History Main / UngratefulTownsfolk

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/{{Superman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1rco001_1461976514.png]]]]

* ZigZagged in ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'', a huge factor in the Plutonian's FaceHeelTurn was that, no matter how many people he saved or how selfless and good and generous he was, people still looked at him like a ticking time bomb. However, flashbacks show that the vast majority of people were grateful to him, but [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex he was so emotionally needy]] that he ''had'' to be universally beloved, and the one-in-a-billion who didn't lavish him with praise and affection felt like this trope to him, and thanks to his SuperSenses he could hear every. Single. One. Of them. One flashback shows an entire stadium cheering his name after he saves them from a giant robot, but he is hyperfocused on the couple of people whispering that they don't trust him, they think he's a showoff, etc.

** In the case of the X-Men, Creator/GrantMorrison introduced [[TheVirus Sublime]], a type of sentient, hive-mind bacteria that has lived on Earth since prehistory, in an attempt at justifying humanity's hostility to mutants; due to changes on the genetic level, Sublime can't reproduce inside the bodies of humans with the X-gene, meaning that if mutants were to become the dominant species, it would spell extinction for Sublime. As a result, Sublime psychichally makes baseline humans more hostile to mutants in an attempt at survival.
* {{Justified|Trope}} in [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Paperinik stories]] (including ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures''): Paperinik started out as a formidable criminal capable of waltzing in Scrooge's home and steal ''the money-filled mattress he was sleeping on'', and even as a superhero [[UnscrupulousHero he actually does it because criminals piss him off]] and still maintains a rather sadistic streak (he even ''lynching mobs'' on two different occasions), so him committing large scale crimes is actually believable. Being rather GenreSavvy, Paperinik has once faked a memory loss and single-handedly ''stole away half the city'' to track down the elusive boss of a large criminal gang (once the deed was done, he gave back everything).
* In the ''ComicBook/{{RWBY|2019}}'' comic, Team RNJR comes across a walled-off town that chases off the group after they save them from a bunch of Grimm, citing what Cinder had revealed during the Vytal Tournament. When the team goes back to help again, Ruby has a very uncharacteristic temper tantrum at them for believing Cinder and being so close-minded.
* One ''ComicBook/ScoobyDoo'' comic has a recurring antagonist in the comics called the Grey One cover Shaggy and Scooby with a hologram so they look like monsters, causing the paranoid townsfolk to try to burn them at the stake. When Velma and Scrappy try to defend them the townsfolk decide to say "screw it" and burn them too just for the hell of it. After Fred and Daphne manage to save the day, it's '''Scrappy''' of all characters who actually voices the reader's reaction here by pointing out how close they came to killing innocent people and how nonchalant they'd just been about it.

* In ''ComicBook/SupermanEarthOne'', pretty much the entire world's military considers Superman a threat, and when Zod shows up and asks them not to interfere, they decide to go ahead and let Zod kill Superman. Refreshingly, when he wins, Superman goes to the UN to make a brief statement about how incredibly stupid and short-sighted this policy was, starting thusly:
-->'''Superman:''' What the HELL were you THINKING?!
* In ''ComicBook/SupermanSmashesTheKlan'', The kids call out the adults for fearing Superman after [[spoiler:he flies down to save them from being blasted to smithereens by Matt Rigg's cannon.]] They're even more incredulous when the adults beg the Grand Scorpion to help them.
* ''ComicBook/{{Transmetropolitan}}'' has a former rescue worker on the streets with no legs being interviewed by a cameraman. He says he lost his job for doing the right thing -- saving people from a GreyGoo engulfing an entire apartment rather than applying proper procedure (torch the building and everyone inside it). He never got money from the city or thanks from the people he saved... but then, it's not like he was expecting them to be grateful.

* The first track of Music/TheProtomen's first eponymous album describes Protoman fighting for humanity, with the oppressed citizens rallying behind him. Until Protoman begins to be overcome, at which point none of the people come to his aide at the risk of their own lives. Light tells Megaman about it, but he doesn't take the lesson and goes off to fight. The entire fifth track is one long track dedicated to [[spoiler:the still alive Protoman]] giving an increasingly cynical calling out. And they prove him right.

