History Main / LineInTheSand

* A smaller scale version happens in ''Film/ThePatriot''. Right before the final battle, Dan and Occam and the rest of the American militia are facing down the superior British Army. Dan points out to Occam that he already served his required enlistment and that he could leave at any time. Occam confirms this and decides to stay anyways so he can fight beside his comrades.

* After the titular protagonist of ''Manga/HajimeNoIppo'' suffers a devastating loss to world-level boxer Alfredo Gonzalez following an apparent decline in his skills, his mentor Mamoru Takamura draws a line in Tokyo Bay's riverbank, standing on the side opposite Ippo. In Takamura's words, where he stands is the side of boxers so powerful they may as well be inhuman, and if Ippo cannot bring himself to join him there, he is better off ceasing to box competitively.

* ''Film/VoyageToTheBottomOfTheSea''. Faced with angry crewmembers who want to go home to their families to face TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, Admiral Harriman Nelson lets them pack supplies on a derelict ship and return home. Rather than the usual version of trying to shame everyone into staying, the admiral sees himself as averting the threat of sabotage and mutiny with a smaller but more loyal crew. Captain Crane isn't impressed as crewmen who might not have rebelled have now been given a chance to do so and their submarine is now undermanned, plus he thinks the [[InsaneAdmiral admiral's claims of sabotage are a figment of his imagination]].

* In the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "The 37's", the crew find a planet that was colonized by 20th century humans who were {{a|lienAbduction}}bducted, and who defeated their captors. At the end of the episode, Capt. Janeway gives her crew the option of staying on the planet, or continuing their long, difficult journey back to Earth. When she time comes, everyone stays on Voyager.

* ''Manga/DeathNote''. Souichirou Yagami, the police chief in charge of the Kira investigation (and the killer's unknowing father), pulls exactly this speech to his subordinates, down to the letter of the trope. Most of them take his offer, and he's left with a handful of men, since the lack of apparent restrictions on who Kira can or is willing to kill has demoralized the police.

* In ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'', at the start of the "Death March" arc, Sakaki offers the Devil Bats a choice: either go back to Japan and take it easy over their summer break, or join Hiruma, Kurita, and himself on their trek across America and risk a career-ending injury. Naturally, they all opt to take the risk.
* In ''Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic'' (the light novels and the manga, [[{{Spoiler}} not yet the anime]]), after [[spoiler:Amalgam all but annihilates Mithril, Tessa does a Line In The Sand speech to the CoolShip's crew, telling everyone who wants to leave to come up to the flight deck in two hours' time. No one takes the offer]].

* Yoshiharu volunteers to do this in episodes 10 and 11 of ''LightNovel/TheAmbitionOfOdaNobuna'' in an attempt to buy enough time for Nobuna's forces to escape the encirclement trap set up by Asai/Asakura forces. Like the trope implies, it doesn't go too well for him due to being vastly outnumbered, although every single one of them stayed with the understanding this was a SuicideMission, and did it because they believed strongly in Yoshiharu and Nobuna's idea of a unified Japan.

* In ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'', just before Kirito breaks out of his cell, he warns Eugeo, who's imprisoned with him, that if they decide to stage a jailbreak, they'll go up against the Axiom Church and its laws. He says this means that there will be no time for second-guessing, and says that if Eugeo isn't ready, he should stay behind. Eugeo says he's ready, since he's determined to bring Alice back and he agrees with Kirito's belief that [[ToBeLawfulOrGood sometimes, there are things you must do, even if they're forbidden by law]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook'': When Col. Hati turns his back after asking for volunteers to go look for Mowgli, the entire herd steps ''back'' as one, save for one elephant. He joins the line after a moment. Hati turns around, looks at everyone for a beat, then laughs and says, "Now that's what I like to see: devotion to duty!"
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'': Sheriff asks for volunteers to be [=McQueen=]'s legal representative. All step (drive?) back, except for Mater, who then cheerfully agrees.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'', when Linguini finally reveals the secret of his apparent ultracompetence as a chef, to the rest of the kitchen staff, just as they're getting ready to brave the critique of Antoine Ego, the most feared food-reviewer in Paris. He asks who will stand with him. They all leave. [[spoiler: The love-interest and [[TheSmurfettePrinciple Token Girl]] comes back, though.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook'': when Col. Hati turns his back after asking for volunteers to go look for Mowgli, the entire herd steps ''back'' as one, save for one elephant. He joins the line after a moment. Hati turns around, looks at everyone for a beat, then laughs and says, "Now that's what I like to see: devotion to duty!"
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'', Sheriff asks for volunteers to be [=McQueen=]'s legal representative. All step (drive?) back, except for Mater, who then cheerfully agrees.

