Basic Trope: The villain breaks a promise he was never going to keep. The hero is outraged.
- Straight: Evil Billy kidnaps Annie's brother Cameron and tells her that if she wants him back, she has to get him the Amulet of Destruction. Annie gets him the amulet, and Billy promptly kills Cameron. Annie is very angry.
- Exaggerated: Annie singlehandedly brings about everything that Billy wanted. Billy turns her life into crap, such as killing every last person she loves, as a reward.
- Downplayed: (for a certain measure of downplayed at least) Billy breaks the spirit of the promise, but not the letter.
- Justified:
- Billy wanted Cameron dead more than he wanted the amulet due to the fact that Cameron had powers that could defeat him, and he wanted to see if he could get both.
- Billy's very absentminded and genuinely forgot that he ever promised Annie he would let Cameron go.
- Inverted:
- Billy never promises Annie that he'll free Cameron, but he does so anyway when she brings him the amulet.
- Annie promises to Billy that she would hand the amulet over after he let Cameron go. After he's safe, Annie goes back on her word and uses the amulet against Billy herself.
- Billy practically begs Annie to take Cameron back, but Annie wouldn't let him.
- Subverted:
- It looks like Billy is going to slit Cameron's throat, but he's actually using the knife to cut his chains and set him free, keeping his promise to Annie.
- Annie was expecting Billy to go back on his word to release Cameron, and builds her plan around that. But then he actually lets him go, which throws off the plan and puts Annie in a disadvantageous position.
- Double Subverted: He cuts the chains just to play with Annie's feelings, and then he shoots Cameron in the head.
- Parodied:
- Billy kills Cameron, and Annie gets angry. Billy tries to console her with a slice of cake. She's totally satisfied.
- "No, no, I said I would let CARMEN go!" Cue fruit-hatted dance number.
- Zig-Zagged:
- Billy doesn't let Cameron go, and Alice gets angry. Billy then reveals that he will let Cameron go... but they aren't done yet. Billy then captures Alice, takes the Amulet of Destruction, and THEN lets Cameron go. Cameron demands Billy let both of them go, to which Billy makes Cameron get him the Crown of Protection. Once Cameron does, Billy doesn't let either of them go... because he wants to share a thank-you meal with them beforehand. Then, he finally lets them go.
- Averted:
- Billy keeps his promise.
- Billy doesn't promise Annie anything.
- Enforced: The writers are looking for a personal reason for Annie to turn against the villain, as she's very morally grey and wouldn't turn simply because she's a good person.
- Implied: Annie mutters to the heroes, "Never make a promise with Billy, he doesn't keep them. Trust me, I know."
- Played for Laughs: The broken promise is that Billy will clean Annie's toilet.
- Played for Horror: Billy kills Cameron in a very gory way and Annie is forced to watch. Annie snaps and kills anyone who lies to her or breaks a promise later in life, with Billy her first victim.
- Downplayed: Billy doesn't let Cameron go, but he also doesn't hurt him and lets Annie visit him whenever she likes as a reward for her bringing him the amulet.
- Lampshaded: "Why are you breaking your promise? I GOT YOU THE DAMN AMULET, WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"
- Invoked: The even bigger bad, Die-Anna, convinces Billy that promises to heroes mean nothing and to break his promise to Annie in order to break her spirit and her trust in others.
- Exploited: Die-Anna notices that Billy's going to break his promise. She tells Annie, and she promises that if Annie gives her the amulet rather than Billy, she will get Cameron out for her.
- Defied:
- Annie does not make any promises with Billy, knowing that he'll break them.
- Billy makes a point to keep promises he makes, either out of a sense of personal honor or merely the knowledge that having a reputation of not honoring agreements could cost him in the future.
- Discussed: "Oh, you're just like the villains on TV, never keeping your promises!"
- Conversed: "Just watch. Billy isn't going to keep his promise, and then Annie's going to be on a quest for revenge her entire life."
-"You said that you would provide us with a way back to the Main Page!"
-"I Lied."
