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You're Insane!

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Sherlock: You're insane!
Moriarty: You're just getting that now?

A stock phrase typically spoken at the climax of a story.

The hero confronts the Big Bad, especially one they used to trust before their true colours were revealed about their actions. During the confrontation, the villain eagerly justifies the Evil Plan they've carried out with repugnantly twisted logic that is devoid of any trace of humanity or ethics and is often about to commit his supreme atrocity with a wild grin. The hero reacts with outrage at this depraved justification with "You're insane!" and instantly attacks to stop him.

Sometimes "mad", "crazy", "out of your mind", or "sick in the head" may be substituted for "insane", but the nature of the trope is the same.

Another heroic staple is this being one hero's response to another's proposal of a Zany Scheme — in which case the counterpoint is obviously, "Crazy Enough to Work!"

A villainous lunatic may well agree with you, perhaps with a snarky response like "You've only just now noticed?". A Mad Scientist will often retort that "They Called Me Mad!" Sometimes you can even say this to the villain when he's suffering a Villainous Breakdown. Some characters might throw back "I prefer the term..." followed by an adjective that they think best describes them. As a matter of fact, some Smug Snakes or even Magnificent Bastards can go so crazy during their breakdowns that other characters love hitting them with this. Sometimes the character will have indicated that he's considered the accusation against himself already, and deciding it really doesn't matter, often with an "Am I?" statement.

If a villain's henchman is giving the "You're Insane!" speech, it's often because what the villain is planning was not what he or she signed on for.

Contrast After-Action Villain Analysis for when the hero psychoanalyzes a villain after the fact.

See You Monster! for when a hero is outraged less at the sanity of the villain and more at the vileness of them, or This Is Unforgivable! when a hero is outraged at the terribleness of the villain's atrocities and how evil they've proven to be to the point of being Beyond Redemption.


Examples:

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    Anime & Manga 
  • JoJo's Bizarre Adventure:
    • Battle Tendency: To say the least, Kars is rather taken aback when Joseph impales him onto a plane and flies it into an active volcano.
    Kars: (horrified) You're a LUNATIC!
    • Golden Wind: Tiziano's reaction to Narancia cutting out his own tongue to remove Talking Head, scaring Squalo & Tiziano into increasing their breathing so he could track them with Aerosmith's radar.
    Tiziano: That guy's a maniac!
  • In Code Geass, at the end of the second series, Cornelia says this to Schneizel after he announces his plan to nuke all of his enemies, not just Lelouch, into submission and calls himself a god.
  • Some mooks from GUN×SWORD do this to The Claw. Ironically, their reasons for doing this are wrong.
  • Hellsing has this, with a Catholic fundamentalist (who isn't much better himself) saying it to the Nazi Big Bad. His response? "If your God would allow my insanity to spread across the globe, then, wouldn't it seem you to that any God like that would be just as insane?"
  • Sasuke says this to Itachi in Naruto.
    • As does Naruto himself to Gaara.
    • In the english dub during their battle at the Valley of the End Naruto says "You're crazy, Sasuke!"
    • Kin said it first to Shikamaru. He replies with "makes it kinda interesting, doesn't it?"
    • Everyone at the Kage Summit says this to Tobi after he told them his plan, then he says it to Kabuto after he revives the real Madara.
  • In Full Metal Panic!! (especially notable in the novels), Sousuke is shown to get incredibly confused as to why Gauron acts the way he does. His bewilderment is shown to increase as Gauron's blood lust and incredibly gay flirting get more and more blaring and overt. And at the end of each time he wonders this, he repeatedly comes to this conclusion: Gauron is insane. There is no rational explanation for why he does what he does. And then he proceeds to beat the shit out of him.
  • Koji says this to Cherubimon in the dub of Digimon Frontier. Cherubimon replies, "Yes, perhaps I am."
  • Future Diary: Yukki to Yuno in chapter 54.
  • Sonic X: Knuckles tells Sonic to use the emeralds, but Sonic doesn't have the emeralds anymore, saying he was forced to send them away to get the Metarex that attacked him to go away. Knuckles screams at Sonic, "ARE YOU CRAZY!?!? WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO!?!?".
  • Edward calls Kimblee insane in Fullmetal Alchemist when the latter explains his worldview to him.
  • Kazuya from Freezing gives one to Louis when Louis claims Satellizer as his property.
  • From the Streamline dub of The Castle of Cagliostro:
    Lupin: We have to go back now and pick up the princess.
    Zenigata: WHAT?! Are you out of your mind!
    Lupin: I thought you knew that!
  • From Dragon Ball Z when Piccolo calls out Cell for absorbing many people before getting into Androids 17 and 18.
    Piccolo: What do you mean? It's not your power! You stole it by taking the lives of innocent people!
    Cell: What? Fool. Stole it? They're part of greatness now. I've given them all a purpose.
    Piccolo: You're nuts.
  • In Bleach, Renji screams this to Ichigo when he decides the best way to deliver Rukia down to him is to throw her down a great height. After he barely manages to catch her, he screams to Ichigo that he's an idiot.
  • The title character of Speed Racer has this reaction to Mr. Fastbucks' plan to destroy the world's entire oil supply so that humanity would have to rely on this train lines for transport.
    Speed: You're the most dangerous man I've ever met and you're wacky!
  • From Baccano!, Ladd Russo gets this from his uncle, after killing two of said uncle's men for no reason. Humorously, given the fact that Ladd does this stuff all the time and his uncle is also a criminal, it comes off less as a shocked reaction and more as an exasperated observation.
  • In the very first episode of Zombie Land Saga Sakura lets out an "Are you stupid?!" to Kotaro's face. Given that he was putting six mindless zombies (and one fully aware zombie) onto the stage of a Death Metal concert as the first step toward making them idol singers, it's pretty clear she wasn't exactly questioning his intelligence...
  • Mine from Akame ga Kill! tells Seryu this at the end of her "The Reason You Suck" Speech towards her, pointing out how Seryu claims to be a "servant of justice," but is in truth an Ax-Crazy sadist who delights in killing. Seryu, who has believed all her life that she's been doing the right thing, cannot work up a proper response to this and loses her shit... not that her anger saves her from Mine's much more potent rage, which literally gets Seryu blown in half.

    Audio Plays 

    Comic Books 
  • Batman:
    • The Joker is not immune to this, or averse to employing Insult Backfire. For example, in Batman #251, the Bronze Age comic that brought the Joker back to his psychopathic characterization, Batman and the Joker have this little exchange:
      Batman: Joker — you realize you're utterly... hopelessly... insane?
      Joker: It's my most charming trait!
    • Another example, from Batman #321:
      Robin: You're out of your mind, Joker!
      Joker: Gloriously so! Isn't it wonderful? If I were sane, I might not be so brilliant!
    • And yet another example:
      Batman: You're insane.
      Joker: Has it really taken you this long to notice?
    • One example not involving the Joker occurs in the Elseworld Batman: Castle of the Bat, where Bruce Wayne calls Dr. Seltsam insane for demonstrating a blatant disregard for human life by seeing no problem with getting people killed so he can preserve their body parts For Science!
  • Iron Man: In Fatal Frontier, Iron Man says this to an Alternate Universe Doctor Doom after hearing the man describe his latest plan. Doom isn't fazed.
    Doctor Doom: I'd be insane if I couldn't achieve it. As it is, I am merely ambitious.
  • Judge Dredd:
    • In "The Day the Law Died", the mad-as-a-nuthouse Chief Judge Cal is called out on being an insane dictator numerous times. He was liberal with the death sentence to anyone who brought this up.
    • When the formerly-human Judge Death executed his own mother by hurling her off a cliff, she shrieked that he'd gone completely mad. When he carried out the deed, she changed her accusation to You Monster!.
  • Nextwave: This is used, but the Big Bad's logic doesn't even try to make sense.
  • The Punisher: The former page quote came from The Punisher MAX where Wilson Fisk utters this to newly hired hitman Bullseye. More or less summing up his first impressions of him.
  • Red Robin: Tam Fox accuses Tim of being crazy after she's kidnapped by the League of Assassins and his infiltration of the group makes her think he's an assassin as well. He doesn't really correct her about his mental state but he does make it clear he's not a killer or on the League's side.
  • Sin City: In A Dame to Kill For Dwight calls Ava insane after she reveals her having manipulated him into murdering her husband for her. Ava's retort sums up very well where this trope can fall flat.
    Dwight: You're insane!
    Ava: Insane? HA! That's so easy, so convenient — and so wrong. Crazy people push shopping carts down the streets and talk nonsense. Crazy people sit in padded cells and soil their pants. A madwoman couldn't have pulled this off. No. There's a word for what I am, but nobody uses it anymore. Nobody wants to see the simple truth. If they did, they'd kill people like me as soon as we revealed ourselves. But they don't. They close their eyes and blather about psychology and say nobody is truly evil. That's why I've won. That's why I always win.
  • Sonic the Comic: Robotnik's right hand man Grimer says this to Robotnik after Chaos absorbs the Chaos Emeralds;
    Robotnik: I keep on telling you, Grimer, my faithful fool... I don't have a plan. This is the end for us all!
    Grimer: You're... you're mad...
    Robotnik: So what?
  • Supergod: Reddin describes Dajjal as a creature without sanity. Dajjal however points out that sanity is a tool for navigating a rational world, and therefore useless to someone who can see every possibility.
  • Superman: In Krypton No More, super-villain Radion gets this reaction from Superman when he explains his master plan: he wants to cause a meltdown in all the world's nuclear reactors because he thinks the resulting Armageddon will lead man to the next level of evolution. Many will die. Many will become twisted mutations, but some will become supermen. And he will rule them. Superman's reaction is understandable:
    Superman: Great Galaxies... the man's INSANE!
  • In Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, when Doctor Octopus finally discovers Lex Luthor's real goal (destroying the world), he blurts out: "Dear Lord — he's mad!"
  • The Tick: In one issue, the art-themed villain the Impressionist is called crazy by his roommate. (At the time, the Impressionist was trying to eat a paint omelet.) Impressionist's retort?
    The Impressionist: I am not crazy! I am an artist! Was Michelangelo crazy? Was Renior crazy? Was Van Gogh crazy? OK, bad example, but still...
  • In issue 31 of Titans (2010), a man reacts to learning that Osiris is killing a bunch of people due to believing that doing so will bring his sister Isis back to life by telling Osiris that he's crazy, only to be cut off by Osiris vaporizing him.
  • Transformers:
    Hellbat: Why? Because I admit to enjoying it? I don't need a war to hide behind.
    • The Transformers live-action movie follow-up comic Reign of Starscream had this chilling exchange right before Starscream murders her:
    Elita-One: You're insane!
    Starscream: No... I'm in charge.
  • Ultimate Vision: One of the scientists can't believe that Tarleton had fused the Gah Lak Tus tech into his own cyborg components. He asked for clarification: "insane" is hardly a scientific term.
  • Usagi Yojimbo: The demonic Jei is frequently accused of being insane. He usually replies, "As an emmisary to the gods, I set the standard of sanity for the world."
  • X-Men:
    • During his first clash with the team in Uncanny X-Men #124, Arcade is told he's insane. His reply? "Crazy as a loon. Been that way for years."
    • Towards the end of his solo run, after becoming somewhat... strange and taking up the mantle of a mutant 'Shaman', Nate Grey gets this, word for word. His entirely unfazed response? "Probably."
    • From a side-story to the Avengers vs. X-Men crossover, in response to a Motive Rant:
      Colossus: You're insane.
      Magik: Oh, thank you! Thank you! I knew eventually you'd understand.

