My Name Is Inigo Montoya

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
So all your enemies will know your name.

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You Killed My Father. Prepare to Die."

—The Princess Bride (in one of the most trope-heavy statements in the history of film; incidentally, it named most of them)

Simply put, before a duel begins, one character announces himself to his opponent without any prompting, specifically because he wants his target to know who is about to pound him.

Causes can be Genocide Backfire, You Killed My Father, or there could be nothing personal and the hero is just doing this For Great Justice.

This trope is also very common in Japanese anime, manga and videogames regardless of situation: It was part of the Samurai code of honour to tell your opponent your name before fighting them and not doing so was considered rude.

May directly accompany a Heroic Second Wind.[1]

Compare Transformation Name Announcement, In the Name of the Moon, I Am X, Son of Y. See also My Name Is ???.

Examples of My Name Is Inigo Montoya include:

Anime and Manga

  • This happens a lot in the Pokémon anime, especially during gym battles.
  • Occurs a lot in Bleach.
    • Most of the Arrancar seem to have some sort of honor hangup where they need to know their opponent's name. Byakuya flat out refuses to give his because he doesn't see any point in giving his name to someone who's about to die, and Mayuri only asks Szayel's name because he wants to know what to label the jar he'll be in.
      • And yes, all of them are guilty of adding in their rank for no real reason. However, only Ulquiorra and Yammy were late on it; it took for Ulquiorra to kill Ichigo to get his last name out, and Yammy did it when he off-screened Rukia, Renji, and Chad.
    • This trope is directly invoked by Ikkaku, who believes that you should only introduce yourself to an opponent if you intend to kill them.
      • Which makes this line (From Ikakku, of course) all the more bad ass

"I'm the 3rd seated officer of Zaraki's division, Madarame Ikakku! You don't have to tell me your name, you just have to remember mine...because it's the name of the man who'll kick your ass!"

Simon: My Name is Simon. Leader of Team Dai-Gurren. If you've decided to be a wall that's standing in my way, I've got something that will open a hole in you every time. And that something is MY DRILL!

  • Shakugan no Shana: "I am a Flame Haze, one who swore and chose to protect the balance of the world!"
  • Dragonball Z
    • "I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace. I am protector of the innocent, I am the light in the darkness, I am truth. Ally to good, nightmare to you!"
    • The same scene, Dragon Ball Kai: "I'm a proud Saiyan who calls Earth home, and I'm here to defeat you. I am the warrior you've heard of in legends, pure of heart and awakened by fury. That's what I am. I AM THE SUPER SAIYAN, SON GOKU!"
      • Notably, this is both much closer to the original Japanese and the first time in Kai that he calls himself "Son Goku" instead of just "Goku".
  • Mahou Sensei Negima Accompanying a Heroic Second Wind:

Nodoka: I am Miyazaki Nodoka, treasure hunter and member of Ala Alba. My counterattack starts here.

  • Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's: "Time-Space Administration Bureau Part-time mage, Fate Testarossa."
    • Done again by both parties during ep 12.
  • In Digimon Xros Wars, Shoutmon tends to begin a fight with something along the lines of "We are the ones who will change this world! We are Xros Heart!"
  • Naruto: "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm gonna beat every one of ya!"
  • GaoGaiGar: "My name is J! Soldat J!"
  • Katekyo Hitman Reborn: Hibarin from Monster Tamer Tsuna, "I am Hibarin, the dreadful vampire. My address is Demon Valley 2-4. I love Salisbury steak and coconut juice. My hobby is to have fun by myself. And to bite weak people to death. And to play with birds." Cue Tsuna lampshading this trope, "He's giving an introduction when nobody asked for one! And it's taking forever." And Hibari finishing his monologue with this: "And to patrol my castle. That's right. I have one last thing to say. I'm not much of a talker.
  • Fate/Zero: Rider particularly does this, in the form of exposing himself as Iskandar, the King of Conquerors.
  • Ranma ½: I am Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts (here, hold my bag a sec). I accept your challenge!

