We Meet Again

"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner, now I am the master."

— Darth Vader, Star Wars: A New Hope

Well, Troper, we meet again... for the last time!

A standard phrase when the hero has just walked in on the operation of a villain whom they have met before, implying that the villain recognizes that their clashes have become a recurring element.

Usually followed by a recitation of their earlier fight(s) (in case the viewers have forgotten where they should know this guy from), and a Just Between You and Me where the villain explains to the hero just why he has the advantage this time (often referencing what went wrong with their previous plan and how they incorporated that into their current Evil Plan).

Of course, if spoken by an Unknown Rival, the response is usually "Have we met before?"

See also We Will Meet Again, which is used as goodbyes rather than as hellos. Compare Evil Gloating, Affably Evil. Contrast We Gotta Stop Meeting Like This.

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Examples:

Advertising

• Said by agent Richard Latham (Rowan Atkinson) in a Barclaycard ad spoofing Spy Fiction, having been foiled on two previous occasions in capturing the Big Bad. He's no more successful this time either.

Anime & Manga

• Played for laughs in Food Wars!. After their competition ends in a draw, Takumi Aldini dramatically declares to Soma that We Will Meet Again. Cut to them sitting next to each other on the bus.
  Soma: Hey. We meet again.
  Takumi: Shut up! Don't talk to me!
• Kirby: Right Back at Ya! uses this trope quite a few times. Examples:
  Meta Knight: [to Chilidog/Wolfwrath] So, we meet again. But this time will be different. This time, only one of us will survive.
  
  Quixano/Sir Gallant: [to Kazeguru/Windwhipper] So, we meet again. You bested me last time, but this time, I will prevail!
• Vampire Hunter D. In the 1985 film, Rei Ginsei says this to D when D arrives at Count Magnus Lee's castle. They had met earlier when Ginsei visited Doris Lang's farm.

Comic Books

• The Killing Joke
  Batman: So, Red Hood, we meet again.
• An issue of Teen Titans Go! opens with "Kwiz-Kid", a Riddler wannabe trying to impress Kitten, contacting Robin and opening with this line. Robin points out that they've never met.

Comic Strips

• In Brewster Rockit: Space Guy!, Dirk Raider to Brewster Rockit. No surprise, as he's a Darth Vader parody. Notably when the both of them meet... at the supermarket.
• Parodied in The Far Side when an unremarkable-looking duck greets a man, newly washed up with it on a tiny desert island, with "So, Professor Jenkins!... My old nemesis!... We meet again, but this time, the advantage is mine!"

Fan Works

• "So, We Meet Again" is the title of a fan-art where Discord is doing a Blofeld impersonation... with Fluttershy as a Right-Hand Cat.

Films — Animation

• Kung Fu Panda:
  Tai Lung: I have come home, Master.
  Shifu: This is no longer your home, and I am no longer your master.
• Toy Story 2:
  • At the beginning of the movie, which is quickly revealed to be a Buzz Lightyear video game.
    Zurg: So, we meet again, Buzz Lightyear... for the last time!
  • And later again, when the toy Zurg confronts the two Buzzes in the elevator shaft.

Films — Live-Action

• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein:
  Larry Talbot: Count Dracula. So we meet again.
• Alice in Wonderland: The Jabberwocky has such a reaction... not to Alice, however, but to the Vorpal Sword she's armed with.
  Jabberwocky: So, my old foe. We meet on the battlefield once again.
  Alice: We've never met.
  Jabberwocky: Not you, insignificant bearer! My ancient enemy... the Vorpal one.
• Doctor Sind said this during the ending of Captain Berlin – Savior of the World, but has yet to make a second appearance.
• Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: Xenk the Paladin and undead assassin Dralas, upon meeting in the Underdark, "greet" each other in Thayan, showing they clearly have a history together. Dralas even boasts that he'll make sure they won't meet again.
• Galaxy Quest: The second time Sarris speaks to "Commander Taggart" through the coms, he starts with "We meet again, Commander." The first time, Jason Nesmith had no idea he was facing a real alien warlord, but this time around he's fully aware of it and is rather unsettled.
• Indiana Jones: Toht has this to say when Marian runs into him again in Raiders of the Lost Ark:
  Toht: We meet again, fraulein.
• Mystery Men:
  Blue Rajah: Well, well, well, if it isn't our old friends, the Red Eyes? Good evening gentlemen; we weren't expecting to see you again so... spoon!
• In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, said by Barbossa (right after firing a shot in the air) when reunited with Jack Sparrow, interrupting his Shotgun Wedding in the process.
  Barbossa: Jack, we meet again.
• Mocked in Spaceballs, Lone Starr says to Dark Helmet:
  Lone Starr: Helmet! At last we meet, for the first time, for the last time.
  [whispers to self, repeating the line] Yep!
• Star Wars: A New Hope. When Obi-Wan and Darth Vader see each other face-to-face, it is revealed that they share a history, and neither is happy about it:
  Darth Vader: I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master.

Gamebooks

• In the Lone Wolf series, said by Archdruid Cadak in book 14, The Captives of Kaag, referencing the previous book.
  Cadak: So we meet again, Lone Wolf.

