History Main / InspectorJavert

* Sheriff Loomis is a more realistic example in Film/TheWraith. At first he was this for a long time with Road Pirate, Packard Walsh; waiting and watching him slip up. However, when the Wraith comes into the picture, he's on his pursuit list too, even though he doesn't really care since it's only [[AcceptableTargets Packard's gang]] the Wraith is after. [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure He does everything in his power to investigate the Wraith]], even opening up a cold case regarding [[spoiler: Jamie Hankin's murder]] as it was one of the leads that clue him in to the Wraith's identity. [[spoiler: He gives up when Packard dies and the Wraith is no longer around.]]

* Slater from ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses''. He will nick for anything you've done! In fact he will nick you for anything you '''haven't''' done and he won't let a little thing like "Innocence" get in his way!

* Four of the first five ''Film/MissionImpossible'' films have one in pursuit of Ethan Hunt (IMF superiors Kittridge and Brassel in the [[Film/MissionImpossible1996 first]] and [[Film/MissionImpossibleIII third]] films respectively, inspector Sidorov in the [[Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol fourth]] and CIA agent Hunley in the [[Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation fifth]]). The [[Film/MissionImpossibleII second film]] is the first exception.
** Technically also applies in ''Film/MissionImpossibleFallout'', as the 'Javert' equivalent, CIA agent August Walker, is [[spoiler:actually the BigBad, who is working as a mole in the CIA to try and provoke them into going after Hunt. A plan that ironically goes wrong when his boss, Sloane, pulls a Javert move of her own and orders the arrest of everybody (including Walker) to interrogate at CIA HQ in Langley, forcing ''everybody'' to go rogue in order to finish their missions.]]

* Inspecteur Limier from ‘’Literature/SkyWithoutStars’’ is clearly Inspector Javert as a [[HollywoodCyborg cyborg.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'': Barbara tends to come off as such towards Terry. It's shown to its greatest extent in "Eyewitness," in which Spellbinder uses his illusion technology to make Barbara believe that Batman had murdered Mad Stan in cold blood. When he is exposed and promptly arrested, Spellbinder takes the time to taunt Barbara:
-->'''Spellbinder''': You were ''so'' ready to believe the worst [in Batman], [[MasterOfIllusion it]] was ''easy''.
** Barbara [[HeelRealization even acknowledges herself]] that she screwed up big-time and gives Terry a public service award as an apology.

* [[Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman Gatchaman]] [[{{Expy}} Expies]] the S-Force[[note]]A pun on "G-Force", two of the three English dubbed versions of the show[[/note]] from ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'' come to Earth to fight Coop because they think he's a bad guy. So does their regular arch-nemesis, who wants to [[WeCanRuleTogether team up with him]]. Coop's attempts to prove that he is a good guy [[DestructiveSaviour don't work out very well.]]
--->'''Coop''': I'll prove that I'm a good guy, [[DiggingYourselfDeeper even if I have to wreck this whole city!]]

Compare AccuserOfTheBrethren, KnightTemplar, and LawfulStupid. Also compare and contrast SympatheticInspectorAntagonist; the hero is a VillainProtagonist or AntiHero and that Inspector chases a ''real'' criminal. May be portrayed as a ButtMonkey and/or WorthyOpponent by the protagonist. Some examples count as ObliviouslyEvil. Less sympathetic examples may be a VillainyFreeVillain. Contrast InspectorLestrade.

[[TropeNamer Named for]] the archetypal character in Victor Hugo's novel ''Literature/LesMiserables'' (and [[Theatre/LesMiserables the subsequent musical]]), who relentlessly pursues the escaped convict Jean Valjean, despite the latter having repeatedly repaid his debts to society. Lt. Gerard in ''Series/TheFugitive'' was inspired by Javert, down to the French surname.

** A non-Paperinik example is in the parody of ''Literature/LesMiserables'', in the Disney take of the TropeNamer himself, who catches the Beagle Boys, who here lives in Paris' catacombs, by ''flooding them'', on top of chasing Scrooge Valjean [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope to tell him he's been pardoned five years earlier]], as he was the only cop in all of France to have a chance to catch him]].

* Quite a few of Literature/{{Discworld}} City Watch books deliberately set up Commander Sam Vimes as a subversion of this trope. He is absolutely dedicated to the law in letter and in spirit, and will doggedly pursue any criminal...[[ToBeLawfulOrGood So long as their crime warrants it]], because Sam Vimes understands on a very deep and personal level the difference between crimes of desperation and crimes of malice. This is made most obvious in ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'', which is a WholePlotReference to the TropeNamer... [[PerspectiveFlip with the important twist]] that the "Valjean" of the story is actually TheSociopath and a serial armed robber with several murders to his name and the "Javert" is Vimes himself, a tough but utterly fair OldFashionedCopper who probably stole a few loaves of bread himself as a young boy because it was that or starve.

