History Main / IronicEcho

* In ''NarutoTheSecretSongsOfTheNinja'', an old enemy of Kakashi's who Kakashi mutilated in battle during the last war but didn't get to finish off tells him "It's not smart to leave unfinished business" [[spoiler:after capturing him and Naruto]]. 2 chapters [[spoiler:featuring torture and an attempted framing and execution]] later, Kakashi throws those words back at him right before [[spoiler:[[PreMortemOneLiner cutting his throat]]]].

* Happens in the space of three seconds in ''Fanfic/KitsuneNoKenFistOfTheFox'', during Naruto and Suigetsu's baseball game. Suigetsu throws the ball at Naruto's head and Naruto narrowly ducks aside to avoid it; Suigetsu gives an insincere apology and says "my aim must've been bad." Moments later, Naruto hits Suigetsu's next pitch back at him and [[GroinAttack into his balls]], then gives an insincere apology and says "my aim must've been bad."

* In {{HetaOni}} Italy tells America to learn to smile more naturally. This is repeated back to him later in the game

* The phrase "I believe in Harvey Dent" is repeated several times over the course of ''TheLongHalloween'', a Franchise/{{Batman}} graphic novel. First, to display genuine trust in the man and his ability to clean up the city. Then, to assure his innocence in the case of the Holiday murders. Then, to emphasize the point that there's still good in the villainous Two-Face. And finally, by his wife Gilda as part of a dramatic plot twist on the very last page.

* [[MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic]]:

* Used by Comicbook/DoctorStrange in ''WorldWarHulk''. Doc confronts Hulk and makes a little speech, then goes SuperMode and says "Strange Smash", a callback to Hulk's famous line "Hulk Smash".

* In ''FanFic/TheImmortalGame'', [[TheDragon General Esteem]] says "titles are important" [[InsistentTerminology so much]] that it's practically his CatchPhrase -- considering the [[{{Narcissist}} character]], it's probably so he can constantly remind people that he's both a knight and a General. When they confront each other during the [[StormingTheCastle Battle of Canterlot]], Twilight throws this line back in his face, pointing out that [[spoiler: while he may be a General, she's a ''Master'' General]].
** Another example with the same characters: when Esteem thinks that the villains have won, he gives Twilight a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech deriding her efforts and telling her that all she'll be remembered for is her failure. Shortly after, while Twilight is [[spoiler: giving him a KarmicDeath]], she gives him a similar speech, telling him that all ''he'll'' be remembered for is his treachery.
** [[spoiler: After Celestia is BroughtDownToNormal, she refuses to answer to Terra's mocking nickname "Sunshine". After she regains her power, her reaction to Terra's stunned stuttering of her name is to smugly state, "Call me Sunshine".]]
** When Terra is [[spoiler: depowered and imprisoned by the Mane Six]], she tells Fluttershy that she does cruel things because "It's what I do. It's who I am." Shortly after, Fluttershy performs an act of kindness for Terra and when asked why, she replies with the same line.

* In the ''DoctorWhoMagazine'' comic strip ''The Widow's Curse'', the female members of the Sycorax clan from "The Christmas Invasion" seek revenge on humanity for the deaths of their menfolk, having seen a recording of exactly what happened. When the Doctor pleads with them to give humanity another chance, the Sycorax leader Haxen retorts "No second chances. We're ''that'' sort of a clan."

** One turn later, LaserGuidedKarma strikes: Chugga gets a [[ScrappyMechanic Warp Block]] ([[BigNo NOOOOOO!]]), switches places with Jon ([[RunningGag NOOOOOO!]]), and also gets a poison mushroom ([[RuleOfThree NOOOOOO!]]). NCS bursts out laughing while, naturally, Jon remarks with a mocking tone, ''"HEY, CHUGGA! '''''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny DON'T EAT THE MUSHROOM!]]''''' I HEAR IT'S BAD FOR YOU!"''

->'''Yzma:''' Just think of it as, [[HurricaneOfEuphemisms you're being let go. That your life's going in a different direction. That your body's part of a permanent outplacement!]]\\
'''Kronk:''' Hey, [[CaptainObvious that's kinda like what he said to you]] [[LampshadeHanging when you got fired]].\\

* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlueTheBloodGulchChronicles'', Doc gives the following reason for not wanting to be associated with Grif in Episode 23: "Sorry, man, but it's pretty obvious that you're really unpopular, and if I'm gonna make any progress around here at all I can't really be directly associated with you. I'm sure you understand." In Episode 25, when the Blues hand Doc off to the Reds as part of a deal, the Reds abandon Doc, and Doc looks to Grif for help. Grif says, "Sorry, it's pretty clear that you're not very popular around here, and if I'm gonna make any progress at all, I can't be directly associated with you. I'm sure you understand."

* In the first part of ''[[FanFic/NewLookSeries Link's New Look]]'' Link said this while he was pretending to be Princess Peach.

* In the first part of [[FanFic/NewLookSeries Link's New Look]] Link said this while he was pretending to be Princess Peach.

* RPG Example: During a story line on the ''Prodigy City of Supers'' forum, my PC reptilian mutant and another player's genetically engineered human were taking on two NPC thugs. One attempts to make a run for it, telling his partner, "Sorry, buddy, but I ain't gonna defend you against supers and freaks." After being tackled and on the verge of being eaten by my PC, the thug cried out for help. Only to have his partner throw his words back at him, complete with mocking tone of voice. The fight didn't end well for the thugs.

* [[IronicEcho/AnimatedFilms Films -- Animated]]
* [[IronicEcho/LiveActionFilms Films -- Live Action]]

* IronicEcho/FilmsAnimated
* IronicEcho/FilmsLiveAction

Due to this page's length, the Live Action TV examples have been given their own page. To find it, [[IronicEcho/LiveActionTV go here]].

