History Main / TheVillainKnowsWhereYouLive

* This is what drives Drake Mallard into retirement in the ''ComicBook/DarkwingDuck'' continuation as Negaduck figures out who Darkwing is and attacks his home. Fearful for Gosalyn's safety, he just flat out retires to protect her. When she finds out, she gives him the riot act for his selfish act.

* In ''Film/GrossePointeBlank'', the assassin protagonist tries to convince his psychiatrist to continue seeing him (the psychiatrist freaked out when his patient revealed his profession). The protagonist mentions doctor-patient confidentiality as a reason why their continued visits wouldn't be a problem and then adds, "And besides, I know where you live". Given the protagonist's admitted profession and the fact that he would know the psychiatrist by name, that's not so hard to believe. The assassin meant it as a black joke, but while the psychiatrist realises this he doesn't find it funny at all.

-->[[spoiler:Bane:[[OhCrap I'm in your house]], Bruce.]]

--> ''But they're good at trying to scare us, right? They don't just show

--> ''This is the footage they show of the White House. It`s like drive-by,

--> ''That's the feeling they`re trying to create, right? They`re here,

* ''Literature/WarriorCats'': In ''Onestar's Confession'', Darktail makes it clear that he knows where Onestar lives by briefly kidnapping one of his grandkits, and Onestar feels the threat, knowing that Darktail and his rogues could attack him and his Clanmates at any tim.

** The Emperor's Coven has been aware of the Owl House's location since before the start of the series, but it hardly comes up since it's not on Emperor Belos' priority list. That changes in the episode "Eclipse Lake", where the Golden Guard realizes that [[spoiler:Luz' portal key is vital to Belos' plans]]. He gets [[spoiler:Amity to hand it over]] by reminding her of this trope. She may get away now, but if she does, Belos will just move the Owl House up on the target priority list.

* ''Manga/ShonanJunaiGumi'': Yagyo Atsuki's "demons" attack Ryuji and Nagisa's [[LivesInAVan bus]] while Ryuji is out. They don't physically harm Nagisa, but [[SigilSpam leave a huge "oni" kanji]] on the inside, to show they ''could'' have.

* ''FanFic/RosarioVampireBrightestDarkness Act IV'': Shit hits the fan come chapter 13 when Hokuto makes his move. Not only does he know where Tsukune lives, but he's had his CoDragons Jovian and Jacqueline hold his mother and cousin hostagr in order to force Moka to come to him.

* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'': With the two main antagonists. What makes this trope more interesting is [[spoiler:the [[MysteriousNote threatening note]] given to Ness during the epilogue by his neighbour's brother]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' episode "Meet The Beat-Alls," Mojo Jojo, Him, Princess Morbucks and Fuzzy Lumpkins all converge at the Powerpuffs' home and argue over who is going to destroy them.

* Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' reveals that [[BigBadEnsemble the Light]] know the secret identities of the Justice League as well as [[IHaveYourWife who their loved ones and associates are]], but refuse to target said loved ones and associates because [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge they know that doing so will just get the League on their backs]], so they've put this aside as the [[DesperationAttack "nuclear option"]]. We learn this in an episode where it turns out the League's families have play dates with each other at the Allen household and Ocean Master (who was kicked out of the Light) tries to assassinate them on one such day before being stopped by Lady Shiva.

*** Two troll enforcers for [[TheMafia The Breccia]] attempt to intimidate Vimes by saying this... [[WhatAnIdiot right in the middle of the Watch house while surrounded by officers]]. [[TooDumbToLive With the Breccia's boss having explicitly said that such threats were not to happen]]. Chrysoprase, the aforementioned boss, later apologizes, assures Vimes the enforcers have been dealt with [[YouHaveFailedMe appropriately]], and offers him a new rockery for his troubles (held in a box that [[NotEnoughToBury couldn't possibly contain an *entire* troll]]).

* ''Series/WonderWoman'': In "Mind Stealers from Outer Space", the Skrill determine that Diana Prince and Wonder Woman are the same person and send two of their alien-possessed humans to Diana's apartment. [[SecretIdentity Diana]] is shocked to see them there, but she almost manages to fight them off. Then the third Skrill envoy, the seven-foot tall monster called the [[DarthVaderClone Zardor]], arrives.

