History Main / TheDarkSide

* ''Franchise/StarWars'' is the TropeNamer, with the Dark Side being an aspect of the Force that affords prodigious and unnatural power. In the films, its most prominent user is Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, followed closely by Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious. The common theme to the Dark Side is temptation; it's a quick path to power, it [[ThePowerOfHate feeds on and enhances negativity]], and it's [[DrunkWithPower incredibly addictive]] -- and gets more addictive the more you use it. Prolonged use also has physical consequences (''e.g.'' Palpatine's disfiguration in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''). For most users, once you've gone to the Dark Side, you can't come back -- Anakin's redemption is long, meandering, unprecedented, and [[RedemptionEqualsDeath fatal]]. The key is to resist the temptation in the first place, as Luke did. The ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'' introduces many more Dark Side users and explores the phenomenon in more depth.

* The Darkness from ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' is held to be the equal and opposite of the Light, and is portrayed as an inherently corrupting force wielded by the enemies of mankind, namely [[TheUndead The Hive]] and [[{{Cult}} the Scorn]]. Attempts by humans to wield it have generally ended poorly (Clovis Bray I was given aid by the Darkness in creating the Exo, but he was already a [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] {{narcissist}}, and the Guardian Dredgen Yor became a HunterOfHisOwnKind after being corrupted by the Darkness. The Drifter, Eris Morn, and the Exo Stranger, however, all argue that [[DarkIsNotEvil the Darkness isn't truly evil and can be wielded against itself]], and are working to prove this point. This comes to pass in the ''VideoGame/Destiny2'' expansion ''Beyond Light'', where the Guardians respond to the Fallen Kell Eramis harnessing the Darkness by learning to wield it themselves. ''Lightfall'' sees them going further and unlocking a second Darkness power, Strand. [[spoiler:Lorebooks and cutscenes in ''Lightfall'' reveal that, just as the Drifter, Eris Morn, and the Stranger implied, the Darkness itself isn't evil - it isn't even intelligent. The story of it being a force focused on having all species fight until only one remains, with the victor becoming [[UltimateLifeform The Final Shape]], is actually a lie perpetuated by the true BigBad of ''Destiny'', the Witness, which finds the concept of using the Darkness for non-violent paths offensive]].

** Firebenders have all been taught to fuel their bending with anger, enhancing their warlike tendencies and giving many of them anger management problems. [[spoiler: Late in the series Zuko learns to use [[ThePowerOfTheSun the sun]] instead, and Iroh may have been doing the same all series.]] Even Aang's [[DefectorFromDecadence first Firebending teacher]] viewed it as a wholly destructive power.

** Angel's conversions to Angelus don't count as they are instant and involuntary. But he goes dark in season 2, in a tantrum over not being able to save Darla. For example, he lets a room full of lawyers get eaten by vampires. That's dark, isn't it? Isn't it?
*** Well, they ''are'' [[AcceptableTargets lawyers.]]

** In ''VideoGame/JediAcademy'', the reason given to why your character is tempted by the Dark Side is his/her mounting anger towards a [[TheRival sort-of-friend who has been annoying and trying to beat him all along]], culminating with trying to kill him during [[RivalTurnedEvil his own momentary fall to the Dark Side]]. If you take the Dark Side option and have Jaden kill him, then instead of maybe going MyGodWhatHaveIDone or something else sensible after his anger fading, he/she will go on to decide he/she now wants power above all else and go after the villain not to stop her but to steal her ArtifactOfDoom. Apparently for a Jedi to become angry enough to kill a helpless prisoner automatically also makes them obsessed with power and despising others' weaknesses.

** In ''VideoGame/JediAcademy'', the reason given to why your character is tempted by the Dark Side is his/her mounting anger towards a [[TheRival sort-of-friend who has been annoying and trying to beat him all along]], culminating with trying to kill him during [[RivalTurnedEvil his own momentary fall to the Dark Side]]. If you take the Dark Side option and have Jaden kill him, then instead of maybe going MyGodWhatHaveIDone or something else sensible after his anger fading, he/she will go on to decide he/she now wants power above all else and go after the villain not to stop her but to steal her ArtifactOfDoom. Apparently for a Jedi to become angry enough to kill a helpless prisoner automatically also makes them obsessed with power and despising anothers' weaknesses.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Endstone}}'', Banestone corrupts [[http://endstone.net/comic/issue-1-page-22/ through this]].

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'' [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2006-01-24 Satan talks it up after a failure at temptation.]]

* [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Darkness]] from ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' is held to be the equal and opposite of the Light, and is portrayed as an inherently corrupting force wielded by the enemies of mankind, namely [[TheUndead The Hive]] and [[{{Cult}} the Scorn]]. Attempts by humans to wield it have generally ended poorly (Clovis Bray I was given aid by the Darkness in creating the Exo, but he was already a [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] {{narcissist}}, and the Guardian Dredgen Yor became a HunterOfHisOwnKind after being corrupted by the Darkness. The Drifter, Eris Morn, and the Exo Stranger, however, all argue that [[DarkIsNotEvil the Darkness isn't truly evil and can be wielded against itself]], and are working to prove this point. This comes to pass in the ''VideoGame/Destiny2'' expansion ''Beyond Light'', where the Guardians respond to the Fallen Kell Eramis harnessing the Darkness by learning to wield it themselves. ''Lightfall'' sees them going further and unlocking a second Darkness power, Strand. [[spoiler:Lorebooks and cutscenes in ''Lightfall'' reveal that, just as the Drifter, Eris Morn, and the Stranger implied, the Darkness itself isn't evil - it isn't even intelligent. The story of it being a force focused on having all species fight until only one remains, with the victor becoming [[UltimateLifeform The Final Shape]], is actually a lie perpetuated by the true BigBad of ''Destiny'', the Witness, which finds the concept of using the Darkness for non-violent paths offensive]].

** In ''VideoGame/JediAcademy'', the reason given to why your character is tempted by the Dark Side is his mounting anger towards a [[TheRival sort-of-friend who has been annoying and trying to beat him all along]], culminating with trying to kill him during [[RivalTurnedEvil his own momentary fall to the Dark Side]]. If you take the Dark Side option and have Jaden kill him, then instead of maybe going MyGodWhatHaveIDone or something else sensible after his anger fading, he will go on to decide he now wants power above all else and go after the villain not to stop her but to steal her ArtifactOfDoom. Apparently for a Jedi to become angry enough to kill a helpless prisoner automatically also makes them obsessed with power and others' weakness.

** Naturally appears aplenty in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', with its Jedi themes. The Sith in general appear to like to be as evil as possible, and their view on how it's ''rational'' to do things may even be corrupted by the Dark Side. There are a couple of occasions where you are questioned about the right course of action to take from a Sith perspective, and the right option always seems to be the most evil one available. For example, they rationalise why you need to do the YouHaveFailedMe trope, and make sure to ShootTheDog even if it's not strictly necessary. There's also the story of Darth Revan, where it's not entirely clear whether the fallen Jedi with fearsome intellect and immensely strong personality was a puppet of the Dark Side or made it his/her puppet; it has been suggested that his plan of becoming the galaxy's bad guy in order to [[WellIntentionedExtremist toughen up the Republic for the inevitable invasion of the True Sith]] was really a rational move, but then again, that's exactly what he would think if he was corrupted by the Dark Side in the way described above. It's even mentioned that [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil using the Dark Side actually changes a person's neurological patterns, much like prolonged drug use]].