Line #68 Main/PityTheKidnapper


1	[[quoteright:325:[[Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wonderella_failed_kidnapping_2821.png]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:325:[[http://nonadventures.com/2006/10/14/enter-the-dragon-slayer/ Hmm, I wonder why.]]]]
3
4	->''"Frail? You? Serra, you have no need of any escort to protect you. Even the most hardened criminal would flee in terror after five minutes in your company."''
5	-->-- '''Erk''', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade''
6
7	The single most powerful deterrent to kidnapping in all fiction (and certainly in the mundane category) is to be so annoying that the kidnapper requires an active force of will to keep their sanity. What makes them annoying isn't important. In truly bizarre cases, the kidnappers can be annoyed because their victim insists on being [[AllLovingHero kind, upbeat, and forgiving]] even through torture. The point is, nobody wants to be around them and that ransom note looks increasingly unimportant as compared to the promise of not having to deal with the AnthropomorphicPersonification of "damned pest" day in and day out.
8
9	This can lead to an especially awkward situation when it turns out that the extortee [[YouCanKeepHer doesn't want the hostage back]]. Expect much comedy to abound in this scenario, in part because a sufficiently vicious kidnapper would not get in this situation in the first place. Foiled by niceness once again, it seems.
10
11	This trope is a fairly old one. Creator/OHenry's famous example "The Ransom of Red Chief" executes this trope using a pair of kidnappers (and a particularly bratty kid as the "victim") back in 1910, and there are stories, jokes, and folk tales [[OlderThanPrint going back to the Middle Ages and beyond]] of someone who escapes damnation because [[{{Satan}} the Devil Himself]] doesn't want to deal with her (and it was almost ''always'' [[DoubleStandard a her]], because [[ValuesDissonance the Middle Ages were like that]]).
12
13	It's fairly common for this trope to be {{invoked\|Trope}} if the captive is particularly GenreSavvy or [[GuileHero cunning]]. Subversions, aversions, and defiances of this Trope usually (although not universally) involve the kidnapper hitting a RageBreakingPoint and demonstrating how much of a bad idea this was, being unrelentingly evil in the face of said annoyance, or the hostage finding out the hard way that whatever is the final objective of the kidnapper they [[OffingTheAnnoyance don't need to be alive]] (or [[TalkToTheFist at least conscious]]) for it to be achieved.
14
15	Compare TooSpicyForYogSothoth, where the captive is intolerable even to the most hardened captor, PreferJailToTheProtagonist, where the villain is forced to flee from the hero's presence even if it means being re-incarcerated, and TalkingTheMonsterToDeath, where the captive directly challenges the captor's beliefs and motivations. Contrast PoisonousCaptive, who insidiously subverts and undermines the captors. If you pity the kidnappers because they're about to get their asses kicked by the kidnappee, then that's MuggingTheMonster. Also compare DefiantCaptive, who is more 'uncooperative' than simply 'annoying'. See also SickCaptiveScam, which is another trope that works better when the captors don't want any harm to come to the captive.
16
17	Not to be confused with UsefulNotes/StockholmSyndrome, in which the kidnappee develops pity/amicability with the kidnapper; Contrast LimaSyndrome, in which the kidnapper actually starts to ''like'' or feel sympathy for the victim.
18	----
19	!!Examples:
20
21	[[foldercontrol]]
22
23	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
24	* An early episode of ''Anime/DragonBallGT'' saw Goku, transformed into a child by the Black Star Dragon Balls, [[MuggingTheMonster get kidnapped by a gang of thugs]]. (Well, technically he goes along with them willingly, not realizing that they are kidnappers.) He forces them to spend all of their money on food for him, undermines their attempts to negotiate a ransom from his friends, and in the end simply flies away when it's time to go home.
25	* In ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'', Germany, America, England, and France have ALL, on separate occasions, tried to hold Italy prisoner. It never works out.
26	** Germany has recently taken Italy prisoner. Germany, bored out of his mind and furious that Italy doesn't even want to escape, is pushed to the limit when Italy starts singing Germany a song. The song starts out as complimentary, but it then starts to insult Germany's attitude, food, "scary tourists" and overly abrasive girls. Italy is shipped back home in a box before he is even finished singing.
27	** The Allies shipped Italy back to Germany ''twice'', once after America captured him (although they were willing to keep him like a dog until he insulted [[LethalChef England's cooking]], at which point America immediately decided not to keep him), then again after France captured him. Both times, the box had 'FUCK' written on it, in big, bold letters.
28	* In ''Manga/SleepyPrincessInTheDemonCastle'', you will feel sorry for the demons who kidnapped Princess Syalis of the Human Nation as they constantly feel the wrath of the Princess in her quest for the perfect sleep.
29	* In ''Anime/ZoidsNewCentury'', Polta and the Backdraft Group have kidnapped Leena. While he calmly attempts to negotiate, Leena can be heard in the background shouting down her kidnappers and harassing them. Polta stops talking twice, once to order them to restrain her and another after asking "excuse me a minute", when she threw something that hit him in the face. He leaves the video call to stop her and returns visibly beaten and disheveled, but successful at least.
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:Audio Plays]]
33	* ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'': This is the Fifth Doctor's reaction when he discovers that Peri has been abducted by kidnappers who have mistaken her for Queen Anne in ''[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho038TheChurchAndTheCrown The Church and the Crown]]''.
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Comic Books]]
37	* Happens a few times in the ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' stories.
38	** In ''Recap/AsterixTheGladiator'', Cacofonix is captured by a Roman prefect to give to Caesar as a gift. The suffering of the kidnappers only increases on their journey as they spend more and more time with Cacofonix's singing which however ends up giving them a much more effective threat than the whip for the galley slaves who promise to do their best if this inhuman torture stops, which it does in the old-fashioned way. And as for Caesar, he doesn't deserve pity either, as he is not the one guarding Cacophonix's cell but rather some poor soul of a legionary.
39	** In ''Recap/AsterixInSpain'', Romans try to get a village of Iberians to surrender by holding the chief's son Pepe hostage. Pepe is, of course, a BrattyHalfPint who drives the Roman soldiers guarding him up the wall, complicated by the fact that Julius ordered for no abuse or punishment against the child ([[PragmaticVillainy in order to better indoctrinate him]]) and is little better when Asterix and Obelix offer to take him home to his father.
40	* There has been at least one ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' story wherein Alfred is kidnapped by thugs with ambitions towards the Wayne trust fund. Unfortunately for them, Alfred is generally portrayed as a RetiredBadass with shades of BattleButler.
41	* In Franchise/TheDCU, Lobo, Karnevil, and ComicBook/TheJoker have all been kicked out of hell at one point or another. Lobo for throwing wild parties and causing massive damage to demons and property, Karnevil for annoying/freaking out the demons by constantly pointing out better torture methods, and the Joker for being the Joker.
42	* ''ComicBook/{{Impulse}}'' #50: "Impulse Agent of the Bat". Bart is drawn into a Batman/Joker conflict and the combination of his SuperSpeed and [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny short attention span]] prove to be [[EveryoneHasStandards too annoying for The Joker.]]
43	-->'''Joker''' (''writing a poem'') Tell me, speedy... [[http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/icon_uk/11800056/441776/original.jpg What rhymes with "obnoxious irritating fleet-footed superbrat?"]]\
44	(''{{beat panel}}'')\
45	'''Impulse:''' [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder No it doesn't!]]
46	* Features in a ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' story, where a criminal kidnaps a woman for ransom after she frees him in the mistaken belief that SocietyIsToBlame. Of course, she's so saccharinely annoying that he's soon begging to be taken to prison just to get away from her.
47	* ComicBook/LuckyLuke's fiancee in the album of the same name is kidnapped by the Dalton gang as bait to get Luke. Like most examples of this trope she gets on Joe's nerves and leads the rest of the boys to housework and chores. Instead of doing the obvious thing of [[BoundAndGagged tying her up and gagging her]], they surrender.
48	* The Franchise/MarvelUniverse robot character Machine Man (Aaron Stack) was nudged toward sentience by the alien Celestials at his creation. Years later, they abducted him and took him into space. They then returned him to Earth with little explanation for their actions. Suffering from self-esteem issues, Aaron claims they returned him because they thought he was boring and obnoxious.
