History Main / AmbiguousInnocence

** More sympathetic portrayals of the Daleks (see "Evil of the Daleks", "Dalek", "Asylum of the Daleks", and the audio dramas "The Davros Mission" and "Jubilee") often exploit this, as Daleks are genetically programmed to exterminate and have no concept of anything else -- so, in a lot of ways, are much more innocent than similarly evil humans. The Doctor in "Jubilee" even points this out to the humans in a speech that they made themselves into a Dalek analogue culture through choice, which is so much worse, while "The Davros Mission" is about a Thal psychologist trying to persuade Davros that he's -- unlike the Daleks--capable of making good decisions, unlike the Daleks which are psychologically incapable of knowing any better. Davros's InsaneTrollLogic justification for his actions in "Genesis of the Daleks" is based around the idea that since the Daleks's only goal is to survive, their mass genocide is "the power not of evil, but of good". [[RuleOfSymbolism He considers himself a god for having created them, but refuses to give them knowledge of good and evil in order to keep them morally pure.]]

** The homonculus Gluttony in both incarnations of ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' (especially the [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003 anime]]). He is too dumb to think on his own and merely does what he's told, which mostly involves killing and eating people. He lacks the ability to understand that this is in any way wrong.

* In ''Anime/YuGiOhTheDarkSideOfDimensons''' prequel manga Sera is a CreepyChild who nearly succeeds in killing Kaiba, but in the movie she's a hero who wants to save Aigami from darkness, opening room for a lot of interpretation.

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* The work of the Danish artist [[http://julienord.dk/English.html Julie Nord]] suggests this trope.
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* A major point in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'' is that innocence is ignorance.
* Creator/MarkTwain's ''Literature/TheMysteriousStranger'' discusses this in great detail (along with many other stereotypical beliefs about the concepts of good and evil).

* Rhoda Penmark in both the book and movie ''Literature/TheBadSeed''.

* In an episode of the 1960s TV show ''The Defenders'', the father and son team of lawyers defend a man accused of murder who says he is innocent. As they rise to hear the verdict, the defendant turns to his lawyer and says, "However it turns out, I want you to know I did it." [[spoiler:The verdict is "Not Guilty" and the man walks out a free man]].

* Matt Engarde of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney -- Justice for All'' gives off this vibe. He seems hopelessly clueless, always has a smile, and just doofy in general. It's hard to believe that he could have killed someone, despite some of the evidence against. As the case progresses, it becomes clear that the evidence against him is fabricated, and he seems genuinely happy though still weirdly clueless about what's going on. [[spoiler: Then Phoenix finds out that Matt hired the assassin that killed the victim, prompting Matt to reveal his ''real'' self, and this trope goes right out the window.]]

* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'': Groot can only speak one sentence, and is nearly at all times just following his friend Rocket's instructions. He seems childlike, growing flowers for people he likes, and fiercely protective when people threaten his friends. He also '''impales a line of soldiers, thrashes them around until everyone stops moving''', only to turn around to the rest of the group and give them a dopey smiley almost as if he's looking for approval for what he's just done.

* Porky Minch of ''VideoGame/Earthbound1994'' is established early on as a bit of a bully, but not malicious and seems to view Ness as his friend. As the game goes on he becomes more of a jerk, however... [[spoiler: When Ness talks to him in [[DreamLand Magicant]], it's implied that Porky really wants to make amends and Ness can see right through his jerk act. When you confront [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]] at the end of the game, Porky appears alongside him and it's extremely difficult to tell if Giygas is controlling Porky or '' '''Porky is controlling Giygas]]''' ''.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'', protagonist Suletta Mercury seems ignorant of many social conventions. Usually it's PlayedForLaughs… until TheStinger of [[WhamEpisode episode 12]], when [[spoiler:Suletta, in an attempt to save Miorine from an assassin, slams Aerial's hand down on the assassin, spreading blood everywhere. When Suletta exits Aerial's cockpit, she slips and falls in the blood and [[DissonantSerenity has a chuckle about how clumsy she is]], and seems completely oblivious as to why Miorine is staring at her in pure horror]].

