| 1 | [[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/BatmanTheBlackMirror https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/naaoya_0.jpg]]]] |
| 2 | |
| 3 | ->''"The pain is gone, I've succeeded. I feel strong too. \ |
| 4 | '''''I'm not afraid of you anymore!''''' \ |
| 5 | You won't kill me, I'll make you pay for everything you did to me!!!"'' |
| 6 | -->-- '''Ariel Val'Sarghress''', ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'' [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=470 chapter 8]] |
| 7 | |
| 8 | In fiction, it's common for a character who has been abused or mistreated by another to eventually confront that person in order to move on with their life, and they discover that the person really was never as powerful as they thought and that the abuse they suffered was the result of that person's own issues and insecurities. The abused may even take pity on the person who hurt them and decide that they're NotWorthKilling, and this is often the first step in a HumiliationConga, as well as the culmination of an HourglassPlot where the one-time victim ultimately overpowers their abuser. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | An unpleasant subversion of this takes place when, after being confronted, the abuser turns out to be ''[[VillainousBreakdown even more dangerous]]'' than the abused realized. Unfortunately, this can and does happen in real life. Not all bullies back down when challenged, some are neither cowardly nor insecure, just vicious. A double-subversion occurs if the character still isn't afraid of them after what ever happens afterward. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Compare FaceYourFears and ChallengingTheBully. See also CallingTheOldManOut for a parent-specific variant of this. Not to be confused with ImNotAfraidOfYou, when a threat loses its power (or [[PuffOfLogic disappears entirely]]) once a character is no longer afraid of it, nor GrewASpine where it's more about making one's choices and acting on it rather than standing up to oneself. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | ---- |
| 15 | !!Examples: |
| 16 | |
| 17 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 18 | |
| 19 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 20 | * In ''Anime/DotHackSign'' Tsukasa says he's no longer afraid of Morgana or his [[AbusiveParents father]]. |
| 21 | * ''Manga/ElfenLied'': |
| 22 | ** Brutally done by Lucy to the cruel kids who tormented her for so long after they push her too far by killing her dog in front of her. [[spoiler: She snaps and [[NotEnoughToBury eviscerates]] them all]]. |
| 23 | ** Lucy also does it in the end of manga against [[spoiler:her [[OmnicidalManiac "murderous side"]], in a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind fashion]]. She is interrupted, though... |
| 24 | * In ''Manga/FruitsBasket'', when [[IceKing Yuki]] tells [[RoyallyScrewedUp Akito]] that he forgives him. Although Akito still gets mad and injures Yuki, it's obvious that Yuki doesn't fear him anymore, and since Akito controls the Zodiac through fear, it becomes clear that his power is waning. |
| 25 | * ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': [[spoiler:When Dr. Marcoh finally decides to go face to face with his tormentor Envy, a Homunculus full of Philosopher's Stones, and shows why it's a bad idea to screw with a guy who ''made'' those stones for a living.]] |
| 26 | * In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'', Satoko, with support from Keiichi, Rika, and oh yeah ''the entire village'', [[CallingTheOldManOut confronting her]] [[EvilUncle abusive uncle Teppei]], screaming that she hates him and for him to "GET OUT!!", despite being beaten while doing so. Just when he goes to attack again, [[BigDamnHeroes the police bust in and capture him]]. |
| 27 | * ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'': After Dio Brando [[KickTheDog killed his pet dog]], Jonathan Joestar spent the next twelve years too afraid to stand up to Dio about anything. Once he learns that Dio has been trying to poison his father, Jonathan confronts him. Dio tries to cow him into submission again, but Jonathan will not let Dio intimidate him any longer. He also delivers a ''brutal'' NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to Dio after learning the latter stole his girlfriend Erina's SacredFirstKiss then assaulted her when she insulted him for it; Dio was ''driven to tears'' afterward. |
| 28 | * ''Anime/{{Mnemosyne}}'': A supernatural example. The protagonist Rin is an immortal, and immortals fall into uncontrollable sexual drive when a creature called "angel" is nearby. The villain, who is an angel himself, uses this many times throughout the series to humiliate Rin but in the very end, [[spoiler:Rin evolves into an immortal angelic being herself and sends the villain himself into uncontrollable sexual lust for her in their final confrontation]]. |
| 29 | * In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', protagonist Izuku Midoriya undergoes a class trial wherein he must fight his childhood bully, Katsuki Bakugou. Having gone through [[RenownedSelectiveMentor All Might's]] training, Izuku now has the confidence to tell Katsuki that he's not afraid of him any more during their forced confrontation. |
| 30 | * ''Manga/NurseAngelRirikaSOS'': [[spoiler:Dewey]] still refers to Baros as "Baros-sama" even after taking a HeelFaceTurn and is still intimated by him. It takes a while for him to drop the honorific and shake his fear and servility towards his BigBad ex-boss. When he [[FaceYourFears confronts his fear]] he [[TookALevelInBadass becomes a bigger threat than before]]. |
| 31 | * ''Manga/OnePiece'': |
| 32 | ** Prior to the start of the story, Koby suffered 2 years under Alvida's thumb as her choreboy, always having to reassure the wretched pirate of her nonexistent beauty out of fear of brutal retaliation. After meeting Luffy, he gains the courage to finally call her out. Though Alvida prepares to make short work of him after this, Luffy steps in and quickly knocks her down. |
| 33 | --->'''Koby''': You're the most... ''ugliest'' thing on the sea!! [...] I'm leaving and I'm gonna join the Marines! Then I'm going to spend the rest of my life beating up dirty pirates like you. [...] I'm gonna do what I want. And no one's gonna stop me! And when I join the Marines, [...] I'm gonna catch ''your'' lousy ass '''first'''!! |
| 34 | ** Twenty years before the Wano Country arc, [[WorldsStrongestMan Kaido]] of [[TheDreaded the Four Emperors]] killed Kozuki Oden, burned his castle and traumatized his son Momonosuke, who has had nightmares about Kaido ever since. During the Onigashima War, Shinobu uses her Devil Fruit ability to age him 20 years, which consequently matures his dragon transformation. After carrying Luffy back to Onigashima, a transformed Momonosuke bites Kaido's own dragon form in rage, which causes Kaido moderate pain. Luffy then asks Momonosuke if there's anything in the world that can scare him after having bitten an Emperor of the Sea; realizing [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu the magnitude of what he just did]], Momonosuke confidently responds that "there isn't". |
| 35 | * ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'': For years, Anthy was psychologically and sexually abused [[spoiler:by her brother, Akio,]] into a meek, subservient woman, whose only purpose is to be TheScapegoat and a dueling prize anyone else can use/abuse at their leisure. That is, until she met Utena, who tries her damndest to free her. [[spoiler:By the end, Anthy finally gathers the courage to break herself free of the cycle of abuse, [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech telling off Akio for his toxic behavior]] and putting her signature glasses (the symbol of her meekness) on his desk, then leaves Akio behind forever as he futilely tries to call her back]]. |
| 36 | * ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'': In Season II of the manga, Tsukune is not very effective against Kuyou during their rematch, and Ruby realizes it's because Tsukune recalls how Kuyou nearly killed him before, so he's subconsciously retreating in fear. But then Ruby jumps into the way of his final blow, and Kuyou gleefully tells him that Fang-Fang and Yukari had been killed by Gairen, another subdivision leader, and actively taunts him over his weaknesses and how much he wants him to suffer in fear and despair before he kills him. At this, Tsukune manages to overcome his fear, effortlessly repelling Kuyou's attack before turning the tables on him. |
| 37 | -->'''Tsukune''': I don't have time for this. I've got friends to protect. [[BadassBoast Beat it, Kuyou. Or I'll slay you where you stand]]. |
| 38 | * ''Literature/{{Sukisho}}'': Sora does this to Aizawa in the last episode, the guy who was responsible for torturing him and Sunao throughout their childhood, after being terrified of him for so long. |
| 39 | [[/folder]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 42 | * ''ComicBook/XMen'': |
| 43 | ** In ''ComicBook/ExcaliburMarvelComics'', Wolfsbane verbally confronts Reverend Craig, the abusive pastor who raised her and later tried to kill her when she was revealed as a mutant. She reduces him to tears by revealing that she knows he was her biological father and that her mother was a prostitute (with the implication that she could ruin him by making that information public). |
