History Main / MotiveRant

* In the second book of the ''LightNovel/AFoxsTale'' series, this is notably averted. When Ember comes face to face with [[spoiler:Werner Macht]], who is responsible for blowing a hole in the wall of Dreipasse, enabling [[BigBad Lord Drake]]'s forces to seize the town, the person in question refuses to explain their actions. Without saying a word, [[spoiler:Werner]] attacks Ember, who kills them in the ensuing fight.

** In her [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE5PrettyPoison debut episode]] Poison Ivy [[JustBetweenYouAndMe confesses]] to a [[VineTentacles flytrap entangled]] Batman why she [[TheVamp seduced]] and [[DruggedLipstick poisoned]] Harvey Dent. Starting [[TheTease sensually]] [[DissonantSerenity calm]] before [[FieryRedhead raging]] about how the district attorney needed to pay off for [[DisproportionateRetribution "plowing up a field of beautiful wild flower for his silly penitentiary"]] then regaining her composure and [[MoodSwinger reverting back]] to a serene, seductive demeanor.

** In her [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE5PrettyPoison debut episode]] Poison Ivy [[JustBetweenYouAndMe confesses]] to a [[VineTentacles flytrap entangled]] Batman why she [[TheVamp seduced]] and [[DruggedLipstick poisoned]] Harvey Dent. Starting [[TheTease sensually]] [[DissonantSerenity calm]] before [[FieryRedhead raging]] about how the district attorney needed to pay off for [[DisproportionateRetribution "plowing up a field of beautiful wild flower for his silly penitentiary"]] right before regaining her composure and [[MoodSwinger reverting back]] to a serene, seductive demeanor.

** ''Literature/ManaMutationMenace'': Nulso Xialin, [[spoiler: currently possessed by Order]], explains why he is invading a village and enslaving its populace while he does so. Ordercrafters are empowered by Law and Stability, so they are supernaturally compelled by their own magic to justify such actions.
%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Since Tang Chinese law required the criminal to confess for a conviction, Literature/JudgeDee listens to a ''lot'' of these.

* In the second book of the ''LightNovel/AFoxsTale'' series, this is notably averted. When Ember comes face to face with [[spoiler:Werner Macht]], who is responsible for blowing a hole in the wall of Dreipasse, enabling [[BigBad Lord Drake]]'s forces to seize the town, the person in question refuses to explain [[spoiler:his]] actions. Without saying a word, [[spoiler:Werner]] attacks Ember, who kills [[spoiler:him]] in the ensuing fight.

* At the end of ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'': after the Russians' long-time mole in British intelligence is exposed:
-->Why? You ask that? Because it was '''necessary'', that's why! Someone had to! We were bluffed, George. You, me, even Control. Those Circus talent spotters, all those years ago. They plucked us when we were golden with hope, told us we were on our way to the Holy Grail, freedom's protectors! ''([[CryLaughing laughing and sobbing]]) My God, what a question, "Why?" Do you know what's killing Western Democracy, George? Greed, and constipation... moral, political, ascetic. I hate America very deeply. The economic repression of the masses, institutionalized. Even Lenin couldn't foresee the extent of that. Britain? Oh, dear... no viability whatever in world affairs.

* A fabulous comedic one by [[BlackWidow Debbie Jellinsky]] in ''Film/AddamsFamilyValues''. "So I killed. So I maimed. So I destroyed one innocent life after another. Aren't I a human being? Don't I yearn, and ache, and shop? Don't I deserve love...and jewelry?" Extra points because the Addams family (being who they are) are completely sympathetic to her psychotic rant the whole time, even chiming in with understanding comments and agreeing with her about her motive for murdering her parents as a child.

* In Chapter 385 of ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', [[spoiler:Tousen]] finally cracks and explains his motives [[spoiler:for betraying Soul Society and joining Aizen]]. By the way, the "cracks" part is appropriate; [[spoiler:his Hollow mask cracks open right when his rant begins]].

[[spoiler: It's all lies, though.]]

* [[spoiler:Jimmy Stewart]] gave a melodramatic but effective example of this in ''Film/AfterTheThinMan'', in which he plays a painfully bland "nice guy" for 90% of the film, only for us to watch his character flip out in a fantastic performance in the final denouement.

