History Main / WelcomeBackTraitor

* Benedict Arnold, from the perspective of the British. To the United States, he's considered a modern-day Judas, the icon of treason. But to the British, it was joining the rebellion in the first place that was the act of treason, while selling the rebels out and becoming a British general was returning to the fold.

** Luke joins the Empire in ''ComicBook/DarkEmpire''. That was initially a [[FakeDefector plan to kill Palpatine]], but Luke ended up falling to the Dark Side for real until his sister's love saved him and he went back to the New Republic. Who never brought up his defection and time as a Sith Apprentice again.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheHedge'': Zigzagged with RJ. While he saves everyone after having a HeelRealization, most of the cast is still pissed at him for putting them in danger in the first place, and try to drive him away. The only one who's actually happy to see RJ is [[TheLeader Verne]], who'd spent most of the movie distrusting him, but now can see that he's genuinely repentant. When Verne explains why he's willing to welcome RJ back, the rest of the cast quickly drops their anger.

*** Ensign Stefan DeSeve, who had defected to the Romulans in the 2340s returns to the Federation in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E13FaceOfTheEnemy Face of the Enemy]]" at the behest of Ambassador Spock to help the reunification movement establish a pipeline for dissidents looking to escape to the Federation. No one on the ''Enterprise'' is exactly thrilled that he's there.

* ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Star Trek: DS9]]'': Garak tortures Odo almost to death to try getting back in his old mentor's [[spoiler: and father's]] good books. In the episode's final scene, Odo suggests he and Garak start having breakfast together. This friendly gesture hinged on a revelation during the interrogation which saw Garak mentally torturing himself as much as he was physically torturing Odo over what he was doing to Odo (both of them desperately wanted to return home to their own people).
** Quark gets this treatment frequently over the course of the early seasons (before his [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold "heart of latinum"]] status was clearly established)
* In one season finale of ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Star Trek: TNG]]'', Data, having been fed negative emotions, sides with evil brother Lore against the Federation and proceeds to help capture a number of his friends, then experiment on and torture Geordi. The crew eventually manage to turn his ethical subroutine back on and pretty much literally welcome him back with open arms after Lore is defeated.

** The possibility of this was shut down for awhile when [[spoiler:Danzo was made the acting Sixth Hokage, and his first act was to make Sasuke a missing-nin, which means he's a criminal with a bounty on his head. While he was later killed (at Sauske's hand, no less), the missing-nin status remained, until the very end]].

** [[spoiler: Judith betrays the party by destroying the blastia core of their ship and abandoning them. Though after she revealed she had good reason for destroying it, she's welcomed back.]]
** [[spoiler: Raven is revealed to be Captain Schwann of the Imperial Knights, who, under the order of Alexei, Kidnaps Estelle and handing her over to him. After being confronted by the party in the temple, it begins to collaps, causing Raven to perform a HeroicSacrifice to save the party, though he later turns out fine, at which point the party welcomes him back.... [[MyFistForgivesYou but not before giving him a smack or two]].]]

** Luke also joins the Empire in ''ComicBook/DarkEmpire''. That was initially a [[FakeDefector plan to kill Palpatine]], but Luke ended up falling to the Dark Side for real until his sister's love saved him and he went back to the New Republic. Who never brought up his defection and time as a Sith Apprentice again.

** The most blatant example is Luke's apprentice [[Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy Kyp Durron]], a former slave who turns to the dark side, destroys [[strike:a star system]] a handful of star systems including a major populated one, comes back, and eventually becomes a Jedi Master. Subverted in the paraquel ''I, Jedi'', where the protagonist repeatedly and with great alarm calls KarmaHoudini, and other characters in future books frequently call out Kyp.
** Luke also joins the Empire in ''ComicBook/DarkEmpire''. That was initially a [[FakeDefector plan to kill Palpatine]], but Luke ended up falling to the Dark Side for real until his sister's love saved him and he went back to the New Republic. Who never brought up his defection and time as a Sith Apprentice again.
** In the ''ComicBook/XWingRogueSquadron'' comics, AcePilot Soontir Fel, the best Imperial pilot since Vader's death, [[DefectorFromDecadence defects]] to the Rebel Alliance, where his brother-in-law Wedge Antilles welcomes him. Not long after the comic ended Fel vanished; in the ''Literature/XWingSeries'' novels ''Iron Fist'' and ''Solo Command'' he seemed to be working with an Imperial offshoot, but this was an actor. In the ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology it's seen that the Empire of the Hand, a pragmatic but good Imperial offshoot, kidnapped him and persuaded him to join. There was a novel planned that would've gone into more detail about all this, but it languished in DevelopmentHell before eventually being cancelled. The same duology has that fairer, more cautious offshoot of the Empire try to recruit Mara Jade, who had been forced away from the Empire by treachery. Unfortunately, the way they did this involved violence when she refused, even if they weren't shooting to kill, and so of course it didn't work.

