History WhatYouAreInTheDark / WesternAnimation

* WesternAnimation/HerculesTheAnimatedSeries: In the episode "Hercules and the Prince of Thrace", Adonis disturbs Gaia, so Gaia places a curse on him to die which can only be removed by the Golden Apples in the garden of the Hesperides, which only a god can retrieve. After Hercules fails to get one, they have Atlas get it instead, while Hercules holds up the sky. Despite a chance to abandon Hercules when Atlas suggests that they leave Hercules, Adonis instead tricks Atlas into holding up the sky again and free Hercules.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' episode "A Fire Fighting We Will Go", when everyone is [[RashomonStyle recounting the events before the firehouse burned down]], Bill mentions seeing Dale switching their oxygen tanks. When Hank calls him out on it he confesses that he did it [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold so Hank would have more]] since he was the only one of them who knew what he was doing, despite the fact that they were fighting at the time. This leads to Hank returning the favor by covering for him after realizing Dale was the one responsible for the accident.

** Lisa has one in "Lost Verizon". [[ItMakesSenseInContext Long story short]], the family believes Bart is running away and follow him by tracking the [=GPS=] chip in Bart's new cellphone. While on her lonesome, Lisa finds out that the [=GPS=] chip is actually tied to the leg of a bird and Bart just sent them on a wild goose chase. When she looks up what species the bird is, Lisa finds out that this specific bird if going to Machu Picchu, her dream vacation that the family can't afford. Lisa falls to temptation and lets the bird go so the family can continue to chase it.
** Parodied in "The Cartridge Family". Homer brings his gun into the Kwik-E-Mart, which causes Apu to believe that he is going to rob him. He denies this, but then fantasizes what life would be like if he did rob the store (which ''somehow'' [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment leads him to become a State senator, sitting in a rocking chair and sporting a monocle, no less, and for Marge to be a go-go dancer as a 60s-inspired jaunty tune nonsensically plays]]). Just when Homer does decide he'll rob Apu, he's already back in his car eating the sandwich he just bought.

** Later Spider-Man confronts Uncle Ben's killer again. He's The Cat, aka '''Black Cat's father.''' Black Cat was trying to break him out while Peter was there testing the prison's new security system at request from management since it was used to contain superhumans (though the system has been hijacked by Green Goblin, kickstarting the plot.) Mr. Hardy actually takes Spidey's place to fix the system and insists on staying, fully knowing what he did and to atone for his crimes (and possibly even knowing Spider-Man is Peter Parker.) Unfortunately, this also strains Black Cat's relation with Spidey as she blames his influence for him staying in prison.

** In a bit of irony, [[spoiler: we learn that Rose Quartz was none other than Pink Diamond, the supposed tyrant the Crystal Gems were trying to overthrow from Earth. Turns out she was RunningBothSides and wanted to free the Earth after seeing what Gem harvesting did to the planet and later for the sake of "imperfect" Gems. However, Blue and Yellow Diamonds (her older "sisters"), pretty much reduced her to a PuppetQueen and dragged out the war rather than have her just give the Crystal Gems the planet. Eventually, Pink Diamond tried faking her death with Pearl's help, hoping it'd end the war. It did... but not before the remaining Diamonds used their ultimate attack to cause widescale corruption on both sides. Bismuth handles the revelation better than the others and even notes how Rose ended up taking her advice after all, albeit in a rueful tone which seems to lampshade the pointlessness of the fallout.]]

* Wheeler in Westernanimation/{{Captain Planet| and the Planeteers}}'' is constantly hitting on Linka and getting shut down. In "Mind Pollution", Linka gets addicted to drugs and, while high, is actually interested in him. Wheeler doesn't even consider taking advantage - indeed, he's disgusted by what has happened to her and urges her to get clean. For all his harassment, he still wants her to respond to him out of her own free will and unclouded mind.

** In a bit of irony, [[spoiler: we learn that Rose Quartz was none other than Pink Diamond, the supposed tyrant the Crystal Gems were trying to overthrow from Earth. Turns out she was RunningBothSides and wanted to free the Earth after seeing what Gem harvesting did to the planet and later for the sake of "imperfect" Gems. However, Blue and Yellow Diamonds (her older "sisters"), pretty much reduced her to a PuppetQueen and dragged out the war rather than have her just give the Crystal Gems the planet. Eventually, Pink Diamond tried faking her death with Pearl's help, hoping it'd end the war. It did... but not before the remaining Diamonds used their ultimate attack to cause widescale corruption on both sides. Bismuth handles the revelation better than the others and even notes how Rose ended up taking her advice after all, albeit in a rueful tone which seems to lampshade the pointlessness of the fallout.)]]

