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You have just kicked the dog one too many times. And now, he's going to make you pay. Explosively.

"...because I'm about to kill you!"

A form of Pre-Mortem One-Liner where the utterer has determined in advance that he is going to kill someone, indicating to the other person that he has no chance to survive. Frequently uttered by villains, but may also be uttered by heroes depending on their Character Alignment. If It's Personal for the hero, someone may say that If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!.

Variations in this Stock Phrase frequently manifest as substitutions for the word "die," depending on the situation, or the age group it's catering to. Its most common variation is "Prepare to be destroyed!"

Surprisingly, nobody explores exactly how you prepare to die. Perhaps you're supposed to do it by borrowing large sums of money and unloading long term stocks. Or leaving a note to the police explaining who killed you and why, thus saving some hard-working public servant a lot of effort. Traditionally, you did it by making peace with God, hence this line's occasional substitutes, "Say your prayers!" or "Prepare to meet your maker!" Still, the person who says it rarely gives them the time to properly prepare.

When done against a hero, expect the Big Damn Heroes to swing in at any moment. Sometimes it's the Bad Guys Doing the Dirty Work instead. A Thwarted Coup de Grâce is sure to follow.

Compare I'm Your Worst Nightmare. Contrast Ineffectual Death Threats. Also, contrast Don't Make Me Destroy You, where the character is actually trying to put off the impending death (or at least he is claiming that). A frequent, if highly unimaginative, Pre-Asskicking One-Liner or Pre-Mortem One-Liner. Contrast You Have No Chance to Survive, where the character telegraphs his death threats well in advance. Contrast I'll Kill You!, where the act wasn't premeditated.

Other phrases that mean the same thing include "I'll Kill You!", "And now you die", "Time to die", etc.

Here is a compilation with a lot of examples of the "Prepare to Die!" quote.


Examples:

    open/close all folders 

    Anime & Manga 
  • The Big O: "I will reset the world in my own image with my own will. But before I do that, I'll eliminate everyone who doesn't deserve to exist in my new world. And that includes you filthy scum!" It's not entirely clear whether he was talking about the poor people or the Union, but either way, it was just a little uncalled for.
  • A Certain Magical Index has Mugino say a variant after Hamazura pisses her off: "I will fucking kill you!" Between the expression on her face and her general personality, it's terrifying.
  • Claymore gives us Teresa of the Faint Smile, who goes against the ironclad rule of not being allowed to kill humans.
    Teresa: Say your prayers, you bastards. Damn your existences, for they are lower than that of a yoma. I will kill each and every one of you.
  • Code Geass:
    • This is practically Luciano Bradley's MO, but only because he enjoys it. Unfortunately for him, he runs into the receiving end of this trope courtesy of Kallen during the second battle over Tokyo.
    • In that same battle, Lelouch, who has otherwise been lenient with Suzaku given their past friendship and various circumstances, sets his sights on killing his once best friend following the arrest during their would-be truce, which was made to look like Suzaku was responsible, and in Lelouch's eyes, made him out to be a full-bloodied backstabber. Well, not on his own, but he orders Kallen to kill him.
  • In Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Vincent confers with his hacker subordinate about the status of their plan, and leaves with the cryptic command, "Say your prayers." Later, after the hacker confirms that he's done everything asked of him, Vincent asks if he said his prayers, and kills him.
  • In Digimon Data Squad, ShineGreymon yells "You're finished, Kurata!", before he and Masaru punch the cowardly Mad Scientist to kingdom come. Not that he needed to. The Death Glare got the point across just fine.
  • In Dragon Ball Z, Goku gives this after going Super Saiyan against Frieza in the heat of the moment after Frieza kills his best friend. However by the time the battle is over, Goku is content with the insult to Frieza's pride and abandons the fight. Not that Frieza will let him get off that easy.
    • Vegeta loves boasting about his strength in general, but he veers into this as he fights Goku for the first time, as the fact that Goku is able to even put up a decent fight is that insulting to his pride, let alone that the fight brings him to near-death. He is similarly furious in the next arc when he discovers that Gohan stole his last Namekian Dragon Ball, screaming bloody murder. Combine this with Goku's passion, and you get Gogeta in Fusion Reborn:
      Gogeta: I am neither Goku nor Vegeta, I am Gogeta! It's over, Janemba! I've come for you!
  • In FAKE, this is combined with Big Damn Heroes and Funny Moments:
    Dee: "Say yer prayers, dickhead!"
  • As seen in the pic, Fist of the North Star's Kenshiro often uses this as his way of declaring that a particular villain's actions are unforgivable. And when he says something like this? He means every word.
    • And while, thanks to the anime, his "You Are Already Dead" became something of a meme, it was far more sparingly used in the manga. In fact, he only ever said it once.
  • Fullmetal Alchemist
    Roy Mustang: No need to say anything more, Envy. The first thing I'm gonna incinerate is your tongue.
    • The Brotherhood version:
    "Everything you've said is fuel on your funeral pyre. So then, I think I'll begin by burning out your tongue."
    • Before that, there was Scar:
      "Now tell me, for what purpose did you choose to slaughter all of my people!? Depending on your answer, I'LL SEND YOU TO JOIN GOD!! NO, you don't deserve to stand by God alongside my fallen brothers! YOUR ONLY SOLACE FROM MY WRATH WILL BE DAMNATION!"
  • In Haruhi Suzumiya (Melancholy to be specific), Kyon is about to be killed by Ryouko Asakura — before Yuki steps through just in time to stop Ryouko in her tracks.
    • Ryouko also does this in The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, after stabbing Kyon, telling him to savor the pain, since it's the last thing he'll feel.
  • A variation used sometimes in Inuyasha: "Wash your neck!" (The translation notes explained, as in preparation for execution.)
  • In One Piece, Luffy is talking to a Marine on a Den Den Mushi. He tries to tell them to "Wash your neck and wait", but gets it wrong and instead says "Wash your potatoes".
    • Most of the Straw Hats refrain from this (preferring to just go straight to murdering their enemies) which makes it all the more beautiful when they do:
    Luffy: Which one of you is Arlong?
  • Ranma ½'s Ryoga brings us the fandom-memetic "Ranma, prepare to die!" Flanderization has us believe that it's his catchphrase, but he really only uses it a couple of times.
  • The Soul Eater anime has Medusa do this to Chrona right before Maka's Big Damn Heroes moment.
  • In Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light, Anubis declares to Yami Yugi, "It is no longer time to duel. Now it is time to DIE!"

    Comic Books 
  • The Japanese version of the Punisher in Five Ronin, in true Inigo Montoya-fashion:
    Punisher: You are soldiers of the Daimyo. You razed the house of Akagi. There is nothing more to be said.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Genevieve says this in a really fancy way to Buffy.
  • Legion of Super-Heroes: Cosmic Boy of the tracks down his mother's killers tells them he's going to kill them and starts to do so very painfully, but decides it would make him no better than them and a disgrace to his mother's memory. The terrorists are still left badly injured since it took Cos a bit of their screaming to decide to let them live.
  • Secret Six: The series plays with the trope a bit. Scandal is about to run wild through a group of security guards employed by a slaver. She says that they have 30 seconds left to live — enough to pray or make one last phone call. The guards look at each other... and some do start praying or leaving phone messages, having realized that they had it coming.
  • X-Men:

    Fan Works 
  • Hetalia: Axis Powers fanfic Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità: Germany and Japan had some...interesting...battle cries as they fought each other.
    Germany: "UMKOMMEN!"
    Japan: "SHEE-NEI!"
  • Half-Life: Full Life Consequences: "Prepair to die" The Dark Man said.
  • Shadow says it to Brainstorm shortly before attacking him in Calvin & Hobbes: The Series.
  • Duncan McSmurf in the Empath: The Luckiest Smurf mini-story "Duncan's Wedding" tells Lazy to "prepare to join your ancestors" when he defeats Lazy in a mock duel to challenge Duncan's claim to marry his bride Brenda McSmurfette. However, Duncan refrains from killing his opponent at the request of his bride and instead congratulates Lazy for fighting well.
  • The Night Unfurls:
    • Original version:
      • Chapter 16: As the hunters and Shamuhaza face off the first time, Kyril says he's just going to go up there and kill him. He doesn't get to do the deed, because Shamuhaza sends Luu-Luu to fight him, forcing Kyril to deal with her instead.
      • Chapter 19: Sentencing Commander Berol to death by hanging, Kyril tells him, "Deal with it. Or pray, seeing as the hangman's noose waits for no man."
      • Chapter 26: Kyril bellows "I HAVE COME FOR YOU!" to the fleeing rebels as he slaughters his way through their ranks.
    • Remastered version:

