History Main / PlayingTheVictimCard

It's also rather common for psychological abusers to combine this with UsefulNotes/VictimBlaming, simultaneously discrediting their accusers and casting themselves as the ''real'' victim in the scenario. This is a common enough ploy that it has been given the FunWithAcronyms nickname [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARVO DARVO]]: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender. In other words, a slightly more erudite "NoYou!"

* Shylock in ''Theatre/TheMerchantOfVenice'' enumerates the injustices he has experienced as a Jew in Venetian society when defending the "pound of flesh" contract he has made with Antonio. Note that most modern critics think Shylock [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation had a point]].

* The PC's love interest has this played on them in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIIThroneOfBhaal'' [[spoiler:Of course, it's done by an undead monster to set up a rather brutal ambush.]]

* Xemnas in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' laments how he and the rest of Organization XIII had no other choice than to take the actions they did, but [[AllLovingHero Sora]], [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness of all people]], says otherwise, and Xemnas drops the act and admits the truth.
** In fact Xemnas knows that [[spoiler: Nobodies can grow new hearts over time]] but lied to the other members of Organization XIII as a means to manipulate them.
** It [[NotHelpingYourCase doesn't help his case]] that [[spoiler:most of the other Organization members ''were'' turned into nobodies against their will -- by Xemnas (or rather, Xehanort) himself!]]

* Pretty much everybody on ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' pulls this at some point. Archer and Mallory are guilty of it the most, but the other characters put in their fair shares as well.

* The Protester from ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'' enjoys goading benders, and when they are about to beat him up always shouts about how the benders are oppressing him and other non-benders. He does this at least once when Korra was about to beat him up so he'd tell her and Mako where Bolin might be after he was kidnapped by Chi-Blockers; but he's probably done it more than once
** Of special note is that he is a noted AttentionWhore by the creative staff and this is just his latest attempt. So we have no idea how many times he has played the victim card.

* Marge does this to a ridiculous degree in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' which has only gotten worse as the series has gone on. While in the early seasons there were episodes such as [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS1E10HomersNightOut Homer’s Night Out]] and [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E4TwoCarsInEveryGarageAndThreeEyesOnEveryFish Two Cars In Every Garage And Three Eyes On Every Fish]] where, while not exactly in the wrong, Marge really wasn’t the victim the episode tries to present her as. However after {{Flanderization}} set in, during which Marge TookALevelInJerkass, she acts unappreciated and overworked for doing things that would have gotten Homer villainized. For example, prioritizing other children’s happiness over her own.

* Megatron in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' probably ''really does'' think that the Decepticons have been treated unfairly, having been driven from their home like common insects by the Autobots and gives a speech along these lines to turn the Constructicons.
** To be fair to him though, it seems this idea that Decepticons are the victim isn't entirely unfounded, what with Anti-Decepticon paranoia, no Decepticons allowed on Cybertron, and the fact that most of the Autobots are afraid of organic life.

* Satan in ''Literature/ParadiseLost'' -- need we mention the [[DracoInLeatherPants frightening tendency to believe him]]?

* Shylock in ''Theatre/TheMerchantOfVenice''. Note that most modern critics think Shylock [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation had a point]].

* ''Series/TedLasso'' has Nate start doing this during the early stages of his FaceHeelTurn. Nate initially believes that Ted won't give him credit for coming up with strategies for AFC Richmond. When Ted gives Nate the credit (without prompting), Nate accuses Ted of trying to scapegoat him in case AFC Richmind loses a game. In any case, Nate always plays the angle where he's the victim and [[NeverMyFault nothing is ever his fault]] because someone is trying to hold him back.

* In ''FanFic/ForHisOwnSake'', [[Manga/LoveHina Naru]] uses this tactic when called before the Tokyo University school board to explain why she [[ATragedyOfImpulsiveness attacked an innocent man]]. Specifically, she claims she was acting on instinct because she's so used to [[UnprovokedPervertPayback defending herself from]] Keitaro, proceeding to describe him as a shameless pervert who's made her life a living nightmare. [[spoiler: It doesn't work, and [[LaserGuidedKarma she is expelled]].]]
* ''FanFic/TheOneToMakeItStay'': Not only is this one of [[ConsummateLiar Lila's]] favorite tactics, Alya pulls this twice in rapid succession.

