Characters who place Honor Before Reason in Fan Works.
Crossovers
- Code Geass: Paladins of Voltron: Something Suzaku held over from the main series, and part of the reason he's the pilot of the Purple Lion.
- In Dead or Alive 4: The Devil Factor, during their battle, Dante manages to steal Hayate's sword, but returns it to him after a few exchanges. Later, when Dante's gun Ebony is at Hayate's feet, he asks Hayate to return it, citing how he earlier returned his sword. Despite Jann Lee begging Hayate not to, he returns it, though he does try to attack Dante while he's distracted picking up the gun.
- Fate/Parallel Fantasia: Rin says that battles between magi should be fought only using magic, so she refuses an offered gun even after it is pointed out most magi don't know how to defend themselves against them.
- God Slaying Blade Works: Even though Luo Hao can turn into mist and slip through cracks, she refuses to use this to escape traps, as she insists on proving her strength by breaking free the normal way. She doesn't like having allies help her in fights if doing so would make her outnumber her opponents. And she hates sneak attacks, scolding her allies for using them, even to save her life.
- In Origin Story, several of the Avengers chew out Black Widow for "letting [Alex Harris] go" despite Alex having beaten Ms. Marvel, Iron Man, and Wonder Man quite easily. Combining this with the fact that Alex shrugs off Hulkbuster bullets, Natasha asks if they expected her to beat Alex by breaking some of her bones on the girl.
- Servants of Remnant: Bedivere refuses to steal or work with criminals even though he and Euryale don't have any money and can't get regular jobs because they are trying to stay hidden. Euryale shrugs and gets a job working for the shady club owner Junior.
- In The Vampire of Steel Zol-Am's demon army is about to overwhelm Supergirl, Buffy and the Scooby Gang when Kara demands a personal duel with Zol-Am. Zol-Am accepts because it's Kryptonian law, and he even incinerates one of his soldiers when he tries to interfere.
- In Yu-Gi-Oh! The Thousand Year Door, there's a situation similar to the one mention in the anime section. Maria demands a duel against Francesca by using the whole town of Keelhaul Key as a hostage. Maria cheats during most of the duel, using an enchanted eyepatch to view Francesca hand, until her mother appears in a hologram of her true, intimidating form of the Shadow Queen (the first time the protagonists have seen her as such) to disqualify her and scold her for the action. (While Fran's defeat is essential to her plans, cheating isn't allowed due to magical constraints.) However, Fran interrupts, saying she'll forgive the offense and let the duel continue if Maria simply stops doing so. This, despite the terms of the contest that she and the others were pretty much conned into accepting. Both Maria and Queen think she's a fool, but the duel does continue and she wins anyway. (In the rebooted version, Fran presses her luck further, sympathizing with Maria and telling the Queen - to her face, with witnesses - that the biggest reason she turned out bad was because she had bad parents. Maria and her other siblings seem to take this to heart later.)
- Shelly de Killer in von Karma's visitors
offers Manfred von Karma the opportunity to assassinate Miles Edgeworth after von Karma's decade-long plan of revenge was stopped and led to his arrest. It would even be free of charge after years of respectable service between the two, and it wouldn't be traced back to von Karma since he'll be executed in two days. von Karma declines, since an assassination attempt after his master plan failed would be an act of a sore loser to him.
- In Run At The Cup, the Noxus War Horses suspend Raffi after he admits his role in the Landsman scandal. While morally justified, this also cripples them going into the playoffs. Had Raffi remained on the War Horses' roster, they would have stood a better chance of beating the Sumprats and almost certainly would have crushed the Lone Stars in the finals.
- Forgotten: An inquisitor calls Lisa Farenheights Tepes foolish for her refusal to condemn twelve people to be burned at the stake in her stead, pointing her very powerful, Vampire Monarch husband will lay waste to Wallachia if she dies. She nonetheless lets herself be executed, and the inquisitor's fears come true in the worst way possible.
- In Shall Never Kill No Matter What, Batman refuses to kill the Joker even when he knows an innocent child will die in front of him if he doesn't. Afterwards, Superman reassures him that he did the right thing. Green Arrow chews them both out for "enabling psychotic killers" rather than putting aside their moral codes for once. Batman outright accuses Green Arrow of murder, saying he killed people who'd never have a chance to redeem themselves.
- Tyrantly Ever After: Artina zig-zags back and forth regarding this. On one hand, she's a Guile Heroine who's more than willing to lie, deceive and steal for the sake of settling the debt the demonic denizens of Hades supposedly owe to Celestia — something Netherworld President Hugo states was never agreed upon so much as imposed upon them. Yet she nearly gets herself killed when she pauses in the middle of a robbery in order to count out the exact amount of HL she's 'collecting'.
