History Main / JacobMarleyWarning

* ''Manga/TheLegendOfZeldaAkiraHimekawa'': In the adaptation of the ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'', when Linebeck [[spoiler: prepares to sacrifice himself against Bellum, he asks Link to be the loyal and heroic man that he wasn't]].

->''"Ratchet... (*cough*) Don't let Vox do to you what he did to me... (*gasp*) You're the hero now."''
-->-- '''Ace Hardlight''''s parting words to Ratchet, ''VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked''

* In the [[Manga/TheLegendOfZeldaAkiraHimekawa manga adaptation]] of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'', when Linebeck [[spoiler: prepares to sacrifice himself against Bellum, he asks Link to be the loyal and heroic man that he wasn't]].

* ''[[Film/TheKid2000 Disney's The Kid]]'' is a rather weird take on this trope... starting with the fact that it's told from the Jacob Marley's perspective. He gets chewed out by his younger self by giving up on their dreams.

* The Introduction video in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' shows OG Loc wanting to get into the gangster game with Sweet and Big Smoke. The latter reject his help and instead push him to go into college so that he can better his life and not fuck it up like they had. This doesn't stick.

* ''WebAnimation/TheAmazingDigitalCircus'': In the Pilot, [[Characters/TheAmazingDigitalCircus Kaufmo]] has become abstracted -- driven to ''complete'' insanity, which causes the Circus' residents of human origin to transform into aggressive, mindless {{Digital Abomination}}s which are a danger to all the other residents -- and he's sent by [[BigBad Caine]] to the Circus' basement: a watery, black void where we see many other previous abstracted Circus residents have already been locked away before him to rot forever. This serves as a warning to Pomni of what will happen t her, or any of the Circus' other current residents, if they don't hold onto some semblance of sanity for as long as possible. Furthermore, in a darker cautionary warning, Kaufmo snapped and abstracted because he was obsessed with hunting down an "exit" door that he thought would take him out of the Circus and back to the real world, just like Pomni spent a chunk of the pilot doing -- [[spoiler:except the exit door was never real, it was just created by Caine in an effort to placate the Circus' ex-huan residents, but it was just an illusion that doesn't lead to anywhere in the real world because Caine doesn't understand the spirit behind the residents' longing for such]].

* [[TheRival Chick Hicks]] from ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' represents what Lightning [=McQueen=] would become if he continued to let his fame go to his head.

Bob meets George. George represents what will become of Bob if he takes the same path George did. Specifically, he represents a path that leads to corruption and evil and/or to a generally a miserable life. If George is well-meaning, he may try to warn Bob to not make the mistake he did. If George is evil, he may instead [[TheCorrupter encourage Bob to follow in his footsteps]]. Either way, Bob will ultimately decide that he does not want to end up like George.

--> "There's no such thing as a "good" spirit. There never was. All spirits are dangerous. I knew that. I'm sorry you didn't."

--> "If you were just more like me, this is what could happen to you!" [[spoiler:(He is then ground into powder by a giant coral-crusher he didn't see coming up on him.)]]

* Done in ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'', of course. Worth mentioning because A) they give Jacob a brother, Robert, so they can give the role of Marley to both JustForFun/StatlerAndWaldorf, which allows them to B) sing a cool little song about it all. And C) [[StealthPun you get]] "Music/BobMarley"]]. (''Groan'')

* At the end of ''Series/GameOfThrones'', [[spoiler:Sandor Clegane]] warns Arya not to let herself become so obsessed with revenge that it's the only thing left in her life like he did.

-->-- Last words of '''Ace Hardlight''', ''VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked''

* Used once in ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'', using a combination of TimeTravel and ProjectedMan.

Named for Jacob Marley from Creator/CharlesDickens' ''Literature/AChristmasCarol''. In the book, Marley represents what will become of Scrooge if he continues to be such a selfish jerk. Naturally, any story that homages ''A Christmas Carol'' at all ([[YetAnotherChristmasCarol of which there are many]]) will require a character in the Marley role as well.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': In Volume 7, Ironwood desperately wants [[BigGood Ozpin's]] advice on his plan to fight back against [[BigBad Salem]], as well as his plan to protect Atlas. However, Ozpin's [[HeroicBSOD unavailability]] means his [[MoralityPet only advisor]] is Ozpin's young heir, [[LegacyOfTheChosen Oscar]]. Oscar teaches Ironwood not to make Ozpin's mistake of isolating himself into a corner where he becomes the only person who makes the decisions and shares none of the burden with allies. As a result, Ironwood is encouraged to unite with the council and Robyn to evacuate Mantle and bring them up to speed on Salem's existence. [[spoiler:Although this act makes it look like Oscar's advice has sunk in, the trope is subverted when the [[TraumaButton subsequent discovery]] that Salem is almost on their doorstep with an army becomes the [[BreakTheBadass last straw]] for Ironwood; he regresses, and then [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope completes the transformation]] into a [[WellIntentionedExtremist dangerous authoritarian]] who [[TautologicalTemplar won't listen to reason]] by deciding to [[KickTheMoralityPet silence Oscar]] once and for all.]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': In Volume 7, Ironwood desperately wants [[BigGood Ozpin's]] advice on his plan to fight back against [[BigBad Salem]], as well as his plan to protect Atlas. However, Ozpin's [[HeroicBSOD unavailability]] means his [[MoralityPet only advisor]] is Ozpin's young heir, Oscar. Oscar teaches Ironwood not to make Ozpin's mistake of isolating himself into a corner where he becomes the only person who makes the decisions and shares none of the burden with allies. As a result, Ironwood is encouraged to unite with the council and Robyn to evacuate Mantle and bring them up to speed on Salem's existence. [[spoiler:Although this act makes it look like Oscar's advice has sunk in, the trope is subverted when the [[TraumaButton subsequent discovery]] that Salem is almost on their doorstep with an army becomes the [[BreakTheBadass last straw]] for Ironwood; he regresses, and then [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope completes the transformation]] into a [[WellIntentionedExtremist dangerous authoritarian]] who [[TautologicalTemplar won't listen to reason]] by deciding to [[KickTheMoralityPet silence Oscar]] once and for all.]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Discussed and subverted in Volume 7. Ironwood desperately wants [[BigGood Ozpin's]] advice on his plan to fight back against [[BigBad Salem]], as well as his plan to protect Atlas. However, Ozpin's unavailability means his [[MoralityPet only advisor]] is Ozpin's young heir, Oscar. Oscar teaches Ironwood not to make Ozpin's mistake of isolating himself into a corner where he becomes the only person who makes the decisions and shares none of the burden with allies. As a result, Ironwood is encouraged to unite with the council and Robyn to evacuate Mantle and bring them up to speed on Salem's existence. [[spoiler:Although this act makes it look like Oscar's advice has sunk in, the [[TraumaButton subsequent discovery]] that Salem is almost on their doorstep with an army is the [[BreakTheBadass last straw]] for Ironwood; he regresses, and then [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope completes the transformation]] into a [[WellIntentionedExtremist dangerous authoritarian]] who [[TautologicalTemplar won't listen to reason]] by deciding to [[KickTheMoralityPet silence Oscar]] once and for all.]]