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', minor villain Bellamy condescendingly asks Luffy (who he believes to have a 30 million belli bounty, as compared to Bellamy's 50 million) "Do you even know how to throw a punch?" Luffy, who doesn't care much what an idiot like that says, doesn't reply until Bellamy ''really'' pisses him off by further insulting the friends he'd already beaten up. In a CrowningMomentOfAwesome (of the entire series), as Bellamy rockets around on his springs while dramatically taunting him, Luffy calmly lifts up one fist and echoes "Do I know how to throw a punch?" He then takes the guy out ''[[CurbstompBattle with one punch.]]''
** When Marshal D. "Blackbeard" Teach reveals the PowerNullifier aspect of his Devil Fruit powers, he states that all of the overconfident fruit users of the world will be powerless against him. He later tries this against [[spoiler: Whitebeard]], and promptly gets a chunk gouged out his shoulder for his trouble. [[spoiler: Whitebeard]] then notes that Blackbeard is too reliant on ''his'' Devil Fruit Power.
* In ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'', Baam calls out [[TheChessmaster Yu Hansung]] for trying to belittle Rachel's importance by comparing her to the [[SeriesGoal Top of the Tower]], indicating that is far more of a big deal than those petty little loyalties. To Baam, with out Rachel the Tower's top, a place of great wealth and knowledge, is nothing but a pile of garbage and people like Yu Hansung fail to see what's really precious. [[spoiler: Then, according to Yu Hansung's plans, Rachel betrays Baam and tries to kill him. While Yu Hansung gloats over him, he utters these immortal lines]]: That maybe to her the garbage up there was more important than he was.
* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', one of the last things Lelouch says to Suzaku before the final battle is "After all, we're friends, aren't we?" Suzaku pulls the IronicEcho just after [[spoiler:shooting Lelouch in the shoulder]].
** In the very first episode, right before killing a squadron of soldiers who have been slaughtering innocent people, Lelouch states his philosophy that "The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed"; the echo comes in the very last episode, where [[spoiler:he repeats the same line to justify his own death by HeroicSacrifice after spending the entire series [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans using increasingly underhanded tactics]] to [[WellIntentionedExtremist fight the Britannian Empire and establish peace]].]]
** And one more: After recovering his memories at the start of the second season, Lelouch declares "I am Zero, the man who destroys worlds and creates worlds!" It's also [[spoiler:his last words, and emphasizes what precisely he expects will result from his death.]]
** And yet another: BloodKnight Luciano Bradley has a little spiel he goes through where he asks his opponents what's "really important" and concludes it with "That's right. Your life!" before killing them. Kallen throws it back in his face just before she kills him as part of the CrowningMomentOfAwesome that is the Guren SEITEN's debut battle.
** And still another: In episode 21, right after Lelouch [[spoiler:kills his parents]], Suzaku remembers his [[spoiler:desire to avenge Eupemia's death]], to which Lelouch replies "What of it?" Ironically, Charles tells Lelouch the same thing after Marianne is assassinated.
* The finale of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS'' has two, both used for [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heartwarming moments]].
** Shortly before splitting up to sabotage the Saint Cradle's engine, Vita tells Nanoha not to worry about her since she and [[DropTheHammer Graf Eisen]] specializes in smashing stuff and "There's nothing in this world we can't destroy". During the penultimate episode of the season, while Hayate cradles a heavily wounded Vita who thought she failed to break the engine, Hayate tells her that against such valiance that she and Graf Eisen had shown, "There is nothing in the world that they can't destroy", just as a portion of Graf Eisen that had lodged itself into the engine causes an explosive chain reaction.
** During an early episode, the six-year old Vivio trips while running to [[HasTwoMommies Nanoha-mama]], and instead of helping her up, Nanoha encourages her to try her best "to stand on your own", until a worried Fate-mama protests and helps Vivio up. Come the penultimate episode, a worried Nanoha runs to the crater where Vivio was [[spoiler:after Nanoha blasted her with [[BeamSpam five]] [[WaveMotionGun Starlight Breakers]] to free her from the control of the relic]], and as she reaches the edge of the crater, a very bruised Vivio tells her not to come, "I can stand on my own", after all, she promised Nanoha-mama that she'd be strong.
* In ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'', November 11's "I'm joking" CatchPhrase gets this treatment twice. Interestingly, it gets both variants, and both times it comes from Kirihara: the first variant at the end of the Havoc arc, and the second [[spoiler:when Kirihara speaks to her superior officer following November's death]].
** Also happens with November 11's smoking rant.
* In ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'', when Aion is badly wounded in a fight, he's told by his opponent "If you had to pretend to be a big shot, you should never have come to the front lines." When Aion reveals that he ''purposefully'' lost and acted as a decoy, he [[EvilGloating gleefully repeats the line]] to his fallen opponent right before giving him the final blow.
* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', "A king is there for his people. Without people there's no king!" then, "Yes, without people, there's no king. [[HeroicSacrifice But if the king is lost, then people will lose guidance.]]"
** [[spoiler:Father declares that the Truth gives "despair to the conceited" after Roy has his eyesight taken]]. Later, [[spoiler:Truth bounces the same line back at Father before [[AndIMustScream dragging him into the Gate]]]].
** "You'll ''always'' be my role model." From [[spoiler:Pride]].
** In the second episode of [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime]], Edward tells a very distraught Rose, "Move forward. You've got a good strong pair of legs, Rose. Just get up and use them." He seems mad, seeing as how he only has one real leg. ''Much'', much later, Rose says to him, "You'll be able to come back on your own later, right? After all, you have perfect legs to walk with now." If, after forty-nine episodes, you remembered what Ed had said in the first place, then kudos to you.
*** Not so hard to remember, since Rose references it EVERY time she comes onto the screen. (Except for when she's mute.)
** Very odd series to series example. In the 2003 anime, Mustang and King Bradley fight at the climax [[spoiler:and Mustang declares 'There is no God,' right before defeating Bradley.]] In the manga and ''Brotherhood'', [[spoiler: Bradley and Scar have a climatic duel, and this time it's Bradley who says 'There is no God.' Ironically, Scar then kills Bradley, with what could even be seen as divine help.]]
* The song "Do You Remember Love?" from ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross''. Used by the humans against the [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever Zentradi]] in the defense of Earth during the first series, only to later be used against them by [[spoiler:Ranka and]] the [[BeePeople Vajra]] in ''Anime/MacrossFrontier''. [[ChekhovsGunman Grace O'Connor]] even [[LampshadeHanging comments]] on the appropriateness of the song.
* In the second volume of ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'', the Hellsing organisation's headquarters comes under attack by an army of ghouls and one of the vampires leading them calls the [[AncientConspiracy Convention of Twelve]], telling them "I highly recommend pissing yourselves, followed by a round of praying to your impotent God." Later, [[BattleButler Walter]] confronts the vampire (flanked by dozens of ghouls) and echoes the same words right back at him after demonstrating that he [[BadassGrandpa can]], and ''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome will]]'' [[RazorFloss cut every one of them down]]. The vampire's [[OhCrap reaction]] is priceless.
** There's also in volume 7, where [[spoiler: Zorin kills Pip Bernodette, and then calls him an insect. This [[BerserkButton sent Seras into a mad frenzy]], resulting in Zorin's over-the-top demise.]] Later, Schrodinger reports to The Major, "[[spoiler: Zorin]] died, Major. Like a '''bug'''."
* Early in the GrandFinale episode of ''Manga/DeathNote'', "New World":
-->'''[[spoiler: Light]]:''' Well, [[spoiler: Near]], looks like I win.
** Later, after things have GoneHorriblyWrong for the character quoted above:
-->'''[[spoiler: Ryuk]]:''' Well, [[spoiler: Light]], it looks like you've lost.
** Can't forget... "Matsuda, you IDIOT!"
* A heartwarming example from ''Manga/BunnyDrop''. An early chapter involved six-year-old Rin wetting the bed. She futilely tries to tell her caretaker Daikichi "It's only sweat." Later, when Daikichi brings up the subject to Rin of legally adopting her, she refuses, wanting to keep the same name as her biological dad, and telling him "Daikichi, I like you just being my Daikichi." Daikichi is moved to tears by Rin's statement, and when she asks if he's crying he tells her "This is sweat!"
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' tends to do this a lot.
** Tsunade said that becoming Hokage was "A fool's game." Later, Orochimaru says the same thing when Tsunade protects Naruto.
** After their first battle, Sasuke coolly asked the frightened Naruto "You all right, scaredy cat?" And later, in the Forest of Death, when Sasuke was the one freaking out and about to be attacked by a giant snake (during a battle with [[BigBad Orochimaru]], at the time by far the most powerful character yet introduced), Naruto stops the snake just in time and calmly asked Sasuke the same question.
** When Sasuke departs the village and receives his first power-up, he's told that in order to gain the power he must die. Four years later when learning how to be a sage, Naruto is told he must die.
** In a very long-term echo, Naruto repeats and has flashbacks to Iruka defending and praising him in the first chapter when [[spoiler: Kurama, the Kyuubi]] finally pulls a HeelFaceTurn.
** "THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SACRED TEMPLE, MOTHERFUCKER!"
*** The above happens when Naruto and Bee pull a prank on Yamato. Bee tells Yamato that using a clone is useless because "THIS IS A SACRED TEMPLE MOTHAFUCKA! The previous generations watch over this place, your bitch-ass tricks an't gonna fool no one!" when he suggests doing so to Naruto. (Yamato suggests this because he believes the headless statues are previous Jinchuuriki). Naruto puts his head in the hole and starts screaming. When Yamato pulls him out, his head is below his collar and Yamato is clearly horrified. Bee, however, knows that its just a joke and he and Naruto pull a laugh, while Bee admits he did the same thing and the statues are just broken. Cue Yamato getting pissed off and yelling "THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SACRED TEMPLE, 'MOTHERFUCKER'!", mostly at Bee, but Naruto too.
** During their fight in the Chuunin Exams, Neji asked why Naruto tried so hard to change his fate. Naruto responds, "Because I was called a failure." Fastforward over 400 chapters and Naruto asks Neji why [[spoiler: he sacrificed himself to save Naruto and Hinata]]. Neji responds, "Because I was called a genius."
** At the start of the Shippuden, Naruto jumps to the top of a nearby building to look at the village and proclaims it hasn't change at all. Much later, [[spoiler:Sasuke takes a similar location, only to muse the village has changed a lot]].
* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', when Misato invites Shinji into her apartment, the place where he is assigned to live, he sheepishly says "I'm home", to which Misato responds "Welcome home". This appears a second time during Shinji's [[TenMinuteRetirement 10-Minute Retirement]] as a MeaningfulEcho. However, it becomes twisted the third time it is used during the final sequence of ''End of Evangelion'' [[spoiler:when Rei fuses with Lilith. She whispers "I'm home", to which Lilith responds "Welcome home", shown as text flashing across the screen, followed by the initiation of the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Third Impact]].]]
* The climax of ''VisualNovel/HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi: Matsuribayashi-hen'' was this. [[spoiler:Miyo Takano has one bullet left, aims at Hanyuu, shoots, and ''misses''. It's an IronicEcho of when she was younger, when she ran away from the orphanage during a thunderstorm, she stands under a tree and taunts God into striking her with a lightning bolt or to instead improve her life. A bolt does strike... the tree behind her.]]
** It's even more ironic when you recall that [[spoiler:Miyo]]'s motive for this whole tragic chain of events was ''to become a god''.
* In the first episode of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', Simon tries to take Kamina down to see the "huge face" he found while digging (the Lagann unit). At the climax of the first arc, their conversation is echoed between Simon and Rossiu when [[spoiler:the capital city of Teppelin [[TransformingMecha suddenly begins transforming in front of them]]]]:
-->'''Rossiu:''' What is it?!\\
'''Simon:''' ''A huge face!?''
* In ''Anime/{{Gaiking}}: Legend of Daiku-Maryu'', we have Daiya telling his big bad opponent of the moment (Nouza) that "You don't win because you're strong. The ones that don't give up win in the end!". Near the series conclusion [[spoiler:Nouza]] proceeds to echo this in his one-on-one fight with Proist brilliantly.
* In ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' the resident {{Badass}}, demonic, [[{{Bishonen}} red-haired pretty boy]] [[TheChessmaster Kurama]] gets into a fight with a demonic bomber named Karasu. Early on in the fight Karasu seems to have the upper hand and as a result mimics putting a pistol to his head and saying ''bang,'' indicating to Kurama that he should just simply shoot himself rather then continue fighting Karasu. About ten seconds later Kurama transforms into his much more powerful WhiteHairedPrettyBoy true form and suddenly it's Karasu whose on the ropes. Guess what gesture Kurama decides to make at this time.
** In the English dub, Elder Toguro turns his hand into a giant knife and mockingly claims his mother always wanted him to be a surgeon, when Kuwabara turns his Spirit Sword into a giant disc blade to strike every part of his body at once, Kuwabara claims his mother always wanted him to be an exterminator, as he swats him like a fly.
* [[LittleMissSnarker Ruri]] in ''Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico'' has the catchphrase of commenting that she's SurroundedByIdiots. When things start getting darker in the series and the GovernmentConspiracy is revealed, she uses the variation "We're all idiots", and similarly, in a sad revelation about her past, comments, "I'm an idiot." There's also a humorous ironic echo in an episode where the crew watches a marathon of ''Gekeigan 3''. Another character, who doesn't like the show refers to the group as idiots, and Ruri, who is next to her, gives kind of a surprised look.
* ''[[Manga/CaptainTsubasa Captain Tsubasa: World Youth]]'': On the Sao Paulo vs Flamengo match, Tsubasa deliberately falls on one of Santana's tackle to get a good kick-off and show him that referees are humans, and that he should stop considering himself a "soccer cyborg", finishing his tirade with "this is one of the funs things in soccer". A few minutes later, in a counter-attack near Sao Paulo's goals, Santana shoots the ball on Tsubasa's foot so that it counts as a Sao Paulo pass, thus not putting his Flamengo partner offside ''and'' putting him in an advantageous position to score the goal: as the goal is scored, Santana says to Tsubasa "this is one of the funs things in soccer" with an evil look and a SlasherSmile.
* At the end of the Yellow Arc of ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'', Red notes that his Pika has grown close to Yellow and goodnaturedly jokes that they should all live together, not realizing that [[SamusIsAGirl Yellow is a girl]]. At the end of the GSC arc, when he ''does'' find out and Misty calls him, the three of them uncomfortably realize they're in a LoveTriangle. Blue then teasingly suggests the same thing, making them all sputter in embarrassment.
* In one chapter of ''Manga/MedakaBox'', during a fight between Myouga and Nabeshima, Myouga attacks from behind and says, "I love attacking people from behind like this. This is an attack that those who do martial arts, [[TakeThat especially judo]], never taste." As the fight goes on, Nabeshima pulls the same attack and uses the same phrase, "I love attacking people from behind like this," but changes the second half to "But this is proper judo, so anyone can taste it." (Also a case of StrangeMindsThinkAlike, since Myouga was speaking in a language that Nabeshima didn't understand.)
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''
** Earlier in the series, Komamura protects his friend Tousen by taking a hit from an opponent Kenpachi. In chapter 367, [[spoiler: he protects a stranger Shinji by taking a hit from his ex-friend Tousen.]] Komamura even {{lampshade|Hanging}}s this, remarking it's the opposite of what happened before.
** Previous to [[spoiler: his power-up]], Ichigo was keeping a distance from Aizen, who mocked him. After [[spoiler: his power-up]], Ichigo asked Aizen why he was keeping ''his'' distance.
** Aizen will be forever known for subverting ThemeMusicPowerUp by stopping Ichigo's sword, as well as cutting off Ichigo's theme song "Number One". Now [[spoiler: Ichigo returns the favouring by stopping ''Aizen'''s theme song as well as being the one to do the asskicking.]]
* The opening battle of ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion 2.0'' had one. Right after [[SpiderTank Unit 05]] is blown to bits, Kaji comments that he's "not sure about involving a kid in the affairs of adults". Twenty seconds later, [[BloodKnight Mari]] monologues that she's "not so sure about involving an adult to achieve [her] own goals". This is the first sign that Mari's not your average CloudCuckooLander.
* Can't forget a gem from ''Anime/RahXephon'', regarding the LostTechnology that lets [[TheHero Ayato Kamina]] teleport into the cockpit of the [[HumongousMecha RahXephon]]:
-->'''Megumi:''' So how does that thing work, anyway?\\
'''Kim:''' No idea. Maybe [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist Dr. Kisaragi]] knows?\\
'''Megumi:''' Yeah. That guy seems to know everything.\\
''Cut to Kamina emerging from the artifact in a different room while Dr. Kisaragi watches.''\\
'''Dr. Kisaragi:''' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Really, I wonder how that thing works.]]
* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', during the Frieza Saga, Frieza remarks that it's a good day to die, in reference to his opponents when deciding which one he will kill. Later on, when the Namekians have evacuated to Earth via the Namekian Dragon Balls due to Namek's destruction, Saichoro says the exact same thing when accepting that he is dying of old age.
** Much later in the manga when Gotenks uses his "Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack" against Buu, Piccolo comments on how the technique is really powerful but also really stupid. Later when Vegito curbstomps Buu, Buu wants to save himself by copying Gotenks' technique, leading Vegito to compliment him on how cool the technique was despite being utterly useless against Vegito's god-like powers.
* In the [[VideoGame/MegaManX Mega Man Maverick Hunter X]] OVA ''The Day of Sigma'', Sigma tells X that there are times that X should never hesitate to pull the trigger as words of encouragement and also a lecture after an incident where Sigma had to get involved in decommissioning the Maverick due to X hesitating after it used a captured soldier as a reploid-shield. Sigma later says that exact thing when he is strangling X after becoming Maverick, and unveiling that he's going to nuke Abel City to the ground as the start of his reploid rebellion.
* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'':
** At the beginning of the series, Kenshin says: "A sword is a weapon. Kenjutsu the art of murder...But, I like Miss Kaoru’s [[TechnicalPacifist idealism]] better than its true nature." It's revealed that the first sentence is his mentor's philosophy, and he quotes it back to Kenshin to remind him that real life is a CrapsackWorld.
** A one-person IronicEcho happens when, after Saitou reappears in Kenshin's life, he mutters to himself that he will never change, and that Kenshin will revert to his old ways sooner or later. When Kenshin adamantly refuses to do so, Saitou amends his statement as a sign that he's accepted this.
** There's also an action ironic echo: the first time Kenshin and Aoshi face off, Kenshin defeats him by executing a BarehandedBladeBlock. In the lead-up to the final showdown, Aoshi is disarmed by an opponent mirroring his sword style, but he pulls off a one-handed BarehandedBladeBlock with a spiffy OneLiner obliquely referring to the previous event.
* ''Anime/TransformersCybertron'' has a funny one.
--> '''Evac''': What are you doing here? What do you want?
--> '''[[ManipulativeBastard Sideways]]''': Sorry, but if I told you then I'd have to tell everybody, and it wouldn't be much of a secret.
--> '''Evac''': Smart-alec. Crosswise, you got anything?
--> '''Crosswise''': Well, I heard someone say something about a [[MacGuffin Cyber Planet Key]]...
--> '''Evac''': Oh, so that's it. Sorry, but you're way off base. What you're looking for isn't here.
--> '''Sideways''': Then where is it? Tell me!
--> '''Evac''': [[IronicEcho Sorry, but if I told you then I'd have to tell everybody.]] But I do have [[SuperPersistentMissile something for you]]...
* The phrase "with my own hands" ("kono te de") does this in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''. Homura says it when declaring that she will kill all the witches and Walpurgis herself, and when she is about to kill [[spoiler:Sayaka to prevent her from becoming a witch. But she does not successfully do either of these things]]. Madoka uses the phrase at the end, while announcing her intent to [[spoiler:[[RetGone erase literally all the witches to have ever existed, including Walpurgis.]] Which she does. She also "kills" Sayaka and takes her to WarriorHeaven so she won't become a witch]]. [[SubbingVersusDubbing The English dub has no such echo.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* In the first act of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'':
-->'''Helen:''' Everybody's special, Dash.\\
'''Dash:''' Which is another way of saying no-one is.
** This same sentiment is voiced by Syndrome in the third act.
-->'''Syndrome:''' And when everyone's Super... no-one will be.
** Then of course, there is this line.
-->'''Syndrome:''' After all...[[spoiler:[[FromNobodyToNightmare I am your biggest fan]].]]
** Creator/{{Pixar}} seems to enjoy this one. Both ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' used this with key lines of dialogue.
* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'': "It's not flying, it's falling with style!"
** After Buzz disbelieves "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis You. Are. A. TOY!]]" in the first movie proclaimed by Woody, he tries to persuade Woody to come with him by using the same line.
** "You have saved our lives. We are eternally grateful."
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie'': Homer tells Marge that "in every marriage, you get one chance to say 'I need you to do this with me'" in order to convince her to join him in Alaska. Later, Marge says the same thing to Homer to get him to join her in saving Springfield. Homer's response: "That was the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
* ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'': Genie says, "'''[=PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER!=]''' [--...itty-bitty living space.--]"
** And in the DirectToVideo sequel: "Genies can't kill anyone... But you'd be surprised [[FateWorseThanDeath what you can live through...]]"
* ''Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' has a scene near the beginning where Kuzco fires Yzma for trying to run the country behind his back, and rattles off a HurricaneOfEuphemisms for being fired ("'You're being let go.' 'Your department's being downsized.' 'You're part of an outplacement.' 'We're going in a different direction.' 'We're not picking up your option.' Take your pick. I got more.") Near the end of the film, Yzma has Kuzco cornered, and rattles off a similar HurricaneOfEuphemisms for death, quoted at the top of this page.
** As well as "nobody's that heartless."
-->'''Pacha:''' Deep down, I think you'll realize that you're forcing an entire village out of their homes just for you.\\
'''[[JerkAss Kuzco]]:''' And that's...bad?\\
'''Pacha:''' Well, yeah. Nobody's ''that'' heartless.\\
(Later...)\\
'''Pacha:''' ''(after Kuzco saves him from a collapsing cliff)'' You coulda just let me fall.\\
'''[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Kuzco]]:''' What's the big deal? Nobody's ''that'' heartless!
* From ''Disney/{{Pocahontas}}'': Upon seeing Wiggins, his manservant, not realizing what a "proper English greeting" was ("Ooh! gift baskets!"), Radcliffe sighs, "And he came so highly recommended." Cut to the end, where Radcliffe is arrested for attempted murder and being carted back to England in chains. Wiggins dabs at his eyes with a handkerchief and sighs, "And he came so highly recommended." Bonus points for [[TalkingToHimself Wiggins and Radcliffe having the same voice actor]].
* A variation occurs in ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''. Hopper tells Princess Atta "how things are supposed to work: The sun grows the food, the ants pick the food, the grasshoppers eat the food..." At the end, just before the entire ant colony charges the grasshoppers, [[Awesome/ABugsLife Atta says this: "You see, Hopper, Nature has a certain order: The ants pick the food; the ants KEEP the food... And the grasshoppers LEAVE."]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'', Kent Mansley appends "and all that that implies" to several of his sentences for added emphasis. Towards the end of the film, when Hogarth thinks he's gotten rid of the nosy government agent for good, he smugly says to himself, "Bye, Kent, and all that that implies."
** Something similar happened after [[spoiler:Kent Mansley, in a panic, had the submarine launch a nuke at the Iron Giant ''while he was in the town'', thus endangering the populace.]] The Iron Giant tells Hogarth "You stay... I go... No following." when he is going to go up through the atmosphere to intercept the missile, and probably sacrifice himself in the process. Hogarth said those exact words to the Iron Giant earlier in the film when he was going to call it a day (primarily because he didn't think his mom, never mind the rest of the populace in his town, would handle it well.)
* ''Disney/TheLionKing'' has young Simba going into an elephant graveyard, proclaiming, "Danger? Hah! I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger. Ha ha ha ha!" After the TimeSkip and adult Simba's return to his kingdom, Nala taunts him by repeating "I laugh in the face of danger", complete with laugh.
** Scar tells young Simba at his father's death to "Run away, and never return." Later, when adult Simba gets the upper paw over Scar, he repeats those words back to him.
*** Given that Scar's earlier use of those words also had him dispatching the Hyenas to kill Simba shortly thereafter, and Scar probably concluding that Simba would probably do something similar to Scar if he left, that ''might'' explain why Scar chose to attack Simba instead of heeding his advice to flee.
** "Slimy, yet satisfying". Pumbaa's incentive to eating insects, and Simba's same response a few moments later after reluctantly trying one himself.
** When young Simba says "When I'm King, I can do whatever I want," it's clearly a sign of his immaturity. When ''Scar'' says a variation much later, we know exactly why the Pride Lands went to hell under his rule.
** When Timon and Pumbaa are first trying to persuade Simba that eating bugs is a good thing, Pumbaa declares, "You'll learn to love 'em!" Later, after adult Simba meets adult Nala and has to chase Timon and Pumbaa off so as to have alone time with her, he says, "Timon and Pumbaa--you learn to love 'em!"
* In ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'', the key change of Dr. Facilier's epic VillainSong, ''Friends on the Other Side'', contains a very powerful rhythm accompanying the phrase "Are you ready? ''Are you ready?''" right before Prince Naveen becomes a frog. Later in the film, during [[spoiler:Dr. Facilier's absolutely terrifying death, the shadows again start up the rhythm and sing ''"Are you ready?"'', to which he cries no, he's not, he needs more time... and keeps screaming this as he's dragged to his death.]]
