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{{trope}}
[[File:hold-door-open-
{{quote|'''Gwen:''' ''(after Geoff is voted off)'' Are you guys all crazy?! Geoff is the nicest guy in the world!
'''Duncan:''' Yeah! Bingo, sister!
'''Owen:''' As if [[Alpha Bitch|Heather]] could defeat "nice".
'''Heather:''' The power of "nice" is huge! And we're not worried about you in that department, Gwen.
'''Geoff:''' No sweat, Gwen. Ciao dudes!
|''[[Total Drama Island]]''}}
Not to be [[Department of Redundancy Department|redundant]], but the Nice Guy (or Gal) is [[Captain Obvious|nice]]. Maybe not a [[The Messiah|saint]], but definitely no [[Loners Are Freaks|loner]] or [[Darker and Edgier|edgy]] [[Rebellious Spirit|rebel.]] They're friendly, psychologically well-balanced, [[True Neutral|morally average]] ([[Neutral Good|if not better]]) and in short, someone anyone wouldn't mind to be around and [[The Confidant|have as a friend]], which is often what they are to the hero and/or his extended cast. He won't engage in [[Jerkass]] behaviour, but probably responds in kind to [[Vitriolic Best Buds]] as a type 1 or affable type 2.
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Want to know what writers think of that? '''[[Good Is Boring|"Boring!"]]''' and ''[[Friendly Target|"Next!"]]''
This is because they can be conflict null zones romantically and dramatically because of a perceived [[Flat Character|(or real)]] lack of [[Rounded Character|depth.]] But if done right, it can demonstrate why a guy does have beautiful women attached to him for a genuine reason: he really is a remarkably wonderful and compassionate person (Keiichi of ''[[Ah!
Along with the [[Happily Married]] couple, the Nice Guy is among fiction's "favorite" [[Friendly Target
However, that's not to say that they can't be pretty engaging or even the protagonist; all it takes is giving them a personality outside of "nice", some engaging relationships, and a pinch of [[Hidden Depths]]. If [[Smart Guy|combat intellect]] or combat ability are involved, it's akin to [[Obfuscating Stupidity]] or [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]] because you naturally ''expect'' the [[Dark and Troubled Past|dark]], [[Hurting Hero|tormented]] [[I Work Alone|loner]] to be a [[Badass]] and the nice guy to [[Exactly What It Says
Often, authors go the abbreviated route and give them a [[Dark and Troubled Past]] triggered by a [[Berserk Button]]. Either way, you can expect their niceness to be ''[[Broken Hero|in spite]]'' of whatever [[Tragedy]] or drama is in their lives, kind of an equal and opposite reaction to it. If done too suddenly, it implies a level of secrecy and acting that a [[Stepford Smiler]] would be jealous of. When done well, a more troubled character will [[Don't You Dare Pity Me!|rebuff their advice or friendship]] with "What do you know? [[Misery Poker|You've never had X happen to you!]]" to his "[[Former Teen Rebel|I did]]", thus revealing healed-over scars.
Note: this trope is referring to ''genuine'' Nice Guys, not [https://web.archive.org/web/20130117015253/http://divalion.livejournal.com/163615.html the other sort of "Nice Guy"], which is more of a [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing|Bastard In Sheeps Clothing]] (usually with major [[Casanova Wannabe]] tendencies). [[Entitled to Have You]] is the trope for that concept. Also, if the
If he ''does'' get the girl, it's [[Single Woman Seeks Good Man]]. Usually the result of [[Upbringing Makes the Hero]]. [[Beware the Nice Ones|You should beware this nice guy]], though, should you press his [[Berserk Button]].
{{noreallife|we'd be here all day.}}
{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* The male protagonist of just about every [[Harem Series]].
* Natsume from ''[[Natsume Yuujinchou]]'', who manages to pull this off despite having [[No Social Skills]]. It helps that he's also the protagonist.
* Shouta Kazehaya from ''[[Kimi
** Male leads who good are looking, popular, and nice guys are as common in Shoujo as their female counterparts are in Shonen; wish-fulfillment is large part of fiction after all.
* Jinto from ''[[Crest of the Stars]]'', almost to the point of self-effacement. He's also [[Iron Woobie]] and [[The Quisling]] at the same time and thus makes an interesting protagonist despite having a less flashy personality than some of the other characters.
* Chrono in ''[[Chrono Crusade]]'' comes across as a gentle, sweet boy that's often abused by his more [[Hot-Blooded]] partner. And he ''is'' a genuine
* Kenshiro, in spite of inheriting the head-popping Martial Art known as ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'', is a warm, gentle, sensitive and kind-hearted man who loves children and is [[Manly Tears|not ashamed]] [[Tender Tears|to cry]].
* Kou from ''[[Cross Game]]'' and most Adachi protagonists show shades of this trope. You can actually ''see'' why girls would like them, as opposed to many shounen 'Nice Guys'.
* Seiichirou Kitano from ''[[
* Kouta, the male protagonist from ''[[Elfen Lied]]'', is a perfect example of this trope. Of course, considering that this show is filled to the brim with [[The Woobie|Woobies]] (himself included) and [[Complete Monster
** Don´t forget Nana, despite her miserable life and the atrocious abuse she constantly suffers, she is always nice to everybody and, even when she gets serious, refuses to kill people.
* Takato Matsuki from ''[[Digimon Tamers]]''. He's just a normal boy who is a fan of Digimon, as opposed to the rest of the cast which seems to have lots of Emotional Issues. This, of course, gets deconstructed.
