History Main / CruelMercy

* WebVideo/TheDebbieAndCarrieShow: Sandy Smith had Rev. Dave Owen arrested for disturbing the peace at her restaurant, the Tuscany Tavern, but then bailed him out of jail after only a few hours because she realized he had done it as a publicity stunt, and her freeing him would ruin his own credibility. Then she and several others proceeded to give him versions of TheReasonYouSuck"Speech. Her ploy worked, because Rev. Owen was soon fired by his own church for his stunt and how it had backfired so badly.

* WebVideo/TheDebbieandCarrieShow: Sandy Smith had Rev. Dave Owen arrested for disturbing the peace at her restaurant, the Tuscany Tavern, but then bailed him out of jail after only a few hours because she realized he had done it as a publicity stunt, and her freeing him would ruin his own crediblity. Then she and several others proceeded to give him versions of TheReasonYouSuck"Speech.

* ''Theatre/TheLaramieProject''. Based on the real-life trial following the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard, the victim's father says that while their family believes in the death penalty, they ask the jury to instead give the murderers consecutive life sentences to honor their son and show the killers the mercy that they didn't show.

** Dennis Shephard, father of [[Theatre/TheLaramieProject Matthew Shephard]], invoked this during [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech a statement in court]] to one of his son's murderers.
---> Mr. [=McKinney=], I am going to grant you life, as hard as that is for me to do so, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday or the 4th of July, remember that Matt isn't. Every time that you wake up in that prison cell, remember you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. Every time that you see your cell mate, remember that you had a choice, and now you are living that choice. You robbed me of something very precious, and I will never forgive you for that. [=McKinney=], I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life, and may you thank Matthew every day for it.

---> Mr. [=McKinney=], I am going to grant you life, as hard as it is to do so, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, the 4th of July, remember that Matt isn't. Every time that you wake up in your prison cell, remember you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. You robbed me of something very precious and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. [=McKinney=], I give you life in the memory of someone who no longer lives. May you have a long life. And may you thank Matthew every day for it.

** Dennis Shephard, father of [[Theatre/TheLaramieProject Matthew Shephard]], invoked this during [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech a statement in court]] to one of his son's murders.

--> "'''This is a terrible ending!!!'''"

--> "This is a ''terrible'' ending!!!"

* ''WebOriginal/LoomingGaia'': In "Red Orchid" the Freelance Good Guys find Orchid, who sexually assaulted Isaac and tried to feed him to an anthousai, pinned to a tree and being eaten by western greenworms, and decide to leave her there to suffer a long death instead of killing her.

* In pre-modern times, [[TheExile exile]] was this. Being kicked out of your country's borders with no way home, no support network, and a strong likelihood of being unable to speak the local language or know the way to a civilization, much less a friendly one.

** Another variation is excommunication from a religious institution. Execution is kinder, as it still grants rites that allow the dead to go to their proper place in the afterlife. Excommunication means both being cut off from your social support network in this life and damnation in the next one[[note]]This is why in the 11th to the 16th century, excommunication was the ''preferred'' method of dealing with a terrible enemy. Many a bribe passed into Papal hands to ensure that the proper judgment was rendered[[/note]].

** Marooning, the naval practice of abandoning someone on a beach, is a variation of this. Ironically, the stereotypical desert island was a kinder punishment than a location with food and potable water: even assuming the latter scenario wasn't a HungryJungle, the poor mapping and navigation of the era meant discovery was virtually impossible, and the marooned sailor would GoMadFromTheIsolation.

** Depending on how you interpret it, the BigBad Angelo suffers this as well. The Duke doesn't have him killed but forces him to wed a wife he didn't want and live after having his crimes revealed publically. His original plan was to have him marry her and then be killed, but he ultimately changes his mind.

* In Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/TheMerchantOfVenice'', [[AmbiguouslyGay Antonio]] insists on Shylock, a Jew, converting to Christianity as punishment for what he's done. For a Jew, that's... let's just say bad. In Yiddish, the word for "Jew", "yid", is used as a synonym for "person". As a former Jew, he'd be neither accepted by the Jewish community nor the Christian one. And as what's a pitiful parting shot in comparison, Antonio takes some of his money and forces him to bequeath his estate to his runaway daughter and son-in-law in his will.

* Zigzagged in ''TabletopGame/TheDarkEye'' by the Trollzacker barbarians. Due to their religious belief, that every suffering in life means to lessen the unavoidable suffering in the afterlife, their worst punishments involve banishment and painless forms of death. If on the other side, a captured fighter is regarded as a WorthyOpponent, he will be tortured to death in days-long rituals as [[ValuesDissonance a token of respect and mercy]].

* As many stories in the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' setting have proven, may the gods help you (Hah, we're kidding, there are no gods here) if you try to cheat, con, steal from, or harm the Vistani. They are notorious for [[GypsyCurse inflicting dark and horrible curses]] on anyone who does, and victims of such often wish they were never born.

* The final choice of the case "Farewell, My Turnabout" of the second ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' game offers you the chance to dish this out. [[spoiler: After a perilous, nerve-wracking few days, in which Phoenix's assistant Maya has been held captive by Shelley de Killer, a ProfessionalKiller who's threatened to kill her unless Phoenix gets his newest client a "not guilty" verdict in just one day, Phoenix discovered all too late that his client, Matt Engarde, was actually TheSociopath who ''really is guilty'' because he hired de Killer to kill his business rival. You've been doing your damnedest to stall for time in court in the hopes that some kind of miracle might allow you to save Maya and expose Engarde, but prosecutor Franziska von Karma and Detective Gumshoe [[BigDamnHeroes finally pull through with the evidence you need at the last second]] and Phoenix manages to TakeAThirdOption by letting de Killer know (via a radio conversation) that Engarde betrayed him by filming the murder as blackmail. de Killer, who values the trust between himself and his clients above all else, releases Maya and vows to hunt Engarde to the ends of the earth to get his revenge. Engarde's massive ego [[BreakTheHaughty immediately flies out the window]] and he begins sweating bullets from the realization that there's basically nothing he can do to protect himself from a world-class assassin who will stop at ''nothing'' to kill him. You're presented with an absolutely delicious choice: convict Engarde to send him to prison, or declare him innocent so he'll be let loose and be marked for death the second he steps foot outside. If you choose the latter, he actually ''begs'' to be sent to prison on the off chance that he might be a little safer behind bars. No matter what you pick, he goes to jail, and justice is finally served.]]

* In the WebAnimation/YouTubePoop "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OVCpD-7nI4 One more Final: I need you(Tube Poop)]]" After Zelda's death, Link tries to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff but ends up landing on Yoshi, injuring him and eventually killing him. Luigi heads to Link with a gun but ends up refusing to kill him despite his pleadings, preferring to let him live with the misery of Zelda's death.

There is no typical Cruel Mercy; each is tailored to the person for maximum effect. However, there are a few repeating variations. Sometimes, one is just allowed to live, especially if he believes MightMakesRight and AsskickingEqualsAuthority, and now that he isn't the strongest, his self-esteem is non-existent. Similarly, some villains lose it because GoodHurtsEvil and EvilCannotComprehendGood, so the hero's mercy is a kind of BrownNote. For others, the hero may force them into a mundane life where they go through a daily mental HumiliationConga. Still, more might refuse to take a life themselves but [[ThrowEmToTheWolves won't deny others]] -- [[DoWithHimAsYouWill especially those who have been wronged by the villain]] -- their own chance. In some situations, the hero may decide that being left to [[ThePunishmentIsTheCrime live with the consequences of his actions]] is the most fitting punishment for the villain. And sometimes, if the villain is too dangerous to let free, he is trapped in a TailorMadePrison along with the people he hates most in the world, or with a view of something he despises or which upsets him...

** Shimei is restricted to a house in Jerusalem, and is not allowed to cross the Brook Kidron under penalty of death. After three years, two of Shimei's servants run away to Gath, and Shimei goes to Gath to retrieve them. Afterward, Solomon has Shimei executed.

* ''Medieval Times'' ends with the champion of the knight's tournmant defeating the [[BigBad Herald of the North]] in what the latter intended to be a DuelToTheDeath. However, the King of Spain -- as a way of "honoring" the Herald's valor -- opted not to execute him, instead sentencing him to life imprisonment.