** Also, toward the end of the film, [[spoiler:Dr. Facilier attempts to tempt Tiana with the restaurant of her dreams, repeating a line from Tiana's IWantSong]].
-->[[spoiler: "Come on, Tiana. You're almost there."]]
** Followed by a third:
-->[[spoiler: "It's not SLIME, it's MUCUS!"]]
* Early in TheFilmOfTheBook of ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'', the mayor of Swallow Falls comments that he wants the townspeople to look at him and say "That is one big mayor," as in someone important. Later in the film, during the reopening of Chewandswallow, an audience member says the exact same words, [[spoiler:but referring to the mayor's [[FatBastard very evident obesity.]]]]
* In ''Disney/{{Bolt}}'', we're introduced to Mittens the cat when we see her extorting food from some pigeons in exchange for not eating ''them''. When one of the pigeons, Louie, is unable to bring anything but an orange seed, Mittens demands that Louie bring her all his food next time, or else. Louie protests "We had a deal!", to which Mittens replies "The deal's just expired." A few scenes later [[AndYouThoughtItWasAGame Bolt,]] believing Mittens to be an agent of "the man with the green eye" (the villain of the ShowWithinAShow on which he works), threatens her into telling him where Penny is. She convinces Bolt to head to Hollywood, California, but ends up getting dragged along by Bolt. When she protests "We had a deal!", Bolt replies "The deal's just expired." This is {{lampshade|Hanging}}d when Louie, watching in amusement with his fellow pigeons, remarks "That's what she said to me earlier."
* ''Disney/LiloAndStitch''
-->'''Lilo:''' "Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind. Or forgotten.
* In ''Disney/RobinHood'', a character had once joked that if Robin marries Lady Marian, King Richard would have an outlaw as an inlaw. At the end of the movie, King Richard says the exact phrase during Robin and Marian's wedding.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'' has the unprecedented use of IronicEcho between a few seconds in regards to Z and General Mandible. As such, both are to be posted:
-->'''General Mandible:''' [Z has broken through to the surface where Mandible and his soldiers wait for them to be drowned] Let go! Don't you understand? It's for the good of the colony!
-->'''Z:''' What are you saying? We are the colony!
-->''[Mandible is about to strike Z when Cutter knocks him aside]''
-->'''General Mandible:''' Cutter, what are you doing?
-->'''Colonel Cutter:''' Something I should have done a long time ago.
-->''[extends his hand to the worker ants]''
-->'''Colonel Cutter:''' *This* is for the good of the colony, General.'''
-->'''General Mandible:''' You useless, ungrateful maggot! [[IAmTheNoun *I* am the colony!]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'': "Thirsty, ''brother''?"
* In ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance'', the line "How does the kitty cat go?" is first spoken menacingly by Max to Danny, then reversed on him when [[spoiler:Danny sends Max flying on a punctured Darla balloon float.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'', there are a multitude of great examples.
** The line "I did this" was said first by Hiccup upon realizing he [[spoiler: couldn't bring himself to kill Toothless]] and again by [[spoiler: Stoick]] when [[spoiler: he thinks Hiccup is dead.]] Bonus points for having Toothless in both scenes and in the same position.
** "You just gestured to all of me..."
** "Thank you, for summing that up."
** "That's for ______. And that's for everything else" Spoken by Astrid, when she [[spoiler: hit Hiccup twice for keeping secrets]], again when [[spoiler:Hiccup drops her off after taking her to fly, only this time she kisses him the second time, instead of hitting him]], and one last time at the end when [[spoiler: she kisses him again]].
** "We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard."
** "Night Fury! Get down!" Spoken first when the Night Fury is attacking, and later when [[spoiler: Toothless jumps on the villagers, playfully.]]
** "We have ''dragons''." Counts as a BookEnds.
* [[WesternAnimation/CorpseBride The phrase "New arrival"]], first used when Mayhew arrives in the Land of the Dead, is given a sinister tone after [[spoiler:Lord Barkis accidentally kills himself by drinking the poison meant for Victor in an ironic toast to Emily. This makes him fair game to the dead, who descend in an angry mob to carry out a FateWorseThanDeath.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheCurseOfTheWereRabbit'', there is an actual mute Ironic Echo. Gromit wants to leave his truck to help Wallace, but Phillip shakes his head "no", keeping him in. A minute after, when Wallace transforms, Phillip wants to shelter in the truck, but Gromit shakes his head in the same fashion and keeps the doors closed.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hoodwinked}}'': During Red's story, she calls Granny at a roadside payphone, and this exchange:
-->'''Granny Puckett:''' A trip up the mountain is too dangerous for a little girl.
-->'''Red Puckett:''' I'm not so little anymore!
** In the next scene, when Red is in the treehouse:
-->'''Woodpecker:''' Are you going somewhere far away?
-->'''Red Puckett:''' No, the world is too dangerous for me! ''(throws her magazine over the side, which lands on a car and causes the driver to run into a tree)''
** Also, there's the Wolf's "[[NeverTrustATrope Never trust a bunny]]" line. The first time, during his story, he's saying this to Twitchy after they make the mistake of trusting Boingo for directions to Granny's house, causing them to end up in a cave inhabited with bats. Here, the line is used in the context of navigation (well, he DOES tell them the route involves going [[ExactWords over the woods and through the river]]). When Flippers makes TheReveal that Boingo was the BigBad, the Wolf repeats this line, but this time referring to Boingo's deceptive appearance.
* Near the beginning of ''WesternAnimation/FritzTheCat'', Fritz makes a speech falsely claiming his worldliness as part of seducing dumb, naive hippie girls with pseudo-philosophical garbage. At the end, he starts into the same speech, which is now actually accurate after the events of the film [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope but it's still just to seduce the exact same naive hippie girls.]]]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/SearchingForBobbyFischer'', Jonathan beats an experienced player at chess and says "Trick or treat" (maybe a reference to Jonathan's own age?). When Josh beats Jonathan at the championship, Josh repeats the phrase.
* ''Film/LittleSweetheart'': Thelma [[spoiler:gives one to Elizabeth just before she opens fire, when Elizabeth tries to stop her by saying they're friends. As Elizabeth yelled at her that they're not friends earlier, after Thelma threatened her with the gun, Elizabeth really should have seen that coming.]]
* ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'': Olaf arrives to [[FateWorseThanDeath save]] the Baudelaire orphans from being eaten from the [[MeaningfulName Lachrymose Leeches.]] The phrase he uses to welcome the orphans is the same as the one he uses in their first meeting.
-->'''Count Olaf''': Hello, hello, hello. '''[[NightmareFuel I missed you guys.]]'''
* ''Film/PulpFiction'': In the 3rd scene of the movie, Marcellus Wallace is convincing Butch to throw his boxing match and says this:
-->'''Marcellus Wallace:''' The night of the fight, you may feel a slight sting. That's pride fuckin' with you
** And then later, when [[spoiler:Butch has Marcellus on the ground, punching him in the face repeatedly after not throwing the fight,]] says this to him:
-->'''Butch:''' You feel that sting, big boy, huh? That's pride FUCKIN' with you!!
* Lampshaded in ''Film/GoodWillHunting'', Creator/RobinWilliams' line [[spoiler:Sorry, I have to go see about a girl.]] is later used by Matt Damon and Robin Williams reply is "Son of a bitch, stole my line."
* ''Film/ThreeHundred'' goes the malicious route. "This will not be over quickly..." is used by Theron against Gorgo, then reversed by her when she gives him his comeuppance.
* ''Film/MissCongeniality'' uses the second situation. "It is not a beauty pageant. It is a ''scholarship program!''"
** Also, before her transformation, Sandra Bullock's character Gracie answers a question with "Yeah." Candice Bergen's character Kathy Morningside (the director of the pageant) corrects her, saying "Yes." At the end of the movie, when Gracie is pushing Morningside in the car, the ex-pageant winner says "Yeah, yeah." Gracie corrects her, echoing "Yes" before shutting the door in the shocked woman's face.
* In ''Film/HarryPotter and the Order of the Phoenix'', as in [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix the book]], Professor Umbridge forces Harry to copy lines using a magic pen that etches the words "I must not tell lies" into the back of his hand. He proves how well he learned his lesson when, under attack by enraged centaurs, Umbridge [[DirtyCoward begs him to tell them she means them no harm.]] "Sorry, Professor. I must not tell lies."
** And in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'' he does it to her ''again'' when she's trying to force a {{muggle|s}}-born witch to confess to stealing her wand from someone else. As it happens, neither of these instances occurred in the books; they were added to the movies as a bit of cruel irony.
* A similar phrase was used in the stage musical ''Theatre/{{Annie}}''. When the FBI takes Miss Hannigan away, she pleads to have Annie witness to how good she treated her and the other orphans. Annie responds with the one thing Miss Hannigan always taught her: "Never tell a lie."
* In ''Film/{{Prince of Persia|TheSandsOfTime}}'' Sheik Amar and Dastan's brief discussion regarding Seso and his amazing knife throwing abilities. The first time was played for laughs, the second... [[TearJerker not so much]].
--> '''Sheik Amar''': Have I told you about the Ngbaka?
--> '''Prince Dastan''': Yes, you have.
* Played with in the film adaptation of ''TheSecretGarden''; when Mary's name is called at the station in London, the children start singing the nursery rhyme "Mary Mary Quite Contrary". Later on in the film, Dickon starts singing it and Mary remarks that the children used to sing it at her on the boat from India. She then happily sings the rest of the song with Dickon.
* A rather subtle version of this is employed in ''Film/BackToTheFuture''. Throughout the movie, various characters are constantly advising or admonishing Marty to "use your head." In the climax of the film when the [=DeLorean=] stalls, it only starts again when Marty [[PercussiveMaintenance thumps his head]] onto the steering wheel.
* In ''Film/LittleGiants'', the two coaches (brothers; the [[JerkJock all-American]] versus the geek) put up their businesses (the geek's gas station versus the jock's car dealership) on the outcome of the game between them. At halftime, with the jock's team up, he taunts, "You'll always have a job at the full-service pumps." At the end of the game, the geek's team wins, and the jock wants out. After teasing him for a second, the geek retorts, "You'll always have a job at (my new car dealership)!"
* In ''Film/ShesAllThat'', when Taylor dumps Zack for Brock, she says "You didn't think I'd leave for college still dating you, did you? Oh, you did? That's sweet." Later, when Brock dumps her, he uses almost the exact same line.
* At the beginning of ''Film/LegallyBlonde'', Warner dumps college girlfriend Elle, saying "If I'm gonna be a senator by the time I'm thirty, I've gotta stop dicking around." At the end of the movie, when Elle is a promising law student and Warner tries to win her back, she replies, "If I'm going to be a partner in a law firm by the time I'm thirty, I need a boyfriend who isn't a total bonehead."
* ''Film/AChristmasStory'' has a recurring line: "You'll shoot your eye out." At the end of the movie, Ralphie shoots off his new BB gun, the BB ricochets and grazes his cheek just below his eye. His first thought: "OH MY GOD, I '''SHOT MY EYE OUT!'''". In the moments that follow, he steps on and breaks his glasses, which is [[BlindWithoutEm effectively the same thing]].
* ''Film/ShaunOfTheDead'' plays this into the ground, including (but not limited to):
** "You've got red on you."
** "I'm sorry." "You haven't got anything to be sorry about..." "No. I'm ''sorry''."
*** "I'll stop doing 'em when you stop laughing." "I'm not laughing."
** "He's not my Dad."
** "It's on random!"
** "Big Al says so."
** "Dogs ''can'' look up!"
** "Oh, leave 'im alone!"
** A non-verbal example; the two scenes in which Shaun walks from his house to the shop, which are filmed exactly the same. The first time, pre-ZombieApocalypse, everything's normal. The second time, post-ZombieApocalypse, the street is trashed and the living dead are wandering around. Shaun's equally oblivious to what's going on both times.
** When Shaun is lamenting in the pub after breaking up with Liz, all of Ed's statements about what to do are the entire rest of the movie.
* The last half-hour of ''Film/HotFuzz'' runs on 50% CrowningMomentOfAwesome, 50% Ironic Echoes.
* In ''Film/BatmanBegins'', both Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox get {{Ironic Echo}}es in as they reveal to Earle they've taken over Wayne Enterprises.
** "Mind your surroundings."
** "Don't be afraid."
** "Finders Keepers"
** "It's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you."
* ''Film/AKnightsTale'' has the villain repeatedly taunting the hero with the words "You have been weighed. You have been measured. You have been found wanting." Much later, after the villain gets his comeuppance, the hero's sidekicks repeat the phrase back to the villain.
** There's also a line uttered by one of the sidekicks early on; "God love you, William." "I know, I know. No-one else will." Later, it makes for a [[Heartwarming/AKnightsTale Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]] as said sidekick repeats the first sentence, and finishes it with "And so do I."
* In ''Film/SnakesOnAPlane'', the phrase, "Do what I say, and you'll live," is used twice. The first time, it is spoken by Creator/SamuelLJackson's character, advising a witness who is in mortal danger. The second time comes at the end, [[spoiler:by the witness himself, advising Jackson on how to really enjoy life]].
* ''Film/BeingThere'': "I understand." (Movie version only.)
* ''Film/{{Shaft}}'': Vic tells Shaft to "Close it yourself, shitty!" referring to the door of his apartment, echoing (non-ironically) the woman Shaft has just slept with. In the final scene, Shaft echoes the line, this time referring to "closing the case."
* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'': "By ''your'' leave, Mr. Norrington!"
** Subverted by [[MagnificentBastard Barbossa]].
-->'''Barbossa:''' ''(after Elizabeth tells him to leave)'' I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request.
*** Later in the movie, when he sends Ragetti to request that she join Barbossa for dinner.
-->'''Elizabeth:''' You may tell your Captain that I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request.\\
'''Ragetti:''' He said you'd say that.
** There's also this gem...
-->'''Elizabeth:''' ''(after failing to convince to the other pirates to go back with her for Jack)'' Bloody Pirates.
*** A little later on...
-->'''Ragetti:''' ''(seeing the ''Black Pearl'' sailing off)'' Is it supposed to be doing that?\\
'''Pintel:''' They're stealing our ship!\\
'''Ragetti:''' Bloody Pirates.
** "They're more like guidelines anyway!"
** How about this one?
-->'''Norrington:''' You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of.
** Later still...
-->'''Groves:''' He must be the best pirate I've ever seen!\\
'''Norrington:''' So it would seem.
** From the third film, Elizabeth uses the line 'It was my burden to bear' to justify not telling Will about [[spoiler:feeding Jack to the kraken.]] Will uses the same line when it's revealed he led Sao Feng to the Pearl.
** Barbosa claims the Brethren Court should rely on "the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs" when he wants to rely on [[spoiler:Calypso]] to save them. After her betrayal, Elizabeth uses the same words to rally both Barbosa and the pirates to fight on their own.
** Several times, the phrase 'it's just good business' is used to justify characters betraying one another. The final use is by Cutler Beckett, when he [[spoiler:realises he's going to die after the crew of ''the Dutchman'' turn on him and accepts his fate]].
* A hilarious example of this is in ''[[Film/TheKarateKid The Karate Kid Part II]]'', the JerkJock of a martial arts teacher's saying is, "Mercy is for the weak. We do not train to be merciful here. A man who faces you is the enemy. Enemies deserve no mercy." which he drills into his students with full force. In the sequel he gets pissed off at the fact that his number one pupil lost to Mr. Miyagi's student who he thinks is a joke. So he takes it out on his pupils after he lost and starts to almost kill one of them until Mr. Miyagi tells him to stop. He doesn't listen and tries to take out Mr. Miyagi. He also ends up with shattered hands full of glass and on his knees -- [[DeadlyDodging Mr. Miyagi didn't even touch him, it was all his own doing]]. While he's crying out in pain and begging for mercy, Mr. Miyagi in a dangerous voice repeats the line while holding the jerk's head in his hands: "Mercy is for the weak. We do not train to be merciful here. A man who face you he is enemy. Enemy deserve no mercy."
** Everyone, even his loyal pupil believes he's going to finish the guy off. But at the last second instead of striking he honks the guy's nose and the guy passes out anyway.
*** The nose honk itself is also an echo, as Daniel does the same thing to Chozen at the end of the movie.
** There is also the scene where Uncle disowns Chozen for not helping Daniel save the teenage girl during the hurricane. "Now too you, I am dead." Later when Uncle tries to talk Chozen out of his duel to the death with Daniel, Chozen reminds Uncle of what he said. "I don't hear you, Uncle. I'm dead to you, remember?"
* In ''Film/ChangingLanes'', Ben Affleck's character pulls a Type 2 of sorts near the end -- following the advice, but in a way which the advice-giver didn't intend.
* In ''TheMachinist'', Trever first says "I know who you are!" repeatedly and angrily when he thinks he has worked out the identity of Ivan, and then later in a terrified tone when he actually has worked out Ivan's identity ([[spoiler: a sort-of personification of his guilt]]).
* In ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', SelfDemonstrating/{{Magneto}} sarcastically comments: "Wolverine, whoever goes into the dam needs to be able to operate the spillway mechanism. What do you intend to do? Scratch it with your claws?" Later on, that's exactly what he does (well, a ''bit'' more than scratch) to save all the protagonists from being drowned by the flood approaching down the spillway -- smash a fist full of claw into the mechanism.
** And in the third: "best defense is a good offense", as well as Wolverine throwing Magneto's us vs. them rhetoric right back in his face [[spoiler:when he gets hit with the mutant cure]].
** And in ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', Sebastian tells young Magneto to "move the coin by the time I count to three", and shoots his mom in front of him when he fails. Later, when Magneto has Sebastian helpless...
-->'''Magneto''': I'm going to count to three, and then I'm going to [[PrettyLittleHeadshots move the coin]].
** Also from ''First Class'': "Mutant and proud."
** ''First Class'' also gives us the more meta example of Xavier echoing the Nazis' famous historical defence that they were "JustFollowingOrders". Those two ex-SS guys Magneto killed in the Argentina bar near the beginning while looking for Shaw also used this as their defense.
* In ''Film/TheAmericanPresident'', current US president Andrew Shepard makes fun of his rival running for office's catchphrase a few times throughout the film, which is "My name is Bob Rumpsen and I'm running for President!" At the film's climax, in a CrowningMomentOfAwesome, President Shepard makes a moving speech condemning Rumpsen and all his tactics, ending with the following twist: "My name is Andrew Shepard and I ''am'' the President."
* Fairly early in ''Film/TheDeathsOfIanStone'', the title character's girlfriend recites to him, "Cross my heart and hope to die/Stick a needle in your eye." (It's a children's rhyme, in case you don't know, often accompanying children's promises.) [[spoiler:He has in fact crossed her heart, inasmuch as they were apparently lovers of some sort before he developed a sense of ethics. She can't kill him, but is more than capable of putting him through enough torment for him to "hope to die."]] And when the first half of that rhyme is repeated? [[spoiler:[[EyeScream She really does stick a needle in his eye.]]]]
* In the 1952 version of ''Film/MoulinRouge'', Jane Avril excitedly bids farewell to Toulouse-Lautrec in the first scene with the line, "There's the most ''divine'' creature waiting for me..." She says this again to say goodbye to him at the end, when [[spoiler:he lies dying and hallucinates that the Moulin's dancers have returned.]]
* Happens in ''Film/FistOfTheNorthStar''. At the start of the film Kenshiro, not wanting to fight his [[LoveMakesYouEvil former friend and love rival Shin]], says that "The North Star and the Southern Cross should never fight", only for Shin to respond "That is true... but there is no North Star" just before almost killing Ken. At the end the film the roles are reversed, with Ken simply saying Southern Cross in place of North Star. Oddly enough, by that part it seems like Shin may be serious and honestly repenting what he's done, yet Ken goes on beating him to death.
* In the ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' movie, Steve admits that he cheated on Miranda and they fight, with him trying desperately to apologize and saying it was a one-time lapse of judgment, etc., while she says that now she can't trust him ever again. Near the end of the movie, Miranda admits that her slip of the tongue might have cost Carrie her marriage and Carrie winds up using almost the exact same lines as Miranda did to chew her out for it.
* ''WhatDreamsMayCome'': Christopher tends to say the phrase, "Sometimes when you win, you lose," to somebody close to him when circumstances don't work out how they should (such as when he and his wife Annie decide to part ways after their children's deaths). However, [[spoiler:after he has successfully travelled to Hell, located Annie, and redeemed her by not abandoning her in her time of need as he did in life,]] she walks up to him with a smile on her face and echoes, "Sometimes, when you lose... You win."
* ''GrandHotel'' (1932): "Grand Hotel... always the same. People come, people go. [[NothingExcitingEverHappensHere Nothing ever happens.]]"
* ''Film/SympathyForLadyVengeance'' has Lee Geum-ja being told, "Stop crying, bitch, it brings bad luck." by another inmate upon her incarceration. Geum-ja repeats this back to the same inmate, who was dying of kidney failure, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming when she gives her one of her kidneys.]]
* ''Film/{{Yentl}}'' has two: "Nothing's impossible!", first uttered to the [[SweetPollyOliver titular character]] by her study partner Avigdor after he asks her/him to marry his ex-fiancée, later uttered by her when Avigdor almost leaves town after she refuses the favor. The other is "God will understand. I'm not so sure about the neighbors," first said by Yentl's father when asked why he is closing the windows if God will understand that his teaching her Talmudic law, which was forbidden to women at the time, is not with ill intent. It is said again by her to Avigdor's ex-fiancée (now her legal ''wife'') in the same context.
* In ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', every morning Truman greets his neighbor with the phrase "Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!" He says the same thing before walking out the door in the sky dome at the end of the movie and entering the real world for the first time.
* ''StrictlyBallroom'' has "a life lived in fear" bounced around several times between Fran and Scott, with a final game-changing echo from [[spoiler:Doug]].
* In the original film ''Film/TheCrow'' Albrect confronts Eric, saying "you move and you're dead". Based on his current situation, Eric's reply is "I'm dead and I move".
** In ''TheCrowCityOfAngels'', Ashe Corven does this with several of the targets of his RoaringRampageOfRevenge: "You're wasting your breath, Angelito! Nobody's up there listening!" "Nothing personal, sport." and for the Big Bad himself, "Pain is my power."
* During the climax of ''Film/ReturnToOz'' the Nome King gives Dorothy a chance to rescue the Scarecrow by taking part in a potentially lethal game, and offers the [[MixAndMatchCritters sofa-bodied Gump]] the chance to take the first turn:
-->'''The Nome King:''' Why doesn't the sofa go first?\\
''(after the Gump loses...)''\\
'''The Nome King:''' Next... Pumpkinhead!
** Later, when Dorothy starts winning...
-->'''The Nome King:''' ''STOP!!!''\\
'''Dorothy:''' But we haven't finished guessing yet! You promised that if we guessed correctly--\\
'''The Nome King:''' [[VillainousBreakdown I'M TIRED OF GAMES. I'M TIRED OF ALL OF YOU!]] WHY DOESN'T THE SOFA GO... FIRST?\\
''(he reaches down and tears the Gump's body off, consuming it whole)''\\
'''The Nome King:''' NEXT... PUMPKINHEAD!
* In ''Film/TheGhostAndTheDarkness'', Remmington says to Patterson. "You've just been hit. The getting up is up to you." Patterson later repeats it back to Remmington.
* ''Film/RunFatboyRun'': Creator/HankAzaria's character is piloting an R/C boat. When his girlfriend's son asks if he can try, he says, "No, but you can watch me do it." At the end, when Azaria is in the hospital, the kid adjusts the bed until he is nearly crushed. "Can I control the bed?" "No, but you can watch me do it."
* ''Film/TrickRTreat'': Steven Wilkins wishes Mr. Kreeg a Happy Halloween, and the only answer he gets is "Screw you!" Later, Steven sees Kreeg through the window, banging on the glass and calling for help (it's not until the end of the movie that we find out why he needed it). Steven is uninterested in helping him. "Screw ''you''."
* "A chance for Captain Faramir of Gondor to show his character." in TheFilmOfTheBook of ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRings The Two Towers]]'' would have been a direct quote from the book. It becomes an IronicEcho because the movie completely reverses Faramir's motivations in this scene. In the book, he overcomes the lure of the Ring and sends Frodo and Sam on their way; in the movie he succumbs temporarily and tries to take them to Minas Tirith.
** Also in ''The Two Towers'', Theoden makes a comment that they (the ones at Helm's Deep) are alone. At the end, when all seems lost, Eomer shows up with reinforcements, saying that Theoden isn't alone.
* In the 2009 ''Film/StarTrek'', [[TheMcCoy McCoy]] says to Kirk at their introduction, "I may throw up on you", referring to his air sickness. Later, when he injects Kirk with a vaccine that makes him nauseous, Kirk repeats this line back.
** Earlier, Kirk referred to another cadet as "Cupcake". Later in the movie, when trying to escape from the security, the same cadet appeared to prevent Kirk from escaping, calling him "Cupcake".
** And in ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'', [[spoiler:Data]] echoes the Borg's "ResistanceIsFutile".
** In ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'', Decker and Kirk have the following exchange:
-->'''Decker:''' Moving into that cloud, at this time, is an unwarranted gamble.\\
'''Kirk:''' How do you define unwarranted?
** And then later, after [[spoiler:Ilia has been zapped by the probe]]:
-->'''Decker:''' This is how I define unwarranted!
* In ''Film/BlueThunder'', BigBad Colonel Cochrane's CatchPhrase is "Catch ya later", which he uses to annoy TheHero, Frank Murphy. At the end of their climactic helicopter duel, Murphy says the line back to the (now violently deceased) Cochrane as a BondOneLiner.
