History Main / LikeABadassOutOfHell

* In ''Videogame/DawnOfTheDragons'', the flavor text of the Grand Crusader set describes an attempt at a Type 4. In retaliation for an attack on the town of Wenshire by demons, High Cleric Ludmun began a crusade to invade Hell itself. The story is continued in the flavor text of the Hell Hunter set. The crusaders enjoy success at first, but venture too deep into Hell and encounter the mighty archdevils and demon lords who rule it. The crusade is quickly routed and most of the crusaders suffer excruciating deaths [[FateWorseThanDeath and worse]]. High Cleric Ludmun's fate was so horrible that the crusaders who witnessed it immediately committed suicide to escape the sight. In the end, the SoleSurvivor Isabelle becomes a Type 1 by becoming as ruthless and pragmatic as Hell's demonic residents.

[[folder: Mythology and Folklore]]

* There is a fairytale about a badass tailor who had an encounter with your standard Stupid Devil. It ended very painfully for the Devil. When the tailor died and was condemned to hell for badassery, the Devil locked Hell and didn't let him in. Even made it into a folksong, and the variants of the story are so numerous it has its own Aarne-Thompson number.

[[folder: Mythology]]

--> "Do ye think I should waist my good pit-coal on the hide of a brain-sick fool?"

** The first time he didn't have a choice. His Twelfth Labor required him to kidnap Cerberus and bring the hound back alive. Hades let him try on one condition - he had to do so unarmed. He actually did it. (And compared to what Hercules did to a lot of other monsters, Cerberus got off lucky.) While he was there, he rescued his cousin Thesus, who Hades had bound to a chair along with someone else as punishment for trying to kidnap Persephone. (Theseus was only guilty by association, so Hades was willing to let him go.)

Related to the FlyingDutchman and TooSpicyForYogSothoth. If it's the heroes taking a voluntary trip into Hell to wreak some havok, it's ToHellAndBack (and possibly a BrutalBonusLevel, if it happens in a VideoGame.) Often happens with a hero who's committed a FaustianRebellion. Compare OutOfTheInferno, with which it sometimes overlap. It can also happen if TheHero somehow ends up accidentally getting sent there.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', during the events of the Literature/HorusHeresy, a World Eaters Space Marine [[http://uk.games-workshop.com/chaosspacemarines/kharn/ known as Kharn]] racked up an insane body count during the final siege of the Imperial Palace on Terra. He was killed during the battle, but Khorne, the Chaos God [[GodIsEvil of war, blood and carnage]], was so impressed by his showing that he brought Kharn back to life so he could continue to spill blood and collect skulls. It should probably also be mentioned that Khorne isn't particularly concerned about whose skulls Kharn collects, hence his nickname of "The Betrayer"

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[ShrinkingViolet Criminy]] braves the depths of hell, just to be with his girlfriend, the [[HornyDevils succubus]] [[HeelFaceTurn Fuchsia]]. [[{{Satan}} The Devil]] almost gets him, but...[[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=3680 Punch it, Forky!]]

-->'''Satan:''' … … … We have the position of "Prince of Hell" still open.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', during the events of the Literature/HorusHeresy, a World Eaters Space Marine [[http://uk.games-workshop.com/chaosspacemarines/kharn/ known as Khârn]] racked up an insane body count during the final siege of the Imperial Palace on Terra. He was killed during the battle, but Khorne, the Chaos God [[GodIsEvil of war, blood and carnage]], was so impressed by his showing that he brought Khârn back to life so he could continue to spill blood and collect skulls. It should probably also be mentioned that Khorne isn't particularly concerned about whose skulls Khârn collects, hence his nickname of "The Betrayer"

->'''Black Mage:''' I'm dead, so this is some kind of egoscopic projection of my self?\\

''[Beat Panel]''\\

* To quote [[spoiler: Sarevok]] from ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'', "I swore I would scratch and crawl my way back into the world of the living, and I. HAVE. DONE IT!! HAHAHAHA". Not mention getting killed TWICE before doing this.

* This is basically the plot of the 4th ''Manga/{Bleach}'' movie.

* Comicbook/GhostRider does this [[MemeticBadass about every five seconds]]. Indeed, this was the first thing he did in the first issue of his latest series.

* In Comicbook/Aquaman;Near the end of PAD's run, Triton has killed Poseidon and is kicking the crap out of Aquaman and friends. Aquaman lets Triton kill him, so he can get to the afterlife. Once there, he decks Charon, rallies the souls who didn't have boatfare, jacks Charon's boat, runs Charon over with his own boat, storms the literal Gates of Hell, cuts off one of Cerberus' heads, marches right up to Pluto and demands Poseidon back, ultimately convincing Hades with a very solid BatmanGambit. On his way out, Cerberus is back, and Aquaman has just one word for the titanic guardian of the underworld: [[spoiler: "Stay."]]

* Hercules was such a badass, he actually went to Hell (well, the Underworld, which was Hell for anyone who done something bad) to cause trouble on his own, got away with it, and may have done so ''twice''.

** The second time - though this is isn't always agreed upon - was when he wrestled [[TheGrimReaper Thanatos]] to save the soul of Alcestis, a brave woman who sacrificed herself so her husband could live. (This may have actually happened on Earth and not the afterlife, but since the myth always claims that Thanatos had already taken Alcestis' soul, it is possible.) Whatever the case, Heracles was successful this time too.