49	** A flashback in ''ComicBook/{{Nextwave}}'' (which [[UnreliableNarrator may or may not be real]]) has the Celestials telling Aaron that he's a loser. Complete with L on the forehead. And they mock him further when he {{Wangst}}s about it.
50	--->'''Celestial:''' Aaron Stack, you who were called Machine Man. You have travelled with us for three hundred and sixty cycles by your reckoning of time. There is now something we have to tell you. You are total ☠☠☠☠.\
51	'''Aaron:''' ... What?\
52	'''Celestial:''' No. Really. You're ☠☠☠☠. We've taken a year of you. We're taking you back to that orbiting trashcan you call a planet. And dumping you there. ... You're turning away from us. We are speaking to you and you're turning away from us. This is exactly the kind of ☠☠☠☠ we're talking about here.
53	* ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'': in the story where Mortadelo's and Filemón's nephews appear, they are kidnapped by a soon-to-be judged criminal that demands all proofs against him as payment. The two children proceed to make his life a living hell for his troubles. [[spoiler:Of course, it ends up working for him when the kids destroy those proofs as part of his games.]]
54	* In the first arc of the ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' comics, Chrysalis gives the Mane Six three days to find and rescue the Cutie Mark Crusaders, partly because that's when the CometOfDoom will be in position, but mostly because she's ''already'' starting to get annoyed by their constant chatter and cutie mark obsession.
55	* ''ComicBook/StarWarsAdventures'':
56	** In the comic "Roger Roger," a malfunctioning B1 droid gains a personality mid-battle, which prompts the Separatists to capture him and attempt to dismantle him to identify both the cause of the problem and if it could be beneficial to their forces. As a newfound individual, this battle droid, [[MeaningfulName incidentally named Bats]], does not want to be taken apart and studied... so he [[GrievousHarmWithABody rips the arm off another battle droid and begins beating the other droids with it]]. Obi-Wan stages a rescue for Bats, but as it turns out, Bats is doing just fine--it's the ''other droids'' who are only too happy for Obi-Wan to take him and never come back, including one unfortunate and unhappy survivor, a Tactical Droid whom Bats spends an extra-long time beating up (possibly out of spite for the Tac-Droid suggesting they disassemble Bats).
57	--->'''Obi-Wan:''' Bats, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but please leave the T-1 alone. We're here to rescue you.\
58	'''T-1 Tacticial Droid:''' ''He's'' not the one who needs rescuing.
59	* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'':
60	** Abdullah, the son of Emir Kalish Ezab, is a SpoiledBrat and an absolute terror who constantly pulls painful pranks on his captors in "[[Recap/TintinLandOfBlackGold Land of Black Gold]]", even when he's actively held at gunpoint by Dr. Mueller. This also leads to the villain's capture, as Mueller tries to shoot himself with the gun Abdullah gave him to avoid capture, but it turns out to be a squirt gun full of ink.
61	** While she isn't thrown out, Bianca Castafiore's stay in a San Theodoran prison in "[[Recap/TintinTintinAndThePicaros Tintin and the Picaros]]" is very stressful on the guards, who keep coming out of her cell with spaghetti on their heads because it wasn't cooked to her liking. When she is rescued by Tintin and the revolutionaries, she wants to break into song, which is met by a hasty "No! No!" by Captain Haddock and the San Theodoran officer.
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
65	* An old ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' strip features Bill the Cat [[ItMakesSenseInContext being traded to the Soviets in a prisoner exchange]], causing one character to remark "Such a fate even the [[DirtyCommunists evil empire]] don't deserve!"
66	* ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'': The Red Rascal's been captured by terrorists, but he had just googled a certain EarWorm.
67	-->'''Red Rascal:''' ...Friday. Gettin' down on Friday! Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend!\
68	'''Terrorist 1:''' Aggg...\
69	'''Terrorist 2:''' No! No more!
70	* One ''ComicStrip/PiranhaClub'' story arc had [[WhenEldersAttack Mother Packer]] being kidnapped. [[HilarityEnsues Much asskicking ensued]].
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Fan Works]]
74	* A good portion of ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesIIIDoubleTrouble'' is Calvin and Hobbes annoying Chill (his kidnapper). Rupert and Earl exploit this in order to kill Calvin.
75	* In ''Fanfic/ConversationsWithACryptid'', this happens to the poor sods who decide to kidnap [[spoiler: Izuku. [[TheDreaded All for One]] is ''not happy'' about how they tortured his only child, and both rescues Izuku and turns the lot of them into chunky salsa.]]
76	* In ''Fanfic/EarthAndSky'', at one point Diamond Tiara is abducted by the Changelings... and is shortly after kicked out of their hive, because [[EvenEvilHasStandards even they can't stand her]].
77	* {{Defied\|Trope}} (in a most soberingly brutal fashion) on ''Fanfic/IAgainstIMeAgainstYou'': Rarity's attempt to pull this trick on the BigBad (explicitly referencing the episode "A Dog And Pony Show") ends with said BigBad (a violent psychopath KnightOfCerebus, unlike the GoldfishPoopGang that were the Diamond Dogs) murdering a fellow prisoner MauveShirt [[ForcedToWatch right in front of Rarity]] [[MakeAnExampleOfThem in retaliation]].
78	* ''Fanfic/InfinityCrisis'': In ''Gamma Relations'', when Tony states how Bruce has been kidnapped Pietro asks who they should be sending condolence cards to.
79	* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' fanfic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7005713/1/The-Ransom-at-the-Redhorn the Ransom At The Redhorn]]'' explores the situation where Elrond's wife Celebrían (daughter of Galadriel) is taken prisoner by Orcs. The canon tells us unspecified torments were suffered in the Orc-Den. But, as Thranduil Oropherion Redux points out, the reality of who ''suffered'' torments and who ''inflicted'' the torments might be rather different. It is noticeable Elrond was not in much of a hurry to get his wife back.
80	* ''Fanfic/ManehattansLoneGuardian'': [[spoiler:When Gray's family gets abducted, Fiver and Zig-Zag avert the trope by being well-behaved. However, Ebony and Pure Energy play this straight: the former doesn't hesitate to speak her mind and behave like a typical Manehattan teenager, forcing her father to hold her back and keep one of the kidnappers from getting angry, and the latter gives ''his'' kidnapper the run-around and ultimately escapes his confinement.]]
81	* {{Deconstructed}} in ''Fanfic/TheRiseOfDarthVulcan''. When Diamond Tiara gets kidnapped by Darth Vulcan, she whines and screams and cries and kvetches and does everything this trope involves--so the evil overlord just proceeds to treat her as brutally as possible until she lets it off. He later comments [[LampshadeHanging that this trope doesn't actually work in real life]].
82	* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6320709/1/To-The-Limit To The Limit]]'' has Orihime using her powers of Rejection to give Aizen his "Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Week." It proves extremely effective in driving him up the wall and releasing her from captivity
83	* ''RolePlay/WeAreAllPokemonTrainers'':
84	** What happens when [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Meme]] is imprisoned in the AU arc.
85	** Also what happens to the poor, poor, [[TakeThat MAFIAA]]-serving mons tasked with taking Dintel to more or less the in-universe version of Hell. It ends up with them ''kicking him out of there''.
86	* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11752545/7/Miraculous-Showdown Miraculous Showdown]]'', [[WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown Jack Spicer]] kidnaps [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Chloe Bourgeois]] to intimidate her father, the mayor, into handing over the control of Paris to him. Chat Noir warns Jack that kidnapping Chloe won't end well, and sure enough, Chloe's SpoiledBrat attitude drives him up against the well. By the end of chapter 6, he is begging Ladybug and Chat to take Chloe away from him.
87	* In [[https://thenorwalkagent.tumblr.com/post/714597270556917762 this]] ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind'' fancomic, La Squadra kidnaps Giorno and tries to hold him for ransom. It doesn't go as planned.
