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Anime and Manga
Damn it...that piece of shit... That asshole went on about being a soldier and responsibility...so all that time in hand-to-hand training, you were going easy on me?! You're pretty damn strong. I can't even move. You were seriously talented. You could stay calm and see the big picture in any situation. You put your comrades ahead of yourself. I can't believe I wished that one day, I could be as strong as you.
— Eren Yeager, Attack on Titan
"No need to worry about me. As of now, I don't know how I ever had feelings for you. Still... I suppose I'm grateful to you— in a way."
— Sayaka Saeki to her ex-girlfriend, Bloom Into You
Gren: I looked up to you. I believed in you.
Vicious: There was nothing to look up to. There was no me to believe in.
Vicious: There was nothing to look up to. There was no me to believe in.
I really looked up to you, Ken. I dreamed of being just like you. And now that I know you're my sworn enemy, all I can say is...and I mean this: YOU CAN KEEP YOUR CRUMMY AUTOGRAPH!
— Davis, Digimon Adventure 02
"What respect I had for you has now turned to pity. You have no honor!"
— Tien to Mercenary Tao, Dragon Ball, "Tien Shinhan vs. Mercenary Tao"
"She was just trying to please you. A friend she thought she understood suddenly changed overnight. Miki, being who she is, couldn't understand it no matter how she tried. Do you get it yet? You may see yourself as a better person, but to Miki, you're just a backstabber."
— Maho to Fujishiro, Failed Princesses
I thought of Kageyama as a god. Him, of all people!
— Kidou Yuuto, Inazuma Eleven
"What happened to my hero? He's shrinking to life-size proportions before my very eyes!"
— Sota, Inuyasha
"You couldn't even get through that song without stopping. Why did you even bother with that trainwreck? What happened to the Arima from my childhood? My invincible rival. Where did he go? My hero always carries the day. My hero's bulletproof. You knew from the moment you stopped they'd never bump you up past pre-lims. So why? Why do you have that look on your face? Heroes always win, no matter what. Watching you fail, it's like... you're just another person."
— Takeshi, Your Lie in April
Comic Books
Carol: I trusted you. You have my name, you wear my colors, but seeing how far you've gone to make your point, I can see my trust was misplaced.
Kamala: I didn't want this, but I have to protect the people of my city. Even...even if it means protecting them from you.
Kamala: I didn't want this, but I have to protect the people of my city. Even...even if it means protecting them from you.
— Ms. Marvel (2014) (Civil War II tie-in)
"During my visit it took every bit of discipline I could conjure to keep from asking Bruce that one terrible question I'm stone cold certain our relationship can't survive. 'What happened in those last moments between you and Stephanie, and why did you keep me from being there?"
— Tim Drake, Robin
"Here it is. The scene I've dreamed of seeing firsthand. And all I feel is... apathy. Neo Metal Sonic nearly succeeded in reviving the Eggman Empire. But he acted too brashly. He thought overwhelming power would win the day without a proper plan. I thought it was because he'd been designed as a counter to Sonic- a ballistic missile with a built-in grudge. But the first bio-data he downloaded was Eggman's. And here we are, seeing the exact same brute force strategy. I got lost in his pageantry—in his showmanship. I was inspired by Eggman's legend. The man simply doesn't measure up."
— Dr. Starline, Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW)
I hate him, I hate him! How could I ever have hero-worshipped that super-rat?!! I'll destroy every picture, every trophy of him!
— Lex Luthor, How Luthor Met Superboy
Supergirl: When you started...mentoring me, the whole goal of it was to teach me more about being human. We built a trust. For a year, I told you everything. You knew all the stuff that was wrong with my life. [...] But you lied to me, Lana, that entire year. You didn't trust me, and people in that hospital died because of it. You died because of it. I saw you die. Because you were scared to tell me something was wrong.
Lana Lang: Kara, I—
Supergirl: Let me finish. Insect Queen wanted me to think she was the reason you put so much faith in me. That she was why we'd built a trust. Even if that's not true, our trust was still one-sided. And if I can't put belief in our trust, what good is this relationship?
Lana Lang: Kara, I—
Supergirl: Let me finish. Insect Queen wanted me to think she was the reason you put so much faith in me. That she was why we'd built a trust. Even if that's not true, our trust was still one-sided. And if I can't put belief in our trust, what good is this relationship?
Ardora: Please don't tear down Luthor's statue! He was our friend, our benefactor!
Lexorian: You're his wife...Naturally, you'd plead for him, Ardora! But the rest of us are ashamed we ever allowed him on our world!
Lexorian: You're his wife...Naturally, you'd plead for him, Ardora! But the rest of us are ashamed we ever allowed him on our world!
Fan Works
Alternate Edelgard: My family's a bunch of j-jerks, huh? Except Hedy and Pasky. And Joachim. And sometimes Heidi.
Edelgard: I was so young when they passed away. I held them in my heart as nothing less than angels and blamed myself for being too earthly, too corrupt, too sinful to follow them into the Goddess' embrace. Seeing them in your world, all too human...
Alternate Edelgard: Disappointing, isn’t it?
Edelgard: Painful.
Edelgard: I was so young when they passed away. I held them in my heart as nothing less than angels and blamed myself for being too earthly, too corrupt, too sinful to follow them into the Goddess' embrace. Seeing them in your world, all too human...
Alternate Edelgard: Disappointing, isn’t it?
Edelgard: Painful.
Studying talent... was that all Hope's Peak had really cared about? Enough to let someone who'd attempted murder walk free?
