History Main / MotiveDecay

* Played straight as an arrow in the ongoing ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'' ''Literature/LegacyOfTheForce'' book series. In the first book of the series, Jacen Solo has visions of galaxy-wide destruction, including his dueling and killing Luke, that can only be prevented by [[ItsTheOnlyWay accepting the teachings of the Sith]]. Lumiya, a former Vader apprentice, softens the blow by teaching Jacen that through careful discipline and sacrifice, he can avoid falling into darkness like Vader and the Emperor. However, with each successive book, his altruistic motives are shown less and less, slowly replaced by ever-increasing anger, distrust, intolerance, and desire for power. All of the culminates when he [[spoiler: kills Mara Jade]], who had caught onto his downfall, for a reason (or at least a rationalization) that makes almost zero sense ''and was later completely abandoned by the series''. In a more recent book, he Force-chokes a young lieutenant to death for a perceived error, despite the fact she followed all standard procedures and was commended earlier in the book for her attention to detail. At this point, almost all trace of his benevolent motives are gone and all that remains is the Dark Side.

*** A common fan theory (probably the result of an accidental ExpansionPackPast in the ExpandedUniverse) is that even ''[[BigBad Palpatine]]'' had sympathetic motives at some point--he wants the galaxy united because he's foreseen the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. This is something of a cart-before-the-horse situation. With the release of ''Literature/DarthPlagueis'', however, Palpatine seems to have always been MadeOfEvil, and any supposed foresight against the Vong was either just an excuse to build superweapons to secure his position, or [[EvilVersusEvil something to keep a bunch of extra-galactic upstarts from messing with his stuff.]]

* [[FantasticRacism Adam Taurus]] in ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' was a member of [[WesternTerrorists the White Fang]], a [[LittleBitBeastly Faunus]] rights organization that turned to [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters anti-human extremists]]. Adam initially joined and helped lead the White Fang's more extreme actions like theft and assault to improve Faunus lives, to make sure no one suffered like he did at the hands of humanity. Over time, it became more about hurting humanity as they once hurt him. Until towards the end, all he cared about was getting ''his'' way. From usurping the position of High Leader within the White Fang to throwing all of his resources into his twisted obsession over Blake Belladonna for her rejecting him and abandoning the White Fang.

** Related to the Satan example is Sauron in [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien's]] legendarium -- he starts out as a clever, ManipulativeBastard in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', who works with Morgoth only as part of his agenda to bring order to the world, then gradually degrades to the KillEmAll type seen in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. This was a deliberate piece of decay on Tolkien's part, due to his belief that evil usually starts out with some kind of high-minded ideal but its methods (and Sauron's [[DeathIsCheap multiple deaths]]) eventually ruin its practitioners, leaving them arrogant, hate-filled, mindless destroyers.
** Even more pronounced is what happened to Sauron's former boss, Morgoth (who is intended to be {{Satan}}). He started out wanting to create and be the God of his own universe. But as he realized that nobody but God could actually be omnipotent, he gradually descended into a pure OmnicidalManiac, with a corresponding loss of his power as the mightiest angel. At least Sauron kept the same basic ''goal'' (wanting to rule the world) in mind the whole time, even if the reason shifted from "I'm the only one who can run things right," to "UNLIMITED POWER!".

* Adam Tarus in ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' was a member of the White Fang, a [[LittleBitBeastly Faunus]] rights organization that turned to [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters anti-human extremists]]. Adam initially joined and helped lead the White Fang's more extreme actions like theft and assault to improve Faunus lives, to make sure no one suffered like he did at the hands of humanity. Over time, it became more about hurting humanity as they once hurt him. Until towards the end, all he cared about was getting ''his'' way. From usurping the position of High Leader within the White Fang to throwing all of his resources into his twisted obsession over Blake Belladonna for her rejecting him and abandoning the White Fang.

** Related to the Satan example is Sauron in [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien's]] legendarium -- he starts out as a clever, manipulative MagnificentBastard in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', who works with Morgoth only as part of his agenda to bring order to the world, then gradually degrades to the KillEmAll type seen in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. This was a deliberate piece of decay on Tolkien's part, due to his belief that evil usually starts out with some kind of high-minded ideal but its methods (and Sauron's [[DeathIsCheap multiple deaths]]) eventually ruin its practitioners, leaving them arrogant, hate-filled, mindless destroyers.

* ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'': The Queen's initial reason for wanting to kill Snow White is because [[EvilIsPetty Snow White is more beautiful than the Queen]]. After finding out that Snow White wasn't killed but was instead rescued by the Seven Dwarves, the Queen turns herself into a hideous old crone to try again. Apparently she simply became so obsessed with killing Snow White that she forgot her obsession with her looks.

* ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarves'': The Queen's initial reason for wanting to kill Snow White is because [[EvilIsPetty Snow White is more beautiful than the Queen]]. After finding out that Snow White wasn't killed but was instead rescued by the Seven Dwarves, the Queen turns herself into a hideous old crone to try again. Apparently she simply became so obsessed with killing Snow White that she forgot her obsession with her looks.

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A character with an initially complex and even reasonable motive for his actions is [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] into a FlatCharacter who simply [[StatusQuoIsGod does what is expected]], [[CharactersAsDevice regardless]] of their [[TheoryOfNarrativeCausality original motivation]].

This often happens when a story has [[RoguesGallery several antagonists]], one of whom is only needed for [[ConflictBall conflict]]. Expect the character to become a [[CardCarryingVillain cartoonishly evil megalomaniac]]. If this happens to a side character, it is often followed by {{Flanderization}}. Perhaps even more strangely, the other characters won't notice such decay and will, at the least, be unsurprised that this character is now a walking [[StockCharacters cliche]]. If this happens to a series protagonist, expect a DorkAge, gnashing of teeth and shrieks of DarthWiki/RuinedForever!

