History Main / KeepTheReward

* Deconstructed in ''Manga/TwelveBeast'', where the MC goes around accidentally building up a BattleHarem of monstergirls. He's too nice to accept the rewards people give him for helping out, so hi army is in a state of PerpetualPoverty until his main girl starts handling it.

->''"There is no charge for awesomeness... or attractiveness."''
-->-- '''Po''', ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda''

*** ''Literature/NightWatchSeries'': Vetinari wants to reward the Watch, but Vimes, by then a Duke, tells Vetinari there is nothing more he can give him, and angrily refuses his offer of a statue for the people who died in LaResistance. He ends up accepting the return of Treacle Mine Road watchhouse, though.

* In ''Film/Aquaman2018'' David Kane/Black Manta tells [[BigBad Orm/Ocean Master]] that he can keep the reward offered to him for hijacking a submarine for his FalseFlagOperation, and that he wants Arthur/Aquaman [[YouKilledMyFather for leaving his father to die]]. Later, when Orm gives David Atlantean weapons and armor to hunt down and kill Arthur and tells him that he’ll be rewarded, David tells Orm that killing Arthur will be his reward.

The reward may not necessarily be money, but could be of anything of great value such as rank, recognition, a treasure, etc.

A subtrope which often precedes this one is No Reward is Worth THIS. A character, often a mercenary or someone rough around the edges, is along for the adventure only because he has been promised a big pay out at its completion. Somewhere along the way the character will realize he's in way over his head, and say something to the effect of "No Reward is Worth THIS". This moment foreshadows a change in the character's perspective; since no reward is worth this kind of trouble he must be carrying on for some other reason (e.g. newfound camaraderie, a noble cause, etc) which his tough guy attitude prevents him from admitting directly.

** All the other major characters are also far stronger than Mr. Satan, and a few are clearly stronger than Android 18 as well. They also decline to take down Mr. Satan, but don't make any similar blackmail efforts. Instead, they do it to maintain the {{Kayfabe}} that he's the world's greatest warrior instead of the FakeUltimateHero that he really is.

* Played with in an episode of ''Anime/AstroBoy'' (The Mighty Atom) where a young surgeon has traveled with Astro back in time to save the life of the heir to a small kingdom (and has also ensured said heir's coronation). All the surgeon wants as a reward is one of the special coins the kingdom issues to celebrate the coronation. After returning to "the present", Astro wonders out loud why the surgeon settled for such a tiny reward, until the surgeon asks him to look up the worth of a mint-condition coronation coin... Cue the Oh Wow! moment.

* ''Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove'': Roman says that all his men are OnlyInItForTheMoney, and so can't be expected to turn their backs on a profitable opportunity in exchange for no money at all. However, when he says that Neo is the same, she immediately jumps up and starts throwing her last paycheck in his face. Roman is very confused, until Raven smirks and says Neo is telling him she doesn't care about the money, she's helping him anyway.

* In the movie ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'', the hero Lone Starr was promised a million spacebucks for the return of Princess Vespa, which was the exact amount he owed to gangster Pizza the Hutt, who later dies offscreen. Near the end, Vespa laments how greedy Lone Starr was in taking the money anyway and leaving, only for her father to point out that he only took 248 spacebucks for food, gas, and tolls. Lone Starr had asked the King not to tell Vespa, so that she wouldn't realize that he had fallen in love with her, but couldn't be with her.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Zig-zagged in the original trilogy with Han Solo. At the end of ''Film/ANewHope'', Solo sticks to his mercenary motives and leaves with his reward before the climatic space battle [[spoiler: some time after that, he has a [[ChangedMyMindKid change of heart]] and returns [[BigDamnHeroes just in time to help Luke destroy the Death Star.]]]] After this, however, he keeps the reward so he can pay back his debt to Jabba the Hutt, but delays and delays due to his commitment to the Rebellion, Luke and Leia. At the beginning of ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' he finally decides to go to Tatooine to repay Jabba, but the Empire gets in his way.

* Heavily spoofed in ''Film/ThreeAmigos''. A Mexican peasant woman sees one of the Amigos' films, in which they play this trope straight. Mistaking the film for reality, she sends a telegram to the actors, offering 100,000 pesos to save her village. She fully expects them to refuse the money, but considers it an insult not to offer it. Ironically, it is this money that motivates the actors to take the job. At the end of the movie, after saving the village they're offered a small amount of money (all the village has) as payment. They turn it down, showing that they've become true heroes in the course of the film.

* At the end of ''Film/TheSting'', [[Creator/RobertRedford Hooker]] refuses to take his share of the money, saying. "I'd only blow it".

