Line #127 Main/RegretfulTraitor


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11	[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/superid28.png]]]]
12	[[caption-width-right:350:"Maybe if you had [[{{Superdickery}} just given me some water that one time]] I would have kept my lips more tightly shut."]]
13
14	->''"When Judas, who betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 'I have sinned,' he said, 'for I have betrayed innocent blood.' 'What is that to us?' they replied. 'That's your responsibility.' So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."''
15	-->-- '''[[Literature/TheFourGospels Matthew 27:5]]''', ''Literature/TheBible''
16
17	Sometimes, after a traitor makes their FaceHeelTurn, they might, after some time, regret their treachery. The reasons for this may be that things didn't quite go according to plan, they realized that BeingEvilSucks, they were ForcedIntoEvil, TrappedInVillainy, or maybe fate forced them to betray their allies. Whatever the cause, a Regretful Traitor is likely to apologize later on or in rare cases, even ask for forgiveness from their former allies. However, [[HeelFaceDoorSlam their former allies may not be ready to forgive them so soon]].
18
19	Compare with HeelFaceDoorSlam, where a villain regrets the wrong they've done, but it's too late for reform. Related to HeelFaceTurn, where a villain (though not necessarily a traitor) joins the good side. Subtrope of HeelRealization and MyGodWhatHaveIDone.
20
21	!!As this is a {{Betrayal Trope\|s}}, [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff unmarked spoilers abound]]. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned Beware]].
22	----
23	!!Examples:
24	[[foldercontrol]]
25	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
26	* Freya from '' Anime/DoraemonNobitasDriftsInTheUniverse'' betrays the Space Knight troup and sells out the earthlings to the main villain, Angolmois, resulting in Doraemon and the Knights' other earthling friends' arrest, because she genuinely believes she's doing it for the good of the Knights by ending their aimless drifts in space after being stuck in their PlanetSpaceship for 300 years. She comes to deeply regret her betrayal and comes back to help the heroes escape by gunning down enemy robots in a hangar and later assists the heroes in taking doen Angolmois in the final battle.
27	* [[spoiler:Erstin Ho]] from the ''Anime/MyOtome'' anime is one of many Schwartz spies, and in her case, she infiltrates Garderobe Academy. Even though her entire family has served Schwartz, she grows attached to her friends there in spite of her mother's warnings, and [[spoiler:dies trying to shield Arika from Nina's attack, leaving behind a letter that calls Arika and Nina her friends]].
28	* Homura Akemi from ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion''. As if she didn't hate herself enough to begin with, her decision to [[spoiler: split Madoka from her godlike powers, render her mortal and erase her memories of the series]], while arguably necessary, was an act she considers so beyond the pale that she proclaimed herself a demon for it.
29	[[/folder]]
30
31	[[folder:Comic Books]]
32	* ''ComicBook/Lazarus2013'': When [[spoiler:Joacquim]]'s cybernetics are forcibly overridden by [[spoiler:his family]], he begs Forever to flee, even attempting to [[DrivenToSuicide kill himself]] to stop the process.
33	* In ''ComicBook/TheOldGuard'', [[spoiler:Sébastien "Booker" Lelivre]] betrays the team in hopes that this will finally enable him to die, as he's grown tired of living. He grows even more regretful upon seeing [[spoiler:Andromache]] lose their HealingFactor, forcing him to confront just what said betrayal entails for ''all'' of them.
34	* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':
35	** [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: Antiope betrays her queen Hippolyta in order to dethrone her, but regrets it before the day is through when her plan comes to fruition and ends up sacrificing herself to save Hippolyta.
36	** [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 Vol 2]]: During ComicBook/TheContest Hippolyta betrays her own daughter and her people's oaths and traditions by having Diana's powers siphoned gradually to ComicBook/{{Artemis}} in order for Artemis to become the Wonder Woman who is prophecised to die. She is stubborn in insisting that she did what any mother would until it later becomes evident that her manipulating will lead to her daughter's death as well, by which point their relationship is already irreparably damaged.
