History Main / AdoptTheDog

* [[AvatarTheLastAirbender Prince Zuko]] in Season 3 actually fits here better than in HeelFaceTurn, because he was always more morally conflicted than most Firebenders and by the end of Season 2, there really was no telling which way he would have gone. His side-switch also coincides with a significant slant back towards the "Idealistic" end of the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism sliding scale.]]

* The ending of the ''{{Firefly}}'' pilot episode has Mal choose to adopt the dog when he takes on River and Simon rather than cut them loose on the border worlds. Later on, in ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', he does it again when he chooses to take River on board once more after learning of how dangerous she was when he killing-programming was activated.

* Lancer in ''FateStayNight''. He's LawfulNeutral serving NeutralEvil Kotomine. He despises his orders, but feels honor bound to follow his wishes anyway. However, he will neither work with Gilgamesh even though he knows he can't beat him, nor will he kill Tohsaka after protecting her so much. Therefore, in the latter, he pulls off multiple CMOA (check FSN's page for details) before making a HeroicSacrifice gets to GoOutWithASmile.

** In "Journey's End", we're led to believe that Dalek Caan is prophesising the triumph of the Daleks... when actually he's constructed a gigantic XanatosGambit - only saved from being a [[XanatosRoulette roulette]] by virtue of the fact that Caan has seen all of space and time - to bring down the Dalek Empire once and for all.
*** But he forgot Dalek have JokerImmunity.

But it's more complicated than that. What if it's not the villain who does it? What if it's the protagonist in a story of GrayAndGrayMorality? What if you weren't at all sure the character ''was'' going to do something good, because everything was lining up for a WorldHalfEmpty DownerEnding? ''That's'' AdoptTheDog: it's when, to quote [[HarryPotter a wise old man]], someone chooses to do what's right instead of what's easy; if KickTheDog is when the character decides to be bad, then AdoptTheDog is when he decides to be good. And for greatest effect, AdoptTheDog applies itself to a character who was sort of morally neutral. This isn't really a HeelFaceTurn; this is a character who decides to be a Face after, previously, being neither.

But it's more complicated than that. What if it's not the villain who does it? What if it's the protagonist in a story of GrayAndGrayMorality? What if you weren't at all sure the character ''was'' going to do something good, because everything was lining up for a WorldHalfEmpty DownerEnding? ''That's'' AdoptTheDog: it's when, to quote [[TheDumbledore a wise old man]], someone chooses to do what's right instead of what's easy; if KickTheDog is when the character decides to be bad, then AdoptTheDog is when he decides to be good. And for greatest effect, AdoptTheDog applies itself to a character who was sort of morally neutral. This isn't really a HeelFaceTurn; this is a character who decides to be a Face after, previously, being neither.

* When Ludacris, who has done various bad things, including breaking his own 'no black on black crime' rule, releases the Asians from the minibus he's stolen at the end of ''{{Crash}}'', instead of selling them.

* [[BigBad Kronos]] from ''WaywardSons'' was revealed to have adopted the young survivor or a village that was brutalised by one of his more sadistic minions. He wiped the boy's memory as an act of mercy, named him Menes and raised him as though his own flesh and blood, even growing to ''love him as a father''. Such a shame for him, then, that, upon discovering the truth, Menes became TheMole against him for Suras' side.

* In the ''DoctorWho'' episode "The Parting of the Ways", the Doctor is prepared to commit another double genocide... and then he decides that no, once was bad enough, he's not doing it again.

In addition to having an effect on the character (declaring themselves [[CharacterAlignment Good instead of Neutral]], occasionally followed by [[RedemptionEqualsDeath death]]), it also has a profound effect on the ''audience''. When you're dealing with morally ambiguous protagonists and (more often than not) spending a lot of time in the drowning end of the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism Sliding Scale]] pool, you're never sure what the ending's gonna be like?who's gonna win, or whether you're going to be happy about it. Adopting The Dog is when the audience believes it might be possible to EarnYourHappyEnding - or, for that matter, that the character ''has'' earned it - and begins to actively be on that character's side. AdoptTheDog is not just about the character's choice, it's also how that choice completely changes the tone and message of the story.

