[[quoteright:261:[[Webcomic/{{Xkcd}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/regrets_8.jpg]]]]
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-> ''"I don’t regret anything I’ve ever done in life, any choice that I’ve made. But I’m consumed with regret for the things I didn’t do, the choices I didn’t make, the things I didn’t say. We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection. But regret is the thing we should regret most. Failure is an answer. Rejection is an answer. Regret is an eternal question you will never have the answer to. ‘What if …’ ‘If only …’ ‘I wonder what would have …’ You will never, never know, and it will haunt you for the rest of your days."''
-->-- '''Creator/TrevorNoah''', ''Born a Crime''

Regret is a common theme in media. Perhaps one of the ultimate fears that an individual can have, given his and everyone else's limited amount of time on earth is to lose the chance to do something and never get it back.

!!Tropes:
* AccidentalChildKillerBackstory: A mistake that kills a child leads to a lifetime of regret.
* TheAtoner: Former evil-doer wants to make amends for the wrongs they have done.
* BloodyHallucinationsOfGuilt: Regret for being in some way responsible for another's death leads to hallucinations of blood.
* BuyThemOff: A character offers monetary compensation in a shallow attempt to repair their wrongdoing.
* CareerNotTaken: "I could have gotten this job, but I had to do this instead."
* CreatorBacklash: A Trivia trope pertaining to when the people involved in a work wished that they never made the work in the first place.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Often contains a lot of regrets.
* DeathbedConfession: Character reveals a shameful secret they kept to themselves all this time right as they're going to die.
* DissensionRemorse: Characters feel bad about arguing and seek to reconcile.
* DyingDeclarationOfLove: A character dying uses their last breath to confess their love for someone after never telling them about it before.
* FondMemoriesThatCouldHaveBeen: A character reminisces on the fun times they could've had with this person had they not died.
* FormerBigot: Someone used to be bigoted, but is now more open-minded.
* GuiltInducedNightmare: Regret won't leave someone alone even when sleeping.
* HauntingTheGuilty: Someone gets haunted by the spirits of the people they've wronged, who appear to make them repent.
* HeelRealization: Someone is ashamed because they realize that they have been the bad guy.
* ICouldaBeenAContender: A character is stuck on missed opportunities for glory and fame.
* IHatePastMe: A character sees their past self and regrets their past actions or personality.
* ILetGwenStacyDie: The hero blames themselves for not being able to prevent a loved one's death.
* IRegretNothing: Character admits to not feeling remorse for anything they'd done.
* IShouldHaveBeenBetter: A character is upset because they failed to save someone and blames their failure on not being powerful enough.
* IWishedYouWereDead: A person wishes that someone they dislike would die, then feels guilty when the person actually dies.
* JerkassRealization: A character realizes to their shame that they have been a jerk.
* LeavingTheNestSong: While often generalized as happy and upbeat, many songs of this nature are deeply sad and regretful.
* MidSuicideRegret: A character decides not to commit suicide when they're already halfway through it, and may or may not be able to stop.
* MustMakeAmends
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: A character is deeply shocked and ashamed by something bad that they've done.
* MyGreatestFailure: A failure so disastrous that it haunts the person for the rest of their life.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: A character prevents MyGreatestFailure from happening again, to them or to others.
* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: A character is upset that they never had the chance to say goodbye to a loved one before the loved one died.
* NotSoFinalConfession: A character makes a DeathbedConfession -- and then doesn't die after all.
* OldShame: A character is ashamed of something from their past.
* PartingWordsRegret: A character is upset about the last thing they said to someone before that person died.
* PersonalHorror
* PostSupportRegret: A character regrets supporting their {{Jerkass}} and turning a blind eye to their mean streaks out of misguided loyalty, realizing the friend is not the person they thought they were.
* PyrrhicVictory: A victory proves to have negative repurcussions.
* ReformedBully: A bully becomes a nicer person after growing up.
* RegretfulTraitor
* SelfPunishmentOverFailure: A character makes a mistake and decides to punish themselves for it.
* SymbolicWeaponDiscarding: Leaving behind, discarding, or destroying a weapon as a sign of regret about past actions.
* SympatheticMurderBackstory
* TheseHandsHaveKilled: A character is upset that they just killed someone.
* WasTooHardOnHim: Someone is remorseful of being too harsh to another person.
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