* Zigzagged in ''TabletopGame/TheDarkEye'' by the Trollzacker barbarians. Due to their religious belief, that every suffering in life means to lessen the unavoidable suffering in the afterlife, their worst punishments involve banishment and painless forms of death. If on the other side, a captured fighter is regarded as a WorthyOpponent, he will be tortured to death in days long rituals as [[ValuesDissonance a token of respect and mercy]].

* As many stories in the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' setting have proven, may the gods help you (Hah, we're kidding, there are no gods here) if you to try to cheat, con, steal from or harm the Vistani. They are notorious for [[GypsyCurse inflicting dark and horrible curses]] on anyone who does, and victims of such often wish they were never born.

* In the ''[[TabletopGame/YuGiOh Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' TCG, there are a few cards that prevent your opponent's monsters from being destroyed by battle, such as Underworld Dragon Dragonecro and Serpent Suppression. However, this is not to help your opponent stand up better to you. The first one, while keeping the monster it battles alive, drains away its ATK points (and soul, in the manga), leaving only a 0 ATK point carcass instead, and even creates a token for its controller with the drained ATK as its Attack points. As for the second one, it is seen in Reptilliane decks, which focus on making the ATK of opponent monsters 0. Combined with this card, they can relentlessly keep attacking the weakened monsters, who, despite not being destroyed, are still inflicted with damage which their controller takes. Some Combos are even famous, such as using a card that prevents destruction by battle on an opponent monster and keeps attacking it with a monster with the ability to attack multiple times, such as the infamous Chimeratech Overdragon, Great Poseidon Beetle, and Number C107: Neo Galaxy-eyes Tachyon Dragon.

* ''WebAnimation/MinecraftEndventures'': Wrecker left the RebelLeader alive after killing his familly during his first encounter with him to "let his sorrow consume him".

* ''WebAnimation/WalrusGuy'': In "One More Final: I Need You(tube Poop)", Link attempts jumping off a cliff after Zelda overdoses, but accidentally ends up landing on Yoshi and injuring him severly. After Yoshi's death, Luigi decides to take revenge by shooting Link, but changes his mind when Link tells him to go ahead.

** She gives in to Bai Ting and Liang Qun, agreeing to divorce Liang Qun so the two can marry. However, [[spoiler:by this point Liang Qun has already seen Bai Ting's true colours and no longer wants to be with her, but Su Lüxia later manipulates events to force them to marry and see her revenge through]].

* One of the many, many arguments thrown about between pro-death penalty/anti-death penalty groups is the theory that spending the remainder of one's life in prison is a [[FateWorseThanDeath harsher sentence than being executed]]. But the pro-death-penalty people note there are people like [[TheSociopath true psychopaths]] (as noted a few times above) who will ''never'' see it that way; as long as they're ''alive'', they'll never stop conspiring to win: be it by trying to break out, by trying to corrupt the prison, or by ''any'' other way they can devise. In which case, DeathIsTheOnlyOption.

--> Mr. [=McKinney=], I am going to grant you life, as hard as it is to do so, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, the 4th of July, remember that Matt isn't. Every time that you wake up in your prison cell, remember you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. You robbed me of something very precious and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. [=McKinney=], I give you life in the memory of someone who no longer lives. May you have a long life. And may you thank Matthew every day for it.

** Paul the apostle's ministry starts off as this, as God having him suffer for the torment he had caused (albeit in ignorance) upon God's servants when he was still Saul the Pharisee. However, over time Paul realizes the grace and mercy he has been given and even rejoices in his suffering for the Gospel's sake.
* In Greek mythology, Arachne is a skilled weaver who credits herself for her weaving abilities instead of the gods. Athena comes down and challenges Arachne to a weaving contest. Athena's weaving depicts the fates of mortals who considered themselves equal to the gods; Arachne's weaving depicts the alleged faults and shortcomings of the gods, and their alleged ill treatment of mortals. Athena is so infuriated by Arachne's weaving that she tears it to shreds. Arachne attempts to hang herself in shame, only for Athena to prevent it, transforming Arachne from a human into a wretched spider.

* Turkish Sultan Alp Arslan did this to the captured Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV after crushing his army in the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Manzikert Battle of Manzikert]]. His own court quickly deposed him, and later [[EyeScream had him blinded]].

