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Anime and Manga
"I see... you planned to sell me out again. You betrayed me, Suzaku...! YOU BETRAYED ME!"
— Lelouch vi Britannia to Suzaku Kururugi (though Suzaku was actually set up by Schneizel); Code Geass Episode 42: "The Taste of Humiliation
Comic Books
"Gets ya to fuckin' love him and then stabz ya inna back. Love him so much ya don't believe he did it. Blood all over ya. Big fuckin' knife in ya back. An' ya don't believe he did it. Maybe hez sick. Maybe it wasn't him. Just looked like him. Maybe he made a mistake."
— Sally about Cassidy, Preacher
"...Mistress Death? You too betray me? I offered you the universe..."
"Oh. They bought you too, didn't they? Very well, puppet. Be the king's messenger. Show this world that justice is dead."
— Sheko, Red Daughter of Krypton
Fan Works
"It doesn't matter how many times you come here to try to "redeem" me. My answer is the same. Go and tell my dear brother that his pleas are worthless to me. There is no going back after what he did, and I will never, ever forgive him."
— Lord Tirek, World of Traitors
"Princess Celestia spoke of your mother and father fondly. She told me how she visited you when you were a foal," She gestured to her tormented sibling. "Look at her. All of you — look at her, look at yourselves, look at whom you serve! She wishes to plunge Equestria into everlasting night! The land will suffer and the blood of thousands will stain your hooves!"
— Ambition
"...He betrayed me. I don't know why, and I demanded to know, but...he simply bid me away as if I was nothing more than a tool for him to discard...like what he always saw me as I suppose."
You. You did this?! After everything I did for you, after all the love I showed you in spite of your Distortion, you betray me like this? I gave you power, wealth, immortality – I gave you EVERYTHING! You never would have walked if it wasn't for me! You never would have stopped pining for your worthless boyfriend if I hadn't stepped in! You'd still be a failure and a cripple if I hadn't helped you to realize your strength, and now you turn that strength against me – and throw your lot in with the Mentor, with Deviants, Distortions and that... that imposter! Why? Why have you done this, Nessa?! WHY?!
— The Radiant Empress, The Land of What Might-Have-Been
Film — Animated
[Anne Marie walks down the stairs behind the dogs]
Charlie: Look, I don't care about the girl! I tell her things now and then! I pretend to be her best friend, but it's baloney!
Itchy: I thought I was your best friend.
Charlie: You are my best friend! With her, it's just business! It's always been business! I'm using the girl! And when we're done with her, we'll dump her in an orphanage! Is that okay with you?!
Itchy: Sure, boss. Anything you say.
[Itchy gasps upon noticing Anne Marie, and Charlie turns his head]
Anne Marie: [sobbing] You're not my friend. You're a bad dog! [runs away]
"Out there, I'm just a scary, good-for-nothing monster. Yeah. But nothing compares to having the one guy, the one guy I thought I could trust... stab me in the back."
— Mr. Snake, The Bad Guys (2022)
Film — Live-Action
St. Peter: I would never betray you! I would go to prison first.
Jesus: Believe me, Peter, before the cock crows twice in the morning, you will deny knowing me three times.
Jesus: Believe me, Peter, before the cock crows twice in the morning, you will deny knowing me three times.
— King of Kings (1961)
"What the fuck happened to you, man? Shit. Your ass used to be beautiful."
— Ordell kills Louis, Jackie Brown
"What got broken here doesn't go back together again."
— Lowell Berman to Mike Wallace, The Insider
"Himmler... Of all people, Himmler! The truest of the true... This is the worst betrayal of all! Göring, yeah; he was always corrupt, of course. Speer, yeah: an idealistic, unpredictable artist. All the others, YA YA YA YA YA! But not Himmler. Has he gone crazy?"
"I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!"
— Michael Corleone, The Godfather Part II
Bond: I trusted you, Alec.
Trevelyan: Trust. What a quaint idea.
Trevelyan: Trust. What a quaint idea.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: You were The Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!
Anakin Skywalker: I HATE YOU!
Obi-Wan Kenobi: You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you...
Anakin Skywalker: I HATE YOU!
Obi-Wan Kenobi: You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you...
T'Chaka: Ulysses Klaue stole a quarter ton of vibranium from us and triggered a bomb at the border to escape. Many lives were lost. He knew where we hid the vibranium... and how to strike. He had someone on the inside.
N'Jobu: Why are you here?
T'Chaka: Because I want you to look me in the eyes... and tell me why you betrayed Wakanda.
N'Jobu: Why are you here?
T'Chaka: Because I want you to look me in the eyes... and tell me why you betrayed Wakanda.
