History Main / SelfRestraint

** In ''Literature/GuardsGuards'' Vetinari is usurped and thrown into prison. He has anticipated this, and the most secure cell happens to have its lock on the inside.

*** Leonard of Quirm designed his own prison cell, and the traps in the hallway leading up to it! He's practically a boarder.

* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': In the second book, Prince Adolin is almost killed in a five-on-one duel, but Captain Kaladin (who dislikes him but admires his father), jumps in to save his life. Immediately after they win the duel, Kaladin accuses a nobleman of a serious crime and is arrested. Adolin believes him, and plants himself in the cell next to him, refusing to leave until Kaladin is released.

** ''Christ Jesus, who willingly gave himself up to suffer something as terrible as crucifixion so we wouldn't have to, making this OlderThanFeudalism: "Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and he will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?" ([[Matthew 26:53 NKJV]])

-->--'''Flandre Scarlet, ''Webcomic/TouhouChireikidenFoulDetectiveSatori''

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* Puri-Puri-Prisoner in ''Manga/OnePunchMan'' has imprisoned himself because he's afraid he'll assault attractive young men. There's no indication he's ever actually done so, but for whatever reason he thinks he would. Whenever he needs to his job as a superhero, he breaks out of prison, then breaks back in after he's done.

* In the last episode of ''Anime/WeissKreuz Gluhen,'' Ken is shown to be in prison - which, we discover, is apparently by his own choice, and it's implied that he can get back out whenever he wants but is simply using it as a form of self-imposed penance and a chance to think.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}} and the Laurel Wreath'', the heroes get imprisoned and break out of their cell during the night to search the palace above, only to return once they don't find what they're looking for.
** Later, in ''Asterix and the Banquet'', they let themselves be captured, but as the roman attempt to wrap them in chains, they keep moving and breaking them because of the magic potion, to the Roman's smith's great distress.
* Franchise/{{Superman}} does this a lot, [[TheFettered because he's the]] [[TheCape Superman]].

* In one of the ComicBook/CaptainAmerica novels, Cap is kidnapped by a militia group to be put on [[JokerJury "trial" for not doing enough to help "real Americans."]] Cap can and does break out of jail, but he does it secretly to pass along information to other superheroes and law enforcement. He then breaks back ''in'', with the militia none the wiser. This ensures they stay focused on his trial and keep all the best militia members guarding him, so only the B-squad is available to carry out the actual nefarious plan, which is thus thwarted by Cap's partner ComicBook/TheFalcon.

* Subverted in ''Anime/{{Monster}}'', when Tenma gives a false confession just to be able to escape during a transfer to another prison. (But he would easily have gone along with being locked up for a crime he didn't commit if no one on the outside was imperiled.)

* In ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'' episode "I, Robot", a self-aware robot called Adam has just killed its creator [[spoiler: after said creator, on the behest of the government, tried to erase Adam's personality and reprogram him as a mindless weapon]]. Most of the episode consists of a trial determining whether or not Adam should be considered a person fit to stand trial or a piece of haywire machinery that should be immediately scrapped. The entire time he is cuffed with rather hefty restraints. In the end Adam wins the right to stand trial as a person. However, as everyone is leaving the courthouse, the prosecuting attorney who argued against Adam's humanity accidentally walks into the path of a truck. Adam effortlessly breaks his restraints and pushes her out of the way, sacrificing himself in the process.

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* In the first episode of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', Kamina is thrown in the village lockup after trying to break out. He chills in the jail for a while until Simon shows up and says he found something interesting. At that point he casually snaps his wrist restraints and walks out.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** One filler arc featured Fujin and Raijin, twin prisoners who are strong enough to bend the bars of the cell and leave at any time, but are content enough to stay there as long as they have food.
** Tobi makes a failed attempt at a kidnapping, is bound by Yamato's [[GreenThumb Wood style]], and takes the opportunity to gives some exposition before teleporting away like he could have at any point.