* [[Gentle Giant|Choutarou Ohtori]] is the nice guy of Hyoutei in ''[[The Prince of Tennis]]'', and [[Foil]] of his [[Sensitive Guy and Manly Man|caustic doubles partner Shishido]]. Also, Shuichirou Oishi who is pretty much a male [[Yamato Nadeshiko]].
* Spain, Canada, Finland, Thailand and Greece from ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'' are the closest to the trope in between the cast.
** Lithuania and Liechtenstein might count as well, at least in the main plot.
** And according to the last manga volume, Macau is one as well:
{{quote|
* Along with Mai's brother Takumi, Kazuya Kurauchi is one of the genuinely nicer members of ''[[
* Hirasawa Yui of ''[[K-On!]]'' is the idealistic, innocent and warm heart that holds the "Afterschool Teatime" band together.
* Mikage of ''
* Ayato from ''[[
* [[Naruto|Rock Lee]]. So much so that he ''forgave'' Gaara for nearly crippling him for life and ending his career as a shinobi.
** [[The Big Guy|Chouji Akimichi]] is another example. He's a huge softie, getting emotional when {{spoiler|he has to fight his reanimated sensei}}, and both his father and sensei state that his kind nature is his greatest quality.
** Hinata, of course since she did forgive Neji after he tried to kill her.
** Naruto Uzumaki himself. His kindness and [[Not So Different]] properties have redeemed psychopaths, unrepentant killers, as well as starting to affect the [[Eldritch Abomination|Kyuubi]]. After he saves Konoha from Pain, it appears the village finally sees these qualities.
*** Of course, early Naruto was more a [[Jerk
** There's also Iruka Umino, Naruto's [[Big Brother Mentor]]. His occasionally explosive temper aside, he's a ''very'' pleasant person to be around, being the first person to relate to Naruto on a personal level and never saw him as the Kyuubi unlike most villagers (notable because Iruka's parents were killed by the demon). Iruka's also an example of this trope done ''right'' - these very qualities are what make him an [[Ensemble Darkhorse]], rather than the other way around (as the case would normally be).
** And before all of these, Minato Namikaze (aka Fourth Hokage); even his future wife thought (at first) that he was a sissy because of his nice and polite demeanor. {{spoiler|[[Like Father, Like Son]]}} it would seem.
* Tenma in ''[[Monster (
* Tsukune in ''[[Rosario
* Rocket from ''[[Ginga Densetsu Weed]]'' after his [[Heel Face Turn]].
*
* Allen Walker from ''[[D
* Takeshi Yamamoto from ''[[Katekyo Hitman Reborn]]'' is the friendliest of Tsuna's guardians. Until you hand him a baseball bat...or a sword... or hurt his friends...[[Beware the Nice Ones|then prepared to be sliced to pieces]].
* Nagasumi of ''[[Seto no Hanayome]]'' is surprisingly well-adjusted and nice, considering that [[The Chew Toy|the universe screws around with him]] on a regular basis.
* Tsukasa Hiiragi from ''[[Lucky Star]]'' has "Good Person" as her highest stat, and it shows.
* Ash Ketchum from ''[[Pokémon (
** Tracey, who replaced Brock for one half-season, is the embodiment of this trope. He's so polite and mild-mannered that many viewers write him off as bland and uninteresting. He [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshades]] it in one side
** Brock is no slouch, either. As [[Team Mom]], he cooks and cares for his younger friends, provides help and encouragement with endless good-natured patience, and rarely loses his temper ([[Chivalrous Pervert|when pretty girls aren't involved]]).
** There's also Ash's newest companion in ''Best Wishes'': Cilan, who is always trying to settle things between characters that fight. [[Beware the Nice Ones|Just don't piss him off...]][[Cute and Psycho|you really don't want to piss him off.]]
** And then there's Luke who is one of the nicest of Ash's rivals/friends who doesn't insult him. His nice guy attitude is how he's able to put up with [[Genki Girl|Bianca's]] quirks but [[Beware the Nice Ones|even he]] [[Berserk Button|has his limits.]]
* We have Nao from the ''[[Liar Game]]'', perhaps the most pure and honest character in the whole series. In fact, her reason for continuing with the game is to [[The Messiah|save]] everyone else in the game, including the ones who had deceived and [[Evil Gloating|gloated]] cruelly in her face.
* Ryuuji Takasu from ''[[Toradora
* Mari Illustrious Makinami from ''[[Rebuild of Evangelion]] 2.0''. When she's not [[Ax Crazy|piloting]] [[Attack! Attack! Attack!|an Eva]], that is.
* [[Master Keaton|Taichii Hiraga Keaton]] is an all around nice guy who happens to be a former sergeant in the British Army and a veteran of the Falkland Wars. Now he's an adjunct archaeology professor who also works as an investigator for Lloyds of London. Keaton is free from all of the arrogance and eccentricities that are normally associated with very smart people. Frankly, Keaton tends to meet all sorts of eccentrics in his line of work. Although he can kick ass if he wanted to, he prefers to use his intellect. So he's also a pacifist.
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** Meanwhile, Shirley Fenette and Euphemia li Britannia are the epitome of this trope when it comes to females. Unfortunately, this just shows us how the writers feel about Nice Gals in the cast. Rivalz has shades of it, being a kindhearted slacker, and Gino Weinberg also has shades of it, as much as his duty as a Knight of Rounds allows.
** No mention of Nunnally Lamperouge, anyone? She stays cheerful and kind through experiences that would leave most people ''shattered'' {{spoiler|and is fortunate enough to survive unlike the above girls, albeit after some ''serious'' breaking.}}
* Max Sterling/Max Jenius of ''[[Robotech]] / [[Macross]]'' is an unusual example of a definite
* Tohru of ''[[Shiki]]''.
