History Main / CycleOfRevenge

* ''WebComic/{{xkcd}}'': [[https://xkcd.com/381/ "Mobius Battle"]] features a short comic in which one figure kicks a ball at another's head and laughs. The idea is that, since it works in mirror image too, it can be drawn on a transparent strip that can be formed into a Möbius strip[[note]]meaning you flip one end 180 degrees and then glue both ends together[[/note]], and then you can keep scrolling it forward until you're on the other side of the original strip (a Möbius strip only has one side) and the role of the figures (based on which side they stand on) is reversed. This will go on for as long as you keep moving forward along the strip, with the figures forever kicking the ball at each other.

* ''WebComic/{{xkcd}}'': [[https://xkcd.com/381/ "Mobius Battle"]] features a short comic in which one figure kicks a ball at another's head and laughs. The idea is that, since it works in mirror image too, it can be drawn on a transparent strip that can be formed into a Möbius strip, and then you can keep scrolling it forward until you're on the other side of the original strip (a Möbius strip only has one side) and the role of the figures (based on which side they stand on) is reversed. This will go on for as long as you keep moving forward along the strip, with the figures forever kicking the ball at each other.

** This is Pain's entire theme -- trying to create a weapon so strong it'll stagnate the cycle due to fear. He uses it for many a NotSoDifferent speech as well. [[spoiler:Naruto ultimately decides to break the cycle of revenge between Pain and Konoha by sparing him. [[RedemptionEqualsDeath This pays off]] [[DeathIsCheap tremendously]].]]

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* ''WebAnimation/FreedomToons'': "Rioting: Only Ok When We Do It!" shows Democrats and Republicans repeatedly resorting to violence in response to the other side's rioting while utterly refusing to condemn their own side until they finally destroy the Earth.
* Invoked in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' by [[spoiler: Temple]], in a desperate attempt save himself, after the Reds and Blues have defeated him and Tucker's about to FinishHim, saying that if he does this, [[spoiler: Temple's]] friends will just keep this going. Tucker simply asks [[ShutUpHannibal "What friends?"]], as all his allies were either dead or captured at that point. [[spoiler: Luckily for him, Carolina manages to talk Tucker out of killing him.]]
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->''"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind."''

The Cycle of Revenge is one way to show that "two wrongs make a right" is a logically fallacious claim by {{deconstruct|ion}}ing its use as justification for vengeance. It, more often than not, results in ATragedyOfImpulsiveness.

* A part of the reason the UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict has lasted so long is largely because of this. [[ItsPersonal Everybody knows somebody who was killed by someone on the other side]], and hardliners on both sides feel that they need to take action to make everything even -- Palestinian Terrorists launch an attack on Israel, which causes Israel to retaliate, which makes Palestinians more angry and more likely to take drastic action, [[HereWeGoAgain which prompts Israel to retaliate more forcefully]]... [[NeverMyFault Both sides will also claim the other side started it]].

* The Jets and Sharks in ''Theatre/WestSideStory''; unsurprisingly, since the musical is modeled on ''Romeo and Juliet''.
* ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' has revenge as one of its main themes. Here, Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford sent [[ReassignedToAntarctica Sweeney to Australia]] and ruined his life and family. As such, Sweeney spends the whole musical seeking to get back at them. [[spoiler:While he finally succeeds, he kills Mrs. Lovett when he finds out she lied to him about his wife Lucy, the Beggar Woman he just killed. And finally, Sweeney gets killed by Tobias "Toby" Ragg for his own murder of Pirelli earlier in the show.]]

* ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' has revenge as one of its main themes. Here, Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford sent [[ReassignedToAntartica Sweeney to Australia]] and ruined his life and family. As such, Sweeney spends the whole musical seeking to get back at them. [[spoiler:While he finally succeeds, he kills Mrs. Lovett when he finds out she lied to him about his wife Lucy, the Beggar Woman he just killed. And finally, Sweeney gets killed by Tobias "Toby" Ragg for his own murder of Pirelli earlier in the show.]]

* ''Theatre/Sweeney ToddTheDemonBarberofFleetStreet'' has revenge as one of its main theme. Here, Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford sent Sweeney to Australia and ruined his life and family. As such, Sweeney spends the whole musical seeking to get back at them. [[spoiler:While he finally succeeds, he kills Mrs. Lovett when he finds out she lied to him about his wife Lucy, the Beggar Woman he just killed. And finally, Sweeney gets killed by Tobias "Toby" Ragg for his own murder of Pirelli earlier in the show.]]