| 44 | ** In a ''ComicBook/XForce2008'' storyline, Craig does turn out to be more dangerous. Unfortunately, he picks a bad time to show it: Wolfsbane has been brainwashed and has no fear response at all. [[spoiler:She kills and eats him.]] |
| 45 | * In ''{{ComicBook/Fray}}'' (a spinoff of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''), our eponymous heroine breaks down and is unable to fight the first time she is confronted by the vampire that killed her brother. The second time, she just tosses aside her weapon and gets ready. [[spoiler: Subverted when her sister crushes him with a car.]] And Fray comments she was about to get her ass kicked. |
| 46 | [[/folder]] |
| 47 | |
| 48 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 49 | * ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has a couple by the sequel. |
| 50 | ** Harry, regarding Voldemort, by the sequel because he's faced and beaten so much worse. However, he is quickly reminded that while Voldemort can't take ''him'' in a straight fight, others he cares for aren't so fortunate. Even still, though, his attitude is more 'I won't take him lightly' than actual fear. On a lighter note, he isn't the slightest bit fazed by Snape. |
| 51 | ** [[spoiler:Maddie]] in the sequel, finally confronting Sinister after her psychic conditioning and triggers have been purged, realizing that she is ''free'' and he has no power over her anymore - which greatly unnerves him, because she is significantly more powerful than he is. She might have gone further, but Doctor Strange had a score to settle and got there first. |
| 52 | * ''Fanfic/CodexEquus'': |
| 53 | ** After being freed from her own mind and witnessing the death of [[CoolUncle Mr. Penguin]] in a HeroicSacrifice, young [[VideoGame/DreamingMary Rosy Dreams]] finally gathers up the courage to stand up to '[[AnimalisticAbomination The Chaser]]', who frequently trapped, terrorized, and abused her since his creation, and kills him with a burst of psychic energy. |
| 54 | ** After spending his entire mortal life and much of his post-life existence fearing his [[AbusiveParents violent drunkard father]], Moon Ray Vaughoof finally [[FaceYourFears gathers the courage to confront Sunny Mane's damned spirit in the Hell-Realms]] thanks to the Trimortidae's encouragement, and [[{{Forgiveness}} forgives him]]. He even makes it clear to Sunny Mane that he's only forgiving him because he wants to be free of his father's influence. This moment is what allows him to Ascend to demi-godhood. However, it's subverted as while he may have forgiven Sunny Mane, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome he still holds lingering trauma from his foalhood abuse]], such as his fear of being yelled at. Fortunately, he would get over this thanks to his adoptive family and Mentálne. |
| 55 | ** When Prince Healing Song confronts a resurrected War Rock (who abused, gaslit, and raped him as a mortal in the Second Age) during the 'Dark Ages Crisis' to save some hostages (including his friends), he's [[OhCrap understandably terrified]] and is initially frozen in place out of fear while War Rock [[IShallTauntYou taunts him]]. But when War Rock offers to spare him in exchange for becoming one of his "[[SexSlave brides]]", he is roused enough to give a [[LightEmUp light-coated hoof]] to War Rock's face, [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom sending his tormentor flying]] and ''leaving a burn mark where he hit him''. Then, when War Rock calls him a "weak little cripple", he angrily declares that he refuses to be a victim any longer, completely restoring his sickly physical divine form and becoming powerful enough to force War Rock into a retreat. |
| 56 | ---> '''Prince Healing Song:''' ''(roaring)'' I am not weak! I am not a cripple! I am ''PRINCE HEALING SONG!'' And I won't be your victim '''''ANYMORE!''''' |
| 57 | ** Blue Suede Heartstrings was so beaten down by Hollow Note's abuse that despite breaking free of him, he never really recovered from his ordeals until well into the Fourth Age. After recovering from his PTSD and becoming a Prince, however, Blue Suede visited Hollow Note's damned shade in Malus Manes' Hell-Realms just so he could give his ex-manager a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech for being the pathetic, greedy, and cowardly wretch he truly is, and left Hollow Note [[VillainousBreakdown frothing at the mouth in sheer rage]]. When Hollow Note [[BackFromTheDead comes back]] as a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Wraith]] in the 'Dark Ages Crisis' thanks to [[PsychopathicManchild Mistletoe Dreamer]], Blue Suede has become completely willing to kill his ex-manager (and actually does so) to prevent him from killing his younger self during Mistletoe's TimeCrash. |
| 58 | ** Due to enduring horrific abuse and indoctrination at the hooves of Godly Brand, Hol Horse feared for his own life to the point where, after betraying Godly Brand, he had a panic attack over the thought of fighting his ex-boss and losing. However, thanks to the Stardust Crusaders' encouragement and support, Hol Horse not only survives Godly Brand's attempts to kill him during the FinalBattle, but also uses [[TimeMaster time magic]] for the first time by [[TimeStandsStill temporally freezing his ex-boss]], and [[DePower stripping The World of its own time-stopping power]] [[spoiler:after awakening his memories of his true divine self]], robbing Godly Brand of his biggest advantage. Even better, he calls Godly Brand's depowering his "payment" for his services as a [[ProfessionalKiller Tarot Assassin]]. |
| 59 | ---> '''Godly Brand:''' Wha- What the hell?!\ |
| 60 | '''Hol Horse:''' Y'know, it’s funny how evil Stand users often talk a big game moments before gettin' their flanks kicked... Guess ye ain't an exception after all.\ |
| 61 | '''Godly Brand:''' What are you doing?! Hol Horse!\ |
| 62 | '''Hol Horse:''' Godly Brand, real name Dio Brando, Ah'm takin' The World's time from ya as payment fer mah services! '''''OUR CONTRACT IS OVER!''''' |
| 63 | * ''Webcomic/DragonBallZElsewhere'': Kyonshi kills Yamcha's first Martial Arts master and then defeats him even after training under Karin. When faced again with him, however, Yamcha is fresh after 6 months of intense chamber plus whatever power he amassed up until the Android saga. As a result, he can easily overpower Kyonshi, one punch (far from his full power) is more than enough. Yamcha is about to eliminate him but then ponders whether Goku's combat prowess is, more than his race, his compassionate heart. So he spares Kyonshi and tells him to GoAndSinNoMore. |
| 64 | * ''FanFic/GettingBackOnYourHooves'': [[spoiler:During their final BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind, [[BigBad Checker Monarch]] takes on the form of an Ursa Major, knowing that Trixie is terrified of Ursas. However, after gaining some encouragement from her friends, Trixie is able to confront Checker, stating that while she may be afraid of Ursas, she's no longer afraid of ''her''. Trixie then proceeds to kick Checker's ass.]] |
| 65 | * In the ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' fic ''[[https://phantomrose96.tumblr.com/post/162904398327/the-handling-of-ash The Handling of Ash]]'', which takes place after their unauthorized fight, Bakugou suspects that Midoriya isn't afraid of him anymore. His attempts to make Izuku fear him again backfire, as Izuku doesn't flinch, and ends up [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech admitting that he's far more concerned]] that Katsuki, unlike him, has no idea how to deal with ''failure''. And that as heroes, they have to be able to deal with the times where they can't save everyone. |
| 66 | -->'''Izuku:''' "You don't know how to handle failure, so you just keep on saying you won't fail, you won't fail, and that's an impossible way to live. I'm better than you at that—I'm better at failing, Kacchan. If I'm a low-ranked hero, if some of my missions fail, if I'm injured so badly I have to retire, I know I could endure it. My dreams are as strong as yours, Kacchan, but I also know how to keep going if those get crushed. I'm strong like that, Kacchan. Stronger than you. I'm afraid that you’d just break."\ |
| 67 | ''[he steps out, glancing back at Bakugou's pale face]''\ |
| 68 | "I'm not afraid of you, Kacchan. I'm only afraid for you." |
| 69 | * Ella says this to her stepmother in ''WesternAnimation/HappilyNeverAfter''. |
| 70 | * During the FinalBattle of ''FanFic/InnerDemons'', [[spoiler:[[{{Deuteragonist}} Apple Bloom]] realizes that [[TrueFinalBoss the Darkness]] is feeding off of Twilight Sparkle's fear of it in order to grow strong enough to possess her again. Apple Bloom, who has been afraid of her destiny to fight the Darkness because she's meant to die during the fight, fights it anyway to protect Twilight and all of Equestria. Overcoming her fear helps Twilight overcome her own fears, and together they defeat the Darkness.]] |
| 71 | * The sequel to ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' fic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13674619/1/The-Lard-House The Lard House]] titled...[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13829929/1/The-Loud-House The Loud House]] takes place 10 years ahead of canon. While meeting Luan again for the first time in years, Hank and Hawk stumble upon the two and try to both hit on Luan and resume picking on Lincoln again. However, Lincoln didn't stop aging over those ten years and has grown to be 6'2 and built like a brick house. When they try to beat him up again he easily manhandles them and tells them he's not the little boy half their size anymore. |