A SubTrope of OptOut. The villain occasionally gets a version, with the exception that anyone who opts out is ThrownFromTheZeppelin. And some soldiers, on either side, will just say "ScrewThisImOuttaHere" and leave without their general's permission. SisterTrope to StandUpInSupport.

* OlderThanFeudalism: Appears in the [[Literature/TheBible biblical]] Book of Judges, 7:3. God commands Gideon to issue two tests in order to thin out the ranks of the Israelite army so that it would be apparent that the victory was won by God's power, not simply superior military might. In addition to permitting those who were afraid to participate in the upcoming battle to leave, Gideon also observed how the soldiers drank from a river; those who knelt down to drink were sent home[[note]] Some scholars believe that this test was meant to single out those who were most alert and battle-ready; the soldiers who knelt would have been at a greater disadvantage should they have been ambushed at that point.[[/note]]. These two tests thinned the Israelite army down from 32,000 to a mere 300. Oh yeah, and they won too.

A SubTrope of OptOut. The villain occasionally gets a version, with the exception that anyone who opts out is ThrownFromTheZeppelin. And some soldiers, on either side, will just say "ScrewThisImOuttaHere" and leave without their general's permission.

* Played straight in ''Film/{{Hook}}'', with a literal line in the dirt between the supporters of Rufio and the supporters of Peter.

Sometimes the offer is presented as genuine — "Some of you have [[ThickerThanWater families]]. No-one will think any the less of you for going home to them" — and sometimes TheCaptain will even try to ''persuade'' people to leave. He may even precede it with ReleasingFromThePromise so that no one feels bound to stay. If not all of the characters are needed, he may have to select those who go, and those who can't, or who gets to BringNewsBack.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'': After Bucciarati decides to [[spoiler:go against [[TheDon Diavolo]]]], he tells his subordinates that if they aren't 100% certain about whether or not they want to follow him, they should stay behind; otherwise, they can get aboard his boat to confirm that they agree with him. [[spoiler:Narancia and Fugo both decide not to follow him, however, Narancia has a change of heart almost immediately and swims after the boat, meaning that Fugo is the only one who gets PutOnABus.]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Attempted when ''WebVideo/OutsideXbox'' plays ''Frachise/StarTrek Bridge Crew''. It goes poorly.

* In another Drake work, the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' short story "A Grand Tour", the crew of a Manticoran destroyer that was attacked by a rogue Havenite cruiser manned by reluctant draftees are asked for volunteers on a potentially dangerous mission in a commandeered light cruiser of another power's SpaceNavy ([[ItsALongStory long story]]) to get revenge on the Havenites. All, of course, step forward, but senior surviving member ordered the survivors to step forward and volunteer. All of them would probably have volunteered anyway, to get revenge for the unprovoked attack[[note]]this being prior to the official start of the war, with Manticore[=/=]Haven relations being on the edge of conflict, but neither party quite ready to kick off all-out war[[/note]].

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS4E10CarnageOfKrell Carnage of Krell]]", after the 501[-[[superscript:st]]-] and part of the 212[-[[superscript:th]]-] are [[FriendOrFoe tricked into attacking each other]] by [[TheNeidermeyer General Krell]], Captain Rex gathers the survivors together and announces his intention to arrest Krell for treason against the Republic. He offers them all a chance to OptOut since what they're going to do could be considered treason, but no one does.

* Dot Pyxis invokes one in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan''.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* Happened frequently in ComicBook/SecretSix. Given [[DeathSeeker the]] {{c|loudcuckoolander}}haracter of much of the team, they rarely refused a mission. Although [[TagalongKid Black Alice]] notably quit the Six rather than going on a mission to Hell.
* ''Thor and Loki: Original Sin'' has a strange variant, with Loki shouting to the invading Angelic Fleet "So if anyone ''doesn't'' want to slaughter tiny babies in their sleep -- you ''can'' back out! No blame attached! In fact, I'll pay you!" [[spoiler: This is actually a moral test. She's planning to betray and destroy the entire fleet, but doesn't want to kill anyone who isn't planning to slaughter innocents.]]

