History Main / NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' adventure ''A Hot Day in L'Trel'' in Magazine/{{Dungeon}} magazine #44. After the {{P|layerCharacter}}Cs risk their lives to save a woman from a burning house, the woman sues them because she was injured during the rescue. (How is this [[http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202426887859 different from real life?]] Well, the [=PCs=] do have the option to [[HeroicComedicSociopath kill her out of spite, and with a few well-placed diplomacy checks, bluffs, or intimidation, get off scot-free]].)
* The Abyssal Exalted in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' have this in spades. Picked out at death to serve OmnicidalManiac undead gods and given corrupted divine powers, they ''can'' choose to go the DarkIsNotEvil route. Only the more positive, life affirming things they do, the likelier it is the gods take over your body and someone you care about is [[DroppedABridgeOnHim randomly killed]]. This is why Abyssal Exaltation is the only type that both a) must be willingly accepted by the recipient and b) allows for the possibility of redeeming and changing state into a Solar Exalted. The designers already knew that it's a screw-over, and thus made it both require you to willingly sign on with the Neverborn (i.e., you've got it coming) and allow an escape mechanism.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Referenced but subverted in the print side story "Good Deeds Gone Unpunished", which is about good people doing good things and everything (mostly) working out for the best.

* The ending of ''Operation Graveyard'' counts as this. See it [[http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/534717 here]].

* In his review for ''Film/BabesInToyland'', WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic was bothered throughout the entire thing by the Ghost Of Christmas Future, who was trying to get him to do a Christmas parody. But when he sees the ghost drinking and depressed, he puts on his daddy voice and tries to cheer him up by letting him pick what review he'll do next week. Big mistake, as the ghost instantly picks ''Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'', Creator/JimCarrey version.
* ''Website/NotAlwaysRight'' features several stories where an employee might be doing a good thing, but end up getting reprimanded by their employers and yelled at by customers, sometimes to the point of losing their job. In particular [[https://notalwaysright.com/customers-entitlement-can-just-run/104406/ this story]] involves an employee instinctively saving a toddler from running in front of a car, only for the mother to accuse them of child abuse instead of being grateful.
* In the Literature/WhateleyUniverse, Bladedancer gets visions that she needs to leave Team Kimba and keep a low profile for something in the future. Phase, her roommate, helps. For Phase's good deed, he gets treated by the entire school like a jerkass who fired Bladedancer from the team and then booted her out of the room. Oh, and Phase gets a supervillain as a replacement roommate just to make things worse.

* This can happen in Website/GoAnimate [[YouAreGrounded "Grounded"]] videos. For instance, in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NUh6LmjVgY this]] video, WesternAnimation/{{Caillou}} stops his father, Boris, from robbing a bank. However, when Boris gets arrested, Caillou is arrested as well. His crime? Being a "baby show" character. Boris is given three and a half years in jail and is put in a fancy jail cell with all amenities while Caillou is given ''[[DisproportionateRetribution life in prison]]'' stuck in a smaller part of Boris's cell without even a bed or a toilet, and Boris is allowed to beat up Caillou whenever he wishes.
* In the Doctor Locklear series, while [[spoiler:Locklear performed a life-saving surgery on a young man who turned out to be a rapist and murderer, his wife went into premature labor and both her and the baby died]]. It's what made him quit the hospital he worked at and [[DespairEventHorizon drove him mad enough]] to [[FallenHero harvest criminals for their organs]].
* The Season 5 finale of ''Machinima/ArbyNTheChief'' ends like this. After Arbiter and Master Chief expose Trent Donnovich [[spoiler:for having a private affair, despite being about to get married with Claire]]. Trent and his staff are defeated and Arbiter and Claire resume their relationship, [[BittersweetEnding but at the cost of having their account permabanned by the Bungie Network Executive, Brian, for months]]. Additionally in Season 6, once they do get access to their account back, Arbiter learns that his actions have also "fractured" his relationship with Claire, as she tells him [[TheResenter a part of her is angry at him for ruining]] [[GrassIsGreener what could have been a very promising future for her had she had not known of Trent's true nature]].

