Line #59 Main/DespairGambit


1	%%%
2	%%
3	%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
4	%%
5	%%%
6	What's a villain to do when the hero is [[InvincibleHero invincible]], or too strong to attack head on? Whether because of tactics, defense, ThePowerOfLove, [[TheDeterminator will]], or because they won the SuperpowerLottery, the conventional tactics just aren't going to do the trick. By contrast, perhaps the villain is so weak that physical attack is impractical, or stands to gain if their enemies are not merely killed but admit defeat. In such a case, a good alternative strategy is often to attack the hero's resolve, and make them give up the fight.
7
8	[[DoomedHometown Blow up their hometown]]. [[AndYourLittleDogToo Kill their loved ones]]. [[TargetedToHurtTheHero Exterminate anybody who ever made contact with them]]. Spout cutting {{Breaking Speech}}es and StrawNihilist diatribes at every opportunity. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Steal their belongings]]. [[HitThemInThePocketbook Ruin their credit]]. [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished Turn everything good they've done against them]]. [[HeroWithBadPublicity Make]] the world [[HatedByAll loathe their very existence]] and [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies fear being anywhere near them]]. [[XanatosGambit Make every attempt at fighting back a Pyrrhic victory that makes the villain stronger]]. The ultimate goal is to drive the goodie past the DespairEventHorizon and make them more an enemy to themselves than to the villain.
9
10	As with other such plots, it tends to backfire. Messing with the hero on this level [[ItsPersonal makes it personal]], incurring the risk of focusing the hero's attention squarely against the villain, or even triggering an UnstoppableRage. There's also the possibility of [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant riling a previously neutral party]]. And finally, if the villain wins, it doesn't make the hero any less unbeatable; it's possible he just [[GoneHorriblyRight creating an evil even greater than he is, with special interest in destroying him]]. Because the story tends to be on the hero's side, this gambit is more likely to fail in the long run, though it may succeed in evaporating their hope at a critical point.
11
12	This is a common tactic of an invading army, the intent being to weaken the defenders by subduing their morale. This is also the basic idea behind terrorism. The HopeCrusher is a villain who is quite fond of this tactic. It's also a way to deal with being unable to employ the [[UsefulNotes/TheThirtySixStratagems 18th stratagem.]]
13
14	See also VillainBall, DrivenToSuicide, DespairEventHorizon and DespairSpeech.
15
16	Compare RevengeByProxy, when the indirect loss is done solely for the sake of inflicting loss.
17
18	----
19	!!Examples:
20	[[foldercontrol]]
21
22	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
23	* ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'': [[spoiler:One-Eyed Othinus tries to do this to Touma]] by attempting to make him feel worthless and a villain, by replacing him with someone else, who although different in large ways, has no effect on history, and how a simple change of perspective, without the assumption that he is a hero, turns his actions into that of a villain.
24	* In ''Anime/GunXSword'', Woo not only defeats Van in battle but also forces Van to recognize his own terror and confront the possibility of dying. It nearly works: Van is so shaken by his new fear of death that he is prepared to give up his revenge quest and run away. Fortunately, his sidekick calls him on his cowardice and challenges him to man up. ThePowerOfLove does the rest.
25	* In ''Anime/DotHackSign'' the plot of the main villain involves a whole lot of this.
26	* In ''Manga/InuYasha'', [[CreepyChild the Baby]] tried this on [[{{tsundere}} Kagome]] by giving her very cruel {{breaking lecture}}s that hit her where it hurts the most for her: [[BelligerentSexualTension her love for Inuyasha]], [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter her insecurities towards Kikyou]], ''and'' her fear of becoming Inuyasha's UnrequitedTragicMaiden. [[spoiler:It almost works, but Kagome decides that even if her thoughts on Inuyasha and Kikyou are muddled, they're ''hers'' and the Baby has nothing to do with them, leading to a mix of AnguishedDeclarationOfLove and ShutUpHannibal.]]
27	* In ''Manga/{{Monster}}'', Johan seemed to be attempting this with Doctor Tenma.
28	* [[spoiler:Madara]] of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' successfully pulled one on [[spoiler:Obito]] by maintaining PlausibleDeniability. He mind-controlled various shinobi, including [[spoiler:[[TheLostLenore Rin]]]], to create a situation where [[spoiler:Obito]] would witness the death of the one person who made his life worth living. The ensuing despair made him the perfect accomplice for [[spoiler:Madara]]'s plan.
