History Main / Understatement

** This trope is used [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/relatedsearch.php?term=Main/Understatement sometimes]] on TVTropes for [[RuleOfFunny smiles]].

* In the ending of ''KillBill'', Bill explains his massacre of everyone attending the Bride's wedding by saying that he [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&v=lASM_n2R_TY "overreacted."]]

* [[HalfLife There will be unforeseen consequences.]]

** Hermione did this before in ''HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' when discussing LargeHam ghost Moaning Myrtle:

** From the same movie. Hell, the same conversation, even:

** YourMileageMayVary, by nature of the tagline

** Immediately Lampshaded with Obi-Wan's reply: "Not to worry, we are still flying ''half'' a ship."

** ''MetalGearSolid3'' has this wonderful number from EVA (Snake's love interest), "Not good." What makes this an understatement is that EVA says this after Ocelot (Snake's rival) had shot out the engine of the [=WiG=] with his revolver that she was piloting to get Snake and her out of Russia, Ocelot then jumps onto the plane and proceeds to engage Snake in a hand to hand brawl with Snake not having a gun to defend himself should Ocelot pull his out (which he does), all the while EVA is trying to keep the plane stable so it doesn't crash into the lake they happen to be over. Yeah EVA, of course your current situation is not good.

* The ThatGuyWithTheGlasses sketch "How I quit my job" ends on one.

** This after having played "AlsoSprachZarathustra", ripped open his shirt revealing "I QUIT!" written on his chest, and leaving to the end of {{Queen}}'s "Bohemian Rhapsody".

** However, don't despair because the Daily Mirror columnist [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Connor William Connor]], known as Cassandra, really did resume his column after the war with "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, it is a powerful hard thing to please all of the people all of the time."

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham%27s_number Graham's number]]: An upper and lower bound were found for a certain mathematical problem. The upper bound was the largest number ever seriously used in a proof. The lower bound was 6. "Clearly, there is some room for improvement here." And it was improved: the lower bound is now 13, and the upper bound has been decreased to a much smaller (but still HUGE) number.
** To elaborate, the ''entire observable universe'' isn't big enough to write the number in full. Even the number of digits in Graham's number is too big to fit in the universe, as is the number of digits in the number of digits, and so on to a depth of recursion itself too big to fit in the universe, by a not inconsiderable margin.

In certain dramatic situations, a character may use this trope for the express purpose of calming others down, since just the right amount of understatement gives people the impression that things aren't really as bad as they seem, and that if we act calmly and rationally, we can get out of it. This can easily backfire if whoever the subject realizes that everyone is doomed and isn't shy screaming about it.

When invoked unintentionally this can turn into {{bad writing}}, as it shows the author is unable to grasp the fact that the situations they're presenting in the story are substantially more serious than the characters seem to realize.

** To elaborate, any normal digital representation of the number is impossible because the representation would be ''larger than the observable universe.''

* Hermione did this before in ''HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' when discussing LargeHam ghost Moaning Myrtle:

*** Wait...is he [[LogicBomb using understatement to point out someone else's tendency to understate?]]
*** No, he described McCoy's talent for understatement as unsurpassed, meaning if anything he described his ability for understatement with hyperbole.

* ''{{Halo}}'': "I need a weapon."
** "This is bad, REAL BAD!"
** "Me have bad feeling about this..."

* In ''[[FireEmblem]]'' Radiant Dawn, the Black Knights special attack, Luna, states that it will inflict 5 times the Black Knights stregnth. The Black Knight has over 30 strength. The most health a player unit can have is 65, the final boss having 120. 150-120=DEAD.

* In RedVsBlue, "...They blew our tank up too!" "(monotonously, wow...sucks to be you."

** At the beginning of TheMovie, the Academy doctor offhandedly comments that [[TheWoobie River]], [[ManchurianAgent upon activation]], will become a [[SuperSoldier "living weapon."]] Later on in the film, we learn that this was a ''massive'' understatement.
** In ''Safe'' Mal says of River: "She makes things not be smooth.."

* In the first anime of ''Anime/Fullmetal Alchemist'' there's this exchange...

* Two good MahouSenseiNegima examples. One, Tsukuyomi casually mentions to Fate that she's never gotten along with other people very well. Tsukuyomi only falls short of an OmnicidalManiac in it ForTheEvulz because she lacks the power. Godel also sends Negi a brief note with a cheery smile about how their last meeting probably didn't go very well if he's reading this now. Godel [[spoiler:just tried to chop Negi's limbs off and made a huge wound in 'Asuna's' shoulder.]]

--> '''Sokka''' : [[spoiler:My first girlfriend turned into the moon.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Zuko :''' That's rough, buddy.]]

* ''JimmyNeutron'': "Having your planet blown up could ruin your whole week!"]]

** " * spits out cigar* WHAT?!"

* Discussed in ''Cetaganda'' by {{Lois McMaster Bujold}}, incontext of "talking small" unsuccessful military campaigns.
-->"The Vervain invasion is now officially described as an unauthorised adventure. The erring officers have been corrected, thank you."\\

* In the first anime of ''{{Full Metal Alchemist}}'' there's this exchange...
-->'''State alchemist:'''You were killed for disrespecting your superior officer's orders.
-->'''Crimson alchemist:'''You could say that...or you could say I made women and children go boom. And when my superiors complained...
-->'''Gluttony:'''Boom!