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks A Chipmunk Christmas]]'', Alvin happens to overhear Tommy's mother and sister discussing the Golden Echo Harmonica, and how if Tommy had it, it might make him feel better. Alvin could quite easily ignore it and go about his life, but instead he chooses to go to Tommy's house and hand over his ''own'' harmonica, just to make Tommy feel better.

** Jenny generally [[PunchClockHero considers her role as superhero a chore]], and [[IJustWantToBeNormal wants to have a regular teenager's social life]]. In the MadeForTVMovie ''Escape From Cluster Prime'', she loses her memory, along with most of her powers, and starts living on a planet of robots--essentially the life she'd always asked for. Yet Jenny ''still'' decides to become a superhero when she sees people who need help, even though she no longer has anyone pressuring her into it (and even becomes a wanted vigilante).

** Later Spider-Man confronts Uncle Ben's killer again. He's The Cat, aka '''Black Cat's father.''' Black Cat was trying to break him out while Peter was there testing the prison's new security system at request from management since it was used to contain superhumans (though the system has been hijacked by Green Goblin, kickstarting the plot.) Mr. Hardy actually takes Spidey's place to fix the system and insists on staying, fully knowing what he did and to atone for his crimes (and possibly even knowing Spider-Man is Peter Parker.) Unfortunatly, this also strains Black Cat's relation with Spidey as she blames his influence for him staying in prison.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "A Pal For Gary", Gary has every reason to just abandon [=SpongeBob=] to his fate after the way [=SpongeBob=] has treated him. He instead chooses to come to the rescue, not hesitating for even a second.

* On ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', Roger invokes this to be a jerk to Steve after Steve, who had repeatedly masturbated with a portrait of a nude woman Roger painted, learned that the portrait was of Hailey (her face was obscured in the painting). Steve freaks out and rationalizes that only he, Roger, and Hailey know, and Roger states that both God and ''Creator/JamesDoohan'' saw, and that the only way to make it right is to kill himself.

** In a bit of irony, [[spoiler: we learn that Rose Quartz was none other than Pink Diamond, the supposed tyrant the Crystal Gems were trying to overthrow from Earth. Turns out she was RunningBothSides and wanted to free the Earth after seeing what Gem harvesting did to the planet and later for the sake of "imperfect" Gems. However, Blue and Yellow Diamonds (her older "sisters"), pretty much reduced her to a PuppetQueen and dragged out the war rather than have her just give the Crystal Gems the planet. Eventually, Pink Diamond tried faking her death with Pearl's help, hoping it'd end the war. It did... but not before the Diamonds used their ultimate attack to cause widescale corruption on both sides. Ultimately, it ended in a PyrricVictory.)

** Later Spider-Man confronts Uncle Ben's killer again. He's The Cat, aka '''Black Cat's father.''' Black Cat was trying to break him out while Peter was there testing the prison's new security system at request from management since it was used to contain superhumans (though the system has been hijacked by Green Goblin, kickstarting the plot.) Mr. Hardy actually takes Spidey's place to fix the system and insists on staying, fully knowing what he did and to atone for his crimes (and possibly even knowing Spider-Man is Peter Parker.) Unfortunatley, this also strains Black Cat's relation with Spidey as she blames his influence for him staying in prison.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'', the titular kid is walking out of the bank and finds an envelope full of almost $15,000. After being unable to find the envelope's rightful owner, Doug turns the money into the police; when no-one claims it after thirty days, the money is legally his. Doug then sees a report on the news about the woman who lost the envelope. The next day, Doug finds the woman and returns the money. Doug not only handed off a huge amount of cash twice, but the second time, the money was legally his, he had no obligation to return it, and he didn't expect any kind of reward for it.

