History YouHaveFailedMe / Literature

** In ''[[Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjay Mockingjay, part 2]]'', Antonius gets similar treatment after the rebels take District 2.

%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order.

* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' Opal Koboi says this word for word during the climax of ''The Opal Deception'' to her henchmen Merval and Descant Brill, after they screw up her plan by doing something really stupid ([[spoiler: leaving the explosive she needed ''and'' its backup sitting on a couch in plain sight where they were easily stolen by Mulch Diggums]]). [[spoiler: It's subverted, though- she's actually saving their lives by activating their (primitive) escape pods to jettison them away from Opal's exploding ship. The full line is "I advise you to strap in. You have failed me. Enjoy prison."]]

* Recurring villain Overseer Biron in the Literature/StarfleetCorpsOfEngineers stories is quick to kill off subordinates who fail him. As an Elite Officer-caste Androssi, he is within his rights to kill a Worker at any time. Failure, even relatively minor, often results in instant vaporization and replacement - Workers are considered fully expendable. Ironically, Biron's own boss is rather forgiving on those occasions that Biron himself fails.

** Subverted in ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'', where tactical genius villain Grand Admiral Thrawn makes a point of [[PragmaticVillainy not indiscriminately killing subordinates]], and in fact quietly lampshades this when his CommanderContrarian expects him to act more like Vader. He instead has a TractorBeam operator (who was also a ContestWinnerCameo!) killed for not following procedure from his training--and for trying to pin the blame on his superior--and later actually [[CareerBuildingBlunder promotes]] a different tractor beam operator who quickly came up with a creative solution to a sudden problem that was "no less impressive for its failure" and for accepting the blame himself.

** The EvilOverlord version (in which the BigBad kills a random minion as a lesson) is subverted in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series. Supreme Overlord Shimrra can be a really BadBoss, but he's clever enough to recognize when he's being played. Near the end, it looks as if he's about to execute High Prefect Jakan, who's been framed as a supporter of the heretics--then turns on the High Priestess who's framing him and ''is'' a heretic.
** This trope seems to be liked by villainous Imperials and former Imperials in general. In the Literature/XWingSeries, Zsinj, spying on the consoles of his bridge crew, sees that one of them is playing flight simulators instead of paying attention while on duty. He has been warned about this, but he wants to be a pilot so ''much''. Zsinj has his second-in-command whisk the crewman off in the dead of night telling him it's a secret pilot test, put him through the standard set of pilot qualification simulations, praise or chastise him as necessary, and then kill him. Later on he puts a pair of scientists in a ShootYourMate Or I Kill You Both. The trope, and the fact that they're cruel about it rather than simply just shooting them, serves as [[KickTheDog a good reminder]] that while Zsinj and his [[TheDragon Dragon]] are interesting, clever, and often funny characters, they are also the bad guys, and for good reason. On the other hand, Zsinj isn't punishing failure in terms of results, but failure in terms of ''duties''--the people in the previous examples were killed because they had not only shirked a duty of some kind, but tried to cover it up. If a failure is a result of circumstances beyond the control of a subordinate, Zsinj spares the subordinate. Further, he's willing to reward people who go beyond the call of duty even if the results fall short (as with Gatterweld, a lowly stormtrooper who nearly steals an entire Super Star Destroyer for him--in the next book, he's an Ensign).

*** When someone he's interrogating dies before giving up the information he needs, Kirtan Loor is summoned back to Imperial Center by Isard. All along the way, even while [[TheWorldIsJustAwesome marveling at the view]], he's sweating and expecting her to kill him. She doesn't--not at that point in time--but she does make her displeasure at his poor thinking clear, and wants him to perform better.

--->'''Corran:''' Tavira, when she doesn't hear that you succeeded, will see you as having failed. And you know her--failure isn't an accident, it's a conspiracy.