88	-->'''Risotto''': And if you don't comply to our demands--\
89	'''Bucciarati''': ''(holding a check with "daycare" written on it)'' Do you take check?\
90	'''Risotto''': What.\
91	'''Bucciarati''': And can you let him know we'll pick him up after Narancia's eye appointment? ''(meanwhile, Giorno is creating a snake to bite Prosciutto and a swarm of flies to chase Pesci)''
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Films — Animation]]
95	* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragonTheHiddenWorld'', an attempt by the heroes to capture [[BigBad Grimmel the Grisly]] goes bad and, in their haste to retreat, Ruffnut is left behind. When Grimmel locks her up, she starts babbling literally non-stop about all sorts of trivial nonsense (including her annoying twin brother, her love life, and her hair braids) until he snaps, releases her, gives her a dragon fledgling to ride, and tells her to just get out. Ruffnut is quite proud of how she [[InvokedTrope used her talent to be annoying]] this way. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, she's not nearly as clever as she thinks; [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Grimmel also heard her babbling about the Hooligan tribe's new island base and had her followed back to them]].]]
96	* Deconstructed in ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''; when Beans is kidnapped by the bad guys and gets defiant/irritating, Rattlesnake Jake just starts [[KickTheDog beating and choking her to force her to comply]]. When she continues resisting, he almost kills her and only stops [[BigDamnHeroes when Rango interrupts him]].
97	* In ''WesternAnimation/StrangeMagic'', The Bog King kidnaps the fairy princess Dawn in order to get back a {{love potion}}. Unfortunately, she's been hit with it, and [[AbhorrentAdmirer falls in love with him]] and can't [[JukeBoxMusical stop singing about it]], driving everyone in the castle up the walls. He solves this by using her desire to please him by convincing her to go to sleep.
98	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess: Escape from Castle Mountain'': Clavius, an EvilSorcerer, kidnaps Queen Uberta, who manages to redecorate the dungeon, get good food and get the Clavius' minion Knuckles confused enough to follow ''her'' orders instead of his. She also keeps complaining about how it's her birthday. She doesn't even stop when Clavius turns her into a bunch of different animals.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
102	* ''Film/Abigail2024'' is about a group of crooks who kidnap the twelve-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, only for her to turn out to be [[UndeadChild a vampire]], who promptly [[MuggingTheMonster gets loose and starts murdering her kidnappers]].
103	* ''Film/BabysDayOut'' has three bumbling kidnappers [[BadlyBatteredBabysitter completely unable to keep one baby corraled]], with [[AmusingInjuries hilariously painful results]]. The baby isn't ''trying'' to hurt anyone, he's just going about his adventure. It's the kidnappers themselves who are getting into trouble.
104	* In ''Film/DennisTheMenace'', Switchblade Sam is initially okay with taking Dennis hostage, but Dennis being his usual mischievous self, he doesn't make things easy for Sam.
105	* ''Film/FreshMeat'': After springing Ritchie, the gang decides to hideout at the Crane family's house. Unfortunately, once it's revealed that Cranes' are a Cannibal Clan, it isn't long before Ritchie's gang are the ones that are in trouble.
106	* French movie ''Film/LeGrandChef'' is an adaptation of ''The Ransom of Red Chief''. You do the math.
107	* The main character in ''Film/HighStrung'' spends most of the film complaining about whatever is within his view. At the end, he is dragged away by Death (played by Creator/JimCarrey), who eventually lets him go because he complains so much.
108	* In ''Film/MidnightRun'', Jack is a licensed bounty hunter, not a kidnapper, but otherwise the dynamic is the same, as Mardukas annoys the bejesus out of him with his constant irritating questions. The same film showcases a defiance of this trope when rival bounty hunter Marvin gets a hold of Mardukas: Mardukas starts trying to be annoying, but Marvin just knocks him out with one punch and by the time Mardukas wakes up again, they've made it all the way to Las Vegas and Marvin has handcuffed him to a toilet and [[spoiler:is taking pictures of him as proof he's got him so he can sell him out to TheMafia]].
109	* ''Film/TheMummyReturns'', too, couldn't resist dragging this one out. [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons ("Are we there yet?" "No." "Are we there yet?" "No." "Are we there yet?" "NO!")]]
110	* ''Film/NoDepositNoReturn'' -- again, the kidnapees are child terrors.
111	* In ''Film/PureLuck'' (and the original French movie ''La Chèvre''), an [[WalkingDisasterArea extremely accident-prone woman]] goes on a vacation and ends up getting EasyAmnesia. A guy sees an opportunity (correctly assuming her family to be wealthy) and takes her, figuring he could get a lot of money for her return, once she remembers who she is, that is. By the time the detectives find the guy, he has lost all his money to her bad luck and is in debt to a drug dealer. He explains that he ended up passing her off to another guy. Naturally, things aren't much better for that guy either (she costs him a plane, for one).
112	* The entire plot of ''Film/TheRef''. A jewel thief takes a couple hostage while he tries to get out of town, only for him to find out the hard way how dysfunctional they are. And ''then'' the rest of the DysfunctionJunction shows up for Christmas dinner, which means he has to pretend to be the couple's marriage counselor in order to keep from arousing suspicion. HilarityEnsues.
113	* ''Film/RuthlessPeople'' is all about this trope (and YouCanKeepHer too).
114	* ''Film/AStraightforwardBoy'' is a 1929 short film about two kidnappers who grab a Japanese boy, only to send him back after the boy proves way too irritating.
115	* ''Film/TalesOfHalloween'': In "The Ransom of Rusty Rex", two kidnappers abduct what they believe to be the son of a millionaire. However, their victim actually turns out to be a malicious goblin that has been plaguing the millionaire's life for years. Now that it is gone, he has no intention of ever taking it back.
116	* In Music/WeirdAlYankovic's movie ''Film/{{UHF}}'' janitor/uber-popular children's show host Stanley Spadowski drives his Mafia captors crazy with his inane guessing games and loud rendition of the theme from ''{{Series/Bonanza}}''. [[TheDitz It's not entirely clear if he even knew he'd been kidnapped]]; he was blindfolded and being driven away at gunpoint before he realized that they weren't pizza delivery guys.
117	** To give an example as to how inane the guessing games were, Stanley was trying to get them to play I-Spy... [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} while he was blindfolded]].
118	--->''Stanley'': I'm thinking of something orange. Something orange. Give up? It's an orange!
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Literature]]
122	* Jasmine's attempt to kidnap Matt from a casino hotel in ''Literature/TheAffix'' goes ''way'' south from the outset. Having lost a few marbles already, Matt is starting to understand the probability-breaking gem he's [[ClingyMacGuffin stuck with]], and uses it along with his newfound brashness to tweak her repeatedly until her eye twitches—then tries to make her other eye twitch. Then the kidnapping is interrupted by a third party and her night gets a whole lot worse.
123	* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' one Yeerk is practically driven ''insane'' by his own host. Said host constantly recited ''Theatre/HenryV'', so when the yeerk finds the [[TimeTravel Time Matrix]] the first thing he does with it is kill the inspiration for that play, just to silence him.
124	* The now-out-of-print children's picture book ''Literature/TheBaronsBooty'' is about a [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain nefarious but soft-hearted]] [[AristocratsAreEvil Wicked Baron]] who kidnaps a nobleman's dozen-or-so young daughters while gloating in rhyme about the ransom he plans to demand for them. The children turn out to be cute but demanding, and the kind-hearted baron is worn down trying to keep them happy. To his shock, the girls' father declares that he is rather enjoying his break from them and sees no reason to take them all back. The baron ends up bankrupting himself bribing the father to let him return the kids.
125	* Creator/{{Saki}}'s "The Disappearance of Crispina Umberleigh" inverts this trope by having the kidnap victim be odious enough that the kidnappers successfully extract eight years' worth of ransom from her family by threatening to ''return her.'' [[spoiler: Even though, as it turns out, they don't actually have her.]]
126	* Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
127	** The Nac Mac Feegle, a race of belligerent, six-inch tall, red-haired, kilt-wearing blue men (also known as pictsies) were rumoured to have been thrown out of Fairyland for being drunk and disorderly. This trope is even more perfectly exemplified in ''Literature/{{Wintersmith}}'', the third book featuring them, where they [[spoiler:accompany the young man Roland to the Underworld to rescue the goddess Summer. Roland gets across the river Styx by paying TheFerryman, who readers [[TheGrimReaper may find familiar]], the classical two pennies, but when he retrieves Summer and wants to cross back the other way, the Ferrier demands another sixpence, which Roland doesn't have. However, when the Feegles say that if Roland stays, they're obligated to stay with him, the ferryman quickly changes his mind and lets them go.]]