* In ''Manga/SoulEater'' the villain Medusa lets herself get captured by the good guys ''for absolutely no reason other than to taunt them'' by forcing them to make a deal involving her safe release in exchange for information. During the negotiation she asks them to remove her bindings, and when its pointed out that she could've done so herself at any time responds with "There's no meaning to it if I do it myself."
** In the manga however, this is to [[spoiler: gain the DWMA's trust so that they allow her to take command of the students during the raid on Arachnaphobia. She lies and tells the kids that her purpose for this is that Arachne has taken Crona. Her REAL purpose is to get her sister Arachne out of the way and take her body. Medusa later reveals to Maka that she was using them the entire time and that Crona has gone too far off the deep end to go back Maka and co.]] Most definitely a ManipulativeBitch.
** When Kid is [[spoiler:visiting the Witch world]] he initially humors them by pretending to be restrained by the ropes they tied him up with, but eventually points out he could break them and kill everyone in the room. [[spoiler:He then breaks the ropes, but only so he could ask for help in the PoseOfSupplication.]]
* In the last episode of ''Anime/WeissKreuz Gluhen,'' Ken is shown to be in prison - which, we discover, is apparently by his own choice, and it's implied that he can get back out whenever he wants but is simply using it as a form of self-imposed penance and a chance to think.
* Subverted in ''Anime/{{Monster}}'', when Tenma gives a false confession just to be able to escape during a transfer to another prison. (But he would easily have gone along with being locked up for a crime he didn't commit if no one on the outside was imperiled.)

* ''Anime/AKB0048'': Nagisa's father does this initially when Nagisa shows up to break him out of prison. Her father is a government official on a planet in which entertainment is banned, and was subsequently thrown in jail when Nagisa joined a high-profile entertainment group.
* Puri-Puri-Prisoner in ''Manga/OnePunchMan'' has imprisoned himself because he's afraid he'll assault attractive young men. There's no indication he's ever actually done so, but for whatever reason he thinks he would. Whenever he needs to his job as a superhero, he breaks out of prison, then breaks back in after he's done.
* In ''Manga/TheSevenDeadlySins'', Ban was arrested and jailed for years, starved and kept in restraints (as well as impaled in several places). As soon as he hears news that his old friend Meliodas is still alive, he casually breaks his restraints and kicks the cell door down, then pulls the metal spikes out of his body, as his HealingFactor fixes the damage.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', Rinoa surrenders herself to be imprisoned and have her sorceress powers sealed in order to prevent the BigBad from being able to possess her. [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl Then Squall breaks her back out anyway,]] but it was a nice thought.

** Regal did this in earlier in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', using a KamehameHadoken to destroy the prison cell he and the party were stuck in. He only did this once the party had exhausted all other options, and it took little effort on his behalf. [[spoiler: He refuses to use his hands to destroy anything, as he had to MercyKill the woman he loved with them.]]

* Beast in the 90s ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoon was once wrongly sent to prison. Magneto, thinking this would make him bitter, broke him out in an attempt to recruit him as an ally - at which point Beast politely asked him to leave, as he wished to stand trial and prove his innocence. Also displayed in a later scene where Gambit is visiting him and Beast casually bends the bars to his cell (and then straightens them again) to let him in.

* In the Literature/{{Discworld}} fic ''Fanfic/GapYearAdventures'', [[BadassIsraeli Rivka ben-Divorah]] ends up in a cell after a little misunderstanding at Customs cncerning Klatchian bhong resin found in her luggage. She shrugs, resignedly, ensures she is comfortable, and waits for her influential best friend to get her released.

* In one of the ComicBook/CaptainAmerica novels, Cap is kidnapped by a militia group to be put on [[JokerJury "trial" for not doing enough to help "real Americans."]] Cap can and does break out of jail, but he does it secretly to pass along information to other superheroes and law enforcement. He then breaks back ''in'', with the militia none the wiser. This ensures they stay focused on his trial and keep all the best militia members guarding him, so only the B-squad is available to carry out the actual nefarious plan, which is thus thwarted by Cap's partner Comicbook/TheFalcon.

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' has Flandre Scarlet, the uberpowered little vampire who lives in the basement of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. For years fans viewed her situation as a MadwomanInTheAttic scenario, that Flan's older sister Remilia had been forced to lock her up as a safety measure. Then ''Cheating Detective Satori'' had Flandre explain that actually, she likes the basement - there's no bothersome sunlight, and she gets meals delivered daily, [[{{Hikikomori}} so she has little reason to leave.]]

