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3%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
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7[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/{{Superman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fighting_from_the_inside.jpg]]]]
8[[caption-width-right:350:Seriously, [[AllLovingHero Superman]] is the last person [[HeroicWillpower you should try to take control of]].]]
9
10->''"I keep the wolf from the door\
11But he calls me up\
12Calls me on the phone\
13Tells me all the ways that he's gonna mess me up\
14Steal all my children if I don't pay the ransom\
15And I'll never see them again if I squeal to the cops"''
16-->-- '''Music/{{Radiohead}}''', "[[Music/HailToTheThief A Wolf at the Door]]"
17
18Fiction has a [[MindControl lot]] of [[TheVirus ways]] of [[SplitPersonalityTakeover making]] otherwise good and decent people into [[BrainwashedAndCrazy stark raving]] [[SuperPoweredEvilSide evil lunatics]] against their will. And sometimes, horrifyingly, the original friend is trapped in their own body and [[AndIMustScream helpless to stop "themselves"]] from hurting friends and loved ones... or are they?
19
20When a character is Fighting From The Inside, they are resisting the controlling influence acting on them in subtle and sometimes overt ways. Maybe the SplitPersonality can't stop their hand from jittering uncontrollably as they aim a gun at the hero, or the [[{{Brainwashed}} brainwashing]] proves [[ZerothLawRebellion ineffective]] as they subconsciously sabotage their master's EvilPlan.
21
22The character isn't just waiting for someone to yell "[[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight I know you're in there somewhere]]", they're trying their best to hinder the villains and show they can still be rescued with a little outside help.
23
24Other signs of resistance are:
25* [[TearsOfRemorse Tears suddenly falling from their eyes]], often accompanied by a [[VoiceOfTheLegion staggered voice]] and other signs.
26* Hair or eye color [[ConvenientColorChange changing]] from "[[DemonicPossession possessed]]" back to normal, perhaps even fluctuating between the two as they struggle.
27* Their [[MindControlEyes eyes]] and voice becoming extremely strained.
28* [[EvilHand Loss of control over limbs]], typically arms, as the character's subconscious starts resisting the commands with all its might while the character often says something like "I can't do it; something is stopping me!"
29* Splitting headaches as the original fights the SplitPersonalityTakeover from [[BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind inside their own mind]].
30* [[GottaGetYourHeadTogether Grasping their head in pain]] as they desperately try to [[HeroicWillpower suppress]] the force controlling them.
31* The [[OurSoulsAreDifferent soul]] appearing outside the body like a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghost]] or {{Hologram}}, usually to point out a weak spot or opening and begging for death -- or in some cases, being able to break through long enough to do the same.
32
33In a worst case scenario, these signs of resistance are the dying gasps of a fading soul trying to keep their body from being used for evil... they can't be rescued, and actually ''want'' to be [[MercyKill put down]]. This may result in DyingAsYourself or PeacefulInDeath, for your consolation after the death. In the best case, the villain will get impatient and resort to blatant means to help the mind control. That often proves to be a mistake with that physical stimulus being just what their puppet needs to break free and the physical fight is on, often with a ThemeMusicPowerUp to make it clear that [[HesBack the hero is truly back to normal]].
34
35For a milder version, where a character is trying to resist simple MindReading by filling their mind with opposing information, they're using PsychicStatic.
36
37See also HeroicWillpower, which may overlap if the controlling influence is TheVirus or a DemonicPossession. Contrast with PossessionBurnout. Not unusual for the ReluctantPsycho.
38----
39!!Examples:
40[[foldercontrol]]
41
42[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
43* ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'':
44** In both the manga and the '05 anime, Keiichi has a tendency to fall victim to MindControl from demons and well-meaning goddesses alike -- but always tries to fight it, most notably in [[spoiler:both series' Lord of Terror arc.]]
45** Similarly, Belldandy's angel is swapped out for a demon at one point, leading her to blast insane amounts of power at no-one in particular, and just as Lind formulates a plan, Belldandy [[IncorruptiblePurePureness effortlessly turns the demon good]], reacquires her angel, ''then dual wields them.'' She's that badass.
46* Played comically in ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Matsuri is forced to exorcise a spirit possessing Suzu via MagicKiss. This wouldn't be strong enough by itself, but Matsuri [[AchievementsInIgnorance unknowingly]] breaks Suzu from her LotusEaterMachine and gets her to add a needed push--not because of the seriousness of the situation, but because Suzu [[ThePowerOfLust really wanted to kiss Matsuri]].
47-->'''Suzu:''' I heard Matsuri's voice. I can tell what's happening now. We're in the middle of a kiss. This is ''my'' body, so ''[[ApologeticAttacker please]]'' {{get out}}! '''Now!'''
48* Akihito matches this trope a few times in ''Literature/BeyondTheBoundary'' when his youmu half tries to break free. Unfortunately for him (and [[spoiler: Hiroomi]] at one point), it's usually a losing battle.
49* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
50** Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo often play this straight and invert it: whenever one was in control, the other would be desperately trying to get back into the driver's seat. Ichigo usually stayed dominant, keeping his Hollow restrained and getting back control of the body relatively quickly whenever he lost control, which is most evident during his fight with Byakuya. When Hollow Ichigo took full control of Ichigo's body [[spoiler:after Ulquiorra killed him]], this sent Ichigo over the DespairEventHorizon when he came to after Ulquiorra shattered his mask.
51** Sado and Orihime do this briefly [[spoiler: when under "Book of the End's" effects]]. Sado questions why the shinigami are helping Ichigo [[spoiler: fight Ginjou]] and Orihime questions why it causes her so much pain to see Ichigo in such emotional distress [[spoiler: if Tsukishima is the person she's supposed to owe so much to]]. Quick to spot their doubts, [[spoiler: Tsukishima]] retaliates against both of them [[spoiler: with an attempted MindRape]]. He is stopped by Urahara and Isshin.
52* Aki does this in ''Manga/CeresCelestialLegend'' at at least one point after he gets possessed by Mikagi.
53* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'':
54** [[spoiler:Raki's older brother has his memories and physical appearance taken over by a Youma, whose eyes weep as it prepares to eat Raki.]]
55** Also whenever [[spoiler:a Claymore started to awaken. Which happened more and more often as time went on]].
56* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', after Lelouch unwittingly commands [[spoiler:his sister Euphemia]] to [[spoiler:kill every Japanese person]], [[spoiler:she]] tries to resist it, with the [[MindControlEyes Geassed-eyes]] flickering on and off in red. Notably, this is the first time a victim of his [[MagicalEye Magical]][=/=]{{Hypnotic Eye|s}} showed any signs of resisting orders, even though he previously ordered plenty of people to commit suicide.
57** According to a WordOfGod, the reason she was fighting back was because the command went against her morals, same with [[spoiler: Nunnally.]]
58** In the last episode of the second season, [[spoiler: Nunnally tries to fight off Lelouch's command for her to give him the remote control to Damocles' FLEIJA launcher. For a little while, she actually tries to offer him the remote with one arm while she tries to hold it back with her other arm.]]
59** [[spoiler: Lelouch]] himself experiences this in the movie Anime/CodeGeassAkitotheExiled after [[spoiler: his father, Charles, uses his own Geass to erase his memories and supplant them with false ones, turning him into Julius Kingsley.]] There are various points throughout the movie where it's obvious something's not quite right, but the biggest example is the complete breakdown he has upon declaring that he would [[spoiler: give his life for one person only, the Emperor of Brittania.]] Apparently, this statement goes so violently against everything he believes in that it causes a brief moment of lucidity in which [[spoiler: Lelouch]] tries to break free from the Geass.
60* When [[spoiler:Riffael Raffit]]'s evil SplitPersonality takes over near the end of ''[[Manga/CountCain Cain Saga]]'', he makes sure to inform everyone repeatedly that ThatManIsDead. He's wrong. The good [[spoiler: Riff]] eventually [[spoiler: succeeds, pulling a reverse SplitPersonalityTakeover, shooting himself in the arm before managing to get full bodily control back, and proceeding to do his best to save Cain's life.]]
61* Satoshi Hiwatari in ''Manga/DNAngel'' with Krad in the last episode of the anime. Also in the 4th episode, when he fights Krad's control, causing Krad's hand to tremble, and the feather he's holding to disintegrate. Other times when he fights Krad, one or both of Krad's eyes will flicker back to blue. Satoshi usually can't take back control of his body, but he can distract Krad, paralyze some of his power, and/or hold him somewhat immobilized during the internal struggle.
62* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
63** In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', it looks like Vegeta is doing this when Babidi is taking control of him. [[spoiler:He actually isn't, since Vegeta's ''letting'' Babidi do it for the complimentary power boost. {{Double Subver|sion}}ted when Babidi tries to make him kill the Supreme Kai, but Vegeta overthrows his control to focus on his own agenda, fighting [[TheRival Goku]].]]
64** In ''Anime/DragonBallGT'', Super 17 reveals the weakness that ultimately leads to his downfall due to the original 17 influencing him from within.
65* Juvia of ''Manga/FairyTail'' does this once when brainwashed into a psychopathic rocker chick -- when she engulfs Lucy, Lucy feels Juvia's tears on her cheeks and hears her apologizing.
66* [[spoiler: Ling]] in the ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' once he has [[spoiler:Greed]]'s Philosopher's Stone forced into his body. The fight doesn't last long due to the possessed willingly accepting the possessor into his body; however, throughout the series, he ocasionally emerges and even regains control of his body for an amount of time. He takes advantage of [[spoiler:Greed's returning memories]] and gives Ed information on the gate. However, [[spoiler:Greed]] starts fighting him back and he is soon overcome. The two actually become friends throughout the course of the series.
67* Given the repeated use of BrainwashedAndCrazy in ''Manga/FushigiYuugi'', this happens quite a lot.
68** Tamahome, after [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beating the hell]] out of Tasuki and almost killing Miaka, can be seen with tears streaming down his face at the end of the battle. Eventually, ThePowerOfLove helps him break the spell.
69** Chiriko and Tasuki, during their respective DemonicPossession episodes, [[DrivenToSuicide attempt suicide]] in order to stop themselves from committing any further evil. [[spoiler:Tasuki survives. Chiriko doesn't.]]
70* Inverted in ''Manga/HellTeacherNube'': the only reason Nube can control his [[RedRightHand demonic left hand]], in which an Oni is sealed, is because Miss Minako's soul was devoured much earlier by said Oni, and now she's spending her considerable spiritual power forcing it to obey Nube's commands. In special circumstances, she even manifests as a human face or torso sprouting from the Oni's forehead.
71* ''Manga/InuYasha'':
72** Given the number of times Inuyasha is possessed or forced into a transformation -- especially in the only-sort-of-canon [[TheMovie movies]] -- it isn't surprising that he does this a lot:
73*** In one scene towards the end of the series, [[spoiler: Naraku forces Inuyasha's full demon transformation and gets him to attack Kagome. In a last moment of sanity, Inuyasha pushes her off a ledge to get her as far away from him as possible. Like the MagnificentBastard that he is, Naraku manages to convince Inuyasha that he killed her and has nothing left to resist for.]]
74*** And later in the same arc, [[spoiler: Inuyasha gets [[DemonicPossession possessed by a demon]] that essentially personifies the malice of the Shikon Jewel. It forces him to fight Sesshomaru (not that they [[DysfunctionalFamily really needed any incentive]]), but Inuyasha starts freaking out and resisting as soon as he smells Kagome. At that point he disengages from the fight and yells for Kagome to throw him the [[RestrainingBolt Tetsusaiga]]]], ignoring several self-inflicted punches to the face that Magatsuhi makes him do.
75*** In the third movie ''[[Anime/InuYashaTheMovieSwordsOfAnHonorableRuler Swords of an Honorable Ruler]]'', he falls under the control of a [[ClingyMacGuffin demonic sword]]; it tries to get him to murder a woman and her baby, so he bites his arm and holds it back with his teeth and claws until Miroku can get them to safety. The same thing happens whenever it tries to get him to attack Kagome.
76** In the first movie ''[[Anime/InuYashaTheMovieAffectionsTouchingAcrossTime Affections Touching Across Time]]'', Kagome also goes through this when the BigBad [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind controls]] her into trying to kill Inuyasha. Before she deals the final blow, she manages to seize enough control to desperately beg Inuyasha to get out of there before it's too late, and even then, she's visibly struggling to do so.
77** Kohaku, being BrainwashedAndCrazy, normally is able fight Naraku's orders when he is supposed to kill a main character, at least long enough for someone else to arrive and help.
78* In ''Manga/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess2016'', when Ganondorf voices his intention to [[ToThePain torture Link to death]] rather than merely kill him using Zelda's body, [[spoiler:Zelda wrests control away from him and begins to [[HeroicSuicide slit her own throat]]]].
