History Main / TortureFirstAskQuestionsLater

* Hange Zoë, from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' does this when trying to "interrogate" a corrupt Military Police member. Specifically, she starts ripping out the man's fingernails without asking him any questions. The man even lampshades this. However it's actually subverted as, it wasn't that she forgot, but that the fingernails were vengeance since it was the same torture technique the officer had used on one of her friends, she was just showing him how it felt.
** They still managed to get a few [[BlackComedy dark laughs]] out of the scene, because the guy getting tortured became rather... exasperated with Hange's clumsy methods.
--->'''Djel Sannes:''' Wait!! What are you doing!?! I don't even know what you want!!
--->'''Hange Zoë:''' Shut up! It's my first time torturing someone!
--->'''Djel:''' If it's torture, you're supposed to ask me something first, ''THEN start pulling fingernails!!''
* ''Literature/FateApocrypha'': Jack the Ripper captures a young magus and tortures him with knives. When he cracks and says he'll talk, she gleefully stabs him several more times and only asks her questions [[spoiler:on Yggdmillenia's defenses]] when he's about to die.

* This is a common for Kakihara on ''Manga/IchiTheKiller'' as [[TortureTechnician torturing is his hobby]]. He makes sport out of starting to torment his victims right off the bat to break them before they can even get to tell the information they're getting tortured for!

* One of the many running gags in ''ComicBook/GrooTheWanderer''. He enjoys slaying and sometimes when he greatly needs information from someone he kills them first. Afterwards, he reminds himself that he should ask questions ''first'' next time.
* In ''ComicBook/TrollsDeTroy'', it's once said that past a certain level of pain, the victim can guess the question without help (and if they're wrong, that extra info can always be useful).
* In an ComicBook/{{Asterix}} and Obelix book, Obelix starts hitting a suspect upside the head while demanding "Aren't you going to answer? Well, aren't you?" Asterix points out that they haven't asked him anything yet.
* In ''Sidekick'', one of the heroes the protagonist tries to sidekick under has a tendency to search for thugs and goons, threaten them while asking them questions, then kill them mid-answer. The hero genuinely thinks this is a standard interrogation technique and is confused about why he hasn't obtained any useful information.

* {{Invoked}} by Rorschach in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', though by that time his reputation is big enough that the BadGuyBar he's in coughs up what he's looking for immediately.
-->"Don't worry. Won't insult legendary underworld solidarity by suggesting you surrender name without torture."
-->''[Everyone in the bar immediately stares at the perp he's looking for]''

* ''Franchise/StarWars''
** In the original ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]]'', nearly the first thing we see Darth Vader do is [[NeckLift lift a rebel officer by the neck]] and begin choking him. ''Then'' he starts asking him questions. And then he keeps squeezing until things break.
-->'''Darth Vader:''' Where are those transmissions you intercepted?

