History Main / SanityStrengthening

Compare to MentalHealthRecoveryArc and RestorationOfSanity. If it only happens briefly, it's likely a MomentOfLucidity. It may result in the character being formally declared InsaneNoMore. It can also potentially overlap with HealTheCutie.

Over the course of a story insane characters actually become less insane and more mentally stable as time passes. The opposite of SanitySlippage. These characters may start out sane and become insane before becoming sane again. The point of the trope is that they ultimately end up as more or less sane, or at the very least san''er''.

Compare to MentalHealthRecoveryArc and RestorationOfSanity. It may result in them being formally declared InsaneNoMore. It can potentially overlap with HealTheCutie.

Compare to MentalHealthRecoveryArc and RestorationOfSanity. It may result in them being formally declared InsaneNoLonger. It can potentially overlap with HealTheCutie.

Over the course of a story insane characters actually become less insane and more sane as time passes. The opposite of SanitySlippage. These characters may start out sane and become insane before becoming sane again. The point of the trope is that they ultimately end up as more or less sane or saner.

Compare to MentalHealthRecoveryArc and RestorationOfSanity.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has Gaara. He starts out AxCrazy but is now a nice mentally stable guy and is actively trying his best to help Naruto, his friend who he once considered his enemy and tried to kill.

* ''[[Franchise/{{Metroid}} The Metroid Prime Trilogy]]'' has [[HumanoidAbomination Dark]] [[EvilCounterpart Samus]]. In the second game ''Echoes'' she had basically one mode: [[AxCrazy Bat-shit insane]]. After being [[NoBodyLeftBehind blown to pieces]], [[NoKillLikeOverkill left in a collapsing alternate dimension]] and [[FromASingleCell regenerating thanks to Phazon absorption]], by the time of the final game ''Corruption'', she became sane enough to get the role of TheChessmaster, take over the Space Pirates, and [[GalacticConqueror start a plan for galactic domination]]. Note the word ''enough'' though, the game makes it very clear she's still quite [[LaughingMad mentally unstable]], just toned down from before.

Over the course of a story an insane character actually becomes less insane and more sane as time passes. The opposite of SanitySlippage. They may start out sane and become insane before becoming sane again. The point of the trope is that they ultimately end up as more or less sane or saner.

-->-- '''[[WebVideo/AbridgedOnTitan Eren Jaegar]]''', "F**k It"

* {{Downplayed}}, but still present for [[ArchEnemy The Master]] in ''Series/DoctorWho''. The "Harold Saxon" incarnation of the Master was gradually becoming [[SanitySlippage completely]] [[ChewingTheScenery insane]] due to the drumbeat that the [[GreaterScopeVillain Time Lords]] put in his head, and by the time of his final appearance in the Tenth Doctor's run, he's outright [[IAmAHumanitarian EATING HUMAN BEINGS]] and running around as a complete PsychoElectro, taking EvilIsHammy up to levels unbelievable ''even for him''. However, after disappearing for several years (so long that he missed the Eleventh Doctor's entire tenure), the Master returns as her new incarnation "Missy", enemy to the Twelfth Doctor. While Missy [[CardCarryingVillain declares herself "bananas"]] and is still [[LargeHam quite the kook]], she ''has'' noticeably calmed down drastically since her previous incarnation. She is back to the character's ordinary level of "crazy", not the UpToEleven version she/he was previously at.

* ''[[Franchise/{{Metroid}} The Metroid Prime Trilogy]]'' has [[HumanoidAbomination Dark]] [[EvilCounterpart Samus]]. In the second game ''Echoes'' she had basically one mode: [[AxCrazy Bat-shit insane]]. After being [[NoBodyLeftBehind blown to pieces]], [[NoKillLikeOverkill left in a collapsing alternate dimension]] and [[FromASingleCell regenerating thanks to Phazon absorption]], by the time of the final game ''Corruption'', she became sane enough to get the role of TheChessmaster, [[AGodAmI take over the Space Pirates]], and [[GalacticConqueror start a plan for galactic domination]]. Note the word ''enough'' though, the game makes it very clear she's still quite [[LaughingMad mentally unstable]], just toned down from before.

Compare to MentalHealthRecoveryArc.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', Alchemicals who come into contact with Exalted who's magical material is identical to the Alchemicals Caste can reduce the Exalts Limit gain.

-->'''[[WebVideo/AbridgedOnTitan Eren Jaegar]]''', "F**k It"

* In ''FanFic/BequeathedFromPaleEstates'', Alannys Harlaw is left to fend almost by herself in the decaying ruins of Pyke, which takes a heavy toll on her body and mind, especially since she saw her husband and children die. When Theon collects her, she's very much TheOphelia, though as they leave the Iron Islands for the warmer South and he spends more time with her, she slowly begins leaving her shell.

* Anemone from ''Anime/EurekaSeven'' starts off as a violently psychotic TykeBomb, but grows much stabler in the presence of her handler/guardian Dominic. Late in the series, [[spoiler:he manages to restore her sanity completely through the PowerOfLove]].

* Slade Wilson (Deathstroke) in ''Series/{{Arrow}}''. He was driven insane by a combination of PsychoSerum and tragedy. Later on the PsychoSerum runs out and he's become a lot of more understanding and remorseful.