* Yuji of ''[[Shakugan no Shana]]'' is an interesting variation of this whose niceness actually does get him girls. Ironically, instead of stifling romantic conflict, his niceness is also his greatest flaw, actually creating romantic conflict in the first half of Season 2, where he completely fails to realize that he can't give attention to every girl who's attracted to him without hurting the feelings of someone else, thus making him an accidental [[Master of the Mixed Message]]. And his friend Hayato ''does'' call him out on that.
* Nicol Amalfi and Kira Yamato from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam
* Normal Yugi of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]''. Unfortunately for him, his [[Loves My Alter Ego|love interest]] is into his [[All Girls Want Bad Boys|darker]] [[Super-Powered Evil Side|alter ego]].
** Bakura Ryou is also a genuinely kind, gentle, shy young man. Too bad the [[Super-Powered Evil Side]] that came with his [[Clingy MacGuffin]] has a penchant for either killing or inflicting a [[Fate Worse Than Death]] on those who cross him.
* Eiichirou of the manga ''[[
{{quote|
'''Natsu''': ... because it's ''you''. I mean, I know you wouldn't tell anyone.
'''Eiichirou''': But you can't be sure of that!
'''Natsu:''': I'm sure. }}
* Poor Hojo from ''[[Inuyasha]]''. He is so nice that no one has the heart to tell him that is not [[Belligerent Sexual Tension|how things work]] in [[Rumiko Takahashi|that universe]].
* ''[[Ichiban Ushiro no
* The eponymous Haruka from ''[[Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu]]'' is a really, really nice moe girl and also, an otaku.
* ''[[Maison Ikkoku]]'' features Yusaku Godai, an honest example of this type of character. The series does not shy away from the flaws in these types of
* [[Shrinking Violet|Mikado]] from ''[[Durarara
** There's also Tom Tanaka, who's primary character trait appears to be that he is the lone normal, untraumatized, nice guy [[Dysfunction Junction|in a city of absolute nutters]]. Bizarrely, it's [[Because You Were Nice to Me|this very trait that let him befriend]] the ''most'' unstable character in the series, [[The Berserker|Shizuo Heiwajima]].
** [[Naive Newcomer|Yoshimune]] from [[No Export for You|3 Way Standoff]] plays this trope straight though.
* Ayumu Nishizawa of ''[[
** Hayate himself is a nice guy in general, despite being a [[Butt Monkey]]. Isumi is this as well.
* Akira Sakamoto of ''[[Princess Princess]]'' is such a Nice Guy that his excess niceness leaks out and forms an aura of soothing and healing vibes that refreshes everyone who comes into contact with him.
* Tenchi Masaki of ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]''.
* Hayato Kazami (for most of the time) and Johji Ohtomo from ''[[
** Despite being a quiet person (at least in the third OVA), Phill Fritz from ''SAGA'' and ''SIN'' is actually a pretty nice guy.
** Makoto Katagiri, if we check on minor characters.
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* Tsubasa Aozora from ''[[Captain Tsubasa]]''; when he's not on the field, that is. Taro Misaki, Gino Fernandez, Luciano Leo and Pepe are also nice guys as well.
** Even when in the field, Tsubasa is pretty nice. In fact, he's been injured more than once while ''helping'' a teammate or a rival, like when {{spoiler|he saved one of the Tachibana twins from falling head-on first to the ground (which would've almost surely killed him, or at least caused horrible damage) and [[Game-Breaking Injury|got a dislocated shoulder for his trouble.]]}}
* There aren't a lot of nice people in ''[[Berserk]]'', let alone nice guys. So you can guess why Judeau has become the resident [[Ensemble Darkhorse]] because of his nice, laid-back personality.
** Later, [[Sixth Ranger]] Roderick has revealed himself to be a nice guy, though not as popular as Judeau.
** Jerome from the Retribution Arc can pretty much be considered a nice guy as well, as he is far more decent than some of the other guys around him.
* ''[[
* ''[[
* Kazuya Aoi from ''[[Freezing]]'' is the only one willing to look past Satellizer's shady background and discover that she's actually a really sweet girl, she just has some issues.
* Dekisugi from ''[[Doraemon]]'' is this because his character is based on a perfect archetype of a Japanese schoolboy, in contrast of [[The Hero|Nobita]], who's a bit of a brat. In the [[The Movie|movies]], however, Nobita is upgraded into this trope, if not outright [[The Messiah]].
* ''[[
* Yugo Hachiken from [[Silver Spoon]] is one of these, willing to do anything for his new found friends at the Yezo Agricultural School, and is also rather friendly. His classmates are perfectly willing to use him for menial labor for this reason.
* Despite being a [[Idiot Hero|moron]], and sustaining physical abuse from his ''friends'', [[Baka to Test
* A number of characters in ''[[
* Madoka from ''[[Rinne no Lagrange]]'' pilots a mecha because her friend she just made, asked her to.
* Both Keiichi and Belldandy of ''[[Ah!
* Nossori, Morimori and Sewashi from ''[[
* Sho Fukamachi in all three versions of ''[[Guyver
* Itsuki in ''[[Rental Magica]]''. Also, [[Chick Magnet]] (even for ghost and homunculus girls).
==
* Most incarnations of [[Superman]]'s pal, [[Jimmy Olsen]].
** Superman himself. The essence of his character is being a shining example for others to look up to.
* [[Green Lantern]] Hal Jordan's younger brother, Jim Jordan.
