History Main / DisappointedByTheMotive

May overlap with EvilIsPetty and RevengeBeforeReason. Often overlaps with WrongGenreSavvy and MotiveMisidentification on the part of either the heroes or the villain in question. See also AntiClimacticUnmasking, where the identity of the perpetrator is also disappointing, HumbleGoal (which can affect hero or villain alike--people's reaction to hearing said goal and expecting something bigger could be this Trope).

* In ''ComicBook/TheFlashRebirth'', Barry is aghast to learn ComicBook/EobardThawne's motive for becoming Reverse Flash -- he thought he and Barry had bonded over some advice Barry gave him, but when he came back in time to be Barry's partner he overheard him giving Wally the same advice. And if he wasn't the [[ItsAllAboutMe most important person]] in Barry's life, then clearly Barry's [[InsaneTrollLogic friendship was a lie]].

* In ''Film/Joker2019'', everyone, including Murray Franklin, believes that Arthur Fleck killed three Wayne Enterprises employees as a political statement and out of a desire to start a movement. Murray is disappointed when Arthur admits on live TV that he actually did it because he saw them as awful and that the riots that started in his wake were just circumstance. Of course, the complete truth is even murkier; Fleck killed two of the employees in self-defense and the last ForTheEvulz.

* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/FoundationSeries'': In ''Literature/ForwardTheFoundation'', the investigators of the murder of Emperor Cleon I are more than a little aghast at discovering that the man who murdered the Emperor and sent the Foundation's plans to hell was his gardener Gruber, who got more than a little impulsive at discovering that the Emperor appointed him, against Gruber's [[HappinessInMinimumWage most fervent wishes]], to the position of ''Head'' Gardener. As Gruber explains, this would mean becoming a DeskJockey and not being able to tend the gardens anymore, as well as micromanaging his replacements. Though Gruber also admits that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone this was an incredibly stupid decision]].

* ''Film/KnivesOut'':
** In the original film, Benoit deduces the most likely motive for murder was to protect the inheritance [[spoiler:which was indeed Ransom's motive]]. He is however disappointed on learning that [[spoiler:Ransom really didn't want the money to fall into the hands of an "outsider" like Marta, with heavy racist undertones. Blanc is galled to realize the murder was driven by petty vanity more than anything]].
** In ''Film/GlassOnion'', Benoit is not so much disappointed by the motive, but by the sloppy execution of the crime: [[spoiler:Contrary to his initial theory, the murders of Andi and Duke weren't part of a complicated, carefully planned plot, but a spur-of-the-moment decision by Miles, the most obvious suspect, who made only the barest effort to cover his tracks and didn't even bother to destroy the most incriminating piece of evidence. He becomes downright angry when he realizes midway through his summation that Miles even got the idea for the attempted murder of Helen - his only crime that required any forethought and attention to detail - from none other than ''Benoit himself'' during an earlier conversation between them]].
--->'''Birdie''': It's so dumb it's brilliant!\\
'''Benoit''': '''NO!''' It's just ''dumb!''

* In ''Film/{{Fargo}}'', Chief Gunderson gives [[TheSociopath Gaear Grimsrud]] a dressing down in this fashion after [[spoiler:discovering him [[WoodchipperOfDoom disposing of his associate]] in order to claim the full Lundegaard ransom (having just murdered Mrs. Lundegaard himself, [[EvilIsDumb rendering the ransom pointless]]) and also [[EvilIsPetty to be the sole owner of the tan GMC Ciera]]]]
-->'''Marge''': "So that was [[spoiler:Mrs. Lundegaard]] on the floor in there. And I guess that was [[spoiler:your accomplice in the wood chipper]]. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit of money. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don't you know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well, I just don't understand it."

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/PrincipalCelestiaHuntsTheUndead'': Cinch is out for revenge on Canterlot High due to Crystal Prep not winning the Friendship Games, having spent months trying to appeal the decision and failing. She eventually decides to take actions that will result in people at CHS dying or having their lives destroyed for the sake of having their win reversed and restoring Crystal Prep's own reputation and perfect record. Celestia thinks that doing all this over what she calls a "stupid set of random contests" is the dumbest thing she's ever heard. Iron Will later voices much the same opinion.
[[/folder]]

* ''Film/HotFuzz''. After constructing an elaborate scenario involving a local supermarket-owner murdering various townsfolk to secure land that will soon have an expressway built through it, thus escalating in value, Nicholas Angel learns that Mr. Skinner and his associates actually killed those people for [[spoiler: extremely petty reasons, such as having an annoying laugh, being a bad actor, owning a [=McMansion=] or repeatedly making grammatical errors in the newspaper. Their ringleader, police chief Frank Butterman, allows this and targets anyone who dissents or stands out, which included the slaughter of a large number of street performers and homeless people (not unsubtle about implying that this latter act involved taking out ''whole families''), in order to win the annual Village of the Year competition.]] Angel's reaction to the MotiveRant is equal parts dumbfounded and horrified at such pettiness.

[[folder:Films — Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'': Jack Horner, part of the movie's BigBadEnsemble, is a ruthless factory owner and mob boss, and is after the Wishing Star. At some point, he has a talk with a CaptainErsatz of [[WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}} Jiminy Cricket]] who attempts to act as his conscience. Since the Ethical Bug believes that nobody can be truly irredeemable, he asks Jack about his childhood and his drive - hoping to find a FreudianExcuse. Jack explains he had a perfectly healthy childhood - with loving parents and financial stability - then, with stars in his eyes, confesses that he wants to wish for the one thing that will make him happy: [[{{Greed}} all the magic in the world, for him only, and nobody gets any]]. The Ethical Bug can only facepalm, and after Jack carelessly causes the death of most of his mooks and shows no remorse, he declares him irredeemable.