128	** In ''Literature/CarpeJugulum'', where Granny Weatherwax is about to march off into the woods after the Magpyrs. Mightily Oates (a visiting Omnian priest quite unaware of [[NeverMessWithGranny Granny's reputation]]) asks the villagers:
129	--->'''Oates:''' Aren't you going to stop her? There are ''monsters'' in that forest!\
130	'''Villagers:''' So why should we care what happens to a bunch of monsters? That's Granny Weatherwax, that is.
131	** In ''Literature/FeetOfClay'', [[MuggingTheMonster a gang takes Angua (a werewolf) hostage]]. Their injuries are reported as [[TooDumbToLive "self-inflicted"]].
132	* In the ''Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles'', Herman the dwarf is really tired of helping [[Literature/{{Rumpelstiltskin}} girls spin straw into gold and then claiming their firstborn children along with a share of the cash]]. It's not that he doesn't like the children, it's just that they're expensive to feed, forcing him to run the same dodge all over again to get more money.
133	** His dialogue implies he's long since stopped ''trying'' to kidnap children; first he legally changed his name to Herman to make his name easy to guess (it never worked), then he tried moving out away from everybody. People still find him and keep managing to talk him into spinning more straw into gold, and he always gets stuck with more children. The children themselves are generally well-behaved, and he does like children and takes good care of them - it's the ''situation'' which is unfortunate.
134	* ''Literature/ForestKingdom'': In book 1 (''Blue Moon Rising''), Prince Rupert arrives at a dragon's lair only to find a dragon who desperately wants to be rid of an aggressive, tomboyish, ''loud'' princess who was sent to it to die. When asked later [[spoiler: why the dragon is helping them]], Rupert answers that he rescued it from a princess.
135	* The short story "A Good Boy" by Creator/DesmondWarzel references "The Ransom of Red Chief" by name. The titular boy turns out to be a lot more than just an annoyance, though...
136	* In Creator/PGWodehouse's short story "Helping Freddie" (later rewritten for the ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' series as "Fixing It for Freddie"), a young UpperClassTwit comes up with a ZanyScheme to [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin help his friend Freddie]], whose fianceé has broken up with him. He kidnaps a small boy who he thinks is the fianceé's cousin, intending for Freddie to bring the kid home and play the hero. Then the boy turns out to be unrelated to the fianceé, his actual guardian turns out to be in quarantine, and [[ComedicHero our hero]] is stuck with him for the rest of the story.
137	--> ''By Jove, you know, till I started to tramp the place with this infernal kid, I never had a notion it would have been so deuced difficult to restore a child to its anxious parents. It's a mystery to me how kidnappers ever get caught.''
138	* ''Literature/HondoOhnakasNotSoBigScore'': Hondo and his gang spend a lot of credits and go through a lot of humiliation as part of their scheme to kidnap several wealthy cruise ship passengers. They only people they kidnap (and grudgingly have to release for a ComicallySmallBribe of some alcohol) are a DefiantCaptive who won't beg to be released for money, a MockMillionaire, and a SpoiledBrat whose fiancee refuses to pay for her release.
139	* ''Literature/JenniferTheJerkIsMissing'' has a group of kidnappers who can't stand their 8-year-old charge, who is a colossal {{Jerkass}} [[LittleMissSnarker for her age]], and keeps complaining and mocking everything and everybody (yes, [[UngratefulBastard even the people trying to save her]]) through the book. By the time the protagonists find Jennifer, she is notably [[EstablishingCharacterMoment tied to a chair and gagged, while her adult valet who was abducted with her is less restrained, even if he is nursing a severe concussion]].
140	-->'''Kidnapper:''' That kid's driving me nuts! I'm restraining myself all the time! I keep wanting to bust her in the chops every time she opens that big mouth of hers!
141	* Happened in the novel ''[[Literature/{{Dortmunder}} Jimmy The Kid]]'' (a sequel to ''Literature/TheHotRock'') by Donald Westlake, and the movie based on the book.
142	* In a Polish poem, ''Pani Twardowska'', the Devil comes to [[DealWithTheDevil claim the soul of a wizard]], Sir Twardowski, after he visits Rome [[NoManOfWomanBorn (accidentally, an inn Twardoski just happens to visit is called "Rome")]]. There was, however, a part of the deal that allowed Twardowski to give the Devil three last tasks, and failing one would result in breaking the deal. The first task is to build a cathedral from various absurd materials like Jews' beards and in an impossibly short time, which the Devil manages. The second is to bathe in holy water, which he, very reluctantly, forces himself to. The third task is to live with Mrs. Twardowska. The Devil gives up.
143	* Creator/OHenry's "[[https://loa-shared.s3.amazonaws.com/static/pdf/Henry_Red_Chief.pdf The Ransom of Red Chief]]" is a TropeCodifier. The titular "Red Chief" (what the kid calls himself in his first game, CowboysAndIndians) is so awful, that the ''kidnappers'' had to pay a ransom to his father to take him back! Totally understandable, as the kid was no mere BrattyHalfPint, but rather both a MotorMouth and a precocious MagnificentBastard. One memorable scene involves one of the kidnappers being ambushed in his sleep and nearly scalped with his own knife.
144	-->''"What you getting up so soon for, Sam?" asked Bill.''\
145	''"Me?" says I. "Oh, I got a kind of a pain in my shoulder. I thought sitting up would rest it."''\
146	''"You're a liar!" says Bill. "You're afraid. You was to be burned at sunrise, and you was afraid he'd do it."''
147	** When the hapless duo ''did'' finally get the boy back home, [[spoiler: he wanted to stay and play with his abductors, so his own father had to hold him back to give them time to flee on foot, with the fat Bill outrunning his fitter counterpart by a mile and a half in his haste to leave the terror behind]].
148	* In ''Ratbags and Rascals'', a collection of short stories by Creator/RobinKlein, 'The Kidnapping of Clarissa Montgomery' is an example of this. Clarissa is an obnoxious RichBitch who complains constantly and bullies her kidnappers into submission, forcing them to learn French verbs, beating them at cards and even sending out her own ransom note and collecting the briefcase with the ransom in it as she can't trust the kidnappers to do a good job. [[spoiler:The briefcase contains no money, just a note from her guardian saying 'Do not want Clarissa back. She is too irritating and bossy. You can keep her. Glad to get rid of her.' Clarissa then takes over the gang.]]
149	* The kidnappers in "The Snatching of Bookie Bob" by Creator/DamonRunyon successfully get a $25,000 ransom for him. Unfortunately for them, they spent their time waiting for the payment gambling with Bob, and end up owing him $50,000.
150	* In ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'', Eustace is such a miserable person to be around that the slave-dealers who kidnap the crew cannot sell him and try, without success, to give him away for free.
151	* ''Literature/WagonsWest'': in ''Montana!'', the Indians come to regret having captured the three women, as they have created a bunch of complications from demanding proper eating utensils to wanting to interview the chief.
152	* ''Literature/WhenTheRobbersCameToCardamomTown'': The robbers kidnap aunt Sophie so that she can cook and clean for them. She immediately turns this around and makes them wash and clean not only their home, but [[HatesBaths themselves]] as well! When constable Bastian, the baker and the sausage maker show up to save her, she doesn’t want to leave, because she’s determined to make the robbers into decent people. In the end the robbers can’t take her ordering them around anymore, and when she falls asleep, they return her to her home.
153	[[/folder]]
154
155	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
156	* ''Series/{{Angel}}'' combines this one with EnfanteTerrible in "[[Recap/AngelS01E14IveGotYouUnderMySkin I've Got You Under My Skin]]": after discovering a young boy is [[DemonicPossession possessed by a demon]], Angel Investigations exorcises it and then tracks its physical form down to kill it... a fate the demon welcomes, as the little boy was so evil by himself that the demon found himself trapped in a [[HappyPlace hellish mindscape]] for years.
157	* On ''Series/TheATeam'', in the season 3 episode "Bounty", resident lunatic Murdock is [[BadassInDistress abducted by bounty hunters]] thinking they can use him to find the team. He manages to drive them crazy before they even get back to their hideout.
