Anime & Manga
"Who could be foolish enough to relax his guard with a man who constantly betrays everyone around him?"
— Sir Bismarck Waldstein, Code Geass
Comic Books
Why? That's what they all asked me. Why him... why Starscream? Why, of all Decepticons, did I decide to revitalize the one whose record of deceit and betrayal is legend? Because I'm an idiot, that's why!
— Megatron, Transformers: Generation 2
Fan Works
I have technically never betrayed the X-Men as I hold no loyalty to you people whatsoever.
— Sunfire, Apocalypse Anonymous
"But fortunately I anticipated your anticipation of my anticipation of your anticipation of my anticipation of your anticipation of my treachery!"
— Dr. Zarkendorf, Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space
"We knew that he was unreliable. What we did not know was that he was a fool. His betrayal was as inevitable as Tirek's, yet he did not see it coming."
— Princess Luna, The Stars Ascendant
Film — Live-Action
Elizabeth: Whose side is Jack on?
Will: [beat] At the moment?
Will: [beat] At the moment?
"You're letting her keep [a blaster]? Do you want know the odds of her using it on you? [pause] It's high. [pause] It's very high."
— K2SO, Rogue One
Sanjûrô Tsubaki: Must we fight?
Hanbei Muroto: Yes. You're treacherous. You made a fool of me.
Sanjûrô Tsubaki: Don't get so mad. I couldn't help it.
Hanbei Muroto: Yes. You're treacherous. You made a fool of me.
Sanjûrô Tsubaki: Don't get so mad. I couldn't help it.
Loki: I know I've betrayed you many times before, but this time, it's truly nothing personal. The reward for your capture will set me up nicely.
Thor: Never one for sentiment, were you?
Loki: Easier to let it burn.
Thor: I agree. [electrocutes him] Oh, looks painful. Dear brother, you're becoming predictable. I trust you, you betray me, round and round in circles we go. See Loki, life is about growth, it's about change, but you seem to just want to stay the same. I guess what I'm trying to say is you'll always be the god of mischief. But you could be more.
Thor: Never one for sentiment, were you?
Loki: Easier to let it burn.
Thor: I agree. [electrocutes him] Oh, looks painful. Dear brother, you're becoming predictable. I trust you, you betray me, round and round in circles we go. See Loki, life is about growth, it's about change, but you seem to just want to stay the same. I guess what I'm trying to say is you'll always be the god of mischief. But you could be more.
Literature
"Some of his former colleagues said you could not turn your back on him. The truth is, he would happily look you right in the eyes while stabbing you in the back."
"Come, now, will ye read me a riddle?" returned Clipsby. "On whose side is Sir Daniel?"
"I know not," said Dick, colouring a little; for his guardian had changed sides continually in the troubles of that period, and every change had brought him some increase of fortune.
"Ay," returned Clipsby, "you, nor no man. For, indeed, he is one that goes to bed Lancaster and gets up York."
"I know not," said Dick, colouring a little; for his guardian had changed sides continually in the troubles of that period, and every change had brought him some increase of fortune.
"Ay," returned Clipsby, "you, nor no man. For, indeed, he is one that goes to bed Lancaster and gets up York."
"He is what they call in the thrillers a double agent, a triple agent in this case, and agent to infinite regression..."
— Sol, Hyperion
Ha! And I bet you didn’t even see it coming!
—
Treason is more art than act.
—
There’s nothing better in life than the look on your enemy’s face when they realize you’ve played them every step of the way. Why do you think I keep starting secret cabals trying to overthrow me?
—
Treason is more art than act.
—
There’s nothing better in life than the look on your enemy’s face when they realize you’ve played them every step of the way. Why do you think I keep starting secret cabals trying to overthrow me?
— Dread Emperor Traitorous, A Practical Guide to Evil
"Gentlemen, there is no need to worry: our plan is flawless. The Emperor will never see it coming."
— Grandmaster Ouroboros of the Order of Unholy Obsidian, later revealed to have been Dread Emperor Traitorous all along, A Practical Guide to Evil
My dear friends, I have a confession to make. Some creative reframing of the truth may have taken place during the planning of this coup.
— Dread Emperor Traitorous, addressing the Order of the Unholy Obsidian upon successfully usurping the throne from himself, A Practical Guide to Evil
Catherine: I don’t get why Traitorous was so popular. I mean, he betrayed pretty much everyone that ever dealt with him.
Ratface: Admittedly he was quite insane. But as far as Dread Emperors go he was one of the better ones.
Catherine: I don’t recall him actually accomplishing anything. And after something like the War of Thirteen Tyrants and One there must have been a lot of rebuilding to do.