| 72 | * {{Downplayed}} in ''Fanfic/LeaveForMendeleiev'': Marinette does her best to stand her ground when her long-time bully Chloe corners her at a party and delivers a BreakingSpeech, but later admits that she was having difficulty standing up to it before others came to her aid. Mainly because Adrien tried to convince them '''not''' to help her because she was supposedly 'handling it just fine on her own' and he was [[SkewedPriorities more concerned about]] ''Chloe'' getting upset than he was ''Marinette''. |
| 73 | * ''Fanfic/LightOfTheMoon'': Varian had been kept from telling Rapunzel the truth about why Gothel brought him to the tower (which would also indirectly reveal that ''she'' was kidnapped, too) under threat of Gothel killing Quirin. Due to this threat, he also couldn't confront Gothel about how horrible a person she is (Rapunzel was convinced she was a good person but Varian always [[FauxAffablyEvil saw through her disguise]]. [[spoiler:When Rapunzel learns that she's the lost princess, both she and Varian tear into Gothel for kidnapping them and lying to them (or, at least, Rapunzel) for years.]] |
| 74 | * PlayedForLaughs in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines''. During a tournament in the Battle Dome, James looks at the camera and yells to his [[AbusiveParents parents]], in case they're watching, that he's not afraid of them suing him for libel. |
| 75 | * ''Fanfic/TheRavensPlan'' sees Tywin Lannister receive this from ''all of Westeros'' post-Remembering. Thanks to a combination of him and his family members pissing everyone else off in the previous timeline, and another, infinitely more dangerous threat on the horizon, everyone, from King Robert to the Starks to the Tyrells to even his own family have lost any fear they once had for Tywin, to the point that if it weren't for the Others (aforementioned threat), they'd all ally with each other to wipe House Lannister (or at least him) off the map. This culminates in Tyrion usurping his authority as Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West within a couple of hours with Kevan and Genna's help, and locking Tywin in his own room. |
| 76 | * ''Fanfic/TheStarsWillAidTheirEscape'': [[spoiler:Twilight and company ultimately feel this way about [[BigBad Herald/Nyarlathotep]], who they're facing in his [[OneWingedAngel true form]], as by this point, he's pretty much [[BreakTheCutie done everything he could to them]], so they have nothing more to fear from him that they haven't already faced. This is unfortunate for Herald, who was banking on them being too afraid of him killing them to blast him point blank with the Elements.]] |
| 77 | --->[[spoiler:"What was there to be afraid of, that it hadn't [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow already shown her]]?"]] |
| 78 | * ''Fanfic/VillainSongRovingOtter'': Downplayed with Asha, who still feels a pang of nervousness going near Magnifico but steels herself to confront him by reminding herself that he’s in chains and can’t possibly threaten her, along with some encouragement from Valentino. |
| 79 | * ''Fanfic/WitchingHour'': By the midpoint of the story, ''everyone'' stops fearing Gaz and becomes eager to punish her once evidence starts to mount that points to her being a witch, their mob mentality overriding the respect and protection she's usually deferred by her royal status. |
| 80 | [[/folder]] |
| 81 | |
| 82 | [[folder:Films -- Animated]] |
| 83 | * The eponymous ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}'' says this before unleashing her fury on Rasputin. |
| 84 | * The end of ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'' has the ants realizing they kind of outnumber the grasshoppers a million to one, and suddenly they're not so afraid anymore and ZergRush the grasshoppers. Unfortunately, this is the subversive type, as it causes Hopper to have [[VillainousBreakdown a breakdown]]. What makes this worse is that [[GenreSavvy he already]] ''[[GenreSavvy knows]]'' [[GenreSavvy the ants outnumber the grasshoppers]] and that it could have serious consequences for the latter if the former figured that out, and thus must be kept in their place. |
| 85 | * At the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheAntBully'' Lucas is not afraid of the bully anymore after his experiences with the ants. |
| 86 | * In ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc1'', Boo confronts Randall, the monster in charge of scaring her, when he [[spoiler:tries to push Sulley off a door suspended hundreds of feet in the air.]] |
| 87 | --> "She's not afraid of you anymore. Looks like you're out of a job." |
| 88 | ** This trope serves as the backbone of the plot; Monstropolis gets its power from the screams of human children. When a child proves to be unafraid of a monster, the door to their bedroom is destroyed. In the movie proper, there's an energy shortage happening because children are becoming harder to scare. [[spoiler: Waternoose and Randall develop the Scream Extractor for this reason, planning to kidnap children and suck their screams out directly. Luckily, Sulley at the end realizes that laughter is ten times more powerful than screams, and changes the company appropriately.]] |
| 89 | * A subversion happens in ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'': tired of running, Patrick Star decides to confront Dennis, the vicious bounty hunter that has been chasing them during the movie...only to be smacked by him. |
| 90 | * A downplayed version occurs in ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast''. Belle chastises the abusive Beast for losing his temper - and is surprised when he meekly accepts her words. She's still frightened of him, but she's learned that he's not nearly as impenetrable as he tried to make her believe. After this scene, she becomes much more confident around him. |
| 91 | * In ''WesternAnimation/ChickenRun'', Mr. Tweedy discovers that the chickens have stolen his tools to build an airplane to escape. Up to this point, he has managed to foil every one of their previous escape attempts and makes an example of them by imprisoning their ringleader, Ginger. This time, as they stare in fear at him, Ginger suddenly screams "ATTACK!" and [[ZergRush the chickens all rush Mr. Tweedy and capture him]]. |
| 92 | -->'''Mr. Tweedy:''' ''(calling out to his wife)'' The chickens are revolting!\ |
| 93 | '''Mrs. Tweedy:''' ''(not paying attention)'' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Finally, something we agree on.]] |
| 94 | * In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/JetsonsTheMovie'', as the Jetsons finally discover that Spacely's Sprockets has been destroying the Grungies' home, George Jetson is horrified that his boss, Mr. Spacely, whom would do such a thing and that he had been helping him all along [[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity for fear of losing his job]]. At that moment, Spacely himself, obsessed with making sprockets at a fraction of the cost on Earth not matter what, arrives to push the BigRedButton that activates the machine, unaware that the Grungies or George's family and friends are down there. The drilling causes further damage to the Grungies that also directly threatens George's family and friends as well, with George's son Elroy barely escaping being buried alive by a rockslide. When he sees how much danger his family and friends are in from Spacely's greed, George decides to [[CallingTheOldManOut directly confront his boss about it]] and shut the plant down. |
| 95 | -->'''Spacely:''' I never should've put that dummy Jetson in charge of an operation this important. When I get home, I'll get a new vice president.\ |
| 96 | ''(George, his family and friends all appear behind him, looking quite displeased)''\ |
| 97 | '''George:''' ''(angrily)'' [[ImStandingRightHere You've already]] ''[[ImStandingRightHere got]]'' [[ImStandingRightHere a vice president.]]\ |
| 98 | '''Spacely:''' Jetson?\ |
| 99 | '''George:''' ''(walking up to the button to shut down the plant)'' That's right, Mr. Spacely, that "dummy" George Jetson.\ |
| 100 | '''Spacely:''' What do you think you're doing?\ |
| 101 | '''George:''' Turning off the plant before you do any more damage!\ |
| 102 | '''Spacely:''' ''(blocking the button from George)'' Stay away from this button! That's an order!\ |
| 103 | '''George:''' No, sir, Mr. Spacely!\ |
| 104 | '''Spacely:''' [[BigWhat WHAT?!?!]]\ |
| 105 | '''George:''' I said, [[PunctuatedForEmphasis "No! SIR! Mr. Spacely!"]] ''(everyone cheers)'' [[IAlwaysWantedToSayThat By gosh, that felt good.]] |
| 106 | ** And when Spacely still blocks the button, George has to go into the machine itself to shut it down from the inside out. |
| 107 | * ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'': [[spoiler:What ultimately saves Puss from [[TheGrimReaper Death's fury]] isn't that he disarmed him, it's that Death realizes Puss no longer fears him or his end and is [[CharacterDevelopment no longer]] the arrogant little legend who thought he was immortal.]] |
| 108 | -->'''[[spoiler:Death]]:''' What's the matter? [[MyLifeFlashedBeforeMyEyes Lives flashing before your eyes?]]\ |
| 109 | '''Puss:''' [[LittleNo ...No.]] Just one. [[TiredOfRunning I'm]] ''[[TiredOfRunning done]]'' [[TiredOfRunning running]].\ |
| 110 | ''(picks up his sword)''\ |
| 111 | '''Puss:''' ''[[HesBack Fear me, if you dare!]]'' |
