History Main / FailureIsTheOnlyOption

[[caption-width-right:225:[- [[TakeAThirdOption Clicking X]] [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything brings up the Close Error message box.]]-] ]]

->''1) You can't win.''
->''2) You can't break even.''
->''3) You can't leave the game.''

!!Examples:

[[folder: Anime/Manga ]]

* [[GenderBender Gender-bending]] series - Goal: [[FirstLawOfGenderBending Un-genderbend]].
** ''[[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Ranma ½]]'' and ''TenshiNaKonamaiki'' both feature MegumiHayashibara's character trying to get rid of a GenderBender curse.\\
\\
Other characters in ''Ranma'' try to get rid of other Jusenkyo curses as well; also, Akane's efforts to learn to swim or stop being a LethalChef, and Ranma's attempts to shoo off members of his UnwantedHarem.\\
\\
''Ranma ½'' did have one exception: Ryoga; who, by the last chapter, only had lingering feelings for Akane, and was perfectly happy to let Ranma and Akane wed as long as he wasn't there (unfortunately, he was the only one that felt that way and [[NoSenseOfDirection ended up at the wedding anyway]]). The pig curse, on the other hand, is still there, but that just makes his girlfriend like him more. The whole Nodoka subplot was also resolved -- fitting, as the various reasons for the endless string of failures for Nodoka to see Ranma as a man are some of the ''most convoluted'' that this troper has seen in a long, long time.
* ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' - Goal: Find the men in black that shrunk Shin'ichi and get the antidote.
* Most of the cast of ''UruseiYatsura'' had differing and often conflicting goals which would never be achieved: Lum, to get Ataru to settle down; Ataru, to be free of Lum without actually losing her; Shutaru and the Stormtroopers, to get rid of Ataru; Ataru's mother, to be a respected member of the community; and so on.

* ''Manga/ExcelSaga'' - Goal: Conquer Fukuoka/F City for the glory of ACROSS. Between Excel's energetic stupidity, Hyatt's penchant for dying and coming back to life (sometimes multiple times within an episode) and Il Palazzo's [[VillainsOutShopping side hobbies]], it doesn't look like the citizens will be subjugated any time soon. How far ACROSS progresses in this goal depends on the continuity.

*** In both instances Il Palazzo does a lot better once he [[spoiler: gets rid of Excel]].

* Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion. Humanity was doomed no matter what happened. In one corner, the Angels trying to bring about 3rd Impact, in the second corner, SEELE trying to bring about 3rd Impact and lastly NERV (Gendo) [[RuleOfThree trying to bring about 3rd Impact]].

* Subverted in ChronoCrusade to earth-shattering effect, when [[spoiler: Aion actually successfully goes through with the Atonement Ritual]].
** And failure is the only option for the heroes.

* Marie Kagura in the ''TonaGura'' manga has the goal of [[spoiler: restoring her 'perverted' brother to his pre-puberty status as her friend and playmate. She does not understand that, even if he behaves himself, that boy is never coming back.]]
* ''OutlawStar'' has Gene Starwind and Jim Hawking's desire to make it rich. Instead, partially due to the fact they are BlessedWithSuck in the form of having a Grappler ship (a very rare and large ship that consequently costs a fortune in docking fees, ammo and basic maintenance) that is sought after by the Kei Pirates (which means they're constantly getting shot up and thusly needing to spend ''more'' money on ammo and repairs), they're constantly on the edge of bankruptcy. The one time it looks like they might succeed, heading after an ancient sunken Outlaw ship containing a stolen shipment of {{Unobtanium}}, they succeed... and discover at the episode's end that, because the treasure comes from a time when the {{Unobtanium}} was harder to find and consequently it's purity level isn't up to current standards, it's actually worth ''less'' now than it was when first stolen, so their net gain is ''$0'' -- what money they did make from selling it was just enough to pay the bills and fix the damage the ship took getting it in the first place!
** In the very end, Gene manages to survive the whole Galactic Leyline incident and gets ''just'' enough notoriety to get the honor of a nickname in the Outlaw's hangout Blue Heaven: [[spoiler:"I'll Pay You When I Make It Big". Yup, he's still at it, his nickname is a joke]]. At least it's not all thorns for him, though; he's used to space now and he's even got a girlfriend.
* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' - The crew of the Bebop: they're reasonably competent in fighting, killing, or catching bounty heads. But, some random technicality or accident always prevents them from actually getting the reward and escaping PerpetualPoverty -- and worse, any money they DO get is usually bled away to nothing by the bills run up by [[DestructiveSavior Spike's destructive tendencies on the job]].
** From the very beginning of the series:
--> '''Spike:''' What happened to the million-woolong reward we got for that last guy?
--> '''Jet:''' The repair bill from that cruiser you wrecked...and the one from that shop you trashed...and the medical bill from the cop you injured...''KILLED THE DOUGH!''
** And they always pass on the opportunity to get rich by less ethical means. For example, once they stumbled onto a secret that could make them billionaires, but when they blackmail the Gate Corporation with it, all they demand is that they stop trying to find an old man their resident kid hacker has befriended in online chess games...[[spoiler:who drops dead of old age a few minutes later anyway]].
* ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' - All of Nozomu Itoshiki's [[DrivenToSuicide attempts at suicide]] fail. I mean, he even survived having his name written in the ''Manga/DeathNote''!
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Pretty much any attempt to inconvenience [[spoiler: [[MagnificentBastard Sosuke Aizen]]]]. No matter how hard you try, [[DeusExMachina new revelations]] [[AuthorsSavingThrow will always appear]] [[AssPull to make the point]] [[CurbStompBattle moot]].
* ''ShamanKing'': From the beginning, Yoh's goal was to become Shaman King. Later on, it gets to the point where [[spoiler: Yoh admits that his brother Hao/Zeke is going to win...period.]] There's only a matter of what to do next.
* ''HaruhiChan'' - ''Nyoron Churuya-san'' : Ashakura will never get Kyon and Churuya will never get her smoked cheese, [[VerbalTic nyoro~n]].

