History Main / BetterOffWithTheBadGuys

[[folder:Film - Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', Belle is treated as nothing more than eye candy by most of the townsfolk and scorned for her interest in books. After agreeing to live with the Beast in exchange for her father's freedom, she is delighted to discover that the Beast owns a massive library. All of the Beast's servants treat her respectfully and are happy to have her around. She only goes back to the village when she learns that her father is being denounced as insane for his account of what happens to him, and in the end [[spoiler:she ends up living with the now restored Prince Adam.]]
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* ''Manga/NegativeYuushaToMaougunKanbu'': Rene is the heroine raised to fight the demon lord. However, she doesn't actually ''want'' to fight and responds to demon army leader Hyudooru's threats of death with ''relief''. The whole situation makes Hyudooru change gears, offer her a place in his castle as his assistant studying magic, and his soldiers, once they hear about the situation, welcome Rene with open arms.

* Combatants Will Be Dispatched: In Book 5 of the series Lady Viper becomes Demon Lord after the harsh defeat of her people and the death of her father at the hands of an alliance between the Lawful/Good Kingdom of Grace and an offplanet supervillain organization named Kisaragi. She takes careful note of the fact that the Kingdom of Grace treats orcs as farm animals while the Kisaragi Organization seems to respect nonhumans and has a number of "beastmen" in positions of authority. With these things in mind she makes an unconditional surrender to Kisaragi and asks that her people be taken in and protected. Kisaragi assents and makes her their fourth Supreme Leader.

* In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', a young [[ComicBook/StarLord Peter Quill]] is abducted by aliens shortly before his mother died of cancer, and was being raised by Yondu Udonta as a BountyHunter before eventually becoming a hero. In [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 the sequel]], Quill finds his real father, [[spoiler:who wanted take over his mind for a galactic AssimilationPlot (and would have killed him, like he did with several thousand other children of his, if he failed)]]. Quill's real bonds are with Yondu, who in the end raised him as his son.

* Daeva from ''Videogame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic VI''. As a human, she [[AbusiveDad endured years of abuse at the hands of her father]], who she [[SelfMadeOrphan eventually murdered]], spent some time at the mercy of slavers who subjected her to further abuse, fell in with some demon cultists, and was subsequently tortured to death by the inquisition. As a result of her time with the cultists, her soul was reborn in [[{{Hell}} Sheogh]] as a [[SuccubiAndIncubi Succubus]] - which far from being the dance over hot coals she feared it to be, is wicked fun in comparison to her mortal life.

* Daeva from ''Videogame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic VI''. As a human, she [[AbusiveDad endured years of abuse at the hands of her father]], who she [[SelfMadeOrphan eventually murdered]], spent some time at the mercy of slavers who subjected her to further abuse, fell in with some demon cultists, and was subsequently tortured to death by the inquisition. As a result of her time with the cultists, her soul was reborn in [[{{Hell}} Sheogh]] as a [[HornyDevils Succubus]] - which far from being the dance over hot coals she feared it to be, is wicked fun in comparison to her mortal life.

** As a child, Tomura Shigaraki grew up in a strict home, with [[spoiler:a father who would punish him by forcing him to sit outside until he behaved himself, a mother and grandparents who offered only platitudes, and a sister as likely to sell him out as console him]]. When Tomura's quirk to cause objects he touches to decay awakened, it was after [[spoiler:his father's emotional abuse turned physical and resulted in Tomura massacring most of his family by accident, then ''deliberately'' killing his father when he attacked Tomura in an attempt to defend himself]]. It was soon after this, and after being left alone due to BystanderSyndrome, that he fell into the clutches of GreaterScopeVillain All For One, who raised him from that day forward, becoming his mentor, encouraging his more destructive tendencies, and teaching him how to achieve his goal of upending Hero Society. All For One is perhaps the one thing in the world Shigaraki ''doesn't'' hate with a passion.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bronze}}'': As a retelling of the tale [[Literature/BeautyAndTheBeast Beauty and the Beast]], the game starts with Beauty returning to the castle, seven days after Beast sent her back home. The prologue reveals that her return wasn't as she expected. Her father avoids her because he thinks she is DefiledForever, [[UngratefulBastard although she sacrificed herself so he wouldn't become Beast's prisoner]]. Her sisters treat her better, but it's more to have someone they can talk to and Beauty feels that they won't miss her that much. As soon as she finds her way back to the castle, she "breaths more easily".

* In ''Fanfic/IAMADEVIL''. Dyrant DeVil would rather work with Cruella DeVil.

* Downplayed in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind'', as while the protagonists are NeighborhoodFriendlyGangsters, they are still criminals by law. Though Bruno Bucciarati manages to be a proper father figure many of the characters needed. In one example,, Narancia Ghirga had his mother die from an eye infection, grew up with a neglectful father, and was framed for a break in by his FalseFriend. The moment he meet Fugo and Buccarati, they covered for his desperate stealing from their frequent restaurant, provided him lunch, and paid for his eye treatment. Interestingly Bucciarati didn't want Narancia to become a gangster and told him to go back to a normal life. But because the two were the first genuinely kind people in his life, Narancia applied to Passione and got assigned to Bucciarati's team.

Compare CriminalFoundFamily.