* Henry VIII in ''Literature/WolfHall''. Failing to carry out one of his commands, for any reason, and you'd better start measuring that spike for your head. First, of course, is Cardinal Wolsey for failing to convince the Pope to annul the marriage with Katharine of Aragon--he dies en route to what probably would have been his execution. Later, Henry tells Thomas Cromwell in no uncertain terms that he'd better not let Thomas More be acquitted under the law, and Cromwell reminds his colleagues of a recent case where they ''did'' fail to make a KangarooCourt sufficiently unjust to kill someone who'd pissed off their king, so they'd better pull out all the stops. In the second book, Cromwell repeatedly contemplates the odds of him retiring versus ending up on a spike.[[note]]For those who don't know: it was the latter, in 1540, after he arranged Henry's marriage to Anne of Cleves.[[/note]]

* In the J.A. Johnstone western novel ''No Man's Land'', TheHero ambushes a group of outlaws escorting several female captives to be sold as SexSlave's. One of the survivors goes racing back to his boss [[BringMyBrownPants showing signs of having peed himself]] and reporting how several other henchmen died while he and two others named Gibson and Farmer (who the messenger is surprised haven't arrived back at camp before him) fled into the night. Before the end of the chapter, TheBigBad has shot the guy.
--> '''BigBad:'' I reckon Gibson and Farmer were the smart ones. I can abide a man who gets run off by a posse. I can even abide a man who gets himself shot up by Frank Morgan. But I can't abide a man who'd piss himself in the middle of a fight.

** Exagerated in ''Literature/LegacyOfTheForce'': Caedus kills an officer who was fooled by a false ship identification, even if it was obvious that Luke's ruse was too well-prepared; there was no way she could have suspected the trap.

* Stephen King's ''Literature/TheStand'' has a real doozy in the demise of Randall Flagg's henchman, the hapless Bobby Terry. Bobby rather overdoes the orders that he's given to simply capture the Judge, one of the good guys, ending up by accidentally blowing the top half of his head off. On a lonely road, in the middle of nowhere, a panicking Bobby suddenly hears footsteps approaching him, faster and faster, from behind...and turns to see Flagg charging at him with a huge, manic grin... "HEY, BOBBY TERRY, YOU SCREEEEEEWED UPPPPPP!!!" ...'There were worse things than crucifixion. There were teeth.'

** Subverted by [[BigBad Albrecht Detweiler]], who generally does NOT take out his anger on his subordinates. [[spoiler:In fact, one subordinate who failed (Aldona Anasimovna) actually got ''promoted'', because his analysis of the failed Monica operation suggested that if she had been better informed about the Mesan Alignment's goals, it might have succeeded. Also, the main reason that particular operation failed was nothing in particular Anasimovna did, but rather sheer coincidence and a [[AllergicToBoredom very bored midshipman]].]]

** Crowley himself ends up on the receiving end of this from his superiors from Hell. After they discover that he misplaced the AntiChrist, he ends up in "hell's bad books" [[note]]Not that Hell has any other kind.[[/note]] and has to fend off his fellow demons who plan to subject him to AFateWorseThanDeath as punishment. Crowley himself mentally compares the two situation, furious that hell is talking to him like "a houseplant who had started shedding leaves on the carpet."

** Crowley himself ends up on the receiving end of this from his superiors from Hell. After they discover that he misplaced the AntiChrist, he ends up in "hell's bad books" [[note]]Not that Hell has any other kind.[[/note]] and has to fend off his fellow demons who plan to subject him to AFateWorseThenDeath as punishment. Crowley himself mentally compares the two situation, furious that hell is talking to him like "a houseplant who had started shedding leaves on the carpet."

* In ''Literature/TheThirteenClocks'', the [[EldritchAbomination Todal]] is "an agent of TheDevil, sent to punish evildoers for not having done enough evil." This is the eventual fate of [[spoiler:the Cold Duke]], who gets "gleeped."

