History Main / KarmaHoudini

[[caption-width-right:350:So is Satan just generous when people don't have a [[DealWithTheDevil soul to sell]]? [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Maybe if you do enough deeds in his name...]]]]

There can be a number of reasons for this trope. Sometimes, the story is going for a DownerEnding in which the villains escape justice for their crimes. Other times, the creators overlook relatively minor offenders, whether due to not considering their actions worthy of punishment or not having the time to see them get their comeuppance within the story. Still other times, it may not be possible to exact retribution on the characters who ends up becoming Karma Houdinis. It could be that they're too powerful to be subject to retribution- any EldritchAbomination in a horror story is likely to be this, as even if they don't outright win, they are so beyond mortal comprehension that the best the protagonists can hope for is to simply escape them. Or it could be that there's no way to legally judge them because they are above the law in some way, and the protagonists are not willing to risk it all for some vigilante justice.

!! Note to Editors

To avoid this trope from being misused, if even just one bad or horrible thing happens to a villainous character or nasty jerk and/or if it is possible to defeat or kill them in a video game (like, for example, a fighting game if they are a playable character and/or the end boss), then they do not qualify for this trope. Karma Houdinis must have ABSOLUTELY nothing bad to ever happen to them (and for it to be impossible to attack and defeat them in a video game (see TheUnfought) to qualify for this trope.

Note also: The work usually must be completed for a character to qualify as this trope. Only if there are no more opportunities for LaserGuidedKarma to strike can a character be said to have successfully avoided any consequences for their actions. Exceptions may be made in cases where StatusQuoIsGod,[[note]]which is why you should not add this trope to the ThisImageIsNotAnExample index[[/note]] or when a character can be said to have permanently escaped, e.g. they died peacefully in their sleep at an old age. [[{{Hell}} And sometimes even that’s not enough.]] (Unless they ''somehow'' managed to get into {{Heaven}} and are gleefully rubbing their current state in your face). Otherwise, resist the urge to put it on an ongoing work's page.

Contrast the aforementioned LaserGuidedKarma (when the villain's comeuppance is swift and immediate), KarmaHoudiniWarranty (when it only happens in a sequel) and KarmicDeath (when it leads to the villain's death). Also see IdiotHoudini, when a person is forever protected from the results of their stupidity.

* An AOL commercial from the 90s reveals at the end that the teenage girl crediting AOL with helping with her schoolwork is a BigSisterBully who makes her younger brother do her homework. She ends the commercial by giving him a bouncing wedgie because he didn't do good enough to earn her an 'A' and smirks at the camera while he continues to bounce.

* An AOL commercial from the 90s reveals at the end that the teenage girl crediting AOL with helping with her schoolwork is a BigSisterBully who makes her younger brother do her homework. She gives him a bouncing wedgie because he didn't do good enough to earn her an 'A' and smirks at the camera while he continues to bounce.

To avoid this trope from being misused, if even just one bad or horrible thing happens to a villainous character or nasty jerk and/or if it is possible to defeat or kill them in a video game (like, for example, a fighting game if they are a playable character and/or the end boss), then they do not qualify for this trope. Karma Houdinis must have ABSOLUTELY nothing bad to ever happen to them (and for it to be impossible to attack and defeat them in a video game (see TheUnfought)) to qualify for this trope.

To avoid this trope from being misused, if even just one bad or horrible thing happens to a villainous character or nasty jerk and/or if it is possible to defeat or kill them in a video game (like, for example, a fighting game if they are a playable character and/or the end boss), then they do not qualify for this trope. Karma Houdinis must have ABSOLUTELY nothing bad to ever happen to them (and for it to be impossible to attack and defeat them in a video game (see TheUnfought) to qualify for this trope.

To avoid this trope from being misused, if even just one bad or horrible thing happens to a villainous character or nasty jerk and/or if it is possible to defeat or kill them in a video game (like, for example, a fighting game if they are a playable character and/or the end boss), then they do not qualify for this trope. Karma Houdinis must have ABSOLUTELY nothing bad to ever happen to them (and for it to be impossible to attack and defeat them in a video game (see TheUnfought)) to qualify for this trope.

There can be a number of reasons for this trope. Sometimes, the story is going for a DownerEnding in which the villains escape justice for their crimes. Other times, the creators overlook relatively minor offenders, whether due to not considering their actions worthy of punishment or not having the time to see them get their comeuppance within the story. Still other times, it may not be possible to exact retribution on the characters who ends up becoming Karma Houdinis, whether because they're too powerful to be subject to retribution, there's no way to legally judge them or some other reason.