* In ''Film/KeyLargo'', Rocco spends most of the movie armed and dangerous, threatening to shoot the hostages on the slightest whim, taunting Frank as a coward for surviving the war. When the hurricane starts turning Rocco into a quivering mass, Frank taunts back: "You don't like it, do you Rocco, the storm? Show it your gun, why don't you? If it doesn't stop, shoot it!"
* In ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle'', the title characters have an encounter with racist white hoodlums who harass an Indian shopkeeper with [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons "Thank you, come again!"]] Toward the end of the movie, they encounter the same characters. Harold, who has been taking crap for the entire movie, [[BewareTheNiceOnes finally snaps]] and boldly steals their truck. As they're driving away, Kumar victoriously taunts the outraged hoodlums with this same line.
* In ''Film/EmpireRecords'', Warren is being dragged out of Empire Records kicking and screaming after being arrested for shoplifting, when Lucas delivers a parting shot. "Take care of yourself, Warren. Don't let the Man get you down." At the end of the movie, Warren returns to the store and [[spoiler:scares everyone by pretending to shoot up the place. Though the gun is real, the bullets aren't.]] As the situation gets resolved, Warren finds himself in the employees' good graces after dropping the whole macho routine, to the point of even being given a job there. When the cops arrive to deal with Warren, Lucas again says, "Take care of yourself. Don't let the Man get you down." The irony is that Lucas is clearly mocking Warren when he says that the first time, but he sincerely means it when he says it the second time.
* In the first ''Film/{{Spider-Man|Trilogy}}'' movie, Peter is ripped off by his wrestling promoter, and when he protests that he needs the money the promoter sneers back, "I missed the part where that's ''my'' problem." Then, as Peter's leaving, the promoter is robbed, and Peter lets the robber slip past him. The promoter is outraged and demands to know why Peter didn't stop him from getting away with the promoter's money. Peter's response? "I missed the part where that's ''my'' problem." [[spoiler:This chance to have an ironic echo backfires big-time for Peter when [[HarsherInHindsight the robber he let get away ends up shooting his uncle]]. [[RetCon Well, the partner of the robber he let get away ends up shooting his uncle.]] ]]
* ''Film/DemolitionMan'': "Is it cold in here, or is it just me?"
* ''Film/TheRunningMan''. Killian is involved in multiple examples.
** When Killian first meets the captive Richards he says "Hello, cutie-pie. One of us is in deep trouble." When Richards escapes and confronts Killian, he repeats the line back to him.
** Killian talks about last year's winners: "there they are, and at this very moment they're basking in the beautiful Maui sun, their debt to society paid in full", while doctored video of them doing just that played. When the transmission is hijacked, the line is repeated, showing their real fate: dead and decayed in the game arena.
** Killian tells his bodyguard Sven to eject Captain Freedom. When Sven doesn't immediately act, Killian says "What's the matter, steroids make you deaf?". Later on, when Killian expects Sven to save him from Richards, Sven says "I got to score some steroids" and walks away, leaving him to Richards' mercy.
* ''Film/ThePrincessBride'':
-->'''Buttercup:''' Promise to return him to his ship!\\
'''Humperdinck:''' I swear it will be done.\\
'''Humperdinck:''' ''(quiet aside to Count Rugen)'' Once we're out of sight, take him back to Florin and throw him in the Pit of Despair.\\
'''Count Rugen:''' I swear it will be done.
** Also, the dialogue surrounding IAmNotLeftHanded.
* From the first ''Film/BringItOn'', after a terrible routine at Regionals, Torrence's boyfriend tries to cheer her up by telling her "You're a great cheerleader, Tor, and you're cute as hell. But maybe you're not "captain" material." Later, after Torrence found out he cheated on her, she calmly told him "You're a great cheerleader, Aaron, and you're cute as hell. But maybe you're not "boyfriend" material."
* In the beginning of ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'', Robert asks Giselle if "[this is] a habit of [hers], falling off things?" She replies "Well, there's usually someone there to catch me." Later, when positions are reversed, she asks him the same question, to which he replies "Only when you're there to catch me."
* In ''{{Duplicity}}'', when the head of Equikrom's espionage unit is telling his boss about the history of Ronny Patiz, he mentions that Ronny made some kind of lotion. The boss asks if it was a cream or a lotion. Toward the end of the film, [[spoiler:when Ray and Claire are selling Ronny's formula for a hair-growth shampoo to the Swiss, they are told, "This formula is nothing but a common skin cream. Sorry, a lotion."]]
* In ''ThePhiladelphiaStory'', Dexter tells Tracy:
-->'''Dexter:''' The fact is you'll never be a first-class human being or a first-class woman, until you've learned to have some regard for human frailty.
** Later, Tracy unwittingly echoes the line to Mike.
-->'''Tracy:''' The truth is you'll never, you can't be, a first-rate writer or a first-rate human being, until you've learned to have some small regard for human [[HeelRealization frai--]]
** Also, Tracy says the following when talking about class politics:
-->'''Tracy:''' Upper and lower my eye; I'll take the ''lower'', thanks.
*** Ironically, Dexter uses the same expression when defending the ''upper'' classes to George.
-->'''George:''' You and your whole rotten class!\\
'''Dexter:''' Oh class my ''eye''!
* In ''Film/GoldenEye'', Alec Trevelyan, during his last mission with James Bond, declared "For England!" before being seemingly killed. Later, when he revealed himself as the villain Janus, he muttered "For England" after knocking Bond unconscious. At the end of their final fight, when Bond has Trevelyan at his mercy, Trevelyan says, "For England, James?" Bond answers, "No. For me," before letting Trevelyan plunge to his death.
** Also, Xenia Onatopp tries to do this to Bond with another line that's repeated twice. When they first meet during a card game in Monte Carlo, she tells him "The pleasure is all mine." Later, after she's established herself as TheDragon and tries to kill Bond, he has a fight scene with her and makes her take him to Janus. Bond asks if she had a nice evening, and she replies, "Well, once again the pleasure was all yours". The line comes a third time later in the movie when she attacks him again, and says "This time, Mr. Bond, the pleasure will be all mine." However, this being a Film/JamesBond movie, he gives her a KarmicDeath.
* In ''Film/IronMan2'', Justin Hammer tells Ivan Vanko to not get too attached to things in reference to his bird. Vanko soon offers Hammer the same advice in reference to Hammer's drones.
** At the beginning of [[Film/IronMan1 the first film]], Tony proudly proclaims that "the day weapons are no longer needed to keep the peace, I'll start making bricks and beans for baby hospitals". Later, when Tony has his epiphany, Obadiah Stane makes a similar remark, illustrating what Tony could have been if hadn't seen what his weapons were being used for.
* ''Film/RealGenius'': Chris convinces Mitch to get revenge on Kent by telling him "It's a moral imperative." Later, Mitch tells him the same thing when convincing him to pass Hathaway's test.
* In ''Literature/{{Trainspotting}}'', Renton's "choose life" speech sarcastically lists all of the 'benefits' of sobriety, only to end with him questioning why he needs it when he's got heroin. At the end [[spoiler: having cheated his mates and stolen thousands of pounds from them]], he once again lists the same benefits of sobriety, but this time is fully sincere about living that life.
* In ''Bad Influence'' Rob Lowe's character says, "You make a very funny face when you come" to James Spader's character while [[spoiler: watching the videotape he made of Spader having sex]], much to the latter's horror. Later in the film, Spader turns this around by saying, "Has anyone ever told you you make a very funny face when you come?" while [[spoiler: holding a knife to Lowe's throat]]. It's something of a [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome CMoA]] and a TakeThat for the character as well.
* Hammed up in ''{{Fallen}}'', as first and last line of the film: [[spoiler: I'm going to tell you about the time I NEARLY died.]]
* In ''Film/EverAfter'', when Jacqueline (the nicer of the two stepsisters) tries to give her mother a reality check by reminding her that "it's only a ball," Rodmilla replies coldly, "and you're only going for the food." Later in the film, when Rodmilla and Marguerite are receiving their comeuppance, Jacqueline finally gets some of her own back for all of her mother's belittling:
-->'''Rodmilla:''' Jacqueline, ''dear''. I'd hate to think that ''you'' had anything to do with this?
-->'''Jacqueline:''' [[SarcasmMode Of course not, mother]]. I'm only here for the food!
* The Russian film ''Adventures of Masha and Vitja'' has a scene where the kids find a house with a woman claiming to be a good witch who "likes boys and girls very much". She invites them to have a nap in her house and when she believes they are asleep, it is revealed she is a WickedWitch when she starts explaining how she will cook the kids because [[ToServeMan "I like boys and girls very much"]] For a kid-oriented film that's NightmareFuel.
* In ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'', Destro's minion Doctor Mindbender tells research subjects "This will only hurt a little. What comes next, more so" before injecting them with Destro's nanomites. At the climax of the film [[spoiler: Cobra Commander]] says the same to Destro when injecting him with a new strain of nanomites.
* ''Literature/{{Fried Green Tomatoes|AtTheWhistleStopCafe}}'':
-->'''Evelyn:''' Hey! I was waiting for that spot!\\
'''Girl #1:''' Face it, lady, we're younger and faster!\\
'''Evelyn:''' *rear-ends the other car six times*\\
'''Girl #1:''' What are you ''doing''?\\
'''Girl #2:''' Are you ''crazy''?\\
'''Evelyn:''' Face it, girls, I'm older and I have more insurance.
* In ''Film/TheMonsterSquad'', bullies routinely pick on Horace by calling him 'Fat Kid', to which he ineffectually protests that "My name is Horace!" Then, after he's blown away the Creature From The Black Lagoon with a shotgun in front of those same bullies, who are cowering in fear behind a window:
-->'''Bully:''' Hey, Fat Kid! Good job!\\
'''Horace:''' My ''name''... ''[[Awesome/TheMonsterSquad is Horace]]''. [DramaticGunCock]
* ''Film/WeWereSoldiers'', and Sgt. Savage's greeting to Sergeant Major Plumley: "It's a beautiful morning, Sergeant Major!" (It's met with a less than friendly response.) Towards the end of the film, after Sergeant Savage has [[spoiler: Spent the last day and night pinned down behind enemy lines struggling to keep the men in his platoon alive]], Sergeant Major Plumley looks at him and says "It's a beautiful morning, Sergeant Savage."
* Early in ''Film/{{Equilibrium}}'', Partridge (who feels emotion, which is illegal and chemically suppressed in the future) quotes William Yeats to Preston (who's about to kill him), including the line "Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams". At the end after Preston [[spoiler: himself starts feeling emotion, and kills all the guards protecting [=DuPont=], the BigBad]] [=DuPont=] [[spoiler: who is also feeling but is exploiting the law for his own benefit]] tells him "Be careful, Preston, you're treading on my dreams". It doesn't seem to make sense, considering [=DuPont=] didn't hear Partridge use the quote, but he likely would have read any paperwork that Preston filled out, including the quote. The IronicEcho was likely a last-ditch attempt to throw Preston off and gain an upper hand in their duel. [[spoiler: It fails.]]
* In the movie ''{{Ushpizin}}'', there is "Like that?" "Only like that." Said first when the main character is telling his wife that he only wants to be with her. Later, [[spoiler: when she tells him that she's leaving so that he can find a wife who will give him children.]]
* ''Film/MaxKeeblesBigMove'' does three variations: First is when Principal Jindrake tells Keeble that he "excourages" horseplay and slacking off. Keeble later uses that exact word when realizing that the manner he decided to take care of the bullies was not the right way to do so. The second is where Keeble tells Jindrake that his suspicions of Jindrake being a criminal were actually "ground-full" and then telling him to look it up when he protested the word. Jindrake did the same thing earlier in the film with the Excourage part. The third and last part is between Jenna and Megan: During their first meeting, Jenna explains to Megan that Megan is actually sitting in her seat, complete with "CantYouReadTheSign" on the chair, and then telling her to "shoo-shoo!" Megan then tells Jenna those exact same words when Max explains that he's seeing someone (Megan) when refusing Jenna's invitation.
* ''Film/TheSpecialist'': In the beginning of the film taking place in 1984, Ned says this to Ray during their CIA mission:
-->'''Ned:''' Here's a tip: No fail-safe.
** Fast forward to 1994, Ray says the same exact thing to Ned near the end of the movie when Ned steps on a bomb causing the booby-trapped warehouse to blow up.
-->'''Ray:''' Here's a tip: No fail-safe.\\
'''Ned:''' Pressure pads?
* ''Film/TotalRecall1990'': After Douglas Quaid is captured by Cohagaan and is forced have his brain altered, he reminds the lead scientist to tell Quaid there's a party later. Richter, then ask the scientist if he'll remember his past after the operation. The scientist says no, which leads Richter to punch Quaid in the mouth - saying "See you at the Party". Quaid escapes and later fights Richter in an elevator. Quaid gets the upper-hand and as Richter falls off the elevator armless, Quaid repeats the same line, "See you at the party, Richter!"
* In ''Film/TheDevilsAdvocate'': While John Milton gives Kevin a job interview, Kevin asks John if they're negotiating? He answers, "Always". Later when John Milton, [[spoiler: now revealed to be Satan]], tries to convince Kevin to join his side, Kevin starts asking questions. John ask Kevin if they're negotiating? Kevin answers, "Always."
* In ''Film/StrikingDistance'', Jimmy Detillo says this to Nick Detillo after killing him when it's revealed that Jimmy is wearing a bulletproof vest:
-->'''Jimmy Detillo:''' Who's the best cop now, huh? Who's the best cop now?
** And said again by Tom Hardy before shocking him in the mouth with his tazer gun in the river:
-->'''Tom Hardy:''' Who's the best cop '''now'''?
* ''Film/EnemyOfTheState'': when Brill first meets Dean, he says "You're either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid" as he doesn't know why he's being followed by NSA agents. He repeats that phrase when Dean tells the agents that he has hidden the tape they're searching for somewhere else... when they don't have such a tape. (Dean [[BatmanGambit is aiming]] for an EnemyMine situation there)
* ''Film/ICouldNeverBeYourWoman'' Rosie (Michelle Pfeiffer) comes across her daughter, Izzie (Saoirse Ronan), [[GamerChick playing a video game]]. Izzie reveals it's her crush's favorite game, and she's trying to get good at it, so she'll have something in common with him. Rosie says, "Sounds like a firm basis for a relationship." Later on, Rosie's [[MayDecemberRomance much younger date]] arrives at their house, and while looking around, discovers a bottle of medication, and that he takes the same kind. Izzie repeats "Sounds like a firm basis for a relationship."
* While not a straight example, in the 80's classic ''Film/RoadHouse'', in one scene, CorruptHick Brad Wesley has his goons destroy a car dealers lot as punishment for the dealer thinking about standing up to him and reminds him "This is my town. Don't you forget it." Near the end of the movie, after Dalton assaults Wesley's compound, Wesley is shot by several denizens who's property he destroyed; Frank Tilghman, the owner of the Double Deuce bar then says "This is our town. Don't you forget it," before firing the shot that kills him.
* ''Film/{{Inception}}'' has Saito asking Cobb, who's dubious about the inception attempt, "Do you want to take a leap of faith, or become an old man filled with regret, waiting to die alone?" When Cobb has to describe limbo to Saito he says that he'll be lost so long that he'll become an old man. Saito: "Filled with regret." Cobb: "Waiting to die alone."
* In ''Film/DrDolittle 2'', Dolittle tries to get an endangered bear to mate in order to save a forest. The CorruptCorporateExecutive tells him that won't happen so he makes an offer noting this way he can save face, won't have to admit he was wrong, and won't look like a fool. When Dolittle gets the animals to unite against him, he proposes they set up a meeting as it's the only way to save face, he won't have to admit he was wrong, and he'll get out of the situation without looking like an idiot.
* ''TrainingDay'': "You wanna go to jail, or do you wanna go home?"
* "Someone stole that man's face" from ''Film/MysteryTeam''. Originally said to convey disgust at an image by one character; later said to describe [[spoiler: what the characters did to the ''BigBad'']]. Played very much for laughs.
* In the Schwarzenegger movie ''Film/RawDeal'', Kaminsky was forced to resign from the FBI after beating the shit out of a guy who had murdered a little girl. The district attorney's words to Kaminsky were "Resign or be prosecuted." Near the end of the movie, after Kaminsky has taken out the mob boss villain and his men, he finds the district attorney, who it turns out was on the boss's payroll. Kaminsky [[LeaveBehindAPistol leaves behind a pistol]], telling him to "resign or be prosecuted." As Kaminsky leaves, a single gunshot is heard as the attorney [[AteHisGun chooses to "resign."]]
* [[Film/MissionImpossible "Good morning, Mr. Phelps."]]
* In ''Film/TheTenCommandments'', Pharaoh says "So let it be written, so let it be done" when enacting his [[AGodAmI divine]] will. After the tenth plague, where his son was killed along with all the first born of Egypt, Pharaoh finally tells Moses to take his people and leave. As Moses walks away, he says "So let it be written...".
* In ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'', Jennifer has [[RapeAndRevenge taken revenge on all but one of her rapists]], who begs for mercy as she closes in for the kill. Jennifer responds with the line that he gave her during their assault on her -- "Suck it, bitch!"
* In ''Film/TheSmurfs'', Gargamel constantly asks his cat Azrael, "Are you dead?", when something befalls him. Near the end of the movie, Azrael meows out this question mockingly at his master when Gargamel is hit by a bus.
* In ''Film/TheMatrix'' trilogy, Agent Smith always uses "It is inevitable" or variations of the phrase. Later, when Neo surrenders to Smith in order to effectively defeat him (long story short, Neo has to merge with Smith to eliminate him while connected to the source), Neo says "You were right, Smith. You were right all along. It was inevitable."
** Something the Oracle said to Neo:
--> "You became the one because you chose to."
*** In ''Revolutions'' after Smith's "Why Mr. Anderson" speech
--> '''Smith:''' "...why, Mr. Anderson, do you persist?!"
--> '''Neo:''' "Because I choose to."
* ''Theatre/{{RENT}}'': "I'll cover you" shows up twice. The first time, it's part of a LoveDuet and an extended metaphor about a pair of lovers looking out for each other. The second time, it's part of a eulogy.
* In the Series/KamenRiderDouble movie Begins Night, Shotaro calls Phillipe "Akuma" (Devil) for his involvement in the creation of [[TransformationTrinket Gaia Memories]]. A little while later, when the two are trapped in the building together and need to team up to escape, Phillipe asks Shotaro, "Akuma to ainori suru yuuki, aru ka na?" (Do you have the courage to ride with the Devil?)
* In ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption,'' the warden talks to Andy about his bible, telling him that "salvation lies within." At the end of the movie, Andy leaves the warden the bible ([[spoiler:which is shown to have [[BookSafe concealed the rock hammer Andy used to dig his escape tunnel]]]]) with a note saying that the warden was right, salvation lay within.
* Early in ''Film/WallStreet,'' Gordon advises against getting emotional about stock. Later in the movie, Bud repeats this back to Gordon.
* In ''Film/TheSocialNetwork'', the first scene has a woman accuse Mark of being an asshole. The movie ends with another woman reassuring Mark he isn't an asshole but he's trying hard to be.
* In ''Film/{{Collateral}}'', Vincent tells Max an anecdote about how [[spoiler:a man once got on the ATM in LA and died, with nobody noticing the corpse traveling around the city until much later]]. At the end of the film, as the same situation is happening to him, [[spoiler:Vincent notes the irony similarity of his own fate just before he dies, and wonders whether anyone will notice]].[[note]]Considering he's a bloodied corpse sitting in the middle of a damaged train and not somebody, like the other guy, who just looks like he's sleeping, we can safely say yes.[[/note]]
* Early on in ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'', Andrew shouts at [[{{Delinquents}} Bender]], "You don't even count. You could disappear forever, and it wouldn't make any difference. You might as well not even exist at this school." Later on when they start opening up to each other, [[JerkassFacade Bender]] says "What do you care what I think, anyway? I don't even count ... right? I could disappear forever and it wouldn't make any difference. I might as well not even exist at this school, remember?"
* A few examples in ''Film/TheAvengers''
** When Loki first appears, Fury tries to defuse the situation by saying "We have no quarrel with your people": Loki responds "An ant has no quarrel with a boot." When Loki is captive on the Helicarrier, Fury says that one button is all it will take to jettison the cell, Loki included, and remarks (pointing at Loki) "Ant..." (points at button) "...Boot."
** Tony sarcastically remarking that [[spoiler:Coulson's first name is "Agent", then later, "His name was Phil." Bonus points for it being said both times in the same room, on different days.]]
** A more serious one: while ferrying Captain Rogers to the Helicarrier, [[PhilCoulson Agent Coulson]] says that "Maybe people need 'old-fashioned'" in response to Captain America's traditional suit, but clearly referring to the ideals Captain America represents. Later, at the team's darkest moment, Fury suggests that believing in heroes might be "an old-fashioned notion."
* ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen''. While hunting Mr. Hyde, Quatermain saves Sawyer from being injured by falling masonry and tells him "Eyes open, boy. I can't protect you all the time". Near the end Sawyer protects Quatermain from [[spoiler:Moriarty]]'s attack and repeats the line back to him.
* In ''ICantThinkStraight'', the newly outed Leyla tries to convince Tala (the woman whom she's been having an affair with) to leave her fiance and come out as well so they can be together. Noticing Tala's reluctance, Leyla asks if Tala is in love with her fiance. Tala responds with; "There are things I love about him." Later on in the film, after meeting Leyla's new girlfriend, the now single Tala asks Leyla if she loves said new girlfriend. Leyla's response? "There are things I love about her."
* In ''Film/DiamondsAreForever'' after Shady Tree gets James Bond out of the retort to question him about the fake diamonds that he and Felix Leiter had loaded into Peter Franks' body, Bond proceeds to leave the funeral parlor as he tells him and Morton Slumber, "My condolences, gentlemen!" All the ingredients of a BondOneLiner except a fatality are present in those three words.
* A variant in the Korean horror film White: The Melody of the Curse. While Eun-joo is still a member of the Pink Dolls, the other members mock her for being a former backup dancer. Cut to after she thinks she's safe and is a famous solo idol and they're trying to get back into the scene after recovering from her injuries. They come to talk to her about maybe getting back together. And Eun-joo tells them...that she could find them spots as her backup dancers if they'd like.
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'': After Bane delivers a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to Batman and proceeds to imprison him, he tells him "When it is done, and Gotham is ashes, ''then'' you have my permission to die." Later, during the film's climax, Batman is returning the favor while trying to find out where Bane's hidden the detonator for his nuke:
-->WHEN YOU TELL ME WHERE THE TRIGGER IS... ''then'' you have my permission to die!
* In ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'', James Bond walks into his hotel room to find an assassin standing over the body of [[spoiler:Paris Carver]]. He tells Bond that the news will report that the victim's body and that of an unidentified man were found in a hotel room. The assassin was right, as later a news report tells us exactly that - he just made a fatal error as to the identity of the unidentified man.
* In ''Film/NationalTreasure'', Agent Sadusky tells Ben twice, "Someone's got to go to prison, Ben." The first time is during an interrogation concerning the theft of the Declaration of Independence; the second time, someone ''does'' go to prison... after Ben leads Sadusky to the someone in question.
* In ''Film/AChristmasCarolTheMusical'', Grace Smythe first sings "God Bless Us, Everyone" at her mother's funeral procession, then [[DarkReprise again]] (in the same tone) during the Christmas Yet to Come graveyard scene along with the other townspeople, [[AndThereWasMuchRejoicing in rejoicing over Scrooge's death]].
* ''Film/LesMiserables2012'' has a ''visual'' Ironic Echo. During "Stars", there's a significant and striking high-angle shot of Javert's feet as he walks along the edge of a building. It's supposed to make him seem confident and dominant. The exact same shot is repeated [[spoiler:just before he commits suicide]].
* ''Film/HomeAlone'' also has a visual IronicEcho. Several times when Old Man Marley, the MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold, appears to Kevin, it begins by showing only his heavy boots complete with scary music. The first few times it`s supposed to convey Kevin`s fear of him. The final time he`s arrives to save Kevin and it`s the burglars who are supposed to be afraid.
* There are two in ''Film/PitchBlack''.
** Imam offers to pray with Riddick, but Riddick explains that he has nothing but [[{{Naytheist}} loathing for God]]. Iman says that even though the circumstances are grim, He is with them nonetheless. Later, [[spoiler:when it starts raining which will make the flares protecting them from the aliens go out]], Riddick cynically remarks "So where the hell's your God now?" And even later, [[spoiler:when Riddick goes back with Fry to save Jack and Imam]], Iman states "There is my God, Mr. Riddick."
** The scenes at the skiff. [[spoiler:Riddick tries to convince Carolyn to abandon Imam and Jack. Once she forces him to go back for them and they've returned to the skiff, it's Imam and Jack who quietly urge Carolyn to leave the fallen-behind Riddick.]]
* In CirqueDuSoleil's ''Amaluna'', the Peacock Dance act gets the ironic echo treatment when the Black Peacocks separate Miranda and Romeo, and cast the latter into the Underworld, complete with a DarkReprise of the Peacock Goddess's theme (Enchanted Reunion). Two acts later, Miranda's waterbowl is used to imprison Romeo during [[BigBad Cali]]'s juggling act.
* In ''Film/{{Dogma}}'', when the demon Azrael has everyone cornered, Silent Bob is the only one willing to confront him. Confident in his abilities, he blows off everyone's worries with "Please, I'm a fucking demon!" When Silent Bob caves in his chest with the golf club, Azrael's last words before dying were "But... I'm a fucking demon..."
* ''Film/JackTheGiantSlayer'': "There's something behind me, isn't there?"
* ''Film/{{Oblivion 2013}}'' : Between Mission Control and Victoria, Jack's partner.
--> '''Mission Control:''' Are you an effective team?
--> '''Victoria:''' We are an effective team.\\
(When Victoria betrays Jack)\\
'''Mission Control:''' Are you still an effective team?\\
'''Victoria:''' We are not an effective team.
* In the 1989 film ''TheFabulousBakerBoys'', real life brothers Jeff and Beau Bridges play the titular brothers, talented pianists whose lounge act is past its prime. One bar owner they're trying to get gig from says simply "we'll call you." They decide to add a singer, Michelle Pfeiffer, and that turns their fortunes around. The same bar owner now comes to them asking if they can play his joint. They tell him "We'll call you."