** The film adaptation of ''Discworld/GoingPostal'' has an inversion. A certain character is killed for doing his job ''too well''. The character is a clerk who has kept scrupulous books on all his boss' financial transactions... including the shady and outright illegal ones.

** In ''{{Discworld/Thud}}'', two trolls working for a mob boss threaten Vimes. When Vimes meets with their boss, Chrysoprase, he claims he hadn't told them to make threats, and indicates a box. The narration is quick to point out wouldn't fit an ''intact'' troll. And then to cement what happened, Chrysoprase asks Vimes if he could use a rockery at Ramkin Manor.

** This trope seems to be liked by villainous Imperials and former Imperials in general. In the ComicBook/XWingSeries, Zsinj, spying on the consoles of his bridge crew, sees that one of them is playing flight simulators instead of paying attention while on duty. He has been warned about this, but he wants to be a pilot so ''much''. Zsinj has his second-in-command whisk the crewman off in the dead of night telling him it's a secret pilot test, put him through the standard set of pilot qualification simulations, praise or chastise him as necessary, and then kill him. Later on he puts a pair of scientists in a ShootYourMate Or I Kill You Both. The trope, and the fact that they're cruel about it rather than simply just shooting them, serves as [[KickTheDog a good reminder]] that while Zsinj and his [[TheDragon Dragon]] are interesting, clever, and often funny characters, they are also the bad guys, and for good reason. On the other hand, Zsinj isn't punishing failure in terms of results, but failure in terms of ''duties''--the people in the previous examples were killed because they had not only shirked a duty of some kind, but tried to cover it up. If a failure is a result of circumstances beyond the control of a subordinate, Zsinj spares the subordinate. Further, he's willing to reward people who go beyond the call of duty even if the results fall short (as with Gatterweld, a lowly stormtrooper who nearly steals an entire Super Star Destroyer for him--in the next book, he's an Ensign).

* The Klingons are like this throughout the Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse, though all but the most unhinged practice restraint. In Literature/StarTrekVanguard, when Captain Kutal's weapons officer Tonar responds to an order by saying "I'm endeavouring to do just that", Kutal replies: "then endeavour with greater zeal, or I shall find a new weapons officer". In ''Literature/StarTrekKlingonEmpire'', General Kriz kills a captain under his command for failing to conquer a planet and ignoring good advice from his underlings.

** However, very few times do we see him actually ''kill'' one of his minions for failing him. Lucius Malfoy, for example, fails him spectacularly a number of times ([[spoiler:including inadvertently bringing about the destruction of a [[SoulJar horcrux]]]]); and his punishment is psychological and possibly [[FateWorseThanDeath worse than death]] in its way: his only child sent on a suicide mission. Though Voldemort himself probably didn't think of that way, since he's made it clear he can't comprehend idea of a fate being worse than death.

* ''Literature/TheBible'': After Peter is broken out of prison by divine intervention, Herod Agrippa I, who was planning to have him killed during the Passover, has the men assigned to guard him killed in his place for allowing it to happen.

** ''Discworld/GoingPostal'' has an inversion. A certain character is killed for doing his job ''too well''. The character is a clerk who has kept scrupulous books on all his boss' financial transactions... including the shady and outright illegal ones.
** In ''{{Discworld/Thud}}'', two trolls working for a mob boss threaten Vimes. When Vimes meets with their boss, he claims he hadn't told them to make threats, and indicates a box. The narration is quick to point out wouldn't fit an ''intact'' troll. And then to cement what happened, the boss asks Vimes if he could use some gravel.

* In PC Hodgell's Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath, Rawneth has a particularly nasty example. She strips the names of some twenty underlings, making the affected underlings' souls to fade away, and causing everyone else under her to mostly (but not completely -- they know they're missing something) forget them too. However, this causes a great deal of unrest among her followers, and some cases of civil disobedience.

