History Main / EmptyPromise

* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' uses it in a [[NightmareFuel horrifically]] [[TearJerker bleak]], though still funny, BlackComedy way, as Anime/{{Voltron}}'s CombiningMecha sequence is taking so long that the enemy's destroying the space station that had called for help. The general's young sidekick is dying in the wreckage, blind and crippled from his injuries, and asks if Voltron's arrived. The general lies and tells him yes, Voltron's here and it's all going to be okay now, before [[MercyKill shooting him]] so he'll die painlessly.
** Actually, the Voltron in question was actually Vehicle Voltron.

* Kazuki of ''Manga/BusouRenkin'' promised Tokiko they'd fight Victor together, even if it meant they would be killed. Ultimately he valued her life too much, and broke the promise to [[SealedEvilInADuel fight Victor one-on-one]].

* In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar,'' when the Asgardians have been defeated, and both Loki and Thor are at the mercy of Thanos, the former tries to reassure his brother. [[spoiler:Then he is killed, and by the end of ''Endgame,'' his promise remains unfulfilled.]]

* In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar,'' Loki makes one to Thor. [[spoiler:By the end of the film it remains unfulfilled.]]

Not related to ThePromise. See also SurvivalMantra. Contrast with HeroicVow. Compare FrequentlyBrokenUnbreakableVow.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', we are eventually introduced to Finn's long-lost father, Martin, who is a con-man who constantly lies and takes advantage of people and appears to treat Finn no better than he treats anyone else. Detail-oriented viewers have noticed that a CharacterTic he does after making a false assurance is that he winks his left eye. In the "Islands" mini-series, we learn his backstory, and later, [[spoiler:when he's forced to leave baby Finn behind to protect him from a robot guardian trying to kill them, he tells Finn [[GoOutWithASmile with a smile and a wink]] that he'll come back for him — [[HeroicSacrifice he was ready to give up his life to save his son.]] Ironically, it's ''Finn'' who finds him, and due to Martin getting brain damage (including forgetting that he had a son) and lack of witnesses, everyone thinks that Martin was always a selfish jerk that left his son to die.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', we are eventually introduced to Finn's long-lost father, Martin, who is a con-man who constantly lies and takes advantage of people and appears to treat Finn no better than he treats anyone else. Detail-oriented viewers have noticed that a CharacterTic he does after making a false assurance is that he winks his left eye. In the "Islands" mini-series, we learn his backstory, and later, [[spoiler:when he's forced to leave baby Finn behind to protect him from a robot guardian trying to kill them, he tells Finn [[GoOutWithASmile with a smile and a wink]] that he'll come back for him — [[HeroicSacrifice he was ready to give up his life to save his son.]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' uses it in a horrifically bleak, though still funny, BlackComedy way, as Anime/{{Voltron}}'s CombiningMecha sequence is taking so long that the enemy's destroying the space station that had called for help. The general's young sidekick is dying in the wreckage, blind and crippled from his injuries, and asks if Voltron's arrived. The general lies and tells him yes, Voltron's here and it's all going to be okay now, before [[MercyKill shooting him]] so he'll die painlessly.
** Actually the Voltron in question was actually Vehicle Voltron.

The situation is dire, maybe even hopeless, and everyone is losing hope faced with certain death. TheChick or TheHero have to keep their friends and loved ones not just moving but ''hopeful'' in order to survive. So they lie. They hold their loved ones close and say "It's going to be all right", or "Help is coming." The loved one may very well know it's an empty promise, but needs and ''wants'' to believe it, because the alternative is panic or an emotional breakdown.

* In the wake of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, the [[SovietRussiaUkraineAndSoOn SovietUnion]] promised the Allies that they would allow free elections in the territories they occupied. Nobody was surprised when those "elections" put Communist parties in power that declared their allegiance to Moscow. Stalin managed to avert this at the same time by keeping his promise to leave Greece in the Allied sphere of influence by not actively supporting the communists in the Greek Civil War.

