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{{trope}}
{{quote|''I don't do partners. You know that, Cap.''|'''Herschel Biggs''', ''[[LA Noire (Video Game)|LAL.A. Noire]]''}}
 
[[Something Person|Captain Lonerguy]] has just been offered by an equal to team up. Perhaps it is an out-of-town [[The Cape (trope)|Cape]] looking for help on a case that wandered into the Captain's turf. Or his [[Strange Bedfellows|enemy needs help fighting off a power worse than the both of them]]. If Captain Lonerguy is lucky, it is [[Action Girl|an equally matched love interest]], [[Dating Catwoman|regardless what side she's on]].
 
In any of these situations, the answer will always be the same. ''"I work alone."''
 
Cue in audience eyerolling as they must now sit through several scenes of Captain Lonerguy [[Ineffectual Loner|getting his ass handed to him]], only to be rescued by said offerer, just so that he can learn [[An Aesop]] about the [[Power of Friendship]]... or at least strength in numbers. (Even, mind you, if it turns out that he's an [[Informed Loner]] -- he—he actually doesn't seem to be alone a lot.)
 
Occasionally, (and especially if they've had a partner or [[Dead Sidekick|sidekick]] [[Friendly Target|die on them)]] they will strenuously refuse partnering with a [[Reckless Sidekick]], and/or [[Hero Harasses Helpers|harass new helpers]] who ''are'' competent.
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-OR-
 
[[The Hero]] really doesn't need other's help and is more [[Badass]] for saying so. [[Cowboy Cop|Cowboy Cops]]s and heroes that actually enjoy their solitude count in this type. A form of [[Good Is Not Nice]]. [[Think Nothing of It]] and [[Don't You Dare Pity Me!]] are common. Of course, saying this line can sometimes be [[Tempting Fate]], and in this particular instance, the usually competent hero might for once find himself in way over his head, and will, often reluctantly, accept the offer of help.
 
Contrast with [[I Just Want to Have Friends]], [[True Companions]], or [[You Are Not Alone]].
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== Anime and Manga ==
 
* In ''[[Ghost in Thethe Shell: Stand Alone Complex]]'', Aoi recites this when he is offered a position in Section 9.
* Kouji Minamoto in ''[[Digimon Frontier]]'' for the first five episodes. And then he gets his ass handed to him by Grumblemon in episode 6 but he doesn't accept being part of a team until episode 7 after many fights with [[The Hero]].
* Phoenix Ikki from ''[[Saint Seiya]]'' is a textbook case of this. Years after the manga debuted he's still off doing his own thing away.
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** [[Played for Laughs]] in the case of Takeshi Momoshiro and Ryoma, who try to play doubles and simply cannot do so in the Fudomine arc. Momoshiro gets over that later and becomes a decent doubles player, but Ryoma stays a singles player.
* In ''[[Pandora Hearts]]'' Sharon calls Break "Mr. One-Man-Show" because of his tendency to refuse help and go off on his own. He even says himself that he doesn't know how to fight as a team. He's actually pretty good at taking care of business by himself, but due to his {{spoiler|recent blindness and deteriorating overall physical condition}}, his willingness to rely on others, however slightly, is part of his character development.
* George Schuyter of [[Muhyo and Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation]], as a result of [[Dead Partner|losing his assistants one after the other]], falls into this to the point at which he actively forbids Muhyo and Roji from participating in the fight against Vector and ''threatens Roji with his sword'' when he arrives.
* This was actually the [[Fatal Flaw]] of ''[[Heartcatch Precure]]'''s Yuri Tsukikage. She was so confident in her abilities as Cure Moonlight, that she ignored her partner, Cologne, in finding allies. End result? A massive [[Curb Stomp Battle]] leading to Cologne's death and her temporary depowerment.
* [[Ineffectual Loner|Barnaby]] holds this stance for the first third or so of ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'', insisting that [[The Messiah|Kotetsu]]'s only good for getting in the way and being annoying. He changes his tune completely post-[[Defrosting Ice King|defrosting]], to the point that he doesn't see any reason to be a Hero unless Kotetsu's there with him.
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== Comic Books ==
 
