History Main / RecklessPacifist

* During the Dressrosa Arc of ''Manga/OnePiece'', much is made of how Rebecca has survived years of GladiatorGames as a CondemnedContestant while always winning via RingOut, never through direct attack. Considering the exterior of the ring is a trench full of [[SeaMonster giant, violent fish]], it's likely she indirectly caused quite a few injuries or deaths. Though that's arguably the best she could do in her situation, it still makes it very strange later on when [[spoiler:her father]] insists Rebecca not sully herself in a real battle.

* If it weren't for [[Manga/{{Trigun}} Vash the Stampede's]] ImprobableAimingSkills, there is absolutely no way that any of his opponents would still be alive. And even then, we see that Vash himself pays for this when he removes his coat and the audience sees that he's [[CoveredWithScars covered in horrific wounds]].
* When [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Kira Yamato]] becomes a MartialPacifist, he disables enemy mobile suits. However, doing so in the middle of a battlefield will probably result in their deaths. He does, however, ''cleave battleships in half'' which will invariably cause many, many more deaths. To his credit, Kira does acknowledge this. It also backfired on him spectacularly in ''Destiny''. Kira also doesn't follow this to extremes like most. If push really comes to shove and he's fighting a clearly evil and dangerous person that his usual tactics just aren't working on he will go for the kill if reluctantly. Alternatively if he can't disable someone that isn't a threat to everyone around them he's perfectly willing to just escape once his objective is completed without care that he couldn't finish the fight. At least with regular grunts, he'll simply be disabling them to neutralize their threat, but isn't naive enough to go out of his way to save them. He just won't directly take their lives. Battleships are harder to neutralize without killing, hence his more lethal approaches. In short, it's more of that killing is not going to be Kira's first option if he can help it.
* By comparison, Kio Asuno, the third protagonist of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE'' has a similar but condensed path to becoming a MartialPacifist...except, unlike Kira, he actually goes out of his way to ''block attacks from his own comrades to actively save enemy pilots''. The "reckless" part is actually recognized in-universe by Kio's ''commanding officer'', who sternly berates the kid for his actions, citing that it actually puts his allies in MORE danger. Unfortunately, the show has entered into even more ProtagonistCenteredMorality than with Kira, so Kio ignores it and remains convinced of himself. It's most egregious is when Kio goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against a definite HateSink...and stops short of giving the bastard his just desserts because "it's wrong to kill". Said HateSink goes on to cause a bit more trouble before finally being offed slightly less satisfyingly.
* [[Manga/RurouniKenshin Kenshin Himura]] does this a lot. Beating people into a pulp with a Reverse Blade Sword [[ZigZaggingTrope may or may not cause internal injuries]], but somehow it never kills them, despite the fact that there are plenty of other people in the series who do use blunt weapons for lethal ends.

* ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' has an achievement called "Pacifist" -- it comes from delivering concussions, broken limbs, and chemical damage to foes instead of outright murder. The DLC outright calls Jensen out for causing multiple comas because he forgot to hold back on the cyborg arm strength.

*** A) Superman can't get hurt, and so he can afford to pull his punches and work to ensure the safety of his enemies as well as his allies. Not an example.
*** B) Superman can't get hurt, and so he can afford to smash up buildings, vehicles, faces, and anything else that impedes him. ''Definitely'' an example.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}}'': In ''Literature/GoingPostal'', Moist Von Lipwig is a ConMan GentlemanThief who boasts of never having picked up a weapon and hurt anybody, but his parole officer (with [[BrutalHonesty the bluntness of a meteor falling on Moist's head]] -- the officer is [[LiteralMinded a Golem]], after all) gives Moist a highly precise breakdown of all of the people Moist has psychologically devastated as collateral damage of his cons, including some that committed suicide.

RecklessPacifist is a trope for characters who adamantly claim they won't kill anyone but nevertheless tend to endanger the lives of others (enemies, allies, or bystanders) quite often. Maybe their claims are hollow, or maybe they're just overly optimistic about their skills, or maybe they're depending on ToonPhysics to make what they do work out. Maybe you can excuse them for acting rashly under pressure, but whatever their reasons, you have to wonder how it is that they've managed [[NonLethalWarfare not to kill anyone]].