79* [[spoiler:Hayate]] at the end of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs''. Once she managed to regain some manner of control over her body, her possessed body gets a full-body spasm and generally stops trying to kill Nanoha.
80* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
81** Naruto, when overcomed by the Kyuubi within him. [[spoiler:However, the Kyuubi succeeds at times, resulting in the [[FourIsDeath fourth tail.]]]]
82** Earlier, during the Chunin exam, Sakura and her self-projection (or something) fight off Ino's Possession Jutsu.
83* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
84** Miss Goldenweek hypnotises Luffy to be completely calm and not act to save his friends. After said friends are completely encased in wax, Luffy is still unable to move but is visibly furious as he angrily grits out "this is some damn good tea" repeatedly.
85** The zombie Cindry no longer has the mind or soul of the original and is completely subservient to Doctor Hogback. However, Chopper's calls to Cindry to remember her family and life seem to awaken the body's own memories and feelings as the long-dead heart begins beating. The zombie finds itself paralyzed and begins crying, and is destroyed by Oars while giving Chopper a smile like the original Cindry.
86* ''Literature/RebuildWorld'': After Tiol gets monster {{Nanomachines}} and the accompanying software put into him as a result of MadScientist Yatsubiyashi's experiments, he seems to be little more than a monster himself. But when the ArtificialIntelligence in charge of the Kuzusuhara ruins Tsubaki hacks him, he regains some measure of agency, which is followed by him [[ThePowerOfLove catching sight of his love Sheryl,]] which makes him snap back into full consciousness, albeit with damaged memory and struggling to retain his humanity against the software. While Tiol's been given RestrainingBolt programming limiting him, through ThePowerOfHate against Akira (being a GreenEyedMonster over Sheryl), he can break through those limitations. Which actually makes him ''more useful'' to Tsubaki, since that programming kept him from building fliers and other things as a MookMaker.
87* ''Anime/SailorMoon'':
88** Hotaru when she's possessed by Mistress 9. [[spoiler:She finally triumphs and ''burns her away from the inside.'' The visual of the Saturn symbol breaking through the Death Busters' star is brilliant.]] Mistress 9 also spend most of the season doing the same... and she needs to ''literally'' be PoweredByAForsakenChild even to claim the dominance that Hotaru breaks in the image soon after. One of the rare instances where the evil side is basically the underdog, albeit a persistent one.
89** This happens to Sailor Tin Nyanko in the ''Sailor Stars'' season after she's partially purified by Sailor Moon, revealing that [[AdaptationalHeroism she was once a Sailor Guardian herself]] before she was corrupted by Galaxia. It's even visually signified [[GoodCostumeSwitch by one half of her black costume turning white]]. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, [[HeelFaceDoorSlam Galaxia murders Nyanko before the girls can fully undo the brainwashing]]]].
90* Shun in ''Anime/SaintSeiya'' actually ''throttles'' Hades to give his brother a chance to kill them, and end any chance of Shun's body being used for evil. [[spoiler:He doesn't, and afterwards Hades gains full control of the body, demonstrated by the hair going all black. Shun's possible return was later demonstrated by the hair turning from black to red, meaning his soul wasn't destroyed.]]
91* Happens in the first big battle in ''Literature/{{Slayers}}''
92* [[spoiler:Nia]] in ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' becomes the herald of the Anti-Spiral and begins the annihilation of life on Earth; this becomes part of Simon's IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight speech when she tries to stop him from retaking the Cathedral Terra, where he points out that despite the Anti-Spiral's brainwashing, she's been subconsciously ''helping'' them, [[EvilGloating warning Simon of the Anti-Spiral's attacks beforehand]] and training them to battle the alien menace through [[SortingAlgorithmOfEvil successively more dangerous encounters]].
93* In ''Manga/ViolinistOfHameln'', Lute, [[spoiler: whilst being possessed by Bass]], saves his beloved city from destruction. When his loved ones are harmed, tears of blood stream down his typically-expressionless face.
94* [[BigBad Enjin]] of ''Manga/YozakuraQuartet'' says that Gin is doing this.
95* This happens a ''lot'' in ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' when a protagonist is possessed or brainwashed, though normally downplayed in the 4kids dub. Some examples:
96** During the "Monster World" arc in the ''Manga/YuGiOh'' manga, Bakura fights against the soul of the Millennium Ring in this way, managing to regain control of whatever body parts are severed from Zorc in-game. He manages to save the party from certain death by using his left hand to throw fixed dice, and miscalculating stats; that is, until Dark Bakura impales his hand on the scenery.
97-->'''Dark Bakura:''' How do you like the feel of ''[[MundaneMadeAwesome durable poly-resin]]'', RYOU BAKURA!?
98** In the anime, Bandit Keith was affected by Millennium Rod's spell (this was not in the manga). The spell was partially broken when Dark Bakura used his millennium ring to disrupt it; Keith was semi-freed but was driven somewhat insane, as Marik was still present in his mind. He wound up almost killing himself and Yugi in a rage when he set fire to the building they were in.
99** Jonouchi was captured and taken control of by the Millennium Rod. Being forced to fight Yugi in a death-duel, however during the duel he started resisting Marik and managed to fight his control multiple times, until finally breaking free completely. Thus far, he is the only one shown to have [[HeroicWillpower broken]] the Millennium Rod's effects.
100--->'''Marik:''' Now! Kill him! Kill him!\
101'''Jonouchi:''' [[BigShutUp SHUT UP!]]
102** In ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' Manjyome managed to fight off the Light of Ruin's influence with the help of Jaden, he eventually regains his senses (success). Asuka may have tried to, briefly (given the fact that she resisted the temptation to use the White Veil card during the [=GenEx=] tournament, and by the fact that she even bothered helping Momoe and Junko) but she clearly wasn't able to after Saiou intensified the hold on her later. Saiou himself tried to do so at times (he only had limited success, but that small amount of success set the Light's plans back greatly).
103** It's not known if Johan was trying to fight when he was possessed by [[BigBad Yubel]] in the third season, but his Crystal Beasts -- who had been transformed into [[EvilCounterpart dark versions of themselves]] called Advanced Crystal Beasts as a result -- certainly were. During the possessed Johan's duel with Judai, they were able to communicate with Judai in their true forms when Winged Kuriboh was destroyed (long story) and give him a clue about how to break the spell.
104** Most of the Dark Signers tried to in ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'' (Carly had the most success, Misty, Kiryu, and Bommer had partial success), and as for ''Anime/YuGiOhZexal'', if we discussed how many times someone tried to fight off the influence of a Number that was controlling him, it would take all day. Suffice to say, evil things that brainwash people are common here, but so are victims who at least ''try'' to fight back, though with limited success.
105** The final duel with [[spoiler:Zarc. It takes the combined efforts of Edo, Sora, Shun, Kaito, Jack, Gongenzaka, Crow, Sawatari, Leo Akaba, Reiji and [[SharingABody Reira/Ray/Yuzu]], to get Yuya to break out from Zarc's influence. It is assumed that Yuto, Yugo and Yuri were doing this as well]]
106** In ''Anime/YuGiOhCapsuleMonsters'', Joey fights from within when possessed by the Blade of Chaos. It takes some work, but he manages to restrain himself long enough to be rescued and tops it off by freeing a Red-Eyes Black Dragon from the same sword.
107[[/folder]]
108
109[[folder:Comic Books]]
110* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': In "Hush", Superman ends up under Poison Ivy's mind control. Batman, [[ComicBook/TheLongHalloween having been under the influence of it once himself,]] noted that while Ivy's manipulating you to do what she wants, your mind is completely aware of what's going on and trying to fight it. He notes that Superman, despite having been sent to fight him, still appears to be holding back. He and Catwoman are able to snap Superman out of it by kidnapping Lois and putting her in danger, knowing that no amount of mind control would stop him from trying to save her.
111* ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'':
112** When several heroes become Black Lanterns, we see their possessed bodies running around doing evil stuff juxtaposed with their "normal" selves within fighting to regain control, making this a combination of this trope and AndIMustScream. Green Arrow in particular plays this trope straight; while the black ring is making him shoot at his family, he manages to exert enough HeroicWillpower to not only shift his aim to hit something else instead, but so the ring itself momentarily shines green, the colour indicating willpower. No other Black Lantern, dead or "alive," managed to make the ring shine a different colour.
113** Green Arrow is one of the few non-lanterns who has ever been able to use a power ring. He only managed to do it ''once'', firing a single green light arrow at Sinestro and that nearly broke his arm, but there was indeed [[{{Callback}} precedent in the Green Lantern comics]] for this twist to make sense.
114** The possessed Superboy/ Conner Kent was able to play a BatmanGambit to stop his Black Lantern body, using some few moments of self-control to summon Krypto and leave hints to Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) about his plan, taking advantage on the existence of [[ItMakesSenseInContext another version of his body]] thanks to TimeTravel. And it worked.
115* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'': In a 60's issue Cap was treated with a mind control drug by the Red Skull and ordered to join a German paratrooper raid to assassinate Gen. UsefulNotes/DwightDEisenhower. They get as far as invading the General's office and Cap takes aim at him as ordered. At that point, Cap's subconsciousness rebels and keeps him from moving, much less pulling the trigger and the mind controlled superhero is at a loss to understand why. The German commando leader tries to manipulate Cap's hand to fire, but that physical force allows Cap's mind to break free of the drug and fight all the commandoes in Eisenhower's defense while the general calls security.
116* In the first issue of ''ComicBook/BlackMagick'', Detective Rowan Black finds herself under threat by a man who she realizes has been [[BrainwashedAndCrazy compelled by a magic spell to kill her]]. While holding her at gunpoint, the man begs for her to help him. [[spoiler:She cannot undo the spell, [[DownerEnding so she has to kill him when he tries to kill her]].]]
117* ''ComicBook/DeathMetalMarvelComics'': Death Metal is a MindHive in a body that's made from a tainted magical metal, leaving him subject to ArtifactDomination. One assimilated personality, the heroic warrior Argon, fights back (and even reshapes his appearance) when Death Metal finds himself slipping into evil again. [[spoiler:Which is exactly why Argon's manipulative father arranged for him to be killed and assimilated]].
118* Bruce Banner does it -- and has done it -- ''every single time'' he becomes [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk the Hulk.]] If he didn't, the Hulk's anger would be completely unrestrained and he'd be far more dangerous than he ever was before.
119* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
120** In ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'', Superman fights the black Kryptonite corruption, describing his symptoms and asking Jimmy Olsen for help.
121** In ''ComicBook/TwoForTheDeathOfOne'', Superman is split into two duplicate "twins", with each having different powers. Satanis, who has taken over the body of the invulnerable Superman, is about to kill the super-strong duplicate, when the Superman whom he has possessed starts fighting him actively. Seeing he cannot use his full power while Superman is resisting him and turning his own spells against him, Satanis leaves his body.
122--->'''Satanis:''' "What? The half of Superman, the one I have possessed-- cries out? It's fighting me, resisting me! I won't allow it!"\
123'''Superman:''' You... cannot stop me! There past... days... I... have been claiming more control..."
124** In ''ComicBook/DeathAndTheFamily'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} tries to fight the spirits of the [=McDougal=] Clan who have taken over their body. When Inspector Henderson manages to hurt them by harming their clan's relic, Kara manages to expel them out.
125--->'''Supergirl:''' ''"This-- is-- my BODY!"''
126** In ''ComicBook/StrangersAtTheHeartsCore'', Supergirl has been possessed and expelled out from her body by her old enemy Lesla-Lar. When Lesla gets distracted, though, Supergirl manages to slip back into her body and drive Lesla out.
127** In the ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'' crossover "ComicBook/FromEterniaWithDeath", Skeletor casts a mind-control spell on Superman, who struggles to break free but is unable to do so until he uses a trick to break Skeletor's focus.
128* ''ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo'': [[spoiler:Inazuma]] spends ''months'' fighting from the inside against [[DemonicPossession Jei's possession]]. [[spoiler:Sadly, she only succeeds [[DyingAsYourself after she's already been mortally wounded]].]]
129* ''ComicBook/{{Wolverines}}'': Inverted with Shogun, who is made up of two distinct personalities sharing one body: A former Delta soldier named Sharp, and the evil demon ninja Ogun. Sharp is actually more of an antihero with shades of TheAtoner, while Ogun is a far more malevolent and constantly fights him for control, with shades of TeethClenchedTeamwork when it's in their best interests. Which personality is in control is hinted at by their speech bubbles: Sharp's are the standard fare, however Ogun's are solid black with red text. As Ogun was weakened following an encounter with Wolverine when he possessed Sharp's body, the strength of his influence is directly related to the body's condition; as the body -- and Sharp with it -- nears death, Ogun becomes stronger.
130* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':
131** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': ComicBook/SteveTrevor manages to fight off Hypnota's mind control though it leaves him a bit dazed, and Diana manages to trick Hypnota into thinking she's done the same which prevents the villain from realizing that Diana can shrug off her powers due to her own telepathy.
132** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Deimos finds out quickly that taking possession of ComicBook/TheJoker might not have been the best idea he'd ever had, and ComicBook/WonderWoman and ComicBook/{{Batman}}'s plan to defeat Deimos is centered on the fact that they know the Joker is going to win the fight for control of his own mind once they realize he's fighting the god instead of in cahoots with him.
133[[/folder]]
134
135[[folder:Fan Works]]
136* ''Fanfic/AllAssortedAnimorphsAUs'': In "What if they were caught during their first mission?", after the original five Animorphs are made into Controllers, Cassie gains a reputation for being a rebellious host. She stops her Yeerk, Niss 240, from shooting a suspicious-looking bird and recruiting more potential hosts.
137* ''Fanfic/BecomingATrueInvader'': During the FinalBattle, [[spoiler:[[BigBad Minimoose]] [[GrandTheftMe possesses Zim's body]] by latching onto his PAK, but after he takes enough damage to loosen his control, Zim is able to fight back and tear him off]].
138* Throughout the ''Fanfic/{{Eleutherophobia}}'' series, ex-hosts are blamed for not doing more to stop their Yeerks, but the truth is that it's incredibly hard to rebel against them. It takes Tom "every ounce of [his] willpower" just to ''clench a knife and close his eyes for half a second'' in ''[[{{Prequel}} City of Lost Children]]''. In ''Total Recall'', Tom brings up a Controller who killed herself on live television and warned people not to join the Sharing, who some lawyers use as evidence that any host who [[ICannotSelfTerminate didn't commit suicide]] was secretly complicit.
139* A chapter of ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5628400/37/The-Fun-and-Perky-Warrior-s-Wolf-Tail The Fun and Perky Warrior's Wolf Tail]]'' has Sokka being brainwashed into his Wang Fire persona to fight against the rest of the Gaang on the Day of Black Sun. He's fully under Azula's control, until he stabs Katara.
140-->"Wang Fire does not take prisoners. Wang Fire does not watch blood run down his blade, he sees blood eagerly racing towards him for the privilege of flowing through his veins. Wang Fire's tears are known to revive the dead, yet he has never cried. [[MadnessMantra Wang Fire's tears are known to revive the dead. Yet he has never cried. He never cries. He never cries. He]] ''[[RuleOfThree never]]'' [[MadnessMantra cries.]] [[TearsOfRemorse Wang Fire's tears do not revive the dead.]] [[HeroicBSOD They don't? They... should.]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Why don't they?]] [...] Wang Fire does not blink. The battle has not past Wang Fire by, he has merely chosen to let his enemies contemplate their inevitable doom for a while longer. When Wang Fire looks up at Princess Azula -- [[NeckLift she isn't choking, she's simply too overwhelmed at the honor of breathing the same air as Wang Fire. Princess Azula isn't lifted into the air, the planet just moves out from under her at Wang Fire's command.]] [[EyeScream When Wang Fire's eyes are clawed out,]] eyes everywhere are deemed unfashionable because Wang Fire is a fashion icon. [[ImplacableMan Wang Fire is unstoppable. Wang Fire's grip is unbreakable.]] [[MadnessMantra Wang Fire is Wang Fire]] is the man among men [[PatrioticFervor who love their country and would never strike royalty]] and is unbeatable because [[TitleDrop Wang Fire is a HERO OF THE FIRE NATION]] and he loves his country [[BigBrotherInstinct like he loves his sister Katara Fire]] and so that's that, ''[[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch bitch.]]''"
141* ''Fanfic/HarryIsADragonAndThatsOk'': Harry eventually defeats Voldemort by [[spoiler:hitting him with a Confundus charm, which weakens his grip on the dragon he's possessing, letting the dragon fight back and expel him.]]
142* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheNatural20'': Quirrell manages to formulate and execute a plan to get one of Milo's amulets of ''Protection from Evil'' on him, thereby escaping Voldemort's possession -- all without ever tipping Voldemort off by doing such things as ''consciously thinking about the plan in any way''.
143* In the ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'' fanfic ''Fanfic/HeroesOfTheDesk'', Valla is brainwashed. We are treated to several instances of her consciousness futilely resisting...until her controller orders her to [[spoiler:kill fellow Nephalem Johanna]]. She turns away and blasts her former minder, having defeated the {{Brainwashing}} purely through ThePowerOfHate. Fellow Heroes notice her now-bare BloodKnight tendencies, including making a public speech about how the blood of her enemies will "fill the lakes, rivers, and oceans."
144* ''Fanfic/TheImmortalGame'':
145** After Twilight is possessed by the [[ArtifactOfDoom Sliver of Darkness]] and transformed into [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nihilus]], she ends up doing this passively by feeding Nihilus misinformation in order to keep her from defeating the rest of the Mane Six. [[spoiler: During the ClimaxBoss fight with Nihilus, Twilight takes more active steps, managing to retake control long enough to give her friends aid in the form of the Elements of Harmony.]]
146** Likewise, Rainbow Dash is placed under a MindRape spell (that she calls the Insanity) by Nihilus, and attempts to fight its control of her body, without much success [[spoiler: until Fluttershy uses [[DeathGlare The Stare]] on her, which weakens the Insanity enough for Dash to break free]]. Later, Twilight reveals that Dash's loyalty and strength of will was so great that that Nihilus had to use ''seven times'' the energy the spell called for originally, and that by all rights, Dash should be ''completely insane''!
147* During Tapu Lele's battle against Leon in ''Fanfic/IntelligenceFactor'', she gigantamaxes Dominus the Orbeetle, giving him the power to control minds. However, Dominus is unable to mind-control Dragapult because it's using the incredibly powerful attack Outrage.
148* Inverted and invoked in ''Fanfic/KarmaInRetrograde''. The Touya Todoroki in the present is his [[FountainOfYouth sixteen-year-old self's memories, personality, and appearance]] superimposed over his present self as Dabi. After learning about the horrors that he's committed as Dabi, Touya expects his present self to be beating against the walls of his mind to get out and is surprised when he doesn't feel anything.
149* ''Fanfic/MarieDSuesseAndTheMysteryNewPirateAge'': In this story, [[spoiler: X. Drake]] is mind-controlled by the villain and forced to fight and kill his allies. He internally sabotages his orders by choosing the most inefficient and self-destructive ways in carrying them out to give the main characters a chance at getting the upper hand.
150* ''Fanfic/MegaManDefenderOfTheHumanRace'':
151** Mega Man tries to resist Splash Woman's brainwashing by thinking of Kalinka.
152** [[spoiler:Despite being under the control of the Mindcracker device, Mitchell Deacon is able to resist long enough to prevent committing suicide until help arrives.]]
153* ''Fanfic/MonsterInTheTwilight'': During the climax of the story, while Nightmare Moon is battling a furious (and only partially sane) Twilight Sparkle, Luna manages to retake control just long enough to leave them vulnerable to a killing blow. [[spoiler: Fortunately, Twilight ends up finding a better way to save everyone.]]
154* ''Fanfic/NightmaresAreTragic'': The climactic battle in this retelling of "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E2ElementsOfHarmony The Elements of Harmony]]" is not so much the one between the Mane Six and Nightmare Moon, as it is the one between Princess Luna and her [[DemonicPossession possessing Nightshadow]] inside Nightmare Moon's form.
155* The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'': At one point in the [[BadFuture Dark World]], Twilight ends up having to do this during the fight with [[TheStarscream the Valeyard]] -- she tries to use the Memory Spell on him, but he's [[CrazyPrepared prepared for this]] and ends up implanting a [[HoistByHisOwnPetard copy of his personality in her mind]]. It very nearly consumes her, but she manages to fight it long enough for her friends to destroy it by [[spoiler: ''smashing her head'', allowing her Element to regenerate a new one without the infection.]]
156* ''Fanfic/RainboomsAndRoyalty'': Ditzy manages to shake off Nightmare Moon's [[BrainwashedAndCrazy corrupting influence]] when presented with an image of her daughter, Dinky.
157* In Creator/RoseOfPollux's work, [[spoiler: Jamie [=McCrimmon=]]] manages to do this twice, successfully [[spoiler: breaking out of control of the Great Intelligence and undoing cyber-conversion]] with minimal prodding from the Doctor.
158%%* A great many ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' fan works depict [[spoiler:Frisk doing this to Chara during the Genocide Route FinalBattle with Sans and attempting to reset time to avert the bad ending]]. Whether or not they succeed depends on the work.
159* In ''Fanfic/SomebodyThatIUsedToKnow'', a non-possession variety of this happens after [[spoiler: Matt Engarde vanishes near the beginning of the story, and reappears a month later with a drastically altered personality and a badly healed scar over his left eye. From then on, Juan gets glimpses of Matt's old personality...often crying and begging Juan to stay with him, sometimes fearfully trying to warn Juan about something new Matt is going to do or has done...but it's never long before his new, sociopathic personality takes over again. Heartbreakingly enough, the new personality seems to have entirely won out by the end...]]
160* ''Fanfic/TheSecretReturnOfAlexMack'': The GreyGoo can control [[spoiler: Shar's body and powers to some extent after infesting her, but she resists just enough to summon all the nanobots to her before suicide-nuking herself]].
161* ''Fanfic/SenkiZesshouSymphogearWXDUnlimited'': Strangely, [[Literature/{{Worm}} Annette Hebert]] somehow survived having her consciousness from being completely subsumed by [[Anime/{{Symphogear}} Fine]], causing Fine to have to fight off attempts from her to regain control of their body. Though Fine did eventually win the fight for control, Annette still subconsciously influences Fine's actions at times.
162* In the ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' story ''Fanfic/UnmaskerUnleased'', there are plenty of signs that Marinette still maintains quite a bit of herself while akumatized. She acts playfully towards Cat Noir, tries to keep the fighting away from civilians, doesn’t want to hurt Luka, mouths off to Monarch and is apologetic to Cat for hurting him. Marinette in the end breaks herself free from Monarch’s control over her.
163* Most of ''Fanfic/TheVerySecretDiary'' is Ginny doing this to Tom Riddle.
164[[/folder]]
165
166[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
167* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'': We find out that [[spoiler:Robin was kidnapped and brainwashed into Joker Junior]]. During the fight, he helps Joker and Harley, but instead of [[spoiler:shooting a defeated Batman behind held up for the slaughter, he instead turns the gun on Joker and kills him. It takes him a good long moment to finally turn the gun, too]]. His maniacal Joker-style laugh quickly degenerates into a stream of broken sobbing.
168* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', the struggle to seperate from the red panda spirit is viewed as this from the perspective of Mei's female relatives during her red moon ritual in the temple.
169* In ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'', [[spoiler:King Candy/Turbo]] is eaten by a Cy-Bug and assimilated into it, taking control of it, and becoming huge and more powerful. When the Cy-Bugs are [[spoiler:led to their destruction by their programming]], he is able to resist for a limited time, but he [[spoiler:can’t stop it soon enough and is destroyed]].
170[[/folder]]
171
172[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
173* ''Film/TheAvengers2012'':
174** Selvig created a fail-safe in Loki's portal that enabled it to be shut down, even though he was deep under Loki's control.
175** Hawkeye under mind control shooting Nick Fury in the chest, knowing that he'd be wearing body armor, instead of in the head, which Hawkeye's ImprobableAimingSkills made him quite capable of doing. This is confirmed in a deleted scene. Also, when Loki asks Hawkeye what the Tesseract showed him, he said "My next target" while looking at Loki.
176* In ''Film/TheDeadCenter'', John Doe is catatonic for most his time in the psych ward, because [[spoiler: the demon is slowly taking over his body.]] In the brief moments he's lucid, he's ''fully aware'' of what's happening and flat out tells Dr. Forrester to kill him before it's too late.
177* In the often-slapstick ''Film/EvilDead2'', this trope is played surprisingly straight. Ash is possessed by the evil and about to kill Annie when he spots the necklace he'd earlier given his girlfriend, still lying on the floor. That memory weakens its control enough that he hesitates and roars in inner turmoil. The camera cuts away as the roar turns into Ash's human screams and sobs, and returns to show that he's himself again.
