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Anime and Manga
It's unfortunate you had to see this, boy. This moment'll always haunt you. You will be consumed by hatred for me. Challenge me, when you're ready to duel a god!
— Justice, Afro Samurai
My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and kill a certain someone
— Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto
Fan Works
"Galley rat, my Klingon Revenge has not been served cold!"
— The Mate of the KuvaH'magh SoS
Film — Animation
Metro Man: Justice is a non-corrosive metal!
Megamind: But metals can be melted, by the heat of re-vahnge!
Metro Man: It's revenge, and it's best served cold!
Megamind: But it can be easily reheated, in the microwave of evil!
Metro Man: Well, I think your warranty's about to expire!
Megamind: Maybe I got an extended warranty!
Metro Man: Warranties are invalid, if you don't use the product for its intended purpose!
Roxanne: Girls, girls, you're both pretty! Can I go home now?
Megamind: But metals can be melted, by the heat of re-vahnge!
Metro Man: It's revenge, and it's best served cold!
Megamind: But it can be easily reheated, in the microwave of evil!
Metro Man: Well, I think your warranty's about to expire!
Megamind: Maybe I got an extended warranty!
Metro Man: Warranties are invalid, if you don't use the product for its intended purpose!
Roxanne: Girls, girls, you're both pretty! Can I go home now?
— Megamind
Film — Live-Action
"Ah Kirk, my old friend, have you ever heard the Klingon proverb that tells us 'revenge is a dish best served cold'? It is very cold in space."
— Khan Noonien Singh, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Signora Andolini: All my respect, Don Ciccio. You killed my husband because he wouldn't give in to you. And his oldest son Paolo because he swore revenge. But Vito is only nine. And dumb-witted. He never speaks.
Don Ciccio: It's not his words I'm afraid of.
Andolini: He's weak. He couldn't hurt anyone.
Ciccio: But when he grows, he'll grow strong.
Andolini: Don't worry. This little boy can't do a thing to you.
Ciccio: When he's a man, he'll come for revenge.
Don Ciccio: It's not his words I'm afraid of.
Andolini: He's weak. He couldn't hurt anyone.
Ciccio: But when he grows, he'll grow strong.
Andolini: Don't worry. This little boy can't do a thing to you.
Ciccio: When he's a man, he'll come for revenge.
—The Godfather Part II
"You'll probably never see me again. But if you do, be ready."
—Balthazar Edison's final Captain's Log, Star Trek Beyond
Ilsa: Richard, we loved each other once. If those days meant anything at all to you—
Rick: I wouldn't bring up Paris if I were you. It's poor salesmanship.
Rick: I wouldn't bring up Paris if I were you. It's poor salesmanship.
Breaker: Look, Bill, if this is about reliving the 60's, you can forget about it, buddy. The movement is dead.
Strannix: Yes, of course, hence the name: movement. It moves a certain distance, then it stops, you see? A revolution gets its name by always coming back around in your face. You tried to kill me, you son of a bitch. So welcome to the revolution.
Strannix: Yes, of course, hence the name: movement. It moves a certain distance, then it stops, you see? A revolution gets its name by always coming back around in your face. You tried to kill me, you son of a bitch. So welcome to the revolution.
Tony: You're not still pissed about the Switzerland thing, are you?
Killian: How can I be pissed at you, Tony? I'm here to thank you. You gave me the greatest gift that anybody's ever given me: desperation. If you think back to Switzerland — you said you'd meet me on the rooftop, right? — Well for the first twenty minutes, I actually thought you'd show up. And the next hour, I — well I considered taking that one-step shortcut to the lobby, if you know what I mean. But as I looked out over that city, nobody knew I was there, nobody could see me, no one was even looking... I had a thought that would guide me for years to come. Anonymity, Tony. Thanks to you, it's been my mantra ever since.
