History Main / ProtagonistCenteredMorality

* DavidEddings works are stuffed choke-full with it often letting the reader scratching his head at why exactly the [[EatsBabies baby-eating monster]] that the protagonist has taken a liking to, is any better than the {{DesignatedVillain}}.

* In ''{{Firefly}}'', when Jayne wants to torture a captive, he's scum. When Mal kills a defenseless, bound man by kicking him into the engine intake, that's just [[{{http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Funny/Firefly}} funny]] ''and'' [[{{http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Awesome/Firefly awesome]].

* Why is ''{{Jumper}}'' not on the list? The Movie depicts everything as being quite all-right and Davy finally having prevailed over the big, bad, evil world out to get him, when Davy, in fact, rampaged through other lives from the day he found his powers. He stole money from banks, left the templar out in the desert to die with no hope of escape, ruined Griffin's war efforts and generally used people as mere toys of his whims (like endangering his familiy, girlfriend, and, again, Griffin, who tried to rescue him).

* In ''StarWars,'' Darth Vader is an evil bastard. No, really, a very evil bastard by any measurement you want to use. Ultimately, though, [[RedemptionEqualsDeath sacrificing himself to save his son brings Luke to forgive his father.]] (And is apparently enough of a HeelFaceTurn for him to find peace in his afterlife.) Fast forward thirty years in the Expanded Universe novels: [[spoiler: When Jacen Solo turns to the dark side, he doesn't rack up nearly as much bad karma as Vader did- among other reasons, he didn't have nearly as long to do it in. But the ''second'' he kills Mara Jade-Skywalker, he's irredeemable. Luke can apparently forgive the deaths of hundreds of strangers- at least a round dozen of which were [[ChildrenAreInnocent innocent children]]- if his life gets saved at the end of it. But he can't forgive the murder of his wife. And we the readers weren't supposed to, either.]]
** To be fair with Vader, he didn't ''only'' save Luke, as he also helped take down the Emperor. Too bad [[ExpandedUniverse it didn't stick]]...
*** Vader only chose to act against the Emperor when Luke's life was at stake. Not after [[spoiler: killing Mace Windu]], or finding out that the Emperor conspired to kill the remaining Jedi, nor at any other point when the Rebellion was in trouble. He wasn't in it for your Rebellion, princess...

* {{Friends}}. Joey and Ross can have multiple girlfriends and this is fine. Phoebe can date two men at once and the other characters don't criticize her (though one of the men dumped her when he found out) but when Phoebe's boyfriend is overheard having sex with someone else the men rush upstairs to violently assault with the womens full support.

** Gets an almost-subversion during the Buu saga. As Vegeta prepares to make his HeroicSacrifice, he asks Picolo about the afterlife. Picolo informs him that his previous crimes are too great for this alone to make amends, and that he's still basically going to [[strike:hell]] HFIL. However, [[DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist he gets to come back to life an episode or two later]].
*** An episode or two later? He doesn't come back until right around the end of the series!

* Oz from ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' series 1 and 2 was a xenophobe who abandoned his wife and child yet, while his behavior was shown as wrong, he was still someone the characters and audience sided with. However when characters like Herr Grimwald or Arthur Pringle were rude or nasty to the main characters they were hate-figures deserving of ridicule and embarassment.

** Though to be fair that was all just [[RuleOfFunny set up]] to make a joke about the man being such a {{Cassanova}} that even the guys in their righteous fury are quickly charmed and won over by him through the muffled ceiling.

** [[spoiler:Depending on how Meta your willing to get, then she DID do the exact duty for the only God that matters care about. Rich Burlew himself has stated that she did EXACTLY as he intended her to do.]]

*** [[An episode or two later? He doesn't come back until right around the end of the series!]]

** When Buffy refused to kill Angel after he turned evil which led him to murder many people and try to destroy the world everyone still spoke to her and gave her sympathy for her heartache and no one except Xander criticized her for it. Meanwhile Jenny Calendar whose great crime was being sent to watch Angel and not telling anyone about it was dumped by her boyfriend and rejected by Buffy who encouraged her to feel guilty. She also got no sympathy for her uncle being murdered

* Inverted in ''DeathNote''. Light thinks that his view of right and wrong is absolute and thinks himself [[AGodAmI a god]], so anyone who disagrees with him should die, allowing him to kill off innocent FBI agents with a clear conscience. While he does get followers, the HeroAntagonist (and audience) see him for the crazy murdering sociopathic CompleteMonster that he is. So while L, Near, and even Mello try using some unethical methods to try and capture him, Light still comes off as the worst of the bunch.