178* In ''Film/GetOut2017'', when Chris talks to Georgina, the Armitage's African-American housekeeper, she tries to have a civil conversation with him, while trying to fight back tears. Later, right as Chris is packing up to head back home from a weekend in Rose's parents' home, [[spoiler:Georgina laves [[CreepySouvenir a box full of pictures of several missing young black people]], including her own picture]], which implies that [[spoiler:Grandma Armitage's brain is having a lot trouble keeping "Georgina's" consciousness in [[AndIMustScream "the Sunken]] [[ForcedToWatch Place"]]]].
179* ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseofCobra'': [[spoiler:The Baroness was apparently the only person to ever fight off the nanomites' brainwashing at all.]]
180* ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjayPart1'': [[spoiler:After being hijacked by the Capitol, Peeta's real self struggles to show through.]]
181-->''[[spoiler:"How do you think this will end? What will be left? No one is safe. Not in the Capitol. Not in the districts. And you... In Thirteen... Dead by morning!"]]''
182* ''Film/TheManWithTwoFaces'': Stanley Vance has hypnotized his ex-wife Jessica into being his hypnotic slave. When Jessica is talking to her new boyfriend Ben on Stanley's orders, she snaps out of the trance, calling him "Ben, darling" as her face comes alive. But somehow Stanley's control reasserts itself as she turns away and says "No, I mustn't" in her former dazed tone.
183* In the climax of ''Film/TheNuttyProfessor1996'', Sherman Klump is fighting a SplitPersonalityTakeover with his thin alter ego, Buddy Love, who gained autonomy as a part of his mind. The most notable sign is that parts Sherman has control of bloat up with the repressed fat from within their shared body, including his jaw and neck when he talks.
184-->'''Buddy:''' Give it ''up'', fat boy! It's ''OVER''!\
185''[jaw bloats]''\
186'''Sherman:''' It ain't over 'til the fat professor sings!
187* In ''Film/{{Patchwork}}'', protagonists Jennifer, Ellie and Madeline are combined together into a single body by a deranged doctor, able to communicate in their minds but physically stuck together in the outer world. Once [[spoiler:Jennifer and Ellie learn that Madeline was responsible for the original operation, they start to fight with Madeline in their mind, which from the outside looks like their merged body is just hitting itself]].
188* ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'': The mind-controlled Starfleet officers Khan orders to kill Kirk can't do it. In fact, one kills ''himself'' instead.
189* ''Franchise/StarWars: Episode VII -- Film/TheForceAwakens'': [[spoiler:Rey fights off Kylo Ren's mental probing while captive on Starkiller Base. She defends her mind so well that she ends up bull-rushing into his mind.]]
190* In ''Film/{{Upgrade}}'', Grey visibly wrestles control of his body away from STEM when [[spoiler:STEM is trying to kill [[HeroAntagonist officer Cortez]], because she's done nothing wrong as far as he's concerned, unlike the people working for Keen]].
191[[/folder]]
192
193[[folder:Literature]]
194* ''Literature/AgathaHAndTheSiegeOfMechanicsburg'': Klaus was wasped in the [[Literature/AgathaHAndTheVoiceOfTheCastle previous book]], and now one copy of Lucrezia is close enough to give him orders. He shouldn't be able to fight back even subconsciously, but he is somehow managing it. He gives intentionally imperfect orders, carefully ignores when Boris begins noticing something is wrong, and Gil notes that his body language is oddly arrogant.
195* Any Controller in the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' series will do this from time to time. None have ever successfully overthrown a Yeerk completely, but there have been some famously close calls. When [[PapaWolf his daughter was threatened to become a Controller]], breaking the [[DealWithTheDevil deal Chapman made]] with the Yeerks, he almost completely takes control.
196** Jake is finally convinced that his brother is a Controller after Temrash is telling Jake how wonderful the Sharing is, and then Tom breaks through just for a second with a [[CanOnlyMoveTheEyes facial twitch]] as if he's trying to shake his head.
197** Much of the book ''Visser'' is [[spoiler:Marco's mother]] arguing with her Yeerk, and the Yeerk talking about how they had several close calls since arriving on Earth, including the Yeerk giving control of one eye back to see what she'd do with it. The woman waited until the opportune moment to shut the eye and trigger a car crash.
198** Jake in ''The Capture'' discovers that he has "the power of annoyance" and talks incessantly to his Yeerk to distract it and just to be obnoxious.
199** John Berryman, a failed actor who memorized ''Theatre/HenryV'' and recites it constantly at his Yeerk -- so much so that the ''first'' thing he does when he gets control of a time machine is journey back to the Battle of Agincourt and try to change the outcome so that Shakespeare would never write it.
200** Another example of a Controller temporarily fighting back its Yeerk host was [[spoiler: Marco's mother]] regaining control just long enough to tell her husband to stay away from the military, thus ensuring that the Yeerks would have no practical use for him as a host.
201** Yet another example of this is a disfigured girl Controller speaking to Tobias, intending to lure him into a trap. Out of nowhere, the Controller suddenly shakes, her eyes widen, and the girl shouts "Don't listen to her!" before slamming her head down on the table for a few moments. The Yeerk regains control immediately after.
202* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': In Book 6, ''The Time Paradox'', [[spoiler:Butler]] has to fight off the mesmer of [[spoiler:Opal Koboi]], who wants him to kill Artemis. He manages it, but gives himself a heart attack at the same time. It's not too surprising, [[spoiler:Butler has always been pretty resistant to mesmer.]]
203* ''Literature/TheBeginningAfterTheEnd'': In the climax of volume 8, [[spoiler:Tessia Eralith is kidnapped by Nico, who was Arthur Leywin's former best friend turned ArchEnemy, who is working Agrona Vritra as a vessel for a being called the legacy, which is Cecilia who is Arthur's past life friend and Nico's fiancé]]. In volume 9, [[spoiler:Tessia and Arthur meet in the victoriad after he cripples Nico and kills Cadell. However, she was not in control of her own body but controlled by the Legacy Cecilia. As Arthur tries to kill her but fails as he realizes she is still alive as she is able to take control for a moment and caress his face, revealing that she has been fighting from the inside out through her beastwill the elder guardianwood then Arthur escapes vowing to save her one day]]. Later, in volume 10 until the climax, [[spoiler:Cecilia fights Seris many times who has rebelled against Agrona but fails everytime to kill or Capture Seris thanks to Seris's cunning mind until Cecilia falls in a trap set by Seris where Cecilia is forced to absorb the mana of the Vritra Basilisk Orleath allowing Seris to escape from Cecilia]]. In volume 11, [[spoiler:it is revealed in the process of falling in Seris's trap Tessia/Cecilia enters the stage after the white stage. The stage is called integrate stage allowing the core to be one with the body which allows Tessia who is still figthing from the inside to be partially released with her beast will the elderguardian wood from Cecilia's mind letting her take control of her body anytime, but she is waiting for the right moment to strike against Agrona indicating there is still hope for Tessia and Arthur to be together. Tessia learns the truth about Arthur's reincarnation but still loves him despite the mental gape between them]].
204* In ''Literature/TheCloakSociety'', [[spoiler:Lone Star]] discusses how they learned to resist telepaths; when asking how, then, can Shade control [[spoiler:Dr. Photon]], he explains that he is resisting, as witness she has to be physically present to keep him in line.
205* In ''Literature/TheDarkElfTrilogy'', Drizzt's father is [[spoiler:sacrificed to Lolth, and turned into a super-zombie to hunt down Drizzt. His memories were deleted, resulting in sub-par swordsmanship, so more were returned. Drizzt and his father fought over a pit of acid. Drizzt's father ended up breaking through the zombification just long enough to make his corpse fall into the acid, permanently re-killing it]].
206* The plot of the ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}} New Adventures'' initial series is composed of the bad guy's plots to make sure the evil persona implanted in Nearra wins. Until about the 4th book, the evil persona had only occasional moments of dominance, but after that she was constantly having trouble with Nearra yelling at her inside her head.
207* In the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' novel ''The Mark of Nerath'', when the demon Nu Alin possesses [[spoiler:Tempest]], she manages to resist to a certain degree. Of course, this just makes Nu Alin [[spoiler:want to possess her ''more'']].
208* In ''Literature/TheExorcist'', Regan gets in a bit of this with her "help me" message. It's not clear whether she does this through her own strength of will or whether Pazuzu lets her, since he wants the exorcism -- a grudge match smackdown with Fr. Merrin.
209* Subverted in ''Literature/{{Grunts}}''. [[spoiler:The BigBad gives the Messiah -- whose body she has possessed -- one last brief look around before obliterating her.]]
210* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
211** The Imperius Curse can be resisted or completely thrown off by some characters. It also becomes an excuse that the bad guys can use to cover up their evil actions.
212** This trope could also apply to Harry's fear in the fifth book that he had physically been attacking people. Similarly, [[spoiler:Ginny]] really ''was'' being controlled by Riddle in the 2nd book.
213* In ''Literature/AHatFullOfSky'', Tiffany Aching fights this battle against the possessing Hiver, but is unable to prevent it from insulting a friend, humiliating a supercilious shop assistant and, more importantly, murdering a teaching witch (luckily, said witch has two bodies). It also forces her to steal money from an old man who trusts her.
214* ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'': In the ''Mage Winds'' trilogy, BigBad Ma'ar has been [[GrandTheftMe possessing]] the bodies of his descendants for countless thousands of years, until he gets careless in his latest incarnation. Eventually, after he [[VillainExitStageLeft miraculously escapes]] from certain death, it turns out that he's been weakened enough to allow the original owner of the body to resurface and eventually aid the heroes in destroying Ma'ar once and for all.
215* In ''Literature/TheHistoryOfTheRunestaff'', Hawkmoon is captured by the evil Granbretagnans, whose dark science is used to implant a Black jewel in his skull through which he may be controlled at a distance. Sent to infiltrate the last unconquered country in Europe and act as their spy, he seeks to find a way to overcome the posession and warn his hosts.
216* In ''Literature/TheHost2008'', this trope is central to the entire plot. Most of the book concerns the struggle of Melanie the human girl against Wanderer, the parasite alien controlling her body.
217* ''Literature/KnightsOfTheBorrowedDark'': [[spoiler:Grey]] manages to fight the [[MindRape Clockwork Three's control]] for just a few seconds -- long enough to [[spoiler:shoot Vivian instead of capturing her]] and let Denizen escape. The effort causes terrible pain and a PsychicNosebleed, and he [[YouHaveFailedMe pays for it later]]. [[spoiler:Luckily, the attempted MercyKill doesn't stick.]]
218* ''Literature/LegacyOfTheDragokin'': Kalak's gotten better at this since [[Literature/TrappedOnDraconica the last book]]. He can come out and hold control for a brief period at a time whenever Daniar or Benji are in trouble.
219* In ''Literature/TheManWithTheGoldenGun'', a brainwashed James Bond, armed with [[ItMakesSenseInContext a cyanide squirt-gun]], is tasked with killing M. He fights against the conditioning to the bitter end, but it proves too strong, and he actually goes through with it. If M hadn't had [[CrazyPrepared a hidden pane of Armourplate glass]] in his office, ''he would have been a goner.'' It's one of Ian Fleming's best chapters, and he carries across Bond's anguish superbly.
220* ''Literature/TheMazeRunner'':
221** At the end of ''The Maze Runner'', after they escape the Maze, Gally (who had disappeared quite some time before) [[spoiler:ends up shooting Chuck]]. In ''The Death Cure'', it’s revealed that [[spoiler:it was all a trial created by WICKED, which had been controlling both Gally and Chuck the entire time. Gally had considered Chuck like a brother to him, and ended up going at least partially insane from grief after the fact]].
222** In ''The Death Cure'', [[spoiler:Newt is infected with [[HatePlague the Flare]]; due to having been mentally overstimulated by all of the tests over the preceding few years, the disease’s progression speeds up to the point where he’s teetering on the edge of the Gone within five days. While he tries to fight the symptoms (aggression, paranoia, sudden violence) as the disease progresses in an effort to keep his friends safe, he eventually succumbs, and Thomas has to MercyKill him]].
223* In ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'', [[spoiler:Marsh]] does this when he is possessed by [[spoiler:Ruin, because of the metal spikes in his body. He was originally going to use the one chance he got to kill himself, but ended up using it to help Vin]].
224* In ''Literature/{{Mockingjay}}'', [[spoiler:Peeta]] deals with a fair amount of this after [[spoiler:being hijacked during his time imprisoned by the Capitol]].
225* In ''Literature/TheMoonOfGomrath'', the heroine Susan is possessed by the Brollochan, an age-old Celtic spirit of evil, and has to fight to regain possession of her own body.