* In Anime/NerimaDaikonBrothers- Goal: Get enough money to buy a dome for the band to play in. Even after defeating the villain and getting enough money to buy the dome, something happens (The people usually come back for their money), and the band ends up just as penniless if not in debt by the end of the episode.
* EurekaSeven: Renton's quest to sneak a kiss to Eureka. [[spoiler: He succeeds beyond that: Eureka reveals she loves him and shares a ''real'' kiss with him]].
* {{Getbackers}}: Aim to earn money to clear debt.
* HellGirl: Hajime's goal: Stop people from using Hell Correspondence to send people to Hell, and thus damning themselves in the process. No matter how close he gets to stopping somebody from pulling the red thread on the CurseDoll, they'll always do it. Probably the worst example is in episode 18, [[spoiler: where a FatBastard RichBitch has been holding a little girl's dogs hostage and killing them whenever she suspects the little girl might be telling somebody about what she's doing. Both Hajime, the little girl's teacher AND two police officers manage to break into her house when they hear the little girl over the intercom begging the RichBitch not to kill the puppies one of the dogs had, and subdue her, uncovering the fact that she'd not only murdered her parents to get her inheritance, but also her infant son to keep him from potentially trying to steal her money. At first it seems that Hajime finally stopped somebody from pulling the thread, and was just moments away from taking the doll from her, when she discovers that the RichBitch had already drowned the puppies in the bathtub...]]
** There's one exception to the rule, and even then the show leaves it ambiguous as to whether or not the victim will simply try again.
* ''BakiTheGrappler:'' Baki, and just about every other fighter in the series, dreams of beating [[WorldsStrongestMan Yujiro.]] ''Not. Gonna. Happen.'' The only fighter who's ever come within a thousand miles of beginning to give Yujiro a decent fight is [[OldMaster Kaku Kaioh,]] and that all went south as soon as Yujiro [[MegaManning figured out the secret to his Xiao-Lee technique.]] It's likely that Yujiro's defeat will finally come when the manga ends, but that seems very far off.
** This just in: manga's ended and Yujiro's still undefeated. Seems like someone's the CreatorsPet.

* In ''{{Berserk}}'', this was deconstructed and then horribly, ''horribly'' reconstructed in the case of Griffith's dream of getting his own kingdom through winning the Kingdom of Midland's war against the Tudor Empire. All he had to do was wait around for the right moment to get [[StandardHeroReward Princess Charlotte's hand in marriage and the kingdom would be his.]] Of course, taking place in the [[WorldHalfEmpty Berserkerverse]], you knew that [[DiabolusExMachina this was too easy to accomplish.]] So after everything falls apart for Griffith [[spoiler: (which was actually partially his doing, since he took Guts' departure AFTER winning the war [[{{Yandere}}a little]] [[IfICantHaveYou over the top]], which led to his [[SexForSolace erratic behavior with Princess Charlotte]], which led to his horrible imprisonment and torture)]] and his dream looked all but destroyed... hey, whaddya know? Griffith has the chance to go after his dream again! ...By making [[FaceHeelTurn the most vile]] [[KillEmAll and horrible]] of all decisions [[MoralEventHorizon that he could possibly make!]] [[SarcasmMode Hooray!]]
* Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica: Homura's goal to defeat Walpurgis Night and preventing Madoka from becoming a magical girl, and [[spoiler: has been doing this for about a couple of times now (maybe even a thousand), but Madoka still becomes a Magical Girl, and rarely a Witch]]. In an odd subversion, [[spoiler:Homura fails and Madoka becomes a magical girl in the finale, but because Madoka knew of the AwfulTruth behind the magical girls, her wish in trade for becoming a magical girl is to rid the world of that truth, messing up time and space to the point where she gets a CosmicRetcon and turns the world into a better place]].
** [[spoiler: All magical girls, prior to Madoka's wish in the "current" timeline, fall victim to this trope because they all eventually gave in to despair and became witches themselves.]]
*** A more personal example is what WordOfGod says will happens if Sayaka Miki contracts and becomes a magical girl or not in a given timeline, If she doesn't in she lives if she does [[spoiler: she will always fall into despair and [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie become a witch]], or if she's lucky enough to not witch out, she winds up dead by some other means which is what happens in the post CosmicRetcon universe.]]
* All of the Anime/YuGiOh anime series are pretty bad about this. Even though they're playing a card game, of which the consequence of losing would normally only be a hit to the loser's ego (if that), Yu-Gi-Oh animes tend to have the heroes facing challenges where losing = death for various reasons (be they shadow duels or other), meaning that it's essentially a ForegoneConclusion that the heroes will win before they ever start their duel and FailureIsTheOnlyOption [[CaptainObvious for the villains]].