Comic Books

  • When a brainwashed and tortured Wolverine first recovers his memories and powers in the "Insane in the Brain" storyline:

Dr. Rot: This is your last chance, Patient X. Do you hear me? Patient X?
Wolverine: No...
(snikt)
Wolverine: My name... is Logan!

  • This gem from Superman: Man of Steel #96 in 2000, as Eradicator was trying to get him to turn away from his Human upbringing.

Superman: My name is Clark Kent. Get out of my home. Get off my planet.

Fan Works

  • In .hack Trilogy Abridged, Haseo's version of this is: "My Name Is Haseo the Terror of Death, you killed my Shino, Prepare to Die!!", and he says it when he battles Tri-Edge.
  • Konata Productions' Neon Genesis Evangelion Abridged Series introduces Touji Suzahara with him saying "My name is Touji Suzahara. You killed my screen time. Prepare to die!!"
  • A cult classic, Pokémon Revisited, has Ash burst into every gym with the line "My name is Ash, and I'm here to KILL YOU!" in way of challenging the gym leader.
  • In Total Drama Battlegrounds, Ezekiel uses this trope in the virtual reality game after zombies kill his girlfriend, Heather.
  • The Elemental Chess Trilogy gives Roy Mustang a short speech like this, when confronting The Mole of the second story.
  • Ponies Make War: Twilight Sparkle has a brief, but epic, moment like this when Titan is torturing her, while referring to her as "pony", "unicorn", and by the name of one of her ancestors who fought him the first time around. The pain causes her mind -- which had previously fractured from trauma earlier in the story -- to fuse back together, restoring Twilight to her true personality and power. Cue asskicking.

"My name is not Coruscare. My name is not unicorn. My name is not pony. My name is Twilight Sparkle."

Night Raven: Who do you think you are, you wimp?
Fluttershy: My name is Fluttershy! I’m a member of the Mirage squadron! And I've sworn to protect Equestria and my friends! I’m a pony that represents the Element of Kindness! But, to you... I will show no mercy!

Film

  • Monsters vs. Aliens: "My Name...is Ginormica!"
  • In The Princess Bride, all the way through the film Inigo has been practicing his speech. After a huge buildup, when he finally gets to deliver it in the climax to his lifelong search, honing his sword skills for the battle of his life, his enemy runs away like a little girl. Of course, Inigo then chased Rugen down, and then repeated the speech several times with increasing volume as they dueled.

Rugen: Stop saying that!

  • In The Godfather Part II, Young Vito Corleone/Andolini confronts an elderly Don Ciccio, who asks "Tell me, who was your father?" Vito replies "My father was Antonio Andolini, and this is for you!" He then proceeds to stab him and start a gunfight.
  • From Gladiator:

Maximus: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions. Loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, Husband to a murdered wife, and I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

  • Occupation version: in the second Night at the Museum, Larry finishes his fight with Kahmunrah with "I'm the nightguard".
  • "I'm Batman!" Done at least once per continuity. Take a look. And this is still not all of them
  • "This is Constantine. John Constantine... asshole."
  • Apocalypto: "I am Jaguar Paw, Son of Flint Sky. My father hunted this forest before me. My name is Jaguar Paw, I am a hunter. This is my forest, and my sons will hunt it with their sons after I am gone. Come on! COME ON!!"
  • The Island: "My name is Lincoln!!!"
  • The first Transformers movie. To clear up all that "N.B.E.-01"/"Ice Man" nonsense the worthless human insects have been calling him, the leader of the Decepticons announces himself: "I AM MEGATRON!"
  • X-Men: The Last Stand: "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!"
  • The Matrix: My name.Is.Neo!
  • Mortal Kombat: "I am Liu Kang, Descendant of Kung Lao, I challenge you to Mortal Kombat!
  • Beautifully subverted in Once Upon a Time in the West. Harmonica never tells Frank his name. When Frank demands to know, he gives him plenty of names, but none of them his.

Frank: Who are you?
Harmonica: Jim Cooper, Chuck Youngblood.
Frank: More dead men.
Harmonica: They were all alive until they met you, Frank.

