Noble Profession

The opposite of Villain by Default - some occupations are just expected to be good and well-meaning and lovely. Heroes are likely to spring from their ranks, and working as one as a villain - legitimately or just for a useful disguise - is a good way to earn oneself a Heel Face Turn.

• Holy People - priests and vicars, usually, but if a rabbi shows up, they'll be the same - wise, willing to dispense advice and help out anyone, whether or not the person in need of help is part of their "flock". It's possible Middle Eastern stuff applies the same goodliness to imams or Shinto, Taoist, Hindu and Buddhist priests get the same deal in Asia. Monks and Nuns are also Inherently Good, and most Buddhists in Western representations come under that umbrella.
  • Example: in Charmed, all priests were good and nice and occasionally even fought demons, even though the sisters were Wiccan and the show generally operated under All Myths Are True
  • Robin Hood: Men In Tights. Mel Brooks' character.
  • The vicar George goes to see in the first season finale of Being Human.

• Schoolteachers - anyone who works with children is lovely. Possibly because they've devoted their lives to helping little people grow up, accumulate knowledge, etc. In a slightly more cynical sense, it could be that anybody willing to put up with children (especially teenagers) all the time has got to be some kind of saint.
  • • Children don't get paid to put up with schoolteachers and don't have a choice about it either.
  • Example: Bruce's girlfriend in Bruce Almighty and Greg Focker's girlfriend in Meet the Parents.
  • Dead Poets Society.
  • Happy-Go-Lucky: Poppy and her flatmate Zoe are shown as very capable primary school teachers. Especially Poppy lets her pupils have lots of fun in her lessons.

• Medical Professionals - for some odd reason, nurses are more goodly than doctors, in general. Possibly because doctors get paid so much, whereas nurses are equally famous for being paid so little (despite the reality that nurses are well-paid, highly in-demand professionals). On the other hand, male doctors are considered ideal boyfriend material by every straight female character ever. The automatic niceness of these figures is obviously averted by EVERY MEDICAL DRAMA EVER, because, of course, a show about nothing but nice people would be boring to watch. House gets bonus points.
  • In the Pokémon cartoon, the Nurse Joys are all sweet as pie, and the one human-treating doctor we ever see is also self-sacrificing and goodly.
  • Scrubs, as a result of eventual Character Development. The worst doctors get is rude; even Dr. Bob Kelso is eventually revealed to only seem evil as a facade to keep the hospital running smoothly.
  • And because it can't be mentioned enough: The inversion of this trope personified: House MD
    • Did we mention Gregory House?
      • Not a complete inversion. House still helps people. He's just not nice about it.
  • Dr. Tenma.
  • Dr. Christian Szell.
  • Averted by Dr. Standish, probably the second-least-likeable character in The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

Veterinarians are also considered universally good, unless the story is told from the animal's point of view.

These days, this trope is one of the most subverted/averted ones. Priest? Corrupt power-grubber (and that's being KIND). Teacher? Questionable methods, up to and including pretending to be a legendary octopus-monster. Vegetarian? Often they are the bad kind of humanitarian, or at least extremely obnoxious and attacking anyone who eats meat. Medical Professionals? Well... as the joke goes, "What is the difference between God and a surgeon?" God doesn't believe Himself to be a surgeon.

However this will often take some development. As a bit character, the nobility will be assumed — thereby earning extra points when the villain makes them victims.