History PlayingWith / IfIwantedYouDead

* '''Straight''': Alice is wary of Bob, who responds, "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

** "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead, stuffed into a fridge, staked through the heart, and burned six months before I bothered giving the order."

* '''Downplayed''': "You have nothing to fear from me. I'm your loving father and need you for my evil plans. Also you'd be dead already."

* '''Downplayed''': "You have nothing to fear from me. I'm secretly in love with you, am your loving father, and need you for my evil plans. Also you'd be dead already."

* '''Conversed''': "Why does she think he could kill her at the drop of a hat? Stuff like that takes planning."

** A mass murderer states, "If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. I mean, I already killed your [[MissingMom mother]], your [[DisapearedDad father]], your [[AndYourLittleDogToo dog]]... and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking your G.I. Joe toy]]."

** A mass murderer states, "If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. I mean, I already killed your [[MissingMom mother]], your [[YouKilledMyFather father]], your [[AndYourLittleDogToo dog]]... and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking your G.I. Joe toy]]."

** Bob technically doesn't want her dead but he does want to extort her and is willing to kill her if she doesn't - it would still be a losd but he wants people to comply. However she is reluctant to cooperate and outlive her usefulness. Alice complies and even when eliminating witnesses could be helpful Bob lets her live because being known for killing people who comply results in them being more likely to [[TheDogBitesBack do something to off him]] or [[DefiantToTheEnd go to hell]] knowing they will die anyway.

** Lacking other means of communication with StarfishAliens who are initially hostile the space navy very deliberately targets a distant but in their apparent sensor range asteriod without harming any adjacent ones in an attempt to forge a ceasefire.

* '''Reconstructed''': Bob deliberately botched the assassination attempt because he knew Alice would see through it, avoid, and retaliate. The whole exercise is to prove to her that he has the capacity to be her enemy, but doesn't want to, at the moment.

** Bob's EstablishingCharacterMoment is springing a trap that has Alice completely at his mercy before using this trope.
** Bob kidnaps Alice and forces her to take part in his plans. He repeatedly threatens to kill her, only to smugly remind her that he would have done so already.

** King Bob tells Queen Alice: "If I intended to make war with you kingdom, I would have already had it burned to the ground."

** Bob knows that Alice (which doesn't know about it) has a special ability, making only a few people like himself able to kill her.

** A mass murderer states, "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead. I mean, I already killed your [[MissingMom mother]], your [[YouKilledMyFather father]], your [[AndYourLittleDogToo dog]]... and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking your G.I. Joe toy]]."

* '''Zig Zagged''': Alice takes Bob at his word, but we find out this gives him the ability to kill her. Then he still decides not to. Except this was another ploy to save face. Except he has, by this point, [[BecomingTheMask Become The Mask]], and now really doesn't want to kill her, but that doesn't mean he can't hurt her...which he doesn't anyway.

* '''Invoked''': "Tell Alice to get over here. She's knows she'd already be dead if I wanted to kill her."

** Bob shoots Alice as he wanted to kill her all along, but he misses.
** Bob tells Alice that if wanted to shoot her he would have, except [[ItWorkedBetterWithBullets his gun has no bullets]], and once he is able to get a fresh clip he shots her.

** And the bullet bounces back and hits her anyway.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Alice takes Bob at his word, but we find out this gives him the ability to kill her. Then he still decides not to. Except this was another ploy to save face. Except he has, by this point, [[BecomingTheMask Become The Mask]], and now really doesn't want to kill her. But that doesn't mean he can't hurt her...which he doesn't anyway.

** Alternatively, Bob has the ability to kill Alice, and he does.

* '''Exploited''': Bob deliberate refrains from killing Alice when the opportunity arises, so he can use this trope to gain her trust. He can kill her just as easily at a later date.
* '''Defied''': ...and after Alice arrives, Bob shoots her and says, "What? I wanted her dead!"

* '''Deconstructed''': This trope is used to save face, the assassination attempt really was botched.
* '''Reconstructed''': However, the fact that Alice managed to avoid it gives Bob enough respect for her that he decides not to kill her.

** Bob is using Alice for his plans. His constant reminders to Alice, show that he only view her as a tool.

** Alternatively: "If you wanted to kill me, you'd've done it by now."
** Alternatively alternatively: Bob shoots Alice: "If I needed you alive I wouldn't have done that."
** [[RuleOfThree Alternatively alternatively alternatively:]] Dave is a doctor in a ZombieApocalypse with the ability to cure zombification (albeit through a slow and laborious process). He glances at, sees, walks up to his (zombified) mortal enemy, Emma, and says, "If I wanted you alive, I'd have cured you by now." Dave then shoots Emma in the head.

** Alternatively: Bob shoots Alice as he wanted to kill her all along, but he misses.

** Alice: "If you wanted me dead, you'd have killed me already." Bob: "I ''knew'' I was forgetting something." BANG!

'''Basic Trope''': A person can be trusted not to kill someone, because if s/he wanted to s/he already would have.

* '''Exaggerated''': "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead, stuffed into a fridge, staked through the heart, and burned six months before I bothered giving the order."

* '''Exploited''': ???

* '''Downplayed''': ???

** Bob knows that Alice (which doesn't know about it) has a special ability, making only a few people like himself able to kill her.

* '''Deconstructed''': This trope is used to save face, the assassination attempt really was botched.
* '''Reconstructed''': However, the fact that Alice managed to avoid it gives Bob enough respect for her that he decides not to kill her.

* '''Played For Drama''': Bob's EstablishingCharacterMoment is springing a trap that has Alice completely at his mercy before using this trope.

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* '''Justified''': Bob knows that Alice (which doesn't know about it) has a special ability, making only a few people like himself able to kill her.

* '''Inverted''': Alice thinks, "If Bob wanted to kill me, he would have by now."

* '''Subverted''': Alice takes Bob at his word, but we find out this gives him the ability to kill her.

* '''Double Subverted''': ...Then he still decides not to.

* '''Parodied''': A mass murderer states, "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead. I mean, I already killed your [[MissingMom mother]], your [[YouKilledMyFather father]], your [[AndYourLittleDogToo dog]]... and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking your G.I. Joe toy]]."

* '''Averted''': Bob has the ability to kill Alice, but doesn't and doesn't ever ask for her trust.

[[IfIWantedYouDead If I wanted you to go back, I would've gave you the link.]] ''[[{{Beat}} *beat*]]'' Hmm, I guess I want you to do back then...

[[IfIWantedYouDead If I wanted you to go back, I would've gave you the link.]] ''[[{{Beat}} beat]]'' Hmm, I guess I want you to do back then...

** Alternatively alternatively: Bob shoots Alice: "If I needed you alive I wouldn't have done that".

* '''Defied''': ???