| 112 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'': Gothel has emotionally manipulated Rapunzel her entire life, refusing to let her leave the tower even to go outside, and gaslighting her into believing that it's only Gothel that protects her from the world. By the end, however, [[spoiler:[[CharacterDevelopment not only has Rapunzel gained enough confidence in herself]], but she learns that Gothel kidnapped her from her real parents when she was a baby.]] These things combined are enough to allow Rapunzel to finally stand up to Gothel... But unfortunately, this trope is played realistically. Someone who's spent nearly two decades being possessive and controlling doesn't stop being possessive and controlling just because their victim GrewASpine. |
| 113 | * ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'': Meilin has spent her entire childhood being "perfect little Mei-Mei" for her [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents overly]] [[MyBelovedSmother doting mother]], Ming. She feels that she can only truly be herself around her friends, who are the first ones to treat Mei's panda transformation as something cool and not a curse. As the movie goes on, Mei learns that, unlike the previous women in her family, she ''likes'' having her powers. [[spoiler:It culminates in her standing up to her mother by choosing to keep the panda spirit and go to the concert with her friends rather than go through with the cleansing ceremony. Unfortunately, [[ItMakesSenseInContext this causes a kaiju to attack a boy band and a stadium full of preteens...]]]] |
| 114 | [[/folder]] |
| 115 | |
| 116 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 117 | * The 1980s all-star version of ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'' has Alice shouting this at the Jabberwocky. |
| 118 | * In the backstory of the teacher in ''Film/PayItForward''. However, [[spoiler:it ends badly for him as his own (abusive) father decides to hit him with a 4x4 when his back is turned and then set him on fire]]. |
| 119 | * At the end of the original ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'', Nancy defeats Freddy for good when she turns her back on him, saying "You're nothing. You're shit." When Freddy tries to hurt her, he instead melts away into nothing, and the people he killed come back to life, implying that his power was dependent on his victims' fear of him. Then [[spoiler: it turns out that Freddy's NotQuiteDead in a DiabolusExMachina ending.]] |
| 120 | * Parodied in the comedy-horror film ''Film/{{House}}'' (the one from TheEighties, not the new film of the same name) when William Katt suddenly realizes that not being afraid of the villain will dispel all his power. Of course, when you're [[Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero William Katt]], nothing can scare you. |
| 121 | * At the end of ''Film/SpaceJam'', the Monstars are being thoroughly berated by their boss, Mr. Swackhammer, [[SoreLoser for having lost the big basketball game that would've given him permanent control over the]] WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes. When Michael Jordan asks the Monstars why they put up with this kind of abuse, the Monstars reply: [[spoiler:"He's '''bigger'''..." ''*there is a pregnant pause, then the Monstars grin wickedly as they realize the truth of their situation* '' "...bigger than we '''used to be'''." They then stuff Mr. Swackhammer into a rocket and launch it, sending him back to Moron Mountain alone.]] |
| 122 | * ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'': Sarah comes to this realization as Jareth is trying to seduce her with power, realizing she was in a MustBeInvited gambit, giving her the strength to defeat him simply by refusing his offers. |
| 123 | -->'''Sarah:''' Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City. [[BadassBoast For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great]]... You have no power over me. |
| 124 | * James shouts this at the "rhino" in the film version of ''Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach''. |
| 125 | * ''Film/{{Matilda}}'': After a lifetime of living under The Trunchbull's thumb, Miss Honey ''finally'' stands up to her. "I am NOT seven years old anymore, [[spoiler: Aunt]] Trunchbull!" |
| 126 | * In ''Film/DropDeadFred'', Lizzie Cronin is convinced to finally scream this at the mental representation of her domineering mother Polly. |
| 127 | * The heroine of ''Film/BloodSimple'' has this confrontation with a dying VillainProtagonist [[MistakenIdentity she thinks]] is her husband. |
| 128 | -->'''Abby''': I'm not afraid of you, Marty.\ |
| 129 | '''Visser''': ([[TheHyena laughing]]) Well ma'am, if I see him, I'll be sure to give him the message. |
| 130 | * ''Film/FantasticFourRiseOfTheSilverSurfer'' has a variation of this. The Surfer [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters turns against his master]], Galactus, and says "I will no longer serve". |
| 131 | * Pulled by Josh in ''Film/{{Insidious}}'' against the demonic old lady who had been stalking him and trying to take over his body since childhood. [[spoiler: It doesn't work.]] To go into specifics, he [[spoiler: stays behind for several minutes in the Further so he can [[IShallTauntYou taunt her about it]], which leads to her simply hijacking his real-world body while he's distracted and ''very nearly'' leads to a separate demon possessing his son.]] |
| 132 | * In ''Film/{{District 9}}'', Wikus spends most of his time running from his former employers and Nigerian gang lords, who all want him dead. Then comes his RoaringRampageOfRevenge, which is interspersed by him yelling he's not afraid of them. This is an instance of this trope where he has not truly overcome his fear; he actually ''is'' afraid of them, [[ColdBloodedTorture and for good reason]], but has simply become TheBerserker at this point, and [[spoiler: has an alien MiniMecha to help him]]. |
| 133 | * The Film/HarryPotter movie series: |
| 134 | ** In ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', Voldemort, who has just reclaimed a physical body, wants to duel Harry in the graveyard of Little Haggleton. As he calls out Harry, Harry, who is hiding behind a tombstone, is clearly afraid for his life. But, since he knows there is no way out, he basically swallows his fear and comes out to face off with his parents' killer. "Fine, have it your way." [[spoiler: It is this courage that carries him through the rest of the series.]] |
| 135 | ** Taken further in ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' when Voldemort tries to possess Harry, and Harry forces him out. |
| 136 | --->'''Harry''': ''You're'' the weak one. And you'll never know love. Or friendship. ''And I feel sorry for you!'' |
| 137 | ** In ''[[Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows – Part 2]]'', prior to the Battle of Hogwarts, Professor [=McGonagall=] suggests to Professor Flitwick to refer Voldemort by his name instead of You-Know-Who because "he (Voldemort) is going to kill them either way". |
| 138 | * ''Film/{{Scream 3}}'': In the beginning, Sidney is revealed to be living as a recluse, convinced it is the only way to stay safe from psychotic killers from coming after her, and killing those around her. She lives in the middle of nowhere, locks and sets an alarm on her gate before locking and setting the alarm for her house. In the end [[spoiler: she leaves her gate open behind her, and doesn't set the alarm for her house. When the wind blows the door open, she looks at it and walks away.]] |
| 139 | * ''Film/TheHangover'': In the first film of the trilogy, Stu is in a relationship with a shrill, controlling woman named Melissa. Despite the fact that Melissa mistreats Stu constantly and has even cheated on him, Stu makes excuses for her behavior and defends her when his friends point out how badly she treats him. At the end of the film, Stu finally decides that he's had enough and berates Melissa in front of an entire wedding party before dumping her. |
| 140 | * In ''Film/{{Deewaar}}'', the fear of this happening motivates the racketeers to come down hard on anyone refusing to pay. |
| 141 | -->"Today one man refused to pay. Tomorrow two, and so on." |
| 142 | * ''Film/It2017'': When Beverly's {{abusive|Parents}} father escalates to the point of an AttemptedRape, she snaps, brains him with a toilet seat, and becomes fearless enough to stare down the titular EldritchAbomination. She never speaks the words to her father, but when It takes her father's form to demoralize her, she screams in rage and rams a spike through Its head. |
| 143 | ** Which nicely foreshadows ''Film/ItChapterTwo'' [[spoiler:and how they finally defeat the titular creature. Figuring out that the creature draws power from fear and is bound to the rules of the form it takes, they manage to reduce it to a weak, helpless, half-melted infant-like clown by repeatedly telling it (and themselves) that it's "nothing but a stupid fucking clown" that they're not afraid of and ultimately rip its heart out, killing it for good, while it weakly tries to convince them (and itself) that it's "the eater of worlds"]]. |
| 144 | * ''Film/DriveACrookedRoad'': The newfound confidence Eddie experiences from dating Barbara gives him the courage to stand up to his bullying workmate Phil, and tell him: |
| 145 | -->''My name is not Shorty. It's Eddie.'' |