    Comic Strips 
  • In a Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin's pediatrician diagnoses him with chicken pox, he seems to doubt the good doctor's sanity.
    Calvin: Chicken pox?! Mom, what is this guy? A veterinarian? He's mad! Mad I say! I'll bet the real doctor is tied up and gagged in the other exam room!
  • In one Peanuts storyline, Linus convinced Marcie to wait with him for the Great Pumpkin. But her parents came and got her and took her to be "deprogrammed". Which led to this interaction later:
    Marcie: They said you were a false prophet.
    Linus: What else?
    Marcie: That's it, nothing else.
    Linus: What else?
    Marcie: Well, they also said you were crazy...

    Fan Works 
  • Abraxas (Hrodvitnon): In Chapter 8 of this Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) fanfiction, Mark Russell, who is currently in the midst of one of his infamous tempers at hearing the news (which he's convinced is a lie) that Vivienne Graham is Back from the Dead, quotes the trope name to Mariko (who originally broke the news) in response to Mariko calling Mark out on his Arbitrary Skepticism of the idea that Vivienne's resurrection is even possible.
  • A Crooked Man: Sinister calls out Johann this way:
    "You dare judge me?! You're insane! A lunatic with your power, you'll be a far greater threat to the world than I could ever be! You call me a monster, but you throw around the powers of a God like a toy and use it for petty indulgences? All I've done, I've done to make mutantkind stronger, what have you ever done?"
    • Malcolm Colcord also calls him this upon seeing the corpse of Dr. Abraham Cornelius.
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series:
    • Yami uses a variant of this line completely deadpan when faced with Melvin.
      Yami: Look, we're not intimidated by your silly behavio—
      Melvin: I AM THE KING!
      Yami: ... You're a loony.
    • Téa says this to Crump after finding out that he created Viva Piñata.
    • In one of the Marik's Evil Council Videos:
      "What! No card games?!? YOU'RE INSANE! . . . I mean, more insane than the rest of us . . ."
    • Also spoofed in the related music video Villain, which is a spoof on the song Hero:
      Melvin: Am I insane? Have I crossed the line? Well, that's a good question! Let me ask your friends... Oh wait, I murdered them!
  • Jewel of Darkness: Robin says this to Midnight when she unveils the Chronoton Detonator at the end of the first arc. She doesn't care mostly because the thing's a fake.
  • In the Nanoha fanfic Infinity, this is Amaterasu's reaction when she realizes that Nanoha is about to detonate a few tons of magic-laced rock and debris.
    Amaterasu: Young lady, are you completely insane?
  • Socrates says this to Dr. Brainstorm in Calvin & Hobbes: The Series, though in a more exasperated manner than shocked.
  • Applejack shouts this at Twilight in Pages Of Harmony before she is put under Electric Torture when she learns that Twilight's killing her friends to extract their Elements and preserve harmony.
  • In chapter 2 of Wizard Of Ships, Jaune accuses Ozpin of this. (Ozpin's response can be simplified as: "Perhaps, but I'm right.")
  • In Friendship Is Magical Girls, this is the general reaction from all parties when it's discovered that Sunset Shimmer has absorbed the magic of one of the Lunar Seals, thus increasing her own power at the cost of weakening Luna's prison.
  • Megami no Hanabira: Yuuna's reaction to Naito's ultimate plan: to distribute the Demon Summoning Program to every man, woman and child and turn everything into a giant, violent free-for-all with the world itself as the prize is to gawk in dumbstruck horror before..
  • The Ultimate Evil:
    • A variation of this trope is said when Shendu and Valerie first meet following his supposed death and he comments that she seems well.
      Valerie: Considering I was kidnapped by an evil and insane demon, I think I'm recovering well.
      Shendu: I may be spiteful and vindictive, but far from insane.
    • Valerie says this again after Nataline Homato tries to kill her to deny Shendu his Other.
      Valerie: And just when I thought we had enough crazy here...
      Nataline: I'm not crazy for wanting to keep the world safe.
      Valerie: Then let me rephrase: for attacking someone you don't know... you're insane!
  • In the 11th chapter of Loved and Lost, Prince Jewelius reveals to the imprisoned heroes how evil he has been all along. Rarity ends up yelling this when the villain answers Fluttershy's question about why exactly he's making Twilight's friends suffer.
    Fluttershy: There's still one thing I don't understand. Why are you making the rest of us suffer if it was the princesses you wanted gone?
    Jewelius: It was nothing personal, really. Most of you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, there was "who would possibly want to do anything that could ruin such a glorious event like the wedding of the wonderful Princess Mi Amore Cadenza". Let's just say what you all said that time didn't sit too well with me.
    Rarity: You're Mad!
  • Asuna of Sword Art Online Abridged has this exact sentiment when Sugou details his plans to her.
    Asuna: You're insane! Thankfully, you're also an idiot.
  • Fate/Harem Antics:
    • Once Shirou's allies realize his Martyr Without a Cause mentality where he wants to save everybody and doesn't care if he dies, they decide he is actually insane.
      Archer: You're crazy, you know that?
    • Everybody who meets Gunner or Temptress concludes that they are crazy.
  • Agreement and Disputation: In the middle of a stifling heat wave, Watson reveals that he's walked from Algate rather than taking some form of transportation two days running. Holmes asks him if he's mad.
  • Shadows over Meridian:
    • Elyon has this reaction in Chapter 10 when Caleb declares that Kage must be killed to stop Phobos, especially since he's making this statement literally right after Elyon just said that she's trying to make amends and peace with Kage.
    • As the incensed Vera Bexley and her fellow nobles argue about her act of betraying their trust by using them to fulfill her own vendetta against Metalbeak in Chapter 30, Alan tells her that before he would have said her grandfather would be ashamed of her, but given everything they've learned about his actions against the Mogriffs, he might have been completely mad, just like Vera herself. Vera replies that they're the only ones mad for not even trying to fight before she breaks free from her Samurai Khan escorts in a final attempt to attack Metalbeak.
    • Vera is again on the receiving end of this during Chapter 31, not only from her ex-friends, but also Altaria and Maya when they learn that she initiated the Prison Riot just so she could assassinate Kage, without caring about risking the Shadow Realm declaring war on all of Meridian for the death of their queen.
  • A Moth to a Flame: Anne says this to Marcy after the latter reveals that she's voluntarily helping Andrias in his plans of conquest and expects her friends to eagerly join her.

    Films — Animation 
  • In Antz, when Princess Bala learns that the true purpose of General Mandible's Mega-Tunnel project is to wipe out the worker ants, along with the current queen, so that he can rebuild a new warrior-based colony, with Bala as the queen:
    Princess Bala: You're crazy!
    General Mandible: [smiles and replies calmly] I believe history will see things differently.
  • Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget: The team needs to light a firework to pop the corn so they can escape from the silo. When Rocky asks if anyone has a match for the firework, Nick tells him that he's "a match" for an absolute lunatic; if he lights the fuse now, they'll be way too close when the firework explodes.
  • The Simpsons Movie gives us this:
    EPA Agent: Sir, I think you've gone mad with power.
    Russ Cargill: Of course I have. Have you ever gone mad without power? It's boring, no-one listens to you!
  • In Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, we have Batman saying it to Owlman. His response?
  • In The Hobbit (animated), Bilbo gives a Kirk Summation to Thorin who is possessed by Gold Fever.
    Bilbo: This is madness! 14 against 10,000?
    Thorin: Your kind will never understand... This is WAR! WAAAAAR!
  • In The Great Mouse Detective, Ratigan gets this from a crutch-using old man who is not happy with the fact that one of the most notorious criminals in the country has been announced as the queen's royal consort and has announced a tax on the elderly and infirm, among other things. Ratigan responds by snatching the old man's crutch, saying "I have the power!" and breaking it in half.
  • In Beauty and the Beast, the villains strangely love using this. They think Maurice is crazy just because he's a genius, and when he rants about a hideous, monstrous beast having "captured" his daughter Belle, they think he's just raving like a lunatic. Later, when Belle proves her father sane by showing everybody what the Beast looks like and telling them that he's changed to a kind and gentle soul, Gaston ponders how Belle could possibly fall in love with such a monster. Belle responds that the Beast isn't the one who's the monster - the real monster, as Belle points out, is none other than Gaston himself. Upon hearing that response, Gaston just snaps. His rebuttal? "She's as crazy as her father!" Cue his resolve for everybody to kill the Beast and The Mob Song being played after that.
  • Jenny says this to Martin in The Secret of NIMH 2. His response? "Ah, thank you."
  • The Brave Little Toaster: Kirby the vacuum cleaner says this to Toaster after he announces his plans to venture into the city to find their human master. He says it moments later to the rest of the appliances (prompted by a bizarre remark from Radio; It Makes Sense in Context but the context isn't quite there yet).
    Toaster: We're going out to find The Master!
    Blankey and Lampy: WHAT?!
    Kirby: Oh, come off it. Be serious.
    Toaster: I am serious!
    Kirby: You're insane!
    Radio: Why, if only we were all wiener dogs, our problems would be solved!
    [everyone turns to stare at him]
    Toaster: ...What?
    Radio: Or maybe it was a basset hound...
    Kirby: [backs up in fear] You're ALL insane!
  • In Hoodwinked!, Red Puckett retorts "You're crazy!" to Boingo as his right hand henchman Dolph is tying her up with ropes. He replies, "Maybe, but I'm top of the woods now, baby!" Cue "Top of the Woods".
  • The Pebble and the Penguin gives us a heroic example. After escaping the Leopard Seal, Rocko yells this at Hubie because he had gone back to get the pebble. It's subverted, though, as Rocko ultimately praises him for it.
    Rocko: You idiot! You almost got me killed! What's the matter with you?! You risk your life to get back to that chick and give her that blasted pebble! You're crazy! You're insane! You're... you're AMAZING! [laughs]
  • In Quest for Camelot, this happens after Ruber reveals his plan to coerce Juliana into sneaking his band of marauders into Camelot.
    Juliana: You're mad!
    Ruber: I'm so glad you noticed. I've been working at it for years! [cue Villain Song]
  • In The Rescuers, when Bernard and Bianca overhear Medusa's plan to use Penny (the orphan girl they're trying to rescue) to get the Devil's Eye (a valuable jewel), Bianca whispers to Bernard that "she's insane; utterly mad!".
  • In Rockin' with Judy Jetson, Judy does this when Felonia Funk tells her about her plan to destroy all "M-U-S-I-C".
    Judy: You're mad!
    Felonia: Thank you.
  • Disney's Robin Hood (1973) has a variation in which Sir Hiss does this during Prince John's Villainous Breakdown, but isn't directed at John himself:
    Sir Hiss: He's gone stark raving MAD!!!!!
  • In “Agent James Hound” cartoon, Hound snaps to Doctor Mad (Yes), “You’re mad, doctor!” “And you’re Hound.”

