| rdfs:comment | - A Karmic Thief is a thief who steals from people for selfish reasons, but only steals from people that are portrayed as being unlikable. Their targets will usually be wealthy, corrupt, or more often than not both at the same time. Expect a few Kick the Dog moments just to make you really not like the victim. The target might even be a criminal himself, who made his fortune by stealing, scamming, or extorting money from the poor, the middle-class, or even sympathetic rich people. Examples
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| abstract | - A Karmic Thief is a thief who steals from people for selfish reasons, but only steals from people that are portrayed as being unlikable. Their targets will usually be wealthy, corrupt, or more often than not both at the same time. Expect a few Kick the Dog moments just to make you really not like the victim. The target might even be a criminal himself, who made his fortune by stealing, scamming, or extorting money from the poor, the middle-class, or even sympathetic rich people. The Karmic Thief's actions are "justified" because they're being done to someone that is seen as deserving it. This turns the thieves into heroes for whom the audience can cheer more easily. If the thieves are themselves poor, the story might contain implicit themes of class conflict. A Karmic Thief will never steal from those who are poor and honest. However, unlike a thief who is Just Like Robin Hood, a Karmic Thief is not interested in charity through giving away all their ill-gotten-gains to the poor. This is a Sub-Trope to Caper Rationalization and is often a case of Pay Evil Unto Evil. Compare also to the Lovable Rogue, where the emphasis is on the likability of the thief rather than the idea that all his victims deserve their fates. Examples
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