History Main / RedemptionEqualsAffliction

* [[LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex]]: Accelerator tries to redeem himself for slaughtering over 10,000 clones by saving one who befriended him despite the aforementioned massacre. He succeeds, but gets shot in the head, something he [[AttackReflector easily could have avoided]] in any other situation where he wasn't saving said clone from a brain virus. He survives the shot, but takes brain damage that impedes his motor skills, leaving him unable to walk or talk, let alone perform the calculations required for his powers. He ends up receiving an electrode to provide him with the brainpower of the remaining clones, but their inferior computation ability as well as the electrode's short battery life means that he's nowhere near as powerful as he used to be.

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* Downplayed in the 1997 version of ''Literature/{{Rebecca}}''; [[SympatheticMurderer Maxim de Winter]] saves the life of Mrs. Danvers at the cost of slight scarring and a limp.

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* Mrs Erlynne from ''Theatre/LadyWindermeresFan'' is initially Lord Windermere's [[spoiler:blackmailer]]. After having a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment, she saves Lady Windermere's reputation and her marriage from scandal by allowing herself to be seen in a compromising and scandalous position, even though this means being shut out of society.

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* Mr Rochester in ''JaneEyre'' treated Jane quite badly, pulling an OperationJealousy on her, and then trying to induce her to unknowingly enter into a bigamous marriage with him. When his mad wife burns down his house, not only does he lose it, but he also loses one hand and most of his eyesight trying to save her life. Jane returns to him.
* ASongOfIceAndFire:

* The TV series of ''{{Literature/Rebecca}}'' featuring Charles Dance as Maxim de Winter, unlike the Hitchcock film, had Maxim kill his wife as in the original book. Reminiscent of ''JaneEyre'', Maxim suffers disfigurement in the fire trying to save Mrs Danvers in this version.
* Londo taking the Drakh Keeper toward the end of ''{{Babylon 5}}''. One interpretation of Morella's prophecies regarding Londo ("Point of No Return") would have this be the consequence of "killing the one who is already dead" (which could be read, after a fashion, as [[spoiler:Sheridan, Morden, or Refa--but Morden, or possibly rival-to-the-throne Refa,]] in this case)--although he has much else to redeem himself for--and the total loss of control represented by the Keeper could be read as the "greatest fear" which is then his final chance at redemption. At any rate, he bears the Keeper to avoid the Drakh detonating fusion bombs all over Centauri Prime, potentially killing millions. The Keeper is a living symbiote that can neurally exert control over his actions, as directed by a Drakh controller.

* In ''Literature/TheBible'', King David had slept with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba, while sending him out to battle, which would led him to be killed. This angers God who had sent the Prophet Nathan to rebuke David for pulling the UriahGambit. David sincerely repents, but while God forgave him, He allowed David and Bathsheba's child to die in infancy.

* In the short-lived series ''SkeletonWarriors'', [[AntiHero Prince Joshua]] is punished for betraying his brother and kingdom by being cursed with a [[FacialHorror rotted face]], but also got the [[CursedWithAwesome useful ability]] to [[ThinkingUpPortals teleport through shadows]].

* ''Manga/FairyTail'': Laxus' fate at the beginning of the Tartarus arc (being brought to a pass where a HeroicSacrifice was necessary and [[GameBreakingInjury possibly permanently debilitated]] as a result) ''reeks'' of this trope, as some fans believed Mashima to have inflicted such a fate upon him for no reason other than a DeusExitMachina.

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* While on an assassination mission [[Manga/RurouniKenshin Kenshin Himura]] received a cut to his face from his target's bodyguard (whom he immediately dispatched as well). Because the cut refused to heal it was theorized by Kenshin's peers that he had been struck by an innocent man and his wound was penance. The wound only finally stopped bleeding some months later when the famous cross-shaped-scar was completed [[spoiler: by his dying wife, who he had accidentally struck during a battle (and who turned had been the fiancee of the man he murdered before)]]. Kenshin holds the belief that the cross-shaped-scar will vanish when he has fully atoned for his sins. He also doesn't believe that is possible [[spoiler:though by the end of the manga it has indeed begun to heal]].