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Angel (under possession of his evil former self Angelus) took a time-out from his impending world domination to blithely torture Giles, who may or may not have the information needed to help him because it had been hundreds of years since Angelus last tortured somebody. He openly admits he hopes Giles is either ignorant or defiant because it'll give him an excuse to torture him longer.
-->'''Angelus:''' I mean, the last time I did it, they didn't even ''have'' chainsaws.
* In the pilot episode of ''Series/YouHaveBeenWatching'', Creator/CharlieBrooker played a clip from ''Series/TwentyFour'' where Jack Bauer threatens to shove a towel all the way down a guy's throat, leave it for a few days to work its way into his stomach lining, and then pull it out. Creator/{{David Mitchell|Actor}} asked, [[FridgeLogic "At what point in that scenario is he supposed to talk?"]]
* ''Series/FoylesWar'':
** In an episode, the murderer plays RussianRoulette on a guy he wants information from, and kills him on the third try before he hears what he needs. Judging by his OhCrap face, he didn't really consider this as a possibility.
** In another episode, Foyle is investigating the death of a conscientious objector. From [[SherlockScan one look]] at the guy's former cell, he deduces that the poor sod was hosed down until his weak heart gave out. Nobody actually wanted to ask the guy any questions -- they just wanted to punish him for not wanting to go and get killed. Foyle's disgust at the torturers is palpable.
* In ''Series/AgentCarter'', the {{Jerkass}} Agent Thompson plays the [[GoodCopBadCop bad cop]] in questioning a [[DirtyCommunists Leviathan agent]]. He brings in a carrot and a stick and after the suspect says that he won't talk, Thompson responds to the effect that he doesn't expect him to and then has him bite down on the stick before proceeding to pummel him.
* ''Series/DoctorWho''. Strax (the BattleButler of the Paternoster Gang) is fond of this trope. Being a Sontaran Warrior, the subtleties of criminal investigation are often beyond him.
-->'''Strax:''' Suggest we melt his brain using projectile acid fish, and then interrogate him! ''[beat]'' Other way round...
* In ''Series/The10thKingdom'', Blurry, Blabberwort, and Bluebell have Virginia strapped to a chair with the intention of torturing her for information on her "[[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity kingdom]]". She makes it clear that she'll tell them anything they want without torture, but they make it clear they plan on torturing her first because they take pride in their work and it is important to do these things in the proper order.
-->"Rush a torture, ruin a torture."
* ''Series/StrangerThings'': Sullivan really doesn't give the poor agent he's captured any time to answer before deciding to continue torturing him. The guy is clearly traumatized from the experience and clammed up in response, and rather than let him recover enough to talk he decides that he needs ''more'' torture.
* One episode of ''Series/{{Yonderland}}'' had the BigBad order his minions to torture Elf. While his intention was this trope, he forgot to inform the minions of that and they weren't sure what information he was after anyway. The intended victim avoided torture by simply chatting about family gossip for hours until he was rescued.
[[/folder]]

* ''The Fourth Protocol'' by Creator/FrederickForsyth. KGB thugs torture a Dutch fence of stolen diamonds by HandGagging him and breaking his fingers one by one. When the thug takes his hand away, the fence is begging to be asked questions.
* In ''Literature/TheHammerAndTheCross'' (an AlternateHistory trilogy about the conflict between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings) Cuthred, captain of the Anglo-Saxon king's bodyguard and a brutal torturer himself, remarks (with "a note of professional interest") that Ragnar Lothbrok's go-to interrogation technique is to [[EyeScream immediately gouge out one of the prisoner's eyes]], without even asking any questions. Then he reaches around and gets the man's head ready for the other eye. At this point, either the prisoner thinks of something Ragnar wants to know, or, well, Ragnar "is good at getting people to talk" but he "wastes a lot of people". Ragnar reportedly "reckons it saves him a lot of time and breath".
* In ''Literature/TheLostFleet'' Captain Geary actually questions his senior Intelligence officer to make certain the Alliance hasn't started doing this while he was busy being a HumanPopsicle, to which the young lieutenant responds that of ''course'' they don't; [[PragmaticVillainy that sort of thing spoils the lie detector results.]] Having just caught his subordinates preparing to [[SinkTheLifeboats leave enemy crewmembers tied up on the captured ship he'd ordered them to scuttle]], Geary is ''slightly'' reassured by this.
* Not actual torture (just threats) but the same idea in ''Literature/MenAtArms'', when Lance-Constable Cuddy is threatening Gerhardt Sock, the head of the Butchers' Guild, with a dwarfish war-axe:
-->'''Cuddy''': You give it to me right now, or I'll make you eat your own nose!
-->'''Sock''': But --
-->'''Cuddy''': Don't you argue with me! I'm an officer of the Watch, I am!
-->'''Sock''': But you --
-->'''Cuddy''': You've got one chance, mister! Give it to me right now!
-->'''Sock''': ''What is it you want?''
-->'''Cuddy''': Ah. Ahaha. Didn't I say?
-->'''Sock''': No!
-->'''Cuddy''': I'm pretty sure I did, you know.

--> '''TheDragon, apologetically:''' "He's new."

** In [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII the second one]], you usually have to fatally stab them. [[TalkingIsAFreeAction The conspirators get very generous with their]] LastWords, apparently.

