History Main / TerrifyingRescuer

* There's a brief moment of this in ''Anime/FullMoonOSageshite'' in episode 40. The guy that went into the canyon to look after Mitsuki unintentionally scared her and caused Takuto to take human form to attack him. Luckily, the mix-up was quickly cleared up.

* ''Anime/TenchiMuyoGXP'': Protagonist Seina is only rescued from the SpacePirate Tarant Shank (KnightOfCerebus[[hottip:*:[[VillainDecay you'd think, anyway]]. and KnifeNut) by [[BettyAndVeronica the Betty]] of his LoveDodecahedron, Kiriko -- [[LetsGetDangerous covered in the blood of every mook between her and Seina]]. His first reaction is terror -- which upsets her, and Seina spends most of his screentime in the rest of the episode upset at himself ''for'' being scared of his childhood friend[=/=]crush when she'd just saved his life.

* The titular ''Series/{{Dexter}}'', a SerialKillerKiller, rescues Lumen, who has been subjected to horrific torture and rape by one of Dexter's victims. As she first sees him tying up and stabbing her captor, she is understandably spooked.

* In ''[[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms Wywern's Spur]]'' an old adventurer told the stories of Cole Wyvernspur. One of the stories was about the carpenter's daughter who refused the mad red wizard and then was kidnapped and imprisoned by him. Cole who jumped to the rescue "looked so fierce when he arrived that Bette mistook him for one of Yawataht's minions and smacked him on the head with a hammer". In another Cole entered a hydra's lair unarmed and when he left a hour later, the monster was "everywhere" -- in pieces. [[spoiler:He was turned into a ''big'' wyvern.]]

The DistressedDamsel and/or [[DistressedDude Dude]] is sitting in their cell with head in hands, or hanging by a thread from a cliff, when suddenly, the door is broken down, or a head peeps over the cliff edge. Joy turns to terror as he or she realizes it's the villain (who unbeknownst to them has made a HeelFaceTurn,) an EldritchAbomination, FluffyTheTerrible, a KillerRobot... and so on.

* In Charles Stross' ''The Atrocity Archives'', Mo describes being rescued from terrorists by a SWAT team:

* The [[TheDreaded Black Swordsman]] of ''{{Berserk}}. A tall, hulking man with one eye, heaps of scars, a mean scowl, a bad attitude, and a {{BFS}} almost as thick and tall as he is. Fortunately, he's actually Guts, our AntiHero protagonist. Unfortunately, whether he cares if you live or die depends on if it's [[HeroWithAFInGood the beginning of the manga]] or [[DefrostingIceKing the latter of it]].

[[caption-width-right:350:It's OK, Sarah, [[ArnoldSchwarzenegger he]] actually ''is'' [[HeelFaceTurn on your side this time]].]]

* In one ''{{ComicBook/Hellblazer}}'' story, a little girl is kidnapped by a demon and kept caged inside his body. John is allowed to see her, and as he's being removed, reaches towards her yelling [[BigDamnHeroes "We're coming to get you!"]] and wondering why she's backing away as far as the cage allows. [[FridgeHorror Only later does he realize]] that what the girl saw was [[WombLevel an indistinct shape covered in slime]] reaching towards her yelling [[NightmareFuel "We're coming to get you!"]]

* In ''{{Film/Terminator}} 2: Judgement Day'', Sarah Conor is in the middle of escaping the psychiatric ward she's confined in, when suddenly a Terminator steps out of the elevator she's waiting for. She screams and runs back toward the doctors chasing her until he holds out his hand and says ComeWithMeIfYouWantToLive.

* In ''{{Disney/Tarzan}}'', Jane falls off a great height as she is chased by baboons and Tarzan catches her. She looks up at the half-naked wild man grabbing her by the waist and lets out a scream.

** In the episode "Unmasked", Batman tries to pull a kid out of a burning building, but the boy keeps crawling away and accuses him of being a monster. Batman has no choice but to remove his mask to make the boy take his hand.