[[folder: Comic Books ]]
* ''The entire DC & Marvel superhero universe'' is built around this. The popular villains; SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker, Magneto, LexLuthor, etc. have [[JokerImmunity too much of the appeal of the comics to ever be dispatched for good]]. Decades of excuses as to why they can always come back have have ultimately formed the basis of what these worlds are. [[ThouShaltNotKill Heroes have codes against killing]], even though this invariably results in an endless series of deaths of innocents when the villains strike again. This makes such codes look foolish and hypocritical. When villains are arrested, they either [[CardboardPrison escape prison with ease]], or are released by a corrupt and foolish justice system -- making the hero's commitment to law and justice look equally foolish. (And blame laid on "weak liberals" for what is really marketing controlling the world.) The result: While good wins at the end of most comics, the good seem to suffer far more and accomplish little in the greater scheme of things.
* ''GrooTheWanderer'' - Goal: Stop wandering. Since Groo causes chaos everywhere he goes, this will never happen.
* The original premise of ''Comicbook/SwampThing'' was that Alex Holland had been changed into a swamp monster in a freak accident, and was trying to find a cure. The original series, once the book's original creative team left and were replaced, DID end with Swamp Thing cured but the condition was quickly overturned in haphazard fashion during a guest-spot Challengers of the Unknown. His series was relaunched in 1980 and the focus once again became on Swamp Thing wanting to become human, which writer Alan Moore (who took over the book with #20) felt had to go and go for good since it left the series stuck in an endless loop of failure. He promptly spent his second issue of his legendary run on the series revealing that Swamp Thing was a plant elemental creature with Alex Holland's personality/memories and sealed the deal by producing the remains of Holland, having Swamp Thing meet Alex in heaven and having Swamp Thing pretty much not care about his life being a lie after a brief HeroicBSOD.\\
\\
This is ironic, given that in spite of the popularity of AlanMoore's run on ''Comicbook/SwampThing'' and his retcon, DC pretty much refuses to market Moore's version of the character in other media. Pretty much every Swamp Thing show, movie, cartoon uses the original "man to monster" origin for Swamp Thing and the Failure is the Only Option trope to drive the plot.
* ''{{Sleepwalker}}'' - This 1990s MarvelComics series had the title alien hero trying to find a way to return to his home dimension. Several opportunities come up throughout the series, but Sleepwalker is forced to repeatedly give up his chance at returning home for reasons ranging from the need to protect civilians in danger, to defeat a group of {{supervillain}}s, to retrieving {{Spider-Man}} from another alien dimension.
* Brazilian comic ''MonicasGang'' has Jimmy Five - Originally Cebolinha - with his ironically named "Infallible Plans". Goal: take over the street and/or a plush bunny from Monica. And it brings another example of this trope, by his GenreSavvy friend Cascão/Smudge - Goal: not joining the scheme... and then the beatings after they fail ([[SpannerInTheWorks usually because Smudge screws up]])

* ''TheHulk'' - Bruce Banner will never get rid of The Hulk. Heck, one time Bruce lost the ability to turn into the Hulk, he was GenreSavvy enough to observe he would be back. Sure enough.
** One story has Doc Samson and the army capture Bruce and place him in a chamber filled with NOX. General Ross (IIRC) says that they will lobotomise Banner to stop Hulk and Samson is shocked. Bruce says that he accepts this, since his only wish is to die. Samson says that it's both the wish of him and the Hulk and shuts off the oxygen valve, making Banner breathe pure nitrogen. The last screens of the comic show Banners heart beat slowing down, until he dies. [[spoiler:The last panel shows one, big, green, powerful heartbeat.]]
* Any hero or villain whose motivation is IJustWantToBeNormal, including The Thing, The Scorpion, and the aforementioned Hulk and Swamp Thing. In {{Marvel 1602}}, Reed Richards actually tells Thing that [[GenreSavvy the universe will never let him become human again for very long because that would make his story less interesting.]]

