Villain Exit Stage Left: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"We could stop 'em, but [[Genre Blindness|I'm sure today's events put a complete end to his megalomaniac tendencies forever.]]"''|'''[[Retsupurae|Diabetus]]''', ''[[MST|Let's Watch]] [[Mega Man (Animation)|Mega Man]]''}}

Once their plot is foiled the villain (less often, a hero) will ''always'' get away in the [[A Twinkle in The Sky|most undignified]] and [[Dirty Coward|cowardly]] fashion imaginable. If they didn't, who would the hero fight next episode? This [[Wild Mass Guessing|is probably why]] the heroes either don't even bother chasing them, or else send [[Red Shirt|Red Shirts]] after them with predictable results, or even ''[[Out of Sight Out of Mind|help them get away]].'' Other times, they're [[Mercy Lead|just being sporting]].

Once their plot is foiled the villain (less often, a hero) will ''always'' get away in the [[A Twinkle in The Sky|most undignified]] and [[Dirty Coward|cowardly]] fashion imaginable. If they didn't, who would the hero fight next episode? This [[Wild Mass Guessing|is probably why]] the heroes either don't even bother chasing them, or else send [[Red Shirt|Red Shirts]] after them with predictable results, or even ''[[Out of Sight, Out of Mind|help them get away]].'' Other times, they're [[Mercy Lead|just being sporting]].

No blockades, no manhunts, not even [[Exit Pursued By a Bear|pursued by a bear]]. After all, it's at the end of the episode.

No blockades, no manhunts, not even [[Exit, Pursued By a Bear|pursued by a bear]]. After all, it's at the end of the episode.

Regardless of the means, the escaped [[Smug Snake]] will [[Evil Gloating|gloat]] about how it [[Just As Planned|"all went according to plan"]], maybe set off the [[Self Destruct Mechanism]] in the [[Collapsing Lair]], and return "triumphantly" next episode. Less often, you'll see them lick their figurative and literal wounds at having not only been beat, but forced to show the better part of valour and try to come up with a ''new'' Plot Of The Week that will work, throwing in a [[We Will Meet Again|"Next Time, Tropeworthy!"]] for good measure.

Regardless of the means, the escaped [[Smug Snake]] will [[Evil Gloating|gloat]] about how it [[Just As Planned|"all went according to plan"]], maybe set off the [[Self-Destruct Mechanism]] in the [[Collapsing Lair]], and return "triumphantly" next episode. Less often, you'll see them lick their figurative and literal wounds at having not only been beat, but forced to show the better part of valour and try to come up with a ''new'' Plot Of The Week that will work, throwing in a [[We Will Meet Again|"Next Time, Tropeworthy!"]] for good measure.

Most villains who exit stage left also favor the [[Friend or Idol Decision]] and [[Sadistic Choice]] as backups, setting off small bombs or traps on loved ones to force the hero to choose between their capture or their friends' lives.

See also [[~~Screw This I'm Outta Here|~~Screw This, I'm Outta Here]] for when the [[Mooks]] try this. Compare [[So Long Suckers]]. Contrast with [[Last Villain Stand]] where the villain decides to stick around and fight to the end.

See also [[Screw This, I'm Outta Here]] for when the [[Mooks]] try this. Compare [[So Long Suckers]]. Contrast with [[Last Villain Stand]] where the villain decides to stick around and fight to the end.

'''There may be unmarked spoilers ahead!'''

== Anime and Manga ==

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== Film ==

* In ''[[Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon]]'', Jade Fox is almost killed by Li Mu Bai, but escapes the legendary warrior - who is capable of [[Roof Hopping]] to the point of flight - by jumping over a wall. And he just lets her get away.

* In ''[[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]'', Jade Fox is almost killed by Li Mu Bai, but escapes the legendary warrior - who is capable of [[Roof Hopping]] to the point of flight - by jumping over a wall. And he just lets her get away.

** Justified, Li Mu Bai wanted to steal her apprentice, if he'd pursued he probably would have had to kill them both; hell, even killing Jade Fox would kill any chances of getting the apprentice.

* Subverted in ''[[Smokin Aces]]''. The last living member of the redneck neo-Nazi assassins is accosted by the last living member of a group of bounty hunters that had run afoul of them earlier. At first, the Nazi walks away... and then the audience hears, "Fuck this" and the Nazi is brought down by repeated shots in the back.

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** This was even lampooned in an issue of MAD Magazine, in which Count Olaf goes into a showing of ''[[Lord of the Rings|Return of the King]]'' and Mr. Poe says it's too much trouble to go after him.

* Used in the ''[[Ender's Game]]''-universe novel ''Shadow of the Giant'' to create a moral dilemma: in order to save a hostage, Bean promises the villain he'll let him escape, and then has to decide whether to keep that promise, knowing that doing so will probably result in many deaths.

