History Main / AttackAttackRetreatRetreat

* ''Literature/MonsterHunterInternational Nemesis'': "An intruder! Seize him!...[[OhCrap Oh, shit!]] It's [[WorldsStrongestMan Fra]][[FrankensteinsMonster nks!]] Run!"

* ''Film/{{Evolution}}'': An alien burrows into Harry Block's leg.

'''Harry Block:''' ''TAKE IT! TAKE IT! TAKE THE LEG!!!''

* ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' had a boss which gave commands to a train throughout a level. For most of the level, you chase him down as he shouts "Step on the gas!" to his subordinates, but if you hit a series of 8 switches before a certain point in the track, you can change his route so that he crashes into a supply depot. Upon realizing what you've done, he shouts "No! Hit the Braaaakes!", but it's too little too late. [[StuffBlowingUp The resulting explosion takes out the entire base]], which was the actual intent of the mission.

---> '''Guy:''' There's no rules! ''[starts taking off his shirt]''\\

* The C-rank idiot trio in ''Manga/WorldTrigger'' launches a successful assault on a Bamster, complete with a [[PreAsskickingOneLiner cool entrance]] and a flashy name for their combination attack. As soon as it's destroyed a modded Rabbit, a terrifying looking enemy they've never seen before, climbs out of it and fires a powerful beam at them. This prompts an immediate retreat in the opposite direction.

* ''Film/MuppetTreasureIsland'': The island Boars show up and are about to [[TheCavalry provide reinforcements]] against the pirates, but are scared off when Long John Silver shoots off the headdress of the lead boar.
-->'''Chief Boar''': You! Tiny pirate men stand down, or die like stinking dogs!
-->''[Long John Silver [[HatDamage shoots off the headdress]]]''
-->'''Chief Boar''': Ah. Me see you have [[ThisIsMyBoomstick boom-boom sticks]]. ''[{{Beat}}]'' Bye-bye.
-->''[tribe runs away]''

-->'''Happy Hogan''': I gotta get you guys out of here! Get on the jet!\\
'''MJ''': Who are you?\\
'''Happy Hogan''': I work with Spider-Man!\\
'''Flash Thompson''': You work for Spider-Man?\\
'''Happy Hogan''': I work ''with'' Spider-Man, not ''for'' Spider-Man! ''[One of Mysterio's drones blows up the jet]'' New plan!

* ''Series/TheATeam'': In [[Recap/TheATeamS2E14InPlaneSight "In Plane Sight"]], Pete and Mack run after Murdock after finding out that he isn't who he says he is...only to turn around and run the opposite way when they're met by Hannibal, Face, and B.A., who had been hiding around the corner of a nearby building.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E2TheGhostMonument "The Ghost Monument"]], when the Doctor and company are hiding from [=SniperBots=], Ryan decides to [[IKnowMortalKombat go]] ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' on them, grabbing the gun of a downed one and running out to attack, shooting three of them... only for the three robots to stand right back up again, and Ryan realizes he doesn't know how to reload, sending him running back for cover. The Doctor is none too impressed.

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[[folder:Web Comics]]

-->'''Mayor''': If you can't find Sam, find another pair of scissors. I want to open this museum!\\
'''Helix''': Here are your scissors back. Thank you. Have to run now. Bye!\\
'''Mayor''' ''[squinting suspiciously]'': I do not want to open this museum.

* A close variant in [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/31/ strip #31]] of ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'':
-->'''Princess & Mimic:''' Cross the bridge!!!\\

* Has a trend of occurring in ''[[LetsPlay/{{Dream}} Dream's]]'' Manhunts. The most obvious examples are the 3 hunters chasing Dream, only to see him drinking a potion (including the famous Fire Resistance potion gambit), then immediately run away, due to the absurd damage output of the potions, able to easily chew through iron armor.

* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' episode 10 has Grog say "I would like to Rage" as per the norm during a battle, but since there was an order given to retreat, he adds "...and RUN!". Hilariously, being in Rage mode ''does'' help him leg it quicker.
* ''Website/ChannelAwesome'':

** In ''WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee'': "The control room is this way!" *''[[MoreDakka brakka brakka brakka]]''* "Detour!"

