History Main / ResistTheBeast

* In ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', the warriors can gain immense power by tapping into their SuperPoweredEvilSide, but need to resist its temptations or go too deep in and become a monster themselves. [[spoiler: Those who manage to pull themselves back from the very brink of going to the dark side and "Awakening" gain a boost in power and can tap their power more freely than the others.]]

** Goku pulls this off during his first transformation into a [[SuperMode Super Saiyan]]. He's fully aware that he's [[SanitySlippage being overwhelmed]] by [[UnstoppableRage rage and bloodlust]], and the first thing he does after transforming is order Gohan to take Piccolo and run before Goku completely loses his mind; at this point, Goku doesn't trust himself ''not'' to hurt his own son.
--->'''Goku''': Do as I tell you, right now! ''Before I lose what little sense of reason I have left!''

-->'''Inuyasha''': Stay away!! ''There's no telling what I'm going to do next!''
* ''Manga/SchoolLive'': In truly horrific fashion. [[spoiler:Megu-nee]] gets turned into a zombie protecting the kids. While she's clawing at that their door she shows a brief lapse of sentience and becomes horrified of what she's becoming. She locks herself away in the basement of the school so she wouldn't hurt the girls, though she later bites a character when they go down there and is KilledOffForReal by Miki.
* A chapter of ''Manga/VenusVersusVirus'' has a girl who has been attacked by a Virus coming to Lucia to ask for help with her sibling. She doesn't consciously remember the attack and just thinks a monster is stalking her brother. Subconsciously she knew she was becoming a Virus though and later she's shown trying to resist it. Lucia kills her before she can and [[DyingAsYourself she dies as her normal self]]. Lucia notes this is the first time she has heard a Virus resist automatically transforming.
* In ''Literature/{{Shiki}}'', several characters [[spoiler:such as Natsuno Yuki, Ritsuko Kunihiro, or, eventually, Tohru Mutuo]] upon their transformation into bloodthirsty shiki refuse to feed on humans.[[/folder]]

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'':
** Doctor Curt Connors, being another character influenced by [[TragicMonster Tragic Movie Monsters]], has lots of scenes like this as he's turning into the Lizard. He failed in the worst way possible [[spoiler:when he ''devoured his own son''. Curt effectively died after that, leaving only the Lizard]].
** ComicBook/{{Morbius}} the Living Vampire, though always visibly a monster, faces this trope psychologically when his bloodlust hits him at an inconvenient time.
* Pulled off quite nicely by Doctor Doom in ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies''. Doctor Doom, out of literally everyone in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, is the only one who can remain himself permanently while infected through ''[[HeroicWillpower sheer willpower alone]]''. The later sequels have shown [[spoiler:Black Panther, the Wasp and Spider-Man achieving this through a prolonged period of essentially starving themselves until the urge to eat goes away, although the success rate for this method was mixed]].
* In the ''ComicBook/BatmanVampire'' trilogy, the second book -- ''Bloodstorm'' -- basically focuses on Batman trying to do this as he fights to avoid succumbing to his new desire for human blood, but he eventually gives into his urges in a moment of rage and grief [[spoiler:when he drinks the Joker's blood after Joker kills Selina Kyle]].

* ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfAnElderGod'': The main characters gain powers when they kill {{Eldritch Abomination}}s. However, their stolen powers are inherently foul and corrupting. So all of them feel dark urges and desires, and they struggle against them the whole time.
* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': Kaworu is constantly tormented by The Call to fulfill his secret mission and start [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Third Impact]]. He resists it to the best of his ability but constantly worries about it overtaking him. [[spoiler:His lust for Rei, and later his love for her, prove most effective in helping suppress his dark desires.]]