* Parodied in ''[[Discworld]]'' novel ''[[Discworld (Literature)/The Last Hero|The Last Hero]]''. Cohen's band of heroes would always let Dark Lord Harry Dread escape, and he would always hire stupid minions and make easily-escaped dungeons. They all refer to it as [[Contractual Genre Blindness|The Code]]; either you live by the code, or you don't. If you're a villain this means being a [[Card Carrying Villain]], and if you're a hero you benefit from [[Plot Armour]]. If you don't live by The Code, then that means that those ineffectual villains can [[The Gloves Come Off|stop playing around,]] or that the heroes don't have to let the villain escape. It's not just tradition, it's a way of life. Which means either you [[Nobody Can Die|live by the code]] or, you know. [[Anyone Can Die|Not.]]

* Parodied in ''[[Discworld]]'' novel ''[[Discworld (Literature)/The Last Hero|The Last Hero]]''. Cohen's band of heroes would always let Dark Lord Harry Dread escape, and he would always hire stupid minions and make easily-escaped dungeons. They all refer to it as [[Contractual Genre Blindness|The Code]]; either you live by the code, or you don't. If you're a villain this means being a [[Card-Carrying Villain]], and if you're a hero you benefit from [[Plot Armour]]. If you don't live by The Code, then that means that those ineffectual villains can [[The Gloves Come Off|stop playing around,]] or that the heroes don't have to let the villain escape. It's not just tradition, it's a way of life. Which means either you [[Nobody Can Die|live by the code]] or, you know. [[Anyone Can Die|Not.]]

** The Old Count from ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Carpe Jugulum|Carpe Jugulum]]'' benefits from a variant of this: he always makes sure that his castle is full of easily-improvised anti-vampire weapons, and the villagers who defeat him never actually ''scatter'' the ashes so he'll stay dead-dead.

* Justified in ''[[Warrior Cats]]'', where the Warrior Code makes it so that the winning cats have to let the defeated cats escape, to prevent unnecessary bloodshed.

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* In ''[[Community (TV)|Community]]'' after Mr. Rad accidentally confesses onstage to killing the previous glee club he gets away by shouting "[[Look a Distraction|Look! Kings of Leon!]]" and running off...stage left. No one tries to chase him, although to be fair, none of them are exactly law enforcement.

* In ''[[Danger 5 (TV)|Danger 5]]'', [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] escapes from Danger 5's [[A Team Firing]] via [[Super Window Jump]] ([[Stock Footage|the same window every time]]) [[Once an Episode]].

* In ''[[Danger 5 (TV)|Danger 5]]'', [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] escapes from Danger 5's [[A-Team Firing]] via [[Super Window Jump]] ([[Stock Footage|the same window every time]]) [[Once an Episode]].

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Sonic: ''Argh! He ran off again!''<br />

Blaze: ''Those guys just will not sit still!'' }}

* Archer vs Caster in ''[[Fate Stay Night (Visual Novel)|Fate Stay Night]]: Unlimited Blade Works''. To be fair, Shirou [[What the Hell Hero|calls him on it]], and Archer has at least three reasons for not killing her when he could, though one is obviously sarcastic reasoning.

* Archer vs Caster in ''[[Fate Stay Night (Visual Novel)|Fate Stay Night]]: Unlimited Blade Works''. To be fair, Shirou [[What the Hell, Hero?|calls him on it]], and Archer has at least three reasons for not killing her when he could, though one is obviously sarcastic reasoning.

* ''[[Pokémon]]'' villains, upon defeat, will always get away from the hero, who at the end of the game might even have a fire breathing dragon. We don't know how they do it, because the game conveniently turns the lights out.

** At the end of ''[[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers (Video Game)|Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers]] of Time/Darkness/Sky'', [[Big Bad]] {{spoiler|Darkrai}} attempts to escape through a portal, but Palkia shows up just in time and destroys said portal with {{spoiler|Darkrai}} still inside it!

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* The Ghouls in ''[[Fallout|Fallout Tactics]]'' will sometimes say [[Leaning On the Fourth Wall|"Exit, stage left"]] when fleeing from a battle.

* ''[[Tales of Symphonia (Video Game)|Tales of Symphonia]]'' makes an art of this. You fight and several antagonists several times, but they always get away. Sometimes as easily as just getting up and walking away, and none of the heroes feel like chasing after them. That is, until the end when they all either die or join you.

* In ''[[Alpha Protocol]]'', {{spoiler|Conrad Marburg}} attempts this at the end of the {{spoiler|Rome}} mission and {{spoiler|Sergei Surkov}} attempts this at the end of {{spoiler|Moscow}}. Depending on your choices and how you've interacted with them up to that point, they may or may not get away. {{spoiler|Marburg, if he escapes, can later be convinced to say [[Screw This I'm Outta Here]] and wash his hands off the whole affair.}}

* In ''[[Alpha Protocol]]'', {{spoiler|Conrad Marburg}} attempts this at the end of the {{spoiler|Rome}} mission and {{spoiler|Sergei Surkov}} attempts this at the end of {{spoiler|Moscow}}. Depending on your choices and how you've interacted with them up to that point, they may or may not get away. {{spoiler|Marburg, if he escapes, can later be convinced to say [[Screw This, I'm Outta Here]] and wash his hands off the whole affair.}}

* Bowser Jr. at the end of ''every world'' in ''[[New Super Mario Bros Wii (Video Game)|New Super Mario Bros Wii]]'' will jump onto the airship as Mario runs up to him, stays a good four or five feet away, and just stands there watching as he flies off with the princess.