[[folder:Films — Animated]]

* In the otherwise forgettable ''Film/StreetFighter'' movie, Colonel Guile makes this speech to his men after being ordered by an ObstructiveBureaucrat to disband his men and send them home instead of going after Bison. The speech ends with: "Now, who wants to go home...and who wants to go with ME?!" Every one of his men enthusiastically opt for the latter choice.
** Every one of his men except for the cook, that is. The ObstructiveBureaucrat places the cook under armed guard to ensure that he doesn't run off, too.

--->'''Mal''': You all got on this boat for different reasons, but you all come to the same place. So now I’m asking more of you than I have before. Maybe all. Sure as I know anything, I know this: they will try again. Maybe on another world, maybe on this very ground swept clean. A year from now, ten, they'll swing back to the belief that [[spoiler: they can make people... better]]. And I do not hold to that. So no more running. '''I aim to misbehave.'''

--->'''Kirk''': My friends, I can't ask you to go any further. Dr. [=McCoy=] and I have to do this, [[OptOut the rest of you do not]].\\
'''Chekhov''': [[YouAreNotAlone Admiral, we're losing precious time!]]
--->'''Sulu''': [[UndyingLoyalty What course please, Admiral?]]
--->'''Kirk''': Mr. Scott?
--->'''Scotty''': I'd be grateful, Admiral, if you'd give the word.
--->'''Kirk''': Gentlemen... may the wind be at our backs. Stations, please.

--->'''Picard''': I'm about to commit a direct violation of our orders. Those of you who wish to object, you do so now. It will be noted in my log.
--->'''Data''': Captain. I believe I speak for everyone, sir, when I say... ''[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness to hell with our orders.]]''
* In ''Film/LesMiserables2012'', Enjolras gives those who want to leave the chance to go without shame when their barricade becomes the last one. No-one leaves.

-->'''Conan:''' "Almost 20 years of pitiless cumber! No rest, no sleep like other men. And yet the spring wind blows, Subotai. Have you ever felt such a wind?"\\
'''Subotai:''' "They blow where I live, too. In the north of every man's heart."\\
'''Conan:''' "It's never too late, Subotai."\\
'''Subotai:''' "No. [[YouCantFightFate It would only lead me back here another day.]] [[VitriolicBestBuds In even worse company.]]"\\
'''Conan:''' "For us, there is no spring. [[AStormIsComing Just the wind that smells fresh before the storm.]]"

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' had a scene where Aragorn offered the people in his army a chance to do something less suicidal (by retaking an outpost) before he attacked the Black Gate. In this case, some of them actually ''do'' leave.
** They already were going to leave, he just gave them something useful to do so they could retain some honor.
** Parodied in ''Literature/BoredOfTheRings''. As the Army of the West approaches the Gates of Fordor, many start to desert. Finally Arrowroot decides to shame them into being courageous.
--->'''Arrowroot''': "Peoples of the West! The battle before the Black Gate of Sorhed will be one of few against many; but the few are of pure heart and the many are of the filthy. Nevertheless, those of you who wish to cringe and run from the fight may do so to quicken our pace. Those who still ride with the King of Twodor will live forever in song and legend! The rest may go."\\
It is said that the dustcloud did not settle for many days after.

** Played straight, for a wonder, in ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}''. Commander Vimes, pretending to be Sergeant Keel, draws a line and asks who will defend the Watch House with him. Barely a dozen men cross, although of course he knew who would. He mentions that later accounts will claim no one left.

-->'''Woolsey''': I wanted the opportunity to offer you both one last chance to reconsider...You're being asked to fly to another galaxy, to take what might turn out to be the losing part in a battle that isn't yours.\\
'''Ronon''': You mean like everyone on this base has been doing for the last five years?\\
'''Teyla''': Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Woolsey, but I assure you it is not necessary.\\
'''Ronon''': We're not going anywhere.
* ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]''
** PlayedForLaughs during Worf's 'bachelor party'. His human friends wrongly assume it will involve the usual Klingon carousing, but it's actually an ordeal of self-torture and sleep deprivation. Worf asks who's first to have his chest carved on by a wicked-looking knife, and Dr Bashir is too dead on his feet to notice that his friends have taken a sudden step backwards, leaving him as the 'volunteer'.
--->'''Worf:''' I did not expect it to be you, Doctor.
--->'''Bashir:''' [[SarcasmMode Neither did I.]]
** Played straight in "The Die is Cast" when Sisko asks for volunteers to go on a mission to rescue Odo against orders. Everyone is on the ship when it's time to go (though it turns out one had only joined to sabotage the mission on orders from Sisko's superiors).