** Similarly, being declared an outlaw. Make yourself annoying enough to those in power by not following the laws, and rather than seek you out and cast you into a dungeon, the King declares you literally "outside the law"; if you refuse to obey the laws, you also don't receive their protection, and anybody may rob, beat up, and even murder you without any penalty.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* It's unclear in ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'' whether Nagisa realizes this, but his finishing move against [[spoiler: Takaoka]] counts as this. Even as it's happening, he knows that he'll never get Nagisa's smile out of his nightmares. It may have been kinder to just kill him.
-->'''Nagisa''': [sincerely, with a genuine smile] [[spoiler: Takaoka-sensei]], thank you very much.
* ''LightNovel/TheDeathMageWhoDoesntWantAFourthTime'': Our protagonist can do this if he thinks his enemies deserve punishment without killing them. The first example is the townspeople who watched in enjoyment as his mother burns at the stake, so he uses his magic to make their fields, walls and houses just, walk away, leaving them helpless.
** He decides to get payback on the Mirg nation for attacking his new home by sending an army of undead, their own army at that, to harass the villagers and forcing them to evacuate. He then steals their crops, poisons their waters and fields and leaves some undead for good measure, turning thousands of people who had benefitted from expelling him and the Ghoul tribe who took him in from that territory, into refugees.
* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'':
** Goku planned to do this to Frieza during their fight on Namek, beating the tyrant senseless and driving him to a VillainousBreakdown before deciding that, with Frieza's ego in shambles over having been defeated by [[FantasticRacism a Saiyan of all beings]], he's NotWorthKilling, outright telling him as such and ordering Frieza to "go crawl off someplace and hide" and continue to live with the shame of his defeat. Later, after Frieza [[AnArmAndALeg lost his arm]] and [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe entire lower body]], he tried it again before flying away. It backfires both times: the entire reason Frieza lost his limbs in the first place was because he [[HoistByHisOwnPetard got hit with his own energy disc]], and when Goku gave him some energy to at least survive, Frieza turned around and tried to kill him with it; by this point, Goku is done giving Frieza chances and blows him away, outright [[YouFool calling him a fool]] for not just walking away when he had the chance.
** Earlier, after Goku tricks Captain Ginyu into [[BodySurf switching bodies with a frog]], Vegeta chooses not to kill him for this reason, finding Ginyu being forced to live life as a frog amusing.
** In ''Anime/DragonBallSuper''[='s=] ''Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF'' adaptation, Gohan easily beats Ginyu-in-Tagoma's body despite being out of shape and only able to hold Super Saiyan form for a few moments. He spares Ginyu and tells him to get lost. This pisses off Frieza so badly, as it reminded him of the aforementioned mercy Goku gave him, that he goes and ''tortures Gohan for it.''
** Frieza could actually be considered a {{Deconstruction}} of this trope. Every time Goku showed mercy with the intent of making him live with the shame, Frieza would either attempt to kill him or blow up the planet, [[spoiler:the latter of which in ''Resurrection F'' and ''Super'' killed everyone on Earth and would have lead to a bad ending if Whis hadn't turned back time]]. Frieza is the type of foe who ''needs'' to be killed.
* ''Manga/FinalFantasyLostStranger'': When Sara announces her desire to spare the Magus Sisters despite their crimes, Cindy scoffs at her and asks if she wants them to suffer even more. Sara replies that she indeed wants them to suffer, but also to atone so they can work together to produce a better Mysidia.
* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'':
** Kenshiro ends up doing this to Souther, partially. While he does ensure that Souther eventually dies soon enough, the fact that he actually does show mercy to Souther is the dagger through the heart of Souther, who himself had sworn off all kinds of mercy, making it a heavy blow onto his pride. Possibly Amiba as well. Kenshiro doesn't directly kill him and mocks Amiba's inability to avert his fate.
** He also subjects this to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CEsO0TE5Sk one particular thug]] with Hokuto Goukin Bundan Kyaku (Iron Muscle Shredding Kick). Unlike [[CruelAndUnusualDeath the fates]] of many other thugs that dealt with Kenshiro, this thug just got the muscles of his arms shredded, but by doing so deprived him of his brute strength he used to bully others. Kenshiro then suggested that the thug uses what remains of his life to live an honest life instead of bullying others since he left enough strength for the thug to do that. The thug fled the scene crying because he couldn't do whatever he wants anymore.
* Veronica of ''Manga/FrankenFran'' makes one friend (Yura) in her month-long stay at a girl's school. [[TeensAreMonsters Every other student performs multiple acts of bullying, from dumping water on her to writing on her clothes.]] [[spoiler:In the end, none of the bullies (except one) are harmed, and her friend turned out to be the one who was behind all the bullying and sold the bullied girls to pedophiles. Veronica brutally kills the men in Yura's room, along with the bully, and leaves Yura there to explain the situation to the authorities.]]
** The real irony is that it was true mercy: while even TheIngenue HumanoidAbomination Adorea managed to make some friends in that school, Veronica has NoSocialSkills nor the slightest idea how to make a friend. [[spoiler:She knew from the very beginning that Yura was a FalseFriend. Even so, Veronica really felt that a false friendship is better than nothing, so Veronica led Yura into her own plan, trying to enjoy the most of their false relationship. That simulation really [[ItMeantSomethingToMe meant something to Veronica]], and for that, [[YouWillBeSpared Yura was spared]].]] The last panel shows her denying her tears to Adorea.
* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' (both the manga and the ''Brotherhood'' series), Scar does a violent variation (not exactly mercy) to Dr. Marcoh and ''really'' makes it clear that post-HeelFaceTurn, he's still an AntiHero. Marcoh comes to Scar admitting that he had created the Philosopher's Stones which were used to wipe out most of the population of Ishval (Scar's country). While Scar has in the past killed state alchemists for less, he's cooled by this point and is also taken aback when Marcoh begs for death (Marcoh had been threatened by Lust and Envy that if he didn't make another Stone for them, they would kill Macoh's entire village). So, what does Scar do? He "helps" Marcoh to fake his death by using his powers to horribly disfigure his face.
** And by this point, Marcoh loathes himself so much that he doesn't really care. While he has the skill and opportunity to repair the damage later, he decides to keep it as penance.
** It also served a practical purpose: No one besides the homunculi was able to recognize the disfigured doctor, allowing him and Scar's group to travel with more ease.
* In ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'', after Motoko goes [[UnstoppableRage completely berserk]] and unloads a full clip of a .50 cal anti-material rifle [[ShortRangeLongRangeWeapon point blank]] into Gayle's Armed Suit cockpit for nearly killing her, running out of ammo is the only thing that stops her from killing him. At that point, the pressure from the denting of the armor plating was suffocating him inside his suit. She only allowed him to live so that he would forever regret ever hunting her down.
* ''Anime/GingaDensetsuWeed'': Hiro leaving Kamakiri to recover by himself (not likely) comes to this. Hiro has left the Irish Wolfhound wounded, bloodied, de-fanged, and castrated on the ground, but instead of killing him for [[YouKilledMyFather killing his father when he was a puppy]], he leaves him there after saying to live with his wounds to understand the feelings and pain of others. Kamakiri tries to attack him one last time... but fails, leaving him howling in pain and rage as his death arrives.
* In ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', Josuke, the protagonist of part 4 has a Stand that allows him to [[CombatMedic restore things to their original estate, including wounds]]. However, when he's angry he can use his powers in pretty sadistic ways. Like one villain who ended up crippled in the hospital, was visited by Josuke. The villain immediately started pleading that he wouldn't hit a poor, crippled man in a hospital. Josuke heals him back to perfect health just so he can ''beat him up so bad he cripples him again''.
--> '''Josuke:''' If I heal you up first, then I figure it's a fair fight, right?
* A meta-example comes from ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam'', which has its primary antagonist Katejina Loos lose both her eyesight and her memory in the final battle to make a surprise appearance at the very end where she is reduced to TheOphelia. The decision to spare Katejina from death was motivated by this trope, as Creator/YoshiyukiTomino detailed in an interview, describing Katejina as having committed too many war crimes for death alone to be a sufficient punishment. As he directly puts it, "Life was a heavier punishment for her".
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'', Allelujah Haptism receives a cruel mercy from the Federation after the loss of Celestial Being in Season 1. Instead of being killed by the federation, Allelujah [[FateWorseThanDeath faced his worse fate]] in their hand by being placed in isolated prison, being muzzled and straitjacketed, and receive dozen torment and interrogation by the federation for 4 years before he finally being saved by his comrade thanks to Nena and Liu Mei information.
* In ''Anime/MonsterRancher'', [[BigBad Moo]] claims that he knew where Holly and Suezo were hiding while [[DoomedHometown their village was being destroyed]], but deliberately left them alive. He did this specifically with the intention of making them despise him -- after all, Moo is [[ThePowerOfHate fueled by hatred]], and sees Holly as a particularly potent potential source since he's [[spoiler:possessing her father as his vessel]]. He has every intention of making things as [[ItsPersonal painfully personal]] for her as possible so that she'll hate him all the more.
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': The villain Shigaraki [[spoiler:deals this out to fellow villain Overhaul when he has the chance to kill him, while attacking the police convoy transporting Overhaul and his men to prison. Shigaraki decides it would be a crueler and more fitting revenge to instead takes both of Overhaul's arms, leaving him incapable of using his Quirk and then leaves him for the police to retrieve. Effectively leaving him a Quirkless and crippled man who will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars]].
* Happens to Ritsuko in Episode 23 of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. After revealing the secrets of the Terminal Dogma and of Rei and the Dummy Plug System to Shinji and Misato, Ritsuko [[spoiler:realises that Gendo used her, and destroys Rei's clones. She then breaks down into tears, inviting Misato to shoot her, saying that she welcomes death. Misato refuses, saying that Ritsuko is a fool for saying so]].
* In ''Anime/{{Noir}}'', after Chloe reveals that [[spoiler:Kirika was the one who killed Mireille's parents]], Kirika begs Mireille to keep the promise that she made in the first episode and kill her. Instead, Mireille walks away, severing their partnership and leaving Kirika with the knowledge that she is now alone. [[spoiler:They reconcile in the penultimate episode.]]
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** Luffy attacks with all his might, but he avoids killing his opponents. This because Luffy believes that forcing someone to live with all their hopes and dreams destroyed is a FateWorseThanDeath. Occasionally, some of Luffy's villains actually end up better off than they started (Wapol, for example, became an incredibly wealthy toymaker and tyrant of another kingdom, and Eneru went to the moon like he originally wanted).
** This seems to be [[BigBad Blackbeard's]] modus operandi in dealing with his defeated opponents. If you're lucky, he'll kill you on the spot. If you're '''really''' ''un''lucky, he'll have you turned in to the World Government, who'll send your ass straight to [[HellholePrison Impel Down]], an outright ''monstrous'' prison where pirates and other criminals are put through such [[ColdBloodedTorture horrendous torture]], they beg for death on the mere first level. And Blackbeard ''greatly'' prefers the second option. [[spoiler: So far, he has done this to Portgas D. Ace (albeit as part of his larger plan) and Jewelry Bonney[[note]]At least, onscreen[[/note]]. Only the latter escaped alive.]]
** [[spoiler: Sometime during the TimeSkip, he and his crew defeated the rest of the Whitebeard pirates during the Payback War. But their fates are currently unknown.]]
* At the climax, ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' movie ''Anime/Pokemon4Ever'' when the Iron-Masked Marauder is surrounded by angry forest Pokémon as they confront him for all the heinous crimes he has committed, the Marauder begs for mercy, but his pleas are ignored, and they tie him up using String Shot.
* The ultimate fate of [[spoiler: Queen Nakia]] in ''Manga/RedRiver1995'' is this: [[spoiler: she's in perpetual house arrest and living comfortably... but she ''knows'' that she owes it to Yuri and Kail, the protagonists and her worst enemies, who intend for her to witness how the Hitite Empire blossoms and flourishes ''without'' her in power. As a plus, her son Juda aka the person she intended to put in the throne as her PuppetKing, has completely deserted her.]]
* The ending of ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' can be seen this way. [[spoiler:Rather than actually killing or hurting Akio, Anthy simply walks out on him, leaving him powerless.]] Since there weren't really too many ways to kill him anyway, it mightn't have been mercy, as such. But since [[spoiler: Akio '''needs''' [[DecoyDamsel Anthy]] as a part of his plans]], this is the '''''worst''''' thing that could've happened to him, plus [[spoiler: he gets to see how Anthy ultimately regained enough of her self-worth to leave him out in the cold forever.]]
* In the anime adaptation of ''LightNovel/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'', Naofumi plays off his request for The King and Malty to be spared as this. This also doubles as a case of AdaptationalHeroism, as in the original Light Novel, Naofumi instead called for the two to be executed and had to be talked down. Their punishments were quite fitting for those who would abuse their royal power for selfish gains. They were stripped of all power and authority, and to rub salt in the wound, [[spoiler:Naofumi had their names legally changed to "Trash" and "Bitch" respectively.]]
* In ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'', a previous comrade of Mugen betrays him so that she will not be alone, something she's terrified of. He kills ''everyone'' in the old crew who betrayed him and then just ignores her, even when she asks him to kill her so she can be TogetherInDeath.
* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'':
** After managing to overpower Sugou in real life, Kirito is fully prepared to just [[SlashedThroat slit his throat]] and be done with it, but ultimately settles for just knocking Sugou out and letting the cops arrest and incarcerate him, his dreams and [[AmbitionIsEvil ambitions]] crushed, his body [[WoundThatWillNotHeal permanently damaged]], and exposed to the world as a cyber-criminal.
** After their fight in Underworld, [=PoH=] fully expects Kirito to give him a warrior's death, boasting that [[spoiler:he'll just keep coming after Kirito and Asuna again and again until he finally [[SlashedThroat slits their throats]] and [[AndShowItToYou rips their hearts out]] in real life]]. Instead, Kirito [[spoiler:subjects him to a FateWorseThanDeath by turning him into a tree and trapping him in Underworld, declaring that [[AndIMustScream he'll never log out]].]]
* The ending of ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}G'' has [[spoiler:[[BigGood Genjurou]] sparing [[BigBad Dr. Ver]], preventing him from [[DrivenToSuicide attempting to kill himself]] [[DirtyCoward upon witnessing all his plans unravel]] when Maria, Kirika, and Shirabe, Symphogears he manipulated to advance his goals of making himself look like a hero by exploiting the chaos of the moon crashing into the Earth courtesy of Nephilim, his creation, finally wised up and [[HeelFaceTurn joined]] Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Chris to stop Nephilim. Genjurou's reasoning is that he's not going to let Ver be written off as having pulled off a "HeroicSacrifice" in the attempt to stop the moon's fall, instead making sure he's going to see justice done. It was so bad that by the end he's reduced into a giggling fit as he's being led away in handcuffs]].
* In ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'', after escaping his restraints Kaneki beats [[TortureTechnician Yamori]] within an inch of his life and devours his Kagune. Then, having crippled the other Ghoul suitably, he simply leaves him to be [[ThrowEmToTheWolves finished off]] whenever [[HunterOfMonsters CCG]] finally finds him.
* In ''Manga/YumeNoShizukuKinNoTorikago'', when Hurrem confronts a concubine that tried to sneak her way into the bed chamber of the sultan in an attempt to gain his favor, everyone expects Hurrem to have said concubine assassinated. But instead of that, Hurrem banishes her from the harem. Several concubines actually thought this was very merciful of her, but Gulbahar points out the opposite: the women in the harem are taken in at an early age and life in the harem is actually rather luxurious, so for them to be cast out into the world outside is actually pretty cruel.
* Hiei of ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' was ordered killed by the [[LadyLand village of his birth]] due to the expectation that any male child born to their OneGenderRace of normally {{Truly Single Parent}}s would inevitably destroy them if allowed to grow up. Years later, he returned to do [[SelfFulfillingProphecy just that]], but, after seeing the pitiful lives the villagers lived, he came to the conclusion that killing them would only end their misery.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film — Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Barnyard}}'': Otis prepares to punch Dag as his dad did but instead orders him to NEVER return, before hitting him with a golf club and Dag soars out into the distance while howling in pain.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'': Quasimodo poises Frollo's dagger above him. Frollo begs for his life, but Quasimodo nails him with his speech that Frollo has lied to him all his life about the world being dark and cruel.
-->'''Frollo''': Now, now! L-L-Listen to me, Quasimodo!\\
'''Quasimodo''': NO, YOU LISTEN! All my life, you've told me the world is a dark, cruel place! But now I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like ''YOU!''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'': Simba corners Scar at his mercy and after a climactic fight scene, eventually sends him off the edge of Pride Rock--where Scar is now at the cruel mercy of his hyena henchmen, [[DisneyVillainDeath who finish the job on their traitorous boss]].
** In [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride the sequel]], this is implied to be the case for Kovu's exile:
--->''Let him run, let him live''\\
''But do not forget what we cannot forgive!''
* ''WesternAnimation/OpenSeason'': Shaw prepares to shoot Boog when [[TakingTheBullet Elliot leaps in front and the bullet hits him instead.]] This makes Boog enraged and he pins Shaw to the ground and roars fiercely in his face, before tying him up with his own gun. [[spoiler: Elliot's fine; the bullet only shot off his remaining antler.]]
* Usually, the objective of a DuelToTheDeath (whether it's a WizardsDuel or otherwise) is to kill your foe. However, in ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'', Merlin wins the duel with Madame Mim by giving her a rare but non-lethal disease, mocking her by saying she'll be as good (or rather, as bad) as ever in a few weeks after plenty of rest, fresh air, and sunlight. (Mim ''really'' hates sunlight.)