What a dumb question. Of course it was. She'd seen what they'd done to Hinata-kun and Kamakura-kun; why should this surprise her?
The more she learned about what really went on at her school, the less Chiaki liked it. She used to be proud to attend Hope's Peak, proud to call herself "talented", even if she thought her talent wasn't nearly as useful as most of the others'. She'd been proud and happy because it was where she'd met Hinata-kun, Yukizome-sensei, and all her friends. But now... how could she say she was a student of that place with any sort of pride?
What a dumb question. Of course it was. She'd seen what they'd done to Hinata-kun and Kamakura-kun; why should this surprise her?
The more she learned about what really went on at her school, the less Chiaki liked it. She used to be proud to attend Hope's Peak, proud to call herself "talented", even if she thought her talent wasn't nearly as useful as most of the others'. She'd been proud and happy because it was where she'd met Hinata-kun, Yukizome-sensei, and all her friends. But now... how could she say she was a student of that place with any sort of pride?
— Extra Life, Chapter 6: Skill Grinding
How many times did she pin Sunny down? How many times did everyone smile and laugh with Mari, unaware of her crimes? How many times did Mari wave off Sunny's mood when Aubrey asked about it....?
"HE TRUSTED YOU!" Another fist, and another web of cracks. "WE trusted you! And look what you did!" She tore off the paper, and pulled it up to her baleful gaze. "He lost four years because of YOU! He keeps having nightmares because of YOU! I-I have to stand there and—" She growled. "He's so scared.... and it's all. Your. FAULT!"
"HE TRUSTED YOU!" Another fist, and another web of cracks. "WE trusted you! And look what you did!" She tore off the paper, and pulled it up to her baleful gaze. "He lost four years because of YOU! He keeps having nightmares because of YOU! I-I have to stand there and—" She growled. "He's so scared.... and it's all. Your. FAULT!"
— Aubrey to a picture of Mari, False Heaven
I don't hate you, Cap. It's just hard for me to trust you all as fully as I once would have.
Izuku felt his blood run cold as All Might leapt over everyone's heads and onto the stage. He found himself gritting his teeth, hands clenched, as he glared at All Might. The man who had once been his idol, his hero, the one who had nearly been the final nail in the coffin of his dreams, was once more standing over him. But Izuku knew the truth: All Might wasn't this grinning giant. He was a weak, skeletal figure with sunken eyes and a battered body, who killed the dreams of children. Why were they letting him teach?
— "Rejected Stones" a My Hero Academia fanfic
To think we used to respect you both.
— Inner Moka, Rosario Vampire: Brightest Darkness Act IV
Damn it, I've had enough of this girl. She's not the angel my Dark spoke of. She's not the angel I gave my thanks to at night. She's a fucking nightmare!
— Mizore Shirayuki, Rosario Vampire: Brightest Darkness Act VI
"So was any of it true?" Hikari was shocked by the edge in her own voice, but she only felt angrier when Shinji apologized again. For a while there was silence. Hikari couldn't wrap her mind around the situation properly. Shinji had lied to her and betrayed her trust just to make himself feel better. She understood that. But he completely disregarded her feelings. And now when things were really bad he had the nerve to come to her house and ask her for help?
"I'm awful..." said Shinji with all the self-pity in the world. Hikari clenched her hands into fists. How dare he play the victim? For the first time since the impact Hikari felt the desire to do physical harm to someone, but she hated feeling this way. She hated being angry because anger accomplished nothing. And she hated being depressed because that didn't solve anything either. But there was Shinji with his sloppy posture and shadowy eyelids practically begging her to feel sorry for him and show compassion, forcing his problems onto her. But this time she just couldn't give a damn for his sad little sob story. She didn't have to take this.
"I'm awful..." said Shinji with all the self-pity in the world. Hikari clenched her hands into fists. How dare he play the victim? For the first time since the impact Hikari felt the desire to do physical harm to someone, but she hated feeling this way. She hated being angry because anger accomplished nothing. And she hated being depressed because that didn't solve anything either. But there was Shinji with his sloppy posture and shadowy eyelids practically begging her to feel sorry for him and show compassion, forcing his problems onto her. But this time she just couldn't give a damn for his sad little sob story. She didn't have to take this.
Film — Animated
Syndrome: All I wanted was to help. I only wanted to help! And what did you say to me?!
Mr. Incredible: *in flashback* Fly home, Buddy. I work alone.
Syndrome: It tore me apart, but I learned an important lesson: you can't count on anyone. Especially your heroes.
Mr. Incredible: I was wrong to treat you that way. I'm sorry.
Syndrome: See, now you respect me. Because I'm a threat. That's the way it works.
Mr. Incredible: *in flashback* Fly home, Buddy. I work alone.
Syndrome: It tore me apart, but I learned an important lesson: you can't count on anyone. Especially your heroes.
Mr. Incredible: I was wrong to treat you that way. I'm sorry.
Syndrome: See, now you respect me. Because I'm a threat. That's the way it works.
This is crazy. I finally meet my childhood hero and he's trying to kill us. What a joke.
— Carl Fredricksen, Up
(Donald is forcibly carrying Mickey out of the palace)
Mickey: We can't leave our posts like this! What would Captain Pete say?!
Donald: Captain Pete is the bad guy!
Mickey: Captain Pete is the bad guy?!
(Mickey grabs onto a statue to escape Donald's grasp)
Mickey: Captain Pete's trying to kidnap the princess?