158	* ''Series/BabylonFive'' presents a nonantagonistic version: [[DaChief Garibaldi]] arrests [[IronWoobie G'Kar]] for assaulting [[AntiVillain Londo Mollari]] (long story). Sometime later, Garibaldi notes that a petition was passing around because the station population thought Garibaldi's men were torturing G'Kar. What was ''actually'' happening was that G'Kar was [[HollywoodToneDeaf singing to pass the time]]. [[SubvertedTrope But that wasn't what got him out early.]] Instead, the station was about to go under martial law and Garibaldi needed his security out on the beat, not guarding an otherwise model prisoner.
159	* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E2TheFiresOfPompeii "The Fires of Pompeii"]], Donna is abducted by the Sibylline Sisterhood while the Doctor's back is turned. When he shows up to rescue her, neither of them are very concerned about the fact that Donna was about to become a HumanSacrifice (mainly for blasphemy, but also for being, well, ''Donna'').
160	* On ''Series/Dynasty2017'', Fallon is abducted and quickly drives her kidnappers nuts by complaining about them only asking for $15 million for her, cutting her hair into bangs, and complaining about her surroundings like it's a hotel. And ''then'', they also net Fallon's step-mother Cristal so the two women bitch at each other constantly.
161	* ''Series/FantasyIsland'' had a B-plot that involved two kidnappers trying to ransom Tattoo. He and Mr. Roarke are both quite familiar with the Red Chief story, referred to above, and Tattoo is roughly child-sized...
162	* ''Series/FatherBrown'': The robbers in "The Great Train Robbery" who abduct Mrs [=McCartney=] and Lady Felecia to cover their getaway soon regret it. The two women are soon directing their behaviour and dictating the ransom note.
163	* On ''Series/GeneralHospital'', after being kidnapped by goons working for her husband's enemies, Laura Spencer proceeded to drive them crazy with her mood swings, demands, and cravings--she was 5-6 months pregnant--then [[EvenEvilHasStandards genuinely began to worry them]] by complaining of abdominal pains. Her husband burst in to save her just as one of them decided to relent and release her, at which point it turned out she'd been faking everything.
164	* An episode of ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' has a Wesen with a grudge against Sean Renard kidnap his young daughter Diana. When the kidnapper first calls Renard, the latter starts to panic at first, then he remembers that Diana is ''the most powerful Hexenbiest in history'' and no moral qualms about torture and murder. So, the next several times the kidnapper calls, Sean reacts very casually, doing everyday things, such as going out for a jog, figuring the guy will eventually beg him to take Diana back. Yeah, that's exactly what happens, and Diana even asks Sean if she can come back and "play" some more with the guy later, much to the horror of the kidnapper, who has been beaten to a pulp by the girl's MindOverMatter abilities.
165	* On ''Series/HawaiiFive0'', a pair of kidnappers are abducting the teenage daughters of a rich private school for ransom. The cops are thrown to find their bodies in a van and figure their latest victim must have gotten lucky and gotten away. As it happens, the "schoolgirl" is actually a North Korean spy who had been posing as a teenager to get closer to a local Army Intelligence officer. Too late, her captors realized they were dealing with a very lethal agent.
166	* The protagonists of ''Series/HogansHeroes'' were technically [=POWs=], but this Trope could apply a lot. In fact, in one episode, Col. Hogan made a public announcement over a radio (giving support to the German army that was obviously sarcasm) that even got Hitler's attention. Hitler's orders were: "If this man ever tries to escape, LET him!"
167	* In the first season finale of ''Series/KillingEve'', Villanelle kidnaps Irina, Konstantin's young daughter. Irina responds to being dragged all over Moscow by a hotheaded psychopath who has a gun by... arguing with her, screaming at her, and in general going out of her way to ''make damn sure'' that Villanelle is just as miserable as she is. Konstantin even predicted this would happen.
168	-->'''Konstantin:''' I need to find my daughter. She's going to drive that woman ''crazy''.\
169	'''Kenny:''' Is she really annoying?\
170	'''Konstantin:''' ''[choking back tears]'' She's so annoying. She's amazing, but ''so annoying''.
171	* In ''Series/{{MASH}}'', a pair of North Korean infiltrators drop Major Burns off on the road. In the brief conversation that ensues, they explain that they don't need a hostage anymore, he's driving them crazy, they're not in the mood to torture him, and he should go back to the 4077th because it's the best thing he can do "to help our side."
172	** A few seasons later, Major Winchester hires a North Korean spy as a houseboy. In one of his last communications to his people, the spy replies "And in regard to kidnapping Major Winchester for questioning, forget it. He is one big jerk."
173	* This happens in an episode of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', but it's unique in that the victim ''{{in\|vokedTrope}}tentionally'' tries to drive the abductor nuts. Lord Zedd gets the idea of making Kimberly his queen, so orders Goldar to kidnap her and use a spell of mind control. The first part is successful, but the spell doesn't work for some reason; so Kimberly pretends it does, doing a rather good impression of Rita, which reminds Goldar only too well how bad a temper she has. He doesn't let Kimberly go (although it is hinted he wants to), but the act does distract him long enough for Billy to find them.
174	* One episode of ''Series/MurphyBrown'' had Murphy get kidnapped by a group of activists who wanted more publicity for their cause. She eventually annoyed them to the point where they let her go (The fact that everyone they tried to announce her kidnapping to either thought Murphy was pranking them or decided YouCanKeepHer didn't help).
175	* ''Series/TheNanny'': From the end of "The Bank Robber":
176	-->'''Val:''' The bank robber took [[JewishMother your mother]]!
177	-->'''Fran:''' Oh, my God! That poor man!
178	* Subverted in an episode of ''Series/StargateSG1''; the team gates into a museum and ends up taking a security guard (and a bunch of guests) hostage until they can find a way to gate out. When the security guard has made himself into enough of a pest, Mitchell simply duct tapes his mouth shut.
179	-->'''Mitchell:''' Should have thought of that sooner.
180	* On ''Series/UnbreakableKimmySchmidt'', in the season 3 episode "Kimmy Steps On A Crack," aspiring cult-leader Gretchen turns out to have kidnapped a bunch of teenage boys to keep as "child brides." While they are less rumbunctious than most examples on this list, and just sort of [[GuysAreSlobs messy, lazy and useless,]] the result is still this trope, as Gretchen finds herself spending all her time cooking for them, cleaning up after them, and generally acting like their mother.
181	* ''Series/{{Weeds}}'': Celia Hodes is kidnapped by her daughter and her boyfriend the rebel leader. They intend to ransom her, but no one is interested. They then plan to sell off her organs for cash but find out she's had chemotherapy so no one will want them. Celia then "makes herself useful" e.g. by organizing the rebels' firearms, but manages to provoke a fight between her daughter and the rebel leader, breaking up their relationship. The daughter leaves, and the rebel leader lets Celia go.
182	* ''Series/YoungSheldon'': In "A Therapist, a Comic Book, and a Breakfast Sausage", Sheldon goes somewhere without telling anyone, making his parents frantic as they try to track him down. George attempts to lighten the mood by saying that there's no way Sheldon is being held prisoner somewhere; after a very short while, the kidnapper would beg them to take him back.
183	[[/folder]]
184
185	[[folder:Music]]
186	* To add a male example, German folk song "Des Schneiders Höllenfahrt". Devils drag a tailor to hell so he makes them new clothes. They are in for a world of pain. ''Seitdem holt der Teufel keine Schneider mehr, es gehe, wie es wöll.'' [[note]]Since then the devil doesn't fetch any more tailors, hell be damned.[[/note]]
187	* The old Irish song "Killieburne Brae" is about a loud and annoying woman who is dragged off to hell, then terrorizes the demons there in all kinds of colourful ways. She is eventually sent back to her husband, with the moral that "women are worse than the men/when they go down to hell they are truant again."
188	** "Scolding Wife" doesn't go so far, but does include the line:
189	--->''And if the Devil would take her, I'd thank him for his pain''
190	** Music/HeatherDale covered this song under the title "The Farmer's Curst Wife"
191	* Music/HeatherAlexander performed a similar song, "The Devil and the Farmer's Wife."
192	--> "Now I've been a devil for most o' me life, but I ne'er was in Hell 'til I met with your wife."
193	* Brazilian song "Sequestraram a Minha Sogra", by artist Bezerra da Silva, the title of which translates to "They Kidnapped My Mother-In-Law". As the story in the song goes, the kidnapper ''[[YouCanKeepHer had to pay a ransom to return her]]''.