** In ''Avatar Day'', this is done incredibly blatantly. The gang comes to a town that hates the Avatar and arrests Aang due to one of his past incarnations supposedly killing the town's founder. When Sokka and Katara gather evidence to prove Aang's innocence, the townsfolk explicitly refuse to acknowledge it, and plan to ''[[WouldHurtAChild execute him.]]'' Even after it's revealed that the town's founder had been evil and pretty much died of his own clumsiness, they still plan to fry Aang in oil. Then some Fire Nation soldiers show up in the middle of his trial, and the town goes from smugly awaiting his death to pathetically begging for help in ''seconds.'' Even [[AllLovingHero Aang]] seems briefly willing to just leave them to their fates.

* ''Film/SevenSamurai'': Downplayed. While the villagers are probably somewhat grateful to the samurai for their help and does not betray or backstab them, ultimately they are more concerned with rebuilding their lives and replanting their fields than celebrating their noble protectors. [[spoiler:The final scene of the film sees the villagers happily planting rice while the three survors are left mourning their fallen comrades, with [[TheLeader Kambei]] pointing out that the villagers were the only ones who 'won' in the end -- though the final shot also shows the fresh graves of at least ten peasants besides the four samurai graves, showing that they too suffered losses in the battle.]]

* ''Film/SevenSamurai'': The samurai, after saving the village, are given nothing more than millet, while the beautiful women of the village gorge themselves on rice, and the guy who loves one of the townsfolk ends up alone.

* ''VideoGame/StrangerOfParadiseFinalFantasyOrigins'': As the game goes on, the citizens of Cornelia are increasingly suspicious of the heroes, blaming them for the elements of nature getting worse rather than better (except for Princess Sarah) with every action the heroes take.

* ''Fanfic/TheFinalSword'': Despite Rebora teleporting everyone in town to safety when their village is blown up byt the Revisionists, then helping them rebuild afterwards, they proceed to ostracize and [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer pick on her]], showing absolutely no gratitude for everything she's done for them.

* ''Fanfic/ConsequencesMiraculousLadybug'': Hawkmoth attempts to {{Invoke|dTrope}} this after getting his hands on the Miracle Box, as he takes his terrorism worldwide and [[MonumentalDamage destroys several monuments]], murdering people wherever he goes and blaming Ladybug and Chat Noir for not being able to follow and use the [[WorldHealingWave Miraculous Cure]] to save anyone. Ultimately, [[spoiler:his expectations are turned against him, luring him into a trap with the "arrested" heroes as the bait]].
* In ''Fanfic/EquestriasFirstHuman'', a human named Connor ends up in Ponyville, and the townspeople treat him the way that they treated Zecora and avoid him. Connor's good deeds don't change anything, only now the ''Mane 6'' become pariahs for associating with him, and the town doesn't even bother to help them plan a festival for the Princess. The final straw comes when [[spoiler:after Connor saves Princess Celestia's life, the guards (who are actually working for the BigBad) beat him up, and everypony (except Fluttershy) just watches it happen (In the original, the townspeople just laughed at his crush on Fluttershy.) Connor storms off in anger, and Princess Celestia is ashamed of the way Ponyville treated Connor. It is subverted later on when Connor and Spike save the whole village from the BigBad, and the townspeople apologize]].

* In the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' episode "Tipping Point," Weiss' father sets up a charity fundraiser for the ravaged kingdom of Vale. When it actually happens, Weiss is outraged to discover that not one person at the fundraiser actually cares about helping Vale or has any sympathy for Vale's plight, and only come for the food, drink, and company; one woman in particular openly states that Vale ''deserved'' to be destroyed by the Grimm. She eventually loses her cool and lambasts everyone in attendance for their selfishness. General Ironwood himself openly agrees with Weiss' assessment and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere storms out of the party]].
-->'''Weiss''': Shut up! You don't have a clue! None of you do! You're all just standing around, talking about nothing: worrying about your hair, your money, your stupid problems that don't mean anything!

* Subverted in ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan''; when the people of Lynn's Brook get all TorchesAndPitchforks-y on Dominic, Luna and Greg, he calls them out on their asinine behavior...which the mob then ''tries to justify''. They formed a mob in the first place because Luna summoned a threatening illusion after they threw rocks at her (minor facial deformity) and Greg (gimp leg) for their disabilities.

