History Main / LoveHungry

* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'' [[CentralTheme explores the universal need for love through many characters]], mostly in the titular character himself. Bojack is [[IJustWantToBeLoved desperate to love himself and be loved by others]], yet due to a [[AbusiveParents lack of]] [[FriendlessBackground experience]] [[DarkAndTroubledPast during his formative years]], [[{{Jerkass}} his]] [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex off-putting]] [[{{Narcissist}} personality]] and [[HisOwnWorstEnemy chronic self-sabotage]], Bojack has no idea [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove how to process love when he does get it]], [[InLoveWithLove let alone]] [[TheILoveYouStigma how to reciprocate]]. (His past as a Sitcom actor doesn't help either, as its led him to an [[WrongGenreSavvy unrealistically simplistic idea of how relationships work]].) The end result is a broken wreck of a (horse)man with [[IdleRich too much money]] and [[LonersAreFreaks no social life]] who's [[WhiteDwarfStarlet trying to recapture his 'glory days']] and who [[{{Tsundere}} both clings to and pushes away his friends and love-interests alike]].
* Multiply ItsAllAboutMe by GreenEyedMonster and you get Bender from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. He's not above a little [[MurderTheHypotenuse hypotenuse murder]] either.
-->'''Bender:''' Now to make a cake so delicious they'll have no choice but to love and worship me!
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' reimagined Jervis Tetch, aka [[AliceAllusion the Mad Hatter]], using this trope. In this incarnation, Tetch is a brilliant scientist and inventor who develops groundbreaking [[HypnoTrinket mind-control technology]]. Unfortunately, his boss hates him, he has no friends besides the rats he experiments on, and he harbors a massive, [[AllLoveIsUnrequited unrequited]] crush on Alice, a secretary at his lab. After Alice and her boyfriend Billy have a fight, Tetch tries to win her over by creating the Hatter persona, only for Billy to return with an apology and engagement ring. This sends Tetch JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope and compels him to use his technology on Alice in a desperate effort to make her love him--"I've waited my WHOLE LONELY LIFE FOR HER!" What makes it particularly tragic is that Tetch starts out ''aware'' of his Love Hungry nature and is able to initially withstand the temptation of brainwashing Alice; despite that self-awareness, though, he ultimately gives in to his darker impulses and ends up lonelier than ever.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' episode "Operation: S.N.O.W.I.N.G.", [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil fourth grade president]] [[PresidentEvil Jimmy]] has [[FaceHeelTurn turned evil]] in the hopes of [[VillainousCrush impressing Numbuh 1's girlfriend Lizzie]]. He is infuriated when Lizzie stays loyal to Numbuh 1 and insists that Jimmy can't make her love him. At that he reveals his backup plan of using a mind control helmet on her. The Kids Next Door ultimately are able to stop him with help from his [[IgnoredEnamoredUnderling secretary]] [[WomanScorned Anna]], who decided to sabotage his plan when she learned she wasn't the object of his affections. Anna [[LoveConfession confesses]] her romantic feelings for Jimmy, who responds positively and acknowledges that he needs to learn the true meaning of love.
* Vlad Masters from ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' seems to be largely motivated by this trope. After his tragic backstory, the Fruitloop decides that the logical course of action is to murder his old college buddy, steal his wife, and forcibly adopt their children. He never quite succeeds.

* In ''VisualNovel/MysticMessenger,'' you soon realize after coming to Jumin's penthouse during his route that a life spent without sufficient, reliable intimacy with others has made him ''very'' attached to you, who sympathizes with his problems and isn't put off by his aloof demeanor, ''very'' quickly. He refuses to let you leave the penthouse, even trapping you in a WallPinOfLove when you talk a little too much about how you should be getting back to your apartment. It's up to you whether or not you want to encourage this behavior and get the bad ending, or stand up for yourself and get the good ending.

* In ''VisualNovel/MysticMessenger,'' when you're playing Jumin's route and you arrive at his penthouse, you quickly realize that a life spent without sufficient, reliable intimacy with others has made him ''very'' attached to you ''very'' quickly, who supports him and sympathizes with his problems and so-far cold demeanor, ''very'' quickly. He refuses to let you leave the penthouse, even trapping you in a WallPinOfLove when you talk a little too much about how you should be getting back to your apartment. It's up to you whether or not you want to encourage this behavior and get the bad ending, or stand up for yourself and get the good ending.