* In ''Film/Aquaman2018'' David Kane/Black Manta tells [[BigBad Orm/Ocean Master]] that he can keep the reward offered to him for hijacking a submarine for his FalseFlagOperation, and that he wants Arthur/Aquaman [[YouKilledMyFather for leaving his father to die]]. Later, when Orm gives David atlantean weapons and armor to hunt down and kill Arthur, and tells him that he’ll be rewarded, David tells Orm that killing Arthur will be his reward.

* In the short story "The Bet" by Creator/AntonChekhov, a banker made a bet with a lawyer to the sum of 2 million dollars if the lawyer can withstand 15 years of solitary confinement. The lawyer grew to despise what that money represented and rather than finish to win the bet and claim his long awaited prize, escaped from his confinement five hours early on the day of victory and purposely lost.

* When Kyon [[spoiler: traveled 3 years back in time]] in the third ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' novel, for the task he had to do, adult Mikuru offered him to kiss her younger self while she was sleeping, as a reward. Kyon tells us that he didn't do it. Then again, he is an UnreliableNarrator who know that if he boasts about doing something to Mikuru, Haruhi and/or Mikuru will find out, and all hell will break loose. [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Literally, if Haruhi gets involved.]]

* In Jessica Day George's Dragon Slippers, commoner and apprentice dressmaker Creel more or less saves the entire kingdom and the royal family. She is summoned before the King, who offers her his eldest son's hand in marriage for her part as the Heroine of the Dragon War. Creel hates the title--she blamed herself for the damage done by the dragons, and moreover, Creel is in love with the''younger'' prince. She refuses, but then asks for a dressmaker's shop of her own.

** Weeeell, there ''was'' the time in "Heart of Gold" when he said he wouldn't be needing payment for helping Inara's friend. Inara insisted she'd pay him, since she thought it important to keep their arrangement strictly business.

* ''Series/JonathanCreek''. In "The Scented Room", the title character initially refuses to help an unpleasant couple he has a grudge against regain their painting [[ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules regardless of how big the reward is]]. Maddie disagrees, and just wants the cash. When the couple [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections use their connections]] to put pressure on Jonathan's employer, he arranges things so that the painting is restored by their [[LonelyRichKid horribly neglected]] son.

* In ''VideoGame/IcewindDale 2'', if you have a Paladin or Monk doing all the talking, you automatically refuse any and all quest rewards. This can be avoided by simply having another character take the lead position in the party and do the talking instead, when it comes time to collect your rewards. In both cases, this is actually a pretty serious effect since most quests, especially early in the game, end with you being given some useful or flat out necessary items or money, so turning down the rewards makes things much harder on the player.

** In ''Cataclysm'', there's one questline that results in you rescuing a prince of a major faction. As a result, you can either accept a reward of 100 gold, or turn down the monetary reward and receive an item that significantly boosts your reputation with that faction.

** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', you almost always have the option to refuse rewards. There's no KarmaMeter penalty or punishment for grubbing for a bigger reward (some quests actually give you a reward [[EvilPaysBetter only if you demand one]]) but it does affect RelationshipValues. Self-serving party members like Morrigan and Sten will disapprove if you refuse rewards, while [[GoodSamaritan Good Samaritans]] Alistair and Leliana will approve. Sometimes this can make it ''more'' satisfying to turn down rewards as you get to see the grateful reaction of the person you just helped, or just a funny line.

* ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' plays with this [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs.]] Kroops will offer Mario a reward for defeating Hooktail, before he supposedly hears Mario say that he doesn't want one. Depending on your response, you can either make it seem like Mario played this trope straight and turned down the reward on purpose or that Kroops misheard the first time and that Mario did want the reward, in which Kroops also mishears that as a "no", double-subverting this trope.

* ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy'': Blair and Grunt were sent - in captured Kilrathi fighter - on a mission to Kilrathi-occupied backwater planet Dolos. Officially, their objective was to sneak there, make contact with the natives (used by Kilrathi as a slave labor) and convince them to rebel against their oppressors so they could aid the planned attack of Terran marines. The mission did no go smoothly - Blair and Grunt were shot down on their way to destination, barely survived the crash-landing and contacted the Dolosians, only to be betrayed by their leader and imprisoned by Kilrathi. Still, they were both able to survive the ordeal and even deal a serious blow to Kilrathi by crashing their crippled dreadnought into their own troops gathered on the planet's surface. It was later revealed that there was going to be no marine landing at all, and the whole mission was merely a diversion to draw the Kilrathi's attention to the planet and sacrifice the cadets (and rebelling Dolosians) so that ''Tiger's Claw'' could launch an all-out attack against Tolwyn's true target - Prince Thrakhath's personal dreadnought. The battle was ultimately won - though not without heavy casualties - and Blair was presented with a medal for his actions. Disgusted by Tolwyn's actions, he refused to accept it, saying that he cannot take it from a superior who purposefully lied to his own men and was willing to sacrifice both them and the Dolosians to achieve his goal. On a finishing note, he threw the medal into space, claiming that the people who truly deserved it were those who died in battle.

