History Main / BearerOfBadNews

* ''Webcomic/ChampionsOfFaraus'': One of [[CapitalCity Dorawn’s]] guards goes to tell [[HighPriest Wila]] that her sister and brother-in-law had died to a monster they were hunting, while also escorting her nephew Will to the Hyperia Pantheon House so he can live with her. [[JustForPun Punnily enough]], the guard happens to be an [[BeastMan Ursarer]], making them the ''Bear''-er of bad news.

* This is actually the name of a mission in VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}, where the player must tell the folks of Sanctuary about [[spoiler:Roland's death]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', when everyone is mourning the death of Artemis, a few people angrily wonder why Nightwing isn't here. When they're told that he's gone to break the news to her boyfriend, Wally, their expressions turn to one of pain and sympathy. [[spoiler: Sure, he wasn't actually going to do that at all, but still.]]

* In ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights'', Mervyn (The Sheriff of Rottingham) comes to tell Prince John about Robin. Prince John tells him that he doesn't want to hear BadNews. The Sheriff tries to tell him the news while laughing about it. John asks him, "What are you insane? That's terrible news!"

* In an episode of ''Series/AdamTwelve'' Malloy and Reed notify a woman that her husband was killed in an accident. At first, the woman doesn't believe them and says he's working on a ship in Galveston, Texas. Malloy says they know -- the police in Galveston contacted the LAPD to make the notification in person rather than over the phone.

*** This was an unusual example of Radar's actor, Gary Burghoff, also being the bearer of (much less serious) bad news to the rest of the cast. Until he came in and read the telegram, the cast had no idea that there was any intention to kill off the character of Henry Blake. This is how we got the McLeaned trope.

* No one had the heart to inform Annerose von Grünwald about [[spoiler: Siegfried Kircheis's death]] in ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes''. Fortunately for them, Oberstein had already done that. In general, with [[AnyoneCanDie the rate of death]] in the series, this happens often.

* In another episode, a young officer asks Colonel Potter for advice on writing a letter to the family of a soldier killed under his command. Potter ruefully notes that he has [[ItNeverGetsAnyEasier written too many such letters himself]].

* In Gav Thorpe's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} short story "Renegades" after the company goes renegade, they find that Rykhel launched a saviour pod to get away from them; the captain is angry that he did not stand up and face him, but Rykhel is determined to bring back news of their treachery and murders. (The captain thinks NoOneCouldSurviveThat.)
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' novels:

* In Creator/JamesSwallow's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Literature/HorusHeresy'' novel ''The Flight of the Eisenstein'', [[spoiler:Dorn]] [[TalkToTheFist strikes]] Garro for the news he brought. [[spoiler:Then, as Qruze [[WithDueRespect pointed out]], Dorn had clearly held the blow, which could have killed Garro, because he wanted to hear it all. He listens to the rest, and accuses him of insanity. When Garro accuses him of blindness, he decides to execute him. Only Keller's intervention saves him.]]
* In John French’s ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}} Literature/HorusHeresy'' novella ''The Crimson Fist'', Perturabo beats his adjutant Berossus after the latter informs him that Sigismund, whom Perturabo expected to be in command of the Imperial Fists fleet that the Iron Warriors are attacking and was hoping to capture, is not present on the battlefield. The beating is so severe that Berossus ends up interred within a dreadnought.
* In Creator/BenCounter's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} novel ''[[Literature/SoulDrinkers Hell-Forged]]'', despite Lygris's FrozenFace, Sarpedon can tell he brought bad news.
* In Creator/JamesSwallow's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Literature/BloodAngels novel ''Deus Sanguinius'', Mephiston meets Dante in the garden to bring him news -- and Dante knows it's bad at once. Mephiston tells him that Vode, Gallio, and all Gallio's men are dead; Dante tries to deny the obvious implication, thinking of other possibilities than that they were killed by fellow Blood Angels.
** Later, Stele brings Arkio news of why the power plant failed and warns him that it was hard. Arkio is angry that he tries to shelter him -- and then still more angry as Stele tells him that it was an attempt to kill them all by having the plant blow up. Arkio guesses the saboteur was a Word Bearer or other renegade, and Stele tells him it was not only a Blood Angel but his own brother.
* In Andy Hoare's ''Literature/WhiteScars'' novel ''Hunt for Voldorius'', Skall is desperate to avoid this.

