil is [[VillainsActHeroesReact more likely to mess with them]]: kidnap their loved ones, threaten their home village, etc. And these types will do ''whatever it takes'' to return things to the way they were. Evil starts it, the Heroic Neutral [[NeutralNoLonger finishes it]]. And they'll go right back to being left alone until some idiot tries to mess with them again.

Now, the biggest irony is that Evil [[EvilCannotComprehendGood can't seem to get it into its head]] that these people don't have [[WithUsOrAgainstUs to be a threat]]. Especially if said Neutral has shown [[BadassBystander more than enough power to kick their asses]], this seems to indicate to Evil that they need to recruit or destroy them even more, [[DoUntoOthersBeforeTheyDoUntoUs because surely such power will oppose them eventually]]. So they preemptively strike, thus [[SelfFulfillingProphecy causing]] the very thing they were trying to prevent, because yes, ''[[NeutralNoLonger now]]'' the Neutral will destroy them.

It can be {{Justified|Trope}} if the Neutral has already spent most of their life fighting the forces of evil, and [[RetiredBadass now feels they've earned a rest]]. Needless to say, from the Neutral's perspective it can be rather irritating if the much younger heroes come running to you and expect you to solve all their problems for them. In this case, the Neutral's role may be to provide indirect assistance through some sort of PlotCoupon, a MacGuffin, serving as MrExposition, etc. The protagonists still have to do the dirty work to save the day, but the Neutral has given them the things they need to do so.

* Genkai of ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' is largely this or at least claims to be. Known throughout the Demon World as the more or less their boogeyman despite only being human, Genkai is implied to have an extensive body count and known as a killer of demons. In her fight against Shishiwakamaru during the Dark Tournament, he loudly claims her to be some hero of justice and when she thoroughly beat his ass to the floor she informs him that her techniques were meant as a means to an end and a way for her to get what she wanted and unfortunately a large number of the people that stood in her way happened to be Demons. This is also largely hinted at in her introduction to the series when during her tournament she claims that she'll teach her techniques to whoever happens to win regardless of their moral standings. As she puts it "[she's] a Psychic not a Saint".
* Kino, of ''LightNovel/KinosJourney'', is the episodic version. Kino doesn't care about fairness, or innocence, or revenge, or war, or any of that. The only rule: never to stay in one land for more than three days. The plot and various BusFullOfInnocents then work to provide reasons to get Kino's attention anyway. Averted in some episodes where the plot fails and OffscreenInertia or InferredHolocaust get involved.
* ''The on-screen side of good'' in the TournamentArc ''Franchise/{{Zoids}}: New Century Zero'', especially Bit Cloud. We're told that there are people policing Zoid Battles and trying to shut down the Backdraft Organization, but we don't see them until very late in the series. It's only because Backdraft steals or attempts to steal their robots that the Blitz team gets involved, and it's not like the Blitz team are out saving lives or trying to help people in episodes Backdraft doesn't appear.
* [[CynicalMentor Seijuuro Hiko]] from ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' would love nothing more than [[RetiredBadass just be a potter and rest]] after all the fights he has been in his life. But once his "stupid pupil" Kenshin really needs his help, he'll call him an idiot... and then go give him and his TrueCompanions a hand.
* Jack Rakan in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima''. You can either [[PunchClockHero pay him a huge amount of money]] or you can make friends with him (in which case he'll just charge you credit) if you want his help. Otherwise, he just doesn't care. [[ObfuscatingStupidity Or so he acts]]. If it ''is'' an act or not is debatable.

* Akira Inugami of ''Manga/WolfGuyWolfenCrest.'' {{Doom Magnet}}ism and [[CantArgueWithElves speciesist attitude aside,]] the only time he intervenes in a situation is on the behalf of people he likes, which amounts to, AT MOST, five people.
* The main character of ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' only does [[PunchClockVillain his job]] because [[TheSyndicate his superiors]] would have him hunted down and killed if he tried anything else. By the end of the series, it's pretty clear he'd ''much'' rather live as his SecretIdentity than as the badass [[ProfessionalKiller assassin]] he is. It takes [[spoiler:the Syndicate turning on him anyway and the discovery that they're plotting genocide]] to get him to act on his own.

