History Main / YouCouldHaveUsedYourPowersForGood

** This can also apply to Draco Malfoy, but regarding Harry -- and at first not regarding magical power, but regarding potential social status, which the Malfoy family tradition dictated should be used for putting others down to hihglight one's own supposed excellence. In regards to magic, this is a stereotypical Slytherin's like Malfoy's attitude towards the school, which only teaches ''Defence'' Against the Dark Arts.

* In ''AvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'', Henry Pym says this to Gravaton upon his defeat. Made ironic because Gravaton is a possible case of ThenLetMeBeEvil.

* In an early episode of ''{{Farscape}}'', upon witnessing a particularly impressive example of Peacekeeper engineering, Crichton expresses regret that the Peacekeepers couldn't have used their knowledge to do good instead of mercenary service- or, as Aeryn puts it, "[[ShutUpKirk To fulfill your vision of who we should be?]]" Of course, by the time Aeryn and the other members of the crew are inclined to listen to a word he says, Crichton's idealism has well and truly disappeared.

* In ''SagaFrontier'', after the final battle with [[WorthyOpponent Metal Black]], Alkaiser says to the defeated villain that he could have used his powers for good.

* What Jesus pretty much tells the Antichrist in His TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to him in the LeftBehind book ''Glorious Appearing''.

** This can also apply to Draco, but regarding Harry. His hate for Harry seems rest partly on the fact that he wouldn't befriend him, and essentially go to the dark side, in the first novel. [[SarcasmMode Because befriending someone who reminded him of his asshole cousin at the age of eleven is essentially the same as turning evil.]]

* ''DoctorWho'', uses this a lot. The Doctor's most common target is probably The Master, but The Rani and any number of villains of the week get it as well.

Compare: RecruitingTheCriminal and WinYourFreedom, when a hero brings in a villain to do some less-than heroic work, and BoxedCrook, when a prisoner is ''forced'' to use his powers for good. Compare With Great Power, ComesGreatResponsibility,ComesGreatPerks (or, ComesGreatInsanity).

Compare: RecruitingTheCriminal and WinYourFreedom, when a hero brings in a villain to do some less-than heroic work, and BoxedCrook, when a prisoner is ''forced'' to use his powers for good. Compare With Great Power, ComesGreatResponsibility (or, ComesGreatInsanity).

** And Kreia delivers a somewhat twisted version of this trope to [[spoiler:a Dark Side Exile during the climax]], in a combination with YouHaveFailedMe, WhatTheHellHero and TheReasonYouSuckSpeech. Notably, it's not so much because [[spoiler:you could have followed the Light Side so much as it is that you have followed the Dark Side]] and not realized any of the implications behind it.

** And Kreia delivers a somewhat twisted version of this trope to [[spoiler:a Dark Side Exile during the climax]], in a combination with YouHaveFailedMe, WhatTheHellHero and TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.

* In ''AvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'', Henry Pym says this to Gravaton upon his defeat.
** Which is ironic because Gravaton is a possible case of ThenLetMeBeEvil.

* After ComicBook/{{Superman}} returns in the aftermath of ''52'', he chides Lex Luthor that, having said he could solve all the worlds problems if (supes) weren't around, he spent the year he was absent doing little of worth.

* In one issue of SpiderMan, Spidey tells Green Goblin that with his intelligence he "could have cured cancers by now if [he] hadn't been wasting time with this Green Goblin crap!". Gobby's response? "I don't give a rat's ass."

** This can also apply to Draco, but regarding Harry. His hate for Harry seems rest partly on the fact that he wouldn't befriend him, and essentially go to the dark side, in the first novel.

* ''DoctorWho'', "Time and the Rani".

* In ''SagaFrontier'', after the final battle with Metal Black, Alkaiser says to the defeated villain that he could have used his powers for good.

Compare: RecruitingTheCriminal and WinYourFreedom, when a hero brings in a villain to do some less-than heroic work, and BoxedCrook, when a prisoner is ''forced'' to use his powers for good. Compare With Great Power, ComesGreatResponsibility (or, ComesGreatInsanity)..

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* In ''TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', Spidey asks [[spoiler:The Sandman]] why he chooses to do evil when he could just as easily be a superhero. At the end of the episode, [[spoiler: Sandman]] ends up changing sides and making a HeroicSacrifice.

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As the page quote illustrates, this is more appropriate for some villains than others. Usually they need to have [[GoodPowersBadPeople "good" powers yet use them for evil]]. Of course it's not impossible for a Bob to try to convince Alice that even with [[BadPowersGoodPeople "bad" powers]] she [[ComesGreatResponsibility has a great responsibility]] and she can be a good person. If Alice is a MadScientist, [[CutLexLuthroACheck cutting her a check]] while commenting how [[ReedRichardsIsUseless all her evil inventions are useless]] can have this effect.

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* Often found in Light Side vs. Dark Side fights in ''StarWars'', such as in ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', when Light Side Revan apologizes to Darth Malak for leading him down the Dark Side path, but reminds that it was Malak who chose to follow that path to the end.
* In ''SagaFrontier'', after the final battle with Metal Black, Alkaiser says to the defeated villain that he could have used his powers for good.

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* There's a possible variant of this in the ''HarryPotter'' series, where Voldemort can't understand why Dumbledore chose to use his powers for good. He considers Dumbledore to be weak and a fool for not 'taking what was his'.
** This can also apply to Draco, but regarding Harry. His hate for Harry seems rest partly on the fact that he wouldn't befriend him, and essentially go to the dark side, in the first novel.

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* In ''StarWars RevengeOfTheSith'', Obi-Wan laments Anakin's turn to TheDarkSide with ''"You were the ChosenOne!"''
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