    Films — Animation 
  • Beauty and the Beast has an interesting aversion, as Gaston originally said "Time to die!" in the rooftop duel, but was changed to "Belle is mine!" due to it being too harsh for a kids' film.
  • At the end of The Pebble and the Penguin, Drake yells out "Say your prayers, Hubie!'' just right before being crushed by the very boulder he was going to use to kill Hubie.
  • Not that they were afraid to trot out the phrase in the past — Peter Pan's Captain Hook uses this line word-for-word when he's finally got the title character cornered:
    Captain Hook: Insolent youth! Prepare... to DIE!!!
  • Shrek 2: "Pray for mercy from... Puss in Boots!"
  • The Super Mario Bros. Movie: During the fight between Mario and Donkey Kong, the former gets a hold of a Super Bell, turning into Cat Mario, prompting the latter to laugh out loud. Then DK immediately switches his mood and says seriously, "Now you die." before delivering a punch towards Mario that's swiftly avoided.
  • Toy Story 2: Emperor Zurg says this after he cranks up his ion blaster (really a ball launcher), aimed right at Buzz Lightyear. But in a fit of panic, Rex knocks Zurg off the elevator they're on and makes him fall down the shaft. He survives, being a toy, and apparently has a weird change of heart in the process.
  • Inverted with Springer in The Transformers: The Movie.
    Springer: I've got better things to do tonight than die!

    Films — Live-Action 
  • Blade Runner:
    • First, played straight:
      Leon: Wake up! Time to die!
    • A slight subversion with the Stock Phrase as part of Roy Batty's Final Speech:
      Roy Batty: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.
  • The Crow: When Eric Draven faces down Top Dollar's entire gang at the club, just before the biggest shootout of the movie.
    Eric: You're all going to die.
  • Among the hammiest examples is Jeremy Irons spitting clear across the set to say "Now is your time to die!!" in the Dungeons & Dragons (2000) movie.
  • Galaxy Quest When the Thermians are showing a smuggled tape off Sarris' ship to the 'crew' of the Protector:
    Thermian: I have told you all I know. If you have any mercy within you please... let me die.
    Sarris: When I grow tired of the noises you make, you shall DIE!
  • From Goldfinger, as James Bond is about to be cut in two with a laser (lengthwise):
    Bond: You expect me to talk?
    Goldfinger: [laughing] No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die!
  • In Happy Gilmore, Happy tells the clown face at the miniature golf park, "you're gonna die," when he successfully gets the golf ball into the clown's mouth but the clown spits it back out.
  • Highlander The Kurgan says this to Connor.
    The Kurgan: Now you die!
  • From Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, there's Indiana Jones's "Mola Ram, prepare to meet Kali, IN HELL!". Because he prefers to use the Hindu deities.
  • Invasion U.S.A. (1985): Chuck Norris's character said "It's time to die..." to the Big Bad in the past, before kicking him into unconsciousness. This caused the Big Bad to have nightmares and to wake up screaming every night. When the final showdown occurs, Chuck's character just says "It's time...". And then he blasts the Big Bad out of the top story window with a rocket launcher.
  • Kill Bill Vol. 2
    Elle Driver: That's right, I killed your master. And now I'm gonna kill you, too. With your own sword, no less. Which in the very immediate future, will become my sword.
    The Bride: Bitch, you don't have a future.
  • Lost in Space: When Dr. Smith is transformed into a self-proclaimed god and begins to eat the older Will Robinson:
    Smith: Time to die... son.
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: "I shall pry the chest away from your cold, dead fingers."
  • The Princess Bride:
  • Road House (1989): Strange considering this is the film that brought us the infamous line, "But Johnny, you could get injured!"
    Jimmy: Prepare to die!
    Dalton: You are such an asshole.
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. The World:
    "You punched me in the boob! Prepare to die, obviously!"
  • The Sorcerer's Apprentice has Horvath say "And now, young Dave, I will kill you. Yes, right here in this dreadful bathroom. Quite un-stylish, but you know, these things happen."
  • Spaceballs has this in its parody of Luke, I Am Your Father.
    Dark Helmet: I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate!
    Lone Starr: What does that make us?
    Dark Helmet: Absolutely nothing, which is what you are about to become! Prepare to die!
  • The rather cheesy 1990 comedy Spaced Invaders shows no mercy:
    (sarcastically) "Prepare to die, Earth scum. Prepare to die, Earth scum." I'm gonna make sure they carve that on your tombstone!
  • Emperor Palpatine in the climactic scene of Return of the Jedi: "And now, young Skywalker, you will die."
  • Sark says this to TRON before their final battle (specifically, he says "Prepare to terminate!").
  • No Time to Die:
    Nomi: Do you know what time it is?
    Obruchev: No.
    Nomi: Time to die.
  • Subverted in Venom: Let There Be Carnage:
    Venom: Time to die!!
    Eddie: That's the spirit.
    Venom: I mean US! WE are going to DIE!