Donald: Exactly!
Mickey: But, he... he made us Musketeers.
Donald: It was all a lie!
Shifu: Then why didn't you quit?! You knew I was trying to get rid of you, and yet you stayed!
Po: Yeah, I stayed. I stayed because though every time you threw a brick at my head or said I smelled, it hurt, but it could never hurt more than it did every day of my life just being me. I stayed because I thought if anyone could change me... could make me... not me, it was you, the greatest kung fu teacher in all of China!
Shifu: But I can change you! I can turn you into the Dragon Warrior, and I will!
Po: Oh, come on! Tai Lung is on his way here right now, and even if it takes him 100 years to get here, how are you... gonna change this into the Dragon Warrior?! Huh? How... how...? HOW?!
Shifu: I DON'T KNOW! I don't know.
Po: That's what I thought.
Po: Yeah, I stayed. I stayed because though every time you threw a brick at my head or said I smelled, it hurt, but it could never hurt more than it did every day of my life just being me. I stayed because I thought if anyone could change me... could make me... not me, it was you, the greatest kung fu teacher in all of China!
Shifu: But I can change you! I can turn you into the Dragon Warrior, and I will!
Po: Oh, come on! Tai Lung is on his way here right now, and even if it takes him 100 years to get here, how are you... gonna change this into the Dragon Warrior?! Huh? How... how...? HOW?!
Shifu: I DON'T KNOW! I don't know.
Po: That's what I thought.
You know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be you, Batman. I wanted to be as fast, and as strong, and as smart as Batman. But you're not who I thought you were. You can't be a hero, if you only care about yourself.
Ansel: Arlo, if there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's that sometimes you have to change if you're ever going to make it in this world.
Arlo: Change? Wait, what?
Ansel: I hope this lesson will help you. It's all I can do for you.
Arlo: Well... I just thought since I came all this way to meet you, that you'd be happy to see me... You... are my dad, right?
Ansel: I'm... [hurtfully] No. I'm sorry.
Arlo: Change? Wait, what?
Ansel: I hope this lesson will help you. It's all I can do for you.
Arlo: Well... I just thought since I came all this way to meet you, that you'd be happy to see me... You... are my dad, right?
Ansel: I'm... [hurtfully] No. I'm sorry.
Flint: The BS-USB... reprogrammed it?!
Chester: It was never gonna turn off the machine. A BS-USB? Hello! Your machine is what I wanted all along.
Flint: You... lied to me!
Chester: Of course I lied to you. I knew you'd eventually fall for these pathetic creatures.
Flint: [heartbroken] But… but you were my idol. My whole life, I looked up to you. I wanted to BE you!
Chester: Oh, Lockwood. I was just using you to get your invention.
Chester: It was never gonna turn off the machine. A BS-USB? Hello! Your machine is what I wanted all along.
Flint: You... lied to me!
Chester: Of course I lied to you. I knew you'd eventually fall for these pathetic creatures.
Flint: [heartbroken] But… but you were my idol. My whole life, I looked up to you. I wanted to BE you!
Chester: Oh, Lockwood. I was just using you to get your invention.
Cody: What about "Never give up?" What about "Find a way?"
Big Z: Yeah, well...
Cody: You're giving up, Z! You're giving up!
Big Z: Yeah! I'm givin' up, that's my way. Givin' up.
Cody: I- I thought you were the one guy.
Big Z: You don't like it, find your own way! Leave me out of it! Leave me out of it.
Big Z: Yeah, well...
Cody: You're giving up, Z! You're giving up!
Big Z: Yeah! I'm givin' up, that's my way. Givin' up.
Cody: I- I thought you were the one guy.
Big Z: You don't like it, find your own way! Leave me out of it! Leave me out of it.
Film — Live-Action
"So that was he! That giggling, dirty-minded creature I'd just seen crawling on the floor. Mozart. The phenomenon whose legend had haunted my youth. Impossible."
Salieri, Amadeus
Robert Ford: I can't believe I woke up this morning wondering if my Daddy would loan me his overcoat, and here it is just past midnight and I've already robbed a railroad train and I'm sitting in a rocking chair chatting with none other than Jesse James. ... Many's the night I've stayed up with my mouth open and my eyes open, reading about your escapades in the Wide Awake Library.
Jesse James: They're all lies, you know.
Jesse James: They're all lies, you know.
This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said that peace is not an achievement, but a responsibility. See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues.
— Colonel Nick Fury, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Nicholas Angel: It all started with my Uncle Derek. He was a Sergeant in the Met. He bought me a police pedal car when I was five. I rode around in it every second I was awake — arresting kids twice my size for littering and spitting. I got beaten up a lot when I was young, but it didn't stop me. I wanted to be like Uncle Derek.
Danny Butterman: He sounds like a good bloke.
Nicholas Angel: Actually, he was arrested for selling drugs to students.
Danny Butterman: What a cunt.
Danny Butterman: He sounds like a good bloke.
Nicholas Angel: Actually, he was arrested for selling drugs to students.
Danny Butterman: What a cunt.
— Hot Fuzz
You know, Bill Boss, I used to look up to you. I used to idol-worship you! I worked 10 years for you, and I grew this stupid mustache to look like you! But I know what you are. You are a sadistic vile asshole!
— Dwight, The Human Centipede 3: Final Sequence
Darth Vader: Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.
Luke: He told me enough! He told me you killed him.
Vader: No. I am your father.
Luke: He told me enough! He told me you killed him.
Vader: No. I am your father.
