Ineffectual Death Threats: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"You know, Angel, coming from you, idle threats are so... well, idle."''|'''Lilah Morgan''', ''[[Angel (TV)|Angel]]'' ''"Supersymmetry"''}}
 
Characters make death threats that they never seem to carry out. It's not uncommon to have people say "[[I'll Kill You!]]" all the time, only to have fights that never quite go that far, only stopping at wounding and/or maiming. Granted, "I'll '''seriously wound''' you!" doesn't sound quite as badass (though even that can be pulled off [[To the Pain|effectively]]), but at least it's more threatening than a [[Strongly Worded Letter]].
 
See [[Cut His Heart Out Withwith a Spoon]] for other kinds of ineffectual threats (which may or may not be death threats). Arguably [[Truth in Television]] more often than not.
 
Compare [[We Will Meet Again]].
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** If you ignore the filler arcs, no-one dies until {{spoiler|Hueco Mundo, when the arrancar start getting knocked off. Although they're really just glorified [[Mook|mooks]], and are [[Dead to Begin With]], so they don't really count.}} Granted, it is really hard to die when you're technically already dead, which accounts for 95% of the cast. One wonders why anyone bothers with death threats.
** For especially ineffective, note Lilynette. She awkwardly asks Ukitake if he wants to fight him, and attacks him even when he's insisting that he wants to have nothing to do with fighting a little girl. After getting her attacks dodged and deflected, Lilynette ends up dirty and crying whilst screaming that she's going to kill the 'old fart'. ''He'' just thinks her attempts/threats show spirit.
* At the end of the "Thriller Bark" arc of ''[[One Piece]]'', [[Everything's Worse Withwith Bears|Bartholomew Kuma]] is ordered to kill the wounded, helpless hero, and makes sure everyone knows it, ramping the drama up to breaking point- but then seems entirely satisfied with seriously wounding a supporting character, and then leaving. A bit more [[Justified]] than most; it has been implied (and recently confirmed) that {{spoiler|the villain in question is an ally of the hero's father who, despite being missing for most of his life, would not want his son killed.}}
* ''[[DragonballDragon Ball]]''. Goku is prone to making dire death threats when angered, but almost always seems to go back on it later because of his merciful nature, regardless of what set him off in the first place. Apparently, you can shoot all the Nameks you like, kill Krillin, and/or significantly reduce earth's population, and he'll still do his best to spare you if you give him the puppy eyes and promise you'll be good from now on. (The villains have taken advantage of this more than once.) At one point, Vegeta actually follows along behind him, killing the Ginyu Force after they're defeated because [[Genre Savvy|he knows Goku won't]]. And yes, Goku does get mad at him for it. These guys came within five minutes of killing his 5-year-old son!
* ''[[Shaman King]]'' to an extent. While Hao has a very good reason to keep Yoh alive, he doesn't seem to kill quite as many people as he threatens to.
* Throughout the course of ''[[Samurai Champloo]]'', Mugen and Jin spend the entire series threatening to kill each other, only to develop a mutual respect and part ways at the end.
* Heero Yuy of ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' could be the king of this trope. Over the course of the series he threatens to kill several characters -- [[The Ojou|Relena]] most famously, but also [[The Rival|Zechs]], and [[The Woobie|Quatre]] (when crazy due to the ZERO System). It's a running gag among the fandom, but the show implies that Heero, as a [[Hitman Withwith a Heart|former assassin who's growing a conscience]], is trying to convince ''himself'' to be able to kill people he's grown to care for.
{{quote| --'''Heero Yuy:''' ''Omae o korosu.''}}
* ''[[Ranma One Half]]'' followed this entirely, probably to keep things from being too serious. There are characters who are duty-bound to attempt to kill one another, and yet no one actually died in any way for a seven-season and thirty-eight volume span.
{{quote| '''Ryoga''': Ranma, prepare to die!}}
** ...and two episodes later, the worst that's happened is Akane's [[Traumatic Haircut]]. Seven seasons and two new special attacks later... [[Status Quo Is God|nothing's changed.]]
* ''[[To Love Ru (Manga)|To Love Ru]]'' has [[Little Miss Badass|Golden Darkness]] doing a constant [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You]] directed at Rito, always reminding him that he's her target, and she's the one who's going to kill him. Despite the fact that she's had ample opportunities to do, the worst he's gotten from her is a [[Megaton Punch]].
* Sanzo from ''[[Saiyuki]]'' is constantly making death threats against his servants (Gojyo, Goku, and Hakkai) to the point where no-one bats an eyelash. It's like saying, "Good morning" for him or something. Particularly funny when other characters call him out on it and when he turns around the next second to offer encouragement.
{{quote| '''Hakkai:''' May I ask a question?<br />
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:: The ensuing scene has Sanzo reassuring Hakkai that he's allowed to stay with the group, despite his previous sins. Death threats don't get more ineffectual than that. }}
* Thorfinn's repeated death treats towards Askeladd in ''[[Vinland Saga]]'' is certainly treated like this by the latter. Askeladd knows [[Honor Before Reason|Thorfinn will only settle for a clean kill in an honourable duel]], thus he's safe from being stabbed to death in his sleep, and also how to push Thorfinn's buttons to make sure he loses all the duels.
* "I kill you" and "I love you" are the only things Hellwolf from ''[[Tentai Senshi Sunred (Manga)|Tentai Senshi Sunred]]'' can say. He's an [http://tomopop.com/ul/15951-550x-crop.jpg adorable, foot-tall wolf plushie] who speaks in cutesy [[Baby Talk]], and his death threats [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSAujonWr1Q&t=00m34s tend not to be taken very seriously] by, well, ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPwXsd_7IEM&t=00m10s anyone]''.
 