    Literature 
  • In The Goblin Emperor, a nobleman who attempts to murder Maia airs his grievances and announces his intent to kill before he attacks.
  • Stephen King's Night Shift: In "Children of the Corn," one of the Children tells Burt, "Remand your soul to God, for you will stand before His throne momentarily."
  • In Pact, doing this is encouraged by the way in which the karmic system works. Telling someone that you are going to attack or kill them before you do it is tantamount to making a promise and then carrying it out, which has a positive effect on your karma and personal power. This is also used to justify Bond Villain Stupidity such as monologues.
  • The Pilgrim's Progress:
    Then Apollyon straddled quite over the whole breadth of the way, and said, "I am void of fear in this matter, prepare thyself to die; for I swear by my infernal Den, that thou shalt go no further; here will I spill thy soul."
  • Paul Tobin's Prepare To Die plays this straight for about ten pages, after which it is massively averted. The hero, Reaver, is at the mercy of his arch-nemesis, the Octagon, who tells him to prepare to die. The hero, surprisingly, agrees, on condition that he gets a month to do so. Astonished, Octagon instead gives him two weeks. And that's just the beginning...
  • The Princess Bride, near the end. Inigo Montoya says this to the six-fingered man, as shown in the page quote.
  • In A Song of Ice and Fire, during the duel between Oberyn Martell and the massive Ser Gregor Clegane, Oberyn begins by asking his opponent if he knows who Oberyn is. Gregor, never one to stand on ceremony, responds with "Some dead man." and immediately attacks.
  • In the Warrior Cats series, Brokentail shouts "Prepare to die!" at a bunch of rats at the end of a chapter in Yellowfang's Secret when the ShadowClan cats attack them.
  • In The Zombie Knight, in the Eighth Oath a rogue Vanguard faction has kidnapped a prominent Rainlord, and the rest of the Rainlords are gearing up to attack. When the enemy general sends them a message offering to trade the hostages he has for the one he wants, the Rainlords respond by sending him an umbrellanote .

