History Main / YouCouldHaveUsedYourPowersForGood

* In ''Videogame/DiabloIII'', the Demon Vidian uses the evil variant, mocking [[PlayerCharacter The Nephalem]] over the fact that they are powerful enough to conquer and rule Hell... and instead, they protect the weak and serve as a lackey to a FallenAngel.

* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', Presenter Mic angrily calls out [[spoiler: [[MadScientist Kyudai Garaki]] for having Quirk replication technology and using it to enhance twisted monsters when he could revolutionize medicine by applying the [[HealingFactor hyper-regeneration Quirks]] he produces to health care.]]

** As Wasp chases Whirlwind for stealing some scientific equipment, she rattles off some possible ways he could have used his cyclones to ''help'' people.

* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'': ''[[Recap/WarriorCatsTheDarkestHour The Darkest Hour]]'', after [[BigBad Tigerstar]]'s death, [[TheHero Firestar]] reflects on how Tigerstar could have been one of the greatest leaders the Clans had known, but that he'd misused his skill and natural abilities in his quest for power and that it had eventually led to his end.

* At the end of ''[[VideoGame/{{Shantae}} Shantae and the Pirate's Curse]],'' once the Pirate Master is defeated and the two's EnemyMine is over, Shantae tries to urge Risky Boots to the side of good this way. Risky declines and compares it to when Shantae was dressed and acting like a pirate: she's capable of ''acting'' like a good guy but deep down she's just not a good guy and never will be.

* Deconstructed in a ''Fanfic/TheConversionBureau'' story called ''A Beacon of Hope''. The Newfoal known as Socrates the Wise was a philosophy teacher with the [[EasyEvangelism ability to convince groups of people easily]] who preached against Equestrian values because of their CondescendingCompassion, when [[CreateYourOwnVillain Celestia ponified him and asked him to use his talents for the good of Equestria]] he [[FreakOut suffered a breakdown]] and [[FromNobodyToNightmare founded his own nation]] based on DeliberateValuesDissonance. Compare that to [[ShadowArchetype Starlight Glimmer]] below and you've got someone who is inherently [[ShutUpKirk immune to this argument.]]

[[quoteright:344:[[Franchise/SpiderMan https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/018febbb7ed008774c4677377fd0cde3.png]]]]

-->'''David:''' We can all work together! Protect each other. Put our powers to some decent use.\\
'''Drak:''' [[AxeCrazy I like this use.]]

** After Superman returns during ''ComicBook/SupermanUpUpAndAway'', he chides ComicBook/LexLuthor that, despite having said he could solve all the world's problems if Supes weren't around, he spent the year he was absent doing little of worth.

Compare RecruitingTheCriminal, WinYourFreedom, and BoxedCrook, where a villain is ''forced'' into acting for good; also CutLexLuthorACheck, where acting good would have obvious monetary benefits. If the character ''listens'' to this advice, they're a MoralPragmatist.

"You Could Have Used Your Powers For Good/Evil" is a sentiment often expressed to the WorthyOpponent. Hero Bob wonders why Villain Alice, with her immense power, chose to do evil rather than good. If the evildoer is a [[ArchEnemy recurring character]], rather than a one-shot, this usually comes followed by a conversation about how they're NotSoDifferent and a HeelFaceTurn would [[GoodFeelsGood make her feel much better]] about her life.[[note]](Mind the RedemptionEqualsDeath)[[/note]]

** ''VideoGame/FarCry3'': [[AmoralAfrikaner Hoyt]] claims that, as Jason has spent most of the game butchering and sabotaging his way across the Rook Islands for the sake of the Rakyat, [[CutLexLuthorACheck he could have just joined Hoyt's mercenaries and have made a profit doing so]]. A.k.a. You Could Have Used Your Powers for PROFITABLE Evil. Jason, after seeing what Hoyt turned Vaas into AND what happened to his brothers and an entire populated Yacht, flips off Hoyt. Hoyt cuts off a finger. It's implied, during the ending, that Hoyt believed based on his knowledge of the "natives" that they were [[NotSoDifferent pirates under a twisted cult centered around Rook's royalty]]. He may have been right.

* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': A repeated theme in the comic: No-one in TheMultiverse practices ComesGreatResponsibility, [[CrapsackWorld and that is not a good thing]]. It is outlined specifically by [[TheHero Allison]] in ''Wielder of Names'' when she pokes holes in [[GodEmperor Mottom's]] claims that [[ForcedIntoEvil she has no choice in being a horrific]] [[PlanetLooters World-Eater]] who constantly opens new worlds, colonizes them and strips them to the bone over luxuries and gifts to her DecadentCourt.

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, [[CutLexLuthorACheck cutting her a check]] while commenting how [[ReedRichardsIsUseless all her evil inventions are useless]] can have this effect.

