History Main / TheSacredDarkness

* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'': [[TheEmpath Sadness]]. When 11-year-old Riley finds her world turned upside down by her family's move from Minnesota to San Francisco, [[TheHedonist Joy]] finds her position as the leader of Riley's five primary emotions challenged as Sadness finds herself compelled to touch the Core Memories, which would turn them permanently from yellow (joyful) to blue (sad). None of the emotions know Sadness' purpose, not even Sadness herself, and she is [[ExtremeDoormat appropriately lacking in self-confidence]] but [[NiceGuy very considerate]]. Joy has tried from Riley's birth to keep Sadness away from the control panel in the [[WellIntentionedExtremist misguided belief]] that Riley should always be happy, partly because [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom Riley's mom encourages her to stay happy for them during this stressful time]]. Joy takes this literally and it results in their accidental expulsion from Headquarters (with the Core Memories) to Long-Term Memory. In their efforts to return to Headquarters, Joy comes to a [[HeelRealization heel realization]] when it turns out that [[spoiler:Sadness feels drawn to these memories, which want to be turned sad. Sadness is the only one of the emotions who implicitly understands that Riley is homesick and miserable about the move and therefore just doing her job to help Riley call for help. Joy does not understand this until she rewinds a core memory and finds that it was initially a sad memory that became joyful when Riley's parents and hockey team came to comfort her after she missed the winning shot in an important game; she realizes at last that Sadness is her [[YinAndYang equal]] and is [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower essential to empathy]]. [[WhatHaveIDone Finally seeing that she went too far in excluding Sadness]], which has left Riley [[StepfordSmiler emotionally lopsided, unable to cope with her new surroundings]], and almost makes Riley run away, Joy lets Sadness take the console and entrusts the Core Memories to her, knowing that it's what's best for Riley. Returning to her relieved parents after her aborted plan to run away, Riley finally breaks down and tells them how much she misses her old life in Minnesota; her parents [[GroupHug comfort her]], telling her that they also miss Minnesota]].

** It has a major part in the appropriately titled ''Shadowbringers'' expansion of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', when your warriors are trying to bring darkness to a world that is dying due [[LightIsNotGood the Flood of Light]] that has destroyed much of the First and is corrupting the rest. Many people in The First worship the darkness and the night, which hasn't been seen in over 100 years and when [[spoiler: the Warrior Of Light/Darkness and the Scions manage to restore the night in an area, it's treated as a thing of great beauty]].
** ''Shadowbringers,'' and its follow-up ''Endwalker,'' further expound on this with the primal [[spoiler:Zodiark.]] Despite all interactions with him ([[spoiler:or Elidibus, his incarnated heart]]) being antagonistic, he was literally summoned to save the world and his nature of a creature of Darkness is not incidental but actually critical to his function. [[spoiler: Worshipped by the Ascians as he is, he is literally the Sacred Darkness incarnate.]]

** Actually referenced in a Biblical verse, Psalm 139:11-12. "If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."
** For desert-dwellers, shade and shadow are wonderful things. In the Hebrew Bible, references to "shadow" are often positive. During the Exodus, for example, God provides a cloud to shade the people from the sun each day.

* In ''Literature/TheLeftHandOfDarkness'' by Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin, practitioners of the Zen/Taoist flavoured religion of Karhide say 'Praised be to darkness and creation unfinished', to express appreciation that there remains scope for growth, change and discovery.

* In ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', the Gentle Darkness not only is a force for good, it's what actually created everything in the first place. This isn't commonly known information, but it's true nevertheless.
** It becomes a plot point in the final season. Since this darkness is a raw potential that can moulded by people's hearts, humanity's perception that DarkIsEvil gives birth to the final BigBad.

* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' presents pure Light as "the ability to [[DontThinkFeel go with your gut]], to [[{{Determinator}} hold to your convictions and draw great strength from them]]" and pure Darkness as "the ability to [[AwesomenessByAnalysis look beyond first impressions and search for deeper meaning]], to [[RousseauWasRight take in anything and accept it]]", which are treated as equally virtuous philosophies but difficult to [[YinYangBomb combine]]. Beings of corrupted Darkness are those who came too close to [[ShadowArchetype the things they dislike about themselves]], and rejected them instead of making peace with them. Despite using ElementalPowers typically associated with Cosmic Light ([[ShockAndAwe electricity]], [[BlowYouAway wind]] and... [[LightEmUp light]]), and greatly admiring Light-aligned heroes, Negi's personality means he is strongly aligned with Cosmic Darkness, and [[CharacterDevelopment his journey to embrace both paths at once]] ends up [[InvokedTrope invoking]] MessiahCreep.
** The most prominent example of Sacred Darkness in ''Negima'' is Magia Erebea,[[note]]Literally [[BlackMagic "Magic of Darkness"]], but in the sense of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erebus the Darkness at the start of the universe]] from which all other things were born.[[/note]] a spellcasting discipline which extends "take in anything and accept it" to allow for EnergyAbsorption, [[YinYangBomb fusing normally incompatible types of magic with each other]], and even fusing with your own spells to become an ElementalShapeshifter. After learning Magia Erebea, Negi's darker impulses occasionally flare up and cause him to transform into [[SuperpoweredEvilSide a monstrous demon that attacks everything around him]]. However, once he comes to terms with his inner darkness, Negi [[SheatheYourSword allows the transformation to complete its course]], causing him to permanently become [[AscendedDemon a demon with a white aura and a fully human mind and appearance]].

* ''Fanfic/SeventhEndmostVision'' uses this in one of the most direct ways imaginable during the party's visit to the haunted Train Graveyard. [[spoiler: The ghost-riddled junkyard is now Holy's resting place, and also where Ifalna's spirit manifests; the area, visited at night, is beautiful and sacred, covered in the drawings of the ghost children who dwell there with Ifalna.]]

** ''O guiding dark of night!/ O dark of night more darling than the dawn!/ O night that can unite / A lover and beloved one,''

* This trope was also true for several religions, such as various myths about the Moon. Gods of death, the afterlife, etc. also occasionally qualify.
** One of the theories for Stonehenge is that it was built to show that the moon was "higher" (more holy) than the sun: once every few decades or so, both the sun and the moon will pass through one of Stonehenge's windows (or at least, the windows Stonehenge used to have), but the moon will pass through the window above the sun's window.
* In Myth/{{Greek myth|ology}}s, Thanatos was a child of the night goddess, Nyx, and was the personification of death. Rather than being evil, however, many myths associate the god with a gentle, non-violent death, such as passing while asleep. The only bad thing you could say about Thanatos was that he's kind of a dick to mortals and Gods, namely for the dislike of death on the former, and unable to reap gods in the latter. He does appear to get along with his brother Hypnos though (one famous painting has the two napping together as children).
** Similarly, the only deities directly associated with darkness, like Nyx and Erebus, are not considered evil. [[TrueNeutral They're just kind of there]].

* In Neopagan circles, [[ElementNumberFive Spirit/Akasha]] is the "highest" element, being the cosmic glue that unites all living things and the other elements. It is also frequently described as basically darkness, being defined by emptiness, the cosmos, and represented often in either black or [[PurpleIsTheNewBlack purple]]. Which is very ironic, as Aether in Myth/GreekMythology (the basis for the modern notion of Spirit) is pretty much the essence of [[LightEmUp light]].

** ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'': The Immortal (Immortals being the ''D&D'' functional equivalent of ''AD&D'''s gods) Nyx was the Entropic Immortal of darkness, night, and the undead. She is also pretty much the only Immortal of Entropy who is ''not'' evil, although her goals [[BlueAndOrangeMorality would be horrifying]] to most people. Still, Nyx serves as the key reminder that Entropy is as necessary for the existence of the cosmos as are the other four Spheres of Power, and is not inherently evil.

* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': Black Mana, the power of darkness, decay and death, is usually held up as the "evil" color of mana. But despite its association with unpleasant things like necromancy, corruption, selfishness, and MindRape, it is not ''inherently'' evil, and also encompasses necessary forces such as death and self-preservation. Not only have [[DarkIsNotEvil some protagonists been pure Black]] but, like all colours of mana, Black is necessary for planar stability. Some examples of "good" Black Mana:

%%*** Same goes with the Witherbloom School in Arcavios (same colors even!)

* ''Franchise/FireEmblem:'' Several of the holy [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity +1 Swords]] used by the PrecursorHeroes and eventually obtained by the player are dark magic tomes, but are treated with exactly the same level of reverence and usefulness as the other holy weapons; said weapons are [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade Apocalypse]] and [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Gleipnir]]. The exception here is the Jugdral canon (''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776 Thracia 776]]''), which plays DarkIsEvil very straight -- of the holy weapons of the Twelve Crusaders, none of them are dark magic, and the equivalent dark tome, Loptous, was born of a destructive evil god of the same name and is used by the final boss, a descendent of and possessed by said evil god; however, the "holy" blood of Loptous is charted in exactly the same way as the holy blood of the Crusaders. Nonetheless, the holy sword Mysteltainn might be an example, as side materials sometimes call it a demonic sword and its destined wielders are always {{Black Knight}}s on the side of good (like Eldigan and his son Ares).

