History Main / NominalHero

* ''ComicBook/GreenArrow'': Deconstructed with [[Characters/GreenArrowOliverQueen Oliver Queen]]. Oliver was a spoiled rich kid who was stranded on an island and forced to learn how to survive by himself. Eventually, his experience changed him, and Oliver decided to use his skills for good as a superhero, Green Arrow. However, despite being genuine in doing good as a hero, Oliver is also a very selfish man, and you can also argue that despite being a hero, he isn't a very good person himself, showing that his experience on the island hasn't completely broken him of his selfish habits. As a result of his selfishness and thoughtlessness, Oliver's personal and professional lives are a wreck because of his behavior and actions. Oliver is constantly cheating on his longtime girlfriend, Black Canary (Dinah Lance), neglecting his sidekick and ward Speedy I/Arsenal/Red Arrow I (Roy Harper), abandoning his biological son Green Arrow II (Connor Hawke) at birth, and lying to Connor that he did not know he was his son when they met and Connor became his sidekick. Oliver also, at times, doesn't have a great relationship with his superhero colleagues because of his smug tendencies and boorish behavior. Eventually, Oliver realized how harmful his behavior was to his loved ones and colleagues and eventually started cleaning up his act; he stopped cheating on his girlfriend and worked to be a better boyfriend to Black Canary, who eventually believed he had changed and married him. Oliver worked to be a better father figure to Roy and Connor, who eventually reconnected and forgave him. He also worked on being a better superhero and building a better relationship with his friends and colleagues. But things went crashing down in the "Cry for Justice" & "Rise and Fall" storylines, where Oliver murders Prometheus for destroying Star City and causing the death of his adopted granddaughter, Lian Harper. His family washes their hands off him, with his wife returning her wedding ring and declaring their marriage over and Roy and Connor telling him they are through with him. It's implied that Oliver killing Prometheus is the last straw for his family, and his mistreatment of them is the main reason they leave him. This ultimately shows that being a superhero for selfish reasons and not being a good person will ultimately destroy the hero's personal life, and the hero needs to work on being both a better person and a better hero so he can have a good social life or else the hero selfish actions will catch up to him.

* 'Fanfic/TwoLetters'':

* Wrestling/EddieGuerrero's motto throughout his entire career was "lie, cheat and steal", and he would love up to this even as a face. The only reason he was a face at all is that he was so [[LovableRogue charming]] that the fans would cheer him no matter what he did.
* Similarly, Wrestling/RandyOrton still acted as a heel after his 2010 [[HeelfaceTurn face turn]], [[PayEvilUntoEvil beating up]] anyone who gets in his way.

* [[Characters/SouthParkEricCartman Eric Cartman]] from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' can be one of these when he's working with the other boys towards any kind of cause. He usually comes across as helping out for his own personal amusement, but it is just as likely that he simply has mutual interests - in "Kenny Dies" he wanted to reinstate funding for stem cell research. He had 33 aborted fetuses he wanted to sell.

* ''ComicBook/{{Lobo}}'': DependingOnTheWriter, [[Characters/DCComicsLobo Lobo]] is sometimes portrayed as one, instead of a SatireParodyPastiche of an unstoppable villain-full-stop. Considering that he is literally worse than Hitler, ''without any hyperbole involved'', [[WhereIWasBornAndRazed as he wiped out his own]] PillarsOfMoralCharacter utopian species for kicks and giggles... when he was a teenager, this reveals a lot about media conventions in general.

** The Midnight Crew are a group of bloodthirsty, vicious criminals. The only thing that keeps them from being outright {{Villain Protagonist}}s of the first Intermission is the fact that the gang they're facing off against, the Felt, is even worse and is led by the GreaterScopeVillain of the whole story.

* ''Fanfic/{{Fade}}'': [[spoiler:Beyond Birthday]]. The only reason he bothers opposing Kira is that he hates L, who has become Kira in his attempts to stop the original's rise to power. It's implied that if L ''hadn't'' become Kira, he would've sided with the original instead just to get back at L. [[spoiler:Once Light enters the picture and becomes L's partner (mainly due to a combination of attraction and StockholmSyndrome), Beyond's motivation goes from "stop L" to "stop L and save Light" in quick fashion.]]

** Bender is an extremely selfish kleptomaniac and thus falls into nominal heroism at times. However, much of this can be excused by the fact that as a robot, he does not fully understand human needs and emotions. He also has quite a few PetTheDog moments.