*** Another example comes from "Brains at Stake": as the Beagle Boys had hostages Paperinik couldn't attack directly, so he tormented them psychologically, with the thing that breaks their ability to fight being Paperinik had destroyed the bridge to their secret hideout in the mountains.

* ''ComicBook/SinCity'': The district attorney finally gets Marv to confess to the murders actually committed by Kevin and Cardinal Roark (and [[VigilanteExecution their murders]], which he ''was'' guilty of) by turning off the recorder and showing him a picture of his mother in the crosshairs of a sniper rifle. Marv breaks his arm in three places, but signs.

* In one ''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'' [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/9552143/chapters/21597431 fanfic]] centered around Amanda Rollins, a former coworker who had abused Rollins in the past comes to her apartment building in the middle of the night, rings her doorbell, and speaks to her over the intercom, but she of course refuses to let him in. As the following chapter explains, she realizes after the fact that he wasn't actually ''expecting'' to be let in; what he was really doing was telling her that he knows where she lives. This ends up being the breaking point that finally drives her to seek help.

* ''Film/FatalAttraction'': Alex follows Dan home and clearly continues stalking the family unseen, as proven by her breaking into the house to kill his daughter's pet rabbit, kidnapping said daughter from her school, and breaking into the house again to try and kill his wife.
* ''Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug''. Alfrid gives the old "we know where you live" threat to Bard, who calmly responds that it's a small town, so everyone knows where each other lives.
* ''Film/BestSeller''. Detective Meechum has his life saved by a MysteriousProtector, and is not happy when his daughter tells him the same man gave her a lift home, convincing her he was a friend of her father with his intimate knowledge of their family. Later on the BigBad has two policeman detain the daughter and bring her to him -- not as a hostage, but to demonstrate his power and influence if Meechum doesn't cooperate.
* In ''Film/TheMadMissManton'', the unknown murderer stabs a knife onto Melsa Manton’s door with her cloak and a threatening letter attached saying, “Next time you’ll be in it.”
* In ''Film/AfterTheSunset'', local gangster Moret tries to recruit legendary jewel thief Max into doing a job for him. When Max refuses, claiming that he's retired from that life, Moret seems to accept this, but then casually mentions, "I love the view of the water from your house." Max corrects him, saying, "You mean the view of my house from the water". (although this isn't much better, as it still indicates this trope). Moret assures him that the first statement was correct, effectively warning Max not to cross him.

* Subverted in ''Film/KickAss''. Right after mob boss Frank D'Amico orders his goons to bring him Kick Ass, our hero is woken in his bedroom by... fellow costumed vigilantes Hit Girl and Big Daddy, who've come to reiterate their request that he not tell anyone about them. "We like you, [[ProperlyParanoid we just don't trust you]]." They also point out how ridiculously easy it was to determine his SecretIdentity for someone who's likely to draw the hostile attention of both police and criminals.

* ''Film/TheMechanic2011''. Arthur Bishop stops Steve [=McKenna=] from killing a carjacker. However before letting the carjacker go, he takes the driver's license from the man's wallet and informs "Raymond" that if there's any comeback on this, he's going to look him up now that he knows his address.
* At the end of ''Film/BillyBathgate'', gangster Lucky Luciano contemplates killing the protagonist, but points out to Billy that it's hardly necessary, as he knows where not only Billy but [[ShameIfSomethingHappened all his relatives live]].
* ''Film/ForPetesSake'': When Henry fails to pay a loan shark on time, he has a thug come at her husband Pete with a car and miss him, then calls her to warn her that the next time she fails to pay up, the car ''will'' find its mark.
* ''Film/SpiderMan1'': After the Green Goblin attacks Aunt May, Peter realizes that the Goblin knows his SecretIdentity and is willing to exploit it by going after his loved ones.

--> You came like a thief in the night to cast me into the abyss. You chained me in darkness, but no earthly chains can hold me anymore. I have risen.\\

* Late in Lynn Shepherd's 2012 novel ''The Solitary House'', protagonist and investigator Charles Maddox finds [[StressVomit his housemaid vomiting in the kitchen]], and he learns from another servant that she had been accosted while buying provisions at the markets and a package was added to her basket. The package proves to contain [[spoiler: the little finger from Charles' right hand, which had been forcibly amputated in an attack on him several days previously]]. Charles recognizes the contents ("A second, closer look eradicates all doubt."), and the threat:
--> The package left in Molly's basket carried more than one message, and the loudest and clearest of them all is that his unseen adversary is closing in. Closing in on Charles, and closing in, now, on all those around him. He could have killed Molly today, if he chose, just as he could have killed Charles on the City Road.