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
* ''Film/ThreeHundred'': "You there. Ephialtes. May you live forever." To the Spartans, not achieving a "beautiful death", which meant dying in battle, was a horrifying prospect; those who died of old age didn't even get gravestones.
* In Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'', the White Queen, due to her vows not to harm any living creature, [[spoiler:condemns her sister to spend eternity wandering the borders of Underland chained to her right-hand man, the one person she loves. Being shunned wouldn't have been so unbearable since she thought he loved her too... until he tried to kill her, and later begs to be killed to get away from her.]] The only response from the White Queen is a faint smirk and the reply, "But I do not owe you a kindness." BewareTheNiceOnes indeed...
* In ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', Franchise/{{Batman}} brands certain criminals with a Bat symbol, letting other inmates know they're responsible for particularly vicious crimes, such as the human trafficker at the beginning of the film. These branded criminals are then often murdered in prison by the other inmates (although the inmate who murders the aforementioned human trafficker is paid to do so by Lex Luthor). At the end of the film, it looks like he's about to brand Comicbook/LexLuthor as well, but instead arranges for him to be transferred to [[BedlamHouse Arkham Asylum]].
* In ''Film/TheBeastOfWar'', a Soviet soldier convinces the Afghan rebels to spare the crew of the tank that massacred their village, then tells the tank commander why:
-->'''Koverchenko:''' Sorry, sir. Not much of a war. No Stalingrad. How is it that we're the Nazis this time? How is that? I tried to be a good soldier. But you can't be a good soldier in a rotten war, sir. I want you to live to see them win.
* In ''Film/{{Bent}}'', Max convinces the guards in the concentration camp to let him and Horst have a better, safer job than the other people. Taking rocks from one side of the room, and putting them in a neat pile on the other side of the room. They then have to repeat this task over and over, all day, every day. Eventually, they both start going insane from this psychological torture and start dreaming about piling rocks even in their sleep.
* The ending of the original ''Film/CapeFear'' (the remake has Cady suffer a KarmicDeath instead):
-->'''Bowden''': "No! That would be letting you off too easy, too fast. Your words -- do you remember? Well, I do. No, we're going to take good care of you. We're going to nurse you back to health. And you're strong, Cady; you're going to live a long life... in a cage! That's where you belong, and that's where you're going -- and this time for life! Bang your head against the walls. Count the years... the months... the hours... until the day you rot!"
* Near the end of ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', [[ComicBook/BlackPanther T'Challa]] confronts Zemo, the man responsible for the bombing that killed T'Challa's father, after realizing that Zemo, not Bucky, was the culprit. T'Challa then prevents Zemo from committing suicide and hands him over to Everett Ross to be imprisoned (albeit partly because T'Challa realized he was losing himself to his lust for revenge).
* In ''Film/{{Cinderella 2015}}'', Ella forgiving Tremaine definitely counts as this, as it means that all of Tremaine's efforts to [[BreakTheCutie break]] Ella have failed.
* ''Film/TheCountOfMonteCristo'': The Count does this to [[spoiler:Villefort]] by giving him an unloaded pistol, which [[AteHisGun he tries to use to off himself]], to no avail. "You didn't think I'd make it that easy, did you?"
** Later tho Edmond averts the trope with [[spoiler: Mondego]]. "What happened to your vaunted mercy?" "I'm a count, not a saint."
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', Bane defeats Batman, but does not kill him.
-->'''Bruce Wayne''': Why didn't you just... kill me?
-->'''Bane''': You don't fear death. You welcome it. Your punishment must be more severe.
-->'''Bruce Wayne''': Torture?
-->'''Bane''': Yes. But not of your body. Of your soul.
-->'''Bruce Wayne''': Where am I?
-->'''Bane''': Home, where I learned the truth about despair, as will you. There's a reason why this prison is the worst hell on Earth: hope. Every man who has ventured here over the centuries has looked up to the light and imagined climbing to freedom. So easy. So simple. And like shipwrecked men turning to sea water from uncontrollable thirst, many have died trying. I learned here that there can be no true despair without hope. So, as I terrorize Gotham, I will feed its people hope to poison their souls. I will let them believe that they can survive so that you can watch them clambering over each other to stay in the sun. You can watch me torture a city. And then when you have truly understood the depth of your failure, we will fulfill Ra's al Ghul's destiny. We will destroy Gotham, and then, when it is done and Gotham is ashes... then you have my permission to die.
* Near the end of ''Film/TheDeparted'', Costigan finally captures Sullivan, TheMole inside the police force. Sullivan begins trying to threaten and intimidate Costigan, then begins [[VillainousBreakdown breaking down into tears]] and pleading with Costigan to "Just kill me". Costigan refuses, saying "I ''am'' killing you", meaning that he's intent on bringing Sullivan up on charges, thus ruining his life and forcing him to live through and experience everything that will result from that. Immediately afterwards, [[spoiler:Costigan is killed, and a couple of scenes later, after getting away with everything, Sullivan receives a rather painless death.]]
* In ''Film/TheDuellists'', d'Hubert wins the final duel with Feraud with one bullet remaining. By the rule of combat, Feraud's life now belongs to d'Hubert, and he forces Feraud to finally submit to his notions of honor instead. Feraud is to leave d'Hubert alone forever and live out his life knowing that his archrival defeated him.
* In the biopic film ''Film/{{Elizabeth}}'', the eponymous queen has Walsingham expose the Catholic plots to assassinate her, culminating in her ex-lover Lord Robert Dudley being exposed as one of the conspirators after she previously rejected him. He knows he is destined for execution as a traitor to the crown and begs for it, but Elizabeth decides: "I rather think to let you live; to remind me of how close I came to being weak."
* ''Film/EndOfDays''. After Satan successfully acquires the girl whom he needs to sire his child and dispatches Jericho, he leaves him alive and crucifies him to a building solely so he can lament his failure and personally witness TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
* At the end of ''Film/EverAfter'', Danielle saves her stepmother and stepsister from transportation to America, and almost certain death. When the queen asks her what shall be done with them instead, she simply asks "That you show them the same kindness that she showed me." That kindness would be de facto slavery.
* A lenient example -- sort of -- happens in ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly''. At first, it seems like Blondie is going to ride away and leave Tuco to hang himself when he eventually falls as retribution for double-crossing him. At the last minute, however, he turns, and fires his rifle, severing the rope, saying "Just like old times." Tuco is alive and has his share of the gold, but with no horse and in the middle of the desert, getting back to civilization won't be easy. (Of course, he did manage it when Blondie abandoned him at the ''beginning'' of the movie.)
* ''Film/TheGreyZone'': At the end, Oberscharführer Muhsfeldt spares Doctor Nyiszli's life, despite not needing to and after the Doctor previously tried to blackmail him. It's implied that Muhsfeldt wants the doctor to suffer more by continuing to be forced to engage in human experiments, stating that they both still have work to do.
* Played with and then Subverted in ''Film/HardCandy''. [[spoiler: Hayley seems to do this when she makes it clear to the pedophile Jeff that just killing him would be too easy, and her ultimate plan is to castrate him so he can never have sex again. She fakes the surgery very well and leaves Jeff mentally defeated. But the whole thing was a trick to further mentally torture Jeff until he finally gives up and Hayley talks him into killing himself.]]
* ''Film/HardToKill'':
** The ending features Creator/StevenSeagal's attempt at this trope. After roughing up the villain ''anyway'', he tells him, "Death is far too merciful a fate for you. So what I'm going to do is put you in prison. A nice petite white boy like you in a federal penitentiary... now let me just put it this way: [[PrisonRape I don't think you'll be able to remain anal-retentive for very long]]."
** He does much the same thing to the BigBad of ''Film/FireDownBelow'', disabling his enemy with one shot instead of killing him, for much the same reasons as the above flick. No one ever accused Steven Seagal movies of an abundance of originality.
* In ''Film/TheHiddenFortress'', after being defeated in duel, Hyoe demands to be killed by Rokurota but the latter decides to spare his life, much to Hyoe's dislike.
* In ''Film/HighlanderEndgame'', Jacob Kell's goal is to make Connor [=MacLeod=]'s life a living hell, killing all those close to him and keeping Connor alive until they are the last two Immortals left.
* In ''Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug'', Smaug briefly considers letting Thorin have the Arkenstone just to watch it drive him mad with greed, and later refrains from killing Bilbo just to make him [[WatchingTroyBurn watch Laketown and the people who helped him burn]].
* At the beginning of ''Film/HocusPocus'', Winnifred Sanderson punishes Thackery by transforming him into an immortal housecat.
-->'''Winnie''': His punishment will not be to die...but to live forever with his guilt.
* In ''Film/IShotJesseJames'', [[spoiler: Frank James]] has Robert Ford at gunpoint. However, he decides to spare Bob, but not before telling him that [[spoiler: his LoveInterest Cynthy is leaving him for his rival John Kelley]]. [[TraumaCongaLine Given everything he's been through]], Bob [[GoMadFromTheRevelation doesn't take this news well]].