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[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/{{Superman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1rco001_1461976514.png]]]]

* Partially justified in ''Manga/SoulEater''. While the village that [[spoiler:demon sword Masamune was possessing prompting everyone to attack Black Star, and that everyone in the village had a personal grudge against the Star Clan,]] it didn't warrant the little kid smacking Black Star on the head with a branch of bamboo.
* ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'': So tell me, oh townspeople who are regularly saved by Prince Dios -- exactly ''why'' does it seem like a good idea to work your shining prince to the dying point, and then get all murdery when his own sister decides he needs ''a vacation''?
* ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'':
** After learning that Vash the Stampede is in their town, they attempt to arrest him for the 60 billion double dollar bounty on his head after he saves them from asshole mutant bounty hunters. Their justification is that they need the money to repair the BlackBox that keeps their town alive. Not to mention turning him in to the authorities would get the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Humanoid Typhoon]] out of their town, which [[CrapsackWorld has had enough problems]] already, thank you very much.
** From the manga, the place where he saves them from ying-yang-themed gangsters, but [[ArtificialHuman stops a bullet with a 'feather' from his arm]], and is therefore [[BullyingTheDragon stoned]] for [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer being a monster]]. Wolfwood accurately describes them as assholes.
* In ''Manga/OdeToKirihito'', Kirihito suffers serious discrimination because a disease has turned him into an [[BeastMan animal person]]. At one point, he is able to persuade some villagers to leave him and another doctor in a cave with a village elder alone for two days so they can operate on him and save his life. Some of the younger villagers decide to break into the cave early and kill him anyway. [[spoiler:The elder overexerts himself in anger ordering the ruffians to stop being dumbasses; Kirihito had just saved his life. He dies.]] The warnings of the other villagers and the other doctor apparently weren't good enough.
* The whole plot of ''Manga/ViolinistOfHameln'' wouldn't have happened if it weren't for this trope. [[spoiler:After all, it was the [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer rampant]] [[MoralEventHorizon discrimination]] they suffered in Anthem and the villagers selling them out to [[TheDragon Hell King Bass]] that ended with Pandora in a crystal and Hamel his jaded, traumatized self after [[SuperpoweredEvilSide accidentally killing everyone]] except for Raiel.]]
* ''Manga/OnePiece'': In a flashback it is revealed the villagers of [[spoiler:Koala's hometown betrayed Fisher Tiger when he brought the girl safely home. At least part of the reason was so the Marines would ignore their knowledge that Koala was an escaped slave. Though this made more ironic since "slavery" was supposed to have been abolished centuries ago]].
* In Creator/JunjiIto's manga ''Manga/{{Remina}},'' a scientist who discovered a new planet names it after his only daughter Remina, causing her to become a celebrity and have numerous fan clubs and admirers (Remina herself [[IJustWantToBeNormal wishes they wouldn't pay so much attention to her because of that, though.]]) Then, when it's revealed that Planet Remina is hurtling towards Earth with no chance of anyone's survival, the entire city of Tokyo, and even the world, turns against the innocent teenager, finally tying her to a cross and trying to kill her -- ''all because they share the same name.''
* The townspeople of The City By The Lake episode of ''Anime/GenesisClimberMospeada'' and its ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'' counterpart. Stig/Scott, Ray/Rand, and Mint/Annie all call them out on it, but the townspeople reply [[JustifiedTrope they actually have a good reason]]: aside for the people of Mars Base/Robotech Expeditionary Force being hated for perceivedly abandoning Earth to the invaders when they [[TacticalWithdrawal retreated from a losing battle to rebuild and fight back later]], the Inbit/Invid have the habit of leaving people alone as long as they don't fight back and [[DisproportionateRetribution flatten any place with a freedom fighter plus the area around it]], so any member of LaResistance is seen as a danger for those who don't fight.
* In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'', the townspeople of Xenotime treat Ed and Al like utter shit, believing them to be imposters after Russell and Fletcher Tringham steal their identities. It goes so far that at one point a shopkeeper ''refuses to sell the real Al medicine that he was trying to purchase for a sick little girl that lives in town''. This only occurs in the anime version, as in the original Light Novel story although they still believe Russell and Fletcher to be the real deal they also believe Ed and Al to coincidentally be alchemists with the exact same names and treat them a lot less harshly.