29	** It's later mentioned that [[spoiler:Madara]] taught this tactic to [[spoiler:Obito]]. In the anime there's a flashback showing [[spoiler:Obito (successfully) pulling this on Nagato. Both of them later try it on Naruto, who manages to resist]].
30	* [[spoiler:The Incubators]] from ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' drive teenage girls to despair by [[spoiler:making [[DealWithTheDevil contracts]] with them and encouraging them to MakeAWish that [[JackassGenie they know will backfire]], [[YouDidntAsk leaving out important details of the Magical Girl contract]] such as the required [[OurLichesAreDifferent lichification]], and eventually driving the girl to the DespairEventHorizon wherein they will become a [[EldritchAbomination Witch]], which will then be killed by other magical girls for it's energy. The witches will also drive people to suicide, ensuring more despair.]] The point of this is to [[spoiler:[[WellIntentionedExtremist use that energy to save the universe from heat death]].]] It backfires: [[spoiler:[[IncorruptiblePurePureness Madoka]] uses her wish to [[AbstractApotheosis become a god]] and erase the whole witch system from existence, and when the Kyubeys try to bring it back in TheMovie, Madoka defeats them again- [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty for good this time.]]]]
31	* The "Revenge Arc" of ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' deals with Enishi's attempt to reduce Kenshin to a pathetic homeless wreck by destroying everything Kenshin holds dear, in revenge for Kenshin's (accidental) killing of Enishi's sister and Kenshin's first love, Tomoe. [[spoiler:It actually works for a while, after Enishi convinces Kenshin that he (Enishi) had murdered Kaoru; in reality Enihi ''couldn't'' kill her because [[ReplacementGoldfish she reminded him of Tomoe]], so he took her prisoner instead. When Aoshi found out that the "Kaoru" who died was a puppet ''and'' Kenshin rescued Yahiko from one of Enishi's cronies, he recovered and decided to go rescue her.]]
32	* This is the Anti-Spiral ''modus operandi'' in ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', arranging [[ManchurianAgent Manchurian Agents]], [[ColonyDrop Colony Drops]] and [[HopeSpot Hope Spots]] because the Power of the Spiral can't be defeated through main force. [[WellIntentionedExtremist All to save the world, of course.]] Although this is effective on some characters, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard it ultimately backfires,]] leading Team Gurren to the Anti-Spirals' home dimension and giving them a plethora of Lagann-type mechs with which to take them down.
33	* This is Knives' instruction to his minions in ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'', in the hopes that it will make Vash give up his stewardship of humans and [[FaceHeelTurn join the other side]]. In the anime, [[spoiler:it works, and Vash breaks down, becoming almost catatonic, at least until a moment of redemption redoubles his resolve]].
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Comic Books]]
37	* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'':
38	** This is the entire reason Batman wears a mask. The safety of anonymity means that villains can't harm the loved ones who they don't even know about. Not only that, but it's the reason most superheroes have a SecretIdentity in the first place.
39	** The Joker has done this several times, such as in ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'' and the film partially based on it, ''Film/TheDarkKnight''. He does it either [[ForTheEvulz because that's the way he is]] or because he secretly, desperately wants to prove that everyone else is really as hopeless as he is.
40	* ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'':
41	** In ''ComicBook/GuardianDevil'', Mysterio finds out that he's dying, crosses the DespairEventHorizon himself, and decides he wants a TakingYouWithMe "swan song" where he can drive Daredevil insane. [[spoiler:It ultimately backfires, as Daredevil keeps a grip on his sanity, and after finding out who his enemy is and listening to his MotiveRant, turns the tables with a KirkSummation that convinces the self-proclaimed "artist" that he's never had an original thought or spark of creativity in his life, and that he's "a human xerox at best". Mysterio ends up surrendering and committing suicide.]]
42	** Kingpin tries to do the very same thing in ''ComicBook/BornAgain'', and much like the above example, it backfires ''horribly''. With everything taken away from him, Daredevil [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge no longer has anything holding him back]], thus truly becoming a "man without fear."
43	* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Following the death of his brother Kraven the Hunter, in ''ComicBook/KravensLastHunt'', Chameleon becomes increasingly crazy and devoted himself to putting Spider-Man through one of these, and along the way, he confirms/learns Spider-Man's identity. This includes convincing Peter that he's in a CuckoosNest scenario and is actually an unhinged and depressed writer, as well as trying to attack Peter's family and friends.
44	* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
45	** Lex Luthor defeats Superman in ''ComicBook/SupermanRedSon'' in this way: after every attempt to take out Superman by brute force fails, he attacks Superman's psyche instead with an ArmorPiercingQuestion.