Literature

• In Robert E. Howard's "The Scarlet Citadel", Conan the Barbarian greets Tsotha at the end with this.

Live-Action TV

• Buffyverse:
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer: In "Real Me", Buffy runs into Harmony whom she knew as a ditzy member of Cordelia's Girl Posse in high school but is now an equally ditzy vampire.
    Harmony: So, Slayer, we meet at last.
    Buffy: We've met, Harmony, you halfwit!
  • Angel. The title character gets one of these from Sahjhan, a demon who brought Holtz to the present day to kill Angel in season 3. He considers himself and Angel to be rivals, but Angel doesn't remember him at all, thereby tipping Angel off that Sahjhan is the one behind his recent troubles.
• Not surprisingly given the length of the series, it shows up in Doctor Who:
  • Fifth Doctor — "Earthshock":
    Cyberleader: So, we meet again, Doctor!
  • Fifth Doctor — "Planet of Fire": Kamelion, in the guise of Howard, strolls into the TARDIS console room.
    Kamelion/Howard: Doctor? We meet again.
  • Seventh Doctor — "Silver Nemesis":
    Cyberleader: So, Doctor, a new appearance. Otherwise, our anticipation of your presence has proved entirely accurate.
  • Seventh Doctor — "The Curse of Fenric": The crippled Judson, now possessed by Fenric, stands up and reveals glowing green eyes.
    Judson/Fenric: We play the contest again, Time Lord.
  • In "The Curse of Fatal Death" (a parody created for the British charity organisation Comic Relief), this is said by a Dalek to the Ninth Doctor (Rowan Atkinson).
• Get Smart. Max and 99 have been captured by a Mad Scientist.
  Scientist: So Mr. Smart, we meet again.
  Max: But we've never met.
  Scientist: Oh? It must have been your brother.
  Max: But I don't have a brother.
  Scientist: Would you like me to make you one?
• Spoofed relentlessly in the Horrible Histories World War II POW sketch. It starts with Commandant Klinsman admitting that he and Squadron Leader Higgins haven't met before, "I just like the way I sound when I say zat." Higgins proceeds to disappear every time the chief looks away, getting dragged back in each time.
  Higgins: So, we meet again!
  Klinsman: Don't say zat, I say zat!
• The Mandalorian: Season 3's "The Spies" sees the return of Moff Gideon, and at the end of the episode, he comments on the new confrontation with the Mandalorians.
  Moff Gideon: Bo-Katan... We have to stop meeting like this.
• Mock the Week — "Unlikely lines from Doctor Who"
  Chris Addison: Davros, we meet again! Oh, Lord Sugar, I'm so sorry.
• Power Rangers Jungle Fury:
  Grizzaka: So we meet again. The fear of the city has made me even more powerful than before.
• In a guest appearance in That '90s Show, Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) meets his old nemesis from That '70s Show, Fenton (Jim Rash). Their tone of voice in greeting each other is this trope.
  Fenton: It's you!

Music

• "Burn in Hell" by Judas Priest, as it's about the narrator eventually getting a revenge on a backstabber:
  Scream in the night. I've been counting the days.
  It's so amusing. To see you again.

Theme Parks

• This occurs in the former Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast ride at Universal Studios Florida, when Ooblar breaks into Jimmy's lab right in front of the protagonists, he starts with saying, "Jimmy Neutron, my old nemesis! We meet again!"

Video Games

• Dynasty Warriors 4's duel mechanic includes this. Should you have two characters who have dueled earlier in that particular save file run into each other, the enemy character will often issue their challenge with a line like this.
  Jiang Wei: We meet again. Shall we continue?
• Final Fantasy: The multiverse-wandering Gilgamesh pulls this in Dissidia Final Fantasy after stumbling into the crossover war. Unfortunately for his ego, none of the protagonists he's met can remember him, since being summoned blurs their memories of their home-worlds. In fact, besides Bartz, it seems that HE doesn't recognise any of the other characters that he ran into before, either. His very first cutscene involves him searching for Bartz, and running into Squall, Zidane and Vaan; characters with whom he has had direct contact in their respective games. Zidane even goes as far as to say that Gilgamesh would look vaguely familiar to him if he had more arms, which he did as "Alleyway Jack" in FFIX.
• Zant in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess drops a variant of the "for the last time" version right before he reawakens the boss Stallord.
  Zant: You still live... How astonishing. No wonder some call you "hero". But this is truly a bittersweet reunion... Truly! For I fear this is the last time I will see you alive!

Web Animation

• Excellent Entities: Parodied with this quote from Mango:
  Mango: Purple gummy bear thing? Looks like we meet again for the first time, and the last...
• My Little Portal: Trixie again. The only difference between here and before is that according to DISCoRD, Trixie remembers Twilight while Twilight does not remember Trixie.
• In Turnabout Storm, Trixie pulls this off towards Twilight as part of her Incoming Ham moment.

Webcomics

• From By Way of Booty Bay, a sub-comic of Supermegatopia, the strip "Cliffhanger" has another parody. "It seems fate has once more brought us together." is said by... a crab. Not a Giant Enemy Crab, a normal-sized crab. But since at the time the protagonist is caught in a Literal Cliffhanger (with a half-dozen of his party members clinging to him), he's quite distressed, and indeed identifies the villain crab as "the Claw".
• Used in The Dark Intruder by D.I.'s soon-to-be Arch-Enemy, The Pyromaniac/The Waterman. Well, if D.I. doesn't mind too much.
• Darths & Droids, naturally, when reaching the meeting between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan from A New Hope, for once rather faithful to the original.
  Darth Vader: I have been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete.
  Obi-Wan Kenobi: Anakin...
  Darth Vader: You killed Anakin. My name is Darth Vader. You consider yourself a paragon of radiance. But when I emerged from your shadow, I saw the damage you had wrought. Look, Obi-Wan. Everything your light touches is corrupted forever. [ignites saber] But I have a different light for you now. When you left me, I was the lowest of the low. Now I am the master.
• A possessed toaster in Exterminatus Now. No, really.
  Toaster: So, organic named Eastwood. We meet again!
• Parodied in Freefall, when Sam is trying to eat a "soup sandwich" in Zero-G, and the ship accelerates.
  Sam: Ah, inertia. My ancient enemy. Once again we meet face to face.
• Girl Genius:
  • It shouldn't come too much as a surprise that Othar Tryggvassen (Gentleman Adventurer!) would say it (twice); he's only nominally a hero anyway.
    Othar: So, tyrant! We meet again! But knows that — Othar Tryggvassen (Gentleman Adventurer) remains unbowed!
    
    Othar: Wulfenbach! We meet again!
  • Tarvek tries, too, with Krosp, but not very convincingly.
• In Goblins, it's actually a good guy who says it:
  Forgath: Psionic Minmax. We meet again. But this time, I'm not bolted to a wall.
  Psion Minmax: Cliched dialogue is fun, isn't it?
• Irregular Webcomic!:
  • The very first line in the "Cliffhangers" theme is this:
    Col. Haken: So, Dr. Jones, we meet again.
  • There would be many, many variations on this line as the comic progressed.
• In The Order of the Stick, it's also a good guy who says it, in a magnificent Big Damn Hero moment. (Note that, beyond obscure hints, it's also the first time we get the confirmation those two actually met already.)
  Julio Scoundrél: General Tarquin! We meet again!
• In Servants of the Imperium, a Genestealer Magus who had previously possessed remotely psyker Lyle's mind says this when they're face-to-face.
  Magus: So, we meet again psyker. Perhaps you wish for another lesson in psychic defense?
• Sinfest:
  • The Grim Reaper says it... to Jesus. Well, Kung-Fu Jesus, if the following scythe versus bare hands fight is any indication.
  • Later, Porno-Man is the one saying it, upon seeing Cleo siting on a booth with the sign "PORN IS TOXIC".
    Porno-Man: So... we meet again, unbeliever.

Web Videos

• Used in Code MENT when Lelouch meets Euphemia while in disguise as One. As Euphemia doesn't know who One is under the mask, she tells him they haven't met yet. Lelouch tries to pass it off as having been speaking figuratively, which, as Euphie points out, still doesn't work.
• Used in "Episode III½", a Fan Vid mixing the famous Black Knight scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail with Star Wars, pulling straight away the line from Darth Vader.
• Subverted in episode 9 of None Piece when Jesus (Mihawk) shows up at Baratie.
  Jesus: We meet again. Only this time... for the first time.

Western Animation

• In American Dad!'s "American Dream Factory", Haley tries to get in the way of Stan's plans again.
  Hayley: Hello, Father. Wondering how I escaped from the basement?
  Stan: [blasé] No, not really.
  Hayley: [disappointed] Oh... But it involved training rats...
• Birdman episode "The Empress of Evil". When Birdman meets Medusa (who he has fought before) he says "So, Medusa, we meet again". She responds "Yes, and for the last and final time."
• Danger Mouse says this to Baron Greenback, who has Penfold under mind control in "'Cor! What a Picture".
  DM: So. We meet again, tyrannical toad!
  Greenback: And you will soon be cat's meat, White Wonder!
• Villain-to-villain example: in the Duck Dodgers episode "Enemy Yours", Commander X-2 (Marvin the Martian) says it to his Arch-Enemy... Doctor Woe. You wouldn't believe how much Duck Dodgers is vexed to not being consider his arch-enemy, or even a worthy opponent.
• In an early episode of Family Guy, Stewie's first two teeth declare this to one another. Unable to actually conflict with one another, however, they just agree to bite his tongue.
• Filmation's 1960s Green Lantern cartoon. Evil Star uses it when he meets the title hero in the episode "Evil Is as Evil Does".
• The Herculoids. In "Mekkano, the Machine Master", Mekkano says it when he confronts the Herculoids.
• Kim Possible. In "Stop Team Go", when Ron is hit by the Attitudinator and turns evil, he uses this trope with Kim (referring to the previous appearance of Evil Ron in "Bad Boy"), only for her to point out that they carpool on a regular basis.

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"Only a master of evil, Darth..."

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