* In ''Film/TheKarateKidPartII'', Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel that he let John Kreese live (after inducing Kreese to break both of his hands, delivering an IronicEcho of Kreese's own words, and embarrassing him with a nose grab) because, for a man as twisted as him, living is a worse punishment than dying. [[spoiler:Daniel does the same to Chozen at the end of Part II, but this was more a case of teaching someone who should know better.]] Kreese doesn't take the humiliation well. The plot of Part III revolves around his plan of revenge.
* ''Film/KillBill'':
** The Bride does this to Elle Driver at the end of their fight in ''Kill Bill Volume 2'' after she snatches out her remaining eye and crushes it underfoot, leaving her stuck in the narrow-halled trailer with a poisonous snake while she's thrashing about in a literal and figurative blind panic -- all in the middle of the desert. She was toast.
** She also "spares" Sofie Fatale after chopping off her other arm (the first was lost when fighting O-Ren) during her interrogation and hurling her down a hill, just so that she can deliver a message to Bill, and makes a point that she could do a lot more than just take her arm if Sofie doesn't cooperate.
* ''Film/LittleBigMan'' has a scene where General Custer spares Jack Crabb's life after Crabb attempts to kill him in his tent but loses his nerve at the last second. Crabb states in narration that this is the worst thing Custer could have done to him.
* In ''Film/{{Maleficent}}'', at the last second of cursing Princess Aurora, Maleficent responds to King Stefan's begging for mercy with a CurseEscapeClause: the eternal sleep can be broken by TrueLovesKiss. [[spoiler:Which Maleficent firmly believes does not exist. She's eventually proven wrong when ''her own kiss'' awakens Aurora, as by then she's come to love Aurora as a surrogate daughter, therefore fulfilling the 'true love' part.]]
* In ''Film/TheMaskOfZorro'', Montero lets Diego live in prison rather than killing him so that he can dwell on how everything he loves has been taken from him, including witnessing the death of his wife and the knowledge that his daughter is being raised by Montero. [[spoiler:Diego returns the favor at the end, having taken back Elena and ended Montero's schemes. It doesn't prevent Montero from suffering a KarmicDeath, however]].
* Invoked and then subverted in Creator/JohnFord's ''Film/MyDarlingClementine''. After the O.K. Corral gunfight, Wyatt Earp tells Old Man Clanton (whose sons have just been killed in the fight, and who had earlier killed Earp's brother James) that he's not going to kill him: "I hope you'll live a hundred years, so you'll feel just a little of what my pa's gonna feel." Then he tells him to get on his horse and get out of town. As Clanton is departing, however, he suddenly turns to shoot Wyatt, and Wyatt's brother Morgan shoots and kills him.
* ''Film/OnceUponATimeInAmerica''. [[spoiler:Noodles discovers that his best friend Max faked his death, and arranged Noodles' imprisonment and the death of their friends. Now Max is facing his own lengthy prison sentence, he invites Noodles to take his revenge by killing him. Noodles pretends not to recognise him, stating that the Max he knew [[ThatManIsDead was a good friend who died long ago]]. Max says that's a better way than any of getting revenge, and kills himself by throwing himself into a garbage compactor truck.]]
* ''Film/ThePrincessBride'': Westley threatens Prince Humperdinck with a duel ToThePain, which involves leaving the loser alive but severely disfigured, "wallowing in freakish misery forever." To further the cruelness, the loser loses their eyes, their nose, their hands at the wrist, their feet at the ankle, but they keep their ears "so that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, 'Dear God! What is that ''[[ItIsDehumanizing thing]]'',' will echo in your perfect ears." Instead, as the page quote above shows, Westley leaves Humperdink untouched, save for his realization that for all his bluster and prestige, he ultimately is a DirtyCoward who folded at the first bluff.
* ''Film/{{Ricochet}}'' has this exchange:
-->'''Styles:''' Why don't you just kill me?\\
'''Blake:''' [[AffablyEvil Oh, I don't wanna kill you. I wanna kill your life!]]
* In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', Captain Mal spares the Operative's life so he can show him a message which proves that [[spoiler:an Alliance experiment killed almost everyone on the planet Miranda and created the Reavers out of the remainder]], crushing the Operative's dream of the Alliance creating a "[[{{Utopia}} perfect world]]".
--> '''Mal''': "I ain't gonna kill you. Hell, I'm going to grant your greatest wish -- [[ForcedToWatch I'm going to show you]] [[ApocalypticLog a world]] [[GoneHorriblyRight without sin.]]"
** Of course, it's possible that Mal's knowledge of what a vulnerable position he and his crew are in, once he completes the transmission, [[MutuallyAssuredDestruction plays a role in his choice to spare the Operative]]. The Operative [[GracefulLoser does indeed spare them]] after learning the Alliance's [[EmpireWithADarkSecret Dark Secret]], even going so far as to put their ship back together and then send them on their way. This leads to a not-quite HeelFaceTurn for the operative and a not-quite DefeatMeansRespect conversation as the two part ways, although [[MoralEventHorizon given the lives the Operative took]], Mal is clear that he is ForgivenButNotForgotten, but the Operative assures him it won't be a problem: [[StartingANewLife they won't be seeing each other again]].
*** However, in the film's extended cut, the Operative stays long enough to ask Mal [[DefeatAsBackstory how he survived his own crippling defeat]]. This somber tone of this trope-heavy reflection [[{{Bathos}} is then broken]] in typical ''Firefly'' fashion as Mal walks away with an [[DeadpanSnarker under-his-breath]] "What a whiner!"
* In ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', the killer has already proven himself to be a monumentally depraved piece of work with the sheer methodical cruelty of his various killings. When he corners Detective Mills during a downtown chase in the rain, he leaves him alive in what appears to be a random moment of mercy. [[spoiler:It turns out that he had already been stalking the Detectives who were pursuing him for some time. He had far greater plans for Mills in mind, decapitating his wife Tracy out of Envy and making him the final piece in his murder set by letting Mills kill him out of Wrath.]]
* In ''Film/{{Shenandoah}}'', Creator/JimmyStewart's character confronts the young Confederate soldier who's just shot and killed one of his sons after mistaking him for a Union soldier, telling him he hopes he lives a long life and has many children so that he can come to feel about them the way that Stewart does. "And then, when a man comes along and kills one of them..." he starts before he's overcome with emotion and walks away.
* ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'' gives us this little gem:
-->'''Khan''': I've done far worse than kill you. I've hurt you, and I wish to go on... hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, left her, marooned for all eternity at the center of a dead planet, buried alive, buried alive...
-->'''Kirk''': [[SayMyName KHAAAAAAN! KHAAAN!]]
-->[[spoiler: Of course Kirk is only acting at this point; he already knows they will shortly be rescued]]
* ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock'': For Klingons, getting captured alive is probably the worst humiliation you can visit upon them. The one remaining crew member of the Klingon ship gets the Enterprise crew to promise to kill him instead of keeping him captive. Later, Kirk orders them to lock him up. When the Klingon shouts, "But you said you would kill me!", Kirk responds: "ILied".
* Two back-to-back cases of this are responsible for the transformation of fallen Jedi Anakin Skywalker into Sith Lord Darth Vader in the back-lore of ''Franchise/StarWars'', as recounted in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'':
** Firstly, in a battle with Anakin's former teacher Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi cuts off Anakin's left arm and both of Anakin's legs, and then chooses to walk away and leave him alive... except that the site where they were dueling is ''beside a molten chemical lake''. By the time Anakin's new master, Darth Sidious, finds Anakin, the extreme heat has basically cooked Anakin alive, covering his entire body in severe burns as well as permanently damaging Anakin's eyes and lungs. Subverted since according to WordOfGod he didn't ''want'' to just leave Anakin like that, but he wasn't in a good place mentally and felt that finishing him off [[StrikeMeDownWithAllOfYourHatred would be an express ticket to]] TheDarkSide.
** Secondly, rather than leave Anakin to finish cooking to death or just killing him outright, Darth Sidious rescues Anakin and gives him life-saving cybernetic reconstructive surgery... ''without'' any anesthesia, over ''days'' of agonizing procedures. DependingOnTheWriter, Sidious also ''deliberately'' chooses poorly designed and/or obsolete implants that will further cause Anakin suffering and misery, just because he can ([[INeedYouStronger and because the Dark Side is fueled by negative emotion]]).
* In ''Film/TerrorAtBlackFalls'', Juan takes a saloon full of people hostage, planning to kill one every ten minutes until Sheriff Cal arrives to confront him. He says that he will kill Cal's son Johnny last so he can watch everyone else die.
* In ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', Loki's sentence is this. While [[spoiler: life in prison would normally be a merciful sentence considering what he's done, consider that for someone who lives as long as Loki, that might mean spending four thousand years in solitary confinement. Odin spared Loki's life because [[MamaBear Frigga]] asked him to, but he did it in the cruelest way possible for both of them, actually making it part of Loki's sentence that they could never see each other again. That's not only a cruel punishment for Loki, but it is also one for Frigga as well, especially since, unlike her son, she did nothing to deserve it.]]
* In ''Film/TrainingDay'', Ethan Hawke's character leaves Denzel Washington's character alive after their final confrontation. It might seem merciful, but Denzel owes a very large debt to TheMafiya, and Ethan took the money he was going to use to pay them off. [[spoiler: He doesn't last long.]]