| 146 | * When Elizabeth first meets the cursed Jack the Monkey in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'', she's rightly terrified of the skeletonized monkey as it pops up in her face. The second time she encounters him, however, she initially jumps due to being startled by his sudden appearance, but then gives him a DeathGlare. The monkey's face visibly falls in an OhCrap expression, and when we next see him, he's landing crotch-first on one of the cannons before falling into the water, having apparently been thrown over the rail by Elizabeth. |
| 147 | * For most of ''Film/TyrannosClaw'', a massive T-Rex terrorizes a group of tribespeople, forcing the tribe to abduct captives to be sacrificed for the T-Rex's meals until the latest captive, the film's hero, shows the tribe the T-Rex is afraid of fire. The entire tribe then retaliates and fights back against the dinosaur who had enslaved them for decades, now that they know its weakness. |
| 148 | * Used for triumphant effect in ''Film/NineToFive'', when Doralee--who's put up with her lecherous boss's hitting on her for months for fear of getting fired--discovers that he's been claiming that they're having an affair. Doralee promptly tells him ''exactly'' what she'll do if he so much as thinks of harassing her again: |
| 149 | -->'''Doralee''': Look, I've been straight with you from the first day I got here. And I've put up with all your pinchin' and starin' and chasin' me around the desk because I ''need'' this job. But THIS IS THE LAST STRAW!...I've got a gun out there in my purse. And up to now, I've been forgivin' and forgettin' because of the way I was brought up. But I'll tell you one thing: if you ''ever'' say another word about me or make another indecent proposal, I'm gonna get that gun of mine...and I'm gonna [[GroinAttack change you from a rooster to a hen with ONE SHOT!]] |
| 150 | [[/folder]] |
| 151 | |
| 152 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 153 | * Kethry in Creator/MercedesLackey's ''[[Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar Vows and Honor]]'' series was forced into marriage as a child and raped by a rather unpleasant guy, which left her emotionally scarred. Years later, she winds up being captured again by him... ''after'' she's gone and become an extremely powerful sorceress. When he comes to see her and torment her again she realizes just how pathetic he is and ends up scaring the bejeezus out of him so that ''he'' runs away from ''her''. |
| 154 | * Lale goes through this in her FinalBattle in ''Literature/TheAssassinsOfTamurin'' |
| 155 | * ''Literature/{{Wicked}}'' |
| 156 | --> '''Glinda:''' Don't be afraid, Elphie. |
| 157 | --> '''Elphaba:''' I'm not afraid... It's the Wizard who should be afraid of me. |
| 158 | * At the end of ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'', Susan Sto Helit unleashes a Not Afraid Of You Anymore speech on [[PsychoForHire Jonathan]] [[PsychopathicManChild Teatime]] as only a [[BadassBookworm badass governess]] can. |
| 159 | ** Subverted in the same book for Teatime's wizard associate, who gets all fired up to invoke this trope on the vision of his childhood bully: after all, he's a grown man now, so surely he can scare off some pesky kid. [[spoiler: Too late, he realizes that he himself has become a little boy again...]] |
| 160 | ** From ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'': "I did not throw you far enough!" |
| 161 | ** Rincewind has a similar mental confrontation with the Great Spell inside his head in ''Literature/TheLightFantastic'', lambasting it for ruining his life [[spoiler: and then being too scared to help him against Trymon in the end]]. |
| 162 | ** In ''Literature/TheTruth'', William De Worde has a brilliant moment of this with his father, after saying "Men like my father are bullies and they're the worst kind because they aren't cowards and if you stand up to them they only hit you harder." Granted William had a vampire for backup, but he didn't know that. |
| 163 | * In Creator/DanAbnett's Literature/GauntsGhosts novel ''Only In Death'', Larkin is haunted by apparitions of the (dead) psychopathic killer Cuu. At the end, he defies him and declares he is joining the real Ghosts to die with them. The apparition vanishes. |
| 164 | * {{Invoked| Trope}} and then {{Subverted| Trope}} in the ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' series. The witch Senna asks her half-sister if she's afraid of her. April, who the narrative makes clear ''is'' very much afraid, attempts to tell her the words of this trope. Senna's response is to use her powers to open the gateway between Everworld and the Old World, and then shove her sister's head through it. |
| 165 | -->'''Senna:''' So much for 'maybe.' |
| 166 | * In ''[[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire A Game of Thrones]]'', Daenerys comes to realize that her unstable, abusive older brother Viserys is truly a weak coward who no longer has the power to hurt her. |
| 167 | -->''He was a pitiful thing. He had always been a pitiful thing. Why had she never seen that before? There was a hollow place inside her where her fear had been.'' |
| 168 | * In ''[[Franchise/WarcraftExpandedUniverse Warcraft]]: Literature/LordOfTheClans'', Thrall experiences this when he confronts Blackmore, his abusive foster father. He reflects on how he had been afraid of him and worshiped him when in the end he was only a miserable wreck. |
| 169 | * In ''[[VideoGame/StarCraft Uprising]]'', Kerrigan confronts Rumm, the officer who had abused her for a decade. She escapes captivity and deep-fries his brain with her powers giving him a long-overdue KarmicDeath |
| 170 | * For the early books of ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', [[TheChosenOne Rand]] is haunted by and in mortal fear of his EvilCounterpart [[TheAntichrist Ishamael]]. [[spoiler: In the last book of the series, Rand confronts Moridin- Ishamael in a new body- once again, this time after an epiphany that set him on the right path to fulfilling his destiny. Rand realizes that he and Moridin both stared into the abyss, but Moridin fell into nihilism and madness where Rand managed to overcome it. Seeing his enemy at last for what he truly is- a hollow shell of a man who would [[DeathSeeker destroy himself]] [[OmnicidalManiac and take reality with him]] rather than face the prospect of existing any longer- Rand expresses his amazement that he ever feared him, and tells Moridin that he's nothing more than an obstacle between Rand and [[GodOfEvil the Dark One]].]] |
| 171 | * In ''Literature/ShadowOfTheConqueror,'' Lyrah expresses this sentiment after she [[spoiler: confronts Daylen and gets her ExtremeMeleeRevenge, as she overcame her fear of him and proved to herself that she wasn't weak or helpless, anymore.]] |
| 172 | * ''Literature/TheAsteriskWar'': [[BadassAdorable Kirin Toudou]] allows herself to be pushed around and used as a tool by her EvilUncle Koichiro to become the top-ranked student at Seidoukan Academy and also to rescue her father until she learns from [[TheHero Ayato]] that she can find her own way. Kirin finally stands up for herself, stunning Koichiro in the process. And when Koichiro attempts to control Kirin again, [[StudentCouncilPresident Claudia]] threatens to ruin his career, giving him an extra incentive to leave Kirin alone. |
| 173 | * ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Part of [[Characters/HarryPotterHarryJamesPotter Harry's]] maturation is his relationship with the Dursleys. In the early books, he feared earning their ire, particularly Vernon's, and gave them all a respectful berth whenever possible. However, as the series goes on and Harry survives countless dangerous situations and grows as a wizard, his fear of his abusive family becomes increasingly nonexistent. A good example would be in the final book, where he refuses Vernon's rude demand for him to sit down until his uncle adds a strained "please." |
| 174 | [[/folder]] |
| 175 | |
| 176 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 177 | * ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': |
| 178 | ** In "Spare That Rod!", a temporarily humbled Mr. Conklin tries to curry favor with his students and faculty - after being tricked into thinking his job was hanging by a thread for being "flagrantly dictatorial". Miss Brooks, Mr. Boynton, Walter Denton, and Stretch Snodgrass take advantage of this to present him with a petition. Mr. Conklin, again assured that his job is safe, shouts them out of his office. |
| 179 | ** In "Marinated Hearing", Miss Brooks decides to tell off a temporarily deaf Mr. Conklin. Unfortunately for Miss Brooks, Mr. Conklin had ''just'' recovered his hearing . . . . |
| 180 | * In ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'' episode "A Piano in the House", a man buys a player piano with an unusual quality: when loaded with the correct music, it causes a person listening to it to express their true emotions and personality. He uses it to expose the personality flaws of his dinner guests so he can cruelly mock them. However, the piano eventually reveals his inner nature to be immature and frightened of other people, which causes him to be malicious and hateful. When the others learn this, they feel pity for him. |
| 181 | ** In the ''Series/TheTwilightZone2002'' episode "Azoth the Avenger is a Friend of Mine" Craig says this word for word to his father. His mother doesn't quote the trope name, her standing up to her husband to defend Craig implies this. |
| 182 | * ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekx3unEYYWg The Green Clarinet Sketch]]. [[spoiler:"Well I have a red tuba that makes you shit yourself."]] |
