History Main / ContagiousHeroism

* Happens early on in {{Leverage}} to the leads aside from [[TokenGoodTeammate Nate]]. Helping out injured soldiers kept the crew together despite the risks and helped turn them from being just criminals for themselves into [[ReformedButNotTamed criminals for the helpless.]]

When an [[AntiHero anti-heroic]] or outright {{villain}}ous character is forced by circumstances to work with a [[HeroicArchetype heroic character]] and over time, becomes more selfless and cooperative as a result (though not necessarily to HeelFaceTurn levels). They may even blame TheHero for making them go "soft"--often right after a ChangedMyMindKid moment. This is even more likely to occur if the heroic character is a MessianicArchetype, an AllLovingHero, etc.

-->--'''Captain Jack Harkness''', ''Series/DoctorWho'', "Parting of the Ways"

* Both Piccolo and Vegeta from the ''Anime/DragonBall'' series fell prey to this, though it took a ''lot'' longer with Vegeta.

** Several series later, Rory Williams [[WhatTheHellHero calls the Doctor out for this]], pointing out that the Doctor is terribly dangerous because he inspires people to try and impress him. Although later in the episode, he goes with Amy to help the Doctor and the Doctor himself comments on this.

* GreenArrow from ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' was already a hero but is introduced adamantly refusing join because he doesn't like the League's style. They only seemed to fight the "big monsters" while he preferred help the "little guys". However, after he takes down a giant radioactive "monster", he starts to reconsider, that and BlackCanary walking by didn't hurt either.
** Interestingly, it's later implied that ''he'' is playing this role for the rest of the League- that Green Arrow is acting as a kind of MoralityChain for the more powerful members of the League, keeping their attention on the "little guys".

** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', you can continue to influence Garrus on his Loyalty Mission, but the game also gives us Jack, characterized as "the meanest and most spiteful creature in the galaxy". While she certainly tries to live up to that description, undertaking the SuicideMission with Shepard brings out the more selfless traits in her. If she dies there, her FamousLastWords blame Shepard for her starting to "care". If she lives, she becomes a much more helpful and caring person by the [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 next game]].

** Several series later, Rory Williams [[WhatTheHellHero calls the Doctor out for this]], pointing out that the Doctor is terribly dangerous because he inspires people to try and impress him.

-->'''Captain Jack Harkness''', ''Series/DoctorWho'', "Parting of the Ways"

-->'''Captain Jack Harkness''', ''Series/DoctorWho, "Parting of the Ways"''

->''Wish I'd never met you, Doctor, I was much better off as a coward.''

* Happens early on in {{Leverage}} to the leads aside from [[TokenGoodTeammate Nate]]. Helping out injured soldiers kept the crew together despite the risks and helped turn them from being just criminals for themselves into [[ReformedButNotTamed criminals for the helpless.]]

* Downplayed in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''. One of the [[Characters/DiscworldCityWatch Carrot's]] defining traits is that he expects people around him to behave and be good to each other, and they do. The effect from his presence tends to be temporary, and wears off shortly after he's gone, but as long as he's around, it works on just about everyone.

* Jack Harkness in ''Series/DoctorWho''; when he's introduced in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS1E9TheEmptyChild The Empty Child]]" he's a time-traveling scam artist, but his time spent travelling with the Doctor turns him into an AntiHero. He [[LampshadeHanging acknowledges the change]] when he's preparing to make a LastStand against the Daleks to buy the Doctor some time, commenting good-naturedly that he wished he'd never met the Doctor because he preferred himself as a coward.

* This is a gameplay mechanic in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic II'': not only are you able to swing between [[KarmaMeter the Light and Dark Sides of the Force]], but you can also build up RelationshipValues of your party members to sway their own attitudes towards Light and Dark from their default positions to whatever philosophy your support, so the Light-Sided Exile will inevitably do this to her Dark-Sided companions.

When an [[AntiHero anti-heroic]] or outright {{villain}}ous character is forced by circumstances to work with a [[HeroicArchetype heroic character]] and over time, becomes more selfless and cooperative as a result (though not necessarily to HeelFaceTurn levels). They may even blame TheHero for making them go "soft"--often right after a ChangedMyMindKid moment. This is even more likely to occur if the heroic character is a MessianicArchetype, AllLovingHero, etc.

* In the first two ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' books, career criminal Mulch Diggums only works with the rest of the cast in exchange for time cut off his sentence or a MercyLead over the cops who want to arrest him, or by being blackmailed. By the third book, he's incredibly annoyed to learn that he's developed a fondness towards Artemis and is prepared to commit an entirely non-selfish act to prevent Artemis being kidnapped by {{TheMafia the Chicago mob]].