If you can make God bleed, the people will cease to believe in Him.
— Ivan Vanko, Iron Man 2
Tell me, "friend", when did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for madness?
— Gandalf the Grey, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
You want to know my "vision?" Dollar signs. Money. I want to retire on some tropical island filled with naked women. That's my vision. That's Zefram Cochrane. This other guy you keep talking about, this historical figure? I never met him. Can't imagine I ever will.
— Zefram Cochrane, Star Trek: First Contact
You didn't betray me. You betrayed yourself.
— Optimus Prime, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
"You know no one ever had a hold on me the way you did. I woulda done anything for you. A long time ago I woulda thought you were worth it. Not anymore, babe."
— Tom Cody to Ellen Aim, Streets of Fire
[Gene's] listening to the geezer he was devoted to for twenty years selling information Gene's told him in confidence to [The police] and not only that, belittling him, talking about him like he's a fuckin dog.
Lesson number one: Heroes. There is no such thing.
—- The Mandarin, Iron Man 3
Never meet your heroes.
—Thor to Axl (about Zeus), Thor: Love and Thunder
I'm glad I met you.
—Axl to Thor (not long after the above line), Thor: Love and Thunder
Ted: [after Flash Gordon refuses to be a sperm donor for Ted] Can't believe it. That son-of-a-bitch!
John: That was really selfish of him.
Ted: I know, and after I watched his piece-of-shit movie like a hundred times!
John: That was really selfish of him.
Ted: I know, and after I watched his piece-of-shit movie like a hundred times!
Literature
I looked up to you. I wanted to be like you. But Redtail was my mentor. I owe him more than any cat. And you killed him. You killed him and betrayed the Clan. I'd rather die than follow you.
— Dustpelt, Forest of Secrets
Defiant: Dragon, Miss Militia and I have each worked directly under Alexandria at some point. It’s something of an unofficial policy to have anyone that’s being considered for a leadership position working under each member of the triumvirate for a time.
Skitter: Must have been real fun for you guys when you found out what they’re really like, last month.
Miss Militia: Not fun at all.
Skitter: Must have been real fun for you guys when you found out what they’re really like, last month.
Miss Militia: Not fun at all.
Lexell Kotov: Did you know that Telok was a hero of mine for many years? His early work was quite brilliant – visionary even. Until his obsession with the Breath of the Gods took over his researches, he was a pioneer within the Mechanicus. Some believed he might one day be Fabricator General.
Roboute Surcouf: If we don’t stop him he might yet. And you know they say you should never meet your heroes. They’ll never match the image you’ve built up for them.
"I respected the child. At times I can't stand the man, Si."
— Colum Asht to Silas, The Locked Tomb: Gideon the Ninth
The most horrific effect of this madness was to see not just the present but the past butchered. The monuments of America's Founding Fathers were hacked apart and defaced by a populace that perceived these great men as failing them. It sent chills down my bones to see these once noble and respected monuments in ruins. The symptoms of a society gone so mad, it murdered not only its own leaders but its own gods. To these criminals, Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson were just old politicians, worthy of nothing less than death.
— John Smith, Rumsfeldia
Mace Windu: The Chancellor loves power. If he has any other passion, I have not seen it.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: I recall that not so long ago, you were something of an admirer of his.
Mace Windu: Things change.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: I recall that not so long ago, you were something of an admirer of his.
Mace Windu: Things change.
Live-Action TV
Vince: That's your hero?
Howard: Yeah. He's gone a bit wrong.
Howard: Yeah. He's gone a bit wrong.
Don't remember me like this.
— Det. Superintendent Harry Woolf, Life on Mars (2006)
Sheldon: [after getting passed over for a project by Professor Proton] And to think I idolized that man. And why? At the end of the day, he’s just another Hollywood phony.
Amy: Is it really worth getting upset about?
Sheldon: Yeah, they say don’t meet your heroes. Don’t peek behind that curtain of fame and celebrity, because if you do, you’ll see them as they really are: degenerate carnival folk.
Amy: Come on, he’s a retired kids' show host.
Sheldon: That’s even worse. Using the sweet candy of science to trick children into loving him. Pervert.
Amy: Is it really worth getting upset about?
Sheldon: Yeah, they say don’t meet your heroes. Don’t peek behind that curtain of fame and celebrity, because if you do, you’ll see them as they really are: degenerate carnival folk.
Amy: Come on, he’s a retired kids' show host.
Sheldon: That’s even worse. Using the sweet candy of science to trick children into loving him. Pervert.
It's true what they say though, isn't it? You should never meet your heroes. You'll only be disappointed.
— Dougal, Father Ted
I believed that I could resurrect a god. But instead, I freed the devil.
— Gideon Malick, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., about Hive (3.17 "The Team")
We withdrew. The galaxy was mourning, burying its dead, and Starfleet had slunk from its duties. The decision to call off the rescue and abandon those people we had sworn to save was not just dishonorable, it was downright criminal! And I was not prepared to stand by and be a spectator!
— Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: Picard
I put my faith in you, as a member of the organization. I practically worshipped you like a god. But now, you no longer have anyone's faith. You chose to step down from being a god and now you're all alone!
— Rintaro Shindo to Isaac Kanda, Kamen Rider Saber
He put me up on a pedestal ... and I had to show him that I was down in the gutter with the rest of them. Broke my boy. I broke my boy.
—Mike Ehrmantraut, Better Call Saul
Shin Hati: Do you miss it? The Order?