| 183 | * Shortly after the 2008 election, Chris Wallace was interviewed on ''Series/TheDailyShow'' and gave Jon Stewart a cookie as a gift from Karl Rove, with a strong implication that it was poisoned (Rove had told Wallace specifically which cookie out of the batch to pass on to him). The StudioAudience, smelling a rat, began yelling for Jon not to eat it. |
| 184 | -->'''Jon Stewart''': Let me tell you why I'll eat it: ''Karl Rove can't hurt me anymore.'' [eats cookie] |
| 185 | ** He also said the same thing about Al Qaeda after Osama Bin Laden's death in 2011. |
| 186 | --->'''Jon:''' Al Qaeda's opportunity is gone. For the last 10 years, Al Qaeda had the world's attention. They apparently wanted an ideology competition, and for all of our rights and wrongs, and the world's rights and wrongs, all Al Qaeda seems to have come up with is, "Uh, all right, we'll kill some Americans. How about killing some British people? Uh, maybe bombing Yemen or something. Shoe bomb doesn't work? How about an underwear bomb?" They have ''nothing''. Can they still do damage? I'm sure. But we're back, baby. |
| 187 | * ''Series/{{Angel}}'': |
| 188 | ** In the Season 2 episode "[[Recap/AngelS02E04Untouched Untouched]]", Bethany, a troubled young teen with volatile [[MindOverMatter telekinetic powers]], broke down when confronted with her abusive father as part of Wolfram and Hart's manipulations. But she then managed to overcome her fear and [[spoiler:throw him out a window and catch him a few feet from the pavement.]] |
| 189 | ** In the Season 1 episode "[[Recap/AngelS01E04IFallToPieces I Fall to Pieces]]" Angel is sent to help a woman who has been stalked, for months, by an obsessive doctor who [[spoiler: has found a metaphysical way of pulling his body parts so they can move around, under his control, even when they aren't attached to his body]]. In the climax, this woman, previously nervous and fearful as a result of paranoia, finally stands up to the man, realising that his stalking makes him feel better about himself and helps him gratify his own lack of self-worth. He loses his edge as a result and is defeated by a newly arrived Angel. Earlier in the episode Kate comments on this, noting that this is the only way such victims can actually heal: |
| 190 | ---> "This guy could go to jail tomorrow, Angel, and still kill her in her dreams every night. I’ve put a few of these creeps away and the hardest thing is to know that he is still winning. She’s still afraid. He took her power away and no one can get it back for her but her." |
| 191 | * In the season one ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode ''[[WhatDoTheyFearEpisode Nightmares]]'', the Scoobies (and the rest of Sunnydale) have to deal with their worst nightmares being made manifest. Xander finds himself being chased by a MonsterClown. [[TookALevelInBadass Then Xander stops, pivots, and slugs the Clown in the chops, laying him out flat.]] He's the only one of the Scoobies to effectively face his fears in this episode, although Buffy is able to ''harness'' her fear (being turned into a Vampire) to take down the villain of the episode. |
| 192 | * In season five of ''Series/{{Lost}}'', Locke ominously tells Ben that he's not afraid of anything Ben can do anymore. This is a clue that [[spoiler: [[SpotTheImposter it's not really Locke]]]]. |
| 193 | * In the old ''[[Series/BuckRogersInTheTwentyFifthCentury Buck Rogers]]'' TV series, there was a sorcerer/rabble-rouser, played by Jack Palance(!), who could strike anyone dead with a magical touch...but only if that person believed in and feared his power. Buck Rogers figures this out and destroys his power by publicly demonstrating that it is hollow. |
| 194 | * In the fifth episode of the first series of ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'', Annie gives an incredible Not Afraid Of You Anymore speech to [[spoiler: her fiancee/murderer Owen, in which she confronts him over her murder, then tells him the [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow Secret Only The Dead Know]], causing him to GoMadFromTheRevelation]]. |
| 195 | * In the episode "Profiler, Profiled" on ''Series/CriminalMinds'', Derek Morgan has a scene at the end where he tells off the [=UnSub=] [[spoiler: Carl Buford, the man who raped him repeatedly when he was young]] in what is essentially just one big moment of this. Eventually, the [=UnSub=] gets so desperate that he unintentionally reveals his crimes to the police, exposing himself as the monster he truly is. As he gets taken away, Derek tells him to go to hell while the [=UnSub=] can only beg desperately. |
| 196 | * Done a few times in ''Series/EastEnders'' with DomesticAbuse storylines: |
| 197 | ** Little Mo against Trevor. After a prolonged abusive relationship, Little Mo finally snaps and attacks him with an iron. When he later attempts to kill them both in fire, she stands up against him and manages to escape while he burns. |
| 198 | --->'''Little Mo:''' What's wrong, Trevor? ''[[MeaningfulEcho Cat got your tongue?]]'' |
| 199 | ** Zainab against Yusef. She reduces him to a sobbing wreck with a vicious TheReasonYouSuckSpeech. When he tries to kill Masood in revenge as a result of this VillainousBreakdown, she lies that his daughter is in the blaze he created, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard sending him to die in his own scheme]]. |
| 200 | * Subverted in the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode ''On the Head of a Pin''. Dean is forced to confront the demon, Alistair, who tortured him in Hell. Despite the fact that Alistair is chained up and Dean is fully armed, Alistair manipulates Dean, messes with his head, and eventually gets loose and [[CurbStompBattle beats the crap out of him.]] |
| 201 | * ''Series/HoratioHornblower'', "Retribution": Midshipman Wellard was abused by paranoid captain Sawyer who thought Wellard conspired against him and had him beaten up constantly to confess to imaginary mutiny. When Sawyer's later confined in his cabin, completely mad and dosed with laudanum, Wellard stands up to him. Their ship is taken, and Wellard feels desperate about their court-martial and probable charges of mutiny. He claims he wants to help his lieutenants because either Kennedy, Hornblower, or him could be accused of causing captain's accident. His idea is to shoot him, but he cannot do it as Sawyer reached the AlasPoorVillain point and then had a rare moment of sane mind. Nevertheless, Wellard tells him that he's not his whipping boy now, and when he gets slapped, he tells him he's no man for striking him. Sawyer admits that Wellard's brave. Moments later, they stand united against their enemy. |
| 202 | * In the final episode of ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', Rita tells Mondo she and Zedd didn't fear him any longer. And yet, [[spoiler:Zedd pretended otherwise to trick the Machine Empire]]. |
| 203 | * When ''Series/GameOfThrones'' begins, Daenerys Targaryen is a shy, quiet young woman who's under her [[BigBrotherBully abusive elder brother Viserys's thumb]], meekly doing what he tells her to do for fear of his wrath. By the midpoint of the first season, Daenerys's marriage to a Dothraki warlord and learning to integrate with Dothraki culture lead her to develop the confidence and will to stand up for herself, and when Viserys tries to browbeat her into submission, Daenerys makes it very clear that she holds the power now and the days of her brother walking all over her are finished. |
| 204 | -->'''Viserys Targaryen''': You are a horselord's slut, and now you've woken the dragon-! ''([[TheDogBitesBack Daenerys whacks Viserys in the face]]: [[ThisCannotBe he gawps at her in shock]])'' |
| 205 | -->'''Daenerys Targaryen''': [[TookALevelInBadass I am a Khaleesi of the Dothraki! I am the wife of the Great Khal and I carry his son inside me!]] The next time you raise a hand to me will be the ''last'' time you have hands! |
| 206 | [[/folder]] |
| 207 | |
| 208 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 209 | * Lana Del Rey's unreleased song "Afraid" has someone yearning to leave a relationship (implied to be turned abusive) but too afraid to do it...until the end when she finally declares, "I am done being afraid." |
| 210 | [[/folder]] |
| 211 | |
| 212 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 213 | * ''VideoGame/{{Dreamkiller}}'' have this awesome bit when Alice returns to confront her inner demons, which haunts her since she was 7. |
| 214 | --> "I'm tired of dealing with these amateurs. You hear that, ''asshole''? I'm coming ''for you''. More minions? So be it, coward!" |
| 215 | * Said not ''to'' the villain, but ''by'' the villain in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' at the climax of the battle with the Lich King in Icecrown Citadel. Arthas, who is indeed a terrifying threat to all of Azeroth, has just [[spoiler:had the cursed sword Frostmourne shattered by Tirion Fordring, releasing the souls it has stolen and breaking his power]]. As he floats, helpless against the [[FinishHim finishing blow]], he utters these immortal words. |
| 216 | -->'''Arthas:''' Now I stand, the lion before the lambs, and they do not fear. They cannot fear. |
| 217 | * In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'', there's a young girl named Amelia stationed at a fort under a FatBastard {{Gonk}} of a commander name Gheb, who sends her to the front lines to get killed after she talks back at him when he insults General Duessel (whom she admires). If you have her attack Gheb after recruiting her, there's this exchange: |