* Wanda Maximoff from ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'', who was sent to an asylum by her father Magneto shortly after her mutant powers emerged. Magneto eventually has Mastermind [[MindRape mess with her head]], replacing all her bad memories with good ones so she believes he'd been a loving father. Ironically, she became less psycho and more kind and gentle towards others.

->''Forget all my psychoses, my therapy's kicking ass!''

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[[folder: Fan Works ]]
* In ''FanFic/TheManyWorldsInterpretation'', [[Franchise/{{Discworld}} the Bursar]] recovers his mathematical genius and mental acuity to the point he can hold a coherent conversation with [[Series/TheBigBangTheory Sheldon Cooper]], after being dosed with thorazine.
* In ''FanFic/{{Constellations}}'', Oni Lee starts recovering his missing memories after a chance encounter with Sunny.
* ''FanFic/TheDragonOfHarrenhal'' sees Aerys II's sanity take a sharp uptick after meeting Carik, an actual sentient dragon who convinces him to start behaving like an actual king. This has the effect of restoring some of his wits and charm, making it harder for Rhaegar to get the support for the planned dethroning of his father.

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[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Slade Wilson (Deathstroke) in {{Series/Arrow}}. He was driven insane by a combination of PsychoSerum and tragedy. Later on the PsychoSerum runs out and he's become a lot of more understanding and remorseful.

* River Tam on ''{{Series/Firefly}}''. PlayedForDrama as it just means her lucid periods get more frequent, so she's more often ''aware'' of her [[ReluctantPsycho insanity]].

* {{Downplayed}}, but still present for [[ArchEnemy The Master]] in ''Series/DoctorWho''. The “Harold Saxon” incarnation of the Master was gradually becoming [[SanitySlippage completely]] [[ChewingTheScenery insane]] due to the drumbeat that the [[GreaterScopeVillain Time Lords]] put in his head, and by the time of his final appearance in the Tenth Doctor’s run, he’s outright [[IAmAHumanitarian EATING HUMAN BEINGS]] and running around as a complete PsychoElectro, taking EvilIsHammy up to levels unbelievable ''even for him''. However, after disappearing for several years (so long that he missed the Eleventh Doctor’s entire tenure), the Master returns as her new incarnation “Missy”, enemy to the Twelfth Doctor. While Missy [[CardCarryingVillain declares herself “bananas”]] and is still [[LargeHam quite the kook]], she ''has'' noticeably calmed down drastically since her previous incarnation. She is back to the character’s ordinary level of “crazy”, not the UpToEleven version she/he was previously at.

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[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]
* In Literature/{{Worm}} the government retains the services of a psychiatrist called Ms. Yamada, who despite being a normal dealing with metahumans of all shapes, powers and stages of sanity manages to help a great deal of them. Her greatest effort is in the epilogues of the story, where she talks a villain contemplating killing ''everyone'' into becoming a hero.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': Upon his initial mutation, Slash had been driven crazy and wanted to kill the Turtles, believing them to be holding Raph back from being a true warrior. When he returns in "Battle for New York", he's much more stable, explaining that the mutagen had messed with his head.

[[folder: Fanfic ]]

* {{DownPlayed}}, but still present for [[ArchEnemy The Master]] in ''Series/DoctorWho''. The “Harold Saxon” incarnation of the Master was gradually becoming [[SanitySlippage completely]] [[ChewingTheScenery insane]] due to the drumbeat that the [[GreaterScopeVillain Time Lords]] put in his head, and by the time of his final appearance in the Tenth Doctor’s run, he’s outright [[IAmAHumanitarian EATING HUMAN BEINGS]] and running around as a complete PsychoElectro, taking EvilIsHammy up to levels unbelievable ''even for him''. However, after disappearing for several years (so long that he missed the Eleventh Doctor’s entire tenure), the Master returns as her new incarnation “Missy”, enemy to the Twelfth Doctor. While Missy [[CardCarryingVillain declares herself “bananas”]] and is still [[LargeHam quite the kook]], she ''has'' noticeably calmed down drastically since her previous incarnation. She is back to the character’s ordinary level of “crazy”, not the UpToEleven version she/he was previously at.

* ''FanFic/TheDragonOfHarrenhal'' sees Aerys III's sanity take a sharp uptick after meeting Carik, an actual sentient dragon who convinces him to start behaving like an actual king. This has the effect of restoring some of his wits and charm, making it harder for Rhaegar to get the support for the planned dethroning of his father.

* In Literature/{{Worm}} the government retains the services of a psychiatrist Called Ms. Yamada, who despite being a normal dealing with metahumans of all shapes, powers and stages of sanity manages to help a great deal of them. Her greatest effort is in the epilogues of the story, where she talks a villain contemplating killing ''everyone'' into becoming a hero.

* ''Anime/{{Naruto}}'' has Gaara. He starts out AxCrazy but is now a nice mentally stable guy and is actively trying his best to help Naruto, his friend who he once considered his enemy and tried to kill.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': Alchemicals who come into contact with Exalted who's magical material is identical to the Alchemicals Caste can reduce the Exalts Limit gain.