    Films — Live-Action 
  • 300:
    • A minor villain uses a variant of this on the protagonist.
    • "Madman... you're a madman!"
      Messenger: This is blasphemy! This is madness!
      Leonidas: Madness? THIS! IS! SPARTA!!!
  • In The Abduction of Saint Anne, this is Dave's response, word for word, to Gentry's elaborate plan to kidnap Anne to get into Heaven. Gentry responds, "Well, it may sound that way to you. You're a young man. I'm an old man. I'm an old man who's been told he's dying."
  • A lot of people say this to Dr. Putrid T. Gangrene in Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!, but he does NOT like being called mad. HE IS NOT MAD. A little angry sometimes, yes, but not mad!
  • From 1989's Batman:
    • As The Joker menaces Vicki Vale:
      Vicki: You're insane!
      The Joker: [smoothly] I thought I was a Pisces...
    • Even Batman gets a watered down version of this when speaking to Vale about the Joker:
      Vicki: I might have some trouble with that. A lot of people think you're as dangerous as the Joker.
      Batman: He's psychotic.
      Vicki: A lot of people say the same thing about you.
      Batman: What people?
      Vicki: I mean, let's face it. You're not exactly normal, are you?
      [death glare from Batman]
      Batman: It's not exactly a normal world, is it?
    • Earlier in the same film, one of the Mob Bosses, Vinnie Ricorsco, denounced Jack Napier as such after the latter lethally electrocuted Antoine Rotellei as his gang entered, and joking about his demise.
      Jack Napier/The Joker: [laughing] Antoine got a little hot under the collar. [laughs]
      Vinnie Ricorsco: You're crazy.
      Jack Napier/The Joker: Haven't you heard of the healing power of laughter? [laughs while wiping his "skin" off to reveal a pale, clownlike skin underneath the forehead] NOW GET OUTTA HERE!!
    • Then there's the Joker, before The Reveal, screaming at his boss Carl Grissom: "You set me up over a woman. A WOMAN! (darkly) You must be insane." However, Grissom actually seemed crazier than pre-Joker Jack.
  • Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice:
    Lois Lane: You're psychotic.
    Lex Luthor: That is a three-syllable word for any thought too big for little minds.
  • In Beauty and the Beast, this is Belle's reaction to Beast asking her out for dinner after locking her up in her father's place.
    Belle: You take me as your prisoner, and now you want to have dinner with me? Are you insane?
  • In Bedazzled, Stanley is initially skeptical that George is the Devil as he claims to be.
    Stanley: You're a nut case, you're a bleeding nut case!
    George: They said the same of Jesus Christ, Freud, and Galileo.
    Stanley: They said it of a lot of nut cases too!
  • John Woo's Broken Arrow does it as well.
    Hale: You're out of your mind.
    Deakins: Yeah. Ain't it cool?
  • Cabin by the Lake. When Stanley prepares to drown his two last victims, one of them calls him out as an insane maniac. He calmly responds that she's finally got it.
  • Constantine says this to the Big Bad of the movie verbatim after hearing their plan.
    Constantine: [out of breath] Gabriel... you're insane.
  • In the American dub of Curse of the Golden Flower, this line is said verbatim by the emperor to his youngest son who just stabbed the crown prince.
    Prince: Give the throne to me now! I want it all! He can rot in hell!
    Emperor: You're insane!
  • Cyberjack: In the climax there's this back-and-forth between the villain and the female lead after he explains his plans to become a godlike techno-organic virus.
    Alexandra: You're insane!
    Nassim: Perhaps. I choose to think of it as 'acute awareness'.
  • The Joker gets this again in The Dark Knight. This time his reply is a very firm "No. I'm not.", as this version of the Joker has a very clear and focused objective. Towards the end he more or less concedes that he might be crazy, but only as crazy as Batman himself. And Dent. And the army of lunatics he predicts will be joining them in the mad house.
  • In Enchanted, when Narissa in dragon form grabs Robert and takes him to the top of the tower — erm, Woolworth Building, he shouts, "You're crazy!"
    Narissa: No; spiteful, vindictive, very large, but NEVER crazy.
  • Inverted in Fight Club. The Narrator says this to Tyler Durden, who corrects him: "No, YOU'RE insane." It's pretty accurate, seeing as Tyler is the Narrator's split personality, and his physical presence in the movie is a hallucination.
  • G.I. Joe: Retaliation:
    • The real president says this to Zartan. That's after he used a combat knife to slash his face, only for the nanomachines to heal it up. And for added bonus, Zartan has a "Yes, I am batshit insane" face afterwards, with him being a Smug Smiler to boot.
    • Same stated by the world leaders during the nuclear arms summit when he launched all U.S.'s nuclear missiles at the other countries and resulting in them firing their missiles as well.
  • Mary's Berserk Button in Hancock is being called crazy.
  • This exchange in Hard Candy:
    Jeff: You're Insane!
    Hayley: Which I told you when we first met, remember? Four out of five doctors agree.
  • Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Indy is about the cut the rope bridge with everyone still on it. Just before, he told Short Round (in Chinese) to wrap his wrist with one of the ropes, with Short Round telling Willie that they're "going for a ride".
    Willie: Oh my God! Oh my God. Oh my God, oh my God, is he nuts?!
    Short Round: He no nuts. He's crazy!
  • James Bond is fond of this, using cutting but accurate remarks to shut villains down and chew them out on their insanity whenever they rant about his flaws or their Evil Plan. Being Bond, he is witty enough to have a number of variations:
    • Dr. No:
      Bond: World domination. Same old dream. Our asylums are full of people who think they're Napoleon. Or God.
    • From Russia with Love:
      Bond: [to Red Grant] Tell me, which lunatic asylum did they get you out of?
    • Goldfinger:
      Bond: Beautiful place Goldfinger has here.
      Pussy Galore: Yes, I'm glad you're enjoying it.
      Bond: Too bad it all has to end tomorrow morning. [turns and looks at her] He's quite mad, you know.
    • Octopussy: When Renegade Russian General Orlov discusses his plan to invade Western Europe to his bosses, General Gogol and the Politburo immediately call him out, knowing it'll trigger World War III and that Orlov is only doing it for the sake of personal gain.
    • GoldenEye: Bond gives a Kirk Summation to Janus/Alec Trevelyan a.k.a. 006 on his plot to ruin the world, though 006 chews him out on his Failure Hero tendency to lose allies on missions, his Fatal Flaw for womennote , and clinging on to outdated ideals.
      Bond: A worldwide financial meltdown... and all so mad little Alec can settle a score with the world 50 years on.
      Trevelyan: Oh please James, spare me the Freud! I might as well ask if all those vodka martinis silenced the screams of all the men you've killed... or if you find solace in the arms of those willing women, for all the dead ones you failed to protect.
    • When Bond accuses media mogul Elliot Carver of insanity in Tomorrow Never Dies, he replies: "The distance between insanity, and genius, is measured only by success."
    • Spectre: Using Psychological Projection, Franz Oberhauser/Ernst Stavro Blofeld claims that he and C are "visionaries", alongside giving a "Not So Different" Remark / Hannibal Lecture to 007. But Bond, aware that he and C are nothing more than insane loons, retorts that both of them are deranged, in an homage to Bond's quote to Dr. No regarding world domination. "Psychiatric wards are full of them."
    • In the book Moonraker, Hugo Drax has Bond tied up at the base of his rocket to be incinerated during its launch. Bond takes the opportunity to recount Drax's life as he's gathered the info, in all its ugly, humiliating detail, to conclude how it's made him such a mental case. Bond's intent is to enrage Drax enough to overlook what Bond needs to escape.
    • Woody Allen disavowed himself heavily from the 1967 Casino Royale, but this exchange with captive 007 (The Detainer played by Daliah Lavi) sure has his stamp:
      007: You're crazy — you're actually crazy!
      Jimmy Bond: They called Einstein crazy!
      007: That's not true; no-one ever called Einstein crazy!
      Jimmy Bond: ... well, they would have if he'd carried on like this.
  • Jaws: When Quint destroys the radio to prevent Brody from calling for help, determined to kill the shark on his own, Brody angrily calls him "certifiable." Hooper has to draw their attention back to the shark. Subsequent events prove Brody was correct in protesting Quint's actions.
  • Kingsman: The Secret Service:
    • The Swedish princess says this to Valentine when he first reveals his plans to her.
    • Michelle to Roxy when she's told to lock her daughter in the bathroom and throw away the key.
  • Played with in Law Abiding Citizen. When the villain deliberately blows his chance at getting bail with a Motive Rant at the judge, the prosecutor asks him later if he's trying for an insanity plea.
  • In Lawrence of Arabia, when Lawrence suggests a rather foolhardy course of action, Ali's response is "you are mad!"
  • In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf has a rather snappy reply to Saruman suggesting that they join Sauron:
    Gandalf: Tell me, friend... when did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for madness?
  • In The Mad Magician, Lt. Bruce calls Gallico mad after Gallico tries to feed him into the crematorium. Gallico agrees, but says he would rather go to the electric chair than spend the rest of his life in a straitjacket in a padded cell in an insane asylum.
  • Marvel Cinematic Universe:
    • A recurring exchange between Thor and Loki. In the beginning of Thor Loki calls Thor's plan to venture into Jotunnheim madness. As Thor listens to Loki's Motive Rant at the end of the film, he says "This is madness!" and Loki retorts "Is it madness? Is it? IS IT??!".
    • In The Avengers, Thor asks "Do you think this madness will end with your rule?!" and Loki answers that it is too late to stop the Alien Invasion he has caused.
    • In Thor: The Dark World, when Thor sees where Loki is heading the ship, he reacts with "Are you mad?!", and Loki replies "Possibly."
    • After learning Thor's plan at the end of Thor: Ragnarok, Loki mutters to himself "This is madness."
    • In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark says a variant of this to Aldrich Killian after he murders Maya Hansen just to put more misery on him.
      Tony Stark: You are a maniac...!
      Killian: No, I'm a visionary. But I do own a maniac. And he takes the stage tonight.
    • Avengers: Age of Ultron: When the Maximoffs realize that Ultron is less the Dark Messiah he presents himself as and more of an Omnicidal Maniac, Wanda calls him a madman.
    • Avengers: Infinity War: Gamora says this to Thanos, when he tells her that he genuinely believes that he helped her planet by slaughtering half of its people.
  • MonsterVerse:
  • In the documentary My Best Fiend, director Werner Herzog recalls one incident with actor Klaus Kinski:
    Kinski: You've become a megalomaniac!
    Herzog: Then now there are two of us.
  • This is Ivan's response when Joe tells him about the fire insurance fraud in Mystery of the Wax Museum.
  • Clive Barker's Nightbreed: When the psychotic Dr. Decker explains to an old man whom he's torturing for information that he believes it is his mission to wipe out the Nightbreed, the man calls him crazy. Decker's retort: "No, I'm Death, plain and simple".
  • Gleefully defied by one of the zombified stockboys in the 1984 film Night of the Comet:
    Regina: You're crazy!
    Eddie the Comet Zombie: I'm not crazy — I just don't give a fuck!
  • Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films gets this a lot.
    • One time was when he attempts to escape from Lord Beckett's ship in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End by blasting its mast down with a cannon and riding its rigging back to the Black Pearl. When Beckett sees this, he tells Jack "You're mad." To which Jack replies "Thank goodness for that, because if I wasn't, this would probably never work." In classic Sparrow fashion, it does work... and as revealed moments later, it worked without a drop of rum in his system.
    • His madness is not always considered a bad thing, as seen in this exchange between Anamaria and Gibbs in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl after Gibbs and Elizabeth have agreed on an unconventional battle plan:
      Anamaria: You're daft, lady! You both are!
      Gibbs: Aye, daft like Jack.
  • In Scanners II: The New Order, David dismisses Peter Drak's claims about Forrester's evil plans with this retort.
  • In Scream, after Sidney finds out that her boyfriend Billy and his friend Stu are the killers.
    Sidney: You're crazy, both of you.
    Stu: Actually, we prefer the term "psychotic".
  • Sherlock Holmes pulls a somewhat more subtle version when Sherlock Holmes meets the Serial Killer Big Bad Lord Blackwood.
    Blackwood: Those lives were a necessity. Sacrifice. Five otherwise meaningless creatures called to serve a greater purpose.
    Holmes: I wonder if they'd let Watson and me dissect your brain. After you're hanged, of course. I'd wager there's some deformity that'd be scientifically significant.
  • In the movie Sneakers, Cosmo explains his plan to crash the entire world's monetary record-keeping systems to his old friend Martin. Bemused, Martin asks him, "You haven't gone crazy on me, have you?" Cosmo smiles: "Who else is gonna save the world, Marty? Greenpeace?" Disappointed and somewhat spooked, Martin concludes, "You are crazy." (This turns out to be the Wrong Thing to say.)
  • Speed has a pretty good comeback to this, after the villain gets his hands on the million dollar ransom.
    Jack: You're crazy. You're fucking crazy!
    Payne: No! Poor people are crazy, Jack! I'm eccentric!
  • Star Trek:
    • In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Kirk tells the ostensible villain, Sybok: "You are mad." Sybok looks genuinely uncertain when he replies "Am I?"
    • In Star Trek: First Contact, Data tells the Borg Queen "To believe oneself to be perfect is often the sign of a delusional mind."
  • Street Fighter: This is M. Bison's Berserk Button. Twice, other people make the mistake of openly questioning his sanity, but for different reasons, Bison can't afford to kill either of them (in Dhalsim's case, he is still needed alive to finish the Blanka project, while Sagat has too many of his own lackeys with him).
  • Lampshaded a bit in Superman Returns:
    Lex Luthor: C'mon, let me hear you say it, just once.
    Lois Lane: You're insane.
    Luthor: NO! Haha, no, not that, the other thing.
    Lois: Superman will never—
    Luthor: WRONG!!!
  • Spoken by the Final Girl to the family in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
  • The Wicker Man:
    May Morrison: Can I do anything for you, Sergeant?
    Sgt. Neil Howie: No, I doubt it, seeing as you're all raving mad!
  • The Wolverine: Mariko to her father when he's about to kill her.