[[folder:Commercials]]
* [[CerealViceReward Trix commercials]] - Goal: Eat a bowl of Trix. Despite many, many attempts, is only achieved when the company holds a vote, and the voters overwhelmingly support giving the rabbit some damn Trix. In an early commercial for Trix, he actually did get a bite of trix. You can see the commercial [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsL6cb2EeCg Here.]] Of course, it doesn't help that he gets the Trix and then proceeds to dance around, singing about the flavors, giving the kids plenty of time to steal it back.\\
** Trix used to have the Trix Vote every presidential Election year. Trix Rabbit won in 1972, 1980, and 1996. The election wasn't run again since 1996.
* For that matter, that leprechaun never achieved his goal of ''keeping'' his Lucky Charms Cereal. It seems that kids love dicking around with cereal mascots.
* Fred, Barney, and Barney sneak-swiping Fruity Pebbles. The only break comes with the Christmas commercial.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{WALL-E}}'': The captain seems like this (though it's worded more "Success is not an option") towards an EVE coming back positive.

* In the Creator/LaurelAndHardy short ''Perfect Day'', all they're trying to do is go on a picnic, but one hilarious mishap after another ensures that their car never makes it more than a half-a-block from the house before winding up at the bottom of a giant puddle.

* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' - The goal of the JSDF (Japanese Self-Defense Force) in nearly every film is to destroy Godzilla himself. Needless to say, they never do. And, this is even when they build weaponry specifically designed to kill Godzilla. IE: [[Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzillaIII Mechagodzilla]], [[Film/GodzillaVsSpacegodzilla M.O.G.U.E.R.A]], [[Film/GodzillaAgainstMechagodzilla Kiryu]], the [[Film/GodzillaVsMegaguirus Dimension Tide]] satellite, etc. No matter what they try some twist comes along that repowers Godzilla and lets him destroy the weapon or they are forced to use that machine to ''help'' Godzilla against a bigger threat and the machine ends up being destroyed in the process. Or if he is seemingly destroyed, the final shot of the film reveals that he may have survived after all.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', BigBad Voldemort is a practically invincible MagnificentBastard against everyone else, but against Harry Potter? Anything from DeusExMachina to playing the VillainBall will happen to ensure he somehow fails. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain When he killed Lily Potter]], he effectively signed a contract with this trope. It may be true that AnyoneCanDie, but Harry inevitably has to survive to the next book. Prior to the end of the series, JKRowling liked to tease fans about the possibility of this being subverted in the last book, suggesting that the series might end with Harry's death. For years, fans debated whether Harry would survive or if he would be forced to destroy Voldemort in some kind of HeroicSacrifice. [[spoiler:''Both'' turned out to be true.]]
*** There's also the fact that LaserGuidedKarma is in effect. Many of Voldemort's past crimes and choices are implied to have influenced events to cause his ultimate downfall. [[spoiler: His drinking of unicorn's blood in the first book, the curse he placed on the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher position. His creation of seven Horcruxes also seem to have corrupted his body and possibly his mind, making him even more insane than he was as a kid. His killing of Myrtle and framing of Hagrid the first time he opened the Chamber of Secrets are the same circumstances that allowed Harry to find out and destroy the Basilisk and Voldemort's diary, which hinted Dumbledore at Voldemort's Horcruxes. His refusal to spare Lily not only set the prophecy in motion, but also made Snape turn against him completely. Voldemort is his own SpannerInTheWorks.]]

* Creator/JRRTolkien just loved this one for his Middle-Earth mythologies, probably influenced by, you know, actual mythological tales which are just full of death and stuff. Two names in particular from ''TheSilmarillion'': Fëanor. Túrin.\\
\\
Fëanor, the mightiest elf that ever lived, made the Simarils, jewels so beautiful that [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Morgoth]] (Sauron's boss) himself stole the jewels. He led an entire army of high elves across the sea, slaughtering the elven shipwrights to get the needed ships. When he does get to Middle-Earth, he is [[spoiler: killed by the Balrog Captain in the first battle. His oath to get the Simarils back kills five of his seven sons, and the oath forces his sons to attack friendly elven nations when Lúthien manages to retrieve one of the Simarils from Morgoth. After the final battle, the two remaining sons of Fëanor steal the two remaining Simarils; only for their holy light to burn their hands which had been stained with elven blood, to the point that one kills himself and the other throws away the Simaril to wander Middle-Earth in penance. In short, Fëanor is directly responsible for all occasions of elf-on-elf bloodshed, and the destruction of his sons.]]\\
\\
Turin arguably gets it ''worse''. His sister died of sickness when he was young. His father was captured by Morgoth. His mother basically went insane. His other sister ... that he didn't know he had... well, we'll get to her. He got sent away from home, and accidentally killed a noble (in self-defence, but he didn't think anyone would buy that, so he ran away before learning he had been pardoned). He lived as an outlaw for years, and eventually when he was recognized by yet another kingdom for his prowess in battle, he met a woman he fell in love with. Remember when we said "We'll get to her"? His sister had lost her memory, and was found by Turin in that state; no one (including her) knew who she really was, so they got married. After a couple of years ... and having at least one child ... she recovered her memory and realized she was married to her brother, so she committed suicide. Turin returned from battle to discover this, and then ''he'' committed suicide.

* ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'' - Goal: Leave the army alive. [[spoiler: Yossarian does eventually succeed at the book's conclusion, but by deserting rather than being discharged.]]

* In ''[[Literature/NineteenEightyFour Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'', the government says this to the rebels. Whether or not this is true is up to debate.

* [[Literature/{{Discworld}} C.M.O.T. Dibbler]] is like a rat, firmly convinced that just around the corner, there will be cheese, even though every corner turned has so far been cheeseless. Some of his schemes worked, but were unfortunately tied to the near-destruction of the world. So he always reverts to his sausage cart.
* Thanks to a curse, this is literally true for Kallor of ''TheMalazanBookOfTheFallen''. No matter how high he climbs, he inevitably goes down in flames, and takes everyone else with him.
* It isn't just that Failure is The Only Option when it comes to trying to assassinate the Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia in the ''LeftBehind'' book series; it's also that [[OnlyICanKillHim only Jesus Christ is able to defeat him]], as [[Literature/TheBible the Word of God]] dictates.
* Invoked, enforced and conversed throughout the SvenHassel novels to the point it became a running joke - regardless how brutal the victory was gained, how boring the inactivity is or [[DrinkingOnDuty how hard the Schnapps hit]] [[NazisWithGnarlyWeapons the poor Wehrmacht trooper in the head]], someone, [[spoiler: usually Obergefreiter Joseph Porta]], would remind the others they fight for ''defeat'', they expect ''to loose'', they would ''never'' imagine the Reich could win, the war is ''lost'', usually ending with a drunk "Hail Defeat!" ([[TheMoreYouKnow pun based on the Third Reich slogan "Hail Victory!" - ''Sieg Heil!'']]). [[spoiler: As most of the men in the 27th Panzer Regiment were [[CannonFodder convicts who had all reasons to hate the Third Reich]] and anything pertaining to it, loosing the war meant their liberation as well]].
* Literature/TimeScout: Things are looking very good for Skeeter at the end of ''Wagers Of Sin''. At the start of ''Ripping Time'', he's working several menial jobs. Given his past, there really wasn't any way he could just become a hero.
* In Stephen King's ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' series, the epilogue reveals that [[spoiler: Roland is stuck in an endless loop of finding the Dark Tower and being sent back to the middle of his journey]].
** Although [[spoiler:this time he has an important PlotCoupon that he'd never been able to hold onto before, hinting that maybe he'll be able to finally win for good.]]

* With the ''StarWarsExpandedUniverse'', with anything set inbetween the movies or inbetween other established canon, you have anybody trying to kill a character that's alive in the later material, it's doomed to fail.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]
* ''Series/TwentyFour'' - It gets tricky - Goal: stop the threat ''immediately'' (i.e. in less than 24 hrs). You know that the threat won't, in fact, be stopped by episode 7. But this is {{lampshade}}d in that, usually one threat ''is'' thwarted, but then the heroes are surprised with [[XanatosGambit back-up plans or secondary plots]]; thus the show's love affair with the trope. Conversely, in the final episode of the season, you know that no matter how well they've planned, the BigBad '''has''' to lose.

[[folder: Newspaper Comics]]
* ''{{Peanuts}}'':
** Charlie Brown. Lucy Van Pelt. Football.
*** At the end of the comic, Charlie Brown may have succeeded. Lucy was called inside when Charlie Brown was about to kick the football, so she asked Rerun to hold it. In the strip itself, when she later asked Rerun what happened, he said: "You'll never know!" However, [[WordOfGod Schulz]] said, after drawing the last strip, that he'd just realised "that little round-headed kid is never going to kick that football", we can presume the ball remains unbooted.
*** In 1983, there was a strip that featured him choosing to walk away from Lucy and the ball, which certainly represents a kind of victory in itself. In the last panel of the strip Charlie Brown, having walked away from Lucy, sees a number of other kids holding footballs for him.
*** There was one comic story where Snoopy took up magic tricks and turned Charlie Brown invisible. While in this state, he does manage to sneak up on Lucy and kick the football. It would be used in the animated special ''It's Magic, Charlie Brown.''
*** Charlie Brown's problem kicking the football is referenced in a ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode: Peter actually beats Lucy and makes her hold the ball for Charlie, and Charlie actually kicks it!
** Charlie Brown and baseball-playing, kite-flying, writing with an ink pen, talking to the Little Red Haired Girl, etc.
*** To elaborate, on one occasion he won a game, but had to revoke it because Rerun bet a nickel on it. On two occasions, he legitimately won games...only to later find out a girl on the team let him win.
** Linus and seeing the Great Pumpkin,
** Lucy and getting Schroeder's attention (same story with Sally and Linus)
** Snoopy shooting down the Red Baron or getting one of his novels published.