* In ''Literature/TheClient'', a young witness is cornered in a hospital elevator by a hit man. After warning him to keep his mouth shut about what he knows, the man drives his point home by showing the boy a family picture which he recognizes as the one his mother keeps on her nightstand.
* Similarly, in the novel ''Literature/{{Coma}}'', after threatening Susan, the hit man drives home his point by showing her a picture of her little brother and warning her that if she doesn't back off, "I'll have to pay him a visit too."
* In ''Literature/{{Pact}}'', Blake Thorburn pays a visit to the fiancee of police officer Duncan Behaim, helps her car out of a snowdrift, and gets invited in for food. Duncan immediately comes running, but cannot attack Blake because of SacredHospitality, as his wife had offered Blake shelter and food.
* The prologue of ''Literature/HaltingState'' is a transcript of a vaguely threatening job offer, which knows an awful lot about the "applicant" considering he's never contacted them. The prologue title is "We Know Where You Live, We Know Where Your Dog Goes To School".

* A subtle one in the ''Series/RemingtonSteele'' episode "Elegy in Steele": Major Descoine comes to the agency's office, promises Laura and Steele he'll kill them both by noon that day, and leads them on a chase around the city. One surreal stop is a richly-furnished Victorian-looking apartment in an otherwise abandoned building. On looking around, the detectives notice that the framed photographs scattered about the living room show them at work on recent cases (in clearly recognizable stills from previous episodes), and the penny drops:
-->'''Steele:''' He's been ''following'' us! The bloody bugger's been ''spying'' on us!\\
'''Laura:''' It gives me the creeps.\\
'''The Minor:''' (Enters carrying a loaded tea tray) Oh, "cream," did you say? (Stops as Steele and Laura turn on her, Steel pointing his gun at her) It's right here on the tray.

* On ''Series/{{ER}}'', Luka' s vengeful former patient (he was left permanently disabled due to an error Luka made, kicking off a chain of disastrous events--failed business, failed marriage, etc) encounters his wife in the park while she's playing with their son. He's not threatening at all, instead being very friendly and polite while never revealing who he is. But he does steal the kid's stuffed animal. When he returns it in a supposedly friendly gesture, Luka is frightened at the realization both of this trope and the fact that the man could have easily harmed his wife and son had he wanted to. It doesn't help that a few episodes later, as Luka looks out the window of his apartment, he sees the man standing across the street. And a few episodes after that, his wife returns home only to find the man sitting on the couch as comfortably as if he belongs there.

* ''Series/StrongMedicine''. Incensed when Dylan fails to save their leader, several gang members begin threatening him. He doesn't take it seriously--until a picture of his daughter wearing her hospital volunteer uniform is sent to him. To drive the point home, a bulls-eye is drawn across her head.
* ''Series/PersonOfInterest''.

* ''Series/MurdochMysteries'':
** Late in "Unfinished Business" (Season 7, Episode 12), Julia gets a photo of her and Murdoch kissing in an alley (which she and viewers recognize happened after they attended a recent opera performance), together with a letter [[spoiler: apparently]] from James Gillies. The letter threatens that if she marries Murdoch, he'll die, and if she tells him about the letter (and the threat), they'll both die. This starts a subplot over the next several episodes in which she tries to resolve the problem herself to keep Murdoch safe. She applies Murdoch's methods and finds the room where the photo was taken. In that room, she also finds ''a second photo'' of Murdoch taken inside his office with a second note threatening death if she continues her investigation. It later turns out the photos and threats came from [[spoiler: her murdered husband's younger brother Leslie Garland]].
** In the two-parter "On the Waterfront", Brackenreid recalls in {{Flashback}} a day when his wife Margaret gave directions to two men driving a wagon. The inspector called sharply to his wife from his wheelchair on the front porch, and Margaret didn't seem to understand what he was fussing about. The men were the O'Shea brothers, who had beaten Brackenreid nearly to death (hence his presence at home in the wheelchair). They don't [[TrespassingToTalk speak to Brackenreid directly]], but one of them does tip his hat to the inspector.
* In ''Series/DayBreak2006'', Detweiler leaves no doubt about this when showing Hopper the footage of Rita being shot and then adding images of his sister's family.