* ''{{Discworld/GoingPostal}}'' has an inversion. A certain character is killed for doing his job ''too well''. The character is a clerk who has kept scrupulous books on all his boss' financial transactions... including the shady and outright illegal ones.
* ''Literature/TortallUniverse'':
** In a rare heroic instance, George Cooper in ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'' is quite a ruthless [[ThievesGuild King of Thieves]]. Fail him once, he takes your ear. Fail him twice, he takes your life.
** In ''[[Literature/DaughterOfTheLioness Trickster's Queen]]'', we learn that Ulasim has prohibited his people undercover at the prison to get promoted beyond a certain level, because: "The Rittevons were notoriously fond of executing people in charge when things went wrong." This is so reliable that Aly realises that their plans will receive a major boost upon reaching a certain point, once all of their most experienced enemies are executed for letting things get this far.

* Franchise/StarWarsLegends:
** Subverted in Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy, where tactical genius villain Grand Admiral Thrawn makes a point of [[PragmaticVillainy not indiscriminately killing subordinates]], and in fact quietly lampshades this when his CommanderContrarian expects him to act more like Vader. He instead has a TractorBeam operator (who was also a ContestWinnerCameo!) killed for not following procedure from his training--and for trying to pin the blame on his superior--and later actually [[CareerBuildingBlunder promotes]] a different tractor beam operator who quickly came up with a creative solution to a sudden problem that was "no less impressive for its failure" and for accepting the blame himself.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': The fear of hearing Voldemort say this, no doubt quickly followed by "Crucio!" and "Avada Kedavra!", hangs over the head of every Death Eater.
** However, very few times do we see him actually ''kill'' one of his minions for failing him. Lucius Malfoy, for example, fails him spectacularly a number of times ([[spoiler:including inadvertently bringing about the destruction of a [[SoulJar horcrux]]]]); and his punishment is psychological and possibly [[FateWorseThanDeath worse than death]] in its way: his only child sent on a suicide mission. Though Voldemort himself probably didn't think of that way, since he's made it clear he can't comprehend idea of a fate being worse than death.
** It is suggested in the sixth book that Voldemort would be more, uh... picky if he didn't have [[OddlySmallOrganization so few followers]].
** In book 7 he does at one point shoot everyone in sight when he is called after the Trio [[spoiler: breaks into the Lestranges' vault, stealing Hufflepuff's Cup]]. This is very much a VillainousBreakdown on his part; he now knows that [[spoiler:Harry knows his secret]].
** Played straight in book 7, with [[DirtyCoward Wormtail]], [[spoiler: his silver hand, given to him by Voldemort strangles him to death after he spares Harry]]. Voldemort hinted at this in book 4, when he says "May your loyalties never waver again"
* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''' takes this to the logical conclusion with the BigBad, Visser Three. It's strongly implied that his tendency to kill off anyone smarter than him is the only reason the Animorphs remain undiscovered for so long. At one point, the mooks explicitly decide not to report the Animorphs in order to avoid Visser 3's wrath. And near the end, a number of Yeerks desert as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Visser 3 does this so reliably that Marco's able to bluff his way out of a situation where three flunkies were expected by saying, "I think Visser Three killed them for doing something wrong".
* In Creator/DanAbnett's Literature/GauntsGhosts novel ''Traitor General'', Uexkull [[OffWithHisHead executes a commander]] as "an incompetent weakling" for failing to search for Gaunt and his men, and disables the second for not answering promptly enough -- and has the third-in-command [[ShootYourMate shoot him]].
** A ''heroic'' version shows up in the earlier novel ''Necropolis'', where an officer named Modile is in charge of coordinating communication between the various Imperial Guard regiments, but he shuts down the network when the plan starts to fall apart. Gaunt executes Modile for his cowardice and incompetence. Notable as the first time in the series we see Gaunt perform a summary execution.
* In Creator/JamesSwallow's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Literature/BloodAngels'' novel ''Deus Sanguinius'', at the end, Garand receives a message from [[spoiler:Abaddon]]. He sends for his death-shroud before going.
* Mocked in the Literature/{{Emberverse}}. Mike Havel pontificates for a while on how a "You fail, you die" policy is detrimental to subordinates' willingness to tell their superiors about their mistakes, thus effectively crippling said superior's ability to do his job.