Baylan Skoll: I miss... the idea of it. But not the truth, the weakness. There was no future there.
Baylan Skoll: I miss... the idea of it. But not the truth, the weakness. There was no future there.
— Ahsoka, "Far, Far Away"
Music
It's not a question of age
That's one thing we know for sure
It's a question of realization
'Cause we're not kids no more
When you find that your heroes are all assholes
You'll put that pedestal away
When you find that your heroes are all assholes
You'll try to make it all make sense some way
That's one thing we know for sure
It's a question of realization
'Cause we're not kids no more
When you find that your heroes are all assholes
You'll put that pedestal away
When you find that your heroes are all assholes
You'll try to make it all make sense some way
— The Copyrights, "My Heroes Are All Assholes"
Just when I thought it wouldn't get no sicker... Woke up one morning and heard this weird ass mothafucka talkin' out the side of his neck. Me and all my peoples, we always thought he was straight. Influential mothafucka when it came to the business. But now... Since we know how you really feel, this how we feel.
— YG, "FDT (Fuck Donald Trump)"
Say it ain't so, Joe, please, say it ain't so
That's not what I wanna hear Joe
And I got a right to know
Say it ain't so, Joe, please, say it ain't so
I'm sure they're telling us lies Joe,
Please tell us it ain't so.
That's not what I wanna hear Joe
And I got a right to know
Say it ain't so, Joe, please, say it ain't so
I'm sure they're telling us lies Joe,
Please tell us it ain't so.
— Murray Head, "Say It Ain't So Joe"
Your hopes, your dreams, your paradise
Heroes, idols, cracked like ice
Heroes, idols, cracked like ice
Now that I see the truth
How could I fuck with you.
It's unbelievable, let's get real dude.
I'm Disappointed in You.
How could I fuck with you.
It's unbelievable, let's get real dude.
I'm Disappointed in You.
— ForneverWorld, "You're NOT Goku"
Stop idolizing people, at most, you guys are equal
Then you won't be so surprised when finding that they're evil
Then you won't be so surprised when finding that they're evil
— Dan Bull, "Somebody Call A Doctor!"
Professional Wrestling
It can't be so, Andre! Listen to me-Day one, man! When I set eyes on you, brother, you're the reason why I got into Professional Wrestling! You were Like a God to Me, a role model! You can't be here with him, man! You're the one that took me all the way from nothing to the World's Title! Andre, you can't be with him, man!
You're the one that taught me then, about respect for the fans! About helping the kids! You the one that taught me about good sportsmanship! You set the mold for me to follow, man! What are you doing here with him?
You're the one that taught me then, about respect for the fans! About helping the kids! You the one that taught me about good sportsmanship! You set the mold for me to follow, man! What are you doing here with him?
Let me tell you something, people! You put this man on a pedestal. You do, you put him here! But I found out about this man. You're nothing but a selfish prick!
Tabletop Games
Horus was weak. Horus was a fool. He had the whole Galaxy in his grasp and he let it slip away.
— Abaddon the Despoiler, Warmaster of Chaos, Warhammer 40,000
Death to the False Emperor!
— Jago "Sevatar" Sevatarion, First Captain of the Night Lords,note Warhammer 40,000
Theatre
Keller: ...Why am I bad?
Chris: I know you're no worse than most men but I thought you were better. I never saw you as a man. I saw you as my father.
Chris: I know you're no worse than most men but I thought you were better. I never saw you as a man. I saw you as my father.
Video Games
People say "Don't meet your heroes."
— Atom II, Injustice 2
The gilding on the mask had cracked to reveal the rot underneath.
— Max Payne, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
I thought Andrew Ryan was a great man... I was a fool.
— Diane McClintock, BioShock
Davian Thule: You pile heresy upon heresy, traitor! How could the Emperor ever have trusted trash like you?!
Eliphas the Inheritor: Wonder instead how we could ever have trusted one such as him, brother.
Eliphas the Inheritor: Wonder instead how we could ever have trusted one such as him, brother.
— Dawn of War: Dark Crusade
The higher you place your faith in one man, the farther it has to fall. Farnham has lost his soul, but not to any demon. It was lost when he saw his fellow townspeople betrayed by the Archbishop Lazarus.
— Adria, Diablo
Marie: I am going to make your heart and body mine!
Mash: What?
Jeanne: Uh... Huh?
Marie: Oh, my. Oh dear, oh dear. Um, don't misunderstand me. I just meant that as a Queen, I'm going to bring you to your knees.
Dr. Roman: ...It's falling apart...My image of Marie Antoinette is falling apart...
Mash: What?
Jeanne: Uh... Huh?
Marie: Oh, my. Oh dear, oh dear. Um, don't misunderstand me. I just meant that as a Queen, I'm going to bring you to your knees.
Dr. Roman: ...It's falling apart...My image of Marie Antoinette is falling apart...
Artemis: It's true, Atalante. The hunter goddess who lives for love, that's me- Artemis! Hehe!
Atalante: ...[staggers]
Mash: A-Are you okay!?
Atalante: I-I'm fine. The Holy Grail on the great seas has strengthened my mind a bit... E-Even finding out the goddess I worship is hopelessly romantic won't be enough to break me!
Ritsuka: Hang in there, maiden.
Atalante: You don't sound like you mean it!
Atalante: ...[staggers]
Mash: A-Are you okay!?
Atalante: I-I'm fine. The Holy Grail on the great seas has strengthened my mind a bit... E-Even finding out the goddess I worship is hopelessly romantic won't be enough to break me!