* ''Anime/TenchiMuyoGXP'': Protagonist Seina is only rescued from the SpacePirate Tarant Shank (KnightOfCerebus[[hottip:*:[[VillainDecay you'd think, anyway]].]] and KnifeNut) by [[BettyAndVeronica the Betty]] of his LoveDodecahedron, Kiriko -- [[LetsGetDangerous covered in the blood of every mook between her and Seina]]. His first reaction is terror -- which upsets her, and Seina spends most of his screentime in the rest of the episode upset at himself ''for'' being scared of his childhood friend[=/=]crush when she'd just saved his life.

* Done a lot in OnePiece. We have monster chopper in the enies loby arc, inadvertently saving many of his nakama while also trying to kill them cause he's gone crazy, Aokiji does this to Robin in her backstory, despite killing his friend right in front of her. Crocodile gets Luffy out of Impel down and while that had a reason (he wanted out too) he later takes blows for Luffy and order's Mr. 1 to do the same as they attempt to rescue ace. This is partially because he's done a... well, a heel neutral turn, and partly because Luffy just has that much charisma [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch bitches]].

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', the hero [[MagmaMan Magma]] terrifies a little girl when he rescues her from kidnappers.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimated/BatmanBeyond'', the hero [[MagmaMan Magma]] terrifies a little girl when he rescues her from kidnappers.

* A ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' comic has Blue Devil suffer a HeroicBSOD when he tries to save a child who's too scared of his demonic appearance to go with him. Dr. Fate tries to cheer him up by tellimg him that ''Superman'' actually had the same problem once, while trying to save a girl from a flaming plane wreck.

* ZigZagged in the original ''{{Shrek}}'' movie: at first, Fiona is not happy about being rescued by an ogre, but then comes to like Shrek. Then a gang of a handsome RobinHood-wannabe attacks them, ostensibly with intent of saving Fiona from the "beast", but she dislikes him even more than she disliked Shrek. However, instead of calling for help, she [[LetsGetDangerous dispatches all the attackers herself]], leaving Shrek awed.

Usually it'll only be temporary until someone fills the rescuee in on current events, although it may lead to ComplainingAboutRescuesTheyDontLike. Sometimes it'll turn out they actually ''are'' in worse danger now such as with a VillainousRescue.

[[caption-width-right:350:It's OK Sarah, he actually ''is'' on your side this time.]]

* ''Anime/TenchiMuyoGXP'': Protagonist Seina is only rescued from the SpacePirate Tarant Shank (KnightOfCerebus[[hottip:*:[[VillainDecay you'd think, anyway]].]] and KnifeNut) by [[BettyAndVeronica the Betty]] of his LovePolygon, Kiriko -- [[LetsGetDangerous covered in the blood of every mook between her and Seina]]. His first reaction is terror -- which upsets her, and Seina spends most of his screentime in the rest of the episode upset at himself ''for'' being scared of his childhood friend[=/=]crush when she'd just saved his life.

* In ''MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'', Aladdin's djinn Uugo tends to scare the crap out of whoever he's rescuing or protecting, what with him missing his head and all.

* In one ''{{Hellblazer}}'' story, a little girl is kidnapped by a demon and kept caged inside his body. John is allowed to see her, and as he's being removed, reaches towards her yelling [[BigDamnHeroes "We're coming to get you!"]] and wondering why she's backing away as far as the cage allows. [[FridgeHorror Only later does he realize]] that what the girl saw was [[WombLevel an indistinct shape covered in slime]] reaching towards her yelling [[NightmareFuel "We're coming to get you!"]]

* Early in ''TheWheelOfTime'', Perrin is captured by Whitecloaks and sentenced to execution. When Lan violently bursts into his tent and cuts down his guards, Perrin inadvertently tries to scream a warning to his captors.

* In ''ResidentEvil4'' Ashley attacks Leon when he first comes through the door.

* In an episode of ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'', Obi-wan is disguised as a slave trader, and the alien he's trying to rescue is terrified of him until he removes his helmet.