* In ''VisualNovel/MysticMessenger,'' when you're playing Jumin's route and you arrive at his penthouse, you quickly realize that a life spent without sufficient, reliable intimacy from others has made him ''very'' attached to you ''very'' quickly, who supports him and sympathizes with his problems and so-far cold demeanor, ''very'' quickly. He refuses to let you leave the penthouse, even trapping you in a WallPinOfLove when you talk a little too much about how you should be getting back to your apartment. It's up to you whether or not you want to encourage this behavior and get the bad ending, or stand up for yourself and get the good ending.

* In ''VisualNovel/MysticMessenger,'' when you're playing Jumin's route and you arrive at his penthouse, you quickly realize that a life spent without sufficient intimacy or warmth from others has made him ''very'' attached to you ''very'' quickly, who supports him and sympathizes with his problems and so-far cold demeanor, ''very'' quickly. He refuses to let you leave the penthouse, even trapping you in a WallPinOfLove when you talk a little too much about how you should be getting back to your apartment. It's up to you whether or not you want to encourage this behavior and get the bad ending, or stand up for yourself and get the good ending.

* In ''VisualNovel/MysticMessenger,'' when you're playing Jumin's route and you arrive at his penthouse, you quickly realize that a life spent without any significant intimacy or warmth from others has made him ''very'' attached to you, who supports him and sympathizes with his problems and so-far cold demeanor, ''very'' quickly. He refuses to let you leave the penthouse, even trapping you in a WallPinOfLove when you talk a little too much about how you should be getting back to your apartment. It's up to you whether or not you want to encourage this behavior and get the bad ending, or stand up for yourself and get the good ending.

--> -- '''Fluttershy''', ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', "The Best Night Ever"

* On one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' due to [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Timmy's Wish]], he and Trixie are the only two people left on the planet, and although Timmy initially enjoys being with his {{Love Interest}} due to [[AttentionWhore Trixie's attention demanding personality]], she wants Timmy to show her the attention that normally lots and lots of people would give to her, eventually exploding into full-on {{Yandere}} mode.

** In the episode "The Best Night Ever," Fluttershy tries to get the woodland creatures around the gala to come to her in a FriendToAllLivingThings fashion. For some reason, they're all scared of her (she usually can get wild animals to flock to her and sing on cue), and she slowly cracks to the point of trying to capture them all, culminating in causing a stampede of wild animals fleeing her in terror and ending with the page quote.

** Pinkie gets an example in ''A Friend In Deed''. Pinkie feels compelled to become friends with every single resident in Ponyville, and judging by this episode (and a few others), she is. Until Cranky Doodle Donkey arrives in town and wants nothing to do with her. HilarityEnsues.
** It's Discord's turn in "Make New Friends But Keep Discord". He feels starved of Fluttershy's affection because of her new friendship with Tree Hugger, whom he eventually threatens to [[MurderTheHypotenuse tuck away into an alternate dimension]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan,'' Harry seems to be so starved for affection from his parents that he'll try to fill it with any kind of outside attention, from trying to get popular to getting a girlfriend (specifically, Gwen). He's treated sympathetically, though [[ScrewedByTheLawyers what turned out to be]] the final episode shows that he can turn manipulative to keep it up (namely, using [[spoiler:his father's apparent death]] to keep Gwen from breaking up with him).
* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'' [[{{Central Theme}} explores the universal need for love through many characters]], mostly in the titular character himself. Bojack is [[IJustWantToBeLoved desperate to love himself and be loved by others]], yet due to a [[AbusiveParents lack of]] [[FriendlessBackground experience]] [[DarkAndTroubledPast during his formative years]], [[{{Jerkass}} his]] [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex off-putting]] [[{{Narcissist}} personality]] and [[HisOwnWorstEnemy chronic self-sabotage]], Bojack has no idea [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove how to process love when he does get it]], [[InLoveWithLove let alone]] [[TheILoveYouStigma how to reciprocate]]. (His past as a Sitcom actor doesn't help either, as its led him to an [[WrongGenreSavvy unrealistically simplistic idea of how relationships work]].) The end result is a broken wreck of a (horse)man with [[IdleRich too much money]] and [[LonersAreFreaks no social life]] who's [[WhiteDwarfStarlet trying to recapture his 'glory days']] and who [[{{Tsundere}} both clings to and pushes away his friends and love-interests alike]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' episode ''Operation: S.N.O.W.I.N.G.'', [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil fourth grade president]] [[PresidentEvil Jimmy]] has [[FaceHeelTurn turned evil]] in the hopes of [[VillainousCrush impressing Numbuh 1's girlfriend Lizzie]]. He is infuriated when Lizzie stays loyal to Numbuh 1 and insists that Jimmy can't make her love him. At that he reveals his backup plan of using a mind control helmet on her. The Kids Next Door ultimately are able to stop him with help from his [[IgnoredEnamoredUnderling secretary]] [[WomanScorned Anna]], who decided to sabotage his plan when she learned she wasn't the object of his affections. Anna [[LoveConfession confesses]] her romantic feelings for Jimmy, who responds positively and acknowledges that he needs to learn the true meaning of love.