[[folder:Myths and Religion]]
* The idea of eternal suffering for those who are sent to Hell in Christianity can be seen as this, as God would most likely in that scenario let them suffer in eternity without doing anything to make it worse or better for them.
* ''Literature/TheBible'':
** When Cain murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy, God cursed Cain by having him wander forever. When Cain, ashamed of his sin, thought his punishment would result in someone killing him, God replied that the one who killed Cain would suffer a far worse punishment, as he wanted Cain to forever live with the guilt of his crime. And God even put a mark on his forehead to let everyone know not to touch him.
** In [[Literature/BooksOfKings 1 Kings Chapter 2]], after David dies, Solomon becomes king over Israel. Abiathar the priest is relieved of duty and forced to resign from the priesthood for participating in Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne. Instead of immediately executing Abiathar, Solomon allows him to retire to his fields in Anathoth in recognition of his service to King David.
** Shimei is restricted to a house in Jerusalem, and is not allowed to cross the Brook Kidron under penalty of death. After three years, two of Shimei's servants run away to Gath, and Shimei goes to Gath to retrieve them. Afterward, Solomon has Shimei executed.
** Paul the apostle's ministry starts off as this, as God having him suffer for the torment he had caused (albeit in ignorance) upon God's servants when he was still Saul the Pharisee. However, over time Paul realizes the grace and mercy he has been given and even rejoices in his suffering for the Gospel's sake.
* In Greek mythology, Arachne is a skilled weaver who credits herself for her weaving abilities instead of the gods. Athena comes down and challenges Arachne to a weaving contest. Athena's weaving depicts the fates of mortals who considered themselves equal to the gods; Arachne's weaving depicts the alleged faults and shortcomings of the gods, and their alleged ill treatment of mortals. Athena is so infuriated by Arachne's weaving that she tears it to shreds. Arachne attempts to hang herself in shame, only for Athena to prevent it, transforming Arachne from a human into a wretched spider.