* In ''Literature/ASongofIceandFire'', during the second book Jon Snow goes on a ranging mission with Qhorin Halfhand and two other veteran rangers. After being spotted, they begin traveling back to the camp and are pursued by Wildlings. When it is only Qhorin Halfhand and Jon Snow left, Qhorin orders Jon Snow to pretend to defect to the Wildlings in order to gather intelligence. Jon Snow, torn by the idea of betraying his vows (even if it's a farse) asks Qhorin if he will let their Lord Commander know that he did not break his oath. Qhorin, knowing that the Wildlings will kill him when they catch up to them, responds "''When I see him next. I swear it.''”

* Played for all its [[TearJerker tear-jerking]] worth in ''{{Persona 3}}''. Aigis tearfully promises that [[spoiler: she'll devote her life to protecting the main character while, depending on your dialogue choices, he asks her not to cry and tells her it'll be okay. In reality, he's dying in her arms, and, though not outright said, it's likely they both know it]].

[[folder: Film ]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'', Cale's father's last words to him are "I will see you again. I promise," despite the fact that he must know it's likely that he won't. [[spoiler: Sure enough, Cale later encounters a recorded message from his father confirming that if it was activated, he is dead. The message then asks Cale to forgive him for breaking his promise]].

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* In the sixteenth-century text ''ThePrince'', author Creator/NiccoloMachiavelli explicitly states that at times it is necessary for a ruler to make empty promises for the sake of his country.

* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' uses it in a horrifically bleak, though still funny, BlackComedy way, as {{Voltron}}'s CombiningMecha sequence is taking so long that the enemy's destroying the space station that'd called for help in the meantime. The general's young sidekick is dying in the wreckage, blind and crippled from his injuries, and asks if Voltron's arrived. The general lies and tells him yes, Voltron's here and it's all going to be okay now, before [[MercyKill shooting him]] so he'll die painlessly.
* In ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'', this trope is subverted. When Enzo appears to be losing a game against the user, Andrala promises Frisket everything will be ok, and resets their icons. When the game cube vanishes, it appears as though Andrala had made an empty promise, which is partly true; by resetting their icons to game sprite mode, she ensured the three of them would live even if they lost the game, but they wouldn't be able to return to Mainframe.
* In TitanAE, Cale's father's last words to him are "I will see you again. I promise", despite the fact that he must know it's likely that he won't. [[spoiler: Sure enough, Cale later encounters a recorded message from his father confirming that if it was activated, he is dead. The message then asks Cale to forgive him for breaking his promise]].
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': In the episode where [[spoiler:Jet]] dies, he tells his friends he'll be fine. Unfortunately, LivingLieDetector Toph is nearby, and although she waits to be out of earshot of the other two...

* ''RobotChicken'' uses it in a horrifically bleak, though still funny, BlackComedy way, as {{Voltron}}'s CombiningMecha sequence is taking so long that the enemy's destroying the space station that'd called for help in the meantime. The general's young sidekick is dying in the wreckage, blind and crippled from his injuries, and asks if Voltron's arrived. The general lies and tells him yes, Voltron's here and it's all going to be okay now, before [[MercyKill shooting him]] so he'll die painlessly.

* Kazuki of ''BusouRenkin'' promised Tokiko they'd fight Victor together, even if it meant they would be killed. Ultimately he valued her life too much, and broke the promise to [[SealedEvilInADuel fight Victor one-on-one]].

* In You's route in ''{{Ever17}}'', You and the Kid are discussing the Kid's apparent ability to predict the future when the Kid says they'll definitely be rescued. You asks if that's a premonition; the Kid says that it's a promise. If you get the BadEnd, the Kid ends up lamenting his inability to keep his promise as they both die.

* Helo from the new ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' loves this one, although other characters do their fair share as well.

* In ''Literature/SpocksWorld'', Kirk wants to tell [[spoiler: T'Pau]] that they're not going to die, but he feels as though the sheer blatant falsehood of it would be insulting.

* In {{Fables}} book ''Peter and Max'', Peter wants to leave to fight his evil (and extremely powerful) brother, while his wife Bo wants him to leave it to the better fighters. Bo lampshades this trope by saying that him promising her he would come back is useless to her; either he does return in which case the fulfilled HeroicVow only serves to amplify his status as the big hero, or (more likely,) he gets himself pointlessly killed, and she wouldn't even be allowed to resent him for breaking his promise when he had "heroically" died trying to do the right thing. Either way, the promise would only serve to make ''him'' feel better about what he was doing, and would do absolutely nothing to help her, regardless of the outcome.