* [[Spider
* [[Nightwing|Dick Grayson.]] [[DC Universe|DC Comics']] official position is that he's the most beloved superhero in the community (yes, even moreso than ''Superman'') and that almost any member of it would instantly drop what they were doing to help if he were in trouble.
** Tim Drake, [[Robin]] III is also a nice guy, especially in his early Robin series. He took care of his girlfriend who was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's child, and is good at babysitting kids. In the new DCU, he was also called a nice guy by Wondergirl.
* Kim Pine from ''[[Scott Pilgrim
* [[Captain America (comics)|Captain America]]. Pretty much ''anyone'' can (and do, on many occasions) soliloquize about how much everyone adores the shit out of Cap, and never feel like they're laying it on too thick or being out of character; which is something that can't be done to many other characters without it tasting of a [[Creator's Pet]]. In the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]], being a Nice Guy is actually the only reason the [[Super Serum]] even ''worked'' - When it was given to a megalomaniac, it created the [[Red Skull]]. [[Colonel Badass]] [[Tommy Lee Jones|Chester Phillips]] wanted to give it to a "[[Blood Knight|Strong, Fast, Obedient Soldier]], and sixty years later we get to see [[The Incredible Hulk (
* The squeaky clean ''[[Tintin
* Mr. Tawky Tawny in the ''[[Shazam]]'' franchise sometimes causes a scare for being a humanoid tiger, anyone who takes the time to know about him will realize that he is a perfect gentleman and a wonderful person to know.
* Major Mapleleaf from ''[[Alpha Flight]]'', as befits a super-Mountie.
* Jaime Reyes' [[Blue Beetle]] is basically Spider-Man without the world crapping on him as much. Thankfully, he has (or Had thanks to flashpoint) a strong supporting cast he could play off of.
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* Stefan Faraday, the Destrious xenobiologist and [[The Lancer|second in command]], in the ''WALLE Forum Roleplay''.
** And possibly Terenzio Bareggi, the gambler, though he's more of a mix of this trope, [[The Charmer]] and the [[Loveable Rogue]].
* [[Ultimate Sleepwalker
* Despite being called a [[Malicious Slander|coltcuddlin' pedophile]], Caramel of ''[[
* Sonic the Hedgehog in ''[[
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* Kurtis in ''[[The Final]]''. He tried his best to be friends to everybody, and defended Ravi from [[Jerk Jock|Bradley]]. As a result, the outcasts try (and fail) to keep him from coming to their "[[Nasty Party|party]]."
* [[Jimmy Stewart]] was famous for playing this character.
* Dale, one of the unfortunate victims in ''[[
* Leonard Stecyk in ''[[The Pale King]]''.
* Stanley Ipkiss in ''[[The Mask]]'' is specifically identified as a 'nice guy' - unfortunately for him that means being treated like a doormat.
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== Live Action TV ==
* [[Quantum Leap|Sam Beckett.]]
* Jimmy from early ''[[Degrassi the Next Generation]]''
** Sav and Adam are more recent examples.
** As are Jake and Riley.
* Girl example - the titular character of ''[[Lizzie
* Lt. Commander Data in ''[[Star Trek:
** Despite his ineptitude with social interaction, Data is impeccably polite and
* A large portion of the male cast of ''[[Glee]]'' is made up of
** Though it's worth noting that Finn, Will and Ken, in particular, are easily read as [[Deconstruction
* The "well-balanced" part doesn't apply (in fact, he has myriad issues), but otherwise Ned from ''[[Pushing Daisies]]'' fits this pretty well. He may be a bit aloof, but he's just shy, not rude, and he's sincere, kind and principled.
* Simon Tam of ''[[Firefly]]'' is this despite being socially clumsy and [[The Stoic|icy]] in personality. He becomes less nice when his baby sister River is threatened.
** [[Moe|Kaylee]] definitely qualifies as well.
* Lennier in ''[[Babylon
* A large part of the plot of ''[[Chuck]]'' is derived from the conflict between the moral greyness of the spy world and the relentlessly good-natured attitude of the title character.
** His friend, the aptly-named Captain Awesome is definitely a good-natured guy too.
* Dangerous Davies from ''[[The Last Detective]]''. If it wasn't based on a novel series and previously played 30 years ago in a one shot film by Bernard Cribbins, it wouldn't be farfetched to think that this role was created exclusively with [[Peter Davison]] in mind. D.C. Davies is called Dangerous because he's anything but. He's called the Last Detective because he's the last one anyone thinks of to send on an important case. He's honest, fair, non-assertive, and generous. These are the sort of things that apparently make a bad cop. This is true since all the other coppers are portrayed as cynical, hardened, insensitive, and borderline corrupt.
* Auggie from ''[[Covert Affairs]]''. His [[Big Brother Instinct]] for Annie is touching.
* Lt. Paxton's husband in the ''[[NCIS]]'' episode ''Power Down''. Interestingly it looked like he might be guilty at first.
* Freddie Benson in ''[[
* Agent Dale Cooper, the main character of ''[[Twin Peaks]]'', is very friendly and likeable, if not a bit [[Cloudcuckoolander|on the eccentric side]]. {{spoiler|Too bad he gets [[Demonic Possession|possessed]] by [[Big Bad|Killer BOB]] in the [[Bolivian Army Ending|series]] [[Left Hanging|finale]]}}.
* Sam from ''[[True Blood]]'' is the perfect example of
* [[Momma's Boy|Hoyt]] and [[Shell-Shocked Veteran|Terri]] both fit nicely into this trope. They are both decent, moral guys that always act supportive and respectful towards the other characters, are both sweet and sensitive. They both sometimes get trodden on by more forceful characters. [[All Men Are Perverts|Of all the men in the series]], [[Single Woman Seeks Good Man|Hoyt and Terri would make the best boyfriends: they are really the only two who treat their love-interests properly]].