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/AChristmasCarol''. Early on, Scrooge, when asked to make a charitable donation, snarls back, "Are there no prisons? No workhouses?" Meaning that he feels he ''already'' makes a big enough contribution to the poor through his taxes. Later on, when Scrooge starts to have a change of heart he expresses concern over the condition of "Ignorance" and "Want", two skinny, poorly-clad allegorical children who hang around the Ghost of Christmas Present. Upon hearing this, the Ghost of Christmas Present cynically echoes Scrooge's earlier line, "Are there no prisons? No workhouses?"
** Also, the men asking for donations say that many poor would rather die than go to prison or the poorhouses. Scrooge replies, "If they'd rather die then they'd better do it, and decrease the surplus population!" When the Ghost of Christmas Present tells Scrooge that Tiny Tim could die, he echoes Scrooge's line with, "But if he's going to die, then he'd better do it and decrease the surplus population!" Ouch.
** During the added IronicHell scene in the 1970 musical film, Marley mocks Scrooge with "Bah, humbug" as he is chained to a post in an icy office.
* Variation: In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', Arya Stark manages to sneak up on the Tickler, a familiar torturer, and maniacally spouts of his modus operandi interrogation speech while [[EnfantTerrible furiously stabbing him]]; "Is there gold hidden in the village? Is there silver? Gems? Is there food? Where is lord Beric?..."
** Cersei's "I shall wear [the bruise] like a badge of honor" after Robert hits her, echoed to her later by Ned, when she slaps him.
** [[spoiler:Theon]] spends most of ''A Dance with Dragons'' in a state of StockholmSyndrome denying his identity due to the horrific abuse he suffered at the hands of his captor, Ramsay Bolton; in his internal monologue he frequently repeats the line "You have to know your ''name''" in order to remind himself that he's supposed to be "Reek", not [[spoiler:Theon. At the end of his last chapter in the book he repeats the line to emphasize that he once again recognises himself as Theon.]]
* Literature/HarryPotter examples:
** In ''Philosopher's Stone'', there's Ron's "Are you a witch or not?!" to Hermione; wayyy later, in ''Deathly Hallows'', she says the exact same thing to him.
** [[Awesome/HarryPotter 'Weasley Is Our King']]. The Slytherins were just ''asking'' for the InsultBackfire on that one.
** In ''Order of the Phoenix'', more than once Hermione discourages Ron from doing things she considers unbecoming of an authority figure by reminding him that he's a prefect. Cue ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'', in which Harry makes fun of her for secretly interfering with Cormac's Quidditch performance when Ron's trying out for the same position as Cormac by reminding her of her prefect position. Not surprisingly, she's not amused.
* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', Death has a catchphrase "There is no justice, there's just me," which he originally means in a very cynical sense. At some point though, as he gains more humanity, he delivers the same line when punishing an evildoer.
** Later uses are reference to and/or subversion of its use in ''Discworld/{{Mort}}''. "There is no justice, just us!" is used as an excuse for letting "good" people live and "bad" people die. It's later echoed as "There is no justice, just me," reasoning for why the world isn't fair, when [[ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdeaAtTheTime what seemed like a good idea]] turns out to have horrible consequences.
** And the ultimate CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming version from ''Discworld/ReaperMan''.
-->'''Death:''' [[AC:Lord, we know there is no good order except that which we create... There is no hope but us. There is no mercy but us. There is no justice.\\
There is just us.\\
All things that are, are ours. But we must care. For if we do not care, we do not exist. If we do not exist, then there is nothing but blind oblivion.\\
And even oblivion must end one day. Lord, will you grant me just a little time? For the proper balance of things. To return what was given.\\
For the sake of prisoners and the flight of birds.\\
Lord, what can the harvest hope for, if not the care of the [[TitleDrop Reaper Man]]?]]
** In ''Discworld/FeetOfClay'', the Dragon King Of Arms tells Vimes why his ancestor killing a tyrannical king means his family can't get a coat of arms: "''Whatever else he was'', he was the king. The crown isn't like a watchman's helmet. Even when you take it off, you're still wearing it." At the end of the book, when the Dragon King questions how "a man married to the richest woman in the city" can see himself as the champion of the common people, Vimes retorts "A watchman's helmet isn't like a crown. Even when you take it off, you're still wearing it."
** In ''Discworld/NightWatch'', Vimes is chasing down AxCrazy serial murderer Carcer Dun on the roofs of the Unseen University. When he finally gets Carcer in his grip, the man complains, "You're hurting!" Vimes says no, he's not hurting, he's ''protecting'' Carcer, wouldn't want him to fall off. At the end, after Carcer has spent the entire book harrying Vimes and wearing that insipid "what-have-I-done?" grin all over the place, Vimes finally gets him again, and again comes, "You're hurting!" This time, Vimes acknowledges that yes, he is hurting, and he's still doing it by the book; what's more, he's going to make sure everything is done by the book so that Carcer gets a fair trial if it means he has to do every last step of it himself, because a fair trial means a quick execution, and tomorrow's sunrise will shine down all the brighter on Vimes' little son Sam if it's not being shared with Carcer.
** A variant occurs in ''Discworld/{{Thud}}'', when the ObstructiveBureaucrat who's come to inspect the watch asks Vimes ''Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?'' or "Who watches the watchmen?", to which Vimes replies 'Me.', and when asked who watches him, his answer 'I do that too. All the time. Believe me.' A boast merely meant to say he doesn't want a paperpusher looking over his shoulder? [[spoiler: The [[DemonicPossession Summoning Dark]] that tried to make Vimes kill several dwarfs finds out the hard way it's not, when it runs into the Guarding Dark, a watchman ''inside'' Vimes mind, [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome who echoes the lines before kicking the Summoning Dark out.]]]]
** ''Discworld/WitchesAbroad'' gets its own variant -- the echo comes in quick succession and it illustrates a difference in philosophy rather than any malice one way or the other. Lily and Esme Weatherwax both get dragged into a mirror, and each is told that they're not quite dead-they'll be freed from the mirror when they can identify the real "them" out of a legion of mirror images. Lily, who has used paired mirrors to amplify her magic almost all her life, rushes off to find it. Esme, who believes in headology and always being certain of who you are and where you stand, asks if it's a trick question, then gestures to herself and says, "This one."
** In ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum'', the phrase "Everywhere I look, I see something holy" takes on two very different meanings: an OhCrap moment by a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]] whose desensitization training is [[VillainousBreakdown backfiring horribly]], and a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming coming from a nerdy, ineffective GoodShepherd on his way to BadassPreacher-hood.
** Death again, in ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}''. Throughout the book, he has been filling in for a missing CaptainErsatz of Santa, but can't get the 'ho ho ho' to sound jolly rather than ominous. At the end, he confronts the Auditors of Reality, who had tried to kill said Santa-figure, and gives a ''very'' ominous [[AC: Ho. Ho. HO.]] before obliterating them.
** ''Discworld/UnseenAcademicals'' has "It's all Shove!" being used in two different contexts by two different characters to describe life among the Ankh-Morpork working class; first it's used in a fatalistic scene by [[AxCrazy Andy Shank]], then it's used by Trev Likely when he resolves to "get out of the Shove" and make something of himself.
* In the book and movie ''Literature/{{Holes}}'', the Warden says "Excuse Me?" in every scene she's in, mostly to say something like "shut up, I have all the power." However, when [[spoiler:Stanley finds the treasure she's after, she asks to see what's in the box]], and gets an "Excuse Me?" in response.
* In ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'', the line, "Oh brave new world, that has such people in it," is said more than once, and at first is positive but then becomes more and more ironic.
* In ''[[Literature/TheQueensThief The King of Attolia]]'', there's a scene where Eugenides goes to see Relius and says, "Are you ready to discuss the resources of your queen?" It's quickly revealed this was an echo of the previous book.
** Later on, "You forgot it's only a wooden sword."
* In ''Literature/TheAeneid'': Aeneas is frequently referred to as "pius Aeneas" (roughly, "righteous"). He ironically echoes this in his remorse after killing young Lausus: "What will righteous Aeneas give to you?"
* ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'': Guan Yu says to Cao Cao "I trust you have been well since we last parted?" Later Cao Cao says the same thing to [[spoiler:Guan Yu's severed head]].
* ''Literature/{{Rewind}}'' opens with Aaron Lee Fairfax, one of the seventeen 'Rewound Children', reciting his personal information to disbelieving interrogators. It becomes a sort of mantra for him, and is [[ArcWords repeated several times throughout the novel]], updated to reflect recent events. In another very {{Squick}}y instance, [[spoiler:during the interrogation, he is stripped naked for photos, and weakly jokes around by asking if he's posing for pornography. Later, upon seeing the photos published in a trashy tabloid, he repeats this, now 'knowing' the answer.]]
* This occurs repeatedly, and often somewhat wittily, in ''Literature/FullTilt'' by Neal Shusterman. For instance, the main character tells a traitorous friend that "I wouldn't climb over the backs of my friends to save myself." -- [[spoiler:and in flashback, as a school bus teetered on the edge of a cliff, he literally climbed over their backs to reach the door.]]
* In JimButcher's ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' novel ''Death Masks'', Ortega explains he drinks beer, though he doesn't need to, because life is more than survival. Then he offers to call off [[CombatByChampion the duel]] [[NotSoDifferent if Harry becomes a vampire]]. Harry fishes, establishing that he preys on {{children|AreInnocent}}, and refuses; he explains that life is more than survival.
** As another example, in the later novel ''Dead Beat'', Harry's grave marker has written on it "he died doing the right thing". At the beginning of the novel, Harry treats this with a maudlin attitude, before later realizing that he'd prefer to die doing the right thing than any of the alternatives
*** It's also done when he's given the tombstone, by an enemy who plans to kill an innocent girl right in front of him. Said enemy is protected by the Unseelie Accords, meaning he could either let her be killed and walk away free, or try to save her and incite the entire gathering of vampires to attack him while proclaiming self-defense. Upon realizing this, Harry remarks to his companions, "Sorry guys. I guess I'm going to do the right thing."
*** Later still, Harry is forced to visit the grave marker, and finds he has company, and a conversation ensues. With greater irony: [[spoiler:"And did you die doing the right thing?" "No."]]
* In TadWilliams' ''Literature/{{Otherland}}'', AxCrazy SerialKiller Dread, who is TheDragon for the BigBad, has a mantra that serves as his CatchPhrase: "Confident, cocky, lazy, dead." Needless to say, this comes back full circle, when after taking over Otherland and going on an [[AGodAmI apocalyptic orgy]] [[SugarApocalypse of destruction]], he has the Other at his mercy. [[spoiler:Breaking through its final defenses, he prepares for his ultimate triumph, only to have it calmly recite his mantra back to him as it shows him the impending destruction of the system, with him inside. OhCrap.]]
* Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour" involves the protagonist learning of her husband's death. At first, heartbroken, she ponders the prospect of living lonely, empty years without him, and fears "that life might be long." Later, she realizes that without him she's free to live her life out from under his thumb, and now hopefully prays "that life might be long." [[spoiler:It's doubly ironic because she dies just a few minutes later.]]
* ''[[Literature/AssassinFantastic Coin of the Realm]]'' is ''filled'' with these. For just two examples out of the lot: Princess Rosalind is [[ArrangedMarriage being forced to marry]] by her father, who says "Daughters are like coin to be traded". Her husband-to-be, upon meeting her, said simply "Looks like you'll have to do." Later, [[spoiler: Adalia repeats this before murdering Lief and claiming her right to become her father's new head assassin and right hand; when he starts protesting with "Daughter..." she interrupts with "Daughters are coin and you gave me away," asserting that this means she can now do as she pleases with her life.]]
* Combined with a RightBehindMe moment in R.A. Salvatore's ''[[TheLegendOfDrizzt The Two Swords]]'';
-->'''[[spoiler: Kaer'lic]]:''' [[spoiler: ''Too much have I seen of these wretched and foul-smelling orcs. Too many tendays have we spent in their filthy company, listening to their foolish gibbering, and pretending that anything they might have to say would be of the least bit of interest to us. Gruumsh take Obould, and Lady Lolth take Drizzt, and may they both be tortured until eternity's end!'']]
-->[[spoiler: *Obould comes from behind her and takes her by the hair*]]\\
'''[[spoiler: Obould]]:''' [[spoiler: ''Do you recognize the foul smell? Does my gibbering offend you now?'']]
* In [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien's]] ''Literature/FarmerGilesOfHam'', when Giles first bumps into the dragon Chrysophylax and pretends not to have been seeking him out, the dragon says "Excuse me, were you looking for me?". Chrysophylax is at that moment in control of the situation. When he meets Giles for the second time, Giles utters the phrase while holding him at sword point, mirroring the exact reversal of the situations.
* In ''Literature/WatershipDown'', Hazel taunts a farmyard cat, saying "Can you run? I think not." Many chapters later, the cat has Hazel pinned to the ground and hisses "Can you run? I think not.".
* Used a couple of times in the early MythAdventures books, minus the time-delay: Gleep does something clumsy and Skeeve scolds him for it, only to turn around and do the same clumsy thing himself and get scolded (with exactly the same words) by Aahz.
* The last line of the Franchise/StarTrek novel [[StarTrekDeepSpaceNineAStitchInTime A Stitch in Time]]: "You're always welcome..." Addressed to Bashir by Garak, this is the same line given earlier to Garak by Astraea, the leader of the [[GoodOldWays Oralian faith]]. On one hand, its use at the end signifies the genuine spiritual confidence behind Garak's invite, and suggests he has truly found a sense of peace within himself, at least on some level. He is "opening up" to Bashir, implicitly with genuine eagerness to make a connection. This represents considerable CharacterDevelopment. It's ironic, though, in that Garak, a "night person" is now echoing Astraea, vessel of the light.
* There was a short story called ''In 50 Years Who Will Know'' or some such, where a girl is constantly told this by her mother whenever something goes wrong, trying to teach the girl not to take misfortune so seriously. Eventually, the girl starts telling herself this (and hating herself for it, as she finds no comfort in it at all). When the mother tries to bleach her hair and ends up dying it "maybe even glow-in-the-dark green", the girl uses this line on her mother. Her mother finds it no more comforting than her daughter did.
* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'', there are a couple:
** When Sandpaw and Dustpaw get to go the Gathering (a special event that happens once every month) but Graypaw doesn't, Sandpaw tells him to have a "nice quiet evening". Later, when Graypaw gets to go but Sandpaw doesn't, he mentions that he told her to have a "nice quiet evening".
** When Sol was a kit, his mother, after being left by her mate, cries, "Why do these things always happen to me?". Sol himself later says this when he has joined [=SkyClan=] and is told at the Gathering that he cannot become a warrior (''yet'', although he doesn't see it that way).
* In ''TheOutsiders'', after coming home very late, Ponyboy's oldest brother angrily yells at him for always using the excuse "I didn't mean to." Later, on the exact page, after he hits Ponyboy, he is stunned and says "I didn't mean to", even as Ponyboy ran out of the house.
* In ''[[Literature/CarrerasLegions Carnifex]]'', High Admiral Robinson's message recommending that Captain Wallenstein not be elevated to Class One, which she read when he went to sleep without having closed down his computer, described her as being "adequate, but no more than that" as an officer. Later, after Robinson has been captured by Carerra, Carerra allows the High Admiral to talk to Captain Wallenstein on their comm link. Robinson begs her to do anything to get him free, she shuts him down, asking why she would do that for "an adequate officer, but no more than that".
* In Thomas Hardy's ''Literature/TheReturnOfTheNative'' There are two back to back gambling scenes. In the first Damon Wildeve wins gambles all the money off of Christian Cantle--much of it borrowed; in the next, unbeknownst to Christian, Diggory Venn who was been listening in on the gambling, wins back all the money from Wildeve, intending to give it back to its true owner (though he doesn't actually know who owns all the money). During the first gambling scene, Wildeve taunts Christian to wage more by telling the story of an American who, having lost his money and most of his clothes, kept wagering until he "Won back his coat, won back his hat, won back his umbrella, his watch, his money, and went out of the door a rich man." Venn throws this story back at Wildeve, line by line, as he is winning back the money.
* In the ''Literature/{{Temps}}'' story "The Oedipus Effect", DPR scientist Dr Sweetland is being sued by a SmugSnake lawyer after a kid who was found to not be a precog warned his father he was in danger, and the father ignored the warning and was killed. When Sweetland protests that he can't prove the DPR was at fault, the lawyer replies "I don't have to prove anything. I just have to sow the seeds of doubt." Later, Sweetland combines a few things he's learnt about the lawyer with his own theory that precognition is actually subconcious telekinesis, and suggests the ''lawyer'' might be telekinetically responsible for the man's death, with the kid picking it up telepathically (they never tested him for that). When the lawyer gets outraged by this, Sweetland retorts "But I don't have to prove anything, do I? I only have to sow the seeds of doubt."

