History Main / MookFaceTurn

* The ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'' episode "The Little Guy" deals with Wander and Sylvia reforming one of GalacticConqueror Lord Hater's AdorableEvilMinions through ThePowerOfFriendship.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': [[MauveShirt Steve the Guard]], a recurring faceless mook serving Emperor Belos, has a change of heart after a road trip with King and joins the resistance.

* In ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight'', in [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilised rebel]]-controlled sectors you may be greeted by a rebel who beams unarmed aboard your ship, declaring peaceful intentions. If you accept their offer, they may join your crew... [[HeelFaceMole or they may screw you over]], either damaging your systems, relaying your whereabouts to the [[AdvancingWallOfDoom rebel fleet]] or even killing your crew member.

* Mr. Beastly, the MinionWithAnFInEvil from ''WesternAnimation/{{Care Bears|1980s}}'' does this in one episode, but ends up running back to his boss after the good guys [[TastesLikeDiabetes go a little too far]] in welcoming him.

* In ''ComicBook/PowerGirl'' fanfic ''Fanfic/AForceOfFour'', the sorceror helping the villains out tries to defect and free Franchise/WonderWoman and her daughter when he realizes his bosses intend to destroy Earth. Unfortunately he gets caught by one of them and beaten up.

* In ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight'', in [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilised rebel]]-controlled sectors you may be greeted by a rebel who beams unarmed aboard your ship, declaring peaceful intentions. If you accept their offer, they may join your crew... [[HeelFaceMole or they may screw you over]], either damaging your systems, relaying your whereabouts to the [[AdvancingWallOfDoom rebel fleet]] or even killing your crewmember.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/ABeginnersGuideToTheEndOfTheUniverse'' has the protagonist try and befriend the attacking giant bird monsters. At least the giant sparrow becomes "intrigued by the prospect of identity, of a purpose beyond destruction, of not being shot by that [[NonHumanSidekick badass purple dog]]." The protagonist needs to use his powers to elevate it to something more than a mindless mook, though, but then it becomes his loyal sidekick and gets a badass name.
''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge''
** [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/011025c Helping Chadling]]
** [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/020419c Offering Spark Man hands]]
* Subverted in [[http://www.gpf-comics.com/archive.php?d=20060512 this strip]] and following of ''Webcomic/GeneralProtectionFault'': The Sharon twin from the alternate universe is a low-level flunky on the dark side turned informant for the resistance. However, [[spoiler:as soon as the infiltrating heroes present her with the opportunity for betrayal, she immediately rats them out to her superiors hoping for a promotion]]. Her [[LaserGuidedKarma reward follows swiftly]].

* ''MyLittlePony'': In the climax of "The Return Of Tambelon", the ponies and their human ally Megan, after MacGyvering their way out of the dungeon, get most of [[DimensionLord Grogar's]] army to ditch him while they go and defeat the old goat.

See also NotAlwaysEvil, MercifulMinion and TalkingYourWayOut.

** The Elric brothers are able to recruit all four Chimera soldiers from Central out from under [[SociopathicSoldier Kimblee]]. Al does it by making them remember that they are still humans and can try to get their bodies back; the ones Ed gets don't mind being chimeras as much, but join him because he saved their lives after Kimblee [[WeHaveReserves blew them all up]].

** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz'': When it's revealed that [[ManipulativeBastard Dekim Barton]] only cared about himself, while manipulating his entire army by invoking the name of the late Treize Khushrenada, and topping it all off with [[WouldHurtAChild shooting Mariemeia Kushrenada]] when she was doing a HeelFaceTurn, nearby mook draws his gun, shoots Dekim dead, and then apologizes for betraying Treize's ideals.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', one of the Enforcers accidentally gets hit by Gedatsu's Swamp Cloud, and Chopper saves him. When Gedatsu denounces him for being weak, the Enforcer decides to help Chopper against him, but is quickly defeated.

* ''ComicBook/JoZetteAndJocko'': When Tom announces to the mooks that he intends to kill Jo and Zette, one of the them rises up and defends them.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', Mr. Incredible has been captured and believes his family has been murdered by Syndrome. He is able to snatch Syndrome's right hand lady, Mirage, and threatens to crush her if not released. Syndrome tells him to do it. Mr. Incredible can't bring himself to kill her and lets her go. Although Syndrome claims he knew Incredible was bluffing, Mirage is furious that he gambled with her life, and later aids the Incredible family in escaping the island.

* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax'', when CorruptCorporateExecutive O'Hare is the only person in town to [[IgnoredEpiphany ignore the epiphany]], his own heavies attatch him to a jetpack and send him over the horizon.

* Played for laughs in ''Film/IronMan3'': Stark is in a shoot out in the villain's lair, equipped only with one of the arms from his suit, and is surprised when the last remaining mook throws his hands up.

** In ''Film/{{Moonraker}}'', tricks Hugo Drax into [[EvilGloating talking about his plan]] to exterminate everybody who doesn't fit into his genetically perfect "master race" [[RightInFrontOfMe in front of Jaws]], who then turns against the villains. Seeing his bespectacled, short, and somewhat plain looking girlfriend standing beside the supermodel-level women that make up the female half of Drax's group didn't help either.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Into the Dalek," this happens to a Dalek named Rusty. The Doctor accidentally restores it to its evil default, then tries to bring it back to its good state by establishing a mental link with it. However from his perspective he fails, as the Dalek sees the Doctor's hatred of the Daleks and decides to exterminate the Daleks. This also happened a few seasons earlier with Strax, a Sontaran who got punished for a transgression by being appointed as TheMedic (a grave dishonor for a ProudWarriorRaceGuy) and later ended up befriending two of the Doctor's allies in VictorianLondon.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' had the DefectingForLove variation with Aeryn Sun. Later done again in "PK Tech Girl" with Gilina. In her case she returned again to save John's hiney when he got captured, but their budding romance was cut short. What? Being a MauveShirt on an AnyoneCanDie show is risky business! (Sad business, too)

* ''Series/{{Nikita}}'': When Sara, an underperforming Division candidate, is sent on a suicide mission, Nikita intervenes and kidnaps her. When she finally gets Sara to accept that Division planned to have her killed, she is able to convince Sara to go into hiding after deliviring one final blow to her former employers.

** The re-edited "final cut" version of the pilot two-parter "Children of the Gods" makes Teal'c's defection look less like a sudden spur of the moment decision. It is made especially clear there there that Teal'c was horrified by Apophis' atrocities (and the ones he himself committed in the name of his "god") and was planning to betray him all along, but only carried out his wish when he found potential allies with technology rivaling those of the Goa'uld: the [[HumansByAnyOtherName Tau'ri]].

** A straighter example from the series finale comes after the Dominion glasses a major Cardassian city, as a warning/punishment for civilians beginning to join the rebellion (previously it was only Cardassian military officers who had taken action against them). Par for course with this trope, it backfires, and rather ''immediately'': Colonel Kira and some members of LaResistance are captured and about to be executed on the spot when two Cardassian soldiers gun down the Jem'Hadar in vengeance, and shortly thereafter the Cardassian element of the Dominion fleet defending Cardassia follows suit (as soon as long-range communications are restored and words reaches them) ''in the middle'' of fighting off the joint Federation/Romulan/Klingon taskforce that had been attempting to invade them. NiceJobFixingItVillain!

* One rather memorable occasion happens halfway through ''VideoGame/Divinity2'', after you've taken out the commanding Black Ring BattleCouple in an outpost. A Black Ring mook who saw the whole fight immediately says "We surrender!" and his friend replies "What? No we don't, traitor!" The first mook points out that the protagonist just singlehandedly slaughtered their commanders, so the two of them (the only ones left) would stand no chance. The second mook admits that it's true, and immediately offers to sell you stuff so he can be useful.

** Its possible to make raiders and other enemies friendly in VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}} through clever use of the [[HeelFaceBrainwashing slave collar]].

** Half-way through ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' where after [[spoiler:Emmeryn's HeroicSacrifice, the Plegian Army deserts their king ''enmasse''.]]

** Could be justified. Usually bigger bad kidnaps their leader and rebels are, well, humans. They actually fight for Morden's ideals, not because they like killing people. So, bigger bad comes in and tries to wipeout humans and/or them, what do you do?

* One of the character stories in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' is revolved around a robot mook of Dr. Eggman's, E-102 Gamma. At one point into the game, Gamma is sent to interrogate the imprisoned Amy Rose for her Flicky ally. In desperation however, Amy pleads with Gamma to feel pity for the bird and release them. Achieving empathy, Gamma reluctantly complies, leading Amy to befriend the robot and convince him to turn sides. He sets upon a "rescue mission" to free the animals inside his mistreated E-Series brethren [[spoiler: before ultimately destroying himself.]]