* Jason Lee Scott of ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]''.
** T.J. of ''[[Power Rangers Turbo|Turbo]]'' and ''[[Power Rangers in Space|In Space]]'' and Wes of ''[[Power Rangers Time Force|Time Force]]'' are also standout Ranger examples.
** Don't forget Danny Delgado from ''[[Power Rangers Wild Force]]'', [[Gentle Giant]] extraordinaire.
* Matt from ''[[Friday Night Lights (TV series)|Friday Night Lights]]''.
* [[Mister Rogers]], '''''[[Captain Obvious|duh]]'''''.
* Rory Williams ( {{spoiler|Pond}}) of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. A
* ''[[
* Ted from ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]''. Although he has his [[Jerkass]] moments like the rest of the characters, he's almost ridiculously hospitable and helpful towards his friends (to the point of once selling his new car to loan Marshall money after the latter loses his job, giving Barney and Robin scads of relationship advice despite the latter being his ex-girlfriend, and giving Marshall and Lily his own apartment as a baby shower gift, complete with a handmade crib, when he realizes they are miserable in the suburbs). He's also a hopeless romantic and sentimental sap, which is [[Women Are Wiser|frequently highlighted by the show's penchant for gender-flipping tropes.]] One of the foremost examples: to dissuade her from having sex, he regales Robin's teenage sister with a story about how back in high school, he said "I love you too" to his girlfriend after she said she loved him to get in her pants, ran off the moment he finished banging her, and never called her back. He says that ''all'' teenage boys are like this, even the 'nice' ones like him. However, Ted later confesses that the roles were reversed -- ''he'' was in love with the girl, who lied about being in love with him back to make him put out and never called him back.
** Ted's best friend Marshall is pretty much the poster-child for this trope. He's sweet, sensitive, innocent, good-natured, idealistic, romantic, and can't bear to hurt anyone (which is why it's such a shock when he beats a guy unconscious in retaliation for punching Ted). Also puts him into [[Gentle Giant]] territory given that Jason Segel is about 6'4.
* Major Healey from ''[[I
** Most of the other characters are unfailingly polite and fit into this trope. The older male authority figures are stern but very polite and supportive (especially considering [[Hilarity Ensues|all the hijinks that the Majors and Jeannie pull]], and are surprisingly forgiving and fair ( if somewhat by-the-book). When the psychologist found out that Major Nelson was being investigated as a tax cheat, he was quick to defend him. And Major Nelson might be somewhat uptight and exasperated by [[Manic Pixie Dream Girl|all of Jeannie's stunts]], but he clearly cares a lot about her, too, and will often go out of his way to do nice things for her and Major Healey.
* Lister and Kryten from ''[[
* Riley and Xander from ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''.
** Though Riley gets something of a [[Deconstruction]] later on - he's the prime example of how to ''not'' do this character since he ended up being regarded as a bland [[Replacement Scrappy]] for ''[[Angel]]'' (and attempts to make him more compelling as a [[Love Interest]] for Buffy fell flat).
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* In ''[[Noah's Arc]]'', Junito is probably the best example, being consistently kind, courteous, patient and understanding with Ricky (who is a promiscuous, emotionally stunted, and often times [[Jerkass]] individual).
* Sol Star of ''[[Deadwood]]'' manages to be nice to just about everyone in the camp (no easy feat) including Al Swearengen and be [[Heterosexual Life Partners]] with the perpetually short tempered Seth Bullock.
* Dr. Archibald Hopper of [[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Storybrooke, Maine]]. He's capable of being civil and helpful to just about anyone. Just don't ask this [[Pinocchio (Disney film)|amnesiac cricket]] to ignore his conscience or you'll get an earful.
== Literature ==
* Dean from [[Tanya Huff]]'s ''[[Keepers Chronicles|Summon the Keeper]]'' is so well-grounded people instinctively look for roots when they see him. He does housework, never swears, and is really handsome as well. Oh, and he's a twenty-year-old [[Nature Adores a Virgin|virgin.]]
* Karal from the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy of the ''[[Heralds of Valdemar]]''. He's so nice, in fact, that he's terribly ill-suited for the web of political intrigue he's thrust into by the death of his [[The Obi-Wan|mentor]], Ulrich, Karsite ambassador to Valdemar. However, as a priest (and an honest one, even), this very attribute turns out to be his greatest asset in making friends with the Heralds.
* Brienne of Tarth from ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''. She's kind, generous, honourable, loyal, and the only knight with an aversion to killing civilians. Unfortunately, these traits are [[Break the Cutie|not]] [[Trauma Conga Line|useful]] for a woman who lives in a [[Crapsack World]].
** Arys Oakheart also qualifies, being the most unwilling of the Kingsguard to beat Sansa (and does so as lightly as possible), and is steadfastly loyal to Myrcella, whom he is sworn to protect. {{spoiler|He gets offed.}}
* Isaac Fisher from [[Outsourced
* [[Jeeves and Wooster (
* Ivan Vorpatril of [[Vorkosigan Saga]] is charming and likable. He is not without his faults, usually typical ones for an [[Spoiled Sweet| entitled but reasonably well-intended courtier]] such as an overfondness of the good life. And he is often underestimated by his kinfolk. But he is always loyal and albeit not without grumbling, helps his friends and relations and even total strangers.
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* Real life examples are incredibly subjective, but anyone who has met Kristin Hersh or follows her Facebook page or Twitter account knows she really, really fits this trope.