* In the Sith Warrior storyline of ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', [[spoiler:Malavai Quinn]] eventually betrays you under [[spoiler:Darth Baras']] orders. Upon his defeat, you can either forgive him or angrily tell him that [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou you're only letting him back in because he's useful]]; there's no real option to actually execute him. Considering that [[spoiler:he's the healer of your group]]. Bioware had planned to allow players to kill or lose their companions but decided that losing them would be a big issue [[GameplayAndStorySegregation gameplay-wise]].
** In the original post-game content, [[spoiler:Darth Malgus attempted to break away from the Sith and form his own empire before being defeated. Several years later, he returns on Ossus, once again serving the Sith--though it's later revealed that the Empire implanted [[ExplosiveLeash explosives]] inside him to ensure that he doesn't try to rebel again]].

* In ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', Xellos is tolerated as a team member in spite of the fact that everybody knows that he follows his own agenda, and will betray the party at the drop of a hat if it suits his purposes. And they allow him to come back every time that happens, since he's too useful to leave out, and indeed it's impossible to stop him from coming along if he wants to, which is pointed out in the manga. It's also brought to attention in ''Slayers Revolution'', where Lina warns Pokota not to pick a fight with Xellos, because she's not sure they could take him. A few episodes later, it's shown that she's right: he can easily take down the entire team.
** Although, it is shown in the anime that Lina will dish out some physical abuse if she survives one of Xellos' betrayals, and he is sort of obligated to take it if his betrayal didn't net him his intended objective.

** Morgoth-- basically [[SatanExpy Satan]]-- makes a really pretty pouty face after the Valar (extremely powerful archangels; basically gods) kicked his ass all over Arda in the backstory, so [[TopGod Manwë]] gives him time off for good behavior. The narration explicitly says that it's because GoodCannotComprehendEvil and he ''really'' wants to believe that Morgoth, basically his brother, has pulled a for-real HeelFaceTurn. It ends badly and the next time Morgy tries pleading for mercy, Manwë opens up a cosmic airlock into the primordial void and drop-kicks him out of it.

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'': [[spoiler:Hawkgirl]], although it's a season and a few more times saving the world before forgiveness comes, and a lot of the populace of Earth still doesn't trust the traitor.
** That, and the fact that [[spoiler:Hawkgirl]] turns on the people that the Justice League was betrayed to when the full extent of their plan is revealed.
** Although it was later revealed that the League would have forgiven her immediately (they took a vote and majority was to overlook it) had said traitor not run off anyway to do some soul-searching.

* Subversion: In ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'', every time Hokuto Kaneshiro has appeared, Tsukune has welcomed him with open arms. Even when Moka has an eyewitness account of Hokuto with a monstrel. Even after Hokuto went OneWingedAngel on him. ''Even when he strangled him with a hand made of tentacles and taunted him that he couldn't protect Moka''. However, Tsukune is the only one who does this; everyone else in the [[UnwantedHarem Unwanted]] BattleHarem isn't fooled.

** [[spoiler: Raven is revealed to be Captain Schwann of the Imperial Knights, who, under the order of Alexei, Kidnaps Estelle and handing her over to him. After being confronted by the party in the temple, It begins to collaps, causing Raven to perform a HeroicSacrifice to save the party, though he later turns out fine, at which point the party welcomes him back....but not before giving him a smack or two.]]

* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'': [[spoiler:Raven]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', arguably [[spoiler:Kratos]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''. Also [[spoiler:Anise]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss''. In ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'' remake, they try to do it on [[spoiler:Leon. [[RedemptionEqualsDeath but...]]]]
** Leon's case is brought up in ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny2''. Keep in mind this was before Leon's death was a HeroicSacrifice. The current party is shocked when they find out [[spoiler:Judas is Leon Magnus]] but in the end, decide his later actions meant more than his past. Perhaps Justified as none of his crimes were against the current party specifically, and through a LotusEaterMachine they saw he didn't at all enjoy what he'd done.
** Potentially [[spoiler:Zelos]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', who admits that while he was a FakeDefector when he [[spoiler:turned over Colette to Pronyma]], he was really leaking information to the villains.
** Specifically, in ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' [[spoiler:Judith and Raven]] both turn against the party, the former by crippling their only mode of transportation and abandoning them, the latter by [[spoiler: kidnapping Estelle and handing her over to the BigBad]] then later ''actively trying to kill them'' (albeit under orders). Both are welcomed back into the party with no fuss whatsoever.
*** Well, really, [[spoiler:Judith]] more or less had a noble cause for crippling their ship. [[spoiler:Her]] ''crime'' is trying to act on [[spoiler:her]] noble goal alone, rather than with [[spoiler:her]] friends. As for [[spoiler:Raven, he]] was actually not really trying to kill them as much as [[spoiler:he]] planned on dying there, whether it was by the party's hand or the location crumbling down on [[spoiler:him]]. This was made evident when [[spoiler:while clashing blades with Yuri, Raven suddenly halted his attacks, allowing a rather surprised Yuri to slash him through the chest. He never really planned on killing them as much as he was more than ready for his own life to end; he even allows them all to escape immediately after the fight.]]
*** Also, in the latter's case, the party takes turns ''slugging them in the face''. Yuri also makes it clear that said character's life (weather they live or die) belongs to "''Brave Vesperia''" from that point on.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' subverts the trend with [[spoiler:Alvin]]. [[spoiler:He]] betrays the party ''[[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder repeatedly]]'' and is let back in every time... but EasilyForgiven is not in effect here. Milla at one point of the game pretty much admits that the only reason [[spoiler:Alvin]] is kept around is because [[spoiler:he]] is a loose cannon that would follow them either way and it's safer for all of them when [[spoiler:he]] is right where they can see [[spoiler:him]]. At the same time though, it's worth noting that this trope plays a huge part in [[spoiler:Alvin's]] motivation to really redeem [[spoiler:himself]].

* In ''Videogame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'', the former SHIELD agent Frank Payne defected to villainy and became Constrictor; he returned to SHIELD after becoming financially secure and realizing that he still wasn't happy.

* Ratbeard from ''VideoGame/{{Pirate101}}'' betrays the player and the other member of the crew sent to find Captain Gunn's treasure in order to claim it for himself. While he's running from the player he even poisons his own crew for a larger share. [[spoiler: The killing his own crew part was an accident, someone had replaced his knockout drops with poison.]] But once the player saves his hide after his new allies betray him, he begs for forgiveness and the player lets him join their crew.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheHedge'': Zigzagged with RJ. While he saves everyone after having a HeelRealization, most of the cast is still pissed at him for putting them in danger in the first place, and try to drive him away. The only one who's actually happy to see RJ is [[TheLeader Verne]], who'd spent most of the movie distrusting him, but now can see that he's genuinely repentant. When Verne explains why he's willing to welcome RJ back, the rest of the cast quickly drops their anger.

** The most blatant example is Luke's apprentice [[Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy Kyp Durron]], a former slave who turns to the dark side, destroys [[strike:a star system]] a handful of star systems including a major populated one, comes back, and eventually becomes a Jedi Master. Subverted in the paraquel ''I, Jedi'', where the protagonist repeatedly and with great alarm calls KarmaHoudini.

** In the ''ComicBook/XWingRogueSquadron'' comics, AcePilot Soontir Fel, the best Imperial pilot since Vader's death, [[DefectorFromDecadence defects]] to the Rebel Alliance, where his brother-in-law Wedge Antilles welcomes him. Not long after the comic ended Fel vanished; in the ''Literature/XWingSeries'' novels ''Iron Fist'' and ''Solo Command'' he seemed to be working with an Imperial offshoot, but this was an actor. What happened to him has been written but is in DevelopmentHell. In the ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology it's seen that the Empire of the Hand, a pragmatic but good Imperial offshoot, kidnapped him and persuaded him to join. The same duology has that fairer, more cautious offshoot of the Empire try to recruit Mara Jade, who had been forced away from the Empire by treachery. Unfortunately, the way they did this involved violence when she refused, even if they weren't shooting to kill, and so of course it didn't work.

** And in ''Literature/StarWarsAllegiance''--note how many of these were written by Creator/TimothyZahn--five stormtroopers [[HeelRealization realize that they can't support what the Empire has become]], leave, and wander about in a stolen ship, [[GoodFeelsGood trying to do good]]. They don't join the Rebellion, since they see the Rebels as basically neo-Seperatists and terrorists. But they do leave, which is unheard of for stormtroopers, and they get in the way of a lot of local Imperial plans. In [[Literature/ChoicesOfOne the sequel]], it's said that Thrawn catches them and brings them into the Empire of the Hand.