Killian: How can I be pissed at you, Tony? I'm here to thank you. You gave me the greatest gift that anybody's ever given me: desperation. If you think back to Switzerland — you said you'd meet me on the rooftop, right? — Well for the first twenty minutes, I actually thought you'd show up. And the next hour, I — well I considered taking that one-step shortcut to the lobby, if you know what I mean. But as I looked out over that city, nobody knew I was there, nobody could see me, no one was even looking... I had a thought that would guide me for years to come. Anonymity, Tony. Thanks to you, it's been my mantra ever since.
"I was eleven years old. And when I was strong enough, I dedicated my life to the study of fencing, so the next time we meet, I will not fail. I will go up to the six-fingered man and say: "Hello. My Name Is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to Die."
— Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
"This is a sad old world, you know. Anyway, that's only my opinion. But the central point is this, Jack: You see, when men like you — and those dickheads from MI-6 or CIA or whatever sewers you came from — when you take away not only my life, but the innocent lives of my dear beloved wife Natasha and my little boy who's only six, you see... I mean, what can I say?
— Dr. Edward Bailey, Red 2
"I've grown very tired of waiting for you to step up behind me, and relieve me of existing."
— Miles Mellough, The Eiger Sanction
Literature
Vengeance and retribution require a long time; it is the rule.
"How did I escape? With difficulty. How did I plan this moment? With pleasure."
— Edmond Dantes, The Count of Monte Cristo
"You’ve heard of animals chewing off a leg to escape a trap? There's an animal kind of trick. A human would remain in the trap, endure the pain, feigning death that he might kill the trapper and remove a threat to his kind."
— Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Dune
"Revenge" he announced calmly, as he forced his last shudders into oblivion, "will now commence." He did not, however, move for a long time, even when the cold made him shiver. He lay still, remembering every last detail of Nergal's movements, words, and reactions, the archdevil's precise appearance... and what spells would make the best weapons against such a one.
One day, we whispered. We had whispered it forever. When it came, the time was not one day but many, stretched out over months, a luxuriant, languorous release, in pieces, in parts and parcels, and the more infuriating the more wonderful, liberatory for that.
— The Tain
"Do you remember how you burned me? I cursed you for a hundred years, Thibor. Now it is your turn to curse me – for the rest of time. Or until you stiffen into a stone in the dark earth."
And without further ado, I filled in his grave.
And without further ado, I filled in his grave.
— Faethor Ferenczy, Necroscope II: Wamphyri
Malice's smirk widened into a smile. "Sometimes I wonder if you know me at all, Sesh. Your people destroyed the Rising Earth sect and tried to destroy two more of my teams." Northstrider sensed something in the great distance. The dragon and the lion looked up at the same time. "Did you think that I would let that go?" Malice continued. "Did you think I couldn't reach you?" Her smile widened further into a fierce, maniacal grin. "Did you forget my name?"
— Cradle Series, Book 8: Wintersteel
"You know, there are physical bodies on which a wound will not heal. Sir Arthur had a mind of that sort. It was as if it lacked a skin; he had a feverish vigilance of vanity; those strained eyes were open with an insomnia of egoism. Sensibility need not be selfishness. Sybil Rye, for instance, has the same thin skin and manages to be a sort of saint. But Vaudrey had turned it all to poisonous pride; a pride that was not even secure and self-satisfied. Every scratch on the surface of his soul festered. And that is the meaning of that old story about him throwing the Egyptian official into a pig-sty. If he'd thrown him then and there, after being called a pig, it might have been a pardonable burst of passion. But there was no pig-sty; and that is just the point. Vaudrey remembered the silly insult for years and years, till he could get the Oriental into the improbable neighbourhood of a pig-sty; and then he took, what he considered the only appropriate and artistic revenge... Oh, my God! he liked his revenges to be appropriate and artistic.""
— Father Brown, a meditation on Sir Arthur Vaudrey
Live-Action TV
"Over the last two years, I have accepted my share of responsibility for the death of my family. This is the day you accept your share."
— Victor Drazen, 24
Devon: You know, revenge is a dish best served cold. Like sashimi... or pizza.
Jack: You prefer cold pizza?
Devon: The morning after? It's the best.
Jack: Better than hot pizza? That's insane.