* Nearly every superhero team up starts with one of the parties saying this. Yes, we get it. You are usually alone on your beat. But aren't you [[Wake Up, Go to School, Save Thethe World|failing at school]], missing out on dating [[Loves My Alter Ego|the cool girl]] and generally sucking at your normal life [[Samaritan Syndrome|because of all the crime-fighting]]? Why complain now that you have a [[Sidekick]]?!
* This is [[Batman]]'s favourite phrase, despite him nearly always having at least one sidekick, several other members of the Bat family, and regularly working with the Justice League.
** For all the [[Broken Base]] over the Hush arc, it did a very good job of pointing out that for a supposed loner Batman has a huge surrogate family (from Alfred to the Robins to the JLA to random people from the [[Silver Age]])
** And now he's formed [[Heroes Unlimited|Batman Inc.]], following a moment of self-realisation:
{{quote| "The first truth of Batman. It had to be one I don't like to admit. The gunshots left me alone. For years I was alone in the echoing dark of that wait. But something else defined the exact moment Batman was born. The first truth of Batman. The saving grace. I was ''never'' alone. I had help."}}
* In the former page quote, [[Spider -Man]] and [[Daredevil]] are open to the occasional team-up but ''do'' work pretty exclusively alone, and attempts to change that generally don't work out. But [[Wolverine]] was created for a team book, and therefore almost always works in groups. He doesn't seem to have noticed. In fact, he is currently a member of four different teams.
 
== Film ==
 
* Pee Wee Herman in ''[[Pee Wees-wee's Big Adventure]]'': "I'm a loner, Dottie. A Rebel."
* Every single buddy cop movie that starts with them not being buddies.
** Pretty much every action adventure cop movie really
* Used (word for word) in ''[[The Incredibles]]''.
** Also ends up pushing Buddy/Syndrome to his [[Face Heel Turn]]. [[Beam Me Up, Scotty|Hell hath no fury like a ]] [[Who's Laughing Now?|sidekick scorned.]]
* ''[[Eraser]]''. Kruger refuses to work with other agents in the Witness Protection program to prevent the possibility of a leak. (It turns out his caution is more than justified).
{{quote| '''Kruger:''' "I work alone. If anyone comes to you and claims that I sent them... ''(hands witness a revolver)''...use this."}}
* Det. Banks reaction to being assigned a new partner in ''[[Saw|Spiral: From the Book of Saw]]''
 
== Literature ==
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** After having lost two companions in tragic ways, the Doctor insisted on traveling alone, claiming that he didn't want to have his hearts broken again.
** Then subverted with ''End of Time''.
{{quote| '''Wilf''': Have you got anyone?<br />
'''The Doctor''': No. Traveling alone. I thought it was better, I thought... but I did some things, they went wrong... I need... {{[[[Tear Jerker]]| voice breaks}}] ].}}
* Abby of [[NCIS]]. Her bosses occasionally forced her to take on lab assistants, but she drove them away. After one of them {{spoiler|tried to stab her}}, management decided to leave well enough alone.
* ''[[Burn Notice]]'': Jesse has this problem. He used to be out in the field but got put behind a desk mainly because he didn't work well with others.
* ''[[Dexter]]'': Dexter tells Miguel this in season three and Lumen in season five, but it didn't really work out either time.
* On [[The X-Files]], Mulder is originally portrayed this way. He hates the fact that he's been partnered with Scully and spends most of the first season alternating between annoying the hell out of her and being nice to her. By season two, though, he doesn't work alone...he just works with Scully. And if he can't work with Scully, he wants to work alone. He doesn't like be partnered with anyone else even for a short time. Scully does the same thing in season 8 when partnered with John Doggett.
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' Buffy herself is, of course, an Aversion, having the Scoobies for backup, but as far as Slayers go, she is the odd one out. Kendra had [[No Social Skills]] to begin with and was suspicious of Willow for even talking to Buffy. She has even isolated herself from her parents, never attended any public school, and while she does have [[The Mentor| a Watcher]], she has [[The Ghost|never seen him in person]]. Historically, most Slayers were loners, mostly out of necessity. In one episode where Buffy meets the spirit of Sineya - the very first Slayer - Sineya clearly disapproves of such a habit; Buffy of course, was just as disapproving of Sineya's method, implying such means were outdated - mocking her appearance in the process. [[Let's You and Him Fight|Naturally, this leads to a fight]], but the two manage to part on - reasonably - good terms.
 