* While on an assassination mission [[RurouniKenshin Kenshin Himura]] received a cut to his face from his target's bodyguard (whom he immediately dispatched as well). Because the cut refused to heal it was theorized by Kenshin's peers that he had been struck by an innocent man and his wound was penance. The wound only finally stopped bleeding some months later when the famous cross-shaped-scar was completed [[spoiler: by his dying wife, who he had accidentally struck during a battle (and who turned had been the fiancee of the man he murdered before)]]. Kenshin holds the belief that the cross-shaped-scar will vanish when he has fully atoned for his sins. He also doesn't believe that is possible [[spoiler:though by the end of the manga it has indeed begun to heal]].

* Downplayed in the 1997 version of ''Literature/Rebecca''; [[SympatheticMurderer Maxim de Winter]] saves the life of Mrs. Danvers at the cost of slight scarring and a limp.

* In ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'' [[TheAtoner Doctor Marchoh]] has his face [[spoiler: disfigured by Scar]] after regretting everything he did in the Ishbalan war.

Compare KarmaHoudiniWarranty, and compare {{Restrained Revenge}} and {{My Fist Forgives You}} if it's a character invoking this to the reformed character. Compare also BreakTheHaughty, which can overlap with this if the person took great pride in whatever they had to lose to earn redemption. See also BeingGoodSucks. Contrast RedemptionEarnsLife.

* In ''Literature/TheBible', King David had slept with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba, while sending him out to battle, which would led him to be killed. This angers God who had sent the Prophet Nathan to rebuke David for pulling the UriahGambit. David sincerely repents, but while God forgave him, He allowed David and Bathsheba's child to die in infancy.

* In Literature/TheBible, King David had slept with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba, while sending him out to battle, which would led him to be killed. This angers God who had sent the Prophet Nathan to rebuke David for pulling the {{Uriah Gambit}}. David sincerely repents, but while God forgave him, He allowed David and Bathsheba's child to die in infancy.

* In ''Literature/TheBible'', King David had slept with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba, while sending him out to battle, which would led him to be killed. This angers God who had sent the Prophet Nathan to rebuke David for pulling the {{Uriah Gambit}}. David sincerely repents, but while God forgave him, He allowed David and Bathsheba's child to die in infancy.

Compare KarmaHoudiniWarranty, and compare {{Restrained Revenge}} and {{My Fist Forgives You}} if it's the offender invoking this. Compare also BreakTheHaughty, which can overlap with this if the person took great pride in whatever they had to lose to earn redemption. See also BeingGoodSucks. Contrast RedemptionEarnsLife.

* At the end of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', one of the possible outcomes of the plot is [[spoiler:BigBad Teyrn Loghain being forced into joining the Grey Wardens and helping the party battle the BiggerBad Archdemon in the Final Battle. Should he survive, he's redeemed himself from almost plunging Ferelden into a civil war but now has to spend the rest of his life with all of the nasty side effects of surviving the Warden joining process. Could also count as RedemptionEqualsDeath, although said death would be decades down the road.]]

* At the end of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', one of the possible outcomes of the plot is [[spoiler:Big Bad Teyrn Loghain being forced into joining the Grey Wardens and helping the party battle the Bigger Bad Archdemon in the Final Battle. Should he survive, he's redeemed himself from almost plunging Ferelden into a civil war but now has to spend the rest of his life with all of the nasty side effects of surviving the Warden joining process. Could also count as RedemptionEqualsDeath, although said death would be decades down the road.]]

* While on an assassination mission Kenshin Himura recieved a cut to his face from his target's bodygard (whom he immediately dispatched as well). Because the cut refused to heal it was theorized by Kenshin's peers that he had been struck by an innocent man and his wound was pennance. The wound only finally stopped bleeding some months later when the famous cross-shaped-scar was completed [[spoiler: by his dying wife whom he had accidentially struck during a battle (and whom it turned had been the fiancee of the man he murdered before)]] [[TearJerker in possibly the most heart-wrenching scene of all time]] (atleast before the second OVA blew that emotional baseline out of the water). Kenshin holds the belief that the cross-shaped-scar will vanish when he has fully atoned for his sins. He also doesn't believe that is possible, so...