History Main / TrappedInVillainy

* Played with in ''Anime/CodeGeass R2'': after [[spoiler:becoming TheEmperor]], Lelouch instructs his most faithful followers (particularly, [[spoiler:Sayoko]]) to surrender to his enemies and to claim that they only obeyed him out of fear. But then again, he is not [[ALighterShadeOfGrey exactly a villain]].

* The main character of ''Manga/GushingOverMagicalGirls'' was offered to become a Magical Girl, which was her dream... only to find out that she would be fighting for the forces of evil and facing her heroes in battle. She tried to back off, but the magical envoy [[{{Blackmail}} threatened to release]] her TransformationSequence video to his Twitter account. Thus she had no choice but to keep fighting for the forces of evil... and [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity Ensued]].

* Inverted with I.M.P. in ''Fanfic/ADivineRomanticComedy''. After Blitz and Loona accidentally stumble upon his date and he learns of their illegal assassin business, Lucifer conscripts them into serving as bodyguards for his daughter as well as extra security for her hotel, which has far more noble, heroic ambitions than what they normally get up to.

* Lenore Raven's ''[[https://lenoreofraven.tumblr.com/post/183647614073/ Mayura Marinette]]'' has this happen to Marinette after Lila [[ForWantOfANail tricks Master Fu]] by StealingTheCredit for saving his life. Lila proceeds to spread MaliciousSlander both as herself and as Ladybug, [[ConvictedByPublicOpinion turning all of Paris against her]] as people are convinced that she ''must'' be working with Hawkmoth. Gabriel [[OpportunisticBastard takes advantage of this]] to offer Marinette a job... and then {{Blackmail}}s her into ''actually'' working with him as Hawkmoth, with the threat of him using his connections to completely destroy her family's reputation hanging over her head.

* In ''Videogame/LostJudgment'' the accomplices of [[spoiler:[[VigilanteMan Jin Kuwana]]]] are [[spoiler:his former high school students back when he was a teacher]] that he's blackmailed into being his lackies. Unlike other examples, they're treated fairly unsympathetically since [[spoiler:they're responsible for driving a kid to suicide (for which they don't show any regret) and Kuwana treats forcing them to act as his goons as a form of atonement]].

* In ''Videogame/LostJudgment'' the accomplices of [[spoiler:[[VigilanteMan Jin Kuwana]]]] are [[spoiler:his former high school students back when he was a teacher]] that he's blackmailed into being his lackies. Unlike other examples, they're treated fairly unsympathetically since [[spoiler:they're responsible for driving a kid to suicide (for which they don't show any regret) and Kuwana treats forcing them to act as his goons as a form of atonement]].

See, many a BigBad [[IControlMyMinionsThrough rules through fear,]] and that includes his subordinates. As such, they'll often threaten their {{Mooks}}, their QuirkyMinibossSquad, and even their [[TheDragon Dragon]], with death ([[FateWorseThanDeath or some other severe punishment]]) should they fail in their tasks. That doesn't seem too bad to a villain if they see themselves working for the BigBad indefinitely, but if they have a HeelFaceTurn, a HeelRealization, or realize that they dug themselves too deep, what are they to do? Defy the BigBad and get killed for it? Or keep on doing the villain's dirty work, even if that means just digging themselves even deeper into their disastrous situation? It's quite a conundrum.

* ''Fanfic/ServiceWithASmile'': ''Everyone'' in Cinder's faction. Roman and Neo would rather not destroy Vale [[PragmaticVillainy because they can't steal anything if everyone is dead]], but Cinder will kill them if they try to leave. Adam feels terrorism is the only way to get Faunus rights, but would rather not destroy Beacon because [[EvenEvilHasStandards the fall of the Academy would benefit only the Grimm]], but Cinder will kill his people if he tries to leave. Mercury was mostly just [[ExtremeDoormat going with the flow]] until he found things he actually cared about, but Cinder will kill him if he tries to leave. [[spoiler:Even Cinder herself isn't really ''happy'' with her goals, but she still wants the Maiden's power and ambition is the only thing that really drives her.]]

* Helga from ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' is a variant: she's [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold actually a pretty nice person]], and part of her wants to be nice, but she still acts like an obnoxious bitch most of the time as she fears that the other kids will lose respect for her if they find out what's she's really like.