History Main / SparingThemTheDirtyWork

* At the end of the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E12DeathInHeaven Death in Heaven]]", the Doctor is faced with the fact that killing Missy is the only way to stop her from causing more havoc in the future. [[spoiler:A cyberconverted Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] rescues him from the dilemma by vaporizing her himself since he's a soldier and for him, the question of killing one person to save others is already settled.

* In LightNovel/SaikyouJuzokuTensei, the story introduces [[WellIntentionedExtremist Melzef]], Chieftain of the [[HornedHumanoid Doom tribe]]. He leads a group of his clansmen on the trail of [[TheProtagonist Abel]] and [[LoveInterest Mea]], with the intention of [[spoiler: capturing the latter and [[ShootTheDog killing her]], due to her being born as the [[AntiChrist Red Stone]], despite her being [[OffingTheOffspring his daughter]]]]. Later his subordinate Dafne, who happens to be Mea's ParentalSubstitute, takes over the group when Melzef got separated from them (Dafne planned with the group on that), and leads the group with [[spoiler: the intention of [[BeingGoodSucks killing Mea himself]], to spare his boss and friend the agony of such decision, and to lie to Mea and [[LyingToProtectYourFeelings tell her that her father opposed killing her]] to spare her the heartbreak [[LetThemDieHappy in her last moments]]. A well-intentioned action, since Melzef [[IHaveNoDaughter has no qualms about killing his daughter]]]].

** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword]]'', the first game to be released outside Japan, [[spoiler:Wallace destroyed the Taliver Bandits, the group that killed Lyn's parent so that she wouldn't feel consumed by vengeance.]]

* Near the end of ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'', Vorona witnesses [[spoiler:Shizuo face down his mortal enemy, Izaya,]] and interrupts the fight by stabbing the latter with a knife, then attempting to finish him with a gun before [[spoiler:Shizuo]] can deliver his final blow. When [[spoiler:Shizuo]] tries to stop her, telling her not to become a murderer, Vorona shrugs off his concern since she's a trained assassin who has killed many people before. [[spoiler:She is, however, foiled by Simon, who threw a stun grenade at their midst, incapacitating her and allowing Izaya to escape the encounter.]]

This second character is usually a PoisonousFriend or PsychoSidekick to the first, who is often an AllLovingHero or is otherwise known as a morally upright individual with a [[ThouShaltNotKill code against murder]]. The second character brings it upon themselves to carry the revenge on behalf of the first so that the latter can keep their hands clean; meanwhile, the avenger believes that since their hands have been "tainted" anyway, adding more stain wouldn't make much of a difference.

->'''Lex Luthor:''' You're going to kill me so that Superman can't.
->'''The Question:''' I'm a well-known crackpot. The Justice League's reputation will survive my actions... and Superman's legacy will remain intact.
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'', [[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E9QuestionAuthority Season 2, Episode 9: Question Authority]]

A person wants to kill another who has greatly wronged them, but another character gets to the target before they can do so--not out of personal vengeance or [[KickTheSonOfABitch cruelty]], but to spare the first from having to commit the "sin" of taking another life, or the punishment of committing murder, or both.

This second character is usually a PoisonousFriend or PsychoSidekick to the first--who is often an AllLovingHero or is otherwise known as a morally upright individual with a [[ThouShaltNotKill code against murder]]. The second character brings it upon themselves to carry the revenge on behalf of the first so that the latter can keep their hands clean; meanwhile, the avenger believes that since their hands have been "tainted" anyway, adding more stain wouldn't make much of a difference.

Usually a SubTrope of ShootTheDog, where a character kills another for a good cause--in this case, it's to preserve another character's innocence, morality, freedom, feelings, etc. Related to IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim, a different way a character tries to stop another from tainting their hands with murder.

* ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} had an arc where one of his friends had an abusive boyfriend, but she got Deadpool to promise not to kill him. Taskmaster went up to the boyfriend after they'd left and told him "I didn't promise her anything". Cue GoryDiscretionShot.
* ''ComicBook/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' shows a possible alternate reality where Batman kills the Joker before Superman has a chance to, preventing the dark future where Superman becomes a tyrant.
* During ComicBook/TheOrder's first mission, Calamity is sent to track down the Soviet sleeper agents who are mentally controlling a team of cloned Russian superheroes who are trying to nuke Los Angeles. He discovers that the agents are literally sleeper agents - they were put on ice way back in the sixties and don't realize that the Cold War is over, and there is no way to wake them up in time to stop the bomb, and thus someone will have to kill them. Calamity, having no experience with killing, can't bring himself to do it, so the team sends Omninaut, who used to be a soldier, to do it for him.

* ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite''. After Booker returns to 1912 and frees Elizabeth, she says she's going to kill Comstock. Booker tells her he's not going to let her do it because he's going to do it for her. He carries out his promise.

According to the official {{Novelization}} of the {{Music/Vocaloid}} duology ''Nazotoki''/''Nazokake'' (or [[AdaptationDisplacement the original novel they were based on]]), this is the solution to the two singers' contradictory claims: [[spoiler: Rin found out the first victim was the culprit behind the arson that killed her parents and [[AnArmAndALeg cost Len his arm]], so she poisoned his wine. Len found out, and stabbed the man to death before he could drink it so Rin wouldn't become a murderer.]]

* Near the end of ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'', Vorona witnesses [[spoiler:Shizuo face down his mortal enemy, Izaya, and interrupts the fight by stabbing Izaya with a knife, then attempting to finish him with a gun before Shizuo can deliver his final blow. When Shizuo tries to stop her, telling her not to become a murderer,]] Vorona shrugs off his concern since she's a trained assassin who has killed many people before. [[spoiler:She is, however, foiled by Simon, who threw a stun grenade at their midst, incapacitating her and allowing Izaya to escape the encounter.]]

* ''Literature/SageAdair'': In ''Land Sharks]', retired hatchet-man Fong Kam Tong discovers that the man who robbed and killed his family is still alive. Despite having given up bloodshed, Fong is out for revenge again. Sage knows that a Chinese man who kills a white man, no matter what the reason, will inevitably hang, and decides to kill two birds with one stone: in order to infiltrate a [[PressGanged gang of crimps]] he has to provide a crewman for a [[TheAllegedCar clapped-out whaler]] that can't fill its roster because every sailor can tell it won't survive another voyage.

Another variation is when the target is someone's friend or family member, and the avenger is another friend who wants to spare the former the pain and heartbreak of having to kill a (former) loved one, while still believing that the target needs to die.

This second character is usually a PoisonousFriend or PsychoSidekick to the first, who is often an AllLovingHero, or is otherwise known as a morally upright individual with a [[ThouShaltNotKill code against murder]]. The second character brings it upon themselves to carry the revenge on behalf of the first so that the latter can keep their hands clean; meanwhile, the avenger believes that since their hands have been "tainted" anyway, adding more stain wouldn't make much of a difference.

Compare and contrast BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork, where a villain does an evil deed that's beneficial to the heroes so that the heroes can advance their goals without actually getting their hands dirty.

->'''Lex Luthor:''' You're going to kill me so that Superman can't.\\
'''The Question:''' I'm a well-known crackpot. The Justice League's reputation will survive my actions... and Superman's legacy will remain intact.

->'''Lex Luthor:''' You're going to kill me so that Superman can't.
->'''The Question:''' I'm a well-known crackpot. The Justice League's reputation will survive my actions... and Superman's legacy will remain intact.

!Examples

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
* In the ''{{WebAnimation/RWBY}}'' fanfiction ''Cursed'', Ruby has been turned into a vampire. When everyone finds out an attempt is made to make a cure to save her from the microscopic grimm within her. However by the time the cure is made she has fully turned and her soul is gone, [[spoiler: after which she turns Weiss into a vampire as well but she doesn't fully turn]]. The cure will now kill her instead of cure. When Yang and Blake face down Ruby and [[spoiler: Weiss]], Blake is determined to be the one to use the cure on Ruby so Yang doesn't have to kill her own sister. However, Yang convinces Blake to let her do it because if Blake was the one to do it she would never be able to look at her the same way ever again. [[spoiler: In the end, Yang is able to find a way to save Ruby.]]

[[folder:Films--Live-Action]]

* Zigzagged in ''Series/{{Chuck}}''. Chuck passes his Red Test (go out and kill someone you don't know, under orders from higher-ups) only because Casey actually kills the target instead of Chuck. Since Casey was temporarily discharged from the Agency at the time Chuck takes "credit" for the kill because otherwise Casey would be arrested for murder.

* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3'': [[spoiler:Kaito kills Kochiki with a hydraulic press after they have both been shot by poisoned crossbow bolts by Maki. This is because Maki would become the Blackened and be executed if it is found that Kochiki died of poison. By murdering Kokichi himself, Kaito becomes the Blackened in her place]].

* ''Franchise/MassEffect:

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': In Thane's loyalty mission you must stop his son from following in his footsteps by also becoming an assassin. His target is an AssholeVictim; a candidate for office running on a xenophobic anti-human platform. One Renegade solution to the mission is to kill the target yourself, so Thane's son can't and therefore won't start down the same path.

This second character is usually a PoisonousFriend or PsychoSidekick to the first, who is often an AllLovingHero, or is otherwise known as morally upright individual with a [[ThouShaltNotKill code against murder]]. The second character brings it upon themselves to carry the revenge on behalf of the first so that the latter can keep their hands clean; meanwhile, the avenger believes that since their hands have been "tainted" anyway, adding more stain wouldn't make much of a difference.

Compare and contrast BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork, where a villain does an evil deed that's beneficial to the heroes, so that the heroes can advance their goals without actually getting their hands dirty.

* ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater'': Captain Nemo forbids Jean to fully join the Nautilus crew because he believe Nemo and his men should fight [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Neo Atlantis]] so that the younger generation wouldn't.

* In the ''{{WebAnimation/RWBY}}'' fanfiction ''Cursed'', Ruby has been turned into a vampire. When everyone finds out an attempt is made to make a cure to save her from the microscopic grimm within her. However by the time the cure is made she has fully turned and her soul is gone, [[spoiler: after which she turns Weiss into a vampire as well but she doesn't fully turn]]. The cure will now kill her instead of cure. When Yang and Blake face down Ruby and [[spoiler: Weiss]], Blake is determined to be the one to use the cure on Ruby so Yang doesn't have kill her own sister. However Yang convinces Blake to let her do it because if Blake was the one to do it she would never be able to look at her the same way ever again. [[spoiler: In the end Yang is able to find a way to save Ruby.]]

* In LightNovel/SaikyouJuzokuTensei, the story introduces [[WellIntentionedExtremist Melzef]], Chieftain of the [[HornedHumanoid Doom tribe]]. He leads a group of his clansmen on the trail of [[TheProtagonist Abel]] and [[LoveInterest Mea]], with the intention of [[spoiler: capturing the latter and [[ShootTheDog killing her]], due to her being born as the [[AntiChrist Red Stone]], despite her being [[OffingTheOffspring his daughter]]]]. Later his subordinate, Dafne, who's happens to be Mea's ParentalSubstitute, takes over the group when Melzef got separated from them (Dafne planned with the group on that), and leads the group with [[spoiler: the intention of [[BeingGoodSucks killing Mea himself]], to spare his boss and friend the agony of such decision, and to lie to Mea and [[LyingToProtectYourFeelings tell her that her father opposed killing her]] to spare her the heartbreak [[LetThemDieHappy in her last moments]]. A well-intentioned action, since Melzef [[IHaveNoDaughter has no qualms about killing his daughter]]]].

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. In the Season 5 finale it is determined the only way to stop Glory, the villainous Hell God of the season from returning to Earth is to kill Ben, the human conduit she lives through. Ben is actually a pretty nice guy, though the fact that he tolerates Glory does break a little sympathy for him. After Buffy defeats Glory and she returns to Ben, Giles shows up, says that Buffy is a hero and "not like us" and smothers Ben to death so that Buffy doesn't need to do the fairly unheroic action of killing a defenseless man.
* Zigzagged in ''Series/{{Chuck}}''. Chuck passes his Red Test (go out and kill someone you don't know, under orders from higher ups) only because Casey actually kills the target instead of Chuck. Since Casey was temporarily discharged from the Agency at the time Chuck takes "credit" for the kill because otherwise Casey would be arrested for murder.
* At the end of the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E12DeathInHeaven Death in Heaven]]", the Doctor is faced with the fact that killing Missy is the only way to stop her causing more havoc in future. [[spoiler:Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] rescues him from the dilemma by vaporizing her himself, since he's a soldier and for him the question of killing one person to save others is already settled.
* In ''Series/TheGreat'', multiple people urge Catherine to kill her nine year old brother-in-law before he can challenge her claim to the throne. When she protests against killing a child, Marial offers to do it for her. [[spoiler: In the end, Elizabeth kills him, and tells Catherine "You're welcome."]]
* ''Series/{{Harlots}}'': Lucy stabs George Howard when he [[AttemptedRape tries to rape her]]. He doesn't die right away, but it's obvious that he will as he lays bleeding out in the Wells' house. Lucy's [[MamaBear mother]], Margaret, smothers Howard so when officials inevitably look into it, his death will be her crime and not Lucy's.