[[folder:Film]]

* Doc Oc pulls this in ''Film/SpiderMan2'' at the very end, resisting his robotic arms.
--> '''Doctor Octavius:''' Listen to ''me'' now!
* ''Film/TwentyEightDaysLater'': At the road block, Frank gets a drop of infected blood in his eye. He has just enough time to tell Hannah that he loves her before the rage virus overcomes him, and the assembled guards shoot Frank to keep him from infecting anyone else.
* Johnny Blaze has this problem in ''Film/GhostRiderSpiritOfVengeance''. Since the Rider in this movie would kill for the pettiest sins, he constantly struggles against its influence with isolation or stolen meds.
* A couple of the characters in ''Film/BirdBox'' manage, albeit briefly, to resist the PsychicAssistedSuicide to save the lives of others. Olympia manages to hand her baby over to Malorie before throwing herself out a window, and Tom manages to shoot one of the psychopaths before turning the gun on himself.
* ''Film/LatePhases:'' [[spoiler: Griffin]] desperately asks Father Roger for help, believing himself to be possessed, and even [[ATasteOfTheLash self-flagellates]] to drive it out. On the other hand, he--in both human and werewolf form--bites others to make more werewolves.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', judging from Mei's words and actions when she is in her room after transforming for the second time, she believes she must not be approached as she desperately tries to change back because she seems to think she's inherently dangerous as a giant red panda.

** In ''Thud!'', Vimes [[spoiler:gets possessed by a vengeance demon. While he starts going on a rampage, he prevents himself from killing a squad of defenseless dwarves long enough for Angua to take him down. To show how awesome this is, it's noted that if he had done so for just a few seconds longer, his muscles would have torn themselves apart]].
** Vimes also does it with [[spoiler:the Gonne]] in ''Men at Arms'', as opposed to [[spoiler:Carrot]] who is TheImmune.
** Otto Chriek and other vampires in the Uberwald Temperance Movement have forsworn drinking human blood, but often have to struggle to suppress their natural urges (they generally succeed by diverting the urge into some sort of addiction or hobby). Though if one cannot fulfill their new addiction they will go berserk.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles:''

* In the climax of ''Literature/TheHowling1977'', [[spoiler:Roy]] tries to resist the urge to kill people and follow the other werewolves' murderous ways; although he goes along with their plan to lure Karyn out of the house, he manages to retain enough humanity to warn her to run at the last moment. When the werewolves launch a direct attack on the house, [[spoiler:Roy]] - in his wolf form - fights and kills [[spoiler:Dr Volkmann]] to protect Karyn and has enough self-control to jump out the window rather than harm her.
* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': In Mockingjay [[spoiler:a hijacked Peeta]] spends a large section of the book fighting the urge to kill [[spoiler:Katniss]], asking the others to kill them, refusing to have handcuffs removed and using the pain of the too tightly wound cuffs to keep sane.
* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'' features this in mana mutation. Once the transformation has begun, it is impossible to stop. All one can do is prevent it from reaching the victim's mind. At that point, they become increasingly savage no matter how they try to hold on to their sanity. In ''Literature/ManaMutationMenace'', both Eric and [[spoiler: Nolien]] struggle to cope with the changes it has brought on.
* Resisting the beast is the goal for Artemizae in ''Literature/PareidoliaAndTheGildedScar'' "I can be a real bitch sometimes. Which is a warning to me as much as you. Lycanthropy may be an explanation but it's hardly any excuse"
* Dillon Cole wrestles with his destructive urges in ''[[Literature/StarShardsChronicles Scorpion Shards]]'', gradually succumbing to them and unwittingly [[spoiler:feeding and strengthening the otherworldly parasite corrupting him]].
* In ''Literature/AWolfInTheSoul'', this is played straight with regards to Greg's physical transformation - especially the one that begins to take place in front of his mother - but Greg keeps his human mind at all times except for during his out-of-body experiences.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
** This trope plays out a number of times with Oz, a werewolf. Before his status is out in the open he tries to get Willow to leave without telling her ''why'' (fearing he's going to be killed after having overheard Buffy say she's going to off the werewolf when she finds it). Later, in "Beauty and the Beasts", he even tells her to get away from him ''after'' he's been locked up in a cage.
** Similarly, [[DefectorFromDecadence Angel]] is shown having to [[ColdTurkeysAreEverywhere resist feeding on humans]] in the episode "Angel" where his vampiric nature is first revealed. [[FemmeFatale Darla]] attempts to tempt him into feeding on a wounded Joyce.
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "The Pandorica Opens", [[spoiler: Rory]] is unable to stop himself from [[spoiler: shooting Amy]] when his programming as an Auton takes over; fortunately, both of them get better in time to help the Doctor save the universe.
* ''Series/ForeverKnight'' used this a lot, with Nick trying to resist losing control of himself and killing someone.

