History Main / DebtDetester

So Bob owes Alice big time. Maybe she saved his friend, or did something selfless for him, or risked her life for his, it doesn't matter. The thing is, Bob and Alice aren't friends. They might even be enemies. Where this trope comes in to play is when Bob inexplicably helps out Alice, usually followed by a "[[MakesUsEven Now we're even]]" from Bob. The key to this trope is that it's a one-shot deal; if Alice gets herself in trouble later it's her problem, not Bob's. Bob may even be the cause of her troubles. Bob might even be helping Alice in advance so Alice doesn't try to approach him with a YouOweMe scenario, a situation which would force Bob to operate under Alice's potentially unfavorable terms.

So Bob owes Alice big time. Maybe she saved his friend, or did something selfless for him, or risked her life for his, it doesn't matter. The thing is, Bob and Alice aren't friends. They might even be enemies. Where this trope comes in to play is when Bob inexplicably helps out Alice, usually followed by a "[[MakesUsEven Now we're even]]" from Bob. The key to this trope is that it's a one-shot deal; if Alice gets herself in trouble later it's her problem, not Bob's. Bob may even be the cause of her troubles.

* Shang in ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'' spared the titular's character's life after she dishonored the Chinese army in return for her saving his life during the Huns' attack.

* When Dietrich saves Harris' life in ''Series/BarneyMiller'', Harris is ''pissed'' because Dietrich annoys him so much and goes to increasing lengths to repay him, which Dietrich refuses until Harris writes him a check... but that's only so he can flush the check down the toilet.

* A dark variant in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords''; the BountyHunter Mira had spared the life of Hanharr, a Wookie bounty hunter who had been trying to kill her, but got caught in his own trap instead. Wookie culture demands that if someone saves your life, [[IOweYouMyLife you are obliged to pledge your life to them]]. Hanharr ''hates'' Mira and despises the Life Debt, meaning he would like to find a way to get her ''killed'' just to be free of the obligation.

* Entry 68 of the EvilOverlordList states -- "I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they'd better save my life again."

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

* Loki in ''Comicbook/TheSandman'' turns out to have... strong views. [[spoiler: To the point that he only repays it by accident, while trying to kill the one he owes.]]
--> '''Loki:''' I am ''Loki''. And I will be under an obligation to ''no one''.

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Film]]

-->'''Shang''': A life for a life. My debt is repaid.
* In {{Film/Constantine}}, [[spoiler:Satan]] appears to be one as he did not like owing Constantine a favor for getting him to save the world from [[spoiler:Satan's son.]] The debtor does find a price Constantine is willing to accept, then regrets it.
* In Film/LittleBigMan, Jack saves the life of his enemy Younger Bear. Years later, Younger Bear saves Jack's life at the Little Big Horn. He then tells Jack that he's planning to kill Jack the next time they meet.

[[folder: Literature]]

-->I nod because I do understand. About owing. About hating it.

* One Literature/{{Discworld}} book (''Discworld/CarpeJugulum'' I think) says that this is a key part of witch psychology and that if you really want to hurt a witch then you need to do her a favour she has no way of repaying. The unfulfilled debt will always nag at her.
* The faeries in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', although it's not so much that they ''dislike'' being in debt as that if someone helps them, they're compelled by their nature to render aid in return, so they're irritated by open ended obligations.

* [[EvilSorcerer Raistlin]] from ''{{Literature/Dragonlance}}'' is not altruistic (except in certain very specific circumstances) but he hates the idea of being dependent on another person and as such if he feels he's in your debt he ''will'' repay you, with a good turn he feels is exactly equivalent in value to what you did for him- indeed, the last few chapters of ''Dragons of Spring Dawning'' is basically an extended sequence of him paying off all his debts to the other protagonists so he feels can go his own way in peace. Later on, he trains his apprentice Dalamar to believe this as well.

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Q. In one of the early Q episodes Picard shelters Q after Q has been [[MortalityEnsues made mortal]] temporarily. Q hates that he owes Picard a favour and tries to get Picard to name a favour so he can resolve the obligation.
** Of course, Picard knows that Q is TheTrickster and a LiteralGenie and refuses to accept repayment. Q's response is to make up a need of Picard's and 'solve' it for him in an incredibly roundabout and dangerous way.
* In an episode of the ''Series/BuckRogersInTheTwentyFifthCentury '' TV series, Buck saves the life of Tigerman (Princess Ardala bodyguard); later, Buck is about to be executed and Tigerman threatens the Princess until she releases Buck. As Buck starts to leave, he asks Tigerman if he will be coming along (implied that they are now friends). Tigerman simply replies, "I owed you a life. We are now even," as he then warily looks at the Princess.
* Part of how Todd the Wraith managed to survive so long on ''Series/StargateAtlantis''; he and Sheppard kept saving each other's lives.
* Averted in ''Series/StargateSG1'', where SG-1 lets Nirrti go after she saves Cassandra's life. Nirrti is surprised, and mentions that, if the situation was reversed, she would not be so generous. Later on, Nirrti captures SG-1 and, when reminded of the incident, reminds them ''her'' words. Additionally, when Carter saves Cronus's life (he was attacked by Nirrti using an InvisibilityCloak), they offer him the identity of his attacker in return for letting Earth keep both of its stargates. As Cronus and Yu lead Nirrti away, Cronus lets the [[HumansByAnyOtherName Tau'ri]] know that his debt is now paid and that they should not expect mercy if he catches them again. And no, he doesn't show them any when he catches them (or those he thinks are them).
* Sheldon in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' takes this to ridiculous levels. He absolutely despises being given a gift because he over thinks everything and spends too much time trying to exactly match the financial and emotional reciprocity. He also generally dislikes being in debt to his "friends" because he considers them beneath him, part of his JerkWithAHeartOfGold persona.