No act of charity goes unresent\\

->''"No good deed goes unpunished\\
All helpful urges should be circumvented\\

** In ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', when Monokuma releases a personality-altering Despair Disease in Chapter 3, Mikan Tsumiki, the Ultimate Nurse, takes it upon herself to care for those who are infected. While Mikan admits during her Free Time Events that [[SecretlySelfish she does enjoy the sense of power being a nurse gives her over the injured and sick]], it's still a fairly kind act. Unfortunately, as a result of spending so long in close proximity to the sick, [[RealityEnsues Mikan gets infected herself]], resulting in [[spoiler:her reverting to her Ultimate Despair self, killing Ibuki (one of her patients) and Hiyoko, then getting executed for the murders]].

* Music/{{Gorillaz}}'s music video for "Aries," wherein 2-D takes Murdoc on a motorcycle ride to make up for the events of the "Désolé" music video directly before, ignoring the concerns of the other band members in the process, and [[spoiler: gets unexpectedly injected with truth serum by Murdoc for his efforts, all because he just wanted to try and cheer the bassist up a bit.]] However, Murdoc does suffer retribution for his actions in response: [[spoiler: Russel kicks his ass when he learns what Murdoc did, and he's left having learned nothing from the truth serum that he injected 2-D with, as he is choked to the point of unconsciousness by Russel afterwards.]]

* ''Podcast/TheAdventureZoneBalance'': The party goes out of their way to rescue an enslaved orc boy. Guess who shows up at exactly the wrong moment and shoots a crossbow at [[spoiler: a powerful flaming dwarf]] the party had just about talked down?

* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' has Florence the [[UpliftedAnimal Bowman's Wolf]], who in one early story arc gets involved in rescuing civilians from a hurricane and risks her life to save one Mr. Kornada. Kornada then steals her headset and forces robots to commandeer the ship, leaving her stranded in water so cold she has a life expectancy of 20 minutes -- all so he can attend a completely pointless meeting. Arguably zigzagged in that this leads to Florence's InterspeciesRomance with the human veterinarian who saves her life. The weight then sways back into "punishment" territory when Kornada nearly gets Florence frozen and shipped off-world, and is then revealed to be planning to electronically MindRape every robot on the planet, lobotomizing them, ''all so he can steal all their money''. And completely oblivious to the fact that this could well destroy the fledgeling colony, which ''depends'' on the intelligence of the local robots to continue functioning.
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Back when they were children Tarvek tried to help his friend Gil uncover his mysterious family history. In response Gil's father, the Baron, secretly revealed himself to Gil and convinced his son that Tarvek was evil due to his family history and that him finding out about Gil's parantage would be horrible resulting in Gil betraying Tarvek (while thinking Tarvek was trying to use him) and Tarvek being sent back to his abusive and murderous family that has been trying to assassinate him since he was a child.

* For a LighterAndSofter example: Commander Badass of ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'' raised his children to be responsible. Which enabled his daughter to finish all the chores needed to earn herself a pet millipede [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes that he's afraid of.]]
* ''Kind'' of: in ''Out-of-Placers'', Kass buys a shiny stone for a high price out of pity from a struggling Yinglet (small rodents) merchant. It promptly [[BalefulPolymorph turns him into a Yinglet]]. [[GenderBender A female]]. Though, admittedly, it was safe until he broke it himself...
* In ''Webcomic/RedsPlanet'', Red's PetTheDog moment of [[http://www.redsplanet.com/comic/rp/ch04/chapter-four-03/ feeding other castaways]] [[http://www.redsplanet.com/comic/rp/ch04/chapter-four-05/comment-page-1/ means that all the other aliens of its race come after her.]]
* As currently stands in ''Webcomic/{{Roommates}}'' each and every magical problem [[Film/{{Labyrinth}} Sarah Williams]] ever had (including Film/{{Labyrinth}}) can be traced back to her deeds in the ''Kid!Jareth arc'' where she... was nice to a child. [[spoiler:For her misfortune: A [[TheFairFolk Fair Folk]] Child [[TimeTravel From The Past]], and fae are usually kinda clueless how to pay back such things.]]

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Referenced but subverted in the print side story "Good Deeds Gone Unpunished," which is about good people doing good things and everything (mostly) working out for the best.

* The ending of ''Operation Graveyard'' counts as this. See it [[http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/534717 HERE]]

* In ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'', Twilight Sparkle goes to Ponyville on her own initiative, in order to prevent Night Moon Mare from destroying the world. After the day is saved, Princess Celestia arrives on the scene. She doesn't care at all about the barely-averted apocalypse--[[SeriousBusiness she only cares about the tea party that Twilight skipped]] in the process of saving the world. As punishment, Celestia banishes Twilight to Ponyville.