* Cori Falls's renditions of TerribleTrio [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Jessie, James and Meowth]] practically ''live'' on this trope. Even after they "go good", they continually describe themselves as "victims of circumstance" to explain away their former lives of crime[[note]]While it may be mpstly true for Jessie and Meowth, who were destitute and hungry for most of their lives, it does not hold for James, who ran away from rich, meddling parents[[/note]].

This can be played several ways. A {{Jerkass}} ManipulativeBastard will describe a situation to [[VillainWithGoodPublicity make a third party think that they are an innocent victim]], and the ''real'' good guys [[HeroWithBadPublicity are mean and evil and out to get them for no good reason]]. They may [[NeverMyFault legitimately believe the grievances]] - but the heroes can usually recognize a pity party over [[WoundedGazelleGambit self-inflicted wounds]]. Either way, they’ll likely come across as a DirtyCoward for trying to dodge responsibility. However, sometimes the person playing the victim card is neither of those things. Instead they are an actually victimized DesignatedVillain.

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': Rick accuses Jerry of always using his status as a pathetic loser to illicit pity from other people so that they won't leave him. Considering the fact that Rick has abandoned various alternate universes and countless alternate versions of ''his own daughter'' to save his own skin, he hardly has the moral high ground.

It's also rather common for psychological abusers to combine this with UsefulNotes/VictimBlaming, simultaneously discrediting their accusers and casting themselves as the ''real'' victim in the scenario. This is a common enough ploy that it has been given the FunWithAcronyms nickname [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARVO DARVO]]: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.

* ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'': Whenever Drake and Josh do rightfully get back at [[EnfantTerrible Megan]] for all the stuff she puts them through, she'll act like an innocent victim even though she started it.

* ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'': Whenever Drake and Josh do rightfully get back at [[EnfantTerrible Megan]] for all the stuff she puts them through, she'll act like an innocent victim while ignoring the fact that she started it.

* In ''[[WebVideo/YoungJusticeAbridged Throne of Atlantis Abridged]]'', Orm uses his mistreatment by his mother as justification for invading the surface world. [[TheHero Aquaman]] [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse promptly calls]] [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech him out]] [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped on it.]]
-->"[[ShutUpHannibal You think just because you were bullied that gives the right to do the same?]] [...] [[{{Wangst}} 'You don't understand.' 'No one gets me.' 'I've suffered.' 'My parents are mean.']] Am I ringing bells? [...] [[SarcasmMode No, please. Go on about how your crappy life and mommy issues gives you the right to genocide!]]"

%%* Dr. Wily at the end of most ''[[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Mega Man]]'' games. (ZeroContextExample)
%%** Often [[VideoGame/MegaManX genocidal]] [[VideoGame/MegaManZero mavericks]]. (ZeroContextExample)

* Yggdrasil in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', especially at the end of the game, right before the FinalBoss. Admittedly, his life had been [[DarkAndTroubledPast pretty rough]], what with his not-quite-dead sister [[spoiler:Martel]] and the [[FantasticRacism racism of people towards half-elves]]. But, as Zelos says, [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse it doesn't even come close to justifying all the things he has done]] to save [[spoiler:Martel]] and free the world of oppression, which includes [[NotSoDifferent forcing humans to work as slaves]] into research that would allow him to [[AndIMustScream turn everyone into lifeless beings]].

Very often TruthInTelevision, sadly. That being said, [[Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease real life examples need be not listed here, thank you]].

* Thunder [=McQueen's=] primary character trait (suicidal tendencies aside) in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' is constantly thinking of himself as a victim, even when he's clearly doing something wrong, like stealing money from Hermes. Whitesnake comments that this victim complex makes him a truly evil individual even though he isn't actively malicious.

Very often TruthInTelevision, sadly.

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/{{Vandread}}'': During their KangarooCourt, one of the female pirates says the government is 'playing the victim' when the judge says they are trying to topple the government.