[In darkness. Footsteps are heard from a shadowy figure. The lights go on, revealing Lt. Valeris with a phaser]
Spock: You have to shoot. If you are logical, you have to shoot.
Valeris: [pause] I do not want to.
Spock: What you want is irrelevant. What you have chosen is at hand.
Kirk: I'd just as soon you didn't.
[Spock smacks the phaser out of her hand]
McCoy: The operation is over.
Spock: You have to shoot. If you are logical, you have to shoot.
Valeris: [pause] I do not want to.
Spock: What you want is irrelevant. What you have chosen is at hand.
Kirk: I'd just as soon you didn't.
[Spock smacks the phaser out of her hand]
McCoy: The operation is over.
Literature
Maybe her mother hadn't lied to her, not exactly. But she felt fundamentally betrayed, in a way she never had before.
She'd thought she knew her mother.
She knew now that she did not.
She'd thought she knew her mother.
She knew now that she did not.
— Madison Russell on Emma Russell, Godzilla: King of the Monsters — The Official Movie Novelization
"You know, it's not the murders, it's not the uninvited tech growing in my brain, none of these things seem to matter. What matters is that I trusted her and she used me."
— Charlie, on her friend O, Sweet Dreams, by Tricia Sullivan
"And will you stand and kill me stone-faced with nothing but duty in your heart? I loved you! You were even closer to me than my own brother. I would have given you anything! Do I mean no more to you than the thousands I've watched you kill in my name?"
— Esen-Temur, She Who Became The Sun
Live-Action TV
"I'll spare you the Shakespeare quote."
— Detective Carter on being double-crossed, Person of Interest
Gently: Did our friendship mean anything to you?
McGhee: Can't spend it, George.
McGhee: Can't spend it, George.
— Inspector George Gently, "Gently Into the Cathedral"
Zack: Look, Chief, I'm sorry; it's the Regs. What was I supposed to do?
Garibaldi: You could've said no.
Zack: He just would've sent somebody else.
Garibaldi: Yeah, that's right. But it wouldn't have come from you. I could live with that a lot better.
Garibaldi: You could've said no.
Zack: He just would've sent somebody else.
Garibaldi: Yeah, that's right. But it wouldn't have come from you. I could live with that a lot better.
Tain: How could this be? What has happened?
Garak: I'm afraid the fault, dear Tain, is not in our stars but in ourselves!
Tain: What?!
Garak: Something I learned from Doctor Bashir.
Garak: I'm afraid the fault, dear Tain, is not in our stars but in ourselves!
Tain: What?!
Garak: Something I learned from Doctor Bashir.
— Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "The Die is Cast"
"I don't know who you are. I don't even know who I'm talking to."
— Hank to Walt, Breaking Bad, "Blood Money"
Music
Wasn't I a good king?
Maybe too much of a good thing, huh?
Didn’t I spoil you?
Me or the money, what you loyal to?
Huh, I gave you my loyalty
Made you royalty and royalties
Took care of these niggas' lawyer fees
And this is how niggas rewardin' me, damn
Maybe too much of a good thing, huh?
Didn’t I spoil you?
Me or the money, what you loyal to?
Huh, I gave you my loyalty
Made you royalty and royalties
Took care of these niggas' lawyer fees
And this is how niggas rewardin' me, damn
— Jay-Z and Kanye West, "Why I Love You"
So what now? Do we shake hands,
And go our separate ways?
Or do I open my mind,
And follow you into the haze?
And go our separate ways?
Or do I open my mind,
And follow you into the haze?
— Minor Threat, "Betray"
Just like Cain and Abel,
You pulled a sneak attack
I thought that we were brothers
Then you stabbed me in the back
Betrayed!
Oh boy, I'm so betrayed!
You pulled a sneak attack
I thought that we were brothers
Then you stabbed me in the back
Betrayed!
Oh boy, I'm so betrayed!
— Max Bialystock, The Producers
Scandalous, money greed and lust
In this trife life, there ain't nobody you can trust
Plus, there's no justice, it's just us
In fact, watchin' yo back it be a must
And each and everyday around the way gats bust
And jealous so-called friends'll try to set you up
It's called betrayal
In this trife life, there ain't nobody you can trust
Plus, there's no justice, it's just us
In fact, watchin' yo back it be a must
And each and everyday around the way gats bust
And jealous so-called friends'll try to set you up
It's called betrayal
— Gang Starr - "Betrayal"
Mmm, whatcha say?
Mmm, that you only meant well?
Well, of course you did.
Mmm, whatcha say?
Mmm, that it's all for the best?