** By the end of second season, Macbeth and Goliath manage to drop their respective beefs, but Demona never lets go of her vendetta against humanity (WordOfGod has stated she eventually will, thanks to her [[MoralityPet daughter]]), and she in turn is pursued by a family of Hunters sworn to kill her.

** Turns out to be the whole reason the world is as {{crapsack|world}} as it is now. [[spoiler:The Eldian Empire subjugated its people to all sorts of atrocities during its run, due to the actions of the despot King Fritz and his abusive control over the powers of his slave Ymir. When the empire dissolved, descendants of those Eldians were subjected to xenophobic laws in response, with the worst treatment saved for the descendants of the Children of Ymir. And the people of Paradis, once they find out, want to take back their former "glory" as revenge for what the rest of the world subjected them to. Eren's plan to break the cycle once and for all? [[FinalSolution Commit genocide on the entire world outside Paradis]], so there can be nobody left to remember the atrocities in any capacity and start the cycle anew.]]

* A part of the reason the UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict has lasted so long is largely because of this. [[ItsPersonal Everybody knows somebody who was killed by someone on the other side]], and hardliners on both sides feel that they need to take action to make everything even -- Palestinian Terrorists launch an attack on Israel, which causes Israel to retaliate, which makes Palestinians more angry and more likely to take drastic action. [[NeverMyFault Both sides will also claim the other side started it]].

* A non-violent and somewhat humorous variant occurs sometimes in Japan. When one person gives another a gift, it is often considered [[JapanesePoliteness polite to give a "thank you" gift in return. This can occasionally prompt the first person to give ''another'' gift, until neither party wants to "lose" [[PolitenessJudo by being the first to not give a gift]].

* A non-violent and somewhat humorous variant occurs sometimes in Japan. When one person gives another a gift, it is often considered polite to give a "thank you" gift in return. This can occasionally prompt the first person to give ''another'' gift, until neither party wants to "lose" [[PolitenessJudo by being the first to not give a gift]].

* A non-violent and somewhat humorous variant occurs sometimes in Japan. When one person gives another a gift, it is often considered polite to give a "thank you" gift in return. This can occasionally prompt the first person to give ''another'' gift, until neither party wants to "lose" by being the first to not give a gift.

* Subverted in Kung Lao's ending of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat Gold''; he attacks the Shokan Goro during a peace treaty signing as a ceremonial strike of revenge for Goro's brutal murder of his ancestor in an earlier MK tournament. Goro naturally believes that Lao is wanting to continue the fight for vengeance, but Lao tells him no, the attack was just to let the big lug know he hasn't forgotten what he did all those centuries ago, but is willing to put aside their differences for the sake of peace. Goro agrees, hinting that were his and Lao's ancestor's fates were reversed, Goro's own son would've likely been the one asking Lao (or his ancestor, since being Champion of MK gives you natural immortality) for peace.

* The Series/GameOfThrones fanfic ''A Push.'' Sansa goes through with shoving Joffrey off the ledge following her father's execution, killing him. In response, Cersei has Sansa executed by beheading. Then Robb Stark returns the favor by beheading Jamie Lannister.

* ''FanFic/SonicXDarkChaos'': The Metarex War is basically a hugely-escalated version of this trope between Tsali and the Metarex. Also deconstructed as [[spoiler:both sides are [[MotiveDecay getting increasingly exhausted of the endless fighting]]]]. They finally break the cycle at the end thanks to Cosmo's intervention.

* In the eighth ''Franchise/{{Touhou}}'' game, ''VideoGame/TouhouEiyashouImperishableNight'', we're introduced to [[FinalBoss Kaguya Houraisan]] and [[BonusBoss Fujiwara no Mokou]]. Both want to kill each other as revenge for the numerous previous ''successful'' attempts on each other's lives -- they're [[CompleteImmortality completely immortal]], and can regenerate even if their bodies are entirely destroyed. And it all started when Kaguya rejected Mokou's father's marriage proposal, 1300 years ago. The interesting thing about this rivalry is that neither participant particularly wants it to end. [[WhoWantsToLiveForever Mokou]] is explicitly mentioned to have [[AxCrazy lost the plot]] for a couple of centuries back there and it's heavily hinted that the bitter rivalry is presently the only thing keeping her sane. As for Kaguya? Well, she doesn't want the rivalry to end because [[ItAmusedMe Mokou is just too much fun]]. If she and Mokou didn't keep coming up with new ways to kill each other, she'd grow bored.

* In ''Manga/HatenkouYuugi'', Rahzel [[DiscussedTrope explains]] this concept in the chapter [[http://mangafox.me/manga/hatenkou_yuugi/v04/c027/12.html ''Scar after Scar'']].

-->'''The Sisters:''' You must give them the code.\\