* In ''WesternAnimation/DanVs'' "Wild West Town", Dan begins a campaign of revenge against the Wild West themed tourist town because he felt he didn't get twenty dollars' worth of Wild West entertainment. After defeating the corrupt "sheriff" who was embezzling the town's earnings Dan refuses the offered refund. Dan felt that after everything he had done in the episode (performing a stick-up, engaging the sheriff in a QuickDraw, etc.), his twenty dollars were well spent. Instead he opts to remove the corrupt sheriff from power and gives the badge to the cashier.

* In one of the short episodes that precedes the pilot of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'', Zeb beats up a squad of Stormtroopers for harassing a fruit vendor. He turns down a monetary reward and instead takes a fruit to snack on while he fights the Stormtroopers.

*** ''Literature/NightWatch'': Vetinari wants to reward the Watch, but Vimes, by then a Duke, tells Vetinari there is nothing more he can give him, and angrily refuses his offer of a statue for the people who died in LaResistance. He ends up accepting the return of Treacle Mine Road watchhouse, though.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': {{Subverted}}.

*** ''Literature/MenAtArms'': The reward scene seems to be repeating the scene in ''Guards! Guards!'', until it turns out Carrot is just warming up. The new dartboard is just the first and cheapest of Carrot's long list of requests, but [[KingIncognito he knows that Vetinari will grant them]].

*** At the end of the book, the spirit of Summer offers Tiffany a reward for stopping the out-of-control Wintersmith. Since Tiffany had started the book's problems herself, albeit accidentally, she declines; Summer, being an elemental rather than a person, is bewildered.

* Books from The Night Watch series in Literature/{{Discworld}} always end with Vetinari heaping some new reward on Vimes and the Watch, but they do variants on this trope twice; in ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' the Watch ask for just a new dartboard and a few other trifles, and in ''Discworld/NightWatch'' Vimes, by then a Duke, tells Vetinari there is nothing more he can give him, and angrily refuses his offer of a statue for the people who died in LaResistance. He ends up accepting the return of Treacle Mine Road watchhouse, though.
** Similarly in ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'', Vimes, not wanting to be forced into dukedom by accepting a package of rewards including it, says that this time the Watch don't even need a dartboard, and Vetinari wrongfoots him by instead offering to restore his ancestor's reputation.
*** Likewise in ''Discworld/{{Thud}}'', Vimes declares to his family that Vetinari can't reward him because he has everything he could ever want with them. [[GilliganCut Cut to]] Carrot demanding another sixty officers for the watch from Vetinari as the price of peace.
** There's also a beautiful subversion in ''Discworld/MenAtArms'', which at first seems to be repeating the "reward" scene in ''Guards! Guards!'', until it turns out Carrot is just warming up. The new dartboard is just the first and cheapest of Carrot's long list of requests, but [[KingIncognito he knows that Vetinari will grant them]].
** Also subverted (not in a Watch book, for a change) in ''Discworld/{{Wintersmith}}'', when young witches Tiffany and Anagramma are watching over a corpse in a poor farmhouse. Anagramma thinks they shouldn't impose on the family by accepting breakfast. Tiff tells her that offering breakfast means a lot to the family, and refusing it would be an insult. Tiffany plays the trope straight at the end of the book, when the spirit of Summer offers her a reward for stopping the out-of-control Wintersmith. Since Tiffany had started the book's problems herself, albeit accidentally, she declines; Summer, being an elemental rather than a person, is bewildered.
* At the end of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', Harry gives all the prize money he received from winning the Triwizard Tournament to Fred and George Weasley so that they can start their joke shop. His reasons for doing so hit nearly every single one of the possibilities; Harry is generally good-hearted, he doesn't care much about the money, either for money's sake (he's already quite wealthy) or as a symbol of his victory (he was entered into the tournament against his will [[spoiler: by the villains]]), and most of all he is absolutely disgusted with it, as the circumstances that led to him winning led to another student's death.
** And the twins needed the money more than he did. His first instinct was to give it to the dead student's parents, but they didn't want a reminder of the events any more than he did.
* In the short story ''The Quiet Man'', the titular man had married, and the bride's brother had promised a dowry but never paid it. Finally, the man threatens to give his wife back to her brother if he doesn't pay it. When the brother pays, the man promptly burns the money -- his wife, realizing what he intended, opens the stove door for him to get at the fire -- and the climactic fight breaks out.

