History Main / NominalVillain

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'': Suzaku starts out this way. He joins up with Britannia because he [[WideEyedIdealist incorrectly]] thinks that the system can be changed from within and that [[AntiHero Lelouch's/Zero's]] methods are too extreme and ultimately harmful toward the people of Japan.

*** Iroh, Zuko's uncle, is the WhiteSheep of the [[TheEmpire Fire Nation]] royal family. He initially helps Zuko in his quest to capture [[TheHero the Avatar]], but not because he believes it's truly for the best: rather, because the quest gives [[TheWoobie Zuko]] some much-needed hope. [[spoiler:He becomes the BigGood later in the series as the leader of the Order of the White Lotus, a group of ancient masters who help Team Avatar and a [[HeelFaceTurn now-redeemed]] Zuko defeat the Fire Nation.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': The Golden Guard is firmly on the side of Belos, and is the only one of his subordinates who purely wants to aid the emperor with no ulterior motive, lacking the sadistic and self-serving qualities of other coven officials like Kikimora or Terra. Instead, [[spoiler:Hunter]] genuinely believes serving Belos is the right thing due to having been specifically raised to see the emperor and the coven system as the best thing in the world despite the [[AbusiveParents glaring evidence to the contrary]]. [[spoiler:When he learns Belos is really planning to kill everyone in the Demon Realm, Hunter finally runs away]].

** Entrapta apparently didn't see much difference between both sides of war. She joins the Alliance of Princesses because she wants to make friends, but everybody just tolerates her for her abilities with techs and disrespects her. After she is mistakenly left in the Fright Zone during the rescue of Glimmer and Bow, Catra convinces Entrapta the princesses abandoned her on purpose. She joins the Horde [[BetterOffWIthTheBadGuys because she feels more comfortable there, she thinks Catra and Scorpia are her friends (well, Scorpia is... sort of) and because she loves Horde technology]]; and, afterwards, she also falls in love with Hordak. [[spoiler: After Catra almost kills her and sends her to Beast Island, Entrapta becomes more conscious of the destruction caused by her inventions, and makes her best to atone.]]

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Jecht. While he was an [[AbusiveParent abrasive father]] to Tidus when he was younger, his experiences in Spira as Braska's guardian caused him to [[TookALevelInKindness change for the better as a person]] - and then [[spoiler:due to the Final Summoning, [[AndIMustScream he is forced]] to become the next [[TranshumanAbomination Sin]] and host of [[DemiugeArchetype Yu Yevon]] against his will]].

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Jecht. While he was an [[AbusiveParent abrasive father]] to Tidus when he was younger, his experiences in Spira as Braska's guardian caused him to [[TookALevelInKindness change for the better as a person]] - and then due to the Final Summoning, [[AndIMustScream he is forced]] to become the next Sin against his will and host of Yu Yevon against his will.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Jecht. While he was an [[AbusiveParent abrasive father]] to Tidus when he was younger, his experiences in Spira as Braska's guardian caused him to [[TookALevelInKindness change for the better as a person]] - and then due to the Final Summoning, [[AndIMustScream he is forced]] to become the next Sin against his will and host of Yu Yevon against his will.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmporersNewGroove'': Kronk is a [[NiceGuy very nice and decent guy]] who [[AllLovingHero gets along with almost every living creature]]. While yes, he happens to be the MinionWithAnFInEvil for this movie's BigBad Yzma, this is [[PunchClockVillain just his job]]. Once Yzma is defeated none of the movie's main cast sees any problem with including him in their circle of friends.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Teen Titans|2003}}'': Thunder and Lightning are brothers causing havoc around Jump City out of sheer amusement. Once Beast Boy calls him out on the danger their "fun" is causing, Thunder starts to realize the severity of the situation and questions his and his brother's actions throughout the episode, making their actions seem less evil and more naïve and playful at best.
* In ''WesternAnimation/VentureBros'', Red Mantle and Dragoon retired from active villainy a long time ago, and consequently, despite being part of a ruling council of villains, they mostly just act like a pair of old grandpas. Even in flashbacks to their youth, it's shown that the two of them were actually rock stars who kind of got dragged into the villain lifestyle after faking their deaths, and don't seem to have committed any serious crimes. The evilest thing that either of them has ever done is probably [[RacistGrandpa Dragoon going to a Halloween party in blackface]] (he was trying to do a ''Film/TheThingWithTwoHeads'' costume).

* '''Love:''' Some Nominal Villains care so deeply for another person, even though that person's beliefs and actions are explicitly evil, that they'll put aside their own morality and assist their loved one in their task. This may be a case of MyMasterRightOrWrong.

And some are genuinely and thoroughly ''good people'' but serve a villainous cause anyway. They're on the side of Evil, but their motivations are entirely Good or at the very least, Neutral.

And some are genuinely and thoroughly ''good people'' but serve a villainous cause anyway. They're on the side of Evil, but their motivations are entirely Good.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'': As a child, Megamind was raised by criminals and had his attempts at making friends met with rejection due to his appearance and the trouble caused by his inventions. He decided to become a villain because that was what society expected from him and he thought that was the only thing he was good at. Roxanne wasn't even scared when he kidnapped her because she knew Megami d wouldn't hurt her ([[spoiler:differently from Hal, whose actions she couldn't predict after he became Titan.]]), hinting that he didn't kill people... until Metroman's death. And Megamind didn't even expect him to die, he was as shocked as everyone, before celebrating his victory, and regretted that afterwards. After he starts dating Roxanne in disguise, he gives back the art he stole from the museum and cleans up the city because she complained of the trash in the park. And, after [[spoiler:Hal decides to be a villain, Megamind does everything he can to stop him and atone for his mistakes.]]

** ''Anime/DigimonGhostGame'': While they don't always have the excuse of mind control like in ''Adventure'' and ''02'', some of the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Digimon of the week]] are only antagonistic due to confusion or misunderstandings. One such example is the Mummymon who abducts and mummifies humans because he doesn't understand how modern medicine works. After being informed of his error, he frees the humans he abducted and resolves to learn modern medicine.