** The Jotun themselves are presented as freedom fighters, but might routinely engage in cannibalism to get home

* This is exactly what made Majin Buu in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' so dangerous. He thought like a child; everything he did was a game, including [[KillEmAll murdering almost everyone on the planet]]. As soon as someone managed to get close enough to him to explain that what he was doing was wrong, though, [[HeelFaceTurn he pulled the plug immediately]]. Unfortunately, that just woke up the [[TykeBomb OTHER]] [[LetsGetDangerous personality]] that was buried inside him, which was the identity that destroyed Galaxies like he was created to.

* In ''Literature/DivisionByZero'' we have Clotho, [[TopGod the most powerful manifestation of the omnipotent God]], who can [[ApocalypseHow/ClassZ annihilate anything on all levels]] just by ''thinking'' about it. She is indifferent to morality but still does moral things, at least in framework of the story where her intent and character matters little (an example: as the multiversal manifestation of life, she not only allows people to exist, but is directly responsible for the continuing existence of all things in the multiverse). However, Clotho [[LackOfEmpathy doesn’t care about what’s right or wrong]], only about if there will be consequences for her ([[ItAmusedMe and if things will amuse her]]—''especially'' the latter). She is not interested in putting an end to the Second Celestial War which would see an entire universe destroyed should Omega succeed ([[FateWorseThanDeath or worse]]), and only encourages Kohana to assist Alpha because she both [[IJustWantToHaveFriends wants to see Kohana fight, and is interested in the outcome of Alpha’s fate should the war end]]. This is unsurprising, considering she not only casually destroyed [[KillEmAll multiple universes]] in front of Alpha, but an entire timeline too simply because she felt like it.

** The "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" two-parter [[StatusQuoIsGod ultimately leads to zero arrests]] as [[spoiler:Burns was shot by baby Maggie in what all of Springfield could only assume was a freak accident. However, a close-up of Maggie at the end implies that she may have done it on purpose.]]

** In life, Artina was IncorruptiblePurePureness personified, so selfless and kind that even OmnicidalManiac Nemo exempted her from his HumansAreBastards mentality. Naturally she became an angel upon dying...specifically an angelic ''thief''. She retains her bright, sunny personality and claims her actions are fully justified (Celestia is "owed" that money because the Netherworld has been shirking its duties), but it's hard not to get the impression that she thoroughly enjoys her new criminal lifestyle. One could assume that while she's still a good person, she's embracing the opportunity to cut loose and cause trouble after a lifetime of pious servitude.

* The whole point of ''LightNovel/{{Shimoneta}}'' is that the overly-strict indecency laws have led to teenagers being ''hopelessly'' ignorant about sex. This leads to the leader of a censorship squad almost raping someone since she has no idea about things like ''consent'' and has confused lust with love, all due to her massive ignorance of the topic enforced by her parents. Also, no teenager knows how a baby is made due to the censorship laws forcing textbooks to declare it simply happens "out of love."

* In ''LightNovel/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'', Filo's human form is an angelic, prepubescent girl. Given her innocent behavior and sweet nature it's easy to forget her actual form is a large predatory bird trained to fight since birth. This leads to her sometimes saying or doing something shocking, such as wanting to eat other members of her own species.

** The homonculus Gluttony in both incarnations of ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' (especially the [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist anime]]). He is too dumb to think on his own and merely does what he's told, which mostly involves killing and eating people. He lacks the ability to understand that this is in any way wrong.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''':

** In their literal first interaction in the maternity ward, Bart managed to grab a lighter and set Homer's tie on fire. An upset Homer insisted that he'd done it on purpose, to which Marge replied, "How could he? He's only ten minutes old!" [[HilariousInFlashback Of course]], [[EarlyPersonalitySigns given what we know of Bart's personality]], [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight Homer doesn't sound so crazy]].