    Live-Action TV 
  • Arrow. In "The Climb", Oliver Queen has to fight a Duel to the Death with Ra's al Ghul, leader of the League of Assassins.
    Oliver: You have taken your last life.
    Ra's al Ghul: No. You have lived your last day.
  • "Say your prayers, Blackadder, it's POKER TIME!"
  • In Boy Meets World, Eric Matthews acts in a Shakespeare play, performing magnificently so... and then he privately utters the words to Jack, his co-actor and whom he's swordfighting with, "Prepare to die, Jedi Master!"
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Subverted in "All The Way". A vampire rushes at Buffy shouting, "Die, Slayer!" Buffy casually stakes him and goes, "Mm-hmm."
  • Doctor Who. Sontarans do this a lot, but a notable scene is in "The Vanquishers" when the Sontarans try to lure their enemies into being destroyed by the Flux, only to fall victim to it themselves.
    Commander Stenck: By the wrath of Sontar, I will now execute you!
    Professor Jericho: I really don't think you're going to have time.
    (Stenck screams as the Flux consumes him.)
    Professor Jericho: (closing his eyes) What an awfully big adventure...
  • Game of Thrones:
    • 'The Mountain and the Viper': At the beginning of the duel between Oberyn Martell and Gregor Clegane, Oberyn stops to ask his opponent if he knows who he is fighting, resulting in this exchange:
    Oberyn: Have they told you who I am?
    Gregor: Some dead man.
    • Armed with a bow and arrow, Myranda confronts Sansa Stark at Winterfell. She is killed by Theon as a result.
  • Horatio Hornblower, "The Even Chance": Before duelling with Hornblower, Jack Simpson, a midshipman of a bully and the most despicable villain, takes some joy to boast, and actually blabs that he attempted to murder Archie Kennedy. (He killed Clayton in another Duel to the Death.)
    Simpson: I am going to kill you, Snotty. Just as I killed Clayton. And your little pal Archie.
  • Power Rangers often uses the more family-friendly "Prepare to be destroyed!"
  • Star Trek:
    • In an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, the Enterprise is confronted by a powerful alien vessel that announces its intention to destroy our heroes, and goes on to say — "we assume you have a deity... or deities," and politely offers to give the Enterprise crew time to make "whatever preparations" they deem necessary. An unusually explicit example of this trope, where the opponent says "prepare to die" and clearly actually means it. And they're all the scarier for that.
    • In an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Where Silence Has Lease", the Enterprise-D encounters a similar situation, but the alien claims that between a third to half of the ship's crew will be killed as part of the alien's experiments about death. Picard tries a Take That! and starts the self-destruct sequence. Subverted in that the alien's experiments related to monitoring how humans reacted to the imminent threat of death without actually intending to kill them. Double-subverted in that the biggest threat to the ship and the crew in this context was Captain Picard himself, since he threatened to kill the entire crew, as opposed to letting the alien choose which of them would survive. The ending reveals that it's actually a TRIPLE subversion: Picard knew that the alien was actually interested in how humans react to the threat of imminent death, and calls the alien out on it, and gets the alien to confirm he was right by appearing to him.
    • The Borgs' well-known stock phrase is a variation, as it implies a form of death, at least on a metaphysical level (the death of the individual).

    Theater 

    Music 
  • Tenacious D's "Beelzeboss".
    Satan: Yes you are fucked, shit out of luck,
    Now I'm complete and my cock you will suck!
    This world will be mine, and you're first in line
    You brought me the Pick and now you shall both die!
  • Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue".
    Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
    From a worn-out picture that my mother'd had,
    And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye.
    He was big and bent and gray and old,
    And I looked at him and my blood ran cold
    And I said: "My name is Sue! How do you do!? Now you gonna die!"
  • Type O Negative's "Xero Tolerance"
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic's "The Night Santa Went Crazy"
    Merry Christmas to all
    Now you're all gonna die!

    Pro Wrestling 
  • Kaientai (TAKA Michinoku specifically) says this to Lowdown on Sunday Night Heat.