* Simon from ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' is initially a Heroic Neutral character. Good at heart and caring of others, he isn't particularly close to many individuals because most don't see past his seemingly unimpressive exterior and so don't want much to do with him. [[BigBrotherMentor Kamina]] inspires him to fight and Simon's kind nature combined with his newly awakened willpower lets him lead everyone to victory.

* This is a major part of [[GuileHero Toru's]] philosophy in ''Manga/IrisZero''. Due to being an UnSorcerer, he was bullied when he was younger and now prefers to maintain "minimal exposure". Were it not for his ChronicHeroSyndrome, it might actually work; the combination of the two has made him quite the budding {{Chessmaster}} out of necessity.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Ryuuken Ishida is a [[ArcherArchetype Quincy]] of exceptional power who utterly [[IJustWantToBeNormal refuses]] to use his power and wants his clan to be declared extinct with his (deceased) father's generation. He refuses to have anything to do with either Quincies or Shinigami, and won't even hunt Hollows. When he [[ParentExMachina restores his son's self-destroyed power]], it's the very first time that the 15-year old Uryuu has ever seen Ryuuken use his power. Why Ryuuken's teenage WideEyedIdealism transformed into JadeColouredGlasses is all part of his only partially explained MysteriousPast. The final arc [[spoiler:that directly relates to said MysteriousPast]]; however, seems to be pushing him to being NeutralNoLonger.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'': The Straw Hats. Despite being the protagonists, many of their heroic exploits are a result of someone harming one of their own or someone they consider an ally (aka, a friend). Otherwise they wouldn't have fought at least half the antagonists in the entire series. This is supported by the fact that in spite of their kindness, they're ''[[ImNotAHeroIm pirates]]'', and are fully aware of it. Luffy himself has stated that while he likes heroes, he doesn't want to ''be'' one.
** Though his and Zoro's logic is that a hero is ''completely'' selfless and thus would feel pressured (they give an example of meat and booze respectably that a pirate would consume it while a hero would share it with everyone.) In addition, Luffy tends to befriend most people pretty easily and his BullyHunter attributes seem to be contagious amongst the crew.
* ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'': During the Universe Survival Saga, Android 17 passes up Goku's invite to represent Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power because he doesn't want to abandon his post at the nature reserve, even after Goku informs him that their entire universe will be destroyed if they lose. 17 goes on to say that if their universe is to be destroyed and everyone is to be erased, then "so be it," and wishes Goku luck.

* Mori Tanaka from {{Film/Three Ninjas}} is offered a chance to make big money by [[APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil his former student]], the crime boss Snyder is he will train his henchmen. Mori refuses, but also makes no attempts to tell the authorities about the incident, even though the FBI officer investigating Snyder is Mori's own son-in-law. Then Snyder has Mori's grandchildren kidnapped, and Grandpa suits up to confront him.

* You'd think various spy networks and counter-intelligence agencies would figure out that [[Literature/TheBourneSeries Jason Bourne]] should be on their "Do Not Call" list by now.

* Isana in the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' series doesn't really give a damn about the country or the government. But if you mess with her family, she ''[[MamaBear will crush you]]''. However, her opportunities to be neutral are restricted more and more as the series goes on and Tavi gets himself involved in bigger and bigger conflicts and she starts having to consider political repercussions.
* Literature/CiaphasCain basically just wants to have a peaceful retirement on a quiet out-of-the-way planet, but the Imperium seemingly needs him all the time and of course his 'reputation' makes them call on him all the more often, a reputation that only grows every time they do. Of course when he's seemingly found his peace, the baddies always seem to come across the galaxy to find him.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Rincewind is not a hero. Rincewind is [[HighHopesZeroTalent barely a wizard.]] Rincewind wants to be left alone and live a quiet life. Rincewind is a [[WeirdnessMagnet plot magnet]].