* Vlad Masters from ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' seems to be largely motivated by this trope. After his tragic backstory, the Fruitloop decides that the logical course of action is to murder his old college buddy, steal his wife, and forcibly adopt their children. He never quite succeeds.

* ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'': The Plutonian, spurred from a childhood that consisted of being bounced around numerous foster homes. He went on to become the world's most beloved and admired superhero, but his [[CantTakeCriticism inability to handle criticism]] whenever he made a mistake or to deal with SomebodyDoesntLoveRaymond situations drives him off the deep end after a tragedy occurs, and he ultimates decides that [[BewareTheSuperman it's better to be feared than loved]].

* Greg in ''Manga/ACruelGodReigns''. He is convinced that if he whips and rapes Jeremy enough, he will come to love him. Greg believes that everyone loves him, and therefore so should Jeremy, but it kind of backfires on him and Jeremy eventually [[spoiler: tampers with his car and kills him.]]
* In the backstory material for ''Anime/CodeGeass'', [[spoiler: CC, then a young slave]], who is adorable but has never had a best friend, wishes that everyone would love her. It quickly becomes a BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor tale as she learns that if you force everyone to love you, then none of it will be genuine. [[http://kurogane.animeblogger.net/2008/07/20/code-geass-r2-15/ Full spoilers here]].
* Oonagi in ''Manga/CopernicusBreathing'', although he doesn't do this outright to Bird's Nest at the beginning. At first he is kind to him, but when Bird's Nest starts falling for his old circus co-worker Leo, Oonagi [[spoiler: ties him up for days, demanding his love.]]

* In the second half of ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', Mytho's emotion of Love is corrupted by the blood of the Raven king. Rather than "a prince who loves all and is loved by all", he demands that people love him, and hate everyone else.

* The Plutonian from ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'', spurred from a childhood that consisted of being bounced around numerous foster homes. He went on to become the world's most beloved and admired superhero, but his [[CantTakeCriticism inability to handle criticism]] whenever he made a mistake or to deal with SomebodyDoesntLoveRaymond situations drives him off the deep end after a tragedy occurs, and he ultimates decides that [[BewareTheSuperman it's better to be feared than loved]].
* It turns out this is God's motivation in ''{{ComicBook/Preacher}}'': he basks in the love of humanity retaining their faith in him despite his making the world such a horrible place. He arranged for the creation of Genesis (the offspring of a male angel and a female demon) to be loved by something on his level. [[spoiler:He ends up killed by the Saint of Killers, the Angel of Death's replacement.]]

* With a backstory that involves being torn apart on a daily basis for for being Foxy's ReplacementScrappy, Mangle is shown to be so desperate for affection in [[FanFic/DantesNightAtFreddys Dante's Night at Freddy's 2: Animatronic Boogaloo]] that she [[BlackComedyRape sexually assaults Foxy]] in a simultaneously disgusting and humorous scene.

-->'''Madame Medusa''': Snoops, you don't have a way with children. (sweetly) You must gain their confidence... make them like you.
-->'''Snoops''': Yeah? How do you do that?
-->'''Madame Medusa''': (angrily) You FORCE them to like you, idiot!

* Anakin Skywalker in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' for Padme's love. While he was [[GoodIsNotNice kind of a dick and rather aggressive]], he was still undoubtedly ''good,'' and his love for Padme was the only thing he valued more than [[MagicKnight being a Jedi]]. By ''Revenge of the Sith,'' his desperation to save Padme from [[PsychicDreamsForEveryone his visions of her perceived death in childbirth,]] his severely unaddressed trauma over his mother's death, and his growing feelings that the Jedi were stifling his power led to his increasing SanitySlippage and overtly possessive actions towards her. Even more explicit in Matt Stover's novelization, where Anakin reacts angrily and violently towards any perceived threat to his relationship with Padme.