* Volgin in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' winds up actually giving critical information ''to'' the interrogated during the torture scene.
* PlayedForLaughs and [[InvertedTrope inverted]] in the ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' [[AllThereInTheManual comics]], where the Soldier is being tortured by the [[TortureTechnician Classic Pyro]]. He tells her that he always dreamt of refusing to give in to torture and dying while cradling his own guts without having revealed any secrets to his would-be interrogator. Classic Pyro, in response, tells him that, while he has proven to be resilient (and bizarrely enthusiastic about the whole ordeal), [[SamusIsAGirl she]] has yet to ask him anything. When she finally asks him the location of [[MissionControl the Administrator]], Soldier complains that he doesn't know ''that'' and that he'd rather be asked something that he ''does'' know, so that he can keep ''that'' a secret. Unfortunately, he blurts out that [[BeleagueredAssistant Miss Pauling]] knows the Administrator's location [[IllNeverTellYouWhatImTellingYou while saying this]].
-->'''Classic Pyro:''' So. Miss Pauling knows.\\
'''Soldier:''' [[OhCrap I-]] ''({{beat}})'' You are going to have to torture that out of me.\\
'''Classic Pyro:''' "Torture" implies that you still have something I ''need'', Mister Doe.\\
''([[ColdBloodedTorture starts drilling Soldier's teeth]])''\\
'''Classic Pyro:''' [[{{sadist}} This is just me killing you slowly.]]

* Lampshaded in ''Webcomic/{{Hiimdaisy}}'''s ''Metal Gear'' comics.

* [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/010910 Mike engage in a bit of this]] in the ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'' when trying to interrogate Bob.
* In ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' Hereti Corp got a little bit too enthusiastic when trying to get information out of Torg. When they figure this out, Torg and the interrogators share a somewhat hysterical fit of the giggles. Hey, they're infectious.
* ''Webcomic/LookingForGroup'': Richard [[http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/232 isn't good at interrogations]]. [[http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/233 Neither is Sooba]].
* Bangladesh Dupree does this in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' when interrogating the circus.
* Invoked in ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'' [[http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2007-02-02/comic/black-and-white/the-soundproofing-also-makes-it-a-good-recording-studio/ with Lothar]]. They just played it for [[GoodCopBadCop Bad Cop / Worse Cop]], though.
* From ''Webcomic/{{Remus}}'':
-->'''Seth:''' You know, usually, that was where I'd offer you a way out. But to be honest, [[NervesOfSteel I don't really expect you to talk no matter what I do to you]]. So just for you, I think I'll skip the rest of the official routine... avoid wasting my time with more pointless questions... [[AxCrazy and allow myself]] [[ColdBloodedTorture a little bit of fun.]]

* Bloodrose from ''Webcomic/FlintlockesGuideToAzeroth'':
-->'''Bloodrose:''' It's amazing what a man will tell you when you're beating him over the head with his own spine.\\
'''Katherina:''' What'd he say?\\
'''Bloodrose:''' Hm? I don't know; I don't speak Hoard.\\
'''Katherina:''' Then what was the point of torturing him?!\\
''[long silence]''\\
'''Bloodrose:''' I don't understand the question.

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS18E21TwentyFourMinutes 24 Minutes]]". Upon learning that Nelson knows the identity of TheMole, Bart immediately begins subjecting him to {{Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique}}s but doesn't actually ask him who the mole is until Nelson protests, "I'm unclear on what you want!"

* Since Gladys in ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}'' hit Toby with a tranquilizer strong enough to keep him from escaping, it also keeps him from being able to talk properly. Since she did this with the intention of interrogating him, it is obvious that she had every intention of torturing him with her dental equipment first.

* Hange Zoë, from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' does this when trying to "interrogate" a corrupt Military Police member. Specifically, she starts ripping out the man's fingernails without asking him any questions. The man even lampshades this. However it's actually subverted as, it wasn't that she forgot, but that the finger nails were vengeance since it was the same torture technique the officer had used on one of her friends, she was just showing him how it felt.

* ''Literature/FateApocrypha'': Jack the Ripper captures a young magus and tortures him with knives. When he cracks and says he'll talk, she gleefully stabs him several more times, and only asks her questions [[spoiler:on Yggdmillenia's defenses]] when he's about to die.

