History Main / DesignatedBullet

You ever heard of having a bullet with your name on it? That's what this trope is about.

Bob has just betrayed Alice and [[LeftForDead left her for dead]], or maybe he's murdered Alice's whole family, or maybe Alice just really wants Bob to die, so much so that she'll throw in a bit of [[LaserGuidedKarma poetic justice]] and set aside a specific and special bullet to be used, just for Bob.

This trope is about getting revenge, but it's not enough to simply get revenge. This is a special case. So special that not just any old bullet will do. No, the bullet Alice uses (or even the ''gun'' she uses) must be related to the reason that Bob must die. Bonus points if the bullet [[MarkedBullet has Bob's name inscribed on it]]. It's not uncommon for Alice to craft the bullet from special materials as well.

* A lesser example, bandits in ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' sometimes shout "I've bin saving one for ya!" in a firefight.

* ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'': Jim kept a single round in his revolver for Mengsk. In a subversion, when he really needs it to save [[spoiler: Kerrigan]] he doesn't even hesitate in using it on [[spoiler: Tychus]], showing that he has abandoned his pursuit of self-destructive revenge.

* ''Film/ThePatriot'': Benjamin Martin melts down some lead soldiers that belonged to his dead son Thomas in order to make bullets when he starts fighting against the British. The final one of these is dedicated to Colonel Tavington, the EvilBrit who murdered said son. [[spoiler:It doesn't do the job]].

Bob has just betrayed Alice and [[LeftForDead left her for dead]], or maybe he's murdered Alice's whole family, or maybe Alice just really wants Bob to die, so much so that she'll throw in a bit of [[Laser-Guided Karma poetic justice]] and set aside a specific and special bullet to be used, just for Bob.

Bob has just betrayed Alice and [[LeftForDead left her for dead]], or maybe he's murdered Alice's whole family, or maybe Alice just really wants Bob to die, so much so that she'll throw in a bit of PoeticJustice and designate a special bullet to be used, just for Bob.

This trope is about getting revenge, but it's not enough to simply get revenge. This is a special case. So special that not just any old bullet will do. No, the bullet Alice uses (or even the ''gun'' she uses) must be related to the reason Bob must die. Bonus points if the bullet [[MarkedBullet has Bob's name inscribed on it]]. It's not uncommon for Alice to craft the bullet from special materials as well.

* On ''Series/{{Life}}'', Charlie is shot, and when he recovers he asks for the remains of the bullet taken out of him. He then melts it down and molds it into another bullet, and shoots the man who shot him.

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* An early WesternAnimation/HuckleberryHound cartoon with him as a sheriff in the old west climaxes with a duel against the outlaw Dinky Dalton. Dinky says he only needs one bullet and it (literally) has Huck's name on it. Huck counters by placing a sign that says "Huckleberry Hound" on Dinky's holster from the rear. Dinky fires, and the bullet immediately U-turns and strikes Dinky.
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* In ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'', Erron Black's X-Ray has him fire a bullet with the opponent character's name (or [[ShoutOut Ugly Mofo]] for Film/{{Predator}}) on it that ravages the opponent's insides.

* Parodied in ''[[Series/BlackAdder Blackadder Goes Forth]]'': Baldrick carves his name into a bullet, because [[InsaneTrollLogic he insists that in every war there's a bullet with your name on it, and if he]] ''[[InsaneTrollLogic owns]]'' [[InsaneTrollLogic the bullet with his name on it, he won't get shot.]]