Ritsuka: Hang in there, maiden.
Atalante: You don't sound like you mean it!
I used to think the world of Lady Rhea. Now I'm terrified of her.
— Jeralt, writing in his diary, Fire Emblem: Three Houses
You were a knight in service to the king for decades. Not only did you excel in bravery, wisdom, and tactics, but in matters of character you were an ideal knight. Utterly above reproach. That is what His Highness has always said. I have only come this far by modeling my conduct after his stories of you. But now...
— Dedue, to Gilbert, Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Bruno: It's a shame... The Letizia I knew could have been something more... But that was long ago.
Alfonse: You were...close?
Bruno: Yes. When we were young... Back then, she looked like a princess had stepped out of a picture book. She was beautiful, gentle, and kind... When we were children, the two of us promised to—well, spoke of... plans for our lives together. But I've since realized that she spoke falsely even then...
Alfonse: You were...close?
Bruno: Yes. When we were young... Back then, she looked like a princess had stepped out of a picture book. She was beautiful, gentle, and kind... When we were children, the two of us promised to—well, spoke of... plans for our lives together. But I've since realized that she spoke falsely even then...
Mordin: No! But... assumed... never argued with necessity of Genophage.
Maelon: How was I supposed to disagree with the great Dr. Solus? I was your student! I LOOKED UP TO YOU!
Maelon: How was I supposed to disagree with the great Dr. Solus? I was your student! I LOOKED UP TO YOU!
I used to think you were a hero. A holy knight and all that. I guess I should've known better...
— A NPC calling out the Divine Crusader with infamy, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
I knew you as you used to be, long ago. You were once a fine investigator, and an example to others on the force. I'm sorry to learn that you are no longer that person.
— The Judge, to Damon Gant, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Psh, you're pathetic, Qwark. I can't believe I once looked up to you.
— Ratchet, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
I wanted to believe it wasn't true... I had clouded my vision for so long... My eyes were truly blind... Blind, and unable to see the true self behind this one horrible man...!
— Yusuke Kitagawa, Persona 5
When I was a child, I looked up to my grandfather for all the great things he accomplished in his life. He was my hero, and I wanted to be a great scientist like him... but...did he really mean to destroy us?
— Dr. Eggman, Sonic Adventure 2
All my life, I've put up with deceit and denial. I thought the Jedi would be different. You've shown me otherwise.
— Jaesa Willsaam, Star Wars: The Old Republic
Doctor Octopus: Peter... I saw you as a son. I should've known you'd turn on me, just like all the others.
Spider-Man: Turn...? Turn?! I worshiped you! Your mind... your conscience... wanting to help others... the way you never gave up!
Doctor Octopus: That's because men like us have a duty. A responsibility. To use our talents in the service of others. Even if they don't appreciate it... we have to do what's best for those beneath us. Whether they understand it or not!
Spider-Man: No, you're wrong! You were everything I wanted to be! You just... threw it away!
Spider-Man: Turn...? Turn?! I worshiped you! Your mind... your conscience... wanting to help others... the way you never gave up!
Doctor Octopus: That's because men like us have a duty. A responsibility. To use our talents in the service of others. Even if they don't appreciate it... we have to do what's best for those beneath us. Whether they understand it or not!
Spider-Man: No, you're wrong! You were everything I wanted to be! You just... threw it away!
[...]Or serve the justice of a corrupt Council and a Creator who abandons His most faithful.
Mom... Tifa......my town...give it back... I had so much respect for you... I admired you...
— Cloud Strife to Sephiroth, Final Fantasy VII
All these years... It was you... You, who taught me the ways of the shinobi... You, who I loved as a father! Why, Master... Why?!
— Oboro to Master Gekkai, Final Fantasy XIV
Mayday: You were my idol. I worshipped you. I did this... all of this... in your name!
Tatiana/Kul Fyra: Ugh! One, I didn't ask for your admiration. Two, take responsibility for your own stupid actions. And three, never have heroes, honey. Believe me, you'll have fewer disappointments.
Tatiana/Kul Fyra: Ugh! One, I didn't ask for your admiration. Two, take responsibility for your own stupid actions. And three, never have heroes, honey. Believe me, you'll have fewer disappointments.
...I was a fool for having respected you. I wonder what those sharing your ideals would think if they could see you now.
— Grolla Seyfarth to Count Michael Zeppelin, RosenkreuzStilette Grollschwert
Razputin Aquato: Haven't you learned anything from this?
Gristol Malik: Yes! Never meet your heroes! Maligula! What a disappointment.
Gristol Malik: Yes! Never meet your heroes! Maligula! What a disappointment.
"I looked up to you. Wanted to BE you. Guess that's why they say you should never meet your heroes..."
It was on a mission deep within the boiling seas of the nether realm, where the Order of the Six reside, that a company of Night Sentinels learned of the Khan Maykr's true dealings with the callous beasts. By Maykr design it was kept secret from the Sentinels and Argent people alike that the essence we had grown so reliant on during this war was comprised of the very spirit of our brothers and sisters who'd fallen to these vile creatures. The truth had been uncovered, that all beings who found their end by the demonic horde would become a vassal of the Hellscape, their flesh in time twisted into the very demons we fight, their souls extracted to create the Essence that powers their world...and ours. The victims were the enemy, and the enemy would become us.
