History Main / TheDogBitesBack

* The conquering of the Aztec Empire by the conquistadors was dependent on the assistance of smaller tribes that were resentful of being under Aztec rule.

* When Comicbook/{{Spider-Man}} faces Morlun, an enemy who has been sustaining his near-immortality for centuries by feeding on the life energy of people who have totemistic relationships with animals, and when he finally has him on the ropes, it's unclear whether he's about to cross the killing line, but the issue is quickly resolved when Dex, Morlun's Renfield-style cowardly, put-upon assistant, puts a bullet in him.

* At the end of RockADoodle after the [[BigBad Grand Duke of Owls]] is defeated and stripped of his powers, [[ImMelting he shrinks down to the size of a squab]], even smaller than his abused nephew Hunch who takes the opportunity to get revenge and chases his diminutive uncle with a flyswatter over the horizon and away from the farm forever.

* Subverted near the end of ''{{Preacher}}''; Herr Starr's two henchmen try this trope on him after they realise how far gone he is, but he gets the drop on them first.

* Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India. She ordered a attack by the Indian Army on a Sikh temple being used by a separatist group on one of that religions most holy days. [[KickTheDog The Indian Army's brillian plan for this involved calling in heavy artillery on an inner-city resulting in hundreds or perhaps thousands of deaths.]] Needless to say, Gandhi's Sikh bodyguards [[{{Understatement}} were not pleased]] and proceeded to pull a BodyguardBetrayal.

* Indira Gandhi
** To elaborate, Indira Gandhi was the prime minister of India. She ordered a attack by the Indian Army on a Sikh temple being used by a separatist group on one of that religions most holy days. [[KickTheDog The Indian Army's brillian plan for this involved calling in heavy artillery on an inner-city resulting in hundreds or perhaps thousands of deaths.]] Needless to say, Gandhi's Sikh bodyguards [[{{Understatement}} were not pleased]] and proceeded to pull a BodyguardBetrayal.

--'''D-Mob''', [[DefJamSeries Def Jam: Fight for NY]]

->''"Poor Garland, bitten by his own dog."''
-->--'''Kuja''' FinalFantasyIX

* Arguably, the Supertrooper riot in GalaxyRangers was a case of the dogs going rabid, biting back, and then breaking down the fence.

May shade into GiveMeASword when the character ''fails'' to act rather than actively attacks him; a wounded and powerless BigBad may be helpless unless his {{Mook}} throws him something, so he demands it, and the Mook -- just doesn't.

Often occurs in the form of BodyguardBetrayal. Subtrope of HoistByHisOwnPetard and KarmicDeath. See also NiceToTheWaiter. Not to be confused with TheDogShotFirst. If the dog biting back does some puppy-kicking of its own, it's TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized. Can sometimes overlap with TheStarScream if the dog takes over command of the Big Bad's forces.

* At the end of RockADoodle after the [[BigBad Grand Duke of Owls]] is defeated and stripped of his powers, he shrinks down to the size of a squab, even smaller than his abused nephew Hunch who takes the opportunity to get revenge and chases his diminutive uncle with a flyswatter over the horizon and away from the farm forever.

Often occurs in the form of BodyguardBetrayal. Subtrope of HoistByHisOwnPetard and KarmicDeath. See also NiceToTheWaiter. Not to be confused with TheDogShotFirst. If the dog biting back does some puppy-kicking of its own, it's TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized.

* Bhuta, the much put-upon mook of High Priest Clang in ''Help!'', has been treated as a punch-bag for all of the film. So, in the closing sequence, when Clang finally grabs the MacGuffin ring for himself, triumphantly dons it, and then finds that he can't remove it - which marks him down as a human sacrifice - it doesn't really come as a surprise to see a gleefully-yelling Bhuta charging after him, wielding a scimitar with clearly homicidal intent...

* In ''{{Darksiders}}'', [[spoiler: Uriel finishes off Abaddon while he begs for her help.]] Given everything he's done up to that point, Uriel telling him to "f*** off and die" despite her past feelings for him makes perfect sense.

* BenitoMussolini

** [[DyingMomentOfAwesome Kimblee]] does this to Pride.

* ''JonnyQuest'' TOS episode "The Dragons of Ashida". After being punished once too often, Ashida's servant Sumi turns on him and throws him to his own dragons to be eaten.

Unlike the BastardUnderstudy and TheStarscream, this character attacks as a crime of opportunity. There is no danger that he will take over the villain's place in the grand scheme of things. The backstabber often ends up dead -- but this is not often a case of RedemptionEqualsDeath, because the motive is often not heroic; even victims are generally motivated by revenge. The villain's only control was fear, and when he's no longer afraid...

* At the end of ''[[StarWars Return Of The Jedi]]'', Darth Vader turns on his master in a HeelFaceTurn after Palpatine lays on the [[PsychoElectro Force]] [[AgonyBeam Lightning]] against his son, and proceeds to hurl the EvilSorcerer down the shaft into the reactor core.

->''[It] is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with. [...] Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred.''
-->--'''Niccola Machiavelli''', ''ThePrince''

->''Even a stray has pride.''
-->--'''Gabranth''', ''FinalFantasyXII''