Hakram: It’s the same reason westerners are fond of Bards. He was hilariously ineffective.
Ratface: He managed to betray a villain called ‘the Betrayer’, Squire. You have to hand it to him: he might have had only one trick but he was great at it.
Ratface: Admittedly he was quite insane. But as far as Dread Emperors go he was one of the better ones.
Catherine: I don’t recall him actually accomplishing anything. And after something like the War of Thirteen Tyrants and One there must have been a lot of rebuilding to do.
Hakram: It’s the same reason westerners are fond of Bards. He was hilariously ineffective.
Ratface: He managed to betray a villain called ‘the Betrayer’, Squire. You have to hand it to him: he might have had only one trick but he was great at it.
"I did warn you not to trust me, you know."
— Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, A Song of Ice and Fire
"Keep him close, and he will betray you. Each time worse than the last."
— Flemeth, on Loghain Mac Tir, The Stolen Throne
Live-Action TV
"A dog who bites every owner he's had can only be disciplined with a firm hand. Or... put down."
— Gus Fring on Nacho Varga, Better Call Saul, "Bad Choice Road"
Vila: [Travis] said we should pool our resources and I still say he may have a point!
Avon: You turn your back on him you might find it between your shoulder blades.
— Blake's 7, "Hostage"
"Why would you trust me? I gassed you and your family. I'm a spy. I'm exceedingly untrustworthy."
—Bernard Orlick, Citadel (2023)
"You see, Missy, this is where we've always been going! This is our perfect ending! We shoot ourselves... in the back!"
— The Master, Doctor Who, "The Doctor Falls"
"Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"
— Wash, Firefly
"Only a fool would trust Littlefinger."
— Sansa Stark, Game of Thrones
"I can't believe Michael betrayed us again. Why is it always the ones you most expect?"
— Jason, The Good Place, "Leap to Faith"note
Loki: We gotta properly test this theory.
Mobius: Well, here's a fun theory. You lure me out into the field, and stab me in the back. And that's a theory I don't wanna test.
Loki: [indignant] I'd never stab anyone in the back. That's such a boring form of betrayal.
Mobius: Loki, I've studied almost every moment of your entire life. You've literally stabbed people in the back, like, 50 times.
[Beat]
Loki: Well, I'd never do it again! Because it got old!
Mobius: Well, here's a fun theory. You lure me out into the field, and stab me in the back. And that's a theory I don't wanna test.
Loki: [indignant] I'd never stab anyone in the back. That's such a boring form of betrayal.
Mobius: Loki, I've studied almost every moment of your entire life. You've literally stabbed people in the back, like, 50 times.
[Beat]
Loki: Well, I'd never do it again! Because it got old!
— Loki, "The Variant"
"See, there's only one thing you can count on when you're dealing with T-Bag. He's a rat."
— Michael Scofield, Prison Break, "Free"
"Romulans. They're so predictably treacherous."
— Weyoun, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Image In The Sand"
"I don't think much of blind loyalty, but I think a lot less of blind betrayal."
— President Josiah Bartlet, The West Wing
Music
Gather 'round while I sing you of Wehrner von Braun.
A man whose allegiance
is ruled by expedience.
...
"In German oder English, I know how to count down.
Und I'm learning Chinese." says Wehrner von Braun.
Tabletop Games
"I know to whom I owe the most loyalty, and I see him in the mirror every day."
"From eight centuries of experience, I may tell you, do not permit a Lasombra at your back: he probably has a sharpened stake ready."
— Vampire: The Masquerade - Clanbook: Followers Of Set
"The idea of a 'loyal Tremere' seems, after some consideration, a contradiction in terms."
— Vampire: The Masquerade - Clanbook: Tremere (Revised)
Video Games
"Orks are not unpredictable. Quite the contrary, you can rely on them to turn against you. But they will honour our agreement as long as we provide them with enemies to satiate their battlelust."
— Sindri, Dawn of War
"What? Naesala and the ravens of Kilvas betrayed us? Again?"
— Ranulf, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Niko: That is the plan, Jacob. I will put a bullet in his heart for every life he ruined, for every agreement he went back on, for every friend he betrayed.
Jacob: Dat be a whole heap of teeth, ya know, Niko. I don't tink we have enough ammo fe shoot him dat many times, ya know.
Jacob: Dat be a whole heap of teeth, ya know, Niko. I don't tink we have enough ammo fe shoot him dat many times, ya know.
"You're a strange man. You killed your best friend. You betrayed everyone who ever came in contact with you. You killed my cousin. I guess the survival of the fittest thing really meant a lot to you."