-->'''Palmer''': Really?
-->'''[=DiNozzo=]''': Well no. They probably would... at least I know I would.

-->'''Caesar:''' ''Are you with me, Titus Pullo? Will you come with me to Rome?''
-->'''Pullo:''' Yes... ''Yes sir! Certainly!''
-->'''Caesar:''' ''Titus Pullo is with me. And you -- are you with me?!''
-->''(Entire legion roars their assent)''

[[folder:Religion]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* In ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'', everybody is given the chance to take the quite dangerous Guardian's test with Bam instead of the easier regular final test. [[spoiler: Through Khun's acting, they all help Bam in the end.]]

* In Interlude 13 of {{Literature/Worm}}, Director Piggot allows any Wards to OptOut of the confrontation with the Slaughterhouse Nine.
* Attempted when ''WebVideo/OutsideXbox'' plays ''Frachise/StarTrek Bridge Crew''. It goes poorly.
-->'''Luke:''' If anyone's not entirely comfortable with this...[[ThrownOutTheAirlock go out the airlock]] or something, I don't really care.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS4E10CarnageOfKrell "Carnage of Krell"]], after the 501[-[[superscript:st]]-] and part of the 212[-[[superscript:th]]-] are [[FriendOrFoe tricked into attacking each other]] by [[TheNeidermeyer General Krell]], Captain Rex gathers the survivors together and announces his intention to arrest Krell for treason against the Republic. He offers them all a chance to OptOut since what they're going to do could be considered treason, but no one does.

* Supposedly, at the Battle of the Alamo William Travis drew a line in the sand and asked for all who would defend the Alamo to step across the line. An invalid Jim Bowie asked to be carried over the line.
** The whole story rests on the testimony of the one man who supposedly did NOT cross the line, but went over the wall instead.
** In the 1990s movie, Santa Ana sends a message to those settlers in the Alamo that whoever leaves will be pardoned, and reminds them that Mexico knows no racial segregation. Many of the militia accept the offer and leave with their families.
*** Pity it wasn't true. There were reasons Tejanos sided with the American settlers. However to give credit where it's due the women and children were spared.

''[[WebVideo/GameGrumps WE GOTTA DRAW A LINE IN THE FUCKING SAND, DUDE! WE GOTTA MAKE A STATEMENT!]]''

* In ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'', everybody is given the chance to take the quite dangerous Guardian's test with Baam instead of the easier regular final test. [[spoiler: Through Koon's acting, they all help Baam in the end.]]

Sometimes the offer is presented as genuine -- "Some of you have [[ThickerThanWater families]]. No-one will think any the less of you for going home to them" -- and sometimes TheCaptain will even try to ''persuade'' people to leave. He may even precede it with ReleasingFromThePromise so that no one feels bound to stay. If not all of the characters are needed, he may have to select those who go, and those who can't, or who gets to BringNewsBack.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* ''Disney/TheJungleBook'': when Col. Hati turns his back after asking for volunteers to go look for Mowgli, the entire herd steps ''back'' as one, save for one elephant. He joins the line after a moment. Hati turns around, looks at everyone for a beat, then laughs and says, "Now that's what I like to see: devotion to duty!"

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* The Droopy Dog cartoon ''WesternAnimation/NorthwestHoundedPolice'' has the step backward variation.

** PlayedForLaughs during Worf's 'bachelor party'. His human friends wrongly assume it will involve the usual Klingon carousing, but it's actually an ordeal of self-torture and sleep deprivation. Worf asks who's first to have his chest carved on by a wicked-looking knife, and Bashir is too dead on his feet to notice that his friends have taken a sudden step backwards, leaving him as the 'volunteer'.
-->'''Worf:''' I did not expect it to be you, Doctor.
-->'''Bashir:''' [[SarcasmMode Neither did I.]]