Jack: You prefer cold pizza?
Devon: The morning after? It's the best.
Jack: Better than hot pizza? That's insane.
— 30 Rock
"Took him long enough. I know 'revenge is best served cold' and all, but his must've been frozen solid."
— Spike, Angel ("Why We Fight")
"In love, you take leave of your senses, but in hate, you must be present to calculate your actions."
— Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal
"You'll never know when it will happen, but it will happen. Each swallow of wine you take; every key you turn; every 'friend' you make. You'll never have a moment of peace."
— Lionel Luthor, Smallville, "Gone"
Gus: Do you care to know why I stopped you from killing Hector?
Mike: Like you said, it wasn't in your interest.
Gus: A bullet to the head would've been far too humane.
Mike: Like you said, it wasn't in your interest.
Gus: A bullet to the head would've been far too humane.
Zeeona: You know what fathers are like with their daughters.
Soolin: As it happens, I don't. Mine was murdered when I was eight.
Zeeona: I'm sorry.
Soolin: So were the men who did it. Eventually.
Soolin: As it happens, I don't. Mine was murdered when I was eight.
Zeeona: I'm sorry.
Soolin: So were the men who did it. Eventually.
— Blake's 7, "Warlord"
"They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but I think the portions are big enough for us to split."
— Alice, Batwoman (2019), "Prior Criminal History"
Music
They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
For trying to change the system from within
I'm coming now, I'm coming to reward them
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin
For trying to change the system from within
I'm coming now, I'm coming to reward them
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin
— Leonard Cohen, "First We Take Manhattan"
Tabletop Games
And who says we don't have patience or cunning when it comes to revenge?
— Vampire: The Masquerade - Clanbook: Tzimisce (revised)
Theatre
I will carry hell to your doorstep; you will rue the day
You will reap the hate you've sown no matter how hard you pray
It's a place without any mercy, fashioned in cold blood
Stones of fear and stones of doubt
No forgiveness, no way out
Only justice
Then, amen
You will reap the hate you've sown no matter how hard you pray
It's a place without any mercy, fashioned in cold blood
Stones of fear and stones of doubt
No forgiveness, no way out
Only justice
Then, amen
— "Hell to Your Doorstep", The Count of Monte Cristo: The Musical
So never kick a dog
Because it's just a pup
You'd better run for cover
When the pup grows up
Because it's just a pup
You'd better run for cover
When the pup grows up
— Les Misérables, "Little People"
"It was winter, long ago, when I left this little town, in a schoolgirl sailor suit and long red plaits, pregnant with only a short while to go, and the townsfolk sniggering at me. I sat in the Hamburg Express and shivered; but as I watched the silhouette of Petersens' Barn sinking away on the other side of the frost-flowers, I swore a vow to myself, I would come back again, one day. I've come back now. Now it's me imposing the conditions."
— Claire Zachanassian, The Visit
Video Games
"The cardinal rule in going after someone with an intention to kill was not to make it personal — which it almost always ended up being anyway. It did with me. I took my time, cruising around the city in the snow. There was no hurry, I knew what I had to do now. I took my time, thinking about it, building up the rage. When I was ready, I parked the stolen wheels at the front entrance of the Aesir Corporation HQ, got out, got in, got cracking. I had a bullet with Nicole Horne's name on it. I had ten thousand bullets with the hag's name on them."
"You killed my benefactor and sent my brother home a cripple. I vowed revenge and joined FOX-HOUND. I knew it was my best chance to meet you, and I prayed for the day that I would."
— Dr. Naomi Hunter, Metal Gear Solid
Olberic: If that's true... that means he'd been plotting the downfall of Hornberg for years!
Gustav: (nods) Revenge is made all the sweeter by the passage of time. How sweet it must have been for him when Hornberg fell at last.
Gustav: (nods) Revenge is made all the sweeter by the passage of time. How sweet it must have been for him when Hornberg fell at last.
— Octopath Traveler, a conversation on Erhardt's plot to assassinate King Alfred of Hornberg
"You know that saying about revenge? Well, we're serving it hot."