* Happens in the werewolf segment of the movie within a movie in ''Music/{{Thriller}}'', as one of many send ups to classic horror movies.
* ''Monster'' by ''Music/ImagineDragons''
--> I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me.

* The vampires in ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' literally have to resist the Beast, where "Beast" is a lore term for their compulsion to just let loose and feed upon any human within reach (usually breaking the {{masquerade}} in the process). To resist it, you have to pass Willpower checks every time the character experiences a particularly traumatic event, such as being exposed to fire or even sunlight. Having high [[KarmaMeter Humanity]] score also helps. Fail one too many checks and your character turns into a mindless bloodsucker, though. In the spiritual successor, ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'', the Beast is still present and at war with the Man. However, various vampire groups have developed ways to ease the struggle. The Ordo Dracul have a Coil of the Beast that makes the struggle simpler (at its final level, you can give in for an hour to defeat it for the rest of the night), and the bloodline known as the Kukufuuji have developed a discipline based on restraining it.

** 3.5 Edition has this for some intelligent [[TheUndead undead]], describing the dark obsessions that affect their minds, like a wight's instinctive loathing for anything living or a mummy's monomania for guarding its burial site. Some undead have {{Horror Hunger}}s that will slowly drive them insane if not [[WarmBloodBagsAreEverywhere indulged]] or [[HeroicWillpower resisted]].
** In 5[[superscript:th]] Edition, [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent Lycanthropes]] who choose to resist their curse retain their original personality and CharacterAlignment, but can't [[VoluntaryShapeshifting change form voluntarily]] and always lose control of themselves on nights of the full moon.

* General Pepper is infected with [[TheVirus the Aparoid infection]] in ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault'', and has to be fought in a boss battle. The whole time, he tells Fox and crew to just finish him off, ending with "never thought I'd be fighting all of you" before the process takes him over completely.
* The second ''VideoGame/OsuTatakaeOuendan'' game has the teenage werewolf Ooyama Garou try to avoid staring at round objects while on a date, as that is what triggers his transformation. Unlike most examples, this is played for comedy and his trigger are things like balloons, baseballs, and even the shiny bald head of his boss. Assuming the player wins the level, his girlfriend is totally unfazed by his werewolf form because she's a dog lover. And what sets him off at the end? ''Her eyes.''
* In the worgen starting zone in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', you're sent to talk to this one guy and he growls at you to stay away, then loses control and attacks you, at which point a teammate of yours comes in and shoots him. You shrug off the resulting wound as [[ZombieInfectee 'probably nothing']], and say nothing about it even when it starts festering and you're feeling quite ill.
* In ''VideoGame/TheQuarry'', [[spoiler:Dylan]] can end up being a werewolf-infectee. Should they end up succumbing to the infection, they have enough sense of presence to realize what's going on and start yelling at Kaitlyn to [[GoOnWithoutMe run away and leave him behind]] before beginning to turn.
* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'', Steve Burnside becomes a hulking brute with an axe. After a bit of hack-and-slash, he manages to resist the murderous impulses of infection, at the cost of his life.

* In ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'', Vampire Sion/Sion TATARI (Sion who had given in to her vampiric impulses) is a playable character. In contrast to regular Sion's collected and stoic composure, V. Sion/TATARI is more noticeably emotional in her speech - several of her pre-fight quotes are either screams of pain or halting pleas for whoever she's fighting to run away.
* ''VideoGame/Conception2ChildrenOfTheSevenStars'' has [[spoiler:Alec on Neo-Ether. Fortunately for him, his best friend and combat equal is nearby after the ether starts transforming him. Unfortunately, he can't hold back for long and begs for death before he kills anyone.]]
* In ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'', after [[spoiler:Batman takes a [[PsychoSerum Titan]]-filled dart to the chest (which was meant for Commissioner Gordon), he manages to suppress the effect long enough to inject himself with the antidote.]]
* In ''VideoGame/TheSims4 Werewolves'' game pack, a werewolf that reaches the runt rank can buy an ability called "The Will to Resist". This enables your werewolf sim to use the "Try to Regain Control" option during a rampage. It has a higher chance of succeeding, the higher your werewolf rank is.

