History Main / TheSacredDarkness

** And the third game's final DLC finally puts the discussion to rest by revealing that [[spoiler: the only reason the Dark became dangerous was because of [[JerkassGods Gwyn's paranoia leading him to brand humans with fire to limit their control of Dark, creating the Darksign, the Undead Curse, and all the suffering in the series]] as a result. [[DarkIsNotEvil If he hadn't, everything would've worked out just fine after the Age of Fire ended.]]]]

* In ''VideoGame/IllusionOfGaia'', the hero exclusively wields dark powers, while some of the monster he fights [[WasOnceAMan used to be human before they were touched by the light of an evil comet]].

Usually, this kind of dark takes the form of a "pure" dark as opposed to the "corrupted" dark or darkness that is typically used by villains. The philosophical interpretation behind this is acknowledged that light and dark can and must exist only simultaneously. Dark can still be associated with aspects such as death, but expect this to be treated in [[DontFearTheReaper a positive way]], such as death being an important part of the cycle of rebirth, being natural and therefore necessary for the world. Also, a dark god may simply be doing an unpopular, but still very important job, rather than being a villain. This kind of darkness may not be nice, or comfortable, or maybe it is even outright terrifying, but it nonetheless radiates a dignity that cannot be denied and, like it or not, you know that the world would be worse off without it.

Usually, this kind of darkness takes the form of a "pure" darkness as opposed to the "corrupted" darkness that is typically used by villains. The philosophical interpretation behind this is acknowledged that light and darkness can and must exist only simultaneously. Darkness can still be associated with aspects such as death, but expect this to be treated in [[DontFearTheReaper a positive way]], such as death being an important part of the cycle of rebirth, being natural and therefore necessary for the world. Also, a dark god may simply be doing an unpopular, but still very important job, rather than being a villain. This kind of darkness may not be nice, or comfortable, or maybe it is even outright terrifying, but it nonetheless radiates a dignity that cannot be denied and, like it or not, you know that the world would be worse off without it.

* ''WesternAnimation/Luck2022'' is about Sam Greenfield, a young woman with an 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.

-->You, darkness, that I come from
-->I love you more than all the fires
-->that fence in the world,
-->for the fire makes a circle of light for everyone
-->and then no one outside learns of you.
-->But the darkness pulls in everything-
-->shapes and fires, animals and myself,
-->how easily it gathers them! -
-->powers and people-
-->and it is possible a great presence is moving near me.
-->I have faith in nights.

-->The bright blessed day,
-->The dark sacred night.

-->Remember when I moved in you?
-->The holy dark was moving too.
-->And every breath we drew was hallelujah.

-->In a world beyond controlling
-->Are you gonna deny the savior
-->In front of your eyes
-->Stare into the night
-->Power beyond containing
-->Are you gonna remain a slave for
-->The rest of your life
-->Give into the night

-->It just seems very strange to me\\
That her quiet lonely streets\\
And draped in all her mystery\\
Could be so sweet and comforting

* The Dark God in ''Tales From the Gas Station'' isn't so much ''evil'' as he is ''[[HeroWithAnFInGood inept]]''. He's even kind of upset when the protagonist calls him on his title, stating that a thousand years ago, the God of Darkness meant something quite different. He brings back te remains of the local ApocalypseCult after their Kool-Ade party, because "When that Jesus guy came back, everyone thought it was cool." However, [[CameBackWrong he brings them back wrong.]] His plan for getting his cheif servant elected as mayor was to increase environmental protection, but his {{Chosen One}}s best friend is the town bully.
* ''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).

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has Luna, the alicorn Princess of the Night.
** In ages past, she felt that her subjects did not appreciate her night, especially in comparison to her older sister, [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Celestia]], Princess of the Sun. Luna's jealousy [[FallenAngel turned her]] into [[FaceHeelTurn Nightmare Moon]], and Celestia was forced to banish her to the moon to protect their subjects from her eternal night.
** After a thousand years, Luna's banishment ended, and the [[MacGuffin Elements of Harmony]] were used to [[HeelFaceTurn heal her]]. Since then, Luna has returned to her duties as Princess of the Night, raising the moon each night, but also [[DreamWalker watching over her subjects' dreams]].

* ''Franchise/{{Diablo}}'': 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.

** 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 [[EndlessDaytime 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]].

** ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'': Shadowheart is another cleric of Shar who tries to frame her goddess in a more benign, benevolent light.

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[[caption-width-right:350:DarkIsNotEvil. It can even be beautiful.]]