[[folder:Music]]
* Music/TheWho song "The Kids Are Alright" -- the two sentences in the bridge completely change the meaning of the (otherwise identical) first and second verses.
* There's a Music/BarenakedLadies song called "The Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel". The line "you're the last thing on my mind" goes from meaning "I'm not thinking about you" at the beginning of the song to meaning "I die thinking about you" when it's repeated at the end.
* In the Music/TimMcGraw song "Don't Take The Girl", the line "Please, don't take the girl" that ends each verse changes meaning over the course of the song.
* "Major Tom (Coming Home.)" The part you know [[IsntItIronic from that]] [[RepurposedPopSong car commercial]]: "4, 3, 2, 1, Earth below us, drifting, falling, floating weightless, calling, coming home..." Well, [[spoiler:it means one thing on the way up when everything's fine. It means something a little different on the way ''down'' when the thrusters aren't working.]]
* "According to You" by Orianthi. The first few stanzas begin with "according to you", before changing to "according to him" in the chorus. And nearing the end of the story, it changes to "according to me".
* In a very twisted way in Music/{{Eminem}}'s "Stan". On the Slim Shady LP's song "My Name Is" one of the most famous lines is "I just drank a fifth of Vodka you dare me to drive" so in Stan, Stan quotes this when he drives on a rainy night with his pregnant girlfriend in the trunk on a tape to Eminem "Hey Slim I just drank a fifth of Vodka you dare me to drive"
* Music/HarryChapin's "Cat's in the Cradle". The chorus includes "[[WhenYouComingHomeDad When ya comin' home, Dad]] / I don't know when, but we'll get together then," but the son nevertheless desires to be like his father. At the end, "he'd grown up just like me" - the last two repetitions replace "dad" with "son".
* ''Still healing'' by Uprise uses this. The first half of the song is lamenting the fact that the singer is "still healing" from some childhood trauma. The second half uses the same line - with the context changed to highlight that he is, in fact, healing, while the offender will always be miserable.
* The chorus of the Mark Wills song "Wish You Were Here" describes a postcard which has the word "Heaven" on the front. The postcard's message has a completely different tone when sung after the first verse (where the postcard's writer is boarding a plane) and after the second (where he [[spoiler:dies when the plane crashes]]):
-->Wish you were here, wish you could see this place\\
Wish you were near, I wish I could touch your face\\
The weather's nice, it's paradise\\
It's summertime all year and there's some folks we know\\
They say, "Hello." I miss you so, wish you were here.
* Act 1 of Music/GreenDay's ''TwentyFirstCenturyBreakdown'' opens with "Know Your Enemy," in which the protagonist rails against the establishment and encourages others to do likewise; Act 2 ends with Gloria realizing that her life's been ruined:
-->You're a victim of your symptom\\
You are your own worst enemy\\
'''[[WhamLine Know your enemy.]]'''
* ''Ghosts and Spirits'', a CD of songs based on Creator/CSLewis' TheGreatDivorce, has a song ("Bleeding Charity") that's an ironic echo. First, a ghost protests, "Can't you see that I'm only human?" and can't be expected to be perfect (as he thinks is necessary to enter Heaven), and refuses to accept any "bleeding charity"; in the second verse, a spirit explains he is not perfect either - "Can't you see that I'm only human?" and begs him to accept the [[Literature/TheBible Bleeding Charity]].
* At the beginning of "A Complete History of the Soviet Union, Arranged To The Melody From ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}''" by Pig With The Face Of A Boy, the "man who arranges the blocks" muses that "The Tsar puts gold on his bread" when noting the unfairness of the old regime. At the end, having gone through [[RedOctober revolution]], JosefStalin, WorldWarII, the [[ColdWar Space Race]] and [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp the fall of the Berlin Wall]], the same worker bitterly notes that while he has more than enough gold, he's reduced to standing in line for the chance to get a loaf of bread.
* Music/{{Tool}}'s song "Prison Sex" changes "I'm breathing so I guess I'm still alive" to "You're breathing so I guess you're still alive" when the song's subject, a rape victim himself, commits rape.
* Music/{{Sublime}}'s ''Date Rape'' is a story about a woman being bought a couple of drinks, before being offered a ride and raped in a car. [[spoiler: She then proceeds to take him to court, he gets a 25 year sentence and raped by an inmate.]]
* In the song "Rocky" (most famously recorded by Dickey Lee), the subject's wife expresses uncertainty on her ability to do certain things (fall in love, have a child, then die). "Rocky, I've never ____ before, don't know if I can do it…" In the final verse, now that she's dead, he swears that he sometimes he can hear her saying "Rocky, you know you've been alone before / You know that you can do it…"