* In ''{{Discworld/Thud}}'', two trolls working for a mob boss threaten Vimes. When Vimes meets with their boss, he claims he hadn't told them to make threats, and indicates a box. The narration is quick to point out wouldn't fit an ''intact'' troll. And then to cement what happened, the boss asks Vimes if he could use some gravel.
* In the Creator/DaleBrown novel ''Plan of Attack'', one Russian general fails to rein in trigger-happy underlings who cost them a SAM group. The BigBad has someone sneak in while the general is napping and deliver a BoomHeadshot.
* Stephen King's ''Literature/TheStand'' has a real doozy in the demise of Randall Flagg's henchman, the hapless Bobby Terry. Bobby rather overdoes the orders that he's given to simply capture the Judge, one of the good guys, ending up by accidentally blowing the top half of his head off. On a lonely road, in the middle of nowhere, a panicking Bobby suddenly hears footsteps approaching him, faster and faster, from behind...and turns to see Flagg charging at him with a huge, manic grin..."HEY, BOBBY TERRY, YOU SCREEEEEEWED UPPPPPP!!!"...'There were worse things than crucifixion. There were teeth.'
* Robespierre gives Chauvelin this ultimatum in ''The Elusive Pimpernel'', one of the sequels to ''Literature/TheScarletPimpernel'', where Chauvelin epically failed to capture the eponymous vigilante SuperHero. Chauvelin keeps the Scarlet Pimpernel's SecretIdentity a secret even though he discovered it in the first book because he knows that knowledge is the only reason his superiors allow him to live despite his repeated failures.
* Recurring villain Overseer Biron in the Literature/StarfleetCorpsOfEngineers stories is quick to kill off subordinates who fail him. As an Elite Officer-caste Androssi, he is within his rights to kill a Worker at any time. Failure, even relatively minor, often results in instant vaporization and replacement - Workers are considered fully expendable. Ironically, Biron's own boss is rather forgiving on those occasions that Biron himself fails.
* The Klingons are like this throughout the Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse, though all but the most unhinged practice restraint. In Literature/StarTrekVanguard, when Captain Kutal's weapons officer Tonar responds to an order by saying "I'm endeavouring to do just that", Kutal replies: "then endeavour with greater zeal, or I shall find a new weapons officer". In ''Literature/StarTrekKlingonEmpire'', General Kriz kills a captain under his command for failing to conquer a planet and ignoring good advice from his underlings.
* In Theodore Cogswell's short story ''Wolfie'', sorcerer Dr. Arsoldi's "colleague" will drag him off to hell if ever a murder he aids and abets fails. [[spoiler:Naturally, there's eventually an insurmountable slip-up.]]
* ''Literature/InDeath'': Max Ricker stands out as a crime boss who will ''not'' be happy with employees who fail to carry out their missions. Considering that he is an AxCrazy BadBoss, the penalty for failure is undoubtedly unpleasant.
* Judging by the reaction of the assassin in ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'' to the Supreme Custodian's demand to bring her target's body to him, YouHaveFailedMe seems to be standard for the assassins.
* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'':
** This is official government policy in the People's Republic of Haven under Pierre and Saint-Just. In fact, not only do they kill officers who fail to carry out their orders, but their entire families as well. This has the effect of stifling initiative, which hampers the war effort against Manticore, and has similar effects in real life. Ironically, the policy was put in place because they were afraid that the officers might try to overthrow them if they were given a free reign, but it inspired resentment among the military, which ultimately led to several coup attempts, one of which was eventually successful, becoming something of a self fulfilling prophecy.
** Subverted by [[BigBad Albrecht Detweiler]], who generally does NOT take out his anger on his subordinates. [[spoiler:In fact, one subordinate who failed (Aldona Anasimovna) actually got ''promoted'', because his analysis of the failed Monica operation suggested that if she had been better informed about the Mesan Alignment's goals, it might have succeeded. Also, the main reason that particular operation failed was nothing in particular Anasimovna did, but rather sheer coincidence and a [[AllergicToBoredom very bored midshipman]].]]
* Literature/TrappedOnDraconica: Gothon does not take kindly to Zarracka returning empty handed. [[spoiler: Downplayed. He never intended to kill her, only to ''humiliate'' her by making her think he would.]]
* In Creator/CharlesStross' ''Literature/IronSunrise'', Portia Hoechst strangles a subordinate who bungled his assignment to abduct Wednesday Shadowmist as soon as she gets him back on the ship.