    Video Games 
  • Neff from Altered Beast (1988): "Welcome to your doom!"
  • In Ascendancy, whenever you declare war on another species, the option you choose is labelled "We declare war on you. Prepare to die."
  • Baten Kaitos:
    • One of Lyude's possible pre-finisher quotes. "You won't live to see the light of day!"
    • Said word for word by a Malpercio-tainted Kalas to Xelha and the others.
  • BlazBlue
    Hakumen: I am Hakumen! The end has come!
    Nu-13: Activate termination protocol.
    Ragna: Time to die, you degenerate son of a bitch!
    • Hazama is quite likely to utter this if a given character pisses him off enough. Count on it happening if Makoto is involved.
      (after Makoto breaks his plans in Slight Hope): "Relius was going to take care of you, but shit... I just don't think I can WAIT that long..."
      (after Makoto almost does it again in Friendship): "Hehehehahahahaha! Let's go, you little bitch! HahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"
      (after Jin parries a hit on Makoto in Decision): "Now then, if you'd please do me a favor and DIE!"
  • Ludwig von Tökkentäkker, the Big Bad of CarnEvil, says the trope word for word before the final fight: "Welcome aboard. From this study, I have observed your every move. BUT YOU DO NOT OBEY! Prepare to die!"
  • Castlevania
  • Claw: One type of guard in the fifth and sixth levels will occasionally say this word for word when they see you, as will the male mercats in the eleventh and twelfth levels.
    • Likewise, some Tiger Guards in the final level will warn you that you will die there.
    • At the start of the boss fight against Marrow:
      Captain Claw: Prepare for a watery grave, Marrow!
  • In Dark Souls, this is literally the tagline of the game. And you will die. A lot. And then, you will die again. Whether it's from a skeleton-behind-a-corner, an outright environmental booby trap, a fire-breathing dragon, an epic combo-boss, a zerg rush of mooks with covering fire and buffs, a sword-wielding wolf, lag (aka "excuses") or the most consistent killer of all (gravity + ledges), there are just so many ways for the game to kick your ass at every turn.
    • While not as terrible a offender as it's successor, Demon's Souls manages to kill the player so many times that will make the casual, inexperienced gamer die over and over. Then again, both games are "love letters" of sorts to Nintendo Hard old school arcade games.
  • In the final battle of Disney's Hades Challenge, Hades warns you that if you want to be a hero, you'll die like one as he sends creatures of the Underworld after you.
  • The DonPachi series has "Shinu ga yoi" (lit. "Dying is good", often interpreted to mean "Die!") as a recurring catchphrase by the Big Bad.
  • Dragon Age: Origins:
    • When playing as a human noble, you eventually run into Arl Howe, the man responsible for betraying and killing your family at the beginning of the game. He's now the ruler of Denerim and acting as The Dragon to the game's Big Bad. When you try to call for blood rights against him, he laughs in your face about how he's framed your family as traitors to the country, meaning you no longer have any right to vengeance against him. Among several dialogue options, one is to tell him: "I'm going to enjoy slitting your throat." And in the game's next mission you do.
    • In the City Elf origin, the Warden can tell the minor noble who kidnapped their entire wedding party as Sex Slaves that they're going to enjoy killing him.
    • In camp, a drunken Oghren tells the Mabari this line when he thinks that the dog took his pants.
  • One of the dialogue options for confronting Ser Alrik in Dragon Age II's "Dissent" quest: "Die!"
  • Sir Ano does this in one of the Oaklore quests in DragonFable.
    Sir Ano: My name is Sir Ano de Berg'rac. You're planning to kidnap my princess. Prepare to die.
  • The bosses of Einhänder are a pretty mean lot; most of them say things such as "I'll send you to Hell", or "Welcome! Here you will find only your grave.", with a later one even using this trope almost by the letter. All in German, though.
  • Epic Battle Fantasy 5's final boss utters this no less than four times, each one more hatred-filled than the last:
    (entering battle) "ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. I AM YOUR END!"
    (using Giga Doomsday, above 51% HP) "RETURN TO THE COSMIC DUST FROM WHICH YOU CAME. NOT EVEN YOUR MEMORY WILL REMAIN."
    (using Giga Doomsday, below 51% HP) "YOU POSE NO THREAT TO ME. I AM IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF THIS UNIVERSE! BE GONE! RETURN TO NOTHINGNESS!"