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder:Fan Works]]
40	* ''Fanfic/AColdCalculus'': Despite recognizing that the JLF have become nothing more than pawns of the SDECE, Todoh still balks at the prospect of deserting them. After they bomb Keio Hospital, he finds the resolve to follow through, but remains deeply unhappy about having to fight his former comrades.
41	* ''Fanfic/AllForLuz'' {{Deconstruction}}. Riley Stewardson is a teenage mercenary with a DarkAndTroubledPast who was forced into working for a CorruptChurch that employs teenage superpower mercenaries. She reunites with her little cousin Luz, whom she generally loves. Then Riley learns that one of the bounties of who she has to kill is her cousin Luz. Riley is heartbroken and horrified by the fact that she has to kill her little cousin but ultimately decides to do the deed; she justifies it by saying that if she doesn't do it, [[YouHaveFailedMe she'll eventually be killed]], and Luz will eventually be killed by someone else. While Riley is generally regretful and wants to make at least sure that Luz's mother, Camila Noceda, is spared, she does ultimately betray her cousin in an attempt to kill her, and no amount of remorse makes what she did better. [[ItGetsEasier It's implied that Riley has been desensitized to all the killing she previously done]] and is too afraid to do the right thing and protect her cousin. [[spoiler:Ultimately, her betrayal of Luz backfires and adds to another one of the traumas Luz experiences, turning her from a NiceGirl into a hardened villain-in-the-making. When Riley realizes what she has done, she's genuinely remorseful and wants to make up for what she did. It's too late, and Luz does not trust her. Luz kills Riley with her own Quirk, and she dies a traitor, remorseful for her actions, but it's too late for her to make things right.]]
42	* ''Fanfic/AllForYou'': While All For One is willing to sell out [[spoiler:Dr. Garaki]] in order to earn the privilege of being allowed to stay with his son, he isn't pleased about doing so, as they were his oldest ally, and it serves as another reminder of how he's [[spoiler:completely dismantling his criminal empire]].
43	* ''Fanfic/BetterLuckNextTime'': [[spoiler:Haruta]] is forced to betray U.A. when the villains threaten to kill [[spoiler:his sister]], and deeply regrets going through with it.
44	* ''Fanfic/{{Change}}'': While Harvest Leaf participated in attacking Princess Twilight, guilt drives them to inform Celestia and Luna where their base is.
45	* ''Fanfic/EmilyFallenAngelAUDoraiwaSan'': [[WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel Sera]] is heartbroken over having [[KickTheMoralityPet cast Emily into Hell]].
46	* ''Fanfic/LiesOfAttrition'': While Chat Noir is undoubtedly [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned]], he still holds tremendous regret over [[DealWithTheDevil joining Chrysalis]] to undo the Wish, as it puts him on opposite sides with [[TrueCompanions Ladybug]]. This causes him to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone frequently question]] [[GreyAndGrayMorality the morality]] of his situation. His [[spoiler: recurring nightmares of [[ApocalypseHow Chat]] [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Blanc]]]] don't help matters. However, he's still committed to [[DramaticIrony undoing Monarque's Wish]] and [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong setting things right]].
47	--> '''Chat Noir:''' Fighting her last night almost destroyed me. Every blow I landed—every small victory—felt like a knife carving at my insides. The way she looked at me when I demanded her miraculous—it tore me to pieces.\
48	'''Marinette:''' (tearfully) Why then? Why did you keep fighting her?\
49	'''Chat Noir:''' [[IDidWhatIHadToDo What other choice do I have?]] Chrysalis promised she wouldn’t akumatize anyone against their will. I wouldn’t work with her if she did—I’d never let her use an innocent like that. But the only alternative is to fight Ladybug myself.
50	* ''Fanfic/NeverSayNever'': Both Mukuro and Sakura were manipulated into betraying the other students, much to their remorse. Ironically, neither is aware of the other's status as such, which Monokuma eventually exploits for one of his motives.