* Lily Bard in Creator/CharlaineHarris' ''Shakespeare'' mysteries is just a cleaning woman, albeit one with a traumatic past and a black belt in karate, and would be happy to be left to that but [[WeirdnessMagnet friends, acquaintances and customers keep insisting on getting murdered around her]].
* ''Literature/ThePostman'''s [[RetiredBadass George Powhatan]] just wants to be [[{{Cincinnatus}} left alone to run his farm and brew some good beer]]. In a mild twist on this trope, that would suit the villains just fine -- if his settlement insists on its neutrality, it's in an ideal position to keep their opponents from linking up.
* In ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', Katniss didn't ''mean'' to become the symbolic figurehead of a national rebellion...
* ''Literature/TheCityAndTheDungeon'': The City has a strict non-intervention policy with the rest of the world, and a delver harming a surfacer under any circumstances is heavily penalized by the Law. This is because delvers are ridiculously overpowered compared to the rest of the world; a single violet could probably conquer the world by themselves, but even a blue can cripple the world's economy without too much trouble.
* In ''Literature/TheAffix'', all Matt wants is to enjoy his well-earned long weekend. Instead a gem that breaks causality decides he should be its [[ClingyMacGuffin new keeper]], causing a horde of crackpots and highly motivated artifact brokers to descend on him and [[{{Protectorate}} his friends]].
* Aziraphale and [[NobleDemon Crowley]] of ''Literature/GoodOmens'', an angel and demon respectively, have spent most of their thousands of years on earth as this. Neither are interested in communicating with their Heavenly/Hellish superiors, and they've come to a truce they refer to as the "Arrangement" where they balance the number of good and evil deeds they inspire and neither attacks the other. Both are reluctantly pushed into NeutralNoLonger territory when they are given instructions to prepare for the upcoming apocalypse because neither wants the earth and humanity destroyed.

* ''Series/{{Survivors}}'': The main characters will help anyone that comes within their sphere of influence and take strong action to protect their own but initially have little interest in the wider world or country. This is made explicit in the "Lights of London" two-parter where Greg and Charles prioritise recovering their community's doctor Ruth over helping the London survivors, who believe themselves to be the biggest concentration of humans left and humanity's best chance of survival, with Greg stating his only concern is "My family and my friends." (Ironically, the group in question are led by a despot whose downfall is a direct consequence of his kidnapping Ruth.) Near the end of Season 2, this shifts when the pair take it upon themselves to lead the rebuilding of the country even when it means abandoning the community they've built up.

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', it's learned that this is the true alignment of [[spoiler:the Geth. The True Geth, that is (the ones you fought are the Heretics who split off from the main faction). Their war with the Quarians only came about due to the Quarians attacking them first after gaining full sentience and according to Legion as long as they're left alone Organics have nothing to fear from them. Which is good, because up until now you've only been fighting 5% of the population which are considered a serious threat in their own right.]]
* Yet another Creator/BioWare example: Jolee Bindo from ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' ends up as a {{Subversion}}. He puts up a good show of not really caring, preferring to be thought of as "the crazy old man in the dangerous woods," and considers himself in self-imposed exile from the Jedi Order. But he has his own reasons for signing on. [[spoiler: He knew the PlayerCharacter was Revan from the outset. He was either going to help you make your own peace with the Force or at least try to steer you away from causing more damage.]] He is also the one Jedi-classed character who will ''not'' go to TheDarkSide under any circumstances.