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' skipped into this occasionally. While usually DarkIsEvil and LightIsGood, some parts of the story regarding Riku have felt like this, especially in ''Chain of Memories'', where he's told to accept his darkness and uses it to beat Zexion.

** This might actually be closer to a ''YinYangBomb''.

* The Umbra Witches in ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' are the counterparts of the Lumen Sages but are not presented as evil as such, even though they get their powers from a DealWithTheDevil. The two clans paid each other great respect (before they started waging war to each other, that is) and each one protects one Eye Of The World. These "Eyes" represent Darkness and Light and are both necessary to awaken [[{{God}} Jubileus]].
** It also helps that neither force is depicted as wholly ''good'' either. Characters and texts in-game suggest that both forces have influenced humanity for good and bad, but for most of history have not actually attempted to take a permanent stand. [[spoiler: At least, not until the events of the game, when the Angels finally attempt to revive their Creator.]]

** The sequel, ''VideoGame/{{Terranigma}}'', goes further. Dark Gaia's purpose is to impel the world through its natural cycles of death and rebirth. Light Gaia [[WellIntentionedExtremist opposes this cycle and the main character's actions]].

* The Undead element serves as this in ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}''. There are references to the undead attacking the living, but some have shown themselves to be friendly; plus the Eternal Undead Source is one of the components of the Core of Light, and the Skylanders themselves include a number of Undead members (even if one ''is'' a TokenEvilTeammate and people are wary of the dark powers of two others). It should be noted though that while undeath is all right, ''darkness'' is still portrayed as evil.
** ''Trap Team'' then played it straight by adding Dark as an element, including DarkIsNotEvil Skylanders.

* In ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'', the demon Black Maria, based off an interpretation of the Virgin Mary with black skin, is stated in the Compendium to be a holy mother of the dark. Likewise, the demon Alciel, the "Black Sun", of "King of Gehenna" has added commentary in the Compendium saying darkness is a part of rebirth.
** A more [[AmbiguouslyEvil ambiguous example]] is [[SatanIsGood Lucifer]]: a recurring theme of the series is the balance between Law and Chaos, [[GodIsEvil YHVH]] representing the former and Lucifer the latter, with emphasis on light and darkness respectively. At its absolute best, Chaos is a force of change and revolution that inspires humanity to constantly improve itself, question dogma and rebel against [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans crushing order.]] All too often, though, Chaos and darkness spins out of control, resulting in [[HellOnEarth a hellish world of perpetual conflict and violence.]]

* In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', the Humanity that keeps you from becoming a [[EmptyShell Hollow]] seems to be literally ''made'' of Dark, and it turns out [[spoiler:the progenitor of humanity had a unique Lord Soul--the [[TitleDrop Dark Soul]]--which every human has a piece of, making them inherently beings of Dark.]] While ''Artorias of the Abyss'' revealed that [[spoiler:overabundance/lack of control of Humanity turns people into horrific monstrosities]], it's still unclear if this is because DarkIsEvil or because it was misused. Even if it is the former, Dark is also stated to be an unavoidable product of the disparity the First Flame brought to the world. Without Dark there would be no fire/light, and thus only the homogenous, unchanging Age of Grey preceding the Age of Fire, as embodied by the Everlasting Dragons.

* ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'': Visions of the dark planet seen by residents of Night Vale may fit here, especially when contrasted with the threat of a [[LightIsNotGood Smiling God]]. Notably, the dark planet was shown to be [[CharacterNarrator Cecil]]'s vision of perfection.
** This also reflects the underlying theme of the story: Just because something seems dark and ominous (undetectable earthquakes, clocks not being real, etc.), that doesn't mean they are, and in fact they can be quite harmless and even beautiful (the lights above the Arby's at night, a young man who's hopelessly in love with you).
* This becomes a plot point in ''Literature/{{Moonflowers}}'' when [[Myth/GreekMythology Hades and Persephone]], concerned that Alima Song's presumed-dead parents have ignored her [[DueToTheDead offerings]] for months, step in to check on her. They find out that Alima's parents are alive (if cursed by TheWildHunt), but also that the ''entire family'' is cursed to be victims of TheWildHunt's upcoming [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame Fairy Raid]] on Samhain/Halloween. Hades was already mad about the Folk abducting a woman's parents and letting her think they're dead, but the second part makes him go ballistic.

* UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} in general holds nights in high regard, possibly because the Arabs, being a desert people, understandably favor the cool nights over blistering days.

* ''WesternAnimation/Luck2022'': The main story is Sam Greenfield, a young woman with a incredible amount of bad luck who tries to get rid of bad luck from her life after she comes across a lucky penny which she discovers was dropped by a talking black cat who is from a fantastical land that manufactures both good and bad luck. She comes to the realization that bad luck, while it can be horrible, is also equally essential to the universe as good luck and can even lead to good things in unexpected ways.

* ''WesternAnimation/Luck2022'': The main story is about the protagonist, Sam Greenfield, who who tries to get rid of bad luck from her life after she comes across a lucky penny which was dropped by a talking black cat who is from a fantastical land that manufactures both good and bad luck which is sent to earth. She comes to the realization that bad luck, while it can be horrible, is also equally essential to the universe as good luck and can even lead to good things in unexpected ways.

* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'': The main story is about the protagonist, Sam Greenfield, who who tries to get rid of bad luck from her life after she comes across a lucky penny which was dropped by a talking black cat who is from a fantastical land that manufactures both good and bad luck which is sent to earth. She comes to the realization that bad luck, while it can be horrible, is also equally essential to the universe as good luck and can even lead to good things in unexpected ways.

** The most prominent example of Sacred Darkness in ''Negima'' is Magia Erebea,[[note]]Literally [[{{BlackMagic}} "Magic of Darkness"]], but in the sense of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erebus the Darkness at the start of the universe]] from which all other things were born.[[/note]] a spellcasting discipline which extends "take in anything and accept it" to allow for EnergyAbsorption, [[YinYangBomb fusing normally incompatible types of magic with each other]], and even fusing with your own spells to become an ElementalShapeshifter. After learning Magia Erebea, Negi's darker impulses occasionally flare up and cause him to transform into [[SuperpoweredEvilSide a monstrous demon that attacks everything around him]]. However, once he comes to terms with his inner darkness, Negi [[SheatheYourSword allows the transformation to complete its course]], causing him to permanently become [[AscendedDemon a demon with a white aura and a fully human mind and appearance]].

* ''Franchise/FireEmblem:'' Several of the holy InfinityPlusOneSword[=s=] used by the PrecursorHeroes and eventually obtained by the player are dark magic tomes, but are treated with exactly the same level of reverence and usefulness as the other holy weapons; said weapons are [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Apocalypse]] and [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Gleipnir]]. The exception here is [[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral the Jugdral canon]], which plays DarkIsEvil very straight -- of the holy weapons of the Twelve Crusaders, none of them are dark magic, and the equivalent dark tome, Loptous, was born of a destructive evil god of the same name and is used by the final boss, a descendent of and possessed by said evil god; however, the "holy" blood of Loptous is charted in exactly the same way as the holy blood of the Crusaders. Nonetheless, the holy sword Mysteltainn might be an example, as side materials sometimes call it a demonic sword and its destined wielders are always {{Black Knight}}s on the side of good (like Eldigan and his son Ares).

*** ''TabletopGame/{{Jakandor}}'': The TheMagocracy of the Charonti, necromancy is viewed as a sacred art given to them by their god; ancestor-worshippers, it is believed that their dead give them their bodies to serve as untiring laborers and defenders as an act of kindliness to their living descendants, freeing them of the need to worry about arduous mundane labor and instead concentrate on studying and other intellectual arts, as their god intended. They thusly treat their zombie and skeleton servants with great respect, honoring them for their kindness and seeking to protect them when possible.

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': Because of Gaster's report, many fans thought DarkIsEvil was somewhere in the backstory. The most likely explanation, the Darkness in ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' is [[DarkIsNotEvil not evil]]. The Darkners, [[BigBad with one exception]] are as affable and kind as the monsters. While the Dark ''has'' become a threat to the world, its because of a second fountain that shouldn't exist (specifically, if too many fountains exist at once [[spoiler:what's basically Ragnarok will trigger]]), not because the Darkness itself is a destructive force.