* In ''Anime/ValvraveTheLiberator'' Arus negotiates with the Jior students to give them Valvrave pilots who have been fighting all alone to protect Jior right after Arus gunned down most of them. What does Jior do with their heroes? [[ShaggyDogStory Discriminate, shoot one of them, and sell him out.]]

* The townspeople in the ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' universe hate and fear the warriors, considering them no better than the monsters they fight and only kept manageable by the Organization. True, there's always the chance they could awaken into a monster, but the Claymores take care to avoid it and most commit SuicideByCop rather than take the chance of hurting someone. There are exceptions though, such as when [[TheAce Teresa]] kills a youma and the townspeople come out and cheer her, even offering her a free room to stay in.

* The citizens of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse. Over and over again. Especially where [[ComicBook/XMen mutants]] or ComicBook/SpiderMan are concerned, but almost everyone gets this at one time or another.

** Superhero comics in general. All it takes is one single incident with a Shapeshifter, MasterOfDisguise, or an Android copy for the entire city to be on a manhunt. It's even more jarring when such villains make a return and no person suspects the rogue gallery.

* One ComicBook/ScoobyDoo comic has a recurring antagonist in the comics called the Grey One cover Shaggy and Scooby with a hologram so they look like monsters, causing the paranoid townsfolk to try to burn them at the stake. When Velma and Scrappy try to defend them the townsfolk decide to say "screw it" and burn them too just for the hell of it. After Fred and Daphne manage to save the day, it's '''Scrappy''' of all characters who actually voices the reader's reaction here by pointing out how close they came to killing innocent people and how nonchalant they'd just been about it.

* {{Justified}} in [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Paperinik stories]] (including ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures''): Paperinik started out as a formidable criminal capable of waltzing in Scrooge's home and steal ''the money-filled mattress he was sleeping on'', and even as a superhero [[UnscrupulousHero he actually does it because criminals piss him off]] and still maintains a rather sadistic streak (he even ''lynching mobs'' on two different occasions), so him committing large scale crimes is actually believable. Being rather GenreSavvy, Paperinik has once faked a memory loss and single-handedly ''stole away half the city'' to track down the elusive boss of a large criminal gang (once the deed was done, he gave back everything).
* ZigZagged in ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'', a huge factor in the Plutonian's FaceHeelTurn was that, no matter how many people he saved or how selfless and good and generous he was, people still looked at him like a ticking time bomb. However, flashbacks show that the vast majority of people were grateful to him, but [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex he was so emotionally needy]] that he ''had'' to be universally beloved, and the one-in-a-billion who didn't lavish him with praise and affection felt like this trope to him, and thanks to his SuperSenses he could hear every. Single. One. Of them. One flashback shows an entire stadium cheering his name after he saves them from a giant robot, but he is hyperfocused on the couple of people whispering that they don't trust him, they think he's a showoff, etc.

* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': Mina Mongoose uses her status as an IdolSinger to present a message regarding possible problems should NICOLE be compromised and turned against them as she was during the [[{{Magitek}} Iron Queen's]] occupation of New Mobotropolis; using it to his advantage, [[EvilSorcerer Ixis Naugus]] uses his HatePlague to amplify any and all existing fears and paranoia regarding NICOLE, eventually leading to her being exiled from the city completely. The Freedom Fighters respond with this trope: Mina [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone is wreaked with guilt]], Rotor [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere resigns from his seat on the Council on the spot in response to NICOLE's exile]], and Sonic openly wishes that Eggman, who had been in hiding, would resurface just so they could see [[FairWeatherFriend how quickly the citizens go from scorning NICOLE to begging for her protection]].
* In ''ComicBook/SupermanSmashesTheKlan'', The kids call out the adults for fearing Superman after [[spoiler:he flies down to save them from being blasted to smithereens by Matt Rigg's cannon.]] They're even more incredulous when the adults beg the Grand Scorpion to help them.
* In the ''ComicBook/{{RWBY|2019}}'' comic, Team RNJR comes across a walled-off town that chases off the group after they save them from a bunch of Grimm, citing what Cinder had revealed during the Vytal Tournament. When the team goes back to help again, Ruby has a very uncharacteristic temper tantrum at them for believing Cinder and being so close-minded.
* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'':
** Winged Victory catches this a ''lot,'' on account of her outspoken feminist views. In "Safeguards", a bystander calls out the ungrateful passengers on her bus for complaining about Winged Victory after she's just captured a super-villain.
** In "Confession", the people of the city blame the heroes for spending their time dealing with super-criminals and cosmic dangers while ignoring a recent spate of unsolved murders. It didn't help that the citizens were being riled up by [[spoiler:shape-shifting alien invaders]], and possibly an EldritchAbomination as well.
** Although the Astro-Naut fought the Axis during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, the people of the United States turned their backs on him, simply because [[TheWorldIsNotReady he refused to share his technologies and weapons]] with the government.
** In "The Dark Age", the socio-political atmosphere of the time have left many people wary and suspicious of the heroes. When The Experimentals accidentally destroy an apartment building in the midst of stopping [[ApocalypseHow/Class0 an explosion that could level half a continent,]] the bystanders simply complain about the property damage inflicted. This angers the Experimentals to simply retreat without bothering to do ''anything'' to help the displaced citizens.