    Literature 
  • Alex Rider:
    • Alex Rider says this to Herod Sayle, Dr. Grief, Sarov, Damian Cray, Julia Rothman, Nikolei Drevin and Winston Yu.
    • Scorpia Rising: A captured french agent says this to Razim when he explains his plans to create a unit for measuring pain. Razim calmly states that a little bit of madness is important for scientific research.
    • Russian Roulette: Yassen Gregorovich breaks into Vladimar Sharkovsky's house, and plays the title game with himself to decide if he should live or die. When Sharkovsky calls him mad, Yassen tells that he is what Sharkovsky made him, and then guns him down.
  • In the Artemis Fowl short story "LEPrecon" Julius Root is tricked into a human settlement (which is magically forbidden by Fairy law) by his evil brother Turnball, he calls him insane. Turnball's reply is "No. What I am is tired. Tired of being chased across the globe by my own brother. The whole thing is too melodramatic."
  • The Chronicles of Dorsa: The deathless king gives Joslyn an offer to rule the world with him. She scoffs at the idea, saying only madmen like him want that. Naturally, he brushes this off.
  • Dashiell Hammett's The Dain Curse concludes with one of the most effective "You're insane"s in literature.
  • The Devils Of D-Day by Graham Masterton. The protagonist responds this way when offered a Deal with the Devil. The demon making the offer just laughs. "Insanity is a human word which almost always describes the activities of devils."
  • "You Don't Have to Be Mad...", a short story from the Diogenes Club series by Kim Newman. Psychic detective Richard Jeperson investigates a clinic run by Dr. I. M. Ballance which is turning people into functioning psychopaths (some of whom are implied to be infamous politicians and entrepreneurs of The '80s). Dr. Ballance gives a Motive Rant over how Britain has always used mad people to achieve greatness, and how one day his madness will spread across the world.
    "I suppose it would be redundant to call you mad?" Richard ventured.
    Dr. Ballance giggled.
  • In The Dresden Files novel Dead Beat Dresden calls Cowl insane after learning of his plan to become a dark god. This causes Cowl to briefly pause to consider the question, noting that if he were insane, than he might be unable to tell. This provides a parallel to when the question of whether Dresden would know if he was insane came up.
  • Mistborn:
    • A wonderful example as Breeze finally realizes that Kelsier didn't in fact bribe Lord Renaux, but instead simply had him killed and replaced with a kandra.
      Breeze: You genius! You bloody insane genius! You had him killed, didn't you?
      Kelsier: Both compliments are appreciated, and yes.
    • Everybody is constantly calling Kelsier insane. His plans are generally Crazy Enough to Work. Another great example: quoth Yeden, "You're going to visit the Lord Ruler? Are you insa... right. I forgot."
  • Harry Potter:
    • In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry comes out of the maze and Mad-Eye Moody who was actually Barty Crouch Jr, who up until then Harry had respected and sought advice from, drags Harry off to his office so he can gleefully tell him how he had orchestrated the entire scheme and would now have the honor of killing Harry for Voldemort. Harry sums this up by telling him that he's crazy.
    • A more mild example in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Hermione says, "'Are - you - insane?'" in response to hearing that Harry's half-thought out plan for talking to Sirius involves breaking into Umbridge's office to use her fireplace.
  • In The Fountainhead, Ellsworth Toohey beats his victim to the punch:
    Keating: Ellsworth... you're...
    Toohey: Insane? Afraid to say it? There you sit and the word's written all over you, your last hope. Insane? Look around you. Pick up any newspaper and read the headlines. Isn't it coming? Isn't it here? Every single thing I told you?
  • Journey to Chaos: Mr.15 explains his Evil Plan to Eric, which involves brainwashing, cloning, familicide, and Eric realizes that he is at the mercy of a madman. He uses this as part of his I Shall Taunt You.
  • In the original novel of The Last King of Scotland, a British tabloid newspaper interviews a psychiatrist on Idi Amin's bizarre behaviour and their conclusion is spelled out in the headline: "HE'S MAD—IT'S OFFICIAL."
  • Mass Effect: Annihilation: When Annax discovers who the villain is and why they did what they did (a bunch of salarians pulled a prank on them years ago note ), she declares "you're insane", then adds that while it sounds like a line from a stupid vid, the culprit really is out of their mind.
  • In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Alan Campbell calls Dorian Gray mad after having been asked by Dorian to help dispose of Basil Hallward's body.
  • Observe this delightful exchange from Red Dragon and both its film versions, when Graham is explaining how he caught such a criminal genius as Lecter:
    Will Graham: You had disadvantages.
    Hannibal Lecter: What disadvantages?
    Will Graham: You're insane.
  • Shadow of the Conqueror:
  • Spider-Man: Sinister Six Trilogy: In Spider-Man: Revenge of the Sinister Six, Spider-Man calls the Gentleman, a novel-only villain, insane. The Gentleman retorts that he's not insane at all — "just evil."
  • In the Star Wars Expanded Universe novel Shatterpoint:
    • Depa insists she hasn't gone insane but has instead "gone sane".
    • Mace Windu, is often called insane by his allies, no less. Finally he snaps and delivers a paragraph-long speech, saying that others call him insane so they don't have to face up to their own immorality.
    • More amusingly Nick, after exclaiming such whenever Windu proposes or does something that seems insane/crazy eventually just tells him to assume he's said it whenever he (Windu) says anything'
  • Universal Monsters: In book 6, when Dr. Pretorius voices an intention to use Detective Turner for spare parts and usher in a new world of superhuman beings who will help him conquer the world, Turner replies with the trope name.
  • Villainess Level 99: Pretty much everyone's reaction when Yumiella tells them what she did to get her level so high. This includes hunting monsters in the forest as a preteen, going alone into dungeons meant for parties, wearing magic equipment that boosts experience gains rather than offering any protection, and using a monster-summoning flute over and over to kill the summoned monsters for experience. She, not understanding the norms of society, doesn't realize why they are shocked.
  • In Warrior Cats, Crookedstar calls Mapleshade insane after she explains how she tried to get revenge on him, while pretending to be his mentor, all along.