%%Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1655537615046657200
%%Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sacreddark_8150.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:DarkIsNotEvil. It can be beautiful.]]

* Creator/NKJemisin's ''Literature/InheritanceTrilogy'': Nahadoth, the GodOfChaos and Darkness, is the eldest of the three [[TheMaker creator gods]]. Although he's portrayed as evil by the [[TheEmpire imperial]] state religion that worships his sibling GodOfLight and [[GodOfOrder Order]], he himself is AboveGoodAndEvil, and his own worshipers cast him in a more positive role.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13301730/1/On-Wings-of-the-Void On Wings of the void]]'' Literature/HarryPotter has this opinion of darkness, seeing it as his only companion and friend in his lonely life with the Dursley.

* In [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13301730/1/On-Wings-of-the-Void On Wings of the void]] Literature/HarryPotter has this opinion of darkness, seeing it as his only companion and friend in his lonely life with the Dursley.

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[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* [[TheEmpath Sadness]] in ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut''; When 11-year-old Riley finds her world turned upside down by her family's move from Minnesota to San Francisco, [[TheHedonist Joy]] finds her position as the leader of Riley's five primary emotions challenged as Sadness finds herself compelled to touch the Core Memories, which would turn them permanently from yellow (joyful) to blue (sad). None of the emotions know Sadness' purpose, not even Sadness herself, and she is [[ExtremeDoormat appropriately lacking in self-confidence]] but [[NiceGuy very considerate]]. Joy has tried from Riley's birth to keep Sadness away from the control panel in the [[WellIntentionedExtremist misguided belief]] that Riley should always be happy, partly because [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom Riley's mom encourages her to stay happy for them during this stressful time]]. Joy takes this literally and it results in their accidental expulsion from Headquarters (with the Core Memories) to Long-Term Memory. In their efforts to return to Headquarters, Joy comes to a [[HeelRealization heel realization]] when it turns out that [[spoiler:Sadness feels drawn to these memories, which want to be turned sad. Sadness is the only one of the emotions who implicitly understands that Riley is homesick and miserable about the move and therefore just doing her job to help Riley call for help. Joy does not understand this until she rewinds a core memory and finds that it was initially a sad memory that became joyful when Riley's parents and hockey team came to comfort her after she missed the winning shot in an important game; she realizes at last that Sadness is her [[YinAndYang equal]] and is [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower essential to empathy]]. [[WhatHaveIDone Finally seeing that she went too far in excluding Sadness]], which has left Riley [[StepfordSmiler emotionally lopsided, unable to cope with her new surroundings]], and almost makes Riley run away, Joy lets Sadness take the console and entrusts the Core Memories to her, knowing that it's what's best for Riley. Returning to her relieved parents after her aborted plan to run away, Riley finally breaks down and tells them how much she misses her old life in Minnesota; her parents [[GroupHug comfort her]], telling her that they also miss Minnesota]].

* {{God}} is associated with... well, ''[[TheOmnipotent everything]]'', but He gets compared to shade and rest just as much as light and holy fire - case in point, He keeps His people in "the shadow of His wing" for protection. By contrast, [[{{Satan}} Satan AKA Lucifer]] is [[LightIsNotGood the "Light Bringer" and the "Bright Morning Star"]].

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': Magic is either present in its raw chaotic form, or is refined into eight winds (which can be further refined and weaved together into High Magic); one of these winds provides magic over death, and another over shadows. Both are very distinct from the chaotic magic used by necromancers and worshippers of chaos gods.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Massive Darkness}}'': Heroes, even if called Lightbringers, gain abilities and bonuses when standing in unlit zones (from roll bonuses to even regeneration), in addition to the possibility of staying unseen -- while the enemies, which are more stereotypical creatures of underground, usually gain no advantage in darkness, meaning that it is almost always preferable to fight in the darkness.

** In the ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'' setting, the Immortal (Immortals being the ''D&D'' functional equivalent of ''AD&D'''s gods) Nyx was the Entropic Immortal of darkness, night, and the undead. She is also pretty much the only Immortal of Entropy who is ''not'' evil, although her goals [[BlueAndOrangeMorality would be horrifying]] to most people. Still, Nyx serves as the key reminder that Entropy is as necessary for the existence of the cosmos as are the other four Spheres of Power, and is not inherently evil.

** ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' has the ChaoticGood goddess Desna, who is associated with Stars and the night sky, as well as Black Butterfly, an [[CelestialParagonsAndArchangels Empyreal Lord]] associated with darkness, distance, and space. The land of [[{{Wutai}} Tian Xia]] also has the LawfulGood god Tsukiyo, the most prominent Good deity to provide the Darkness domain to his clerics.
** In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', necromancy is usually regarded as a magic of pure evil, and the undead hated as blasphemous, but there are some exceptions.
*** In the setting of ''TabletopGame/{{Jakandor}}'', to TheMagocracy of the Charonti, necromancy is viewed as a sacred art given to them by their god; ancestor-worshippers, it is believed that their dead give them their bodies to serve as untiring laborers and defenders as an act of kindliness to their living descendants, freeing them of the need to worry about arduous mundane labor and instead concentrate on studying and other intellectual arts, as their god intended. They thusly treat their zombie and skeleton servants with great respect, honoring them for their kindness and seeking to protect them when possible.
*** Though most gods concerned with the undead are evil monsters, the 3rd edition goddess Evening Glory is a kindly patroness of love and beauty, who preaches that love should conquer all things, even death, and that undeath is merely an expedient way to preserve love through all eternity. Her followers, then, are passionate believers in love ever-lasting, and embrace undeath so they can be together forever. It is sadly undermined somewhat by GameplayAndStorySegregation; due to necromantic spells carrying the "Evil" trait, all worshippers of Evening Glory must be one of the Morally Neutral alignments to use her magic.

* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', Black Mana, the power of darkness, decay and death, is usually held up as the "evil" color of mana. But despite its association with unpleasant things like necromancy, corruption, selfishness, and MindRape, it is not ''inherently'' evil, and also encompasses necessary forces such as death and self-preservation. Not only have [[DarkIsNotEvil some protagonists been pure Black]] but, like all colours of mana, Black is necessary for planar stability. Some examples of "good" Black Mana:

*** Same goes with the Witherbloom School in Arcavios (same colors even!).

* The ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' “Dungeon Fantasy” sub-line has a supplement, ''Clerics,'' detailing all manner of different cults and what their priests can do. The section on Gods of Night acknowledges that they aren’t all bad. ''“Deities of the night are a mixed bunch, with a range of specific concerns...”''

* ''Franchise/FireEmblem:'' Several of the holy InfinityPlusOneSword[=s=] used by the PrecursorHeroes and eventually obtained by the player are dark magic tomes, but are treated with exactly the same level of reverence and usefulness as the other holy weapons; said weapons are [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Apocalypse]] and [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Gleipnir]]. The exception here is [[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral the Jugdral canon]], which plays DarkIsEvil very straight - of the holy weapons of the Twelve Crusaders, none of them are dark magic, and the equivalent dark tome, Loptous, was born of a destructive evil god of the same name and is used by the final boss, a descendent of and possessed by said evil god; however, the "holy" blood of Loptous is charted in exactly the same way as the holy blood of the Crusaders. Nonetheless, the holy sword Mysteltainn might be an example, as side materials sometimes call it a demonic sword and its destined wielders are always {{Black Knight}}s on the side of good (like Eldigan and his son Ares).

* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' features the Void. An ancient, shapeless, endlessly powerful force that lies in the depths of the Abyss. It's usually described as "power without unity," and it's also [[spoiler: what the [[PlayerCharacter Knight]] is made of on the inside. If you manage to create the Void Heart charm to unite the Void under your will and become the Lord of Shades, it gives you the ultimate ability with which to save Hallownest, allowing you to go straight to the source -- a goddess known as [[LightIsNotGood the Radiance]], and destroy her. Bonus points if you take the Godmaster route and destroy her from there, since that also give you an impressive new form called the Void Given Focus, and an impressive title from the Godseekers: [[TopGod God of Gods]].]]