** Jenny generally [[PunchClockHero considers her role as superhero a chore]], and [[IJustWantToBeNormal wants to have a regular teenager's social life]]. In ''[[TheMovie Escape From Cluster Prime]]'', she loses her memory, along with most of her powers, and starts living on a planet of robots--essentially the life she'd always asked for. Yet Jenny ''still'' decides to become a superhero when she sees people who need help, even though she now longer has anyone pressuring her into it (and even becomes wanted as a vigilante).

** A uncompromisingly silly example: In "Marge Be Not Proud", Nelson claims that shoplifting and ''punching someone in the dark'' are "[[NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught victimless crimes]]", and seemed completely earnest in saying so.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', [[JerkJock Flash Thompson]] learns that during a football tournament his team won one of the players was taking a performance-enhancing drug. He's told that by that very player, in a one-on-one conversation, and he knows, that should the word get out, their championship (that he ruined his leg achieving and thus ruining a chance for a good scholarship) would be disqualified. The word still gets out... from Flash himself, because to him an unfair victory isn't worth much.

** Lisa has one in "Lost Verizon". Marge activates the [=GPS=] tracking chip in Bart's new cellphone ([[ItMakesSenseInContext which was stolen from]] Creator/DenisLeary) to track him and stop any pranks he's willing to pull. When Bart finds out about the [=GPS=] chip, he removes it from his phone and attaches it to a bird to send the rest of the family on a wild goose chase. On her lonesome, Lisa manages to find the chip attached the bird and learns that this specific bird is going to Machu Picchu, her dream vacation that the family can't afford. Lisa falls to temptation and lets the bird go so the family can continue to chase it.

* The "Between Brothers" episode of ''WesternAnimation/Thundercats2011'' has this. When a young Lion-O and Tygra are playing as kids, Lion-O is crossing a tree trunk bridge over a pit. Tygra, as a child, breaks the edge of the bridge with his foot causing Lion-O to fall in (the two of them [[SiblingRivalry didn't exactly have the best relationship]] when they were younger). Young Lion-O doesn't see him do this (although present day Lion-O does, as he watches this memory) and falls into the pit. Tygra appears to abandon him, so if Lion-O were to die down there, no one would know it was Tygra's fault... although present day Tygra reveals that he ''did'' feel guilty afterward and immediately ran to their father for help.

* The "Between Brothers" episode of ''WesternAnimation/Thundercats2011'' has this. When a young Lion-O and Tygra are playing as kids, Lion-O is crossing a tree trunk bridge over a pit. Tygra, as a child, breaks the edge of the bridge with his foot causing Lion-O to fall in. Young Lion-O doesn't see him do this (although present day Lion-O does, as he watches this memory) and falls into the pit. Tygra appears to abandon him, so if Lion-O were to die down there, no one would know it was Tygra's fault... although present day Tygra reveals that he ''did'' feel guilty afterward and immediately ran to their father for help.

* In the second part of [[WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}} Awakening]], Goliath has only a brief second to choose between justice and vengeance before losing his chance at either; he chooses to save the princess's life, and though it pains him dearly not to have killed the traitor himself, he knows he made the right decision.

* Halfway through the last season of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Zuko has finally gotten everything he ''said'' he wanted; he's Prince of the Fire Nation again, he's wealthy and respected, he has his father's praise, he even has a girl he loves. Then, [[spoiler:he finds out his father is about to ''kill an entire continent and SaltTheEarth.'' He immediately flees the capitol with nothing but the clothes on his back, throwing himself on the heroes' mercy because he can't abide it, knowing full well that they're ''really'' pissed at him; he ''[[LiteralMetaphor literally]]'' chased them clear across the world, made a global catastrophe possible that a dear friend of the heroes had to make a HeroicSacrifice to stop, then threw their previous offer of redemption in their face and ''got TheMessiah killed'' ([[BackFromTheDead temporarily]]). They're not ''too'' harsh on him; they throw him out again and ignore him until he helps save them from an assassin... that he hired earlier]]. [[HeroWithAnFInGood Yeah]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "The Inhuman Torch", Bender is accused of starting fires in order to put them out and look like a hero, but it was actually started by a fire creature from the sun (whom Bender names Flamo). In order to keep Flamo from burning the Earth into a small star, Bender takes it to the Arctic Circle, where no one will find him, know about the fate he spared them from, and most importantly, [[HiddenHeartOfGold he won't be hailed as a hero.]]