History Main / TortureIsIneffective

* Torture doesn't work often in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Spike endures torture for hours without giving up any information. When Angelus tortures Giles he won't break either, until Drusilla impersonates Jenny Calendar.

* The ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' episode "[[Recap/BattlestarGalactica2003S01E08FleshAndBone Flesh and Bone]]" has Starbuck attempt to get the location of a nuke planted in the fleet out of a captured Cylon infiltrator, Leoben, with beatings and WaterTorture. Neither is successful. [[spoiler:[[GoodCopBadCop President Roslin apologizes for his treatment and simply asks Leoben where the bomb is]], and he admits he made it all up to stall for time since he's too far from any Cylon ship to {{reincarnat|ion}}e.]]

In some media works, torture is [[TortureAlwaysWorks effective]] in obtaining information or extracting truthful confessions. In others, it isn't. This may be because the creators want to deliver AnAesop about the wrongness or evils of torture. Or it may simply be that the plot requires that torture not work this time around.

* In ''Literature/TheBookOfEve'', the [[SouldsavingCrusader fanatical priest]] Abramo tries to torture the mother superior of the local convent into confessing to sinful behaviour, including corrupting the women under her care and worshipping a false god. Unfortunately for him, Mother Chiara used to be a famed ascetic who would mortify her own flesh and has consequently developed a high pain tolerance. As she tells her would-be rescuers, he can't do anything to her that's worse than what she did to herself. [[spoiler: Until he finally snaps and murders her.]]

* Played for laughs in ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt''. During their trial, the angels are found guilty and sentenced to death by electrocution. They're then immediately placed in iron-maiden like chambers that show only their faces. While Panty is clearly not enjoying the experience, Stocking is orgasming over it and then ''thanks'' the audience (after she gets free) for finding her guilty so she could enjoy the "Feel Good Chair".

* In the noir comic ''ComicBook/TheGoodAsian'', a [[TheFixer fixer]] tries beating the location of a blackmailer out of a woman, knowing she's connected to him, but not knowing that the blackmailer is in fact her half-brother and thus it's going to take a ''lot'' to get her to turn on him. She remains stubbornly defiant and then is accidentally killed when she futilely attempts to attack one of her captors.

** After Sheridan is captured by President Clark's forces, he's tortured psychologically and {{electric|Torture}}ally in order to get him to confess to being a traitor to Earth. This was shown to work on other prisoners--ISN at one point broadcasts propaganda videos of several people blearily and unconvincingly confessing and naming others--but Sheridan holds out [[spoiler:long enough for Garibaldi and the Mars Resistance to rescue him]].

* It's somewhat of a motif that sooner or later your character is going to get caught and have to undergo ElectricTorture for information in the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' franchise. To date, none of the badass protagonists have given up information in any of the three games. [[spoiler:Even Sokolov, who has a family, refused to talk]]. You'd think Ocelot would have learned the old "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." adage, but alas.

** With physical torture, the book plays this trope straight. Captain Swing decides someone is guilty, and then he is [[BlackComedy miraculously]] proven right by his torturers.

* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': On several occasions, Dr. Thaddeus Venture is captured by villains who decide to torture him for information or simply ForTheEvulz. They reasonably assume that, because Venture is a cowardly weakling, he will break at the slightest touch. They are proven wrong: thanks to Old Rusty's HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood as a KidSidekick, [[TooBrokenToBreak he's unfazed by their attempts to hurt him]]. In a few cases, he almost pities his torturers since compared to what he's been through, their best efforts are a joke.

%% This trope list has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in correct alphabetical order by title.

%%
%% Image moved here from TooKinkyToTorture per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1511968309087182900
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
%%

-->-- '''Michael Westen''', ''Series/BurnNotice'', "Comrades"