| 218 | -->'''Gheb''': Y-you wench... You're that recruit, aren't you? Do you think you can betray me and get away with it? |
| 219 | -->'''Amelia''': Your threats no longer hold any power over me. I-I am not your pawn! |
| 220 | * In the ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' game ''VideoGame/UltimateCustomNight'', the Puppet has something interesting to say if she catches you, which further inflames the theory that you're playing as William Afton in an IronicHell, as the girl inside (his first victim, if you'll recall) taunts you. |
| 221 | -->'''Puppet:''' I recognize [[SerialKiller you]]… but I'm not afraid of you. ''[[BigGood Not]] [[CameBackStrong anymore.]]'' |
| 222 | * In ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'', the protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz, [[spoiler: returns to his family home to retrieve a family heirloom, only to be confronted by [[AbusiveParents his abusive father, Rip]]. There follows a confrontational conversation in which Rip reveals that he [[TheQuisling collaborated with the Nazis]] and sold [[RageBreakingPoint his Jewish wife, B.J.'s beloved mother,]] out to them, leading to her death in a concentration camp. Not only that, he also sold out all the Jews, minorities, and queer folks in the neighborhood out to the Nazis with the help of some like-minded neighbors. B.J., who spent most of his childhood being beaten and talked down to by his father, walks up to Rip, [[TranquilFury unflinching even when Rip points a shotgun in his face]], and effectively tells his father this before killing him without mercy]]. |
| 223 | -->'''B.J. Blazkowicz''': Was a time I was scared of you. Was a time I would piss myself having a gun pointed at my head. You know what I feel right now? '''''[[PreMortemOneLiner Not a goddamned thing.]]''''' |
| 224 | * In ''VideoGame/BeyondTwoSouls'', Jodie and Aiden are both scared of the Entities when they come to attack and terrorize them. When the plot reaches "First Night", Aiden finally learns how to combat the Entities, and Jodie tells Nathan that Aiden is no longer afraid of them. |
| 225 | * It happens as a game mechanic in ''VideoGame/HauntingGround'' with the Panic Meter, which increases whenever Fiona experiences traumatic events like being chased by a stalker or even [[SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration the incredibly horrific things she witnesses during cutscenes]] and will have her suffer a panic attack and become helpless if it fills up (often it automatically fills completely from cutscenes). As the game goes on she becomes less susceptible to panic attacks and seldom goes into panic after cutscenes, because since she's been outsmarting and evading the enemies all night she's becoming less afraid of them and more confident. |
| 226 | * The climax of ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'' has the cover legendary have one such moment against [[spoiler:the other Koraidon or Miraidon that had severely injured it and killed the Professor]]. Until that moment, it hadn't regained its battling abilities (and in fact refuses to come out of its Poke Ball on your first visit to the final area), but when there was no other option it steps up to the plate and regains its full power. To boot, it also unlocks its Terastallized form a few turns later to really turn the tide. |
| 227 | [[/folder]] |
| 228 | |
| 229 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 230 | * ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Ever since the events of Volume 3, Blake has been terrified of Adam and on the run from her friends, especially after Adam [[AnArmAndALeg cut off Yang's arm]] and [[RevengeByProxy swore to destroy everything she loves]]. At the end of Volume 4, Sun's YouAreNotAlone speech, as well as the discovery of Adam's plan to overthrow Sienna Khan, gets her to decide she's TiredOfRunning. In Volume 5, she rallies all of Menagerie against the White Fang, thwarts Adam's plans, and lets him know in no uncertain terms that he no longer intimidates her. Her standing up to him, coupled with Sun backing her up and his men getting arrested, leads Adam to [[VillainExitStageLeft escape Haven]]. |
| 231 | -->'''Blake''': You can try and make me regret coming here, Adam, but honestly ... I've got more important things to deal with. |
| 232 | * Discussed in the ''WebAnimation/HowItShouldHaveEnded'' Villain Pub sub-series [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLyulYMZbj8&t=21s IT episode]]. The other villains explain the concept to Pennywise when he's confused about how the children he was trying to terrorize suddenly swapped from being terrified of him to attacking him directly. As The Joker puts it, "everybody has a breaking point." |
| 233 | [[/folder]] |
| 234 | |
| 235 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 236 | * ''Webcomic/{{Beeserker}}'': Subverted. Cosmic Scootsie X, having gained immense celestial power, [[http://www.beeserker.com/comics/brandishing/ boldly yet falsely claims to no longer fear the Ursinerator]]. |
| 237 | --> '''Cosmic Scootsie X:''' "Foolish Ambrose... do you think your charred taxidermy can scare me?" |
| 238 | --> '''Cosmic Scootsie X:''' "Well either way, I'm really big now." |
| 239 | * Ariel in ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'' winds up confronting Syphile, the woman who (badly) raised her, and after Syphile tries to kill her Ariel turns on her, shouts the trope name, and uses Syphile's own weapon against her. [[spoiler:But she still needs her butt saved in the end as Syphile decides to taint her]]. |
| 240 | * A silent variation occurs in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' during [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2004-08-30 a dream sequence]], when Grace sees her second alien side, which initially snarls at her, and Grace simply reaches out and [[CooldownHug hugs it]], representing her acceptance of that part of herself. |
| 241 | * [[http://venusenvy.comicgenesis=.com/d/20060909.html Attempted in]] ''Webcomic/VenusEnvy'' by Zoe against the personification of her fears, but since she hasn't completely gotten over them yet it doesn't work. |
| 242 | * In a recent arc in T. Campbell's ''Webcomic/{{Fans}}'', Ally demonstrated that [[spoiler: she no longer feared Keith Feddyg by saying the last three words that he wanted to hear from her; "I forgive you."]] |
| 243 | * In the final arc of ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'', Dominic expresses amazement that he ever feared [[spoiler:the Beast. It wasn't nearly as scary once he knew its true, ultimately pathetic nature. In the author's own words, knowledge of the Beast diminished it.]] |
| 244 | * In ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}'' [[spoiler: The Dittomancy Doubel of]] King Slately, upon seeing Parson, says "There is the Lord of Hampsters himself. Large and terrible. Yet I do not fear him." While Parson had not tormented Slately himself, he did hold Parson largely, if not entirely, responsible for croaking two of his sons, [[spoiler: The real King Slately]], a massive number of Jetstone units, and driving Uniroyal (whose queen was a close friend of Slately) to extinction. His fearsome reputation as a Warlord amongst other leaders of Erfworld was largely written in the blood of Jetstone and Uniroyal soldiers, despite not actually commanding most of those battles. |
| 245 | [[/folder]] |
| 246 | |
| 247 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 248 | * A variation in [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-4100 SCP-4100]], where the earths final message is the Foundation declaring to [[Website/SCPFoundation SCP-4100]] that their war in the darkness is won and humanity will thrive. [[spoiler: They then launch planet earth into the anomaly, destroying both.]] |
| 249 | [[/folder]] |
| 250 | |
| 251 | [[folder:WebVideo]] |
| 252 | * The unnamed human protagonist from AudioPlay/AlienAbductionRolePlay quickly stops being frightened of Acktreal Domma's taste-testing and threats to eat them, due to a combination of their interest in [[NightmareFetishist vorarephilia]] and her inability to legally harm them for the time being. [[TooKinkyToTorture He simply enjoys what she does to him,]] which utterly baffles her. |
| 253 | [[/folder]] |
| 254 | |
| 255 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 256 | * Played with in ''WesternAnimation/AllHailKingJulien''. After their old tyrant king tries to take his position back, the lemurs realize they aren't afraid of him anymore and work together to drive him away. Unfortunately, he learns from the experience and makes sure he gives the kingdom plenty to be afraid of next time. |
| 257 | -->'''Pancho''': What if we decide we don't want you to be our king, 'cause we're not afraid of you anymore!\ |
| 258 | ''(Uncle Julien calls for a pack of fossa)''\ |
| 259 | '''Pancho''': Never mind, we're afraid again, welcome back. |
| 260 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': Anne Boonchuy spent most of her life being an ExtremeDoormat because she was afraid Sasha would not want to be her friend anymore if she wasn't. Even though their friendship is irreparably changed in the season 1 finale, Anne remains tentatively hopeful that Sasha might change for the better and their friendship can be repaired. [[spoiler:However, in "True Colors", when Sasha reveals she lied about being reformed to manipulate Anne into helping her conquer Newtopia, and implicitly threatens to end the friendship again to force Anne back in line, Anne angrily declares that she is ''done'' listening to Sasha and their friendship is ''over''. Sasha is stunned.]] |