* This can happen in Website/GoAnimate [[YouAreGrounded "Grounded"]] videos. For instance, in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NUh6LmjVgY this]] video, WesternAnimation/{{Caillou}} stops his father, Boris, from robbing a bank. However, when Boris gets arrested, Caillou is arrested as well. His crime? Being a "baby show" character. Boris is given three and a half years in jail and is put in a fancy jail cell with all amenities while Caillou is given ''[[DisproportionateRetribution life in prison]]'' stuck in a smaller part of Boris' cell without even a bed or a toilet and Boris is allowed to beat up Caillou whenever he wishes.
* In the Doctor Locklear series, while [[spoiler: Locklear performed a life-saving surgery on a young man who turned out to be a rapist and murderer, his wife went into premature labor and both her and the baby died.]] It's what made him quit the hospital he worked and [[DespairEventHorizon drove him mad enough]] to [[FallenHero harvest criminals for their organs.]]
* The Season 5 finale of ''Machinima/ArbyNTheChief'' ends like this. After Arbiter and Master Chief expose Trent Donnovich [[spoiler: for having a private affair, despite about to be getting married with Claire]]. Trent and his staff are defeated and Arbiter and Claire resume their relationship, [[BittersweetEnding but at the cost of having their account permabanned by Bungie Network Executive, Brian, for months]]. Additionally in Season 6, once they do get access to their account back, Arbiter learns that his actions have also "fractured" his relationship with Claire, as she tells him [[TheResenter a part of her is angry at him for ruining]] [[GrassIsGreener what could have been a very promising future for her had she had not known of Trent's true nature]].

** Special mention goes to the [[StoicWoobie Lamenters]], a chapter of Space Marines known for two things: selflessly protecting the innocent above all else, and being [[DoomMagnet so horrendously unlucky]] that people in-universe are wondering what's going on.

* Mr. Tensaided suffered a case of this in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' when he gives Susan the rest of the day off to deal with a personal issue, only to get swarmed by a [[http://egscomics.com/comic/2016-11-18 hoard of grandparents]] in complete disagreement as to what constitutes "appropriate content" for their grandchildren. A good deed is usually fairly safe in this comic, but Tensaided had to go and [[TemptingFate tempt fate]] as well.

If this happens because the hero helps people who are [[UngratefulBastard ungrateful]], it can be a case of AllOfTheOtherReindeer or TheFarmerAndTheViper. If this happens because the hero doesn't want unnecessary violence, it can be a case of PacifismBackfire. More often, helping out exposes the hero to some other danger, like the wrath of a villain whose plans were disrupted by the good deed, or the wrath of a populace that is opposed to the method of help, such as in many BurnTheWitch stories that involve actual witches, or being ArrestedForHeroism. Or being targeted by people who assume you have ChronicHeroSyndrome and so will be glad to help them for free.

By its very nature, it frequently overlaps with NiceJobBreakingItHero

* Music/{{Gorillaz}}'s music video for "Aries," wherein 2-D takes Murdoc on a motorcycle ride to make up for the events of the "Désolé" music video directly before, ignoring the concerns of the other band members in the process, and [[spoiler: gets unexpectedly injected with truth serum by Murdoc for his efforts, all because he just wanted to try and cheer the bassist up a bit.]]

* Music/{{Gorillaz}}'s music video for "Aries," wherein 2-D takes Murdoc on a motorcycle ride to make up for the events of the "Désolé" music video directly before, ignoring the concerns of the other band members in the process, and [[spoiler: gets unexpectedly injected with truth serum by Murdoc for his trouble.]]

