History Main / DefectingForLove

** [[OppositesAttract Angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley]] are supposed to be [[LoveAcrossBattlelines hereditary enemies and fight for the opposite sites]]. Instead, when the end of the world is nigh, they decide to [[spoiler:rebel against their former offices and avert the Apocalypse together]]. They do it for the love they feel for humanity and [[OneTrueLove for each other]].

** Angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley are supposed to be hereditary enemies and fight for the opposite sites. Instead, when the end of the world is nigh, they decide to [[spoiler:rebel against their former offices and avert the Apocalypse together]]. They do it for the love they feel for humanity and each other.
** In season 2, [[spoiler:their bosses Gabriel and Beelzebub]] also fall in love and as a result rebel against Heaven and Hell and elope together.

* ''Series/GoodOmens2019'': Angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley are supposed to be hereditary enemies and fight for the opposite sites. Instead, when the end of the world is nigh, they decide to [[spoiler:rebel against their former offices and avert the Apocalypse together]]. They do it for the love they feel for humanity and each other. In season 2, [[spoiler:their bosses Gabriel and Beelzebub also fall in love and as a result rebel against Heaven and Hell and elope together]].

* ''Series/GoodOmens2019'': Angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley are supposed to be hereditary enemies and fight for the opposite sites. Instead, when the end of the world is nigh, they decide to [[spoiler:rebel against their former offices and avert the Apocalypse together]]. They do it for the love they feel for humanity and each other. In season 2, [[their bosses Gabriel and Beelzebub also fall in love and as a result rebel against Heaven and Hell and elope together]].

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** Mai turns on Azula in [[spoiler:the "Boiling Rock" two parter when Zuko's life was on the line]].
** In the same episode [[spoiler:Ty Lee defects as well when Azula is about to kill Mai for her betrayal. Ty Lee does it for a sororal love for Mai]].

** At least two of Big Mom's daughters (that we know of) did this in the past, since she's prone to marrying them off to secure alliances. This ends up backfiring on Big Mom in a [[JustForPun big way]] since she's [[AbusiveParents abusive]] to her children while their new spouses are not. Charlotte Praline, wife of the Sun Pirates' Aladine, and Charlotte Chiffon, wife of the Fire Tank Pirates' Capone Bege, are the two known past examples, while it also happens to [[spoiler: Charlotte Pudding]] during the story. [[spoiler: While she doesn't end up married to Sanji, she does genuinely fall in love with him once he compliments her third eye, something her mom has only ever insulted her about. This despite the fact that up until then, she was [[InLoveWithTheMark ready to kill him and his family after the wedding]], as per her mother's plan.]]

* ''ComicBook/PlanetHulk'': Caiera, the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]'s eventual love interest, was just misled. She believed her boss really was meant to be the savior of their world (specifically from the Spikes) and that thus UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans. When she found out that [[spoiler:he had been in control of the Spikes all along, using them to instill fear and enforce obedience, there was no more utopia left to justify and she changed sides to the new Messiah figure with some integrity.]]
* A male version happens in ComicBook/TeenTitans where an agent for the H.I.V.E. starts out as a HoneyTrap for Starfire, but eventually [[DefectingForLove Defected for Love]].
* Frenzy, a mercenary and former member of Apocalypse's Masters of Evil, combined this with serious {{Brainwashing}} after the ''Age of X'' ''ComicBook/XMen'' storyline -- in the warped alternate reality, she was Cyclops' lover; after the world was reset, he no longer had any feelings for her -- but she chose to keep her memories of what had been, and aspire to become somebody he ''could'' love.

