History Main / SelfRestraint

** In ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' Vetinari is usurped and thrown into prison. He has anticipated this, and the most secure cell happens to have its lock on the inside.

** In ''Discworld/{{Thud}}'', a group of Watch officers, including a pair of trolls, are captured by dwarven army troops and the trolls ([[FantasticRacism and only the trolls]]) are put in chains. Vimes spots straight away that they're just cheap field chains and would be completely unable to hold the (massive, made-of-stone) trolls for more than a few seconds... but that would give the dwarfs the legal ability to kill the "escaping prisoner". Fortunately, Detritus is more than experienced enough to see through the trick.

* In ''Manga/SoulEater'' the villain Medusa lets herself get captured by the good guys ''for absolutely no reason other than to taunt them'' by forcing them to make a deal involving her safe release in exchange for information. During the negotiation she asks them to remove her bindings, and when its pointed out that she could've done so herself at any time responds with "There's no meaning to it if I do it myself." [[MagnificentBastard Magnificent Bitch]] indeed.

A practice of the SlaveToPR.

Usually takes place in a CardboardPrison or a LuxuryPrisonSuite. If the character was arrested to foil some EvilPlan when getting arrested was their true goal, then it's a form of XanatosGambit. When capital punishment is involved, it's ForgivenessRequiresDeath. When they invoke the aid of another character, it often overlaps with NoMatterHowMuchIBeg or KindRestraints. A character who normally does this may break out when he's the ProtectorBehindBars. Contrast NeverGoingBackToPrison. Compare CapturedOnPurpose, where a character lets themselves be captured as part of a plan and can't necessarily escape easily. See also MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll, for when a character is barely hindered by such a place. See also PlayAlongPrisoner.

* A lengthy plot in ''ComicBook/NewWarriors'' involved Marvel Boy accidentally killing his abusive father with his powers, and being found guilty of manslaughter. When the rest of the Warriors show up to break him out of prison, he refuses to go--he did the crime, he'll do the time.

* Another Superman example: promo material for ''Film/ManOfSteel'' shows our hero being handcuffed, detained and calmly taking questions from Lois Lane in a room with a two-way mirror. During that scene in the movie, Kal gets up to address the General who is standing behind the two-way mirror, casually breaking the chain of the handcuffs without so much as stopping to glance at them.

* In ''Literature/AdventuresOfHuckleberryFinn'', Tom Sawyer convinces Jim that he can't just walk out of his cabin, and has to make his escape in a properly epic fashion. Jim's already legally been freed but Tom's keeping it a secret

* In ''Series/LoisAndClark'', Superman promises to not use his superpowers since the people of Metropolis thinks that he is the cause of a localized heat wave [[spoiler:(it was actually Lex Luthor)]]. When he saves someone, he is arrested and put in holding, where one of the other detainees starts to mess with him, ("I just tugged on Superman's cape!"). When the jerk tries to punch him, Supes dodges and the bum lands his punch on another guy. The other guy is not happy and Superman just kinda shrugs at the first one, "Kinda sucks to be you right now."

* Christ Jesus, who willingly gave himself up to suffer something as terrible as crucifixion so we wouldn't have to, making this OlderThanFeudalism: "Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and he will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?" ([[Literature/TheBible Matthew 26:53 NKJV]])
** In the same book, two missionaries (Paul and Silas, to be exact) are locked up in jail when a miracle happens and the jail wall collapses. The guard freaks out that he'll be punished, but then sees that they just stayed in their cell singing hymns.
*** The story says that the guard was getting ready to kill himself because he was afraid of punishment from his bosses for losing the prisoners. Paul actually has to tell him, "Do yourself no harm for we are still here." The guard falls down to his knees and asks Paul the most important question of his life, "What must I do to be saved?" and the response given is, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." The story notes how the guard is converted by the wonder of the occasion, that a prisoner would stay behind to help his prison guard, on that day Jesus did save him.

* In ''Webcomic/TheSpecialists'', [[http://thespecialistscomic.com/page-41/ Hartmann.]] Whose motive is that LaResistance hasn't killed him yet, and [[StupidJetpackHitler the Nazis]] will.

** When Bumi is imprisoned by the Fire Nation, they place him in a metal box with only his face exposed so that he can be fed. The Fire Nation soldiers thought that by completely immobilizing his arms and legs, they prevented him from Earthbending, but it turns out ''twitching his nose'' is all the body movement he needs for that. [[WeWait Bumi willingly restrains himself until the Firebenders temporarily lose their powers]], so it is easier for him to not just escape, [[OneManArmy but take back his whole city by himself]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'' episode "Jailhouse Flock", the good guys get arrested. The Planeteers get bailed out, but not Captain Planet. He chooses to stay, even using his superpowers for the hard labor. It is only when his name is cleared that he leaves.

** GreenLantern John Stewart is tried and convicted of destroying a planet, and although he could easily resist arrest and escape (particularly with the help of the rest of the JL), he doesn't because he feels people with that kind of power need to be held accountable (plus, the [[{{Frameup}} set up]] is so good that even ''he'' thinks he's guilty).