* [[Alice Cooper]]'s No More Mr. Nice Guy is about Cooper throwing down the gauntlet after his mother's church group reacted with disgust to his onstage antics. He contends he was actually a Nice Guy...but not anymore.
== Tabletop Gaming ==
* ''[[Warhammer]]'' has one of the most nightmarish takes on this trope in the form of the Chaos God Nurgle, Lord of Decay and Master of Plagues. Khorne is a perpetually angry and bloodthirsty sociopath, Tzeentch puts the "Bastard" in "[[Manipulative Bastard]]", and Slaanesh is a sadistic hedonist, but Nurgle? He's a jolly old soul who doesn't have a single wicked bone in his body. He loves ''everyone'', including you! And that's why he wants to bestow a horrific flesh-eating disease or painful pox upon you: in his warped, alien worldview, disease and decay are truly the greatest gifts in existence, so he wants nothing more than to share them with everyone he can!
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== Video Games ==
* The ''[[Mass Effect]]'' series has a few:
** In ''[[Mass Effect 1]]'' we have Kaidan Alenko, the resident
** ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'' has Jacob Taylor, who is the [[Only Sane Man]] in a [[Dysfunction Junction]] and a friendly, level-headed man.
** On the flip side, guys ([[Even the Girls Want Her|and girls]]) loved the badass [[Wrench Wench]] Tali so much that she was upgraded to love interest in the sequel, remaining incredibly popular even against competition like [[Green-Skinned Space Babe|Liara]] and [[Ms. Fanservice|Miranda]].
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* The Main Character in ''[[Persona 4]]'' almost never speaks, but he seems like a really nice person, both in his few dialogue choices (always polite, considerate, and caring) and in action (helps almost everyone whom he meets overcome their psychological issues, works at a daycare center, hospital, ''and'' a tutor).
** Also the Male and Female Protagonists from ''[[Persona 3]]''.
* A non-romantic example: Scott Shelby in ''[[Heavy Rain]]'' is an overweight, asthmatic private detective, but he's also a really nice fellow who can [[Talking the Monster
** It's saying a lot when {{spoiler|the nicest character in such a bleak story turns out to be the most evil character.}}
* [[Dragon Age|Dragon Age's]] Alistair is about as nice as is possible to be, unless you hit his [[Berserk Button]]. Leliana is very sweet, and even Zevran, despite being an assassin hired to kill you, is good-natured and easygoing. Not coincidentally, they are three of the four potential love interests in the game.
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** Of course, during her sidequest, she pretty much encourages you to expose yourself to near fatal amounts of radiation, and severely injure yourself. [[For Science!|All in the name of research, of course.]] And you don't actually HAVE to do it, you can instead just crush her dreams and leave her horribly depressed. Or you can nuke her hometown and leave her as a radioactive ghoul... [[You Bastard]].
* Atrus from ''[[Myst]]'' is friendly, helpful, peace-loving, wise and sensible.
* Guy from ''[[
* A [[Gender Flip]] example: [[Disgaea|Flonne]] is the kindest and most caring angel you'll ever meet [[Love Freak|talking about love]]
** And from the same guys who made ''[[Disgaea]]'', [[The Messiah|Marona]] from [[Phantom Brave]] is this trope taken [[Up to Eleven]].
* Stefan Bekowsky from ''[[
* Link from ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' franchise.
* Stocke from ''[[
* Tails of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' is easily one of the nicest characters in the cast, and is even perfectly alright with accepting [[Big Bad|Eggman]] as a friend if he doesn't have an evil scheme at the moment.
* Similarly, [[Super Mario Bros.|Luigi]]. He's very open, compliments people he's competing against, doesn't have Mario's [[Jerkass]] tendencies, and overall helps anybody with a problem he can solve.
** Mario himself is about as inoffensive as it gets, being a sort of all-purpose problem-solver/[[One-Man Army|private-army]] as a result of random people asking him for help and Mario never refusing. He does have the aforementioned tendency to abuse Bowser (being justified only 9 times out of 10), but to any non-militant-koopas he's friendly, gregarious, and charitable.
* ''[[
** Isaac was openly identified as a
** Ivan was identified as a sweet kid, but had some issues with [[Mind Over Manners]] even in the first game, which he was even called out on.
** Mia has a little bit of [[Deadpan Snarker]], but is mostly a gentle [[Staff Chick]] and the first truly nice player character in the series. Her [[Establishing Character Moment]] is healing an elderly couple, she quickly puts her trust in Isaac's group despite the doubtful circumstances of their meeting, and her most aggressive moment is even fully merited - revulsion with her cousin, Alex, upon realising the extent of his betraying their Clan's ideals.
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== [[Visual Novels]] ==
* Masayuki in ''[[
* ''[[Tsukihime]]'''s Tohno Shiki is a decent, compassionate guy. Don't fuck with him or he'll make you [[Deader Than Dead]]. Or for that matter, fuck him. Dude's a living aversion of [[Good People Have Good Sex]]. His niceness was most likely a result of a traumatic incident where he almost died so now he ended up appreciating life more.
** Shiki is more of an average guy then a real nice guy. Sure he'll risk his neck to rid of a killer if he feels its within his power (or if he's force to) and he'll put on a smile for you but in truth, he don't really care all that much for some strangers. For example: When he first heard of the murders his thought process was: Must suck for the victims; oh well, nothing I can do, on with life. He also admits when helping Arcruied that that he's not really doing it to help the city, he's helping her because he wants to help her. Guess he's one of those "fake nice guys" the guy above was talking about; definitely a nice guy but not a saint.