194	[[/folder]]
195
196	[[folder:Radio]]
197	* Happened more than once with [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Sub-Lieutenant]] [[CaptainCrash Phillips]] in ''Radio/TheNavyLark''. He was kidnapped several times, and virtually every time the Troutbridge crew had to be forced to take him back for reasons of either annoyance or if he cooperated with his kidnappers he ended up doing more damage to them than armed opposition would have.
198	* The ''Stanley Baxter's Playhouse'' episode "Two Desperate Men" is "The Ransom of Red Chief" [[SettingUpdate in 1930s Perthshire]]. They finally decide they have to return him when he tries to drive their car and nearly crashes it. [[spoiler: The father takes the car as part of the anti-ransom, and the story ends with them walking to Glasgow.]]
199	-->'''Hughie''': You tried to set me on fire! You are a very bad boy!
200	-->'''Logan''': You're a kidnapper, so you can't tell me off. Now I'm going to sleep for a bit, but when I wake, you're getting burnt proper.
201	[[/folder]]
202
203	[[folder:Theatre]]
204	* The play ''Bones'' by Peter Straughen is made of this trope - although in a fun variant, instead of being annoying, the 'kidnappee' ([[LondonGangster Reg Kray]]) is just a dangerous, badass gangster, and something of a MagnificentBastard who soon has his kidnappers either terrified or practically in love with him.
205	[[/folder]]
206
207	[[folder:Video Games]]
208	* In a bit of background conversation in ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'', an old soldier and his wife reminisce about the time she was kidnapped by barbarians, and the soldier describes how he was beside himself until they brought her back with an apology. His wife comments that their leader still sends her a bundle of hides every year.
209	* Discussed in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade''. An example of this trope doesn't actually occur in the game, but, [[GenkiGirl given]] [[{{Tsundere}} Serra's]] [[WellExcuseMePrincess personality]], it becomes quickly apparent why [[DeadpanSnarker Erk]] would come to this conclusion about her.
210	* In ''VideoGame/TheLastRemnant'', a sidequest involves rescuing a merchant's son from kidnappers. The catch? The son is a yama, a race of 10-foot-tall powerhouses (and said son is one of the larger ones), and the three kidnappers are qsiti, a race of 2-foot-tall reptilian creatures, with knives that would barely scratch the yama's skin. Rush even says something to the effect of "Which one of them actually needs help?"
211	* Used in ''VideoGame/SeriousSamII'', where the literal dragon, after kidnapping the hilariously ugly princess, decided to surrender her to Sam without a fight; he refuses, and they fight over who has to take her. Sam wins and agrees to take her if he can also take the magic artifact he was after.
212	* In a comical skit in ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny2'', Nanaly Fletch imagines herself being a DamselInDistress. Then Loni Dunamis offers to be her KnightInShiningArmor... because he pities any villains that kidnap Nanaly for her tomboy-ness. Cue to the [[KnuckleCracking bonecrusher]].
213	* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': The Soldier, a deranged, jingoistic gung-ho idiot with NoIndoorVoice, claims to have spent time in POW camps...and all of them broke before he did. Of course, this being [[UnreliableExpositor the Soldier]], whether those were ''actually'' POW camps is somewhat ambiguous.
214	[[/folder]]
215
216	[[folder:Webcomics]]
217	%%* Done [[http://www.ansemretort.org/ansemretort/index.html?comic=567 here]] in ''Webcomic/AnsemRetort''.
218	* ''Webcomic/BrunoTheBandit'' had the nieces and nephew of King Xerxes, who are portrayed as extremely close-knit and with a nasty temper. When Bruno kidnaps the youngest, the other two offer the sum Bruno demanded in exchange for every cutthroat and lowlife in Rothland to hunt down the kidnapper. Hell, even their ''parents'' openly pity the kidnapper more than they fear for their child's safety.
219	* ''Webcomic/{{Nodwick}}'' once had the crew [[http://comic.nodwick.com/?comic=2001-02-03 greeted at a volcano cave by a dragon]], with great relief. He's sick and tired of the nagging princess he's kidnapped, who keeps insisting he does things like "put the seat down"... on the volcano. Said princess turns out to be so annoying that in the following month's issue, even Piffany, a cleric with [[IncorruptiblePurePureness endless goodness and purity]] wants to kill her.
220	* The current page image is [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Wonderita]] from ''Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'', making life difficult for recurring villain [[OnlySaneMan Hitlerella]]. (And that was [[http://nonadventures.com/2014/01/11/fountain-of-truth/ not the only time it happened.]])
221	* ''Webcomic/PennyAndAggie'': [[spoiler:Charlotte]] is pitiful enough when [[spoiler:she]] kidnaps Cyndi as [[spoiler:a reflection of her self-hatred and hatred for her abusive mother]]. Then Cyndi [[spoiler:talks her into slitting her own throat]].
222	[[/folder]]
223
224	[[folder:Web Original]]
225	* Subverted on ''WebVideo/SevenSecondRiddles''. One of the potential solutions for a riddle involves annoying a kidnapper into freeing you, but it's the wrong answer; the correct answer is to try and befriend the kidnapper, to make it harder for them to hurt you.
226	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6IeASZZf1c Both]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_h9isVGcE8 times]] that WebVideo/TheAnnoyingOrange got kidnapped by [[Franchise/{{Saw}} Jigsaw]].
227	* In an episode from ''WebVideo/BlackBoxTV'' (a serious horror example of this trope), a couple kidnap a young girl with the intent to force her family to pay for her back, but then don't hear anything. No police report, no callback on their ransom, nothing. The couple, a man who does have some level of moral compass and a woman with a drug habit and surly attitude, begin becoming frustrated. Eventually, the kidnapped girl turns the tables, using her supernatural powers to lock the woman in her bedroom and viciously attack her with a supernatural teddy bear with razor teeth and sharp claws. The kidnapped girl then forces both the man and woman to become her "perfect parents", acting like a nuclear family out of the '50s. Should they refuse, the kidnapped girl will kill them both with her powers. It is essentially implied that the parents of the girl didn't want her back as this was the life they were forced to live as well, and likely split the second they were free.
228	* Subverted in episode 6 of ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss''. When Blitzo and Moxxie are captured by a pair of human agents and interrogated, they annoy the agents into walking out of the room to consider different tactics. While they are in another room they listen in on the two and find out their plan of annoying the agents until they give up and release them, and the Agents gas them with TruthSerum in response.
229	* An episode of ''Webanimation/{{RWBY Chibi}}'' has Cinder kidnapping Jaune and Ren. Jaune sings the WebAnimation/CampCamp theme song to successfully annoy Cinder into throwing them out of the car.
230	[[/folder]]
231
232	[[folder:Western Animation]]
233	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'':
234	** Yakko and Dot challenge [[TheGrimReaper Death]] [[ChessWithDeath at checkers]] to bring Wakko back to life, with their lives at stake. Death exploits ExactWords so he can take all three of them (they asked to "be with their brother again") -- but then he realizes he'll have to host the three loons in the underworld for all eternity, and he lets them go. In other episodes, they get {{Dracula}} and {{Satan}} to let them go for the same reason. They subvert their own pattern in a later episode, as this ''fails'' to work on an [[DrillSergeantNasty Army drill sergeant]]; he just assigns them to worse duties. [[spoiler: That is until he can finally stand it no longer, goes insane, and becomes a camp counselor.]]
235	** One episode features something so horrible, even the Warner siblings can't deal with it: [[CaptainErsatz Baloney]] [[Series/BarneyAndFriends the Dinosaur]]. Even dropping multiple anvils on him only gains them a temporary respite.
236	* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/BeverlyHillsTeens'', [[AlphaBitch Bianca]] tries to play a WoundedGazelleGambit to get [[ChickMagnet Troy]]'s attention by arranging a fake kidnapping. Unfortunately, an actual criminal overhears the conversation and kidnaps her for real. Soon, it becomes apparent that the episode isn't titled "Take My Hostage, Please!" for nothing.
237	* ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' had this happen twice in the episode "Let's Nab Oprah". In an attempt to kidnap [[Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow Oprah Winfrey]] from a book signing, the bumbling duo Ed Wuncler III and Gin Rummy accidentally kidnap [[Literature/IKnowWhyTheCagedBirdSings Maya Angelou]] instead. They have to dump her out of the van after she starts repeatedly kicking Gin Rummy. The two try again by breaking into Oprah's studio, but they end up going into Creator/BillCosby's dressing room instead. They decide to cut their losses and just kidnap ''him'', but he's so annoying they have to let him go fifteen minutes later.