* In [=ItsJustSomeRandomGuy's=] Website/YouTube ''WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC'' sketches, this trope is played around with. Characters/{{Wolverine|JamesLoganHowlett}} [[LampshadeHanging says to]] [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} The Comedian]], "[[{{Dissimile}} You kinda remind me of myself at your age ... except I've got ethics... and I'm not a sociopath... or a rapist... you know what, maybe you remind me of someone else.]]"

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': At the start of ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan2013'', Otto Octavius who took over Spider-Man's body and poses as Peter Parker (ItMakesSenseInContext) just wants to prove he's better as being Spider-Man than Peter and one of the best superheroes the world would see. In fact he lost nothing of his arrogance and pathos from his villain days as [[Characters/MarvelComicsOttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]]. He later gets some CharacterDevelopment in the original run.

* The vast majority of Gaulish villagers in ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' are like this. They're only heroic at all because they're fighting against TheEmpire, which they mostly just pick on, usually for fun, rather than make any serious rebellion against them. They have two reasons for fighting them -- they love fighting (even turning on each other when Romans aren't available) and they're incredibly set in their ways, usually even when the Roman way is better. They started out intended more as a RagtagBunchOfMisfits LaResistance but got {{Flanderiz|ation}}ed into this mostly because it's funnier. Asterix, Obelix, and Getafix are much nicer people, though.
* Virtually the entire superhero community in ''ComicBook/TheBoys''. Thanks to the massive media empire built around them by [[EvilInc Vought-American]], they don't even have to save anyone to be considered heroes as embellished comic lines surrounding their supposed "adventures" are made, and many let the fame and money go to their heads and end up becoming narcissistic sociopaths. Several of them used to even be supervillains but only switched to the "hero" side because [[GoodPaysBetter it pays better]].
* ComicBook/ThePunisher, in his darker takes, tends to sit somewhere around here. He simply summarizes his reasons for doing what he does in ''Welcome Back, Frank'' as "I hate them." He kills people who are a danger to others, but there's no actual altruism involved in it, and he doesn't think what he's doing actually helps people; he just wants revenge, and to keep killing until the day he dies. That doesn't mean he's [[PetTheDog incapable of behaving altruistically or that he has no moral code whatsoever]], but both him and everyone he interacts with understands that [[ALighterShadeOfBlack the only thing that really puts him ahead of those he kills]] is that he'll NeverHurtAnInnocent.
* Characters/{{Deadpool|WadeWilson}} is a NobleDemon SociopathicHero. He easily eclipses even Comicbook/ThePunisher, as he frequently finds it ''funny'' to casually torture, dismember, and murder people. Though in later years, Deadpool has become more and more heroic, to the point where he's a solid AntiHero in the place of his old Nominal Hero status. [[spoiler:To the point where he was the OnlySaneMan and the conscience of the X-Men's Black Ops squad under Wolverine who thought that killing the kid who was Apocalypse's reincarnation is just wrong. Throughout the arc, he became more and more heroic too via CharacterDevelopment, and even convinced the kid to join the Jean School for the Gifted so he can use his powers for good instead of evil.]]
* The Clipper, a "hero" from the Great Depression era who is mentioned in ''ComicBook/TheFlash''. While he gunned down poor people driven to crime by desperation and then cut off the tips of the ears of the survivors, he lived in a fancy mansion and had it easy. He's quoted as having said "it doesn't matter if they're guilty, it matters if they're dead!" indicating he didn't even bother to check if his victims were innocent.