[[caption-width-right:350:Do they ''ever'' give him [[{{Pun}} a rest]]? [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder No. They don't.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Do they ''ever'' leave him alone? [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder The answer is no.]]]]

* [[Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman Gatchaman]] [[{{Expy}} Expies]] the S-Force[[note]]A pun on "G-Force", two of the three English dubbed versions of the show[[/note]] from ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'' come to Earth to fight Coop because they think he's a bad guy. So does their regular arch-nemesis, who wants to [[WeCanRuleTogether team up with him]]. Coop's attempts to prove that he is a good guy [[DestructiveSavior don't work out very well.]]
--->'''Coop''': I'll prove that I'm a good guy, [[DiggingYourselfDepper even if I have to wreck this whole city!]]

* [[Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman Gatchaman]] [[{{Expy}} Expies]] the S-Force[[note]]A pun on "G-Force", two of the three English dubbed versions of the show[[/note]] from ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'' come to Earth to fight Coop because they think he's a bad guy. So does their regular arch-nemesis, who wants to [[WeCanRuleTogether team up with him]]. Coop's attempts to prove that he is a good guy don't work out very well.

-->'''Javert:''' Do not forget my name! Do not forget me! Troper!

* Mr. Fix in ''Literature/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays'' is rightfully determined to catch a bank robber. It's just that the protagonist fits the description he was given of the criminal's appearance, so he literally follows Phileas Fogg around the world, waiting for a chance to arrest him. After detaining him back on British soil, [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot Fix is informed that the real robber was caught a while ago]]. However, he is a bit more reasonable than some examples here, seeing as he ''does'' release Fog when he realizes his mistake. ([[MyFistForgivesYou This doesn't stop Fog from decking him, though]].)

* Detective Heinrich Lunge in ''Anime/{{Monster}}'' takes this to the point that [[DeconstructedTrope he knowingly destroys his life]]. To Lunge's credit, he eventually learns the truth of the situation, apologizes to Tenma, [[spoiler:takes down Roberto]], and eventually [[spoiler:reconnects with his daughter]].

* Junko Hattori of ''LightNovel/DemonKingDaimao'' has a rather nasty habit of this. When we're first introduced to her, she attacks Akuto because she automatically assumes that he was trying to mug her grandmother when he was just helping her out. After the reveal that Akuto is destined to become the next Demon King, Junko repeatedly hassles and tries to kill him, repeatedly mistaking his attempts to actually be good as evil.

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'': In an episode of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', a renegade Star Fleet officer acknowledges Captain Sisko's pursuit of him as well-intentioned, while he considers himself a Jean Valjean character. Sisko's reaction is to "[[InvokedTrope become Javert]]", and act like a villain, manipulating his quarry into surrendering in an act of self-sacrifice. He does this by [[spoiler: [[DesignatedHero releasing a chemical weapon on a human-inhabited world that makes it uninhabitable to humans]] in retaliation for Eddington doing the same thing to a Cardassian-inhabited planet]]. This is one of the most polarising episodes in the series as a result, and cemented Sisko's reputation as a ''[[GoodIsNotSoft very]]'' [[IDidWhatIHadToDo different]] kind of Starfleet officer to any previous protagonist in the franchise. [[Literature/LesMiserables The trope namer]] is explicitly discussed in the episode. Sisko and Dax read a digital copy of the novel while discussing how to use it to thwart Eddington's plans (since Eddington sees himself as Valjean specifically as he has also read the novel), and Dax says she is not a fan of Victor Hugo's writing, saying it is too sprawling for her taste.

->'''Orie:''' You are...Ragna the Bloodedge, aren't you?\\
'''Ragna:''' That's never a good question...\\
'''Orie:''' Then it's true. You are the man who holds the Keystone, and are responsible for the slaughter of countless innocents! Don't try to deny it...it's all written down on this wanted poster!\\
'''Ragna:''' What? Wait, that's...agh, seriously!? That stupid poster followed me to this world, too!?

Inspector Javert is the [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned]], if sometimes {{clueless|Detective}}, law enforcement officer (or detective, or BountyHunter) who honestly (if sometimes wrongly) believes that the hero is a bad guy and [[{{Determinator}} doggedly pursues him]] in a SternChase, seeking to get him. However, the trope is not confined to heroes, and the Javert frequently finds himself pursuing criminals of all stripes, often the powerful or influential Mafia Boss or VillainWithGoodPublicity. In that case, he will be treated in-story as a noble hero who is [[IncorruptiblePurePureness completely immune to temptation]] and utterly dedicated to his duty. This can even [[DisproportionateRetribution apply]] to petty criminals, resulting in, say, [[Literature/LesMiserables ten years spent chasing down a thief who stole a loaf of bread.]]