[[folder:Myth And Legend]]
* From the epic ''Waltharius'', retelling Germanic heroic legend: When Hagen suggests to king Gunther/Gunnar to accept Walther's gift of 100 golden rings (instead of taking all his treasure), Gunther mocks him: "You are truly a son of your father Aldrian. He would talk a lot so he wouldn't have to fight." After Walther has killed the other eleven knights of the king, Gunther tries to make Hagen fight again. But Hagen says: "I am truly a son of my father Aldrian. He would talk a lot so he wouldn't have to fight."

[[folder:Radio]]
* In the ''Radio/OldHarrysGame'' episode "The Beautiful Game", the Professor appoints Thomas as England captain for the Underworld Cup, in the belief that he'll rise to the challenge and prove himself, much to {{Satan}}'s disbelief. The Professor says "I'd hate to be as cynical as you, you know. Always seeing the worst aspects of people." Then Satan appoints his BumblingSidekick Scumspawn as referee, and the Professor accuses him of deliberately trying to turn the tournament into a disaster. "I'd hate to be as cynical as you, Prof. Always seeing the worst in devils."

[[folder:Stand-UpComedy]]
* The question "How long, can you tread water?" from Creator/BillCosby's "Noah" trilogy. First said at the end of the second skit, "Noah: And the Neighbor", by an amused Noah to his next-door neighbor who wants a hint as to why Noah's building an ark. {{God}} asks Noah the same question in the third skit after the latter starts complaining about the task he's been given, but he keeps right on complaining, justifiably so.
** And in the first skit, Noah's initial reply to most of what God tells him is a sarcastic, "''Right!''" Then towards the end, he asks God how he's going to destroy the world:
-->'''God''': I'm gonna make it rain for a thousand days and drown 'em right out.
-->'''Noah''': ''Right!'' Listen to this, you'll save water: Let it rain for forty days and forty nights, and wait for the sewers to back up.
-->'''God''': (as sarcastic as Noah's been) ''Right!''

