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Backstab Backfire: Difference between revisions
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{{quote|''No second chances. I'm that sort of a man''.|'''The Tenth Doctor''', ''[[Doctor Who]]'', "The Christmas Invasion", [[Series Continuity Error|the lying bugger that he is.]]}}
[[The Hero]] and The [[Big Bad]] have had their climactic battle. The Hero wins but chooses to spare the Big Bad, be it to prove he is better or because he doesn't want to kill (mostly also because the [[Big Bad]] was begging for his life). As the hero turns and walks away, triumphant, the villain [[No Sneak Attacks|lets out a scream of rage]] [[The Farmer and the Viper|and charges after the hero, attempting to]] [[In the Back|stab him in the back]]. The Hero decides that one chance to change was enough; he won't give the villain a second. He either kills the Big Bad or disarms the villain entirely.
Often sub-trope of [[Karmic Death]]; here it is not Karma but the Hero who did the killing. The hero often uses an [[Offhand Backhand]] in this situation. Thematically related to [[Never Bring a Knife to A Fist Fight]]: By showing his lack of moral integrity, the villain dooms himself to defeat. It also allows the hero to kill the villain without the hero killing the villain in cold blood, because that would be unheroic. Unless the hero is a [[Combat Pragmatist]] who doesn't have a problem with taking the most sensible but morally questionable course of action.
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== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* ''[[Dragon Ball]]'', Frieza Saga. In the fight between Perfect Frieza and Super Saiyan Goku, Goku spares Frieza ''twice''. The first time, Frieza's been beaten so badly that he's not even a challenge anymore, so Goku tries to leave, but nearly gets sliced open. The second time, {{spoiler|[[Hoist by His Own Petard|Frieza is cut in half by his own energy disc.]] Goku gives Frieza some of his energy to help him live, and starts flying away... only to get blasted by Frieza again. One more blast from Goku ends the fight.}}
** Also happened in the Red Ribbon Army Saga, specifically the fight with Mercenary Tao. Tao promises that he'll change his ways, but then throws a grenade at Goku as soon as the latter let his guard down. Goku then threw it right back at him, resulting in it exploding in his face.
** Eis Shenron was a subversion. After being beaten by Goku, he begs for mercy. Nuova Shenron allows him to live even though he knows he deserves death under the condition that he surrender his dragonball. However, he decides to kill Goku in a sneak attack involving Ice blades. It's subverted because he actually DOES succeed in his backstab, blinding Goku from his ice blades. However, it still ultimately backfired due to Goku's other senses still being high enough for him to punch Eis through the gut and kill him.
* A weaker variety happens twice in ''[[Bleach]]'' fairly early in the Soul Society arc, to less-than-honorable Soul Reapers. One tried a textbook grovel-and-backstab; the other's credentials as a bully were repeated surprise attacks against an unthreatening (if valid) target. Both survive, as it's used for early establishment of heroic character rather than drama. The second, however, is robbed of his abilities permanently.
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* ''[[Hellboy II]]: The Golden Army''. {{spoiler|[[Theme Twin Naming|Twins]] Prince Nuada and Princess Nuala are [[Synchronization|linked]]; Hellboy defeats Nuada in a duel but spares his life (and thus, Nuala). When Hellboy turns away, Nuada starts to attack, only to be stopped by his sister, who [[Heroic Sacrifice|kills herself (and thus, Nuada)]].}}
** Technically subverted, as Nuada was actually telling Hellboy to finish him off when Hellboy defeated him, so he technically wasn't backstabbing.
* Inverted in ''[[Ip Man]]'', where the [[Hot-Blooded|Hot Bloodedly-heroic]] {{spoiler|Zealot Lin}} tries to attack the not-quite-evil General Miura while the latter has his back turned and gets fatally wounded for his trouble.
* Played comedically ''[[Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]'' where Robin Hood spares the Sheriff of Rottingham after beating him and turns his back on him. The Sheriff tried to attack him from the back but Robin Hood pushed his sword back and by accident stabs the Sheriff.
* ''[[Bad Boys]]''
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[[Category:Plot Twist]]
[[Category:Backstab Backfire]]
[[Category:Alliterative Trope Titles]]
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