Good Is Not Soft/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Basic Trope: The hero may be friendly and compassionate for the most part, but that doesn't mean they're above using violence.
  • Straight: Bob is a Nice Guy towards most people, but won't go easy on his opponents.
  • Exaggerated: Bob is nigh-messianic around his friends, but is so brutal towards his enemies that all criminals see him as The Dreaded.
  • Downplayed: Even though Bob is usually merciful towards his enemies, he will make an exception for Complete Monsters.
  • Justified:
    • The fact that Bob cares so much about his friends makes him extremely protective of them.
    • Bob grew up in a rough neighbourhood, so he had to learn to fight to protect himself and the innocent from thugs.
  • Inverted: Stupid Good
  • Subverted: Before he goes off to face Emperor Evulz, Bob explains to his team in great detail how he plans to punish him. When he finally confronts him, he instead tries to talk him down.
  • Double Subverted: When the attempt fails, it turns out Bob is willing to use violence as a last resort.
  • Parodied: ???
  • Deconstructed: Bob eventually jumps off the slippery slope and becomes a vicious Knight Templar.
  • Reconstructed: Bob makes it a point to only use violence when there is no other way to resolve a conflict.
  • Zig Zagged: ???
  • Averted: Bob uses reason instead of violence.
  • Enforced: "We don't want yet another Anti-Hero, but we do want a Badass. Let's make the main character a Nice Guy who can be scary when pushed too far."
  • Lampshaded: "Bob may be a good guy, but you really don't want to piss him off."
  • Invoked: ???
  • Exploited: ???
  • Defied: Bob fears becoming a Knight Templar, so he decides to be merciful.
  • Discussed: "Uuugh... that's the last time I underestimate the friendly and upstanding types..." -spits out tooth-
  • Conversed: "I'd love to be Bob's friend, but I'd hate to be his enemy."

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