* Done by Villetta of Anime/CodeGeass, [[spoiler:when she claimed during the final episode that she just wanted somewhere to belong, even though her past was part of the Britannian royal unit and a proud racist]]. Potentially also [[spoiler:when she, alongside Ohgi, testifies against Lelouch on account of Geass leading up to the Black Knights' betrayal, even though she had earlier been keeping surveillance over Lelouch on behalf of Britannia as part of an attempt to keep him from his rebellion alongside the Black Knights, specifically because she couldn't be affected by Geass anymore and may have known more than what she was letting on]]. Played all too straight with Schneizel [[spoiler:that same episode when he claimed he could be under Lelouch's Geass and not know it]].
* Also pulled by [[spoiler: Yuzuha]] in the ''Anime/TenchiMuyo: Daughter of Darkness'' movie. Particularly jarring because [[spoiler: she]] does it [[spoiler: after cruelly killing her own "daughter", Mayuka, and mocking her friends's grief at her death. ]]
* Used to agitate Medaka in ''Manga/MedakaBox'' by Kumagawa as [[spoiler:after he and Zenkichi appeared to have died after their Student Council battle. However the events that cause their supposed death were due to Zenkichi's actions, so technically Kumagawa was the victim. Kumagawa made this statement after his powers brought him back though. Also, Zenkicki [[NotQuiteDead was brought back by someone else, though he wasn't dead.]]]]
* Your average ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Gundam]]'' antagonist faction (usually spaceborne) absolutely ''loves'' to play this trope. Nine times out of ten they'll claim the local protagonist (Earth) faction is this tyrannical regime that has pushed them to the breaking point[[note]]which is ironically true more often than not[[/note]], and that everything the antagonists do in reprisal (up to and including genocide through nukes, poison gas, [[{{BFG}} colony-sized BFGs,]] [[CruelAndUnusualDeath remote-controlled flying blades and motorcycle battleships]]) is all justified. Also nine times out of ten, they'll have a legion of fanboys in RL that will [[RootingForTheEmpire not only agree with all of these claims,]] but decry the [[DesignatedVillain heroes]] for "daring" to stand against them. Special mention goes to the Principality of Zeon from the original series for not only claiming that they were fighting a war of conquest (as in it involved an Earthside invasion) in the name of "independence" from Earth[[note]]which it had held long before said war[[/note]], but for nobody in-series ''ever'' calling them on their BS (much less their invoking this trope) throughout ''Gundam'''s thirty-plus-years long run.
* Thunder [=McQueen's=] primary character trait (suicidal tendencies aside) in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' is constantly thinking of himself as a victim, even when he's clearly doing something wrong, like stealing money from Hermes. Whitesnake comments that this victim complex makes him a truly evil individual even though he isn't actively malicious.

** The first movie ups this trope to the max. [[spoiler: Naomi Misora, under the influence of the Death Note, holds Light's girlfriend, Shihori, as a hostage and threatens to shoot her unless he admitted to being Kira. Shihori breaks free and, also being under the Death Note's power, takes a bullet that was meant for him. All of this was an elaborate plan to make him look innocent and get the police to feel bad for thinking that he was Kira.]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]
* One of the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' fanfic compilations plays with this with a story where the holographic Ming the Merciless knockoff Dr. Chaotica has been reprogrammed from being a shallow powermonger to a complex "my father never loved me, everyone at school ostracized me" pile of wangst. [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Paris]] is infuriated. He wanted to have fun, not worry about motivations.
* Cori Falls's renditions of TerribleTrio [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Jessie, James and Meowth]] practically ''live'' on this trope. Even after they "go good", they continually describe themselves as "victims of circumstance" to explain away their former lives of crime[[note]]While it may be mpstly true for Jessie and Meowth, who were destitute and hungry for most of their lives, it does not hold for James, who ran away from rich, meddling parents[[/note]].
* [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Caster]] does a slightly variant of this in ''Fanfic/FateStayNightUltimateMaster'' to convince [[WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien Ben]] to associate with her: she relates her [[Theatre/{{Medea}} whole origin story]] to him, accentuating the victim aspect of her life (which is true), but carefully neglecting some details so he will feel sympathy for her.

* In ''[[WebVideo/YoungJusticeAbridged Throne of Atlantis Abridged]]'', Orm uses his mistreatment by his mother as justification for invading the surface world. [[TheHero Aquaman]] [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse promptly calls]] [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech him out]] [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped on it.]]
-->"[[ShutUpHannibal You think just because you were bullied that gives the right to do the same?]] [...] [[{{Wangst}} 'You don't understand.' 'No one gets me.' 'I've suffered.' 'My parents are mean.']] Am I ringing bells? [...] [[SarcasmMode No, please. Go on about how your crappy life and mommy issues gives you the right to genocide!]]"

* Scar tries this in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'' after Simba has him on the ropes, blaming the hyenas for leading him astray. It bites him in the ass later. [[EatenAlive And the rest of his body.]]
* Ratigan does this in ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', lamenting on how, because of Basil, he hasn't had a moment's peace of mind in years, and how the "insufferable pipsqueak" has intervened with his plans!