Of course it is.
Mmm, whatcha say?
Mmm, that it's just what we need
And you decided this?
Mmm, whatcha say?
Mmm, what did she say?
Mmm, that you only meant well?
Well, of course you did.
Mmm, whatcha say?
Mmm, that it's all for the best?
Of course it is.
Mmm, whatcha say?
Mmm, that it's just what we need
And you decided this?
Mmm, whatcha say?
Mmm, what did she say?
— Imogen Heap - "Hide and Seek"
Theatre
"Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar!"
— Caesar, Julius Caesar
For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel.
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all.
For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty heart,
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey’s statue,
Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all.
For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty heart,
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey’s statue,
Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.
— Mark Anthony at Caesar's funeral, Julius Caesar
How does Hamilton, an arrogant
Immigrant, orphan, bastard, whoreson
Somehow endorse Thomas Jefferson, his enemy
A man he’s despised since the beginning
Just to keep me from winning?
I wanna be in the room where it happens
The room where it happens
The room where it happens
You’ve kept me from the room where it happens
For the last time
Immigrant, orphan, bastard, whoreson
Somehow endorse Thomas Jefferson, his enemy
A man he’s despised since the beginning
Just to keep me from winning?
I wanna be in the room where it happens
The room where it happens
The room where it happens
You’ve kept me from the room where it happens
For the last time
— Aaron Burr, Hamilton
There's no art to find the minds construction in the face. He was a gentleman on whom I placed an absolute trust.
— King Duncan, referring to the treacherous Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth
I hate Regina's guts
But here's what you don't comprehend
At least she has the guts
To not pretend to be my friend!
But here's what you don't comprehend
At least she has the guts
To not pretend to be my friend!
— Janis Sarkisian during "Someone Gets Hurt (Reprise)", Mean Girls
Video Games
"Have to trust someone to be betrayed. I never did."
— Price, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, about General Shepherd.
"I can't believe it! That double crosser, cockney liar!"
— Bentley, Sly 2: Band of Thieves
"And you... a Stormcloak? I had thought better of you."
— Jarl Balgruuf the Greater, if you join the Stormcloak side and take Whiterun, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
"I should have realized that you were involved, somehow. But why? What's in it for you? You had everything you ever wanted: infinite wealth, immortality, a legion of lovers... Me."
— Samael, The Secret World
"TREASON!!! We will retake our fortress. We will slaughter that wretched Olog, and all who stand with him!"
— Celebrimbor regarding Bruz the Chopper's betrayal, Middle-earth: Shadow of War
"Ah, fuck! I thought I was with the one Judas! I'm surrounded by them! You fake motherfuckers! You wanna piece of me? Fuckin' come get me! You wanna kill me? Take a fucking shot!"
— Trevor, Grand Theft Auto V Ending A
"Two-bit gangster gone three-bit. And now you're gonna... cap the only one who was ever decent to you! No, I trusted you. I took you in. Treated you like family! You hypocrite! I shoulda clipped you when you broke into my house. You don't understand nothing! I'm all you got! You made the wrong call!"
— Michael, Grand Theft Auto V Ending B
"You abandoned your family, and Hoshido... Now, pay! FOR YOUR BETRAYAL!!!"
— Takumi, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest
"Well? What're you waiting for!? Just go! Not like you were really with us anyway!"
— Rindo to Shoka, NEO: The World Ends with You
"It should have been this way on Virmire! But I made the mistake of trusting you—believing you were my friend! I was a fool!"
— Urdnot Wrex if Shepard sabotages the genophage cure, Mass Effect 3
Webcomics
"Why has Master Freeza renounced me? I have done everything for him, I had so much respect for him!"
— Ginyu, Dragon Ball Multiverse
Web Video
"And just as he dies, Caesar sees Brutus and he says, 'Et tu, Brute?' which means like, 'I guess we're not best buds anymore'."
"What? Vinnie the Rat? You've been ratting on me the whole time?! Yo Franky, get a pair of concrete shoes for this schmuck over here... Franky, you too?! You were like a brother to me! ...Louie, you're my actual brother!"
— Fatty Bones Malone, The Cyanide & Happiness Show
Western Animation
"Et tu, Gabby Gums?"
— Rarity to Sweetie Belle, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, "Ponyville Confidential"
Stone Gopher: Genius, hm?
Stone Piglet: It wasn't a nice thing to do, Rabbit!
Stone Pooh: You built up all our hopes!
Stone Tigger: You got us all excite-erated!
Stone Gopher: And what'd we get, huh? A bunch of rocks!