51	* ''Fanfic/TruthAndConsequences'': After learning that Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth, Ladybug [[DealWithTheDevil strikes a deal with him]] in hopes of protecting Adrien from being ConvictedByPublicOpinion and [[SinsOfTheFather punished for his father's sins]] by ensuring the AwfulTruth never comes out. Naturally, she regrets how this means that she's working against Chat Noir and the other heroes, though she tries to convince herself that the damage she's doing can be fixed once she gets her hands on his Ring.
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
55	* In ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'', after Iago integrates himself with the good guys, Jafar appears before him and pressures him into helping with his plan for revenge. Iago deeply felt guilty about betraying Aladdin and the others, but had no choice because Jafar kept him under constant surveillance to ensure he did his part. The moment Jafar eased off and was no longer paying attention to him, Iago set about making things right.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
59	* ''Film/ThreeHundred'': Ephialtes is noticeably wincing after seeing the contempt and StealthInsult lobbed at him by Leonidas after having sold out his fellow Greeks to the invading Persian army. He reappears in ''Film/ThreeHundredRiseOfAnEmpire'' as an envoy for the Persians, where he has a PleaseKillMeIfItSatisfiesYou moment with Themistocles.
60	* ''Franchise/StarWars'': In ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', after the Empire arrives in Cloud City, Lando is forced to betray his old friend Han Solo by having him frozen in carbonite. Lando later makes up for it, however, by helping Leia and Chewie escape Cloud City. [[spoiler:In the next movie he is a key character on the protagonists' side, instrumental in destroying the [[SpaceStation second Death Star]].]]
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Literature]]
64	* In ''Literature/CodexAlera'', Fidelias betrays the First Lord to prevent what he views as inevitable civil war when he dies with no heir. When a suitable heir reveals himself, he wishes to preserve the house of Gaius. By the sixth, and last book, [[spoiler:he has had multiple chances of just escaping while under the guise of the soldier he infiltrated the heir's forces under, but kept staying and fighting to help the heir. When he is finally found out, he is willing to accept death for his crimes until the heir's love interest convinces the heir to keep the traitor alive because they will need every capable fighter against the monstrous horde they are going to war against]].
65	* In ''Literature/{{Dune}}'', Dr. Yueh is truly regretful for betraying the Atreides. The Harkonnens forced him into treason by kidnapping his wife and threatening to torture or kill her if he didn't agree. They ended up killing both anyway.
66	** Which he expected. He knew they would never let her free, so he hoped that by doing what they said they would at least kill her rather than torture her. With the Harkonnens, the torture was likely to last years.
67	* ''Literature/ForgottenRealms'': As of ''Literature/{{Transitions}}'' Jarlaxle has betrayed [[spoiler: Entreri to the Netherese]] somewhere between books. His original plan was to betray him, then later rescue him, when he had his resources in place again. Unfortunately, he was outmaneuvered by [[spoiler: Quenthel and Kimmuriel]], who made him forget about the incident. Apparently he has regained his memories now and is deeply regretful of his actions and seeks to mend things with [[spoiler:Entreri]].
68	* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
69	** There's [[spoiler: Peter Pettigrew who showed some traces of remorse even though the main reason might have been the fact that the betrayal wasn't worth what he got.]]
70	** While we don't nearly get as much about her, there's also [[spoiler:Marietta Edgecombe, who in the wake of the work SNEAK appearing in pimples on her face after betraying Dumbledore's Army, doesn't say anything else to Umbridge to further incriminate Harry (although that's at least partly because of Shacklebolt casting a Memory Charm on her). At the very least, some fans have taken her actions after the betrayal to mean as such.]]
