History Main / VengeanceFeelsEmpty

* In GameofThrones, even though Robert Baratheon killed the man who captured his beloved in single combat, he seems to be unable to be satisfied with it. He mentions in his dreams that "He kills him every night" which betrays the emptiness he feels even with having revenge.

* ''FanFic/TurnaboutStorm'': After a rather long time trying to break through their lies, [[spoiler:Gilda Griffon]] [[VillainousBreakdown breaks down]], finally admiting that their spontaneous plan to try to take revenge on the defendant ended up with this.

* Highly averted in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''. The newly-enthroned Emperor Palpatine, [[YouShouldKnowThisAlready the Sith mastermind behind the whole Clone War business]], seems quite happy about what he did to the Jedi.

* In ''DeathSentence'', this is how Det. Wallis thinks Nick's revenge spree will end.

* Though the main character frequently takes pleasure in brutal revenge, this trope pops up in the Marvel comic version of ConanTheBarbarian when [[MadeASlave Conan's ally Zula]] slays his former master. After Conan asks him how it felt, Zula responds that it simply felt hollow. Interestingly, RedSonja also mentions this trope during this conversation when she says she was unable to slay the man [[RapeAsBackstory who ravished her]] after he had been badly tortured.

* In StarcraftII, Kerrigan is repeatedly warned by various people that her desire for vengeance is empty and won't make her feel any better. [[spoiler: It turns out to be a subversion; after kiling Mengsk, she is instantly and noticably happier.]]

* In ''MassEffect2'', it is possible to convince Garrus of this through Paragon dialogue during his loyalty mission.

* In DanAbnett's ''{{Eisenhorn}}'' novel ''Hereticus'', after the death of the man who killed her father, Medea realizes that her desire for {{revenge}} was really displaced desire to have known her father. (She asks Eisenhorn to [[TellMeAboutMyFather tell her about her father]]).

* In ''AnimalMan'', after Buddy Baker brutally avenges the murder of [[spoiler:his wife and children]], he feels it was all for nothing, and decides instead to [[TimeTravel travel back in time]] and attempt to warn [[spoiler:his family]] in advance.

* Present to an extent in the ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' series. At the end of the first game, Max has completed his RoaringRampageOfRevenge and seems to have achieved a measure of inner peace and satisfaction. By the time of the second game, however, he's wracked with shame and SurvivorGuilt, wishing he'd been punished for the events of the first game.

* In Michael Chabon's Pulitzer-winning novel, ''{{The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay}}'', Joe Kavalier escaped Czechoslovkia prior to US entry into World War II and spent two years cultivating his rage over the Nazi occupation of Prague, resettlement of his family, [[spoiler: death of his father]] and finally, [[spoiler: death of his beloved brother by German U-Boat.]] Hell-bent on revenge, Joe joins the navy in hopes of [[spoiler: killing German soldiers]]. By way of [[spoiler: Antarctica]], he finally acheives his goal of [[spoiler: murdering a German]]. [[spoiler: However, the man was an innocent scientist]] and Joe's successful revenge made him feel like "the worst man in the world."

* ''FanFic/TurnaboutStorm'': After a rather long time trying to break through their lies, [[spoiler:Gilda Griffon]] [[VillainousBreakdown breaks down]], finally admiting that their spentaneous plan to try to take revenge on the defendant ended up with this.

* ''FanFic/TurnaboutStorm'': After a rather long time trying to break through their lies, [[spoiler:Gilda Griffon]] [[VillainousBreakdown breaks down]], finally realizing that their spentaneous plan to try to take revenge on the defendant ended up with this.

[[AC:FanFic]]
* ''FanFic/TurnaboutStorm'': [[spoiler: Gilda's attempted revenge ended up causing this for her.]]

->''"Revenge is pointless! It only leaves you with more anger!"''
-->-- '''The Pharaoh''', ''YuGiOh''

A powerful plot element, pursuit of {{revenge}} may be a driving motivation for a character. It may even be [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge central to the plot]]. Upon finally exacting his revenge, rather than the sense of satisfaction he may have expected, he may get... nothing. Maybe it [[WasItReallyWorthIt wasn't really worth it]], or maybe he [[AndThenWhat just doesn't know what to do with himself now]]. This is one of the bad results of ignoring {{Forgiveness}}.