== Toys ==
 
* Kopaka says this, word-for-word to Pohatu in ''[[Bionicle]]''
{{quote| '''Kopaka''': [[I Work Alone]].<br />
'''Pohatu''': What, by choice? Or just [[Loners Are Freaks|'cause nobody else can stand you?]] }}
 
== Video Games ==
 
* In ''[[Final Fantasy IX (Video Game)|Final Fantasy IX]]'', Amarant works alone. Naturally he is a "survival of the fittest" kinda player... and eventually learns [[The Power of Friendship]] from Zidane, after an object lesson or two.
* In ''[[Command and& Conquer]] Renegade'', Havoc outright states that he left the Dead-6 commando unit because he works better alone, and it turns out that he ''does.''
* ''[[Mass Effect 1 (Videovideo Gamegame)|Mass Effect 1]]'':
** Urdnot Wrex points out that he's never been much of one for working in an organized army, as "things get....''messy.''" He works best alone, or "in very small groups." Fortunately, Shepard's team counts as such.
** Previous to that, the turian Spectre Nihlus declines to accompany Commander Shepard's ground team on the mission in Eden Prime, claiming that he moves faster on his own. {{spoiler|This ends up getting him shot in the back of the head by his colleague Saren.}}
* In ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy (Video Game)|Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'', [[Final Fantasy VIII (Video Game)|Squall]] works alone. The game manages to look at his attitude from a couple of different angles; although the early parts of Squall's story mode seem to set it up as a [[Loners Are Freaks|problem he needs to get over]], and he eventually ends up working with [[Final Fantasy V (Video Game)|Bartz]] and [[Final Fantasy IX (Video Game)|Zidane]], the latter half of his story mode reveals that his choice to travel alone isn't because he doesn't trust the other heroes, but because he prefers to help them by taking on the villains by himself and eliminating at least some of them before they can cause the others problems.
** More complicated than that, even. He fights alone because he doesn't want the burden of ''directly'' protecting people (it's too stressful, and far too easy to make a mistake and get someone killed), and because he trusts his friends to be able to take care of themselves. He knows they're strong and capable, so he doesn't worry about them unless he has to (such as when he saves Zidane and Bartz). He's not ''opposed'' to helping others, and in fact he does it without hesitation (running to rescue Bartz with Zidane, for example), but he just finds it's easier to push his limits when he's on his own.
*** To elaborate, the [[Final Fantasy I (Video Game)|Warrior]] [[The Hero|of]] [[The Cape (trope)|Light]] confronts Squall half-way through his story and calls him out on his apparent lone wolf attitude, mistaking it as a sign of distrust. After their battle, the Warrior of Light realizes that Squall's intentions aren't as selfish as they appear to be, with the latter providing the above-mentioned explanation for his actions.
** Funnily enough, the Warrior of Light also has shades of this. Not in his attitude, but in his actions, [[Not So Different|not entirely unlike Squall]] (who irritably observes the comparison in his [[Inner Monologue]] when the Warrior of Light confronts him about his choice to go it alone). What ultimately subverts this, however, is the Warrior of Light's [[The Determinator|absolute faith in his fellow comrades and Cosmos]], [[Batman Gambit|which is probably something the latter counted on]].
* ''[[Thief]]''; Garrett says it near the end of the second game; there's an Aesop present, and it probably sticks, though he backslides furiously throughout most of the sequel.
* In both ''[[Valkyria Chronicles (Video Game)|Valkyria Chronicles]]'' [[Valkyria Chronicles II (Video Game)|games]], anyone with the "Lone Wolf" trait loses combat effectiveness when in the presence of other allies. Exemplified by Nils Daerden from the first game, who also has no other character to list as a "friend".
* Herschel Biggs in ''[[LA Noire (Video Game)|LAL.A. Noire]]'' before he eventually accepts Cole Phelps.
 