** Except for two worlds, where the airship actually ''left without'' him. This results in him running after it and Mario ''finally'' chasing him to it. An airship level ensues. You fight him at the end, {{spoiler|although he just [[Destination Defenestration|jettisons]] you each time you beat him. Stupid Kamek.}}

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* In ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'', [[Harmless Villain|Dr. Doofenschmertz]] gets away [[Once Per Episode|every time]], though usually [[Amusing Injuries|not unscathed]].

* Perhaps the most frequent use of this trope was in the cartoon segments of the ''[[Super Mario Bros Super Show]]''. After Bowser's latest plot is foiled, he would often have an exit (usually a "warp zone potion") that would allow him to duck out just before the heroes can fully defeat him. Except for one episode, this was done every time without fail (though to tell the truth, the reason for this was simply because the good guys never thought of simply running after him).

* Spoofed by ''[[The Simpsons (Animation)|The Simpsons]]'' episode about [[Spin Off|spinoffs]], where Chief Wiggum and Principal Skinner [[They Fight Crime|fight criminals]]. Said criminal jumps into the water, and Skinner comments on how he's ''very slowly'' getting away (he's a [[Fat Bastard]] type who can barely swim), and they could probably catch him. Wiggum replies that he's certain they'll face him again, each and every week.

* Spoofed by ''[[The Simpsons (Animation)|The Simpsons]]'' episode about [[Spin-Off|spinoffs]], where Chief Wiggum and Principal Skinner [[They Fight Crime|fight criminals]]. Said criminal jumps into the water, and Skinner comments on how he's ''very slowly'' getting away (he's a [[Fat Bastard]] type who can barely swim), and they could probably catch him. Wiggum replies that he's certain they'll face him again, each and every week.

* Every single time, [[Carmen Sandiego]] from ''[[Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego]]'' would take to the sky via jetpack. You'd think with the almost alien technology at Acme Crime Labs' disposal, they'd think up some countermeasures.

* ''[[Super Friends]]'' does this ALL THE TIME. Just about every episode ends with the Legion of Doom defeated and with no way out, but the Super Friends pretty much let them get away. At one point, the Legion of Doom can only resort to TURNING INVISIBLE. And the Super Friends just. Stand. There.

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** Lampshaded in one episode where a guest character shouts "Shredder is getting away!" and Raphael wearily responds "Yeah, you get used to that."

** Averted by Shredder in The 2K3 series, but played straight by Agent Bishop.

* The ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' episode ''The Chase'' had a three-way fight between Aang, Zuko, and Azula that was joined by the rest of the main cast, minus Mai and Ty Lee. Everyone corners Azula, until she shoots Iroh, the rest of them attack her, she causes an explosion, and presumably runs off somewhere. In the [[Who Would Want to Watch Us]] episode, we have:

* The ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' episode ''The Chase'' had a three-way fight between Aang, Zuko, and Azula that was joined by the rest of the main cast, minus Mai and Ty Lee. Everyone corners Azula, until she shoots Iroh, the rest of them attack her, she causes an explosion, and presumably runs off somewhere. In the [[Who Would Want to Watch Us?]] episode, we have:

{{quote| '''Actress!Azula''': ''(pointing offscreen)'' [[We Need a Distraction|What's that]]? I think it's your honor.<br />

'''Actor!Zuko''': Where?<br />

''(everyone turns around. Actress!Azula opens a door and walks offstage.)''<br />

'''Actress!Katara''': [[Captain Obvious|She got away]]! [[Genre Blind|But]] ''[[Large Ham|how]]''?? }}

* Strangely enough, it was the one-shot ''Birdman'' villains who escaped capture on a semi-regular basis, sometimes by endangering others, sometimes... just by leaving the scene really fast and letting Birdman hover there declaring to [[Non Human Sidekick|Avenger]] that they would meet again. In the end, only one escapee villain (Vulturo) was actually defeated and arrested in a second encounter.

* Strangely enough, it was the one-shot ''Birdman'' villains who escaped capture on a semi-regular basis, sometimes by endangering others, sometimes... just by leaving the scene really fast and letting Birdman hover there declaring to [[Non-Human Sidekick|Avenger]] that they would meet again. In the end, only one escapee villain (Vulturo) was actually defeated and arrested in a second encounter.

** This made it all the more satisfying in "The Incredible Magnatroid" when Birdman decides there's enough time left in the episode to actually prevent Metallo from escaping in a helicopter with the following immortal line:

{{quote| '''Birdman''': Look, Avenger! Our culprit's trying to escape! Well, he won't get far without ''propellers!''}}