Which aren't heroic by any normal definition of the word, but anyway. Main protagonist Light Yagami only learns of this option five days after he realizes the book's power, by which time he's already made ample usage of it and would rather keep using it for his own devices.Death Note: At any time and for any reason, a human who owns a Death Note can relinquish the notebook to the Shinigami to whom it originally belonged, losing all memories of it in the process.Also not to be confused with the documentary The Red Pill, though the title is derived from this trope's concept. Following from the above, however, the dynamics are different if this choice is made at the end of a work: In this case, the choice is the difference between In Harm's Way and Home Sweet Home. In this case, it's not a single choice, but a constant temptation complicated by the pull(s) on the Hero's heart. This trope may also be used in conjunction with Betty and Veronica, where the Hero's choice is embodied as possible romantic partners: An Action Girl who fights by his side as the Red Pill, and the sweet Girl Next Door who offers the opportunity to settle for a normal life as the Blue. The villain prefers to 'offer' the hero The Final Temptation instead. If this choice is offered at the end of the adventure, it's the hero's 'Leave Your Quest' Test, and choosing the hero's path anyway is proof the character is a true hero. In video games, this is usually a But Thou Must! or a chance for a Non Standard Game Over. More subtly, if the hero does take the Blue Pill, this is technically Refusal of the Call, and just because the Call asked nicely doesn't mean it doesn't still know where you live.

The villain mentioned above may be planning to shoot the hero the minute he turns to leave. In many cases, if the hero had chosen the Blue Pill, the world probably would have ended because The Chosen One didn't show. Note that the Blue Pill only has to look like a viable option. You know the hero is really dedicated if she chooses to continue fighting anyway. The villain can also give the hero one last chance to go back to her old, boring life (especially if it turns out that saving the world involves a Heroic Sacrifice). If you leave now, I'll let you go.' In this case, it typically indicates selflessness. Sometimes a villain offers this choice, in the form of taking a quick break from threatening some third party to say something along the lines of 'This doesn't concern you. Other times, it's the ultimate expression of how much he hates the world he knows, and welcomes any change. Sometimes the character Jumped at the Call, despite not knowing it was possible. What it says about the character depends on the context. In Long-Runners, expect at least one episode where we see what would have happened. But just the simple act of giving them a chance to choose a normal life lets the writer tell you something about the character: they're the sort of person who does this willingly when they reasonably could say no. Of course, the viewers know the character is going to take the Red Pill otherwise there would be no story. Often, it even includes Laser-Guided Amnesia so you don't even have to remember that it could have been different. The Blue Pill is the promise of being able to resume normal life, with none of the elements of the 'new' world intruding upon the old ever again. Red Pill, Blue Pill applies when the hero is offered this choice, and could plausibly have chosen B. (B) Pretend none of this ever happened and go back to your normal life? (Or, return to the mundane grind, potentially unable to find it exciting anymore or forever to wonder what might have been, or just watch the world go to hell while being powerless as a mere normal guy?)

Red and blue pill in the matrix