History Main / IWasJustPassingThrough

* Also happens in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonXDGaleOfDarkness Pokemon XD]]''. Zook threatens to [[KickTheDog pound Jovi into hamburger]] when she accidentally bumps into him. "Blue", one of Mr. Verich's two bodyguards, steps up with his Alakazam and beats Zook's Zangoose into next week, telling Michael and Jovi that he was simply taking out the trash. [[spoiler:Later, at the Cipher Key Lair, Zook goes on a rant about how [[EvilAllAlong Ardos (a.k.a. "Blue")]] tore his Zangoose a new one and chewed his ear off about using Shadow Pokemon in public.]]

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':

* Averted by [[EnsembleDarkhorse Red X]] from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' when he lends Robin his aid. In "X", despite having battled each other for most of the episode, Red X tracks Robin down to the villain's lair and ends up saving his life, and proceeds to help Robin save the city.
-->'''Robin:''' I thought you didn't like to play the hero.
-->'''Red X:''' Doesn't mean I don't know how.

* In ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'', while Numbah four is in the process of saving Numbah three from her a [[ItMakesSenseInContext Supervillain in a sandcastle]] who wanted to wed her, he insists she owes him a quarter. Upon meeting her again, she doesn't remember owing him anything.

* ''Manga/TheDangersInMyHeart''; After coming across Kyōtarō with his sister Kana at a food court, Anna follows him to the register to talk to him about her. When she decides to order ice cream, she forgets her wallet leading to Kyōtarō asks why she came. Anna answers (after a pause) to the bathroom... which Kyōtarō says is ''upstairs''. It's by the time that Anna leaves for her wallet that the idea that she ''only'' [[ICantBelieveAGirlLikeYouWouldNoticeMe came to talk to Kyōtarō pops in his head.]]

* Lancer has a pretty big case of this towards Saber in ''Literature/FateZero''. Justified in them both being knights who value an honourable, one-on-one duel.

* A RunningGag in ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'' and ''Anime/FullMetalPanicFumoffu''. Sagara Sousuke is tasked with posing as a transfer student in order to stay close to and secretly protect OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Chidori Kaname, who has special power that the bad guys want. Sagara, it must be mentioned, is a ConsummateProfessional, former {{Child Soldier|s}}, AcePilot of HumongousMecha, and has NoSocialSkills or knowledge of basic human interactions. This translates into him appearing when Kaname comes anywhere close to a situation he's unfamiliar with (like a boy asking her for a date) and threatening said situation with violence and/or very large guns. When Kaname demands to know how and why he keeps showing up in her business, his {{Catchphrase}} is "[[BlatantLies It's a coincidence]]."

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Shikamaru does this when after we see Team Ten hiding in the bushes watching Sakura struggle with three Sound Ninja. He tries to convince one of his teammates to step up and do a BigDamnHeroes moment. When they finally do, he claims that it was her idea and he's just going along with it because they're a team. In his case he's not TheRival to anyone (that would be much too [[CatchPhrase troublesome]]; he's just got a slacker image to maintain and also knows [[ManBehindTheMan the scene will work out better]] if everyone including Ino believes it was Ino's idea.

* ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'': "[[CatchPhrase I'm just a passing through Kamen Rider. Remember that!]]"

-->''He just wanted to let that girl ?be temporarily at ease?, that was all. If he told her the location, she would no longer contact him and his gang. There wouldn't be any more reason for her to bear such pointless grudge against him...Everything was in control. There was nothing worth worrying about.''

* ''Manga/TheDangersInMyHeart''; The one passing through didn't even intend to make an excuse at first. After coming across Kyōtarō with his sister at a food court, Anna follows him to the register to talk to him about her. When she decides to order ice cream, she forgets her wallet leading to Kyōtarō asks why she came. She answers to the bathroom (After a short pause), which Kyōtarō says is ''upstairs''. By the time she leaves for her wallet, the idea that she ''just'' [[ICantBelieveAGirlLikeYouWouldNoticeMe came to talk to him only just comes to him.]]

* Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' episode "It Came From The Nightosphere": Marceline insists she's only helping Finn hunt her dad down to get her bass guitar back. After she accomplishes this, she ''does'' start to leave. It's then double subverted as Finn stopps her by [[spoiler: playing her private recording from earlier in front of her father]].