* ''ComicBook/SensationComicsFeaturingWonderWoman'': Its not exactly torture given they're robots being beaten to bits but the Shoot First ask Questions Later mentality is lampshaded in "Not Included"

'''Diana:''' That's fairly backwards Barda. Don't get lost in the heat of battle.

* In ''Film/PansLabyrinth'', Vidal does this intentionally to [[spoiler: one of the captured guerillas.]] It's because he [[spoiler: claims that he won't believe anything the guerilla says unless it's a [[TortureAlwaysWorks result of torture]]. The rebel does talk a little as a result, but it's flat-out implied that Vidal doesn't necessarily believe what he says, he just [[ForTheEvulz does it anyway, because he can]].]] There's a good reason why Vidal is considered one of the worst villains to grace 21st century screens.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Angel (under possession of his evil former self, Angelus) took a time-out from his impending world domination to blithely torture Giles, who may or may not have the information needed to help him, because it had been hundreds of years since Angelus last tortured somebody. He openly admits he hopes Giles is either ignorant or defiant, because it'll give him an excuse to torture him longer.

* In ''Series/AgentCarter'', the {{Jerkass}} Agent Thompson plays the [[GoodCopBadCop bad cop]] in questioning a [[DirtyCommunists Leviathan agent]]. He brings in a carrot and a stick and after the suspect says that he won't talk, Thompson responds to the effect that he doesn't expect him too, and then has him bite down on the stick before proceeding to pummel him.

* In ''Series/The10thKingdom'', Blurry, Blabberwort and Bluebell have Virginia strapped to a chair with the intentions on torturing her for information on her "[[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity kingdom]]". She makes it clear that she'll tell them anything they want without torture, but they make it clear they plan on torturing her first because they take pride in their work and it is important to do these things in the proper order.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''VideoGame/ArmedAndDangerous'' when someone in the BigBad's torture chamber decides to 'soften up' one of the captives before interrogation by pulling out his tongue. For some strange reason, he doesn't say a word during the interrogation. The torturer then picks another prisoner and replaces his head with a large cauliflower, but for some reason he doesn't say a word either.

* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', both the IAA and the FIB torture Mr. K on the grounds that he knows the whereabouts of a suspected terrorist. However, they just skip straight to the torture before asking him anything, even going so far as to cut him off when he's willing to provide details they want. In fact, during the last session of torture, he can even give information, but Trevor will still torture him anyway. Worse yet, it's ''very'' strongly implied that Mr. K is just a regular civilian and got tangled up in both agencies' incompetence and willing blindness to his innocence; Mr. K ends up just being asked leading questions and tells his torturers what they want to hear. This ends with another random citizen getting murdered, ostensibly as a counterterrorism action.

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS18E21TwentyFourMinutes 24 Minutes]]". Upon learning that Nelson knows the identity of TheMole, Bart immediately begins subjecting him to {{Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique}}s, but doesn't actually ask him who the mole is until Nelson protests, "I'm unclear on what you want!"

* Since Gladys in ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}'' hit Toby with a tranquilizer strong enough to keep him from escaping, it also keeps him from being able to talk properly. Since she did this with intentions of interrogating him, it is obvious that she had every intention of torturing him with her dental equipment first.

** In the second one, you usually have to fatally stab them. [[TalkingIsAFreeAction The conspirators get very generous with their]] LastWords, apparently.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* PlayedForLaughs in the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Krab Borg". After convincing themselves that Mr. Krabs is a robot impostor, Squidward and [=SpongeBob=] tie him to a chair and plan to interrogate him about the location of the "real" Mr. Krabs. Said interrogation begins like this:
-->'''[=SpongeBob=]''': [''slaps Mr. Krabs'']
-->'''Squidward''': [=SpongeBob=]! [[LampshadeHanging You're supposed to ask him a question first!]]
-->'''[=SpongeBob=]''': Oh yeah. [''to Krabs''] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint What colour is my underwear?]] [''slaps Krabs again'']
* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "24 Minutes". Upon learning that Nelson knows the identity of TheMole, Bart immediately begins subjecting him to {{Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique}}s, but doesn't actually ask him who the mole is until Nelson protests, "I'm unclear on what you want!"