* Anakin Skywalker in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' for Padme's love. While he was [[GoodIsNotNice kind of a dick and rather aggressive]], he was still undoubtedly ''good'' and his love for Padme was the only thing he valued more than [[MagicKnight being a Jedi]]. By ''Revenge of the Sith,'' his desperation to save Padme from [[PsychicDreamsForEveryone his visions of her perceived death in childbirth,]] the severely unaddressed trauma he felt over his mother's death, and his growing feelings that the Jedi were stifling his power led to his increasing SanitySlippage and overtly possessive actions towards her. Even more explicit in Matt Stover's novelization, where Anakin reacts angrily and violently towards any perceived threat to his relationship with Padme.

* Vlad Masters from "WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom" seems to be largely motivated by this trope. After his tragic backstory, the Fruitloop decides that the logical course of action is to murder his old college buddy, steal his wife, and forcibly adopt their children. He never quite succeeds.

* The Plutonian from ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'', spurred from a childhood that consisted of being bounced around numerous foster homes. He went on to become the world's most beloved and admired superhero, but his [[CantTakeCriticism inability to handle criticism]] whenever he made a mistake or to deal with SomebodyDoesntLoveRaymond situations drives him off the deep end after a tragedy occurs, and he becomes the page image provider for BewareTheSuperman.

Compare {{Yandere}}, who is violent about keeping their lover. Compare AllTakeAndNoGive, where the taker tries to force someone into loving and serving them. See also MadLove, LoveMakesYouEvil, and LoveMakesYouCrazy. Can be the result of SomebodyDoesntLoveRaymond. Relate to HappinessIsMandatory and GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul, where happy emotions are forced on others. For a more literal take, see EmotionEater. See also AndNowYouMustMarryMe and DoggedNiceGuy.

Compare {{Yandere}}, who is violent about keeping their lover. Compare AllTakeAndNoGive, where the taker tries to force someone into loving and serving them. See also LoveMakesYouEvil and LoveMakesYouCrazy. Can be the result of SomebodyDoesntLoveRaymond. Relate to HappinessIsMandatory and GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul, where happy emotions are forced on others. For a more literal take, see EmotionEater. See also DoggedNiceGuy.

* In Creator/NeilGaiman's dark fantasy children's novella ''Literature/{{Coraline}}'' (and its ''WesternAnimation/Coraline''}} stop-motion [[TheFilmOfTheBook adaptation]]), this is the [[EvilMatriarch Other Mother]]'s primary motivation for [[spoiler: luring children like Coraline into her realm]]. As the black cat explains, "She wants something to love, I think. Something that isn't her."

* In Creator/NeilGaiman's dark fantasy children's novella ''Coraline'' (and its stop-motion [[TheFilmOfTheBook adaptation]]), this is the [[EvilMatriarch Other Mother]]'s primary motivation for [[spoiler: luring children like Coraline into her realm]]. As the black cat explains, "She wants something to love, I think. Something that isn't her."

* In Neil Gaiman's dark fantasy children's novella [[Coraline]] (and its [[Literature/Coraline film]] [[TheFilmOfTheBook adaptation]]), this is the [[EvilMatriarch Other Mother]]'s primary motivation for luring children like Coraline into her realm (first as love-surrogates, and later as snacks). As the black cat explains, "She wants something to love, I think. Something that isn't her."

* In Neil Gaiman's dark fantasy children's novella Coraline (and its film adaptation), this is Other Mother's primary motivation for luring children like Coraline into her realm (first as love-surrogates, and later as snacks). As the black cat explains, "She wants something to love, I think. Something that isn't her."

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' reimagined Jervis Tetch, aka [[AliceAllusion the Mad Hatter]], using this trope. In this incarnation, Tetch is a brilliant scientist and inventor who develops groundbreaking [[HypnoTrinket mind-control technology]]. Unfortunately, his boss hates him, he has no friends besides the rats he experiments on, and he harbors a massive, [[AllLoveIsUnrequited unrequited]] crush on Alice, a secretary at his lab. After Alice and her boyfriend Billy have a fight, Tetch tries to win her over by creating the Hatter persona, only for Billy to return with an apology and engagement ring. This sends Tetch JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope and compels him to use his technology on Alice in a desperate effort to make her love him--"I've waited my WHOLE LONELY LIFE FOR HER!" What makes it particularly tragic is that Tetch starts out ''aware'' of his Love Hungry nature and is able to initially withstand the temptation of brainwashing her; despite that self-awareness, though, he ultimately gives in to his darker impulses and ends up lonelier than ever.