* In ''VideoGame/DoctorWhoLegacy'', the color-coded PersonalityPowers that characters use to attack are red for fire, blue for ice/time, green for nature, yellow for electricity (or '''light'''ning)...and black for darkness (with attacks creating the brief image of a wailing face when they hit). Darkness is just as powerful and vital as the other four attacks, and like those is used by both villains and heroes; it's also both weak to ''and'' powerful against electricity (and vice versa). Among the good guys who use darkness as their primary attack are several incarnations of ''the Doctor himself'' (Eight, Nine, and Twelve, [[ByronicHero reflecting their sadder, darker personalities]], plus Signature Series Six).
* In ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'', the [[BombThrowingAnarchist Liberation of Night]] seeks to [[spoiler: destroy all of the suns, creating a universe free from light and therefore law.]]
* ''[[VideoGame/NexusWar Nexus Clash]]'' is brimming over with straight examples of DarkIsEvil, but Hashaa, the [[DontFearTheReaper personification of Death]] is this trope instead, seeking to quiet the noise of the universe and enforce death as a law of the universe that she sees as fair and just. She gets a bad reputation because HumansAreBastards who dish out death indiscriminately, but Hashaa's goal is to limit suffering and some of her followers can be downright saintly.
* In ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest'', dark spirits are no better or worse than the light spirits, and include the motherly Naru who shelters and takes care of the protagonist.
* Because of Gaster's report in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', many fans thought DarkIsEvil was somewhere in the backstory. The most likely explanation, the Darkness in ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' is [[DarkIsNotEvil not evil]]. The Darkners, [[BigBad with one exception]] are as affable and kind as the monsters. While the Dark ''has'' become a threat to the world, its because of a second fountain that shouldn't exist (specifically, if too many fountains exist at once [[spoiler:what's basically Ragnarok will trigger]]), not because the Darkness itself is a destructive force.

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, Nocturnal is the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] of [[TheSacredDarkness Darkness and the Night]] who is also associated with Thieves and Luck. Given [[AnthropomorphicPersonification the nature of the series' deities]], she is essentially the ''embodiment'' of the night and darkness. The darkness that Nocturnal represents is treated as protective, as well as beautiful, welcoming, and awe-inspiring to those who appreciate it. However, Nocturnal is quick to withdraw her favor (and thus the protective qualities of darkness) if she is displeased, and those who appreciate the darkness more often than not tend to be thieves and criminals.

* In ''Videogame/{{Warframe}}'', the Warframe Equinox's Night aspect reflects this idea, representing the soothing protection and safety of night, in the form of healing and protective auras that assist other nearby Warframes and allies. Her Day aspect, on the other hand, [[ThePowerOfTheSun reflects the destructive potential of the sun and light.]]
* Necromancers in ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' and ''[[VideoGame/DiabloIII III]]'' are servants of cosmic balance more than darkness and are in fact nature worshippers, believing in a Cycle of death, decay, and rebirth as embodied by the dragon Rathma. They utilize their power over the good aspects of death and rot to combat the demons, who utilize the bad aspects of it. A necromancer and his army of skeletons, each a vessel for the soul of a deceased hero, are regarded as well as a paladin or demon hunter in the games' towns.
* In ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'', drow cleric Viconia [=DeVir=] is an unusual case; she worships the goddess Shar, seeing her as a deity of comforting, sheltering shadow and welcoming numbness against the pain and grief she feels from her DarkAndTroubledPast. But in the actual canon of the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', Shar is typically presented as a standard DarkIsEvil deity, being the goddess of loss, misery, bitterness and spite. It's inferred that Viconia's interpretation of Shar is somewhat skewed due to her race; drow function best in darkness but suffer blindness and pain in the light.
** In ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'', Shadowheart is another cleric of Shar who tries to frame her goddess in a more benign, benevolent light.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'', the Darkness artifact found all over TheUnderworld is seen as helping those born into that realm as gaining oneness with TheUnderworld and growing stronger all the while. Collecting these is required for unlocking Zagreus's Talents, making repeated runs to the surface less tricky and daunting. (But not necessarily easy though. It is a {{Roguelike}} after all.) Darkness is often invoked in terms of safety and guidance by various Underworld citizens.
** The goddess Nyx is often referred to as 'Mother Night' and 'Night Incarnate' and she is one of the [[BigGood most benevolent characters]] in the game, responsible for defying the prophecy of the Fates (who are also her children) that Hades should not have a living heir by having the stillborn Zagreus be revived and treating him as a foster son ever since. Amongst her many children, her twin sons [[TheStoic Thanatos]] and [[{{Sleepyhead}} Hypnos]] as well as [[TheFerryman Charon]] are also benevolent beings and focussed on carrying out their necessary duties, very much personifying DarkIsNotEvil.

* In ''VisualNovel/SweetEnchantments'', Zain Blackwood is a dark magician. While dark magic can be used for curses and hexes and there's a considerable stigma surrounding it and those who use it, Zain uses his magic only for benevolent purposes such as breaking curses placed by others. In his second season the heroine gets an opportunity to experience what his dark magic is like for him, and while she finds it unnerving at first her perspective soon changes and she sees it as Zain himself does - lonely, but also beautiful and strangely comforting.