* In ''Fanfic/EquestriasFirstHuman'', a human named Connor ends up in Ponyville, and the townspeople treat him the way that they treated Zecora and avoid him. Connor's good deeds don't change anything, only now the ''Mane 6'' become pariahs for associating with him, and the town doesn't even bother to help them plan a festival for the Princess. The final straw comes when [[spoiler:after Connor saves Princess Celestia's life, the guards (who are actually working for the BigBad) beat him up, and everypony (except Fluttershy) just watches it happen (In the original, the townspeople just laughed at his crush on Fluttershy.) Connor storms off in anger, and Princess Celestia is ashamed of the way Ponyville treated Connor. It is subverted later on when Connor and Spike save the whole village from the BigBad, and the townspeople apologize.]]

* In ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone: The Soft World'', the good folk of Chandalla run George and Paul out of town after George saves them from Tayhil... because [[ActualPacifist George didn't kill the Tayhil]], but simply tricked them into sailing away and never attacking humans again.

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* The first track of Music/TheProtomen's first eponymous album describes Protoman fighting for humanity, with the oppressed citizens rallying behind him. Until Protoman begins to be overcome, at which point none of the people come to his aide at the risk of their own lives. Light tells Megaman about it, but he doesn't take the lesson and goes off to fight. The entire fifth track is one long track dedicated to [[spoiler:the still alive Protoman]] giving an increasingly cynical calling out. And they prove him right.\\
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Act II elaborates: Years ago, Dr. Light was framed for the murder of his girlfriend, Emily Stanton, by Dr. Wily. The townspeople believe Wily, and when Light is eventually found innocent, they see it as their justice system being corrupt and attempt to lynch him. Wily even lampshades this, mentioning that all he had to do was point a finger at Light to get the people to turn on him.

-->'''Zero''': You're just going to abandon her? She put her life on the line to stop the fight and save you and your settlement!
-->'''NPC''': What of it!? If we save her, we might get attacked again!
-->'''Zero''': [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech Look at you all cowering in fear. You're no different than the humans in Neo Arcadia...]]
-->'''NPC''': H-how dare you!
-->'''Zero''': If you're going to be like that, why even put your lives at stake to leave Neo Arcadia in the first place?

