History Main / SympathyForTheHero

!!InUniverseExamplesOnly:

After a little time spent thinking about it, it's not too surprising that heroes [[SympathyForTheDevil can often sympathize with certain villains]]. When you have heroes like TheMessiah around, they're always looking to redeem and relate to anyone, and heroes that have a DarkAndTroubledPast can surely understand how sometimes those experiences can put someone down a path to villainy.

* Near the end of the HarryTurtledove series ''WorldWar'', Nazi commando [[BoisterousBruiser Otto Skorzeny]] has a moment where he both admires the bravery and skills of a couple of [[ColdSniper Polish sharpshooters]] sent after him. (He mentions even complementing one on his marksmanship [[{{Fingore}} while handing the guy his trigger finger]].) He also has a moment of pity for the city full of Jews and Poles [[NukeEm that he is about to blow up]].

* A surprising number of villains feel bad for all the crap the Straw Hats go through in [[Manga/OnePiece]]. It usually helps show the MoralityKitchenSink going on all over the place. Most notably, Franky, leader of a vicious bounty hunter gang, breaks into tears when he hears how Usopp left the Straw Hats to keep the Going Merry. Keep in mind, he had savagely beaten up Usopp about a dozen chapters ago, and was now holding him prisoner. This eventually leads up to his HeelFaceTurn.

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* During the ''Kindly Ones'' volume of ''ComicBook/TheSandman'', Lucifer notes that while he once swore to destroy Dream (over a fairly trivial matter) he now feels almost sorry for him when he sees the mess that Dream has gotten into.

* Film/{{Spider-Man2}}: after Spider-Man saves the train from falling off the tracks, he's exhausted and almost falls off the train. The people in the train pull him back in and lay him on the floor. Peter's lost his mask in the fight, so everyone in the train can see how young he is. One man notes with sympathy "He's... just a kid. No older than my son." One young bystander gives Peter back his mask, and they promise to keep his secret. Then when Doc Oc returns, they all [[GoThroughMe vow to protect him.]] Unfortunately Doc Oc doesn't have a problem with that.

Compare ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne and AntagonistInMourning. When the villain sees the hero going through so much shit and cannot understand how they can still be heroic after that, it's often because EvilCannotComprehendGood. SympathyForTheDevil is the inverse, when the heroes are sympathizing with the villain. See also HurtingHero, which is often what leads to this.

* VillainProtagonist Yuri Orlov shows a grudging respect and admiration for HeroAntagonist Agent Valentine several timea in ''Film/LordOfWar'', noting Valentine's honesty and integrity, as well as showing some sympathy when Valentine is about to be betrayed by the system he has risked his life defending.

* VillainProtagonist Yuri Orlov shows a grudging respect and admiration for HeroAntagonist Agent Valentine several timea in ''LordOfWar'', noting Valentine's honesty and integrity, as well as showing some sympathy when Valentine is about to be betrayed by the system he has risked his life defending.

->"You are an honest and honorable man, Lord Eddard. Sometimes I forget that, I have met so few of them in my life. [[BeingGoodSucks When I see what honor and honesty have won you]], I understand why."
--> -- '''[[TheSpymaster Varys the Spider]]''', ''ASongOfIceAndFire''.

!!Examples:

->"You are an honest and honorable man, Lord Eddard. Sometimes I forget that, I have met so few of them in my life. When I see what honor and honesty have won you, I understand why."

->You are an honest and honorable man, Lord Eddard. Sometimes I forget that, I have met so few of them in my life. When I see what honor and honesty have won you, I understand why.
->--'''[[TheSpymaster Varys the Spider]]''', ''ASongOfIceAndFire''.

* In ''TheVentureBrothers'' The Monarch tries to break Dr. Venture with a device designed to generate mental trauma, but finds that he's already [[TheWoobie far too broken]] so it [[DisabilityImmunity doesn't have any effect]].

After a little time spent thinking about it, it's not too surprising that heroes [[SympathyForTheDevil can often sympathize with certain villains]]. When you have heroes like TheMessiah around, they're always looking to redeem and relate to anyone short of a CompleteMonster, and heroes that have a DarkAndTroubledPast can surely understand how sometimes those experiences can put someone down a path to villainy.

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* In the 2003 film version of Film/PeterPan, Hook uses a HannibalLecture on Peter to take away Pan's flight and distract him. Throughout it Hook talks about how Wendy will grow up, and move on, leaving Peter to die alone, forgotten, and unloved. At the end he suddenly looks tremendously sad and adds "Just like me".

This can easily serve as a lead in to a villain making a NotSoDifferent speech, [[WeCanRuleTogether offering to rule together]], or, more darkly, a HannibalLecture or trying to BreakThemByTalking, etc.

* {{Film/Spider-Man2}}: after Spider-Man saves the train from falling off the tracks, he's exhausted and almost falls off the train. The people in the train pull him back in and lay him on the floor. Peter's lost his mask in the fight, so everyone in the train can see how young he is. One man notes with sympathy "He's... just a kid. No older than my son." One young bystander gives Peter back his mask, and they promise to keep his secret. Then when Doc Oc returns, they all [[GoThroughMe vow to protect him.]] Unfortunately Doc Oc doesn't have a problem with that.
* TheJoker often tries to relate to Batman throughout the course of ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', especially in expressing how they're both freaks on the margin of society. At the very end he even grudgingly praises the fact that Batman is incorruptible, and cannot be made to break his moral laws.

* In TheBible, Pontius Pilate only reluctantly allows Jesus' execution, acknowledging that he had done no wrong by Roman laws. This has carried over to numerous portrayals of Pilate.
* In ''{{Gor}}'' book ''Outlaw of Gor'', when Tarl returns to Gor he finds that his city has been reduced to rubble by the Priest-Kings, and a mind-altered representative of the Priest-Kings shows up to inform him that it's all Tarl's fault. But Tarl sees that the man who is being used as a puppet by the Priest-Kings is crying for him - he feels pity for Tarl, the one emotion that's forbidden in Gorean custom.

* Near the end of the ''LordOfTheRings'' series, Saruman does a bit of this mixed with hatred (Saruman being TheResenter after all) to Frodo when Frodo shows him mercy despite Saruman doing his best to destroy Frodo's homeland and after Saurman's attempt BackStab him.
-->''Saruman rose to his feet and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred.'' "You have grown, Halfling," he said "Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of its sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to to your mercy. I hate it and you!"

Compare ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne and AntagonistInMourning. When the villain sees the hero going through so much shit and cannot understand how they can still be heroicafter that, it's often because EvilCannotComprehendGood. SympathyForTheDevil is the inverse, when the heroes are sympathizing with the villain. See also HurtingHero, which is often what leads to this.

* In the 2003 film version of Film/PeterPan, Hook uses a HannibalLecture on Peter to take away Pan's flight and distract him. Throughout it Hook talks about how Wendy will grow up, and move on, leaving Peter alone, forgotten, and old. At the end he suddenly looks tremendously sad and adds "Just like me".

Compare ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne and AntagonistInMourning. When the villain sees the hero going through so much shit and cannot understand how they can still be heroicafter that, it's often because EvilCannotComprehendGood. SympathyForTheDevil is the inverse, when the heroes are sympathizing with the villain.