71	* ''Literature/{{Hurog}}'':
72	** ''Literature/DragonBones'' has Ward betraying the dragons again, after his ancestors did it once. His reasons are honourable, he just thinks some old dragon bones are not worth the lives of many human beings. In the end, he does the right thing, after someone explains to him just how dangerous dragon bones can be in the wrong hands. He sadly thinks about how people will remember him; a traitor of his duty (which was to protect the dragons).
73	** In ''Literature/DragonBlood'' there is [[spoiler: Garranon]], who apologizes immediately after giving [[spoiler: Ward]] a drugged drink of water.
74	* [[spoiler: [[YouAreNumberSix Five]]]] in ''Literature/LorienLegacies''.
75	* Officer Jeff in ''Literature/TheMentalState'' acts as an informant in the police force for Saif Dhu Hadin. He even provides him with the means to control the other prisoners. However, the only reason why he does this is because Saif is paying for his daughter's medical treatments and she would die without them. He is clearly unhappy with his current predicament but unable to do anything about it. [[spoiler:Once Zack devises a method by which Saif is forced to pay the medical bills anyway, Jeff happily accepts his punishment and even thanks Zack for what he did]].
76	* ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'': [[spoiler:Erskine Ravel, aka the Man with the Golden Eyes,]] is truly scornful towards himself when he's forced to betray and murder his old friends [[spoiler:Ghastly Bespoke and Anton Shudder]] in ''Last Stand of the Dead Men'' to advance his plans for sorcerer-supremacy. When one of his allies mocks their corpses, he nearly kills him as well for daring to disrespect two of the greatest heroes he ever met. This is one of the many reasons why he states that he [[NoPlaceForMeThere will not have a place in new world order he is about to create]].
77	* ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'': George, the Duke of Clarence, betrays his brother Edward IV because he thinks he will become king. When that doesn't work out, he deeply regrets his actions.
78	* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'', [[spoiler:Hollyleaf]] murdered [[spoiler:Ashfur]] to avoid him revealing to the Clans that she's the product of a forbidden relationship, and later fled the Clan and was believed to be dead. There is a novella that documents her life outside the Clan as she begins to regret her actions and forgive her birth mother, but feels that she cannot return, so she tries to help from afar by leaving them medicinal herbs and prey. [[spoiler:Eventually she does return, after saving the lives of some [=ThunderClanners=].]]
79	* ''Literature/TheZombieKnight'' has Melchor Blackburn (and the rest of House Blackburn), who attacked the Rainlords' rear base and captured their noncombatants, but was visibly unhappy about it even as he fought and later swore an oath to kill the man who had blackmailed them into doing so.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82
83	[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
84	* Jayne Cobb in ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' “Ariel”. He betrays Simon and River to the Hands of Blue but regrets it when he sees what they did to River’s brain. His telling Mal as much is part of what stops him being ThrownOutTheAirlock by Mal later.
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
88	* Subverted with Wrestling/TripleH. While he might feel bad about it, especially when it comes to bite him back in the ass (see: Wrestling/RandyOrton), Hunter has never regretted any of his treachery. When it comes down to it, Hunter really only cares about himself and his family, and will let everyone else out to dry if he thinks it's convenient.
89	* Played straight with Wrestling/SethRollins. After betraying the rest of Wrestling/TheShield, he continuously stated that he never saw Wrestling/DeanAmbrose and Wrestling/RomanReigns as his friends and brothers and many of his actions afterwards seemingly cemented that. However, there was more than one tell that he was actually lying, and that he truly had cared for them. After the above Wrestling/TripleH betrayed him, the illusion broke, and it became clear to everyone that deep down, Seth Rollins actually considered breaking up the Shield and joining the Authority to be [[MyGreatestFailure the biggest mistake of his life]].
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Religion]]
93	* Literature/TheBible has the story of Judas Iscariot, who gave back his thirty pieces of silver and hanged himself after his betrayal of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}; alternatively, he bought a plot of land and fell down in it, spilling his guts out. Some people try to reconcile both by saying he bought a plot of land, hanged himself, and when his corpse rotted, his intestines fell out.