** At one point in "Road To Andalay", [[WesternAnimation/SylvesterTheCatAndTweetyBird Sylvester]] sics Malcolm Falcon on WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales, but the falcon, clinging to Sylvester's gloved hand, carries the cat aloft as he flies into the air. Sylvester yells for Malcolm to let go. Malcolm obliges, opening up his talons and releasing his grip on Sylvester's glove, only for the cat to discover that [[GravityIsAHarshMistress he is several feet in the air]]. As he falls, Sylvester yells for Malcolm to grab him again.

-->''[Cash register rings]''\\

'''Porky:''' ''[As he hands a customer his dollar back]'' Here's your refund.\\

** In the same war, a more straight example happened during the siege of Erisana. The Roman general Servilianus had the city besieged and was near surrendering it, but the chieftain Viriathus came to the city's aid and somehow managed to sneak his army inside of the walls during the night without the Romans noticing. When Servilianus was about to order what he believed to be the final assault against the walls at dawn, he was shocked to see Viriathus and his forces coming out the gates and butchering his siege workers, and was forced to make his entire army retreat.

* During The Orange Island Saga on ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', Jesse's Lickitung chases after a pair of Nidoran and chases them into a cave. Two seconds later, it's running out in terror as they come back out with [[PapaWolf Nidoking]].

* ''VideoGame/SpyroTheDragon'': ''VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage'': This trope doubles as DidntThinkThisThrough with Ripto. When the title villain summons his monster Gulp to do away with Spyro after Crush is defeated, Gulp tries to get through the door, but the impact causes the roof to cave in on them and they retreat.

* In ''Film/HomeAlone'', burglars Harry and Marv are forced into this when they try to monkey bar across a tightrope to Kevin’s treehouse in pursuit of him and Kevin picks up a pair of lawn choppers.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'' the reversal is shared between two different characters, with the first requesting for release from his prison and the latter asking for the safety of the bars instead:

* ''VideoGame/TheLastSovereign'': A [[HornyDevils succubus]] commander is refusing to retreat or surrender in the face of overwhelming odds, despite her troops' protests, when suddenly Aka surprises the commander with a knife to her back. Before Aka can even get a sentence out she surrenders immediately much to Aka's bewilderment and her underling's incredulity. Her reasoning is that there's no honor in surrendering to a bunch of grunts, a sexy assassin chick on the other hand...

''[cuts to the Blues]''\\

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* After a running battle against a horde of mooks with small arms, the protagonist call a retreat, prompting complaints from one their Tachikoma's (a [[ArtificialIntelligence sentient]] SpiderTank that is imprevious to small arms) that it wants to fight some more. Seconds later, one of the mooks fires an anti-tank rocket in their direction, prompting the Tachikoma to flee immediately.

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* One has to look carefully in order to find it, but the ''Machinima/LeeroyJenkinsVideo'' has Leeroy himself doing this after his guildmates rush in.
* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'':

* The Kritzkrieg edition of ''Machinima/TeamServiceAnnouncement'' has the RED Demoman ordering his team's Medic, Pyro, and Scout to attack a Kritzkrieg-charged BLU Soldier. [[LudicrousGibs This ends messily]] and [[BloodyHilarious hilariously]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'':

* Disney's ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973'', when Robin is chained up and about to be executed:

--->'''Bugs Bunny:''' How's the water, Doc?\\
'''Sam:''' Open that bridge, varmint! Open it, I say!\\

** The title character has this to say: "Abu! {{This is no time to panic}}!... [[YouMayPanicNow Start panicking]]!"

'''Kit:''' [[YouCanPanicNow You can start screaming now!]]

* Unintentional in ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' with the speed-boosting warcry "Retreat!" Rarely used to retreat, mostly used as the most demotivational gap closer or travel convenience in history.

* Disney's ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'', when Robin is chained up and about to be executed:

** Echoed in "Captain Hareblower", this time with Sam trying to swing aboard Bugs's ship, only to end up swinging into a cannon. Same words, same results.

* ''Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses'':
** In the first episode of ''WebVideo/{{Kickassia}}'', Team TGWTG's frenzied charge on the nation of Molossia is cut short when the President pulls a machinegun on them, causing them to run away in a panic.

* ''WesternAnimation/IceAge2TheMeltdown'', with Sid the Sloth near the end.

* In ''WesternAnimation/IceAge3DawnOfTheDinosaurs'', Crash and Eddie charge at a carnivorous plant while carrying sticks like swords and yelling battle cries...then run away screaming from the plant's attacking vines.