History Main / HelpingWouldBeKillstealing

** An interesting variation of this occurred in one story. An Elderly Woman in a crosswalk is about to be run down by a drunk driver, and she prays to God to let her live at the same time Superman swoops in and saves her. It turns out, the woman lives in the Southside Neighborhood of Metropolis (a.k.a. [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Suicide Slum]]) and was on her way to a church meeting to discuss the rise of gang violence in the community. The woman takes the entire series of events to believe God is on her side and starts confronting criminals. Of course, Superman hears this and comes to her aid each time, noting while it's not ideal to respond to this insanity, the woman was in danger and the people were legitimate criminals. Of course, this fails when the woman tries it and Superman is on the other side of the world helping with a much more serious problem. The result is that the old woman gets shot. Superman does visit her in the hospital and apologizes for not being there but it turns out, the woman is greatful... cause the community learned that Superman can't be there for them all the time AND the woman wasn't doing anything they themselves were not capable of and they could stand up to the local criminals themselves... starting with rebuilding some of the damage to the community.

Compare ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself, where something is left to TheHero because he has an emotional stake in it. Often goes hand-in-hand with CruelToBeKind.

Compare ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself, where something is left to TheHero because he has an emotional stake in it.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' story ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'', the Girl of Steel is about to die after battling Mordru, but is saved by ''ComicBook/TheSpectre''. When she asks why he didn't intervene earlier to help the ComicBook/{{Legion Of Super-Heroes}}, he explains that they had to win their own battles.

* ''Manga/SoulEater'': Discussed in the first episode. Shinigami and Spirit watch Maka and Soul struggle with an enemy and Spirit suggests helping them. Death responds that while they ''could'' defeat that enemy "with a single REAPER CHOP", that would not help the kids grow as meister and weapon.

* As a meta-example, this is why [[CrutchCharacter Crutch Characters]] are so looked down upon by the ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' fandom. While attacking and defending alone give modicum experience, you get much more from kills. Also, experience gained scales by a mix of level and rank; a lvl 5 paladin only gains a fraction of experience a lvl 3 cavalier would. Units that start at low levels also have greater potential than their veteran counterparts, so using nothing more than that paladin or general the game [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity literaly hands you]] for the first few chapters will leave you woefully unprepared for the larger scale battles later in the game. This is the reason that most players de-equip the CrutchCharacter as soon as possible, and simply let it act as a meatshield for the first few chapters, before either ditching it (if, as often is the case, it's not viable in the endgame) or using it more conventionally (if it actually ''is'' viable in the endgame).

'''Tenya:''' ''[flabbergasted and confused]'' Excuse me?

-->'''Izuku:''' ''[standing atop the wreckage of a robot]'' Oh no, it got destroyed! I didn't think I hit it that hard. I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean to steal your kill!\\

* It happens in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' during the [[SchoolFestival Mahora Festival]] and Negi's final battle against the ArcVillain. Evangeline (who recently became Negi's magic mentor) and the school principal observe the fight and in one moment Evangeline forcibly prevents the school principal from interfering in the battle, because she wants her disciple to prove that he can defeat the adversary himself.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ''

** In ''Comicbook/SupermanRedSon'', Superman so coddles the human race that people stop trying to avoid accidents, until ''Lex Luthor'' of all people nails him with an ArmourPiercingQuestion that ''brings him to his knees'':

* In ''FanFic/ThisBites'', Squardo and Whitey appealing to Luffy and Ace's honor as pirates is the only thing that stops the [[BigBrotherInstinct latter]] [[spoiler:from rocketing off to immolate Baron Omatsuri alive]].

** This is pretty much the only reasonable explanation for why in the climax of ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'', the much more qualified Cynthia doesn't step up to beat Cyrus into a pulp -- even though she's literally standing ''right next to you'' -- and lets you handle him instead. The ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' manga averts this by {{nerf}}ing Cynthia so she can take on Cyrus and lose. [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} The anime]] also averts this, since she doesn't just stand on the sidelines while Ash and Co. deal with Team Galactic.

* In ''Videogame/GalaxyAngel'', this is Forte's reasoning on not directly helping [[NewMeat Chitose's]] inability for flexible thinking. Left alone, she will cause disaster sooner or later, as evidenced in the aftermath of a particular mission where she froze up, never expecting the freighter she rescued was [[TheInfiltration an enemy in disguise]], despite [[CoverIdentityAnomaly nigh-blatant clues]]. However, telling her directly would most likely backfire, as Forte herself puts it:

[[folder:Web Comics]]

'''Tenya:''' ''[flabbergasted and confused]'' Excuse me?
* In ''Fanfic/HeroicMyth,'' Bell's Servants can steamroll virtually everything down the lower floors of the dungeon as long as they keep him safe and healthy. But they decide to let him fight his own battles, as they are transient spirits who will vanish in time while he's mortal and alive.