* A slightly bizarre example occurs in Goethe's ''Theatre/{{Faust}}'', where Mephisto informs a widow: "Ihr Mann ist tot, und läßt Sie grüßen" ("Your husband is dead and sends his regards").

* The premise of ''Film/TheMessenger'' (2009), about an American army officer whose job is to inform the relatives of soldiers that their loved ones have died in Iraq.

* Howard Cosell turned into this when Music/JohnLennon was killed in 1980. Thanks to Alan Weiss, producer for [[Creator/{{ABC}} WABC-TV]]'s Channel 7 Eyewitness News (at the time, the highest-rated local newscast in the country) being brought to Roosevelt Hospital after a motorcycle accident, overhearing the cops saying the blood-soaked, lifeless man they'd just brought in was John Lennon, and lying on a gurney right outside the room where the surgical team tried to save him. He managed to get word to his staff, who contacted Roone Arledge, then head of both ABC News and ABC Sports. He promptly passed it down to Cosell, who was in the booth during ''Series/MondayNightFootball''. He and the other commentators debated during a break whether or not to announce it, but ultimately agreed.

** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', during one quest, you have to bring news to a man that part of his missing wife's body has been found. You can either break it gently ("Just know that she will not be coming home") and return her recovered wedding ring, or blurt the truth callously and send him into a complete meltdown.
*** Later, depending on your choices during the expedition to the Deep Roads, you may have to bring the news to your mother that your surviving younger sibling [[spoiler:either died or had to become a Grey Warden to avoid death.]]
*** Later still, you get to be the one to inform your mother's brother that [[spoiler:she's been murdered by a serial killer.]] How he initially reacts depends on your chosen delivery, although either way he mellows by the end of the conversation. [[spoiler:If your sibling is still alive, he takes on the duty of this trope himself, promising to break it to him/her gently.]]
** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', depending on whether you sided with the mages or the Templars, either Cole or Dorian shows up at Haven to announce [[spoiler:that the Elder One is attacking.]]

* Creator/RowanAtkinson in ''Pink Tights and Plenty of Props'', had the Bearer of Good news, then the Bearer of Bad News, followed by the Bearer of Indifferent News, and then the Bearer of Bad News Which He ''Thinks'' Is Good News.

** In ''Brotherhood'', an oblivious Edward asks Roy Mustang about [[spoiler:Hughes]]'s whereabouts; Mustang, having taken the situation hard himself, can't bring himself to tell Edward, and instead tells him that [[spoiler:Hughes]] decided to retire and move to the countryside. Edward takes the lie at face value, and decides to discuss it with Maria Ross when he bumps into her in the hallway. Ross, who wasn't privy to Mustang's lie, assumes Edward already knows the truth, and discusses it as such. The miscommunication doesn't sink in until Ross notes that [[spoiler:Hughes was promoted two ranks posthumously]] - which Edward realizes wouldn't happen to somebody who'd willingly ''retired''. Ross is then forced to explain the truth to an increasingly distraught and guilt-ridden Edward.

* ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'':
** PlayedForLaughs with Temmin Wexley when he informs Leia and Rose that they lost contact with the ''Falcon'' crew, only to be told by the two women to be more optimistic. He somehow [[ComicallyMissingThePoint misinterprets]] this and tells them [[BlatantLies this is good news]] with hilariously fake optimism.
** Played more seriously with Commander Larma D'Acy as she is the one tasked with telling the crew of the ''Falcon'' that Leia had died while they were gone.

* This is one of the duties of Robert Sean Leonard's character in ''Film/SwingKids'', as part of his Nazi training. Thing is, he doesn't actually ''know'' that he's delivering bad news - he's just delivering boxes. When one of the recipients screams after opening hers, he opens the one he has yet to deliver and sees that [[spoiler:he's bringing Jewish widows - who had been ''unaware that they were widows'' - the ashes of their husbands]].'

* In Creator/DanAbnett's Literature/GauntsGhosts novel ''Only in Death'', when Ludd and Beltayn had just managed to secure the water they desperately needed, Rawne had had to break the bad news from the battle.