* After Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane royally screwed up the [[Literature/TheHungerGames 74th Annual Hunger Games]] so that it ended with two victors, President Snow was ''not'' happy...
** In ''[[Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjay Mockingjay, part 2]]'', Antonius gets similar treatment after the rebels take District 2.
* In ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', TheCaligula Taur Urgas [[FlayingAlive has his guards flayed]] after they allow Silk to be rescued from his cell -- not due to incompetence, but because Relg used his ability to slide through rock to extricate him.
* In ''Literature/TheThirteenClocks'', the [[EldritchAbomination Todal]] is "an agent of TheDevil, sent to punish evildoers for not having done enough evil." This is the eventual fate of [[spoiler:the Cold Duke]], who gets "gleeped."
* An interesting version in Creator/RobertSheckley's short story "A Ticket to Tranai". On the titular planet, government officials seem to be rather keen on convincing the protagonist to take their job. He almost does, but then he finds out that the medallions they wear on their necks actually contain explosives that make YourHeadAsplode, if a Tranai citizen expresses his displeasure by pressing a button in city hall. The protagonist promptly changes his mind about becoming the mayor and trying to change things on this planet.

* ''Literature/TheBible'': After Peter is broken out of prison by divine intervention, Herod Agrippa I, who was planning to have him killed during the Passover, has the men assigned to guard him killed in his place for allowing it to happen.
* Subverted by Gareth in ''Literature/{{Below}}'', after the highwaymen in his employ are duped by a subverted BaitAndSwitch in a wagon heist. The thieves' leader Harry is his [[TheDragon Dragon's]] best friend, so killing is off the table, and besides he hates waste. Instead he holds them responsible to pay back his cut, plus ''their'' cuts, plus extra for nice round numbers, then ''doubled'', and he facetiously praises Harry for "suggesting" the idea. They can only pay it off by going much farther afield and working through winters over the next several years.

* The Klingons are like this throughout the Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse, though all but the most unhinged practice restraint. In StarTrekVanguard, when Captain Kutal's weapons officer Tonar responds to an order by saying "I'm endeavouring to do just that", Kutal replies: "then endeavour with greater zeal, or I shall find a new weapons officer". In ''Literature/StarTrekKlingonEmpire'', General Kriz kills a captain under his command for failing to conquer a planet and ignoring good advice from his underlings.

* After Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane royally screwed up the [[TheHungerGames 74th Annual Hunger Games]] so that it ended with two victors, President Snow was ''not'' happy...

* Mocked in the {{Emberverse}}. Mike Havel pontificates for a while on how a "You fail, you die" policy is detrimental to subordinates' willingness to tell their superiors about their mistakes, thus effectively crippling said superior's ability to do his job.

* Cluny the Scourge, the BigBad of the first ''{{Redwall}}'' book, consistently reminds his subordinates that the penalty for failure is death and/or torture. He never hesitates to follow through with his threats, either.
** Many villains from the Redwall series in general often kill subordinates for failures of varying magnitude.