 
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* ''[[Butterfly]]'': Parodied; Bat-Knight, a [[Captain Ersatz]] of Batman, says this constantly despite being surrounded by sidekicks and etc.
* Arvval in ''[[Juathuur]]''. Faevv too shows tendencies of this.
* ''[[Bob and George (Webcomic)|Bob and George]]'': [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/010709c Why Bob and Mynd] can not [[We Can Rule Together|rule together]].
* ''[[Wooden Rose]]'' Mr. Thorne lives alone: [http://www.woodenrosecomic.com/comic/chapter2/35.html I do not find it lonely at all!]
* In ''[[Wake the Sleepers (Webcomic)|Wake the Sleepers]]'', [http://wakethesleepers.com/comics/60 Locke rejects Oralee's company.]
* Benjamin Prester of ''[[A Miracle of Science]]''. Justified, as it turns out: {{spoiler|His [[Science-Related Memetic Disorder]] is under sufficient control to enable him to hold down a job in the police taskforce dedicated to handling Mad Scientists, but the emotional trauma he suffers when his new partner is attacked and apparently killed pushes him into a relapse.}}
 
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== Western Animation ==
 
* In ''[[The Batman (Animation)|The Batman]],'' Batman is actually the one to suggest to [[Superman]] that he should join the [[Justice League (animation)|Justice League]], but Superman is the one to say "I work alone": An intentional flip of their usual interaction. Cue that annoying gnawing at the back of your head (there's a special shampoo for that). Less than 24 hours ago Batman saved Superman from another [[Kryptonite Factor|kryptonite-laden]] disaster and Supes is right back to the notion that friends don't help in no time. [[The Power of Friendship|Guess what the rest of the episode was about]].<br /><br />''[[The Batman (Animation)|The Batman]]'', ''[[Batman: The Animated Series (Animation)|Batman the Animated Series]]'', and ''[[Justice League]]'' have splurged this line about a million times each. In one memorable [[Justice League]] moment, Batman uses the fact that he's not an official Justice League member to conduct his own investigation when the official founding members decide to turn themselves in to defuse a tense situation.<br /><br />Bats has the most extended crime-fighting family in [[The DCU]], save possibly the [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]]. Nightwing, Robin, Oracle, Batgirl, Spoiler, Huntress, Alfred, the Outsiders, etc. And yet he's constantly trying to sell himself as a lone-wolf-type. At least sometimes he says, "I work ''best'' alone."
* ''[[Codename Kids Next Door (Animation)|Codename Kids Next Door]]'': Parodied by Tommy Gilligan, after he's rejected.▼
* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls (Animation)|The Powerpuff Girls]]'': Parodied by Buttercup, after she adopts a [[Spawn]]-like alter ego (she's also hampered by the "only works at night" thing).▼
* In ''[[Teen Titans (Animation)|Teen Titans]]'' Aqualad and Beast Boy exchange this before Aqualad points out Beast Boy is part of a team and Beast Boy retorts that Aqualad "hangs out with a fish dude".▼
** Robin had an "I work alone now" period in the flashback episode "Go!" It lasted approximately four minutes.▼
* ''[[Transformers Animated (Animation)|Transformers Animated]]'': "Me Grimlock go with you... but me Grimlock go with you -- alone!"▼
* [[Iron Man (Comic Book)|Iron Man]] expresses this attitude at the start of ''[[The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Animation)|The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes]]'', when he fights crime out of a personal ambition to keep his weapons out of enemy hands. Soon, four other superheroes help him defeat Graviton. Iron Man subsequently proposes the formation of a full-time superhero team, to combat threats one hero can not overcome alone.▼
** [[Black Panther]] enlists five Avengers' assistance in helping him get over the Wakandan border, but insists that he must fight his father's murderer, Man-Ape, by himself. [[Captain America]] tags along with Panther anyway, defending Panther from Man-Ape's warriors, while still allowing him to fight Man-Ape alone.▼
** [[Hawkeye]] became betrayed by his crimefighting partner, [[Black Widow (Comic Book)|Black Widow]], and arrested by SHIELD early on into the series. After he breaks out of jail and clears his name, he decides to chase down Black Widow alone, until [[Incredible Hulk (Comic Book)|The Hulk]] makes him join the Avengers. Even then, he expresses an initial preference for the other Avengers not to join his personal pursuit.▼
* The title character of ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man (Animation)|Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' doesn't initially warm up to the thought of assisting four rookie superheroes as part of his SHIELD training.▼
 
