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"I'll get you next time, Gadget ... next time!"
Dr. Claw, Inspector Gadget

The standard phrase when the villain finds that they have been defeated by the hero and there is no point in staying around with the immediate Evil Plan foiled.

In effect, the villain shows a Determinator streak and threatens the hero that they will return to fight them again, and they are sure that they will defeat them next time.

If the villain is in a more poetic mood, they might say their parting words with, "They who fight and run away, live to fight another day." Other variants include: "I'm not finished with you," "This isn't over," "You will pay for this," "You think you've won!" and "You haven't seen the last of me!" In anime and other Japanese media, the common phrase of the defeated is "Remember me!"note 

Oftentimes, the hero will respond confidently, "We'll be waiting!" (They obviously have never heard of Villain Decay.)

In some rare cases, the villain with Medium Awareness might breach the Fourth Wall by saying: "I'll get you next week", if it's a weekly series. The hero is usually not too concerned.

Also the standard exit of the Enigmatic Minion during his 'I am not here to fight you today' appearances.

See also Villain: Exit, Stage Left, We Meet Again, You Meddling Kids. Compare to I Shall Return, a typically more heroic trope. Contrast So Long, Suckers! and Reunion Vow.

Here is a compilation with a lot of examples of the "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me!" quote.


Examples:

    open/close all folders 

    Advertising 
  • A commercial for Baked Cheetos had Chester Cheetah participate in a bake-off with a chef named Pierre; and beating him soundly. At the end of the commercial, Pierre swore he would get back at Chester. Sure enough, the next series of ads for Cheetos was a five part series depicting someone stealing the recipe for Cheetos and Chester having to get it back. At the end of the five parter, it was revealed that Pierre was the one responsible for the theft, and he and his three henchmen were captured.

    Anime & Manga 
  • Berserk: Every single time Guts drives the Beast out of his mind, the Beast makes it clear that it will return sooner rather than later.
  • Black Clover: No matter what Lucifero does, Asta continues getting back on his feet to fight him. Eventually it scares him to the point that he decides to flee, while swearing that he will return to kill Asta and Liebe once he has his full power instead of only half. Yuno doesn't give him the chance to flee, and uses his Star Magic to teleport Lucifero in front of Asta right as the latter swings the Demon-Slayer Sword, slamming it on what's left of Lucifero's body and ending the fight as the King of Devils is knocked unconscious.
  • Bleach:
    • After Ichigo successfully gains control of his Hollowfication, his Inner Hollow agrees to be "the horse" for the time being, but warns Ichigo not to die until they meet again.
    • Grimmjow does this both times his fight with Ichigo is interrupted by one of his comrades forcefully dragging him back to Hueco Mundo. Lampshaded during an omake by Gin, who wonders to himself how he should interrupt Grimmjow next time.
    • As the Arrancar are drawn back to Hueco Mundo after the battle-slash-distraction against Hitsugaya's team, they tell their opponents that they will meet (and fight) again. Except Luppi; oh poor Luppi... but he gets better much later.
    • In Episode 319, after the Big Bad Kageroza is defeated and is about to retreat to Soul Society, he tells Ichigo that they will meet again.
    • As Yhwach and the Vandenreich retreat following their invasion of Soul Society, Yhwach calmly tells Ichigo that he will return for him. In this particular instance it's an inversion since Yhwach himself was not defeated; the time he could spend outside the shadows had simply run out.
  • Digimon: Myotismon does this a lot. Ken decides to back off after revealing himself.
  • Ed pulls off a particularly awesome version in Fullmetal Alchemist: after he finds himself beyond the Gate of Truth once more (long story), he encounters the soulless body of his brother Al, but is unable to take it with him to the real world. The Gate them drags him across the threshold to send him home... only for Ed to force the Gate open once more and swear to Al's body that he will come back, that he will find a way to bring it back no matter what it takes, and that it should sit down and wait for him until then.
  • Parodied in Food Wars! following a cooking duel between Soma and Takumi. Takumi says this, then moments later they're sitting next to each other on the bus. Much to Takumi's embarrassment.
    Soma: Hey, we meet again.
    Takumi: [visibly blushing] Shut up! Don't talk to me!
  • Happens to the manager of the illegal casino from the second part of Kaiji. After the casino loses lots of money as the result of Kaiji's actions, he is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a underground labour camp; as he is being taken away Kaiji yells him to make his way out and come back to challenge him; his response: "Isn't it obvious that I will!? You better prepare yourself until then!".
  • Naruto: In a rather bizarre inversion, Hanzo tells Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru to "come back to fight me again", after he won the battle. They're among the few people Hanzo considered to be Worthy Opponents, along with the Samurai Mifune. Except that he doesn't live to fight the rematch, thanks to Pain usurping and killing him. He does, however, get a rematch with Mifune... after being raised as a zombie.
  • Negima! Magister Negi Magi: At the end of Chapter 59, Yue swears revenge on the dragon under the Library, mainly because he drooled on her.
  • Pokémon: The Series: Team Rocket occasionally says something to this effect when they're blasting off again. Considering that, outside of the Black & White series, they usually pop up Once per Episode...
  • In the first dub of Sailor Moon, Morga says "I shall return!" after being hit by Moon Tiara Action. Of course, this never happens, considering that she’s a Monster of the Week and that Moon Tiara Action has a Reduced to Dust effect.
  • Soul Eater: Sid goes up against Mifune. When the heroes are ordered to retreat, Sid tells Mifune that he has no more reason to fight him, but warns him that if he lets him go Sid might come for him and backstab him some day. Mifune's only reply is "Sounds fun. Go."
  • Sword Art Online: During the climax of the Alicization arc, PoH attempts this, declaring that even if Kirito does kill him in UW, he will be always hellbent on Kirito and Asuna until he finally manages to brutally murder them by slitting their throats and ripping out their hearts in real life. Unfortunately for PoH, Kirito has no intention of letting him walk away after such a threat and subjects him to a Fate Worse than Death by trapping him in a tree and leaving him to rot in Underworld, declaring that he's never logging out.

    Asian Animation 

    Audio Plays 
  • The Firesign Theatre's "The Further Adventures of Nick Danger" (from How Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You're Not Anywhere At All?) has a scene where Nick assaults Rocky Roccoco:
    Rocky: (groan; retreating) You haven't seen the last of me, Danger!
    Nick: No, but the first of you turns my stomach!

    Comic Books 
  • Batman:
    • In The Batman of Arkham, an Elseworlds one-shot where Bruce Wayne runs Arkham Asylum to treat the criminals he turns in as Batman during the turn of the century, Jonathan Crane vows that he will return after Bruce realizes his corrupt intentions and kicks him out of the asylum.
    • Inverted in Knightfall Descends. When the titular villain swears to tear Gotham apart after bailing herself out, Batgirl replies they'll meet again soon.
    • Batman: Zero Year: The Red Hood says this to Batman before his fateful drop into a chemical bath at A.C.E. Chemicals.
  • Doom Patrol: Shadowy Mister Evans vows to return after he is defeated. He hasn't been seen since.
  • Green Lantern: "The Phantom Lantern" and "Evil's Might", the two arcs in Green Lanterns revolving around the Phantom Ring, both end this way, with the former having Frank Laminski vow that he'll get the Phantom Ring back and have his revenge as he's being locked up and the latter having Cyborg Superman escape with the Phantom Ring while promising to get even with the Green Lantern Corps for thwarting his attempt at destroying the rebuilt Coast City. Sadly, neither plot thread was resolved.
  • Soviet dictator supervillain Comrade K in the classic Iron Man comics got to use this occasionally.
    Comrade K: Once again the hated American defender has foiled my plans! But next time it shall be different! Next time, I shall BURY Iron Man!
  • The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck: At the end of "The Terror of the Transvaal", the nameless thief (a younger Flintheart Glomgold) swears that he will get back at Scrooge for his Humiliation Conga one day.
  • Star Wars: Doctor Aphra: In "The Enormous Profit", Robotic Psychopath Triple-Zero blackmails Aphra into removing the circuits that give her control over him and BT. To her surprise instead of killing her on the spot he just says "Until we meet again". When Aphra asks to make it a "Goodbye", he simply repeats what he said, which Aphra finds rather creepy. When Triple-Zero is next shown, he's forcing Aphra to work for him as his minion, so her concern is justified.
  • Supergirl:
    • At the end of Last Daughter of Krypton, Reign forfeits the battle so she can heal her wounded soldier, but she warns Supergirl the Worldkillers will return to hound her. However, although Kara would eventually run into another Worldkiller in "Red Daughter of Krypton", Reign's group haven't been seen again.
      Reign: You win the day, Kryptonian. I cannot afford to lose a single one of my companions. But do not think of this as a victory. We will be back, and we will be even stronger the next time.
    • Subverted in Strangers at the Heart's Core: After being defeated by Supergirl for the second time, Shyla Kor-Onn swears they will meet again; and indeed they do in The Krypton Chronicles, but by then Shyla has reformed, to the point she openly admits she is ashamed of having framed Kara.
      Supergirl: "Looks as if we're both free now, Shyla... And while I hate to hold a grudge — you cross my path again and you'll be minus some of those ruby tresses..."
      Shyla Kor-On: "Save your girlish threats — we will meet again!"
    • At the end of Starfire's Revenge, crimelord Starfire — nothing to do with a certain Teen Titan — shouts while she is being taken into police custody that Supergirl has not seen the last of her.
      Starfire: "This is only "Au Revoir" — Not goodbye, Supergirl! We'll be seeing each other again!"
    • The Untold Story of Argo City: While telling his daughter the story of how he saved Argo City from a space monster named Zygor, Zor-El adds the creature swore to find him again and exact his revenge.
      Zygor: I have heard your name, Zor-El! Some day I will find you again...
    • Supergirl Adventures Girl Of Steel: As teleporting again after his latest scheme has failed, Darkseid promises he will return, and he will pay Supergirl back for messing up his plan.
      Darkseid: "I shall return to Apokolips to scheme anew...And when I return, I shall have special plans for you, girl..."
  • Superman:
    • The Phantom Zone: Before being beamed back into the Phantom Zone, General Zod swears he will escape again to attack Superman and Earth.
      Superman: "It's back to the Zone, Zod— to the twilight where you belong. Was it worth all those lives— just for this?"
      General Zod: "To be free? To conquer?? That would be worth those lives and a billion more! And yours will be among them, Kal-El!!"
    • "Superman and Spider-Man": After being defeated, Doom proclaims his next meeting with Superman will be the last one. Subverted because they didn't meet again in that continuity.
      Doctor Doom: "Here in my stronghold I am invincible— And when next we meet, it is you who shall be destroyed!"
    • "From Eternia— With Death!": Upon being defeated, Skeletor swears he will return again before teleporting himself away. In response to Superman's question, He-Man confirms that Skeletor has the habit of popping up to plague Eternia once and again.
  • Tales of the Jedi: After the spirit of Sith Lord Freedon Nadd gives Jedi Knight Exar Kun a pair of Sith scrolls, he says he'll meet Kun on Korriban.

    Comic Strips 
  • Luann: Brad's friend T.J. managed to get Ann Eiffel out of her job of manager at Weenie World. When he told Brad about it in the strip for January 12th, 2013, he said that her parting words were "You haven't seen the last of me!"

    Fan Works 
  • Abraxas (Hrodvitnon): In this Godzilla MonsterVerse fanfiction, at the end of the Final Battle, Ghidorah's remaining head tells Monster X that they'll be back, because they always come back, before the latter finishes the head off.
  • All Mixed Up!: Although Mariana Mag was defeated by Orville's agents in the next town over sometime before the beginning of the story, she makes it very clear that she's not down for the count, swearing vengeance on Oprah's precinct and getting ready to attack her, and her agents, next.
  • Calvin & Hobbes: The Series:
    • This is lampshaded:
      "Blah, Blah, Blah! This is the most boring part of the episode! Hero defeats villain, and villain threatens to come back, more powerful than ever! We've heard it all before, Charlie!"
    • And outright parodied later:
      Dr. Brainstorm: (to Calvin and Hobbes, who did little to harm him in that episode) Oh right. DARN YOU and stuff.
  • It happens in the first chapter of crossover Displaced (TheMountainJew). After being defeated by Spider-Man, Joker swears they will meet again, and "it will be so much fun".
  • The Flash Sentry Chronicles: After Spitfire expels Lightning Dust from the Wonderbolts Academy, Lightning vows she'll have revenge on Rainbow one day.
    Lightning Dust: I'll get you back for this Rainbow Dash. One day...one day, you'll pay.
  • A Future of Friendship, a History of Hate: Ruinate promises the Mane Six this at the end of Episode 2 as he flees. The heralds tend to make comments like this when defeated.
  • A Gamer In South Blue: Jack loses one of his lives to Eustass Kid, but with his dying words, he vows this:
    Jack: I want you to know Eustass... That you will never be King. And that someday...someday I'm going to be the man who kills you. Even though you won't remember this...I want you to know that I swear it on my soul.
  • God Slaying Blade Works: Due to a Let's You and Him Fight situation, Shirou defends himself against Perseus and kills him. Before he dies, Perseus says not to worry. As he is a god, he'll eventually come back to life, give or take several years or centuries. Once he comes back, he's looking forward to a friendly rematch.
  • Inner Demons: When Scootaloo's forces are defeated by the protagonists in Ponyville, she retreats, but not before swearing revenge.
    • Likewise, when Queen!Twilight Sparkle is forced to retreat from Fillydelphia with her minions, she promises her former friends that she will have revenge.
  • Jewel of Darkness: Slade threatens the Titans with this at the end of the Jump City Arc when carrying Midnight to safety.
    • Unlike canon, Mad Mod escapes his first confrontation with the Titans, leaving behind a message for Robin promising to return.
  • Queen of All Oni: When the Shadow Hand is forced to retreat from the temple of the Three Shades, both Hak Foo and Jade threaten to return and defeat the sages/destroy the temple, respectfully.
    • After they lose the fight for Kuro's mask, Right gets in a final warning to the heroes before he grabs Finn and exits stage left.
  • In Rotten Luck, Howler says these exact words after getting punched in the face by Jonathan, then flees.
    Jonathan: "What movie did you take that line out of, Howler?"
  • Feather Duster vows revenge at the end of the events described in both "Dear Applebloom" and "Dear Scootaloo", and even being vaporized by a point-blank sonic rainboom doesn't keep him from trying to follow through.
  • Played fo laughts in Marvel/DC crossover Tales of the Otherverse. After picking a fight with Supergirl and get figuratively burned, a mutant hater declares he "will get her someday". However, it is obvious the man is no threat to Supergirl whatsoever, so she pays him no mind. And indeed, she never bumps into him again.
  • The Ultimate Evil: After Shendu has been banished from Jade's body in accordance to Jackie Chan Adventures canon, he promises to Valerie Payne, the eventual target of his Villainous Crush, that they will soon meet again before he leaves in his astral form.
  • The Vow: Lord Shen swears this to his former loved ones when he's banished from Gongmen City for mass murdering a village of pandas.

    Films — Animation 
  • In The Adventures of Tintin, the pirate Red Rackham curses Sir Francis Haddock as he sinks with the blown-up Unicorn declaring, "We will meet again, Haddock! In another time! In another life!" The Big Bad of the movie turns out to be Rackham's descendant, just as Captain Haddock is to Sir Francis (it's implied reincarnation is involved).
  • At the end of An American Tail, after the Big Bad has been knocked onto a ship for Hong Kong, he vows, "Someday, Gussie Mausheimer! Someday! And you too, Mousekewitz! all of you! I hate mice!"
  • In The Incredibles, after his kidnapping of Jack-Jack is foiled, Syndrome stops to shout, "This isn't the end of it! I will get your son eventually! I'll get your son!" This is a mistake: it prompts Mr. Incredible to end it right there by throwing his car at Syndrome's plane.
  • Zira pretty much means this in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride when Simba says they’re finished and she says “oh no, Simba, we have barely begun” when he’s out of hearing range.
  • Near the end of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the Wolf, who turns out to be Death, lets Puss live after their final fight. However, as he is Death, he reminds Puss that they will meet again and Puss agrees.

    Films — Live-Action 
  • At the end of the Ant-Man and the Wasp, Agent Woo accepts that our hero has gotten away with his well-meaning but illegal activities, and gives this trope in Inspector Javert style. They then get sidetracked by Scott Comically Missing the Point in assuming that Woo wants to meet later for dinner. Which Woo apparently wouldn't mind.
  • In A Christmas Story, when Ralphie (in his imagination) shoots the bad guys, and Black Bart is escaping, Bart says, "I'll be back." Ralphie replies, "I'll be waitin'".
  • The Country Bears: "THIS IS NOT OVAH ...BEARS!!!"
  • The First Power. Satan-worshiping serial killer Patrick Channing says to Russell Logan, the detective who caught him, "See you around, buddy-boy." As Channing is about to be placed in the gas chamber for his crimes, Logan is understandably skeptical. Unfortunately the ritualistic murders Channing has committed have given him the power of immortality.
  • The ending of Dr. Strangelove is a montage of nuclear bomb explosions while Vera Lynn sings her famous rendition of "We'll Meet Again', implying the two cold war superpowers are destined to trade blows ever after.
  • The '60s film series of Fu Manchu (produced by Harry Alan Towers and starring Christopher Lee) would always end with Fu Manchu saying "The world shall hear from me again".
  • In Gladiator, Maximus promises Commodus that he will have his vengeance, "in this life or the next." He gets it in this one.
  • The Great Race. "He who fights and runs away/Lives to fight another day.": Baron Von Stuppe to The Great Leslie after being defeated in a sword fight. Made even better by Von Stuppe completely bungling his escape plan a few seconds later.
  • In the British detective story The House In Nightmare Park (1973), the villain screams "I'm not finished! I'll be back!" when carried away in a prison coach.
  • Averted in of all things, James Bond, where villains don't live long enough to say that, and Blofeld, his only recurring nemesis never gets the chance to say this.
  • In Kung Pow! Enter the Fist, Woah, a one boobed woman who appears out of nowhere to instruct The Chosen One, ends her appearance by saying that they'll "meet many more times...in the sequel!"
  • Legend (1985): After Jack blows Darkness away with sunlight, Darkness says "You think you've won."
  • Played with in Love and Death, after young Boris meets Death. And, of course, they do meet again in the end, dancing away as the credits roll.
    Boris: What happens after we die? Is there a Hell? Is there a God? Do we live again? All right, lemme ask one key question. Are there girls?
    Death: You're an interesting young man. We'll meet again.
    Boris: ... don't bother.
    Death: It's no bother.
  • When the Big Bad says this in Machete Kills he means it literally, as he has the ability to see the future.
  • The Matrix series
    • The Matrix Reloaded: After the Merovingian dismisses Neo, Neo tells him "This isn't over."
    • The Architect inverts the trope. Neo tells him "If I were you, I would hope we don't meet again", to which he replies "We won't" (and indeed they don't).
    • The Matrix Revolutions: After Neo defeats Agent Smith (in Bane's body), Smith tells him "It's not over."
  • Parodied in the Made-for-TV Movie Men In White 1998: as the villain gets sucked out of the airlock into deep space, his last words are "See you next episode!"
  • In The Mummy (1999), Imhotep corners the heroes, and is taking Evie away to be sacrificed. Before the Big Bad can leave, Rick O'Connell looks right into the Big Bad's eyes and says, "I'll be seeing you again." with all the menace and hatred and promise the man can muster. Imhotep, who doesn't understand a word (the man's an ancient Egyptian who doesn't speak English) get's the message anyway, but he's so assured of his near invincibility that he only reacts with mild amusement. Turns out, underestimating O'Connell was a huge mistake.
  • The kung fu movie, The Pirate (1973) has the titular character (who's not shown indulging in piracy, despite being referred to as the "Pirate Lord of South China") and the governor pursuing him, General Wu, engaging each other in a martial arts duel. When the battle ends in a stalemate and Wu ends up killing a mutineer about to attack the pirate, the titular character then proceeds to leave, name-dropping the trope as he does.
  • Robin Hood: Men in Tights: Parodied/subverted: the leader of a band of henchmen calls out "You've not seen the last of us!" as he prepares to retreat. Robin fires multiple arrows with a single shot and pins him to a tree. Pinned Mook: "You've seen the last of us!"
  • Heroic example in The Running Man, where Ben Richards tells Damon Killian, the host of the titular show, that "I'll be back." Killian smugly replies back "only in a re-run" before sending him and his buddies off. Sure enough, Ben comes back at the end alive, and he has a present for Killian...
  • Completely inverted in Serenity when Mal tells the film's primary antagonist that despite their conflict being done, said villain is Forgiven, but Not Forgotten and Mal is likely to kill him if he sees him again, to which his former enemy replies: "You won't—there is nothing left to see." They do meet again in the comics, but it’s Zoe who kills him, not Mal.
  • The Green Goblin actually yells out "We'll meet again, Spider-Man!" after their first battle in the Spider-Man movie.
  • Tank Girl: After Tank Girl drops a bucket of water on Kesslee, he tells her "It's not over."
  • Terminator
    • The Terminator: After being told in the lobby of the police station that Sarah is busy making statements, T-800 tells the receptionist "I'll be back". One minute later, he's back... by making a grand entrance while driving a vehicle to run over the receptionist and cause his shootout.
    • The above line gets a Call-Back in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, when T-800 prepares to fight off the police at Cyberdyne Systems and tells Sarah and John "Stay here. I'll be back." He then proceeds to take out the entire police force surrounding the building without so much as a single casualty.
    • Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: An odd heroic usage. Just before the good terminator blows up the Terminatrix with his own power cell, he tells John Connor, "We will meet again." The twist, in this case, is that the Terminator sent back in time is the one that succeeds in killing John in the future.
  • At the end of Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, Megatron and Starscream retreat, with Megatron vowing "This isn't over..."
  • Happens again with Transformers: Age of Extinction with Galvatron, though with the above example it isn't the first time he's done it. He says, "We shall meet again, Prime, for I am reborn..."
  • Wild Geese II. Former-RSM James Murphy is used to train the mercenary team in how to act like soldiers for a prisoner rescue. One of the team is IRA terrorist Hourigan — the two men take an instant dislike to each other, and at the end of their training Hourigan threatens to look Murphy up after the mission is over. Murphy promptly shoots him in the kneecaps, then in the head.
  • The Wizard of Oz: "I'll get you, my pretty... And Your Little Dog, Too!"

    Literature 
  • In Stephen King's novella "The Body" (Different Seasons), Chris backs Ace Merrill and his gang off with a pistol, forcing them all to leave without taking Ray Brower. But Ace promises in no uncertain terms that, later, Chris, Gordie, Teddy and Vern are going to get the crap beaten out of them. It's a threat the gang makes good on.
  • Le Bossu: Lagardère's Badass Boast "If you don't come to Lagardère, Lagardère will come to you!" to the murderer of the Duke of Nevers, whom he vows to avenge and protect and raise the daughter of.
  • A different take in The Laundry Files. The Eldritch Abomination encountered by H. P. Lovecraft in the series short-story "Equoid" threatened this; it's implied that not only the creature can reincarnate, but the protagonist is the reincarnation of Lovecraft.
  • In A Song of Ice and Fire when Jon Snow sends his Alliser Thorne, his biggest enemy within the Night's Watch, beyond the Wall on what Alliser considers an Uriah Gambit, he threatens that he will return one way or another.
    Thorne: The ones the Others kill don’t stay dead...and they remember. I’m coming back, Lord Snow.
  • Septimus Heap: When Alther drove DomDaniel out of the Wizard Tower in the Backstory DomDaniel said that he would return with the seventh son of a seventh son.
  • In Shadow of the Conqueror, Dayless was thinking this when he fled after being overthrown in the Battle of Highdawn, but the need for secrecy prevented him from expressing it anywhere besides his journal. Ahrek also shouts this out to Daylen after losing their first fight.
  • Subverted in The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World when the mad time-traveling villain says this to our hero Slippery Jim diGriz, only thanks to the Stable Time Loop plot, they've already done all the meeting and fighting they're ever going to do — the villain just goes back in time and sets in motion the events of the novel.
  • Tale of the Troika: At the end of the second edition of the novel, Vunyukov makes classical "We will meet again!" speech, delivered in his usual bureaucratic manner.
  • Warrior Cats:
    • In Forest of Secrets, after The Hero Fireheart foils the villain Tigerclaw's attempt to assassinate their Clan leader, resulting in Tigerclaw's exile, Tigerclaw warns Fireheart to always keep a lookout because they'll meet again and he'll win next time.
    • In Sunset, after Brambleclaw kills his villainous brother Hawkfrost, he hears Hawkfrost's voice saying, "We will meet again, my brother. This is not over yet." The authors have revealed that this is a Shout-Out to the line "One day we will meet again, my brother. But not yet, not yet." from Gladiator.

    Live-Action TV 
  • 24: When Jonas Hodges goes into Witness Protection, he says he "doesn't plan to be Robert Tippett forever". He stays Robert Tippett for the very short remainder of his life.
  • Ace Lightning: Lord Fear promises this to Ace in the first Season Finale upon his defeat.
  • Altered Carbon. A hitman tells Kovacs he won't underestimate him a second time, moments before he's killed. Turns out that he routinely copies himself into a second body as a precaution, so it's not an idle threat.
  • Turns out to be Tempting Fate in the Angel episode "The Girl in Question". Angelus discovers his Arch-Nemesis the Immortal has slept with his girlfriend and shouts, "This isn't over yet, Immortal! This'll never be over!" And indeed he and Spike keep getting stymied and cuckolded by the Immortal right up to the present day.
  • Jim Keats sings "We'll Meet Again" (the sentimental British song from World War II) to Gene at the end of the final episode of Ashes to Ashes (2008).
  • In the season finale of Blackadder II, "Chains", Prince Ludwig the Indestructible is stabbed and exposed by Blackadder, but doesn't leave before talking with Queenie, revealing that he was "the tall and attractive German schtablelad" that held her favorite pony in her youth and, finally, swearing revenge when called "Short Greasy Spot-Spot". He is presumed dead, but turns out to really be indestructible and still manages to slay the entire cast in the end. So this doesn't always fail.
    Ludwig: [utterly dismayed] No! [getting up and walking to the door in a rage] No! No! No! ... You vill all of you, regret the day that y'ever mocked my complexion! I shall return and wreak my rewengue! [Evil Laugh]
    Blackadder: No you won't, you'll die and be buried! [throws knife]
    Ludwig: Aagh!
    Blackadder: Strange man.
  • Blake's 7.
    • Space Commander Travis would say this every time he failed to kill Blake in Season A.
    • In "Powerplay", Cally and Vila encounter Servalan while they are all refugees on a hospital ship. Servalan tells them that while she has other priorities at the moment, she's going to make a point of hunting them down in future. Then Servalan discovers the so-called hospital ship is involved in Organ Theft. She bribes the crew to release her, but makes a point of visiting our heroes to let them know they won't be meeting again (they get rescued Just in Time, of course).
    • Averted in "Terminal" when Servalan tells our heroes (after stranding them on a Death World) that they won't be meeting again. This turns out to be Tempting Fate as she's killed shortly afterwards — if the series hadn't been unexpectedly renewed another season requiring Servalan to be brought Back from the Dead, she'd have been telling the truth.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
    • Subverted in "Bad Eggs". after an inconclusive skirmish with Buffy, a pair of dimwitted cowboy-vampires threaten her with "This isn't over!" Later in the episode, one of them gets sucked down by a giant underground tentacle-monster, which Buffy then cold-bloodedly hacks to death with a pickaxe. Witnessing all this, the survivor says: "All right. It's over!" and flees.
    • Although, in point of fact, they do meet again after that. That time Buffy kills his new vampiric wife, and he runs off again after a muttered, "Later". Maybe he'll be back in the comics.
    • He is, in "Chaos Bleeds". This time he yells "We're not done, traitor!" at Spike as he's pulled back into an alternate dimension.
    • The trope is lampshaded in "Band Candy" when Trick shouts, "You and me, girl! There's hard times ahead!" before fleeing. Buffy gripes, "They never just leave. Always gotta say somethin'."
    • Glory delivers a 'This isn't over' to Buffy and Willow in "Tough Love". Somewhat unusually, she actually follows through at the end of the same episode.
    • Played for laughs in "Seeing Red". Andrew attempts to give a speech like this before escaping via Jet Pack. It was pretty painful to watch even before he flew into an overhanging roof and knocked himself out.
  • Charmed has Zankou who initially appears to be a minor/one-shot character and then ends up becoming a major threat later on in the season.
  • Control Z: At the beginning of season 2, while Raúl leaves on his motorcycle, post-hacker exposure, Pablo gives him a vengeful menacing stare implying this.
  • Doctor Who:
    • In the Celestial Toymaker's only televised appearance, the First Doctor mentions that the Toymaker is immortal, and that he fully expects to run into him again. Sadly he never did, at least not on screen, anyway... Until a Long Bus Trip of fifty-seven years has him return for the 60th anniversary specials.
    • The Meddling Monk's last words on the show: "I'll get you for this, Doctor! I'll get you one day!" Over fifty years later, he doesn't seem to have got round to it yet (except in the EU). The Time War probably put a crimp in his plans.
    • The Master delivers the first of many of these at the end of "The Mind of Evil", making a point of ringing the Doctor up to let him know that not only is he still alive but his TARDIS is functional again.
      The Doctor: So we won't be seeing you for quite some time.
      The Master: Not for quite some time. But one day, I will destroy this miserable planet and you along with it.
    • "The Androids of Tara": The defeated villain, Count Grendell, leaps off the battlements while warning "Next time, I shall not be so lenient!"
    • "Destiny of the Daleks": Unusually, Davros delivers this pretty much verbatim not at the climax, but in the penultimate episode, at the resolution of a Mexican Standoff: "We'll meet again, Doctor. Never doubt it. We'll meet again."
    • "Revelation of the Daleks": As Davros is taken away by the Daleks, he swears that the Doctor hasn't heard the last of him. The Doctor, unruffled, replies that he'll be waiting.
    • "New Earth": The Face of Boe leaves the Doctor with an assurance of this.
      "We shall meet again, Doctor. For the third time. For the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day... [teleports away]"
    • "Victory of the Daleks" ends with the Doctor's greatest enemies successfully restoring their species and escaping. It proves the line is actually badass if you say it when you're winning.
      Supreme Dalek: You will never defeat us, Doctor! We will return!
      New Paradigm Daleks: WE WILL RETURN!
    • "The Girl Who Died": Said word for word by Odin to the Doctor, after the Doctor defeats him and before Odin's retreat.
    • At the end of "Fugitive of the Judoon", the Doctor runs out on a squad of Judoon Space Police, telling them that as far as she's concerned their contract to arrest her is over. The Judoon retorts that their contracts are always fulfilled. As the Judoon are played for Black Comedy, this hardly seems like a serious threat until the cliffhanger ending of "The Timeless Children" when a Judoon cold case squad suddenly appears to arrest the Doctor and throw her into prison.
  • Subverted in Firefly when an enemy vows to face the captain of the Serenity again and kill him, complete with over-the-top threats in The Last Thing You Ever See mode. At this, the pragmatic captain immediately kicks him into an engine intake. Schplercht.
    • The next of Niska's Mooks they bring up is a little more compliant, to say the least.
    • Unfortunately, the guy who got blended by a jet engine was just The Dragon to a more soft-spoken but equally sadistic mobster who does not easily forget an offense. In a later episode, he kidnaps and tortures Mal and Wash.
    • This is subverted repeatedly on Firefly, with Mal summarily dispatching characters that spend the episode seemingly being built up to be potentially recurring villains. However, this was only because the show only lasted a single season, and Word of God is that some of those characters were intended to survive and return for revenge on the crew.
      • One of them does in fact re-appear as a villain in a Firefly comic, only to be killed again, this time for good. (Mal shoots him twice, just to be certain.)
      • Another also returns in the comics and keeps nearly dying and getting rescued, save possibly his last appearance.
  • The series finale of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys has Ares trying to play this trope straight, but Hercules and Iolaus use several villain exit lines in a mocking tone, after which Ares decides to leave without a word.
  • Kamen Rider villains do it on occasion, but Kamen Rider Ex-Aid subverts it on one occasion to horrifying effect with an episode told from the perspective of one of its major villains whose Karma Houdini Warranty has just expired. Following a Curb-Stomp Battle with the hero, he attempts to invoke this trope and teleport away, only to discover the hero is now faster at teleporting than he is, and not in a forgiving mood for the murders the villain committed while claiming he was just giving losers the bad endings they deserved:
    "There is no next time. You have to get the ending you deserve."
  • In the first season of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, When Rita Repulsa was defeated, She would exclaim:
    "I'll be back! You haven't seen the last of Rita Repuls-AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
    • She would eventually make good on that, unlike many.
    • Her brother once used the "He who fights and runs away..." line. Goldar has been known to swear revenge upon folding.
  • In the Quantum Leap episode "Deliver Us From Evil," as Alia is being forcibly leaped out, Zoey vows they will find Sam again one day.
  • In The Sarah Jane Adventures Miss Wormwood promises this somewhat randomly in the pilot episode. At the end of the second season she reappears, having upped her ambition from "ensure the Bane breed on Earth" to "conquer the galaxy" and needs to sucker Sarah Jane into helping her.
  • In Seinfeld, when Babu is deported, he swears revenge on Jerry. This becomes a sort of Brick Joke when he testifies against him in the series finale six years later.
  • Chaotica, after his final defeat in the holoprogram in Star Trek: Voyager. He warns "You have not seen the last of Chaotica." Chaotica does appear briefly in a future episode.
  • Supernatural:
    • At the end of "Heaven and Hell", a pissed-off Uriel says as much to Dean.
      Uriel: This isn't over.
      Dean: Oh, it looks over to me, Junkless.
    • In his first onscreen appearance wearing a human form, Raphael warns Castiel not to leave him trapped in holy fire, as he will find him in future. Castiel's response is a Badass Boast before walking out.
    • "Everybody Hates Hitler": Eckart says this isn't over as he uses magic to escape the golem in the opening scene. He does it again at the end of the episode; given that the Winchesters immediately Boom, Headshot! him and burn the body, at least they won't be seeing that particular necromancer again, we hope. But the Thule Society is still out there, so Aaron takes up the sword.
  • On That '70s Show, Fez's crazy girlfriend Caroline declares this when Donna pretends to be interested in him to get her to stop stalking him. She would indeed return in the final season.
  • In Thunderbirds, the Hood is frequently heard to utter a variation on "International Rescue haven't seen the last of me!" after his latest plan ends in an explosion.
  • In The West Wing episode "Mr Willis from Ohio" (s1e6), some guys in a bar have harrassed the President's daughter, Zoey Bartlet, without realizing who she is. The President's personal aide and future boyfriend of said daughter, Charlie Young, immediately intervenes. The situation escalates until the President's Deputy Chief of Staff hits Zoey's "panic button," flooding the bar with Secret Service agents. In handcuffs with a gun to his head, the kid tries to maintain his front:
    Kid: This ain't over, Sammy.
    Charlie: My name is Charlie Young, and if that bulge in your pocket is an 8-ball of blow, you're spending spring break in a Federal prison.

    Music 
  • Snoopy's Christmas by the Royal Guardsmen concludes with Snoopy and the Red Baron exchanging holidays toasts to each other then flying off, each knowing they will cross paths again soon to do battle.
  • The Band in This Wheels On Fire:
    Probably Satan: We will meet again, if your memory serves you well...
  • Inverted in "The Truth" by I LIKE TRAINS: "The truth is you will never see me again, and even if you did, you wouldn't recognize me".

    Myths & Religion 
  • In The Bible (specifically the Gospel of Luke) Satan leaves the temptation of Jesus in the desert "until the opportune time," which turns out to be when he could arrange a crucifixion. In fact, the Jesus (1999) miniseries included him saying this trope word for word at this point.
    "See you again, Jesus. It's only just begun."

    Pro Wrestling 
  • While wrestling for USWA, Terry Funk was frequently absent for fairly long stretches due to his All Japan commitments. When one of these happened during a high profile feud with Jerry Lawler, his absence was excused by an eye injury, with video packages vowing that Funk would get his revenge on Lawler after he recovered. These were a flop, because, as it turned out, everyone was happy Lawler had so decisively "defeated" Funk and didn't want to see him get revenge.
  • Xavier managed to pull this off on Low Ki through pure body language after he lost the Impact Championship Wrestling Heavyweight title back to Ki in a ladder match and was on his way out while the rest of the roster celebrated with Low Ki. Ironically that would be the end of their ICW series but not the end of their feud, not by a long shot.
  • After Madison Eagles lost the SHIMMER Singles title on volume 44, she was absent on volume 45 but left behind a video assuring everyone she'd be coming back.

    Puppet shows 
  • Muppets Now: Beak-R swears vengeance on Beaker when he finally has had enough of her abuse and dumps her in an incinerator.

    Radio 
  • With his latest Evil Plan foiled in Bleak Expectations, Mr Gently Benevolent declares "I shall return!" and rides away. He rides back a moment later:
    Pip: You returned quicker than I expected.
    Benelovent: I forgot my hat. [Exits.]
  • In Firesign Theatre's ''The Further Adventures of Nick Danger," Nick punches ne'er-do-well Rocky Rococco:
    Rococco: You haven't seen the last of me, Danger!
    Nick: No, but the first of you turns my stomach!

    Tabletop Games 
  • Dungeons & Dragons
  • The Transformers: In the Transformers RPG from Renegade Press, Starscream actually has this as a weakness: he has a Hang Up called "I'll Get You Next Time!": once his health drops below a certain number, at the start of each of his turns he rolls a die. If the number on the die roll is higher than his current health, he's forced to automatically retreat from that scene, swearing vengence as he does so.

    Theatre 
  • Don José tells Carmen this in the opera Carmen.
  • In Sherlock Holmes, when Holmes has put handcuffs on Moriarty, whom the butler is about to drag him off to the police, Moriarty tauntingly suggests to Holmes that this might not be the end. "Are you quite sure the police will be able to hold me?" he says. When Holmes replies, smiling slightly, that he is sure of nothing, Moriarty slyly tells him that he has heard Holmes is planning to take "a little trip on the Continent" with Watson and will meet him there.

    Theme Parks 
  • In the Universal Studios Singapore version of Revenge of the Mummy, when Imhotep is trapped once again in a sarcophagus, he assures the riders that he will return once again, reminding them that, "Death is only the beginning!".

    Video Games 
  • Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War: Once the player shoots down the Ofnir leader, he promises that their fight isn't over yet and will return.
    "Don't think you've won this. This isn't over yet!"
  • In Age of Mythology, Kemos vows that "your head will hang on my mast, Atlantean!" just before he flees the first time you defeat him.
    • He says almost the exact same thing, in almost the exact same situation the second time, after which he tries escaping the same way he did the first time and ends up with his head smashed out on the rocks after you defeat him the second time.
  • Black & White: After losing the final fight in the last level, Nemesis brags that he's learned from his defeat and will return stronger than you can ever imagine. You then destroy him, making them Ironic Last Words.
  • In the "Captain Scarlett" DLC of Borderlands 2, Captain Scarlett says this after you kill Roscoe and she teleports away.
  • In Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Death says this to Alucard at the end of their confrontation at the castle entrance. Indeed they do, but only if you unlock the second half of the game by freeing Richter from his Brainwashed and Crazy state.
  • ClueSweeper: One of the loser's responses in Duel Mode is "I an rubber, you are glue.":
    Red / Winner / Detective: Hehe, how do you like them apples?
    Blue / Loser / Inspector: I'll beat you one day!
  • One of the more chilling parts of the Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 base game Soviet ending. Yuri is still very much alive after you thought him dead, and makes his intent to return very clear. All he has do is find a suitable body to reupload his mind into.
  • In Crystalis, General Kelbesque says after you defeat him the first time:
    "Don't think you've seen even a fraction of my power. Next time you see me, it will be your last!"
  • DanMachi: Memoria Freese: During the Winter Magic Miracle campaign, once the heroes destroy the tainted spirit Vitteaux tried to unleash on the world, he declared that the next time they meet, things will be different as he will see the world tear itself apart. He repeats this after being defeated the first time in the Grand Tale Astrea Record campaign. The latter appearance however was set set seven years in the past.
  • In Darksiders and its sequel, the demon Samael says this to War and Death after their business is concluded in each game.
  • Devil May Cry:
    • The first game concludes with Mundus declaring to Dante that he will return and that he will rule the human world. Dante brushes him off.
    • In Devil May Cry 5, right before he departs to the Underworld with Dante to sever the roots of the Qliphoth, Vergil declares to Nero that "[he] won't lose next time", and tells him to hold on to his poetry book in the meantime.
  • In the Dynasty Warriors series, defeating an opponent with a unique character model (or in some games, any with a name) will usually result in that character saying one of these before retreating.
  • After the second fight with her and her gang in Eternal Sonata, Dolce warns you that you haven't seen the last her and her gang. Indeed, there's another optional battle with them just a bit later in the game and yet another one if you're playing the game on Encore Mode.
  • Played with in the Final Fantasy VII prequel Crisis Core, when pre-insanity Sephiroth kindly reassures an anxious Zack that they will meet again soon. They do meet again... and head off to Nibelheim.
  • At the end of Frogger's Adventures: Temple of the Frog, after Mr. D is defeated, the last the player hears from him is "You haven't seen the last of me, Frogger!" However, he never appeared again in future ''Frogger'' games, so he wouldn't get a chance to follow up on this threat.
  • Ghost Recon Breakpoint: The limited-time event involving actual Terminators, the concluding event finishes with the defeated Terminator saying "I'll be back", but unlike most variations, the MC replies with "I'll be waiting".
  • The Legend of Zelda:
  • Mardek RPG: Baron Von Doomkill swore he would return after being killed. An undefined but very long time later he is pulled from the antilife to animate Legion, along with Deena, Bostolm and Miserable Old Martin. Much to his frustration, the magic that summoned him binds him to the control of Mereador, so he doesn't get to even try to reconquer the world, despite being in Mardek's party while he gathers three of the six crystals.
  • A rare heroic example in The Matrix: Path of Neo
    Witch: We'll meet again, some day, Neo.
  • Metal Gear:
    • Metal Gear Solid: Revolver Ocelot says this to Solid Snake after their inaugural battle is interrupted by the Cyborg Ninja slicing off Ocelot's right hand.
    • Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater has Ocelot telling Naked Snake "This isn't over yet!" at the end of their second meeting, after Snake and EVA humiliate him and teach him a lesson on counting bullets.
  • Inverted in Mother 3; after your last battle with Fassad, he explicitly states that you will not meet again.
  • Heroic example in Persona 5. Performing a sacrifice fusion with Arsene, Joker's first Persona, triggers a cutscene where he says the following: "I am Arsène—the other you who exists within... Though I may disappear at this moment, I shall always be at your side. We shall meet again...when your fate reaches its conclusion." This promise is kept twofold: Just before entering Sae's Palace, Arsene appears to warn you that the situation you enter will determine if you live or die. Later, at the climax of the battle against the Final Boss, Arsene returns to evolve into the protagonist's ultimate Persona, Satanael, to help finish off Yaldabaoth for good.
  • Sonic Adventure: Dr. Robotnik sort-of does this, albeit in the middle of the three stories he does it in.
  • Sonic Adventure 2, after the first battle against Eggman as Tails.
    Eggman: This time, I'll let you go, but the next time we meet, you won't be so lucky!
  • Super Mario 64: Played with very interestingly. In the game's earlier fights with Bowser, you see Bowser saying Mario will pay for this... later. In these cases, it seems so distant; however, by the time of each next fight with Bowser, it tends to feel like it happened a lot quicker than it seemed like it would at the end of each previous fight.
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King has Oogie Boogie swear revenge against Jack Skellington in the ending cutscene.
  • Pony Island: If the player performs poorly during the final escape sequence, Satan lets them go, but not before vowing to catch them next time.
  • Wesker promises this to Chris when the two are forcibly separated by an explosion at the climax of Resident Evil – Code: Veronica X, and then, Large Ham that he is, lets loose an Evil Laugh that echoes through the self-destructing base.
  • Subverted at the end of Sam & Max Season 2. The Soda Poppers have just finished one of these when the Bermuda Triangle appears above them and pours lava on them, which kills them off for real.
  • Inverted with one of the Spy's revenge-kill quotes in Team Fortress 2.
    Spy: This will be the last time you see me...
  • tri-Ace Gabriel Celeste/Celesta, a recurring Optional Boss, will say some variation of "Well done, heroes. I'm sure We Will Meet Again in another time and place. Farewell!" when he is beaten. His difficulty varies between Nintendo Hard and Anticlimax Boss with each game.
  • ULTRAKILL:
  • In World of Warcraft the Lich King gets a version of this at the Wrathgate encounter. Faced with the combined forces of the Horde and Alliance, Arthas himself walks out, kills Saurfang the Younger, sucks out his soul and looks ready to take on the entire army facing him... when Grand Apothecary Putress unleashes the new Forsaken Plague, slaughtering undead and mortals alike. Weakened but far from defeated, Arthas falls to his knees and retreats back inside with a gasping "This... Isn't... Over!"
    • Several expansions make extensive use of this trope during their storylines. You encounter the Arc Villain, possibly with a fight, and when you are gaining the upper hand, your character gets stunned for a conveniently-long time, the villain utters a variation of this trope and leaves; rinse and repeat until the storyline finale, where you finally kill the villain. Dargrul the Underking and God-King Skovald in Legion is a particular offender, encountering him several times in Highmountain and Stormheim, respectively, until defeating them in dungeons.
    • This trope happens so often in the game than the times it is not played straight stand out. The final third of the Argus storyline in Legion has you fight Talgath, one of the few high-ranked commanders left of the Burning Legion. After defeating him, he tries to stop you and your allies from dealing the killing blow and leave. Key word being tries, as Velen kills him — right when Talgath was quoting this trope, no less.
  • Wrack ends the last boss battle with Exo, the villain, making this very threat on you (albeit the " You haven't seen the last of me!") variant. He follows up to his threats, too, reappearing in the sequel Wrack: Exoverse.
  • The first stage of Zeiram Zone ends with a short battle against Hadoma, leading enforcer and henchman of the Tedan Tippedai corporation, who has multiple lifebars stacked upon each other. But as soon as Hadoma's first lifebar is drained, he leaves a message that you're in for a bigger surprise before name-dropping this trope and leaving - you do not face Hadoma until more than halfway through the game, roughly five bosses later.

    Visual Novels 
  • After the first case of The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures, a defeated prosecutor Taketsuchi Auchi curses Naruhodo claiming that the Auchi clan will forever be a royal pain in his side. His counsel; Asougi retorts on Naruhodo's behalf. Many years later, he's still right.
    Asougi: A hundred generations may pass, but your descendants will never rival those of this man!

    Web Animation 
  • Dreamscape: Before Kaila leaves the group, she warns Keela that she wont always have her friends around to protect her. She makes good on that promise, because at the start of Episode 7, she finds Keela all alone.
    • Ghost Melinda, right before being sealed inside Keedran, tells the heroes they haven't seen the last of her.
  • DSBT InsaniT: Killer Monster warns Koden to watch his back before going back to his fiery realm in 'The Camping Webisode'.
    • Stephanie tells the group they haven't seen the last of her in 'Store Story'. Alex even brings up how Killer Monster said the same thing.
    • Psycho Man, as part of his Villainous Breakdown, says this in 'VRcade'.
  • Helluva Boss: After Ozzie publicly admits his not-so-Secret Relationship with Fizzarolli, preventing Mammon from blackmailing either of the two into forcing Fizz to keep working for him, Mammon decides to retreat. He does, however, warn Ozzie that there will be consequences for revealing that secret, implying that Mammon intends to get back at Ozzie for challenging him.
    Mammon: You will regret revealing that, Ozz.
  • Parodied on Homestar Runner: "Next episode, Blue Laser! Next episode!"
  • In If the Emperor Had a Text-to-Speech Device, Karamazov tells Kitten that after his defeat at Custodes' hands, just before his Villain: Exit, Stage Left.

    Webcomics 
  • Upon being restored to the Chest of Demons in The 13th Ghost of Scooby-Doo, Asmodeus vows that someday he and the other 12 ghosts will be freed once more and that they'll have their revenge against Mystery, Inc. and friends when that happens.
  • The Dreamland Chronicles "You're just delaying the inevitable, fools!"
  • In El Goonish Shive, Ragnar claims "You haven't seen the last of us! Of I, Ragnar!"
  • Medic Pics: Exams taunts the author with this, before he replies that he knew full well they'd fight again and again.
  • Defied (and lampshaded) in this Order of the Stick comic:
    Trigak: You may have won this round, Order of the Stick but we swear our revenge on you! When you least expect— [Belkar kills him]
    Haley: Belkar! [...] He was obviously supposed to be a recurring villain! I mean, he had a name! And he was in the middle of swearing to get us and our little dog, too. It was pretty obvious he was going to come back.
  • Sircea tries this in The Young Protectors while opening a portal to escape the heroes, though it's undermined a bit by a well-aimed fireball unceremoniously punting her through the portal.
    "You think you've won — but you are children and when I return, I'll AAH!"

    Western Animation 
  • The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo had Nekara promise that she'd get even with Vincent Van Ghoul right before she's sucked back into the Chest of Demons in the episode "A Spooky Little Ghoul Like You".
  • After Alfred destroys Dolf's fascist coup in Alfred J. Kwak, Dolf and his associates are forced to flee. Just before he does that, he shows up at Alfred's door, and warns him that he may have won this time, but that one day he'll come back and be powerful again.
  • In Avatar: The Last Airbender, the absolutely terrifying One-Scene Wonder Eldritch Abomination Koh the Face Stealer says this word for word. Aang indeed meets Koh again, but not in the show; rather in the Web Game Escape from the Spirit World set between Books 2 and 3.
  • Ben 10:
    • Original Series:
      • In "The Alliance", Ben uses Upgrade to try to subdue Rojo, but as a result, he's able to briefly be in contact with Vilgax.
        "Listen to every word: be afraid. You cannot run. You cannot hide from me. I will find you and when I will do, I will retrieve my Omnitrix and destroy you!"
      • With Dr. Animo, this was mocked at the end of "Dr. Animo and the Mutant Ray":
        Gwen [watching Animo's arrest on TV] I feel like I'm watching a rerun...
        Animo [on TV, being taken to custody by the cops] YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF MEEEEEEEEE!
        Gwen: Yeah, I wish...
    • Ben 10: Ultimate Alien: At the end of "Simian Says", Mizaru vows to get revenge on Ben and his team later. However, this proves to be Tempting Fate as he was devoured by a Root Shark less than a second after.
  • At the end of the miniseries Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines, Adrian Ravenscroft promises to return for his revenge after our heroes destroy the Fountain of Youth and he becomes an old man again as his restored youth wears off. Aside from Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines being one of the two segments of Super Sunday that did not get picked up for a full-fledged series, doubts on Ravenscroft making good on his threat are also cast due to the villain being last seen wandering into a swamp full of alligators.
  • Birdman (1967) episode "Mentor, the Mind Taker". As the title villain escapes he tells Birdman "I'll be back, Birdman, to match minds and power with you again!"
  • Used in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, when after the titular hero defeated his Evil Twin Captain Pollution, the villain vowed to return before dispersing. At first, this seems like a subversion as the evil rings that summoned him were destroyed in the end, but it was then double subverted as toxic chemicals revived him without the use of the rings.
  • Count Duckula: Towards the end of "Dear Diary," Goosewing's stake-loaded camera aimed at Duckula blows up in his face. As he leaves:
    Goosewing: Luck is on your side this time, you monster...but I, Dr. Ludwig Von Goosewing, world's greatest vampire hunter, will be back!
  • Vlad from Danny Phantom parodies this in his first appearance, which ends with him letting Danny go because he's threatening to reveal his identity, by acting over dramatic about it.
    • A heroic version is used when Wulf makes a Heroic Sacrifice to save Danny and send Walker back to the Ghost Zone, they would meet again. Played much straighter when Walker says the same thing.
  • Darkwing Duck:
  • The Fairly OddParents!
    • At the end of his first appearance, Crocker tells Timmy he's only won this round, he'll expose his fairies sooner or later.
    • Mama Cosma makes a similar vow at the end of her first appearance, vowing he'll split Cosmo and Wanda apart.
  • Fanboy and Chum Chum:
    • Subverted in the episode "The Winners". When Kyle is denied at wanting to take the boys' winning cup, he says to them, "Mark my words! This isn't over! I'll be back!" and disappears...only to come back a few seconds later, saying this is his mountain they're on right now, and sends them away instead.
    • Played straight at the end of "Risky Brizness", where Ozwald's cousin Brizwald escapes by flying away while promising that his cousin, Fanboy and Chum Chum haven't seen the last of him.
  • Barbados Slim in Futurama: Bender's Big Score subverts it. When Hermes gets his body fixed, his wife Labarbara finally dumps Barbados and returns to Hermes. Barbados's final line is, "You haven't seen the last of Barbados Slim. Now goodbye forever!" This was a bit of Leaning on the Fourth Wall as it was unknown at that point if the series would continue past the other three movies, and the writers weren't going to waste any of them on another Barbados/Hermes sub-plot.
  • Even though the Funbusters didn't appear in any other episodes, one of them makes such a statement at the end of the Garbage Pail Kids Cartoon episode "Batteries Not Included".
    Mr. Killjoy: You haven't heard the last of us!
  • The Garfield Show episode "T3000" ended with the titular dog-catching robot swearing revenge against Garfield, though his only other appearances in the series are a couple of cameos.
  • Gravity Falls:
    • Big Bad Bill Cipher does it a few times. Highlights include singing the love song "We'll Meet Again" in the series finale to FORD. And if you reverse some of his final lines as Stan punches him, he shouts out "A-X-O-L-O-T-L MY TIME HAS COME TO BURN. I INVOKE THE ANCIENT POWER THAT I MAY RETURN." Which he may have done in the post series ARG Cipher Hunt
    • Gideon does this in "The Hand that Rocks the Mabel" after his amulet is destroyed and promises the Pines twins this won't be the last they see of "widdle ol' him".
  • The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Made-for-TV Movie Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure humorously had Numbuh 3 make a threat as if she were a villain vowing revenge after Grim gets his job as Grim Reaper back.
    Numbuh 3: I'll get you for this, Grim, if it's the last thing I do!
  • At the end of episodes of The Hair Bear Bunch where Peevly comes up on the short end, he'd grumble "I'll get you for this, Hair!"
  • Halloween Is Grinch Night: After Euchariah distracts the Grinch long enough for the "sour-sweet wind" to die down, the Grinch is forced to give up his plans to terrorize Whoville, and he trudges back to his lair. On his way up the mountain, the Grinch says to himself "That wind will be coming back someday. I'll be coming back someday..." and lets out an Evil Laugh.
  • The Herculoids. At the end of "Return of Sta-Lak", the title villain says "And don't ever forget that I will be back!"
  • At the end of the Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi episode "Julie AmiYumi", the Japanese rock duo's former bandmate Julie, who wasn't seen or acknowledged in any of the previous episodes, promises to get even with Ami and Yumi.
  • Inspector Gadget ends most episodes with Dr. Claw proclaiming that he will get even with Gadget eventually, followed by his cat meowing in anger. The same line is also (and iconically) part of the end credits proper.
    "I'll get you next time, Gadget ... next time!"
  • Jonny Quest:
  • Olaf from Kaeloo frequently says this to whoever foils his plans to Take Over the World.
  • What all the villains in Kim Possible say when defeated.
    • Dr. Drakken's version of this trope is shouting, "You think you're all that, Kim Possible, but you're not!" while in full retreat. Sometimes, he inverts it with "We won't meet again!" after springing a Death Trap. Of course, Kim always escapes.
    • Drakken is particularly emphatic about it after his defeat in "So the Drama", which at the time was intended as the Grand Finale:
      Drakken: This is not over! Oh, this can't be over!
      Ron: Deal with it, dude. It's over.
  • In one LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales episode, during a retelling of the events of Revenge of the Sith, General Grievous is defenestrated from his flagship and says that the Jedi haven't seen the last of him. Quickly inverted when Count Dooku is sucked out as well and says that they have seen the last of him, replacing his death at Anakin's hands in the original movie.
  • Mega Man (Ruby-Spears): Done quite a few times by Dr. Wily to Mega Man, usually along the lines of "You haven't seen the last of me, Mega Man! I'll be back!"
  • The Megas XLR episode "S-Force S.O.S." ends with Zarrik swearing that he won't stay in jail for long.
    Zarrik: Oh, I'll be back, you inconsequential fools!
  • Miraculous Ladybug's Big Bad, Hawk Moth, will do this Once per Episode, swearing revenge on the titular Ladybug and Cat Noir.
  • Mira, Royal Detective: Any episode that features Manish and Ponoom will have them announce they will return someday following their plans exposed and getting arrested by Deputy Oosha, and Mira's response is she'll be ready.
  • The Russian cartoon Nu, Pogodi!! has it in the title.
  • At the end of all three direct-to-video Polly Pocket specials, Beth says this after her plans are ruined and vows revenge on Polly once again.
    • In the 2018 reboot, this is something Grizelle might say when Polly, Lila and Shani thwart her schemes.
  • The Powerpuff Girls (1998). At the end of one episode Him told the girls "But I assure you, I'll be baaaaack!''
  • The Real Ghostbusters:
    • The episode "Short Stuff" ends with the Ghostmaster swearing vengeance against the Ghostbusters after they've captured all three of the ghosts he sent to capture them.
      Ghostmaster: You win this time, but you haven't seen the last of me! I'll be back! I'll be back!
    • The Slimer! short "The Dirty Half-Dozen" ends with Goolem and Zugg being frozen and sent back to the South Pole. Both ghosts promise to get even with Slimer the next time they return to New York.
    • "Slimer Streak" ends with the Player promising that he'll return to have his revenge against the Ghostbusters. Unlike the Ghostmaster, Goolem, and Zugg, he never made good on his promise.
      The Player: You've won this time, Ghostbusters, but some time, we'll play again.
  • Defied for Black Comedy in a sketch of Robot Chicken: Cobra Commander starts to give a speech to this end to SEAL Team Six, but the SEAL team turns out to be a No-Nonsense Nemesis and annihilates him with assault rifle fire mid-speech.
  • Aku said this to Samurai Jack all the time. He even lampshaded it once. "We all know what's gonna happen. You'll swing your sword, I'll fly away, and probably say something like, 'I'll be back, Samurai!'"
  • When the titular "Train Bandits" from Sheriff Callie's Wild West force Callie to rescue her friends rather than go after them, she warns them that "You haven't seen the last of me!" She makes good on her promise towards the end of the story, capturing them.
  • Played with in The Simpsons episode "Brother from Another Series" where Sideshow Bob is arrested for a crime he didn't commit and Cecil, the real culprit, leans across and says to him: "Tell them they'll live to regret this." Bob screams it out the window, only to realise he's just incriminated himself.
    • Also, in the episode "The Great Louse Detective". Sideshow Bob states this before vanishing away: "We shall meet again, old friend. But now I must steal away into the night!"
  • Space Ghost. In "The Web" Black Widow uses that exact phrase to Space Ghost after he defeats her champion and she has to flee.
  • Star Wars Rebels. Subverted in "Twin Suns". Maul promises Ezra they will see each other again soon as Ezra leaves him and Obi-Wan Kenobi to their final duel. Even Ezra realizes this was just an empty threat, and tells the others upon his return to Chopper Base that they won't be seeing Maul again despite not having seen Maul die.
  • At the end of "Festival of the Fillies" from the 2003 incarnation of Strawberry Shortcake, the horse-napping villain Licorice Whip swears "You haven't seen the last of me!" The promise could be said to be fulfilled in the GBA game from the series Ice Cream Riding Camp, in which he is a character.
  • Also subverted in Super Friends in the episodes "Rub Three Times for Disaster" when the arrogant villain taunts the superheroes with the "He who fights..." couplet before making his escape. However, Wonder Woman immediately ropes the villain and hauls him back while saying, "He who fights the Super Friends is always captured in the end." (Except the Legion of Doom, that is.)
  • In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Bowser had his own catchphrase as a version of this — "He who koops and runs away lives to koop another day!" In other words, he left to reKOOPerate.
  • Used in Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go, when Skeleton King must retreat due to the rising sun:
    Skeleton King: This is only the beginning. I'll return more powerful than ever!
    Chiro: And we'll be waiting.
  • In the SWAT Kats episode "The Origin of Dr. Viper", the titular villain promises "You haven't seen the last of Dr. Viper!" as he escapes at the end.
  • The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat had the Elf swear vengeance against Felix at the end of "Superfelix".
  • At the end of The Venture Brothers episode "What Colour Is Your Cleansuit?", St. Cloud delivers a comically straight-faced version to Billy Quizboy:
    You win this time, but mark my words, and mark them well: I will get you, Quizboy.
  • Both episodes of Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa featuring Skull Duggery end with Skull Duggery vowing to get even with the C.O.W.-Boys after they defeat him.

    Real Life 
  • Real Life example/subversion: Asculf, was the last Norse king of Dublin. When the Normans invaded his city he fled with much of the population, only to return with a big army of Vikings. After a savage fight he was defeated and the Normans, in an uncharacteristically merciful move, decided to just exile him. Asculf promptly proclaimed he would be back again with a bigger army and recapture his city so they ended up beheading him on the spot.
  • "I shall return" General MacArthur on the US evacuation from the Philippines in World War II. His words when the US retook the islands: "I have returned". The US government and military actually wanted it changed to "We have returned" before the landings, but MacArthur refused to draw the attention away from himself. The return to the Philippines was itself controversial, with some arguing that they could have been bypassed entirely and that MacArthur insisted on retaking them purely for personal aggrandizement, while others argue that even if the latter part is true we really did owe it to our Philippine allies to liberate them as soon as possible.


 
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"I Will Return!"

For the first instance in the show where Adu Du swears he'd return, his getaway tractor beam is too slow, and BoBoiBoy hits him with one more Lightning Bolt on the way up.

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