History Main / StartOfDarkness

** Relatedly, and addressed in universe, Batman himself counts as he was confronted with the very same darkness most of his enemies had to face when his parents dies. The darkness is always there, influencing everything Bruce does, but stays trapped behind iron discipline.

* ''Anime/TheUnlimitedHyoubuKyousuke'', episodes 7-8, for the VillainProtagonist, Kyousuke. Sort of a weird case because the flashback is almost entirely upbeat-ish; most of the tragic stuff is {{Time Skip}}ped over. Only the final push where [[spoiler:the captain]] shoots Kyousuke because he was supposedly going to destroy the world, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero but the assassination attempt fails to kill him and turns him evil]], is actually shown.

* ''WebComic/AxisPowersHetalia'':
** "Hey, Lithuania, we don't want children that can't play nice, [[http://community.livejournal.com/hetalia/1045.html right?"]]
** Russia mentions all [[CosmicPlaything he's endured over the centuries]]. This could be taken as his DespairEventHorizon, when he simply couldn't take ''more''.
* ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'': The Golden Age Arc, which is canonically the third Arc in the manga but the first chronologically, serves as one for Griffith, who was previously seen once as Femto right before the arc started, and explains AntiHero Guts's motivations.

* ''Anime/DanganRonpa3'': The ''Side:Despair'' portion of the series shows how [[spoiler:the students of Class 77-B from ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2'']] became Ultimate Despair. It also shows the transformation of [[spoiler:protagonist Hajime Hinata]] into Izuru Kamukura.

--> '''Shu''': "I was wrong. Kindness is pointless. We have to separate the good from the trash. I'm going to become king." ''[[FanNickname Heil Mein Shurer]]''

* This occurs in the backstory of ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' for [[MadScientist the Institute]]. Having sequestered themselves far below the [[DeathWorld Commonwealth]] for roughly a century while working on creating RidiculouslyHumanRobots to help rebuild civilization with, they were already pretty distrusted and regarded with suspicion by the residents of the Wasteland above, many of whom saw their offers of WeCanRuleTogether as SchmuckBait. Eventually, the Institute decided to help the Commonwealth [[PetTheDog as a gesture of good will]] by [[TheManBehindTheMan secretly organizing]] the [[TheAlliance Commonwealth Provisional Government]], [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything an alliance of like-minded representatives of various settlements from across the Commonwealth]] [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution that would come together and help organize the beginnings of a new society]] ([[CallBack similar to the creation]] of the [[TheFederation New California Republic]] in ''VideoGame/Fallout2''). Unfortunately, unlike the historical Constitutional Congress they were based on, [[RealityEnsues the members of the CPG were never able to come to a consensus]] and [[KillEmAll killed each other]] - leaving only the Institute's representative the SoleSurvivor of the shootout. The Institute was then promptly blamed by the rest of the Commonwealth for their [[HopeSpot chance at a new society getting smashed to pieces]]. This set the Institute [[CynicismCatalyst on their dark path to villainy]], with them now regarding the Commonwealth [[FantasticRacism as a lost cause full of unkempt savages]] only worthy of being used as tools [[VisionaryVillain in their quest]] to [[WellIntentionedExtremist create a world that won't fall victim]] to AtomicHate.

** ComicBook/ProfessorX has had problems with suppressing his emotions and ending up creating a SuperpoweredEvilSide, but the most famous instance, ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}, has his roots in ''ComicBook/FatalAttraction'', when Magneto was at his most violent, ComicBook/IllyanaRasputin [[ComicBookDeath "died"]] due to the Legacy Virus, and ComicBook/{{Colossus}} had a brief HeelFaceTurn as a result of the fight breaking out at Illyana's funeral. After Magneto rips out Wolverine's adamantium and nearly kills him doing so, Xavier had enough and MindRapes Magneto -- but in the moment, a piece of Magneto's mind attached itself to Xavier's, causing the seed of what's become Onslaught. The final push for Onslaught came in the ''X-Men Prime'' one-shot that restored things to normal after the ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'' story, when a mutant was murdered by a mob right outside of Salem Center and Xavier in astral form was there to see it happen.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2012-08-05 we get Baby Blue's unhappy past]]. (We ''see'' nothing of why she got those F's.)

