History Main / SparedButNotForgiven

* Even though Megatron abandoned the Decepticon cause and became an Autobot in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersDarkCybertron'' and manages to make a good enough case to at least delay execution, no one was prepared to forgive him for millions of years of war and genocide, [[IHatePastMe least of all himself]]. [[spoiler:Ultimately [[Main/Subvertedtrope subverted]] as when he returns to Cybertron after the Lost Light's quest to find the Knights of Cybertron ends he is retried, found guilty, and either executed or imprisoned for life]]

* Even though Megatron abandoned the Decepticon cause and became an Autobot in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersDarkCybertron'' and manages to make a good enough case to at least delay execution, no one was prepared to forgive him for millions of years of war and genocide, [[IHatePastMe least of all himself]]. [[spoiler:Ultimately ''main/Subverted'' as when he returns to Cybertron after the Lost Light's quest to find the Knights of Cybertron ends he is retried, found guilty, and either executed or imprisoned for life]]

* Even though Megatron abandoned the Decepticon cause and became an Autobot in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersDarkCybertron'' and manages to make a good enough case to at least delay execution, no one was prepared to forgive him for millions of years of war and genocide, [[IHatePastMe least of all himself]]. [[spoiler:ultimately subverted as when he returns to Cybertron after the Lost Light's quest to find the Knights of Cybertron ends he is retried, found guilty, and either executed or imprisoned for life]]

* Even though Megatron abandoned the Decepticon cause and became an Autobot in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersDarkCybertron'' no one was prepared to forgive him for millions of years of war and genocide, [[IHatePastMe least of all himself]].

And then there is this trope. A character chooses not to take revenge and perhaps even aid the offending party when in need, but they will ''never'' forgive their misdeeds. The reasons for it may vary, but they usually fall under one of two categories:

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout4}}'' Elder Maxon will, with a little bit of persuading, spare [[spoiler:Danse]], but he makes it clear that the offending character will be recorded as a traitor who was officially executed by the player character, and should his path ever again cross that of the Brotherhood there will be no mercy.

Different stories have different takes on {{Forgiveness}}. In some works, forgiving wrongdoers is always a good thing and VengeanceFeelsEmpty is in full effect, while in others revenge will not only be [[PayEvilUntoEvil justified,]] but also necessary for emotional closure. There is also some grey area, as evidenced by tropes such as RestrainedRevenge, ReformedButNotTamed or ForgivenButNotForgotten.

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* After sparing The Operative in ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', Mal makes it clear that he absolutely is not going to forgive or forget that The Operative murdered Book and was indirectly responsible for the death of Wash, and if their paths ever cross again he's going to have a real hard time coming up with a reason not to put a bullet between his eyes. And if The Operative doesn't choose another place to [[ContemplateOurNavels have philosophical musings]], it's going to be [[WeaponizedExhaust a moot point]] anyway.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'': When Balak, a batarian terrorist responsible for killing numerous humans, meets Shepard at the Citadel, he is initially resolved to kill the commander for supposedly contributing to the destruction of Batarian Hegemony. If Shepard succeeds at reasoning with him, both of them agree to fight the Reapers together, even though either of them would like to see the other dead.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'', Literature/HarryPotter persuades his deceased parents' friends not to kill TheMole who sold out said parents to [[BigBad Voldemort]]. The argument is that Harry's parents wouldn't have wanted their friends to stoop to murder just to get {{revenge}} on such a pathetic backstabber, and that turning the traitor over to the authorities so they can send him to [[HellholePrison Azkaban]] is a [[CruelMercy better punishment anyway]]. [[spoiler:This bites them in the ass after the traitor escapes and heads off to join Voldemort.]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Southern Raiders", after Katara finds her mother's killer, a veteran of the Fire Nation army, she goes on to turn the raindrops into icicles with a clear threat of killing him with them. After seeing him in a pathetic state (even begging to kill his mother instead of him), she decides that he's simply not worth killing. However, Katara states that she will never forgive him (but she is willing to forgive another member of the Fire Nation who had a close relationship to its army).
** [[spoiler: Fire Lord Ozai and Azula]] are both also spared in the end, however they are imprisoned so they shouldn't be able to do any more harm, and [[spoiler: Ozai also has his bending taken away, along with his power and crown]].

This trope can appear in the works from both ends on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, as it can be used to emphasize either the noble nature of the hero or the abhorrent nature of the villain's crimes. Such a decision will almost always be portrayed in a positive light, the only exception being the works that give forgiveness a strong moral significance.

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[[folder:Fanworks]]

[[folder: Film - Animation]]

--> Let him run, let him live\\
But do not forget what we cannot forgive!

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[/folder]]

* The character has no desire to forgive and would take revenge if the circumstances were any different, but as it stands, exacting vengeance would cost them too much or would require hurting [[RevengeByProxy more people than just the offender.]] They might or might not plan on getting their revenge in the future -- all that matters is that they let go of an opportuinity they have.

* In 'Literature/{{Carrie}}'', Carrie spares [[spoiler:Sue]] after learning that [[spoiler:she]] had no part in the prank, but she still doesn't forgive [[spoiler:her]], although it's admittedly only minutes before Carrie herself dies.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Southern Raiders", after Katara finds her mother's killer, she goes on to turn the raindrops into icicles with a clear threat of killing him with them. After seeing him in a pathetic state (even begging to kill his mother instead of him), she decides that he's simply not worth killing. However, Katara states that she will never forgive him.

* In '{{Carrie}}'', Carrie spares [[spoiler:Sue]] after learning that [[spoiler:she]] had no part in the prank, but she still doesn't forgive [[spoiler:her]], although it's admittedly only minutes before Carrie herself dies.

Different stories have different takes on {{Forgiveness}}. In some works, forgiving wrongdoers is always a good thing and VengeanceFeelsEmpty is in full effect, while in others revenge will not only be [[PayEvilUntoEvil justified,]] but also necessary for emotional closure. There is also some grey area, as evidenced by tropes such as RestrainedRevenge or ForgivenButNotForgotten.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Southern Raiders", after Katara finds her mother's killer, she goes on to turn the raindrops into icicles with a clear threat of killing him with them. After seeing him in a pathetic state (even begging to kill his mother instead of him), she drops all of the icicles and spares him, but not before telling him that he's not worth killing. In the end she will never forgive the man who killed her mother, but she is ready to forgive Zuko.