* In ''VideoGame/SuikodenIII'', the ApatheticCitizens of Le Buque treat [[TheQuisling Franz]] and the other Mantor trainers like crap because he's trying to earn them second-class citizenship in Harmonia, who conquered their clan fifty years prior. After [[spoiler:Harmonia withdraws their forces]], their scorn gives way to outright violence and they threaten to mob Franz and the others. Geddoe punches out one of them.
* A version of this happens in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''. Instead of the hero arriving, when the "villain" Consul from the conquering Archadean empire arrives in the newly conquered Dalmasca, the gathered crowd boos him. He gives a little speech that amounts to, "I'm really not a bad guy, and I just want to get along with all of you and be a good ruler, so let's not worry about who conquered whom." They cheer him.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX''. Wormwood Creek. Great job [[spoiler:betraying your Guardian Angel to TheEmpire]], guys. Way to create a [[spoiler:WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds]].
* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'': In a case where it's impossible do anything to avoid displeasing them, the townspeople will get mad at you for your animals dying of old age regardless of how well you took care of them.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII'' has a couple of examples:
** In Krage/Gröndal, all but one of the villagers actively resist your attempts to save them. {{Justified|Trope}} in that the [[BrainwashedAndCrazy whole lot believe]] [[CardCarryingVillain they're the demon king]]. HilarityEnsues.
** In Loomin/Nottagen, after [[DoomMagnet surviving a few other crises]], the townsfolk decide to try and get rid of Sieble/Buddy's [[PetBabyWildAnimal pet larval hellworm]] Chibi/Wiggles. When their leader actually ''hits'' Sieble/Buddy, Chibi/Wiggles naturally gets upset and growls, which they decide [[InsaneTrollLogic obviously means it's a ravenous beast and must be killed]]. They then ask the heroes to kill Chibi/Wiggles for them.
** In Labres/Vogograd, the mob throws you and the recently orphaned Lucas/Leif to the monsters because you tried to stop them from lynching a monster in priest's clothing... who wasn't doing anything to harm them... [[spoiler:and was actually the kindly priest, who struck a deal with the monsters' ringleader to live out the rest of his days as a monster in exchange for sparing the town [[ExactWords for as long as he lives]].]] Their present-day descendants don't turn out so hot, either, [[WrittenByTheWinners rewriting the past]] instead of learning from it. In fact, when the truth is exposed, the mayor flat out ''SMASHES'' the tablet right in front of the party. The children, however, decide to forgive Lucas/Leif for this.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas''. The townspeople are bizarrely convinced that the protagonist is a diaper-wearing hobo of some sort.
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': You just saved the townspeople from a dragon by using your Dragon Shouts. Surely they'll all fall on their knees, thanking you, right? Wrong. At best they'll stand around gawking at you, if not then the guards will warn you to stop Shouting because it puts people on edge ([[SkewedPriorities as if the dragon you just took down wouldn't]]). At worst, you'll actually be prosecuted for whatever damage you may have done whilst trying to take the dragon down.
* As revealed in the backstory for ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'', just when {{Dracula}} appears to have redeemed himself from the whole Vlad the Impaler bit via ThePowerOfLove, some jackasses from a nearby village [[BurnTheWitch burn his beautiful wife alive]]. For being a ''healer''. A DespairEventHorizon crossing later, and an OmnicidalManiac was born.
* ''VideoGame/InFamous'' has an InUniverse example right at the beginning, if the player has been [[KarmaMeter good]]. The Voice of Survival appears on TV and blames Cole for [[ApocalypseHow the Ray Sphere Blast]] (Which he did set off, though Cole had no idea what would happen when he opened that package), prompting the townspeople to start throwing rocks at him and yell at him... right after he's just retrieved a bunch of food crates from gang members and has willingly given them up to the civilians... in the middle of a quarantine.
-->'''Cole:''' I already gave you the food, didn't I?! Leave me alone!
* In ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'', once Daos appears, he announces to the world that anyone who bows to him will be spared and anyone who helps Maxim will be destroyed. After that, the people of every single town refuse to help Maxim or even let them and his companion enter. Their fear is justified; Daos's power as the Sinistral of Fear induces terror in the hearts of people, he demonstrates his power with a massive explosion, and he sends monsters to every town Maxim tries to enter. [[spoiler:It takes the people Maxim has met along the way to convince the world to stand up against Daos.]]
* Taken to its logical conclusion in ''VideoGame/LiveALive'', where [[spoiler:after being tricked into killing the king by Streibough, Oersted is immediately accused of being the Lord of Dark and exiled. After a few more traumatic events, Oersted simply gives up on humanity, [[ThenLetMeBeEvil becomes the Lord of Dark, Odio for real]], and slaughters every other human in the kingdom before setting out to do the same in all the other chapters.]]