* In the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' sequel ''[[Disney/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar The Return of Jafar]]'', near the beginning of the movie Aladdin saves the Sultan's life and the Sultan offers to make him Royal Vizier. In the end, he turns it down, because he says he wants to have adventures and see the world.
* In ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'', the title character turns down the Emperor's offer of a position on his council in favor of a simple farm life with her family. However, the Emperor insists on giving her ''something'' so she accepts his imperial medallion and the sword of the BigBad.

* {{Subverted}} in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
-->''"Normally, I would say that you didn't need to do that, but we're sort of on an 'every possible advantage needed' type of quest. So I'll just say, 'Thank you.'"''

* ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'': In the ''Series/{{Elseworlds 2018}}'' crossover, Superman comes to Earth-1 to help Supergirl fight AMAZO. Once the day is saved, Sherloque hands him a check; Superman politely refuses, as he doesn't do this for money. [[SubvertedTrope Sherloque clarifies]] that he has an ex-wife on Superman's Earth, and he wants him to deliver the (late) alimony check.

* A variation occurs in the Literature/BookOfGenesis, making the trope OlderThanFeudalism. After a coalition of kings rampages through Canaan and robs the local rulers, Abram gives chase with his own men (Lot, a relative of his, was among the captives) and takes everything stolen. After that, one of the robbed kings comes to him and says "please, keep the treasure, just give me back my captured men". Abram responds that the king can have everything - except, of course, for Abram's own war expenses.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Zig-zagged in the original trilogy with Han Solo. At the end of ''Film/ANewHope'', Solo sticks to his mercenary motives and leaves with his reward before the climatic space battle [[spoiler: some time after that, he has a change of heart and returns [[BigDamnHeroes just in time to help Luke destroy the Death Star.]]]] After this, however, he keeps the reward so he can pay back his debt to Jabba the Hutt, but delays and delays due to his commitment to the Rebellion, Luke and Leia. At the beginning of ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' he finally decides to go to Tatooine to repay Jabba, but the Empire gets in his way.

* ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy'': Blair and a team were sent on a scouting mission to search an unstable jump node. While searching, they get into a skirmish with the Kilrathi forces leading to several casualties. It was later realized that this was a planned diversion to sacrifice the cadets by the higher-ups in order to force the Kilrathi's hand, which the search team was not notified of. Blair was able to survive the ordeal as well as pull out a great victory and was presented with a medal for his actions. He promptly threw it into space, saying that receiving the medal from his superior was a dishonor because of his willful negligence and that the people who truly deserved the reward were those who died in battle.

* In ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy'', Peter insists that Izuku doesn't owe him anything because he wants to teach him how to be Spider-Man. Izuku isn't having any of this and constantly uses his saved-up allowance to pay for Peter's expenses and buy him gifts.

* Subverted in the first ''VideoGame/{{Dragon Age|Origins}}'' game; there's no KarmaMeter penalty or punishment for grubbing for a bigger reward, and no bonus for turning one down, which somehow makes it ''more'' satisfying to turn down rewards.
** In a notable instance at the end of the game if you made [[spoiler:Alistair]] king, he offers you a reward. If you say you don't want anything, he replies [[DeadpanSnarker "Really? Not even a pony? Gosh, way to wreck the drama!"]]
** Likewise in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', you may get no reward at all if you don't press for it, but no KarmaMeter penalty or bonus either way. It can affect RelationshipValues instead; helping someone for no reward will get Aveline's approval, while Isabela will approve of driving the best bargain for your services that you can and collecting the pay.
* Reiji in ''VideoGame/KaraNoShoujo'' refuses payment for solving the first case on the grounds that he was not able to stop an additional murder from occurring.

** But averted in "Provider" when Angel becomes obsessed with raising money to support his newborn son. Eventually they come across a BriefcaseFullOfMoney. Angel is stumbling his way through AnAesop that money isn't everything when Cordelia steps in to save him.
-->'''Cordy:''' "They tried to cut Fred's head off. We earned every penny."
-->'''Angel:''' "Hold the baby."
-->''[Cordy takes Connor from Angel as everyone else rushes over to the spilled money and starts to stuff it into their pockets.]''

* A variation occurred in a very early episode of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX''. After Judai's first conclusive win over Manjyome during an important exam, he was granted a promotion to Ra Yellow status. However, he turned the promotion down, preferring to remain in the Osiris dorm where Sho and Hayato were. (Sho did not forget this; while he was later accepted into Ra and even into Obelisk later, and ''didn't'' turn the promotions down, he still chose to ''live'' in the Osiris dorm to support his friend.)

* In ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'', the title character turns down the Emperor's offer of a position on his council in favor of a simple farm life with her family. However, the Emperor insists on giving her ''something'' so she accepts his imperial medalion and the sword of the BigBad.