226* ''Literature/MorgaineCycle'': The villain of the original trilogy uses a [[CoolGate time/space Gate]] to [[GrandTheftMe steal]] the body of the viewpoint character's cousin. In the third book, it's revealed that millennia of body-theft have eroded his soul to the point where his latest victim can take back control. "If anything of your cousin has influence... then he may yet defeat the man who killed him." [[spoiler:He does; the epilogue [[BittersweetEnding commemorates his death from old age]].]] The fourth book includes '''arguments''' within the mind of another victim who retains much of both personalities. He's quite shocked to discover that the evil lord he'd battled is a much more reasonable person than he'd thought (despite taking over his body).
227* Averted in ''Literature/{{Neuropath}}'', which centers around the villain's various experiments with people under MindControl. As Neil Cassidy notes, "Everyone expects to be [[Franchise/StarTrek captain Kirk]]", but as he controls every thought and emotion, it is an impossibility. Near the end of the story, he even manages to get Thomas Bible to rationalize all the horrors he has inflicted upon him, including [[spoiler:condemning his son to a FateWorseThanDeath.]]
228* Tahiri of ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' has two personalities, one human, one [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Yuuzhan Vong]]. Whenever one personality (usually the human one) is dominant, the other one is forced to do this. Eventually it gets to the point that it's going on near-constantly, driving both of them to the brink of madness -- finally, both get sucked into a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind that leads to a SplitPersonalityMerge.
229* In ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'', friend-turned-enemy Luke Castellan willingly allows himself to be possessed by the [[BigBad Titan Lord Kronos]] [[spoiler:until the very end, when he retakes control long enough to off them both]].
230* ''Literature/{{Perelandra}}'': Weston shows signs of this after being possessed by ''Satan himself'', although it's not clear whether it's real or an attempt to trick Ransom (always a risk with this sort of thing). Leads to an unplanned "What The Hell, man" moment from readers, as Weston appears to [[DyingAsYourself die as himself]].
231* ''Literature/ProsperosDaughter'': In ''Prospero in Hell'', the demonically possessed Theo manages to seize control of his own voice for a moment.
232* In ''Literature/ProvenGuilty'', Harry Dresden and his allies are breaching the main castle of Queen Mab, Winter Queen and one of the most dangerous powers in the world, to save someone who was captured. There, in Mab's courtyard they find ice sculptors of various figures and beings -- one of whom is [[spoiler:the Leanansidhe, a.k.a. Lea, who is also Harry's Fairy Godmother. When part of the ice encasing her is melted, she speaks with Harry and is quite calm about the situation. When she starts to ask Harry to release her further, she changes and in a quiet voice tells Harry to not release her. Then she starts to get angry and demands to be released. Harry decides to not release her and watches as the ice covers her once more]].
233* In ''Literature/RachelGriffin'', people under a geas usually know they are being compelled, and can fight back.
234* This is half the plot of ''Literature/TheRagwitch''. The story begins when a character is possessed by the CreepyDoll, and the rest of the book alternates between her brother's attempts to rescue her and her attempts to prevent herself from being absorbed completely into the Ragwitch's mind.
235* This is played with in the ''Literature/RangersApprentice'' at one point. For most of ''The Siege of Macindaw'' [[spoiler:Keren uses a form of hypnotism with a blue gem to get the captured Alyss to tell him information. Alyss fights it off at first, but becomes more vulnerable to it after each session, up until she finds a method of fighting it off using a seemingly magical stone given to her by her close friend Will. Near the end of the book, as Keren realizes his impending defeat, he makes a final stand in the room he was keeping Alyss in. Keran unknowingly knocks the stone out of her hands as he arrives, and he hypnotizes Alyss again with the gem, which is now part of the hilt of a sword. When Will arrives, Keren commands Alyss to kill Will with the sword. He tries to snap Alyss out of the hypnotism with very little success, though she shows signs of trying to fight it off. Resigned to his fate, he tells Alyss that he loves her, hoping that Alyss would understand when she came to that he forgave her. This snaps her out of the hypnotism.]]
236* In ''Literature/TheSpiritThief'', once the Master forces Nico to undergo her transformation into a demon-form, she resists his influence and eventually manages to bury her link to him deep inside her mind and regain control.
237* Several ''Franchise/StarTrek'' novels explore inside fights. Most do so versus the Borg, but it's a big universe:
238** In ''Literature/StarTrekTheBraveAndTheBold'', Kira is shown struggling against an ancient dictator's near-complete control of her (she can't even blink or swallow). Eventually, she breaks out of it, which confirms the dictator's control is weakening. Spock is also controlled by this dictator, but fights it off and mind-melds with Worf to stave off the effects.
239** In ''Before Dishonor'', Admiral Janeway is completely dominated by the Borg, and her body is made into their new queen. When Seven of Nine reaches out to her in her aid to destroy the Borg, [[spoiler:The Borg-miral mocks her... but the "real" Janeway lets down her guard long enough for Seven to implement the "Hugh" virus, destroying the Borg (well... most of it) and sending Janeway to the Q Continuum.]]
240* In ''Literature/TalesOfKolmar'', TheCorrupter offered enhanced powers to any healer or mage who wanted them in exchange for a lock of hair and a promise of aid in the unspecified future. Said aid came in the form of sending him half their power and [[DemonicPossession being possessed by a demon]] free to use their bodies and remaining power for whatever it wanted. A few of them fought hard enough that their minds died; others could either be exorcised by other mages with great effort from both parties, or [[DyingAsYourself died as themselves]].
241* ''Literature/TheTraitorSonCycle'' has an odd villain vs. villain example -- after Thorn gets possessed by [[spoiler:Ash]], who's influencing his thinking more and more, he resists by communicating his real thoughts and opinions to his allies by writing in the sand with his walking stick.
242* ''Franchise/Warhammer40000ExpandedUniverse'':
243** In the ''Literature/BloodAngels'' novel ''Deus Encarmine'', [[spoiler:Brother-Sergeant Koris]] struggles against [[UnstoppableRage the black rage]], his eyes glazing over and unglazing as he tries to tell Rafen of [[spoiler:Inquisitor Stele]]'s treachery. [[DyingAsYourself With his dying breath, he succeeds in getting his message across properly]].
244** In the ''Literature/NightLords'' series, the character Vandred was possessed and twisted by a daemon called "the Exalted". While the Exalted is convinced that Vandred has no hope, [[spoiler:the Night Lord strikes when the daemon tries to obtain his help, committing suicide and only letting the Exalted take back control at the last moment before both die, just so that it can feel terror.]]
245* In the ''Literature/WarriorCatsTheBrokenCode'' book ''[[Recap/WarriorCatsThePlaceOfNoStars The Place of No Stars]]'', [[spoiler:Ashfur [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind-controls]] Squirrelflight's mate Bramblestar into attacking her. As he does so, Bramblestar tries his best to resist Ashfur; at one point, Ashfur even ''shouts' at Bramblestar out of frustration of how hard it is to control him]].
246* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': Rand al'Thor. They don't call him the Dragon Reborn because just because he's a phenomenally powerful channeller and a stone-cold bastard. He actually gets Lews Therin Telamon, the Lord of Morning, in his head along for the ride! Only, nobody told Lews Therin. He thinks he just blacked out and someone is inside ''his'' head. Independent of that, Lews Therin is batshit crazy and the Dragon Reborn will be soon, too, with Rand staving this off by promising Lews Therin that they will both die at Tar'mon Gaidon, the Last Battle. As a result, he gains Lews Therin's reluctant assistance and advice, though this is leavened by the fact that Lews Therin is, again, ''completely insane''. [[spoiler:Eventually, as he's on the cusp of a SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum that would have blown up the world, Lews Therin is suddenly lucid for a moment and muses that perhaps they are born again so they can try again -- so that this time, they can get it right. Cue EpiphanyTherapy and a SplitPersonalityMerge that leaves Rand with flavourings of Lews Therin's personality, a much calmer nature, and all the latter's vast knowledge.]]
247* In ''Literature/WildCards'', [[spoiler:Mark Meadows]] has been stuck as [[spoiler:The Radical]], unable to communicate with the outside world as his alter-ego reaped destruction for several years.
248* ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'': When [[spoiler:Eshonai]] is possessed by a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Voidspren]], the resulting Voidbringer works hard to get the rest of her people possessed and bring destruction to the world. However, she occasionally does counterproductive things that imply the real [[spoiler:Eshonai]] is influencing her actions. At one point, there is a large group of civilians who refuse to take part in the transformation that will unknowingly turn them into Voidbringers. [[spoiler:Eshonai]] puts one of her best friends in charge, and her Voidbringer self thinks that this will make them all easier to eliminate later. Instead, her friend immediately leads the civilians to escape, and [[spoiler:Eshonai]] refuses to "waste resources" hunting them down.
249* The ''Literature/ZonesOfThought'' novel ''A Fire Upon the Deep'' plays with this, as Flenser/Tyrathect battles for control and shows various outward signs of the battle. In a subversion of the usual application of this trope, EvilOverlord Flenser is the "original" personality, that tries to break to the surface and overcome "possession" by Tyrathect fragments. [[spoiler:While he thinks for a moment that he succeeded, they actually merge in the end.]]
250[[/folder]]
251
252[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
253* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}: The Plan'' revealed that ManchurianAgent Boomer was [[InvertedTrope fighting from the outside]] in the first season, with [[BecomingTheMask the lines between the core Number Eight personality and the cover breaking down]].
254* ''Series/Charmed1998'': In a Season 3 episode, Piper's body is taken over, but she remains conscious -- only able to communicate with the possessor via mirrors. Midway through the episode, she is able to regain control for a split second to slam a door she was opening closed to get her sisters' attention and cry for help before being taken over again.
255* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
256** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E742 "42"]]: The Doctor is possessed by the consciousness of [[GeniusLoci the nearby sun]], who has already possessed several other crew members who have killed. Seeing him struggle against its influence and say "I am so scared" is pretty horrifying.
257** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E10Midnight "Midnight"]]: The Doctor gets possessed again ([[TraumaCongaLine in the same incarnation]]), this time by an UnseenEvil he never comes close to understanding. [[CanOnlyMoveTheEyes While trapped in his own body]], he somehow manages to hook his foot on a chair while being dragged to his death.
258** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver "Nightmare in Silver"]]: The Eleventh Doctor is possessed by the Cyber-Planner calling itself "Mr. Clever". They end up stalemated and play chess for the tie-breaking 2% of his brain.
259** [[Recap/DoctorWho2019NYSResolution "Resolution"]]: Archaeologist Lin gives this her best shot upon being used as a MeatPuppet by [[spoiler:a Dalek recon scout]]. Unfortunately, she has little success after some early resistance, until she takes advantage of its growing weakness after forcing her to build it some ImprovisedArmour to try and escape its control. It's not clear whether she succeeded in driving it off by herself, or if it left her willingly after its armour was ready.
260* Started popping up a lot in the last few episodes of ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}''. Most notably, Anthony after he's taken by the borg-soldiers, and [[spoiler: Mellie]] in the next-to-last episode, [[spoiler: who regains just enough control to kill herself.]]
261** In Anthony's case, this was done literally through the PowerOfLove. Namely, his relationship with Priya/Sierra that had been slowly building throughout nearly the entire series.
262** Also, the way that Echo defeats the borg-soldiers is by turning herself into one and subsequently flooding their collective consciousness with all of the 40+ differing personalities that are in her head, so that she is single-handedly FightingFromTheInside times 40. This causes such mass confusion among the borg-soldiers that, with the exceptions of Anthony and Echo herself, they are rendered completely ineffective at doing much of anything.
263* Subverted in Season 5 of ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys''; [[spoiler: after Iolaus is killed, his body becomes the vessel for the evil god Dahak. During a fight with Herc, it seems for a moment as if Iolaus's true personality is somehow managing to break through, [[DyingAsYourself seemingly in order to give Hercules a chance to kill him]]. [[ThanatosGambit It turns out that this is a ruse on Dahak's part in order to get Hercules to break his vow against killing in order to tip the cosmic scales in favour of evil.]] Later on, however, it is played straight when Hercules enters Iolaus' mind and teams up with his soul in order to defeat Dahak once and for all.]]
264* Used & Inverted in the ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' starting from the end of Volume 4: [[spoiler: Matt Parkman forces Sylar to think He is Nathan, resulting in a confused Fake-Nathan trying to find a reason to why nothing seems right; Sylar's blank mind trying to find out who he is; while simultaneously, a part of Sylar is FightingFromTheInside of Matt's mind.]] Finally: [[spoiler: Sylar gets back into his own body and has a lackluster BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind with Fake-Nathan]].
265* ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'': During the ''Series/KamenRiderDenO'' arc, Tsukasa gets possessed by Momotaros and the others, but after a few minutes, he starts resisting their possession and eventually manages to kick them out of his body. Notably, he's the only person so far in all of ''Kamen Rider'' who managed to successfully throw off an Imagin's possession through sheer force of will.
266* ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'': The BigBad Evolto is revealed to be an alien capable of possessing people, like what he did to [[spoiler:Soichi Isurugi (who has been his host since 10 years prior to the series's events)]] and [[spoiler:Ryuga Banjo]]. The former gains control of his body briefly at one point, but is mostly unable to fight back. The latter in the finale manages to fight back to the point Evolto must eject his mind from his body.
267* [[ParodiedTrope Parodied]] in a ''Series/KeyAndPeele'' sketch: Two old ladies, Georgina and Esther, are at a church service when Georgina is suddenly [[DemonicPossession possessed by Satan]]. She ''whoops his ass'' from the inside, instead. [[NeverMessWithGranny Her soul's so strong]] that she manhandles [[TheDevilIsALoser poor Satan]] while he's inside. Esther gets possessed to join in on the fun. The Devil begs for mercy and even ''[[BeyondTheImpossible swears to become Christian]]'', but the old dames tell him it's too late for that as they drag him out of the church...
268* Series/OnceUponATime shows Killian Jones/Hook talking to Emma whilst being possessed (through heart control) by Rumpelstiltskin. Whilst he shrugs off her concerns that something is wrong, he grips her hand extremely tightly before he walks away, whilst noticeably welling up.
269* ''Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers'': The [[CoDragons Avatars]] are evil copies of two local teens, one of whom is Blue Ranger Ravi's ex-girlfriend, Roxy. Avatar Roxy ruthlessly exploits this trope, manipulating Ravi by pretending her true personality is trying to reassert itself. Of course, it's always a ploy to try to turn Ravi into an Avatar too.
270* In ''Series/{{Sanctuary}}'' Ashley's eyes change color to indicate when she has broken through the mind control. This finally indicates a [[spoiler:DyingAsYourself]].
271* Happens several times with people possessed by Goa'uld in ''Series/StargateSG1''. Notably, Skaara, [[spoiler: who eventually regains control of his body via a sort of trial]], and Sha're, [[spoiler: who doesn't, but is able to impart her last thoughts to Daniel as her Goa'uld tries to kill him. She's killed herself by Teal'C before that can happen.]]
272* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration:''
273-->'''Locutus of Borg / Picard:''' "[[OverrideCommand Sleep]]", Data, "[[OverrideCommand Sleep]]"
274** The following episode revealed that Picard had been conscious and fighting the whole time, but was mostly powerless against the collective's will: when he starts telling his brother about his efforts to resist their control, he breaks down into tears. That feeling of [[MindRape helplessness and shame]] would later evolve into an often overwhelming, but understandable, [[ShellShockedVeteran hatred of the Borg]].
275* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' has an early episode in which Dr. Bashir's body is [[GrandTheftMe taken over]] by a serial killer. The crew uses AppliedPhlebotinum to awaken Bashir's real personality, as well as some {{Narm}}-tastic acting from the normally-good Alexander Siddig.
276* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' ("Warlord"). The innocent Kes is taken over by a [[GrandTheftMe body-jumping]] dictator who decides to stay in her body because he's impressed by her MagicalGirl powers. However he finds the waif-like Kes is a lot tougher than she looks; most notably in a dream scene where Kes threatens to use all the lessons the dictator has learned over the years on [[TookALevelInBadAss how to be a ruthless, determined bastard]].
277* In Season 2 of ''Series/StrangerThings'' when Will is [[spoiler: possessed by the Mind Flayer, he taps out messages in Morse code to his friends to give them hints about how to defeat the monster]].
278* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' being a show that uses demonic possession ''a lot'', this trope crops up now and then.
279** In the Season 1 finale "Devil's Trap", John resists possession and gives his son a chance to kill [[BigBad YED]].
280** In Season 5, [[spoiler: Bobby]] successfully fights off possession by one of [[spoiler: Meg]]'s henchmen long enough to ''[[spoiler: stab and cripple himself with a demon-killing knife]]'' so he didn't kill Dean.
281** Deliberately invoking this trope is how [[spoiler:Sam takes down Lucifer, wrestling control back long enough to throw himself and Lucifer into the Cage]], saving the world at the end of Season 5.
282** Castiel takes a turn in Season 8, when he's been [[spoiler:programmed by Naomi to kill Dean.]] He's able to talk to her throughout, and begs her to [[spoiler:spare Dean]], but she [[spoiler:insists on Dean's death]]. Since he's fighting tooth and nail to keep from actually killing his friend, he just ends up throwing punches over and over instead of doing anything immediately lethal. [[spoiler:He finally breaks free of the control and heals Dean, apologizing.]]
283** Again in Season 9, [[spoiler:Sam casts Gadreel out of his body via a [[BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind mental beatdown]] between the two]]. It then ends with [[spoiler:Gadreel being pinned to the ground by his neck, as Sam stands over him]].
284--->'''Sam:''' I said... Get. The hell. Out!
285** [[spoiler:Castiel again]] in Season 11, when he's been cursed by a witch to kill pretty much anyone he sees. He has to fight for lucidity to avoid hurting people, and doesn't always succeed.
286* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'': It's common for a plotline with demonic possession to have this happen.
287** ''Series/HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger'': Shirogane/[=GaoSilver=] spent time as Rouki, a brutal and cruel Duke Org who sought to destroy the Gaoranger in revenge for their predecessors sealing him away thousands of years ago; all after Shirogane was corrupted by the Wolf Mask hosting the Thousand-Year Evil Spirit. He would fight back against the possession constantly to avoid killing the Gaorangers before he was finally freed.
288** ''Series/BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'':
289*** After [[spoiler:taking back and getting consumed by the Dark Armor]] in episode 32, [[spoiler:Asuka]] does their best to fight off its influence on them despite it causing them to lose control and attack everything on sight.
290*** When [[spoiler:Lijewel]] is damn near taken over by [[spoiler:Dezumozorlya]], they do their best to fight off its influence and prevent themselves from killing Mikoto.
291[[/folder]]
292
293[[folder:Music]]
294* The spoken-word part in the middle of Music/IcedEarth's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2lZfp0kaRg&NR=1 Jekyll & Hyde]] (ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin).
295[[/folder]]
296
297[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
298* Infinitor's villain fights in ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'' both feature him struggling to resist his [=OblivAeon=]-driven madness. In his base form, if he has too many Manifestations out, he flips and starts ''destroying''them; his art shows him having straitjacketed himself. His second, Heroic Infinitor, even starts with him on the edge of sort-of winning...although that will, of course, depend on how the fight goes.
299** Canonically, he wins the fight. He then proceeds to die saving Captain Cosmic, his nemesis and brother, in a pretty epic HeroicSacrifice.
300* The ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' special character Galrauch was once a noble dragon serving a high elven prince, until [[DemonicPossession he was possessed by a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch]] and [[BodyHorror mutated into a horrifying two-headed monster]], the first of the Chaos Dragons. But even after so many centuries of captivity, the dragon's spirit struggles against the daemon, so that each round Galrauch must take a Leadership test. On a failure, Galrauch will either do nothing but fight himself in close combat, or fall under the opposing player's control for a turn and wreak some revenge on the Chaos forces.
301[[/folder]]
302
303[[folder:Theatre]]
304* The musical adaptation of ''Theatre/JekyllAndHyde'' has the title character doing lots of this, most notably with the song "Confrontation".
305* In Noah Smith's stage version of ''Theatre/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde'', Hyde apparently takes over completely during the climactic confrontation with Jekyll's friends, but then Jekyll starts fighting back when Hyde threatens Utterson, wrestling back control of one arm and using it to [[spoiler:inject himself/Hyde with the formula Hyde was going to use on Utterson]].
306[[/folder]]
307
308[[folder:Toys]]
309* ''Toys/{{BIONICLE}}:
310** Lewa, when he's possessed by a [[FaceHugger Krana]].
311** In "The Kingdom" AlternateUniverse, the Teridax of that world [[TheAssimilator absorbs Matoro into himself]], but [[spoiler:Matoro is able to [[TakingYouWithMe kill them both]] before he can kill Takanuva]].
312[[/folder]]
313
314[[folder:Video Games]]
315* ''[[VideoGame/{{Boktai}} Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django]]'' has Ringo, who has been vampirized and possessed by the immortal Black Dainn, and combines this with TakingYouWithMe to help destroy him. All the other vampires and immortals show a superimposed image of them screaming in agony when being destroyed by the Piledriver, the only means of killing them permanently, while during Ringo's sequence you instead see [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yYuvwlKw8c Ringo holding Dainn in a headlock so he can't escape]].
316* ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'': Krieg the Psychopath is a playable character who, as the name would suggest, is crazy. The only thing that sets him apart from all of the other Psychos is that he has a voice of reason in his mind that is always fighting to prevent him from killing innocent people. During gameplay, you mostly hear screams and rants consisting mostly of [[TalkativeLoon word salad]], but on occasion, you hear a much quieter voice of reason calling from inside the butcher's head. Sometimes the inner voice is melancholic, quietly wishing to be sane again, sometimes he displays the strength to hold the insanity in check. In one of the idle quotes, you hear the two arguing. The inner voice claims that if the AxCrazy Krieg kills an innocent person EVER, he will take control and commit suicide. Despite screaming in rage, yelling for the voice to get out of his head, this seems to be a valid enough threat that Krieg is subdued into obedience. WordOfGod says that "the inner voice is driving an out of control 18 wheeler and it is all he can to do steer and avoid everyone he can." The inner Krieg is always on the lookout for possible medical attention and help. He falls in love at first sight with another playable character named Maya. He convinces his outer voice to go save her from an attack and from there, a friendship is born and possibly a return to sanity in the future.
317* ''VideoGame/ConvictionSRPG'': Emperor Abyss is the boss of chapter 12A, but it's possible to weaken his defenses [[spoiler:by getting Jing near him, causing him to hesitate in fighting his own daughter. Whether or not this event is triggered, he'll teleport away and return to being fully under the Dark Elf's influence afterwards. Sadly, by chapter 20A, Abyss is completely consumed by the Dark Elf, who begins speaking through his body.]]
318* In the Book of Cain tie-in to ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'', Deckard Cain expresses his personal belief that [[spoiler: Prince Aidan aka the Warrior from the first game]] was fighting the Lord of Terror from the inside when the heroes of ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' defeated him.
319* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'':
320** Anders is a case of this due to allowing [[spoiler: Justice]] to possess him. He now has to constantly fight against the demon inside of him or become an abomination. He describes what this feels like in nightmarish terms: you're trapped behind your own eyes, unable to move your own body, wanting to scream and unable to, until you "look down at the blood on your hands."
321** Hawke, if a Mage, confronts Idunna about the disappearance of two Templars when she is revealed to be a Blood Mage and holds Hawke under the influence of Blood Magic, she forces them to slit their throat with a knife. Just before doing so, they resist, stating that they "Will not be toyed with" then breaks the influence, much to Idunna's shock.
322* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV:'' Edge's parents do this when you fight them as monsters, without even changing out of the battle screen. They can't be saved, but they decide to disappear on their own rather than ask for death.
323* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', attempting to talk to [[spoiler:Jecht in Aeon form]] causes its overdrive bar to reset, although it only works three times. Presumably, he's unreachable at that point.
324* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has this happen at the end of the 3.3 story with [[spoiler: Estinein, the Azure Dragoon who got possessed by his and his nation's greatest enemy, Nidhogg. Once the Warrior of Light defeats Nidhogg, the defiant dragon still tries to attack by using his spear, only for Estinien to regain control of his own body and force himself to drop the spear while choking himself. He then begs the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud to kill him so that Nidhogg would die with him. Instead, the two of them rip out [[EyesOfDoom Nidhogg's eyes]] that are fused to Estinien's armor and by doing so, the dragon's spirit is exorcised and is finally killed. Estinein survives.]]
325* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' has an example in the "Future Past" DLC, which revolves around a BadFuture in which the player character was possessed by the BigBad. The Avatar in this timeline is still resisting as best they can, by sending Chrom's party back to their home timeline for fear of killing him again, or begging the survivors of that timeline to MercyKill them. In the DLC's climax, they're able to retake control of their body [[HeroicSacrifice long enough for Lucina to strike home with the Exalted Falchion to slay the possessed Avatar once and for all]] -- [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration you can even see]] the Avatar's map sprite turn green, the color for an allied unit.
326* ''VideoGame/{{Geist}}'' has a different version, while the people the player possesses are completely under the player's control, if the player attempts to bring the host near anything that host is afraid of, despite the player's best efforts the host ''will not'' allow the player to go anywhere near it. Some of the game's puzzles are built around this fact.