* [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner The Incredible Hulk]] can frequently turn into this. While he generally dislikes the "puny humans" (and understandably so, given how often they [[BullyingADragon provoke him]] or [[{{Misblamed}} misblame him for things that are someone else's fault]]) he nonetheless ends up doing a lot of good by smashing villains whose plans threaten humanity, even if it's only because they [[YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry made the mistake of pissing him off.]] This is especially pronounced with the more intelligent varieties of Hulk, such as Joe Fixit or the Green Scar, who are entirely cognizant of the damage they do and don't tend to particularly care.
* In ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', Hyde, Griffin, and Nemo are a murderer, serial rapists, and psychopathic pirate respectively, who are offered an official pardon if they'll turn those qualities against the Empire's enemies. In the [[Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen film version]], Griffin is replaced by LovableRogue Rodney Skinner, and Hyde and Nemo get a makeover. In the second volume of the comic, Griffin [[spoiler:eventually becomes a straight-up villain when he betrays humankind to the Martians]]. His characterization never really changes, though, which shows how nominal a hero he was to begin with.
* Scrooge [=McDuck=] develops into one by the "Empire Builder From Calisota" chapter of ''ComicBook/TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck''. His life experiences have hardened him to the point that he's become a corrupt robber baron, hates his family, has [[IgnoredEpiphany Ignored Epiphanies]], and only derives joy from getting even richer. He ''is'' redeemed later on, however.
* DependingOnTheWriter, [[Characters/DCComicsLobo Lobo]] is sometimes portrayed as one, instead of a SatireParodyPastiche of an unstoppable villain-full-stop. Considering that he is literally worse than Hitler, ''without any hyperbole involved'', [[WhereIWasBornAndRazed as he wiped out his own]] PillarsOfMoralCharacter utopian species for kicks and giggles... when he was a teenager, this reveals a lot about media conventions in general.

* [[Characters/MarvelComicsSabretooth Sabretooth]] usually tends to be this. If he's working with the heroes, it's because he was forced to and/or had something to gain. In other instances, he's tried to do right by a love interest. Holly & Bonnie are examples. He's not a hero when he meets either of them, but was very protective of them, and would've possibly settled down with them had they survived. During the ''{{ComicBook/AXIS}}'' event, Creed was [[HeelFaceBrainwashing inverted]] into a hero due to a spell gone wrong by Characters/ScarletWitch. He starts off as a truly heroic figure wanting to atone for his sins, even refusing to kill for a time. During ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen2016'', his nominal hero tendencies returned after developing feelings for [[Characters/MarvelComicsMonetStCroix Monet St. Croix]], whose well-being he cared more about than anyone else. He's still inverted and repentant, but when Monet is around, [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl his priorities shift]].
* In ''ComicBook/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'', Max considers it a compliment to be called a grade-A sociopath, and was even dubbed the most terrifyingly dangerous force in the universe by ''the villain'' in Season One of the Telltale games. The only thing that really seems to keep him in line is his less sociopathic partner. In most other media, both Sam and Max qualify as this, with their loose moral compass mostly putting them on the side of good because while they are unhinged sociopaths, they find it more fun to direct their brand of justice on people who really deserve it.
* The Beyonder in ''ComicBook/SecretWarsII'' tried being a superhero for a while, just for the heck of it. He quickly got bored and decided instead that he wanted to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy everything]].
* In ''ComicBook/SinCity'', Miho's motives are unknown since she is mute, but she seems to have loyalty almost exclusively to Old Town. She has assisted Dwight in the past only because he once saved her life but that didn't stop her from essentially threatening to kill him if he interfered while she was torturing a corrupt cop in the middle of the street. Otherwise, the best you can say about her is that she doesn't target innocent people. In the first movie, she does seem like an UnscrupulousHero, but only because it covered her more heroic actions.
* ComicBook/SuicideSquad head [[Characters/SuicideSquadSupportStaff Amanda Waller]]. DependingOnTheWriter she is either this or a KnightTemplar; her job is always in the government's best interest, but she sometimes uses methods that tend to be too extreme. Her plans are not limited to recruiting supervillains to get the job done but extend to outright hunting superheroes.
* The third ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}, Genis-Vell, ending up becoming this during a period of madness (caused by Entrophy). Genis became something of a VillainProtagonist with a severely warped sense of justice and rabid sense of entitlement. Rick Jones, to whom Genis was molecularly bonded, constantly opposed him and (rightly) questioned Genis's sanity. On one occasion, Genis bestowed powers upon a serial killer whom his friend Rick Jones had testified against in order to get the killer to stalk both Rick and his wife, Marlo. After putting Rick through absolute hell to the point where death seemed certain, Genis then executes the serial killer and explains to Rick that all of this was to teach Rick that he only lived on Genis's own whims and that he was ''never to question him again''. He does get better once freed from Entrophy's control.
* In ''ComicBook/New52'', ComicBook/{{Superboy}} is this initially. This version of Superboy has no interest in heroics beyond what it takes to survive/gain his freedom. Between the first and second issues, he kills many of his captors by reflex and feels no remorse or guilt, tortures a group of soldiers who hold him at gunpoint, and flat-out threatens to kill anyone who stands in his way. Issue #4 steers him toward being a KnightInSourArmor, and he eventually becomes an All-Loving Hero.
* In ''{{ComicBook/Violine}}'', Kombo is cowardly, greedy, willing to betray his friends for money, and prone to abandon the heroes to their death at the first sign of trouble, but is treated by the main characters as an ally. If no one is around to steer him onto the right path, the plot will conspire to do so anyway, and he will take credit for "saving" everyone.
* From ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', the Comedian: a thrill-killing BloodKnight, rapist, war criminal, and all-around PsychoForHire (and he's actually a more sympathetic version of the trope, believe it or not).