238	* In the WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon ''WesternAnimation/BugsAndThugs'', Bugs is kidnapped by a pair of gangsters. He drives them so crazy that when the police arrive, [[PreferJailToTheProtagonist the criminals beg the cops to arrest them to get them away from him]].
239	** The same gag is used in the earlier ''Racketeer Rabbit''.
240	*** Locking the baddies in a stove, ''turning the gas on'', and then throwing a match in to explode it is really a whole new level of "driving crazy".
241	* In the ''WesternAnimation/COPS1988'' episode "The Case of the Ransomed Rascal", Big Boss and his goons attempt to kidnap Prince Baddin of Rashiland to hold him for ransom. They quickly get tired of Baddin's brattiness and eventually send him to the C.O.P.S. wearing a T-shirt that reads "Take Him Back" on the front and "Please" on the back.
242	* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/CountDuckula'' featured the Count ending up held for ransom (after some mix-up about sending a ransom note ''before'' the actual kidnapping) and inadvertently driving the abductors crazy by showing off his alleged musical skills.
243	* ''WesternAnimation/TheCupheadShow'': After kidnapping Mugman in the [[Recap/TheCupheadShowS2E13TheDevilsPitchfork Season 2 finale]] to break his brother, the Devil tries to break Mugsy's spirit to even the score with Cuphead in "[[Recap/TheCupheadShowS3E1TheDevilsRevenge The Devil's Revenge]]" after not giving him back his pitchfork, even making a bet with Henchman that he can do it before the clock strikes 12. However, Mugman proves to be still be cheerful and hoping Cuphead will save him, even when the heat is turned up and being told his brother is dead after 80 years[[note]]Though not in Hell/the Underworld, but in Heaven[[/note]]. By the time Cuphead reaches the Underworld, it's the Devil himself who's near broken after trying to torture Mugman all day, to his lampshaded frustration.
244	-->'''The Devil:''' Oh, come on! I've been torturing you all day. Will you just break already?\
245	'''Mugman:''' I really don't know what you're talking about.\
246	'''The Devil:''' ''[grumbles and walks away in a huff]''
247	* In an early episode of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' Dee Dee was given to a trio of visiting aliens by Dexter, but after Dexter changed his mind and went to rescue her, the aliens were more than happy to give her up, since she caused so much havoc on their ship.
248	* [[DastardlyWhiplash Dan Backslide]] from the Creator/ChuckJones-directed [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Merrie Melodies]] short ''WesternAnimation/TheDoverBoys'' manages to lock Dora in his shack, but every time he attempts to approach her from here, she violently lobs him into the opposite wall... [[DamselFightAndFlightResponse all while she's banging on the door calling to be rescued by Tom, Dick and Larry]]. Eventually, after she escapes on her own, it's ''Dan'' who's crying for them to save him.
249	* A recurring plot in ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'' involved Amberley getting kidnapped by the Urpneys, and spending the entire duration of her capture [[BrattyHalfPint verbally]] and [[CuteBruiser physically]] thrashing them. In the pilot, Zordrak has to [[TakenForGranite turn her into stone]] just to keep her quiet.
250	* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'': In "[[Recap/EdEddNEddyS5E7NoSpeakDaEd No Speak Da Ed]]", Rolf becomes convinced Ed is collaborating with a clan of sheep rustlers from the Old Country, and ends up kidnapping the Eds and trying to beat a confession out of Ed. Unfortunately, on top of not knowing anything Ed is [[MadeOfIron too tough]] and [[DumbMuscle too oblivious]] to be bothered by the torture, and all that happens is Rolf ends up exhausted after spending all night repeatedly dunking Ed in a tank of garbage.
251	-->'''Rolf:''' The Ed-Boy's fortitude is to be admired...\
252	'''Ed:''' Hi, Rolf!
253	* Subverted in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeDinosaurs''. A scientist allows himself to become the hostage of the evil Raptors, but not before hinting his plan to the heroes by making reference to [[http://www.literaturecollection.com/a/o_henry/3/ "The Ransom of Red Chief"]]. Unfortunately, his plan backfires and he instead learns a valuable lesson.
254	* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'':
255	** In "The Griffin Family History", burglars break into the house and take Meg hostage. By the time the family is rescued, [[ArentYouGoingToRavishMe Meg has been charged with sexual harassment against the burglars]].
256	** In "Not All Dogs Go To Heaven", Stewie kidnaps the entire cast of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' so he can spend time with them. They quickly get on Stewie's nerves, annoying him and complaining about trivial things, and piss him off to the point that before he sends them home, he dishes out a ''[[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech blistering]]'' [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech speech]].
257	-->'''Stewie''': [[PunctuatedForEmphasis This. Was. Exhausting. This whole experience. Was absolutely.]] ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Exhausting]]''. You people have '''[[DarthWiki/RuinedForever ruined]]''' ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' for me. You are absolutely the most insufferable group of jackasses that I have EVER had the misfortune of spending an extended period of time with. I hope you all [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] '''''DIE'''''.
258	* The ''WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters'' episode "The Ransom Of Eddie Spencer" has [[BigBad Prime Evil]] kidnapping the titular character, who manages to wreck Prime Evil's lair because he is such a screw-up. Prime Evil ends up pleading with the other heroes to take him back, even promising to call off the horde of thunder ghosts he's unleashed on the city if they do. (And he does.)
259	* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'' had Jane attempting to get her driver's license. [[WomenDrivers Her driving was so awful]] that when a bank robber hijacked her and forced her to be his getaway car, her instructor pitied ''him''.
260	* A ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'' short revolved around [[MadScientist Dr. Scientist]] snatching up Cerbee and trying to experiment on him. However, he quickly proved to be so energetic the doc couldn't handle him.
261	* In an episode of the ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussycats'' cartoon series, Melody ends up kidnapped by "the Evil Eye" and is put under MindControl. Unfortunately for the Evil Eye, Melody is TheDitz and is [[MinionWithAnFInEvil completely useless as a minion]] - she even responds to commands with [[{{Malaproper}} "Yes, Mustard" instead of "Yes, Master"]].
262	* Happened in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' when Professor Dementor captured Kim's cousin Larry.
263	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee'' episode "The World According to LARP", the demon warlord Maret told [[SurroundedByIdiots his two moronic henchmen]] to nab June's younger brother Ray Ray as a hostage, but they nabbed her teenage brother Dennis himself. Unfortunately for Maret, Dennis (who tends to drive even June up the wall) thought it was all part of his {{LARP}} group and his ranting gave Maret a bigger migraine worse than any of the armies, sorcerers, and dimensional hordes he had ever vanquished. (Eventually, he did get what he wanted - the [[ArtifactOfDoom Goblet of Nesteer]] - from him, only for June to show up [[FromBadToWorse and beat him senseless]].)
264	* At the end of the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short "The Whole Idea", an inventor finally tires of his stereotypically shrewish wife's nagging and drops her down one of the "portable holes" he'd invented. It apparently leads all the way to FireAndBrimstoneHell, as there's a burst of flame and then a mopey-looking demon appears, [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth hauling her out by the collar of her blouse]] and asking the inventor, "Isn't it bad enough down here without ''her''?"
265	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse2013'' short "Road Hogs", a group of bikers kidnap Minnie by tricking her into riding with them. When she proves too much for them to handle, throwing out the leader's stuff from his sidecar and cleaning him up ''as he's driving'', he begs Mickey to take her back, as she's nuts.
266	* ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'':
267	** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends'': In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyAndFriendsE15TheGreatRainbowCaper The Great Rainbow Caper]]", Danny and Surprise are held for ransom by the Gizmonks, two MadScientist monkeys who want to get their paws on the Rainbow of Light so they can study it. Danny manages to flatter the Gizmonks into letting them out of their cage, then he and Surprise proceed to screw with their inventions, free their test animals, and generally make a mess of the Gizmonks' lab. The episode ends with the Gizmonks fleeing their ruined lab and begging Megan to take the hostages back.