* Third part of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' starts with a protagonist refusing to leave his jail cell, after policemen told him, that he is free to go. He claims that he is haunted by an evil spirit and thus, better off behind bars, where he can't harm anyone (except other inmates, who quickly became terrified of him). He agreed to leave only after Joseph explained, that "evil spirit" actually was jusr a manifestation on his own powers.

* In ''Film/SupportYourLocalSheriff'', James Garner's character has one of the bad guys so badly buffaloed that he's willing to stay in a jail cell that has no bars, just a line drawn on the floor to indicate where the bars should be.
** And a splash of red paint.

* ''Literature/FateStrangeFake'': Saber accidentally blows up an opera house in a battle. He and Ayaka Saijyou are MistakenForTerrorist and arrested. Saber later demonstrates to the police that handcuffs and walls can't hold him as he can turn into a spirit, and even if he couldn't, he has SuperStrength. He says he didn't resist arrest because he didn't want to risk Ayaka getting hurt and he respects the police who were only doing their jobs. He declares he will stay in his cell until sunrise, but is forced to escape with Ayaka early when the police station gets attacked.

* ''Literature/FateStrangeFake'': Saber accidentally blows up an opera house in a battle. He and Ayaka Saijyou are MistakenForTerrorist and arrested. Saber later demonstrates to the police that handcuffs and walls can't hold him as he can turn into a spirit, and even if he couldn't, he has SuperStrength. He says he didn't resist arrest because he didn't want to risk Ayaka getting hurt and he respects the police who were only doing their jobs. He declares he will stay in his cell until sunrise, but is forced to escape with Ayaka early when the police station gets attacked.

* In J.R.R. Tolkien's ''LordOfTheRings'', Merry and Pippin get captured by the Uruk-Hai, manage to free themselves and then keep wearing their bonds while they wait for the right moment to escape.

** In "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo", Homer and Bart get arrested in Japan and are put in a jail cell... with paper walls. Only after his bail is paid and the door is opened does Homer walk through the wall.

* HoratioHornblower, after being released from a Spanish prison to aid in a rescue mission at sea, refuses to stay on British ship that eventually picks them up, because he had given the Spanish his parole.

* Beast in the 90s ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoon was once wrongly sent to prison. Magneto, thinking this would make him bitter, broke him out in an attempt to recruit him as an ally - at which point Beast politely asked him to leave, as he wished to stand trial and prove his innocence. Also displayed in a later scene where Gambit is visiting him and Beast casually bends the bars to his cell (and then straitens them again) to let him in.

* In the ''TransformersGeneration1 2''-parter "Megatron's Master Plan", Megatron tricks the world into believing that the Autobots are evil and the Decepticons are good. Despite being easily powerful enough to do whatever they feel like regardless of public opinion, the Autobots submit to arrest, sit through a trial, and agree to be banished from the planet, only deciding to come back after Megatron reprograms their navigation system to fly them into the sun.

* By the end of ''Literature/TollTheHounds'', 8th book of ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', Clip [[spoiler: lives in a dungeon cell]] in Black Coral. He wasn't put there by the other Andii -- he went there himself and ''locked the door from inside''.

* In ''BreathOfFire'', you encounter Karn for the first time when you get thrown in jail. He's sleeping there. Bug him enough and he'll open the doors so you can escape... then go back to sleep.

* A recent plot development in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has Agatha posing as a murderer because [[GeniusLoci the prison]] ''itself'' is the latest PlotCoupon.

Usually takes place in a CardboardPrison or a LuxuryPrisonSuite. If the character was arrested to foil some EvilPlan when getting arrested was their true goal, then it's a form of XanatosGambit. When capital punishment is involved, it's ForgivenessRequiresDeath. When they invoke the aid of another character, it often overlaps with NoMatterHowMuchIBeg or KindRestraints. A character who normally does this may break out when he's the ProtectorBehindBars. Contrast NeverGoingBackToPrison. Compare CapturedOnPurpose, where a character lets themselves be captured as part of a plan and can't necessarily escape easily. See also MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll, for when a character is barely hindered by such a place.

* As part of her HeelFaceTurn on ''Series/{{Angel}}'' Faith turns herself in to the police and is sent to prison for a murder she committed back on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Her breakout when a Slayer is needed 3 seasons later proves she could have escaped any time.

** The Justice League is accused of firing their {{BFG}} on a government base, and six of the founding seven (Batman refuses) turn themselves in. As they're going into custody, one MP asks if they should cuff the superheroes. His superior scoffs, saying something to the tune of, "Do you really think that would make a difference?"

* Fujin and Raijin in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. They are strong enough to bend the bars of the cell and leave at any time but as long as they have food they are content enough to stay there.
** In the actual manga, [[spoiler:Tobi]] pulls this off after a failed attempt at kidnapping, where he is bound by Yamato's [[GreenThumb Wood style]] and takes the opportunity to gives some exposition before leaving like he could have at any point.