* In Literature/TheBible, David gets word from his military that his rebellious son is dead, and goes into a HeroicBlueScreenOfDeath. The messengers repeatedly try to avoid the issue, afraid they'll be killed, but David just goes into mourning.
* In Creator/SandyMitchell's Literature/CiaphasCain novel ''Death or Glory'', Kolfax comes to tell Cain, THE HERO OF THE IMPERIUM, that [[spoiler:the first possible waterhole has no water]] in person; Cain explicitly observes that he does not want to be the bearer of bad news over the vox.
* In Gav Thorpe's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} short story "Renegades" after the company goes renegade, they find that Rykhel launched a saviour pod to get away from them; the captain is angry that he did not stand up and face him, but Rykhel is determined to bring back news of their treachery and murders. (The captain thinks NoOneCouldSurviveThat.)

* In Creator/WenSpencer's ''Endless Blue'', Mikhail recognizes the bearers of bad news by their expressions. [[spoiler:They confirm that Turk was murdered, rather than dying in an accident.]]
* In Creator/BenCounter's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} novel ''[[Literature/SoulDrinkers Hell-Forged]]'', despite Lygris's FrozenFace, Sarpedon can tell he brought bad news.
* In Creator/JamesSwallow's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Literature/BloodAngels novel ''Deus Sanguinius'', Mephiston meets Dante in the garden to bring him news -- and Dante knows it's bad at once. Mephiston tells him that Vode, Gallio, and all Gallio's men are dead; Dante tries to deny the obvious implication, thinking of other possibilities than that they were killed by fellow Blood Angels.
** Later, Stele brings Arkio news of why the power plant failed and warns him that it was hard. Arkio is angry that he tries to shelter him -- and then still more angry as Stele tells him that it was an attempt to kill them all by having the plant blow up. Arkio guesses the saboteur was a Word Bearer or other renegade, and Stele tells him it was not only a Blood Angel but his own brother.
* In the Literature/{{Discworld}} book ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'', Nobby Nobbs is ''never'' allowed to be this, due to what is [[NoodleIncident only referred to]] as "the "bet you a dollar you're the widow Jackson" nonsense".[[note]]i.e., "I'm looking for the Widow Jackson", "She ain't a Widow", "Bet you a dollar".[[/note]]
* In Creator/AaronAllston's ''Literature/GalateaIn2D'', Roger proves to Donna that she's not going insane, but this entails that her ex-husband is trying to drive her insane. She is angry about the news.
* In Andy Hoare's ''Literature/WhiteScars'' novel ''Hunt for Voldorius'', Skall is desperate to avoid this.
* From ''Literature/MostlyHarmless'':
-->Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws. The Hingefreel people of Arkintoofle Minor did try to build spaceships that were powered by bad news but they didn't work particularly well and were so extremely unwelcome whenever they arrived anywhere that there wasn't really any point in being there.
* Toward the end of ''Literature/TheElenium'' trilogy, Sparhawk dreads having to deliver the news of [[spoiler:his squire Kurik's death to his wife]]. He reaches the house only to find that she already knows, having received the information from another bearer.
* In the ballad ''Gorm Grymme'' by the German writer Theodor Fontane, king Gorm of Denmark loves his son Harald dearly and one yule day he tells his vassals that anyone who brought him the news of his son's death would die within an hour. So when Harald is killed in battle, nobody wants to inform the king. Queen Thyra then manages to convey the message to Gorm without words, by taking off her jewelry, dressing in black, lighting twelve candles and covering the great hall and throne with black drapes.
* In Teresa Frohock's ''Literature/MiserereAnAutumnTale'', Lindsey's brother dies, but it's several chapters before Raechel, who knows, connects with her. Then she has Lucian do it, since he's her Elder.
* In the ''Literature/DarkestPowers'' series, Chloe, [[spoiler:being a necromancer]], is the one who has to break the news to [[GenkiGirl Liz]] that [[spoiler:she (Liz) is dead]]. [[CliffHanger The book ends just before Chloe tells her]]. The second book reveals that, understandably, Liz didn't take it well.
-->'''Chloe:''' [''takes a deep breath''] Liz? There's something I need to tell you.
* In ''Literature/{{Allegiant}}'', [[spoiler:Cara is the one who tells Tobias that Tris died]].
* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' features this trope ([[JustForFun/TropeOverdosed among pretty much all of them]]):
** In ''Field of Dishonor'', Michelle Henke, the title character's best friend, is the one to bring her the news of [[spoiler:Paul Tankersley's death]].
** In ''At All Costs'', Thomas Theisman is the one who has to tell Eloise Pritchart that [[spoiler:her lover Javier Giscard has been killed in battle]].
* ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'': The protagonist survives a shipwreck that kills [[spoiler:Tom Riley]] early in ''Crucible of Gold''. When he crosses paths with the dead man's wife late in the book, he realizes to his horror that the news hasn't reached her yet, and she immediately guesses the truth from his abrupt change in demeanour.