* Syndrome from ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' does this to Mr. Incredible by claiming he was hurt after his rejection from him as a kid. He completely ignores that he had been nothing but an inconvenience towards Mr. Incredible that night and caused a lot of havoc in the process. Mr. Incredible was also too busy with Bomb Voyage for Buddy's "assistance". For bonus points, in Syndrome's SelfServingMemory of the event, Bomb Voyage is completely absent.

* In ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII'', Michael Corleone is put on trial. He tells the court how offensive he finds it that a war hero like himself should have his name slandered by accusations of criminal activity. However, the audience knows he's at the head of New York's most powerful mob family.
* ''Film/{{Taken}}'': Bryan Mills impersonates a [[DirtyCop corrupt French police officer]] to ascertain the identities of his daughter's kidnappers under the pretense of visiting the Albanian gang of sex slavers to discuss future bribes. One of the men has the gall to accuse Mills of trying to extort them because they're immigrants. Mills immediately shuts this down:
-->'''Mills:''' "I'm extorting you because you are ''breaking the law''. You come to this country, take advantage of the system and think because we are tolerant that we are weak and helpless. Your arrogance offends me. And for that the rate just went up 10%. Do you want to keep negotiating, or do we have a deal?"
* ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald'': Grindelwald consistently portrays all wizards and witches, but followers of his especially, as victims of Muggle persecution. However, most Muggles no longer even know they exist, and so aren't persecuting anyone. He, meanwhile, murders some Muggles simply to take their house, and implies they will be slaves under his rule. When the aurors come, he also tells his followers not to resist, and then portrays one who is killed after going for her wand as a victim (while ruthlessly killing the rest later).

[[folder: Literature]]
* Willoughby of ''Literature/SenseAndSensibility'' for the second type, trying to justify his behavior with ImAManICantHelpIt, but failing miserably. It might have worked if he had been relating the story to anyone who didn't personally know the people he hurt. The ridiculously rich John Dashwood and his wife also qualify, constantly espousing their apparent poverty to themselves and others to shirk the responsibility of being charitable to John's half-sisters.

* This seems to be a common Creator/JaneAusten character -- the sociopathic ''Literature/LadySusan'' is so sick and tired of people ruining her plots, enlightening others about her lies, and disliking her once they find out how she mentally abuses her daughter and seduces married men. Why can't they just let her manipulate her [[UnwittingPawn Unwitting Pawns]] in peace?
* In ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'', Keifer Porter was a master of this. We know that Trini thought he was stupid, and she might have told him so, but he managed to pull the "poor me, she provoked me" excuse after [[TapOnTheHead knocking her unconscious]], chaining her to his bed, and [[MoralEventHorizon torturing]] her. He had his eldest wives so wrapped around his little finger that he wasn't punished at ''all''. Fortunately, he died in an explosion before Trini had even recovered from the injuries. [[spoiler: His sister Kij got a lot of pity for losing Keifer, her sister Eldest and some mothers in that explosion ... even though her family had placed the bomb there in the first place, and the mothers' death was planned. Eldest and Keifer were accidents, but self-inflicted.]]

* The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen considers doing this to the Emperor in Literature/{{Dune}}, thinking "Let him wrong me in that! I could place myself on the throne while still beating my breast over how I'd been wronged"
* In ''Literature/WingsOfFire'': ''Winter Turning'', ex-queen of the [=SkyWings=] [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Scarlet]] rants at another dragon about how her life is ruined by the Dragonets Of Destiny. She also blatantly says that she's the victim in this situation and how someone should help ''her'' in her time of need.

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

* ''Series/{{ER}}''. Upon being told that she was not being given the covered chief residency position because she'd taken too much time off for maternity leave, Dr. Jing Mei Chen began ranting and raving about the supposed sexism she was being subjected to, and basically used this to get the position after all.
* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': In season 3, after getting his racketeering convictions overturned, Wilson Fisk claims he was framed by Daredevil[[note]]In this case, Dex, wearing a suit Fisk provided him[[/note]] on the government's behalf because he opposed them.
* Played for laughs in an episode of ''Series/{{Frasier}}'', when Frasier is punched in the face by a man who is later murdered by Niles's ex-wife Maris. Subsequently, whenever Frasier finds himself in trouble for anything he's done, he immediately tries to wriggle out of the blame by melodramatically declaring that he is still suffering the effects of being "punched in the ''face''... ''by a man now '''dead'''!''". Incredibly, despite the other characters facing far more serious difficulties than this "problem" at the time, this somehow works ''every single time he tries it''.
* ''Series/{{Fargo}}'': After pretty much single-handedly causing the horrific events of season two with her selfishness and greed, Peggy is being hauled away by the police for her role in everything... and immediately starts up a self-pitying rant about how [[ItsAllAboutMe she’s the real victim here]], that she was just trying to fulfill her dreams but was crushed by a sexist society, and even has the audacity to say [[NeverMyFault its all Rye Gerhardt’s fault]] for ''getting struck and killed by her car while she was speeding on a dark road at night''. After humoring her for a moment, an unimpressed Lou [[ShutUpHannibal shuts her up with a single sentence]]; “People are dead, Peggy”.