Master Zik: Revenge is a dish best deserved cold!
Zomom: Aw man, now you made me hungry! Let's hurry up and destroy him!
Zomom: Aw man, now you made me hungry! Let's hurry up and destroy him!
"It can be tough as a kid. All sorts of people have it over you. People will kill you inside, kill you and forget your name. You grow up. They grow old. You remember. They don't. They just keep doing what they've always done. Only to someone else. Then, one day, they call you friend. And you wait. And you wait. You wait 'til they can't trust you any more than they do. And then you ask them if they enjoyed their dinner. And, looking into their panicked eyes as they gasp their last, you tell them your name. And you nod. 'Yeah', your eyes say to theirs. 'That was me'. And then you leave. And the System is a better place. Be smart, Dreamers."
— Nora Night, Warframe
Webcomics
Sarda: I made you what you are today so you'd know exactly how insignificant you are when all that power fails to stop me from killing you.
Black Mage: That's messed up, Sarda.
Sarda: Oh? The thought of it kept me warm for billions of years.
Black Mage: That's messed up, Sarda.
Sarda: Oh? The thought of it kept me warm for billions of years.
Web Animation
"It's a dog-eat-dog world out here, boys. Sometimes, the sweetest types of revenge are best executed passive-aggressively after the storm without anyone looking or expecting it."
Web Original
When I began, my Charmander was level five
Fighting in grass, I hardly made it out alive
Pidgey hurt me with Gust and Sand-Attack
Now I am back, Charizard is level 82
His Fire Blast is going to roast all of you
Look out! Critical hit! Pidgey must be in bits...
Fighting in grass, I hardly made it out alive
Pidgey hurt me with Gust and Sand-Attack
Now I am back, Charizard is level 82
His Fire Blast is going to roast all of you
Look out! Critical hit! Pidgey must be in bits...
“Steal an apple from a farmer of the Kingdom and fifty years later his grandson will find yours on the other side of the continent, sock him in the eye and take three apples back.”
—Extract from “Horrors and Wonders”, famed travelogue of Anabas the Ashuran, A Practical Guide to Evil
"By earning the anger of the dwarfs in the Great Book of Grudges, Ravandil had singularly ensured his death... Five hundred some odd years from now. The dwarfs needed to stew in their anger."
Western Animation
Sergei: Perhaps it was the haste of a man who longed to take his revenge like is vodka, in one dreadful swallow. But I see now I must take my time. I will plant seeds of revenge and let them grow. Then I'll harvest the vegetables of revenge. And from those vegetables, I will plant more seeds.
Stan: And then you'll get your revenge?
Sergei: No, Smith. From the third or perhaps fourth harvest revenge-plants, I will make a vegetable stew, and season it perfectly. With revenge!
Stan: And then you'll get your revenge?
Sergei: No, Smith. From the third or perhaps fourth harvest revenge-plants, I will make a vegetable stew, and season it perfectly. With revenge!
Phantom Limb: Revenge, like gazpacho soup, is best served cold, precise and merciless.
The Monarch: Yeah, yeah, you can never have enough precision in your soup.
The Monarch: Yeah, yeah, you can never have enough precision in your soup.
This is how I'll always remember you. Surrounded by winter. Forever young. Forever beautiful. Rest well, my love. The monster who took you from me will soon learn that revenge is a dish best served cold.
— Mr. Freeze, Batman: The Animated Series
Real Life
People should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage they will get their revenge; but if you cripple them there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.
Concerning the night assault of Lord Asano's ronin, the fact that they did not commit seppuku at the Sengakuji was an error, for there was a long delay between the time their lord was struck down and the time when they struck down the enemy. If Lord Kira had died of illness within that period, it would have been extremely regrettable.
— Tsunetomo Yamamoto on why he doesn't believe in this trope, The Hagakure
La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid.
— Old French proverb
Ten years is not too long to wait for a gentleman's revenge; a small man takes his revenge from day to night.
— Chinese proverb