* [[ThePunisher Frank Castle]] has one at the beginning of the MAX comic "Kitchen Irish". He's in a diner when a bomb goes off across the street, and the big glass window of the diner turns into a deadly hail. He finds a man with [[{{squick}} a whole in his chest through which his heart is visible]], and all the man can gasp is "Help...me." So he does. Instead of getting out of there before the police arrive, he works on the man's heart until an EMT gets there, and then they ''both'' work for half an hour until the man is stabilized. Granted, the rest of the comic is Castle brutally killing the people responsible for the bombing and their enemies, but the moment remains an Adopt The Dog example.

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* Lancer in ''FateStayNight''. He's LawfulNeutral serving NeutralEvil Kotomine. He despises his orders, but feels honor bound to follow his wishes anyway. However, he will neither work with Gilgamesh even though he knows he can't beat him, nor will he kill Tohsaka after protecting her so much. Therefore, in the latter, he pulls off multiple CMOA (check FSN's page for details) before making a HeroicSacrifice gets to GoOutWithASmile.
* Famously in DragonBallZ, when [[spoiler: Piccolo]] takes the brunt of a blast intended for [[spoiler: Gohan]]. His dying words (in the manga and in Kai) include bemoaning having done something so noble, after years of being a BigBad.

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** When Jenny Sparks was captured by Nazi interrogators

* [[StupidJetpackHitler Adolf Hitler]] gets one in ''TheAuthority's'' Jenny Sparks spin-off. It's surprisingly touching. In part of Jenny Spark’s ability to befriend ''FutureFamousPeople'', Hitler and she were friends while he was still a struggling artist. Years later, a considerably more powerful Hitler happened upon Jenny Sparks being tortured by Nazi interrogators. He utilized his position to have her released immediately.

* [[StupidJetpackHitler Adolf Hitler]] gets one in ''TheAuthority's'' Jenny Sparks spin-off. It's surprisingly touching.

* In one of the Bean sequels to ''EndersGame'', the current presidents of India and Pakistan (two nations who have been hostile to each other for a ''very'' long time) are encouraged by the resident ManipulativeBastard to form a non-aggression pact so that they can conquer other neighbors than each other. Then it turns out that they have been betrayed by said ManipulativeBastard (duh)... And, as a bit of {{Epistolary}}, the prime minister of India publishes an open letter to the ruler of Pakistan, inviting Indian from both nations to unite against the barbarian invaders. TheyDo.

* In ''{{Pokemon}}'', after being pushed too hard, insulted constantly, and finally being released by Paul, Ash asks Chimchar to join his group, which it happily does, [[spoiler: and has since become one of Ash's strongest pokemon]].

** This troper disagrees about that moment, but agrees with Zero 2 being a major part of Harpuia's character development. Sparing Zero could easily be justified as Harpuia being honorable (which was already part of his character) and wanting to win in a fair fight. I'd say its his post Elipzo attack internal monologue (his true feelings about the war) that shows the player his TrueColors. Then there's the moment where he BEGS for Zero to kill him before the possession takes effect.

* A small moment in ''{{Watchmen}}'': Rorschach apologizes to Dan for being a shitty friend and promises to help save the world, instead of focusing on his violent hatred of... pretty much everything.

** This troper disagrees about that moment, but agrees with Zero 2 being a major part of Harpuia's character development. Sparing Zero could easily be justified as Harpuia being honorable (which was already part of his character) and wanting to win in a fair fight. I'd say its his post Elipzo attack internal monologue (his true feelings about the war) that shows the player his true colors. Then there's the moment where he BEGS for Zero to kill him before the possession takes effect.

* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "Intervention". Pretty much ''the'' definitive moment in Spike's change from evil to good (which is different to his HeelFaceTurn, strangely enough).

In addition to having an effect on the character (declaring themselves [[CharacterAlignment Good instead of Neutral]], occasionally followed by [[RedemptionEqualsDeath death]]), it also has a profound effect on the ''audience''. When you're dealing with morally ambiguous protagonists and (more often than not) spending a lot of time in the drowning end of the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism Sliding Scale]] pool, you're never sure what the ending's gonna be like?who's gonna win, or whether you're going to be happy about it. Adopting The Dog is when the audience believes it might be possible to EarnYourHappyEnding?or, for that matter, that the character ''has'' earned it?and begins to actively be on that character's side. AdoptTheDog is not just about the character's choice, it's also how that choice completely changes the tone and message of the story.

* In ''AmericanBeauty'', in which the main character has spent most of the movie [[AllGuysWantCheerleaders lusting after a sultry cheerleader his daughter's age]]. When he finally gets a chance to seduce her, though, she reveals that her sexualized act is just that, an act, and he can't go through with it.