* In an episode of ''Series/AdamTwelve'' Malloy and Reed notify a woman that her husband was killed in an accident. At first, the woman doesn't believe them and says he's working on a ship in Galveston, Texas. Malloy says they know - the police in Galveston contacted the LAPD to make the notification in person rather than over the phone.

** In season five, [[spoiler: Wesley has to tell Fred's parents their daughter's body has been hollowed out and possessed by an ancient demon. Illyria spares him the trouble by briefly shapeshifting *into* Fred.]]

** Happens also when [[spoiler: Director Jenny Sheppard is killed]] and [=Ducky=] is told by phone, and then has to tell Abby and [=McGee=]. And again in season six, when Gibbs has to tell [[spoiler: Michelle Lee's little sister, whom she has been raising like her daughter, that Lee is dead]].

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''
** In "Heir To The Demon", Felicity Smoak discovers evidence that Thea Queen is actually Malcolm Merlyn's love child with Moira Queen. [[EveryoneCanSeeIt Seeing how Felicity is smitten with her son Oliver]], Moria tries to use this trope to threaten her into silence, saying that the revelation will tear their family apart and Oliver will always blame her for that. It doesn't work because Felicity isn't an IgnoredEnamoredUnderling but Oliver's FireForgedFriend (and it's implied [[ShipTease he has romantic interest in her]]) so Oliver gets the truth from her anyway and Moira's actions remove any sympathy he might have had for his mother.
** In the same episode a flashback shows that Moira had the unpleasant task of telling the Lance family that their daughter Sara absconded on the ''Queen's Gambit'' with Oliver and was LostAtSea. Given that she witnessed the subsequent destruction of the Lances and Quentin's hatred of her own family, it's likely she's thinking of her own experience when she threatens Felicity.
** Oliver starts to be this for Nyssa after she has come searching for Sara, only for her to realise before he tells her that Sara's dead. Creator/KatrinaLaw's acting is so good in this scene, you can literally see the moment that Nyssa realises the love of her life is dead.
* In ''Series/TheCommish'', two police officers dither for an entire episode about passing on the news to a family that their father is dead. When they eventually do, AndThereWasMuchRejoicing happens instead.
* In ''Series/TheBill'', a police officer is sent to tell a man his brother has died, only to have him flee the house at the sight of him. Turns out he's involved in criminal activity; when he's arrested at the end of the episode, the police realise they still have to tell him the bad news, but he takes it calmly as they weren't close anyway.
* In ''Series/MillionYenWomen'', Minami works at night and comes back before the rest of the household. This causes her to be the one to find [[spoiler:Nanaka's dead body]] and to have to tell the others.

* Creator/RowanAtkinson in ''Pink Tights and Plenty of Props'', had the Bearer of Good news, then the Bearer of Bad News, followed by the Bearer of Indifferent News, and then the Bearer of Bad News Which He ''Thinks'' Is Good News.
** Watch [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ei_hTwjAo=related this]] (from 2:21) for some insight into the role of messengers in Elizabethan theatre. According to Rowan Atkinson.
* In Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'', Ross must bring [=MacDuff=] the news that his wife and children were all killed. And Seyton brings Macbeth the news that his wife has killed herself.
* Creator/{{Shakespeare}}'s ''Theatre/RichardIII,'' in the last act, strikes the messenger before he even finishes his sentence about his enemy the Duke of Buckingham, crying, "Till you bring better news!" It turns out that the news is that Buckingham has ''surrendered''. The scene shows that Richard is [[VillainousBreakdown beginning to crack up]] under his confident facade. At least when the messenger finishes delivering his message, Richard [[PetTheDog apologizes to the man and gives him some money to make it up to him.]] And it's worth pointing out that the messenger was actually the ''third'' messenger in a row to come to Richard with news and the [[RuleOfThrees first two had been all bad]].
* In Theatre/AntonyAndCleopatra, a messenger has to tell Cleopatra that Antony has remarried. [[ShootTheMessenger She is not happy]].
** An earlier scene has a messenger that lampshades this trope and foreshadows the beating that Cleopatra would give.