 
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** The story of Batman's first Post-Crisis meeting with Superman has a scene like this. He corners one of Magpie's goons in an alley and tries to scare him into revealing his boss' hideout. The thug refuses, knowing that Magpie will kill him if he spills the beans whereas Batman won't. Batman threatens to do worse, by hurting him in a manner such that he "stays hurt". He pulls off a desperate escape, and Batman notes with some surprise that he's more afraid of his boss than Batman.
** An issue of ''Legends of the Dark Knight'' features a criminal Batman couldn't threaten to testify, because Deadshot was threatening him not to testify. The criminal pointed out that he didn't know what Batman would do if he didn't talk... but he knew exactly what Deadshot would do if he did.
* ''[[Buck Godot: Zap Gun for Hire]]'': [http://www.airshipentertainment.com/buckcomic.php?date=20080717 Give me Winslow or I] {{spoiler|floss his teeth!!}}
 
 
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{{quote| '''Maroni:''' If you're trying to scare somebody, ''pick a better spot.'' From this height, the fall wouldn't kill me.<br />
'''Batman:''' I'm counting on it. ''(drops him)'' <ref>In point of fact, a fall from the fourth story of a building is ''more'' than capable of killing somebody</ref> }}
* While that Batman was still called out on it, he at least is scary enough to intimidate criminals. In the 60s [[Batman: theThe Movie|Batman movie]] starring Adam West, he at one point (as Bruce Wayne) threatens to murder the members of his rogue's gallery when he hears they've kidnapped Miss KITKA. The effect is less-than-imposing.
* ''[[The Room]]'' has a scene where Johnny threatens to kill his friend Mark, even claiming he'll "Break ev'ry bone in yor body!" Tommy Wiseau's delivery doesn't exactly loan itself to being threatening.
 
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== Literature ==
* Quenthel to Pharaun in ''[[War of the Spider Queen]]''. {{spoiler|She makes good on them eventually.}}
* In ''[[The Princess Bride (Literaturenovel)|The Princess Bride]]'', after capturing Westley, the Dread Pirate Roberts says to him: "Good night, good work, I'll most likely kill you in the morning." This happens every day, until Westley eventually becomes the pirate's successor.
* Subverted ''sharply'' in the Secret Wars novels of Simon Green. At different points, the hero Eddie Drood and the semi-anti-hero Walker are both faced with situations where someone believes they won't kill an innocent to prevent something worse...only to discover that both men are quite capable of it and pragmatic enough to do it. Walker is 'easier' about it than Eddie Drood...but either one can ahd ''has'' done it, contrary to the beliefs of their victims. If Eddie Drood says to refrain from interfering or he will kill you, ''he means it''.
 
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'''Mal:''' Now, this is all the money Niska gave us in advance...<br />
'''Soldier:''' Oh, I get it! I'm good. Best thing for everyone. I'm right there with ya. }}
* In the ''[[Star Trek: theThe Next Generation]]'' episode "Unification II", the Romulans threaten to kill Spock if he does not cooperate. When he points out that they would probably kill him anyway regardless, the Romulans get angry and... leave. Giving Spock and friends enough time to formulate an escape plan.
* Throughout ''[[Supernatural]]'''s third season, Dean threatens to kill [[Classy Cat Burglar|Bela]] on several occasions. She never takes these threat seriously, knowing that despite her being a major source of their problems and a generally terrible person, he's too noble to just murder her outright.
 
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== Video Games ==
* Memorably averted in ''[[Final Fantasy]]''. "I, Garland, will knock you all down!" In the original Japanese, it's, "I, Garland, will kick you around!" The Japanese really do have a verb for "to kick around". Still ineffectual, though. It's not that he wouldn't have followed up on it, the threat just got inverted.
* A fan-made [[Text Adventure]] for ''[[Paranoia (Tabletop Gamegame)|Paranoia]]'' lets you make one to shadowy guy that gives the location of the traitor's hideout. The problem is that he's a cardboard cutout, making your threat look silly.
* In ''[[Shadow Complex]]'', at the end of the game the Commander will threaten Jason, saying that his evil organization will kill him, his loved ones, and everyone he holds dear just before getting shot in the head.
* Niftu Cal's (you may remember him better as "the biotic god") ill-advised assault upon Wasea in ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'' is preceded by a few boasts about how he will wipe the floor with her. It doesn't go well.
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== Web Comics ==
* Belkar from ''[[The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|Order of the Stick]]'' tends to consider any threat to his life as this (and to be snarky about it, too), since he has a high opinion of his fighting skills. To tell the truth, he's been right thus far. There's notably the instance with Crystal -- because he's a badass optimized for melee combat and she's a clueless assassin:
{{quote| '''Crystal:''' You little twit, I'm gonna kill you!<br />
'''Belkar:''' Yeah, and I'm [[The Wizard of Oz|gonna drop a house on you and sing about how I represent the Lollipop Guild]]. C'mon, let's keep our threats realistic, shall we? I mean, if you said, "You little twit, I'm going to temporarily inconvenience you!" I'd think, hey, she might really mean it! }}