The soldiers stood in awe at the base of a factory dedicated to such action, a place where the bodies of the slain were sorted and processed, tortured for the mill to have their souls extracted through sinister magick. Enormous vats of pain and suffering, ethereal energy, the haunting sounds of lost souls awash in an eternity of servitude, transformed into energy to power our struggle against the Dark Realm and its malice.
But worse than this grim reality was the discovery of the machinery which was used to enact the vile process our fallen had been subjected to, for it was not by hoof and claw that this blasphemous technology had come to pass, but by the hand of the Argenta guided by the Mother God's desires. We had fallen deep within the grasp of the enemy, what we had fought against would not reveal itself to be true, as without countenance we could hold no sway over the Argenta populace. Regardless, the honor of the Night Sentinels would have to hold up the verity of these claims, and the Mother God could be our divinity no more.
The soldiers stood in awe at the base of a factory dedicated to such action, a place where the bodies of the slain were sorted and processed, tortured for the mill to have their souls extracted through sinister magick. Enormous vats of pain and suffering, ethereal energy, the haunting sounds of lost souls awash in an eternity of servitude, transformed into energy to power our struggle against the Dark Realm and its malice.
But worse than this grim reality was the discovery of the machinery which was used to enact the vile process our fallen had been subjected to, for it was not by hoof and claw that this blasphemous technology had come to pass, but by the hand of the Argenta guided by the Mother God's desires. We had fallen deep within the grasp of the enemy, what we had fought against would not reveal itself to be true, as without countenance we could hold no sway over the Argenta populace. Regardless, the honor of the Night Sentinels would have to hold up the verity of these claims, and the Mother God could be our divinity no more.
— History of the Sentinels, Part XI, translation from the Ligrium Sultagenta (Book of Kings), Doom Eternal
Mirror Delia Rousseau: As long as I control everything in this world, none of you can ever leave! I'm...I can't die! I won't die!!
Noel Rousseau: ...Was it worth sacrificing so many lives and your sanity? I always looked up to you, but to think all this time you've been a monster.
Noel Rousseau: ...Was it worth sacrificing so many lives and your sanity? I always looked up to you, but to think all this time you've been a monster.
—Traumerei: Chapter 1
I've lost all respect for you...
—Adon to Sagat, Ultra Street Fighter IV
Superman: This world needs me.
Black Lightning: We need the old you, Superman!
Superman: Is that so?
Black Lightning: We need the old you, Superman!
Superman: Is that so?
Superman: Do you know who I am?
The Flash (Jay Garrick): I prefer to remember you as you were.
Superman: I'll give you points for honesty.
The Flash (Jay Garrick): I prefer to remember you as you were.
Superman: I'll give you points for honesty.
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan): You were the best of us, Clark!
Superman: Still the same me, Hal.
Green Lantern (Hal): Can't say I agree.
Superman: Still the same me, Hal.
Green Lantern (Hal): Can't say I agree.
Vixen: You can go home again, Superman.
Superman: You're tugging on the wrong cape.
Vixen: But you have to want to change.
Superman: You're tugging on the wrong cape.
Vixen: But you have to want to change.
Green Arrow: Cyborg from my Earth is a lot more mellow.
Cyborg: Bet he didn't see his friends get nuked.
Green Arrow: Point taken.
Cyborg: Bet he didn't see his friends get nuked.
Green Arrow: Point taken.
Sub-Zero: Resist me, and there will be consequences.
Smoke: And to think I once idolized you.
Smoke: And to think I once idolized you.
I thought you were a friend, a writer like us! Turns out you are just a murderer...
—Tryce to Faux, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Webcomics
Even so, I won't be able to regard this person with the same esteem I had before, but then he'll never again see me as just another freshman, either. I guess that's a part of growing up; finding that one's idols are just people after all.
Funny... in my whole life only one authority figure has never let me down: Dad. Make that two: Dad and Kell.
Funny... in my whole life only one authority figure has never let me down: Dad. Make that two: Dad and Kell.
— Lindesfarne, The Virtual Quill, Kevin & Kell
Web Original
What happened to you, Lycerius? We trusted you!
— Mikuro, in response to Lycerius' 'Eternal War'
Cloud: Well, becoming a 1st Class SOLDIER was a dream come true...
Cid: Well alright, boy!
Cloud: ...and then I got to work alongside my hero...
Cid: That's awesome!
Cloud: ...and then he destroyed my village.
Cid: F**k that guy! Never meet your heroes, boy, because heroes are people, and people are shit.
Cid: Well alright, boy!
Cloud: ...and then I got to work alongside my hero...
Cid: That's awesome!
Cloud: ...and then he destroyed my village.
Cid: F**k that guy! Never meet your heroes, boy, because heroes are people, and people are shit.
Web Video
But, reading this book, knowing what Disney the man and Disney the company would become, it raises a disturbing question. Was Sergei Eisenstein full of shit?
— Kyle Kallgren, Sergei Eisenstein: Disney Fan
My childhood hero just called me bipolar.
— jschlatt, SMPLive
Western Animation
You TRAITOR! I dedicated my life to you!
Bravestarr: I still don't understand. You tried to kill me. How? How could you? You were my hero...
Jingles Morgan: I never asked to be your 'hero'.
Jingles Morgan: I never asked to be your 'hero'.
— Bravestarr, "Fallen Idol"
Grunkle Stan: Please don't press that shutdown button, you gotta trust me.
Dipper: And I should trust you why?! After you stole radioactive waste?! After you lied to us all summer?! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
Dipper: And I should trust you why?! After you stole radioactive waste?! After you lied to us all summer?! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
— Gravity Falls, "Not What He Seems"
Courage: What happened? What's going on?