* In the same vein, vampires in ''WebComic/TheKingfisher'' risk mindless blood frenzy if they don't drink blood regularly. This isn't the focus of the story so it doesn't come up much.

[[folder:Web Video]]

* Several times in ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}''. Most of the 2005 storyline revolves around The Toa Hordika wrestling with their BeastMan nature. Also, Lewa had to do this during the time he was possessed by a [[FaceHugger Krana]].
* Happens several times in the ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' episode "The Lotus Temple," where a little girl is cursed to become a monstrous guardian for a magic temple whenever someone intrudes. Since she's very opposed hurting anyone, she does this near every time. The heroes manage to find a loophole (being invited doesn't count as intruding), and at one point she does manage to stop herself from going psycho long enough for them to use it. Later on, she's able to focus herself towards the ''real'' villain.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'': In the episode "Adventures in Turtle-Sitting," Donatello, having been stung by a mutated bug, starts mutating into a monster while in April's apartment. He's able to resist it long enough to warn April and Casey to stay away from him as he runs out of the room... only to change and attack them.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'': In the episode "Splicers", Terry is spliced with vampire bat DNA by [[VillainOfTheWeek Abel Cuvier]], and manages to break free and get to the house of DA Sam Young, whom Cuvier plans to assassinate for his opposition to splicing. During the fight with Cuvier's {{mooks}}, Batman begins to succumb to the serum, growing fangs, frothing at the mouth, viciously attacking said mooks and nearly attacking Barbara before snapping out of it and flying away. He makes it back to Bruce just as he changes completely, and has just enough control left to beg Bruce to help him before he loses it and attacks.
* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'': During ''WesternAnimation/OperationZERO'', [[spoiler:Sector Z does their best to resist the brainwashing that will turn them back into the [[TheDragon The Delightful Children From Down The Lane]], but they ultimately fail, much to Numbuh 1's dismay.]]

-->'''[[spoiler:Alchemist:]]''' Now, the Dark Ones...[[spoiler:''(as Skeleton King)'' ''[[ThatManIsDead take my soul!]]'' ''(EvilLaugh)'']]

* Dillon Cole wrestles with his destructive urges in ''[[Literature/StarShardsChronicles Scorpion Shards]]'', gradually succumbing to them and unwittingly [[spoiler:feeding and strengthening the otherworldly parasite corrupting him]].
* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': In Mockingjay [[spoiler:a hijacked Peeta]] spends a large section of the book fighting the urge to kill [[spoiler:Katniss]], asking the others to kill them, refusing to have handcuffs removed and using the pain of the too tightly wound cuffs to keep sane.
* In ''Literature/AWolfInTheSoul'', this is played straight with regards to Greg's physical transformation - especially the one that begins to take place in front of his mother - but Greg keeps his human mind at all times except for during his out-of-body experiences.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperforceGo'', [[spoiler:after being [[TheCorrupter forcibly corrupted by the Dark Ones]], the Alchemist began to undergo a ViralTransformation into the evil Skeleton King. Fortunately, he managed to hold out long enough and use his remaining time transforming his pet monkeys into cyborg warriors that would combat the creature he would become, with the last entry of his ApocalypticLog showing the chilling moment when his transformation was complete]].

* In VideoGame/TheSims4 Werewolves game pack, a werewolf that reaches the runt rank can buy an ability called "The Will to Resist". This enables your werewolf sim to use the "Try to Regain Control" option during a rampage. It has a higher chance of succeeding, the higher your werewolf rank is.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Some {{Serial Killer}}s have tried to get ''themselves'' arrested or institutionalized as a way of stopping themselves from murdering other people. Sometimes it works. [[FridgeHorror Other times...]]
* Possibly the most infamous case of this was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Whitman Charles Whitman]], the man responsible for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Texas_tower_shooting University of Texas Tower Shooting]]. Whitman had met with several campus doctors and psychiatrists in the months leading up to the incident trying to cope with what he described as increasing headaches and overwhelmingly violent impulses. An autopsy after the incident revealed he had a worsening brain tumor putting pressure on the amygdala, the part of the brain that regulates anxiety and flight-or-fight impulses, meaning he was resisting a ''literal'' beast.
[[/folder]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheQuarry'', [[spoiler:Dylan]] can end up being a werewolf-infectee. Should they end up succumbing to the infection, they have enough sense of presence to start yelling at Kaitlyn to [[GoOnWithoutMe run away and leave him behind]].