* In ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', when Monokuma releases a personality-altering Despair Disease in Chapter 3, Mikan Tsumiki, the Ultimate Nurse, takes it upon herself to care for those who are infected. While Mikan admits during her Free Time Events that [[SecretlySelfish she does enjoy the sense of power being a nurse gives her over the injured and sick]], it's still a fairly kind act. Unfortunately, as a result of spending so long in close proximity to the sick, [[RealityEnsues Mikan gets infected herself]], resulting in [[spoiler:her reverting to her Ultimate Despair self, killing Ibuki (one of her patients) and Hiyoko, then getting executed for the murders]].
** In the third game ''VisualNovel/NewDanganRonpaV3'', Tenko is jealous of Angie's bond with Himiko and butts heads with her repeatedly during the game. After [[spoiler: Angie dies]], Tenko is horrified despite her dislike of her and attempts to let go of her jealousy of Angie and Himiko's friendship by volunteering to [[spoiler: be the conduit during a séance set up]] so that Himiko can speak to Angie again. Unfortunately, this act of altruism [[spoiler: costs Tenko her life, since she gets into a death trap Korekiyo had prepared earlier that was originally intended for Himiko.]] [[HeroicBSOD Himiko doesn't take this very well at all.]]

** In the third game [[VisualNovel/NewDanganRonpaV3]], Tenko is jealous of Angie's bond with Himiko and butts heads with her repeatedly during the game. After [[spoiler: Angie dies]], Tenko is horrified despite her dislike of her and attempts to let go of her jealousy of Angie and Himiko's friendship by volunteering to [[spoiler: be the conduit during a séance set up]] so that Himiko can speak to Angie again. Unfortunately, this act of altruism [[spoiler: costs Tenko her life, since she gets into a death trap Korekiyo had prepared earlier that was originally intended for Himiko.]] [[HeroicBSOD Himiko doesn't take this very well at all.]]

%% * The exact term, describing the situation of the protagonist, is used in Music/JohnMellencamp’s “Crumblin’ Down.”

[[folder:Myth and Legend]]
* In some versions, Mordred of [[Myth/KingArthur Arthurian legend]]. At the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Camlann Battle of Camlann]], Mordred draws his sword in order to kill a serpent at Arthur's heel during peace negotiations, but Bedwyr sees this as an act of betrayal and calls for war. This ends with Arthur and Mordred killing one another and Mordred being seen as a traitor forever. Ironically most versions also say Arthur was negotiating in bad faith, it was really a play for time until his allies could get there.

** From Literature/TheBible: Jesus resurrects the dead, feeds the hungry, heals the sick and disabled, teaches the way of the right and has done no wrong. He becomes hated by the Pharisees and is put on the cross.
** Proverbs 17:13 denounces this:
--> Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
* In the Turkish folktale "Five Boiled Eggs", a poor young boy receives a free meal of five boiled eggs from an innkeeper. He grows up and becomes a wealthy merchant, and returns to the inn years later, asking how much he has to pay. The innkeeper charges him 10,000 akches, claiming that if he hadn't eaten the eggs, they would have hatched into hens, which would have laid more eggs that would have hatched into hens, and so on. When the merchant refuses to pay so much, the innkeeper takes him to court. But it's subverted, when Turkish folk hero Nasreddin Hodja offers to defend the merchant. On the day of the trial, Hodja deliberately shows up late and claims that he had the idea to plant and harvest the boiled corn from his breakfast instead of eating it. When the innkeeper scoffs at the idea of growing boiled corn, Hodja points out that he couldn't have hatched chickens from boiled eggs either. The innkeeper gets laughed out of court.

* Mr. Tensaided suffered a case of this in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' when he gives Susan the rest of the day off to deal with a personal issue, only to get swarmed by a [[http://egscomics.com/comic/2016-11-18 hoard of grandparents]] in complete disagreement as to what constitutes "appropriate content" for their grandchildren. A good deed is usually fairly safe in this comic, but Tensaided had to go and [[TemptingFate tempt fate]] as well.
-->'''Mr. Tensaided''': It's Sunday anyhow. Mostly just returns.

* Whether or not the reader of ''Webcomic/AnecdoteOfError'' thinks this applies to [[spoiler:Luntsha]] getting expelled for freeing [[spoiler:Zeya]] depends on whether they believe that [[spoiler:Zeya is redeemable or not]]. As far as Talshko and Yensha were concerned, she had just committed treason out of naïve sentimentality.

* As settings, both ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'' and ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' love this. Do a good deed? Well, it'll cost you a pound of flesh ''and'' probably [[WorldHalfEmpty not greatly impact things anyway]]. Do the easy bad deed instead? Get rewarded with power/riches/expediency, but dinged by the KarmaMeter. Do option 1 enough times and you'll get killed or ground to a masochistic paste. Do option 2 enough times and you'll destroy yourself. Do half and half and live a quasi-happy/angsty life... for a time. Try to live in happy ignorance and apathy, and somebody else will ding your KarmaMeter ''for you'' when you aren't looking.