!!Examples

* One ''Webcomic/{{Stonetoss}}'' strip shows the devolution of libertarians from Texan [[LaResistance freedom fighters]] challenging the Mexicans to disarm them, to fat boys who just want to smoke weed.

[[quoteright:550:[[{{Webcomic/Stonetoss}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/coomandtakeit.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:On the left: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Revolution a man ready to die for his homeland.]] On the right: [[{{NEET}} a man whose mom kicked him out of the house.]]]]

[[quoteright:550:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/coomandtakeit.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:On the left: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Revolution a man ready to die for his homeland.]] On the right: [[{{NEET}} a man whose mom kicked him out of the house.]][[note]][[Webcomic/{{Stonetoss}} Source.]][[/note]]]]

* ''Webcomic/{{Stonetoss}}'' provides the page image, showing the devolution of libertarians from Texan [[LaResistance freedom fighters]] challenging the Mexicans to disarm them, to fat boys who just want to smoke weed.

* ''Webcomic/{{Stonetoss}}'' provides the page image, showing the devolution from Texan [[LaResistance freedom fighters]] challenging the Mexicans to disarm them, to fat boys who just want to smoke weed.

[[caption-width-right:350:On the left: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Revolution a man ready to die for his homeland.]] On the right: [[{{NEET}} a man whose mom kicked him out of the house.]]]]

* Emperor Jagang in the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' books starts out as a man who believes in human superiority and unlimited potential, and believes that magic prevents the men from creating a technological society. Later, he is a religious fanatic/OmnicidalManiac who believes that all men are evil and unworthy of life, and it's his defeat which causes a sudden technological development. At the point of his change, the books take a strong right turn into Objectivist didacticism.

** As others have noted, MotiveDecay seems to be an occupational hazard of Sith Lords. Every Sith whose motives we've had an opportunity to examine started down the "dark path" for reasons that would make sense to normal people. Some want to unite the galaxy (decent motive), or to protect loved ones (ditto). And yet every Sith we've seen has degenerated into committing acts of sheer evil. Even those who from the start had selfish motives of personal power tend to decay into cruelty for its own sake. This suggests that the trope in question is intrinsic to the ''Franchise/StarWars'' concept of TheDarkSide. In the Star Wars galaxy, Sith's motives decay themselves.

This is often someone who starts out with a specific goal, as a WellIntentionedExtremist or someone out for [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge revenge against the perpetrators]] of a particular wrong (real or imagined), or someone who is driven to actions by unfortunate circumstances. This can make a very deep and often tragic character, but it's hard for the writers to keep it up, especially in a long-running franchise. Perhaps the author simply has trouble following through on their original idea, [[PlotTumor other parts of the story got more important]], or the creator [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants was making it up as they went along]]. Perhaps later writers who come on in the middle of a work's run just don't "get" it. Sometimes the writer is trying to give some kind of {{Aesop}} that because their original motive was grey, this leads to [[BlackAndWhiteMorality monochrome]] quickly. [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope Too quickly.]] On the other hand, it sometimes is intentional. The character may very well have lost track of what they were fighting for and kept going on in spite of this because [[IveComeTooFar they have nothing else left]].

* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive:'' In the ''Legend of Diane'' arc, we see the eponymous girl [[http://egscomics.com/comic/tlod-016 reflecting]] on how her serial dating got started, and how she gradually went from "maybe ''this'' one will be ''the'' one" to "we're all just kids hanging out and having fun" to "boys are for buying me things".

* Proof once again that TropesAreNotBad, Motive Decay is both PlayedForDrama and PlayedForHorror in the ending of ''Literature/{{Worm}}''. The first of the two most important is [[spoiler:BigBad [[PhysicalGod Scion]]]], who has mostly given up on the [[spoiler:cycle of his species]] and entirely given up on trying to find an emotional payoff in selflessly helping others. Instead, he decides to find that emotional payoff in the simplest way available to him: [[spoiler:killing, maiming, and later torturing on a ''multiversal'' scale]] to revel in the chaos buried in the human psyche. The second is Khepri, and we get to watch [[spoiler:from inside her head]] as she slowly loses everything that made her heroic, all of her identity, and finally her humanity after she [[spoiler:unfettered her shard in a desperate gamble to gain an advantage against Scion]]. Her GoalInLife goes from saving [[spoiler:humanity throughout the multiverse]] to forcing everybody to cooperate, and finally at the end of it all, when she has lost the ability to comprehend the world except through aggression, to a desire to systematically kill every other being [[spoiler:in the multiverse]] to eliminate their threat to her so she can have peace.

** A lot of Chaos cults start out as organizations for actual reform (removing corrupt leaders, purging mutants, killing criminals...). Unfortunately, while a lot of what the Imperium does ''is'' stupid and wasteful, a lot of what it does is also a NecessaryEvil, and Chaos is all too happy to exploit this.

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** Even more pronounced is what happened to Sauron's former boss, Morgoth (who is intended to be {{Satan}}). He started out wanting to create and be the God of his own universe. But as he realized that nobody but God could actually be omnipotent, he gradually descended into a pure OmnicidalManiac, with a corresponding loss of his power as the mightiest angel. At least Sauron kept the same basic ''goal'' (wanting to rule the world) in mind the whole time, even if he reason shifted from "I'm the only one who can run things right," to "UNLIMITED POWER!".