*** On the other hand, regarding strangers, when he {{spoiler|was facing Nrvnqsr Chaos, witnessing the latter interrupting their confrontation to murder and devour a bypasser who had nothing to do with anything, for no reason whatsoever, was what got him out of being afraid of the monster, and replaced the fear with hatred and anger}}.
* ''[[Fate/stay
* In [[Lux
** Yayoi is the nice girl of the group always worrying about everyone's safety and like Ryo, she's the [[Team Mom]] of the group.
* Hideyoshi of ''[[Umineko no Naku Koro
** To further shove this in your face, {{spoiler|he has ''the lowest survival rate in the series,''}} while his wife [[Rich Bitch|Eva]] ([[Pet the Dog|who adores him]]) {{spoiler|has the ''highest.'' [[Morality Chain|And after he kicks it, she horribly snaps. EVERY time.]]. }} Owwwwch.
** George (who happens to be Hideyoshi and Eva's son) and Jessica can probably apply for this too. With the same, necessary caveat, of course.
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== Web Comics ==
* Lizard from the (discontinued) comics ''Living in Greytown'' and ''Lizard!''
* Bob from ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]'' epitomizes this. He could be considered the ''weaponized'' version of this trope, because of his ability to [[Talking the Monster
* Marten Reed in ''[[
* Merlitz from ''[[Dan and
** Also from DMFA, [http://missmab.com/Cast/matilda.php Matilda]
* Danny Wilcox from the ''[[Walkyverse]]'' is probably one of the best examples of this trope being played straight ever.
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** His ''[[Dumbing of Age]]'' [[Alternate Universe|variant]], on the other hand, is too neurotic and sarcastic to really be this.
* The Nice Guy havs "involuntary decency" as his sole character flaw.
* Dejoru of ''[[Juathuur]]'' seems is a really nice guy. But maybe it's just
* [[Lovable Nerd|John Egbert]] of ''[[
** Kanaya Maryam (aka grimAuxiliatrix) of the trolls is considered by many to be a
*** Apparently her motive for watching out for [[Killer Game Master|Vriska]] all the time was [[Dogged Nice Guy|not entirely]] [[Lipstick Lesbian|altruistic.]]
*** Of course, Kanaya also comes with a massive case of [[Beware the Nice Ones]]. Her [[Weapon of Choice]] is a [[Chainsaw Good|''CHAINSAW'']], after all.
** Tavros Nitram also qualifies. One of the trolls notes that he seems to be ''unable'' to hate anyone. Which is ''really'' odd among trolls.
* Max of ''[[Precocious (Webcomic)|Precocious]]'' is the lone nice guy in a class riddled with cognitive dissonance.
* Jeremy from ''[[Platinum Grit]]''. He's so nice that he can be this and [[The Woobie]] at the same time, because he's too damn nice to get down in the dumps about anything for long.
* In ''[[
* Elan, ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'''s [[Spoony Bard]], is ''definitely'' a Nice Guy. He's also fairly [[Good Is Dumb|Dumb.]]
* Sam from ''[[Sam and Fuzzy]]''. While he has aspects of [[Beware the Nice Ones]] (most of whom end up getting subverted), at a whole he's the kindest and most inoffensive person in the
* ''Dangerously Chloe'' got Theodore "Teddy Bear" Decarlo, [[Unlucky Childhood Friend]] of [[Magick Chicks|Jacqui]] (who mostly also is a very nice gal). His forte is having a spine and good sense, so he is ''not'' rolled into doormat by every girl with curves like e.g. Gary from ''[[Ménage à 3]]''.
** Both qualities make the character interesting, but also seem to force the plot to keep Teddy out of most direct conflicts, especially situations where he would be in a good position to [[Screw You, Elves|tell off various conceited creatures]] (or even know half of good reasons he have to do this) - to avoid ending plot threads and revealing too much too fast.
* ''[[Sakana]]'' is full of these.
** [[Loser Protagonist|Jiro]], despite being a [[Nervous Wreck]] and [[Extreme Doormat]], is a very kind and friendly person who is willing to stick out for others even if they treat him like shit. His older brother [[Hot-Blooded|Taro]] also qualifies, [[Beware the Nice Ones|as long as you don't mess with his little brother]].
** Their uncle Ren is very much this, to the point of being a [[Cool Uncle]]. It's jarring he's the father of someone like [[Jerkass|Genji]].
** As for the other coworkers, [[Sugar and Ice Personality|Shigeru]] and [[Funny Foreigner|Jan]] are sweet, friendly fellows.
** The king of them all is [[Fun Personified|Taisei]]. His weird behavior and quirks don't change the fact he's the sweetest, kindest soul in the whole comic, being a [[Wide-Eyed Idealist]] and all-loving hero to the extreme. Hell, his Nice Guy levels are such {{spoiler|he managed to [[Defrosting Ice King|defrost]] and [[Ho Yay|win the heart]] of the Sakana's [[Broken Bird]] coworker [[Grumpy Bear|Yuudai]], and becomes his [[Morality Pet]] as a result.}}
** As for the females, Chie aka "Cashier Girl" is a lovely lady to pretty much everyone. {{spoiler|Which is baffling to know she was an [[Enfante Terrible]] as a kid.}} Her friend Sango also qualifies.
== Web Original ==
* While most ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'' characters are some level of [[Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist]], there are still a few Nice Guys. Donut on the Red Team is so perky, friendly, and nice that even ''Church'' (who otherwise hates everyone) likes him. Agent New York is sane, laid-back, friendly, fair-minded, slightly dorky, and gets along well with his AI... especially notable due to the fact that the rest of the elite squad he's a part of is otherwise mostly jerkasses, cynics, crazy, and/or downright evil. Finally, Sheila is remarkably personable and helpful for literally being a tank.