    Live-Action TV 
  • 3rd Rock from the Sun: When Dick learns Evil Dick's plan.
    Dick: YOU'RE INSANE! And not Gallagher insane, just INSANE!
  • Arrow:
    • In "Broken Hearts", Baron Reiter has just shot a man in cold blood so his lifeforce can power a magical icon.
      Oliver: Reiter, you're insane!
      Baron Reiter: The difference between insanity and belief lies only in the number of believers.
    • In the next episode Oliver gives the trope again and Reiter responds thus:
      Reiter: Madness is a matter of perspective, Mr. Queen. Your morality blinds you from understanding what I have achieved.
    • Averted in "Monument Point" when Thea discovers her supervillain father Malcolm Merlyn is planning to destroy the world.
      Thea: I am way, way past the point of telling you that you are crazy.
  • Babylon 5 has several examples.
    • One notable between Londo and G'kar.
      Londo: You're insane!
      G'kar: And that is why we'll win.
    • Played with when Londo accepts a Duel to the Death challenge, despite being (at that point in the series) more known for his hedonism than physical courage.
      Vir Cotto: Londo, this is insane!
      Londo Mollari: Insanity is part of the times! You must learn to embrace the madness. Let it fire you.
    • Londo's final confrontation with Mr. Morden:
      Morden: You're insane.
      Londo: Any other day, Mr. Morden, you would be wrong. Today is a very different day.
  • From the Battlestar Galactica (2003), Kara "Starbuck" Thrace says this to the Cylon Leoben "Number Two" Conoy when he keeps her locked up in his New Caprica apartment for months, insisting that she'll eventually fall in love with him because he has "foreseen" it.
  • Blake's 7: In "Rescue", villain of the week Dorian tells Avon he has a room that gives him youth and immortality (it's The Picture of Dorian Gray Recycled In Space). When Avon responds with this trope, Dorian admits that if it weren't for his Room purging all negativity, he probably would be.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
    • It's said to an invisible girl in "Out of Mind, Out of Sight":
      Buffy: There's one thing I didn't factor into all of this. You're a raving loony!
    • From "Older and Far Away"
      Buffy: I was insane to ever think you could just hang out with my friends.
      Spike: And I was insane to think... No, wait. You were right. You're insane.
    • When Angel turns evil again in his spin-off series.
      Rebecca: You're crazy.
      Angelus: Oh, no. I'm a vampire.
  • Doctor Who:
    • "The Tomb of the Cybermen": The Second Doctor has faked out Klieg and gotten him to blab the entire plan.
      The Doctor: Now I know you're mad. I just wanted to make sure.
    • "The Mutants": The Doctor gives this trope to the Marshal of Solos, who retorts, "Only if I lose."
    • "The Time Monster": The Third Doctor calls him "mad, paranoid!" The Master takes this as a compliment and replies "I'm just a little more honest than the rest!"
    • "Genesis of the Daleks": Davros reacts thus to being outvoted:
      Davros: Do you believe that I would let a lifetime's work be ended by the will of spineless fools like you? You have won nothing! I allowed this charade to be played out for one reason only: To find those men who were truly loyal to me and to discover those WHO WOULD BE-TRAY ME! WE— I! WILL! GO! ON!
      Gharman: You are insane, Davros!
    • "The Brain of Morbius": As Mehendri Solon is about to begin his gruesome experiment, Sarah Jane cries, "You're insane, Solon, you're mad!" Adding even more Awesomeness, this trope is then followed by a They Called Me Mad! rant from this Mad Scientist, all in his Mad Scientist Laboratory.
    • "The Mark of the Rani" has this rather hilarious understatement:
      The Master: You underestimate me. Certainly I want to destroy him, see him suffer, but that is just an exquisite first step. I have a greater concept, one that will encompass the whole human race!
      The Rani: You're unbalanced. No wonder the Doctor always outwits you.
    • The Doctor gets this a few times themself. In "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy", when Ace accuses the Seventh Doctor of being mad, he answers, "Anybody remotely interesting is mad, in some way or another."
    • "Smith and Jones": The Doctor absorbs a lethal dose of radiation and then expels it through his foot. This results in him doing a one-legged dance across the room, complaining about how much it itches, before binning his shoe — all while Martha watches.
      Martha: You're completely mad.
      The Doctor: You're right. I look daft with one shoe. [bins the other one] Barefoot on the Moon!
    • "The Sound of Drums": The Prime Minister (actually The Master) kills the entire Cabinet by flooding the room with gas; as they fall down and die, one gasps "You're insane!" and he responds with a grin and a dual thumbs-up.
    • "The Eleventh Hour": This dialogue between the Doctor and Amy Pond sets the tone for their future relationship:
      Amy Pond: I thought... well, I started to think you were just a madman with a box.
      The Doctor: Amy Pond, there's something you better understand about me 'cause it's important and one day your life may depend on it... I am definitely a madman with a box.
    • "The Lodger" plays it for laughs again: Craig, already weirded out by his new housemate's behaviour, is left completely stumped when, having been sick all morning, he finds the Doctor filling in for him at work.
      The Doctor: Had some time to kill, I was curious. Never worked in an office; never worked in anywhere!
      Craig: You're insane.
    • "The Crimson Horror": "I'm the Doctor, you're nuts, and I'm going to stop you."
    • "The Return of Doctor Mysterio": After two thousand years of adventuring, the Doctor points out that it's hardly an original observation.
      Nardole: You are completely out of your mind!
      The Doctor: How is that news to anyone?!
  • Dollhouse:
    • When Boyd (who is actually the head of Rossum) reveals his grand plan to protect only the privileged few from mindwiped slavery and tells his now ex-allies their only choice is "to be the destroyed or the destroyers":
      Adelle: You are spectacularly insane.
    • A more low-key version in "Echoes":
      Echo: You're insane.
      Sam: Nobody's perfect.
  • Farscape:
    • As protagonist John Crichton became increasingly unhinged, it was more typical for the villains to question the sanity of the heroes. Often with good reason. This is perhaps most memorably demonstrated in The Peacekeeper Wars with this exchange:
      Scorpius: This is insane, Crichton.
      Crichton: God! Four years on and you're finally getting that.
    • Another variation is used earlier. One of the bad guys says to Aeryn "He's crazy!" She replies adoringly "Isn't it fun?" Also, when he plays chicken with a nuclear bomb Ahkna uses the line verbatim, and Aeryn concurs.
  • From Firefly:
    Simon: You're out of your mind.
    Early: That's between me and my mind.
    • Simon says Mal is psychotic after he rather nastily pranks him by saying Kaylee died after she was shot.
    • Wash says to Zoe that Mal is insane when they’re tortured by Niska and Mal won’t break. She thinks he means Niska at first but then he talks about Mal saving Zoe in the war and she realizes he means Mal.
  • The Flash. What Barry Allen says to Nicolas Pike after he's seen what his nemesis has done to Central City during his ten-year absence through accidental time travel.
  • Forever: Henry to his stalker multiple times. Also Nora to Henry when he tells her about his immortality.
  • Get Smart: In "Shock It To Me", Smart and Agent 99 are captives of Mad Scientist Dr. Zharko:
    99: You're mad!
    Zharko: Mad, am I??? MAAAD AM I??? MWAHAHAHAAA!!!
    99: [anxiously] Don't do that!
    Zharko: [utterly straightfaced] Don't do what?
  • The Goodies:
  • In Gotham Jim uses this no less than three times, on three different enemies and phrases it in a different way each time. The most original one was addressed to Dr. Strange who was notably annoyed by the remark.
    Jim: You belong in your own asylum, Strange!
    Strange: And you, Jim Gordon, belong in the past.
  • Sylar gets this a lot on Heroes, what with the whole brain-stealing supervillain thing he's got going. He usually just brushes it off without responding directly to the accusation.
  • House of Anubis:
    • In the Season 1 finale:
      Jason: You're insane...
      Rufus: Very Observant.
    • Also, earlier in the season, there was this exchange, after Rufus kidnapped Patricia.
      Mr. Sweet: What? Have you gone mad?
      Rufus: Yes, quite possibly.
  • In John Adams, Alexander Hamiltons suggests to Adams, at the time President of the United States, in the name of "universal empire", to invade Central America in case of France winning the Napoleonic War. Adams reaction is less than enthusiastic.
    Adams May I inform you as well, Sir, that I am in possession of intelligence which confirms that we are as likely to find a French army on these shores, as we are on the moon! You dream of "empire", Mr. Hamilton?
    Hamilton You question my loyalty, Sir?
    Adams Oh no, Mr. Hamilton, I question your sanity! Now either you are stark raving mad, OR I AM! Good day, Sir!
  • Kamen Rider Gotchard: Rinne Kudo is going to stop all Chemies from running rampant. So she decides to face off Steamliner. The Chemy that's basically a sentient steam train. Hotaro of all people tells her that she's nuts.
  • Averted in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Gemini", where the perp manipulated his schizophrenic brother into murdering people. Goren tends to have a more nuanced perspective on the mentally ill in general, likely in large part because of his mother's schizophrenia. The final interrogation includes this memorable exchange:
    Spencer Anderson: None of this is true. You said so yourself. He's crazy.
    Detective Goren: Yeah, he may be crazy, but you're evil.
  • Jack has said this to Locke a bunch of times on Lost, usually when Locke is talking about things like moving the island, or how Taller Ghost Walt told him to kill Naomi.
  • Luke Cage (2016): Diamondback crashes a secret meeting of Harlem's crime bosses, and kills all of them except for Domingo, Shades, and Mariah. Domingo tells Diamondback "You're crazy". Diamondback throws it right back at him, and then turns to Mariah and uses the phrase as a compliment on her not flinching at the sight of four people being brutally killed in front of her.
  • M*A*S*H:
    • In the season three opening episode, "The General Flipped at Dawn", after overruling the orders of the crazy General Steele to make a helicopter perform a pointless task instead of ferrying a critically wounded patient to Seoul, Hawkeye responds to being called insolent and insubordinate by agreeing and then telling the general, "And you're nuts!"
    • In "The Light That Failed", the characters argue over who committed the murder in a mystery novel with the last page missing. They're no wiser by the end of the episode, so Hawkeye confesses to the murders. When BJ responds with this trope, he pretends to go Laughing Mad and hauls off a willing nurse to have his wicked way with her.
  • A very low-key one occurs in Once Upon a Time.
    Zelena: You're insane.
    Rumpelstiltskin: [dismissively] Beside the point.
  • Power Rangers:
  • In a parody of The McLaughlin Group on Saturday Night Live, one of the panel members, annoyed by McLaughlin's continued interruptions and overly long nicknames, invoked this trope. McLaughlin just responded with another "WRONG!"
  • In one episode of Seinfeld, Kramer meets Jerry's Girl of the Week and after hearing her voice is completely convinced that she is the same phone sex operator that he often calls. At the end of the episode he is proven right.
    Jerry: Aww, you're crazy.
    Kramer: Am I?! Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?!
    Jerry: It's impossible!
    Kramer: Is it?! Or is it so possible that your head is spinning like a top?!
    Jerry: It can't be!
    Kramer: Can it?! Or is your entire world just crashing down all around you?!
    Jerry: All right, that's enough.
    Kramer: YEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!
  • Sherlock
  • Stargate Atlantis:
    • This is Ronon's response in "Reunion", after a few of his old friends from Sateda relate their story of how they became Wraith worshippers.
    • Also used by Teyla in "The Kindred (Part 1)" when Michael the Wraith-human hybrid gives her a "Not So Different" Remark.
  • Star Trek:
    • Star Trek: The Original Series: A variant is used in the episode "What Are Little Girls Made of?", where a scientist tries to convince Capt. Kirk to participate in a twisted scheme to take over a planet of the Federation.
      Kirk: You've convinced me; you've convinced me that you're dangerous!
    • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine:
      • Spoken by Kira in the episode "Duet" when a Cardassian war criminal starts gleefully boasting about his horrific crimes. Only he's invoked the trope; he's intentionally behaving over-the-top in the hopes of forcing the Cardassian atrocities into the open. He isn't even the actual criminal; he's a file clerk who is impersonating the real criminal, with the intent of being executed for the man's crimes, because of his own traumatic memories of witnessing what happened and his guilt at being unable to stop it.
      • Played for Laughs in "Ties of Blood and Water" when Weyoun 5 drinks a shot of poisoned kanar just to demonstrate how Vorta can't be killed with poison, to Dukat's astonishment.
        Weyoun: [shudders] Oh my. That is quite toxic, isn't it?
        Dukat: Are you insane?
      • And in "Tears of the Prophets", Weyoun gives the trope to Dukat.
        Weyoun: You're right, Dukat, you have changed. You've gone from being a self-important egoist to a self-deluded madman. I hardly call that an improvement.
    • Star Trek: Voyager: Said verbatim by Harry Kim in "The Chute" when he and Tom Paris are in a Hellhole Prison where all prisoners are implanted with a synaptic stimulator that increasingly impairs their mental function. Kim befriends an inmate who appears to be the Only Sane Man among the prison population, but it's not long before the man's true colors start showing: while he's not violent the way the other prisoners are, he's a whole other kind of crazy.
      Inmate: You've got a chance to make something of your life in here, but as long as that carcass [a badly injured Tom Paris] is in my hut, we'll never be able to go on to more important things.
      Kim: What the hell are you talking about?
      Inmate: We've got to disseminate the manifesto. Gather our followers. Train them.
      Kim: You're insane.
    • Star Trek: Discovery: Used in the episode "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad".
      Michael Burnham: You are mad!
      Harry Mudd: No, I'm Mudd.
    • Star Trek: Picard:
      • In "Maps and Legends", when Laris learns of Picard's plans to get Back in the Saddle, she wonders if he has dementia.
        Laris: What?! Have you gone mad? Is it dementia?
        Picard: I beg your pardon?
        Laris: Sorry, but you're not a stupid man, so when I hear you say such a stupid idea, I have to ask for other explanations.
      • In "Absolute Candor", Raffi questions Picard's sanity after she finds out that he ordered Rios to change course for Vashti.
        Raffi: You wanna go to Vashti?! Are you out of your goddamn mind?! [...] That you even suggest it makes me seriously question your mental state.
      • In "Nepenthe", it's lampshaded by Rios, who believes Elnor is out of his mind for staying on the Artifact, which is crawling with Tal Shiar (the Arch-Enemy of the Qowat Milat), instead of transporting back to La Sirena.
        Rios: Everyone here thinks you're crazy.
  • In another example of people saying this to the protagonist(s), this is a common response to Supernatural's Dean and Sam when they tell people about the ghosts, vampires, zombies, and demons they hunt. Dean often offers a casual acknowledgement:
    Bobby: You are nine kinds of crazy, boy.
    Dean: It's been said.
  • Bartlet says this to his wife in the fourth season opener of The West Wing after she cuts off his tie just before he walks into a presidential debate. Considering he'd been kvetching about how he wouldn't win without his lucky tie, she may have helped him win the debate, as the mad panic that ensued made Bartlet grab Josh's tie, which is very similar to how he ended up getting his first lucky tie.
  • In Who, Sir? Me, Sir?, one of the kids, taken aback by their ringleader's latest Zany Scheme, protests "You're mad!" She merely invites him to consider why her nickname is "Nutty".
  • Except in early seasons, this exchange happens Once an Episode in Win Ben Stein's Money, after he has explained the premise of putting his money on the line:
    Ben: Now, why would I do this? Well, call me crazy.
    Audience: You're crazy!
  • On Yellowjackets, Misty Quigley's biggest secret is that she sabotaged the emergency transmitter that might have allowed the Yellowjackets to be rescued from being stranded in the wilderness. Throughout the second season, Misty develops a friendship with a fellow survivor named Crystal. Finally, on the fifth episode of said season, after exchanging silly secrets, she eventually decides to reveal to Crystal that she sabotaged the transmitter. Instead of whatever reaction she expected, a disgusted Crystal tells her "You're a psycho."

