History Main / NotBrainwashed

* In ''FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears'', this trope was used when Kain - who was repeatedly brainwashed in the first game - insists that he is acting under his own volition when he attacks several of his former allies. It is later discovered that he wasn't brainwashed at all... He was an EvilTwin.

* In ''SuperRobotWars'' Original Generation 2, much of the early plot revolves around surviving members of the "School" on the opposing side trying to "save" one of your pilots from obvious brainwashing. Of course, she's on your side entirely by choice, and ''they're'' the ones undergoing brainwashing.

* The ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' Judas Contract Arc: Moreso in the comics than the cartoon, Beast Boy/Changeling initially hoped Terra was being Brainwashed or manipulated somehow by Deathstroke/Slade before he could accept that her alliance with Slade was completely voluntary. In the cartoon, while she is manipulated by Slade, she is very voluntary about doing his dirty work for him. Having his own traumatic experience with Slade, Robin shares the hope that Slade's forcing her into it, and Terra has to spell it out for him: "I DON'T NEED SAVING! I'm not some sad little girl who's waiting to be rescued! I wanted to be this way! I wanted to go with Slade! I wanted to annihilate you and your pathetic friends!"

* Not quite brainwashing, but {{Quicksilver}} had underwent a FaceHeelTurn (to WellIntentionedExtremist) during- and served as the BigBad of-''HouseOfM'', and followed it up with a lot of, if not outright ''villainous'', morally questionable and inherently selfish actions, such as stealing and unleashing the [[TheInhumans Terrigen Mists]] on the Earth in an effort to restore the powers of de-powered mutants. After ''SecretInvasion'', when it emerged that several heroes and villains had been replaced by shape-shifting Skrulls, Quicksilver explained his previous actions by claiming that he has been replaced as well- cue a private moment with his Inhuman daughter, Luna, who points out that as a LivingLieDetector and tells him she knows he is making it all up, and is guilty as sin.

* In ''Dark Rising'', Jasmine is infected with a Demon and eventually transforms. Jason attempts an I know your In there fight speech, not to save her but to know why she cheated on him and if she was ever in love with her. She initially just howls like a wild animal, until he yells at her to knock it off. She changes back and explains why, at which point he says "OK, you can change back now." [[spoiler:Then he kills her with an axe.]]

* In ''Dark Rising'', Jasmine is infected with a Demon and eventually transforms. Jason attempts an I know your In there fight speech, not to save her but to know why she cheated on him and if she was ever in love with her. She initially just howls like a wild animal, until he yells at her to knock it off. She changes back and explains why, at which point he says "ok you can change back now." [[spoiler: Then he kills her with an axe.]]

* Disney's ''Disney/OliverAndCompany'', when the titular kitten is adopted by a rich little girl, only to be 'rescued' by his stray-dog friends.

* In ''DarkRising'', Jasmine is infected with a Demon and eventually transforms. Jason attempts an I know your In there fight speech, not to save her but to know why she cheated on him and if she was ever in love with her. She initially just howls like a wild animal, until he yells at her to knock it off. She changes back and explains why, at which point he says "ok you can change back now." [[spoiler: Then he kills her with an axe.]]

-->'''Sir Lancelot:''' No. [[CaptainOblivious Much too perilous]].

-->'''Sir Lancelot:''' .... No I'm not.

* In ''[[Manga/DragonBall Dragon Ball Z]]'', Vegeta falls under Babidi's Majin control, which brings out the evil of whoever is placed under it and brings them under his control. After Goku tries to get him to snap out of it, Vegeta reveals that he's not truly under Babidi's control; he ''let'' himself be affected because he felt he was going soft, and knew Babidi could bring out his evil side and get him fired up to finally fight Goku (however, this implies that he is at least ''partially'' under Babidi's influence, and when Babidi puts some effort into exercising it Vegeta has to muster a lot of his will to successfully resist it).