* At the start of ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan2013'', Otto Octavius who took over Spider-Man's body and poses as Peter Parker (ItMakesSenseInContext) just wants to prove he's better as being Spider-Man than Peter and one of the best superheroes the world would see. In fact he lost nothing of his arrogance and pathos from his villain days as [[Characters/MarvelComicsOttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]]. He later gets some CharacterDevelopment in the original run.

* In [=ItsJustSomeRandomGuy's=] Website/YouTube ''WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC'' sketches, this trope is played around with. Characters/{{Wolverine|JamesLoganHowlett}} [[LampshadeHanging says to]] [[Comicbook/{{Watchmen}} The Comedian]], "[[{{Dissimile}} You kinda remind me of myself at your age ... except I've got ethics... and I'm not a sociopath... or a rapist... you know what, maybe you remind me of someone else.]]"

** Arios Orlando is a deconstruction. He's a hero only because he has the Hero skill "Limit Breaker", which he inherited, and allows him to be humanity's champion against the Demon Lord and its armies. However, he's an arrogant, entitled asshole who thinks all the people in the world only exist as part of his personal heroic tale. He has no moral scruples and believes he can do whatever he wants to whoever he wants without consequence just because of his Hero title. He's also a SoreLoser who wants murderous vengeance against the protagonist Rein Shroud whom he kicked out of the party at the start of the story because Rein wasn't outright ''begging'' to be let back in the party when the party needed him to do something, fully intending to kick him out again, and instead fighting back when Rein dared to defend the honor of this new BattleHarem party. Arios lost and was forced to apologize. The instant he [[spoiler:loses his "hero" title because his crimes are too grievous, he turns on the rest of the party and joins up with the Demon Lord to get revenge on humanity for the "disrespect" he's getting in not being recognized as a hero anymore]].

* ComicBook/ThePunisher, in his darker takes, tends to sit somewhere around here. He simply summarizes his reasons for doing what he does in ''Welcome Back, Frank'' as "I hate them." He kills people who are a danger to others, but there's no actual altruism involved in it, and he doesn't think what he's doing actually helps people; he just wants revenge, and to keep killing until the day he dies. That doesn't mean he's incapable of behaving altruistically or that he has no moral code whatsoever, but both him and everyone he interacts with understands that [[ALighterShadeOfBlack the only thing that really puts him ahead of those he kills]] is that he'll NeverHurtAnInnocent.

* In ''Webcomic/ScarletLady'', Chloé Bourgeoise as the titular heroine, full stop. She has no interest in fighting [[VillainOfTheWeek Akuma]] or saving Paris, just in [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight getting famous and beloved]]. She makes her partner Chat Noir do the lion's share of the work and just uses her Lucky Charm/[[WorldHealingWave Miraculous Cure]] as needed. Pretty much everyone who knows her personally hates her (and only put up with her because she's the only one who can purify Akumas and fix the damage), but her talent for playing the media ensures that the world at large thinks she's the real deal.

* ''FanFic/ABrighterDark'': Hans, of all people, rescues Sakura and Mozu from Nohrian bandits for the purely selfish motivation of retiring safely in Hoshido, who he believes will inevitably win the war.
* Array from the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''FanFic/ChroniclesOfHarmonysEnd''. He represents Order, and therefore opposes Discord on principle rather than morality.
* Chloé intends to become this in ''[[Fanfic/TheLamentSeriesChaoticNeutral Chloé's Lament]]''. Having Wished to [[RoleSwapAU trade places with Marinette]], she expects to become [[RealityWarpingIsNotAToy this new reality's]] Ladybug, and immediately starts scheming about all the ways she could abuse that power. Such as stealing the Miracle Box for herself, sabotaging and destroying the reputations of anyone she chooses to target, and withholding her [[WorldHealingWave Miraculous Cure]] unless she's paid handsomely for her efforts. Fortunately for everyone else, she fails her SecretTestOfCharacter without ever realizing she was going to be tested in the first place, and the Ladybug Earrings are entrusted to [[spoiler:Sabrina]] instead.
* Nikolos Drakonakos from ''Fanfic/TheConversionBureau: The Palladium Wings'' is the ''extremely'' cruel, borderline sociopathic leader of a band of {{Sky Pirate}}s. He fights against the Equestrians out of sheer hatred and desire for booty. In fact, many of the Sky Pirates have the same motivations that he does.