* This is Schtein's whole arc in ''Webcomic/StringTheory''.
* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', [[http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2016-07-06 Part 1]] of the arc [[http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2016-06-04 Sister 3]] is Pandora's backstory.

** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' details Snake's beginnings as a TragicHero, starting as an {{adorkable}} black-ops operative, who after being forced to kill his own {{Mentor}} for the sake of political maneuvering between America and Russia drives him to lose all faith in his country.

** ''The Project Freelancer Saga'' is essentially this for Maine, and a downplayed version for Carolina and Washington (who become [[AntiHero Anti-Heroes]], but not completely evil). Past Maine was ruthless in combat, but still a loyal teammate who saved Wash, Carolina and York from a collapsing building. As the flashbacks continue, he goes mute and gets Sigma to compensate. Sigma becomes interested in metastability and brainwashed Maine to help him, eventually turning him into the Meta, arc villain of ''The Recollection''. Carolina was Freelancer's top operative, but [[AlwaysSecondBest being constantly shown up by Tex]] wore on her and made her temper worse and worse. After finding out the full story behind Project Freelancer, she became bitter and driven to vengeance, uncaring of even her own team. Wash was the {{Adorkable}} ButtMonkey of his team, but then he had Epsilon implanted, which gave him all the memories of the Director's crimes and a second-hand mental breakdown, leading to the cold and vengeful character who debuted in season 6.

* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'' gives us {{adorkable}} [[ChemistryCanDoAnything blacksmith]] Varian, who has one of these in [[WhamEpisode "Princess For a Day"]] after his father is encased in a combination of his own mixtures and the black spikes popping up around Corona. As a direct result of Rapunzel's reluctant refusal to help Varian due to the kingdom facing an EndlessWinter, [[BreakTheCutie his optimism is replaced with hardened cynicism]] and he [[UsedToBeASweetKid goes from happy, eager-to-help child]] [[FromNobodyToNightmare to one of the series' darkest villains]].

* In [[Literature/TheInterloperHomeCouldntBeFarther The Interloper: Home Couldn't Be Farther]], there is a chapter which serves as this for Vrudim. It not only explains that it [[FaceHeelTurn used to be a good person]] until its country, [[TheNecrocracy the Undead Empire]], was nuked and all its citizens killed, but it also shows that Vrudim is a [[OffstageVillainy much, much worse villain than portrayed in the main plot.]]

[[folder:Fanfiction]]
* [[spoiler:The first two chapters, as well as a chunk of Chapter 11, essentially illustrate Count Logan's rise]] in ''FanFic/TheEndOfEnds''.

** In ''[[FanFic/AceCombatEquestriaChronicles Ace Combat: Wings of Unity]]'', the BigBad, Aurora Starlight, was intially a curious unicorn filly. When she heard about the alicorns and got additional information from Princess Celestia, things began to go downhill. Her attempts at gaining wings were met with Celestia's disapproval, she was banished from Equestria for life, because her experiments were perceived as dangerous. For the next 50 years, she was planning revenge against the princess she used to adore.

** In ''FanFic/BrideOfDiscord'', Discord explains his backstory to Fluttershy, revealing that as a child, he was left as the LastOfHisKind and when he tried to befriend ponies, [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer he was ostracized by pony society for his appearacne]], leading to him becoming a recluse living out in a cave. But Discord didn't become the fiend he was when her and her friends first met him, until [[BigGood Princess Celestia]], after hearing of his [[RealityWarper great magical powers]], came to him offering friendship and asking him to use his powers to help pony-kind, with Discord implying he developed a crush on her. But they quickly had a falling out after Discord's attempts at "helping" ended up just creating more problems, causing Celestia to snap at him. He did not take the one pony to offer him compassion in his life snapping at him well, at all.