* In ''Literature/CodexAlera'', Tavi makes a comment to this effect to Senator Arnos... but takes it back when he realizes Arnos thinks AMillionIsAStatistic.

* In the ''Franchise/SherlockHolmes'' story "The Final Problem", Holmes meditates on the career of one Professor James Moriarty, a wunderkind who wrote an acclaimed thesis which earned him a mathematics chair at his university, all at age 21. However, his tenure was marred by such vile rumors that he resigned in disgrace and wound up eking out a living as a tutor. This later proved to be an ideal front, as no one would have suspected this wizened old math teacher was involved in London's most intricate crime ring--much less the ''head'' of it. Later stories expanded on Moriarty's prestige, specifically his ground-breaking book ''Dynamics of an Asteroid'', which ''should'' have squared him away in terms of fame and capital. Holmes took this story as proof that intelligence does not alter the potential for sadistic behavior; a similar observation is made with regard to Charles Augustus Milverton, a rich aristocrat who spends his days blackmailing people for vast sums, only to spill the secrets anyway once they've gone broke.

** Ryoma gives advice to Kouta that's also along these lines.

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', one of the whispers of the Old God Y'Shaarj mocks you for still following other people's orders like a lap dog after all you've done for Azeroth. Its intention is to make you succumb to your pride and [[EmotionEater feed it]].

* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': A repeated theme in the comic: No-one in TheMultiverse practices ComesGreatResponsibility, [[CrapsackWorld and that is not a good thing]]. It is outlined specifically by [[TheHero Allison]] in ''Wielder of Names'' when she pokes holes in [[GodEmperor Mottom's]] claims that [[DrivenToVillainy she has no choice in being a horrific]] [[PlanetLooters World-Eater]] who constantly opens new worlds, colonizes them and strips them to the bone over luxuries and gifts to her DecadentCourt.

* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': A repeated theme in the comic: No-one in TheMultiverse practices ComesGreatResponsibility, [[CrapsackWorld and that is not a good thing]]. It is outlined specifically by [[TheHero Allison]] in ''Wielder of Names'' when she pokes holes in [[GodEmperor Mottom's]] claims that [[TrappedInVillainy she has no choice in being a horrific]] [[PlanetLooters World-Eater]] who constantly opens new worlds, colonizes them and strips them to the bone over luxuries and gifts to her DecadentCourt.

* ''VideoGame/FarCry3'': [[AmoralAfrikaner Hoyt]] claims that, as Jason has spent most of the game butchering and sabotaging his way across the Rook Islands for the sake of the Rakyat, [[CutLexLuthorACheck he could have just joined Hoyt's mercenaries and have made a profit doing so]]. A.k.a. You Could Have Used Your Powers for PROFITABLE Evil. Jason, after seeing what Hoyt turned Vaas into AND what happened to his brothers and an entire populated Yacht, flips off Hoyt. Hoyt cuts off a finger. It's implied, during the ending, that Hoyt believed based on his knowledge of the "natives" that they were [[NotSoDifferent pirates under a twisted cult centered around Rook's royalty]]. He may have been right.
* ''VideoGame/FarCry4'' offers a "you could have used your powers for ''less'' evil" variant when [[BigBad Pagan Min]] remarks that rather than "joining the monkeys and throwing one's shit around" you could have simply joined and supported him instead, and succeeded in your quest of delivering your mother's ashes in less than an hour with considerably less bloodshed. [[spoiler:Indeed he has [[VillainHasAPoint one hell of a point:]] it turns out whichever rebel leader you side with is equally evil to the other and merely a ''different kind of evil'' than Min, and sure enough there is an EasterEgg ending found by waiting at the dinner table like Min tells you to... where you promptly go to deliver Ishwari's ashes and join Min in "shooting some goddamned guns".]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'', the mortally wounded Shaak-Ti tells Starkiller, "You are Vader's slave, but your power is wasted with him. You could be so much more." Starkiller eventually does pull a HeelFaceTurn.

* In one of Mercedes Lackey's Free Bards novels, a free bard and a guild bard both take this perspective: "it's a shame your talent is wasted complying with guild rules" vs "it's a shame your talent is wasted playing for commoners with no taste". Compared to most free/guild interactions, this is a show of respect.

* Discussed in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', should you meet certain conditions by the last area of the game ([[spoiler:kill Papyrus]]). [[spoiler:Sans, the brother of Papyrus, alludes to his awareness of your power to save and reload the game, and asks you: "if you have some sort of special power... isn't it your responsibility to do the right thing?" If you answer yes, he will then ask why, despite what you claim to believe, [[{{Hypocrite}} you still killed his brother]]. If you answer no, he'll say he won't judge you for it...''[[YouBastard "you dirty brother killer."]]'']]