— Niko Bellic to Dimitri Rascalov, Grand Theft Auto IV
"You're going to say I'm making a habit of turning on my masters."
— Mendicant Bias, Halo 3
Shepard: Saren's pretty quick to betray his own people.
Shiala: He was quick to betray the Thorian, too.
"And here I thought I'd had my quota of betrayal and attempted murder this year...."
— Garrus, Mass Effect 2
"You have no one left to betray."
— Kronika talking about Shang Tsung, Mortal Kombat 11
Mileena: You betrayed us, jester!
The Joker: Hehahahah! Well, of course I did, Lady Mandible!
Mileena: I'll chew off your flesh and gnaw your bones!
The Joker: Hehahahah! Well, of course I did, Lady Mandible!
Mileena: I'll chew off your flesh and gnaw your bones!
Shao Kahn: Let's take the Hourglass together.
Shao Kahn 2: As if either of us could share it.
Shao Kahn: All too true.
Shao Kahn 2: As if either of us could share it.
Shao Kahn: All too true.
Smoke: You've betrayed everyone you've ever met, haven't you?
Quan Chi: Yes, that sounds about right.
Quan Chi: Yes, that sounds about right.
"Trust not a man who has betrayed his master, nor take him into your own service, lest he betray you too."
"Stupid Arpeggio. I double-crossed the Cooper Gang, Interpol and Carmelita. What made you think I wouldn't do the same to you?"
— Neyla, Sly 2: Band of Thieves
A former mercenary who's infamy of murdering his allies has gotten him the title of "companion killer" among many continents.
Place too much trust in him and you'll end up dead.
Place too much trust in him and you'll end up dead.
—The Character file on the Red-Haired Man, Three Forbidden Books
"Kill enemies to fill the pot for your team. Kill your teammates to get the pot for yourself."
— Description of the Betrayal gamemode, Unreal Tournament III
Luxaar: You... you traitorous scum... What happened to our bargain... Do you humans have no principles at all?
Lao: Principles? You deal with a traitor, you really shouldn't be surprised when you get stabbed in the back!
Lao: Principles? You deal with a traitor, you really shouldn't be surprised when you get stabbed in the back!
Webcomics
"If his treachery could ever hurt anyone more than himself, I'd have to stop him."
Web Original
"Amazingly, Batman does not coldcock the Joker and throw him in jail at that moment. Instead, he grudgingly decides to team up and investigate alongside his deadliest foe... Sure enough, Joker tries to kill him by running him over with a taxi four panels later. To be fair, though, as the Joker says, trying to kill Batman every time you see him is kind of a tough habit to break."
— Chris Sims on Batman: The Brave and the Bold #191
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #191"He's precisely the sort that you want on your side during a conflict, somebody who is willing to do anything to get the job done and leave his personal feelings at the door. He is exactly the wrong person you want on your side during peace time though, he would stab you in the back sooner than look at you."
Jobe: I’ve spoken with the Imperial Parental Unit over a secured video link. He knows all about this, and he’s given me his word that he’ll stand right behind me.
Nacht: Isn’t standing right behind someone the perfect place to stab them in the back?
— Kate demonstrates that she understands Gizmatic better than his child does, "Saks and Violence," Whateley Universe (for the record, Kate was right)
Whateley Universe (for the record, Kate was right)Web Video
Pegasus: Well, when we first met, you took out my eyeball and replaced it with a cursed artifact. But I'm sure this time you have only the best intentions for me.
Shadi: Yes, I screw you up good.
Shadi: Yes, I screw you up good.
"The Sajikis are actual, literal Bug Men, who plan to backstab you the first chance they get. Luckily, they're completely retarded, and will often betray each other before they manage to betray you."
— SsethTzeentach, The Nations Review | Filler™ Episode™
Western Animation
"Treachery keeps the wits sharp."
— Megatron, Beast Wars
Gwen: Kevin? Why would you tell this to Argit? He's a con man who would sell his mother for lunch money!
Kevin: I happen to know he got top dollar for his mom.
Kevin: I happen to know he got top dollar for his mom.
— Ben 10: Alien Force, "Con of Rath"
"Is it my fault that you are so trusting?"
— Mozenrath, Aladdin: The Series
"I may be a noble dragon, but I'm also a Demon Sorcerer. And not known for keeping promises."
— Shendu, Jackie Chan Adventures
"All right, let that be a lesson to you all: Never trust me, ever!"
— Dave, Code Monkeys
"Deals only exist to be broken, dear boy."
— Dr. Robotnik, Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)
Real Life
"The enemy of my enemy dies next."
— Unattributed
"Anyone can rat, but it takes a certain amount of ingenuity to re-rat."