    Music 
  • Nicki Minaj's "Roman's Revenge ends with her Martha alter ego saying "You've gone mad! Mad I tell you mad! They'll lock you away"
  • Guns N' Roses employ the phrase in a Break-Up Song manner in the self-explaining "You're Crazy".
  • Metallica: "Fortune, fame! Mirror vain! Gone insane, but the memory remains!"

    Theatre 
  • Calderon's play Life is a Dream:
    Clotaldo: Why, this is madness!
    Rosaura: Yes it is.
  • From Pokémon Live!, after Team Rocket's boss explains his world domination plans to his prisoners:
    Delia: You're mad!
    Giovanni: Not mad. Maybe a little angry.
  • In The Odd Couple, after Oscar snatches the plate of linguini and senselessly throws it against the kitchen wall:
    Felix: You are crazy! I'm a neurotic nut but you are crazy!
    Oscar: I'm crazy, heh? That's really funny coming from a fruitcake like you.
  • Assassins:
    Booth: You should kill the President of the United States.
    Oswald: You're nuts.
    Booth: Maybe I am. So what?
  • Noah Smith's stage version of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde:
    Utterson: Hyde, you're mad, you're—
    Hyde: Am I mad? Making love to those I love, and killing those I hate—is that madness, or is that just doing away with the formalities?
  • In Lizard Boy after Siren tells Trevor that he needs to help her defeat the dragons:
    Trevor: No, this is insane... You're insane.

    Toys 
  • There's this little gem from BIONICLE:
    Hahli: You're insane!
    Karzahni: I prefer the term "creative". Though I suppose there is not much difference between the two in the end, is there?

    Video Games 
  • AdventureQuest Worlds:
    • In the final cutscene of the "Giant Tale" questline, Andre the Giant thinks that everything the hero did up to the point of claiming the key from his Giant Necklace is insane (he even thinks the hero poisoned his giant son Andre Jr.), but the hero and Crychek tell him not to worry as his son is fine and just taking a nap in his soup.
      Hero: Next time, pick on somebody your own size, Andre.
      Andre: Pick on someb— THIS IS INSANE! I'm just farming, trying to grow enough food for my family... then you tiny people show up, start infesting my yard, beat up my cat and then you POISON MY SON!!!
      Hero: Relax, your son is fine. He's just taking a nap.
      Crychek: ...In yer soup.
    • Also, there's that moment in Nythera's wedding event where Ryuuji says this to Nythera because when she says that the third and final challenge for the Test of the Suitor was to defeat a Void Giant she magically awakened and summoned to the Void Temple, Ryuuji realizes that the Void Giant is out of control and therefore needs to be stopped before it destroys the temple.
      Ryuuji: A VOID GIANT?! Are you INSANE?! We have to stop it before it destroys the temple!
      Nythera: You mean I have to stop it.
      Ryuuji: No, Nythera. WE have to stop. Neither of us can do this alone.
  • ANNO: Mutationem: After C explains the extent of his master plan involves obtaining an Artifact of Doom sealed in an Eldritch Location, Absalom responds by calling him a madman. Later, G outright calls C insane upon seeing the latter in the midst of a Villainous Breakdown and undergoing a Motive Decay when he tries to take over The Consortium for himself.
  • The Riddler gets this from Batman in Batman: Arkham City upon entering the first Riddler Room:
  • Shows up in Batman: The Telltale Series:
    Rumi: [as The Riddler straps him into a Death Trap] You're insane!
    Riddler: [calmy and thoughtfully, as if he has been given this a lot of thought] ...no, I don't think that's it.
  • Batman: Vengeance is one example where it's not said to a villain:
    Batman: Any evidence that Mary could come up with five million dollars?
    Batgirl: No way. That's insane.
    Batman: Joker's insane, but not stupid.
  • During the Ascent in The Binding of Isaac: Repentance, it's revealed that one of the contributing factors of Isaac's mother and father's relationship falling apart is Isaac's mom's increasing religious fanaticism, which his father calls out in no uncertain terms (since Isaac, who she's ranting at, is four to five years old).
    Mom: You need to repent. You need to confess your sins, and become saved! Let His light inside you! CLEANSE YOUR SOUL!
    Dad: You. Are. Insane. You are taking this too far! Can't you hear how you sound?
    Mom: Pray with me! Pray for your salvation! Come, pray with us, Isaac...
  • BlazBlue:
    • Ragna the Bloodedge says such a phrase to Rachel in her Continuum Shift Gag Reel when Luna begins coming to love him due to the effects of the Spectacles of Eros and Rachel admits that Ragna is head-over-heels in love with her.
      Ragna: You twisted, evil, blood-sucking rabbit! What the hell do you think you're doing?!
      Rachel: Oh come now, Ragna! No need to be shy. Just admit your feelings... Admit that you are my devoted servant!
      Ragna: Who are you calling a servant?!
    • He does the same thing to her, Nu, and Tager after they allow Jin and the rest of the H.M.S. Nirvana crew to take him leaving the three of his fellow U.S.S. Ragna crew members to enjoy their Ikaruga Tuna without him in - you guessed it - his own gag ending.
      Ragna: I'm seriously gonna kill all of you guys! You guys are insaaaaaaaane!
    • During Slight Hope, Makoto questions Hazama's sanity when the former tried to kill Jin in front of her. His answer cements her suspicions that he was never trustworthy on top of cuing an armed response from her.
      Makoto: Have you lost your mind?! Why are you attacking him?
      Hazama: To kill him! Duh! Did you need to ask that, or were you being rhetorical and melodramatic?
      Jin: Get out of here, Makoto! I'm the one he's after!
      Makoto: The hell I will! You know, Hazama, I always figured there was something suspicious about you... I'm dedicating my first punch to women's intuition!
  • In Bug Fables, when Mothiva tries to defeat Team Snakemouth in the Termite Colosseum so that she would be the one to defeat the Wasp King, Kabbu says this while scolding her about how poorly-thought her plan is, and how her actions might result in all of Bugaria being doomed.
    Kabbu: This is ridiculous! You realize you could be dooming us all!? What if the Termite King loses trust in the Queen!? What if you lose to the Wasp King without our help!? Have you gone completely, utterly insane!? Have you lost all intelligence!
    Mothiva: Yikes. You're overthinking this WAY too much. The Ant Kingdom's way better in our hands than with you LOSERS.
    Kabbu: We have SAVED YOUR LIFE BEFORE, you WITCH!
    Mothiva: I said we'd NEVER speak of that again!
  • Castlevania:
    • Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia: Shanoa says this to Barlowe when, #1, she finds out that he's actually a Treacherous Advisor, and #2, when she refuses to use Dominus, he threatens to kill her and rip it right out of her bloody corpse.
      Barlowe: You give such a burden, young child... to give the life that man might realize his dreams... do you not see how wonderful that is?
      Shanoa: You're mad...
    • Soma points out a similar trope to Graham in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow.
      Graham: You're guilty of grand theft. Therefore, I sentence you to death!
      Soma: You're insane!
      Graham: And as a special treat, I'll be the one to deliver that punishment!
    • And again in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow...
      Dario: Can you imagine how crazy it would be with even more power?!
      Soma: You're insane...
      Dario: And you talk way too much! C'mon, punk! I'll roast ya to a cinder!
  • In Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, Nagito Komeada gets this treatment after their true motivations are revealed in the first trial, and it lasts for the rest of the game. Also was said about Byakuya Togami in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc during the second trial.
  • Neo Contra has many moments of these in spades:
    Animal Contra: This ship is about to self destruct! You will die, a moth drawn to my flames!
    Bill Rizer: You dog! You're gonna sacrifice you own men!
    [and]
    Master Contra: If we had society's foolish morals, we could never become ultimate soldiers.
    Jaguar: You're crazy!
    Master Contra: Muahahaha! Far from it!
  • Shows up several times in Dragon Age: Origins:
    • During the conclusion of the Broken Circle tower, Uldred will rant about the glorious power of the setting's version of Demonic Possession. Wynne will reply "You're mad! There's nothing glorious about what you've become, Uldred!"
    • When Leliana confronts Marjolaine after an assassination attempt, the latter assumes that Leliana left the Chantry to take revenge on her. Leliana will be taken aback, to say the least.
      Leliana: You think I left because of you? You think I still have some plan for... for revenge? You are insane! Paranoid!
    • Used in reference to the player character near the beginning of the game, if you chose to kill the Almost Dead Guy yourself.
      Alistair: Does the word "insane" mean anything to you?
      The Warden: I prefer the term "ruthless," myself.
      Alistair: Remind me not to get injured anywhere near you.
    • Used by Morrigan when Leliana threatens to take her shopping.
  • Used by Snarky Hawke in Dragon Age II when speaking to Tarohne the maleficar, referring to her plan of infiltrating the templar ranks with abomination-infested recruits. (If the make-up job doesn't make her look crazy enough.)
    Hawke: Good to know you're barking mad! That makes things a bit easier!
  • Final Fantasy:
    Seymour: With death on our side, we will save Spira, and for this... I will take from you your strength, Yuna, your life, and become the next Sin. I will destroy Spira! I will save it!
    Tidus: You're totally nuts!
    • In Final Fantasy XIV, H'naanza gawps at how Merlwyb tests Blanstyr and the Warrior of Light's armor in the Level 50 Armorer quest: by putting it through rigorous tests including having the test subjects wearing the armor beaten down with axes and shot at.
    Merlwyb: Well, well, it appears your claims to excellence are more than empty boasts. Let's raise the stakes, shall we? [shoots the men wearing the armor]
    H'naanza: Admiral! You go too far!
    Merlwyb: Such expensive equipment is of little use to us if it cannot stop a bullet.
  • Fire Emblem:
    • Said to Sephiran near the end of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn when it becomes apparent he engineered two world wars for the sake of eradicating mankind.
    • In Fire Emblem: Awakening, this is said in Brady's B support with Female Morgan if they're siblings, when she wants her sibling to use the tome and yell at her to try to shake some memories loose (to which the sibling normally says, "Good night Morgan.").
    Brady: You're insane! I'm outta here.
  • Hatred's Villain Protagonist gets one directed at him when he gets to the control room of the nuclear power plant at the end of the game.
    Not Important: How do I overload the reactors?
    Technician: What?! No! Never! It'll cause a massive explosion! Are you insane?!
  • In La Pucelle Tactics, the Big Bad Noir seems sympathetic because of his tragic backstory and frequent statements about creating a Utopia. At the end of the game, the main character (as well as the player) finally discover exactly what his Utopia consists of: a world that is without suffering because there's nobody left alive to suffer. Cue the relevant Stock Phrase.
  • The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker: Zelda says this to Ganondorf shortly after he goes Laughing Mad at the wish the king gives to the Triforce:
    Princess Zelda: What are you laughing at, Ganondorf?! You're insane!
  • Mass Effect 2:
    • Tali'Zorah says this verbatim to Admiral Xen while on the Migrant Fleet.
    • Happens to Renegade Shepard during Thane's loyalty mission.
      Shepard: [pulls out Hand Cannon] If I chose to, I could kill everyone in this room and walk out unscathed.
      Lawyer: You're insane!
      Shepard: Our suits have kinetic barriers. Your legal briefs don't. And I'm in a hurry.
  • Master Detective Archives: Rain Code: Swank calls Yuma a psycho when seeing him talk to Shinigami, thinking he's talking to himself since Yuma's the only one who can see her.
  • Mega Man:
    • Zero says this flat out to Redips in Mega Man X: Command Mission. X also hits him with a You Monster!: "You... You... Maverick!"
      Zero: Epsilon's ideas were dangerous. He knew all along that use of Supra-Force Metal involved the possibility of becoming Maverick. But at least he... was better than you. At least he wasn't a Maverick from the start. Redips, you're crazy!
    • Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X:
      • "You think you have potential? You're insane, Sigma!"
      • In the opening flashback cutscene for Vile mode in the same game, Vile actually says this phrase to Sigma when Sigma mentions that he plans on going Maverick to draw out X's power, and this is coming from a character who is quite a Sociopathic Soldier.
    • X calls out Sigma again in Mega Man X5 after Sigma talks about awakening Zero using the Maverick Virus.
      X: You almost destroyed the earth for that?! You're sick!
    • X to Copy Sigma in Mega Man X8: "You plan to take revenge on every Reploid... Every human... In the entire world? You're completely mad! I'm putting a stop to this right now!"
  • Metal Gear:
    • Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty: Raiden states this to Vamp when the latter reveals their plans to essentially nuke New York City to take down the Patriots because not only do they desire to annihilate the Patriots, but because the public believed every word that the Patriots' Kangaroo Court spoon-fed them about Dead Cell's (framed) terrorist attacks despite Dead Cell's explainations about their being framed, they felt the world of deceit they created should be annihilated with them.
    • Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker:
      • Miller, while Coldman is bragging about activating Peace Walker, leaking the false data to NORAD, and declaring retaliation to be inevitable, declares him to be such:
      Miller: Are you insane?! Do you think this will end here?! You're about to unleash all-out nuclear war!
      • Huey also indirectly asks if Coldman is out of his mind when he realizes that Coldman is intending to launch Peace Walker's nuke into the Carribbean Sea [specifically at Mother Base] so that the nuclear fallout will travel through the trade winds and poison Central America's fish and crop market, allowing for "free hands" by forcing the natives to participate in Peace Walker's mass production.
      • Snake also exclaims that Paz, who has stolen Metal Gear Zeke, is insane when he learns that they intend to launch a nuke at the East Coast.
    • After the Final Boss of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance reveals his Knight Templar rationale for starting a war with Pakistan to provoke the American government's collapse and rebirth, Raiden replies with the ultimate Bait-and-Switch Comment:
      Raiden: [takes outstretched hand] I was wrong... you're not greedy... YOU'RE BATSHIT INSANE!!! [uses point of contact to throw boss off ledge]
  • Monkey Island:
    • One of the topics in Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay has this when McGillicutty plans to destroy La Esponja Grande in order for him to remain Poxed along with his crew forever:
      Guybrush: You're mad! Mad, I say!
    • Before that, there is also a part in The Curse of Monkey Island when smuggler King André believes that the Goodsoup Family Diamond and its energy flowing though it is the key to his power, and you can choose this:
      Guybrush: You're a madman!
      André: Am I mad? Am I? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Is it madness to sit in a cave at the top of a deserted island, accumulating vast amounts of gold and jewels and stuffed animals, stockpiling plunder from across the Caribbean and passing the savings on to you? Is that madness? Or GENIUS?!?
      Guybrush: [shrugs] Good point. I take it back.
      André: I'm not crazy — my prices are!
  • Mortal Kombat 9 has another example of a non villainous version.
    Raiden: I know what we must do. "He must win" refers to Shao Kahn. He must be allowed to Merge the realms
    Liu Kang: I prayed that I was wrong, but you have gone mad Raiden.
  • Travis says this to Bad Girl in No More Heroes, and since Travis is a few cards short of a deck himself, you know she's messed up.
  • When confronting the main antagonist of the first "episode" of Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis, Zephetto, a Well-Intentioned Extremist whose entire plan has hinged on basically conducting unethical experiments that caused the deaths of countless people in an effort to create ARKS defenders who have photon capabilites on par with the heroes of a thousand years ago in hopes that might be enough to defeat the Starless and avert a potential galaxy-wide genocide, the player has the option to say this to Zephetto's face... And surprisingly, they agree that the player may be right, but ultimately it doesn't matter, because not only did Zephetto's plan work, the Starless immediately invade right afterwards, causing him to perform a Heroic Sacrifice to stop the first wave from invading Halpha before the ARKS Defenders were ready for them.
  • In Resident Evil (or at least, in the Updated Re-release), after Wesker has started waking the Tyrant so that it can fight Chris and Wesker can get the battle data, Chris laughs derisively and responds with, "Wesker, you've become senile!"
  • RosenkreuzStilette:
    • Spiritia and Lilli confront Iris Sepperin in the final stage in the main game. Tia tells them that they're not getting away this time, and that's when they start Laughing Mad as they finally figure out where Tia got all her energy. Lilli begins wondering what is wrong with her as she continues her maniacal laughter. Tia then says to them, "have you lost your mind!?"
    • In the opening cutscene of Rosenkreuzstilette Grollschwert, Grolla has this reaction when she overhears Iris' plot to have RKS fight against the Empire just for her own personal amusement.
      Grolla: What do you think you're doing!? Iris, have you gone mad!?
  • Silent Hill 2. After Eddie's rant about how he'll kill anyone who makes fun of him, James asks "Eddie, have you gone nuts?" His response is less calm than the typical villain.
  • Gillian Seed to Chin Shu Oh in Snatcher: "You're insane! Humanity won't be so easily dominated! You underestimate the strength of the human spirit!"
  • In Stellaris, undergoing Synthetic Ascension to convert your entire organic race into robots will typically result in a Spiritualist empire opening communications with your to declare you are insane. As they believe robots lack any souls, they view the process as mass suicide driven by the delusion of immortality.
  • Warcraft:
    • In the story campaign of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, Illidan Stormrage is confronted by his jailer of ten thousand years with a self-righteous "You're insane!" His calm reply? "Isolation can do that to the mind."
    • During its predecessor, Reign of Chaos, Grom is thoroughly reprimanded by Thrall for attacking the humans unprovoked during the third Orc mission.
      Thrall: With these zeppelins we can fly above the canyon.
      Grom: A true warrior would have simply taken it from the humans.
      Thrall: Have you lost what's left of your mind, Grom? I gave you a direct order to leave the humans alone! What the hell is wrong with you?!