    (after deleting the Earth) "IT'S DONE. YOUR HOME WORLD IS GONE FOREVER. FADE AWAY ALONG WITH IT, INTO THE ENDLESS SCRAP-HEAP OF THE VOID. DISINTEGRATE BEFORE ME, BYTE BY BYTE."
  • READY! TO DIE
  • The Fallout games in general will have little one-liners like this for the players that want to skip the conversation and get right to the shooting.
    • Fallout 2:
      Frank Horrigan: Your ride's over, mutie. Time to die.
    • In Fallout: New Vegas, if you see Caesar on his invitation after accumulating a bad rep with the Legion, he'll tell you that it's all a trap and he's going to have you killed on the spot. Shortly after:
    • "You crossed the NCR one time too many, now you die!"(NCR Ranger hit squad), or "The Caesar has marked you for death, and the Legion obeys. Ready yourself for battle!"(Legionary assassin squad).
  • In the Fire Emblem series:
    • Hector from Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade uses this line when fighting Wire, the leader of the group of Black Fang assassins that attack him in the first chapter of Hector's story.
      • Fire Emblem: Awakening:
      • Lon'qu gets a similar line when fighting Leif in the "Champions of Yore 3" DLC.
      • Frederick has a "say your prayers" variant. When he scores a Critical Hit, he'll sometimes tell his foe to "Pick a god and pray!"
    • In Fire Emblem Fates, when Mikoto is killed in Chapter 5, an enraged Ryoma tells the assassin, "Vengeance will be mine... Prepare to die!"
  • Gothic 2: As you're trying to become a Fire Mage, a competing novice trying to kill you for a quest item WILL give you time to prepare to die. Specifically — and hilariously — if you choose to ask him if he has something to smoke, he'll give you a joint and wait patiently until you're done smoking it (the animation takes a while) before attacking you.
  • Grand Theft Auto V has Option C, in which Trevor has kidnapped Devin Weston from his own mansion, killing all of his men and Weston bound in his car. Weston begs for his life promising Trevor fortune and power in reward for sparing him. Trevor, who by now, has been scammed by Weston thoroughly and has heard of Weston's goons attacking Michael's family at his home, isn't forgiving.
Trevor: I dunno if you heard, but I'm kinda gold rich right now, so you got precisely nothing to offer. Prepare for the end, my friend.
  • In the .hack// video games for PS2 there's a weapon called "Prepare to Die"
  • Halo: Reach:
    • I am SPARTAN-B312. You killed my teammates. Prepare To Die.
    • Note that Noble Six (SPARTAN-B312) does not say this out loud, but it is the title of a sub-level/section of the level "The Pillar of Autumn."
  • In Hellsinker, if you meet certain conditions upon defeating Scarlet Queen, the Segment 2 Lead boss, she threatens, "You will die here." Cue One-Winged Angel form.
  • Part of the Boss Warning Siren for Hydorah incorporates a mechanical voice proclaiming "PREPARE TO DIE!". It is even incorporated into some of the boss tracks. Suffice to say, it isn't joking.
  • I Wanna Be the Guy parodies the Symphony Of The Night quote, word for word. The Kid attempts it a second time, but is cut short after two words.
  • In the original Kirby Super Star, Meta Knight actually said this to Kirby before their duel.
    Meta Knight: Kirby, this is it! Prepare to die!
  • In The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, Malefor says the line directly before his final showdown with Spyro and Cynder. What makes this note worthy is his general all around character makes it come off as truly threatening. It also helps that regardless of whether or not he wins, the Destroyer might finish them off with the world anyway, so he has a pretty good reason for telling them this. What makes it more effective is the simple fact that Malefor says this during the only time in the entire trilogy that he gets angry due to Cynder breaking free of his control thanks to the Power of Love.
  • You DARE bring light to my lair?! YOU MUST DIE!! -disco fingers-
  • By the second Max Payne game the titular character had already amassed a body count in the triple digits in the first game's Roaring Rampage of Revenge, yet he's still on the NYPD thanks to a deal with an Ancient Conspiracy. In Act I Chapter 2, Max goes to visit his Russian gangster friend Vladimir Lem only to find him busy dodging bullets from Vinnie Gognitti and the Italian mob and hiding under a desk - Max's appearance, though, lets Vlad turn the tables on Gognitti's men with his reputation (with a bit of ham for fun):
    Vlad over public loudspeaker: Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present Max Payne; New York's Finest, with the biggest mobster body count ever! Dearest guests, prepare to die.
  • Metroid: Other M: "Mother... time to go!"