-->-- '''Mai''', ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', "The Boiling Rock, Part 2"

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* In ''Anime/SpaceRunawayIdeon'', [[TheCutie kind-hearted Karala Ajiba]] came from the Buff Clan, and fell in love with [[TeamDad human soldier Bes Jordan]] whilst both their races investigated a site containing a powerful mecha. A war was triggered by a simple case of fear and she decided to remain with the humans. And typically in Tomino's anime, [[spoiler: Karala and Bes didn't have a happy ending and she was shot in the face [[CainAndAbel by her vengeful sister Harulu]], a while after revealing she was pregnant; as for Bes, he ended up bleeding to death in the commanding shuttle's bridge during the [[MindScrew seriously trippy]] GrandFinale.]]
* ''Anime/RomeoXJuliet'': Romeo does this for Juliet. Since Lord Montague is the dictator of Neo Verona and Juliet has been on the run after the Capulets were wiped out...
* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
** Hilde Schbeiker from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' deserts OZ and ends up living with Duo Maxwell. [[spoiler: According to the Frozen Teardrop novels, however, they didn't last too long.]]
* ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'' has [[GentleGiant Shiyu Kusanagi]] starting off as working for the antagonistic Dragons of Earth but eventually switches sides out of love for [[GenkiGirl Yuzuriha Nekoi]] and even ''lives'' to enjoy his newfound happiness.

* Boa Hancock in ''Manga/OnePiece'' doesn't outright defect since it would actually compromise her ability to help Luffy, among other issues, but she does begin assisting him despite her position and does everything she can to help after he first wins her respect and then love. That being said, she's still a terrible person: Even as she's being all blushy and lovestruck while telling him to call her by her given name, she kicks a puppy and a baby seal out of her way.
** In Dressrosa, [[spoiler: Baby 5 defects due to her engagement to Sai.]]

* Frenzy, a mercenary and former member of Apocalypse's Masters of Evil, combined this with serious {{Brainwashing}} after the ''Age of X'' ComicBook/XMen storyline -- in the warped alternate reality, she was Cyclops' lover; after the world was reset, he no longer had any feelings for her -- but she chose to keep her memories of what had been, and aspire to become somebody he ''could'' love.
* Happens with relative frequency among the [[SupermanSubstitute Viltrumites]] in ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}''. Their SocialDarwinist philosophy considered social bonds a weakness, despite the psychological need for it still being present, making the Viltrumites mentally unbalanced as they try to reconcile the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName quasi-Nazi ideology]] they've all been indoctrinated into since birth with their [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds repressed desire for emotion and family]]. Only a few are actually evil, and the rest quickly revert to forming normal emotional bonds when no longer under constant pressure to conform to social purity. [[BewareTheSuperman Omni-Man]] himself basically had a nervous breakdown when torn between his obsession with his duty and the love for his human family, nearly [[OffingTheOffspring murdering his own son]] whom he trained to be his successor before [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realizing what he was doing]]. [[AmazonianBeauty Anissa]] [[spoiler: [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil raped Mark to produce a pureblooded Viltrumite child]] but]] later fell in love with a human man and devoted her life to protecting the Earth as a result.

* In the ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/WolfSpider'' Bitch leaves the Undersiders to be with [[spoiler: Arachne]].

* In the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TheGirlFromMistral'' Cinder leaves Salem's side to be with [[spoiler:Pyrrha, eventually defecting to Beacon Academy.]]

* Happens many times in the ''Franchise/JamesBond'' film series. It was {{Lampshaded}} in ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'' by Fiona Volpe, who didn't do it.
* ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005'': The title characters are assassins from rival agencies, but [[spoiler:they both ditch their respective agencies after said agencies assign them to kill each other.]]
* ''Film/TaraBulba'' has Andriy (Tony Curtis) betray his fellow Cossacks out of love for the Polish princess Natalie.[[/folder]]

* Altaïr's wife, Maria Thorpe, was a Templar who defected to the Assassins following the events of [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI the first]] ''[[Franchise/AssassinsCreed Assassin's Creed]]'' [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI title]].
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' Dorian, a minor NPC living in Kakariko Village, confesses to have been a former [[spoiler: member of the Sheikah Clan's EvilCounterpart the Yiga Clan. However, he tells Link that he turned his back on them after falling in love with his [[TheLostLenore late wife.]] The story is quite tragic, as the Yiga caught wind of his betrayal and murdered said wife in cold blood, then turned around and threatened to do the same with his two daughters unless [[TheMole he cooperated with them.]]]]