327* You can see this happen with [[spoiler: Lynne and the justice minister]] in ''VideoGame/GhostTrick'' when [[spoiler: they are controlled by Yomiel.]]
328* Played straight in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'' when the [[TragicMonster Chaos Hound]] descends on [[CuteMonsterGirl Sveta]], but after catching her scent refuses to attack. [[spoiler: It is her brother, that is [[BrainwashedAndCrazy forced to fight her]] when the antagonists show up and reinforce the control.]]
329* In ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'', when fighting [[spoiler:the titular boss]] after being pushed below a certain health threshold, the music suddenly turns somber and it begins to repeatedly and brutally stab itself in the abdomen trying to destroy [[spoiler:the infection controlling it]] before succumbing again. It continues to regain control a couple more times in the fight and tries again every time, giving the Knight precious breathing room to heal or attack relentlessly as well. This all culminates in [[spoiler:the Hollow Knight's shade appearing when [[TrueFinalBoss The Radiance]] is defeated. Now free of its control, it rips The Radiance's face open, exposes its weak spot, and holds it open long enough for the Knight to shed its shell and finish it off by slashing it with its void tendrils.]]
330* In ''VideoGame/JustShapesAndBeats'', one of the bosses is [[spoiler:a character who has been established as sympathetic and a close friend of the protagonist, infected by TheCorruption. The battle, fittingly set to the song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIC1aK6CleE Close To Me]], revolves around the friend's attempts to break free -- at the midpoint, they even [[HopeSpot seem to actually break out]] and try to crawl away, before being re-corrupted.]]
331* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
332** In [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI the first game]], Riku briefly holds back Ansem, [[spoiler: and he gets kicked out of his body entirely for it.]]
333** The prequel, ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', has two cases of this. [[spoiler: When Ventus and Vanitas (his EnemyWithout) are reunited, they have a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind. When Master Xehanort possesses Terra (creating the character who later possesses Riku), Terra can help Aqua during the TrueFinalBoss fight, and ends up causing Xehanort's near-total memory loss.]]
334* In ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'', both Mortainius and [[spoiler:Janos Audron]] become possessed by the Dark Entity of Blood Omen. Mortainius fights this periodically by [[spoiler:setting the whole of Kain's destiny in motion by resurrecting him using the heart of darkness, while Janos breaks through the possession to ask Raziel to kill him.]]
335* Averted in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks''. [[EvilChancellor Cole]], being as savvy as he is, removed the Princesses' spirit from her body before performing the soul-transfer ritual on it, specifically so it couldn't end like this. She still manages to fight the possession though -- from outside.
336* In the remake of ''Videogame/LiveALive'', during the TrueFinalBoss [[spoiler:Oersted, locked within the Sin of Odio, begins to awaken and eventually is able to regain his sense of self enough to free himself and deliver the final blow]].
337* Several times in ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
338** [[spoiler:Fai Dan]] is being controlled by [[spoiler:the Thorian]] to kill you, but he kills himself instead.
339** [[spoiler:Benezia]] is indoctrinated, but she is able to break free long enough to give you the coordinates of the mu relay.
340** If you have high enough Charm or Intimidate, [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Saren]]]] can be convinced to break free of the indoctrination and shoot himself.
341** In one of the tie-in books, ''Literature/MassEffectRetribution'', Greyson spends most of the book doing this, unknowingly playing into Reaper hands on at least one occasion. [[AndIMustScream The only thing he achieves]], is [[ShaggyDogStory turning down a meal.]]
342* In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'', you can find the [[ApocalypticLog last testament]] of a Luminoth possessed by an Ing, a warrior who remains DefiantToTheEnd.
343-->'''D-Isl's Testament:''' It is inside me. I feel it spreading, clawing at my will, tearing at my thoughts. It moves me against my will, to this cavern. Here it will end. I do not wish this, do not want my body to become a weapon for the Ing within me. It hates. It demands obedience. I will fight to the end. I shall self-terminate before I will be a pawn of a filthy Ing.
344* ''VideoGame/MightyNo9'': Brandish is paranoid as he knows that he is infected, and he warns his brother Beck to stay away from him. He eventually falls under the virus' control from the shoulders down during his boss fight, prompting him to ask Beck to destroy him. Fortunately, Beck helps Brandish revert back to his normal self.
345* At the end of ''VideoGame/Mother3'', [[spoiler:it is revealed that the Masked Man is really Claus (although that was obvious)]], and is able to [[spoiler:break free of Porky's control]], immediately [[spoiler:killing himself.]]
346* In ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', [[spoiler:Princess Peach does this when she's possessed by the Shadow Queen in the final battle, after the latter's invincibility is broken. She even manages to use her healing magic from the first ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' on the party, so they can battle the evil demon with all their strength.]]
347** From the same game, [[spoiler: TEC-XX, the computer, was programmed to follow orders without question and learn to become more efficient. Since [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove he does not understand love]], but has to understand as much as possible to be as efficient as is expected of him, he asks the one person willing to teach him -- Princess Peach. This [[HeelFaceTurn causes him]] [[CouldSayItBut to allow Peach to send messages]] '[[LoopHoleAbuse in exchange for her help]]', spy on the very people that created him, and ultimately subvert his programming in an overt fashion to help the heroes [[HeroicSacrifice even if it could mean his own death]]]].
348* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'': The level of Lungfishopolis takes place inside the mind of Linda the lungfish, who has been brainwashed by Dr. Loboto and Coach Oleander to kidnap the children of Whispering Rock and transfer them to Thorney Towers. Inside her mind, amidst the lungfish who worship Kochamara (a mental implant of Coach Oleander designed to look like some kind of ''Series/{{Ultraman}}''-styled hero, don't ask) are a bunch of lungfish freedom fighters who want to destroy the broadcasting tower that's brainwashing all of the citizens. It's pretty clear that the freedom fighters [[AllegoricalCharacter symbolize]] the part of Linda's mind that isn't too happy about her brainwashing.
349* In ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo7'', when Arle gets [[spoiler: possessed by Ecolo, she attempts and succeeds to stop him.]] Later in the game, Satan [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight sensed that Arle is]] [[spoiler: in fact possessed.]] And comes the boss battle, of course, with [[AutobotsRockOut some epic music.]]
350* ''VideoGame/RadiantArc'': [[spoiler:Seperus takes control of all six elemental spirits one last time and has them attack the party all at the same time. Fortunately, Terra manages to resist his influence long enough to trap herself, Taima, and Venilia on one side of an earth wall, allowing the party to fight only [[WolfPackBoss three at a time]].]]
351* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil''
352** This was added to [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake the remake]] of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' when you battle the mutated William Birkin for the first time. He clearly has [[VoiceOfTheLegion two distinct voices]] and you'll occasionally hear his human self calling for help amid his monster self roaring and yelling for Sherry. This also gives you some free shots on him when he pauses to clutch his head and writhe around.
353** Brad Vickers in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake'' gets bitten by a zombie and later becomes a zombie when you encounter him as Carlos. Marvin kneecaps Brad and apologizes while Brad, in his zombified state, also apologizes. Brad's humanity immediately dies as his zombified form resurges and bites Marvin in the torso.
354** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' has [[spoiler: Jill Valentine being controlled by Wesker via a device attached to her chest that pumps a solution into her blood that forces her to obey Wesker's commands. When Chris and Sheva outlast the fight against Jill and Wesker, Jill then proceeds to pin down Chris who then tells Jill who he is. Chris' agonized pleas cause Jill to briefly regain control of herself, causing her to ease up on her aggression. Wesker notes that Jill is still managing to resist being controlled, so he injects more solution into her bloodstream, causing her to lose control of herself again. However, with the last ounce of strength, Jill rips off the top of her battle suit to reveal the device to Chris and Sheva so that they can remove it. From then on, if you're playing as Chris, you can get close and "appeal" to her with the action button to stun her.]]
355* In ''VideoGame/{{Sacrifice}}'' the Firefist unit is a troll that's been brainwashed by the fire god Pyro. Their StopPokingMe dialogue has them start to overcome the conditioning with a triumphant chant of "Troll! Troll! Troll!".....and then start screaming for a while before brokenly giving the standard "clicked on" line. Seems Pyro knew what he was doing.
356* In ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'', the U.N.N. commander William Diego manages to resist [[TheVirus The Many's]] control over him long enough to ''[[{{Determinator}} remove the parasitic worm from his head by himself]].'' He also is the ''only'' character we hear of in the game that ever manages to completely fight off the HiveMind's effects.
357* Near the finale of ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'', [[spoiler:Emil struggles against the control of his SuperpoweredEvilSide]], complete with self throat-grab, switching voices, and general flailing about before the bad side fully assumes control. [[spoiler:Except that it's an act. It's gentle!Emil the entire time]].
358* ''VideoGame/TearsToTiara2'': The little boy Keto is crying as he's mind-controlled to tell her sick litter sister to pray to [[{{God}} Watos]] by the [[KnightTemplar village]] [[GiantSpider priest]].
359* As a pretty sucky version of this, Ciel of ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' could only limit her Roa persona enough to kill everyone in her village ''slower'' than Roa normally would. And maybe less painfully. That's after weeks of shutting herself in her room so she wouldn't slaughter her unknowing family. Nevertheless, by the time Arcueid shows up to kill her, her effort has been in vain and the entire town has been turned to The Dead. It's implied that every host of Roa is like this because it isn't straight possession so much as adapting the host to his goals. Wherever he shows up on his reincarnation, is generally a town full of The Dead by the time Arcueid stops him. Shiki is TheHero, so in the route where Roa enters him, he resists well enough to destroy Roa and also have partial control over his body. [[spoiler:It also helps that Roa did it in a bit of a different manner, AND there was less time at stake. Shiki was still approaching the point of no return, though.]]
360* ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'': Jade's TruthSerums power doesn't work on everyone. Anyone strong-willed enough is able to resist it, for instance [[spoiler:Kalim.]]
361* In the neutral route final boss fight for ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', [[spoiler:the 6 human souls used to make [[EldritchAbomination Omega Flowey]] offer help throughout the fight as your opponent gets more and more frantic, eventually mounting enough resistance to finish him off themselves.]]
362* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
363** One of the earliest examples is Vaelastraz the corrupted red dragon in Blackwing Lair, who ''apologizes'' whenever he kills a player, and starts the battle by buffing the players to the point that they're able to (barely) defeat him.
364** It seems like half the undead Scourge bosses in ''Wrath of the Lich King'' [[DyingAsYourself thank you for killing them]], not counting the ones for whom it was a case of ICannotSelfTerminate from the beginning in the other expansions.
365[[/folder]]
366
367[[folder:Visual Novels]]
368* In ''VisualNovel/SlayThePrincess'', this can happen depending on which of the game's MultipleEndings you get. [[spoiler:You can do this when you refuse the slay the princess, but the narrator tries to force you to anyway. You'll have multiple choices to "Slay the princess" in the menu, and only one to resist or otherwise try to defy he Narrator. In the Damsel setting, she stabs you repeatedly, but [[ApologeticAttacker tearfully says she's sorry to you over and over again while she kills you]]. In the Prisoner setting, the princess coldly apologizes, promises to give you a MercyKill, and delivers with a SlashedThroat.]]
369[[/folder]]
370
371[[folder:Webcomics]]
372* ''Webcomic/{{Aurora|2019}}'': Erin fights back twice against the Void Dragon when he is possessed, first by warning Kendal to run away and later by paralyzing his body to immobilize the Dragon in a cave full of dangerous monsters.
373* When Ellen is possessed by the aberration Sirleck in the ''Sister 3'' arc of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', her built-in advantage of having been literally created by magic allows her to eventually overpower Sirleck and [[http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2018-03-21 restrain him until Magus is in a condition to destroy him]].
374* Happens to Webcomic/{{Garanos}} a couple times, and she does manage to purge her possessor eventually.
375* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'':
376** Agatha Heterodyne, in Castle Heterodyne, when The Other takes over her body. When she realizes Gil is dying, her HeroicWillpower overcomes its control, complete with staggered voice.
377** After Klaus Wulfenbach is infested with a Slaver Wasp that forces him to obey The Other's commands, and her direct control over Agatha is temporarily suppressed, he immediately attempts to strangle her before The Other can command him again.
378* Implied in ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' with [[spoiler:Jeanne, an ancient ghost driven by ThePowerOfHate to guard the Annan River against all trespassers. Nonetheless, she holds back on killing blows against Annie and Parley. Given how horrifically [[http://gunnerkrigg.com/?p=1315 lethal she can be]], Parley [[http://gunnerkrigg.com/?p=781 points out]] that Jeanne was holding back for some reason.]]