* D. Gray-man. Pretty much every [[spoiler: Noah!Allen]] fanfic in existence.
** Often used to bash the character who believes him to be an example in this trope.
*** Or, to make said charcter appear to be naive or in denial.
** To the point that it's almost cliche.

[[D. Gray-man]]. Pretty much every [[spoiler: Noah!Allen]] fanfic in existence. Often used to bash the character who believes him to be an example in this trope, or to make said charcter appear naive or in denial.

** There is also one in ''WorldOfWarcraft''. The players are sent to assassinate Emperor Dagran Thaurissan, the EvilEmperor of the Dark Iron and rescue the captive Princess Moira Bronzebeard. It however turned out that [[spoiler: she took a liking to him and HappilyMarried, much to the player's surprise.]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' episode "[=HunkaHunka=]", Lilo's friend Keoni has a crush on Pleakly (in his horrible disguise as a human woman). Lilo, Stitch, and Jumba are quick to blame the MonsterOfTheWeek, but no, he ''actually does'' have a crush on Pleakly. (For context: Pleakley has green skin and one eye.)

* In ''{{Animorphs}}'' the world is being invaded by PuppeteerParasites, but it's noted that a fair number of the human hosts actually agreed to be infested voluntarily, either because they're quislings or because they were just so depressed and alone that they would join any group that [[FauxAffablyEvil seemed to offer them kindness]]. Although it's implied even many of the "voluntary" Controllers didn't really know what they were getting themselves into, like [[spoiler:Tobias]] in "[[ForWantOfANail Back to Before]]."

* Ruthlessly exploited in ''HarryPotter'' books: Many of villains got off by pretending to be brainwashed (including the Malfoys). Later Harry cannot believe that Stan the bus driver is not under MindControl when attacking him. (Stan IS surprisingly blank-eyed, and it's not verified one way or the other.)

* In ''TheShadow'' movie, Lamont Cranston assumes Dr. Reinhardt's assistant, Farley Claymore, has been telepathically controlled into helping Shiwan Khan, until he tries to snap him out of it and Claymore boasts he is helping Khan of his own free will, hoping to be rewarded with power. Given Cranston's earlier life as the vicious drug lord Yin-Ko, he knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men, and really should have considered that possibility.

* Xander from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. His best friend Willow thought the Second Xander wandering around was an EvilTwin. It turns out it was just [[spoiler:Xander had been split into Awesome and More Awesome and it was all him]].

* Michalis of ''FireEmblemAkaneia'' killed his own father, took the throne of Macedon and ruled as a power-hungry tyrant. When his sister Minerva finds him NotQuiteDead in the sequel, she assumes he was brainwashed by Gharnef. (And since Gharnef brainwashed at least two other characters into being evil, she's right to be suspicious) Turns out he was a case of this trope, Gharnef had in fact used MoreThanMindControl, playing on his ambition and desire to improve Macedon's standing in the world. The FaceHeelTurn was completley genuine. [[spolier: Of course, this also means he's able to pull a genuine HeelFaceTurn later.]]

* In the ''AssassinsCreedII'' "Bonfire of the Vanities" DLC, Ezio must assassinate a number of Savonarola's assistants who shout his propaganda from rooftops and high walls. One of them turns out to be a true believer without the influence of the Apple. He laughs at Ezio for thinking that the Apple is the only way to make people believe something.

* Kyp Durron in the ''StarWarsExpandedUniverse'' was definitely NotBrainwashed, though Luke thinks he was. It's the one time Kyp Durron fans agree with [[SmugSnake Corran]] on Kyp.
** It's rather ambiguous. While Kyp wasn't "brainwashed", he was certainly ''influenced'' mentally by [[BigBad Exar Kun]]. But it largely worked because Kun was telling Kyp what he ''wanted to hear'', and it's never 100% clear how much was Kun and how much was Kyp. Using a superweapon to blow up the stars of Imperial-controlled systems as revenge for his life of slavery and the death of his family was all Kyp, though.

** With a name like "Warp Darkmatter", how could he ''not'' be a villain?