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

-->'''Church:''' Not all of us got off scot-free, Carolina. He was ''brilliant'', and we ''trusted''. him But he ''lied'' to us. He twisted, and ''tortured'' us! And used us! ''Manipulated'' us for his own purposes! And for what?! For this?! This...''shadow!?''

* ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'': Jack Horner, part of the movie's BigBadEnsemble, is a ruthless factory owner and mob boss, and is after the Wishing Star. At some point, he has a talk with a CaptainErsatz of [[WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}} Jiminy Cricket]] who attempts to act as his conscience. Since the Ethical Bug believes that nobody can be truly irredeemable, he asks Jack about his childhood and his drive - hoping to find a FreudianExcuse. Jack explains he had a perfectly healthy childhood - with loving parents and financial stability - then, with stars in his eyes, confesses that he wants to wish for the one thing that will make him happy: [[{{Greed}} all the magic in the world, for him only, and nobody gets any]]. The Ethical Bug can only facepalm, and after Jack carelessly causes the death of most of his mooks and shows no remorse, he deeps him irredeemable.

* ''WesternAnimation/PussInBoots:TheLastWish'': Jack Horner, part of the movie's BigBadEnsemble, is a ruthless factory owner and mob boss, and is after the Wishing Star. At some point, he has a talk with a CaptainErsatz of [[WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}} Jiminy Cricket]] who attempts to act as his conscience. Since the Ethical Bug believes that nobody can be truly irredeemable, he asks Jack about his childhood and his drive - hoping to find a FreudianExcuse. Jack explains he had a perfectly healthy childhood - with loving parents and financial stability - then, with stars in his eyes, confesses that he wants to wish for the one thing that will make him happy: [[{{Greed}} all the magic in the world, for him only, and nobody gets any]]. The Ethical Bug can only facepalm, and after Jack carelessly causes the death of most of his mooks and shows no remorse, he deeps him irredeemable.

** In ''Film/GlassOnion'', Benoit is not so much disappointed by the motive, but by the sloppy execution of the crime: [[spoiler:Contrary to his initial theory, the murders of Andi and Duke weren't part of a complicated, carefully planned plot, but a spur-of-the-moment decision by Miles, the most obvious suspect, who made only the barest effort to cover his tracks and didn't even bother to destroy the most incriminating piece of evidence. He becomes downright angry when he realizes midway through his summation that Miles even got the idea for the attempted murder of Helen - his only crime that required any forethought and attention to detail - from none other than Benoit "himself" during an earlier conversation between them]].

** ''[[VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony Killing Harmony]]'': [[spoiler:Korekiyo Shinguji murdered Angie Yonaga and Tenko Chabashira, all to give his deceased sister one hundred friends in the afterlife. Putting aside his rather perverse admiration for his sister, what really makes this vile to the other students is that Korekiyo admitted that he was close to achieving his goal, tacitly admitting that he's killed close to a hundred people. Everyone is disgusted, [[DeaderThanDead if Korekiyo's execution is anything to go by.]]]]

** ''[[VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony Killing Harmony]]'': [[spoiler:Korekiyo Shinguji murdered Angie Yonaga and Tenko Chabashira, all to give his deceased sister one hundred friends in the afterlife. Putting aside his rather perverse admiration for his sister, what really makes this vile to the other students is that Korekiyo admitted that he was close to achieving his goal, tacitly admitting that he's killed close to a hundred people. Everyone is disgusted, including Monokuma, [[DeaderThanDead if Korekiyo's execution is anything to go by.]]]]

** In ''Film/GlassOnion'', Benoit is not so much disappointed by the motive, but by the sloppy execution of the crime: [[spoiler:Contrary to his initial theory, the murders of Andi and Duke weren't part of a complicated, carefully planned plot, but a spur-of-the-moment decision by Miles, the most obvious suspect, who made only the barest effort to cover his tracks and didn't even bother to destroy the most incriminating piece of evidence]].

** In ''Film/GlassOnion'', Benoit is deeply disappointed when he realizes [[spoiler:Andi and Duke weren't murdered by one of the Disruptors executing a complicated plan to protect their own self-interests. Instead it was Miles who murdered the two on the spur of the moment because they tried blackmailing him]].

** Invoked when Terry throws one back at the Joker during their final battle; Terry is in IShallTauntYou mode and ''trying'' to piss the Joker off.

** In the original film, Benoit deduces the most likely motive for murder was to protect the inheritance [[spoiler:which was indeed Ransom's motive]]. He is however disappointed on learning that [[spoiler:Ransom really didn't want the money to fall into the hands of an "outsider" like Martha, with heavy racist undertones. Blanc is galled to realize the murder was driven by petty vanity more than anything]].

-->'''Bond''': In the end, you're just a bank robber. Nothing more than a common thief.
-->'''Janus/[[spoiler:Trevelyan]]''': You always did have a small mind, James. It's not just erasing bank records, it's everything on every computer in Greater London. Tax records, stock market, credit ratings, land registries, criminal records. In 16 minutes and 43, oh, 42 seconds, the United Kingdom will re-enter the Stone Age!
-->'''Bond''': A worldwide financial meltdown. And [[YoureInsane all so mad little]] [[spoiler:Alec]] can settle a score with the world, [[spoiler:fifty years on]].