* Shiki in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'', which is only really a plot point in Arcueid's route. When all is said and done, it turns out he doesn't even really care that much that the vampire is eating townspeople. At least, not enough to risk his own life. He just wants to help Arcueid. And in the 'official' ending and timeline, apparently whatever happened to Satsuki (It's rather vague) majorly pissed him off towards the Dead Apostle Ancestors.
* Kylier from ''VideoGame/YggdraUnion''. Because of her background and the way she grew up staring at the aftereffects of mass war, she finds the very idea of it abhorrent and really would rather not have anything to do with the war or the Royal Army. Except for the fact that Milanor, her LoveInterest, is one of its members, and she just so happens to be ''extremely'' protective of him.
* John Marston from ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption''. A reformed outlaw who desperately wants to put his past behind him and live a quiet life on a ranch with his family. Needless to say, it ain't that easy for him.

* Shinjiro Aragaki of ''VideoGame/Persona3''. He makes it clear to both sides that fighting Shadows and the conflict between SEES and Strega have nothing to do with him, until [[spoiler: Ken Amada is involved]]. That gives him a reason to fight again.

* The Boomers of ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' have no desire to interact with the "savages" of the wasteland and anyone coming close to Nellis Air Base will have to deal with artillery shellings. However if The Courier gets them on his/her side, then they will at least be willing to participate in the final battle specifically for the Courier's sake as well as a chance to take their brand-new B-28 Bomber out for a spin.
* Inverted in ''VideoGame/Portal2'', [[spoiler: by the end of the single-player campaign, SelfDemonstrating/{{GLaDOS}} gives up on killing [[ActionSurvivor Chell]] and decides she simply wants to be left in peace.]] the song [[Music/JonathanCoulton "Want You Gone"]] is all about what it is to be ''Villainous Neutral''.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'''s main character Reid comes across as this sometimes, especially during the early parts of the game. All he wants to do is have an uncomplicated life, hunting, eating, laying around, and hanging out with his friends. Thanks to meeting Meredy and his friend Farah's insistence on helping her he ends up being [[TheDragAlong dragged around 2 worlds]] while frequently complaining that he just wants to go home for the first half of the game.
* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' reveals that after defeating Rodrigo Borgia at the Vatican, Ezio seems to feel his battles are over; after all, even though he let Borgia live, the Pope is now scared shitless of him and he's also lost the Apple of Eden. And [[spoiler: Minerva's]] warnings of destruction speak of an event that will happen far into the future, so there's nothing Ezio himself can do about it in his lifetime, and he's quite looking forward to retiring to Monterrigioni and living the rest of his life in peace with his family. Of course, while the Pope is content to leave Ezio alone and merely focus on consolidating the Templar's power, Ezio didn't take his ''son'' Cesare into account, who leads an army against Monterrigioni, destroying the city, steals back the Apple, and [[spoiler: kills Ezio's uncle Mario]]. Ezio pays him back by returning to Rome, setting up a proper Assassin's Guild, pretty much steals the city out from underneath the Borgia, and also completely destroys Cesare's army and finances. Late in the game, when Cesare comes to beg his father for more money to continue his war, Rodrigo instead reams him out for his stupidity by telling him Ezio would have left them alone if Cesare hadn't attacked Monterrigioni in the first place.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'': Roxas largely just wants to hang out with Axel and Xion, and doesn't know (or seem to care) that his boss and the leader of Organization XIII, Xemnas, is evil. His only real heroic act at the end of the game - try to kill Organization XIII and free Kingdom Hearts - is only prompted by [[spoiler:Xion asking him to do it while dying in his arms]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'': Garrett does not care about anything other than living his life of thievery. He cares nothing for the well-being of the City, of the conflict between the Hammerites and the Pagans, nor of the "balance" his former teachers, the Keepers, are always trying to uphold. Unfortunately for him (and fortunately for everyone else), a large number of Keeper prophecies revolve around Garrett stopping some kind of major catastrophe, which he always ends up doing because circumstances force him into it. The only really heroic trait Garrett displays is some minor sympathy towards the poor and downtrodden of the world.
* In ''VideoGame/SagaFrontier'', Asellus just wants to live in peace with her girlfriend, Princess White Rose. The problem is, first, that Princess White Rose belongs to Lord Orlouge and he wants her back; second, Orlouge's [[TheDragon Dragon]] Ciato wants Asellus dead because he's scared shitless of how powerful she might become; and third, [[spoiler: Rastaban wants to turn her into a Mystic strong enough to replace Lord Orlouge]]. If Asellus wants to be left alone, she's got a lot of Mystical asses to kick to get there. [[spoiler: She abandons this trait in the Full Mystic path, deciding that if she can't be a human, she'll have to live as a Mystic - which means replacing Lord Orlouge as Charm Lord.]]