* [[NobleDemon Luck Gandor]] from ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}!'' tends to use these rationalizations to explain his more noble actions, such as his BigDamnHeroes scene in ''Drugs & the Dominoes'' as well as [[spoiler:letting Eve rescue Dallas despite the latter's MoralEventHorizon]], to ''himself''.

* Subverted in ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' where Shizuo ''literally'' was just passing through the crowd when he mops up the entire Yellow Scarves. The reason for triggering his BerserkButton? He couldn't keep up with all of the messages on his phone. (Shizuo's {{Berserk Button}}s are, of course, [[HairTriggerTemper numerous and easy to push.]])
* Lancer has a pretty big case of this towards Saber in ''LightNovel/FateZero''. Justified in them both being knights who value an honourable, one-on-one duel.

* A RunningGag in ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'' and ''Anime/FullMetalPanicFumoffu''. Sagara Sousuke is tasked with posing as a transfer student in order to stay close to and secretly protect OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Chidori Kaname, who has special power that the bad guys want. Sagara, it must be mentioned, is a ConsummateProfessional, former ChildSoldier, AcePilot of HumongousMecha, and has NoSocialSkills or knowledge of basic human interactions. This translates into him appearing when Kaname comes anywhere close to a situation he's unfamiliar with (like a boy asking her for a date) and threatening said situation with violence and/or very large guns. When Kaname demands to know how and why he keeps showing up in her business, his {{Catchphrase}} is "[[BlatantLies It's a coincidence.]]"

** This happens in a couple of times. Sonou Mori, the maid from the island in [[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya "Remote Island Syndrome"]], once crashes through a window, stands up and smiles at Kyon and Itsuki. She says, "I'm just a maid passing by!" Kyon's response: "You LIE!"

* In ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'', this is the excuse Vali gives out when he and his group [[spoiler: rescued Asia from the Dimension Gap. Though this is a SubvertedTrope for him because he ''literally was passing through'' the Dimension Gap because he wanted to obtain Gogmagog and he just happened to see Asia there.]]

[[folder:Fanfic]]

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': In ''Film/ANewHope'', Han says he couldn't let Luke have all the glory in the Death Star battle.
* ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'': Sabretooth helps Wolverine take down Deadpool because he wants to kill Wolverine himself, at a later date and in a fair fight.

* In ''Series/BabylonFive'', G'Kar rescues Catherine Sakai after her ship is disabled and light-years away from help. When she asks why, he responds "Why not?" After a bit of banter, he elaborates, stating that it cost him nothing to save her, that her death would do nothing to advance his goals, and so he saw no reason not to do it. Bear in mind this occurred in the first season, before CharacterDevelopment set in and he was still more than a bit of an AntiVillain.
* ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' - The Seer in the fourth season helps take out the [[BigBad Source of All Evil]], thereby averting a future catastrophe that would [[EarthShatteringKaboom wipe out all life as we know it.]] When thanked for her help, she responds: [[IWasJustPassingThrough "I didn't do this for your future. I did it for mine."]] Later revealed to be [[ThePlan part of a bigger plan...]] but that's [[OmniscientMoralityLicense seers for you.]]

* On ''{{Series/Heroes}}'' [[BigBad Sylar]] has done this several times especially in the later seasons-once for Luke (the "I wasn't doing it for you" variant), once for Micah (because EvenEvilHasStandards), and a couple of times for [[WorthyOpponent Peter]].
* ''Series/{{Justified}}'' season two, [[VillainProtagonist bad guy]] [[EnsembleDarkhorse Boyd Crowder]], while in pursuit of another bad guy [[DirtyCoward Dickie Bennett]], finds [[CowboyCop Raylan Givens]] tied up by Dickie and, at gun point, [[VillainousRescue orders Dickie to cut Raylan loose]]. Seeing as how [[VitriolicBestBuds Boyd and Raylan]] are on opposite sides of the law, it would have been in his best interest to let Dickie beat him to death, or [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim shoot Raylan himself]], but, alas, it's doubtful Boyd would have ever [[FriendlyEnemy acted on the opportunity]]...
-->"Cut him down... God damn it."

* In ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheUnwoundFuture'', [[spoiler:Layton's nemesis Don Paolo makes what he claims is a temporary HeelFaceTurn. Although his overarching reason for helping the heroes is justified — he wants to know the truth about the accident which killed the woman he loved — he invokes this trope when he makes crazy modifications to Layton's car (enabling it to do things like turn into a glider). He insists that he only did it for the sake of Layton's adopted daughter, [[DistressedDamsel who has been kidnapped]].]]