| 261 | * Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}''. Gus, the awkward new kid, after asking his Army veteran father for advice, attempts to invoke this trope by challenging the bully that has continually hounded him... only to be shocked when the bully nonchalantly accepts the challenge and then gives him a severe beating off-screen, which he accepts thinking there's nothing else he can do at this point. Touched by Gus' courage, the rest of the playground stand up against the bully, upon which he slinks off in a huff. |
| 262 | * Ron Stoppable from the series ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' really fits this trope. Being that he was afraid of things that were ridiculous things (or perhaps, [[ProperlyParanoid not so ridiculous]]), throughout the series, he overcomes many of them, such as when he decided to stop running from his mutant enemy Gill and fight back, and more notably he conquered his childhood fear of monkeys, even accepting their nature as the source of his mystical martial arts powers. Even before that, he no longer felt intimidated by his personal ArchEnemy Monkey Fist, just annoyed. |
| 263 | * ''Franchise/Ben10'': [[TheBully Cash and JT]] spent most of the [[WesternAnimation/Ben10 original series]] tormenting and bullying Ben, a ten-year-old they were physically stronger than. Come ''[[WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce Alien Force]]'' five years later, they still do it, but come "[[Recap/Ben10AlienForceS1E09TheGauntlet The Gauntlet]]", it's more of an inconvenience to anything; Ben spells it out to them that they've been pulling the same routine since the second grade, and rather than find their antics funny or intimidating, everyone just finds it pathetic and sad that they still have to resort to childish jokes and torment others just to make themselves feel big, Ben himself included. |
| 264 | -->'''Ben''': I can't believe I used to be afraid of you. |
| 265 | ** Invoked by Kevin's stepfather in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien'': He stands up to the [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity mutated, out of his mind]] Kevin, declaring, "I'm not afraid of you anymore, Kevin." |
| 266 | * ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Twice to Ozai. |
| 267 | ** Zuko on the Day of Black Sun and after. Granted, he confronted his father during the eclipse because of just how powerful a bender Ozai was, but he still spent a solid several minutes [[CallingTheOldManOut laying into Ozai]] about how terrible, abusive, and manipulative a father he was. Ozai attempts to [[OffingTheOffspring kill Zuko]] with lightning, but Zuko was prepared and turned the lightning back on him. Later on, after Ozai [[BroughtDownToNormal had his bending taken]], Zuko starts visiting him in prison, trying to learn the whereabouts of his mother, and as made clear in the finale, he's the one in control of the conversation from that point on. |
| 268 | ** Ursa in the comics. After returning to the Fire Nation Capital for the first time since the night she provided poison to Ozai to kill Fire Lord Azulon, she also visits Ozai in prison, only to make it known that she sees Ozai for what he is. |
| 269 | ---> '''Ursa''': After all these years, I finally ''see'' you, Ozai. You're just a ''[[SmallNameBigEgo small, small man]]'' trying with all your might to be ''big''. Your heart is so small, you've no room for your son, or your daughter, or your brother... or even ''[[EmptyShell yourself]]''. |
| 270 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': |
| 271 | ** In the sequel series, [[TheHero Korra]] has a similar moment in the first season finale where she realizes that despite BigBad Amon [[spoiler:taking her bending away]] she is [[spoiler:[[DiscardAndDraw able to airbend for the first time in her life]]]] and proceeds to kick his ass after most of a season of being terrified of him. |
| 272 | --->''I can [[spoiler:airbend]]? [beat] '''I can [[spoiler:airbend]]'''!'' |
| 273 | ** Subverted in season 4. Korra thinks saying this to previous big bad Zaheer's face will help her get back up to par, but he immediately proves her wrong. He then helps her do it for real so she could take on the current big bad. |
| 274 | * Done on ''WesternAnimation/OzzyAndDrix'', when Hector, who has been hounded by a nightmare about a monster he saw in a horror movie for weeks, finally stands up to the creature in his dreams, to save Ozzy and Drix. Once he does, he realizes that the monster was just that, a simple figment of someone else's imagination, that had no real power. |
| 275 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'' episode "The Return", the incredibly powerful android Amazo returns to Earth looking for Luthor. Luthor spends most of the episode understandably terrified of the superpowered android whom he deceived and manipulated previously. Luthor later realizes that Amazo didn't really want revenge but was merely searching for meaning in his empty existence which he believed Luthor could give him. Luthor coldly remarks that he no longer fears Amazo. He just pities him. |
| 276 | * ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'': |
| 277 | ** Adora says this as she confronts Shadow Weaver in “The Shadows of Mystacor”, after having spent almost the entire episode frightened of her. The point is, Shadow Weaver had made Adora believe that other people (aside Catra) would reject her when they got to know her better, but Adora realized that Bow and Glimmer love her the way she is. |
| 278 | ** Catra confronts Shadow Weaver after years of abuse and wins. She also gives Hordak a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, having realized that her terrifying boss was a bully that gave the administration of the Horde to intermediates, so he could spend all the time stuck in his laborathory (the fact he didn’t get to kill her probably had something to do with that. Or, most probably, she really didn’t care anymore about what would happen to her at that point). |
| 279 | ** Hordak has his moment, too. In the end of Season 4, Horde Prime grabbed him by his neck and screamed at him for the audacity of having a name and showing initiative. [[spoiler: But, in Heart 2, Hordak gets his memory back when Prime tells him to kill Entrapta. Hordak not only shoots him, instead, but also grabs him by his neck and tosses Prime’s words back at him, saying that yes, he gave himself a name and a life, and he wasn’t ashamed of that.]] |
| 280 | --->'''Hordak''': I am Hordak and I defy your will! |
| 281 | * ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' |
| 282 | ** In the episode "Put It Down", Heidi gets back together with Cartman after breaking up with him in the last episode because Cartman threatened to kill himself and Heidi was afraid for his life. Cartman pulls this stunt again in "Splatty Tomato", only for it to fall flat this time because Heidi knows that this is just a feeble attempt to have her take him back and follows through with dumping Cartman for good. |
| 283 | ** ''[[WesternAnimation/SouthParkPostCovidTheReturnOfCovid Post Covid: The Return Of Covid]]'': Butters apparently lost any fear he had towards Cartman when he became an adult, where not only is he unsympathetic to Cartman being a CrazyHomelessPerson, he's unafraid to cuss back at him when Cartman tries flipping him off. |
| 284 | * Lena from ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' has been terrified of her abusive aunt Magica for her entire life. After seeing how pathetic Magica has become by the time of "A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!" and realizing that the balance of power between them has shifted in her favor, Lena loses all fear of her. This carries over to their next interaction in "The Phantom and the Sorceress!" where Lena -while still clearly despising Magica- treats her as more of an annoyance than a threat. |
| 285 | * In ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'', Orel used to fear going to his father's study as he knows a punishment would follow, even visibly gulping. However, after the events of "Nature" [[spoiler: in which a drunk Clay shoots Orel and leaves him injured for days and]] exposes Clay for the pathetic father he was, Orel slowly starts to dislike and hate him more, and when Clay drags him to the study in "Nesting" for helping Ms. Censordoll campaign against him, Orel looks bored more than anything and tells him to get on with the punishment because he has work to do. |
| 286 | -->'''Clay:''' ''Orel...''\ |
| 287 | '''Orel:''' I know, meet you in your study. [continues passing out anti-Clay campaign flyers] |
| 288 | * In the Terrytoons short, ''The Wolf's Pardon'', the Big Bad Wolf, after a decade in prison, decides to go bother Literature/TheThreeLittlePigs. However, the Pigs have grown into big, burly construction workers who are no longer intimidate by their old tormentor. Afterwards, the Wolf realizes that Literature/LittleRedRidingHood has probably [[SheIsAllGrownUp grown up too]], and decides to hit on her. Unfortunately for him, Red has become a ButterFace that is [[AbhorrentAdmirer totally into him.]] |
| 289 | [[/folder]] |
| 290 |
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