[[folder: Professional Wrestling ]]
* WWE. Ultimate goal: end the Undertaker's undefeated streak at Wrestlemania.
** [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Who's to say it will never happen?]]
** Making John Cena say the 2 magic words in an "I Quit" match.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': No matter how many times you throw yourself at the big bad of the week, you will always fail. Only Goku is allowed to vanquish the monster once and for all. The only time this did not happen was with Gohan who defeated Cell, and even then Goku assisted from beyond the grave.

!!Examples

[[folder:Advertising]]
* [[CerealViceReward Trix commercials]] - Goal: Eat a bowl of Trix. Despite many, many attempts, is only achieved when the company holds a vote, and the voters overwhelmingly support giving the rabbit some damn Trix. In an early commercial for Trix, he actually did get a bite of trix. You can see the commercial [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsL6cb2EeCg Here.]] Of course, it doesn't help that he gets the Trix and then proceeds to dance around, singing about the flavors, giving the kids plenty of time to steal it back.\\
** Trix used to have the Trix Vote every presidential Election year. Trix Rabbit won in 1972, 1980, and 1996. The election wasn't run again since 1996.
* For that matter, that leprechaun never achieved his goal of ''keeping'' his Lucky Charms Cereal. It seems that kids love dicking around with cereal mascots.
* Fred, Barney, and Barney sneak-swiping Fruity Pebbles. The only break comes with the Christmas commercial.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga ]]

** ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' and ''TenshiNaKonamaiki'' both feature MegumiHayashibara's character trying to get rid of a GenderBender curse.\\

[[folder:Comic Books ]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'':
** Charlie Brown. Lucy Van Pelt. Football.
*** At the end of the comic, Charlie Brown may have succeeded. Lucy was called inside when Charlie Brown was about to kick the football, so she asked Rerun to hold it. In the strip itself, when she later asked Rerun what happened, he said: "You'll never know!" However, [[WordOfGod Schulz]] said, after drawing the last strip, that he'd just realised "that little round-headed kid is never going to kick that football", we can presume the ball remains unbooted.
*** In 1983, there was a strip that featured him choosing to walk away from Lucy and the ball, which certainly represents a kind of victory in itself. In the last panel of the strip Charlie Brown, having walked away from Lucy, sees a number of other kids holding footballs for him.
*** There was one comic story where Snoopy took up magic tricks and turned Charlie Brown invisible. While in this state, he does manage to sneak up on Lucy and kick the football. It would be used in the animated special ''It's Magic, Charlie Brown.''
*** Charlie Brown's problem kicking the football is referenced in a ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode: Peter actually beats Lucy and makes her hold the ball for Charlie, and Charlie actually kicks it!
** Charlie Brown and baseball-playing, kite-flying, writing with an ink pen, talking to the Little Red Haired Girl, etc.
*** To elaborate, on one occasion he won a game, but had to revoke it because Rerun bet a nickel on it. On two occasions, he legitimately won games...only to later find out a girl on the team let him win.
** Linus and seeing the Great Pumpkin,
** Lucy and getting Schroeder's attention (same story with Sally and Linus)
** Snoopy shooting down the Red Baron or getting one of his novels published.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV ]]

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]

[[folder:Pro Wrestling ]]

!!Examples:

[[folder: Anime/Manga ]]

** ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma ½]]'' and ''TenshiNaKonamaiki'' both feature MegumiHayashibara's character trying to get rid of a GenderBender curse.\\

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder:Commercials]]
* [[CerealViceReward Trix commercials]] - Goal: Eat a bowl of Trix. Despite many, many attempts, is only achieved when the company holds a vote, and the voters overwhelmingly support giving the rabbit some damn Trix. In an early commercial for Trix, he actually did get a bite of trix. You can see the commercial [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsL6cb2EeCg Here.]] Of course, it doesn't help that he gets the Trix and then proceeds to dance around, singing about the flavors, giving the kids plenty of time to steal it back.\\
** Trix used to have the Trix Vote every presidential Election year. Trix Rabbit won in 1972, 1980, and 1996. The election wasn't run again since 1996.
* For that matter, that leprechaun never achieved his goal of ''keeping'' his Lucky Charms Cereal. It seems that kids love dicking around with cereal mascots.
* Fred, Barney, and Barney sneak-swiping Fruity Pebbles. The only break comes with the Christmas commercial.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* ''Series/{{The X-Files}}'' - Goal: Find the truth behind the conspiracy. Achieved by the last couple seasons of the series, opening the door to the far more insurmountable... Goal: Stop the conspiracy.