46	** This sort of thing is done more than once. In ''Neverending Battle'', Manchester Black throws all of Superman's available nemeses at him then finishes up by killing Lois (though that last part turns out to be a telepathic illusion). The point in this case is to try to get Superman to sink to his level via tragedy. Superman allows the telepath into his mind to reveal there's a part of him that really wants to do that, but he doesn't succumb.
47	** Discussed in ''ComicBook/JusticeDCComics''. Superman says he's only as invulnerable as his most vulnerable friend or ally.
48	* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': [[spoiler:[[ItWasHisSled Ozymandias]]]] convinces Doctor Manhattan that he's giving his acquaintances cancer basically for this purpose.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Fan Works]]
52	* ''Fanfic/ACaptiveLight'': In sequel ''A Fading Hope'', Devimon attempts to inflict this upon T.K. He nearly succeeds after [[spoiler:killing Kari]]; however, when T.K. realizes that [[spoiler:Cody and Matt]] ''might'' be able to survive their injuries if he fights back...
53	* This is [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords Darth Nihilus]]' plan for Jaune in ''Fanfic/JauneArcLordOfHunger''. [[spoiler:After Jaune falls to the Dark Side, Nihilus's spirit instills him with a paranoid fantasy in which everyone is out to steal his Force powers. This makes Jaune prone to lashing out, which is exactly what happens when Pyrrha tries to pull an intervention on him. When he physically hurts Pyrrha, Jaune snaps out of his stupor and is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horrified by what he's done]] to the point where he nearly throws himself over a cliff. In order to escape the feeling of guilt, Jaune resorts to handing Nihilus' ghost full control over his body. This was exactly what Nihilus wanted from the start, as he now has a host through which he can revive himself.]]
54	* ''Fanfic/MutualKillingGameGensokyo'': During the first culprit's execution, Monokuma ensures that they feel despair by [[spoiler:prying open her third eye, enabling her to feel emotions once more... including regret]]. Freshly [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horrified by their actions]], they don't even bother resisting as [[spoiler:a spear goes directly through her heart]].
55	* ''Fanfic/PersonaOneLastPromise'': The [[BigBadEnsemble Harbingers of Death]] attempt this whenever they find a possible member of the SPT, aiming to terrorize and destroy their willpower.
56	* ''Webcomic/ScarletLady'': In "Catalyst/Hawkmoth", Hawkmoth's grand scheme is to convince all of Paris that one of their heroes has already been akumatized and ''murdered'' their partner, causing everyone to fall into despair and become vulnerable to a mass akumatization. When [[spoiler:Ladybug]] acts as a HopeBringer by signaling that the heroes are still alive and fighting back, he's [[VillainousBreakdown utterly FURIOUS]].
57	* In ''Fanfic/ShatteredSkiesTheMorningLights'', [[Anime/SmilePrecure Joker]] wants to pull this on everyone, everywhere, in every universe... [[spoiler:[[OmnicidalManiac before he negates everyone and everything in existence, that is.]]]]
58	* The ''Fanfic/StarlightSeries'' has the Borg Queen attempt to inflict this upon Lilo when she [[spoiler:goes back in time to kill her parents]].
59	* ''Fanfic/WorstCaseScenarioClcman'': The Light aims to break the spirit of all the members of Young Justice in this fashion so that they'll stop interfering with their schemes.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
63	* The Joker in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' uses this tactic, but by simply killing innocent people and cops until it's the people of Gotham who despair and turn on Batman for not giving up and turning himself in.
64	* Bane in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' is all about these. He even explicitly says so.
65	* In ''Film/ThePatriot2000'', the British colonel burns a church with its town inhabitants still inside and pillages towns. When the patriot militia descends upon one of the villages it prompts one of the soldiers who just lost his family to shoot himself in the head.
66	* Kahn tries this in ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'' when Kirk is trapped with his friends underneath miles of solid rock inside a dead satellite (well, dead on the outside, anyway). [[spoiler:Of course, Kirk is simply toying with him; they only need a few hours to repair the ship and beam back up, rather than the several days Spock reported in code.]]
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Literature]]
70	* Frankly, the elaborate revenge undertaken by ''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo'' consists of his putting his enemies through one of these.
71	* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', [[spoiler: a fallen angel did this to Harry, convincing him to kill himself.]]
