History Main / MoralityChain

* In ''WebAnimation/EpithetErased'', [[BigBadWannabe Giovanni]] ironically serves as this to ''Molly''. Creator Brenden Blaber [[https://twitter.com/BrendanBlaber/status/1218599298222514177 has remarked]] that Molly is a BitchInSheepsClothing more than anything else, despite coming across as an endless fountain of kindness and patience, and it if wasn't for Giovanni being present to offer her a safe outlet all her deep-seated anger, she would have been a few years away from ''violently'' acting on these feelings.

%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!

%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!

-> '''The Doctor:''' I don't need anyone.
-> '''Donna:''' Yes, you do. 'Cause sometimes...I think you need someone to stop you.

If a Morality Chain were to {{fall|enHero}}, [[EtTuBrute commit betrayal]], or get seriously hurt or die, there is ''[[InterruptedCooldownHug nothing]]'' to prevent a FaceHeelTurn from happening fast and hard. This is more than the RoaringRampageOfRevenge; ''[[RevengeByProxy everyone]]'' [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds has to suffer]].

* [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Patroclus, to Achilles]]. Achilles was said to be arrogant and callous to everyone except him, and was generally so tender and affectionate with Patroclus and ''only'' him that to this day there are people who debate over whether or not they were actually lovers. Then Patroclus dies during the Trojan War, and Achilles, not caring that it will likely kill him, [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge starts mowing down Trojans en masse]] and then spends ''[[NoKillLikeOverkill twelve days straight]]'' desecrating the corpse of Patroclus's killer.

** Chapter 3-1B reveals that this is why [[spoiler:Joe Tazuna was chosen for the death game and not Ryoko - without him to keep Sara in check, she would begin manipulating the others in order to win.]]

-->-- ''Series/DoctorWho'', "The Runaway Bride"

* Fabi Apache was able to successfully keep her sister Mari on the {{tecnic|o}}a path in Wrestling/{{AAA}} during the 2010s, though this was preceded by a feud between the two in the 2000s and Mari is liable to fall back into her bad habits when Fabi isn't around.[[/folder]]

* In 1st Kings and 2nd Chronicles of Literature/TheBible, Jehoiada the priest served as King Joash/Jehoash's MoralityChain as long as he was alive, as the king did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, including having the Temple repaired. However, after Jehoiada died, 2nd Chronicles records that Jehoash forsook the Lord, and served the groves and idols, even going as far as having Zechariah the son of Jehoiada murdered for speaking the Lord's words against the king. In the end, his own servants conspired against him and killed him, and he was not buried alongside the kings of Judah.

See also: MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave, MoralityPet, CynicismCatalyst, MoralityChip, LivingEmotionalCrutch, ReformationAcknowledgment and DrivenToVillainy. Contrast: TheKidWithTheLeash and TheFarmerAndTheViper.

See also: MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave, MoralityPet, CynicismCatalyst, MoralityChip, LivingEmotionalCrutch, and DrivenToVillainy. Contrast: TheKidWithTheLeash and TheFarmerAndTheViper.

* In ''WebAnimation/EpithetErased'', [[BigBadWannabe Giovanni]] ironically serves as this to ''Molly''. [[https://twitter.com/BrendanBlaber/status/1218599298222514177 The creator has remarked]] that Molly is a BitchInSheepsClothing more than anything else, despite coming across as an endless fountain of kindness and patience, and it if wasn't for Giovanni being present to give her a safe outlet all her deep-seated anger, she would be a few years away from ''violently'' acting on these feelings.

* The Ethics Committee works as this for the entire Wiki/SCPFoundation. In-Universe, most people at the Foundation consider them comically useless at this, considering all the morally questionably stuff the Foundation gets up to, but several tales and [=SCPs=] depict them as highly competent and powerful, sometimes even matching or surpassing the O5 Council in power.

* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Ilya is evidently this to Berserker. Note, he's still a massive lump of destructive impulse given terrifying form, he's just better tempered when she's around... unless [[{{Yandere}} she]] orders him to kill someone. [[OhCrap Then he gets WORSE]].

** Shirou is Rin's morality chain. Despite not meeting him directly, Rin developed a [[WorthyOpponent grudging admiration]] towards the boy she saw couldn't do a high jump despite his efforts, developing a softer side to her personality. After the two meet she starts getting more curious about him and the two even fall in love in the UBW route. Because she felt defeated by his hard-working personality, being [[TheAce the complete opposite of her,]] Rin became somewhat nicer to others. So Shirou is basically the only reason why Rin isn't a complete bitch to others, or even a full-blown villain. It makes the dynamic very interesting because Rin was at some point considered to be a villainous character or at least a bigger rival in the novel until her background was changed in order to create her "childhood trauma" as she herself put it.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'': The Archdeacon serves as the morality chain to [[KnightTemplar Judge Claude Frollo]], limiting his cruel persecution of the Romani people for much of the movie. It is thanks to the Archdeacon's watchful eye that Frollo spared and raised Quasimodo for 20 years after killing his mother, and it is the Archdeacon who keeps Esmeralda safe from Frollo's lustful advances. Once Frollo gives into his lust during his confession, he ignores the Archdeacon completely, culminating him pushing the elder man to the floor as he goes to finish off Quasimodo and Esmeralda for good.