* In ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2'', when Monokuma releases a personality-altering Despair Disease in Chapter 3, Mikan Tsumiki, the Ultimate Nurse, takes it upon herself to care for those who are infected. While Mikan admits during her Free Time Events that [[SecretlySelfish she does enjoy the sense of power being a nurse gives her over the injured and sick]], it's still a fairly kind act. Unfortunately, as a result of spending so long in close proximity to the sick, [[RealityEnsues Mikan gets infected herself]], resulting in [[spoiler:her reverting to her Ultimate Despair self, killing Ibuki (one of her patients) and Hiyoko, then getting executed for the murders]].

* In ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2'', when Monokuma releases a personality-altering Despair Disease in Chapter 3, Mikan Tsumiki, the Ultimate Nurse, takes it upon herself to care for those who are infected. While Mikan admits during her Free Time Events that [[SecretlySelfish she does enjoy the sense of power being a nurse gives her over the injured and sick]], it's still a fairly kind act. Unfortunately, as a result of spending so long in close proximity to the sick, [[RealityEnsues Mikan gets infected herself]], resulting in [[spoiler:her reverting to her Ultimate Despair self, killing Ibuki(one of her patients) and Hiyoko, then getting executed for the murders]].

* Captain Tagon of ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' may be a merc, but he's a genuinely principled and decent man who, for instance, [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2010-10-17 will refuse to blow up a train full of civilians]] despite the [[ItsPersonal very personal]] nature of the mission. This comes to bite him in the ass when it turns out that [[spoiler:the train was not full of civilians at all, but rather a battalion of enemy heavy infantry]].
* ''Webcomic/SquidRow'': After Grace [[LazyBum lets all the special orders accumulate]], and Randie clears them, the viciously unpleasant Grace get more hours.
* As currently stands in ''Webcomic/{{Roommates}}'' each and every magical problem [[Film/{{Labyrinth}} Sarah Williams]] ever had (including Film/{{Labyrinth}}) can be traced back to her deeds in the ''Kid!Jareth arc'' where she... was nice to a child. [[spoiler:For her misfortune: A [[TheFairFolk Fair Folk]] Child [[TimeTravel From The Past]], and fae are usually kinda clueless how to pay back such things.]]
* The main plot of ''WebComic/FarToTheNorth'' is kicked off when a family of [[GrimUpNorth Northerners]] takes in what they think are starving refugees. They turn out to be a band of slavers who quickly turn on their hosts.

* In ''Webcomic/RedsPlanet'', Red's PetTheDog moment of [[http://www.redsplanet.com/comic/rp/ch04/chapter-four-03/ feeding other castaways]] [[http://www.redsplanet.com/comic/rp/ch04/chapter-four-05/comment-page-1/ means that all the other aliens of its race come after her.]]

* For a LighterAndSofter example: Commander Badass of ''WebComic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'' raised his children to be responsible. Which enabled his daughter to finish all the chores needed to earn herself a pet millipede [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes that he's afraid of.]]

* Mr. Tensaided suffered a case of this in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' when he gives Susan the rest of the day off to deal with a personal issue, only to get swarmed by a [[http://egscomics.com/comic/2016-11-18 hoard of grandparents]] in complete disagreement as to what constitutes "appropriate content" for their grandchildren. A good deed is usually fairly safe in this comic, but Tensaided had to go and [[TemptingFate tempt fate]] as well.
-->'''Mr. Tensaided''': It's Sunday anyhow. Mostly just returns.

By its very nature, it frequently overlaps with NiceJobBreakingItHero.

Named for a well-known saying attributed to Clare Boothe Luce. The WideEyedIdealist is prone to this. Very often, it is a consequence of doing NotQuiteTheRightThing. Compare BeingGoodSucks, where it's the act of being good (rather than the deeds themselves) that brings suffering, and contrast LaserGuidedKarma where ''every'' deed (good or otherwise) gets paid back in spades. If someone sees a hero going through this, it may lead to SympathyForTheHero. Compare AndroclesLion and CharacterWitness, two Tropes that can prove the exact opposite.