History Main / WarningMistakenForThreat

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017 Netflix's Castlevania]]'', upon being arrested by the Bishop of Gresit and his goons for witchcraft, Lisa Tepes warned them desperately that a calamity would strike them if any harm were to befall her. They mistake the warning for a threat of Satanic retribution and burn her at the stake.

-->'''Aziraphale:''' Come up with something, or... Or I'll never talk to you again!
** What he probably meant by that is that he literally will not be able to talk to Crowley or see him ever again if [[spoiler:Satan restarts the Apocalypse]] - they will probably be locked in Heaven and Hell without any possibility to reunite.

* ''Series/TwentyFour'': During Day 1, [[spoiler:then-Senator David Palmer learns that some of his associates are planning to kill his son Keith's therapist, Dr. Ferragamo, who has leaked to the press the fact that Keith accidentally killed his sister's rapist during a fight and that his mother Sherry had it covered up as suicide. Palmer attempts to warn Ferragamo, but the doctor misconstrues his warning as a death threat and angrily hangs up on him. Palmer then tries to go see him in person, but before he arrives, [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident a fire breaks out]] in the doctor's office, killing him and destroying his records]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooOnZombieIsland'', [[spoiler:the ghost of the pirate captain Morgan Moonscar carved the words "GetOut" and "Beware" into the kitchen wall of the mansion. Mystery Inc. later learns that he was simply trying to warn them about Simone and Lena's true nature as life-draining werecats.]]

* In the second ''Literature/OrigamiYoda'' book, Dwight's Origami Yoda gives the cheerleader Jen the rather menacing advice: "Zero hour comes! Prepare to meet your doom!" Dwight's rival Harvey reports this to the school and they assume this was a threat, leading Dwight to be nearly expelled. As it turns out, though, [[spoiler:this was actually warning Jen to not blow off her book report, lest she get a zero and thus get kicked out of JV cheerleading.]]

* ''Series/TwentyFour'': During Day 1, [[spoiler:then-Senator David Palmer learns that some of his associates are planning to kill his son Keith's therapist, Dr. Ferragamo, who has leaked to the press the fact that Keith accidentally killed his sister's rapist during a fight and that his mother Sherry had it covered up as suicide. Palmer attempts to warn Ferragamo, but the doctor misconstrues his warning as a death threat and angrily hangs up on him. Palmer then tries to go see him in person, but before he arrives, [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident a fire breaks out]] in the doctor's office, killing him and destroying his records.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', if you start the Genocide Run, there will be two moments when the character Sans the Skeleton tells us that if we don't turn back and become a better person, we will have a bad time, which seems like Sans is threatening us with a fight. [[spoiler:And while Sans is the FinalBoss of the route ([[ThatOneBoss and quite a hard one]]), once you kill him, he says "[[IWarnedYou don't say i didn't warn you]]", confirming that Sans was actually warning us, and his fight wasn't the "bad time". If you don't reset the game and continue on to kill Asgore and Flowey, you will find out that the "bad time" was actually [[GreaterScopeVillain the Fallen Child]] erasing the world and ruining all future True Pacifist endings]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E9BridleGossip Bridle Gossip]]", [[spoiler:when approached by the Mane Six and Apple Bloom at the edge of Everfree Forest, Zecora shouts, "Beware, beware, you pony folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!" The next day, the Mane Six come down with various afflictions and seek out the zebra, hoping to convince her to undo her curse. It turns out that Zecora wasn't threatening them with a curse but warning them about the plants they were standing in, which led to their illnesses.]]

--> '''Walt Warren''': I tried to warn you by writing "Bart Simpson Will Die" on the walls, bu-but you ignored me.
--> '''Marge Simpson''': You have to admit, "Bart Simpson Will Die" was kind of open to interpretation.

--> '''Walt Warren''': I tried to warn you by writing "Bart Simpson will die" on the walls, but you ignored me.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'': In "[[Recap/TheRealGhostbustersS1E13XmasMarksTheSpot X-Mas Marks the Spot]]", the Ghostbusters stumble through a temporal anomaly after getting lost and interrupt the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future as they prepare to put Scrooge through the events of ''Literature/AChristmasCarol''. As the Ghostbusters catch them, Christmas Past calls out that if they don't let them go, Christmas will suffer. Given that they've long since been inured to threats (and [[TheScrooge Peter]] isn't too keen on Christmas anyway), the 'Busters ignore them...and then find out that their interference changed the past so that everyone hates Christmas the same way Scrooge did.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'': After [[BigBad Voldemort]] siezes control of the Ministry of Magic, Harry and his friends infiltrate the Ministry, with Harry using Polyjuice Potion to adopt the appearance of a wizard called Albert Runcorn. While inside, he gets into an argument with Arthur Weasley, who accuses Runcorn of selling out one of his colleagues to the Death Eaters. Harry tries to give Arthur a warning that he's under surveillance for being an undesirable, which Arthur takes as Runcorn threatening him.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', if you start the [[KillEmAll Genocide Run]], there will be two moments when the character Sans the Skeleton tells us that if we don't turn back and become a better person, we will have a bad time, which seems like Sans is threatening us with a fight. [[spoiler:And while Sans is the FinalBoss of the route ([[ThatOneBoss and quite a hard one]]), once you kill him, he says "[[IWarnedYou don't say i didn't warn you]]", confirming that Sans was actually warning us, and his fight wasn't the "bad time". If you don't reset the game and continue on to kill Asgore and Flowey, you will find out that the "bad time" was actually [[GreaterScopeVillain the Fallen Child]] erasing the world and ruining all future True Pacifist endings]].