* ''Film/AFewGoodMen'' has a truly epic one as the climax of the whole film. It builds up as the defense attorney, Lt. Kaffee, needles Col. Jessup with clever lines and pokes holes in the cover story he concocted after issuing an (illegal) order that led to an innocent soldier's death. Jessup keeps his cool and hand-waves the holes pretty deftly, up until Kaffee catches him in a contradiction of his own testimony and Jessup launches into the rant when he can't offer an explanation. This example is an interesting variation of the trope where it plays out the motive rant ''before'' the actual, literal confession: Jessup goes on and on about the ''why'' of it, without actually saying ''he'' did it, until he's so worked up that when Kaffee interrupts to ask him point-blank if he issued the illegal order, he blows up and shouts, "YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT I DID!"
** The trope is discussed earlier, when Kaffee assures the rest of the defense team that he can get Jessup to confess on the stand; he knows the Col. ''wants'' to tell the truth about what happened because [[KnightTemplar he thinks he's right to have done what he did]].

'''Sugai:''' I was ten years old when the B-29 came. My family lived underground for three days. When we came up, the city was gone. Then the heat brought rain. Black rain. You made the rain BLACK. You shoved your values down our throats until we forgot who we were. You created Sato and the thousands like him. I'm paying you back.

* In the MagicalGirl CrossOver ''FanFic/ShatteredSkiesTheMorningLights'', [[Anime/SmilePrettyCure Joker]] delivers this one to [[Manga/CardcaptorSakura Sakura]]:
-->"Have you ever lost everything? ... Don't mistake me, I don't mean just the people or places or things you care about, but also your ''purpose''… the reason you exist, what you were created for. Imagine knowing, with utter certainty, what you were meant to do with your life, and having that snatched away from you. And dying horribly in the process, but that's another matter. That happened to me, ''mademoiselle''. My purpose wasn't merely taken away, it was betrayed… betrayed by the very being that gave me birth. And it happened because of ''your'' kind, you and others like you. You made me lose ''everything''. Can you imagine that? ... Oh, wait. Never mind, you don't have to imagine. You're about to live through it. You and everyone, everywhere, every''when'' else."
* Dumbledore, while not evil, gives a surprisingly dark one in ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' in which he lays out how his fellow wizards frustrate him and how he could still become a dark lord that would put Voldemort to shame, before stating the reason he remains headmaster and nothing more is because of this temptation.
-->In the view of the Wizarding peoples of the world, the three most significant discoveries are the invention of the Wand, the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, and the discovery of the Twelve Uses of Dragon's Blood. One man had a hand in two of those. In the muggle world, you could name a dozen discoveries, all of similar significance and not one name would need to appear twice. The once noble calling of the Alchemist and the Research Wizard has been cast aside. The greatest minds are limited to little more than exploration of old principles, and that in their spare time. The only researchers and innovators that remain in Britain are those at the Department of Mysteries, and their discoveries are suppressed or used for the sole benefit of the Ministry and the current elite. There is no sharing of information and no desire to use the information for the betterment of wizarding kind, let alone mankind at large. The situation is much the same around the world... I could easily have decided that I, who was born with so much power, should therefore take more, because I was born to greatness. Voldemort would have been nothing compared to me. I could easily have used my influence over the students to form an army, or, far more insidious, a group of followers, dancing on my strings like puppets. Horace Slughorn would have been an amateur by comparison. I could have done far more with my offices as Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock than I have done, becoming effective ruler of every wanded wizard on the planet.
** Harry, of all people, gives a rather dark one in chapter 61, when he's talking about his disgust for the world's prejudices and pointless cruelties, and how he could potentially use his powers to forcibly change things. It's cut short, and he's horrified afterwards, when an ArmorPiercingQuestion from [[spoiler:Diana]] makes him realize that he'd be no different from the people he hates. If anything, the whole thing just serves as support for the fears of characters who believe that Harry has the potential to become the next Magneto.
* In ''[[Fanfic/UltimateSpiderWoman Ultimate Spider-Woman: Change With The Light]]'', Spider-Woman's ArchEnemy Jack O' Lantern gives a few of these explaining his motivations for his bloody crime spree. Notably, he starts to get sick of it and voices his irritation at constantly having to explain his motives.
* At the end of the Sabrina Gaiden sidestory, ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines''. Unusually, this one was given out of ''joy'' rather than anger or frustration, since the character's motivation, as she explains, was to [[CreateYourOwnHero get someone to be brave enough to try and stand up to her.]]
%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample**Chapter 23 of ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' has Belladonna give one of these after Ash asks her if she thinks killing Tokiomi Borealis is a little excessive.
* ''Fanfic/CaptainsCrash'': When Spitfire chews Launchpad out on crashing deliberately, Launchpad goes onto one of these, explaining that half the people who attend airshows do so because they're hoping to see a crash -- so, he puts on a show, then crashes ''deliberately'', and he brings the audience coming back for more.