Literature

  • Before the Trope Namer movie, there was the Trope Namer book of The Princess Bride. Inigo does the same thing in both.
  • Used to great effect in the Codex Alera book Captain's Fury, when Tavi reveals that he is Princeps Gaius Octavian. Happens to be punctuated by a purely coincidental, plot relevant, volcanic eruption hundreds of miles away.
  • In 1634: The Galileo Affair, by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis, there's a line something like "My name is Ruy Sanchez de Casador y Ortiz. Prepare to die," then subverts the reference's Heroic Second Wind. Our friendly neighborhood old fart proceeds to slaughter and get cut up, while his much-younger girlfriend-from-the-future wonders when he had a chance to read The Princess Bride and another uptimer realizes he didn't -- he's Inigo Montoya's prototype.
  • The Dresden Files:

Harry: My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk.

  • Averted in Cordwainer Smith's "On the Sand Planet", where Casher O'Neill, after gaining enlightenment on his quest, does not use any of the scenes he has mentally rehearsed for years.
  • In what George R. R. Martin admits is a homage to Inigo Montoya, A Song of Ice and Fire has Oberyn Martell doing this when he manages to arrange a duel with Gregor Clegane, who fifteen years earlier raped and murdered his sister and her infant son.

Oberyn: Have they told you who I am?
Gregor: Some dead man.
Oberyn: I am Oberyn Martell, a prince of Dorne. Elia was my sister.
Gregor: Who?
Oberyn: Elia of Dorne. You raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children.

Theon: You have to know your name.

Strider: I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and I am called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dunadan, the heir of Isildur Elendil's son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Choose swiftly!

Dojo Master: Hold! Do you not want to know the name of the man you are about to destroy?
Arrogant Kung Fu Guy: I don’t need to know name of sweeper.
Dojo Master: It is always wise to know the name of a sweeper, boy. And my question was not addressed to you.

Live-Action TV

Duncan: I am Duncan Mcleod, of the clan Mcleod.

  • Scrubs does this in Season 7's "Finale", where Dr. Cox is telling a Bedtime story to his son. Cox, as a brave knight, says to a monster (in reality an illness affecting a patient):

Cox: My name is Percival Cox. You're killing my friend. Prepare to die.

"Who am I? I am Susan Ivanova. Commander. Daughter of Andrei and Sophie Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance, and the boot that is going to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth, sweetheart! I am Death Incarnate, and the last living thing that you are ever going to see. God sent me."

River: I'm River Song. Check your records again.

    • The Doctor himself has done this on many occasions, especially post-Time War when he is the only living Time Lord. Some examples:

The Doctor: I'm the Doctor, and you're in the biggest library in the universe... look me up.

The Doctor: Is this world protected? 'Cause you're not the first one to have come here -- oh, there have been so many. And what you’ve got to ask is: what happened to them?... Hello. I’m the Doctor. Basically... Run.

  • In Andromeda's "Music of a Distant Drum", a season one episode. Tyr loses his memory after a crash, and slowly regains it bit by bit. When he finally remembers:

Tyr: I AM TYR. ANASAZI. Of Kodiak pride! Out of Victoria by Barbarossa! And I! Will Never! Surrender!

  • NCIS Season 7, episode 1 does this with a slight twist. Towards the end, after McGee tries and fails to kill Saleem, Tony says to Saleem, "I told you about every member of the team, except myself. The part I play... I'm the wild card. I'm the guy who looks at the reality in front of him and refuses to accept it." (Technically Tony tells Saleem his name much earlier, but this is the point where he really tells Saleem WHO he is, and right before Saleem is killed.)
    • Done as strait as an arrow in season 8, episode 23 with Mike Franks' last stand.

Franks: My name is Mike Franks! I figure I got one more fight in me... You want it?

  • Nikita: Alex does this to Vlad, the man who sold her into white-slavery.

Alex: I am Alexandra Udinov, daughter of Nicholai Udinov. And this is your reward.

  • Mook Guard: You work, and you live. That is all. You do not complain or laugh or do anything besides work. Whatever you thought, whatever you were does not matter. You are no one now. You mean nothing. (to boy) Who are you?