The answer isn't simple, is it? Conventional TapOnTheHead techniques all carry the risk of doing serious damage of one kind or another even if they don't kill the target, and you don't want to knock your opponent into a BottomlessPit, or a [[KillItWithFire fire,]] or an AcidPool.

RecklessPacifist is a trope for characters who adamantly claim they won't kill anyone, but nevertheless tend to endanger the lives of others (enemies, allies, or bystanders) quite often. Maybe their claims are hollow, or maybe they're just overly optimistic about their skills, or maybe they're depending on ToonPhysics to make what they do work out. Maybe you can excuse them for acting rashly under pressure, but whatever their reasons, you have to wonder how it is that they've managed [[NonLethalWarfare not to kill anyone]].

* By comparison, Kio Asuno, the third protagonist of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE'' has a similar but condensed path to becoming a MartialPacifist...except, unlike Kira, he actually goes out of his way to ''block attacks from his own comrades to actively save enemy pilots''. The "reckless" part is actually recognized in-universe by Kio's ''commanding officer'', who sternly berates the kid for his actions, citing that it actually puts his allies in MORE danger. Unfortunately, the show has entered into even more ProtagonistCenteredMorality than with Kira, so Kio ignores it and remains convinced of himself. Its most egregious is when Kio goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against a definite HateSink...and stops short of giving the bastard his just desserts because "it's wrong to kill". Said HateSink goes on to cause a bit more trouble before finally being offed slightly less satisfyingly.

* In ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', it's explicitly stated that bounties must be turned over to the cops alive and unharmed, but that sure doesn't stop the crew from using a variety of highly lethal equipment, from handguns to spaceship mounted machine guns and missiles, and display a total disregard for collateral damage. They do actually suffer consequences for their recklessness, however. In the first episode, they are short on cash even after getting a large bounty because Spike's destructive antics during the chase forced them to fork over nearly all of it just to pay for damages and medical bills.

** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': As one of the earliest heroes with a no killing rule--it's explicitly a part of being an Amazon, and to break this oath will render an Amazon human--Diana has no problem causing serious potentially crippling harm to her more vile opponents, or to protect innocent victims and while she'll rescue her opponents from death during a fight she's also perfectly fine with them being sentenced to death after she hands them over to authorities.

* Franchise/DocSavage has a strict policy of nonlethality, to the point that he won't normally carry a gun. When he does shoot people, he prefers tranquilizer pellets over bullets. His lieutenants (especially Monk and Ham) aren't so squeamish. The evil mastermind, however, typically dies in the end, [[SelfDisposingVillain thanks to his own infernal contraption]], without any interference from Doc.

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'' has plenty of this, mostly because Batman's instant takedown moves include strangling mooks, breaking mook bones, or dropping mooks down a few floors. Don't forget the [[ExplosionPropulsion explosive gel]]! It's even one of the reason why Gordon didn't trust Batman at first, he is leaving people on the cold streets with broken bones.

* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' has killed for the first time in season 5, however he had no problem

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}}'': In ''Literature/GoingPostal'', Moist Von Lipwig is a ConMan GentlemanThief who boasts of never having picked up a weapon and hurt anybody, but his parole officer (with [[BluntHonesty the bluntness of a meteor falling on Moist's head]] -- the officer is [[LiteralMinded a Golem]], after all) gives Moist a highly precise breakdown of all of the people Moist has psychologically devastated as collateral damage of his cons, including some that committed suicide.

** Use his wind powers to slam people into things (or vice versa)

** Knock people out of boats into freezing oceans (sometimes actually destroying the boat)

** Terrify the cabbage vendor (poor poor cabbage vendor)

* Parodied in [[WebComic/AwkwardZombie Awkward Zombie]] comic [[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/index.php?page=0&comic=030716 Out of Sight, Out of Hind]], which itself satirises the "non-lethal" vehicle takedowns in VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker. After Kaz suggests using a rocket launcher,

** Merge with a spirit creature to become a Kaiju, then attack the people who ticked off the spirit enough to do the fusion. (Then again, that's probably mostly the spirit's doing.)
*** He ''does'', to his credit, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regret this one]].

->''"So [[Franchise/{{Batman}} you]] won't kill, but you're fine with traumatic brain injuries?"''
-->-- '''Robin''', ''VideoGame/Injustice2''

* The Goddess Sariel in ''LightNovel/KumoDesuGaNaniKa'' always prioritizes saving lives in the moment with no regard for the future consequences. This behavior has resulted in the near-collapse of the system which would kill every living creature on the planet, and yet she still interferes when a solution is being implemented that costs lives.