* ''FanFic/TheVictorsProject'': [[spoiler:Cashmere]] gets a heroic one when offering her support to the Rebellion, after Beetee questions her motives.
-->[[spoiler:Cashmere]]: [[ThatManIsDead My brother is dead, they killed him]]. My parents when they sent us to that … [[AcademyOfEvil that place]]. [[IOwnThisTown Luster]]. The DAEYD. The Gamemakers. [[PresidentEvil Snow]]. They ruined the only person who ever loved me. They murdered my father. They [[SexSlave buy and sell my district]]. Every year they send another pretty thing like me into the arena, and I have to smile and teach her to poise and laugh and kill even as I pray that [[MercyKill the Twos murder her early]]. They have taken everything, and I will tear them down with my bare, bloody hands if I have to!
* In Chapter 27 of ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' fanfiction ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/17550662/chapters/50777044 Touchy-Feely Sister]]'' [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Arnold gets caught stealing money from Phil's safe]], and when Phil [[WhatTheHellHero calls him out of this]], [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Arnold yells back at him]], [[InsaneTrollLogic arguing that he had earned the right to steal money after everything he had done to help the people of Hillwood]]. Granted, this is some kind of a DarkFic and the somewhat OOC Arnold was [[spoiler:corrupted into doing bad things by Lulu. He gets better at the end]].
--> Arnold: "Help me? [[SuddenlyShouting HELP ME?! What do I need help with? EVERY TIME I TRY TO HAVE A NORMAL LIFE, IT'S ALWAYS THE SAME THING!]]" '''[mocking Oskar]''' "Oh Arnold, I have marital problems, solve them for me, please?" '''[mocking Ernie]''' "Yo, Arnold, help me with my problems because I'm short and insecure and always scream a lot." '''[mocking Hyunh]''' "Arnold, I need help with my restaurant because if I don't, I'll get fired." '''[mocking Gertrude]''' "Oh, Kimba or Senator or whatever, I'm an old lady with split personalities that I'm not even sure which of them is real!" '''[mocking Phil]''' "Hey, Shortman, never eat raspberries because I tell a lot of stories about the problems you have, while ignoring the fact I have my own problems, and I'll just leave you to fix them!" '''[mocking Sid]''' "I'm Sid, and I always get paranoid about everything. '''[mocking Harold]''' "I'm Harold, I'm not so much a bully as I am an insensitive pussy!" '''[mocking Rhonda]''' "Oh my goodness, I'm Rhonda, and if I don't have anything that flaunts my wealth, I AM RUINED!" '''[mocking Helga]''' "I'm Helga, I'm a [[SuddenlyShouting BIG FREAKING BRAT who NEVER KNOWS WHEN TO STOP PESTERING THE FOOTBALL HEAD WITH WHAT I LIKE TO DO BEST!"]] Every time people say this, I always have an intention to help, and you know what, maybe I want to help MYSELF once in a while! Did you not think of that?"
* ''FanFic/SleeperHitAU'': During the confrontation on Dagobah Beach, [[SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp Bakugou]] reveals ''why'' he bullied Midoriya so much, and that he feels absolutely no remorse for his actions because he's too pissed off that Izuku preservered instead of breaking down and giving up on his dreams.
-->'''Bakugou:''' Of course I didn't break him! That's what's so infuriating! No matter how many times I burned him, he always kept on going like nothing happened, following me around, dragging me down, he just wouldn't break!\\
'''Yaoyorozu:''' And you ''wanted'' to see him break?\\
'''Bakugou:''' Of f***ing course I did! Because if he didn't break, if I'm weaker than Deku, [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex then what does that make me]]?! Ever since Kamino, people have been looking down on me, pitying me, blaming me... I have to be the strongest! And after all I've been through, Deku still came out on top!

* In ''Fanfic/AllMixedUp'', Mariana Mag gives one to Otto that also doubles as her {{Backstory}}, where she tells him what caused her FaceHeelTurn and who exactly is in the wrong.

* ''Film/Thirteenwomen'':

-->'''Gloria:''' You can't go around killing people just because you don't like them!\\

-->'''[[spoiler:Zemo]]:''' [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron My father lived outside the city, and I thought we would be safe there. My son was excited. He could see the Iron Man from the car window. I told my wife, "Don't worry. They're fighting in the city. We're miles from harm."]] And the dust cleared, and the screaming stopped. It took me two days until I found their bodies. My father still holding my wife and son in his arms... And the Avengers? They went home. I knew I couldn't kill them. More powerful men than me have tried. But if I could get them to kill each other...