    Web Animation 
  • DSBT InsaniT: In 'The Camping Webisode', Bill tells Koden he is crazy for wanting to talk to Killer Monster rather than attack him.

    Web Comics 
  • Girl Genius:
  • Another similar variation from Narbonic:
    "This is madness! MADNESS!"
    "No. Not at all. Our plan is a pragmatic response to the problems we've observed..."
    "This is sanity! Sanity!"
  • There is this exchange in PepsiaPhobia, during the "Lord Night-Sorrow" story arc... before it was changed by a Retcon:
    Night-Sorrow: Sorcery can accomplish what science cannot.
    Filby: You're insane!
    Phobia: Figured that out all by yourself, did you?
  • Magick Chicks: Tiffany thought Faith was crazy when she bloodlusted Layla and tried to to fight her without her powers, for the sake of gaining experience against a cryptid. Though it's subverted since the comic's editor said Faith likely would have won, regardless, had she not forgotten they were fighting indoors and hit her own head on the ceiling. Making it a case of Tiffany Underestimating Badassery.
    T Campbell: Layla's not exactly a pushover, but she's had relatively easy life, and never before even faced a slayer who consistently wanted to kill her. Even if Layla were well-trained for combat, the odds would heavily favor Faith. As it is, anything resembling a fair fight was going to more or less end like this.
  • Roommates:
    Javert: Generous?! We are tragedies, you ass! There is nothing generous in making us repeat the same mistakes that cost us everything the first time!
  • Darths & Droids has an unusual variant after Darth Vader's florid, self-righteous monologue justifying the destruction of Alderaan:
    Tarquin: You are one sick croque-monsieur.
  • Schlock Mercenary:
    • Lieutenant Piebald is a Mad Bomber Demolitions Expert that is self-aware enough to pull this on himself:
      Tagon: Give me your favorite scenario for taking this base intact.
      Piebald: "Favorite," or "most likely? See, I'm a little crazy, and my favorite scenario is really expensive.
      Tagon: The Doctor briefs me weekly regarding exactly how crazy you are.
    • And then an indirect one:
      Piebald: With an enemy budget that big, sir, I'd have to be crazy to work on your side.
      Tagon: Then it's a good thing you're not on your meds this week, Lieutenant.

    Web Videos 
  • This was the reaction the rest of the Achievement Hunter team had in Let's Play Minecraft when they found out not only did Ryan had a cow in a hole in his home in Achievement City, he went out of his way to get another one to foil Michael's rescue attempt with the declaration of "Edgar's the one in the hole." His reigns as "King" have turned into "Mad King" and this was even shown in X-Ray & Vav with his character the Mad King.
  • Backstroke of the West: Rather than Obi-Wan telling Anakin: "Then you are lost!", the Gag Dub has Ratio Tile telling Allah Gold: "Friend you are crazy!"
  • Channel Awesome:
    • The Nostalgia Critic and Bum Reviews did this in one of Linkara's videos. And then he starts destroying the world. In fact, the experience is probably one of the most creepy things that That Guy with the Glasses has ever done.
      Critic: My God. You're mad.
      Bum: Am I? Am I?
      Critic: Yes. Very mad.
      Bum: Maybe it's you, who are mad?
      Critic: No, I'm pretty sure it you.
      Bum: You know what? You're just rude.
    • The Nostalgia Critic was on the other end of this during his review of The Room (2003). Other reviewers kept showing up to try and talk him out of it: when he refused to listen to Linkara...
      Linkara: You're mad, Critic! MAD!
      Critic: Begone!
      Linkara:''' Okay.
  • CollegeHumor: The skit "Font Conference" features Anthropomorphic Personification of Microsoft fonts. The villainous Ransom has kidnapped Courrier and his daughter Curlz MT, and in exchange for their safety...
    Ransom: If you ever want to see them again, I want primary placement in every Word, Notepad, Photoshop and Final Draft documents... as well as Microsoft Works.
    Times New Roman: You're insane! Nobody uses Microsoft Works.
  • The Cry of Mann: When Gergiev states he wants to kill Tank Mann, Frank tells him he's insane, and that his plan won't work.
  • The Spoony Experiment: "What is it about the name Dr. Insano that eludes you people?!"