* Quite a few characters in ''[[Survival of the Fittest]]'', but one character who plays this to a tee is Reika Ishida, in contrast to her [[Psycho Lesbian|sister]]. One of her defining traits was that she was nice and friendly, always trying to help out. However, true to the stereotype, she literally gets killed within two posts once she gets to the island. Danya in the following announcement then called her "the less interesting of the Ishida sisters" for this reason.
* Penny from ''[[
** Billy is also on the surface a nice guy, but he becomes more of a [[Dogged Nice Guy]] around her, and arguably he has some ideas that [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain|maybe]] [[Mad Scientist|aren't]] [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|so]] [[Beware the Nice Ones|nice]].
* [[Felicia Day]] also plays Codex on ''[[The Guild]]'', who is a [[Deconstruction]] of this trope. While she's generally very tolerant and patient with the rest of the group and serves as [[The Heart]], the constant pressures of being the [[White Magician Girl]] (in-game and out) have fed into her crippling neurosis.
* Personified with the "[https://web.archive.org/web/20131030193558/http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/
* [[Doug Walker]]'s niceness was lampshaded and parodied in his cameo for [[Phelous]]'s review of ''[[House of Wax]]''. While the rest of the site cheered for Paris Hilton's character's death, he's disgusted by their behaviour even though she's fictional.
** Speaking of [[That Guy With The Glasses]], the late and much missed Justin "[[Jew Wario]]" Carmical (even in character, which was close to his real life persona anyway) was probably ''the'' nicest person out of the entire cast/crew.
== Western Animation ==
* This is a ''required'' trope for Optimus Prime, no matter which [[Transformers]] Multiverse he belongs to.
** Except for [[Transformers: Shattered Glass|Shattered Glass]] [[Mirror Universe|Optimus]] [[Ax Crazy|Prime]].
* Despite being a necromancer prone to being a [[Large Ham]], Dr. Orpheus of ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'' is a loving father, true friend (to Brock Samson and his Triad team-mates at least) and one of the few characters on that show to have a conscience. Although he takes his share of hits and occasional ridicule (like every other character), he usually comes out on top earning at least the respect of his peers. He even states that he only uses the Necromancer label due to titles like Wizard or Sorcerer being too boring.
** Which is ironic, considering his mentor and teacher is one of the most [[Jerkass|Jerk Assey]] characters ''in the entire show.'' He might not match the Monarch or Phantom Limb in terms of objective ''evil'' but he manages to outdo both in terms of sheer, petty passive-aggressive meanness. Somehow, Orpheus always manages to take his advice in a way that doesn't make him act like a total ponce, which only helps contribute to his
* Frylock from ''[[
* Mr. Thickley, Willy Wombat and Hugh from ''[[Taz
** The Platypus Brothers too; they love to help people, for the sheer joy of applying their well-meaning (if oversightful) intellects to the problem at hand.
* Hamton from ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]].''
* As shown in the quote, Geoff from ''[[Total Drama Island]]'', along with [[Big Fun|Owen]] and [[Friend to All Living Things|DJ]].
* Raffles from ''[[Rover Dangerfield]]''.
* Wilt from ''[[
* The eponymous Arnold of ''[[Hey Arnold!]]!''
* ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]:'' Jeremy Johnson is such a pleasant person, it's hard to believe he has an absolutely [[Enfant Terrible|insane]] [[Deliberately Cute Child|little]] [[Creepy Child|sister.]] He's even dating Candace despite all her glaring flaws and questionable sanity.
** For that matter, Phineas and Ferb themselves would give you the shirts off their backs if asked. In theory, at least. In practice, they'd be more likely to invent some kind of humongous shirt-making machine to clothe every shirtless person in the Tri-State Area, but the principle's the same.
* The titular ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]'' might be the only truly nice person in [[A Hell of a Time|Miseryville]].
* Captain Marvel on ''[[Justice League]]''. He only got one episode.
{{quote|
'''Batman:''' We like him. He's... sunny. }}
** And several minutes of Cap's episode were dedicated to showing how well Cap got along with his teammates and how nice a guy he was to them. This was done specifically to contrast the seven core JLU members, who during that season were shown to hang around only each other, have secret meetings with no input from the rest of the team and not really interact with the 'lesser' heroes. This gave more credence to the [[What the Hell, Hero?]] speech he gives the big seven, specifically Superman, at the end, regarding their behavior.
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* Mei Ling in the short ''[[Kung Fu Panda]]: Secrets of the Furious Five''. She is the only one who realizes that Crane, who is working as the underappreciated janitor, not only dreams of joining her academy, but has the talent to excel. As such, she takes it upon herself to convince him to try out for enrollment and she backs him all the way in the attempt.
* Ed the otter from ''[[Brandy and Mr. Whiskers]]'' is one of the nicest, most likable, most easygoing characters on the show.
* ''[[
* Cleveland from ''[[Family Guy]]'' used to be this, [[Took a Level
** Strangely enough, [[Enfant Terrible|Stewie Griffin
* Chris from ''[[Dan Vs.]]'', in stark contrast to [[Jerkass|Dan]] (and most of the other characters to be honest).
* Iroh and Aang, from ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]].''
* Fry from ''[[Futurama]]'' is incredibly stupid and ignorant, which makes him act crude, inappropriate, or thoughtless at times, but his disposition is always sweet and sunny and his intentions are always good. He's also incredibly selfless, forgiving, especially towards Leela and Bender.
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