History Main / ResistanceIsFutile

* In ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1'' (which predates Star Trek's ''Borg'' by about 10 years) the Vogons used a variation on this: "Resistance is Useless!"

* In ''Series/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', this is the CatchPhrase of the young Vogon guard. He really loves to shout it and considers it [[SignedUpForTheDental a major job perk]]. (Though he goes with "useless" rather than "futile".)

* As noted in the page quote, this is a favourite CatchPhrase of the Borg from''Franchise/StarTrek''.

* In ''Series/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', this is the CatchPhrase of the young Vogon guard. He really loves to shout it and considers it [[SignedUpForTheDental a major job perk]].

** Also used as an IronicEcho in ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'' [[spoiler:when Data reveals that he has been unaffected, and was on Picard's side the whole time.]]

!!Examples

-->'''Picard:''' Our culture is built on freedom and self-determination!\\

-->[[spoiler:'''Data''']]: Resistance is futile. [[spoiler:''(smashes warp coolant tank)'']]

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Series/OurMissBrooks'': Mr. Conklin once uses a variation, when Miss Brooks tries to avoid having him assign some unpaid overtime work.
* As noted in the page quote, this is a favourite CatchPhrase of the Borg from''Franchise/StarTrek''.
** The Borg's 'standard hail' replaced a different, less informative greeting from their initial appearance in the episode ''Q Who?'' :
-->'''Borg Collective''': [[AC: We have analyzed your defensive capabilities as being unable to withstand us. If you defend yourselves, you will be punished]] (transmission abruptly cuts out).\\
'''Picard''': Hmm.

** The Master, in "The Deadly Assassin": "Resistance is futile".
** A Dalek, in "Revelation of the Daleks": "IT IS FUTILE TO RE-SIST". These happen to be its last words.
** A Cyberman, in "The Tomb of the Cybermen": "TO STRUGGLE IS FUTILE."
*** "Resistance is Useless" was a favorite phrase of the Cybermen in their first two stories, "The Tenth Planet" and "The Moonbase." Which actually makes them an UrExample (1965), however the phrase is now more commonly associated with the Borg.
*** The Borg themselves actually derive some of their characteristics from the Cybermen. The original episode featuring the Borg was "Q Who".
** Noah, the [[{{Metamorphosis}} human-turned-Wirrn]] in "The Ark in Space": "Your resistance is useless."
** An Eternal in "Enlightenment": "Resistance is futile". He was very friendly about it, though.
** A Dalek, in "The Stolen Earth": "RESISTANCE IS USELESS."
** Subverted with a Dalek, in "Into The Dalek": "RESISTANCE IS FUTILE." The Doctor makes it repeat itself, just to be sure, because it's not saying that resisting the Daleks is futile. It's saying that the ''Daleks'' [[OmnicidalManiac resisting]] ''life'' is futile.
** Played with in "The God Complex": One of the mottos of Tivoli, the Most Conquered Planet in the Galaxy, is "Resistance is exhausting."

-->'''Varda:''' ''Commander, the Psychon will tell you how futile it is to resist us."''
-->'''Maya:''' ''"Resistance... (sigh) ...is futile."''
* From ''Series/DadsArmy'':
--> '''Mainwaring''': "Further resistance is useless. In the name of the King I demand that you surrender."
* [[TheDragon Zeltrax]] in ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder'', to an actress Mesogog was planning to experiment on. Her response: "[[ShoutOut Hey, I was up for that part.]]"

[[folder:Videogames]]

* This exact phrase was used in an ''OnePiece'' fansub, but it is hard to know if it was intentional or the real translation.

-->"You must able to see it, Mister Anderson, you must know it by now! You can't win, it's pointless to keep fighting!"

* Dr Eggman in the third episode of ''SonicX'' give a quote the comes close to the Borg introduction: "I have decided to take over your world and make it part of the new Eggman Empire! Resistance is futile. You will submit to my rule or be swept away like dust bodies!"

* Rampage gives a variation of this in the episode of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' that introduces him, but Silverbolt has a snappy comeback.
-->'''Rampage:''' Your persistence is futile! I rise again...!\\

* Darth Vader, while fighting Luke in ''StarWars: Episode V - Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''.