* [[spoiler:The demons Lakritz and Sahne]] in ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'' who where originally on a mission to [[spoiler:capture angels to [[HumanSacrifice sacrifice]] to bring [[LegionsOfHell more of their kind]] to medius but they met the angel Kinako and her son Tirol and started a {{polyamor|y}}ous family with them.]] Unfortunately when they are discovered by the other [[spoiler:demons while trying to sneak them out of the city, Kinako is captured and Lakritz is left mortally wounded.]]

* Caiera, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk's eventual love interest in the storyline ''ComicBook/PlanetHulk'' was just misled. She believed her boss really was meant to be the savior of their world (specifically from the Spikes) and that thus UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans. When she found out that [[spoiler:he had been in control of the Spikes all along, using them to instill fear and enforce obedience, there was no more utopia left to justify and she changed sides to the new Messiah figure with some integrity.]]

*** Vestara Khai was a Sith apprentice who ended up falling for Luke and Mara's son Ben, before killing her own ArchnemesisDad to protect him and [[HeelFaceTurn turning to the Light]].

** In ''Literature/DarkDisciple'', Asajj Ventress began a relationship with Jedi Master Quinlan Vos and joined him in his mission to kill [[RuleOfTwo her former master Count Dooku]]. After he's captured by Dooku, Vos [[TheParagonAlwaysRebels falls to the]] DarkSide after months of torture, but her HeroicSacrifice to save him motivates him to return to the Light.

* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
** Mara Jade Skywalker was part of a group of elite Sith assassins serving Darth Sidious known as the Emperor's Hands, and was assigned to kill Luke but went rogue after the conclusion of the First Galactic Civil War and ended up marrying him before becoming a Jedi Master.
** Vestara Khai was a Sith apprentice who ended up falling for Luke and Mara's son Ben, before killing her own ArchnemesisDad to protect him and [[HeelFaceTurn turning to the Light]].

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]

[[folder:Mythology]]

* Mara Jade Skywalker in ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' was part of a group of elite Sith assassins serving Darth Sidious known as the Emperor's Hands, and was assigned to kill Luke but went rogue after the conclusion of the First Galactic Civil War and ended up marrying him before becoming a Jedi Master.

* Happens with relative frequency among the [[SupermanSubstitute Viltrumites]] in ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}''. Their ANaziByAnyOtherName SocialDarwinist philosophy considered social bonds a weakness, despite the psychological need for it still being present, making the Viltrumites mentally unbalanced as they try to reconcile the quasi-Nazi ideology they've all been indoctrinated into since birth with their [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds repressed desire for emotion and family]]. Only a few are actually evil, and the rest quickly revert to forming normal emotional bonds when no longer under constant pressure to conform to social purity. [[BewareTheSuperman Omni-Man]] himself basically had a nervous breakdown when torn between his obsession with his duty and the love for his human family, nearly [[OffingTheOffspring murdering his own son]] whom he trained to be his successor before [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realizing what he was doing]]. [[AmazonianBeauty Anissa]] [[spoiler: [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil raped Mark to produce a pureblooded Viltrumite child]] but]] later fell in love with a human man and devoted her life to protecting the Earth as a result.

* Implied to be the reason [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Castiel]] chooses to rebel against Heaven in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' to help avert the Apocalypse. Rather than making his decision based upon concern for humanity as a whole, he seems to have chosen to help the heroes mostly due to his respect and affection for Dean, who asked for his help.

