You Will Be Spared: Difference between revisions

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== Literature ==

* [[Ur Example]]: In ''[[Odyssey|The Odyssey]]'', when Odysseus gives his name to the Cyclops as "Noman", the Cyclops says that he will eat "Noman" last.

* A rare heroic version in [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s ''[[Have Space Suit—Will Travel]]'': just before [[Humanity on Trial]], Kip is assured that he and Pee-wee will be allowed to live out their lives. Kip asks that they be returned to Earth if humanity loses, which may have been a factor in deciding to spare for ~~now -- although~~ they intend to re-evaluate later.

* A rare heroic version in [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s ''[[Have Space Suit—Will Travel]]'': just before [[Humanity on Trial]], Kip is assured that he and Pee-wee will be allowed to live out their lives. Kip asks that they be returned to Earth if humanity loses, which may have been a factor in deciding to spare for now—although they intend to re-evaluate later.

* In ''[[Discworld/Wintersmith|Wintersmith]]'', the titular [[Anthropomorphic Personification]] offered to spare Tiffany and the Chalk (where she came from); the rest of the Disc would remain frozen forever.

* Inverted by Virigar [[Our Werewolves Are Different|the Werewolf King]] in [[Ryk Spoor]]'s ''[[Jason Wood|Digital Knight]]'', when he tells Jason Wood, "I'm minded to let you live for a while.... So you will suffer all the more while everything you value is destroyed before your very eyes!"

* In the book ''Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter'' the main ~~vampire--though~~ not exactly a ~~villain--would~~ say, every time he and Abraham Lincoln met, and he didn't kill ~~him--or~~ the vampire would save ~~him--he~~'d ask why and the vampire would say "Some people are just too interesting to kill." Then in the end, when Abraham Lincoln died {{spoiler|and the vampire brought him back as a vampire himself, he said, "Some people are just too interesting to let die."}}

* In the book ''Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter'' the main vampire—though not exactly a villain—would say, every time he and Abraham Lincoln met, and he didn't kill him—or the vampire would save him—he'd ask why and the vampire would say "Some people are just too interesting to kill." Then in the end, when Abraham Lincoln died {{spoiler|and the vampire brought him back as a vampire himself, he said, "Some people are just too interesting to let die."}}

* [[The Onion]]'s ''Our Dumb Century" features Hitler saying this about the Japanese.

* ''[[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]]'': {{spoiler|After bumping Lily and her family to top of Voldemort's hit list, Severus Snape begged him to spare her (though ''not'' her husband and son), in part due to his unrequited love for her. It didn't work, though Voldemort offered Lily the chance to step aside.}}

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* In ''[[8-Bit Theater|Eight Bit Theater]]'', Sarda shows mercy to the [[Affably Evil]] Dark Warriors:

{{quote|"Look, I don't do this... uh, ever. But you guys are basically like kittens stuck on a leaking lifeboat in a typhoon. Just run."}}

** Also, upon stumbling upon the Dark Warriors trying to steal the [[Cosmic Keystone~~|Cosmic Keystones~~]] to defeat him and gain ultimate power, Sarda asks them if they even know how to use them. Bikke tosses his keystone at Sarda, becoming the first person in the series to land any sort of hit on him:

** Also, upon stumbling upon the Dark Warriors trying to steal the [[Cosmic Keystone]]s to defeat him and gain ultimate power, Sarda asks them if they even know how to use them. Bikke tosses his keystone at Sarda, becoming the first person in the series to land any sort of hit on him:

{{quote|"You're a quick thinker ''and'' spiteful. I can respect that. You won't be killed, Bikke."}}

* [[Cuanta Vida|"You're a crazy bastard, yes? You, I like. I'll kill you last."]] Though considering the speaker's ''[[Fate Worse Than Death|modus operandi]]'', this is probably of no consolation to the guy who ''really'' doesn't like seeing his friends killed.