* ''Series/{{Cracker}}''. In "Men Should Weep", a rapist is assaulting the wives of people he has a grudge against. He threatens a government bureaucrat with this trope, later raping and murdering his wife. When a detective calls in the address to headquarters in the grieving man's presence, he suddenly remembers the threat.
-->'''Detective:''' You must be threatened a lot in this job.
-->'''Bureaucrat:''' This one was different.
-->'''Detective:''' How?
-->'''Bureaucrat:''' He meant it.
* ''Series/TheProfessionals''. A criminal does this when jury tampering in "A Not Very Civil Civil Servant" (he's also smart enough to include subtle blackmail and bribery as well).
-->"You've got four kids. I know the roads they cross on their way to school and I know what they look like. And I can be a very dangerous driver. I know the supermarket your wife shops at. So, what I do is, I put a few things in her bag, I call the detective and she's down the road for shop-lifting. You think about it."
* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' As Ellie Bishop interrogates a terrorist who she's had dealings with in the past:
--> '''Terrorist''': "It's been a long time, Eleanor. I thought about you."
--> '''Ellie''': "You should have stopped by the office and said hello".
--> '''Terrorist''': "That's much too formal. I much prefer your apartment in DC. How is your husband Jake? [[ShameIfSomethingHappened He should really learn to watch his surroundings.]]"

* ''Series/NCISNewOrleans'' When Sebastian is abducted by terrorists, they inform him of this very trope, then show him a picture of Dr. Wade and another of his mother (who is in town for a visit), letting him know that this trope applies to them too.
* The season 2 finale of ''Series/StrangerThings'' makes it clear that [[spoiler:[[EldritchAbomination the Mind Flayer]] knows full well who the Party are and where they live. And it’s ''pissed''.]]
* ''Series/Daredevil2015''
** In "The Perfect Game", [[IntrepidReporter Karen Page]] tries to coerce [[TheFixer Felix Manning]] into giving her information under the threat of public exposure in her newspaper. Felix calmly tells Karen her parents name, the address of the house she grew up in, which room Karen slept in as a child and the fact that she used to be a drug addict which had something to do with the death of her brother. She's suitably freaked out.
** Used in season 3 of when the grand jury deliberates on whether or not to indict [[BigBad Wilson Fisk]]. One of the jurors starts reciting the names and addresses of the others, implying that they will be targeted if they choose to indict.
** Done on Fisk himself in Season One when Madame Gao arranges a meeting by going directly to Fisk's apartment. She points out that its location used to be his most closely guarded secret, and the fact that the secret is out shows Fisk has grown sloppy and needs to get his act together.
* This comes in handy in ''Series/{{Treadstone}}'' when someone threatens a ManchurianAgent this way, as he's had his memories wiped due to brainwashing and ''he'' doesn't know where he lives, so he forces the guy making the threat to give him the address.
* ''Series/BurnNotice'', Michael and Fiona try this by breaking into a bad guy's home and playing on his pool table as he arrives. Being part of the bad guy/spy game himself he cites the trope, doesn't act intimidated, and makes them get to their point. It works later when they state his daughter's name and overseas school address and imply someone is there about to shoot her.
* ''Series/ChiefOfStaff'': Episode 2.2 ends with Seon-yeong, a crusading assemblywoman, driving in to the parking garage under her apartment building only to find evil CorruptCorporateExecutive Lee Cheong-min lying in wait. Lee makes a very thinly veiled ShameIfSomethingHappened threat about how she shouldn't be going around unescorted, a threat that becomes even less veiled when Seon-yeong goes up to her apartment and finds that it's been ransacked.

--> [[spoiler: Bane: [[OhCrap I'm in your house]], Bruce.]]
* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'': With the two main antagonists. What makes this trope more interesting is [[spoiler:the [[MysteriousNote threatening note]] given to Ness during the epilogue by his neighbour's brother.]]
* ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'': Played for laughs.
--> '''Morphling (killing Tidehunter)''': [[http://dota2.gamepedia.com/f/f2/Mrph_rival_04.mp3 "I know where you live, Tidehunter!"]]