[[folder: Music]]

[[folder: Theater]]

* In Christopher Durang's ''Baby with the Bathwater'', a BlackComedy extreme, main character Daisy ([[GenderBlenderName who's a boy]]) spends over a ''decade'' in college because he can't finish an essay on ''Huckleberry Finn''--his family completely botching his upbringing has pretty much left him a wreck, and he can't stop obsessing over what they did. While the therapist he goes to see is largely sympathetic, there comes a moment when he finally [[ArmorPiercingQuestion asks a powerful question]]: why doesn't Daisy just finish the stupid essay and stop blaming his family for everything? Daisy's initially upset, but eventually takes the advice to heart: he writes the paper, includes many lines [[CallingTheOldManOut calling out his parents for their terrible behavior]], reads it aloud to them, and cuts them out of his life forever. The play ends with Daisy and his new wife raising a baby of their own and doing a much better job, suggesting Durang's [[AnAesop Aesop]] about coming to terms with your past and letting go of it rather than carrying it around forever.

[[folder: Video Games]]
* Yggdrasil in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', especially at the end of the game, right before the FinalBoss. Admittedly, his life had been [[DarkAndTroubledPast pretty rough]], what with his not-quite-dead sister [[spoiler:Martel]] and the [[FantasticRacism racism of people towards half-elves]]. But, as Zelos says, [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse it doesn't even come close to justifying all the things he has done]] to save [[spoiler:Martel]] and free the world of oppression, which includes [[NotSoDifferent forcing humans to work as slaves]] into research that would allow him to [[AndIMustScream turn everyone into lifeless beings]].

** It [[NotHelpingYourCase doesn't help his case]] that [[spoiler: most of the other Organization members ''were'' turned into nobodies against their will -- by Xemnas (or rather, Xehanort) himself!]]

* The PC's love interest has this played on them in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIIThroneOfBhaal'' [[spoiler: Of course, it's done by an undead monster to set up a rather brutal ambush.]]

** [[spoiler: Kirumi]] in ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' is a more straightforward example, as when it is revealed they are the culprit, she try to justify it with TheNeedsOfTheMany and accuse Shuichi of having some kind of grudge against her that is making him "warp the narrative" so he can pin the blame on her. [[spoiler: She even goes so far as to suggest that she needs to survive more than the other students because she was Prime Minister and the outside world need her. While some of the more gullible students like Gonta and Tenko are moved by her words, Kaito and Kokichi call her out on how selfish this actually is - the ''only'' time in the game they agree on something, mind you.]]
* Lord Brevon from ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'' is fond of doing this, claiming that all he's trying to do is fix his ship, get off Avalice and save his homeworld, and all the heroes are doing is delaying his departure and forcing him to take more drastic measures. Never mind the fact that his plan involves murdering the king of Shuigang, brainwashing his son into being his obedient servant and starting a massive war between the three kingdoms of Avalice while he steals a MacGuffin that provides power to the entire planet. Also the whole "Evil intergalactic warlord" thing. And the fact that Torque rips his victim card to shreds by telling him that his own warmongering is the reason his homeworld is in trouble in the first place.
* [[AxCrazy Jack]] from ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' can come off as doing this, during the loyalty fight with [[IceQueen Miranda]]. Jack walks into Miranda's stateroom, gets in her face, looking to pick a fight, [[GravityMaster throws things around]] and then starts complaining about things that [[HumanityIsSuperior Miranda's organization]] [[ColdBloodedTorture did to her as a child]]. Bonus points if she does this long after she has already blown her childhood detention centre to atoms, and says that she's found closure.
** Balak the Batarian BigBad of the [[DownloadableContent Bring Down the Sky]] expansion for VideoGame/MassEffect has such an attitude about his entire race. When humans laid claim to previously unclaimed, undeveloped planets, the batarians protested that since those planets were close to space they controlled, they ought to be allowed to do as they wish to them. When the Citadel Council disagreed, the batarians severed all diplomatic ties, became a rogue state and started a low intensity conflict with humans via slaver gangs as proxies. Fed up, the human navy retaliated and massacred the batarian slaver gangs to a man. Yet Balak complains about how “humans were stronger, so they took our resources and murdered us.”
** At the climax of Samara's loyalty mission, Morinth will claim that her only crime was being born an [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Ardat-Yakshi]], and her mother Samara is only pursuing her out of prejudice (Samara rebuts that she had the choice of being isolated in a monastery, which both her sisters took). Apparently [[SerialKiller serial murder]] isn't a crime to Morinth...