* This is Mike's origin story in ''WesternAnimation/{{Motorcity}}''. In "Vendetta", a flashback from one year prior to the show's present day revealed that Mike was a promising cadet under [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Abraham Kane]]; however, when Mike realized he was putting innocent lives at risk while following Kane's order, he defected from Kane's cause and joined the Burners.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarVSTheForcesOfEvil'': After getting getting back from a mission rigged to make him fail, Buff Frog gets fired from Ludo's minions and kicked out of the castle. Star notices him sulking outside and starts feeling bad for him (along with questioning the morality of her family legacy). Since offering his help to take down Toffee, Buff Frog and Star become really good friends. She even tries to give him a job in the castle, but he leaves his position when it looks better to get him, his children, and his monster neighbors out of [[spoiler: the crumbling kingdom of Mewni and its growing hostility.]]

* Scar manages to make the hyenas angry in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'' by blaming them for Mufasa's death while they were in earshot. Not a good time to subvert the DisneyVillainDeath.

* In ''Film/SpaceJam'', the Nerdlucks turn on Swackhammer once they finally realize that they're bigger than him and don't have to take his abuse.

* In '''VideoGame/FreedomFighters'', you can patch up injured Soviet soldiers and they will return the favor by betraying the Soviets and helping you out.

* Sylvia seems to be doing this with a pair of Mecha-Mooks in the ''Anime/ViewtifulJoe'' anime.
* ''Anime/SonicX'': Decoe and Bocoe do this right after their DisneyDeath in Episode 48. After the following episode where they are seen hanging out at the Thorndyke Mansion, this plot development was [[SnapBack seemingly dropped with no explanation]]. The anime also adapts E-102 Gamma's story from ''Sonic Adventure''.

* In ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', upon knowing [[{{TykeBomb}} Glen]] was being forced to serve his boss because all he knew was fighting, Kenshiro convinced Glen to [[GoAndSinNoMore quit the gang and live a new life]]. He agreed. Sadly, Glen was [[HeelFaceDoorslam shot dead by his boss]].

* In ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'', when Sonic and Sally are attacked by a large group of mercenaries, Sally manages to bribe two of them into temporarily working on her side.
* Bob of HYDRA in ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool'' was originally...well, of HYDRA. After Deadpool took him prisoner he slowly slid from being a terrified hostage to outright adoring the merc with a mouth. It's unclear how much Stockholm Syndrome is involved.

* In ''Fanfic/AnEntryWithABang'', the Buron Cavalry, one of the various [[PrivateMilitaryContractor mercenary outfits]] involved in the attack on Earth, decides to make a mid-battle defection after seeing how many nukes Earth has. The half ton of gold [[Literature/JackRyan President Ryan]] offered also helped.

* During a battle between Franchise/SpiderMan and [[spoiler: the latest Director of SHIELD]], Norman Osborn in ''Fanfic/BecauseImNotPopularIllTryToGoOutWithAHero'' is when a single [[spoiler:SHIELD agent]] begins shooting Osborn, realizing that he isn't a hero.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', Mr Incredible has been captured and believes his family has been murdered by Syndrome. He is able to snatch Syndrome's right hand lady, Mirage, and threatens to crush her if not released. Syndrome tells him to do it. Mr. Incredible can't bring himself to kill her and lets her go. Although Syndrome claims he knew Incredible was bluffing, Mirage is furious that he gambled with her life, and later aids the Incredible family in escaping the island.

* Mr. Trout and Mr. Pickles pull this in ''WesternAnimation/TheBoxtrolls''.

* The climax of ''Film/FourBrothers'', in which the brothers bribe Victor Sweet's abused henchmen with the $400,000 they planned on trading with.

* In ''Film/{{Moonraker}}'', Film/JamesBond tricks Hugo Drax into [[EvilGloating talking about his plan]] to exterminate everybody who doesn't fit into his genetically perfect "master race" [[RightInFrontOfMe in front of Jaws]], who then turns against the villains. Seeing his bespectacled, short, and somewhat plain looking girlfriend standing beside the supermodel-level women that make up the female half of Drax's group didn't help either.
** In ''Film/AViewToAKill'', the villain Max Zorin goes ahead and floods the mines fully aware that the workers and his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Mayday are down there. Mayday and Bond survive. Upon discovering she was betrayed, and seeing her dead friends as well, she helps Bond remove the bomb and [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices]] herself, taking it out when it explodes.

