History Main / KnowWhenToFoldEm

* In the 2019 series of ''Literature/TheDemonHeadmaster'', the Headmaster is ordered to abandon his plans by [[spoiler:the original Headmaster]], as there is no way to implement their agenda after Lizzie Warren and her gang have exposed his plans on live television and Dinah has contacted her associates at MI6.

* In ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' this is known as the Saotome Secret Technique, employed by the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. It relies on speed, obfuscation, and contemplation. Or, put more plainly, run away and hide until you come up with a better plan. While introduced mostly as a joke early on, this is actually Ranma's most useful skill, as most of his fights are won less through sheer skill (Having just learned [[MartialArtsAndCrafts how to fight with teacups and teaspoons a few days ago]]), and more through outsmarting his opponents.

* Franchise/SpiderMan is a Determinator of the highest calibur. When he first encountered the Juggernaut in Amazing Spider-Man issue 229, he launches repeated attacks in futile attempt to slow the villain down. In the follow-up issue, Spidey becomes so desperate he starts using attacks that would cripple or kill even the hardiest of his usual enemies, culminating in him ramming a fully-loaded fuel truck right into Juggernaut and being shocked the guy was still standing. In a later encounter, Juggernaut bluntly tells Spider-Man he was just going into the city to secure an item for his employer, and warns Spidey that if he tries to stop him, then Juggernaut fully intends to do as much damage to the city as he could. Spider-Man agrees to step aside and let him proceed, and when called out on it replies that he isn't nowhere near strong enough to fight someone like Juggernaut, and he isn't willing to risk the lives of innocent people out of pride.

** A couple of criminal droids realize it's not worth trying to defeat their boss from the hero. Subverted since Paperinik still stops them.

** Also Colonel Neopard-- in his words "The mercenary that know when to quit is good for another mission!" [[spoiler: Subverted again, as he planted a bomb to destroy his target anyway. He had a contract and a reputation, after all...]]

* In ''[[ComicBook/{{Convergence}} Convergence: The Flash #2]]'', the Creator/{{Tangent|Comics}} Superman willingly chose to surrender to the Earth-One era Barry Allen after he see through Barry's future and his impact he has on the Multiverse such as the ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', which he realizes that if he eliminate Barry then he will doom the Multiverse and all of continuity.

* ''Film/EventHorizon'': After viewing a [[ApocalypticLog recording of what happened]] to the [[GoMadFromTheRevelation title spaceship's crew]], the captain turns it off and, in the most deadpan tone imaginable, announces to the rest of the crew, "We're leaving." Unfortunately, circumstances (namely the ''[[EldritchStarship Event Horizon]]'' [[ItCanThink herself]]) interrupt.

* In ''The Black Swordsman'' story arc of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', after Guts's ally Vargas has been captured by the Count's men and about to be executed, Puck asks why Guts isn't going in and rescuing him. The guy who once slew 100 warriors in one sitting, tells Puck to screw off since there's about 50 guards in the area and he's not going to risk fighting so many for a weakling. Instead Guts just witnesses Vargas's execution, leaving Puck to attempt a rescue alone and fail.

* Kefka in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' is rarely willing to continue fighting through a ''single attack'' unless it behooves him to keep fighting, and when it's clear he can't win a fight he'll retreat with [[WeWillMeetAgain some childish threats]]. If not fighting at all is an option, he'll opt for that and instead rely on hiding behind henchmen or [[MoralEventHorizon poisoning water supplies]]. Since he's actually not very powerful, unlike most major villains from the series, it's probably the only reason he survives long enough [[spoiler:to ''become'' very powerful from abusing Magicite, Espers, and the Warring Triad. Once he has his [[AGodAmI God-tier power]] and has [[TheBadGuyWins destroyed and conquered the world]], he's naturally no longer willing to run and [[FinalBoss will fight to the bitter end]].]]

** During the regency of Aegon III, Baela Targaryen proves to be a handful for the regents. When they're worried about the line of succession (since Aegon is quite young, and there's a DeadlyDecadentCourt around, and no other male heirs they know of), they think maybe it's time to marry Baela off. She rejects their first choice of husband, and is locked up. The next morning, it turns out she's escaped, and by the time they find her, she's already married her cousin, Alyn Velaryon. At this point, the regents throw up their hands and decide it's best just to act like that was the plan all along.

* An important element of certain multiplayer games. If you can walk away from a fight that you're likely to lose, and come back with full health / ammo / backup, it may well be a good idea. This assumes that ContinuingIsPainful in that you or your team lose more from you not being there to help fight than you would gain from a possible frag as you're going down.

* The ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E28SpaceRace Space Race]]" is based around this. Steven and his dad build a "spaceship" together (really a soapbox racer), and his dad warns Steven that he shouldn't be afraid to bail out if something's going wrong. Sure enough, the soapbox racer crashes but Steven is spared injury by jumping clear. Later, Pearl gets it into her head to build an actual, functioning spaceship out of scrap and takes Steven on its maiden voyage. Pearl is desperate to return to space after centuries of being stuck on Earth, to the point of refusing to bail out even as the spaceship disintegrates around them both, and it takes Steven to convince her to eject mere seconds before her ship explodes.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': When Diana slams through the wall of the Saturnain throne room, and the Emperor has no hostages to use against her, he has his guards and soldiers stand down and agrees to work out a peaceable treaty with the US, stop abducting people and return all human slaves to earth.