* ''Series/InspectorMorse'' did a similar version to the one from ''Film/UrbanLegend'', except involving a creepy co-worker instead of a gas station attendent.

* InspectorMorse did a similar version to the one from ''Film/UrbanLegend'', except involving a creepy co-worker instead of a gas station attendent.

* In the second ''Literature/OrigamiYoda'' book, Dwight's Origami Yoda gives the cheerleader Jen the rather menacing advice: "Zero hour comes! Prepare to meet your doom!" Dwight's rival Harvey reports this to the school and they assume this was a threat, leading Dwight to be nearly expelled. As it turns out, though, [[spoiler: this was actually warning Jen to not blow off her book report, lest she get a zero and thus get kicked out of JV cheerleading.]]

* In {{Film/Exodus Gods and Kings}}, Moses tries and fails to persuade Ramses to free the Hebrews, telling him "This goes beyond you and I, this is about Egypt's very survival," and ultimately tells Ramses to "protect your child, protect your child," with Ramses commenting "Is that a threat?" when in fact it was an attempt to avert the upcoming final plague.

This trope is when someone is warned about some disaster and that someone mistakes it for a threat and the person warning them for evil, either due to ambiguous syntax or the warner's behavior.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS21E22TheBobNextDoor The Bob Next Door]]", Sideshow Bob once again escapes from prison, planning to [[WouldHurtAChild kill Bart]]. Walt, his cellmate, writes, "Bart Simpson will die," which other people take as a death threat to Bart, when he's actually referring to Bob planning to kill Bart. Also not helping Walt was the fact that he and Sideshow Bob had their faces switched ala ''Film/FaceOff'' as part of Bob's escape plan, so it looked like Bob was still in prison and writing that threat.

* ''Series/TwentyFour'': During Day 1, then-Senator David Palmer learns that some of his associates are planning to kill his son Keith's therapist, Dr. Ferragamo, who has leaked to the press the fact that Keith accidentally killed his sister's rapist during a fight and that his mother Sherry had it covered up as suicide. Palmer attempts to warn Ferragamo, but the doctor misconstrues his warning as a death threat and angrily hangs up on him. Palmer then tries to go see him in person, but before he arrives, [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident a fire breaks out]] in the doctor's office, killing him and destroying his records.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS21E22TheBobNextDoor The Bob Next Door]]", Sideshow Bob once again escapes from prison, planning to [[WouldHurtAChild kill Bart]]. His cellmate writes, "Bart Simpson will die," which other people take as a death threat to Bart, when he's actually referring to Bob planning to kill Bart. Also not helping the cellmate was the fact that he and Sideshow Bob had their faces switched ala ''Film/FaceOff'' as part of Bob's escape plan, so it looked like Bob was still in prison and writing that threat.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Sideshow Bob once escapes from prison, planning to [[WouldHurtAChild kill Bart]]. His cellmate writes, "Bart Simpson will die," which other people take as a death threat to Bart, when he's actually referring to Bob planning to kill Bart.

* In ''Film/Exodus Gods and Kings'', Moses tries and fails to persuade Ramses to free the Hebrews, telling him "This goes beyond you and I, this is about Egypt's very survival," and ultimately tells Ramses to "protect your child, protect your child," with Ramses commenting "Is that a threat?" when in fact it was an attempt to avert the upcoming final plague.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooOnZombieIsland'', [[spoiler:the ghost of the pirate captain Morgan Moonscar carved the words "GetOut" and "Beware" into the kitchen wall of the mansion. Mystery Inc later learns that he was simply trying to warn them about Simone and Lena's true nature as life-draining werecats.]]

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/Exodus Gods and Kings'', Moses tries and fails to persuade Rameses to free the Hebrews, telling him ?this goes beyond you and I, this is about Egypt?s very survival? and ultimately tells Rameses to ?protect your child, protect your child? with Rameses commenting ?is that a threat?? when in fact it was an attempt to avert the upcoming final plague.

* ''Film/TheThing1982'': Garry shoots the hysterical Norwegian in self-defence. Unbeknownst to him, the Norwegian is actually trying to warn them that the dog is a killer alien lifeform.

* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': Elsa (from ''[[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Frozen]]'') demands that the main characters find her missing sister Anna, or else she will freeze the town and everyone in it. She doesn't care how threatening she sounds because, while she really has trouble controlling her ice powers without Anna's help, she believes they can't understand her PowerIncontinence.

-->'''Logan''': This is my Albion. Its cities will bow to my law or they will burn. Its mountains will bend to my will or they will fall. This is my Albion. Its people will do as I say or they will die. Its future will be as I decree or it will end. I have seen what must be done, and nothing will stand in my way. We will be greater and we will be stronger, no matter what sacrifices we must make. This is my Albion, and I will see it destroyed before I surrender it.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E9BridleGossip Bridle Gossip]]", [[spoiler:when approached by the Mane Six and Applebloom at the edge of Everfree Forest, Zecora shouts, "Beware, beware, you pony folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!" The next day, the Mane Six come down with various afflictions and seek out the zebra, hoping to convince her to undo her curse. It turns out that Zecora wasn't threatening them with a curse but warning them about the plants they were standing in, which led to their illnesses.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Sideshow Bob once escapes from prison, planning to [[WouldHurtAChild kill Bart]]. His cellmate writes, "Bart Simpson will die", which other people take as a death threat to Bart, when he's actually referring to Bob planning to kill Bart.

[[/folder]]

Some villain threatens our protagonists with doom. No matter what, they will be defeated and... wait, they're not evil and were actually warning our protagonists?

'''''To be launched on Sunday, March 18, 5:00 PM, Atlantic Daylight Time.'''''