    Western Animation 
  • Amphibia: In "Barrel's Warhammer", when Grime learns Sasha plans on taking the narwhal worm to the Toad Council, he calls her insane, and that he loves it.
  • Aqua Teen Hunger Force: A Running Gag whenever the trio encounter Dr. WongBurger and he explains his ludicrous Evil Plan, Frylock calls him a madman.
  • In Danny Phantom, the episode that introduces Vlad Plasmius has this dialogue:
    Danny: Let me outta here!
    Vlad: Why? So you can go back to stumbling through your adolescence desperately trying to get control of your powers?! Powers, by the way, that I've had for twenty years. I have experience, my child, and the money and power attained through using those powers for personal gain, you see! I could train you, teach you everything I know! And all you have to do is renounce your idiot father!
    Danny: Dude. You are one seriously crazed-up fruit loop. That is never going to happen.
  • DuckTales (1987):
    • In "Too Much of a Gold Thing", the finale of the Five-Episode Pilot, El Capitán claims to have been waiting "four hundred years" for another chance to find the Treasure of the Golden Suns.
      Mrs. Beakley: Four hundred years?! You're mad!
      El Capitán: Mad? Of course I'm mad! I'm mad for GOLD!
    • In the episode "Where No Duck Has Gone Before", Launchpad asks Courage, "Are you crazy?" when he insists on fist-fighting the alien leader. The episode proves enlightening for Courage.
  • Played for Laughs (Like every other trope in the show) in The Tick. As El Seed is raising his army of corn soldiers, we get this exchange:
    El Seed: You are the glorious army of El Seed! I am on a big power trip, and you are coming with me!!! My assistants, the lovely Bee Twins, will hand out medical waiver forms and ball-point pens. PLEASE... PRIIIINT... CLEEEEEARRRRLYYYYYYYY!
    The Tick: He's a madman!
  • In the Gargoyles episode "Temptation", Brooklyn, disillusioned by the problems of humanity, is manipulated by Demona to steal a spellbook in order to help his leader, Goliath, "see the truth of the world". Brooklyn cooperates, but when Demona attacks Goliath with a spell from the book that makes him a mind-controlled slave, the young gargoyle protests that he only wanted to Goliath to see the truth. Demona intones with flashing eyes, "You wanted him to know the truth. Now, our truth will be the only truth he ever knows!" At that brazenly evil pronouncement, Brooklyn yells to Demona, "You're insane!" and attacks her to get the book back.
  • Done frequently in Invader Zim, particularly because of Zim's megalomaniacal personality.
  • X-Men: The Animated Series:
    • In "Come the Apocalypse", Rogue recalls Xavier's earlier words and calls Apocalypse insane for turning mutants into mindless slaves and using them to destroy the world.
    • A curious example occurs in the episode "Courage" between Professor Xavier and Master Mold:
      Xavier: You're mad, Master Mold!
      Master Mold: A machine cannot be mad, Professor. That is a human failing.
    • Evilutionary Biologist Nathaniel Essex's Social Darwinist rhetoric elicits a "Good heavens! You're... You're quite mad!" from Charles Darwin himself.
  • In the Superman: The Animated Series episode "Stolen Memories", Superman meets Brainiac, the surviving major computer consciousness from Krypton. Although Superman is pleased to meet someone from his native planet, he later learns of Brainiac's true reason for coming to Earth. The intelligence has been ravaging the cosmos, gathering all the knowledge of worlds and then destroying them so that he is the sole possessor of that information, and now wants to do the same with Earth. At this smug justification of serial omnicide, Superman yells, "You're insane!" and leaps into battle.
  • Justice League:
    • In the episode "Injustice for All":
      Solomon Grundy: [to Luthor] You're crazy!
      The Joker: [bursts into the room] And what's wrong with that? It's done wonders for me!
    • A cousin to Insult Backfire happens in "Hereafter" after Superman is sent far into the future, After the End, and meets the last surviving human inhabitant, Vandal Savage:
      Vandal Savage: The earth belongs to the cockroaches now... Oh, and me.
      Superman: You're insane.
      Vandal Savage: ...True. But that doesn't mean I'm not good company. Say, you wanna come over to my house? [Beat] Like you've got something better to do.
  • The Simpsons:
    • In "Three Men and a Comic Book", Milhouse calls Bart crazy when he accuses him of planning to kill him in his sleep to get the comic. But what really sets Bart off is when Milhouse threatens to tell his mom.
      Bart: Hey Martin. Tell him what we do with squealers!
      Martin: [currently tied to a chair] I dunno! Is it worse than what you do to people who have to go to the bathroom?
    • In "Treehouse of Horror VII", Bart tells his conjoined twin Hugo, "You're crazy!", to which Hugo replies, "Am I? Well, perhaps we're all a little crazy. I know I am."
    • "You Only Move Twice" spoofs this with the famous line (in thick Scottish accent): "Scorpio, you're mad!" And the equally memorable reply: "Hah, I wouldn't point fingers, you jerk!"
    • Parodied in another episode, when Sideshow Bob is released from prison for the umpteenth time. Bart protests, calling Bob a maniac, and Mayor Quimby, who authorized Bob's release, replies, "Bob is no maniac. He explained his reasons for trying to kill us all, and I assure you they were perfectly sane."
  • Avatar:
    Baatar Jr.: You're insane!
    Varrick: You knew that when you hired me!
  • Batman: The Animated Series:
    • Near the end of "The Demon's Quest", Ra's al Ghul lets Batman in on his master plan which will result in the deaths of billions, leading to the following exchange:
      Ra's: A most impressive plan, wouldn't you agree?
      Batman: Yes... I can see it clearly now for the first time. [dramatic pause, giving Ra's the impression he's succeeding in recruiting Batman as his successor] You are completely out of your mind.
    • In "Deep Freeze", Mr. Freeze has this response to Grant Walker's plan to freeze the entire world except for his own island. When a supervillain is the one doubting your sanity, you know you have problems. Better yet, an ice-obsessed villain saying this about a plan to freeze the world. (Of course, this has a great deal of Fridge Brilliance, pardon the pun. Freeze considers his condition a Fate Worse than Death, but Walker actually wants it, causing Freeze to regard him as mad.) As Freeze himself tells him:
      Freeze: You want to be like this? Trapped in a world you can see but never touch? Old and infirm as you are, I would trade a thousand of my frozen years for your worst day.
    • The Joker of all people delivers this line regarding the Creeper:
      Joker: He's a lunatic!
    • The Joker gets this quite a lot, as while people already know he's loony, he can still boggle their minds. In "Joker's Favor", Charlie Collins has lived in terror over what 'favor' Joker will have him, to the point of changing his name and moving across the country (To no avail), so he's a little thunderstruck that all Joker wants from him is to open a door and let Harley Quinn push a cake to Commissioner Gordon's dinner.
      Charlie: Wait, that's the favor? You called me out here just to open a door?
      Joker: Well, look at the size of that cake, man! She can't open the door and push it in all at once! Think!
      Charlie: [aside] He's nuts...
  • Batman Beyond:
    • In "Babel", when Shriek blackmails Commissioner Gordon in exchange for Batman's life:
      Barbara: You're out of your mind.
      Shriek: Duh.
    • In "Curse of the Cobra", when Xander outlines his plan to wipe out the world through triggered volcanic eruptions, while his followers will survive by turning themselves into dinosaurs and thriving off the excess heat:
      Max: I think I finally get it now.
      [Xander smiles]
      Max: You're crazy! All of you! Certifiable, in need of medication!
  • From Mega Man (Ruby-Spears), in the episode "Ice Age" (sound clip available about a third of the way down this page):
    Mr. Zero: You're m-m-mad!
    Dr. Wily: No, I'm ha-ha-happy!
  • Even VeggieTales has a variant in a recent Indiana Jones parody.
    Larry: ... He's loopy!
    Bob: No, he's eccentric.
    Larry: What's the difference?
    Bob: Eccentric is loopy, with money.
  • Transformers:
    • Beast Wars has Tarantulas happily shrug this one off with a casual "So they say," and a particularly indulgent and spittle-y Evil Laugh.
    • The Transformers: Animated episode "Survival of the Fittest" has Captain Fanzone tell Meltdown that he's nuttier than a fruitcake.
  • Wakfu: During his fight against Nox in episode 17, Grougaloragran repeatedly calls him a madman, but Nox pays this no heed. Later, both Yugo and Adamaï give him a "You're insane!" speech at the end of the final fight in episode 26. However, since it is after Nox's whole plan is crumbling around him — with his giant clock mecha — this time the Xelor may actually be listening. To specify, the first time Yugo calls him out on his mental instability, he just shrugs it off. Later, he's surrounded by the total ruination of his plans, only to have Yugo scream that his insanity killed entire countries for nothing. This time, he actually starts weeping.
  • In The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, Carl, Sheen and Jimmy travel to the Bahama Quadrangle so Jimmy can prove that nothing suspicious happens there. They end up trapped by a algae obsessed scientist named Dr. Moist:
    Dr. Moist: I'd be happy to... Right after your transformation.
    Jimmy: Transformation?
    Dr. Moist: Into Algae-Men, just like all the other fools who've passed this way to spy on me!
    Jimmy: Huh?!
    Dr. Moist: That's right — your food was chock-full of mutant algae seeds.
    Jimmy: Huh?!
    Dr. Moist: Which even as we speak are infusing your every cell with kelpy goodness!
    Jimmy: Huh?!
    Carl: Guys... I'm turning green!
    Jimmy: But you ate it too; we saw you!
    Dr. Moist: Yes, but I have the antidote! [drinks some of said antidote] Ahh, that is good antidote!
    Jimmy: You're completely nuts!
    Sheen: Oh gee, ya think?
    Carl: What was your first clue?
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward Episode 22 ("Head of State"):
    Bishop: Stockman, this is madness!
    Stockman: No, Bishop. This is logic.
  • Regular Show:
    • In the episode "Go Viral", Rigby says this to the Warden of the Internet. Considering she's been capturing anyone who makes a viral video and imprisoning them in a Fate Worse than Death, he's probably right.
    • Mordecai says the same thing to Rigby when he asks for that last solid.
  • In the "Life of Crime" episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick and SpongeBob run away from home because they think they're going to get "locked up forever" for stealing a balloon. The two set up camp and share two candybars. Patrick eats his candybar and being the short-term-memory starfish that he is, forgets he just ate it and thinks that SpongeBob took it. The end result is SpongeBob eating his own candy bar while Patrick looks on in horror at the thought of his "only food" being eaten by his best friend and proceeds to freak out.
    SpongeBob: [eats candy bar] Mmmmm mmmm mhhmmm!!
    Patrick: YOU'RE A CRAZY PERSON!!
  • In the series finale of Action Man (2000), Alex retorts this to Dr. X after the latter's offer of We Can Rule Together.
    Alex: X... you're nuts.
  • In Iron Man: Armored Adventures Tony tells a variation of this to Rhona in "All the Best People Are Mad". Which results in a Title Drop of the episode.
    Tony: You're completely mad, Rhona!
    Rhona: Mad? "All the best people are mad." Lewis Carol.
  • In one part of the Five-Episode Pilot to Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Detective Drake accuses Aldrin Klordane of being mad. Klordane's response is, "Actually, I'm quite happy." (In case you didn't "get" the joke there, he was sarcastically telling Drake that he was not angry, although that was clearly not what Drake meant when he said "mad".)
  • Archer: Bionic Barry explains his Evil Plan to Nikolai Jakov.
    Jakov: You're crazy.
    Barry: AM I?!
  • Gravity Falls:
  • In Code Lyoko, Jérémie has an Anger Born of Worry example to Aelita, his sweetheart:
    Jérémie: [upon waking Aelita up] You're insane! Why did you do that?!
    Aelita: To save the world, to save you all.
  • In Beware the Batman:
    Lady Shiva: Are you mad?
    Anarky: Without question.
  • In the Peanuts TV special Snoopy: the Musical (a Recursive Adaptationnote ), when Linus tries to tell Sally about the Great Pumpkin ("again"), this is her response:
    Sally: I think you have really nice eyes, Linus, but you are completely out of your mind!
  • In Steven Universe, Steven encourages Peridot to write a song to express herself. She ends up singing about being stuck on Earth with the Crystal Gems and how she has slowly bonded with them.
    Peridot: I think you're all insane!
    But I guess I am too.
    Anybody would be,
    If they were stuck on Earth with you!
  • In the Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures episode "Night on Bald Pate", Pearl Pureheart calls Petey Pate mad in response to the villain boasting that he plans to steal every left shoe in Mouseville.
  • In the Monster Force episode "The Rage of Frankenstein's Bride", Dr. Ducaine is called insane by Dr. Reed Crawley when the latter finds out about Ducaine's intent of reverse-engineering a monster army from the Bride of Frankenstein.
  • In the Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa episode "The Wild Wild Pest", Buffalo Bull remarks that villain Mules Berne is madder than a two-headed woodpecker after being told of his plan to force the captured inventors to help him overthrow the governor by building him a giant robot.
  • The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald had this occur in "Birthday World", where the McNuggets straight up told Professor Pinchworm he was mad after the gang were informed of his plan to turn everyone into babies so he'd rule the world.
  • In “Agent James Hound” cartoon, Hound snaps to Doctor Mad (yes), “You’re mad, doctor!” “Yes, and you’re Hound.”

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Alternative Title(s): This Is Madness

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Harold Saxon's Cabinet

The Master, under his Harold Saxon alias, gasses his cabinet to death

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