History Main / NothingPersonal

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': Blackbeard's EvilPlan started with him killing a crew-mate and stealing his treasure; he didn't have anything against the guy, but he had something Blackbeard ''really'' wanted. In the next step of his plan, he captures Luffy's brother Ace and delivers him to the Marines, who throw him in jail in preparation for execution. Blackbeard actually ''likes'' both Luffy and Ace, and even tried inviting Ace to join his crew, but he had to capture somebody important to be made into a Warlord, and Ace was the easiest target at the time (if it wasn't Ace, it would've been Luffy). It helps that Blackbeard is a fatalist who believes all is predetermined by fate; him having to murder a shipmate was just destiny at work.

* ''Film/RockyIII'' gives us Clubber Lang, a vicious boxer in [[TrashTalk every]] [[TheBerserker way]] [[NoSympathy possible]]. After [[CurbStompBattle humiliating]] [[TheHero Rocky Balboa]] in their first match, he's all too eager to do it again. But Lang has no real grudge against the former champ: Clubber wants to be number one, and Rocky is in his way. Simple as that.

* Invoked by Zevran in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' after you beat him, as he doesn't know Loghain's issues with you, and you can't afford to take it personally.

* In ''Webcomic/{{PoppyOPossum}}'', Fazzi [[SubvertedTrope subverts]] this by specifically stating that the ensuing fight ''isn't'' business, ItsPersonal.

** In ''ComicBook/AllNewUltimates'', Taskmaster does not really care about the Ultimates. Roxxon pays a lot of money for them, and he just wants the job.

* ComicBook/TheQuestion uses this in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'' [[spoiler:as he is about to kill ComicBook/LexLuthor in cold blood]], even as he describes his distaste for other person as "[[Literature/GulliversTravels brobdingnagian]]". Slightly subverted in that Q proceeded to [[spoiler:get his ass handed to him by Lex Luthor, then sent to a prison in which he would be tortured with one of his team-mates as his main warden. Seems it wasn't personal to ComicBook/CaptainAtom either.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', Jinx said it right before attacking her ex-team mates in the series' penultimate episode.

* Lampshaded and subverted by Underworld in a Marvel ''Civil War'' comic. He visits the injured Hammerhead in the hospital, then tells him about a time that Hammerhead had grievously injured a friend of his for a petty amount of money. [[spoiler:Underworld puts a gun in Hammerhead's mouth and, before pulling the trigger, says "It's always personal, ya mook."]]
* ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} spears Phantom Lady through her torso. When she asks him why, he responds "Sorry, darlin'. Just business."

* This is part of [[Characters/TheFlashTheRogues Captain Cold's]] general M.O., with him making it very clear that his villainy is merely his business model and enforcing a strict code of honor among his henchmen and those he works with to make sure it never gets personal. The times he breaks this rule in regard to himself are against Chillblaine, the man who killed his sister; and, later, against Inertia, for tricking the Rogues into killing Bart Allen and making them the top public enemies.

* General Fortean from ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'' has used it to justify [[RoguesGalleryTransplant replacing Thunderbolt Ross as the man in charge of capturing Hulk]] despite failing to beat ComicBook/RedHulk, while Ross himself went to antagonize ComicBook/CaptainAmerica. Fortean argued both he and Ross were [[ItsPersonal too personally invested]] with their old targets and will be far more effective against the people they can strategize against with cold, rational minds. [[spoiler: if you're wondering, they both got themselves killed, making Fortean's argument very ironic.]]
* In ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', we see a flashback to the climactic final confrontation between Literature/SherlockHolmes and James Moriarty. They make it clear to one another that this isn't a manner of personal spite and immediately begin fighting to the death. Of course, once Moriarty ''loses'', he immediately complains and calls Holmes a "drug-addicted sodomite".
* In a crossover between ComicBook/ThePunisher and Music/{{Eminem}}[[note]]Discussed [[http://www.cracked.com/article_18785_6-comic-book-crossovers-you-wont-believe-actually-happened.html here]], second entry[[/note]], Barracuda, a childhood friend of Em's, hits him with this line after he's captured both Em and the Punisher.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Shadowpact}}'', the Pentacle tell the townspeople whom they have trapped in a giant magic prison shield that they will choose sacrifices at random from their number. They explain that it's nothing personal, it's just bad luck that their town was chosen, more people will be sacrificed if they try to resist, and that everything will be easier if they just go along with it. The Pentacle's leader Strega explains all of this with an eerily calm business-like tone.
* Jack from ''[[ComicBook/SilentHill Silent Hill: Sinner's Reward]]'' claims all of the murders done by him are just business, because he's a [[ProfessionalKiller hit man]] who's JustFollowingOrders. The one he tries to persuade doesn't buy it, insisting that ItsPersonal for her, especially since some of his marks are people close to her.
* Morlun, a thousand-years-old immortal that preys on beings with animal-like powers, gave us a funny dialogue based on it when he encountered Franchise/SpiderMan:
-->'''Morlun:''' This is how it's going to be. You will run. I will hunt you.(...) But finally you will fall from power. And then you will die. But you have my word. It's nothing personal.\\