[[folder:Theater]]
* ''Theatre/JuliusCaesar'': In the climatic "Friends, Romans and Countrymen" speech by Mark Antony, Shakespeare has a clever balancing act of dramatic tension; Antony has pretended to not seek retribution against Caesar's murderers, and his speech follows one by Brutus in which the people of Rome were convinced that killing Caesar was necessary. Antony's speech utilises the phrase "But Brutus says that Caesar was ambitious, and Brutus is an honourable man". At first he appears to be in agreement with the conspirators; but his speech gradually begins to demonstrate the holes in their logic, and his repetition of the phrase "honourable man" becomes sarcastic, and then insulting.
** Shakespeare later parodied this in ''Measure For Measure'', where a character prone to getting his words mixed up tells a criminal "Prove it before these [criminals], thou honourable man!".
* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'': "As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to fly!"
** And the song "I'm Not That Girl". First act, Elphaba sings it, but in the second, Glinda does.
** "It is my personal opinion that you do not have what it takes. I hope you'll prove me wrong. I doubt you will." Madame Morrible allows Galinda to join the sorcery seminar at Shiz. Years later, Glinda allows [[spoiler:the guards to take Madame Morrible to prison.]]
** Elphaba, in ''The Wizard and I'' desires a "celebration throughout Oz that's all to do with me." Later, the Wizard says that she'll have a "celebration throughout Oz that's all to do with you." This proves true when the Munchkins celebrate her death.
** The first scene and the last scene. They're exactly the same scene, but the first is told from the Munchkins' point of view and the second is told from Glinda's point of view, with the appropriate changes in emphasis and tone. In the latter, the Munchkins continue to chant "No One Mourns the Wicked" while Glinda laments.
** Elphaba refuses to believe Fiyero when he tells her that she's beautiful--he insists "it's not lying, it's seeing things in a different way". Elphaba uses the line on Fiyero after [[spoiler:he turns into the scarecrow]].
* Common in older theatrical writing, particularly in the Victorian period. GilbertAndSullivan's ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' has a lot of this, the most obvious being the repeat of "I have a Song to Sing-O", first as Jack and Elsie working together to entertain a crowd as street performers, and then at Elsie's wedding to Fairfax, as him trying to win her back, and her rejecting him, as gently as she can, with the only change in lyrics making it worse, by indicating the rest of the story the song tells, where the jester gets the woman back, will ''not'' follow. However, that's only the most obvious; lines bounce around characters and situations throughout the work, reflecting ironically on the changing circumstances.
* Used in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'', which uses identical melodies rather than lyrics for many of its songs. For example, "Valjean's Soliloquy" is a triumphant tune that culminates in him resolving to turn his life around . . .while "Javert's Soliloquy" is a mournful, distressed one that culminates in his suicide.
** The two songs mentioned above even use some identical lines in the coda, with the differences [[CaptainObvious providing the contrast]]:
--->''I am reaching, but I fall,''
--->(second line different: ''And the night is closing in,''/''And the stars are black and cold,'')
--->''As I stare into the Void,''
--->(third line different: ''To the whirlpool of my sin.''/''To a world that cannot hold.'')
--->''I'll escape now from the world,''
--->''From the world of Jean Valjean.''
--->(final lines different: ''[[NoIndoorVoice JEAN VALJEAN IS NOTHING NOW!]]''/''There is nowhere I can turn.''
--->''[[NoIndoorVoice ANOTHER STORY MUST BEGIN!]]''/''There is no way to go ''[[StockScream OOOOOOOOOOON!]]'')
* ''ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' uses both identical melodies and lyrics. "All I Ask Of You" is a joyous love song between Christine and Raoul, but when the Phantom sings it to Christine, it's a desperate plea for her love. And most notably, the final lines of "Music of the Night", "You alone can make my song take flight, help me make the music of the night", are a passionate declaration of love, but when the Phantom sings them at the end of the show, he is now despairing of having lost Christine. "It's * over* now, the music of the night."
* In ''MissSaigon'', Chris asks Kim, "How in the light of one night did we come so far?", as they fall madly in love and spend the night together. But at the end of the show, as she lies dying in his arms, she asks him the question ("How in one night have we come... so far?"), but this time, it's mourning their lost chance at happiness.
* In ''SouthPacific'', "Younger Than Springtime" initially describes Joe Cable's newfound love for Liat. But after he refuses to marry her (unwilling to confront the prejudice they would face as an interracial couple), the song's reprise now represents the end of their relationship.
* In ''Under Milkwood'', we hear that Bessie Bighead puts flowers on the grave of Gomer Owen who "kissed her once by the pigsty when she wasn't lookin, but never kissed her again although she was looking all the time." That line gets a laugh. Later on, after we learn that Bessie has Down Syndrome or something of the sort, and that Gomer kissed her because he was dared, when the same line comes back it isn't so funny.
* In classical playwright Creator/{{Aristophanes}}' comedy ''Theatre/{{Clouds}}'', when the antihero Strepsiades asks why Creator/{{Socrates}} is suspended in the air, the philosopher responds: 'I am walking in the air, and speculating about the heavens.' After Strepsiades gets fed up with the sophistic prattling of the philosopher, he climbs to the roof of his academy and starts to burn it down. When Socrates, in a panic, demands to know what he's doing on his roof, Strepsiades parrots back: 'I am walking in the air, and speculating about the heavens!'
* The reprise of ''Somewhere That's Green'' in ''Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors'', cut from [[Film/LittleShopOfHorrors the film]]. The song originally was about the happy, quiet life of the suburbs that Audrey thought of as heavenly, with only the barest references to Seymour's love of plants. In the reprise, [[spoiler: she's dying, and all that's left of her dream is to be with Seymour, somewhere that's green: in the man-eating plant that killed her.]]
* ''Vanities: The Musical'': During "The Argument", the DarkReprise of "I Can't Imagine", Mary briefly echoes her previous IWantSong "Fly Into The Future". In the last reprise of "Nothing Like a Friend" from the Theatreworks version, Mary sings "I want(ed) to see if i even like my friends".
* When the trial in ''Theatre/TheMerchantOfVenice'' seems to be going Shylock's way, he praises the judge ([[SweetPollyOliver Portia in disguise]]): "A Daniel come to judgement, yea, a Daniel!/Oh wise young judge, how I do honor thee!" When she turns the tables and initiates the HumiliationConga on Shylock, Gratiano, giddy with excitement, starts quoting Shylock until it becomes an OverlyLongGag: "A Daniel still, I say, a second Daniel!/I thank thee, Jew, for [[LampshadeHanging teaching me that word.]]"
* ''Film/{{Footloose}}'': "Let the Lord hear your voices!"
* In an unusual variation, ''MerrilyWeRollAlong'' is told in reverse order, so the ironic echoes are heard first. For instance, Mary's rather desperate reprise of "Old Friends" is after the friendship has fallen apart; we don't hear it sung genuinely until several more timeskips back.
* ''Theatre/TheLastFiveYears'' is a show of ironic echoes. Especially the line in "See I'm Smiling" and "I Can Do Better" about "you, and you, and nothing but you. Miles and piles of you." However, there are many others.
* ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}'' sings several times throughout the course of the show that "Rivers belong where they can ramble/Eagles belong where they can fly/I've got to be where my spirit can run free." At the end of the show, he decides "I'm not a river/Or a giant bird that soars to the sea/And if I'm never tied to anything/I'll never be free."
* In ''TheAddamsFamily Musical'', Morticia refuses to dance with Gomez after learning [[BerserkButton he's keeping something from her]], telling him, "Not today." Later, Gomez is distraught that Morticia is leaving him and wondering if it's the end of his marriage and their family. He eventually proclaims, "Not today!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* [[VideoGame/LANoire "Always happy to help the LAPD."]]
* ''PhoenixWrightAceAttorney: Trials and Tribulations'' had:
-->[[spoiler:'''Luke Atmey''']]: [[LaughingMad Hee hee hee ha ha ha aha ha ha ha ha ha ha!]] [[OverlyLongGag Ho ho ho hee hee hee!]] Take a good look, everyone! Unable to find a rival worthy of my genius, I was forced to create one by myself! Here I am! The tragic clown...
** This happens after he is convicted as [[spoiler:Mask*[=DeMasque=]]]. Later, when it is revealed he is actually a murderer, he was trying to use his first conviction as an ''alibi'', and he was actually [[spoiler:blackmailing Ron [=DeLite=], the ''real'' Mask*[=DeMasque=]]] he repeats this, only truthfully this time.
* In ''VideoGame/GuildWars: Eye of the North'', the player character dismisses his ability to activate the scrying pool in the Hall of Monuments as "Just lucky, I guess." Later in the same cutscene, when the PC complains, "Why do I have to make the tough decisions?" Gwen tauntingly replies, "You're just lucky, I guess."
* In ''VideoGame/DungeonSiege II'', your player character sounds skeptical about the Dark Wizards, saying that it "sounds like something told to restrain wandering children" ([[LampshadeHanging ignoring the fact that your character worked for Valdis at one point]]). In ''Broken World'', the [[UltimateEvil Overmage of the Cinbri]] says something quite similar.
* In a subquest of ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', you meet a woman who, in the past, watched as her boyfriend knocked another child into a river and stopped her from saving him from drowning by saying, "If we help him, he'll only tell the others what we've done. We have to let him go." You can take her to the ex-boyfriend, whom she means to kill. He offers you silver to help him; if you refuse, you echo his words.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', Midna's CatchPhrase is a gleeful "Eee hee hee! See you later!" At the very end of the game, a now-loving Midna's final words to Link before [[spoiler:[[ButNowIMustGo returning to her people and destroying the Mirror of Twilight]]]] are a tearful "[[IUhYouToo Link, I- See you later.]]" [[TearJerker * sob* ]]
** To a lesser extent, something similar happens in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'': Tetra has a habit of winking with one eye when she's up to something. "Up to something" usually meaning that she's helping Link in a way that ends up being not to comfortable for him, since she does not care to much about his well-being. In the end of the game, however, Tetra [[spoiler:winks once again, before returning his sword to him, which he lost in the duel with Ganondorf. Once again, she is up to something and once again, it's not going to be a pleasant experience for Link , the difference being that she now ''does'' genuinely care about him. It's just that Tetra and Link have no other choice than to go with what they're about to do if they want to survive.]]
** An optional one occurs in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'': After the second temple, Link [[spoiler:finds myself being derided by Impa for being late, as Zelda would have fallen prey to Ghirahim had she not come herself.]] After the third temple, when [[spoiler: Ghirahim attacks Zelda and Impa, Link has the option to say "Am I late?" when he steps in to buy them time to escape.]]
* ''[[DefJamSeries Def Jam: Fight For New York]]'' is a game all about a MobWar between two gangs, one led by D-Mob (your boss) and the other by Crow, (the BigBad) for control of New York's illegal [[FightClubbing underground no holds barred fight circuit]]. Less than halfway through the game the Crow says to D-Mob "Seems like you have a morale issue there, brother" when [[RivalTurnedEvil your rival walks out on D-Mob]] when D-Mob picks you as his best fighter instead of him. Later, when Crow's gang is so disgusted by his tactics and tired of his ManipulativeBastard shit, some of them, (including both of his [[TheDragon dragons]]) walk out on him in a single {{cutscene}}. In the case of the second dragon, he walks out on Crow while in the middle of holding a gun to your head, and gives you the gun before he leaves. Guess what your character says while pointing the gun at Crow.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', "That day is not today..." is said twice at the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, first by {{Flashback}} Alexandros Morgraine after he states that Darion will wield [[CoolSword The Ashbringer]], and then by Darion before he throws that same sword to Tirion Fordring. It's quite a spectacle.
** Of course, that in turn is borrowed from a a certain someone else using a reforged sword that belonged to one of his ancestors... "It is not this day!".
** In the Ulduar raid, after showing the players a vision of the Lich King, Yogg-Saron says "He will learn no King rules forever. Only death is eternal!" Then, in Icecrown Citadel, as Arthas lays dying, his father's spirit tells him "No King rules forever, my son."
* In ''VideoGame/MadWorld'', Jack meets with a doctor named Leo twice. The first time, Leo asks Jack to help him escape the city. Jack responds with. "I don't help people. I kill them." and continues competing in the games. [[spoiler:The second time, Jack figures out that Leo was behind the games all along and fatally wounds him. Leo explains the whole story and points out that Jack won't be able to arrest him without helping him before he dies. Jack's response? "I don't help people... (Chainsaws Leo and watches him fall into the abyss) I kill them."]]
* In ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', trainers you meet will often start by saying something like, "I'm surprised to meet you here", and then when they lose the battle say, "I'm surprised at how strong you are!"
* In ''VideoGame/StarCraft'', Tassadar tells Kerrigan:
-->'''Tassadar:''' So long as you continue to be so predictable, O Queen, I need not face you at all. You are your own worst enemy.
** Later, when Kerrigan doublecrosses her allies...
-->'''Kerrigan:''' You Protoss are all so headstrong and predictable. You are your own worst enemies.\\
'''Fenix:''' That's ironic, I can remember Tassadar teaching you a very similar lesson on Char.\\
'''Kerrigan:''' I took that lesson to heart, Praetor.
** In [[VideoGame/StarcraftII Heart of the Swarm]], "So predictable" seems to be among her unit sounds.
** At the end of the UED campaign in ''Broodwar'', Kerrigan tells Dugalle that he'd be surprised how many "special interest groups" in the sector want to see the UED stopped. In the briefing of the last mission of Kerrigan's campaign, after she has betrayed everyone else, Arcturus Mengsk contacts her to let her know he's gunning for her. When she asks him how he scrounged up three fleets to attack her, he says he made a few deals and tells her she'd be surprised how many "special interest groups" in the sector want to see her dead. Bonus points since one of the groups is the remainder of the UED fleet led by Dugalle.
* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland'', at the beginning of chapter one, when Guybrush stabs [=LeChuck=] with the Cursed Cutlass of Kaflu, he yells "Unholy THIS!". [[spoiler:[=LeChuck=] says the exact same at the end of chapter four when stabbing Guybrush to death.]]
* In ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare 2,'' an Army Ranger notes that the air strike General Shepherd's just called in is danger-close in relation to where they're positioned, and another Ranger says, "Since when does Shepherd care about danger-close?" Later on, [[spoiler:Price]] repeats the line when [[spoiler:Shepherd calls in an airstrike to kill him and Soap, not danger-close but ''right on top of his own men'']].
** There's also another. In the beginning, Shepherd makes a monologue, including the famous phrase "History is written by the victors". As [[spoiler:Price and Soap are preparing to kill him]], [[spoiler:Price]] says the following line.
-->'''Price:''' History is written by the victors. ''History is filled with liars''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}: Episode One'' features a long speech from Dr. Kleiner in which, at one point, he lets those who have safely evacuated City 17 know that "For those so inclined, now would be an excellent time for procreation." This line is repeated as a voiceover in the opening recap in ''Episode Two'', out of context, against a backdrop of citizens still fighting for their lives.
* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'': The Jedi Exile sides with Revan using the catchphrase "Apathy is death", referring to the indecision of the Jedi Council to go to war. Near the end of the second game, she has a vision in which [[spoiler:she has to decide which way to decide in a fight between her allies.]] If she tries to remain neutral, they will turn on her with mocking cries of "Apathy is death!"
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' and ''[[VideoGame/MassEffect3 3]]'': ''"I am the very model of a scientist Salarian!"'' The first time Mordin sings it, he does it as his [[MotorMouth usual]] [[{{Keet}} energetic]] [[CloudCuckooLander self]], a man who has no doubt that creating a [[DepopulationBomb fertility-damaging bioweapon]] for use against a [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy hostile and warlike race]] [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate was the "humane" thing to do]] compared with forcing the Turian military to KillEmAll. He hums the song again while [[spoiler: [[ScienceHero distributing the cure for the same bioweapon with a weather control tower]] that is [[HeroicSacrifice exploding around him]].]]
** In a short-term sense, [[spoiler:Matriarch Aethyta]], Liara's "father", tells a Shepard who romanced Liara that if s/he were still in Cerberus, s/he would not get within a light year of Liara, because "nobody messes with my girl." When she says that the Matriachs might order a hit on Liara if she were not watching, Shepard can use a Renegade interrupt in which s/he says s/he refuses to allow this to happen, because "nobody messes with my girl."
** The [[AscendedMeme memetic]] "Shepard. Wrex." exchange enactable in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' between [[CaptainObvious Shepard and Wrex]] gets one in ''[[VideoGame/MassEffect3 3]]'' [[spoiler:if you sabotage the genophage cure when Wrex is the krogan leader]]. Those are the first words spoken in a scene [[spoiler:in which Wrex calls Shepard out on his/her betrayal and which invariably results in his (Wrex's) death]]. They even get reversed to "Wrex. Shepard."
** [[WellIntentionedExtremist The Illusive Man]] bring up "our brief existence" twice. First in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', referring to the threat of the Reapers, then again in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', this time arguing against their destruction. Set to the same theme tune and in the same room for added points.
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' Shepard can throw one out to the quarian fleet when [[spoiler:he/she is trying convince them to end their war with the geth]]
--> '''Shepard''': [[spoiler:"The geth don't want to fight you! If you believe that for just one minute, this war will be over!]] You have a choice. Please. '''Keelah se'lai'''."
** In the ''Leviathan DLC'' for the third game, when Shepard notices a small part of Sovereign's wreckage in Dr Bryson's lab.
--> '''Shepard''': Sovereign, the "''[[ResistanceIsFutile vanguard of our destruction]]''". How's that working out for you, [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu big guy?]]
* Bioware strikes again in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''. At the end of the prologue, [[ItWasHisSled Aveline is forced to kill her husband Wesley, who has been infected by the darkspawn]]. Flemeth's comment on this, probably to comfort Aveline, is "without an end, there can be no peace." [[spoiler: Anders]] repeats "there can be no peace" [[spoiler: when he blows up the chantry; he means there can be no peaceful end to the mage-templar conflict.]]
* In ''TheLostCrown'', Nigel says "Nothing ventured..." to himself before stepping into unlit rooms or other potentially dangerous locales. Lucy later says the exact same thing to Nigel when he hesitates to accompany ''her'' on a risky endeavor.
* The Butcher's lines in ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}''. "Don't run, or else Daddy's gonna kill ya!" The Butcher shares most of his [[BossBanter mid-battle dialogue]] with [[spoiler: Little Oly]], from the EscortMission earlier in the Meat Circus. These are mostly innocuous lines like "Bun, bun, bun!" and "Here little bunny!" but, as was noted above, there ''is'' "Don't run or Daddy's gonna kill you!"
** Also, "When are you going to just shut up and kiss me?"
* In ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'', Asha's logbook challenging Iji is entitled "To the Death." A later logbook ends with the same words, this time predicting the ultimate result of [[{{Pride}} his weakness]].
* In ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander2'''s UEF campaign, Commander Dominic Maddox mutinies after learning that his commanding officer, [[GeneralRipper Colonel Rodgers]], has ordered an attack on New Cathedral where Maddox's wife and son are. When Maddox tries to reason with Commander Lynch to stop her attack on the city, Rodgers tells him "Speeches will get you nowhere." At the end of the following mission, Maddox is about to blow up a huge reactor that sits right on top of Rodgers's command post:
-->'''Maddox:''' Colonel Rodgers, I'm feeling generous right now, so I'm going to give you one last chance to walk out of here alive.\\
'''Rodgers:''' The UEF can survive the idiots who want to create coalitions and make treaties with our enemies, but people like you rot the soul of our great faction. I'm ready to die like a soldier, with honor.\\
'''Maddox:''' Speeches will get you nowhere, Colonel.
* Early in ''VideoGame/{{Sacrifice}}'', there is the following exchange between the LawfulGood Persephone and ChaoticEvil Charnel: "Charnel, death is not the answer to everything!" "Yes. Torture also has its merits." If the player chooses to [[VillainProtagonist finish the campaign with the evil god]], and asks the favour of dealing with another evil wizard that was scheming against him, the Ironic echo comes into play.
-->'''Charnel:''' As you wish. But remember, if you kill Acheron, I'll have to find a crueler demon to replace him.\\
'''Player:''' Charnel, death is not the answer to everything.\\
'''Charnel:''' Yes. Torture also has its merits.\\
'''Player:''' Exactly!
* There's a brief {{Leitmotif}} that plays when you kill a colossus in ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus''. At the end, [[spoiler:Wander becomes a colossus, but is then struck down and absorbed by a powerful spell. As it draws him in, the "colossus killed" music plays.]]
* As a soldier, [[VideoGame/{{Metroid}} Samus]] used to give her C.O. a thumbs-down (instead of the Federation's usual thumbs-up) when acknowledging a mission, just to be cheeky. [[spoiler: Anthony]] gives the same gesture at the end of ''[[VideoGame/MetroidOtherM Other M]]'' as a sign of camaraderie.
* In the 'Shade Impulse' campaign of ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'', [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII the Emperor]] dismisses the heroes' resolution to continue fighting, by claiming that 'Insects will swarm, but they are insects nonetheless.' Later, when they actually defeat him for good, he asks disbelievingly who they are. Several of the characters have their own echoes for him, if you defeated him with them:
-->'''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII Firion:]]''' Just a swarm of insects.\\
'''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Cecil]]:''' Insects with a sting.\\
'''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Bartz]]:''' I heard you call us insects!\\
'''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud]]:''' Just another bug.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'', when Wheatley attempts to hack he says, "Let the games begin". However, once he [[spoiler:performs a FaceHeelTurn, he says the same line after he fails to kill you, though he sounds more menacing]].
* ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'': A potential CrowningMomentOfAwesome if you don't get [[spoiler: your [[SchmuckBait neural implants serviced by the company in charge of controlling the world via them.]]]]
-->'''Zhao''': "Men never fail to underestimate women."\\
[[spoiler: Later when she tries to activate the hacked implant she is sure you got like everybody else:]]\\
'''Adam''': "Women never fail to underestimate men.
* As the player character's journey is just beginning in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', Ghetsis gives a rousing speech about liberating Pokémon. He seems to make some good points. In the town with the final gym leader, he repeats this speech word for word. [[spoiler:However, by this point in the game, the player has learned that Ghetsis is a far worse person than initially believed, and the whole point of the liberation of Pokémon is so he alone can control their power.]]
* From ''VideoGame/TheDarkness''.
** "I remember the night of my twenty-first birthday... That was the first time I died."
** {{Unskippable}} was so amused by this that they turned it into a RunningGag where the "death" counter goes up every time the point of view character dies or falls unconscious.
* ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' begins with Pit telling Palutena ([[LeaningOnTheFourthWall and the player]]) "Sorry to keep you waiting!" referencing the 25 years between that game and [[VideoGame/KidIcarus his first adventure]]. Later on, when [[spoiler:[[BiggerBad Hades]]]] appears for the first time, [[spoiler:he]] repeats this line word-for-word to them after [[spoiler:[[BigBad Medusa]] is defeated and before Act II begins]].
* In ''Videogame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' Carl, after coming back home after years of being away, meets Officer Tenpenny looking to "chat". Tenpenny proceeds to start screwing around with Carl and coerces Carl into his service via blackmail and a frame job. Tenpenny ends their "chat" by saying : [[spoiler:''See you around, Carl"]] before walking (then driving away). Guess what Carl says later in the game when [[spoiler:[[ItMakesSenseInContext Tenpenny ends up dying on the street due to driving a firetruck off a bridge while being chased by Carl and Sweet.]]]]
* In the opening of ''Franchise/TombRaider'', Larson asks Lara Croft "What's a man gotta do to get that sort of attention from ya?" Since Lara Croft is obviously sexy looking, that kind of comment was inevitable. Later on, when Larson attacks Lara outside of Qualapec's Tomb and Lara defeats him, Lara retorts "Well, you have my total attention now. I'm not sure if I got yours, though. Hello?"
* In ''Videogame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'', when first asked why he didn't leave with the Lombaxes, Azimuth wistfully answers: "Sometimes the universe has a cruel sense of humour". At the end of the game, Orvus concludes his final message to Clank by saying: "The universe has a wonderful sense of humour. [[Heartwarming/RatchetAndClank The trick is learning how to take a joke."]]
* In ''Videogame/MegaManBattleNetwork 6'', at one point Baryl tells Lan that [[spoiler: joining the WWW]] was his "destiny." Lan asks him, "if this is "destiny," what about "will?" Later on, right before confronting the Main/BigBad, Baryl [[spoiler:has a change of heart and performs a Main/HeelFaceTurn]] and tells Lan "This is my "will.""
* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', when the player awakes in prison at the beginning, an obnoxious Dark Elf in a nearby cell tells the player;
--> '''Valen Dreth''': You're going to die in here!
** Later in the game, if the player joins the Dark Brotherhood, they are sent to assassinate him and get to reply;
--> '''Player''': You're going to die in here!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* Early on in ''WebAnimation/BrokenSaints'', Kamimura encounters a silly young egg farmer named Masayuki, who tells him a story about his father, in which Masayuki's father pointed at a chicken's butt and told his son that two things come out of there: eggs and poop. The lesson Masayuki took from it, and passed on to Kamimura, was that both good and bad things come from the inside. This lesson turns out to be a central message in the series, and Kamimura's [[spoiler:final words before his HeroicSacrifice]] repeat this sentiment, now with a much more poignant resonance.
* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlueTheBloodGulchChronicles'', Doc gives the following reason for not wanting to be associated with Grif in Episode 23: "Sorry, man, but it's pretty obvious that you're really unpopular, and if I'm gonna make any progress around here at all I can't really be directly associated with you. I'm sure you understand." In Episode 25, when the Blues hand Doc off to the Reds as part of a deal, the Reds abandon Doc, and Doc looks to Grif for help. Grif says, "Sorry, it's pretty clear that you're not very popular around here, and if I'm gonna make any progress at all, I can't be directly associated with you. I'm sure you understand."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'': "Not enough." Note that ''both'' characters who say it are ironically echoing the other. Isn't time travel fun?
* In ''[[{{Walkyverse}} It's Walky]]'', Walky tells [[http://www.itswalky.com/d/20020504.html Joyce]] "You ''are'' beautiful, Joyce. It's the world that's ugly." Joyce later uses [[http://www.itswalky.com/d/20020624.html this line on his sister]], Sal, in an attempt to talk her down from her [[FoeTossingCharge Homicidal Rage]].
* In ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked'', Perrault tells November "You could always turn around and go home." Then, they meet Red. Somewhat later, following her through the woods, November repeats the line to Perrault.
* ''Webcomic/AMiracleOfScience'' has two, "That, gentlemen, is the sound of conquest" and [[spoiler:"Behold, the Martian invasion fleet."]] The first one is used by [[spoiler:Ben first in the flashback as a MadScientist trying to take over the moon, and later by Ben when he is confronting Haas.]] The second one is used [[spoiler:first jokingly by Caprice, but then seriously by Ben in the end]].
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': When Agatha awakes on ''Castle Wulfenbach'', Moloch [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030514 covers her mouth and tells her]] "Quiet! Quiet! I'm not gonna hurt you unless I gotta, but I will if you act stupid. Now I'm going to take my hand away. I'm giving you one chance." When they [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080312 meet again in Castle Heterodyne]], she does and says nearly the exact same thing.
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' has the confrontation in the sewer between Delyn and Thaco when Thaco parrots Delyn's "Bleed for me" line after [[spoiler:pinning him on a broken sewer pipe.]]
** And again later, Minmax thinks that Dellyn's wooden sword shouldn't have been able to break his steel one. Dellyn says that '...there is a special place in hell reserved for those who die complaining about the rules.' After demonstrating just how broken his character is, Minmax says [[http://goblinscomic.com/03232010 'Careful Dellyn, I heard a rumor about those who die complaining about the rules.]]
** [[http://www.goblinscomic.com/09072010/ Third]] time's the charm.
** Goblins did it again with [[http://www.goblinscomic.com/06262005/ this]] and [[http://www.goblinscomic.com/07282006/ that]] comics.
** [[spoiler:[[http://www.goblinscomic.com/10212011-2/ I find it astounding how often creatures mistake]] [[http://www.goblinscomic.com/10242011/ their own stupidity for a lack of fairness.]]]]
** "I'd be tempted to say this is impossible to say that this is 'impossible', but that is a word used only by idiots who lack the patience and reason to consider their own surroundings." ... "Impossible!"
* ''WebComic/FaultyLogic'' uses the "malicious" variant in [[http://faultylogic.comicgenesis.com/d/20080405.html a single (long) strip]]
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' prequel book ''StartOfDarkness'', wizards repeatedly act condescendingly to Xykon, a sorcerer; wizardry, which comes through study, is like a "finely-tuned watch," while sorcery, which comes naturally, is unwieldy like "a rubber hammer." Later, when Dorukan uses the same line, Xykon [[spoiler:repeatedly hits him with Energy Drain spells, making Dorukan's own magic impossible while slowly killing him. Xykon points out that even if his magic is less sophisticated, the fact is that at a certain level of power no strategy can work against you, and right before killing him mocks that Dorukan can "keep [his] finely tuned watch -- Give me a sledgehammer to the face any day."]]
** Also, in the Greysky City arc, Haley derides Celia's ThouShaltNotKill attitude, and tells Celia to back up, because she was "going to betray [Celia's] principles all over the friggin place." Later, when Celia makes a deal so everyone lives [[spoiler:but Haley [[BerserkButton retroactively owed 50% of everything she ever stole]]]], Haley furiously asks if Celia knew what she had just done. Celia snaps back, "If I had to guess, I'd say that I betrayed your principles all over the friggin place."
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0512.html "OK, so I've got bad news, and I've got bad news."]]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0796.html Stop]] [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0808.html talking.]]
*** Don't forget the [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0795.html scene that just preceded it]], echoing [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0114.html this]].
-->'''Roy''': [[PunctuatedForEmphasis You! Broke! My! Sword!]]
* In ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', the Demon King reacts to being stabbed with Chaz with the line, "[[http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/060503 What is that blade?]]" Later, when Torg is being tested by his own subconscious during the Wayang Kulit saga, [[spoiler:Oasis]] reacts in the exact same way when he stabs [[spoiler:her]]. Odd, because Chaz wasn't even glowing red on the later occasion...
** Also, there's "Weird girl, Sasha," which gets repeated over and over again by almost all the (sane) characters... and then Sasha gets a chance to throw it back at them : "Weird guy, [[spoiler:Torg]]"
* In [[http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2004-08-10 this]] ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' strip, Rachel, an athletic female friend of Gregory's, goes to break up a fight between him and [[spoiler:the bigot slaughterball player she used to idolize]], Brett Taggerty:
-->'''Rachel:''' I don't know what's going on in here, but I suggest you '''let go''' of my friend and explain yourself.\\
'''Brett:''' ''(lets go of Gregory and raises his fist)'' Yeah? How about I break your '''face''' instead?!\\
'''Rachel:''' I invite you to try, Taggerty.\\
''(Brett promptly punches Rachel in the jaw, eliciting a "KRAK"; but in the next panel, he's got a bloody hand)''\\
'''Brett:''' AAAAAGGH!\\
'''Rachel:''' I break things with my face.
* In the second arc of ''Webcomic/TheWotch'', Anne accidentally turns Jason into a [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} Jean Grey]] spoof, prompting Robin to tease him with, "At least you're hot. He he. I mean, you can provide a real distraction!" Nine arcs later, Robin is turned into a large-breasted girl to act as a crowd control diversion, prompting Jason to snark, "'At least you're hot.' 'You can provide a real distraction!'"
* ''Webcomic/ZebraGirl'': "Doesn't it worry you that I'm not worried?"
* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'': ''[[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/050419c Jesus, Dr. Light, it's only one button]]''
* In ''Webcomic/ImpureBlood'':
** [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue3/ib058.html Harassed by men as freak lover]], [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue3/ib059.html Caspian tells a third-party he had to beat them up as freak lovers.]]
** [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue3/ib065.html Elnor blames her hangover on jostling]]; then [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue4PAGES/ib080.html the injured Roan begs her not to jostle him]]
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' fancomic ''Tag Dream'' about a tag-team professional wrestling-style tournament, when Flandre and Meiling fight Sanae and Suwako, Flandre launches into a technique designed for fighting extremely physically tough Oni to use against the human Sanae. Meling warns her that they'll be disqualified if they kill an opponent, but Flandre says losing like that would be fine. Later in the match, with Sanae unconscious and receiving medical treatment, Flandre weakened by garlic, and Suwako systematically breaking Meiling's bones rather than pinning her, Flandre tells Suwako to stop or Meiling might die, and Suwako says losing like that would be fine.
* ''Webcomic/{{Bobwhite}}'', [[http://www.bobwhitecomics.com/?webcomic_post=20090713 this comic]]. Marlene, a film major, has nothing but complaints about a movie they just saw. Georgie, unconcerned with the technical aspects, thought it was pretty good and doesn't see why Marlene's so worked up. They go to get a burger and suddenly their positions are switched.
* Webcomic/{{Archipelago}}: Credenza and Raven have a bit of back-and-forth in Book 7, involving the line: "Of course. It's only okay when ''you'' do it."
* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' had [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2009-07-09 Lunesby delivering a fast version]].
** Howard loves this trope, really. It's happened several times after the Lunesby example there; [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2012-05-26 here's another recent occurence]].
* The ''Fire Red'' season of the original ''{{Webcomic/Nuzlocke Comic|s}}'' has Gary take one of his lines from [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue the original games]] in [[http://www.nuzlocke.com/pokemonhardmode.php?p=34 a much darker context]] with regards to how he meant it. In part of the epilogue, his Blastoise decides that he's finally taken enough of his crap, and blasts him out of his shoulder cannon into the distance after [[http://www.nuzlocke.com/pokemonhardmode.php?p=53 echoing the line back to him.]] He even finishes it up with a OneLinerEcho.
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}''. [[http://xkcd.com/55/ "My normal approach]] [[http://xkcd.com/881/ is useless here too."]] The first time it's a lighthearted joke about trying to solve love with math. The second time... not so much.
* From [[http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2013-04-22/comic/non-storyline/randoms/convention-flyer-twentythirteen/ this]] {{ExterminatusNow}} comic:
-->'''Virus''': Do you feel kind of bad, deserting Lothar and Rogue like that?
-->'''Eastwood''': Balls to that, this is what we pay them for.
** ''Next Panel'':
-->'''Rogue''': Think we should tell them they're running ''towards'' the big one?
-->'''Lothar''': Balls to that, they don't pay us enough.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* From ''LetsPlay/MinecraftTheExCommunicatedSeries'', [[{{Jerkass}} Nova]] booted [[OnlySaneMan Seamus]] off the edge of a cliff to go get a werewolf, saying "What's that down there?" Later, Seamus shows he's NotSoAboveItAll when he uses a superpunch to boot Nova off the edge, saying in a very cynical tone "What's that down there?" Link [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkjGp04zZaU#t=6m35s here.]]
* RPG Example: During a story line on the ''Prodigy City of Supers'' forum, my PC reptilian mutant and another player's genetically engineered human were taking on two NPC thugs. One attempts to make a run for it, telling his partner, "Sorry, buddy, but I ain't gonna defend you against supers and freaks." After being tackled and on the verge of being eaten by my PC, the thug cried out for help. Only to have his partner throw his words back at him, complete with mocking tone of voice. The fight didn't end well for the thugs.
* In a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2EHpf1TBvU Katers17 YouTube Video]], this happens at the halfway point, when the main character is told not to wear the dress.
* In ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'', in a scene that's an homage to [[Film/TheDarkKnight the Joker]], Blood Boy says "Why so serious?" as part of his intimidating speech to Matthew Wittany. [[spoiler:He then attacks Matt, viciously beating him with his gun, as well as killing Matt's friend, Corbin. The tides eventually turn, though, and Matt gets out his own gun and shoots Blood Boy with it. What does he say while shooting? [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome "Why so serious?"]]]]
* In the ''WebVideo/{{lonelygirl15}}'' episode "Handcuffed", when [[spoiler:captive villain Lucy is dying]], Jonas tells her, "No you stupid bitch, no! You don't get to die! It's not that easy!" After the GrandFinale, "The Ascension", [[spoiler:Lucy uploads a video showing that she is still alive, the description for which is "It's not that easy, Jonas."]]
* In the third book of ''ShadowOfTheTemplar'', Jeremy finally loses patience with a bedridden and uber-bitching Simon and tells him to stick it because he's the only friend Simon has apart from his teammates. Simon replies that Jeremy [[HeIsNotMyBoyfriend isn't his friend]], "just this guy." Later on, when [[spoiler:Simon tries to stop Jeremy from leaving in the fourth book, Jeremy says coldly that Simon's "just this guy" to him]].
* This LetsPlay of ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'' affectionately titles each part, starting with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9UXzqrTr7g "And they say this is hard..."]], however, after a long 63 part playthrough, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js4vRMO10_A he decides to change his mind.]]
* ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' has a number of echoed lines, but the two most prominent are likely:
** At one point idealist {{Love Interest|s}} Penny sings to Dr. Horrible/Billy, "keep your head up, Billy buddy", to try to cheer him up and get him to be more optimistic. Then later on Dr. Horrible repeats the line [[spoiler:to build up his courage to commit his first murder by killing the HeroAntagonist]].
** Then later on, while EvilGloating, Dr. Horrible sings triumphantly, "Then I win, then I get everything I ever", in anticipation of what he's expecting to be a victory. In the next song, after he's achieved the victory at the high cost [[spoiler:of Penny accidentally being killed]], the phrase "everything you ever..." is repeated as an eerie, almost mocking refrain.
* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic stepfording his way through his early morning routine in the ''Blue Brothers'' video game review is a darker version of the four years prior normal bit in his look at sports movies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' has Toph stuck inside a metal cage, while Xin Fu tells her "You might think you're the greatest earthbender in the world, but even you can't bend metal." She does ''exactly that'', and declares, "[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome I am the greatest earthbender in the world!]]"
** In "[[WhoWouldWantToWatchUs The Ember Island Players]]", when the rest of the [[FanNickname Gaang]] is upset over how they're portrayed in the play, Toph tells everyone, "Listen, friends, it's obvious that the playwright did his research. I know it must hurt, but what you're seeing up there on that stage is the truth." Later, when Toph's character, played by "a really buff ''guy''" is introduced, Katara tries to get back at her:
-->'''Katara:''' Well, Toph, what you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn't it?\\
'''Toph:''' Are you kidding me?! I wouldn't have cast it any other way!
** There is another more subtle example in the Ember Island Players, [[spoiler:when in the play Zuko is siding against Iroh]]
-->'''[[spoiler: Play Zuko]]:''' [[spoiler: "I hate you! And you smell"]]\\
[[spoiler: Two episodes later, when Zuko is apologizing to Iroh after tracking him by scent]]\\
'''[[spoiler: Zuko]]:''' [[spoiler: "It wasn't that hard [to find you], uncle. You have a pretty strong scent."]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': When Angelica's parents send her to her room for refusing to eat her broccoli, her mother tells her, "We tried to reason with you, but you wouldn't listen." Later, HilarityEnsues when Angelica sues her parents. When Charlotte tries to reason with her, Angelica tells her, "It's too late for talk now, Mommy. I tried to reason with you, but you wouldn't listen."
** Also, "And you'll never see your mom, or your dad or your dumb old dog ever again! [[EvilLaugh Ah hahahahahahah!!!]]
* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' loves this trope. One of the earliest examples is in "Maternal Instinct"; when Vlad first uses the Plasmius Maximus on Danny to temporarily DePower him, he smugly tells him, "I've seen your grades, and I know you're bad at math. I'll give you five minutes before I send my minions to destroy you.... Five minutes, five seconds -- oh, apparently, I'm bad at math, too." Later, after Danny gets the better of him:
-->'''Danny:''' I'll give you a five-minute head start, Plasmius.\\
'''Vlad:''' Really?\\
'''Danny:''' Minutes, seconds... you know how bad I can be at math.
** And in "Shades of Gray", Valerie was planning to go to a concert with the other popular kids, but subsequently had to sell her tickets online to pay for a moving truck. Paulina then asks her who bought them ("We don't wanna have to sit next to any ''losers'' at the concert."). Later, it turns out that Sam did:
-->'''Sam:''' (at the concert with Danny and Tucker) I can't believe we're sitting next to those ''losers''!
** "Life Lessons" begins with a great example. When Danny is fighting Valerie, he says "I don't wanna hurt you," to which she replies "What makes you think you can?" Later, after finding out that they were assigned to the same Home Economics project, the teacher mocks them, referring to them as a married couple. Danny says "I am so not kissing the bride" to which Valerie replies, "What makes you think you can?"
*** As it happens, that episode has another instance of this trope; after they finally manage to beat Skulker and remove the [[ChainedHeat handcuffs]] binding them together, Valerie apologizes to Danny (Phantom).
-->'''Valerie''': I never thought a ghost could be anything but trouble.\\
'''Danny''': That's because you never bothered to get to know one.
*** And a few scenes later, when Danny (Fenton) finds out the job Valerie has...
-->'''Danny''': Wow, this is like the worst job ever. I didn't know this is the job you were talking about.\\
'''Valerie''': That's 'cause you never bothered to get to know me.
* In the Season 1 finale of ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'', Charles Foster Ofdensen, Dethklok's manager, saves an unconscious Dethklok from a masked assassin, saying "That's my bread and butter you're fuckin' with." In the Season 2 finale, Dethklok saves Charles from the Revengencers, repeating the line word-for-word.
* From ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'': "Remember. There may be some momentary discomfort." Doubles as a PreMortemOneLiner.
** And in the movie.
-->'''Joker''': (to Bruce!Batman) It would be funny if it wasn't so ''pathetic''... Oh what the hell, I'll laugh anyway! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
-->(... Later, at the climax..)
-->'''Terry!Batman''': You make me laugh... but only because I think you're kinda ''pathetic''. Hahahahahahaha...!
* In ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'' episode "Straight to the Heart", Yumi tries to clear up her relationship with Ulrich by claiming they're [[JustFriends "Friends, that's all."]] The sentence comes back bitterly several times in the episode, and (with some variations) throughout Seasons 3 and 4.
** The prologue has another example in its second part. When Yumi accompanies them to the factory and she and Ulrich come to the ropes leading down, he pauses. Yumi, unaware of his Vertigo condition, says, "Don't tell me you're scared?" Ulrich repeats the line a few minutes later, a grin on his face as the scanner doors close on him before he's virtualized, effectively provoking Yumi into going to Lyoko as well.
* In ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' episode "A New Order", Jack asks Chase "Who would you rather be right now? You, or me?" after trapping him in the Sphere of Yun. Later, Chase asks Jack the same question after Omi lets him out.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', "Nothing to Fear":
-->"I am fear incarnate! I am the terror of Gotham! I! Am! The ''Scarecrow!''"
** Later...
-->"I am ''vengeance''. I am the night! '''[[BadassBoast I! Am! BATMAN!]]'''"
** And another one from the episode "Baby Doll". Baby's catch-phrase on the show (after causing some mayhem) was "I didn't mean to!", à la Bart's "I didn't do it." At the end, she's hugging Batman's leg and crying, saying simply "I didn't mean to..."
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfZelda'', Zelda borrows Link's shield and leaves him to fight off Ganon's invasion alone:
-->'''Zelda:''' You hold them here!\\
'''Link:''' Hey! Thanks heaps, Princess!
** Later, after moblins are sent after the duo in the underworld...
-->'''Link[[spoiler:'s Ghost]]:''' Just hold them a while!\\
'''Zelda:''' Thanks heaps!
* Occurs in the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Fishsticks," where Cartman "helped" Jimmy write a joke, then is concerned that he won't get proper credit, and asks Kyle for help. Kyle doesn't give him any, but tells Cartman:
-->'''Kyle:''' Yes, [[IBelieveThatYouBelieveIt I believe that you believe]] you helped write that joke. That's how people like you work! Your ego is so out of whack that it will do whatever it can to protect itself. And people with a messed up ego can do these [[SelfServingMemory mental gymnastics]] to convince themselves they're awesome, when really, they're just douchebags!
** Later...
-->'''Cartman:''' Jimmy, you really believe that you came up with it all on your own? Oh my God, wait. I totally get it now.\\
'''Jimmy:''' What? I, I still don't get anything.\\
'''Cartman:''' All this time I've been mad at you, Jimmy, for trying to take all the credit, but, now I realize it's just that [[SelfServingMemory your ego has made you believe things happened differently]]. [[ComicallyMissingThePoint That's what Kyle was trying to tell me.]] That you have such a huge ego you do these mental gymnastics to make yourself a part of things.\\
'''Jimmy:''' Rih, r-r-really?\\
'''Cartman:''' I thought you were just trying to Jew me out of my part of the credit, but now I realize that... some people just have egos that are so out of whack that no matter what people tell them, they can't accept the truth of who they are. Jimmy, I owe you an apology. I realize now you can't help believing you created the entire joke, because your ego won't let you think otherwise. I just have to accept that.
** And in "Coon 2: Hindsight" and "Coon vs. Coon and Friends." You got poop, don't you?
* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'': Rattrap is angry at Dinobot for the latter's recent betrayal, "Oh yeah, he's a slag-spouting saurian, but at least you know where he stands! Well, guess we live and learn." Later, when Dinobot sacrifices his life to protect the early anthropoids: "Like I said: You're just a blasted, slag spoutin' saurian... but it's nice to know where you stand."
* ''WesternAnimation/{{X-Men}}'': From "Beyond Good and Evil Part 4" in the final battle with Apocalypse when Magneto gets attacked and saved by {{Wolverine}}:
-->'''Wolverine:''' Oh, look who I'm saving. You'd think I was Xavier.
** Then Magneto returns the favor when Wolverine is attacked by Apocalypse and saved by Magneto:
-->'''Magneto:''' Look who I'm saving. You think I were an X-Man.
* In ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', one of Clayface's attempts at impersonating TheFlash leads to an overuse of slang and leads to Batman SpottingTheThread more or less instantly:
-->'''Flash!Clayface:''' Looks like I didn't need you after all, yo, but you can help me tie him up.\\
* After Batman exposes Clayface*
-->'''Clayface:''' ...What gave me away?\\
'''Batman:''' ''**Completely deadpan**'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1btlLGy6qvc You overplayed your part, "yo".]]
** In the ''Unlimited'' episode "Alive!", Tala tries to worm her way back into Lex's good graces after a failed mutiny by saying that she's a "sick person", implying that she just couldn't help herself. When Lex uses her as a living magical battery in a device that will resurrect Brainiac at the cost of her life and Tala realizes that Lex planned on using her for this even before she betrayed him, he gloats "What can I say? I'm a sick person too." [[spoiler:Tala gets a posthumous last laugh by resurrecting {{Darkseid}} instead of Brainiac.]]
* In ''AngelsFriends'' - In episode 2, Raf and Sulfus see Andrew's friend Jacob getting picked on by three bullies:
-->'''Raf:''' ''What do you mean; three against one?! That's not fair!''
--> '''Sulfus:''' ''Let me think about it...you could slap a fine on them! ''
** Then later when Urie and Dolce show up to help Raf in a challenge:
-->'''Sulfus:''' ''Three against one? It's not fair!''
-->'''Raf:''' ''Slap a fine on me!''
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'': Used in a very dark context by first [[WoobieDestroyerofWorlds Demona]] and then her enemy [[NotSoDifferent John Canmore]]:
--> "[[MyGodWhatHaveIDone What have I]]--what have ''[[NeverMyFault they]]'' done to you?!"
** "It may not be worth much now, but in a thousand years..." First by [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Xanatos]], then by his much more moral father.
* In [[WesternAnimation/PixarShorts ''Tokyo Mater'']], Kabuto actually threatens [[WesternAnimation/{{Cars}} Mater]] that if he loses the race to TokyoTower, then Kabuto will strip him of his modifications and as a result Mater will become "stock." At the end of the short, Mater beats Kabuto to the top of the tower, and as a result it's Kabuto that ends up being stripped of his modifications. As the other cars in Tokyo start laughing at him because of his nudity, Kabuto immediately screams "I'M STOCK!!!"
* In the first song of the Creator/DrSeuss special ''WesternAnimation/HalloweenIsGrinchNight'', Grandpa Josiah repeatedly sings, "I wouldn't go out on a night like this for" a given amount of money that increases with each verse, such as "six dollars and sixty cents!". Later, the Grinch starts poetically talking about what a wonderful night it is in the same rhythm as Josiah's song, ending with "I wouldn't stay home on a night like this for sixty dollars and sixty cents!"
* Disney's ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' has an episode where Gantu is immediately rebuked for his idea of how useful an experiment would be. When 625 discovers something that could vindicate him, he's too angry to listen.
-->'''Gantu''': Quiet! I do not want to hear anything more about 113.
-->'''625''': But—
-->'''Gantu''': But nothing. Go make a sandwich!
-->'''625''': Well gee, you don't have to be a jerk about it!
-->'''Gantu''': Yeah? What are you gonna do about it, trog?
-->'''625''': Look, I'm trying to tell you that—
-->'''Gantu''': ''(covers his ears)'' I'm not listening! Na na-na na-na-na.
** And then later, when 625 tells him what he found out, we get one of the best instances of this trope ever thought up:
-->'''Gantu''': Why didn't you say so before?!
-->'''625''': ''(chuckles, then holds up a tape recorder)'' Caught it all on tape.
-->'''Gantu ''(recording)''''': Quiet! I do not want to hear anything more about 113.
-->'''Gantu''': But—
-->'''Gantu ''(recording)''''': But nothing. Go make a sandwich!
-->'''Gantu''': You can't talk to me like that!
-->'''Gantu ''(recording)''''': Yeah? What are you gonna do about it, trog?
-->'''Gantu''': ''(pulls out plasma gun and holds it against the recorder)'' Insolent device! SILENCE!
-->'''Gantu ''(recording)''''': I'm not listening! Na na-na na-na-na.
** Blasting the recorder didn't do much to mollify him, either.
* The ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "One Krabs Treasure" has an IronicEcho done in a way. First in the graveyard when [[MoneyFetish Mr. Krabs]] comes to steal back the "valuable" novelty soda drink hat, he comes across a depressed [[ButtMonkey Squidward]] mourning his hopes and dreams. Krabs replies "What a baby." Later after Krabs finds out that the soda drink hat has no value after others are found, [[VillainousBreakdown he sobs]] and Squidward passes by saying "What a baby." May count as a [[Funny/SpongebobSquarepants Crowning Moment of Funny]].
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Spider-Man The Animated Series}}'': The {{Daredevil}} story gives us a three-fer. In {{Flashback}} we see Kingpin going to prison for his father's crimes, with his father saying "Sacrifices must be made". Later in the flashback Kingpin says the same thing when disposing of his father, as the last link to his old identity. And at the end, he says it ''again'' when he lets his own son take the rap for his crimes.
* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'':
-->'''Beezy''': Misery? You told me to be causing ''anguish''.
-->'''Lucius VII''': Anguish? That's barely worse than worry!
** Later:
-->'''Lucius VII''': But... look at the anguish on that man's face!
-->'''Lucius VI''': Anguish? That's barely worse than worry!
* In the ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' episode "They Call Him Mr. Ed", Eddy says to Nazz "YouGotSpunk" for coming to him for a job. In GrandFinale, it's said again by [[spoiler: Eddy's brother]] to Edd...after [[spoiler: SLAMMING HIM INTO THE GROUND.]]
* Being TheVoiceless/[[SinisterSurveillance the eyes and ears for the Decepticons]], Soundwave from ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' "speaks" by replaying recordings of others, and as such a lot of his "dialogue" can turn into this. For example, in the episode "Masters And Students" once Starscream learns that [[spoiler:Megatron survived the [=SpaceBridge=] explosion]], and just before going off to find him, there's this exchange:
-->'''Starscream:''' Remain here and monitor the outcome. When Skyquake snuffs Prime's spark... I must bear witness. *''Flies off''*
-->'''Soundwave:''' ...''"Must bear witness"''... *''Discreetly sends Laserbeak after Starscream''*
* The season two arc of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' uses this twice. First off in an episode where it's revealed that Terra has been working with Slade to help her control her powers, when she attempts to protect Beast Boy from Slade he tells her that she doesn't have any friends. Then after the truth comes out, she begs Beast Boy to forgive her deception. He turns his back on her, replying "Slade was right. You don't have any friends." The second time it's used is in the 2-part finale. Terra, now bitter and completely sided with Slade, is tearing up the town, and Beast Boy attempts to reason with her and begs her to stop, stating that he's still her friend. Terra coldly replies, "Don't you remember? ''I don't have any friends''."
** An even larger example involving Beast Boy and Terra. In Aftershock when Terra is about to finish Beast Boy while controlled by Slade, he utters this "It's your life Terra, your choice, it's never too late to change."
** In the show's finale:[[spoiler:"Things change, Beast Boy. The girl you want me to be is just a memory.... you're the Teen Titan. That's who you are. That's not me. I'm not a hero. I'm not out to save the world. I'm just a girl with a geometry test next period and I haven't studied."]]
* In the prom episode of ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'', Montana Max delivers a ReasonYouSuckSpeech to Elmyra , but when it doesn't get through to her, he exclaims, [[PunctuatedForEmphasis "I! Don't! Like! You!"]] Needless to say, she was crushed. Monty then tried to move in on Dizzy's date Mitzy, only to get a similar speech from her (right down to the "I don't like you" quote). He takes it about as well as Elmyra did.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' has Wade Duck remove a mattress tag because he thought it was "a bookmark". He wonders "What harm can it do?" throughout the episode, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2DQ3T8rvlM once in the form of a musical number!]] At the end of the episode, [[spoiler: Booker and Sheldon play a prank that the police have come to arrest Wade]]. When Sheldon asks Booker about it, he says "What harm can it do?"
* In the ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' episode "Secrets", when Artemis tries to fight Harm, he says she's too riddled with doubt to be an effective fighter: "How can [[ItIsDehumanizing it]] fight [[ThirdPersonPerson Harm]] when it is busy fighting itself?" When Harm is shaken by being forced to confront [[spoiler: the ghost of his sister, who he murdered to remove "weakness" from his life]], Artemis throws the line back at him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:RealLife]]
* Music/JohnLennon was raised by his Aunt Mimi, who used to say, "The guitar's all very well, John, but you'll never make a living out of it." Many years later, he had the phrase engraved on a silver plaque and gave it to her as a present.
[[/folder]]