[[folder:Live-Action TV ]]

* [[spoiler:Shiori aka Luna aka the fake Asuna]] from ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' who makes a HeelFaceTurn after falling for Negi. In a subversion, she ''still'' loves and cares for her boss, Fate Averruncus. [[spoiler:Ironically, Fate ''does'' pull a HeelFaceTurn with a side dish of GoodIsNotNice. ''And'' has pretty much all but stated that [[HoYay he's in love]] [[EvenTheGuysWantHim with Negi too]], thus Fate would likely be the UrExample in the series.]]
* Milia Fallyna in ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' (and ''{{Anime/Robotech}}''), who went as far as to get herself shrunk down to human size to hunt down the human pilot who dueled her, and ended up marrying him after a knife fight. In TheMovie ''Anime/MacrossDoYouRememberLove'', things go a little differently; he gets trapped on her ship when it leaves while they're still in their first battle, but things still turn out all right: he later shows up having been ''macronized'' to match her, becoming a ''Montague Counterpart'', and they're fighting side by side, happy as can be.

* In the ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' fanfic ''FanFic/WolfSpider'' Bitch leaves the Undersiders to be with [[spoiler: Arachne]].

** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' went and [[SubvertedTrope turned the trope a bit into its head]]. The brothers [[ChivalrousPervert Johan]] and [[HotBlooded Johalva]] are both smitten with [[ActionGirl Larcei]] (or her {{Expy}} Radney), and if she manages to speak to one of them, she can recruit him into [[TheHero Seliph]]'s group. Though the subversion comes in that she cannot recruit ''both'', as the other will take it as rejection and fight against the group.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' Dorian, a minor npc living in Kakariko Village, confesses to have been a former [[spoiler: member of the Sheikah Clan's EvilCounterpart the Yiga Clan. However, he tells Link that he turned his back on them after falling in love with his [[TheLostLenore late wife.]] The story is quite tragic, as the Yiga caught wind of his betrayal and murdered said wife in cold blood, then turned around and threatened to do the same with his two daughters unless [[TheMole he cooperated with them.]]]]

* Nikolai Velenova, from the roleplays of ''WebComic/WhiteDarkLife'', is another male example who [[BecomingTheMask falls in love with Leila Belnades]], the girl he handed over to the Slavic Circle. However, due to being ([[YouHaveFailedMe quite]] [[BadBoss properly]]) [[TheMobBossIsScarier scared shitless of his boss]], [[SinisterMinister Father Zharnev]], he didn't fully recognize his feelings until ''after'' he'd gone through with the betrayal (and Leila [[EtTuBrute found out about it]] and [[WasItAllALie pretty much snapped]]). It took a ''lot'' of effort on his part to get her to take him back.
* [[spoiler:The demons Lakritz and Sahne]] in Webcomic/SlightlyDamned who where originally on a mission to [[spoiler:capture angels to [[HumanSacrifice sacrifice]] to bring [[LegionsOfHell more of their kind]] to medius but they met the angel Kinako and her son Tirol and started a [[{{Polyamory}} polyamorous]] family with them.]] Unfortunately when they are discovered by the other [[spoiler:demons while trying to sneak them out of the city, Kinako is captured and Lakritz is left mortally wounded.]]

* Rose on ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong''. Essentially, she was taken from her parents as a baby and raised by the Huntsclan for the sole purpose of slaying magical creatures. Then she meets Jake in human form and falls in love with him. Then she finds out Jake's a dragon. She quickly betrays [[BigBad the Huntsmaster]] and becomes a ReverseMole.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/COPSAnimatedSeries C.O.P.S.]]'' played with this with the DatingCatwoman relationship between ClassyCatBurglar Nightshade and Mace the COP. Mace states openly that he'd be willing to marry Nightshade, if she gave up crime. He even gives her an engagement ring! She's shown clearly considering it, but the series ends before we see her answer.

%%* Blackarachnia [[DefectingForLove defected for love]] during the ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{COPS}}'' played with this with [[ClassyCatBurglar Nightshade]] and Mace. Mace stated openly that he'd be willing to marry Nightshade, if she gave up crime. He even gave her an engagement ring! She's shown clearly considering it, but the series ends before we see her answer.