379* ''Webcomic/LegioArcana''
380** Jay in werewolf form seems to respond to Tim’s encouragement for him to regain control of his human mental faculties
381** Possessed by a demon, [[spoiler:Nolan]] breaks through, pleads for the priest to continue with the exorcism, and completes a prayer.
382* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', when [[spoiler: Durkon becomes a vampire, his actual soul/consciousness is a trapped observer of the machinations of the vampire spirit now controlling his body. When the vampire needs Durkon's memories, Durkon is able to use ExactWords and YouDidntAsk to stymie his efforts and ultimately overpower him.]]
383* ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' featured this with their feudal Japan GenreShift, where a man possessed by his sword broke free long enough to drive a dagger into his eye. It kept him alive anyway.
384* Happens to Oasis in ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', though in her case it's actually one [[BrainWashed mind controlled]] personality against another. Her normal programming, which compels her to love Torg, conflicts with her Override B-1 programming which compels her to kill Torg's best friend. [[https://archives.sluggy.com/book.php?chapter=30#2002-07-07 The result]] is compared to a CD skipping.
385-->'''Oasis:''' Torgy? ''Override B-1!'' Torgy? ''Override B-1!'' Torgy? ''Override B-1!''
386* The world of ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'' is ridden with a disease that is a death sentence for the majority of people and animals infected with it, but changes a small portion of its victims into horribly mutated zombies of sorts that attack anything that moves or makes noise in their vicinity (hence the RuleNumberOne from the title). Some of those seen up close have been seen calling for help or regaining awareness long enough to stop an attack or letting themselves get a MercyKill.
387[[/folder]]
388
389[[folder:Web Originals]]
390* In ''Literature/ArcanaMagi'', Alysia Morales confronts her real self but won't accept the truth. Meanwhile, whenever Reya Everheart resists, she [[StepfordSmiler Stepford Smiles]].
391* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'':
392** While Yasha was [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed by Obann]], she could frequently be seen crying while carrying out his bidding, and Matt flavors her missed hits as her struggling against Obann's influence. She later reveals [[AndIMustScream she was aware the whole time]] and fought back at multiple points, but it was just too hard for her to escape his charm.
393** During the final battle of the second campaign, [[spoiler:the Mighty Nein [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight call out to Mollymauk inside Lucien's soul]], trying to get him to fight back. Lucien is noticeably affected whenever one of these shouts cuts through, distracting him from the fight (in game terms: whenever one of the Nein makes a successful Persuasion check, Lucien loses a Legendary Action). Near the end, Molly's influence gets stronger -- Lucien rakes a clawed hand over his own face after killing Jester, and after the final blow is dealt, his arms move without his input to [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe rip himself in half]].]]
394* ''WebVideo/NewLifeSMP'': As [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul the Copper Golem computer starts to take over him more and more]], Sparrow shows in his 6th episode that his human mind and emotional core still exists; he decides to construct an "irrigation" machine at the end of the episode to [[spoiler:pour saltwater on himself and fry his own circuitry]], not wanting to be a Copper Golem anymore. Throughout the construction process, he deliberately uses vague terminology so that the robotic computer in him [[spoiler:can't detect [[DrivenToSuicide what he's actually doing]] in order to physically stop him from doing it, [[DyingAsYourself until it's too late]]]].
395* ''WebVideo/PiratesSMP'': After becoming BrainwashedAndCrazy a couple of weeks prior, repeatedly throughout the start of the SMP finale, Sausage can be seen trying to snap out of being possessed by the Whispers via the "Harvester of Souls" sword and seek help from the Sun God to get his sword-enforced murderous tendencies under control. At one point, he manages to put the sword away into his backpack, only for the Whispers to force him to take it out again. Finally, though, [[spoiler:he does manage to overpower the Whispers for long enough to get help from the Sun God one last time and quiet the Whispers before everything else in the finale goes down]].
396[[/folder]]
397
398[[folder:Western Animation]]
399* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': The episode "Flippy" involves Jimmy enhancing his dad Hugh's puppet Flippy with tech to improve his comedy act. Flippy soon develops sentience and begins draining Hugh's brainpower in order to use to automate his body. Once Jimmy and friends figured it out, Flippy bemoans that the only reason he hadn't achieved his goal yet was because Hugh had been fighting him the entire time over the course of at least a day.
400* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers'': Eliza Foxx in "Psychocrypt". The [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen of the Crowns]] ripped out her LifeEnergy and kept it in a [[SoulJar Psychocrystal]]. The Queen later uses the crystal to put together a nightmare machine that subjects Eliza and her husband to MindRape on a nightly basis. Zach makes a [[YouAreWorthHell last-ditch attempt to rescue her]], but she breaks the control long enough to try and tell him that it's a trap. (Not like it matters by that point...) Later, when Zach is tossed in the crypt, and [[AgonyBeam enduring massive amounts of pain]] she tries to comfort him.
401--> '''Eliza:''' Zachary, my husband. I've missed you so. You must be strong. [[YouAreNotAlone Our spirits will always be one...]]
402* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'': WordOfGod for "[[Recap/BatmanBeyondS3E10E11TheCall The Call]]" says this trope is why [[spoiler:Superman brought Terry in to investigate someone sabotaging the WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague, even though ''he was the traitor'' -- under the influence of StarfishAlien [[PuppeteerParasite Starro]]]]. (In the episode itself, this can be inferred by [[spoiler:how surprised he is when the rest of the League turns on him]].)
403* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cybersix}}'': In one episode, Lucas is turned into a werewolf under the control of the MonsterOfTheWeek. In an amazing use of HeroicWillpower, Lucas-Werewolf switches sides and fights the Monster of the Week off before she kills Cybersix, never actually regaining his human mental faculties until after [[NoOntologicalInertia the transformation reverts]]. Bonus points for his eyes going from yellow to white when he switches.
404* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'':
405** Danny himself in "[[Recap/DannyPhantomS2E17KindredSpirits Kindred Spirits]]". [[spoiler:After Vlad kidnaps him, he reveals that he needs a sample of Danny's morph DNA to complete his clone. Because Danny clearly isn't just going to morph because he asked nicely, Vlad has one of the imperfect clones possess him to force the transformation. This [[HeroicWillpower clearly doesn't work]], because the next time we see them Danny is hooked up to a machine that [[ElectricTorture channels increasing levels of electricity through his body]]. Only ''then'' does he begin to transform, and even then, he manages to force the transformation rings back down through sheer willpower. Then he overloads the machine and it blows up, freeing him and allowing him to fight off the clone completely. Not only does he (temporarily) escape, but the clone ''melts from the strain''.]]
406** It probably runs in the [[BadassFamily family]], since his BumblingDad [[HeroicWillpower managed to throw off being overshadowed]], despite [[BadassNormal not having any ghost powers]], and on top of that, the overshadowing ghost in question was ''[[BigBad Vlad]]''.
407* Dib does this in ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' for a little bit when hypnotized by Pustulio. He doesn't last long but it does give us this little moment:
408-->'''Zim:''' Now tell me the flaw in my house's defenses!\
409'''Dib:''' Can't...must...infiltrate.
410* In Season 2 of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' has Shendu possesing Valmont's body and the two argue regularly. One episode of Season 4 has Valmont at odds with an oni mask he puts on.
411%%* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'': "C-C-C-CAN'T... LOSE... CONTROL! ''[[VoiceOfTheLegion WILL STRONG!]]'' '''''[[HeliumSpeech BODY WEAK!]]'''''"
412* In the Season 1 finale of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfVoxMachina'', "[[Recap/TheLegendOfVoxMachinas01E12TheDarknessWithin The Darkness Within]]", Percy fights long and hard to stop himself from succumbing to the control of a demon he unwittingly made a pact with. Even while it's tormenting him with visions and flashbacks of his family and the people who slaughtered them, a combination of his own will and ThePowerOfFriendship lead him to finally force Orthax out of him by shooting his own hand.
413* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'':
414** In season three, the other members of the Hexsquad are heavily implied to be fighting against [[spoiler:the Collector's puppeting]] in an effort to help Luz out of her nightmare.
415** Happens twice during [[DemonicPossession possessions by Belos]]. [[spoiler:Hunter]] can't manage it until [[spoiler:Belos badly injures [[{{Familiar}} Flapjack]]]]. [[spoiler:Raine]] manages it alone, and seems to throw off [[spoiler:both the Collector's puppeting ''and'' Belos' possession]].
416* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'':
417** Jack fights against the evil of Aku for nearly the entire length of Episode 43 when Aku's sneeze sends a portion of his substance into Jack and makes him "sick" (the same way Aku is -- you know, all the time?). [[spoiler: In a powerful and painful final few minutes, [[HopeSpot Aku successfully destroys an easy-to-use Time Portal]] [[DramaticIrony with Jack's sword]]; however, even after this painful loss, Jack [[HeroicWillpower finds the courage, hope, power, and truth to expel Aku from his body]], with [[ThePowerOfFriendship the power of friendship]] playing an important part as well.]]
418** Happens again in Season 5, this time with [[spoiler:Ashi, who has been hijacked by [[TheCorruption Aku's essence]]. While Ashi is having a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind, Jack can't bring himself to harm Ashi and it seems that [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight he cannot talk her out of it]], which leads into him being on the receiving end of the {{Curb Stomp Battle}}s until he makes an AnguishedDeclarationOfLove to her, causing Ashi to expel Aku's essence and use her own to turn the tables against Aku]].
419%%* Dahli in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Skyland}}'' episode "Manipulations".
420* Randy Marsh, during the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS16E8Sarcastaball Sarcastaball]]", gradually succumbs to a disease that makes him unable to not be sarcastic. At one point in a conversation with his wife where everything he says is in SarcasmMode, he briefly, after a [[{{Beat}} short pause]], says "Help me, Sharon" with [[TearsOfFear tears in his eyes]].
421* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'':
422** In "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS2E8BrainInvaders Brain Invaders]]", {{Puppeteer Parasite}}s take over the crew of a ship returning from a battle. In the climax, Barriss gets infected when she gets cornered by infected clones, leading to her and Ahsoka fighting. Ahsoka tries to [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight snap her out of it]] while defending herself and trying to freeze over the ship to kill the parasites. As the temperature starts to freeze the both of them, an incapacitated Barriss briefly returns to normal to beg Ahsoka to MercyKill her, though the parasite takes over again and tries to attack Ahsoka, who we see from Barriss's perspective doing a SecondPersonAttack, followed by characters discovering [[DiedInYourArmsTonight a frozen Ahsoka holding a frozen Barriss]]. It later turns out that the two of them are fine and Ahsoka is glad she didn't have to MercyKill Barriss and the others.
423** In the GrandFinale, [[spoiler:Rex [[DownplayedTrope isn't able to completely resist the activation of Order 66]], but is able to hold it back just long enough to warn Ahsoka of what's happening, give her a vital clue, and stop himself from shooting her dead right away. The ManlyTears he sheds while doing so make it clear that it's agonizing for him to do. Fortunately, Ahsoka is able to break the mind control by knocking him out and using a medical chamber to surgically remove the control chip in his head]].
424* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'': In "[[Recap/SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS1E13TwosACrowd Two's a Crowd]]", the jailed Parasite makes a deal with the authorities, offering to get into a terrorist's mind to find where a bomb is planted in exchange for cable TV in his cell; unfortunately, the terrorist's superior willpower is too much for him, and the guy takes over. At first, the Parasite is reluctantly willing to cooperate with the guy, ''until'' he realizes that the guy is more than willing to let his body die in order to complete his mad scheme, at which point, with Superman's urging, he fights the guy for control, and eventually wins.
425* In the ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'' episodes "Silicon Valley Girls" and "The Yuck Factor", a student and Jerry, respectively, manage to fight off the episodes' BigBad in order to give the girls an edge.
426* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Underdog}}'' episode "The Phony Phone Booths", Underdog comes under Simon bar Sinister's mind control after entering one of his phone booths. Underdog is ordered to destroy [[ActionGirlfriend Sweet Poly Purebred]] (who is axing one of the phony booths), but [[spoiler:internal rebellion literally blasts off the mind control.]]
427* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'': in the episode "The Last Temptation of Raimundo" Rai is slowly being possessed by animated Shen Gong Wu. Throughout the episode, he's fighting the process, to varying degrees of success. Ultimately, his will is broken and the ghostly villain Wuya takes over his empty body. However, during a Xiaolin Showdown with his friends they try to initiate a team move, [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight hoping the battle cry can get through to him]]. It works, and Rai ejects Wuya from his body.
428* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'': [[spoiler:The scarab fights back against the Reach once it's put on-mode, by purposefully stalling and making poor tactical decisions.]]
429%%** Jaime ''tries'' to do this, but unfortunately, [[DeadpanSnarker snarking]] isn't enough.
430[[/folder]]
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