* Combatants Will Be Dispatched: In Book 5 of the series Lady Viper becomes Demon Lord after the harsh defeat of her people and the death of her father at the hands of an alliance between the Lawful/Good Kingdom of Grace and an off planet super villain organization named Kisaragi. She takes careful note of the fact that the Kingdom of Grace treats orcs as farm animals while the Kisaragi Organization seems to respect non humans and has a number of "beastmen" in positions of authority. With these things in mind she makes an unconditional surrender to Kisaragi and asks that her people be taken in. Kisaragi ascents and makes her their fourth Supreme Leader.

* ''{{Manga/Inuyasha}}'': Rin became mute and scared of humans after her family was slaughtered by thieves. The villagers treated her as an outcast and beated her for picking up food. After she was killed by wolves, Sesshoumaru revived her out of curiosity, but allowed Rin to tag along with him and his servant Jaken. Thanks to him,she recovered her voice and became a normal, cheerful child; also she was treated decently by the two cold youkais. The arrangement has benefited both parts, as Sesshoumaru eventually warmed up to Rin and developed a merciful side... kind of.

* ''VideoGame/Bronze'': As a retelling of the tale [[Literature/BeautyAndTheBeast Beauty and the Beast]]the game starts with Beauty returning to the castle, seven days after Beast sent her back home. The prologue, told on Beauty's point of view, reveals that her return wasn't as she expected. Her father avoids her because he thinks she is DefiledForever, [[UngratefulBastard although she had taken his place as a "prisoner" of the Beast]]. Her sisters treat her better, but it's more to have someone they can talk to and Beauty feels that they won't miss her that much. As soon as she finds her way back to the castle, she "breaths more easily".

* ''Manga/TheAncientMagusBride'': In her home country, Hatori Chise spent her childhood and early teens raised in several foster homes after her mother commited suicide. Before that, her father had her mother taking their baby son with him, because Chise's powers attracted evil youkais. Chise's life become so miserable that she thought of commiting suicide, before Seth suggested she sold herself in auction. She was bought by Elias Ainsworth, a being hated as a freak by humans and fairies, and with a dark past; and yet, they came to love each other at the point of Elias deciding to try and become someone better. Besides, after Chise became his pupil, she has made a lot of friends and is learning how to deal with her powers.

* ''{{Manga/Inuyasha}}'': Rin became mute and scared of humans after her family was slaughtered by thieves. To add insult to injury, the villagers treated her as an outcast and beated her for picking up food. After she was killed by wolves, Sesshoumaru revived her out of curiosity, but allowed Rin to tag along with him and Jaken. She recovered her voice, became cheerful and was treated decently, even the two youkais were rather cold. The arrangement became benefitial for both parts, as Sesshoumaru eventually warmed up to her and developed a merciful side... kind of.

* ''Manga/Inuyasha'': Rin became mute and scared of humans after her family was slaughtered by thieves. To add insult to injury, the villagers treated her as an outcast and beated her for picking up food. After she was killed by wolves, Sesshoumaru revived her out of curiosity, but allowed Rin to tag along with him and Jaken. She recovered her voice, became cheerful and was treated decently, even the two youkais were rather cold. The arrangement became benefitial for both parts, as Sesshoumaru eventually warmed up to her and developed a merciful side... kind of.

* ''Manga/TheAncientMagusBride'': In her home country, Hatori Chise spent her childhood and early teens raised in several foster homes after her mother commited suicide. Before that, her father had her mother taking their baby son with him, because Chise's powers attracted evil youkais. Chise's life become so miserable that she thought of commiting suicide, before Seth suggested she sold herself in auction. She was bought by Elias Ainsworth, a being hated as a freak by humans and fairies, and with a dark past; and yet, they love each other and after Chise became his pupil she has made a lot of friends and is learning how to deal with her powers.

* ''Manga/TheAncientMagusBride'': In her home country, Hatori Chise spent her childhood and early teens raised in several foster homes after her mother commited suicide. Before that, her father had abandoned her and her mother taking his baby son with him, because Chise's powers attracted evil youkais. Chise's life become so miserable that she thought of commiting suicide, before Seth suggested she sold herself in auction. She was bought by Elias Ainsworth, a being hated as a freak by humans and fairies, and with a dark past; and yet, they love each other and after Chise became his pupil she has made a lot of friends and is learning how to deal with her powers.

* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'': This becomes one of the main reasons for Entrapta's defection to the Horde (alongside her interest in their tech), when she was on the side good she was treated with little respect by her fellow princesses and was often an outcast who received poor treatment with a few exceptions such as Bow. On the Horde she found true friends in Scorpia and Catra for once and eventually got on Hordak's good graces and bonded over their self-esteem issues, in addition to getting a high ranking position that let her tamper with all the technology she wanted. When she returns to the Rebellion's side, it is made clear that in spite of her being good and trying to help the other princesses still treat her rather badly for her quirks and personality.

* Manga/SacrificialPrincessAndTheKingOfBeasts: As a human child, Sariphi had no hope or future, because she knew her adoptive parents were raising her to be offered in sacrifice to the king of beasts instead of their daughter. In the beast world, however, the king not only spared her life but choose Sariphi as his future queen. She found love, happiness and made a lot of friends there