“Do my intentions really matter if the result is the same either way?”

That’s a really interesting philosophical question. I think, yes, it does matter. Putting a bully in their place because you feel bad for and want to help their victim vs doing it because you want the rush of power, dominance. Even if both ways save the victim... the latter just feels like then you’d just be acting like a bully, too.

Maybe the two intentions would prove a different approach. The peacemaker would be kinder and trying to make everyone friends. The fighter would be more nasty, just putting the bully down to show their own dominance.