History Main / ScheherezadeGambit

* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Lelouch is cornered by [[spoiler: TykeBomb Rolo but Lelouch manages to talk Rolo into letting him live by offering to give up C.C. and for Rolo to ''[[BecomingTheMask really becoming his brother]]'' setting up a KansasCityShuffle.]] He agrees in hopes of killing both C.C. and Lelouch later giving Lelouch a chance to live another day. Which Lelouch takes [[XanatosGambit full advantage of]].
* ''Manga/DeathNote'': Subverted by Ryuk and Light. Sure Light could get out alive if he forfeited ownership of the Death Note, but he would never do that unless he knew he could get it back. Ryuk only dropped the Death Note on earth cause he was bored and wanted some entertainment, as such the first time they meet Ryuk tells Light that he will be the one to write Light's name in his Death Note one day. [[spoiler:And after six years, he does.]]

** Cell is easily beaten by Vegeta, but Vegeta is convinced to spare him until he can achieve his Perfect Form and become more of a challenge. He does so and and becomes so strong Vegeta is no longer able to hurt him.

* The very first ''{{Literature/Redwall}}'' book has Matthias pull this on the King of the Sparra (the sparrows in Redwall's roof) so that he won't have him killed.

* ''Literature/NightfallSeries'': Myra tries to pull one. [[spoiler: It doesn’t work.]]

* Keturah Reeve of ''Keturah and Lord Death'' meets Death, come to claim her life, after she becomes lost in a forest. She persuades him to grant her a reprieve by putting her storytelling skills to use in the fashion of this trope, winning herself a number of extra days by drawing out the story (although it becomes clear that Death is already inclined to be generous; on one of the nights he comes for her, Keturah doesn't have a story prepared but is allowed another day anyhow).

* Later, in ''Film/LicenceToKill'' after Bond has dismantled Franz Sanchez's drug empire, Sanchez has Bond at his mercy. Bond asks, "Wouldn't you like to know why?" This makes Sanchez hesitate, giving Bond the opurtunity he needs to kill him.
* ''Film/Hero2002'': Wu Ming ("Nameless"), a minor official who claims to have vanquished three assassins out to kill the King (Broken Sword, Long Sky and Flying Snow) before he has a chance to declare himself Emperor, is given a extremely rare audience with the King to tell him the story. The story is [[spoiler: only an excuse to be given an audience with the King so Wu Ming could assassinate him]].

* ''Webcomic/HowIKilledYourMaster'' - "It is simple, Chan Sen. You can kill me and avenge your master, or you can listen to me and surpass him.

[[quoteright:350:[[{{Webcomic/Oglaf}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shay.JPG]] ]]
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* ''Manga/DeathNote'': Subverted by Ryuk and Light. Sure Light could get out alive if he forfeited ownership of the Death Note, but he would never do that unless he knew he could get it back. Ryuk only dropped the Death Note on earth cause he was bored and wanted some entertainment, as such the first time they meet Ryuk tells Light that he will be the one to write Light's name in his Death Note one day. [[spoiler: And after six years, he does.]]
* ''Manga/DragonBall Z'':

* Used by ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} in ''Comicbook/AstonishingXMen''. [[spoiler: Knowing that the Breakworld has his ship bugged, he deliberately makes some vague reference to a mysterious superweapon, and then throws himself into suicidal danger, banking that the Breakworlders will value intelligence on the superweapon more than his death. He's right.]]
** [[spoiler: He ALSO lied about not having his powers back...]]

* ''ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen'': [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy]] pulled this on an escaped murderer in "The Story of Superman's Souvenirs." The murderer cornered Jimmy and ordered him to provide some gizmo to help him escape the law. Jimmy had to tell him why some of them wouldn't work until he found a solution.

--> '''Palpatine''': I see. You do realize where you are and whose word your life depends on, do you? Why should I let your insolence go unpunished?\\

[[folder:Fanworks]]

* Kayn from ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' uses a scythe contained [[OurDemonsAreDifferent a bound darkin]] named Rhaast as his weapon. Rhaast wants to take over Kayn and return to destroying the world, while Kayn wants to expel Rhaast and take his power for himself (as well as proving himself the chosen one). In some of their dialogue, it appears Rhaast is pulling this gambit on Kayn to stop him simply dropping the scythe and walking away.
-->'''Kayn:''' ''I let you go, and you will die.''
-->'''Rhaast:''' ''And you will lose.''

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueAction'' has the Toyman rig up a facsimile of a FightingGame and devices that let him control whoever they are affixed to as puppets, the idea being to force Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg to fight for his amusement. Cyborg (who happens to be a fan of the game it's based on) reminds him that it's a two-player game, offering some "friendly competition". Toyman seems GenreSavvy at first ("Oh sure! I let you play, and you take advantage of the situation to free your friends. How stupid do you think I am?" ) but Cyborg plays on the villain's competitive nature (seeing that Toyman's goal is to not just ''defeat'' them, but ''humiliate'' them and have fun in the process), and he agrees to it. Naturally, Toyman's first hunch was the one he should have listened to. After two "rounds" of the "game", one of his own robotic action figures (who Cyborg had hacked) sabotages the system and disables it.

* Averted in ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003''. During TheMutiny, Admiral Adama is subject to a KangarooCourt over his command decisions. Romo Lampkin is roped in as his defense attorney. Aware that they're both going to be executed regardless, and knowing that loyalists are fighting the mutineers, Romo urges Adama to play along with the charade to stall for time. Adama refuses, [[ThisIsUnforgivable such is his contempt for the mutineers for betraying him]].

* In Part 2 of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', [[GuileHero Joseph]] pulls this on the super-vampires Wamuu and Esidisi, appealing to their ProudWarriorRaceGuy nature by convincing them that it would be more fun to let him live for a month so he can perfect his [[MartialArtsAndCrafts Hamon]] and become a WorthyOpponent. They oblige... by making the future encounter mandatory by the way of a PoisonAndCureGambit. Joseph later laments that had he known that it would work (he was trying to buy time for Caesar and Speedwagon to get away) he would have asked for a full year instead.

* Actually ''inverted'' in the animated film ''WesternAnimation/MagicGiftOfTheSnowman''. At the start of the film, protagonist Landon learns that his [[IllGirl younger]] [[WheelchairWoobie sister]] Emery-Elizabeth is very ill and confined to her bed; although the doctor believes she'll recover if she can make it to Christmas, she seems to have lost the will to live and might not last that long. Determined to help his sister pull through, Landon begins telling her a story about [[TotallyRadical a magical]] [[AnIcePerson snowman]] named Snowden and his adventures with the two of them, ending it on a cliffhanger each night so that Emery-Elizabeth will have to hang on until the following day to hear what happens next. [[spoiler:Not only does she make it to Christmas, come Christmas morning she's out of her wheelchair as well.]]

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* In Part 2 of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', [[GuileHero Joseph]] pulls this on the super-vampires Wammu and Esidisi, appealing to their ProudWarriorRaceGuy nature by convincing them that it would be more fun to let him live for a month so he can perfect his [[MartialArtsAndCrafts Ripple technique]] and fight them again. They oblige... by making the future encounter mandatory by the way of a PoisonAndCureGambit. Joseph later laments that had he known that it would work (he was trying to buy time for Caesar and Speedwagon to get away) he would have asked for a full year instead.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', Xanatos has admitted this is why he doesn't just send a PsychoForHire [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim with a sledgehammer at daybreak]]. Whether or not they foil his plans doesn't matter [[XanatosGambit he always benefits anyways]] even if its just a fun fight in his PoweredArmor.