* The plot of the Flash game ''VideoGame/DontEscape''. The hero is a werewolf who realizes he's only got a few hours before the moon rises, and must try to restrain himself as best he can.
** ''VideoGame/DontEscape3'' has a similar premise, with the player character realizing he's infected by a parasitic alien crystal and struggling to destroy all traces of it before rescuers are infected as well.

* In ''Anime/{{Shiki}}'', several characters [[spoiler:such as Natsuno Yuki, Ritsuko Kunihiro, or, eventually, Tohru Mutuo]] upon their transformation into bloodthirsty shiki refuse to feed on humans.[[/folder]]

* Jack Russell, the titular werewolf in ''ComicBook/WerewolfByNight'', often goes through this during full moon nights. He ''is'' capable of delaying his InvoluntaryTransformation for a little while, but the longer he does so, the angrier his werewolf self is when he inevitably ''does'' transform.

->'''Batman''': ''DON'T TEMPT ME!'' Get out of here, Alfred— ''now''!\\
'''Alfred''': But sir, if you need my—\\
'''Batman''': '''''JUST GET OUT!!'''''

* ''ComicBook/IncredibleHulk'': Bruce Banner is usually lucid enough before he turns into The Hulk to tell innocent people to get away and try to quell his anger before it's too late. On a very good day, he might succeed, only to be set off by an even bigger event.
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':
** Doctor Curt Connors, being another character influenced by [[TragicMonster Tragic Movie Monsters]], has lots of scenes like this as he's turning into the Lizard. He failed in the worst way possible [[spoiler:when he ''devoured his own son''. Curt effectively died after that, leaving only the Lizard.]]

* Pulled off quite nicely by Doctor Doom in ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies''. Doctor Doom, out of literally everyone in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, is the only one who can remain himself permanently while infected through ''[[HeroicWillpower sheer willpower alone]]''.
** The later sequels have shown [[spoiler:Black Panther, the Wasp and Spider-Man achieving this through a prolonged period of essentially starving themselves until the urge to eat goes away, although the success rate for this method was mixed]].
* In the ''ComicBook/BatmanVampire'' trilogy, the second book- ''Bloodstorm''- basically focuses on Batman trying to do this as he fights to avoid succumbing to his new desire for human blood, but he eventually gives into his urges in a moment of rage and grief [[spoiler:when he drinks the Joker's blood after Joker killed Selina Kyle]].
* In ''ComicBook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s mind is overwhelmed by unbridled rage when she is given a [[Franchise/GreenLantern Red Lantern Ring]]. Even though she can barely think, Kara quickly leaves Earth out of a subconscious desire to ''not'' wreck the planet, and bumps into several Green Lanterns. After she has been subsumed by one dozen of Green and Red Lanterns, Kara admits she was subconsciously holding back during the fight because she did not want to hurt anybody, and spends the entirety of her stint as a fury-fueled Red Lantern learning how to control and channel her blinding rage.

* ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} suffers from a form of this. He doesn't transform, but treats his [[TheBerserker berserker nature]] in the same way. It's been alternatively described as "the animal", "the psycho–killer", "the demon inside", and "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the berserker]]". This is the main difference between him and ComicBook/{{Sabretooth}}, who has the same rages, but [[FullyEmbracedFiend leans into them instead]].

* In VideoGame/TheSims4 Werewolves game pack, a werewolf that reaches the runt rank and buy an ability called "The Will to Resist". This enables your werewolf sim to use the "Try to Regain Control" option during a rampage. It has a higher chance of succeeding, the higher your werewolf rank is.