* Hakeev, of all people, in the ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' fanfic ''Fanfic/EmaelMosekhesailho''. He's still definitely a very evil man--he's a leading officer of the [[StateSec Tal'Shiar]] and at one point he casually speaks of mounting a reprisal pogrom against the Remans after [[Film/StarTrekNemesis Shinzon]] is dealt with--but in trying to topple Shinzon and root out {{the conspiracy}} that put him in power, he's on the same side as protagonist Sahuel t'Khnialmnae, whom he's trying to recruit into the agency.
* ''FanFic/{{Fade}}'': [[spoiler:Beyond Birthday]]. The only reason he bothers opposing Kira is that he hates L, who has become Kira in his attempts to stop the original's rise to power. It's implied that if L ''hadn't'' become Kira, he would've sided with the original instead just to get back at L. [[spoiler:Once Light enters the picture and becomes L's partner (mainly due to a combination of attraction and StockholmSyndrome), Beyond's motivation goes from "stop L" to "stop L and save Light" in quick fashion.]]

* In ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/183015/iron-wills-foalcon-necrophilia-sex-rampage Iron Will's Foalcon Necrophilia Sex Rampage]]'' Iron Will is the only hero of the story. The only other character apart from Sweetie Belle is the computer shop owner who finds Iron Will's stash of foalcon and tries to extort money from him.
* {{Discussed|Trope}} in ''FanFic/ItsOverIsntItItsOnlyJustBegun'' after Inko learns about Katsuki's bullying. When her six-year-old son tries to insist that he doesn't want to get Kacchan in trouble because he's going to be a hero, Inko gently questions his logic, walking him through the realization that if his bad behavior is never challenged, he wouldn't be a very good one.
* Godzilla himself in ''Fanfic/KaijuRevolution'', as even though he seeks to protect the planet from hostile forces, it's mainly due to him seeing the world as his territory. He frequently clashes with the other benevolent Kaiju and is extremely destructive and aggressive, obliterating cities and devouring other monsters.
* The people who identify as Animals in ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone'' could be seen as these since they were brought over by the Pyar gods as heroes to help overthrow the Black Tower and its minions. Theoretically, they're doing this, though all the reader ever hears about them is what miserable torturing cruel bastards they are. Several minor characters even express bewilderment that the gods would bring over such people as potential saviors.
* ''FanFic/LatiasJourney'' has an in-universe example in the Red Ranger. An amoral and borderline sociopathic "[[BewareTheSuperman superhero]]" is designated as heroic by [[spoiler:Mr. Ford]].
* ''Fanfic/MidoriyaPlusThreeSixtyFive'': The majority of Izuku's classmates in this ForWantOfANail fic are primed to ''become'' nominal heroes. Much like Katsuki, they've been coddled and praised for having powerful Quirks, allowed to bend the rules and get away with stunts. Suffice to say, they're ''shocked'' when [[SternTeacher Aizawa]] refuses to allow them to continue their selfish ways, and most wind up expelled for their bad behavior, such as engaging in underage drinking and nearly offing a classmate with a barely-averted DeadlyPrank.
* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with the Black Arachnid in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines''. As opposed to his canon counterpart, his incarnation in this story is a GentlemanThief who only targets people who are ''way'' worse than him, and takes something of historical or monetary value from them as punishment for their actions. However, despite some doubts among the members of the police force, they make it clear that he's still a thief and it's their duty to catch him.