* Hat Kid from ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'' has no interest in fighting the Mafia of Cooks, and only engages them in order to get back her [[MacGuffin Time Pieces]]. This ends up putting her at odds with [[WellIntentionedExtremist Mustache Girl]] who wants to use the Time Pieces to take down the Mafia. [[spoiler:In the final level of the game, she succeeds in making herself a totalitarian empress that is judging every other character in the game as "bad guys", thus having your previous antagonists rally around you to stop her]].
* The Samurai in ''VideoGame/ForHonor'' have no interest in conquering anyone else, and only want to be left alone. While they do fight among themselves quite frequently, they have never sought out conflict with the Knights or Vikings, and only fight them in self-defense.

* ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'':
** Bun-bun. While he likes to kill and maim occasionally, just for kicks, mostly he just seems to stay at home and watch TV. However, time after time he'll rise up to fight the forces of evil, not because he ''wants'' to, but because the forces of evil manage to annoy him in some small way, like stealing the remote control to the TV or being in any way affiliated with telemarketing. Heck, a lot of the time the bad guys don't even actually do anything to Bun-bun; the other characters make up some sort of minor slight to get Bun-Bun into the fray or take the more direct approach of offering him persuasive compensation (like briefcases full of money) if he helps. And God help us all when he does...
** Torg in "That Which Redeems" is an interesting example in that he ''becomes'' this after attempting to lead LaResistance against the DemonicInvaders. It turns out the locals are such PerfectPacifistPeople there is no chance leading them in resistance, causing Torg to decide to just to hide out living relatively happily with his new girlfriend and pet rabbit as long as they can survive.

* The Runaways of ''{{WesternAnimation/Young Justice}}''. They can't trust anyone, and those they trust would only be put in harm's way if they went to them, so they tend to stay on the sidelines. They did pay their debt to the Team when they rescued them in "The Hunt", and they also helped stop [[spoiler: the Reach apocalypse in the finale]], but ultimately they aren't interested in playing heroes as much as getting their own lives in order. [[spoiler:Virgil counts as NeutralNoLonger when he joins the team after the Reach apocalypse, deciding that he likes being a hero.]]
* Lapis Lazuli from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' is first portrayed as a villain out of urgency, desperate to leave Earth by stealing the Earth's oceans. She has a particular dislike towards the Crystal Gems [[spoiler:having been confused for one by Homeworld and imprisoned in a mirror for thousands of years for it]] and avoids any actual involvement in their affairs unless it involves protecting Steven or if it inconveniences her. In "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E15TheNewCrystalGems The New Crystal Gems]]", she becomes a member of the Crystal Temps, a temporary team meant to protect Beach City when the Crystal Gems leave to [[spoiler:rescue Greg from the Human Zoo]]. Unlike Connie and Peridot, however, Lapis has no real emotional investment in actually doing anything heroic, only participating just because.

* In ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'' fanfiction ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13357907/ Abraxas]]'', San and to a lesser extent Vivienne generally fit this trope. San is concerned about his and his [[BalefulPolymorph formerly-human]] "[[TwoBeingsOneBody sister]]"'s welfare (and [[{{Protectorate}} eventually puts Vivienne's specific welfare first]]), and beyond his curiosity, he generally holds neither malice nor generosity towards humans if they've neither earned his UnstoppableRage nor helped them out. Vivienne is TheConscience of the duo for this reason.