[[folder: Myths & Religion]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics]]
* ''{{Peanuts}}'':
** Charlie Brown. Lucy Van Pelt. Football.
*** At the end of the comic, Charlie Brown may have succeeded. Lucy was called inside when Charlie Brown was about to kick the football, so she asked Rerun to hold it. In the strip itself, when she later asked Rerun what happened, he said: "You'll never know!" However, [[WordOfGod Schulz]] said, after drawing the last strip, that he'd just realised "that little round-headed kid is never going to kick that football", we can presume the ball remains unbooted.
*** In 1983, there was a strip that featured him choosing to walk away from Lucy and the ball, which certainly represents a kind of victory in itself. In the last panel of the strip Charlie Brown, having walked away from Lucy, sees a number of other kids holding footballs for him.
*** There was one comic story where Snoopy took up magic tricks and turned Charlie Brown invisible. While in this state, he does manage to sneak up on Lucy and kick the football. It would be used in the animated special ''It's Magic, Charlie Brown.''
*** Charlie Brown's problem kicking the football is referenced in a ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode: Peter actually beats Lucy and makes her hold the ball for Charlie, and Charlie actually kicks it!
** Charlie Brown and baseball-playing, kite-flying, writing with an ink pen, talking to the Little Red Haired Girl, etc.
*** To elaborate, on one occasion he won a game, but had to revoke it because Rerun bet a nickel on it. On two occasions, he legitimately won games...only to later find out a girl on the team let him win.
** Linus and seeing the Great Pumpkin,
** Lucy and getting Schroeder's attention (same story with Sally and Linus)
** Snoopy shooting down the Red Baron or getting one of his novels published.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Professional Wrestling ]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

!Examples:

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]

!!Examples

[[folder:Film]]

* ''DrStrangelove'', in which an [[GeneralRipper insane US Air Force General]] sends his nuclear bombers to attack the Soviet Union, without orders to do so, in the belief that a lightning strike will successfully defeat the Soviets. The President and his war cabinet overcome repeated crises in order to prevent the attack from going ahead, and are almost successful, but it is all for naught. A combination of systemic and personal failures on both sides leads to the end of the world. The theme of failure is subverted in a series of vignettes in which the last remaining bomber crew go to their deaths believing that their mission was a complete success.
* ''{{Pocahontas}}'': After [[{{Troll}} Meeko]] breaks into his room and takes his food for absolutely no reason, Percy naturally wants revenge. As he receives a [[DesignatedVillain villain label merely because of association]], he never gets it. Even after [[spoiler:he disassociates himself with the villains]], he still never wins.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{WALL-E}}'': The captain seems like this (though it's worded more "Success is not an option") towards an EVE coming back positive.
-->'''Captain:''' No EVE has ever come back positive.
* In the ''IceAge'' series, no matter how hard he tries, poor little Scrat is never going to get his hands on that acorn for more than a few seconds.

* No character in the ''FinalDestination'' movies ever succeeded in cheating Death (as in not a single one who was supposed to die didn't eventually die a violent death). In the second movie, it looked like there were two people who did succeed, but newspaper clippings showed they died violently afterwards anyway. A character from the fifth movie managed to have someone else die in his place, but that person was going to die in a few weeks anyway, so he dies a violent death too. A second character manages to have someone die in his place (it's hard to explain) but he dies violently too because he was on a flight his girlfriend was destined to die on.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}'' Mandrake complains that no matter how much they destroy, Queen Tara can regrow it all back with a wave of her hand. Of course, if she were gone and had no successor...

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* ''SilverSurfer'' - Goal: Find and return to Zenn-La. Would have been achieved in the first season finale if the producers hadn't decided to bank on a cliffhanger.

* ''[[CerealViceReward Trix commercials]]'' - Goal: Eat a bowl of Trix. Despite many, many attempts, is only achieved when the company holds a vote, and the voters overwhelmingly support giving the rabbit some damn Trix. In an early commercial for Trix, he actually did get a bite of trix. You can see the commercial [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsL6cb2EeCg Here.]] Of course, it doesn't help that he gets the Trix and then proceeds to dance around, singing about the flavors, giving the kids plenty of time to steal it back.\\

* ''Videogame/AloneInTheDark2008'': [[MortonsFork Take your pick]] of allowing Sarah to be possessed by Lucifer, or killing her and having Carnby become the embodiment of Lucifer himself and unleashing the forces of Hell on the world.

* ''VideoGame/KanaLittleSister'' - Goal: save your most important person from succumbing to her illness and live happily ever after. There is actually no real way for the player to win in the end. In most endings the protagonist's [[spoiler:(adopted) sister dies despite his efforts]], whereas in the one ending in which [[spoiler: she survives she decides to leave him after a while]]. The only difference is the ''measure'' of defeat.

* ''WesternAnimation/SilverSurfer'' - Goal: Find and return to Zenn-La. Would have been achieved in the first season finale if the producers hadn't decided to bank on a cliffhanger.

* The ''Series/BabylonFive'' sequel ''Series/{{Crusade}}'' was meant to feature a subversion, with the supposed plot hook of finding a cure for the Drakh plague that will kill all humans in five years resolved in just one season. Then the means of finding the cure would lead to more story arcs involving corruption of the Earth government that were what J. Michael Straczynski really wanted the show to be about; the plague story had been forced on him by executives who wanted the show's core premise to be able to be summed up in a few words. Unfortunately, it was cancelled long before this could happen.