- Wolf in the Streets, Sardine in the Sheets: After learning that Artina runs her clinic largely out of her own pocket, Valvatorez vows that he won't take any more blood transfusions, believing that he can maintain a healthy lifestyle without them despite his medical condition. Even getting shot in the leg doesn't deter him, though Fenrich and Artina refuse to let him stop the procedure.
- Twice Upon an Age: Some of Victoria's more compassionate judgments are viewed this way in All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird. It eventually reaches a point where it's questioned whether she should be allowed to continue to sit in judgment.
- This goes into levels of stupid in Dragon Ball Z Abridged. During the second half of Goku's fight with Cell, everyone notices Goku's starting to lose steam. Trunks angrily tells the other Z Warriors to stop going by the tournament rules and help him. Vegeta tells Trunks off, claiming that his Saiyan heritage would refuse such help... only for Goku to declare he gives up. When Gohan is tagged in, he believes he can take the weakened Cell... until Goku tosses Cell a Senzu Bean. This earns him a What the Hell, Hero? from everyone.
- In What If Krillin Became a Saiyan?, Goku turns down Guru's offer to unlock his full potential, saying that he'd prefer earning his power through hard work. Not only does he unintentionally insult Krillin when he remarks that his friend probably won't understand because he wasn't born a Saiyan, he later briefly regrets his decision when he senses just how much more powerful everyone who went through the process has become.
- In the Alternate Tail Series, while Gajeel can regain his magic by devouring his teammate's weapons (like Lily's Muscia Sword), he refuses as he sees their weapons as a part of them, even if it means him being killed when he's out of magic.
- Played straight and subverted at different points in Soldier of Zero. Played straight when Prince Wales wishes to martyr himself and die alongside his men even after Saito tries to convince him that it's far more important that he live. Subverted when Saito sneaks into the Reconquista camp by stealing someone's uniform and is leery of killing a soldier of the right size as the man is currently having sex, but decides to anyway as war is no place for such things. He also prevents Wales' death and brings him back to Princess Henrietta alive, though injured. Apparently, Wales tried to throw Saito out a window for it afterward.
- A Brighter Dark: Ryoma chooses to accept Xander's request to single combat, despite out-numbering and out-gunning the Nohrian army. His ninja retainers are able to mitigate the damage but if they hadn't, Nohr's conquest would have been a lot shorter.
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
- Frankie Rules: Despite any past crimes, any imaginary friend that come to Foster's is welcome.
- Princess of the Blacks:
- Despite completing the first task the fastest and being one of the only ones to do so without injury, Leroux only ties for second place because he "didn't follow the spirit of the challenge" by simply using a summoning charm on the golden egg.
- Averted when Jen specifically tells Fudge that she was kidnapped by "someone claiming to be Voldemort" because it'd be easier for him to buy that a pretender was trying to restart the war than Voldemort returning to life.
- Played straight with Dumbledore who hates that Jen didn't insist it was Voldemort, claiming that "a little discomfort or ridicule now" would be worth people being ready.
- One of Danny's grievances against Jen was that she "cowardly cursed him in the back instead of attacking honorably" during one of the tasks of the Triwizard Tournament. Later during the final task, he accuses her of cheating for attacking him while he's distracted.
- Several other Light wizards have shown contempt for attacking someone with their back turned.
- Averted with Scrimgeour when he hears Jen apparated without a license during her fight with Voldemort. He understands that in a situation like that, pretty much every rule goes out the window.
- In one of the many Slytherin Harry stories, Harry retrieves his egg by using illusions and a disillusionment charm to sneak past the hydra guarding it. Dumbledore gives him a two because Harry's method wasn't "brave or noble."
- Hellsing Ultimate Abridged: Walter's betrayal is reworked into this. He'd rather fulfill his duty as a vampire hunter and destroy Alucard, than his fulfill his duties to Hellsing (and Integra) and to a currently-being-overrun-by-vampire-Nazis England.
- Lampshaded by T'Challa in Enough Rope that by promising to sanctuary to Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes without adding any extra stipulations, he's required by the panther spirit that gives him his powers to honor his promise unless they attack him or someone else under his protection.
- In The Fourth Council Race, the governments of the Systems Alliance continue playing political games while Shanxi is under attack from the turians. The Chinese refuse to let anyone else reinforce the forces on Shanxi as it's a Chinese colony and they don't want "interference from western imperialists" while the United States won't spend the political capital to force the issue because they're certain China will fail so waiting will make the US look better and one of their main rivals look worse.