* The orc gods of light and darkness in ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' are supposed to form a balance of death and rebirth - bad things happen to both when it is disturbed.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has Luna, the [[PhysicalGod alicorn]] Princess of the Night.

* [[TheEmpath Sadness]] in [[WesternAnimation/InsideOut Inside Out]]; When 11-year-old Riley finds her world turned upside down by her family's move from Minnesota to San Francisco, [[TheHedonist Joy]] finds her position as the leader of Riley's five primary emotions challenged as Sadness finds herself compelled to touch the Core Memories, which would turn them permanently from yellow (joyful) to blue (sad). None of the emotions know Sadness' purpose, not even Sadness herself, and she is [[ExtremeDoormat appropriately lacking in self-confidence]] but [[NiceGuy very considerate]]. Joy has tried from Riley's birth to keep Sadness away from the control panel in the [[WellIntentionedExtremist misguided belief]] that Riley should always be happy, partly because [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom Riley's mom encourages her to stay happy for them during this stressful time]]. Joy takes this literally and it results in their accidental expulsion from Headquarters (with the Core Memories) to Long-Term Memory. In their efforts to return to Headquarters, Joy comes to a [[HeelRealization heel realization]] when it turns out that [[spoiler:Sadness feels drawn to these memories, which want to be turned sad. Sadness is the only one of the emotions who implicitly understands that Riley is homesick and miserable about the move and therefore just doing her job to help Riley call for help. Joy does not understand this until she rewinds a core memory and finds that it was initially a sad memory that became joyful when Riley's parents and hockey team came to comfort her after she missed the winning shot in an important game; she realizes at last that Sadness is her [[YinAndYang equal]] and is [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower essential to empathy]]. [[WhatHaveIDone Finally seeing that she went too far in excluding Sadness]], which has left Riley [[StepfordSmiler emotionally lopsided, unable to cope with her new surroundings]], and almost makes Riley run away, Joy lets Sadness take the console and entrusts the Core Memories to her, knowing that it's what's best for Riley. Returning to her relieved parents after her aborted plan to run away, Riley finally breaks down and tells them how much she misses her old life in Minnesota; her parents [[GroupHug comfort her]], telling her that they also miss Minnesota]].

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'', magic is either present in its raw chaotic form, or is refined into eight winds (which can be further refined and weaved together into High Magic); one of said winds provides magic over death, and another over shadows. Both are very distinct from the chaotic magic used by necromancers and worshippers of chaos gods.
* Creator/RTalsorianGames' ''TabletopGame/{{Cyberpunk}}'' supplement ''Home of the Brave''. A religion called Worshippers of the Night considers the night to be a time of rest and spiritual purification. They patrol the streets at night to "protect the night's holiness against the evil that surrounds us."
* In Creator/{{CMON}}'s ''TabletopGame/{{Massive Darkness}}'' Heroes, even if called Lightbringers, gain abilities and bonuses when standing in unlit zones (from roll bonuses to even regeneration), in addition to the possibility of staying unseen - while the enemies, which are more stereotypical creatures of underground, usually gain no advantage in darkness, meaning that it is almost always preferable to fight in the darkness.

*** Same goes with the Prismari School in Arcavios (same colors even!).

* ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'': Visions of the dark planet seen by residents of Night Vale may fit here, especially when contrasted with the threat of a [[LightIsNotGood Smiling God]]. Notably, the dark planet was shown to be [[TheNarrator Cecil]]'s vision of perfection.

** ''Shadowbringers,'' and its follow-up ''Endwalker,'' further expound on this with the primal [[spoiler:Zodiark.]] Despite all interactions with him ([[spoiler:or Elidibus, his incarnated heart]]) being antagonistic, he was literally summoned to save the world and his nature of a creature of Darkness is not incidental but actually critical to his function. [[Spoiler: Worshipped by the Ascians as he is,]] he is literally the Sacred Darkness incarnate.]]

* ''Shadowbringers,'' and its follow-up ''Endwalker,'' further expound on this with the primal [[spoiler:Zodiark.]] Despite all interactions with him ([[spoiler: or Elidibus, his incarnated heart]]) being antagonistic, he was literally summoned to save the world and his nature of a creature of Darkness is not incidental but actually critical to his function. [[Spoiler: Worshipped by the Ascians as he is,]] he is literally the Sacred Darkness incarnate.