History Main / IneffectualDeathThreats

* Subverted in ''Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar''. Jafar is a genie now and as multiple people point out, genies are incapable of killing anyone. He remains a serious threat since these reminders are always followed by [[FateWorseThanDeath "But you'd be surprised what you can live through."]]

* In ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'', 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.

* ''Film/PoliceAcademy6CityUnderSiege'' begins with Captain Harris and Proctor staking out a store in an unmarked car; Proctor is singing [[EarWorm "The Twelve Days of Christmas"]] and Harris is visibly annoyed. When he finishes, and is about to start over, Harris loses his patience:

** 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.

* ''Series/DoctorWho''. In the famous CliffHanger in Part 3 of "The Caves of Androzani", mercenary commander Stotz shouts IllKillYou when the Doctor hijacks their spacecraft. The Doctor points out that it's not much of a threat to someone who's dying anyway (the Doctor having been poisoned earlier).

* 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''.

Compare WeWillMeetAgain.

-->'''Ryoga''': Ranma, prepare to die!

** If you look in the basement of Black-Briar Manor, you can find an unsent letter from Maven to the head of the Dark Brotherhood complaining about the lack of response to her performance of the Black Sacrament. [[spoiler:The Dark Brotherhood ''can't'' respond to the Black Sacrament because there's no Listener to mediate between the Night Mother and the rest of the Brotherhood. By the time the Dark Brotherhood has a Listener again...it's you.]]

* Heero Yuy of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' is this website's [[Pantheon/{{Calmness}} designated patron saint]] for this trope. Over the course of the series he threatens to kill several characters -- [[{{Ojou}} Relena]] most famously, but also [[TheRival Zechs]], and [[TheWoobie Quatre]] (when crazy due to the ZERO System). It's a running gag among the fandom, but the show implies that Heero, as a [[HitmanWithAHeart former assassin who's growing a conscience]], is trying to convince ''himself'' to be able to kill people he's grown to care for.

** 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 [[GenreSavvy 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!

* Occasionally, a GenreSavvy criminal will pull this on Franchise/{{Batman}} or Robin. In one ''ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}'' comic, a CorruptCorporateExecutive asks, "What, are you going to dangle me out a window?" Robin says maybe, and the Exec waves it off, noting "Batman never dropped anyone, and you won't either." Batman occasionally has an answer for it, either, "Nobody's ever ''found out'' about me killing anyone," or pointing out that he may not kill you, but he can make you hurt for a very long time.

** 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 {{mooks}}, and are DeadToBeginWith, 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.

* Heero Yuy of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' is this website's [[Pantheon/{{Emotion}} designated patron saint]] for this trope. Over the course of the series he threatens to kill several characters -- [[TheOjou Relena]] most famously, but also [[TheRival Zechs]], and [[TheWoobie Quatre]] (when crazy due to the ZERO System). It's a running gag among the fandom, but the show implies that Heero, as a [[HitmanWithAHeart former assassin who's growing a conscience]], is trying to convince ''himself'' to be able to kill people he's grown to care for.

* At the end of the "Thriller Bark" arc of ''Manga/OnePiece'', [[BearsAreBadNews 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|Trope}} 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.]]

* Thorfinn's repeated death treats towards Askeladd in ''VinlandSaga'' is certainly treated like this by the latter. Askeladd knows [[HonorBeforeReason 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.

* ''ComicBook/BuckGodotZapGunForHire'': [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/buckcomic.php?date=20080717 Give me Winslow or I]] [[spoiler:floss his teeth!!]]

* In ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'', Mara Jade's threats toward Luke Skywalker end up being this, either due to external circumstances either forbidding it outright (generally because her boss has given an explicit command ''not'' to), or because she's stuck in a CantKillYouStillNeedYou situation. Eventually she finds out that [[spoiler:it's not really ''her'' who wants Luke dead, but the Emperor, who had given her one last command to do so, as a final act of revenge against Darth Vader. Some time after this discovery, she frees herself from the command via LoopholeAbuse.]]

** "I don't talk about reaping souls, I just do it." – Wrestling/TheUndertaker. He's the embodiment of death, and yet he never kills anyone... Except Wrestling/PaulBearer... Muhammad Hassan…

* Niftu Cal's (you may remember him better as "the biotic god") ill-advised assault upon Wasea in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' is preceded by a few boasts about how he will wipe the floor with her. [[TooDumbToLive While high.]] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis And level 1.]] [[RuleOfThree And unarmed.]] [[BeefGate It doesn't go well for him]]. Inverted in [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 the third game's multiplayer]], if you [[HeroOfAnotherStory choose to give him a]] [[{{Cameo}} cameo]]. Reaper forces will be [[LethalJokeCharacter swept aside by a great wind]] [[DifficultButAwesome in the hands of a good player]].
** In the third installment's single player, Kai Leng is full of these in gameplay, ([[GameplayAndStorySegregation though not]] [[HeroKiller in story]], [[spoiler: [[AssassinOutclassin taking out fan-favourite Thane while not using his biotic-proof shields, cloak, gun, or anything except his sword]]]]) - being a Phantom [[TheWorfEffect without an instant-kill move, and with a heavily nerfed palm gun, and no cloak outside cutscenes]]. So despite his [[spoiler: [[MagnificentBastard playing bait for a cunning gunship trap on]] [[TheBadGuyWins Thessia, leading to Cerberus' victory against]] [[TheDreaded Commander Shepard, of all people]]]], his [[KickTheDog mocking e-mail]] was horribly ill-advised, as he's a pushover in [[spoiler: [[HeroicRematch Cerberus' final battle on Chronos Station.]]]]

* In ''{{Skyrim}}'', the Dragonborn can become both [[spoiler:the Listener for the [[MurderInc Dark Brotherhood]] and the Guild Master of the [[HonorAmongThieves Thieves' Guild]]]]. Once the Dragonborn holds both of these positions, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Maven]] [[{{Jerkass}} Black-Briar's]] threats to sick either or both organizations on the Dragonborn become absolutely hilarious considering she's essentially threatening you with ''yourself''. Also very quick and easy to [[spoiler:single-handedly exterminate the Dark Brotherhood, which won't stop her threatening you with the cave full of corpses]]

* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': In one episode, the Sex Ed teacher at Arlen Middle School quits after recieving death threats by telephone, forcing Peggy to substitute teach it. Later in the episode, she receives a phone call from ''[[CloudCuckooLander Dale]]'' saying in a very poorly disguised voice, "You don't know me, but I know what you're up to! And if you know what's good for you you'd better not teach that Sex Ed class!" And then before hanging up, he ''leaves her with a message for Hank.'' Very much PlayedForLaughs.

* There's a ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'' episode in which a DangerouslyGenreSavvy warlord wannabe calls her out on this. Basically, he calls her bluff on the whole pressure point "cut off the flow of blood to the brain" bit, since he has noticed that she ''never makes good on the threat'' anymore.

->"You know, Angel, coming from you, idle threats are so, well, idle."