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'' keeps its sequel's perspective that DarkIsEvil and ChaosIsEvil with malevolence, however [[WorldOfSilence it also shows what happens]] when there is a world with only [[LightIsNotGood light]] and [[BothOrderAndChaosAreDangerous order]].
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': Nocturnal is the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] of darkness and the night, and 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.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' takes the DarkIsNotEvil route with its characters right up until the protagonist's Ultimate Persona, which is [[spoiler:Satanael, a being which is explicitly stated to be Satan before he fell from God's grace. He's still dark all over and extremely demonic-looking (even being referred to as a "demon lord"), but he somehow manages to be a MessianicArchetype despite the obvious MindScrew. He's the embodiment of Tokyo's desire for freedom, and comes to remake the world into a place free from control and oppression.]]
* ''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.]]
* ''Franchise/{{Diablo}}'': 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.
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'':
** The 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.
** ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'': Shadowheart is another cleric of Shar who tries to frame her goddess in a more benign, benevolent light.
* ''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.
* ''VideoGame/SwordOfPaladin'': Zechs, the Dark Knight, makes use of Dark Matter, which is distinct from the corruptive essence known as Miasma. [[spoiler:In fact, he is able to use Dark Matter in a ritual to purify the Satan Gems of Miasma, allowing him to extract additional Dark Matter from the gems and safely empower himself. While his darkness isn't corrupt, it is still considered an opposing force to Nade's light, which is why [[YinYangBomb both powers]] are needed to create a Flotsam jewel to save Asgard.]]

* ''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).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'' [[ZigZaggedTrope zig-zags]] between this and DarkIsEvil; "Dark Magic" is actually more about VampiricDraining and CastFromHitpoints than anything explicitly related to shadows and night, and is explicitly shown to [[TheCorruption corrupt the wielder]], no matter how well-intentioned they might be. By contrast, Moon and Star magic are both natural Arcanums, with the former being about [[MasterOfIllusion illusions]], while the latter about [[{{Seers}} divination and destiny]]. Rayla, one of the main characters, is a Moonshadow Elf (although not a mage).

* 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.
* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'': Both Sailor Saturn and Sailor Pluto possess a heroic destiny as senshi, even though Saturn's element is Destruction. While Pluto's domain is primarily Space-time, her planet name gives her a second domain, thus she is also 'The Guardian of the Underworld' (as in the Realm of the Dead) and her very first attack the ''Dead Scream''. Also present in their aura colours (deep purple and black respectively in manga), and uniform colours, with Saturn being shown with deep purple with bronze/dark maroon bows, and Pluto being black with veeeery dark red bows.

* Even more prominent in ''Fanfic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse'' than in canon ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. As the name suggests, in this reality it was [[TheParagonAlwaysRebels Celestia]] who [[HeWhoFightsMonsters fell into madness]] and Luna who saved the ponies and has ruled for the past millennium. Furthermore, while in canon Nightmare Moon was all but forgotten, in the Lunaverse everybody still fears Corona, even a thousand years later. And while in canon the Elements of Harmony purged the Nightmare and restored Luna to her right mind, in the Lunaverse Corona was still consumed by her madness even after the Elements defeated her first attempt to regain the throne.

* An underlying factor in the ''[[Fanfic/{{Cinderjuice}} Contractually Obligated Chaos]]'' series is that there is a prophecy regarding Life and Death; the Avatar of Death embodies this trope.
* 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 Dursleys.
--> And at night, in the confines of his cupboard, he stared. Embraced the darkness like a friend he had known his whole life. For that was what it was. Not a terror as the other children thought, or a punishment as his "family" believed, but a companion. A comfort in a life of abuse and hate.
* ''Fanfic/AgesOfShadow'': It's noted near the end of the Third Age portion of the story that true darkness magic is as neutral (or even benevolent) as the other elemental magics. It's this that [[TheHero Trace]] taps into during his AllYourColorsCombined attack in the FinalBattle with [[FallenHero Jade]] (while sensing that ''her'' shadow magic is corrupted by her evil and madness), and also what his LoveInterest Mildred's natural magical affinity turns out to be as well.

* In ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' fanfic ''Fanfic/ABoyAGirlAndADogTheLeithianScript'', main characters Beren and Luthien love the night and the starry skies. When Amarië associates the darkness with evil, Luthien retorts the night was created by [[{{God}} Eru]] for His Children's pleasure.
-->'''Luthien:''' [cryptic] The Night was first...and it was ours first. If you've forgotten your birthright, I'm not ashamed to claim it still.

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* The Spanish Renaissance poem "The Dark Night of the Soul" (''La noche oscura del alma'') by the mystic Spanish poet and saint, Juan de la Cruz, uses the metaphor of night, as a cherished time during which a lover may meet his beloved in secret, as an allegory for the soul finding unity with God.