[[folder: Video Games]]
* A dark variant in VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords; The BountyHunter Mira had spared the life of Hanharr, a Wookie bounty hunter who had been trying to kill her, but got caught in his own trap instead. Wookie culture demands that if someone saves your life, [[IOweYouMyLife you are obliged to pledge your life to them]]. Hanharr ''hates'' Mira and despises the Life Debt, meaning he would like to find a way to get her ''killed'' just to be free of the obligation.

[[folder: Western Animation]]

-->'''Demona:''' ''Thank you.''
-->'''Macbeth:''' ''I owed you.''
-->'''Demona:''' ''Then we're even; good.''

[[folder: Other]]
* Entry 68 of the EvilOverlordList states -- "I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they'd better save my life again."
[[/folder]]

* A dark variant in VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII: The BountyHunter Mira had spared the life of Hanharr, a Wookie bounty hunter who had been trying to kill her, but got caught in his own trap instead. Wookie culture demands that if someone saves your life, [[IOweYouMyLife you are obliged to pledge your life to them]]. Hanharr ''hates'' Mira and despises the Life Debt, meaning he would like to find a way to get her ''killed'' just to be free of the obligation.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', James Potter saved Snape's life and it's implied that Snape protects Harry because he regrets not being able to save James' life in return. Or at least that's the story in the first few books, until it's revealed that he also loved Lily.

* In "TheGoblinWood" by Creator/HilariBell, that's how Makenna allies with the goblins. Their entire culture is based around paying back debts, and when she frees a goblin she finds she is stuck with a helper. It works out well for them, in the end.

* In ''ArakawaUnderTheBridge'', the protagonist has always lived by this principle, paying all debts as quickly as possible, but he finds himself in a quandary when a crazy woman who lives under a bridge [[IOweYouMyLife saves his life]].

* ''ElfQuest'': This is ostensibly Rayek's reason for helping Leetah to save Cutter's life after the disastrous battle with the snow trolls. In reality he probably did it out of compassion, though he'd never admit it.

* A dark variant in videogame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII: The BountyHunter Mira had spared the life of Hanharr, a Wookie bounty hunter who had been trying to kill her, but got caught in his own trap instead. Wookie culture demands that if someone saves your life, [[IOweYouMyLife you are obliged to pledge your life to them]]. Hanharr ''hates'' Mira and despises the Life Debt, meaning he would like to find a way to get her ''killed'' just to be free of the obligation.

* In "TheGoblinWood" by "HilariBell", that's how Makenna allies with the goblins. Their entire culture is based around paying back debts, and when she frees a goblin she finds she is stuck with a helper. It works out well for them, in the end.

* In an episode of the ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'' TV series, Buck saves the life of Tigerman (Princess Ardala bodyguard); later, Buck is about to be executed and Tigerman threatens the Princess until she releases Buck. As Buck starts to leave, he asks Tigerman if he will be coming along (implied that they are now friends). Tigerman simply replies, "I owed you a life. We are now even," as he then warily looks at the Princess.

%%* Shran on ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', vis-a-vis Archer.

* ''[[Anime/ElfenLied]]'': Thoroughly despicable man he may be, but one of Bandou's policies is to repay any debts he owes. When he learns that Mayu is responsible for saving his life in an earlier fight, he gives her his phone number and tells her to call him if she's ever in trouble. [[spoiler:In the manga, he makes good on this promise by saving Mayu from being raped and killed by [[NoNameGiven The Unknown Man]].]]

* Part of how Todd the Wraith managed to survive so long on StargateAtlantis; he and Sheppard kept saving each other's lives.

%%* This is one of Comicbook/{{Lucifer}}'s defining characteristics.

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* In Literature/HarryPotter, James Potter saved Snape's life and it's implied that Snape protects Harry because he regrets not being able to save James' life in return. Or at least that's the story in the first few books, until it's revealed that he also loved Lily.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Other ]]

* This is one of Comicbook/{{Lucifer}}'s defining characteristics.

* The Marquis de Carabas in ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}''
* The Lannisters in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''.

* Shran on ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', vis-a-vis Archer.

* Sheldon in TheBigBangTheory takes this to ridiculous levels. He absolutely despises being given a gift because he over thinks everything and spends too much time trying to exactly match the financial and emotional reciprocity. He also generally dislikes being in debt to his "friends" because he considers them beneath him, part of his JerkWithAHeartOfGold persona.

* The Marquis de Carabas in ''{{Neverwhere}}''
* The Lannisters in ''ASongOfIceAndFire''.

* Averted in ''StargateSG1'', where SG-1 lets Nirrti go after she saves Cassandra's life. Nirrti is surprised, and mentions that, if the situation was reversed, she would not be so generous. Later on, Nirrti captures SG-1 and, when reminded of the incident, reminds them ''her'' words. Additionally, when Carter saves Cronus's life (he was attacked by Nirrti using an InvisibilityCloak), they offer him the identity of his attacker in return for letting Earth keep both of its stargates. As Cronus and Yu lead Nirrti away, Cronus lets the [[HumansByAnyOtherName Tau'ri]] know that his debt is now paid and that they should not expect mercy if he catches them again. And no, he doesn't show them any when he catches them (or those he thinks are them).

* Entry 68 of the EvilOverlordList on ThisVeryWiki states -- "I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they'd better save my life again."