72	* This is [[BigBad Lord]] [[GodOfEvil Foul's]] stock-in-trade in the ''Literature/ChroniclesOfThomasCovenant''. Unlike many users of this tactic, Foul is actually ''successful'' more often than not; a full list of the characters he has driven or nearly driven past their personal DespairEventHorizon would be far to expansive for this page, but the most notable would be High Lord Kevin in the backstory, whom Foul drove to despair and then convinced to use [[FantasticNuke the Ritual of Desecration]], which ''might'' defeat Foul, but would also wipe out almost all other life in the Land. As it turned out, it ''didn't'' defeat Foul or even really inconvenience him that much, but the bit about "wiping out almost all life in the Land" was entirely accurate, and Kevin died knowing that in his despair he'd destroyed everything he'd loved or fought for- just as Foul planned.
73	* ''Literature/FateStrangeFake'': Jester Karture plans to drive False Assassin to despair by forcing her into a situation where she will have no choice but to kill Tsubaki Kuruoka, an innocent child.
74	* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', the Death Eaters use this at least as a supplemental strategy, striking randomly at civilian targets to foster fear among the populace. Their targets are meant to be the impure and blood traitors, but by their standards that includes everyone who isn't a Death Eater or supporter.
75	* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Once Sauron loses his body, this becomes one of his main tactics. In addition to the more overt MindRape of the Nazgûl and the intimidation tactics used at Pelennor (such as catapulting Gondorian soldiers' heads into the city), he twists the Palantíri so that his enemies gradually lose all hope of vanquishing him. This prompts Saruman to commit a FaceHeelTurn and start collaborating with him, and Denethor to send his own son off to die and commit suicide in the midst of the decisive battle. In the film, Denethor's condition is even worse, such that he refuses even to send for help and even orders his soldiers to abandon their posts.
76	* In the novel ''Literature/MiracleMonday'', TheDevil's agent on Earth tries this on Superman (by trying to trick him into killing an innocent person) hoping to break his spirit (and in turn, the inspiration he provides humanity.) It fails because Superman [[TookAThirdOption just won't do it]].
77	* It eventually becomes clear that this is one of the Dark One's main goals in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': hurt the Dragon personally until he [[FaceHeelTurn turns]] or [[DrivenToSuicide takes himself out]]. In ''The Gathering Storm'', [[spoiler:he succeeds, and Rand almost tries to unmake the world before he snaps out of it]].
78	* In ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', [[spoiler:Skitter]] realizes that since [[spoiler:OmnicidalManiac Scion]] has only just begun to feel human emotions he has no way to cope with his grief. So she throws reminders of what he's lost in his face until he's so bewildered and hurt they're able to take him down.
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
82	* In ''Series/CobraKai'', this becomes Terry Silver's tactic for ruining Daniel's life. He basically infiltrates every aspect of Daniel and Amanda's life, being ''incredibly'' nice, helpful, friendly, accommodating, and sweet, and always with a gigantic smug shit-eating grin on his face. He knows everyone else will [[VillainWithGoodPublicity take it at face value and love him]] while Daniel will go bananas waiting for him to inevitably twist the knife, and that given Daniel's habit of overreacting to things everyone will think ''Daniel'' is the asshole. It works so well that it even ''makes Amanda leave Daniel'' after he attacks Silver at a social event, and Daniel is driven to a pathetic, defeated, drunken mess who has given up fighting Silver for good. Thankfully Jessica Andrews sat Amanda down and explained that no, Daniel is ''not'' overreacting ([[ProperlyParanoid this time]]) and that [[Film/TheKarateKidPartIII she knows from experience]] that Silver really is a dangerous violent sociopath whom she still has nightmares about, while ''Johnny'' of all people sat Daniel down and actually lent him a sympathetic ear, both of which bounce him back good as new.
83	* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
84	** This was Azazel's plan throughout Sam Winchester's entire ''life'', in an attempt to get him to agree to become Lucifer's vessel.
85	** Death brings back Bobby's wife as a zombie so he'll be forced to kill her a second time. Again, this is to break down Sam's support network.
86	[[/folder]]
87
88	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
89	* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' both feature Nurgle, the Chaos God of [[PlagueMaster Pestilence and Despair]]. When mortals watch their loved ones wither from disease, or despair as their bodies bloat and decay from a hideous plague, they turn to Nurgle to escape the terror of their imminent death. Rather than cure them, Nurgle's blessings allow his followers to [[BeneficialDisease survive his disgusting attentions]], [[FeelNoPain free of pain or fear]], by [[DealWithTheDevil trading their immortal souls]] to preserve [[BodyHorror their disfigured and corrupted flesh]]. The process leaves Nurgle's followers with a morbid sense of good humor and eager to lead others into "[[AffablyEvil Grandfather Nurgle's]]" scabrous embrace.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Video Games]]
93	* In ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'', Bodhi tries to pull this on the PlayerCharacter by attempting to kidnap their love interest if they had completed a romance. [[spoiler:The attack fails if you romanced an NPC from the Enhanced Edition, but succeeds with all original four love interests.]] The gambit fails, at least partly because [[spoiler:Charname goes in for a RoaringRampageOfRevenge instead]].