268	** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E19ADogAndPonyShow A Dog and Pony Show]]", Rarity gets kidnapped by a pack of Diamond Dogs who seek to exploit her ability to find gems and put her to work digging them up and hauling them around. She proceeds to drive them up the wall with her whining, crying, and complaints. When Rarity's friends come to her rescue, the Dogs are all too willing to let Rarity leave, ''with'' all the gems she'd found for them. Turns out Rarity was [[GuileHero doing it]] [[InvokedTrope on purpose]], too.
269	* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePinkPanther'' cartoon "Pink Valiant", the king sends Pink Panther (as the pink knight) to rescue his daughter from a BlackKnight who kidnaps her for ransom, and after some trouble getting on his horse, he eventually trades his stubborn steed in for a dragon. By this time, the princess has become such a fierce fighter throwing everything short of the kitchen sink at the black knight that he is the one crying for help, and the pink knight [[GloveSlap brushes her aside with his gauntlet]] rescuing the Black Knight, only for the Pink Panther and Black Knight to be ChasedOffIntoTheSunset by the king riding a dragon.
270	* In the third theatrical ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' cartoon, "Blow Me Down", Bluto sneaks into Olive's dressing room. Some ruckus is heard as Olive calls for help and Popeye rushes to her rescue. As it turns out, she had knocked Bluto unconscious by beating him repeatedly over the head with a club, still calling for help the whole time!
271	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' episode "The Ransom of Greenspud" had three ghosts kidnap Slimer and hold him for ransom in an attempt to get the Ghostbusters to free their boss Spiderlegs from the Containment Unit. Slimer ends up driving the ghosts nuts before the Ghostbusters find them and come to Slimer's rescue.
272	* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "[[Recap/RugratsS1E6RuthlessTommyMooseCountry Ruthless Tommy]]" featured Tommy being kidnapped by two bumbling criminals who mistakenly believe him to be the child of a billionaire (due to them mixing up their ''actual'' target's house address). Tommy proceeds to act in his usual manner and promptly destroys their hideout. By the end of the episode, the exasperated crooks apologize frantically and return Tommy back to the Pickles ''before they even realized he was missing''.
273	-->'''Crooks''': Please take him back! We've learned our lesson, and we're very sorry, Mr. Thump.\
274	(''The crooks hand Tommy back to Stu, then walk away. Stu stares in confusion as they get into their car and drive off'')\
275	'''Stu''': Who were those guys?\
276	(''A gust of wind blows the ransom note out of Stu's hands and [[LaserGuidedKarma covers one of the crook's head, causing him to crash into a hydrant, and send both of them flying headfirst into the back window of a police car]].'')
277	* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/SabansAdventuresOfTheLittleMermaid'' has Hedwig [[FountainOfYouth transform Carol into a baby]], and kidnap her as leverage against Marina. Unfortunately for her, baby Carol wrecks her lair inside-out, to the point that Hedwig gives up her hostage instantly when Marina comes knocking.
278	* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Sam and Max\|FreelancePolice}}'' cartoon, [[LoonyFan Lorne's]] first episode ''The Friend For Life'' features him kidnapping the Mad Thespian, who begs and pleads to be arrested due to Lorne's psychotic obsession with impressing Sam and Max.
279	%% Add context to this, then uncomment.
280	%% * ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'': The plot of Episode 2 of Season 2, after Glimmer and Bo capture Catra.
281	* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'', the title character's friend Perfuma is captured by the evil Horde. Hordak first demands that She-Ra surrender herself in exchange for Perfuma's release, but [[TheMentor Lighthope]] urges her not to agree to his demands. This proves good advice. Perfuma then proceeds to annoy everyone (especially the audience) with her sing-songy voice, decorate the evil lair with flowers, and even coerce the Horde-Troopers into dancing (in a ''conga line''). Hordak quickly changes his demands, saying She-Ra can have her back if she simply comes to get her. She still heeds Lighthope's advice, and eventually, by the end of the episode, he ''begs'' She-Ra to take her back, paying the rebels three months' worth of supplies in return.
282	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' was once returned from Davey Jones' locker because the Flying Dutchman couldn't stand to have Spongebob around.
283	** The Flying Dutchman also enslaved [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick, but it turns out they were ''HORRIBLE'' minions. Unfortunately, the Flying Dutchman realized that they'd make better dinner than slaves.
284	** Not to mention "[=SpongeBob=] Meets the Strangler", where the Tattletale Strangler would rather be in prison than trying to strangle [=SpongeBob=] for ratting him out.
285	** And in another episode where Krabs [[LostHimInACardGame lost SpongeBob in a card game]] to Plankton. By the end of it, Plankton paid Krabs to take him back.
286	* ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'':
287	** In the episode "Molly Coddled", [[CheerfulChild Molly]], dressed as her hero [[ShowWithinAShow Danger Woman]], is kidnapped by two gangsters, whom she repeatedly [[LittleGirlsKickShins kicks in the shins]] and raises a ruckus over until help arrives. This defense technique [[spoiler: is also used by her against the antagonist, smooth-talking Covington, in a getaway earlier in the episode.]]
288	** Baloo's pal Louie has an aunt who, in "The Ransom of Red Chimp", is abducted by Don Karnage... and proceeds to drive him up the wall when she [[AbhorrentAdmirer develops a crush on him]]. At the time of the abduction, Karnage demands thousands in ransom. By the time Baloo and Louie arrive to "rescue" Louise, the ransom has dropped to five bucks, and when it turns out that Louie didn't bring his wallet, Karnage pays ''him'' five bucks to take her.
289	* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'' had Shredder kidnap a teenage girl who was the young president of an explosives firm (he wanted their recipe for a powerful explosive). She refused to talk, so he tries to use a device that reads thoughts and emotions in an attempt to extract the recipe out of her. The girl, however, was an extreme brat who overloaded the machine with incessant complaints. Subverted in that she was eventually threatened with force to divulge, so she spills, but in the chaos of the Turtles rescuing her, there was no time to test it, allowing the girl to get away with one last insult: [[ILied she had given the wrong recipe]].
290	* In the ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' episode "Take Elmyra Please", Elmyra's father invents an environmentally friendly fuel and a rival fuel company kidnaps Elmyra for ransom so they can get the fuel's formula. Elmyra is oblivious because she believes the hideout is a TV studio for her own show and tortures the henchmen by making them do dangerous or humiliating segments. In the end, the henchmen surrender and disclose information about their boss because they want to get away from her.
291	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' episode "The Girl Who Loved Powerglide", the Decepticons kidnap a girl named Astoria in an attempt to learn her father's formula. She drives them crazy with her constant whining, being TheJinx, and tearing the place apart.
292	[[/folder]]
293
294	[[folder:Real Life]]
295	* A surprising number of people who were kidnapped by organ harvesters in Brazil have been released voluntarily by their kidnappers unharmed. At least once, it was because the woman kidnapped screamed so loud for so long that the guard forcibly threw her out.
296	* News headline: [[http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/04/22/%E2%80%98every-praise%E2%80%99-kidnapper-releases-10-year-old-who-won%E2%80%99t-stop-singing-gospel-song 'Every Praise': Kidnapper Releases 10-Year-Old Who Won't Stop Singing Gospel Song]]. Helped that the kid sang the same song for ''3 hours''.
297	* This is one variant of the legend of Archimedes' death. When Syracuse was under siege by the Romans, they sent a single soldier to find and secure Archimedes, since his genius was far too valuable to let him get killed in the battle. The soldier found him working on a geometry problem, and he barely even acknowledged the soldier's presence. The soldier got extremely frustrated and ended up killing Archimedes out of spite. (Another version of the legend states that the soldier didn't know the man was Archimedes and killed him because he refused to answer when he asked about Archimedes' whereabouts.)
298	* [[https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/taliban-kicked-arguing-last-afghani-jews-out-of-prison-stole-torah-606457 Zabulon Simentov]], an Afghan Jew. He was imprisoned by the Taliban for stealing Jewish artifacts but kicked out due to [[JewsLoveToArgue his constant bickering with another Jewish prisoner]].
299	* [[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/armed-u-s-army-trainee-hijacks-school-bus-full-children-n1266514 A US Army trainee]] who hijacked a school bus but let all the kids go after he got frustrated by their constant questions.
300	[[/folder]]

Context Main / PityTheKidnapper