* In the ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'' arc of ''Anime/JojosBizarreAdventure'', [[SerialKiller Yoshikage Kira]] gives a variant where he explains to poor Shigechi how he lives his day to day life, all to tell the boy [[JustBetweenYouAndMe that he has to die since he just learned about the man's true nature.]]
-->'''Yoshikage:''' "My name is Yoshikage Kira. I'm 33 years old. My house is in the northeast section of Morioh, where all the villas are, and I am not married. I work as an employee for the Kame Yu department stores, and I get home every day by 8 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, but I occasionally drink. I'm in bed by 11 PM, and make sure I get eight hours of sleep, no matter what. After having a glass of warm milk and doing about twenty minutes of stretches before going to bed, I usually have no problems sleeping until morning. Just like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress in the morning. I was told there were no issues at my last check-up. I'm trying to explain that I'm a person who wishes to live a very quiet life. I take care not to trouble myself with any enemies, like winning and losing, that would cause me to lose sleep at night. That is how I deal with society, and I know that is what brings me happiness. Although, if I were to fight I wouldn't lose to anyone."

* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline''.

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: Every BigBad in the films has his moment, even though some are not listed below.

* ''{{Literature/Discworld}}'':
** ''{{Literature/Maskerade}}'': The villain lists all the things they hate about opera after being fatally "[[{{Flynning}} stabbed]]". The final complaint is how long it always [[HypocriticalHumor takes people to die]].

* The ''Literature/{{Duumvirate}}'' asks for this before they kill important enemies.

* Hilariously parodied in ''Machinima/HalfLifeButTheAIIsSelfAware'' with [[spoiler:[[EvilAllAlong Benrey]]]] ranting about how Gordon coming to work with a dick slip resulted in him not being able to play ''VideoGame/HeavenlySword'' turned him evil. It's completely disconnected from everything that's happening, and the rant eventually descends into nonsensical and contradictory rambling and finally gibberish.

** Another example is in "Masterpiece", the killer turned himself in to police after kidnapping five people, saying they'll die if not found in a few hours. The team finds where they're being held and leave, except for Rossi, who continues interviewing the killer. At this point, the killer reveals that the location is a trap, and launches into a full-on motive rant, revealing that Rossi had arrested his brother (also a SerialKiller) and he'd wanted revenge. Cue Hotch calling to tell Rossi that the trap was right where he'd said it'd be, and all the victims are fine. Rossi'd guessed the trap, but intentionally triggered the motive rant to get the killer to admit to his other killings on tape.

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', [[spoiler: [[BigBad Eren]]]] gives an extended version of this when [[spoiler: breaking the Walls to release the Titans inside to destroy the world. He specifically states the future of his home, Paradis is at risk as long as the rest of the world is thriving, and they certainly won't stop unless the Eldians all over the world are dead. To prevent that from ever happening, Eren declares that he will kill all of the world till none of the life outside his island stay alive, no matter their allegiances.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' when the Smith family next door attack the Girls, they ask why. Maryanne Smith explains that it was because [[ContinuityNod they tried to be nice and neighborly to them, and what thanks do the Girls give them? They had ruined her dinner and gotten her husband thrown in jail (he tried to kill the Professor)]]. After the rant, [[DisproportionateRetribution Blossom points out that wasn't a very good reason at all.]] And it's off to the slammer the Smiths go (again, in the husband's case).

* In ''Manga/TokyoGhoulRE'' the Oggai are an elite group of ChildSoldiers employed by the CCG. The horror of their existence is contrasted with the hilarious sight of a group of them arriving on scene riding bicycles, since they're all underage.

** Inverted in the episode "Duet"; a Cardassian identified as Gul Darheel, commander of Gallitep, one of the most horrific interment camps during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, ranted at length about how he was a loyal Cardassian soldier and it was his patriotic duty and privilege to exterminate Bajorans. Toward the end of the episode Kira discovered that the prisoner was not Gul Darheel, but a file clerk at Gallitep, who was completely horrified by what his people did to the Bajorans and assumed the late Darheel's identity to force his people to own up to what Cardassia did to Bajor. [[spoiler: In a DownerEnding, he's stabbed to death by a Bajoran just for being Cardassian after he's released]].

* [[spoiler:Miss Benham]] gives one at the end before being arrested by the police in ''Film/{{Victim}}''.