* At the end of ''Film/BattleshipPotemkin'', the mutineers manage to convince the government's battleships not only to not fire on them, but to join them in escaping Russia. It's based on true events, too.
* In ''Film/TheWindThatShakesTheBarley'', an Irish-Scots soldier defects to the IRA, freeing a number of captured rebels in the process, after becoming [[DefectorFromDecadence disenchanted with the British occupation]].

%%* Wheelie in ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen''.

* Nux in ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' starts out as one of the War Boys, Immortan Joe's [[DeathSeeker death-cultist minions]]. After three increasingly humiliating failures at a glorious death and [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe a show of compassion by Capable]], he ends up helping them out of a bog, and [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice lays down his life]] to help Furiosa liberate the Citadel]].
* Played for laughs in ''Film/IronMan3'': Stark is in a shoot out in the villain's lair, equipped only with one of the arms from his suit, and is surprised when the last remaining mook throws his hands up.
-->'''Mook''': Honestly, I hate working here. These people are so weird!

* In ''Film/MidwinterNightsDream'', Lazar defected from the Serbian army after being forced to participate in a particularly gruesome massacre against civilians.

* Subverted in ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1'', where Ford Prefect gets a Vogon mook interested in art and music... but the Vogon throws Ford and Arthur Dent into the airlock as instructed anyway.

* In Creator/JulieKagawa's ''Literature/TheIronKing'', Meghan appeals to Tertius, pleading that she just wants to rescue her brother. It perturbs him, but he must serve his king.
* This is possibly implied in "Literature/TheSilmarillion" where it is claimed at the end of the Second Age when Sauron was defeated all races except Elves stood divided, implying some orcs fought against him.

* Damar in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' wasn't a mook by the time of his FaceHeelTurn (though he started out as one), but the fact that the Dominion treated him like one even though he was nominally the Cardassian head of state was a major factor in his change of side.
** A straighter example from the series finale comes after the Dominion glasses a major Cardassian city, as a warning/punishment for civilians beginning to join the rebellion (previously it was only Cardassian military officers who had taken action against them). Par for course with this trope, it backfires, and rather ''immediately'': Colonel Kira and some members of LaResistance are captured and about to be executed on the spot when two Cardassian soldiers gun down the Jem'Hadar in vengeance, and shortly thereafter the Cardassian element of the Dominion fleet defending Cardassia follows suit (as soon as long-range communications are restored and words reaches them) ''in the middle'' of fighting off the joint Federation/Romulan/Klingon taskforce that had been attempting to invade them. NiceJobFixingItVillain!

* ''Series/{{Nikita}}'': When Sara, an underperforming Division candidate, is sent on a suicide mission, Nikita intervenes and kidnaps her. When she finally gets Sara to accept that Division planned to have her killed, she is able to convince Sara to go into hiding after deliviring one final blow to her former employers.
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Into the Dalek," this happens to a Dalek named Rusty. The Doctor accidentally restores it to its evil default, then tries to bring it back to its good state by establishing a mental link with it. However from his perspective he fails, as the Dalek sees the Doctor's hatred of the Daleks and decides to exterminate the Daleks. This also happened a few seasons earlier with Strax, a Sontaran who got punished for a transgression by being appointed as TheMedic (a grave dishonor for a ProudWarriorRaceGuy) and later ended up befriending two of the Doctor's allies in VictorianLondon.

* During one of the battles midway through ''VideoGame/ShiningForceII'', one of the Pegasus Knights in the enemy force inexplicably has an actual name. Sure enough, a few rounds into the battle, he decides to switch sides.

* Happens surprisingly often in the ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'' games, although the enemy is usually in the protagonists' captivity. Most of the examples wear a MauveShirt if not an AcePilot badge, but Ryoto gets a special mention for being such a low-level grunt that the bad guys decide to blow him up to kill you.
** Happens often in the main ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' games as well, naturally, since they incorporate many {{Anime}} plots that use this trope.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 3'', Mega Man must at one point rise in the "ranks" of the Undernet in order to find a program capable of defeating Bass. He does this by finding certain Navis and challenging them to a battle. One of them however, just gives you his rank, claiming he's tired of the whole thing, and even gives you a hint to find the program you're looking for.