* Vegeta in ''DragonballZ'', who had [[OmnicidalManiac no problem destroying whole planets]], often for no reason at all other than he could. However when he helps the heroes against a bigger villain (Freeza) and ends up giving his life in the process (though he didn't have a choice as said villain was going to try to kill him too), he's suddenly considered reformed and a good guy. Piccolo is similar. His previous incarnation did countless crimes, but once his reincarnation [[hottip:*:who has all the same memories as the original, and on a biological level counts as the same person (killing him kills Kami too)]] joins Goku's side, he's a good guy, with all bad deeds swept under the rug.

** Gets an almost-subversion during the Cell saga. As Vegeta prepares to make his HeroicSacrifice, he asks Picolo about the afterlife. Picolo informs him that his previous crimes are too great for this alone to make amends, and that he's still basically going to [[strike:hell]] HFIL. However, [[DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist he gets to come back to life an episode or two later]].

* Superman, Batman and other heroes reacted to WonderWoman's killing of the villain Maxwell Lord with shock, yet they were aware that she *had* killed other enemies before (and always because the situation forced her); the only difference was that Max was human while the rest [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman were demigods and demons.]]]

* Superman, Batman and other heroes reacted to Wonder Woman's killing of the villain Maxwell Lord with shock, yet they were aware that she *had* killed other enemies before (and always because the situation forced her); the only difference was that Max was human while the rest were demigods and demons.
* Preacher has lots of characters who make, at best, questionable moral choices. Cassidy is more like a villain than a hero, especially when we see what he did in the flashbacks. He may show remorse for one or the other violent act, but does not really change his ways 'til after the very end. Also, Jesse abuses his power(s) and murders people every other time. Granted, most of them are horrible people - but for someone who want's to find and confront God about his errors and misdeeds, he doesn't seem to really care about anyone outside his close circle of friends. If even that.

* In ''StarWars,'' Darth Vader is an evil bastard. No, really, a very evil bastard by any measurement you want to use. Ultimately, though, sacrificing himself to save his son brings Luke to forgive his father. (And is apparently enough of a HeelFaceTurn for him to find peace in his afterlife.) Fast forward thirty years in the Expanded Universe novels: [[spoiler: When Jacen Solo turns to the dark side, he doesn't rack up nearly as much bad karma as Vader did- among other reasons, he didn't have nearly as long to do it in. But the ''second'' he kills Mara Jade-Skywalker, he's irredeemable. Luke can apparently forgive the deaths of hundreds of strangers- at least a round dozen of which were [[ChildrenAreInnocent innocent children]]- if his life gets saved at the end of it. But he can't forgive the murder of his wife. And we the readers weren't supposed to, either.]]

* Why is {{Jumper}} not on the list? The Movie depicts everything as being quite all-right and Davy finally having prevailed over the big, bad, evil world out to get him, when Davy, in fact, rampaged through other lives from the day he found his powers. He stole money from banks, left the templar out in the desert to die with no hope of escape, ruined Griffin's war efforts and generally used people as mere toys of his whims (like endangering his familiy, girlfriend, and, again, Griffin, who tried to rescue him).

* Titus Pullo in {{Rome}} rapes women and commits multiple murders but because he is a loyal friend to Lucius Vorenus the audience love him

* {{AllyMcBeal}} cheats on her boyfriend Gregg then decies to win him back by hiring a male model to be her pretend date to make said boyfriend jealous. When her boyfriend ends things with the woman he was dating to get back with her Ally then decides she has prefers the hired model so doesn't want Gregg. If a man had cheated on Ally, schemed to break up her new relationship then dumped her once the new relationship was destroyed he would be a {{JerkAss}} deserving of revenge but neither the show or any of Ally's friends show any negative judgment about her behavior.

* Inverted irritating in {{scrubs}}. No matter how much of a jerkass [[ButtMonkey JD's]] '[[WithFriendsLikeThese friends]]' act, ''he's'' always in the wrong so he can [[AnAesop learn something]].