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:Video Games]]
97	* LovableRogue Yoshimo from ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'' turns out to be [[TheMole a mole]] planted in the party by [[BigBad Irenicus]], and he is ''not'' happy about this in the least. Unfortunately he's under a {{Geas}}; a very powerful one at that, one that wont just kill him, but cause severe agony if he tries to disobey, so there's not a damn thing he can do about it. He's forced to betray the party once they arrive at Spellhold, and eventually meets his end when Irenicus sics him and the other servants on you to cover his escape.
98	%%ZCE:Which game?* Another one Creator/BioWare: The Sith Warrior recruits Malavai Quinn, a quiet and consummately professional Imperial officer. Quinn is working for Darth Baras the entire time because Baras salvaged Quinn's career. That, and a non-Force Sensitive has little rights compared to a Sith, who can rape, torture, and kill them with zero legal repercussions. Even though he's come to be more loyal to the Warrior than Baras, he still tries to get them all on the same side and hates the position he's put in.
99	* ''VideoGame/{{Dreamfall}}'':
100	** In ''VideoGame/DreamfallTheLongestJourney'' Na'ane is majorly distraught over betraying the rebels at swordpoint. Made even worse by the fact that she thought she was betraying one Rebel Leader so that the rest of the rebels could survive, but ended up selling out their entire main camp.
101	** In ''VideoGame/DreamfallChapters'' Na'ane has become TheAtoner, working her ass off to repay her debt to the rebels (who still have no idea about what she's done).
102	* ''VideoGame/FakeHappyEnd'': Karin tricked the party members into helping her explore the tower [[spoiler:so that she can find a way to escape, even though doing so means they will eventually be unable to interact with people outside the tower. She eventually comes to see them as friends and regrets lying to them.]]
103	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' has [[spoiler: RebelLeader and GuestStarPartyMember Vossler, who pulls a MacGuffinDeliveryService on the PlayerParty]] because he honestly believes submitting to the Empire is Dalmasca's only hope for peace and that he and Ashe are fighting a battle they cannot win. He has a TearJerker final scene with [[spoiler:his old comrade Basch]] after the BossFight with him where he expresses these regrets.
104	* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'':
105	** Magolor is heavily implied to be this in ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand''. The description of his OneWingedAngel form is ''A sad shell possessed by the limitless power of the Master Crown, no more than a manifestation of the crown itself.'' The ''Magolor's Epilogue'' mode added in the ''Deluxe'' release shows how he reforms after fighting the very crown he sought, and accordingly he appears reformed the 20th Anniversary collection, though.
106	** Susie in ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot''. Her original intention upon stealing Star Dream's program controller is to sell it off for profit and teach her former boss a lesson. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone She winds up regretting this]] after [[AIIsACrapshoot Star Dream absorbs Haltmann's consciousness and condemns all organic life in the universe]], leading her entrusting Kirby with the means to stop the machine and leaving her in the end with no computer, no profit, and the knowledge that [[spoiler:she caused the death of her own father]].
107	* ''VideoGame/NaufragarCrimson'': [[spoiler:Hyo promises Lance that he'll revive the latter's adopted father Luhar, but only if Lance kills Athena. Lance attempts to do so by leaving Athena to die in battle against an ice dragon. The next time he's seen, he regrets his actions and decides to turn against Hyo.]]
108	* In ''VideoGame/Portal2'', Wheatley feels this way after you launch him into space. No longer being connected to [=GLaDOS=]'s body helps.
109	* In ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheAzranLegacy'', after Emmy reveals that she's been TheMole the entire time, she expresses regret at having been so. After she's been forgiven, [[ButNowIMustGo she resigns as Layton's assistant]], feeling ashamed and unworthy to fill such a role anymore.
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
113	* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc '' has [[spoiler: Sakura Ogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist]]. From the beginning of the Killing School Life, [[spoiler:Sakura]] was TheMole for Monokuma/the Mastermind, as the fate of [[spoiler:her family's dojo]] hung in the balance. [[spoiler:Sakura]] was meant to get the killing started if things began to stabilise, but this never came about. [[spoiler:Eventually, the weight becomes too much for her, and after Monokuma outs her, [[DrivenToSuicide she poisons herself]]. Though as her final grace, she encourages the survivors to band together to fight back against the Mastermind and destroys a locked door before she dies. All of this proves crucial to the survivors getting out alive]].
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:Webcomics]]
117	* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': Lemuel cries on the day he set up [[spoiler:his brother]] for death after talking with [[spoiler:Duane]], but he does nothing to prevent the tragedy. He later cries saying he is damned for what he's done.
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Web Original]]
121	* In the ''WebVideo/DreamSMP'', after [[RebelliousRebel betraying the L'Manburg revolution]] for kingship of the Greater Dream SMP, Eret begins to regret his actions and starts to become TheAtoner, from actively wanting to help his former allies when they were exiled from L'Manburg, to overall becoming TheGoodKing despite [[PuppetKing having no actual political power]].
122	* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', Volume 5 features two, Leonardo Lionheart and Raven Branwen, the former once a member of Ozpin's circle as well as headmaster of Haven Academy, the latter, a former member of Ozpin's circle and a bandit tribe leader. Both only worked with Salem out of fear.
123	* Near the end of ''WebVideo/SMPEarth'', Wisp makes up with [=TommyInnit=] after betraying his faction for the Antarctic Empire.
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Western Animation]]
127	* [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderZuko Zuko]] from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' is given the choice of betraying Iroh and the peaceful life they have made for themselves so that he can come back to the Fire Nation with his honor restored. Since coming home with his father's approval is the one thing he has wanted for years, he takes the offer, leading to Iroh being imprisoned, Ba Sing Se being conquered and Aang nearly dying from Azula's lightning bolt. He spends half of the third season conflicted and confused, trying to acclimate himself to the Fire Nation despite the suffering he has seen at both his hands and the Fire Nation's. After realizing that [[spoiler:he is descended from Avatar Roku]], and seeing how ruthless his father and the generals are willing to be to win the war, he has a HeelFaceTurn and leaves to join the Avatar.
128	* Deconstructed in ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman''. In the backstory, when [[Characters/BojackHorsemanBojackHorseman BoJack's]] BigBrotherMentor and best friend Herb (who created the show that made [=BoJack=] a star) was outed as gay, the early 90s MoralGuardians went berserk and wanted Herb kicked off the family-friendly show he had written and created. [=BoJack=] was going to threaten to quit if the network moved to fire to Herb, but the network executives talked/bribed [=BoJack=] into standing aside as Herb was fired. [=BoJack=] was quite reluctant to do this, but not so reluctant that he didn't do it, and while he had plenty of regrets, it didn't stop him from avoiding Herb for the next 20 years, until Herb was on his deathbed. Hence why, when [=BoJack=] and Herb finally talk about it all those years later, [[RejectedApology Herb rejects BoJack's attempt to apologize]]. [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech Pointing out what else he could have done and why he ended up not doing it.]]
129	-->'''[=BoJack=]''': You have to believe me. I did everything I could.\
130	'''Herb''': Yeah? Then why didn't you call me? Huh? Twenty years, you didn't call me. Do you know what it was like for me? I had nobody. Everybody left! I knew all those showbiz phonies would turn on me, sure. But ''[[EtTuBrute you?]]''\
131	'''[=BoJack=]''': It's not my fault you got fired.\
132	'''Herb''': I don't care about the job! I did fine, I had a good life, but what I needed then was a friend. And you abandoned me. And I will never forgive you for that. Now get the ''[[PrecisionFStrike fuck]]'' out of my house!\
133	[...]\
134	'''Herb:''' Know what your problem is? You want to think of yourself as the good guy. Well, I know you better than anyone, and I can tell you that you're not. In fact, you'd probably sleep a lot better at night if you just admitted to yourself that you're a selfish goddamn coward who just takes whatever he wants and doesn't give a ''shit'' [[{{narcissist}} about who he hurts]]. That's you. That's [=BoJack=] Horseman.\
135	'''[=BoJack=]:''' I don't know why I came here.\
136	'''Herb:''' [[InsultBackfire Yeah]]... ''[[WrongGenreSavvy You do]]''.