Predictably, it is often shocking or downright ''upsetting'' to see such scoundrels dodge [[CantGetAwayWithNothing instant karmic punishment]] and come out triumphant in the end. But as frustrating as it is, [[TropesAreTools it does not necessarily make the story "worse" as long as it doesn't feel forced, contrived, or even shortsighted.]] Regardless, this trope runs the high risk of leaving the audience's thirst for emotional catharsis unsatiated, especially when they've become so invested in seeing the villain they've projected their hate onto get their full commupance that may or may not come by the end. And when it doesn't, you can expect them to complain about it and clamor for a sequel where the villain ''does'' gets their comeuppance -- or alternatively, they'll try to satisfy their frustratingly unfulfilled desire for retribution by [[RevengeFic writing their own]].

Predictably, it is often shocking or downright ''upsetting'' to see such scoundrels dodge [[CantGetAwayWithNothing instant karmic punishment]] and come out triumphant in the end. As such, expect fans to clamor for a sequel where the villain gets their comeuppance -- or try to satisfy that frustratingly unfulfilled desire for retribution by [[RevengeFic writing their own]].

Contrast the aforementioned LaserGuidedKarma (when the villain's comeuppance is swift and immediate), KarmaHoudiniWarranty (when it takes much longer) and KarmicDeath (when it leads to the villain's death). Also see IdiotHoudini, when a person is forever protected from the results of their stupidity.

Note also: The work usually must be completed for a character to qualify as this trope. Only if there are no more opportunities for LaserGuidedKarma to strike can a character be said to have successfully avoided any consequences for their actions. Exceptions may be made in cases where StatusQuoIsGod, or when a character can be said to have permanently escaped, e.g. they died peacefully in their sleep at an old age. [[{{Hell}} And sometimes even that’s not enough.]] (Unless they ''somehow'' managed to get into {{Heaven}} and are gleefully rubbing their current state in your face). Otherwise, resist the urge to put it on an ongoing work's page.

To avoid this trope from being misused, if even just one bad or horrible thing happens to a villainous character or nasty jerk and/or if it is possible to defeat or kill them in a video game (like, for example, a fighting game if they are a playable character and/or the end boss), then they do not qualify for this trope. Karma Houdinis must have ABSOLUTELY nothing bad to ever happen to them (and for it to be impossible to attack and defeat them in a video game (see TheUnfought) to qualify for this trope.

To avoid this trope from being misused, if even just one bad or horrible thing happens to a villainous character or nasty jerk and/or if it is possible to defeat or kill them in a video game (like, for example, a fighting game if they are a playable character and/or the end boss), then they do not qualify for this trope. Karma Houdinis must have absolutely nothing bad to ever happen to them (and for it to be impossible to attack and defeat them in a video game (see HopelessBossFight) to qualify for this trope.

[[caption-width-right:350:So is Satan just generous when people don't have a [[DealWithTheDevil soul to sell?]] [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Maybe if you do enough deeds in his name...]]]]

* It is possible to invoke this in ''[[Pinball/WHODunnit WHO dunnit]]'' if the player fails to catch the killer, either by failing the Taxi Chase or not completing [[RooftopConfrontation The Roof chase.]]
* Inverted in Pinball/HighSpeed and its sequel Pinball/TheGetawayHighSpeed2: You [[{{VillainProtagonist}} play the villain]] (albeit a minor one whose offense is ''speeding'') who the cops are after. How long you can stay on the table depends on how good a Karma Houdini you are (which of course depends on your skills at Pinball).

'''This is a spoileriffic trope; spoilers shall be unmarked. Administrivia/{{You have been warned}}.'''

'''This is a Spoileriffic trope. Spoilers shall be unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.'''

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Casey Anthony almost certainly murdered her daughter Caylee by suffocating her with duct tape, leaving the rotting corpse in her car for multiple days and then dumping it in a lake. She then forgot about her actions and enjoyed many parties, then lied that she was abducted by her babysitter and finally acted completely apathetically to her death. She got off free of (nearly) all her charges instead of getting death sentenced for first degree murder. Understandably, the public weren't happy.
[[/folder]]

Predictably, it is often shocking or downright ''upsetting'' to see such scoundrels dodge [[CantGetAwayWithNothing instant karmic punishment]] and come out triumphant in the end. As such, expect fans to clamor for a sequel where the villain gets their comeuppance -- or try to satisfy that frustratingly unfulfilled desire for retribution by [[FixFic writing their own]].