** The Shocker at one point kidnaps Spider-man as revenge for years of having his crimes foiled, though it's implied that a large part of it is him being angry over Spider-man's constant mockery, and tortures the hero. Spider-man uses a more heroic form of this argument and points out that he wasn't doing it to spite Shocker, but because Shocker was going on constant crime sprees.

** [[ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate Hulk vs Wolverine]] had a variation; after ripping Wolverine in half, Hulk is about to eat one of Wolverine's legs, letting him choose which one. Wolverine gets understandably pissed off, which prompts Hulk to say "You're taking this way too personal...", commenting that if he doesn't eat one leg, Wolverine will just reattach them and chase after him. When Logan says he'll do that anyway, Hulk comments that he's just giving him motivation to eat both legs.
** ''ComicBook/AllNewUltimates'': Taskmaster does not really care about the Ultimates. Roxxon pays a lot of money for them, and he just wants the job.
* Exploited in "The Big Fat Kill" issue of ''ComicBook/{{SinCity}}''. Dwight recognizes that Wallenquist makes a point of never letting personal feelings interfere with his business decisions. When they ambush and kill a bunch of Wallenquist's men, Dwight bets that, rather than seeking revenge, Wallenquist will cut his losses when they get too high.
-->"We got to kill every last rat bastard one of them, every last one. Not for revenge. Not because they deserve it. Not because it'll make the world a better place. We need a heap of bloody bodies so when the mob boss Wallenquist, looks over his charts of profits and losses, he'll see what it cost him to mess with the girls of Old Town.”

* Invoked in "The Big Fat Kill" issue of ''ComicBook/{{SinCity}}''. Dwight recognizes that Wallenquist makes a point of never letting personal feelings interfere with his business decisions. When they ambush and kill a bunch of Wallenquist's men, Dwight bets that, rather than seeking revenge, Wallenquist will cut his losses when they get too high.

* Martin's CatchPhrase "It's not me" in ''Film/GrossePointeBlank'' is basically a shorter way of saying this to his victims.

* ''Literature/TakeshiKovacs:'' Defied. Kovacs firmly believes that you absolutely can't allow people to screw you over and then claim it wasn't personal. So what you do is, you go on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge and kill them and everyone who helped them DeaderThanDead, so that the next bastard who thinks to try it will have some very ''personal'' reasons to reconsider.

* ''Series/AlteredCarbon''. At the start of Season 2, Takeshi Kovacs doesn't want to know about BountyHunter Tepp's offer to work for her boss. She responds by shooting him InTheBack, cutting out his [[SoulJar stack]] and needlecasting him to a virtual reality meeting room where her boss is waiting. Tepp doesn't see what the fuss is about. "[[DeathIsCheap Organic damage]] isn't personal; it's business."

* In ''Film/TheSting'', when crime boss Doyle Lonnegan is informed by his righthand man that he's been robbed, Lonnegan points to one of his oldest friends, someone he's known since he was six. He says if that friend finds out that he can be robbed by "one lousy grifter", Lonnegan will have to kill him and anyone else who wants a piece of Lonnegan's operation.

* The romantic comedy ''Film/YouveGotMail'' [[KickTheSonOfABitch emphatically rejects the trope]]: ''Godfather'' fan Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) runs the chain of mega-bookstores that ran the little specialist bookstore owned by Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) to the ground:
--> '''Joe''': It wasn't personal.
--> '''Kathleen''': What is that supposed to mean?! I am so sick of that. All it means is that it wasn't personal to you. But it was personal to me. It's personal to a lot of people. And what's so wrong with being personal anyway?
--> '''Joe''': Uh, nothing.
--> '''Kathleen''': Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.