* [[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Kyle Katarn]] is a more classic Mook Face Turn, starting as a mook, and becoming [[MemeticBadass a FUCKING god!]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Killzone}} 3'', Sev and Rico pull this off in the intro tutorial and at the actual point in the game where they dress up as Helghast soldiers and reveal themselves to the BigBad during a ''planet-wide'' broadcast to the '''entire''' Helghan nation.
* Toward the end of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'', the player can convince four Enclave soldiers to help fight Frank Horrigan.
** Its possible to make raiders and other enemies friendly in VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}} through clever use of the [[HeelFaceBrainwashing slave collar]].

* In ''VideoGame/MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries'', the player is actually given this option on one mission. [[spoiler:When hired to wipe out a group of insurgents, as you head to the insurgent base, you receive a radio transmission "Attention mercenary: whatever the Snakes are paying you, we'll double it. Just turn around and go back to your dropship."]]
* Johnny in the original ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', was just one of the many faceless Genome Soldiers that Solid Snake encountered in Shadow Moses. For some reason, he fell in love with Meryl, the woman who took his clothes and left him naked, and then became one of her subordinates in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4''.
** It runs in the family. Naked Snake encounters Johnny's grandfather in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3'' and can befriend him in an EasterEgg. While he's too scared of his boss to actually let you out of the cell, he'll tell you about his family and inadvertently give you the password to escape along with a weapon. It's eventually played straight in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker'', where Snake can recruit Johnny as a member of his unit.
* In a ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' short story, one Forsaken priest named [[http://www.wowpedia.org/Trevor Trevor]] who has doubts about the morality of his faction, allows an Argent Dawn member to free some prisoners in exchange for speaking with Leonid Barthalomew the Revered, an undead Argent Dawn member, about giving him admittance to the organization.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', you can use the Mediator ability "Invite" to cause a hostile unit to join your side, and Mediators also have the support ability Train that allows you to automatically invite a monster if you bring them to critical HP using certain attacks.
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'': after you close or destroy the mechanism for the Two Rivers dam, a Lotus Assassin arrives with a squad of Imperial soldiers. You can try to talk the sergeant out of fighting, but he will say that he doesn't care for the lives of the citizens, only for serving the Emperor. Played straight with one of Gao's men and a soldier who was pressganged into the army to replace one the Lotus Assassin killed.
* One rather memorable occasion happens halfway through ''VideoGame/Divinity2'', after you've taken out the commanding Black Ring BattleCouple in an outpost. A Black Ring mook who saw the whole fight immediately says "We surrender!" and his friend replies "What? No we don't, traitor!" The first mook points out that the protagonist just singlehandedly slaughtered their commanders, so the two of them (the only ones left) would stand no chance. The second mook admits that it's true, and immediately offers to sell you stuff so he can be useful.
* In ''VideoGame/NoOneLivesForever'', the player character Cate Archer has to goad Magnus Armstrong into a fight and have him promise to let her go if she wins. When she wins, Armstrong keeps his word and says he doesn't plan to stick around and see how the BigBad feels about his betrayal. A NobleDemon, Armstrong struggles with the morality of some of his mook duties earlier in the game.

* In ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII'', the palace guards of Yusnaan are bent on shooting Lightning full of holes to protect their Patron, Snow Villiers. However, in Snow's palace, she finds one guard who'd rather help her, noticing a tragic change in Yusnaan's Patron. He figures that the so-called "criminal" Lightning is actually here to help, what with her literally being called the "savior" and all, and is eager to help. He serves as a mid-dungeon item shop.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'' where a trio of the Servbots leave the Bonne Family Pirates team and decide to open a restaurant on Kattelox Island. The irony being that, despite how harsh she can treat them, Tron Bonne thinks of them as family and rather than simply leaving they clearly asked her permission to do it, and she not only gave it but actually ''helped them legally take out a loan to do it''.
* In ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight'', in [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilised rebel]]-controlled sectors you may be greeted by a rebel who beams unarmed aboard your ship, declaring peaceful intentions. If you accept their offer, they may join your crew... [[HeelFaceMole or they may screw you over]], either damaging your systems, relaying your whereabouts to the [[AdvancingWallOfDoom rebel fleet]] or even killing your crewmember.
* A very spoilery example in ''VideoGame/TheLastGuardian'', [[spoiler:our friend [[PetMonstrosity Trico]] was one of many beasts controlled by the Master of the Valley (a sort of {{Magitek}} A.I. that controls Trico's kind via signals picked up by their horns). When Trico was returning with the boy for him to be [[HumanResources processed]], he was struck by lightning and crashed into a mountainside, breaking his horns in the process. With his horns broken he can no longer be controlled and becomes the boy's friend and the two eventually end up destroying the Master.]]
* In '''Videogame/FreedomFighters'', you can patch up injured Soviet soldiers and they will return the favor by betraying the Soviets and helping you out.
* This is one of the main features of ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfMordor''. Anytime you [[HeelFaceBrainwashing Brand]] an [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Uruk]] they join your army in your [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge mission]].