Contrast RoaringRampageOfRevenge, which is when someone usually enjoys their revenge. However, even those who are enjoying their revenge often feel empty when it's over.

* In ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', Carth obsessively focuses on destroying his former mentor, Saul Karath, after Karath defects to the Empire, glasses his home planet, and kills his wife. After Carth and the player kill Karath, Carth admits that it didn't bring him the peace he thought it would.
* In ''StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', the Sith Inquisitor finds [[SpacePirates space pirate]] Andronikos Revel in the process of tracking down and murdering his mutinous crew. At several times during the story, he misses out on the chance to personally kill his betrayers, and is visibly distraught about this.

* ''ThePrincessBride'': Once Inigo Montoya has killed his father's killer, Inigo's life is rather empty, although it's not really a lack of satisfaction but rather "That's everything on the to do list. Now what?"

-->-- ''GrandTheftAutoIV''

->Revenge is pointless! It only leaves you with more anger!

* This is the main character trait of Sasuke in ''{{Naruto}}''. Initially, his desire was revenge on his brother for killing the rest of his clan. Sasuke eventually pulls it off, but he only feels angrier about it. He moves on to wanting to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village as he finds out his brother's actions were driven by the village's politics. When the village DOES get destroyed, he still feels empty and unfilfulled. He now wants to personally kill anyone who's lived in the village. Sasuke was also originally going to spare his childhood friend Naruto but now has Naruto at the top of his personal hit list, first for repeatedly getting in his way and now for being the village's hero. Note that Sasuke is a unique case of this in the series--a number of other characters have learned to forgive and forget, whereas Sasuke sinks deeper and deeper.

* In ''TheSandman'', after escaping from imprisonment, avenging himself on his captors and regaining his kingdom and his tools, Morpheus goes to Central Park and mopes because he does not feel as satisfied as he thought he would. [[{{GrimReaper}} His older]] [[{{PerkyGoth}} sister]] snaps him out of it.

* Highly averted in ''RevengeOfTheSith''. The newly-enthroned Emperor Palpatine, [[YouShouldKnowThisAlready the Sith mastermind behind the whole Clone War business]], seems quite happy about what he did to the Jedi.

* In DanAbnett's ''{{Eisenhorn}}'' novel ''Hereticus'', after the death of the man who killed her father, Medea realizes that her desire for {{Revenge}} was really displaced desire to have known her father. (She asks Eisenhorn to [[TellMeAboutMyFather tell her about her father]]).

** I just found the quote of that speech:

* In the ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' episode "Behold, A Distant Star", Susan and Johnny's long-lost father Franklin Storm was killed by a Skrull plot. They both want to avenge him by attacking the Skrulls (or to kill the Skrull responsible). By the end of the episode, after the Skrull Emperor gives the team a pardon for saving his daughter from a crossfire between Skrull groups, they asked for the one who killed Franklin. The Emperor sadly points to Morrat, her daughter's lover, who tried to overthrow the Emperor. The team leaves for home, feeling much worse.

* In ''TheSandman'', after escaping from imprisonment, avenging himself on his captors and regaining his kingdom and his tools, Morpheus goes to Central Park and mopes because he does not feel as satisfied as he thought he would. [[{{GrimReaper}} His older]] [[{{PerkyGoth}} sister]] snaps him out of it.

->'''Roman''': There you go, you got your revenge. How does it feel?\\
->'''Niko''': I don't know how it feels. I'm trying to take it all in.\\
->'''Roman''': This is the moment you've been waiting for for so long, Niko. What do you mean you don't know how you feel?\\
->'''Niko''': I mean I don't know. I feel empty, okay? [[TropeNamer I feel empty]].\\

--> '''Roman''': There you go, you got your revenge. How does it feel?\\
'''Niko''': I don't know how it feels. I'm trying to take it all in.\\
'''Roman''': This is the moment you've been waiting for for so long, Niko. What do you mean you don't know how you feel?\\
'''Niko''': I mean I don't know. I feel empty, okay? [[TropeNamer I feel empty]].\\
--> ''GrandTheftAutoIV''

-->Revenge is pointless! It only leaves you with more anger!
-->'''The Pharaoh''', ''YuGiOh''