* In ''Webcomic/CrimsonDark'' the pirate Abraham Mengsk responds to Vaegyr Ward disabling his ship by ranting about how he knows where to find his and his wife's families. It turns out to be the [[http://www.davidcsimon.com/crimsondark/index.php?view=comic&strip_id=160 wrong move]].
* In ''Webcomic/JoeVsElanSchool'', after Joe leaves the titular school, he's tracked down by another former Elan inmate named Peter who had a reputation for being a bully, who Joe [[DefeatAsBackstory had maced in an escape attempt]]. Peter calls Joe on the phone and says that he's driven 500 miles to Joe's block and ''really'' wants to visit. Joe, being GenreSavvy enough to realize that this is ''highly'' suspect, makes excuses, ends the phone call, and spends the next several days paranoid that he's going to be attacked.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' episode "Meet The Beat-Alls," Mojo Jojo, Him, Princess Morbucks and Fuzzy Lumpkins all converge at the Powerpuffs' home and argue over who is going to destroy them.
* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries''. Batman does a tongue-in-cheek version to Superman after uncovering his SecretIdentity, by using a TrackingDevice to follow him to the apartment of 'Clark Kent'.

* Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' reveals that [[BigBadEnsemble the Light]] know the secret identities of the Justice League as well as [[IHaveYourWife who their loved ones and associates are]], but refuse to target said loved ones and associates because [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge they know that doing so will just get the League on their backs]], so they've put this aside as the [[DesperationAttack "nuclear option"]]. We learn this in an episode where it turns out the League's families have play dates with each other at the Allen household and Ocean Master (who was kicked out of the Light) tries to assassinate them on one such day before being stopped by Lady Shiva.
* The ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'' episode "Homecoming" reveals that the Huntsman knows where [[spoiler: Rose's parents]] are, and they'll remain unharmed if she does exactly what he says, that being [[spoiler: getting the last three crystal skulls to help him slay all magical creatures]] .

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', the Emperor's Coven are aware of the Owl House's location, but it hardly comes up since it's not on Emperor Belos' priority list. That changes in the episode "Eclipse Lake", where the Golden Guard realizes that [[spoiler:Luz' portal key is vital to Belos' plans]]. He gets [[spoiler:Amity to hand it over]] by reminding her of this trope. She may get away now, but if she does, Belos will just move the Owl House up on the target priority list.

* ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures''/''ComicBook/DoubleDuck'' series:
** WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck is extremely protective of both his superhero identity and the secret agent one because [[GenreSavvy he's perfectly aware this would eventually happen if one or both got out]]. Hence why as Paperinik he's extremely brutal to anyone who try and find out or even ''lies'' about knowing (as in, "setting a ''[[AngryMob lynching mob]]'' on the culprit" brutal, as he did to some guys who were endangering his identity and then to the Beagle Boys for lying they knew) and always carries [[LaserGuidedAmnesia memory-erasing candies]] that he'll feed, by force if necessary, to anyone who discovers him. ''Anyone'', as Daisy and his nephews could testify if he hadn't slipped them those candies...

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'': Amanda Waller puts Batman on notice by calling him [[WhamLine "rich boy"]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', the Emperor's Coven are aware of the Owl House's location, but it hardly comes up since it's not on emperor Belos' priority list. That changes in the episode "Eclipse Lake", where the Golden Guard realizes that [[spoiler:Luz' portal key is vital to Belos' plans]]. He gets [[spoiler:Amity to hand it over]] by reminding her of this trope. She may get away now, but if she does, Belos will just move the owl house up on the target priority list.

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* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'': With the two main antagonists. What makes this trope more interesting is [[spoiler:the [[MysteriousNote threatening note]] given to Ness during the epilogue by his neighbor's brother.]]

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->''"Peter, I swear to you, wherever you go wherever you are: I vow there will always be daggers bearing notes signed James Hook! They will be flung at the doors of your children's children's children. Do you hear me?!"''
-->-- '''Captain Hook''', ''Film/{{Hook}}''