* ''Series/Revenge2011'': The series finale has Emily Thorne ready to kill Victoria Grayson after having set her up earlier. Victoria at this point considers death but a mere formality, and expects Emily to go down for killing her for real as a final insult. What neither of them expect is the former's father, [[PapaWolf David Clarke]], showing up and doing the deed for her, sparing his daughter the punishment, which, as he is dying from lymphoma, is short for him, as he is given compassionate release.

* The second ''Theatre/TouMyu'' production ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden'' has the cast trying to undo the History Retrograde forces' attempts to change the timeline, one of which includes saving the Shinsengumi leader Isami Kondo from his execution in Itabashi. Problem is, Kondo's beloved sword-now-human Nagasone Kotetsu is on the main team, and Kondo ''himself'' requests that Nagasone be the one to execute him. Nagasone already has a lot of his plate right now, and killing his own master to preserve the timeline is definitely not going to help ease his mind. Before he can decapitate Kondo however, his teammate and fellow Touken Danshi Hachisuka Kotetsu backhands him and does the execution himself. As Hachisuka had been needlessly antagonizing Nagasone the whole show, this gesture conveys that the former has finally started respecting the latter, and that as a teammate he doesn't want to Nagasone to quietly burden himself alone.

* ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite''. After Booker returns to 1912 and frees Elizabeth, she says she's going to kill Comstock. Booker tells her he's not going to let her do it, because he's going to do it for her. He carries out his promise.

** At the end of the Save the Queen questline, the Warrior can prepare to execute [[spoiler:Misjia for her crimes agaisnt the Bozjan Resistance.]] Should the Warrior have advocated against the execution earlier in the storyline, Bajsaljen will stop the Warrior and say that it is his responsibility to do the deed as the Resistance's leader.

** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword]]'', the first game to be released outside Japan, [[spoiler:Wallace destroyed the Taliver Bandits, the group that killed Lyn's parent, so that she wouldn't feel consumed by vengeance.]]

* ''VideoGame/SplinterCellConviction'': At the end of the game, Sam Fisher finally has the BigBad Tom Reed at gunpoint, and the player has the choice whether to kill him or not. If Sam relents, Reed gets a moment to laugh at his survival before Grímsdóttir, Fisher's considerably more cold-blooded ally, finishes him off instead.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria'': A recurring sequence is for [[TheLancer Rose]] to deal the killing blow to the party's unforgiveable enemies instead of of [[TheHero Sorey]]. {{Justified|Trope}} because Sorey is too much of a NiceGuy to be able to handle that, and the internal conflict from actually killing a human, even a corrupted one, could easily turn him into a [[TheCorruption Hellion]] himself, with catastrophic results, while Rose [[PureIsNotGood is able to stay detached enough to remain human]].

* VideoGame/SplinterCellConviction: At the end of the game, Sam Fisher finally has the BigBad Tom Reed at gunpoint, and the player has the choice whether to kill him or not. If Sam relents, Reed gets a moment to laugh at his survival before Grímsdóttir, Fisher's considerably more cold-blooded ally, finishes him off instead.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2''. In Thane's loyalty mission you must stop his son from following in his footsteps by also becoming an assassin. His target is an AssholeVictim, a candidate for office running on a xenophobic anti-human platform. One Renegade solution to the mission is to kill the target yourself, so Thane's son can't and can't start down the path.'

* ''Series/{{Revenge}}'': The series finale has Emily Thorne ready to kill Victoria Grayson after having set her up earlier. Victoria at this point considers death but a mere formality, and expects Emily to go down for killing her for real as a final insult. What neither of them expect is the former's father, [[PapaWolf David Clarke]], showing up and doing the deed for her, sparing his daughter the punishment, which, as he is dying from lymphoma, is short for him, as he is given compassionate release.

* In chapter 3 of Telltale's ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'', "Long Road Ahead", Kenny's son Duck is bitten by a walker and has to be dealt with before he can reanimate and becomes a threat to the rest of the group. One of the ways the protagonist Lee can resolve the problem is to offer to shoot Duck instead so Kenny doesn't have to.