Rabbit: I'm sorry! It was just a joke! It was just a joke! A JOOOOOOOOOOKE!!! (awakens from his nightmare) It was just a joke... just a... just a... Oh, my, it was just a bad dream!
Stone Piglet: It wasn't a nice thing to do, Rabbit!
Stone Pooh: You built up all our hopes!
Stone Tigger: You got us all excite-erated!
Stone Gopher: And what'd we get, huh? A bunch of rocks!
Rabbit: I'm sorry! It was just a joke! It was just a joke! A JOOOOOOOOOOKE!!! (awakens from his nightmare) It was just a joke... just a... just a... Oh, my, it was just a bad dream!
"I knew all those showbiz phonies would turn on me, sure. But you?"
— Herb, Bojack Horseman
Mabel: Ford's apprentice? Seriously?
Dipper: Look, I was thinking, and this is a huge opportunity for me.
Mabel: Well, it's a horrible opportunity for me! I had the worst day of my life! When we turn 13, summer ends, and I have to leave everything behind! You're the only person I could count on, and now you're leaving me, too?!
Dipper: Look, I was thinking, and this is a huge opportunity for me.
Mabel: Well, it's a horrible opportunity for me! I had the worst day of my life! When we turn 13, summer ends, and I have to leave everything behind! You're the only person I could count on, and now you're leaving me, too?!
— Gravity Falls, "Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future"
Bulkhead: But I thought we were friends.
Mixmaster: Uh, We are friends Bulky, that's why we ain't gonna hurt ya, okay? As long as you hand over whatever bits you got of the... uh, uh what did he call it again?
Scrapper: Uh, SparkAll? AllSpark, AllSpark.
Mixmaster: Uh, We are friends Bulky, that's why we ain't gonna hurt ya, okay? As long as you hand over whatever bits you got of the... uh, uh what did he call it again?
Scrapper: Uh, SparkAll? AllSpark, AllSpark.
— Transformers: Animated, "Rise of the Constructicons"
Strykore: Not only have you failed to complete the mission, but you've grown soft in the meantime!
Dark Spyro: Master, please, let's be reasonable here.
Stealth Elf: MASTER?!
Dark Spyro: Elf! It's not what it looks like!
Stealth Elf: It looks like you were turned evil and have been working as a mole for Strykore.
Dark Spyro: Okay, then it's exactly what it looks like.
Stealth Elf: My best friend. An agent of evil.
Dark Spyro: Listen, Elf, I can explain. I've changed!
Strykore: Well, that's news to me.
Stealth Elf: Just wait till everyone hears about this.
Dark Spyro: Master, please, let's be reasonable here.
Stealth Elf: MASTER?!
Dark Spyro: Elf! It's not what it looks like!
Stealth Elf: It looks like you were turned evil and have been working as a mole for Strykore.
Dark Spyro: Okay, then it's exactly what it looks like.
Stealth Elf: My best friend. An agent of evil.
Dark Spyro: Listen, Elf, I can explain. I've changed!
Strykore: Well, that's news to me.
Stealth Elf: Just wait till everyone hears about this.
— Skylanders Academy, "Off to the Races"
Real Life
"Your enemies can kill you, but only your friends can hurt you."
— Cicero
"A good friend will always stab you in the front."
In all the ills that befall us, we are more concerned by the intention than the result. A tile that falls off a roof may injure us more seriously, but it will not wound us so deeply as a stone thrown deliberately by a malevolent hand. The blow may miss, but the intention always strikes home.
— Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Reveries of the Solitary Walker
"The blood of [Georges] Danton chokes him!"
— Garnier de l'Aube when Robespierre stammered during a speech
"I should have shot him."
— Napoléon Bonaparte on Talleyrand
"If I am to be killed, let Adolf do it himself!"
— Ernst Röhm's last recorded words
"Koba, why do you need me to die?"
— Nikolai Bukharin's last message to Josef Stalin before his execution
"It was evident that Roehm and Goering were more than brothers in arms, they were friends....Goering stopped talking and stared at me, puzzled, as if I were not quite bright. Then he shrugged his great shoulders, turned up his palms and said slowly, in simple, one-syllable words: 'But he was in my way...'"
— Dr. Douglas M. Kelley, psychiatrist at Nuremberg
"To me, the thing that is worse than death is betrayal. You see, I could conceive death, but I could not conceive betrayal."
"I once looked up to you Kim. My God, how I despise you now. I hope you still have the decency to understand why."
— MI6 agent Nicholas Eliot to Kim Philby on learning of Philby's defection, A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre.
"I can't believe he's doing this to me. Donald pisses ice water."
— Roy Cohn, following his HIV diagnosis