* The Courier in ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'' exists solely to deliver despondent and doom-laden dispatches from UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington to Congress... and to sing a tearjerker song about how his best friend died alone at Lexington and Concord.

* In Creator/{{Euripides}}' ''Theatre/TheTrojanWomen'' Talthybius, Agamemnon's herald and friend, always appears to deliver some brand new misfortune... like that [[MadeASlave all of the women are being divided up and given to different Greek heroes]], or that Cassandra will be given to Agamemnon and Hecuba to Odysseus. Or even worse, he delivers to Andromache news of the Greeks’ plan to [[WouldHurtAChild kill her son]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' has a very [[MoodWhiplash sad]] example: [[spoiler: So the forest's burning and everyone is looking for Flint's family. A search is organized for his wife. When the kids are finally found, a neighbour wants to tell Flint some news. The good news? They found an awesome Drago Fang that would make a great weapon! The bad news? ''[[WhamLine It was found lodged in his wife's heart.]]'']]
* In ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', Absol is noted under its Pokedex entry to be able to sense disaster and attempts to warn others of its arrival. Unfortunately for it, it frequently gets mistaken as causing said disaster. [[TheWoobie Poor Absol]].
* Much like Wedge, above, the ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' DLC pack "Lair of the Shadow Broker" includes a file on Tali writing and rewriting the letter to the parents of someone who was killed serving with her. She even uses some similar lines - trying not to be trite, finding the right balance between distance and closeness, etc.
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', Shepard has to tell the asari councilor that not only did s/he fail to retrieve important data that could have turned the tide in a very one-sided war with the Reapers, but also that s/he failed [[spoiler:to prevent the fall of Thessia, the Asari homeworld]]. [[HeroicBSOD It takes him/her a minute before s/he's finally able to get it all out]].

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has a veritable wealth of opportunities to break bad news. One of the most notable examples would be when you must carry the shield of Bolvar Fordragon (Alliance) or rent armor of Dranosh Saurfang (Horde) to King Varian Wrynn and Warchief Thrall after the catastrophic "Wrathgate incident."

* In ''Webcomic/SomethingPositive'', Davan -- who ''has'' to be the one to do it because he's the only one who knows -- takes on the duty of informing his sisters and his two closest friends (who might as well be his sisters too) that his father, Fred, has Alzheimer's disease. He gives them this information immediately after [[spoiler:his mother's funeral, his mother having died without ever finding out that her husband was sick]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Bossy Boots", Mr. Krabs doesn't have the heart to fire Pearl, so he has [=SpongeBob=] tell her because "It's okay if she hates you."
* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'':
** In "Back to Bortron 7", Eggplant is the person who tells Carrot and Celery that after they do their presentation, they will have to leave Earth ''forever''. Yikes.
** In "Project Pluto", Jet loses to Sean and Sydney in a game of "not it" and has to tell Mindy that Pluto is no longer a planet. However, he gets off easy because when he tries to tell her, [[ShaggyDogStory she tells Jet that she already knew]].

* In ''Webcomic/ImpureBlood'', [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue05PAGES/ib109.html Jaem has to tell his mother and sister]] that he's the SoleSurvivor.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4300 the enlightened drones start to repeat a threatening message -- but things go awry.]] ({{Satan}} would probably prefer the message to the drone's behavior.)
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'',
** Haley has to tell Celia of [[spoiler:Roy's death. She takes it better than Haley had thought; after all, it still means they are only a spell apart.]]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0880.html Belkar's turn as this is enough for him to act serious and sober for the message.]]

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