* Toyed with in Book 7 of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', ''Dead Beat'', in which Kumori claims that Necromantic magic (AlwaysChaoticEvil) can be turned to good purposes (such as when she brings a recently dead man back for long enough for the paramedics to save him), as ordinary magic can be turned to evil, her reasoning being that if death is defeated, the genii of history could live for ever. Harry considers this for a moment, then points out how close this is to JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope.
* ''Literature/ACourtOfThornsAndRoses'': The Night Court.
* Crysania in "Time of the Twins", one of the ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' novels, she muses that fear of the darkness is childish and stupid, and that lighting candle after candle to keep the darkness at bay only results in a house burning down because people can't understand that the darkness has a purpose.

* Taken to the extreme in the ''Literature/BlackJewels'' Trilogy and subsequent books. In-world, the [[CreatorDeity Darkness]] is the source of the characters' power, receives the characters' prayers, and inhabits the Abyss. As an extension of darkness being one of the most positive traits, possessing a darker [[CapitalLettersAreMagic Jewel]] confers a higher position in the society's hierarchy.
* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'':
** In general, Tolkien seems to have had an affinity for this concept, and several characters bring it up or embody it in some manner.
** ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Tom Bombadil (the oldest being in Middle-earth) mentions that he "knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless -- before the Dark Lord came from Outside". The association of the starry sky with Elves and the Elder Days ensure this trope is always in play in Tolkien's works, even though Morgoth and Sauron are textbook examples of DarkIsEvil: this is an example of the "uncorrupted darkness" idea.
** ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'':
*** When the sun and moon were created, one of the demigods, Este, whose domain is sleep and rest, asked that the sun not always illuminate the Earth, and that there be a period of darkness every day so that creatures could sleep. Este's gift of darkness is meant to be a daily refuge during which we can heal our wounds, cure our illnesses and ease our difficult emotions.
*** Varda, the one among the Valar who Morgoth hates and fears the most, is the mistress of starlight and night, not sunlight and day. Likewise, the Elves are always associated with nighttime and soft light to the point that they are even said to experience sunlight as too bright and harsh. They are even mentioned as being somehow more beautiful under moonlight and starlight and the association goes so far that Samwise is surprised at how Lothlórien is the most "Elvish" place he has ever seen, despite the brilliant, golden light that lives in the forest.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': The Faith of the Seven believes their gods to be the seven faces of a single benevolent deity, one of which represents death and the unknown. Meanwhile, a competing religion regards R'hllor as the one true god of life, light and flames, but also of the shadows they cast, which are contrasted with the shapeless darkness of his enemy the Great Other. The Old Gods appear to feature this theme, too. When Bran Stark discovers the truth behind them, his mentor teaches him not to be afraid of darkness, lives in a dark cave and controls ravens, traditionally ominous birds.
* 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. The title refers to their creed, which begins ''Light is the left hand of darkness, and darkness is the right hand of light.'' In other words, they're the same thing, just seen from different angles, and equally deserving of reverence.

* "Because the Night", popularized by Music/PattiSmith [[note]] written by Music/BruceSpringsteen [[/note]] describes night as a safe refuge for a couple that "belongs to us".

* "What a Wonderful World" (sung by Music/LouisArmstrong) all but states that day and night are equally wonderful:
-->The bright blessed day,
-->The dark sacred night.
* Various covers of Music/LeonardCohen's "Hallelujah", less so the original:
-->Remember when I moved in you?
-->The holy dark was moving too.
-->And every breath we drew was hallelujah.

* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'': The ''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..."''

* ''VideoGame/ShiningForce''. The Sword of Darkness, despite being a cursed weapon, might count as this, since it's needed to form the Chaos Breaker.
* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic V'' has the dark elves, who worship Malassa the Dragon of Darkness, and the necromancers, who worship the "death" aspect of Asha the Dragon of Order. Both ultimately work for the "good" side in the campaign.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'': The Umbra Witches 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.]]
* In ''VideoGame/IllusionOfGaia'', the hero exclusively wields dark powers, while some of the monster he fights [[WasOnceAMan used to be human before they were touched by the light of an evil comet]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Terranigma}}'': 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]].