** FanFic/TheNuptialverse has "[[VillainEpisode Metamorphosis]]", which explains the origins of Queen Chrysalis. She was originally one of [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E13HearthsWarmingEve Commander Hurricane's]] chief lieutenants, but [[FantasticRacism her refusal to make peace with the other tribes]] and personal thirst for power led to her being kicked out. She then made a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with Discord]] to gain great power, which he twisted to make her the first changeling and his [[TheDragon dragon]]. She and the changelings were [[SealedEvilInACan sealed with him]] when the Princesses defeated him, and then kept sealed by him upon his [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E1TheReturnOfHarmonyPart1 release]] to be set free as a backup plan in case he was defeated again. [[spoiler:Of course, Chrysalis has no intention of continuing to serve him.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'': Mojo Jojo's origin was intially revealed in the episode "Mr. Mojo's Rising". Mojo's telling of the origin paints him as someone who might come off as sympathetic but Utonium reveals that Mojo was just as unsympathetic when he was Jojo. In fact, Mojo may actually be ''more'' likable and sympathetic as a supervillain than he ever was when he was just a normal monkey.

** In ''[[FanFic/AceCombatEquestriaChronicles Ace Combat: Wings of Unity]]'', the BigBad, Aurora Starlight, was intially a curious unicorn filly. When she heard about the alicorns and got additional information from Princess Celestia, things began to go downhill. Her attempts at gaining wings were met with Celestia's disaproval, she was banished from Equestria for life, because her experiments were perceived as dangerous. For the next 50 years, she was planning revenge against the princess she used to adore.

** ''FanFic/InnerDemons'' is one for [[FaceHeelTurn Twilight Sparkle]], but the [[BigBad Queen of Darkness']] legacy is revealed to go back further than that. The original Queen of Darkness was an Alicorn named Midnight who was spawned in [[{{Hell}} Tartarus]], but upon seeing the light and beauty of Equestria, fell in love with it and eventually became its benevolent queen. Then the denizens of Tartarus tracked her down and demanded that she become their ruler and destroy Equestria. This caused Midnight's subjects to betray her, which in turn caused her to become the Queen of Darkness and try to destroy her former kingdom, until the pony who would become known a [[TheChosenOne the Master of Harmony]] rose up against her and destroyed her with the Elements of Harmony. With her last breath, Midnight swore to return and have her revenge, and eventually she was reincarnated as Twilight Sparkle, who in turn was therefore [[BecauseDestinySaysSo destined from birth]] to become the next Queen of Darkness.

** The ''FanFic/PonyPOVSeries'' has the Origins arc, which shows the backstory of Celestia, Luna, and Discord, and therefore serves as the latter's Start Of Darkness. [[spoiler: Discord was [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior never quite right to begin with]], as it's shown that the draconnequi were like the Shiva of TheMultiverse, performing {{Cosmic Retcon}}s in order to prevent worlds from ending, with Discord enjoying it far more than his siblings, who were only doing their jobs. That being said, in the grand scheme of things he was just a bully and a brat -- until an act of defiance on Celestia's part triggered a series of events that not only led to Discord embracing his sadism, but began a war between the Alicorns and Draconnequi, during which he was further [[EvilMentor mentored in evil]] by the [[FallenAngel Fallen Alicorn]] [[{{Satan}} Morning Star]]. When the war ended, Discord was reborn in Equestria as a mortal (along with Celestia and Luna) with no memory of his past existence, leading to him becoming an odd, but ultimately kind-hearted being... until his true personality resurfaced and consumed his good one.]] From that point on, he was the BigBad from canon and the rest of the series. Oh, and bonus points, it's shown at the end of the arc that when the Princesses defeated and sealed him away, his last act was to plant the seeds of doubt that led to Luna becoming Nightmare Moon. So he's responsible for ''her'' Start Of Darkness too!
*** We get to see Diamond Tiara's Start of Darkness occur as the story progresses, with the primary BreakTheCutie process happening during the Mind Games arc. By the time it's done, Discord's succeeded in breaking her so fully that she [[spoiler: goes ''[[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nightmare]]'']] and becomes his [[TheDragon Dragon]].