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* In ''Podcast/TheAdventureZoneBalance'', the main ethos behind [[spoiler: Wonderland.]] In order to [[spoiler: maximize the amount of [[EmotionEater suffering they consume]], Edward and Lydia keep participants alive.]] For example, [[spoiler: Cam has been kept alive for several years now as a disembodied head.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Radio]]
* In the GrandFinale to the [[AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho New Eighth Doctor Adventures]] the Dalek Time Controller tells the Doctor he will be left on Earth and watch as it becomes a plague planet. Due to being a Time Lord, he will survive long enough to see humanity die out.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* One of the most memorable aspects of the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' GrandFinale is this trope: Aang [[spoiler: doesn't kill Phoenix King Ozai (since taking a human life, even if they are a horrible person, goes against his ThouShallNotKill beliefs) but instead [[DePower uses energybending to permanently get rid of]] [[PlayingWithFire Ozai's ability to firebend]] so he can never hurt anybody with it ever again. Knowing Ozai, it would be a FateWorseThanDeath, which isn't to say he didn't deserve it. He's also left to rot in a cell (the same cell where he imprisoned his brother, Iroh no less) as a powerless wreck while the son he hated becomes the new Fire Lord]].
** Azula pulls this on herself during her VillainousBreakdown. She hallucinates her mother, and this follows, completely breaking her world view.
--->'''Ursa''': I think you're confused. All your life, you've used fear to control people like your friends Mai and Ty Lee.\\
'''Azula''': But what choice do I have?! Trust is for fools! Fear is the only reliable way! Even you fear me.\\
'''Ursa''': No. [[spoiler:I love you, Azula. I do.]]
** Katara does this to the man who killed her mother. [[spoiler:After finding out how horrible his life is, she decides to spare him so he can continue to endure it.]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' episode ''Inqueling'', when Terry confronts VillainOfTheWeek Deanna Clay, who'd just betrayed her mother Inque for money, he lets her go, but warns her that Inque isn't dead, so now Deanna will have to live with the possibility that Inque could come back any time for revenge.
* Explicitly invoked in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Centurions}}'' episode "Cyborg Centurion". Ace [=McCloud=] is in a deeply nasty area, and has to defeat a local tough in a {{Gladiator Game|s}} to establish his credentials. The woman he's with asks Ace, "Why didn't you kill him?" and Ace tells her "I did worse than that. I humiliated him and let him live. He'll never command respect from these people again."
* In "The Dragons' Graveyard", the darkest episode of ''WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons1983'', the kids have finally had it with Venger constantly attacking them and preventing them from getting home. Against Dungeon Master's wishes, they attack Venger, and finally, have him at their mercy. Hank could easily kill him, but finally spares him, saying verbatim that [[IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim "If I did, we'd be no better than you are."]] But Hank makes it very plain to Venger as they leave, "We've beaten you, and you know it."
* ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'':
** In the "Sink the Montana" episode, retiring Admiral Lattimer learns that his ship, the U.S.S. Montana, is about to be decommissioned and sent to the scrapyards, and [[FaceHeelTurn defects to Cobra]], in a desperate attempt to save the ship to which he has become emotionally attached. The Joes set out on a mission to stop Cobra's pulse modulator weapon (which can render technology useless) by [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece "borrowing" the U.S.S. Constitution]], an old-school 19th-century navy ship that doesn't have any computerized technology to disable. Near the end, when Lattimer [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realizes that his ship is set for self-destruct on a collision course with the Norfolk naval base]] after the pulse modulator is destroyed, Destro locks the Montana's guns in automatic firing mode before retreating.
--->'''General Hawk''': Come on Lattimer, let's get out of here!\\
(Flashback to Lattimer's commissioning ceremony)\\
'''Admiral Overton''': Captain Lattimer, command of the U.S.S. Montana is now yours, serve her well.\\
'''Lattimer''' (in the present time): [[GoingDownWithTheShip No, no, I-I-I can't leave her!]]\\
'''Hawk''': My aching back, George! [[DefiedTrope Forget that going down with the ship stuff!]]\\
'''Lattimer''': No, I'm staying!\\
(Hawk promptly and reluctantly knocks out Lattimer before rescuing him from the sinking Montana)\\
'''Lattimer''': [[LampshadeHanging It would have been more merciful to let me drown]].\\
** Soon afterwards:
--->'''Shipwreck''': What'll happen to Lattimer now, Hawk? Court-martial, prison?\\
'''Hawk''': I don't know, but he's already received [[AFateWorseThanDeath the worst punishment imaginable]].\\
[''The Montana sinks with an explosion cloud resembling a cobra's lower fangs''].
* This is how [[AntiVillain Razer]] joins the Interceptor crew in ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries''. He tries to goad Hal Jordan into killing him, since Razer had just caused the destruction of an inhabited planet, as well as the planet's resident Green Lantern, but Hal catches on to what Razer's trying to do, and refuses to let him off that easy, instead taking his Red Lantern ring and taking him prisoner. Razer, understandably, freaks out and begs for death.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'', Evil-Lyn, Whiplash, and Beastman set up a trap when Skeletor is out on an errand. Said trap involves using a shrink ray on He-Man's allies and holding them captive in a small cage. Eventually, after the hero restores them to proper size, Whiplash and Beastman (along with Skeletor's steed, Panthor) get a taste of their own medicine and fall victim to the shrink ray. Evil-Lyn assumes he's going to use it on her and pleads with him not to. He does not. He ''smashes'' the weapon, thereby leaving her to explain to Skeletor what happened to it and the other henchmen. (Skeletor's reputation as a BadBoss is well known.)
* [[TheStarscream Grimian]], a member of the Vandals in ''WesternAnimation/HotWheelsBattleForce5'', overthrows [[BigBad Captain Kalus]] but instead of killing him, spares his life so he may live in shame. When Kalus returns and defeats him, he [[IronicEcho tells him the exact same thing]] and [[KickedUpStairs promotes him to his second in command]] so Grimian can live in his shadow. [[spoiler:After Grimian sells out the Vandals to the Red Sentients, Kalus and Grimian have a final battle, ending with Kalus' victory. After destroying Grimian's car, he banishes Grimian instead of killing him, once more preferring the traitor live in shame rather than die in battle like a warrior. However, after his next attack, which has the entire planet invaded, Kalus just executes him.]]
** While he doesn't see it as such, [[spoiler:Zemerik, under the control of the [[{{Cult}} Alpha-Code]], forgiving Krytus is seen at this by Krytus. Krytus had just finally got his revenge on Zemerik for betraying him but forgiving him, Zemerik also rendered Krytus' revenge meaningless.]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "War World", the gladiator Draaga fights the despotic ruler Mongul; Draaga defeats him, but refuses to grant him a warrior's death, preferring to let him live in disgrace. (This may or may not have been a mistake on Draaga's part. Mongul does make a return appearance... But what ultimately happens to him could well be considered even worse, depending on your point of view.)
* In ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', Peggy confronts Cotton on his deathbed to [[CallingTheOldManOut Call The Old Man Out]] for being such a horrible, emotionally abusive father to Hank, who only ever wanted [[WellDoneSonGuy his father's love and approval]]. She takes a hint from one of the page quotes above by saying she hopes he will never die, so that he may live forever in the hell that he has created for himself. Cotton, just to spite her, responds "Do you, now?" and dies immediately thereafter.
* [[GodOfEvil Discord]] from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' [[spoiler:[[BreakTheCutie breaks]] and {{Hate Plague}}s five of the mane cast, breaks apart their friendship, and plunges Equestria into a WorldGoneMad, driving ''everyone'' insane... but never touches [[TheHero Twilight Sparkle]]. No, he merely lets the fact she's lost everything she cares about drive her over the DespairEventHorizon and cause her to lose all hope. Thankfully, she finds a way to turn this around.]]
** The Mane Six inadvertently end up doing this to [[ArcVillain Starlight Glimmer]] after she pulls a HeelFaceTurn at the end of Season 5. Despite stealing cutie marks from ponies, enslaving a village, and then nearly destroying the world due to a time-travelling revenge scheme, Starlight Glimmer surprisingly isn't punished for her actions. Instead, Twilight Sparkle and the others [[EasilyForgiven easily forgive]] Starlight and give her a second chance as Twilight's student. Throughout the following season, Starlight still can't understand why she was forgiven, developed [[BeAllMySinsRemembered a personality quirk]], and spends most of the season struggling with her shame [[ThePunishmentIsTheCrime and being haunted by her evil past]], to the point where she takes on a TroubledFetalPosition when confronted by her old village.
* In the Season 3 finale of ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'', Enzo brutally defeats [[BigBad Megabyte]]. He’s given the chance to kill him for all the things he’s done but refuses to. Instead, he leaves Megabyte alive so he can spend [[FateWorseThanDeath the rest of his miserable existence alone and crippled, forced to always remember the day he was humiliated in front of the whole world by the same child he once tormented]]. And just for extra mental torture, he notes that the only reason he’s indulging in this is that he thinks Megabyte ''[[NotWorthKilling isn’t worth the trouble of killing]]'', crushing the villain’s fragile ego to bits. [[spoiler:Megabyte tries to take advantage of the cruel mercy to escape... but given [[DraggedOffToHell what ends up happening to him as a result]], he probably wishes he hadn’t.]] [[spoiler:Unfortunately this backfires for Enzo when Megabyte comes back from said Hell, now more powerful and dangerous than ever, and [[TheBadGuyWins takes over the Principal Office]]]].
* A ''[[WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero G.I. Joe]]'' skit from ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' has a new member joining the Joes. He has a [[MinoredInAsskicking doctorate]] and is [[ImprobableAimingSkills extremely skilled]] with a [[ColdSniper sniper rifle]], but due to a small accident [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten he is given an embarrassing code name and repeatedly humiliated]] by the rest of the Joes. [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal Angry about this]], he later [[FaceHeelTurn joins Cobra]] and [[BewareTheNiceOnes kills all but one of the Joes with his aforementioned sniper rifle]]. What happens to the last Joe left?
-->'''Duke:''' You motherfucker, you killed everything I love! ''[Rips off his shirt and stands out in the open, making himself an easy target]'' Take me too! Take me too!
-->'''Calvin:''' No. No, you live with it.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Black-Eyed, Please" Homer manages to pull this on Ned after Ned finally, ''finally'', has enough of Homer's behavior and gets [[TheDogBitesBack punched in the face for it]]. Ned desperately wants forgiveness to soothe his guilty soul and offers to let Homer punch him back. Homer refuses to do it not to be nice or because it's the right thing to do, but because he knows it'll drive Ned up the wall. He rubs it in so much that Ned punches him again.
--> '''Homer:''' I'm not punching you, Flanders. Because if I hit you back, we'll be even. But if I don't hit you, that makes me the better man. And I'm liking the way that feels.
* At the climax of the "The Battle For Mewni" special of ''WesternAnimation/StarVSTheForcesOfEvil'', Toffee intends to do this on Queen Moon, burying her halfway in the dirt and walking away, with Moon's kingdom in shambles, her husband seemingly sent to oblivion, her daughter lost in the realm of corrupted magic, and all magic she could draw forth about to be drained from Mewni completely.
* Optimus Prime refuses to kill BigBad Megatron, [[spoiler: who had just caused the deaths of one of his soldiers minutes before]], during the finale of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', telling him, "That would be the easy way out, Megatron. ''You don't deserve it''." Instead, he destroys Megatron's weapon and drags him back to Cybertron to face justice in stasis cuffs, humiliated.
* [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Another Optimus Prime]] is clearly tempted to break his code against killing or even harming humans when an EgomaniacHunter traps and tortures some of his Autobots to get to Prime himself and take his head as a trophy. This causes the BigGood of the series to go on a PapaWolf RoaringRampageOfRevenge and culminates in prime effectively leveling the hunter's mansion without actually hurting him. Optimus proceeds to tie the old man to the nose of a Soviet fighter plane that the hunter had stolen earlier in the episode and ships him right back to Siberia and into the hands of a ''very'' displeased Soviet Union.
* In ''WesternAnimation/XMen: The Animated Series ('90s)'', Storm meets and falls in love with a charismatic ruler. He asks her hand in marriage and she accepts, only to discover short afterwards that he's a cruel tyrant. She destroys his entire kingdom leaving it in ruins, freeing the people he had enslaved who start to rebel, and all while he's powerless to stop her. "STOOOORM!!!"
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* {{CruelMercy/Literature}}

