Shoot the Messenger: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

[[File:shooting the messenger 5616.jpg|frame]]

 

Is there a worse job to have than being a messenger for a major villain? The hours are long, the pay is low, your boss [[It's All About Me|thinks that the world revolves around him]], and likes to [[The Neidermeyer|abuse his men]] [[Bad Boss|for fun]], and remember that [[Signed Up for the Dental|dental plan that made you join in the first place?]] Yeah, that got canceled last year.

By the way, remember when we told the worst was bringing your master a bad news? [[I Lied|We lied]]. ''The'' worst is bringing ''someone else'' a message from your master. Such as an ultimatum. The recipient is guaranteed to reply, in a non-ambiguous way, that he will have none of it; and by "non-ambiguous", I mean by sending your head back. [[Captain Obvious|Without the rest of your body.]] Also note that even the "good guys" might do this, especially [[Anti-Hero|Anti Heroes]].

 

 

When heroes do this, it's because [[What Measure Is a Mook?|the messenger was a bad guy anyway]], so why not [[Values Dissonance|murder him when he isn't making any threats?]] Some shows make the messenger look particularly [[Asshole Victim|evil]] to avoid the negative aspects of this trope.

 

Not to be confused with [[Please Shoot the Messenger]], where the recipient is actively instructed by the message to kill the person who delivered it.

 

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* In ''[[Dragonball Z]]'', a henchman of Frieza's arrives to announce that the Ginyu Force has arrived. As soon as he's finished, Frieza promptly vaporizes him with eyebeams. The worst part for this poor messenger was that the arrival of the Ginyu Force was ''good'' news for Frieza, seeing as they were his men. His most elite warriors, at that.

** ''[[Dragon Ball Abridged]]'' put a twist on that same scene. The henchman comes in, reports on the arrival of the Ginyu Force, and Frieza seems content to let him be, but then the henchman also announces that due to the tendency of Frieza's men to [[Bad Boss|be killed off by Frieza]], the rest of his men have decided to form a union. Frieza says that decision is "Adorable" in a mildly amused voice, then promptly kills the henchman without even [[Contemplative Boss|turning to face him]].

* In ''[[Hellsing]]'', Alucard blasts Schrödinger when he comes as a messenger to a Hellsing conference (of course, Schrödinger survives that, thanks to his "quantum physics" abilities).

 

== Comic Books ==

* In ''[[Asterix]] and the Goths'', Metric tells his interpreter that if their Gaulish captive, Getafix, will not show them magic, the interpreter will be killed as well. When Getafix refuses, the interpreter lies, [[Bilingual Backfire|not realizing that Getafix speaks Gothic]].

* Subverted in ''[[The Sandman]]''. Morpheus sends a messenger to [[Satan|Lucifer]] that he intends to travel [[To Hell and Back]] to free Nada's soul. Knowing that Lucifer will Shoot the Messenger, he sends the Biblical Cain as his envoy, since Cain is marked by God and not even the forces of Hell can kill him. Lucifer still manages to hurt and terrify Cain despite that.

 

* In ''[[Enemy of My Enemy (Fanfic)|Enemy of My Enemy]]'', [[Big Bad|Brute High-Chieftain Torikus]] does this a lot, and he does it ''very brutally''. One scene describes an unfortunate messenger's skull fragments spread across the area around Torikus after a particularly bad development for the Brutes.

* ''[[The Sun Soul]]'': {{spoiler|In chapter 22, during the Celadon Civil War, Mayor Vicar sends a messenger to Princess Erika's side, telling them to surrender. If Erika's side loses, there will be no mercy for them - so they had better surrender now while they still can. Brock, on Erika's side, steps forward, yells 'IF!', and signals his army to attack. The messenger ends up with two big ugly arrows protruding through his chest, promptly falls off his Rapidash, and dies.}} Quite literally a case of Shoot the Messenger.

** Okay, until the mentioning of a {{spoiler|Rapidash}}, I had ''no'' clue that this was a [[Pokémon]] fanfic... {{spoiler|[[Fridge Logic|So why does the army]] [[Fantasy Gun Control|even]] ''[[Fantasy Gun Control|have]]'' [[Fantasy Gun Control|archers?]]}}

*** {{spoiler|Because this is supposed to be [[Darker and Edgier|a more realistic take on the genre]], and it takes [[The Beast Master|a special kind of person]] to control dangerous, deadly [[mon]]sters.}}

 

== Film ==

* The Jade Warlord does it to a messenger in the movie ''[[The Forbidden Kingdom]]''.

* Disney's ''[[Mulan]]''. Two Imperial scouts have been captured by Shan-Yu. He mockingly congratulates them on finding his army, then gives them a threat to take back to the Emperor. As they run away:

{{quote|'''Shan-Yu''': How many men does it take to deliver a message?

'''Hun archer''': ''(draws bow)'' One. }}

** Notably, this [[Truth in Television|actually happened in real life]], with both the Spartans and the Athenians killing the Persian messengers by cutting their throats and throwing them down the well, respectively.