** ComicBook/{{Magneto}} provides the trope image, and has a truly long and harrowing SOD that was revealed in snippets throughout the years following his debut. It would be truly over-the-top if everything about it wasn't mostly [[TruthInTelevision grounded in reality]]. It's also far too long to fully recount here, but let's just say that it isn't too surprising that someone who witnessed first hand the evils of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany, the Holocaust (as a Jew not only sent to Auschwitz but forced to be a ''Sonderkommando''[[note]]The Jews in death camps who were required to dispose of the bodies from the gas chambers.[[/note]]), [[GloriousMotherRussia the Soviet Union]], and RedScare-stricken America while losing his whole family, a girlfriend, a wife, and a daughter along the way as well as finding out he's a [[FantasticRacism mutant]] in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse would end up a WellIntentionedExtremist. And if that wasn't bad enough, he kept running into ''more Nazis'' during the postwar but pre-''X-Men'' period when he and Charles Xavier became friends in Israel.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsDreamDropDistance'' gives us the Start Of Darkness for series BigBad Xehanort. What drove this man down his path of villainy? [[spoiler: His [[TheHeartless Heartless]] went back in time and showed his younger self all of the evil acts he would do, even bringing him to the future to help them out. Even though he would forget what he saw and do, the actions he would take are now engraved in his heart. Xehanort isn't just happy messing around with the heroes- even his youth is fair game!]]

** In the episode [[WhamEpisode "Holly Jolly Secrets Part II"]], we learn the Ice King's [[CerebusRetcon start]]. [[spoiler: [[WasOnceAMan He used to be a human named Simon]] [[Really700YearsOld from before]] [[ApocalypseHow The Great Mushroom War]] who bought a crown while a on trip with his fiancee Betty, whom he called "Princess." When he put on the crown he blacked out and when he came to his fiancee had left him (But, turns out she did love him and through time-travel, the main cast brought her into the future). Throughout the video he made you see him slowly morphing into his current form, wishing that whoever finds it to watch over him until he can figure out how to break the curse.]] It's ''really'' hard not to [[CryForTheDevil feel sorry for the]] [[SympathyForTheDevil guy after that]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' sees the lovable {{Adorkable}} companion ''SelfDemonstrating/{{Wheatley}}'', who had been helping you escape Aperture, go [[spoiler:completely nuts once he is put inside [=GLaDOS=]' mainframe. He betrays Chell and sends her and [=GLaDOS=], now trapped in a potato battery, down to the sealed test chambers while he takes over Aperture. Being told you were built to be a moron, combined with a corrupting AI mainframe, will do that to you]].

* ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'': The Golden Age Arc, which is canonically the third Arc in the manga but the first chronologically, serves as one for [[spoiler:Griffith]], who was previously seen once as Femto right before the arc started, and explains AntiHero Guts motivations.

** [[spoiler:Madara Uchiha]] lived through a time of warfare, like everyone else in his generation. Then, thanks to his best friend's work, which he attempted to co-opt and sabotage, things started getting better and he mostly got over the wars, like everyone else in his generation. Then this one time, he didn't get to be the top boss of the country, after he eavesdropped on a private conversation between his best friend and his best friend's brother, where he found out that not everyone liked him, because he was such a bully to other people, his own family, and the people they were supposed to be courting as allies. So instead of being happy for his friend who did get the job, he [[spoiler: used an ancient stone detailing the world's constantly warring history to assume said friend's system would fail and justify his becoming the BigBad and trying to brainwash or kill everyone in the world, despite that in no way saying he in particular should take any action]]. Ladies and gentlemen, your final villain. [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Kind of.]]

** ComicBook/{{Magneto}} provides the trope image, and has a truly long and harrowing SOD that was revealed in snippets throughout the years following his debut. It would be truly over-the-top if everything about it wasn't mostly [[TruthInTelevision grounded in reality]]. It's also far too long to fully recount here, but let's just say that it isn't too surprising that someone who witnessed first hand the evils of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany, the Holocaust, [[GloriousMotherRussia the Soviet Union]], and RedScare-stricken America while losing his whole family, a girlfriend, a wife, and a daughter along the way as well as finding out he's a [[FantasticRacism mutant]] in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse would end up a WellIntentionedExtremist.

* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': While the ''Comicbook/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' comic series is mostly Zayne Carrick's story, in its background it deals with the Jedi duo of "the Revanchist" and Alek, showing their gradual transformation into the Revan and Malak we see in the game. In fact, this trope is so pervasive that Zayne himself and his Master Lucien were speculated to be a past version of every Sith Lord from the two games at some point.

* ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'' devotes self-titled sections to the two mercenary henchmen of Vizzini, "the Sicilian"; how the giant Fezzik was beaten by other children and pushed to fight professionally by his misguided parents into rings where audiences booed him when he won until he found someone who understood him... slightly better; how the swordsman Inigo Montoya saw his father killed in front of him, spent years training and searching and becoming gradually more lost in his cups until he was found in obscurity. How Vizzini ''himself'' became the man he is now is left to the imagination, given only a few lines with a broad picture that he knew he would have to rely on his mind rather than his physical power.

* ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'' devotes self-titled sections to the two mercenary henchmen of Vizzini, "the Sicilian"; how the giant Fezzik was beaten by other children and pushed to fight professionally by his misguided parents into rings where audiences booed him when he won until he found someone who understood him... slightly better; how the swordsman Inigo Montoya saw his father killed in front of him, spent years training and searching and becoming gradually more lost in his cups until he was found in obscurity. How Vizzini ''himself'' became the man he is now is left to the imagination, given only a few lines about how he knew he would have to rely on his mind rather than his physica.

* ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'' devotes self-titled sections to the two mercenary henchmen of Vizzini, "the Sicilian"; how the giant Fezzik was beaten by other children and pushed to fight professionally by his misguided parents into rings where audiences booed him when he won; how the swordsman Inigo Montoya saw his father killed in front of him, spent years training and searching and becoming gradually more lost in his cups until he was found in obscurity. How Vizzini ''himself'' became the man he is now is left to the imagination.

** In ''ComicBook/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'', Superman [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice thrust his hand through the Joker's abdomen]], after the Joker used kryptonite infused fear toxin, that he stole from Scarecrow, to trick him into killing Lois who was pregnant with their child. Right there and there he formulated a plan that from now on any villain who causes trouble, rather than being locked up in jail, [[JokerImmunity from which they would be released]] or [[CardboardPrison escape from]], they would be summarily executed by him or members of the Justice League, or villains who decided to join to avoid execution. After a falling out with Batman, Superman turns the Justice League and assorted villains into [[TakeOverTheWorld the One Earth Regime.]]

* A tie-in storybook based on Disney's ''Disney/TheLionKing'' was actually about Scar's backstory which explains not only how and why he became the series' BigBad, but also how and why he got his scar in the first place, as well as his real name.

* In ''Disney/WreckItRalph'', there was once a character named Turbo, protagonist of the racing game ''[=TurboTime=]'', who '''loved''' the attention he got from gamers when they played his game. When a newer racing game, ''[=RoadBlasters=]'', came to the arcade and took the gamers' attention away from him, he [[BerserkButton didn't]] [[GreenEyedMonster take it well]]. He took it '''so''' poorly, in fact, that he left his own game and entered ''[=RoadBlasters=]'' in an attempt to sabotage it. He succeeded, at a price: both ''[=TurboTime=]'' and ''[=RoadBlasters=]'' were deemed permanently out-of-order, unplugged and removed from the arcade. Turbo's reckless actions were so shocking that a phrase was created to describe them: "going Turbo". It's actually through an explanation of the meaning of the phrase that the aforementioned events are shown in a {{flashback}}. It turns out that [[spoiler:Turbo actually survived and went on to invade an even newer racing game by the name of ''Sugar Rush'', forcing himself into the game with a disguise and a new name: "King Candy". Unfortunately, the game already had a playable royal by the name of Vanellope von Schweetz, but he soon [[DummiedOut fixed that little issue]]. ...So, yeah, he's definitely the BigBad.]]