* The final choice of the case "Farewell, My Turnabout" of the second ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' game offers you the chance to dish this out. [[spoiler: After a perilous, nerve-wracking few days, in which Phoenix's assistant Maya has been held captive by Shelley de Killer, a ProfessionalKiller who's threatened to kill her unless Phoenix gets his newest client a "not guilty" verdict in just one day, Phoenix discovered all too late that his client, Matt Engarde, was actually TheSociopath who ''really is guilty'' because he hired de Killer to kill his business rival. You've been doing your damnedest to stall for time in court in the hopes that some kind of miracle might allow you to save Maya and expose Engarde, but prosecutor Franziska von Karma and Detective Gumshoe [[BigDamnHeroes finally pull through with the evidence you need at the last second]] and Phoenix manages to TakeAThirdOption by letting the de Killer know (via a radio conversation) that Engarde betrayed him by filming the murder as blackmail. de Killer, who values the trust between himself and his clients above all else, releases Maya and vows to hunt Engarde to the ends of the earth to get his revenge. Engarde's massive ego [[BreakTheHaughty immediately flies out the window]] and he begins sweating bullets from the realization that there's basically nothing he can do to protect himself from a world-class assassin who will stop at ''nothing'' to kill him. You're presented with an absolutely delicious choice: convict Engarde to send him to prison, or declare him innocent so he'll be let loose and be marked for death the second he steps foot outside. If you choose the latter, he actually ''begs'' to be sent to prison on the off chance that he might be a little safer behind bars. No matter what you pick, he goes to jail, and justice is finally served.]]

** Firstly, in a battle with Anakin's former teacher Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi cuts off Anakin's left arm and both of Anakin's legs, and then chooses to walk away and leave him alive... except that the site where they were dueling is ''beside a molten chemical lake''. By the time Anakin's new master, Darth Sidious, finds Anakin, the extreme heat has basically cooked Anakin alive, covering his entire body in severe burns as well as permanently damaging Anakin's eyes and lungs.
** Secondly, rather than leave Anakin to finish cooking to death or just killing him outright, Darth Sidious rescues Anakin and gives him life-saving cybernetic reconstructive surgery... ''without'' any anesthesia, over ''days'' of agonizing procedures. DependingOnTheWriter, Sidious also ''deliberately'' chooses poorly designed and/or obsolete implants that will further cause Anakin suffering and misery, just because he can.