* Utterly and beautifully subverted on ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' as season 2 has Ward honestly thinking that the team will be willing to take him back after he turned out to be a HYDRA agent who had killed many innocent people, including SHIELD agents. Instead, it's made abundantly clear the team are ''never'' going to forgive Ward.
** It's shown when a captive Ward is giving info to Coulson and openly stating that he wants to help as "this is still my team" which stuns Coulson.

* ''{{Series/Farscape}}'' has Rygel, who betrayed the crew at the end of the first season before coming back when he realised he couldn't benefit from it. It wasn't the last time he betrayed them in some way. At least the characters don't seem to completely forget it:

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': [[spoiler:Yuffie]], [[spoiler:Cait Sith]]. In the latter's case, the moment of turning is just a short chase segment and brief cutscene in which you don't have access to the party command, and thus, it's entirely possible that the time before [[spoiler:Cait's]] WelcomeBackTraitor moment is so brief that [[spoiler:he]] literally never even left.
*** Though at least [[spoiler:Cait Sith]]'s is justified in that he threatens to kill a hostage if the heroes don't let him keep tagging along. His full forgiveness doesn't come until later.
*** [[spoiler:Yuffie]] forces [[spoiler:herself]] back into the group.

--->[[spoiler:'''Gnarl:''' If you beat him I'll gladly have you bac.. I mean, serve you again.]]

** Superman himself had to go through this, as a result of his brainwashing at the hands of Darkseid at the end of ''WesterAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries''. This is possibly why he was the one who cast the deciding vote in [[spoiler:Hawkgirl]]'s favor.

* Downplayed with Entrapta from ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'', who is a complete WildCard for most of the series thanks to her ForScience mentality. This makes it very easy for Catra to lure her over from the Rebellion to the Horde late in the first season. Said mindset also means that, for Entrapta, it's really NothingPersonal: she has people on both sides of the war whom she genuinely considers friends, and it doesn't fully register to her that she's switched sides and is now building robots that regularly threaten to murder the princesses. She's back as a Rebellion member in the final season after [[spoiler:Adora and Bow find her on Beast Island, due to Catra betraying her and sending her to die there (which, thanks to all the old technology there, doesn't completely register as a punishment either)]], but most members of the Rebellion -- while glad she's alive -- are still ''pissed'' at her, precisely because [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome she kept building robots that almost blew them to smithereens]]. She's taken aback when they [[WhatTheHellHero call her]] [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech out for this]], and from them on buckles down on ''really'' being a team player and actually helping the Rebellion, proving she really is loyal this time around.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Not yet, but the remainder of Team Kakashi have made it very clear to Sasuke that this door is always open and, as of Chapter 698, [[spoiler:it's finally happened]].
** At least it was until [[spoiler:Danzo was made the Sixth Hokage candidate, and his first act was to make Sasuke a missing-nin, which means he's a criminal with a bounty on his head. However, he is dead now]].

** Because in the manga, while the group had initially been outraged at Bakura's apparent betrayal, they eventually saw good Bakura struggling to regain control, causing the evil side to fumble at a few points that saved their lives, and even joining them to defeat Zorc, and realized that Bakura's real personality was truly their friend.

* Thoroughly averted with Hal Jordan. He becomes Parallax, wrecks the Franchise/GreenLantern Corps, then dies and comes back good. Most of the Corps ''still'' doesn't trust him. The Lost Lanterns, who he had previously attacked and left stranded, tried to kill him ''when he had just rescued them from {{A Fate Worse Than Death}}''.

* Happens in ''Fanfic/CodeGeassAwesomeOfTheRebellion'':

%%* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheHedge'': [[spoiler:RJ]].

* Utterly and beautifully subverted on ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' as season 2 has Ward honestly thinking that the team will be willing to take him back after he turned out to be a HYDRA agent who had killed many innocent people, including S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Instead, it's made abundantly clear the team are ''never'' going to forgive Ward.

** A later episode has the team forced to work with Ward against a mutual foe. He gives them a warm speech on how he knows it'll be hard to win back their trust but is willing to try. Over the course of the episode, the others openly tell Ward they consider him absolute scum and would gladly kill him if given the option [[spoiler:Simmons soon attempts to do exactly that, although she fails]].