[[folder: Web Animation]]

[[folder: Web Original]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

* Megatron in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' probably ''really does'' think that the Decepticons have been treated unfairly, having been driven from their home like common insects by the Autobots and gives a speech along these lines to turn the Constructicons.
** To be fair to him though, it seems this idea that Decepticons are the victim isn't entirely unfounded, what with Anti-Decepticon paranoia, no Decepticons allowed on Cybertron, and the fact that most of the Autobots are afraid of organic life.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
** Cartman does this all the freaking time. Like when he actually convinced himself that ''he'', rather than Jimmy, invented the "Fishsticks Joke", and proceeded to get mad at Jimmy for trying to claim credit.
** Another example -- After making fun of Wendy's breast cancer class report, Cartman went crying to Wendy's parents to keep her from beating the snot out of him. After that [[spoiler:he kept it up and got the snot beaten out of him anyway]].
** This actually becomes a recurring plot point in Season 21. He sees himself as the victim of Heidi's abuse in their relationship, even though it's him who is distant, emotionally abusive, and at one point, even tried to get Heidi killed by a witch. By the end of the season, Heidi finally sees this, and calls him out on it.
--->'''Heidi:''' ''You'' were hurt! ''You'' were the victim!\\
'''Cartman:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Yes. I'm glad you understand that.]]
** Aside from Cartman, the NAMBLA leader does this in "Cartman Joins NAMBLA". When he is being arrested in the end, he tries to gain sympathy by claiming that they're just being persecuted because they're different and that they didn't choose to be attracted to young boys. Kyle [[ShutUpHannibal shuts him down with one sentence]]:
--->'''Kyle:''' Dude. You have ''sex'' with ''children''.

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': Rick accuses Jerry of always using his status as a pathetic loser to illicit pity from other people so that they won't leave him. Considering the fact that Rick has abandoned various alternate universes and countless alternate versions of ''his own daughter'' to save his own skin, he hardly has the moral high ground.

* In ''FanFic/ForHisOwnSake'', [[Manga/LoveHina Naru]] uses this tactic when called before the Tokyo University school board to explain why she [[ATragedyOfImpulsiveness attacked an innocent man]]. Specifically, she claims she was acting on instinct because she's so used to [[UnprovokedPervertPayback defending herself from]] Keitaro, proceeding to describe him as a shameless pervert who's made her life a living nightmare. [[spoiler: [[RealityEnsues It doesn't work]], and [[LaserGuidedKarma she is expelled]].]]

* Thunder [=McQueen's=] primary character trait (suicidal tendencies aside) in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'' is constantly thinking of himself as a victim, even when he's clearly doing something wrong, like stealing money from Hermes. Whitesnake comments that this victim complex makes him a truly evil individual even though he isn't actively malicious.

* [[AxCrazy Jack]] from VideoGame/MassEffect2 can come off as doing this, during the loyalty fight with [[IceQueen Miranda]]. Jack walks into Miranda's stateroom, gets in her face, looking to pick a fight, [[GravityMaster throws things around]] and then starts complaining about things that [[HumanityIsSuperior Miranda's organization]] [[ColdBloodedTorture did to her as a child]]. Bonus points if she does this long after she has already blown her childhood detention centre to atoms, and says that she's found closure.

** Aside from Cartman, the NAMBLA leader does this in "Cartman Joins NAMBLA", when he is being arrested in the end, he tries to gain sympathy by claiming that they're just being persecuted because they're different and that they didn't choose to be attracted to young boys. Kyle [[ShutUpHannibal shuts him down with one sentence]]: