History Main / AlwaysNeedWhatYouGaveUp

* In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', Mal takes exception to Jayne loading up on guns and ammo before the opening bank robbery, and tells him, "No grenades." Later, when Reavers turn up and the crew is racing to get away, Jayne sourly notes to Mal, [[SarcasmMode "Boy, sure would great if we had some grenades, don't you think?"]]

[[folder:FanWorks]]

'''Klink:''' [[AskAStupidQuestion Don't tell me what idiot!]]

* In the backstory of ''Film/BlackAdam'', [[spoiler:Adam's son Hurut is chosen as Champion by the Council of Wizards, with him using his powers to defy the tyrannical ruler of Khandag, Ahk-Ton. In retaliation, Ahk-Ton had his assassins attack Adam, with Hurut giving his father his powers in order to save his life. Unfortunately, the moment he was {{DePower}}ed, one of the assassins took the opportunity to murder Hurut]].

* In ''LightNovel/SoImASpiderSoWhat'', the main character becomes accustomed to being able to multi-task spellcasting, physical combat and information gathering and analysis thanks to the [[SplitPersonality Parallel Minds skill]], which creates additional mental copies of herself. [[SplitPersonalityTeam Their teamwork quickly becomes a staple of her battle ability.]] Later on, when she gets tired of [[EvilMatriarch Mother's]] attempts to direct her actions with [[VillainOverride Kin Control]], she decides to [[spoiler:send her Parallels through [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame the link connecting them formed by Kin Control]], beginning a [[BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind mental counterattack]] against Mother]] while the original Kumoko ([[NerdGlasses Information Brain]]) moves on. Without her Parallels, she is no longer able to perform all of these individual tasks simultaneously, but [[TemptingFate Kumoko believes she is safe even without them.]] Naturally, Mother's [[ItCanThink own]] [[BatmanGambit retaliation]], which prevents the Parallels from returning to the main body, results in Kumoko running into situations where the lack of her Parallels and their previous teamwork almost gets her killed numerous times from battles she would have otherwise handled quite easily.
* In ''LightNovel/TrashSkillGacha'', Duke Bahirst, already believing his youngest son Crest got away with murder for surviving his mother's DeathByChildbirth, accuses him of lying about a prophetic dream about the god-granted skill he had received because he couldn't use it yet, and exiles him to the [Lower World], which is effectively a death sentence. The day afterwards, the duke is called for an audience with the king, where the pope mentions a prophetic dream in which the kingdom would be invaded by hoards of monsters, but three special skills would be used to defend the land...one of which belongs to Crest Bahirst, which lands the Duke in hot water as he struggles to explain himself.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado'', after getting caught cheating with loaded dice, Tulio and Miguel act out a saber duel in order to get away. Upon reaching the roof of a building in their "fight", they promptly chuck the swords away before jumping over the roof to safety...[[OutOfTheFryingPan only to land right in front of a big angry bull]]. As Tulio put it:

** ''Chloe's Lament'': Chloe Wishes to [[RoleSwapAU trade places with Marinette]], [[WrongGenreSavvy believing this will ensure that]] she gets to become the new Ladybug and enjoy all the praise and admiration Marinette did while Mari is stuck as the Mayor's daughter that everybody despises. What she fails to recognize is that Chloe was disliked because of how much she [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections abused her status]]... status she no longer ''has'' in the new reality, meaning she's no longer [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty shielded from the consequences of her actions]].

This is also used sometimes as an explanation for ChaoticNeutral or ChaoticStupid actions. Contrast IDidWhatIHadToDo, which does the same as in this case, but for LawfulNeutral or LawfulStupid actions. Can cross with UnwantedAssistance if someone finds they need the very help of the person they told to leave them alone. See also CrossingTheBurntBridge for when a person severs ties with someone, only to end up needing to reach out to them again. For situations where a person gives something up because they feel the opportunity they needed it for wouldn't happen, only for it to happen immediately after giving the item up, see GaveUpTooSoon.

** During the climax, Jack's crew was being pursued by Barbosa's, so they pulled an EmergencyCargoDump of everything on the ''Interceptor'' so they'd go faster. Unfortunately, the ''Pearl'' catches up to them anyway, and because some "genius" decided to throw ''all'' the cannonballs overboard, the crew was forced to use {{Improvised Weapon}}s.

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'', after the ''Pearl'''s crew is cursed by the treasure of Cortez, "Bootstrap" Bill Turner, who disapproved of Barbossa's mutiny against Jack, thought it was a deserved punishment and sent out one of the gold pieces to his son to ensure the curse couldn't be broken. In response, Barbossa strapped him to a cannon and sent him to the bottom of the ocean. Unfortunately, it was later on that the crew learned that to break the curse, in addition to returning all the gold pieces to Cortez's chest, everyone who took a piece had to repay with their blood...which included Bootstrap's.

* Narrowly averted in ''[[Film/StarWarsEwokAdventures Ewoks: Caravan of Courage]]''. Before the quest began, the members of the caravan are granted totems by the Ewoks' medicine man. While everyone else receives useful and amazing {{Plot Coupon}}s, Mace receives...a rock. [[MyNewGiftIsLame Feeling it worthless]], he throws it away before the caravan begins. It's only towards the climax does he learn [[ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest the rock did have a use]]: inside was a mystical arrowhead that would lead to the entrance of the lair of the Gorax. Fortunately, Wicket had picked it up immediately after he had discarded it and had been holding onto it the whole time.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado'', after getting caught cheating with loaded dice, Tulio and Miguel act out a saber duel in order to get away. Upon reaching the roof of a building in their "fight", they promptly chuck the swords away before jumping over the roof to safety...only to land right in front of a big angry bull. As Tulio put it:

* In the final season of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', in order to [[NoManShouldHaveThisPower prevent it from being used for evil]], the Rangers split the powerful Zeo Crystal into five pieces and scatter them throughout time and space. However, after Master Vile reverses time and their power coins are destroyed by Rita and Zedd, the only way the Rangers can return time to normal and restore their powers is to go on [[TheQuest a quest through time]] to [[GottaCatchEmAll regain the Zeo Crystal fragments]].

This is also used sometimes as an explanation for ChaoticNeutral or ChaoticStupid actions. Contrast IDidWhatIHadToDo, which does the same as in this case, but for LawfulNeutral or LawfulStupid actions. Can cross with UnwantedAssistance if someone finds they need the very help of the person they told to leave them alone. See also CrossingTheBurntBridge for when a person severs ties with someone, only to end up needing it again. For situations where a person gives something up because they feel the opportunity they needed it for wouldn't happen, only for it to happen immediately after giving the item up, see GaveUpTooSoon.

This is also used sometimes as an explanation for ChaoticNeutral or ChaoticStupid actions. Contrast IDidWhatIHadToDo, which does the same as in this case, but for LawfulNeutral or LawfulStupid actions. Can cross with UnwantedAssistance if someone finds they need the very help of the person they told to leave them alone. For situations where a person gives something up because they feel the opportunity they needed it for wouldn't happen, only for it to happen immediately after giving the item up, see GaveUpTooSoon.

* In the movie ''Film/SupermanII'', Superman gives up his superpowers for Lois Lane -- just before he needs them in order to defeat the Phantom Zone villains. In the original cut of the film, the means by which he recovers his abilities -- by consuming the energy that powered the Fortress of Solitude's holographic projections of his parents -- is not revealed to the audience, as Marlon Brando had refused to appear in the movie after original director Richard Donner was fired. The recently released Donner cut of the film includes this scene.

* In Myth/NorseMythology, Frey gives up the sword-that-can-fight-by-itself in order to gain the love of a giantess. Thus, during Ragnarok, [[EvilIsBurningHot Surtr]] [[KarmaHoudini will not be defeated]], and will devour the universe with fire leaving only a small hand full of gods to repopulate it.

* Invoked in one episode of ''Series/HogansHeroes'' as part of a plan to get a soldier out of the cooler, where the POWs sabotage Klink's bathroom sink, forcing Klink to release the soldier (who the POWs make him think is a plumber) because Klink's old plumbing specialist was sent to the Russian front.

* In ''LightNovel/TrashSkillGaucha'', Duke Bahirst, already believing his youngest son Crest got away with murder for surviving his mother's DeathByChildbirth, accuses him of lying about a prophetic dream about the god-granted skill he had received because he couldn't use it yet, and exiles him to the [Lower World], which is effectively a death sentence. The day afterwards, the duke is called for an audience with the king, where the pope mentions a prophetic dream in which the kingdom would be invaded by hoards of monsters, but three special skills would be used to defend the land...one of which belongs to Crest Bahirst, which lands the Duke in hot water as he struggles to explain himself.

* In ''Manga/TrashSkillGaucha'', Duke Bahirst, already believing his youngest son Crest got away with murder for surviving his mother's DeathByChildbirth, accuses him of lying about a prophetic dream about the god-granted skill he had received because he couldn't use it yet, and exiles him to the [Lower World], which is effectively a death sentence. The day afterwards, the duke is called for an audience with the king, where the pope mentions a prophetic dream in which the kingdom would be invaded by hoards of monsters, but three special skills would be used to defend the land...one of which belongs to Crest Bahirst, which lands the Duke in hot water as he struggles to explain himself.

* In the second season premiere of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', when the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Dark Hand Enforcers]] are robbing a bank using the talismans divided up amongst them, Finn has the Immortality and Healing talismans, which he feels is [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment redundant]], so he trades the Healing talisman to Ratso for the [[EyeBeams Heat-Beam Eyes]] talisman. He later finds out that while he's immortal, he can still suffer painful injuries as when he smashes into [[LowClearance a cliff above a tunnel]].

* In ''Manga/TrashSkillGaucha'', Duke Bahirst, already believing his youngest son Crest got away with murder for surviving his mother's DeathByChildbirth, accuses him of lying about a prophetic dream in which he received a gift from god, and exiles him to the [Lower World], which is effectively a death sentence. The day afterwards, the duke is called for an audience with the king, where the pope mentions a prophetic dream in which the kingdom would be invaded by hoards of monsters, but three special skills would be used to defend the land...one of which belongs to Crest Bahirst, which lands the Duke in hot water as he struggles to explain himself.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz'', four of the five protagonists voluntarily send their Gundams away on a vessel bound for the Sun, intending to destroy them now that they supposedly are no longer needed. Almost immediately afterwards, Mariemaia Khushrenada starts her rebellion with a massive army of Mobile Suits that only the Gundams can stop, sending the protagonists scrambling to recover them [[RaceAgainstTheClock before they fly into the Sun]].

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': During the Second Wizarding War, James Potter lent Albus Dumbledore his family's heirloom, the Invisibility Cloak, as he figured out that the Fidelius Charm was enough to protect his family from Voldemort. Unfortunately, the Secret Keeper ended up snitching on them, and Dumbledore muses that had James had the cloak with him, he and Lily might have survived the war.

* In the RecursiveFanfiction, ''Fanfic/LilasLament'', Lila controlled things around her to manipulate people into catering to her whims and escape consequences for her lies. But by wishing to have Adrien’s life as a TeenIdol, she loses any sort of control over anything in her life, from the spreading of her lies to every media platform to [[ControlFreak Gabriel]] micromanaging ever minute of her day.

** After inadvertently cutting down Shandia's sacred trees[[note]]though not without good reason[[/note]], Montblanc Noland had his crew leave behind the gold they had received as penance. Upon returning the Lvneel and telling the king about what he found, he lead the king and his men back to Jaya, only to find the Shandians were gone, having been blasted into the sky by a Knock-Up Stream. Without the gold to verify his story, the king thought that Noland had tricked and made a fool out of him, [[DisproportionateRetribution resulting in him being executed]].