* ''ModernWarfare2'' also pulls this multiple times. In "No Russian", your character will be shot at the end - and the Russians will blame the attack on the United States based on your body being the only 'terrorist' body recovered. Attempting to rescue "Icepick" will fail as he will have died before you reach him. Finally, infiltrating Makarov's safehouse and copying all the information on his computer will result in [[spoiler: your entire team getting wiped out except for you and Ghost - who are promptly shot, covered with gas, and set on fire by General Shepard, who was apparently supposed to extract you.]]

*** Well, that was after he crossed (again) the DespairEventHorizon with [[spoiler: Asuka's death]]. And even then, he manipulates Third Impact from within so that any who want to come back can. Though only Asuka and Shinji seem to have taken advantage of this by the end of the movie.

** [[spoiler: Well, until recently anyway. Time will tell if it sticks.]]

*** Well, he did move away once, to a place called Squidville. And he was happy, because there were no idiots there like Spongebob or Patrick. Unfortunately, everyone there was exactly like him. He soon went crazy from the boredom and the routine. [[CosmicPlaything Maybe the universe has it out for Squidward.]]

* ''Jimmy Five'' - Originally ''Cebolinha''. Brazilian comic ''MonicasGang''. Goal: take over the street and/or a plush bunny from Monica. And it brings another example of this trope, by his best friend, the GenreSavvy Cascão/Smudge - Goal: not joining the beatings after the plans fail. But Smudgy spoils Jimmy's plans almost every single time! It's almost like he ''wants'' to be beaten!\\
\\
For Cascão, there's also the goal of getting him to take a bath.

* There is a lot of LampshadeHanging in ''{{Pippin}}'' on Pippin's persistent failure to find something completely fulfilling to do with his life.

* ''LazyTown''. It makes sense that Robbie Rotten's schemes ''always'' fail. If they succeeded, there would be no more show.

* Manga/DragonBall: No matter how many times you throw yourself at the big bad of the week, you will always fail. Only Goku is allowed to vanquish the monster once and for all. The only time this did not happen was with Gohan who defeated Cell, and even then Goku assisted from beyond the grave.

* HellGirl: Hajime's goal: Stop people from using Hell Corrospondence for sending people to Hell, and thus damning themselves in the process. No matter how close he gets to stopping somebody from pulling the red thread on the CurseDoll, they'll always do it. Probably the worst example is in episode 18, [[spoiler: where a FatBastard RichBitch has been holding a little girl's dogs hostage and killing them whenever she suspects the little girl might be telling somebody about what she's doing. Both Hajime, the little girl's teacher AND two police officers manage to break into her house when they hear the little girl over the intercom begging the RichBitch not to kill the puppies one of the dogs had, and subdue her, uncovering the fact that she'd not only murdered her parents to get her inheritance, but also her infant son to keep him from potentially trying to steal her money. At first it seems that Hajime finally stopped somebody from pulling the thread, and was just moments away from taking the doll from her, when she discovers that the RichBitch had already drowned the puppies in the bathtub...]]

*** a more personal example is what WordOfGod says will happens if Sayaka Miki contracts and becomes a magical girl or not in a given timeline, If she doesn't in she lives if she does [[spoiler: she will always fall into despair and [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie become a witch]] or if she lucky enough to not witch out she winds up dead by some other means which is what happens in the post CosmicRetcon universe.]]

* Creator/JRRTolkien just loved this one for his Middle Earth mythologies, probably influenced by, you know, actual mythological tales which are just full of death and stuff. Two names in particular from ''TheSilmarillion'': Feanor. Turin.\\

Feanor, the mightiest elf that ever lived, made the Simarils, jewels so beautiful that [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Morgoth]] (Sauron's boss) himself stole the jewels. He led an entire army of high elves across the sea, slaughtering the elven shipwrights to get the needed ships. When he does get to Middle Earth, he is [[spoiler: killed by the Balrog Captain in the first battle. His oath to get the Simarils back kills five of his seven sons, and the oath forces his sons to attack friendly elven nations when Luthien manages to retrieve one of the Simarils from Morgoth. After the final battle, the two remaining sons of Feanor steal the two remaining Simarils; only for their holy light to burn their hands which had been stained with elven blood, to the point that one kills himself and the other throws away the simaril to wander Middle-Earth in penance. In short, Feanor is directly responsible for all occasions of elf-on-elf bloodshed, and the destruction of his sons.]]\\

* In Stephen King's TheDarkTower series, the epilogue reveals that [[spoiler: Roland is stuck in an endless loop of finding the Dark Tower and being sent back to the middle of his journey]].

** The Orks actually invert this trope, being a race of [[BloodKnight Blood Knights]], they believe there are only three outcomes to a fight. They win, they die fighting so it doesn't count and it's the only way they would accept dying as well as releasing [[PlantAliens fungal spores]] into the soil, or they retreat which isn't failure because they can just come back for another go.