* When [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Kira Yamato]] becomes a MartialPacifist, he disables enemy mobile suits. However, doing so in the middle of a battlefield will probably result in their deaths. He does, however, ''cleave battleships in half'' which will invariably cause many, many more deaths. To his credit, Kira does acknowledge this. It also backfired on him spectacularly in ''Destiny''. Kira also doesn't follow this to extremes like most. If push really comes to shove and he's fighting a clearly evil and dangerous person that his usual tactics just aren't working on he will go for the kill if reluctantly. Alternatively if he can't disable someone that isn't a threat to everyone around them he's perfectly willing to just escape once his objective is completed without care that he couldn't finish the fight.

** You are probably fighting on terrain that's dangerous even for people who are conscious and in perfect health.

* When [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Kira Yamato]] becomes a MartialPacifist, he disables enemy mobile suits. However, doing so in the middle of a battlefield will probably result in their deaths. He does, however, ''cleave battleships in half'' which will invariably cause many, many more deaths. To his credit, Kira does acknowledge this. It also backfired on him spectacularly in ''Destiny''.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' characters with a Code Against Killing have this problem. Often, the solution for them is to pummel the HP out of their enemies and then trust TheMedic to keep them alive.

This trope tends to present itself in media where NobodyCanDie, or NeverBringAKnifeToAFistFight and/or the InverseLawOfUtilityAndLethality is in effect. Contrast TechnicalPacifist and ActualPacifist. See also DestructiveSavior for when pacifists are reckless with property instead of people, and StupidGood for when pacifism is the wrong response anyway. SisterTrope to SuicidalPacifism, when refusal to fight endangers one's own life.

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[[AC: Live Action]]
* Eliot on ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' causes an incredible amount of havoc for a supposed "hero." As the team's "hitter"/"retrieval specialist" it is often his role to charge in and beat the crap out of crowds of people in defense of his teammates; since the Leverage crew are thieves and con artists working outside the law, often the people who Eliot is beating unconscious and generally tossing around like ragdolls are in fact innocent security guards and law enforcement officers just trying to do their jobs.

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[[AC: VideoGames]]

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[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]

* ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' has an achievement called "Pacifist" -- it comes from delivering concussions, broken limbs, and chemical damage to foes instead of outright murder.

* Parodied in [[WebComic/AwkwardZombie Awkward Zombie]] comic [[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/index.php?page=0&comic=030716 Out of Sight, Out of Hind]], which itself satirises the "non-lethal" vehicle takedowns in VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker

* If it weren't for [[Manga/{{Trigun}} Vash the Stampede's]] ImprobableAimingSkills, there is absolutely no way that any of his opponents would still be alive.
** And even then, we see that Vash himself pays for this when he removes his coat and the audience sees that he's [[CoveredWithScars covered in horrific wounds]].
* When [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Kira Yamato]] becomes a MartialPacifist, he disables enemy mobile suits. However, doing so in the middle of a battlefield will probably result in their deaths. He does, however, ''cleave battleships in half'' which will invariably cause many, many more deaths.
** To his credit, Kira does acknowledge this. It also backfired on him spectacularly in ''Destiny''.

* In ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', it's explicitly stated that bounties must be turned over to the cops alive and unharmed, but that sure doesn't stop the crew from using a variety of highly lethal equipment, from handguns to spaceship mounted machine guns and missiles, and display a total disregard for collateral damage.
** They do actually suffer consequences for their recklessness. In the first episode, they are short on cash even after getting a large bounty because Spike's destructive antics during the chase forced them to fork over nearly all of it just to pay for damages and medical bills.

* The Goddess Sariel in ''LightNovel/KumoDesuGaNaniKa'' always prioritizes saving lives in the moment with no regard for the future consequences. This behavior has resulted in the near-collapse of the system which would kill every living creature on the planet and yet she still interferes when a solution is being implemented that costs lives.

* All superheroes with a ThouShaltNotKill policy deal with this. Some of the more {{egregious}} examples include:

** {{Spider-Man}}. His penchant for kicking people off of heights and hanging them upside down with his webs doesn't lend itself well to nonlethal vigilantism.