* ''FanFic/ARabbitAmongWolves'': Jaune is trying to reform the White Fang and battle corruption, but he has zero genuine interest in either cause. But having accidentally murdered Adam Taurus, [[HeroWithBadPublicity he has inadvertently become Public Enemy #1]] and wants to prove to the public he isn't a cold-blooded killer. He even admits that if not for his situation, he'd probably ignore the plight of the poor.
* Lieutenant Commander Brokosh, the Lethean protagonist of the ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' fic ''Fanfic/RedFireRedPlanet''. He does follow an ethical code of his own making[[labelnote:*]]At least part of it reads, "Don’t kill anyone you don’t have to, don’t risk your underlings without cause, and treat your prisoners with decency."[[/labelnote]], but he's a mercenary who signed with the Klingon Defense Force for the money since he's married to a minor Klingon noblewoman from an ImpoverishedPatrician house and they have a son to support.
* In ''Webcomic/ScarletLady'', Chloé Bourgeoise as the titular heroine, full stop. She has no interest in fighting [[VillainOfTheWeek Akuma]] or saving Paris, just in [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight getting famous and beloved]]. She makes her partner Chat Noir do the lion's share of the work and just uses her Lucky Charm/[[WorldHealingWave Miraculous Cure]] as needed. Pretty much everyone who knows her personally hates her (and only put up with her because she's the only one who can purify Akumas and fix the damage), but her talent for playing the media ensures that the world at large thinks she's the real deal.

* This is played for horror in ''Fanfic/TwoLetters'' with the new Ladybug. While she still saves the city on a regular basis, she's only in it for the money and fame, and she's willing to ''weaponize'' her rabid fanbase to ruin the life of anyone who crosses her. She uses this to extort bribes from anyone with enough money, force the city to cater to her whims, and generally boost her own ego. Most of her fans are too devoted to pick up on this, and those who do won't speak out for fear of becoming her next target. TheReveal at the end confirms this also applies to [[spoiler:Marinette. From Luka's perspective, she's been through hell as Ladybug and is well within her rights to wash her hands of Paris's problems and air some lingering grievances in the bargain. While she's a bit ''too'' gleeful about the misfortune her retirement has caused, he's hopeful that she'll improve with time. However, Marinette's POV reveals that she's been traumatized to the point of becoming a {{Yandere}} who only cares about herself and is convinced that she ''deserves'' to revel in everyone else's misery after what she went through. She's only playing nice outwardly to keep up appearances for Luka. Oh, and if Luka ever tries to leave her, she'll remake the entire universe to force him to stay with her forever.]]

* At the start of ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'', Otto Octavius who took over Spider-Man's body and poses as Peter Parker (ItMakesSenseInContext) just wants to prove he's better as being Spider-Man than Peter and one of the best superheroes the world would see. In fact he lost nothing of his arrogance and pathos from his villain days as [[Characters/MarvelComicsOttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]]. He later gets some CharacterDevelopment in the original run.

* ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'': Beavis and Butt-Head are selfish, amoral delinquents whose goals range from getting laid to getting rich; most of their "heroic" acts are [[AccidentalHero completely unintentional]]. In fact, the only reason they qualify as "heroes" is because their enemies sometimes [[BlackAndGrayMorality make them look like saints by comparison]].

* {{Discussed|Trope}} in ''FanFic/ItsOverIsntItItsOnlyJustBegun'' after Inko learns about Katsuki's bullying. When her six-year-old son tries to insist that he doesn't want to get Kacchan in trouble because he's going to be a hero, Inko gently questions his logic, walking him through the realization that if his bad behavior is never challenged, he wouldn't be a very good one:

* In ''Webcomic/ScarletLady'', Chloe Bourgeoise as the titular heroine, full stop. She has no interest in fighting [[VillainOfTheWeek Akuma]] or saving Paris, just in [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight getting famous and beloved]]. She makes her partner Chat Noir do the lion's share of the work and just uses her Lucky Charm/[[WorldHealingWave Miraculous Cure]] as needed. Pretty much everyone who knows her personally hates her (and only put up with her because she's the only one who can purify Akumas and fix the damage), but her talent for playing the media ensures that the world at large thinks she's the real deal.

* Dr. Venture from ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' often falls into this category, sometimes bordering on VillainProtagonist. He's a BrilliantButLazy BunglingInventor with ''extreme'' {{Freudian Excuse}}s thanks to his [[AbusiveParents emotionally abusive]] father and HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood. ''Usually,'' he still does the right thing in the end, but in a few episodes ("The Buddy System", "What Color is Your Cleansuit?",) he's "heroic" only in the sense that he is the show's protagonist, and the "good" he does (cloning a child who was killed on a tour of his compound, restoring the interns after exposing them to extreme radiation) is basically done to keep himself out of trouble.