- Once the Systems Alliance wins the space battle above Shanxi, the leader of the turian ground forces tries to continue fighting regardless, insisting she will not be responsible for the turians' first defeat in over a thousand years. Upon realizing it, her second in command genuinely regrets that (unlike humanity) the turians have no latitude towards bad orders or officers placing themselves above their soldiers, leaving him unable to relieve her of command.
- In Marc Being In A Gang Rights, when Counterspy challenges Marc (along with Ladybug and Chat Noir) to a thrilling spy-chase for ownership of Nathan, Counterspy agrees to the condition that he won't hurt any civilians... only to be blocked by Marc's gang making a blockade while the heroes easily catch-up to him from the rooftops. Then after Marc's sister snatches Nathaniel out of the car without him noticing, he honors their arrangement and allows Ladybug to deakumatize him without a fight.
- Scarlet Lady: This is a large part of why Tikki chooses to stay with Chloé despite how she stole her Earrings from Marinette's purse and used them to become a Nominal Heroine. As much as Tikki despises being stuck with the Spoiled Brat, her sense of personal duty outweighs all other concerns. So long as Hawkmoth is out there using her friend Nooroo for evil, there must be a Ladybug out there providing a conduit for her Miraculous Cure. And while Scarlet Lady is largely The Millstone, she's enough of a Glory Hound to enjoy the attention being a hero brings.
- Subverted in Reflex. Upon being offered One For All, Izuku initially considers refusing as he wanted to become a hero using his own Quirk and be an inspiration for underdogs without powerful Quirks. After a conversation with Aizawa where the Pro-Hero admits there'll always be people he fails to save but he comforts himself with the knowledge he did all he could, Izuku decides turning down such an advantage for his own pride is foolish and accepts One For All.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
- Contraptionology!: Pinkie Pie is serious about keeping her Pinkie Promises, even if breaking one is necessary to save Equestria.Pinkie stiffened her lip. Her voice got solemn.
"If Equestria needs me to break a Pinkie Promise in order for me to save it," she said, "then maybe it doesn't deserve to be saved." - Greenfire: Rarity walking back into the den of the dragon who could easily kill her if he suspects her reasons are less than pure, just to thank Greenfire for returning some gems to her. She can't believe she's doing it either. Fortunately, this works out rather well for her.
- The Lunar Rebellion:
- This is something of a recurring flaw for the pegasi, who value their martial and ethical honor so highly that they will always choose what they perceive as the more honorable path in a given matter, even if their other, less honorable options were objectively smarter, less costly or otherwise more expedient. It’s mentioned at one point that their tradition of never surrendering their city to outsiders and fighting to the last has resulted in a long history of needless Last Stands that got a lot of ponies killed for the sake of pride.
- This is specifically something of an issue with Shadow herself. A good example would be how, when seeking allies against Duke Polaris (a self-centered noble who had been given full command of the armed forces despite being highly unqualified for the role), she persistently refused to ally with Sunbeam Sparkle, whom she saw as distasteful and dishonorable, despite it being her only realistic choice for gaining useful allies, with the avenues she pursued instead gaining her little beyond lost time that allowed Polaris to cement his position.
- Several characters note during the Chunin Exam prelims in Destiny is a Hazy Thing that some of the genin have this problem when they refuse to forfeit their match despite being clearly out of their league.
- The Last Prayer:
- After Zabuza loses his sword to Naruto in a bet, he eventually returns to reclaim it. Even though Naruto is perfectly happy to let the man simply have the blade, citing that he doesn't have the skills to wield it, Zabuza's code of honor insists he win it back fairly.
- Naruto goes through the Sound-Sand Invasion seeking to keep two different near impossible promises: Not letting anyone from Konoha or Suna die and not using Kurama's chakra against Gaara. Because of the hundreds of clones Naruto makes to fulfill the first promise, he can't use Sage Mode against Gaara and is stuck in his base form. Eventually, Jiraiya yells at Naruto to stop trying to save everyone and focus on Shukaku, before popping one of his clones.
- A Teacher's Glory:
- Kin refuses to wear her deceased teammate's clothes, despite having been stripped naked and left to fend for herself in the forest of death. Also, Sasuke finds himself obliged to take Ino on a date because he said he would, no matter how easily he could duck out of it, because the Uchiha Head keeps his promises.
- Team 7 decides that this does not apply in the Chunin exams when Naruto gets injured. Rather than give him what treatment they can scrape up while looking for a scroll, they know that the exams are not a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and opt to get him professional medical attention even at the cost of failing.