''[[The Batman]]'', ''[[Batman: The Animated Series|Batman the Animated Series]]'', and ''[[Justice League (animation)|Justice League]]'' have splurged this line about a million times each. In one memorable Justice League moment, Batman uses the fact that he's not an official Justice League member to conduct his own investigation when the official founding members decide to turn themselves in to defuse a tense situation.
 
Bats has the most extended crime-fighting family in [[The DCU]], save possibly the [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]]. Nightwing, Robin, Oracle, Batgirl, Spoiler, Huntress, Alfred, the Outsiders, etc. And yet he's constantly trying to sell himself as a lone-wolf-type. At least sometimes he says, "I work ''best'' alone."
▲* ''[[Codename Kids Next Door (Animation)|Codename: Kids Next Door]]'': Parodied by Tommy Gilligan, after he's rejected.
▲* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls (Animation)|The Powerpuff Girls]]'': Parodied by Buttercup, after she adopts a [[Spawn]]-like alter ego (she's also hampered by the "only works at night" thing).
▲* In ''[[Teen Titans (Animationanimation)|Teen Titans]]'' Aqualad and Beast Boy exchange this before Aqualad points out Beast Boy is part of a team and Beast Boy retorts that Aqualad "hangs out with a fish dude".
▲** Robin had an "I work alone now" period in the flashback episode "Go!" It lasted approximately four minutes.
▲* ''[[Transformers Animated (Animation)|Transformers Animated]]'': "Me Grimlock go with you... but me Grimlock go with you -- alone!"
▲* [[Iron Man (Comic Book)|Iron Man]] expresses this attitude at the start of ''[[The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Animation)|The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes]]'', when he fights crime out of a personal ambition to keep his weapons out of enemy hands. Soon, four other superheroes help him defeat Graviton. Iron Man subsequently proposes the formation of a full-time superhero team, to combat threats one hero can not overcome alone.
▲** [[Black Panther]] enlists five Avengers' assistance in helping him get over the Wakandan border, but insists that he must fight his father's murderer, Man-Ape, by himself. [[Captain America (comics)]] tags along with Panther anyway, defending Panther from Man-Ape's warriors, while still allowing him to fight Man-Ape alone.
▲** [[Hawkeye]] became betrayed by his crimefighting partner, [[Black Widow (Comic Bookcomics)|Black Widow]], and arrested by SHIELD early on into the series. After he breaks out of jail and clears his name, he decides to chase down Black Widow alone, until [[Incredible Hulk (Comic Book)|The Hulk]] makes him join the Avengers. Even then, he expresses an initial preference for the other Avengers not to join his personal pursuit.
▲* The title character of ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man (Animationanimation)|Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' doesn't initially warm up to the thought of assisting four rookie superheroes as part of his SHIELD training.
* In ''[[Trollhunters]]'', all of Jim's predecessors had this policy, reasoning that it was necessary to keep their friends and loved ones safe. It often had disastrous consequences, as their enemies the Gumm-Gumms work as a team and rarely fight fair. Jim is the first Trollhunter to form a team of his own in an attempt to improve the system. Of course, he's also the first Trollhunter who isn't himself a troll.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Solitary Tropes]]
[[Category:Stock Phrases]]
[[Category:Example Asas a Thesis]]
[[Category:IIntroversion Work AloneTropes]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
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