* This is usually the closest thing to a victory as you can get [[DeusEstMachina The God-Machine]] in ''TabletopGaming/DemonTheDescent''. It never sees people as enemies (or really as anything but factors in an equation) and cannot fall for the SunkCostFallacy- if you hinder its plans, it will simply give up whatever it was doing and find some way to achieve its goals without provoking your antagonism. [[PragmaticVillainy Fighting unnecessary battles is just a waste of resources]], and something as large-scale as the God-Machine has a ''lot'' of potential alternate paths for any given goal. If you somehow manage to convince it that you ''do'' need to be dealt with, [[RocksFallEveryoneDies well...]]

* ''Fanfic/OneDayAtATime'': PlayedForLaughs. Jason Todd made every attempt to try and prevent his children, aka his Robins, from becoming vigilantes. Carrie Kelley simply ignored him and then saved his life, while Helena Wayne and Terry [=McGinnis=] [[TormentByAnnoyance tormented him via annoying music and vandalism]] respectively into training them. After his youngest son Matthew [=McGinnis=] managed to repel a home invasion when he was seven, Jason didn't even bother trying to fight him when he said he was going to be his next Robin and agreed to train him when he was older rather easily.

** Happens a lot during Aegon's Conquest, especially once word of what the dragons can do gets around. The last Stark king is forever remembered as "The King Who Knelt", but not a single Northerner gets toasted by Aegon's dragons. Pretty fair price to pay, all told.

* Master Vile in ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''. [[GenreSavvy He actually realized fairly quickly that he wasn't going to beat the Power Rangers, and he'd be better off cutting his losses and going home to his galaxy, where evil always wins.]] Despite this, he actually fared impressively well against the Power Rangers. His first monster had them on the ropes for three episodes until they figured out its weakness, his second monster required the use of a never-before-seen ultrazord configuration to defeat, and his third plan involved a self-destructing time reversal device that didn't have the same pitfalls as Zedd's attempt.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} [[ComicBook/SupergirlRebirth Rebirth]]'' story arc "The Girl of No Tomorrow", the sorceress Selena joins the Fatal Five to take Supergirl down. She and Magog raid a Government building where the Girl of Steel is resting but they're curbstomped by a Supergirl's ally. Selena judges it's time to cut her losses and teleports away.

* In the first issue of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', Ultraman and the Crime Syndicate put all their efforts together into an attempt to save Earth-3 from destruction by the anti-matter energy wave, but their efforts fail as the energy wave devours everything, including Ultraman's teammates. Realizing how powerless he was and how hopeless the situation was, Ultraman decides to just fly straight into the anti-matter energy wave and die while Power Ring watches before he too dies.

* This is usually the closest thing to a victory as you can get [[DeusEstMachina The God-Machine]] in ''TabletopGaming/DemonTheDescent''. It never sees people as enemies (or really as anything but factors in an equation) and cannot fall for the SunkCostFallacy- if you hinder its plans, it will simply give up whatever it was doing and find some way to achieve its goals without provoking your antagonism. [[PragmaticVillainy Fighting unnecessary battles is just a waste of resources]], and something as large-scale as the God-Machine has a ''lot'' of potential alternate paths for any given goal. If you somehow manage to convince it that you ''do'' need to be dealt with, [[RocksFallEveryoneDies wel...]]

* This is the best victory you can get against [[DeusEstMachina The God-Machine]] in ''TabletopGaming/DemonTheDescent''. You can cause trouble, foil its plans and cause setbacks. At the end of the day, it might consider you not worth the resources to eliminate and find another way to get what it wants without ruffling your feathers. It would be wise not to poke it further, as if it starts to consider you being actually ''worth'' the trouble removing, [[RocksFallEveryoneDies you most likely won't survive the ensuing carnage]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'', Chato orders a tactical retreat when he finds out Joaquin has the Medal, knowing full well that he simply can't win; and informs Chakal. Later, he orders a hasty retreat due to circumstances.

* ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionare'' thrives on this trope. Contestants have to keep playing if they want to win a bigger cash prize, but getting a question wrong will end the game and reduce their winnings to the last threshold they passed, which can be a ''lot'' of money lost if the contestant advanced very far. Many contestants that were in a tight spot knew the risks were too high and simply ended the game early to keep what they won.

** Redcloak casually murders a hobgoblin wit a mid-to-high level spell after said hobgoblin explains that by vanquishing the Supreme Leader in battle, he can skip a long, painful and humiliating initiation ritual to join/rule the hobgoblin tribe. When Redcloak asks if the guy he just killed was the Supreme Leader, the actual Supreme Leader (as noted by his assorted bling of Supreme Leadership), says that yes. Yes he was.