* This may be possible in the D&D-Setting ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}''. The first stage of the afterlife (no one knows about what comes after you've faded away there) is simply another plane. A plane that will quickly sap you of the will necessary to leave it and has lots of powerful guardians, but a regular plane nevertheless. And considering the setting's pulpy larger-than-life attitude towards heroes...

** This is how the [[TabletopGame/KindredOfTheEast Kuei-jin]] are born.. They are souls condemned to the Thousand Hells who've fought their way back into their (or sometimes, someone else's) bodies, only to become a sort of chi vampire.

* Sigmar Heldenhammer in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' fantasy battles did this when he entered the afterlife (which isn't really hell) was attacked by an army of daemons, summoned an army of spirit warriors and got out.
** While never actually entering the realm of chaos Volkmar the grim was killed, brought back to life and tied to a demon banner and carried around by a demonic legion, he breaks lose and slaughters demons with his magical chains.

* Occasionally this has happened to a Comicbook/GhostRider, though not usually by their own will in the main series, such as with John Blaze and Zarathos. In the UltimateUniverse though, being the Devil's bounty hunter is the Ghost Rider's default.

* In ''[[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]]: TheNail'', the Joker returns from Hell, complete with new infernal powers, to try to drag Batman back with him. He almost did, too, except... well, he's Franchise/{{Batman}}.

* Nobel Kale takes over hell after slaying Mephisto and Blackheart then sends Dan Ketch back to Earth, releasing him from his Comicbook/GhostRider duties.

* In the Hindu Vedic tradition, Yama, the lord of the dead, is said to have been the first mortal who ever died, giving him his office by right of seniority... and that, of course, makes this OlderThanFeudalism.

* Subverted and inverted in ''{{Sandman}}'', when Morpheus goes to Hell loaded for bear, to release an ex-lover he'd damned out of petty spite millennia ago. When he gets there, Lucifer has emptied Hell of all the damned and diabolical and formally abdicates, peaceably leaving Morpheus with the Key to Hell.

* Sysiphus from ClassicalMythology talked his way out of Tartarus. ''Twice''.

* The escape of Lord Soth (formerly of ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'') from TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}, is quite possibly the weirdest case of this trope ever. He escapes from Ravenloft (essentially, a trap for various 'darklords') '''by not giving a crap'''. To elaborate: Soth basically accepts that he deserves to be tormented by the Dark Powers and admits his failures. He refuses to rise to anything they present him with, be it despair or hope; eventually, realising that it's pointless to keep him around since he won't respond to anything they do, the Dark Powers release him from Ravenloft.

* Black Mage of ''WebComic/EightBitTheater'' managed to pull this off when he was killed by Lich. But since he's the universe's ButtMonkey, it didn't last very long...
** To be fair, he's so evil that when he first arrived, they were going to build a whole new section of Hell just for him, but without his mortal body, there was no way they could contain his incredible power, so he ended up taking over and was so evil that even the DemonLordsAndArchdevils were terrified of him. Luckily they managed to stuff him back [[PowerLimiter into his body]] when his back was turned. Lately, whenever his ButtMonkey status leaves him dying, he is happy because he gets to take over Hell again. Of course, due to that very same ButtMonkey status, he's also healed or otherwise resurrected before he has the opportunity to pass on.

* Arguably happens in ''{{Minecraft}}'' whenever you venture into the Nether

* Godot in ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' claims that he has 'come back from Hell to do battle' with Phoenix Wright. Given the potential for ghosts and spirit channeling in the series, he might well be telling the truth. [[spoiler: Although he actually just came out of a five year poison-induced coma.]]

** While never actually entering the realm of chaos Volkmar the grim was tied to a demon banner and carried around by a demonic legion, he breaks lose and slaughters demons with his magical chains.

* According to one version, the first thing the bodhistava Guanyin did upon her first death is to start preaching. Immediately she was converting demons and sending them to the Western Paradise. Lord Yama, the boss down there, was afraid she'd empty the place and told her to go back to world of the living.

* Happens in ''Webcomic/HeadTrip'' when Mal [[spoiler: falls in love with the Devil Guy.]] She attacks Satan so they can be together.
** Actually, that was a fanfic Mal was reading. It horrified her.

* There was once a collection of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' shorts, all of them involving Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam, that were put together with story connecting them. The connecting story went as follows: After being sent to Hell after being outfoxed by Bugs, Sam was offered a chance to go back, so long as he sent Bugs there to take his place. After trying and failing several times, Sam got sick of it, and decided he'd rather stay in Hell.

* As of the ''[[Comicbook/{{Excalibur}} Captain Britain and MI:13]] Annual'', [[spoiler:[[BewareTheNiceOnes Meggan]]. She led a band of rebels and then helped forge them into a new country in order to spread hope in Hell.]]

''[BeatPanel]''\\

'''Black Mage:''' [[PreAssKickingOneLiner Enjoy it while you can, skippy]].\\

* The Sins in ''Webcomic/{{Jack}}'' sort of count... they've all done horrific things in life that apply to one of the SevenDeadlySins, so in hell, they become an embodiment of each one. The titular protagonist is Wrath, while his enemy Drip T. Rat, a serial rapist and murderer, is Lust. Hell still finds ways to punish them all via IronicHell.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Onimusha}}'' games, Nobunaga makes a DealWithTheDevil in the first game of the series, just prior to the heroes killing the Demon King. He then takes command of the Demonic Realm for the next two titles of the series (and the GameBoyAdvance game.)