  • Monkey Island: My name is Guybrush Threepwood. Prepare to die!
  • Said verbatim by Shao Kahn in the Mortal Kombat series as one of his many taunts: You will die!
  • Pokémon of all series uses them...but of course, Never Say "Die" is nearly always in place, so.
    • It's pretty common in the Ranger games particularly, with things like (major spoilers ahead):
      Kincaid: This will be your final lesson. Fufufufu... Drapion! Show them no mercy!
    • And soon after...
      "This will be your final resting place! And for the Pokémon onboard, too!"
    • And from Purple Eyes, we have this:
      "Any last words?" "OK, so those are your last words then." "...That's it. It's all over. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's all over for you too."
    • And for a non-Ranger example, we've got Ghetsis from Pokémon Black and White:
      "And since you now know the truth...you must be eliminated!"
  • Putrefaction 2 has the Hermit, your Treacherous Quest Giver, letting out one of these line before he betrays you and turns One W Inged Angel.
    "You served your purpose and now you will die."
  • Resident Evil 5 has Wesker say this word for word during the final battle.
  • The Shin Megami Tensei series brings us Alice: "Would you please die for me?"
  • In Star Control, the Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah are Affably Evil about this; they explicitly give their victims time to prepare for their deaths in whatever ways they deem appropriate, and offer the "comforting fact" to their victims that they might be reincarnated as Ur-Quan.
  • StarCraft:
    • One of the infested Terran's quotes in StarCraft. Considering their role of suicide bomber, it's not exactly an empty threat.
    • From StarCraft II, we have this gem:
      Tal'Darim Executor: Make peace with your gods, defilers. You will now answer for your crimes!
  • Killtron the "magic death robot" is full of this in Stay Tooned!. Ironically, at the end of the Kartoon Kombat minigame, he says, "But I cannot beat you! I am not a fighter, I am a dancer! *sudden Mexican dance*" And then he promptly self-destructs simply "for your pleasure". Killtron also randomly gets right in your face in the hallway and says this by name, but you can get rid of him by flipping his power switch if you're quick enough.
  • Sheena in Tales of Symphonia says this verbatim the first time she meets the party, as she's on a mission to assassinate Colette. The effect is ruined when she falls in a pit.
  • In Tales of Vesperia, Karol yells these very words at an eggbear in a demonstration of false bravery. Which are later mockingly repeated by Yuri in a comically high-pitched voice.
  • Undertale has a few:
    • Lucky for you, I've been aching to show this off for a long time. So... as thanks, I'll give you a handsome reward. I'll make your last living moments... ABSOLUTELY beautiful! — Mettaton, after a pivotal moment in the fight
    • No, you know what? SCREW IT! WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU THAT STORY WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE!?! — Undyne... most of the time
    • You...! I'll keep you here no matter what! ...Even if it means killing you 1,000,000 times!!! — Flowey
    • Go ahead. Prepare however you want. But when you step forward... I will KILL you. — Undyne, if Papyrus is dead
    • It's a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. On days like these, kids like you... Should be burning in Hell. — Sans' pre-battle dialogue. Possibly an aversion, as he knows the player can respawn from their death.
  • Magneto needs to work on his grammar. From the X Men arcade game: "Hahahahaha! X-Men, welcome to DIE!" Deadpool tells this to Magneto in a direct Shout-Out in Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
  • "All your base are belong to us. You are on your way to destruction. You have no chance to survive make your time."

    Web Animation 
  • In the RWBY episode "Breach":
    Coco: You just destroyed my favorite clothing store. Prepare to die.

    Web Comics 

    Western Animation 

 
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Alternative Title(s): And Now You Die, Time To Die

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YouTube

Throughout the majority of the fight, YouTube doesn't speak until at the start of the climax. For the first time, it speaks in full sentences by amalgamating words of content creators in their videos and using them to make its own speech against Green and TSC to make it clear that this time, it's personal.

How well does it match the trope?

5 (7 votes)

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Main / SuddenlySpeaking

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