*** Every Persian emissary either died or was maimed. It's a [[Running Gag]].

* ''[[Battle Beyond the Stars]]''. A [[Proud Warrior Race]] responds to Sador's demands by returning his emmisary as a jar of powder. A furious Sador destroys their entire planet to encourage the others.

* ''[[Clue (film)|Clue]]'' the movie is all about this. [[Tim Curry|Wadsworth]] points out directly that "everyone who's died gave vital information about one of [the guests]." Ironically, the last informant who is killed is a delivering a singing telegram shot at the front door.

{{quote|'''Draco Malfoy''': Excuse me, Professor, perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said "the ''four'' of us."

''[The protagonists stare at each other in disbelief that Malfoy also got in trouble]'' }}

 

== Literature ==

* Averted in the ''[[Island in The Sea of Time]]'' series by [[S. M. Stirling]]. [[Magnificent Bastard]] William Walker is approached by a nervous messenger who's clearly bringing news of disaster. Walker calmly explains to the messenger that he's not going to harm him, but when something bad happens he's ''got to know'' right away, or else it's like being blind.

* ''[[Harry Potter]] and the Deathly Hallows''. Voldemort responds to the news that Potter has stolen a Horcrux from a supposedly impregnable vault by having a [[Villainous Breakdown]] and killing not only the messenger, but everyone in the room (though this was also to [[He Knows Too Much|keep knowledge of the Horcrux secret]]).

* This is taken to the next level in the backstory of the first book of the ''[[Chalion]]'' series; a crazy enemy general tells the messengers that one of them will have to kill the other. [[The Hero|Cazaril]] refuses to take part, denying the villain his fun, but the other messenger, Dondo, tries to go through with it. The general stops it, and releases them both, knowing that Dondo's frantic attempts to hide the truth of his cowardice will do more to Cazaril than he could.

* In ''[[Ravenloft]]'' novel ''Knight of the Black Rose'', Strahd and a rival [[Dark Lord]] send servants that they are displeased with to carry messages to each other, knowing that the messengers will be tortured horribly and eventually executed by the other dark lord.

* Towards the end of the ''[[Warcraft]]'' novel ''[[Rise of the Horde]]'', one of Thrall's human spies arrives to Orgrimmar to bring news of the arrival of the draenei. While pondering the (terrible) news, Thrall notices that the man is shaking in fear and realises he is afraid of getting killed. He orders his guards to get him food and water while musing about how unwise killing messengers is for it only causes people to hide the bad news until too late. Granted Thrall isn't a villain but most orcs [[Fantastic Racism|are seen as such]] by humans.

** Magatha, on the other hand, plays this straight in [[The Shattering Prelude to Cataclysm]], killing the orc who brought her a message from Garrosh saying that he won't support her because he found out that {{spoiler|she poisoned his weapon during his duel with Cairne}}. She even seizes the letter rather than let him read the letter aloud after the first indication of Garrosh's refusal.

** [[Inverted Trope|Inverted when]] a messenger from Sammael hears Rand say no to an offer of truce. The messenger then starts [[Body Horror|oozing blood from every pore]] and dies. One person wonders how the bad guy will know what Rand's answer was, another says, "Very likely ''how'' he died will let him know."

* Chevette Washington, a bicycle messenger in [[William Gibson]]'s [[Bridge Trilogy]], mentions this trope frequently. She's never shot, but she clarifies that the basic idea- blaming a messenger for her message- is true.

* In ''[[The Sword of Truth]]'' Prince Harold is killed for delivering the message that his sister the queen intended her country remain neutral. By the [[Moral Dissonance|good guys]], of course. And his half-sister thanked her allies for doing it, because they can't show mercy to their "enemies".

** Subverting the trope further, said obese sister later gets revenge on the message sender himself by killing him slowly with a [[Eye Scream|metal wire through the eye.]]

* Inverted in ''[[X Wing Series|Solo Command]]''. [[The Dragon|General Melvar]] has to bring [[Big Bad|Zsinj]] some [[Bearer of Bad News|very bad news]]: not only has a deathtrap failed to kill Wraith Squadron (or even any of its members), but they have managed to take one of his key personnel alive. Zsinj has an epic [[Villainous Breakdown]] where he destroys practically everything in his office ''but'' the person who brought him the bad news.

{{quote|'''[[Deadpan Snarker|General Melvar]]:''' Will you be wanting your office restored, or do you wish to redecorate?}}

* ''[[Animorphs]]'': [[Big Bad|Visser Three]], [[Bad Boss|all the goddamn time]].

 

* In season 1 episode 9 of ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'', Lindsay Bluth Fünke discusses this trope when she advises her brother Michael Bluth not to be the bearer of bad news to his love interest. Her exact words: "It's called 'Shoot the Messenger'."

