Faux Redeeming Qualities

**Faux Redeeming Qualities**, or **False Redeeming Qualities**, are characteristics that a character has at first glance or impression would be considered a redeeming quality. However, after considering the actions and other traits of the character these qualities are not redeeming traits. A portion of characters with no redeeming qualities such as Pure Evil (Rank 1 -) villains are capable of possessing these traits. Other characters such as those with redeeming qualities can also possess false redeeming qualities when those traits do not hold up.

Characters may use false redeeming traits to manipulate others or gain undeserved sympathy. Some character's faux redeeming qualities could be called out in-story by another character, admitted by the character themselves, or prove to not be true based on their actions in the story.

## General Overview

List of traits to show faux redeeming traits that characters present.

* These appear like genuine redeeming qualities at first glance.
* The character appears to have a serious stance on their standards they falsely claim to have.
* The character does a heroic deed or a good deed. However, while they have done it, it does not mean their motives for doing it is redeeming.
* The character is eventually proven, either by themselves, another character, or through their own actions that they do not stand with their redeeming traits that they claim they had.
* Their redeeming trait is later revealed to be something superficial such as showing fanaticism.

## Specific Characters

Faux Redeeming Traits can appear with specific characters.

### Abusers

Often with abusers, they may show false redeeming traits by providing some degree of protection and resources for their spouses or children. They may also be emotionally manipulative and abusive by praising the individual they abuse emotionally while also passively abusing them through neglect and emotionally distancing themselves from their target. These characters often overlap with manipulators if they are able to convince those that they are abusing and other people that they are doing good for them when they are not.

Example: Ozai from *Avatar: The Last Airbender*

### Control Freaks

These characters are only care about controlling those around them. These characters may come across as presenting a false idea that they care about the welfare of the person they are controlling or that they have a noble goal that would be in their interest. The redeeming traits some of these characters would show would not be hold up due to their egotistical motives for control and power over others.

Example: Charlotte Linlin from *One Piece*

### Fanatics

These characters are often portrayed to care about the individuals they emulate. However, they only care about the ideology that they identify with. These characters only show interest in the ideals that they espouse or represent and no care for the individual.

Example: Granny Goodness from *Young Justice*

### Liars

Liars, especially pathological liars, lie about good traits they have. They often tell lies to make themselves look good and make it look like they have standards until it is shown that they have lied.

### Master Manipulators

These characters simply manipulate others whether it is individuals or large groups of people to their benefit. These characters can be emotionally manipulative or have traits of psychopathy or overlap with psychopaths. These characters may use their manipulation tactics efficiently to deceive others into thinking that they genuinely care about others, but they genuinely only care for their own interests and are clearly using them for a nefarious purpose.

Example: Griffith from *Berserk*

### Psychopaths

Psychopaths, especially high-functioning psychopaths, are capable of showing charm, charisma, and can feign care for others. These characters are knowledgeable of right and wrong and the impact of their actions and consequences. These characters are capable of maintaining an image of themselves to others to show that they have are not evil. These characters are often shown knowing how to manipulate those around them by convincing them that they do have their best interest in their hearts when they do not.

These characters are capable of manipulating their targets emotionally by giving them rewards to keep them serving them. These psychopaths are also shown to get gratification out of manipulating their targets and not showing any empathy.

Example: Campbell from *Society*

## See Also

* Redeeming Qualities
* Faux Redeeming Qualities/Examples