* Beast in the 90s ''WesternAnimation/{{X-Men}}'' cartoon was once wrongly sent to prison. Magneto, thinking this would make him bitter, broke him out in an attempt to recruit him as an ally - at which point Beast politely asked him to leave, as he wished to stand trial and prove his innocence. Also displayed in a later scene where Gambit is visiting him and Beast casually bends the bars to his cell (and then straitens them again) to let him in.

* One of the first superhuman villains ComicBook/SpiderMan fought (established via RetCon in ''ComicBook/UntoldTalesOfSpiderMan'') was David Lowell, called Sundown by the superhuman community. A FreakLabAccident granted him powers on the cosmic scale, including super-strength (potentially rivalling the Hulk's), flight, durability, energy projection, instant healing abilities, the ability to grow to giant size (better than Hank Pym) and teleportation. But gaining these powers also sent him into a pain-induced rage that threatened to level New York. When Spidey showed up, nothing the hero could do could so much as scratch him. Then ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/TheFantasticFour, the Comic/{{X-Men}} and various other New York heroes showed up to help. Nothing ''they'' could muster could [[NoSell so much as scratch him!]] ("He even stood up to Thor!" Peter relates to Mary Jane in a present-day story. "''To Thor!'' Can you imagine?") Eventually, a young girl who had admired him pleaded with him to stop, and in his rage, he turned an energy blast on her, only stopping when he saw who it was. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Who he had just injured.]] A later story details that he pled guilty, and while breaking out of jail for him would have been easier than most other villains who had, he would not, staying out of guilt until he was paroled, ten years later, [[TheAtoner still hating himself.]] (Ironically, Spidey seemed far more willing to forgive than he was to forgive himself; while he redeemed himself, he scoffed at the idea of using his powers heroically, [[RefusalOfTheCall feeling New York wouldn't accept an ex-con hero]].)

* In the ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' episode "Bloodlines", When [[TheFlash Impulse]] appears in [[HomeBase the Cave]] and runs amok, he is knocked out by Nightwing and has his hands and feet cuffed. While Nightwing, Robin, and Beast Boy interrogate him, he stays put. But once [[MissionControl Mal Duncan]] arrives and opens an exit, Impulse simply vibrates his body through the cuffs and [[SuperSpeed runs off]].

* One of the first superhuman villains ComicBook/SpiderMan fought (established via RetCon in ''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'') was David Lowell, called Sundown by the superhuman community. A FreakLabAccident granted him powers on the cosmic scale, including super-strength (potentially rivalling the Hulk's), flight, durability, energy projection, instant healing abilities, the ability to grow to giant size (better than Hank Pym) and teleportation. But gaining these powers also sent him into a pain-induced rage that threatened to level New York. When Spidey showed up, nothing the hero could do could so much as scratch him. Then ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/TheFantasticFour, the Comic/{{X-Men}} and various other New York heroes showed up to help. Nothing ''they'' could muster could [[NoSell so much as scratch him!]] ("He even stood up to Thor!" Peter relates to Mary Jane in a present-day story. "''To Thor!'' Can you imagine?") Eventually, a young girl who had admired him pleaded with him to stop, and in his rage, he turned an energy blast on her, only stopping when he saw who it was. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Who he had just injured.]] A later story details that he pled guilty, and while breaking out of jail for him would have been easier than most other villains who had, he would not, staying out of guilt until he was paroled, ten years later, [[TheAtoner still hating himself.]] (Ironically, Spidey seemed far more willing to forgive than he was to forgive himself; while he redeemed himself, he scoffed at the idea of using his powers heroically, [[RefusalOfTheCall feeling New York wouldn't accept an ex-con hero]].)

* One of the first superhuman villains Spider Man fought (established via RetCon in ''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'') was David Lowell, called Sundown by the superhuman community. A FreakLabAccident granted him powers on the cosmic scale, including super-strength (potentially rivalling the Hulk's), flight, durability, energy projection, instant healing abilities, the ability to grow to giant size (better than Hank Pym) and teleportation. But gaining these powers also sent him into a pain-induced rage that threatened to level New York. When Spidey showed up, nothing the hero could do could so much as scratch him. Then ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/TheFantastic Four, the Comic/{{X-Men}} and various other New York heroes showed up to help. Nothing ''they'' could muster could [[NoSell so much as scratch him!]] ("He even stood up to Thor!" Peter relates to Mary Jane in a present-day story. "''To Thor!'' Can you imagine?") Eventually, a young girl who had admired him pleaded with him to stop, and in his rage, he turned an energy blast on her, only stopping when he saw who it was. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Who he had just injured.]] A later story details that he pled guilty, and while breaking out of jail for him would have been easier than most other villains who had, he would not, staying out of guilt until he was paroled, ten years later, [[TheAtoner still hating himself.]] (Ironically, Spidey seemed far more willing to forgive than he was to forgive himself; while he redeemed himself, he scoffed at the idea of using his powers heroically, [[RefusalOfTheCall feeling New York wouldn't accept an ex-con hero]].)

* In the last episode of ''WeissKreuz Gluhen,'' Ken is shown to be in prison - which, we discover, is apparently by his own choice, and it's implied that he can get back out whenever he wants but is simply using it as a form of self-imposed penance and a chance to think.