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* In Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick, Roy tells his companions not to free him and Belkar when they were imprisoned by the Empire of Blood... or at least not until they've secured information about [[McGuffin Girard's Gate]] from General Tarquin.

* In the Creator/RubySpears ''WesternAnimation/MegaMan'' cartoon, one episode had Mega get arrested by humans who, thanks to Wily, thought he was behind the EvilPlan of the week. As he didn't want to harm the humans, he let himself be handcuffed and led away. When his name was cleared, he snapped the cuffs easily.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' episode "Bloodlines", When [[Franchise/TheFlash Impulse]] appears in [[HomeBase the Cave]] and runs amok, he is knocked out by Nightwing and has his hands and feet cuffed. While Nightwing, Robin, and Beast Boy interrogate him, he stays put. But once [[MissionControl Mal Duncan]] arrives and opens an exit, Impulse simply vibrates his body through the cuffs and [[SuperSpeed runs off]].

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* Another Superman example: promo material for ''Film/ManOfSteel'' shows our hero being handcuffed, detained and calmly taking questions from Lois Lane in a room with a two-way mirror. During that scene in the movie, Kal gets up to address the General who is standing behind the two-way mirror, casually breaking the handcuffs' chain without so much as stopping to glance at them.
* ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'': Peter Parker gets knocked out and wakes up in a jail cell with some very friendly FootballHooligans. Realizing that he needs to save his friends, he uses his SuperStrength to break the lock on the door and escape. Instead of escaping, the hooligans close the door and sit there.

* ''VideoGame/BugFables'': A pair of criminals named Cenn and Pisci pretend to be explorers, despite being denied such a certification by Maki, in order to abuse their "rank" and boss around people. At the end of the quest where they are introduced, they are subdued and sent off to Rubber Prison. When the heroes go to Rubber Prison later on, Cenn and Pisci are seen in an unlockable cell, but they refuse to leave despite the wasps [[BoxedCrook freeing and recruiting other prisoners]] after taking over the prison.

* Literature/TheBible'':

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': When Eviless tries to start a prison break on Reformation Island only seven prisoners join her with the rest electing to remain. When Eviless' newly formed Villainy Inc. starts captures Mala and the other Amazon guards the rest of the prisoners break out specifically to save them, and are more than willing to return to their sentences once the villains are defeated, but Hippolyte says they have poven themselves reformed and frees them.

* Cody from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 3'' has a tendency to leave his prison cell, pick fights with other fighters, then return to the cell. He also wears handcuffs that he can remove at any time. He's a bit hard to take seriously, even by his ''Final Fight'' compatriots.

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'', Izoold has been damaged by several acts of arson. The man in jail for these crimes is [[spoiler:Regal Bryant, wearing his trademark shackles.]] After you clear his name, he is released from jail, whereupon he immediately breaks his shackles and suggests that Izoold use a stronger brand [[spoiler:(from the Lezareno company, natch).]]
** Regal did this in earlier in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', using a KamehameHadoken to destroy the prison cell he and the party were stuck in. He only did this once the party had exhausted all other options, and it took little effort on his behalf. [[spoiler: He refuses to use his hands to destroy anything, as he had to MercyKill the woman he loved with them.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'', [[spoiler:Sisyphus will do this if Zagreus commutes his sentence]]. Even if he's not being actively punished any more, all his friends are still in the prison and they can't leave.

A practice of the SlaveToPR. Usually takes place in a CardboardPrison or a LuxuryPrisonSuite. If the character was arrested to foil some EvilPlan when getting arrested was their true goal, then it's a form of XanatosGambit. When capital punishment is involved, it's ForgivenessRequiresDeath. When they invoke the aid of another character, it often overlaps with NoMatterHowMuchIBeg or KindRestraints. A character who normally does this may break out when he's the ProtectorBehindBars. Contrast NeverGoingBackToPrison. Compare CapturedOnPurpose, where a character lets themselves be captured as part of a plan and can't necessarily escape easily. See also MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll, for when a character is barely hindered by such a place. See also PlayAlongPrisoner.