* Long before the Borg, the 'Captain' in CoolHandLuke was giving this exact warning to his inmates.

* In the 18th chapter of ''FanFic/TheVow'', Lord Shen duels with Lady Lianne, his prisoner and [[DatingCatwoman "former" love interest]], telling her at one point that she's fighting an inevitable loss. She is certain that he's referring to [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe something else]] than the duel.

* According to Wiki/TheOtherWiki, this was part of a telegram that UsefulNotes/NaziGermany sent to the Netherlands at the start of WorldWarTwo. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_declaration_of_war_against_the_Netherlands Source]]

* According to TheOtherWiki, this was part of a telegram that UsefulNotes/NaziGermany sent to the Netherlands at the start of WorldWarTwo. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_declaration_of_war_against_the_Netherlands Source]]

* Darth Vader, while fighting Luke in ''StarWars: Episode V - TheEmpireStrikesBack''.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': In [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E17DoubleAgentDroid "Double Agent Droid"]], Chopper gets remote-hacked by an Imperial specialist, who notes that Chopper is unusually resistant to hacking, but "resistance is useless".

* [[AIIsACrapshoot Brainiac]] in the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse was fond of "You are only delaying the inevitable." It was practically his catchphrase.

* Said by the boss bad guy in ''WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots'' after his invasion force had landed on an alien world: "Resistance isn't only futile, it's stupid!"
* "I am [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Soundwave]]. Resistance is futile."
* Was a title for a ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'' episode.
* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': "Prepare to be assimilated. Resistance is DUMB!"
* Allura the witch says "resistance is useless" to the Smurfs she has held captive with her FantasticDrug in her fortress in ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' episode "The Lure Of The Orb".
* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'' has Emperor Milleus delivering the line when he invades Earth:
-->"Resistance is futile; but encouraged for it amuses me."
* ''WesternAnimation/BountyHamster''. Cassie and Marion are being chased by a couple of psychotic space slugs with this as their CatchPhrase. Or maybe not both of them -- at one point one slug turns to the other and asks, "What is ''my'' line?"
* Rampage gives a variation of this in the episode of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' that introduces him, but Silverbolt has a snappy comeback.
-->'''Rampage:''' Your persistence is futile! I rise again...!\\
'''Silverbolt:''' In that case, let us give you further to fall!
* Peridot of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' paraphrases this when fighting the Crystal Gems- though in a much more frustrated manner than the usual indifference it's delivered with.
-->"I'm doing this one way or another! You're just making it really difficult!"

-->''[[StarTrekExpandedUniverse ...but welcome]].''

* [[AIIsACrapshoot Brainiac]] in TheDCAU was fond of "You are only delaying the inevitable." It was practically his catchphrase.

* The Phalanx in the ''WesternAnimation/{{X-Men}}'' cartoon, being [[{{Expy}} expies]] of the Borg, even used ''both'' parts of the Borg catchphrase ("Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated." Though [[BeamMeUpScotty contrary to popular belief]], the Borg say "resistance is futile" ''last.'')

* The far too numerous doppelgangers in ''[[BaldursGate Baldur's Gate]]'' shout this incessantly as you hack them to bits "It is useless to resist!" Since they only have some two battle lines and the latter 3rd of the game consists almost entirely of fighting great wads of them at once you'll be hearing it. A lot.

* [[spoiler:Nami]] says this in ''SoraWoKakeruShoujo''.

-->''[[StarTrekExpandedUniverse ...but welcome]].''


<<|StockPhrases|>>

* The ''{{Space 1999}}'' finale "The Dorcons":

->"''We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.''"

* The [[{{Mooks}} ork legions]] in {{RuneScape}} sometimes say "ResistanceIsFutile!"
* The Aparoids in VideoGame/StarFox Assault, apparently inspired by the Borg, spout lines like that. Well, the Queen and Pigma do, the rest isn't much for talking.
* Actually accurate in the ''ComicBook/{{Ashbringer}}'' tie-in comic for ''WorldOfWarcraft''.

* A [[FanTranslation fansub]] of ''UchuuSenkanYamato'' has Desler say this exactly. It's probably a ShoutOut by the translators.