Huey: We're going home!
Dewey: No thanks to you!
Louie: Yeah!
Doofus: You've been saved by a real hero — Launchpad McQuack!
Huey: We're going home!
Dewey: No thanks to you!
Louie: Yeah!
Doofus: You've been saved by a real hero — Launchpad McQuack!
"Whoa! That prince is a total wimp! Cross 'royalty' off my dream boy wish list!"
— Clover, Totally Spies!, "The Wedding Crashers"
All right, that's it! I've been scorched by Krusty before. I got a rapid heartbeat from his Krusty brand vitamins, my Krusty Kalculator didn't have a 7 or an 8, and Krusty's autobiography was self-serving with many glaring omissions. But this time, he's gone too far!
— Bart, The Simpsons, "Kamp Krusty"
I used to kiss the ground you walked on, Blandy. But after seeing this... I wouldn't even spit in your direction!
— Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob SquarePants, "Selling Out"
I don't believe it. Goliath wasn't Sevarius' partner - it was you all along! I trusted you! You turned me into a monster and I defended you!
— Derek Maza/Talon to David Xanatos, Gargoyles
My whole life I've looked up to the League, you were my heroes, every one of you, and you, you were more than a hero, I idolized you, I wanted to be you. Whenever I was out there facing down the bad guys, I think "what would Superman do?", now I know. I believe in fair play, I believe in taking people at their word and giving them the benefit of the doubt, back home I've come up against my share of pretty nasty bad guys, but I never had to act the way they did to win a fight, I always found another way. I guess I'm saying I liked being a hero... a symbol. That's why I'm... quitting the Justice League, you don't act like heroes anymore.
— Captain Marvel, Justice League Unlimited, "Clash"
Jinx: I wanted someone to look up to. I thought you were cool.
Madame Rouge: Life is full of disappointments. You are one of them.
Madame Rouge: Life is full of disappointments. You are one of them.
— Teen Titans (2003), "Lightspeed"
SpongeBob: Hi, Patrick!
Patrick: Hi, SpongeBob! Did you get into that club?
SpongeBob: Yeah, but I turned them down. It's not about Kevin, it's about jellyfish!
Patrick: SpongeBob, I'm glad you learned your lesson. (Camera zooms out to Patrick wheeling away a man in a jellyfish costume) Hero worship is unhealthy. Come on, Jeffrey!
Patrick: Hi, SpongeBob! Did you get into that club?
SpongeBob: Yeah, but I turned them down. It's not about Kevin, it's about jellyfish!
Patrick: SpongeBob, I'm glad you learned your lesson. (Camera zooms out to Patrick wheeling away a man in a jellyfish costume) Hero worship is unhealthy. Come on, Jeffrey!
Everything we were running from... She was right there all along... Using us for her little war, smiling at us with those knowing eyes, making me believe in a better future that I couldn't see, because it wasn't real. And now, here we are: our friends, shattered, and corrupted. Of course, she was a Diamond. What a long road she took to torture us like this.
— Sapphire, Steven Universe, "Now We're Only Falling Apart", about Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond
Numbuh 1: Why couldn't you leave the Kids Next Door gracefully? I looked up to you! We all did.
Chad Dickson: That's not my problem!
Numbuh 1: You were the best there was!
Chad Dickson: I. Still. Am!
Numbuh 1: No. You're not.
Chad Dickson: That's not my problem!
Numbuh 1: You were the best there was!
Chad Dickson: I. Still. Am!
Numbuh 1: No. You're not.
— Codename: Kids Next Door, "Operation T.R.E.A.T.Y."note
"...I looked up to you..."
— Dakota's last words to Bertie, Tuca & Bertie ("The New Bird")
"All I've ever done is love you! And you're nothing but a washed-up, drunken asshole! You don't deserve to wear this suit! I HATE YOU!"
— Steve Williams from Brickleberry, berating and calling out his childhood idol, Flamey the Bear, in "My Favorite Bear".
It's... hard, when you can't trust yourself. I spent my whole life believing I was doing something good, for someone good. But it was a lie. And some part of me still wants to... believe in that lie.
I know too much now, I can't see you
The same Pauline who I was drawn to
Your evil games are driving me insane, for
Ever thinking I could trust you
Cause now I've found out you're a spirit
What is my life without you in it?
It's kinda messed up
I feel like a breakup
Except it's all your fault, NOT MINE!
Cause oh my God, Pauline
Why'd you have to let me see
The other side of you that screen
You should've stayed just on the screen!
The same Pauline who I was drawn to
Your evil games are driving me insane, for
Ever thinking I could trust you
Cause now I've found out you're a spirit
What is my life without you in it?
It's kinda messed up
I feel like a breakup
Except it's all your fault, NOT MINE!
Cause oh my God, Pauline
Why'd you have to let me see
The other side of you that screen
You should've stayed just on the screen!
— Norma, Dead End: Paranormal Park, "My Frankenstein"
Emily: Sera, tell me that you didn't know!
Sera: I thought since I'm older, it's my job to shoulder.
Emily: No...
Sera: You have to listen, it was such a hard decision! I wanted to save you the anguish it takes to do what was required…
Emily: To think that I admired you!
Sera: I thought since I'm older, it's my job to shoulder.
Emily: No...
Sera: You have to listen, it was such a hard decision! I wanted to save you the anguish it takes to do what was required…
Emily: To think that I admired you!
— Hazbin Hotel, "Welcome to Heaven"