[[TropeNamer Named for]] the archetypal character in Victor Hugo's novel ''Literature/LesMiserables'', and [[Theatre/LesMiserables the subsequent musical]]. Lt. Gerard in ''Series/TheFugitive'' was inspired by Javert, down to the French surname.

* Mr. Fix in ''Literature/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays'' is rightfully determined to catch a bank robber. It's just that the protagonist fits the description he was given of the criminal's appearance, so he literally follows Phileas Fogg around the world, waiting for a chance to arrest him. After arresting him back on British soil, [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot he is informed that the real robber was caught a while ago]]. However, he is a bit more reasonable than some examples here, seeing as he ''does'' release Fog when he realizes his mistake. ([[MyFistForgivesYou This doesn't stop Fog from decking him, though]].)

* Klaus Wulfenbach from ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''. He's chasing down Agatha when she hasn't done anything yet...but he has ''very good reason'' to not want an "untried Heterodyne heir" running amok through Europe. He also believes her to be The Other, given that the last time he met Agatha she was possessed by The Other. In the next arc, he'd be willing to ignore his grievous injuries and knock down Castle Heterodyne to get at her...if his own son wasn't in there too.
** As of the first Paris storyline, [[spoiler: Agatha is still possessed by the other and fairly predictable and minor incidents are known to be capable of giving the Other control, so Klaus' fears have been upgraded from paranoid fanaticism to 100% justified in all respects, making him more of a HeroAntagonist.]]

* Emile Severin from ''Webcomic/{{Sire}}'' is an inversion, believe it or not. While he regularly [[SlapstickKnowsNoGender beats up Susan]] for being a {{Jerkass}}, he still treats her and Anna as innocent due to not knowing they're guilty of [[spoiler: murdering Paul]]. It doesn't hurt that [[spoiler:he's related to the actual Javert,]] [[http://sire.smackjeeves.com/comics/746546/chapter-3-page-5/ either]].

* Reporter Jack [=McGee=], ''Series/TheIncredibleHulk1977'', who vows to hunt the Hulk down and bring the creature to the law's attention, believing that the Hulk had killed Dr. Marks and David Banner.

* Inspector Wizer of ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}} Revolution'', whose insistence that Lina is responsible for all the evils of the world is quickly becoming a RunningGag. It's subverted, however: Inspector Wizer was pretending to be a personification of this trope when it's revealed he just acts this way to manipulate people into doing what he wants. His act even manages to fool [[ManipulativeBastard Xellos]]! Unlike most versions of this, however, Lina Inverse is not WronglyAccused. He's got her dead to rights, of the crime of [[spoiler: '''''being''' Lina Inverse'']].

* In the ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' episode "Cowboy Funk", Cowboy Andy mistakes both Spike and Jet on separate occasions of being the Teddy Bomber... even with the real Teddy Bomber standing right next to them both times.

* ''Series/MsMarvel2022:'' Damage Control seem to be nothing ''but'' Jarverts. The minute Kamala makes her public debut, their head field agent deduces from a single Youtube video that she was ''clearly'' trying to kill the person she's shown saving (from her own PowerIncontinence) and dedicate themselves to hunting her down with excessive force. The only reason they stop is one of their agents goes beyond simple Jarvertishness, as it becomes clear her motivation is psychotic hatred (and regular bigotry), and actively tries to kill Kamala in public, which is [[EveryoneHasStandards beyond the pale even for them]].

** He goes back to this during the road to ''Secret Wars 2016'', hunting down the Illuminati and goading every superhero he converses with into a WithUsOrAgainstUs situation--either they help him or they are abetting the Illuminati (even by inaction). Granted, the latter have all but JumpedOffTheSlipperySlope in their quest to save Earth 616 from the Incursions (and seek no other methods, thinking IDidWhatIHadToDo justifies everything), but people do point out that Rogers is wasting time and resources better used to try to stop the Incursions on his manhunt... which he ignores.

* Impresario Tetti-Tatti in "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" segment of ''WesternAnimation/MakeMineMusic''. And he mistakenly believes Willie the Whale has swallowed opera singers by (mis)interpreting the Bible story of [[Literature/TheBible Jonah and the whale]].

* ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' has Mustang and his crew do this to the Elric brothers. However, instead of wanting to arrest or kill them, he demanded to know why they ran off and didn't ask for his help.

* Customs agent Dave Kujan from ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'' is obsessed with arresting cop-turned-criminal Keaton. Trouble is, while there's little doubt that Keaton is a thief and murderer, he seems to be genuinely trying to go legitimate at the start of the movie. But Kujan's dogged pursuit lets Keaton's potential business partners know about his criminal background, torpedoing his career and sending him back to a life of crime. In Kujan's interactions with Verbal, we also see he's willing to break the law himself (including issuing death threats) if it means catching Keaton and is so focused on that goal that he ignores any explanation that doesn't paint Keaton as the criminal mastermind behind everything.