History PlayingWith / ApeShallNeverKillApe

** [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Humans kill each other for any petty reason, and they are the real monsters]]. The Apes fear that [[HeWhoFightsMonsters they would become no better than humanity if they perfectly mimic their]] ''[[CorruptCop "just]][[KangarooCourt ice"]]'' [[HeWhoFightsMonsters system.]]

** [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Humans kill each other for any petty reason, and they are the real monsters]]. Apes do not want to be like them.

* '''Zig Zagged''': The ape Brutus is about to kill ape Caesar. He stops, remembers that ape shall never kill ape, and says "But, in your case, I'll make an exception!". But he did not ''really'' kill him, he misses the attack on purpose, but then turns around and kills him

* '''Enforced''': The author is living in a civil war in the real world, and wants to point how bad it is to kill fellow people, by using a fictional race as a metaphor.

* '''Deconstructed''': This principle is shown to result in horrifying chauvinism as they will happily risk millions of human lives to prevent something that has only a slight risk of killing an ape while resulting in the worst among them being KarmaHoudinis.

** The only acceptable form of violence between apes is in ritual combat.

* '''Averted''': The high priest proudly tells the visitors that apes don't kill each other. Then we see a riot outside the temple, and the police apes are killing the ape rioters without problem.

* '''Downplayed''': Ape Brutus shall never kill ape Caesar... but nobody said anything about breaking his legs.

** It turns out their definition of "ape" is a case of InhumanableAlienRights style translation snafus. Not only are humans covered but so are TheGreys but so are sapient BigCreepyCrawlies.

** HunterofHisOwnKind

* '''Averted''': The high priest proudly tells the visitors that ape's don't kill each other. Then we see a riot outside the temple, and the police apes are killing the ape rioters without problem.

** Humans kill each other for any petty reason, and they are the real monsters. Apes do not want to be like them.

* '''Parodied''': Ape Brutus shall never kill ape Caesar... "Hey, who are you calling "ape"! I told you, I'm an alien that only looks like a Terran ape!" "Oh, goody, then you're fair game!"

* '''Zig Zagged''':

* '''Inverted''': Apes do not kill humans, but will gladly kill fellow apes.

* '''Justified''': Humans kill each other for any petty reason, and they are the real monsters. Apes do not want to be like them.

* '''Subverted''': The ape Brutus is about to kill ape Caesar. He stops, remembers that ape shall never kill ape... and says "But, in your case, I'll make an exception!"

* '''Double Subverted''': The ape Brutus is about to kill ape Caesar. He stops, remembers that ape shall never kill ape, and says "But, in your case, I'll make an exception!". But he did not ''really'' kill him, he misses the attack on purpose making it seem for a moment as if he did it, and gives a lecture on the other apes behind who were asking for blood.

* '''Invoked''': The founders of the Ape Confederacy pass down strict laws against killing other apes, hoping to prevent the devastating civil wars they used to go through.

* '''Defied''': Ape Brutus shall not kill ape Caesar... but, fortunately, his human sidekick does not have such moral concerns.

* '''Exaggerated''': Ape Brutus shall not kill ape Caesar... and neither fight with him, insult him, or do anything umpleasant to him.
* '''Downplayed''': Ape Brutus shall never kill ape Caesar... but nobody said anything about breaking his legs
* '''Justified''': Humans kill each other for any petty reason, and they are the real monsters. Apes do not want to be like them.

* '''Subverted''': The ape Brutus is about to kill ape Caesar. He stops, remmeber that ape shall never kill ape... and says "but, in your case, I'll make an exception!"
* '''Double Subverted''': The ape Brutus is about to kill ape Caesar. He stops, remmeber that ape shall never kill ape, and says "but, in your case, I'll make an exception!". But he did not ''really'' kill him, he misses the attack on purpose making it seem for a moment as if he did it, and gives a lecture on the other apes behind who were asking for blood.
* '''Parodied''': Ape Brutus shall never kill ape Caesar... "hey, who are you calling "ape"! I told you, I'm an alien that seems like a terran ape!" "Oh, sorry, then I'll kill you!"

* '''Averted''': The high priest said proudly to the visitors that ape shall never kill ape. Thene we see a riot outside the temple, and the police apes are killing the ape rioters without problem.

* '''Lampshaded''': Ape Brutus is about to kill ape Caesar. "You'll live, but only because I'm not in the mood to have discussions with those dammed priests and their precious 'Ape shall never kill ape' ancient rules!"
* '''Invoked''': Ape brutus is about to kill a man. This man reminds him of the oath, and that human beings ''are'' apes after all.

* '''Defied''': Ape Brutus shall not kill ape Caesar... but, fortunately, his human sidekick does not have such moral concerns.

* '''Conversed''': ???
* '''Played for Laughs''': Ape Brutus kills a human. They take the mask out of him: it's an ape! Oh, no! Hey wait, he wearing a second mask beneath the mask: he's a lizard-like alien!
* '''Played for Drama''': Ape Brutus was among humans, in a killing spree, and accidentally kills ape Caesar who was nearby. He fills himself with remose for breaking the sacred oath.