* In ''VideoGame/UniverseAtWar'', the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Masari]] are masters of both [[LightEmUp Light]] and [[CastingAShadow Dark]]. They advocate maintaining a balanced vision above all else and are [[BigGood definitely not evil]]. Their Light powers give offensive buffs (longer line of sight, extra damage to enemies over time) while their Dark powers boost defenses (increaced speed and Dark Matter Armor, a self-regenerating second health bar).
* 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.
* Occasionally has a minor part in ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'', it is stated that the {{Precursors}} nearly destroyed the world when they tried to harness Light as an energy source and caused a "Flood of Light". They were saved by Dark Warriors fighting against light, who aid the present Warriors of Light in the FinalDungeon.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' there are 4 light crystals and 4 dark crystals.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyDimensions'' takes many story elements from [=FF I-VI=]. The world is shattered into overlapping light and dark halves, and your party is broken into 2 groups; 4 Warriors of Light and 4 Warriors of Dark. Both sets start the game with the same basic jobs, but as the story progresses they obtain divergent jobs and even the basic jobs are able to learn mutually exclusive abilities. Even near the end when the 2 groups come together and the player can freely form their party of 5, the jobs and abilities stay unique.
** 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 [[EndlessDaytime 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 protected it for thousands of years, 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.]]

* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', despite being [[spoiler:a HumanoidAbomination capable of [[PowerParasite drawing power]] from Force-Sensitive individuals and creating Force-Bonds to sway them to their point of view, the Jedi Exile is still nonetheless a Light-Sided Jedi]].
* Tenebrae in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'' is the Centurion of darkness. He feels most at home in the Shadow Temple, though he finds the darkness in the Earth Temple to be unsettling
* The Nerazim Dark Templar of ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' fame are a nomadic people who revere the darkness and Void PsychicPowers, which are derived from the vast expanses between planets. Their favored powers include invisibility, the FlashStep, and huge "warp blades" that can slice through armor, which they use to perform ninja-style infiltrations and assassinations. Despite this, they are far and away more friendly than their light-using High Templar counterparts. They see the shadows as safety from the "prying light" of the Khala, a psionic connection between High Templar that allows instant communication at the price of privacy. They are likewise dedicated to the concept of protection, as shown in their blessing ''adun toridas'': "Adun hide you" or "shelter you". Ironically, the "prying light" of the Khala was a tool created by the void-based Amon to enslave Protoss to his will, giving the Nerazim a strong reason to reject it.
* 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.
** [[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.
** In the sequel, while hexes, which are some of the most devastating spells in the game, come from the Dark, those who study the Dark frequently describe it as a thing of peaceful serenity.
** And the third game's final DLC finally puts the discussion to rest by revealing that [[spoiler: the only reason the Dark became dangerous was because of [[JerkassGods Gwyn's paranoia leading him to brand humans with fire to limit their control of Dark, creating the Darksign, the Undead Curse, and all the suffering in the series]] as a result. [[DarkIsNotEvil If he hadn't, everything would've worked out just fine after the Age of Fire ended.]]]]
* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'': The Void is 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]].]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'':
** The Void, which encompasses all [[CastingAShadow darkness and shadow magic]] in the universe. While inherently destructive, and a source of the setting's residential [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]], it is as vital to the universe as its polar opposite, the Holy Light, as it represents freedom and individuality. In fact, were it not for the Void-born Curse of Flesh, multiple races (including humans, dwarves, gnomes and mogu) would have remained empty automatons with no free will. Only a few races understand the Void's importance in-universe, however: even the [[OurAngelsAreDifferent naaru]], who know full well about it, forbid their followers from studying shadow magic, for the fear of its corrupting influence.
** Trolls generally have this attitude towards death magic, which most other races revile. Their death god, Bwonsamdi, is not exactly a good guy, but he ''is'' dedicated to maintaining the balance of life and death.
** The Arakkoa of Draenor have two major deities; the Sun Goddess Rukhmar, and the Raven God Anzu. Historically they were both venerated, but by the time of ''Warlords of Draenor'', Rukhmar's adherents have become genocidal zealots while Anzu's followers utilize Void magic to try and live in peace.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfMana'' games, Shadow is the Mana Spirit of Darkness, and he grants spells with the pleasant names of "Dark Force" and "Evil Gate." However, he's always unquestionably on the side of the heroes, attempting to help them prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt and preserve life on the planet.
* ''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).
* ''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/NexusClash'' 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.

* Theatre/PhantomOfTheOpera gives us "Music of the Night". While Erik himself is the [[AntiVillain sympathetic antagonist]], he firmly paints a picture of darkness as sacred, in contrast to [[LightIsNotGood "the garish light of day"]].
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* "The Darkness We All Need" by Music/BluesTraveller and Music/SecondhandSerenade describes periods emotional darkness as an enlightening experience.
* "Because the Night" by Music/PattiSmith [[note]] written by Music/BruceSpringsteen [[/note]] describes night as a safe refuge for a couple that "belongs to us".