* Referenced in the episode "Relativity" on ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''. Commander Chakotay approaches Captain Janeway with a ship's status report and Janeway comments "Before you say anything, let me remind you what happens to bearers of bad news." "Don't kill the messenger," replies Chakotay, holding up his hands in mock fear. Janeway relents and Chakotay proceeds to report on the sorry state of ''Voyager'' and its systems.

* In ''[[Spartacus: Blood and Sand|Spartacus: Vengeance]]'', this is how {{spoiler|Ashur}} is killed. The [[Big Bad]] sends him to give offer a deal to the good guys. If they had accepted, they would have needed to let the messenger return, but they refuse the offer and only send back the messenger's head. The [[Big Bad]] isn't surprised, but he was [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness|getting tired of having the guy around anyway.]]

* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. Buffy kills Holden Webster after he drops the bombshell about Spike siring him. Due to a scene cut we don't see if it was because Holden attacked or in a violent response to what he said, but Buffy's position as Holden's dust swirls around her is the same, implying that it happened immediately afterwards.

 

== Music ==

* In his song "Message Boy", [[Charlie Peacock]] contends that as a messenger it is his job to deliver both good news and bad news. A line from the song is "all I ask is remember, I am only the message boy."

 

== Mythology ==

* Apollo turning the raven black because it brought him bad news in Greek mythology. Except on those websites which say it was Athena.

 

== Newspaper Comics ==

** Also referenced in a comic strip involving a "Scape Goat", literally. He is shot by the PHB, who clarifies he was aiming for the messenger. Dilbert suggests it was the Scape Goat's fault for standing there.

* Subverted in a regularly recycled [[Beetle Bailey]] gag: The officers receives a written order from the general, and it has one obvious spelling error that changes the meaning completely. Someone will point out what the general probably meant to say, but then someone else will always ask: "But who dares to tell the general that he did a mistake?" While the general probably wouldn't shoot anyone for pointing out one little spelling error (''probably...''), the answer is always the same: Nobody dares to tell the general that he did a mistake. They prefer to follow out the order, exactly the way it's written, and look like idiots, rather than telling the general to make a correction.

 

== Theater ==

* In ''[[Antony and Cleopatra]]'', a messenger tells Cleopatra that Antony has remarried, so she threatens to more or less play football with his eyeballs, among other nasty things.

** This trope even gets lampshaded by a messenger in an earlier scene.

* This trope is also spoofed in the Rowan Atkinson comedy routine, ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaQNuBHd6CY Pink Tights and Plenty of Props]''.

* Sophocles' ''[[Antigone]]'' has a messenger who spends a long time trying to avoid giving Creon bad news out of fear that this trope will be played straight, even pointing out that Polyneices was only technically buried. In the end Creon merely threatens to torture him to death. By the standards of ancient Greek tragedy, the scene is very funny.

 

== Toys ==

{{quote|'''Icarax''': Take heart. You know that old saying "Don't kill the messenger"? *murders messenger*

'''Icarax''': Too bad. I ''always'' kill the messenger. }}

 

== Video Games ==

{{quote|'''The Controller'': First off, let me thank you gentlemen for shooting yet ''[[Noodle Incident|another]]'' messenger. And when you kill the messenger they can't return the miniature televisions, which it may surprise you to learn, ''don't'' grow naturally on their chests.}}

 

* ''[[Kid Radd]]'', Crystal will zap ''anyone'' who gives her ''any'' news, good or bad, "because it's fun." Note that she does not ''kill'' them. She'd run out of messengers that way, and well, when that happens, how ''else'' will she entertain herself?

* [http://www.bmoviecomic.com/?cid=266 This strip] of ''[[The B-Movie Comic|The B Movie Comic]]''.

* In ''[[8-Bit Theater]]'', King Steve jokingly ordered a guard to kill a messenger. [http://www.nuklearpower.com/2002/06/05/episode-157-back-in-corneria/ He took it seriously], and every time the storyline goes back to Corneria, the messenger is [[Running Gag|still being chased]].

* ''[[Karate Bears]]'': [http://www.karatebears.com/2011/09/bad-news.html One of the bears kills the messenger by presumably ripping his heart out]

 

== Web Original ==

** Also inverted with Yahweh, wherein his general Michael-Lan deliberately attempts to phrase the bad news he gives in such a way so as to cause Yahweh to throw the most spectacular temper tantrums possible, complete with multi-coloured flashes of lightning that rip the marble facing from the walls (though they never actually seem to kill anybody, Michael included). It's made clear that Michael quite enjoys these displays and is the only one who isn't afraid of them.

** When Satan sends his Heralds to Earth to deliver the scrolls proclaiming their damnation, mankind generally responds to their arrival with violence. This has less to do with actually shooting the messenger and more "Holy shit there's a fifteen-foot tall demon coming this way ''KILL IT''!" Except in Singapore, where the police shot the messenger dozens of times and beat it to death with the butts of their guns for littering when it threw the message scroll on the pavement.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Guns and Gunplay Tropes]]

[[Category:Evil Tropes]]