* Team Osiris in ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'' saves the colony of Meridian, and gets absolutely no thanks or respect. The colonists show blatant distrust and suspicion, despite Locke's team having saved them ''literally'' minutes earlier. The AI governor Sloan is barely cooperative despite being in their debt. [[spoiler:Though his behavior can be credited to him working for Cortana.]]
* Captain Cold has this going hard in ''VideoGame/Injustice2'' after watching the townsfolk cheer the Regime on as they murdered his fellow rogues, including his sister the Golden Glider. This caused Cold to revoke his NobleDemon and NeverHurtAnInnocent policies and join the Society, a group of other less noble supervillains to fulfill his own RoaringRampageOfRevenge.
* ''VideoGame/PhantomBrave'': Marona is one of the sweetest girls you'll ever meet, but her Chroma powers, which grant her the ability to talk to spirits and bring them to life by possessing inanimate objects, lead just about the entire world to label her "the Possessed," avoiding her at best, outright demeaning her at worst, constantly sending nasty letters to her, and writing articles in the paper to paint virtually everything she does as evil. This is shown most powerfully in the first episode where, after eliminating demons near a village, a small child offers Marona a candy...and then their mother snatches the child away and basically shouts "What were you doing to my child, you evil little monster?"
** On top of that, on several occasions, people who hire Marona for help actually rescind the payment upon finding out who she is. It all reaches a head midway through the game; one client hires her to stop a rampaging Raphael, and when it's discovered the Raphael in question is a fake, the client refuses to pay her on the grounds that [[LoopholeAbuse the job requirement was specifically to stop Raphael, not an imposter]], before going off on her for being a {{greed}}y Chroma. Upon hearing this, the real Raphael, who helped her defeat the imposter, immediately starts going on a rampage in the village to teach him a lesson; when the client then [[EntitledBastard has the gall]] to beg Marona for help in stopping said rampage, [[BewareTheNiceOnes Marona flatly refuses to do anything about it and walks away, leaving the village to Raphael's mercy]].
* ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'': In ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'', Jak saves all of Haven City from the Metal Heads, killing their leader in the process. Come ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'', the people instead use him as a scapegoat for the Metal Head invasion and banish him to the Wasteland. Jak is [[JerkassHasAPoint understandably bitter over it]], to the point when Ashelin approaches him and asks him to return to Haven to help in the war, he refuses to come back.
-->'''Jak''': The city threw me out, remember? They can rot for all I care.
* In ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' the people of [[HubCity Jubilife Village]] are an UntrustingCommunity wary of outsiders, especially [[TrappedInAnotherWorld strangers who fall from the sky]]. However, that all changes when the PlayerCharacter gains their trust and helps build their community, fostering their bonds with Pokémon and each other. [[spoiler:In the climax, however, despite living among the villagers for weeks, single-handedly revitalizing their community, and taming the rampaging Nobles across the region, once the [[RedSkyTakeWarning sky turns red]] Commander Kamado blames the player and exiles them. Several villagers comment they KnewItAllAlong during your PerpWalk out, and the neighboring Diamond & Pearl clans are forbidden from openly aiding you with it being noted some of them have turned on you as well despite you helping their Nobles who they revere as demigods. [[EmotionControl Mesprit]] doesn't blame you for feeling bitter about the whole affair.]]
* In the first ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonRescueTeam'', when your player character is growing concerned they might be the reason for all the natural disasters due to a Ninetales' curse, Gengar quickly rallies the entire town against you as the definite cause of it, forcing you and your partner to become fugitives on the run while chased by almost every pokemon in the game out for your blood. And in the original GBA version, Lombre even throws a punch at your partner with no justification! After your name is cleared all the Pokemon Square residents clearly feel awful, but besides platitudes of an apology it ends up being water under the bridge the day after.

* ''VideoGame/StrangerOfParadiseFinalFantasyOrigins:'' As the game goes on, the citizens of Cornelia are increasingly suspicious of the heroes, blaming them for the elements of nature getting worse rather than better (except for Princess Sarah) with every action the heroes take.
* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder:'' Massively exaggerated and later exploited in Avalon le Fae. Faeries typically are both [[InnocentMeansNaive incredibly naive]] and [[FantasticRacism xenophobic]]. As a result, when Aesc, faerie not born in Britain, defeated a Calamity or ended a war between faerie clans, faeries claimed she caused them, and tried to kill her. Thousands of years later, [[spoiler: Aurora]] intentionally spreads lies about Morgan, Cnoc na Riabh, and later protagonists, prompting even previously loyal faeries to attempt to kill them on the spot.