* This was the standard practice for interrogating slaves in Ancient Greece and Rome. The assumption was that the slaves would lie, either out of loyalty or fear, to toe whatever line their master wanted them to. Therefore, the authorities tortured slaves as a matter of course before their questioning, because [[InsaneTrollLogic a tortured person is 100% likely to tell the truth.]]

* ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'': Jack the Ripper captures a young magus and tortures him with knives. When he cracks and says he'll talk, she gleefully stabs him several more times, and only asks her questions [[spoiler:on Yggdmillenia's defenses]] when he's about to die.

-->'''Djel Sannes:''' Wait!! What are you doing!?! I don't even know what you want!!
-->'''Hange Zoë:''' Shut up! It's my first time torturing someone!
-->'''Djel:''' If it's torture, you're supposed to ask me something first, ''THEN start pulling fingernails!!''

** [[TheDragon Darth Vader]] tortures [[TheLancer Han Solo]] to within an inch of his life in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. When Han is taken back to his cell, he weakly remarks that they didn't ask any questions. This is because Vader doesn't want any information from Solo (or [[TheBigGuy Chewbacca]], who is tortured with high-frequency sound). He just wants Luke to sense the suffering of his friends and come to Bespin to rescue them; also, to test whether Han Solo can endure the painful process of being encased in carbonite.

* In ''Series/TheTenthKingdom'', Blurry, Blabberwort and Bluebell have Virginia strapped to a chair with the intentions on torturing her for information on her "[[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity kingdom]]". She makes it clear that she'll tell them anything they want without torture, but they make it clear they plan on torturing her first because they take pride in their work and it is important to do these things in the proper order.

* ''Series/DoctorWho''. Strax (the BattleButler of the Paternoster Gang) is fond of this trope. Being a Sontaran Warrior, the subtleties of [[TheyFightCrime criminal investigation]] are often beyond him.

* PlayedForLaughs and [[InvertedTrope inverted]] in the ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' [[AllThereInTheManual comics]], where the Soldier is being tortured by the [[TortureTechnician Classic Pyro]]. He tells her that he always dreamt of refusing to give in to torture and dying while cradling his own guts without having revealed any secrets to his would-be interrogator. Classic Pyro, in response, tells him that, while he has proven to be resilient (and bizarrely enthusiastic about the whole ordeal), [[SamusIsAGirl she]] has yet to ask him anything. When she finally asks him the location of [[MissionControl the Administrator]], Soldier complains that he doesn't know ''that'' and that he'd rather be asked something that he ''does'' know, so that he can keep ''that'' a secret. Unfortunately, he blurts out that [[BeleagueredAssistant Miss Pauling]] [[WhatAnIdiot knows the Administrator's location]] [[IllNeverTellYouWhatImTellingYou while saying this]].

* Silverstar, a psychotic elven rogue added in one ''VideoGame/BaldursGate2'' mod did this during a sub-quest.

** In the second one, you usually have to fatally stab them. The conspirators get very generous with their LastWords, apparently.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''VideoGame/ArmedAndDangerous'' when someone in the BigBad's torture chamber decides to 'soften up' one of the captives before interrogation by pulling out his tongue. For some strange reason, he doesn't say a word during the interrogation. The torturer then picks another prisoner and replaces his head with a large cauliflower, but for some reason he doesn't say a word either.
--> '''TheDragon, apologetically:''' "He's new."
* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', both the IAA and the FIB torture Mr. K on the grounds that he knows the whereabouts of a suspected terrorist. However, they just skip straight to the torture before asking him anything, even going so far as to cut him off when he's willing to provide details they want. In fact, during the last session of torture, he can even give information, but Trevor will still torture him anyway. Worse yet, it's ''very'' strongly implied that Mr. K is just a regular civilian and got tangled up in both agencies' incompetence and willing blindness to his innocence; Mr. K ends up just being asked leading questions and tells his torturers what they want to hear. This ends with another random citizen getting murdered, ostensibly as a counterterrorism action.