** In their literal first interaction in the maternity ward, a newborn Bart managed to grab a lighter and set Homer's tie on fire. An upset Homer insisted that he'd done it on purpose, to which Marge replied, "How could he? He's only ten minutes old!" [[HilariousInFlashback Of course]], [[EarlyPersonalitySigns given what we know of Bart's personality]], [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight Homer doesn't sound so crazy]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''' "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" two-parter [[StatusQuoIsGod ultimately leads to zero arrests]] as [[spoiler:Burns was shot by baby Maggie in what all of Springfield could only assume was a freak accident. However, a close-up of Maggie at the end implies that she may have done it on purpose.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': While [[Characters/TheOwlHouseTheCollector the Collector]] is a centuries old, god-like being who drove the Titans to extinction and is helping Belos in his plan to wipe out all life on the Boiling Isles, their childlike nature makes it hard to know if the Collector even knows what they're doing is evil. When King overhears the Collector's private thoughts, they're expressing excitement at being free, no longer being alone and playing. They also truly consider Belos a friend and "playmate" and they consider the FinalSolution nature of the Day of Unity to be nothing more than a "chore" Belos tricked them into doing. Contrastingly, they seem ''ecstatic'' to play with King, and their suggestion is an ''actual'' game of hide-and-seek. Especially so with their TheDogBitesBack moment, as while they frame splattering Belos across the wall as a game of tag, the tone in which they say "I'm it" implies they not only know what's going to happen when they tag Belos, but only decided to "play" just to obliterate him... although they immediately assume Luz and her friends want to play tag as well and offers them a headstart. Showrunner [[https://www.instagram.com/p/CeXgiaputl9/?hl=en Dana Terrace]] even describes them in a Posthoot as an example of a "chaotic little character," and particularly one that is a "morally grey, neutral chaotic kind of motherf[ucker]."

* ''Manga/VirginRipper'': Nagi, a kitten who became a humanoid ''shinigami'' after he died but has since been traumatized into amnesia, still has his soul-reaping claws (sword-blades on his hands à la [[Manga/OnePiece Capt. Kuro]]). He loves his "mama" and won't hesitate to "make squishy" anyone who hurts her, including a pair of [[Manga/BlackLagoon Hansel and Gretel]] {{expy}}s.

** Before he grew up into the messiah we know, Goku was much more willing to kill, possibly because of this. In fact, this trope is how Creator/AkiraToriyama sees the character: Goku's selfish goals often lead him to performing acts of good through co-incidence and not intent. While he'll defend someone being oppressed, the primary reason why Goku fights the various BigBads is either because he wants to challenge them to a fight and see how he measures up, or out of revenge.

** Before he grew up into the messiah we know, Goku was much more willing to kill, possibly because of this.

* ''Literature/TheGreatGatsby'': After Nick confronting Tom about what he said to Wilson that made him [[spoiler:kill Gatsby and himself]], Tom answers that [[spoiler:he accused Gatsby of running over Wilson's wife with his car]]. Nick realizes Tom is sincerely incapable of understanding why this is an evil act:

* Porky Minch of ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' is established early on as a bit of a bully, but not malicious and seems to view Ness as his friend. As the game goes on he becomes more of a jerk, however... [[spoiler: When Ness talks to him in [[DreamLand Magicant]], it's implied that Porky really wants to make amends and Ness can see right through his jerk act. When you confront [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]] at the end of the game, Porky appears alongside him and it's extremely difficult to tell if Giygas is controlling Porky or '' '''Porky is controlling Giygas]]''' ''.

* In ''LightNovel/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'', Filo's human form is an angelic, prepubescent girl. Given her innocent behavior and sweet nature it's easy to forget he actual form is a large predatory bird trained to fight since birth. This leads to her sometimes saying or doing something seemingly shocking, such as wanting to eat other members of her own species.

** The second example is yet darker: [[spoiler: [[FanNickname Chara,]] the first child to fall into the Underground. Ever-smiling, Chara appears to be completely disconnected from morality, driven solely by amusement. They only appear in the flesh [[YouBastard after you help them seize full control of Frisk's body by slaughtering every monster in the Underground,]] and most of their character [[NothingIsScarier is unnervingly vague.]]]] Was the character always this heartless? [[HumanoidAbomination Was the character ever even mortal to begin with?]] [[spoiler:[[CorruptTheCutie Did YOU do this?]]]]