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The TVTropes Trope Finder is where you can come to ask questions like "Do we have this one?" and "What's the trope about...?" Trying to rediscover a long lost show or other medium but need a little help? Head to Media Finder and try your luck there. Want to propose a new trope? You should be over at the Trope Launch Pad.

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KD Since: May, 2009
2025-11-04 05:52:08

Feels like My God, What Have I Done? or something similar, like Unwitting Pawn. In the sense of "I thought I was doing [what I like], but wait, my actions have only been enabling [what I think is heinous] all along."

I say Unwitting Pawn because it seems likely there's some propaganda involved, that the relatively normal, patriotic person is sold on one version of the idea, but they're enabling the worse version that's not in the propaganda.

Edited by KD
Chabal2 Since: Jan, 2010
2025-11-05 01:48:52

Yes, but that's for Alice, what's the trope for Bob being such a walking argument for his side being wrong that Alice has a Face–Heel Turn?

Like, if Bob is The Corrupter, Alice eventually falls to his methods and worldview, here Bob eventually causes Alice to defect from his worldview.

For instance, Alice is part of an invading army and fully believes in its cause (revenge, preventing the spread of communism/terrorism, bringing advancement to primitives, etc.). Then she's repeatedly exposed to Bob doing things like capturing civilians to sell them to Human Traffickers (at least, the ones he doesn't keep as sex slaves), looting corpses then selling the corpses to pet food companies, mentioning that they need to finally find a solution to the vermin they're fighting, attacking with chemical weapons marked "Zyklon B" he inherited from his great-grandfather Heinrich (the one who emigrated to South America in the 40s), etc. Bob never being punished (or even being rewarded) for his Complete Monster behavior by higher-ups is what makes Alice finally realize her side is in the wrong and she deserts/defects.

Edited by Chabal2
dalek955 Since: Sep, 2010
2025-11-06 17:43:33

Alice's departure would be Resign in Protest and afterward she would be a Defector from Decadence, but I can't find a trope for being the guy Alice resigns in protest of.

Edited by dalek955
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