- Choji in Team 7's Ascension: Blood Wings holds very firmly to his policy of Thou Shalt Not Kill during the Chunin Exams after he (accidentally) kills an enemy, while the other members of the Konoha 12 hold to the declared "No Survivors" policy as there's several alliances bigger than their own. This comes back to bite him when an enemy he knocked out gets back up, kills Akamaru, severs Shino's arm, and leaves Ino temporarily crippled. Ino later gives him a What the Hell, Hero? for sparing an enemy at the expense of his comrades.
- Samurai in Challenger considers using Super Effective moves in Pokemon battles to be dishonorable. Naturally he loses quickly when Ash's Sandile uses Fire Fang against his Pinsir. Though, given that Samurai also blamed the Sandile for attacking him when he drew a sword on Ash, it's likely he's just being a Scrub.
- Examples from Pokémon Reset Bloodlines, in regards to the use of certain bloodliner abilities:
- Heart Bloodliners are able to Mind Control any Pokémon at least partially their type, but from the Pokémon's perspective, this isn't a pleasant experience. Iris always knew she could do it but refused to use it in her family of Dragon types, and after learning from her Goldeen how it felt, Misty also refuses to use it ever again, even when it would give her an advantage.
- Zigzagged in Ash's case, who refuses to use his ability to give Pokémon temporary power boosts in competitive battles because he considers it cheating and doesn't want his Pokémon to depend on it so they can grow strong on their own. However, he's willing to use it if it's to fight a villain or to help someone in need.
- In Sekirei: Guardian of the North, Minato refuses to use the MBI cards with no spending limit because of how much he hates MBI. Likewise, he won't let the girls do any chores or get jobs to help out because it's his job to support them all. This leaves Minato trying to support several women and himself on just his wages as a construction worker.
- Flashman and the Throne of Swords: While preparing for his Trial by Combat, Flashman goads Ser Vardis Egan into fighting without armor by saying that the knight must be a coward if he fights in full armor against an unarmored Englishman."In his shoes, assuming I'd been mad enough to offer myself willingly for a trial-by-combat, that taunt wouldn't have moved me an inch out of my steel clothes, but Ser Vardis was, like many other Westerosi knights, an honour-mad fool."
- The King That Nobody Wanted: Howland Reed, when commenting on the Kingslaying, makes it clear he does not subscribe to this. In his opinion, breaking a sworn vow can be perfectly excusable if morality and common sense demand it. As such, he sees Jaime's murder of Aerys as perfectly justified.Reed: Would one of you white cloaks done it sooner. It would have been best for all the Seven Kingdoms.
Jaime: I... we swore a vow! To protect him, not to judge him.
Reed: And I have sworn a vow to serve House Stark. As did my father, and his father before him. And yet if I came to my home, and found a Stark raping my wife, that Stark would die. But then, I am only a crannogman. We are a small folk, and we often find the ways of you large folk puzzling.
- Back From the Future:
- Yoda suffers a near fatal heart attack, only surviving because Luke arrived in time to heal him. While believing Mace Windu was the one to heal himnote , Yoda's very first thoughts are how he plans to scold Mace for having an attachment to him. At no point does Yoda even consider being grateful that he's still alive.
- Shaak-ti follows protocol so rigidly that even being shown that the Clone Troopers have chips in their heads that can force them to attack fellow Jedi won't make her act on her own. She continues to insist they bring the matter to the Jedi Council first, even while Plo Koon (having given up trying to convince her) aided Luke in removing the chips from the clones.
- In a later chapter Duchess Satine is outraged when she thinks Obi-wan (actually Luke) is using a lightsaber to fight off people trying to assassinate her. Even the idea of someone bringing a lethal weapon to her planet infuriates her. Satine only relents when she realizes Luke was using a stun staff.
- Blood and Honor: As a light side Force user in the Empire, Sanguis occasionally catches flack for this from her fellow Sith. She keeps her word, refuses to turn on her superiors and never seeks personal glory. She also refuses to force herself on Quinn - when he rejects her advances, she respects his wishes.
- Black Wings, Black Sails: William Laurence is majorly Unfettered as a result of several events in the backstory souring the guy to the whole concept of duty to king and country that he takes so seriously in canon. Still, when Laurence is ordered by the Tswana to attack Capetown, he waits outside the town for a whole week before attacking, allowing an entire family of Africans to be burned alive by slavers simply because he wants to give the Allegiance (and subsequently Temeraire) time to leave before he attacks the town, unaware that the Allegiance was waiting for Laurence to attack first so it could take him down for good. Like his canon counterpart's many attempts at this, it blows up in his face, placing him in disgrace with the Tswana, and then the Tswana takes the Allegiance prisoner anyways.