* "Series/Firefly"

- "This is something the captain has to do for himself"
- Captain Mal (in the middle of a life and death fight) "NO IT'S NOT!"
- Copious amounts of gunfire at the villain.

* In ''Literature/TallTaleAmerica'', Myth/PecosBill says that, when he revamped cattle ranching, he

* In the ''Literature/CiaphasCain'' novel, Cain engages an Ork warboss in a duel, while other orks just stand by and watch. Cain's aid Jurgen explains that they do not dare interfere, because the boss would see that as a challenge to his might and kill them. For the same reason Jurgen cannot help Cain - if he does, ''then'' other orks can also join.[[/folder]]

* Kreia (as seen in the page quote) lampshades this in ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic II'', when you help people too much; by taking their burdens, you deny them the opportunity to grow strong by themselves. Whilst her take on this trope sounds a lot like the Sith philosophy[[spoiler:, unsurprising given she is a powerful Sith Master,]] even a light-sided player can acknowledge it's a truth that needs to be taken into consideration.

--> "Why don't you just put the whole ''world'' in a bottle, Superman?"[[note]]For context, this refers to the fact that Brainiac somehow shrank the entire city of Stalingrad down to the size of a large ant farm, something Superman never succeeds in reversing.[[/note]]

** Earlier, he tries to [[PassingTheTorch pass the torch]] to Gohan during the Cell Games and refused to help even when Gohan was getting the life crush out of him. He wanted Gohan to be the hero on top of wanting a fair fight. [[WhatTheHellHero It take Piccolo yelling at him for being heartless before he was ready to interfere]].
*** In Goku's defense, he was right. Cell found a more proper motivation in threatening everyone -but- Gohan, but he wanted Gohan to unleash his inner strength and win where even Goku couldn't. Some trouble afterward aside, including Goku's own Heroic Sacrifice, Gohan did manage it.

** Played straight again in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2''. So you've just defeated the Black/White Kyurem that Ghetsis fused N's legendary with, and they defuse, returning N's Pokemon back to his side, and now Ghetsis is about to battle you. So even though N has this big Level 70 legendary right here that he could easily stop Ghetsis from battling you by sweeping him with it like he did the Elite Four and Alder in the previous game-he leaves you to battle Ghetsis himself. N does heal your Pokemon to brace yourself for his challenge, though.

* In the CaiaphasCain novel, Cain engages an Ork warboss in a duel, while other orks just stand by and watch. Cain's aid Jurgen explains that they do not dare interfere, because the boss would see that as a challenge to his might and kill them. For the same reason Jurgen cannot help Cain -
if he does, ''then'' other orks can also join.[[/folder]]

[[/folder]]

** This is pretty much the only reasonable explanation for why in the climax of [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum]] the much more qualified [[BigGood Cynthia]] doesn't step up to beat the BigBad into a pulp- even though she's literally standing ''right next to you''- and lets you handle him instead. The ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'' manga averts this by {{nerf}}ing Cynthia so she can take on Cyrus and lose. The show also averts this, since she doesn't just stand on the sidelines while Ash and Co. deal with Team Galactic.

** In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Ruby/Sapphire]]/Emerald'', neither Wallace nor Steven step up to help you against the BigBad, despite being Champion-caliber trainers.

Although this trope is about passively letting bad things happen rather than actively setting them up, it can apply to a StealthMentor or other TricksterMentor that has set things in motion and then remain in the background while reminding himself that he mustn't step in. Might become a very reluctant DeusExMachina that is really sorry he gave the protagonists that vital information instead of letting them find it themselves, or regrets that he removed [[ThatOneBoss That One Obstacle]]. One of the main tools of the SinkOrSwimMentor.

* This is one of the basic principles of teaching martial arts in ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'': it's repeatedly said that a martial arts mentor must not interfere in his (or her) disciple's fight with a non-master fighter, even when the disciple's life is in danger. However, mentors will avert this trope in slightly different situations should the danger truly warrant the intervention. For example, if a sparring (i.e. friendly) match goes out of control or another master attacks their disciple, they will interfere to break things up. (The former has happened once to Takeda, both once to Kenichi.) Another example involves non-fight-related life-or-death situations, such as when Kenichi is attempting to save his sister Honoka from some sharks and is unable to do much about it on his own.

* ''Manga/SoulEater'': Discussed in the first episode. Shinigami and Spirit watch Maka and Soul struggle with an enemy and Spirit suggests helping them. Death responds that while they ''could'' defeat that enemy "with a single REAPER CHOP", that would not help the kids create a death scythe.