* In ''VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries'', you can convince one of Two-Face's goons to do this when Bruce Wayne is captured and taken to an alley to be shot. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, if you do so, the other henchman shoots him.]]
* In ''VideoGame/HauntingGround'' you have the option of sparing the ObliviouslyEvil Debilitas, who in turn reveres Fiona as a holy figure. Not only is this the only way to get the best ending, it also gives you the option of pulling a ScrewThisImOuttaHere in a NewGamePlus: Debilitas literally just gives you the key to the main gate of the castle, allowing her to just bail right then and there, skipping a solid two-thirds of the game and getting a particularly satisfying cutscene of the BigBad having a VillainousBreakdown as he helplessly watches Fiona leave.

* Subverted in [[http://www.gpf-comics.com/archive.php?d=20060512 this strip]] and following of ''Webcomic/GeneralProtectionFault'': The Sharon twin from the alternate universe is a low-level flunky on the dark side turned informant for the resistance. However, [[spoiler:as soon as the infiltrating heroes present her with the opportunity for betrayal, she immediately rats them out to her superiors hoping for a promotion]]. Her [[LaserGuidedKarma reward follows swiftly]].

* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge''
** [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/011025c Helping Chadling]]
** [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/020419c Offering Spark Man hands]]

* Played with in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': One of the common Hobgoblins is found by an Elven Black Ops Team (yes, this is as heartless as it sounds) on the wrong side of the whip in an Azure City slave camp because he was racist towards one of the normal goblin immigrants. He pleads to defect sides. The elves proceed to lead him to the edge of the rooftop and throw him off.
* ''Webcomic/ABeginnersGuideToTheEndOfTheUniverse'' has the protagonist try and befriend the attacking giant bird monsters. At least the giant sparrow becomes "intrigued by the prospect of identity, of a purpose beyond destruction, of not being shot by that [[NonHumanSidekick badass purple dog]]." The protagonist needs to use his powers to elevate it to something more than a mindless mook, though, but then it becomes his loyal sidekick and gets a badass name.

* Similarly to the above example, the Nerdlucks in ''Film/SpaceJam''. It only occurs to them, however, after a long while.
* She's not exactly a mook, but Jinx of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' has one of these thanks to the surprisingly sweet attention Kid Flash keeps giving her.
** It's completely in line with the comics, too. ComicBook/TheFlash has [[FriendlyEnemy an odd relationship]] with his RoguesGallery.

* The Guardians manage to recruit a few of Phobos' minions in ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'', starting with a castle guard in the episode "The Rebel Rescue". They tend to his wounds, take him to Earth (where he learns that Earth isn't nearly as bad as Phobos told him it was), and he helps them break into the castle dungeons and rescue dozens of captured rebels.
* This is Mike's origin story in ''WesternAnimation/{{Motorcity}}''. In "Vendetta", a flashback from one year prior to the show's present day revealed that Mike was a promising cadet under [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Abraham Kane]]; however, when Mike realized he was putting innocent lives at risk while following Kane's order, he defected from Kane's cause and joined the Burners.

* This is ComicBook/PlasticMan's adapted backstory in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold.''
* In the first half of the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon "Prince Violent", Yosemite Sam has a pink elephant helping him try to break into Bugs' fortress; however, with each failed plan, Sam [[MeanBoss yells at the elephant and occasionally clubs him]], eventually telling him to get lost so he can do it himself. After a few more failures, Sam finally manages to get in, only to find that the elephant is working for Bugs now (both because Bugs is nicer ''and'' pays him with peanuts) and chases Sam away with a club.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarVSTheForcesOfEvil'': After getting getting back from a mission rigged to make him fail, Buff Frog gets fired from Ludo's minions and kicked out of the castle. Star notices him sulking outside and starts feeling bad for him (along with questioning the morality of her family legacy). Since offering his help to take down Toffee, Buff Frog and Star become really good friends. She even tries to give him a job in the castle, but he leaves his position when it looks better to get him, his children, and his monster neighbors out of [[spoiler: the crumbling kingdom of Mewni and its growing hostility.]]