137	* ''WesternAnimation/ElenaOfAvalor'': 41 years prior to the series, Princess Elena's cousin Esteban secretly made a deal with the evil sorceress Shuriki to help take over the kingdom, and she promised no one would be hurt. However, she ended up killing the King and Queen, leading Esteban to regret his decision ever since. Eventually, he turned on Shuriki and helped Elena take the kingdom back though still refused to tell her of his involvement, but he's felt guilty for the choice he made back then. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, Elena found out about his treachery from all those years ago, and is understandably enraged and hurt at this revelation. Esteban tries to explain that he's changed since then, but Elena disowns him, and Esteban ends up betraying her again, believing that she hates him]].
138	* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'': Season 3 reveals [[Characters/FinalSpaceTheTeamSquad Avocato]] deeply regretted betraying and assassinating the king and queen of his homeworld on the Lord Commander's orders in his backstory. He's still deeply ashamed of the act in the present and hates himself. [[spoiler:''Especially'' since the king and queen were Little Cato's biological parents]].
139	* [[Characters/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsSunsetShimmer Sunset Shimmer]] apologizes at the end of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'' and asks the Mane 6 for their forgiveness. Furthermore, the entire sequel ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'' deals with her seeking forgiveness from the rest of Canterlot High. Although her original FaceHeelTurn is not shown on screen, she is nonetheless a traitor from Celestia's point of view, and sees herself as one in Rainbow Rocks too. ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsForgottenFriendship'' has Sunset finally reconciling with Princess Celestia and being forgiven.
140	** [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicDiscord Discord]] in ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E25TwilightsKingdomPart1 Twilight's]]'' ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E26TwilightsKingdomPart2 Kingdom]]'' also fits the bill. He teams up with Tirek, thus betraying all of Equestria because he felt he was never actually forgiven for his crimes by anyone but Fluttershy, only to realize that single friendship was still important to him after he is himself betrayed by Tirek.
141	* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'': The fourth season has this as part of [[Characters/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPowerCatra Catra's]] season-long VillainousBreakdown, with her being plagued with bad dreams about what she did to [[spoiler:Entrapta]] the previous season.
142	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "24 Minutes" (a parody of ''Series/TwentyFour''), Martin Prince gives himself a wedgie -- [[FelonyMisdemeanor which is portrayed as if he was hanging himself]] -- after he's forced to be TheMole.
143	* FallenHero Barris Offee in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' came to regret her role in the fall of TheRepublic and had a HeelFaceTurn, rejoining the Jedi shortly before [[FinalSolution Order 66]] in Franchise/StarWarsLegends, and in the ContinuityReboot joining TheEmpire but later deserting in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTalesOfTheJedi''. In both instances she's RewardedAsATraitorDeserves.
144	* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'': When [[TheMole Terra]] sets up Titan Tower to be attacked, she gets enough cold feet to [[YouWillBeSpared try to save Beast Boy]] and eventually breaks down apologizing to him when he finds out. Beast Boy [[RejectedApology doesn't accept it]] and [[HeelFaceDoorSlam says they were never friends]]. [[ThenLetMeBeEvil After that]], she [[IRegretNothing explicitly says she has no regrets]] and tries her best to kill the Titans herself, but it's made obvious that's she still more conflicted than that.
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:Real Life]]
148	* UsefulNotes/BenedictArnold's last words were supposedly, "Let me die in this old uniform in which I fought my battles. May God forgive me for ever having put on another."
149	[[/folder]]

Context Main / RegretfulTraitor