Action Girl: (perky) I'm Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And you are...? (Talk to the Fist ensues)

Katie: I'm Katie fucking Fitch, who the fuck are you?

Music

  • Johnny Cash as the title character singing "A Boy Named Sue" when he meets his father, who gave him that name that caused guys to beat him to a pulp: "My name is Sue. How do you do? Now you're gonna die!"
  • Also, Johnny Cash at the start of every show he ever did:

"Hello. I'm Johnny Cash."

Oral Tradition, Folklore, Myths and Legends

  • In The Odyssey, Odysseus just kicked the butt out of a Cyclops, Polyphemos. As he leaves he brilliantly declares "Kyklops,/if ever mortal man inquire/how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him/Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye:/Laertes' son, whose home's on Ithaka!" He may as well have given him the precise longitude and lattitude of his house, and just thrown in his social security number, too.
    • Protip: if you live in Greece's "Age of Heroes" and you're already well acquainted with several mean-tempered gods, wounding the son of Poseidon is almost as dumb as killing Inigo Montoya's dad.

Video Games

Hakumen: I am the white void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword. With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world, and cleanse it in the fires of destruction. I am Hakumen! The end has come!

  • Used by Viktor Reznov in Call of Duty Black Ops during the Rebirth Island Mission when you break into Friedrich Steiner's Lab.

Reznov: My name is Viktor Reznov. AND I WILL HAVE. MY. REVENGE!!

  • Assassin in Fate Stay Night introduces himself formally on initiating a duel, though he doesn't insist Saber identify herself.
  • In Super Robot Wars, anyone who's about to be on the receiving end of Sanger's BFS will at least get to know that "I am Sanger Zonvolt, the sword that cleaves evil!" Wodan Ymir does pretty much the same thing.
  • Sir Ano does this in one of the Oaklore quests in Dragon Fable.

Sir Ano: My name is Sir Ano de Berg'rac. You're planning to kidnap my princess. Prepare to die.

  • Let's not forget Ezio in Assassin's Creed II after he stabs Uberto Alberti to death: "The Auditore are not dead! I'm still here! ME! Ezio! Ezio Auditore!"
  • From Fire Emblem, we get KIERAN, LEADER OF THE FIFTH PLATOON OF THE CRIMEAN ROYAL KNIGHTS! / SECOND COMMANDER OF THE CRIMEAN ROYAL KNIGHTS!.
  • Dwarf Fortress does this in Adventure Mode with anyone you can talk to, especially the ones you've been sent to kill. Speeches typically have their name, relation to other histrorical figures, kill list, and then the obligatory "prepare to die" if they're trying to kill you.

Web Animation

Web Comics

Web Original

Joe: MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA, MOTHERFUCKER!

  • The GEKICOM Elementals and the STRUQ Team in Ilivais X do this like it's required by law. They're all Large Hams anyway. En Arteya did as well, and technically Ashe too. Justified in that otherwise we'd have no idea who they are, due to their Monster of the Week nature.
  • Aeofel does this constantly in the Penny Arcade Dungeons and Dragons Podcast when he swears Oath of Enmity. Which he does a lot.

Western Animation

Megatron: You're a persistent little Autobot.
Optimus: My name is OPTIMUS PRIME!

Wilbur Finletter: I am Wilbur Finletter. You killed my business. Prepare to die!

Real Life

  • During World War II the Polish ORP Piorun (a small, relatively expendable, destroyer) engaged the German Bismarck (tied with her sister ship for status as Europe's largest battleship ever) while repeatedly signaling it "I am (a) Pole" over and over while firing everything (even anti-aircraft guns that shouldn't work on something with Bismarck‍'‍s armor) at it. Surprisingly, the Piorun not only survived the battle but accomplished a tactical victory by depriving the Bismarck‍'‍s crew of sleep and its guns of ammo, priming it to be sunk soon later.

My name is Imigo Toyota! You killed my lawyer!

  1. ↑ Which, for those of you wondering, is the name of the trope that used to be called My Name Is Inigo Montoya.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Inigo_Montoya?oldid=2005457"