* During one of the battles midway through ''VideoGame/ShiningForceII'', One of the Pegasus Knights in the enemy force inexplicably has an actual name. Sure enough, a few rounds into the battle, he decides to switch sides.

* Nux in ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' starts out as one of the War Boys, Immortan Joe's [[DeathSeeker death-cultist minions]]. After three increasingly humiliating failures at a glorious death and [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe a show of compassion by Capable]], he ends up helping them out of a bog, and [[spoiler:lays down his life to help Furiosa liberate the Citadel]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'': When a bunch of innconts are captured and shipped off in a train to be killed, Beck breaks aboard and fights off one of the guards. He doesn't kill the guy, and when the train crashes, the Guard helps him find the prisoners out of gratitude and take them to safety. [[BigBad Tessler]] kills him on the spot.

* In Creator/BenCounter's ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000}Literature/HorusHeresy'' novel ''Galaxy In Flames'', Sindermann escapes the deck he's confined to by pleading to go to the medical deck to say goodbye to an old friend.

--> '''Sinclair:''' Come on, Eddie, I'm paying you well. It doesn't matter where the money comes from.

* Eddie Valentine and his gang in ''Film/TheRocketeer'' enjoy working with Neville Sinclair - until they learn he is a Nazi spy, after which they each betray the other.
--> '''Eddie''': Hey... I may not make an honest buck but I'm a hundred percent American!

* In ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog'', when Sonic and Sally are attacked by a large group of mercenaries, Sally manages to bribe two of them into temporarily working on her side.

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz'': When it's revealed that [[ManipulativeBastard Dekim Barton]] only cared about himself, while manipulating his entire army by invoking the name of the late Treize Khushrenada, and topping it all off with [[WouldHurtAChild shooting Mariemeia Kushrenada]] when she was doing a HeelFaceTurn, nearby mook draws his gun, shoots Dekim dead, and then apologizes for betraying Treize's ideals.
** Similarly, in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'', Patrick Zala is killed by his aide Ray Yuuki after he objects to Zala's genocidal plans. Well, he shot Ray first, but he got him back later.

* In ''Comicbook/SonicTheHedgehog'', when Sonic and Sally are attacked by a large group of mercenaries, Sally manages to bribe two of them into temporarily working on her side.

* In ''Last Daughter of Krypton'' ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl2011 the New 52]]'' ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} is captured and tortured by [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Simon Tycho]], who looks to "examine" her. One of his henchmen isn't comfortable with the idea of his boss eviscerating a fifteen-year-old girl and breaks Kara free. Sadly he gets gunned down straight after.

* During a battle between Franchise/SpiderMan and [[spoiler: the latest Director of SHIELD]], Norman Osborn in ''FanFic/BecauseImNotPopularIllTryToGoOutWithAHero'' is when a single [[spoiler:SHIELD agent]] begins shooting Osborn, realizing that he isn't a hero.

* A very spoilery example in ''VideoGame/TheLastGuardian'', [[spoiler:our friend [[PetMonstrosity Trico]] was one of many beasts controlled by the Master of the Valley (a sort of {{Magitek}} A.I. that controls Trico's kind via signals picked up by their horns). When Trico was returning with [[TheProtagonist the boy]] for him to be [[HumanResources processed]], he was struck by lightning and crashed into a mountainside, breaking his horns in the process. With his horns broken he can no longer be controlled and becomes the boy's friend and the two eventually end up destroying the Master.]]

See also NotAlwaysEvil, and TalkingYourWayOut.

* A very spoilery example in VideoGame/TheLastGuardian, [[spoiler:our friend [[PetMonstrosity Trico]] was one of many beasts controlled by the Master of the Valley (a sort of {{Magitek}} A.I. that controls Trico's kind via signals picked up by their horns). When Trico was returning with [[TheProtagonist the boy]] for him to be [[HumanResources processed]], he was struck by lightning and crashed into a mountainside, breaking his horns in the process. With his horns broken he can no longer be controlled and becomes the boy's friend and the two eventually end up destroying the Master.]]