94	* In ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'', several bosses try this on for size. Azmodan is hilariously ineffective at it. Diablo does better, though.
95	* ''VideoGame/EvenForEternia'': Rowan and Dawn manipulate the party into confronting King Callister, who wants to enact genocide on the Umbra. When the party arrives, Dawn outs them in front of Callister so that he'll execute them, resulting in Rubellum accidentally wiping out Kingsridge in her first Despair Shift. This makes Rubellum lose hope in her ideals and give up the Calypso Fragment to Dawn.
96	* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', the ''protagonist'' actually uses this to defeat [[TheDragon Darth Sion]]. His connection to the Force basically makes him invincible, so in order to kill him for good, the player has to convince him to give up that connection willingly and die.
97	* In ''VideoGame/LiveALive'', this is [[spoiler:[[AlwaysSecondBest Streibough's]] plan for surpassing Orested. Given the latter's [[ThenLetMeBeEvil reaction]], it's safe to say it's GoneHorriblyRight]].
98	* In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'', the OmnicidalManiac race known as the White ''dearly'' wish they could just wreck the Yamato Perpetual Reactor and just return Creation to the Nothing it was before to escape God's plans, but they have no real existence to do so; they need a physical proxy to do it. Thus, they pull a massive Despair Gambit involving three {{Alternate Timeline}}s, the forces of Law and Chaos, and four Samurai, hoping that at least once, they will get the champion they need.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
102	* In ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'', Monokuma is a master at this, to the point of despair being his favorite word. His general plan to get the students to kill each other is to utilize motives that crush any thoughts in the students that they can get out of their imprisonment without resorting to murder, like showing videos threatening their loved ones, trying to release their darkest secrets, or starving them until a murder happens. In the end of the first game, he [[spoiler:turns out to be broadcasting footage of the DeadlyGame, in order to inflict this on the ''entire world''. The best-of-the-best students were sheltered at the school to protect them from the chaos of the Tragedy, and seeing them instead pushed into murdering each other would tear apart the hope of the outside world. The villain also directly tries to break the resolve of the remaining students by revealing [[CrapsackWorld the state of the outside world]], but [[HopeBringer Makoto's]] RousingSpeech causes both gambits to ultimately fail]].
103	[[/folder]]
104
105	[[folder:Web Animation]]
106	* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': [[Characters/RWBYSalem Salem's]] ImageSong and her Volume 3 finale speech discuss her plan to destroy humanity by turning them against each other and sinking them into despair. She is determined to ruin Ozpin, stating that her only route to success requires first destroying Ozpin's faith in humanity, which can't be shattered until she has destroyed the hope and optimism his "simple soul" represents; this is implied to be the resolutely optimistic Ruby. [[spoiler:Salem and Ozpin were both made immortal by the gods, she as a punishment for turning humanity against them and he for a mission to redeem humanity. Salem thinks she can end her curse by destroying the planet, which requires Ozpin to give up the fight. Ozpin has been so beaten down by the fear that his task is impossible while Salem lives that he's closer to the DespairEventHorizon than anyone realises. Meanwhile, Ruby has been hiding despair of her own about the people she’s lost, and Salem makes sure to hammer this when speaking to Ruby through a Seer Grimm in Volume 7; this is one of the factors leading to Ruby’s breakdown in Volume 9, although she does ultimately come back from it with a renewed sense of purpose.]]
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Webcomics]]
110	* A pair of pages of ''Webcomic/SuperStupor'' [[http://www.superstupor.com/sust12282010.shtml lampshades the danger of this]]: The villain apparently didn't anticipate that "proving" to a superhero that killing is A-OK ''by killing his girlfriend'' is only a good idea when you're ready to sacrifice your own life in the name of your political statement.
111	-->'''Punchline:''' Which of these is he more likely to say: "My one true love is dead. All good and hope is dead! I will now aid her killer in world conquest." Or: "Well, fuck. Y'know, I always wanted to see if I could pull a nervous system outta someone without tearing it. And look! A volunteer!"
112	[[/folder]]

Context Main / DespairGambit