* ''WesternAnimation/PartlyCloudy'': The myth of the DeliveryStork is expanded on by showing they get the babies they deliver from cloud beings who make infants out of cloud fluff. Naturally, since the clouds create every offspring in this world, this means someone has to make the babies for violent, vicious, and/or poisonous animals, which turns out to be the protagonist Gus the cloud. Gus seems to take a lot of pride in creating dangerous beasts, and though his stork partner Peck is exasperated by the many injuries he gets from the newborns, he doesn't abandon his companion and commits himself to delivering whatever's next.

** On Ravnica, the Golgari Swarm are an order of shamans and druids who worship the philosophy that life and death are two inseparable parts of the same coin, and undeath is a natural part of the circle. They thusly draw upon both Green Mana and Black Mana simultaneously.
*** This is how the more philosophical, less psychotic members of [[CircusOfFear The Cult of Rakdos]] view their worship of their guild leader; an acceptance of the inevitability of death and a reminder of others to embrace life whilst they have it, because it won't last forever.
---->''"Rakdos performers do not grow old in the ring," Rinni said. "They go on exactly as long as they are meant to. They acquire skills. They acquire scars. Their movements may be hampered, they may slow down, but it is all part of the dance. They play the role they were meant to play. To make people laugh. To remind them how precious and how fleeting our lives are, no matter how harsh or short. Our lives are a gift."''

* ''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.

* ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'': Ryougi Shiki uses the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, a very rare and unique power that allows her to see the inherent death of all things. Essentially, this makes her the human personification of the GrimReaper. Nonetheless, she is good enough to serve as a hero for this story and to get an almost holy-sounding ThemeMusicPowerUp. It helps that [[spoiler: she's essentially the goddess of the void]].

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** ''Anime/DigimonTamers'': Given that it turns his eyes from the more aggressive red into an honest green and gives him wings, one might argue that Beelzemon, who is in the broader canon one of the Seven Great Demon Lords -- goes through a "dark purification" as well when he obtains [[WingPull Blast Mode]]. Similarly, his ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' incarnation (which is very similar to Blast Mode) is an outright holy warrior, being reborn into that form using a mask of the goddess he once served, and is one of the noblest and most loyal characters in the series; whenever he [[CombiningMecha DigiXrosses]] with Shoutmon, the end of the sequence plays a brief high note of a CherubicChoir.

* Even more prominent in ''Fanfic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse'' than in canon ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. As the name suggests, in this reality it was [[TheParagonAlwaysRebels Celestia]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters who fell into madness]] and Luna who saved the ponies and has ruled for the past millennium. Furthermore, while in canon Nightmare Moon was all but forgotten, in the Lunaverse everybody still fears Corona, even a thousand years later. And while in canon the Elements of Harmony purged the Nightmare and restored Luna to her right mind, in the Lunaverse Corona was still consumed by her madness even after the Elements defeated her first attempt to regain the throne.

** And the third game's final DLC finally puts the discussion to rest by revealing that [[spoiler: the only reason the Dark became dangerous was because of [[JerkassGods Gwyn's paranoia leading him to brand humans with fire to limit their control of Dark, creating the Darksign, the Undead Curse, and all the suffering in the series as a result.]] [[DarkIsNotEvil If he hadn't everything would've worked out just fine after the Age of Fire ended.]]]]

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'' keeps its sequel's perspective that DarkIsEvil and ChaosIsEvil with malevolence, however [[NightmareFuel it also shows]] [[WorldOfSilence what happens]] when there is a world with only [[LightIsNotGood light]] and [[BothOrderAndChaosAreDangerous order]].

** In addition, the [[AllTrollsAreDifferent trolls]] of [[DeathWorld Alternia]] are a nocturnal race: their world's sun is so hot and bright that only one caste can endure its light, and the roles of light and dark are [[LightIsNotGood generally]] [[DarkIsNotEvil reversed]] in their thoughts.

** In ages past, she felt that her subjects did not appreciate her night, especially in comparison to her older sister, [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Celestia]], Princess of the Sun. Luna's jealousy [[FallenAngel turned her into]] [[FaceHeelTurn Nightmare Moon]], and Celestia was forced to banish her to the moon to protect their subjects from her eternal night.

** After a thousand years, Luna's banishment ended, and the [[McGuffin Elements of Harmony]] [[HeelFaceTurn were used to heal her]]. Since then, Luna has returned to her duties as Princess of the Night, raising the moon each night, but also [[DreamWalker watching over her subjects' dreams]].

-->''But flowers need night's cool darkness, the moonlight and the dew;\\